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Waunakee, WI (MMD Newswire) May 22, 2012 — Nothing says “welcome to summer” like an undeserved traffic ticket–especially when you’re traveling in another state.

But how do you know which states and cities are most likely to ruin your Memorial Day vacation by issuing you that ticket? States don’t track traffic ticket data for all of their jurisdictions. And most municipalities don’t want to publicize their ticket-happy ways for fear of being labeled speed traps.

The NMA to the Rescue

Luckily, the National Motorists Association (NMA)–a motorists’ rights group that has been helping drivers fight traffic tickets for 30 years–has updated its traffic ticket rankings to give holiday travelers some insight into which locales are most likely to ticket them.

How We Did It

The rankings below came from analyzing ticket-related search queries such as “speeding ticket” and “traffic tickets” using Google’s Insights for Search–a public tool that shows search trends across the United States. This is the same methodology we used to create the original 2010 rankings.

The Rankings

After crunching the numbers, the NMA found that Nevada is the state most likely to issue you a traffic ticket, followed by Georgia and Alabama. In 2010 Florida took the top spot and Georgia and Nevada tied for second place.

The state where you’re least likely to get ticketed is Wyoming, followed closely by Montana. These two ranked at the bottom in 2010 as well.

The Top 25 states have remained remarkably consistent from two years ago: only Michigan dropped off (down to number 30), to be replaced by Virginia at number 22. This may point to a certain chronic reliance on ticketing to generate revenue for state and local coffers. Notable offenders include Maryland, Louisiana and California–all of which cracked the Top 10 for the first time.

Drivers in the Northeast will be glad to learn that New Jersey and Delaware both saw their rankings plummet: New Jersey down 13 spots to number 23 and Delaware down 13 spots to number 40.

However, if you’re planning to drive through Nebraska, be on the lookout for those blue and red flashers. That’s because Nebraska was the top gainer (or loser?) in 2012, jumping 10 spots to number 33.

New for 2012

This year the NMA expanded its rankings to include the top 10 metro areas for traffic tickets. Drivers will want to be especially vigilant in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami and New York City.

2012 Top 25

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Munich (dpa) – The new edition of the BMW 3 Series Touring comes with a larger interior that can be adapted for various uses, improved ride comfort and an optimized engine range.

Some 97 millimetres have been added to the car’s overall length and 50 millimetres to its wheelbase. Made-to-measure options include plug-in elements for the load compartment floor. The automatic tailgate has a separate rear window opening and a stainless steel protective strip on the loading sill.
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Nissan to Produce 100% Electric Van in Barcelona

PR Newswire — May 23, 2012

BARCELONA, Spain, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

- Electric Variant of NV200 to Launch in 2013 -

- All-new 100% electric e-NV200 to enter production in FY13 – Nissan’s second all-electric vehicle allocated to Barcelona Plant – Major project investment by Nissan of EUR100 mn in Spain – More than 700 jobs to be created at Nissan and its Spanish suppliers – Multi-use vehicle providing families and businesses with unique driving experience – Interior functionality and cargo capacity similar to existing NV200 with class-leading running costs

Today Nissan announced that a 100% electric compact van, the e-NV200, will go into production at its Barcelona plant in the 2013 Financial Year.

The new model will be based on the existing award-winning NV200 currently produced at the plant and will be an important and innovative addition to Nissan’s global range of light commercial vehicles (LCV’s).

e-NV200 will become Nissan’s second all-electric vehicle (EV) following the launch of the multi-award winning Nissan LEAF in 2010, underlining Nissan’s long-term commitment to zero emission mobility.

The new model, which represents EUR100 million investment by Nissan in Spain, is expected to create around 700 new jobs at the plant and throughout its local supplier base.

As the sole producer of e-NV200, Barcelona will supply world markets highlighting the growing competitiveness of Nissan’s Spanish industrial operations. Last week a new medium duty truck was allocated to Nissan’s Avila Plant in central Spain.

e-NV200 will provide both businesses and families with functional and roomy interior space and will retain the host of innovative and practical features of the current NV200 line up combined with the most advanced powertrain components of the Nissan LEAF.

This will deliver a driving range similar to the Nissan LEAF on a single charge and similar performance, together with best in class running and maintenance costs.

Andy Palmer, Nissan Executive Vice President, said: “e-NV200 represents a genuine breakthrough in commercial vehicles and further underlines Nissan’s leadership within the electric vehicle segment.

“The new model will offer all the spaciousness, versatility and practicality of a traditionally powered compact van, but with zero CO2 emission at the point of use and also provide an outstanding driving experience that is unique to EV’s.

“Crucially, it will also offer class-leading running and maintenance costs, which makes it an exceptionally attractive proposition to both businesses and families.”

e-NV200 will also make a significant contribution to Nissan’s aim of becoming the world’s largest LCV manufacturer by 2016 as a key pillar of the Nissan Power 88 mid-term plan.

Last year Nissan achieved an historic milestone of selling more than one million LCV’s worldwide in a single year.

Andy Palmer added: “e-NV200 represents a bold and innovative addition to our commercial vehicle range, which is already one of the broadest of any manufacturer.

“I would like to thank the Spanish and Catalonian Government for their continued support of Nissan in Spain, and congratulate the Barcelona workforce for earning the right to produce what will be an extremely important model for Nissan globally.”

The current NV200 line up has already sold around 100,000 units. Its popularity led it to be chosen as the next generation New York City ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ following a rigorous selection process.

Currently, intensive evaluations of prototype NV200-based electric vehicles are being carried out in Europe. Trials will continue in coming months in order to provide real-world feedback from the most demanding usage. Feedback will help Nissan to fulfill exact customer requirements ahead of the start of production expected in FY13.

Nissan in Europe

Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 14,500 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced 677,000 vehicles including mini-MPVs, award-winning crossovers, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Nissan now offers 24 diverse and innovative products for sale in Europe today, and is positioned to become the number one Asian brand in Europe.

About Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.1 million vehicles in 2010, generating revenue of 8.77 trillion yen ($102.37 billion US). With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan, 2012 RJC Car of the Year, 2011 European Car of the Year, and 2011 World Car of the Year awards. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN.

Subject Codes: PC/t.120523080112558, PR/dest.Public, PT/lang.en, PC/ticker, PC/ticker.bloomberg, PC/ticker.isin, PC/ticker.rics, RE/United_Kingdom, IN/AUT, IN/TRN, IN/ALT, IN/TRT, IN/GRE, SU/PDT, SU/ENI, SU/ENP

Company Codes: Bloomberg:7201@JP, RICS:7201.T, ISIN:JP3672400003

Confused.com Reveals Young Drivers Spending More Than 18% of Their Annual Salary on Car Insurance

PR Newswire — May 23, 2012

CARDIFF, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

Confused.com has revealed young drivers are paying an average of GBP2,499 for their annual comprehensive car insurance. Meanwhile the older generation are statistically the cheapest to insure, with average premiums costing an average of just GBP440 per year for 66-70 year olds, the equivalent of around GBP1.20 per day.

With ONS figures revealing that the average income for 18-21 year olds in the UK comes to GBP13,972, when a young driver pays for their own car insurance [http://www.confused.com ] this could swallow up more than 18% of their salary. For men of this age group it’s likely to be an even greater chunk of their salary as they try to afford premiums costing an average of GBP3,635 (compared to GBP1,869 for young women 17-20).

Older drivers are currently enjoying the lowest premiums, with drivers aged 71+ paying an average of just GBP436 per year. A combination of driving experience, likelihood to travel shorter distances and owning lower-powered cars can make older and retired drivers statistically a lower risk, despite the possibility that their reactions could be slower due to age.

Average costs dip significantly for drivers aged 36-40 with the average price coming in at GBP597, but rise dramatically again for 46-50 year-old drivers who pay an average of GBP733.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said: “Each age group is costed by their statistical risk and this includes the value of the car itself, the experience levels of the driver, past history and where they live among other factors. Younger drivers are hit significantly harder than more experienced motorists but Confused.com is working hard to find ways to help young drivers bring down the costs, such as working with telematics providers who offer a discount for drivers who can prove that they are safe on the road.”

There are however tips for younger drivers who are looking to reduce their car insurance costs which includes choosing a smaller and lower powered car, installing a telematics device and considering excess protection but as with any product or service, it pays to shop around for the best price by using a comparison site such as Confused.com:

Customers can access Confused.com’s car insurance price calculator, which gives data on regional prices, at http://www.confused.com/car-insurance/price-index.

About Confused.com:

Confused.com was the UK’s first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include more specialised insurances such as performance car insurance [http://www.confused.com/car-insurance/performance ], home and contents insurance [http://www.confused.com/home-insurance/contents ], and online life insurance [http://www.confused.com/life-insurance ], as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, and mortgages.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators. Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

PR Contact: Sarah Wenham Confused.com press office Friary House Greyfriars Road Cardiff CF10 3AE +44(0)2920-434275 http://www.confused.com

Subject Codes: PC/t.120523063710450, PR/dest.Public, PT/lang.en, RE/United_States_of_America, RE/Europe, IN/AUT, IN/INS, IN/WEB, SU/SVY

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How come Nissan did not take the opportunity to simplify its supply lines by giving the Murano the current 370Z engine?

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When the Nissan Murano was first introduced to South Africa in 2004, it was the first SUV to put its emphasis on the S – ie ‘Sports’ – part of the designation with distinctly coupé-like styling and surprising performance, even burdened as it was with a decidedly unsporty CVT transmission.

Now Nissan has revised its distinctive styling to make it even sportier, with a new grille made up of chunky chromed sections, a new, deeper bumper with a huge lower air-intake (that Nissan claims is aerodynamically ‘cleaner’ than the old one) and fashionable LED tail lights.

The updated Murano runs on more modern 18”, titanium-finish rims, and the cabin has had a style makeover to go with the latest in-car technology.

Product manager Nancy Reddy commented: “It’s a more futuristic and more cohesive shape, while the cabin has more high-tech infotainment and luxury features as standard.”

MORE FLASH, SAME DASH

There’s a new double-panel moon-roof with power retractable sun shades and tinted glass for UV protection, and a tilting front panel to let in fresh air.

Tailgate is now power-operated, tail lights are fashionable LED’s.

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The leather seats have new design patterns, while the centre console is now colour-coded, with a more luxurious finish. The instrumentation now has special white backlighting (Nissan calls it ‘Fine Vision’) that’s designed to reduce driver fatigue on long drives and an ‘intelligent’ key means you can walk up to the car, get in and start it without taking the key out of your pocket.

Rear and side-view parking cameras are standard, as are power-operated seats, windows and mirrors, with the latter also heated to ensure that they are quickly cleared of view-obstructing frost and condensation even on the chilliest of mornings.

INFOTAINMENT

The tailgate is now also power-operated, and can be operated using buttons on the key, the dashboard or the tailgate itself.

Heatable front seats augment the dual-zone automatic climate control on cold mornings, and the rear seat-backs fold completely flat (power-operated,

Article source: Article Source

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Alfa Romeo says the Giulietta TCT accelerates faster than the manual version.

Alfa Romeo’s twin-clutch transmission, first made available in the MiTo earlier this year, is now also available in the Giulietta. The new transmission is teamed with MultiAir engines that have an idle stop as standard – so the MiTo and the Giulietta are the first vehicles in the SA market to have all three.

The transmission works in either full automatic or sequential mode, as required. The driver can manually change the gears either up or down with the paddle shifts on the steering column or the gearshift.

It’s a standard double-clutch system with, effectively, two gearboxes in parallel, one for even-numbered gears and one for odd, each with its own clutch. That allows the next gear to be selected while the previous one is still engaged, which makes for very, very fast gear-changes by simply disengaging and engaging the relative clutches.

Since there’s no fluid-drive torque converter, fuel consumption is about 10 percent better than with a conventional auto transmission, and the system lends itself to idle-stop technology, with which not all torque-converter setups are compatible.

NOW DOWN TO CASES:

The Giulietta TCT Distinctive has a 125kW, 1.4 Turbo MultiAir engine that takes, according to Fiat Auto SA, from 0-100km/h in just 7.7 seconds – 0.1sec faster than the manual version – and on to a claimed 218km/h flat out.

Schematic shows how Alfa Romeo twin-clutch transmission works.

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Fiat also says fuel consumption over a combined cycle has been reduced from 5.8 litres per 100km on the manual to 5.2, while CO2 emissions are down from 134g/km to 121.

Standard kit on the Giulietta Distinctive TCT includes BlueMe connectivity, 17” alloy rims, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather steering wheel with multimedia controls, paddle shifters, trip computer, front armrest with storage compartment, foglights, reconfigurable control panel, a stylish chromed insert (chrome line) framing the side windows.

The standard-issue dashboard insert is painted grey, but you can ask for white, red or polished aluminium.

Options include y Port for the BlueMe-TomTom system, which intgrates a portable TomTom satnav with the car’s systems via Bluetooth wireless connectivity, using a custom-designed dashboard mount.

BOTTOM LINE

Giulietta 1.4 Turbo

Article source: Article Source

London (dpa) – The Mini John Cooper Works GP was unveiled publicly for the first time at Le Castellert in France recently, with a limited run of 2,000 cars to be built both for the road and racetrack.

Part of the testing programme, in preparation for series production, included the clocking an impressive fastest lap time for a Mini at the Nuerburgring’s Nordschleife racing circuit in Germany, according to a press release.
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Tokyo (dpa) – Toyota has revealed a production-ready version of the Toyota RAV4 EV electric-powered sports utility vehicle (SUV) that is scheduled for launch on the US market later this year.

Initially the electric SUV will be available only in California with the 1.8-ton vehicle powered by a 115 kilowatts/156 horsepower power package from Tesla.
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Stuttgart (dpa) – Porsche is planning to build its first ever station wagon, a vehicle based on the Panamera, with production planned for 2017, according to a report in Germany’s Autobild newspaper.

Porsche is currently working on a ”baby” version of the Panamera under the codename Pajun, and planning the station wagon version with a Shooting Brake design, the report said.
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Hanover, Germany (dpa) – Owning a classic car is a hobby with growing popularity. Much of the fun comes from carrying out your own repair and restoration work. Some manufacturers even offer full service and restoration for those enthusiasts who would rather refrain from taking a spanner into their hands.

”For some people it might also be an option in terms of maintaining or increasing the value of their vehicle,” says Fritz Schmidt, a classic car expert, ”but if you ask me, doing the repair job yourself is part of the fun and saves a lot of money.”
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