July 2011

Special edition Blue Angels Mustang proceeds go to charity

(July 25, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — The engineering and design teams at Ford have produced a unique “Blue Angels” edition 2012 Ford Mustang GT. This one-of-a-kind vehicle will be sold at the Gathering of Eagles charity auction Thursday, during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) 2011 AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s greatest aviation celebration.

Hertz to rent Lotus Evora at several sites in Europe

(July 25, 2011) PARK RIDGE, New Jersey (PRNewswire) — Hertz customers in key European markets will now be able to drive one of the top sports car brands in the world as Hertz extends a partnership with Group Lotus.

Russian entrepreneur purchases electric car maker THINK

(July 25, 2011) OSLO, Norway — THINK Global AS, a manufacturer of electric cars, has been purchased by a prominent international technology entrepreneur who is committed to maintaining the company’s key role in global transportation electrification.

A court-appointed trustee selected Boris G. Zingarevich, whose investment operations are based in St. Petersburg, Russia, as the winning bidder following a bankruptcy proceeding initiated by the Norwegian carmaker last month.

BraunAbility and Toyota surprise paralyzed newlywed with with mobility vehicle

(July 24, 2011) RALEIGH, NC — Toyota Motor Sales and The Braun Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vans and wheelchair lifts, have announced the surprise wedding day donation of a new 2011 Toyota Sienna with a BraunAbility Rampvan XT conversion to Rachelle Friedman, who was paralyzed as a result of a tragic accident during her bachelorette party in May 2010.

Mercedes unveils high-performance 2012 C63 AMG Black

(July 24, 2011) Mercedes-Benz this weekend unveiled the newest version of the C63 AMG Black.

The new high-performance vehicle is the most powerful C-Class of all time, boasting a maximum output of 510 horsepower and a maximum torque of 457 lb-ft. The high-revving AMG 6.3-liter V-8 engine delivers exceptional performance accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.

Ford touts its hybrid record, customer satisfaction

By Al Vinikour
MotorwayAmerica.com

(July 22, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — There’s an old saying that goes,“everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.” To paraphrase this, everybody seems to have a hybrid in their product line, but few companies can match Ford in hybrid sales and technology.

Volkswagen sales up 11.7 percent in June

(July 23, 2011) — The Volkswagen Group delivered more vehicles in the first six months of 2011 than ever. A total of 4.09 million vehicles were delivered to customers worldwide from January to June.

June was also a very positive month, with 719,400 vehicles handed over to customers representing a 11.7 percent increase over June 2010..

Diesel Technology Forum praises decision to put diesel engine in Chevy Cruze

(July 23, 2011) WASHINGTON (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — The availability of a new diesel version of the widely-popular Chevrolet Cruze will be "a huge step forward" in the growth of clean diesel automobile availability in the United States, according to Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

"In just its first year, the Cruze has proven to be extremely popular with American drivers," Schaeffer said.  "In June, it was the best-selling car in the U.S. and has exceeded sales of more than 20,000 per month since February.

Chevrolet Cruze to get diesel engine in 2013

(July 22, 2011) DETROIT — Chevrolet confirmed today it will add a diesel variant to the Cruze lineup in North America in calendar year 2013.  Diesel versions of the Cruze are currently being sold in Europe. Additional details on the Cruze diesel for North American markets will be released at a later date.

Toyota dealer aims for Guinness world record with longest hybrid parade

(July 22, 2011) MADISON, Wis. (PRNewswire) — Smart Toyota of Madison is striving to make history this Sunday by organizing the longest hybrid vehicle parade ever, in conjunction with the Green Drive Expo in downtown Madison.