11/07/2009

Car Doctor: Mileage drop in Toyota Matrix should be investigated

Peter Elsworth
For the latest car news with local commentary, read projo cars blog at projoCars.com, updated daily.

Building model race cars is local man’s passion
Paul Masse of Woonsocket became fascinated with the hobby in the early 1990s

Car buyers are coming back, but not in droves
The American love affair with cars seemed to come to a sudden end this year, when car sales became less important to the economy than at any time since the government began counting more than 40 years ago. So far, there are only limited indications of a renewal of the relationship.

TEST DRIVE
And there’s a $10,000 price difference from its closest crossover competitors

No more Formula One for Toyota
Current economic conditions leave the automaker ‘no choice’

ON THE CIRCUIT
All Times EST

11/08/2009

Ford putting mini air bags in its seat belts
DETROIT — Air bags have long been mounted in the steering wheel, dashboard and sides of vehicles. Now, they’re in the seat belts.

Peter Elsworth
For the latest car news with local commentary, read projo cars blog at projoCars.com, updated daily.

Reaction mostly positive to Ford’s new Transit Connect
BETHLEHEM, N.H. — The Saturday morning craft and farmer’s market here attracts a wide variety of vendors selling everything from lettuce to chocolates to furniture. What better place to gather reactions to a new smaller van, the Ford Transit Connect, designed for just these sorts of small-business people?

Ford’s minivan is bold, tall
In August, its first full month of sales in the U.S., 2,200 Transit Connects were sold

Richard Petty Driving Experience shifts gears to Disney World
Marketing campaign will focus on fathers who want to drive while families visit the Magic Kingdom

11/04/2009

Car rental prices have increased, despite economy
If you to hope save a few bucks, do some homework and shop around

Auto sales show industry beginning to stabalize
The biggest winners were Hyundia, based in South Korea, and Japanese automaker Subaru

He loves his rare Buick Reatta
A sports car aimed at the mature buyer, the model never caught on

NASCAR forced to bide their time at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. — NASCAR will point to the 58 lead changes among 26 drivers as proof of a good race at Talladega Superspeedway.

A tip of the hat to the Pontiac Vibe
It’s just a good, well-developed little car that would run for a long time

Eight models that will disappear with the new model year
These eight cars will disappear with the new model year, but they merit more than a footnote for what they say about the auto industry and its buyers.

Lexus to unveil super sports car
It won’t go on sale until 2011, but will be debut at shows

Dealers running low on new and used cars
Many busy replenishing supplies after Cash for Clunkers program

10/31/2009

DOT TRAFFIC REPORT
Interstate Highway Restrictions

NOW ON PROJOCARS.COM
For the latest car news with local commentary, read projo cars blog at projoCars.com, updated daily byJournal staff writerPeter C.T. Elsworth.

NOW ON PROJOCARS.COM
For the latest car news with local commentary, read projo cars blog at projoCars.com, updated daily byJournal staff writerPeter C.T. Elsworth.

The diminutive Mini changed the automotive world, and that’s no small accomplishment
It was a different world 50 years ago. American cars were kings of the road. Layered in chrome, boasting enormous size, V8 engines and rear-wheel drive, their style was copied in miniature by other automakers. That changed on Aug. 29, 1959, when the British Motor Corp., or BMC, unveiled the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor, aka the Mini.

Shutting down the car thieves
More sophisticated anti-theft devices are making a dent in crime

NYC raises fine for unattended idling cars
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City Council has voted to raise the fine for leaving a vehicle unattended with a key in the ignition.

Test Drive: Dodge Ram 1500: In the truck world, beauty is a beast
WASHINGTON — Beauty takes on new meaning at county landfill in Lorton, Va., where refuse from home and shop compete with nature for attention. It is a place where strength and brawn are honored, where practicality trumps gadgetry, where wheels that can’t haul or pull, or that do a lousy job of complying with those tasks, are so useless they border on silly.

11/01/2009

Classic Aston Martin sells at auction for $900,000
A 1950 Aston Martin that raced twice at Le Mans sold for 550,000 pounds ($900,000) at an auction in London.

Seattle hopes to be key market for electric cars
The project will make it practical to own an electric car

Ford calls for electric-car infrastructure
But he says government and utility companies have to do their part

Brand new Terrain for GMC
GMC’s replacement for the Pontiac Torrent is a compact crossover that fits five. The all-new GMC Terrain compact crossover utility vehicle is now on its way to dealers.

NOW ON PROJOCARS.COM
For the latest car news with local commentary, read projo cars blog at projoCars.com, updated daily byJournal staff writer Peter C.T. Elsworth.

Mechanic tampered with cars
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee police say a mechanic was drumming up business by tampering with parked cars, then charging to help start them.

Chrysler will offer live TV
DETROIT — For the ultimate television junkie, Chrysler Group has the perfect Christmas gift.

Very few GM customers are returning their cars for refunds
‘Less than 1 percent’ have even signed up for the 60-day money-back guarantee program

Competitors build their own car — for $2,009
Some just show up to have a good time, like the Colonel Sanders look-alike in a Saturn disguised as a chicken

Cash for Clunkers vehicles piling up
Auto parts companies can’t keep up with the load to be demolished

Choosing a name for a new model is tricky business
Nissan scores ‘minor miracle’ with Leaf name for new electric car

Chrysler is expected to introduce foreign brands
DETROIT — Chrysler’s future lineup of products, which will be disclosed this week in the company’s first major announcement since exiting bankruptcy protection more than four months ago, is expected to add two more foreign brand names to what is already a crowded U.S. market.

10/28/2009

Rallying: It’s just a matter of time
Eleven teams of a driver and navigator in each car competed on public roads

NOW ON PROJOCARS.COM
For the latest car news with local commentary,read projo cars blog at projoCars.com, updated daily by Journal staff writer Peter C.T. Elsworth.

Rallying: It’s just a matter of time
Eleven teams of a driver and navigator in each car competed on public roads

Tag Tales return
http://www.projo.com/

Fisker to build hybrid cars at idled Del. GM plant
The vehicles to be built in Delaware will cost about $40,000 after federal tax credits

GM’s 2010 Equinox crossover, nothing short of ingenious
This cleverly engineered vehicle has ‘comeback’ written all over it

Engineers are one step closer to a no-iron automobile
When the Boeing 787 airliner goes into commercial service next year, travelers will be transported on wings and fuselages made of advanced composite plastics.

10/24/2009

Car Doctor: Pacifica is using too much oil
Q. My friend has a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica with 75, 000 miles on it. The problem is that the vehicle is using oil. The last time the oil was changed, the mechanic told me the engine was at least a quart and a half low. The previous time, the oil was down three quarts. The service manager told me that oil consumption is common in Chrysler products. What do you know about this?

Car design drawings on display
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Fred Sharf is a lifetime collector of all kinds of things. He estimates that he owns thousands of design drawings and he wants them to be viewed as art.

ON THE CIRCUIT
All Times EDT

Some NASCAR drivers are racing for a job next year
CONCORD, N.C. — Casey Mears didn’t expect to find himself looking for work so soon.

‘Hap’ finally gets his souped-up dream
PORTSMOUTH Ed “Hap” Aldrich’s ship has finally come in.

Jenson Button revives career to become unlikely F1 champ
SAO PAULO — Jenson Button didn’t have a job in Formula One after last season. With one race to go this year, he’s already the series winner and can’t say it loud enough:

Using cell phones as maps? Get lost
When it comes to navigation, so-called smartphones aren’t really so smart. If you want to find your way to your friends’ mountaintop country estate or to a remote bed and breakfast for some leaf peeping, standalone portable navigation devices, or PNDs, still rule. For now.

Utilities say they’ll get power to electric vehicles
DETROIT — The nation’s electric utility industry says it is committed to helping electric vehicles become a reality.

Todt succeeds Mosley as FIA president
PARIS — Jean Todt was elected president of motor racing’s governing body FIA on Friday, defeating Finnish candidate Ari Vatanen.

Lexus RX 350: Still king of the crossovers
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

DOT TRAFFIC REPORT
All construction and maintenance activities are weather-dependent and subject to change

10/25/2009

car calendar
www.larzanderson.org.

Researchers are studying gadgets, gizmos and safty
DEARBORN, Mich. — In a laboratory beneath Ford Motor Co.’s Product Development Center, a team of scientists and technicians is using driving simulators to study how motorists interact with new onboard technology and ensure that systems like Sync do not become too distracting.

Ask the DOT: Light at Plainfield Pike Wal-Mart will be fixed
Q. My inquiry pertains to two traffic lights on Plainfield Pike on the Cranston/Johnston border. The light at the entrance to Wal-Mart and the one just up the street at the exit ramp from I-295 North appear to be not operating correctly in that they favor the cars leaving the Wal-Mart parking lot and traffic exiting onto Plainfield Pike from the I-295 North exit ramp. Traffic backs up on the Pike waiting for the lights to change when there are no cars exiting from either the parking lot or the ramp. It wasn’t always this way.

Now on projoCars.com
For the latest car news with local commentary, read projo cars blog at projoCars.com, updated daily byJournal staff writerPeter C.T. Elsworth.

Range Rover: A limousine that can climb a tree

Virtual racing couldn’t get much more realistic
How does it feel to go flat out into a turn at Indy with all four tires fighting for grip, or to drift out of the narrow groove at Darlington into an unforgiving swath of slick asphalt? What’s it like to pick your way through the traffic at Daytona with nerves rubbed raw and Dale Earnhardt Jr., inches off your rear bumper?

Now on projoCars.com
For the latest car news with local commentary, read projo cars blog at projoCars.com, updated daily byJournal staff writerPeter C.T. Elsworth.

Government eyes off-road recreational vehicles
WASHINGTON — After scores of deaths, the federal government is taking a closer look at off-road recreational vehicles, known as ROVs.

Fiat about to roll out its plan for Chrysler
On Nov. 4, we’ll get our first look at Chrysler’s future.

Ford calls for electric-car infrastructure
Detroit — Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. told government and industry leaders Wednesday that his company is serious about building electric cars.

Ford has big plans for its battery-powered Focus
SAN FRANCISCO — Ford Motor Co. on Thursday brought its green gospel to San Francisco, showcasing its battery-powered Focus on the West Coast for the first time as part of its plan to electrify up to 25 percent of its fleet by 2020.

Tokyo Motor show focuses on green technology
TOKYO — Green technology will be in the spotlight at the Tokyo Motor Show, but the light will not shine on many automakers from outside Japan.

Researchers are studying gadgets, gizmos and safty
DEARBORN, Mich. — In a laboratory beneath Ford Motor Co.’s Product Development Center, a team of scientists and technicians is using driving simulators to study how motorists interact with new onboard technology and ensure that systems like Sync do not become too distracting.

10/21/2009

Carmakers using more recycled materials
Detroit’s automakers are finding new uses for worn-out jeans, discarded plastic bottles and manufacturing rubbish — they’re recycling them for use in new vehicle parts.

Auto Biography: A Lincoln Continental with a dramatic history
WARWICK Paul Carlson bought his dove gray 1976 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe in 1996 little knowing that it was connected to a dramatic moment in his past.

Dale Earnhardt is in the dumps over bad season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nobody is trying to sugarcoat the trainwreck that is Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s season.

Car Talk: Get shaking Jeep to a mechanic right away
Dear Tom and Ray:

cRUISE calendar
Cruise nights are winding down for the season. Call ahead to make sure you’re not left hanging out alone in the parking lot.

Quirky Cube melts some hearts, freezes others
You either love the Nissan Cube or hate it. As for me — well, I can see both sides of the argument. But I think it comes down to a question of age, or should I say maturity. So, I now relinquish this review to my two selves, Old Larry and Young Larry.

OnStar brings stolen vehicle to a halt
DETROIT — When two Visalia, Calif., police officers swung their cruisers behind a sport-utility vehicle that had been carjacked at gunpoint early Sunday, they prepared for a dangerous high-speed chase.

Teams compete for green-car prize
NEW YORK — The organizer of a $10-million contest to develop next-generation green vehicles said Monday it narrowed down its list of competitors by half, with qualifying teams ranging from Indian car giant Tata Motors to a team of Cornell University engineering students.

10/19/2009

R.I.’s Iway: Final stretch to open this week
PROVIDENCE — Transportation officials say their biggest project is about to pass a major milestone this week, a permanent connection between the new section of Route 195 and Route 95.

10/17/2009

ON THE CIRCUIT
All Times EDT

Car Doctor: Windstar power steering does make noise
Q. The last time my 2001 Ford Windstar went for normal maintenance, it was suggested I replace the power steering pump. I did have the pump replaced, but when I drove home the power steering was “whining.” I returned to the garage and they told me it was air in the system and it should go away in about 500 miles. What is wrong; was I scammed?

DOT TRAFFIC REPORT
All construction and maintenance activities are weather-dependent and subject to change

Johnson grabs the pole at Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson is returning to his dominant ways at the perfect time. His latest accomplishment: the fastest qualifying lap of the NASCAR season.

India’s Tata Motors launches spruced-up sedan
MUMBAI, India — Tata Motors launched a next-generation sedan Wednesday, part of its effort to build out a Nano to Jaguar car portfolio in India’s fast-growing auto market, which is still dominated by small car sales.

Barrichello looking for a win on his home track
SAO PAULO — Rubens Barrichello arrives at the Brazilian Grand Prix with more on the line than just the Formula One title.

Florida software engineer computes gasoline savings
ORLANDO, Fla. — A couple of years ago, Michael Bragg of Apopka, Fla., noticed his girlfriend (now his wife) jotting something down in a small notebook. She was, he learned, keeping track of her car’s fuel mileage. “Her family had always done that,” he said, “and she just started doing it, too.”

Test Drive: Muscle goes modern in the 2010 Ford Mustang GT
“How can you not love a car with a red-and-white leather interior?” my smitten 16-year-old daughter said with a sigh when I opened the door on my Torch Red 2010 Mustang GT test car. Indeed.

’37 dump truck has unique history
SCITUATE Milton “Buddy” Luther’s 1937 Ford dump truck has had a sweet life.

High-tech safety features being added to non-luxury cars
DETROIT — Most drivers have been humbled by a blaring horn after drifting out of his or her lane, or felt frazzled while slamming on the brakes to stop short of a crash.

10/18/2009

Ford color data reveals quirks
DETROIT — In Philadelphia, they’ve got the blues. In Cincinnati, they’ve got — the reds.

Stay calm, it’s just a Lamborghini at 200 mph
The funny thing about going really, really fast in a sports car is it’s a bad time to look at the speedometer. Your eyes should be on the road.

Experts are pursuing better battery technology for cars
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A future generation lithium-air battery might be the much sought after power source for electric vehicles with ranges that match gasoline powered cars of today.

Development continues at Volvo
Volvo’s for sale, but that hasn’t slowed development of new vehicles and technologies, the Swedish automaker’s North American boss told me.

Test Drive: 2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS: One beautiful sedan
It is a return to sculpted metal, a flight from the boredom of strictly functional aerodynamic design.

Ask DOT: Reader’s suggestion for directional lines
Q: My question has to do with why painted directional lines are not used more often to clarify what lanes to be in at an intersection. Specifically, the second exit off of the Newport Bridge ends in three lanes at a stop light facing Newport Jai Lai. I think these lanes should be painted to show left-only in left lane, straight-only (to Newport Jai Lai) in center lane, and right-only in right lane. Many times people in the center lane turn left, passing cars in the left lane on the right where the road quickly narrows to one lane north of Newport Jai Lai. In addition, nearby at the intersection of Valley Road and East Main Road, Valley Road has three lanes on each side of the intersection. I think the center and right lanes should have painted lines showing straight-only and right-only, respectfully. Again, cars on the right often go straight, passing cars in the center lane on the right as Valley Road quickly narrows to one lane.

car calendar
October

Facing massive layoffs, Russia’s ‘Detroit’ feels the chill
TOGLIATTI, Russia — A chilly wind snapped at Vasily Kurikov’s face as he walked to the employment office to find a part-time job as a street cleaner.

GM passes million miles in fuel-cell experiment
BUFFALO, N.Y. — General Motors Co. is now 1 million miles into its fuel-cell experiment and company officials say having everyday people drive a test fleet of pollution-free cars has convinced them they are on the right track.

Chevy Caprice coming back as a police car in 2011
The Chevrolet Caprice is coming back.

10/14/2009

Test Drive: Toyota Prius bests the competition
Raise the white flag; the 2010 Toyota Prius wins.

Auto Biography: Living Z good life in a 1982 Datsun 280ZX
NARRAGANSETT Andrew Cournoyer has not owned many classic cars.

Car Talk: Eek! There’s a snake under the hood
Dear Tom and Ray:

car calendar
SUNDAYS

10/11/2009

For this muscle car guy, only a Camaro will do
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The tone of Matt Schon’s e-mail races with the excitement that any car enthusiast understands.

Silver remains favorite car color
DETROIT — When it comes to car colors, most North Americans are pretty conservative, as silver and charcoal remained the most-popular exterior colors for the ninth consecutive year in PPG Industries’ annual presentation of color trends.

Calif. Widows’ spirits soar in their T-Birds
FRESNO, Calif. — It was the car of choice for Thelma and Louise, and also for the mysterious blonde in American Graffiti.

Ford unveils new Super Duty pickup
DALLAS — Ford unveiled its 2011 Super Duty pickup at the State Fair recently, promising more power from its all-new diesel than any truck in the bruiser heavy-duty segment.

Ask the DOT: Left lane huggers and Post Road repairs
Q. Has RIDOT considered installing signs that read, “Stay Right Except to Pass” on I-95 and I-295 for the continuing problem of people driving under the speed limit in the left lane?

The Acura ZDX is a stylish people hauler
Dude, the dinosaurs are dead. Which goes to show that all things must evolve in the face of cataclysmic change or, you know, die off for good. So it is with the auto industry and, more pointedly, sport-utility vehicles.

Auto engineers finding jobs outside the industry
DETROIT — After Jerry Tester lost his job as a contract engineer at General Motors, it soon became clear that the struggling auto industry wouldn’t be the place where he would work again.

car calendar
October