Audi reveals 2009 model pricing, changes; price hikes across US lineup

The German luxury car-maker has announced pricing and equipment changes for nearly all of its 2009 models for North America. Absent from the list, for now, are the A4 sedan and Avant, the TTS coupe and roadster (pictured above), the Q7 3.0 TDI with 50-state legal clean diesel engine and the Q5. The A4 will arrive in September, with the TTS following in late 2008. The Q5 and Q7 are expected in the first quarter of 2009. Also coming in September is a Quattro-equipped 2.0-liter S tronic A3.

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Fuel costs force many to cut food budgets

A further one in 10 said they would consider getting rid of their car altogether if fuel prices continue to climb.

A litre of unleaded petrol currently costs an average of £1.18, a rise of 22 per cent over the past 12 months. It is estimated that the cost of filling an average-sized car could rise to £72.60, with drivers of larger executive cars having to pay more than £85.

Mark Dowsey and his wife, Joanne, tell the programme that rising fuel prices have forced them to cancel their summer holiday for the first time in seven years. About six months ago it cost Mrs Dowsey, 50, £30 to fill up her diesel car - it now costs her £45. Filling up her husband's diesel van has increased from £50 to £75.

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Fond du Lac couple beats high fuel prices with new electric car

After shopping around at an electric car dealer in Janesville, the Hylands plunked down about $11,000 for a Miles ZX40S in May. With room for four, plenty of safety features and a top speed of 25 mph the car is the ideal around-town ride for the family.

At first, Paul, a former military man, thought he would be the laughingstock of the neighborhood for driving around in the small car. He was wrong. Not only does he chuckle every time he passes a gas station, the car "gets more attention than a 1968 Pontiac GTO."

Other motorists stare, and people are constantly approaching the couple to find out more about the vehicle.

"It happens everywhere; it's hilarious," said Meghan. "We can't go anywhere without people asking us about the car. Someone even rang our doorbell at 8:30 at night to talk to us."

The reaction of passersby is usually the same.


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Driving 55 isn’t the answer, but it’sa start

Given technological improvements since 1974, at what speed is the typical vehicle most fuel efficient?

2. If a national speed limit were enacted, what would be total fuel savings, and what would be the savings for the average driver?

3. How many fewer barrels of oil a day would Americans consume? Would there be a reduction in price at the pump, and what ranges would cost reductions be?

4. If the feds reduced their oil consumption as asked, how many barrels of oil might be saved?

Congress will be considering all its options, said Sen. Warner, who reminded Secretary Bodman that, years ago, the 55-mph speed limit, officially known as the Emergency Energy Conservation Act, “worked."

Adele Ferguson can be reached at

PO Box 69, Hansville, WA 98340.



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Rising fuel prices could influence car market

The current boom in diesel car sales could slow down, as the average price of diesel fuel at the end of June reached 132.27p per litre - 22.5 per cent higher than it was at the beginning of the year, according to figures from Experian, the global information services company.

The figures provided by Catalist, an Experian company, show the biggest increase in diesel fuel prices for the first six months of any year in the last decade.

The average price of petrol has also increased significantly to 118.9p per litre - 15.4 per cent higher at the end of June compared to the beginning of the year.

Furthermore, while both diesel and petrol prices have been rising, diesel prices have crept up at a faster rate over the last six months. There is now an 11.2 per cent difference between petrol and diesel prices, compared to a 4.8 per cent difference in January 2008.



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Japan's New Green Car Push

A new version of the Prius, which promises to be lighter and more fuel-efficient than the current generation, should also appear in 2009, and a plug-in version, which like the Volt will use lithium-ion batteries, is due to arrive a year later. By 2010, Toyota is also believed to be planning two more dedicated hybrid models, including a new hybrid minivan.

Toyota Takes a Long-Term View

Toyota will start production of Camry hybrids in Thailand next year and in Australia from 2010, and is already building a new factory in Japan for nickel-metal hydride batteries used in today's hybrids. "Toyota will continue to increase production of its current hybrid technology and should be selling over 800,000 units a year before we even see the first Chevy Volt," says Kurt Sanger, an analyst at Deutsche Bank (DB) in Tokyo.



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Electric dreams: Running on nothing

All a Roadster owner has to do is spend to maintain the car. And because it's electric, there are fewer moving parts in it than in internal-combustion vehicles, so maintenance is significantly much easier.

The response to the Tesla Roadster has been phenomenal. Since it started selling earlier this year, the car has not just been sold out, but there a one-year waiting list for those who are willing to wait to get one.

Being a sports car, and an electric one to boot, the car is not cheap. But surprisingly, it's no more expensive than less-efficient, worse-performing sports cars that run internal-combustion engines. At $109,000 (around P4.7 million), most of the Roadster price is due to the fact that the vehicle is, in fact, a performance sports car. And it's a sports car because Tesla wanted to prove a point about electric cars.



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Car insurance

2 plead not guilty in shooting, carjacking - San Francisco Gate
Friday, August 15, 2008 (08-14) 12:35 PDT -- Two suspects indicted in connection with the carjacking of state Senate Pro Tem Don Perata and a gas-station shooting that left a 10-year-old boy paralyzed pleaded not guilty Thursday to the high-profile

Mich. woman sentenced as accessory in killing - Ann Arbor News
ALLEGAN, Mich. (AP) — A woman who police say knew her brother planned to harm his wife's ex-husband and then helped him after the former spouse's death has been sentenced to six months behind bars. Forty-year-old Lori Lathrop of Plainwell was

2:20 p.m.: Man escapes police capture during Banning car chase - San Bernardino County Sun
BANNING - Police are looking for a 42-year-old Banning man who led officers on a car chase after he tried to run another motorist off the road, officers said. Banning police attempted to pull over Shawn Denison after receiving a report that he and

You want cute? Get a puppy, forgo Fortwo - Arizona Daily Star
If you think the best part of any drive is the moment it ends, has Smart got the car for you. The company developed its tiny two-seat Fortwo for use in congested city centers where finding a parking space is cause for celebration. At 106.1 inches

Commentary: Abortion foes must be willing to speak out - The Daily Advertiser
It is my firm belief that the gift of life is one God's greatest gifts to mankind. I also firmly believe that aborting that gift is the second greatest sin against God and the first would be to hate Him. Jesus said, "Suffer little children come unto

Fashion accessory, not driving treat - Philadelphia Daily News
If you think the best part of any drive is the moment it ends, has Smart got the car for you. The company developed its tiny two-seat Fortwo for use in congested city centers where finding a parking space is cause for celebration. At 106.1 inches

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aSAJe5O0i.Zs&refer=germany

If you are in the market for a new or used car but need to get solid information about bad credit auto loan in New Jersey here are some tips that can help you.

Let Lenders Compete for Your Business Online

If you decide to look online for a loan, you will find that there are sites where you can apply for a loan and have lenders compete for your business. You only have to fill out one application and hundreds of lenders will evaluate your loan and give you an idea of the rates and terms you qualify for. To help you land favorable terms, shop around online and get pre-approved for a loan first. Then, see if the model you want comes with any incentives, such as 0% financing. It is difficult for a bank to beat that.

A great example is the Web site www.newjerseybadcreditautoloan.com which works with a nationwide network of finance companies and dealers to offer a free service focused on helping consumers with special financing needs.


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BMW Unveils New 7-Series Sedan, Expects Profit Boost (Update1)

BMW's flagship model ``will contribute a great deal'' to achieving the automaker's 2012 profit targets, Chief Executive Officer Norbert Reithofer said at an event in Munich to introduce the car. The fifth generation of the 7-Series will go on sale this fall, with a range of new technology, including four-wheel steering, in-car Internet access, and a night-vision feature that warns drivers of people near the roadway.

The company has a program in place to cut spending by 6 billion euros ($9.4 billion), including the elimination of 8,100 jobs, to help increase its return on sales in automaking to 8 percent and 10 percent by 2012 from 6 percent in 2007. Since Munich-based BMW announced the target in September, oil futures have jumped 87 percent and steel prices have climbed 63 percent.



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'New Happiness' returns to the basics

The car seems to come with the beautiful model, the perfect clothing, the glamorous cityscape, the perfect countryside, the group of uproarious friends. The beer isn't merely fermented barley - it's "the high life," somehow the golden essence of everything you want. As consumers, we're no doubt too experienced to accept such notions at face value. Still, we yearn, and so we listen. And buy. Of course, most of us are taught and believe that mere stuff won't make us happy, even if it can yield genuine pleasures. We have deeper or more profound longings than our longing for beer. We long to be loved, and to love, to know and be known, to do meaningful work, to find beauty or to achieve eternal happiness in ecstatic union with God. Even these get sucked into the economy. The Web site eHarmony markets true love.



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Used car

MyRide.com Announces “Top Ten Fuel-Efficient Sports Cars” - Business Wire (press release)

MyRide.com Announces “Top Ten Fuel-Efficient Sports Cars” Business Wire (press release), CA - 4 hours ago MyRide.com, the new online resource for consumers to research anything automotive, has compiled a list of the “Top 10 Sports Cars by Annual Fuel Cost” with ...

Diesel Myths Dispelled - MarketWatch

Diesel Myths Dispelled MarketWatch - 2 hours ago Today's clean diesels are Good, Clean, Fun and will race at the 2008 Detroit Sports Car Challenge Saturday, Aug. 30, on Detroit's Belle Isle FARMINGTON ...

Concept cars come in many colours, but often with a hint of 'green' - Engineer Live

Concept cars come in many colours, but often with a hint of 'green' Engineer Live, UK - 5 hours ago ... the environment with a class of vehicle that is not generally thought of as being 'green', but the same could also be said of sports car manufacturers. ...

Women’s rides - Manila Times

Women’s rides Manila Times, Philippines - 58 minutes ago At the opposite end of the spectrum, some vehicles ooze with feminine charm and, interestingly, may also take the form of a sports car, a sedan or an SUV. ...

Opel Tigra voted greenest sports car - Malta Independent Online

Opel Tigra voted greenest sports car Malta Independent Online, Malta - 7 hours ago Opel Tigra’s low impact on the environment comes as positive news to the industry as it means that buyers looking for a stunning sports car have found one ...

HighLineMeter.com Celebrates One-Year Anniversary with Customer

The success of the High-Line Meter within the car dealer market segment is greatly attributed to the quality, function, and reliability that until now, only seemed possible for gauges costing three times as much. The DOA failure rate on High-Line Meters currently being used in the field is practically non-existent.When the final numbers had been tallied from their internal QC study results, it was found that zero High-Line Meters were returned for manufacturer defects. This is great news for the budget conscience buyers who have yet to make a decision on a paint thickness gauge. On the other hand, according to HighLineMeter.com, this should not be a surprise to the droves of satisfied and loyal customers who kept coming back. The survey showed that only 3 units have been returned since the initial debut of the High-Line Meter.


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Rising fuel cost: Consumers prefer diesel cars, cos increase

MUMBAI: Consumers have begun opting for diesel versions of popular car models in the wake of rising fuel costs, forcing carmakers to step up production of the diesel variants in recent months. The Indian car market, which grew 8% last year, comprises largely petrol-driven cars, which also bring in higher business margins.

Maruti Suzuki's fast movers Swift and Dzire are selling 65% diesel variants and others like Tata Motors, M&M, GM, Hyundai and Ford are jacking up production of the diesel models. Tata's Indica and Indigo, Mahindra's Logan, GM's Optra and Hyundai Verna and Sonata are seeing an increase in diesel model sales in recent months.

The trend towards diesel models is forcing Maruti Suzuki to launch the diesel and the petrol variant of the Splash hatchback and is understood to be jacking up production of its diesel engine plant to three lakh units from one lakh units.


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Trade Ministry weighs production of Agassi's electric car in Israel

Manufacturers note that the decisive factor in the sales of hybrid and electric cars is the rising price of gas, rather than environmental protection issues.

A number of other attempts are being made to develop yet additional alternatively powered vehicles, including using biotechnology power. Powering with bio-fuel produced from such foods as corn has garnered much criticism over the past year, and is considered one of the central factors in rising food prices and food shortages around the world.
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Salvage yards have planning board support

They say they provide an important service of recycling vehicles and offering inexpensive car parts. They say there are few industrially zoned areas in the city large enough to store hundreds of junk cars.

Councilman Keith Bates has been pushing for the demise of salvage yards since he was first elected in 2005.

"It distracts from the beauty of the city, and it detracts from the neighborhoods," he said.

John Diffin, owner of Diffin Auto Salvage on Horseshoe Road, said his operation is not an eyesore. A fence shields the property out front, and he said his business can’t been seen from nearby Yadkin Road. He doesn’t know what he would do if he had to close.

"I’m so old that I’m not ready to move," the 86-year-old said.



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High fuel prices impact travel industry

Bonnie Frost and her family got off the plane from New Jersey and found their rental car price had jumped as well.

"Yes, an extraordinary amount. Yes, much higher," says Frost.

Two hundred dollars more over five days, but at the end of a long flight what are you going to do?

"Just pay, just keep paying, know what I mean? Badda bing badda bing," says Calabresi.

Last July, Hertz stock was trading near $25 a share . Thursday it was $6.90. Is that why prices at the counter are going up? The company's public relations chief said that information wasn't available Thursday because department heads were taking a long holiday weekend.

The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau reports high prices have not yet hurt the tourist industry here.



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