Parts Blog
Presidential pickup to hit the auction block
Wed, 09 Jan 2013Former President George W. Bush will put his 2009 Ford F-150 King Ranch 4x4 Super Crew up for auction at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale sale on Jan. 19.
Ram heavy-duty pickup gets higher towing rating
Wed, 09 Jan 2013Ram has fired the latest salvo in the ongoing pickup war between the domestic automakers, releasing what the brand claims is now best-in-class towing capacity for its 2013 heavy-duty pickups. The 2013 Ram 3500 is rated to tow a 30,000-pound trailer, up from a maximum towing capacity of 22,750 pounds for the same vehicle and powertrain setup in 2012. According to their respective Web sites, similarly equipped heavy-duty 3500 pickups from General Motors are rated at a towing capacity of 23,100 pounds, while Ford's F-350 similarly equipped is rated at 22,800 pounds.
Dodge Dart SRT photo leaked on Neon forum
Wed, 09 Jan 2013On Tuesday, Dodge revealed the specs and equipment of the 2013 Dart GT ahead of its official unveiling at the Detroit auto show. For the moment it's the top Dart trim to be officially confirmed, although the automaker said it was looking into an R/T version. What we didn't know then is that a leaked picture of what looks to be the Dart SRT had been floating around a Neon internet forum for a few days.
Day 2 at the International CES
Wed, 09 Jan 2013If you have never seen a 110-inch, ultra-high-definition TV screen, where every molecule of digital delirium dances across the screen in pulses of pixelated promiscuity, well, you're really missing out. Samsung had one such monster screen at the corner of its booth, sporting 4000 pixels per square inch and the techno geeks swooned in front of it like the truly faithful in the front row of a Celine Dion concert at Caesars Palace. For our part, we sat transfixed before it more like the monkeys in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Toyota charity puts boots on the ground in Detroit
Wed, 09 Jan 2013For the second year in a row, Toyota has chosen to celebrate the opening of the Detroit auto show with a philanthropic gesture. In order to help homeless women and children in the Detroit area, Toyota's “Walk in my Boots” community project will partner with Moosejaw, a Michigan-based outdoor retailer, to donate new boots to residents of The Salvation Army Denby Center for Children and Family Services in Detroit. Toyota will also be providing a luncheon buffet for the residents when they deliver the boots and donating $10,000 to the facility to help with operations' costs.
New (2013) Lexus IS: Official Photos revealed
Wed, 09 Jan 2013Lexus has revealed the first official photos of the new Lexus IS which will debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week. What we see is a much more dynamic looking IS, borrowing visibly from the LF-CC Concept we saw at Frankfurt last year, and promising to be the best effort yet by Lexus to put a dent in the BMW 3 Series. Prominent is the new Lexus spindle grill with a set of mean looking headlights with arrow shape LED running lights, with the cabin looking further back than the current IS, a coupe-like profile and a swoopy crease running back from the sills to the tail.
Kia turn to consumer reviews to drive the brand
Wed, 09 Jan 2013Kia is launching a brand awareness campaign in the UK with the main focus being on over 3000 consumer reviews on the Kia website. It looks like Korean twins Hyundai and Kia are both going to be concentrating on building the value of their brand in 2013. Yesterday we learnt that Hyundai are to focus on brand building in 2013 rather than chasing big sales increases, and today Kia has revealed it is following a similar path with a new marketing campaign built round consumer reviews of Kia cars.
Peugeot 208 Intuitive Special Edition launched
Wed, 09 Jan 2013A special edition of the new Peugeot 208 – the Peugeot 208 Intuitive – has been launched with extra equipment. Price from £14,245. It’s over a year since the new Peugeot 208 was rolled out in the hope that it could revive Peugeot’s sales and bring back to the ailing French car maker some of the sales gloss they enjoyed with the 205.
2013 Mercedes E63 AMG revealed in new E Class family photo
Wed, 09 Jan 2013Mercedes has revealed the new E63 AMG in an official photo of the 2013 E Class family ahead of a Detroit Auto Show debut. We’ve already had the reveal of the facelift for the Mercedes E Class Saloon and Estate in December, followed by news earlier this month on the new E-Class Coupe and Convertible. But one facelift for the 2013 Mercedes E Class range was missing – the facelift for the mighty E63 AMG.
Hyundai's record year – can it continue? (2013)
Wed, 09 Jan 2013Hyundai’s metamorphosis is complete – it’s now one of the ten most popular car brands in the UK, and the first Korean manufacturer ever to crack into the Premier League of UK car buying habits. Sales in 2012 soared by 18.1% to 74,000 units, while its Kia sister brand scored 66,000 registrations last year, according to the new SMMT figures out this week. The Korean double-act isn’t just a thorn in the side of the established French mainstream brands: it’s killing them off completely.
