More than 70% of people believe spending time in the garden may improve their quality of life, suggests a survey for the National Trust.One in three people also considered gardens to be romantic place…
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Filed under: Performance, Ferrari, Design/Style
Although most Ferrari owners prefer their prancing horses in red, others maintain few things are more boring than another Maranello masterwork tinted scarlet. Ferrari will likely build you its latest 458 Italia in whatever color you chose, provided you’re willing to pay for it, but it stands to reason that when a model is introduced, it’s rolled out in Ferrari’s traditional Rosso Corsa.
Ferrarichat user JimF is apparently afflicted with a heavy case of Red-Ferrari-Ennui. Rather than just complain about the lack of chromatic variation, Jim fired up Photoshop and set about using the power of paths and transfer modes to show the new Italian in a variety of alternative hues. His work is nicely done, and the unexpected colors better show off the Italia’s sculpting. Hit the gallery and hunt down your favorite color below.
Gallery: Ferrari 458 Italia colors
[Source: Carscoop]
Would you like your Ferrari 458 Italia in brown? What about purple? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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CHINA has summoned Australia's ambassador to the foreign ministry in China to protest the visit of exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer to Australia, state press reported.
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Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, GM, GMC
A couple of years ago, pickup truck comparisons were all about power and towing capacity. Today, fuel efficiency is the new battleground. For the 2009 model year, the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado XFE took their fuel economy figures up a notch by hitting 21 mpg on the highway and 15 in the city. Then Ford unveiled the F-150 SFE that matched those numbers, though without requiring the use of a tonneau cover. The Blue Oval dropped the SFE badge for 2010, but kept the improved fuel economy.
General Motors, however, is not content with a tie, and is upping the EPA numbers for its 2010 XFE Silverado and Sierra to 22 mpg on the highway, which just so happens to match the highway figure for the Sierra Hybrid. The combined fuel economy of both GMT900 trucks has also increased from 17 to 18 mpg.
Chevrolet spokesperson Brian Goebel told Pickuptrucks.com that the increased fuel economy is due to several engineering improvements. The XFE model’s 5.3-liter V8 now has variable valve timing, optimized shift pattens in its six-speed transmission, and new tweaks for its Active Fuel Management system that enables the truck to run on four cylinders at cruising speeds for longer.
[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]
REPORT: 2010 Chevy Silverado XFE updated to achieve best-in-class 22 mpg highway originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Rumormill
This is not a fine kettle of fish. For some time now, fans of Toyota’s AE86 Corolla and Subaru rally cars have been licking their chops in anticipation of the Toyota/Subaru-developed coupe. Affectionately known as the Toyobaru or 086A, the coupe is poised to resurrect the FR arrangement in Japan and give Toyota a much-needed excitement injection. Or maybe not. The JDM lovin’ folks at 7Tune are reporting that the 086A is being neutered by about 40 hp in order for the new vehicle to be branded as an “eco car” in its home market.
But don’t fret too much, as the plan is to simultaneously lower the coupe’s weight, boosting the power-to-weight ratio. The other (maybe) good news for American consumers is that the power reduction seems to be effecting only the 2.0-liter boxer engine, a motor that Subaru no longer sells in the US. Meaning that we can expect our 086As to come with at least Subie’s naturally aspirated and ubiquitous 2.5-liter boxer, if not a whole lot of turbo plumbing — if makes it to the States.
Toyota is also banking on the fact that previous AE86 owners will view the new car as a nostalgia purchase. As such, they’ve changed the cars demographic from the coveted, if not fanciful, 18-35 year-old range to the more-likely-to-actually-buy-stuff 30-50 year-old male range. Most of these rumors will be dismissed for good when the Toyota/Subaru coupe makes its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this October.
[Source: 7Tune]
Rumormill: Toyota/Subaru coupe drops 40 hp, loses weight, marketed to your dad? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Crossover, Acura, First Drive
For the 2010 model year, Acura has updated the style and substance of the MDX, revamping the exterior to tie-in with the rest of the automaker’s line-up and making a few upgrades to its powertrain to keep up with the competition.
Obviously, the biggest change is the adoption of Acura’s new corporate fascia. If you can get passed the massive shield, you’ll notice a modified lower valence and a set of reworked headlamps that, like the updated RDX, retain their shape but benefit from a few tweaks to the interior elements. Out back, the changes are noticeably more subtle, with a splash of chrome trim and re-shaped exhaust pipes that tie the exterior elements together.
Gallery: Quick Drive: 2010 Acura MDX
Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading Quick Drive: 2010 Acura MDX gets new nose, powertrain improvements
Quick Drive: 2010 Acura MDX gets new nose, powertrain improvements originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Remember the rumor that Roger Penske is looking to bring Renault back to America via his recently-procured network of Saturn dealerships? Consider it a rumor no more, as the deed has been confirmed by none other than Renault’s chief operating officer Patrick Pelata, who said in a recent interview:
“He is looking for cars to sell. He has looked at all car makers, and he has seen that Renault has a nice line-up, sharing power trains with Nissan that are obviously adapted to the U.S. market… He’s asking us: ‘Do you want to sell us cars?’ and we are discussing about how to sell him cars.”
Considering that Nissan and Renault have plans to share virtually all new engines and Nissan is already well established in the U.S. market, it may make sense for the French automaker to supply Saturn-badged vehicles to Penske once GM stops producing the current Aura, Outlook and Vue models, which could be as early as 2011.
Previous reports indicated the vehicles in question may actually be sourced from Samsung, Renault’s Korean subsidiary. According to Pelata, though, “It’s an ongoing discussion,” and no deals have yet been finalized.
[Source: Wall Street Journal - Sub. Req.]
REPORT: Penske talking to Renault to supply vehicles to Saturn originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, SUV, Truck, Hatchback, Toyota, Off-Road
Toyota’s 2010 lineup will receive a suite of aesthetic, performance, and safety changes and minor price bumps, beginning with the FJ Cruiser. ToMoCo’s chunky ‘ute gets engine mods that include dual VVT-i and roller rocker arms, returning 19 more horsepower and one additional mile per gallon, with a price increase of just $360. At the other end, the 2010 Yaris will count things like Vehicle Stability Control and traction control as standard on the whole range, and the MSRP gets nudged up by $150.
The RAV4 Limited gets a little more chrome inside, and the price doesn’t change. Nor does the price change on the Highlander, unless you want the stainless steel exhaust tip that will run you $50. But the SUV does offer more amenities on the base model, including a backup camera and moonroof.
The Avalon’s price goes up by $100. For that you get auto up/down windows in the rear. The Tacoma gets “an enhancement to the front cup-holder functionality,” but no price change. The vehicles will start arriving on dealer lots in August and September, and you can read up on all these changes and more in the press release after the jump.
[Source: Toyota]
Continue reading Toyota announces pricing for 2010 models, upgraded engine for FJ Cruiser
Toyota announces pricing for 2010 models, upgraded engine for FJ Cruiser originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The US says it is checking reports that three American tourists were detained by Iranians while near the northern Iraqi border.
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It should have been so different. Back in April Los Angeles Police Department detective Stephanie Lazarus, a 25-year veteran and a member of an elite unit charged with investigating high-end art theft…
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