West Virginia Auto Blog

Honda recalls nearly 53,000 Acura TL sedans in US

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:12:02 +0000

DETROIT — Honda says it’s recalling nearly 53,000 Acura TL sedans in the U.S. to fix a problem with power steering hoses.

The hoses can deteriorate over time and leak fluid. That can cause the cars to lose power steering or even cause a fire.

Read the Original Article

Jeep J-12 Test Drive

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:15:06 +0000

When all else fails, mine your past. At times, this seems to be the only strategy Chrysler knows how to follow anymore. But for all the Chargers, Challengers, and Darts trading on their namesakes’ legacies, the Jeep division’s products have arguably walked the straightest path from the brand’s inception to its current showroom offerings. Take the Wrangler, for instance: ladder frame, stick axles, and coil springs. You can find more-complex riding lawnmowers.

Because of the seemingly eternal primordial state in which the Wrangler exists—its recent interior redo notwithstanding—Jeep designers have an incredibly versatile and cost-effective rolling canvas on which to base concept rigs. Taking full advantage of the situation, they’ve made a point of annually churning out a passel of concepts surrounding the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, hoping to keep enthusiast fires stoked and grab a few headlines in the process. It’s worked.

Read the Original Article

R.I.P. Carroll Shelby 1923-2012

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:06:26 +0000

The automotive world’s most famous failed chicken farmer, Carroll Shelby, died Thursday, May 10, at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, 110 miles due west of tiny Leesburg, Texas, where he was born on January 11, 1923. Shelby, 89, had been ill for eight months, and his cause of death was listed as pneumonia.

Shelby often said that if he had been better at raising chickens, he never would have had to resort to his career plan B: building and racing cars.

Read the Full Article

Use your turn signals!

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:48:13 +0000

Stop being lazy and start using your turn signal. That’s the message of a new study that found that drivers who neglect to use turn signals cause more accidents than distracted drivers.

The Society of Automotive Engineers say that drivers who don’t use their turn signals or fail to turn them off are a real problem and the result is about 2 million crashes each year, reports MSNBC. In contrast, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports that distracted driving causes around 950,000 accidents annually.

Read the Original Article

Ford prices 2013 Focus ST from $24,495*

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:51:14 +0000

UPDATE: The Focus ST has officially been added to Ford’s configurator. Click here to build one yourself.

Well now, the inexpensive performance game just got considerably more interesting. Ford has officially dropped pricing on its upcoming 2013 Focus ST, and it starts at $24,495 (*including a $795 delivery charge). That kind of coin will net you a EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine good for a whopping 252 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, along with a torque-steer compensation system that works in conjunction with electronic power steering to keep the nose pointed in the right direction. If you’re keeping track, those power metrics are slightly north of the figures Ford had previously released. A variable-ratio steering rack toes the line between sport and comfort while the sport suspension sits the chassis 10 mm closer to the ground than the stock configuration.

Chrysler reports strongest quarter in 13 years

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:50:53 +0000

Chrysler put its dark days further behind it Thursday, reporting its strongest quarterly results in 13 years.

The Auburn Hills, Mich., automaker said its net income more than quadrupled in the first quarter of 2012, rising to $473 million as U.S. sales soared.

U.S. market share increased to 11.2 percent for the first quarter, up from 9.2 percent a year ago, driven primarily by a 40 percent increase in U.S. retail sales, Chrysler said. For the first time in its history, Chrysler was the quarterly market leader in Canada with a share of 15 percent, the automaker said.

Read the Original Article

Dodge Prices 2013 Dart Sedan From $16,790; Top-Spec R/T Model From $23,290

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:52:58 +0000

Dodge has announced pricing for the 2013 Dart sedan and revealed more details about each of the five available trim levels. The Dart starts at $16,790 in base SE spec, $18,790 for the SXT, and prices rise in increments of $1000 for the next-level-up Rallye and Limited. Buyers waiting for the sporty R/T model will have to wait a little longer—it won’t be available until the fall—and pay a little more: pricing for the R/T starts at $23,290.

A six-speed manual is standard on all models. The SE, SXT, Rallye, and Limited are powered by a 160-hp, 2.0-liter four; a turbocharged, 1.4-liter four with the same hp but more torque is available on the SXT, Rallye, and Limited. The Dart R/T gets a 184-hp, 2.4-liter four when it goes on sale. Darts powered by the turbo 1.4-liter four can be had with an optional six-speed dual-clutch automatic, while naturally aspirated Darts can be ordered with a conventional six-speed auto (which we discovered will be supplied by Hyundai). Dodge hasn’t revealed how much the powertrain options or any other available options, for that matter, will cost.

Read the Original Article

2014 Ford Fiesta Sedan / Hatchback Spy Photos

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:54:34 +0000

Covered-up and cobbled-together prototypes of the 2014 Ford Fiesta hatchback and sedan. The subcompact hatch—and its four-door sibling—have been on sale in the U.S. since 2010, and these spy photos reveal the duo will soon get a mid-cycle face lift.

Check out the Original Article

Jeep Mighty FC and J-12 Pickups Among Six Concepts Revealed for 2012 Moab Easter Safari

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:52:34 +0000

Jeep rolled out six concept vehicles it plans to show off at this year’s Moab Easter Jeep Safari outing. The concepts are the Jeep Mighty FC, Jeep J-12, Jeep Wrangler Apache, Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, and the Jeep Wrangler Traildozer. A Jeep Wrangler Rubicon decked out in Mopar accessories was also on hand, but really wasn’t a “concept,” since all its trick bits are available in Mopar’s parts catalog. Jeep has brought some pretty cool stuff to Jeep Safaris past, but it may have outdone itself this time with the FC and the J-12. Ok, we admit it—all of this year’s Moab-bound off-roaders are pretty awesome.

Read the Original Article

Shelby celebrates 50th anniversary by rolling out the original 1962 Shelby Cobra CSX2000

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:58:09 +0000

Shelby is celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, the performance gurus rolled out the very first Cobra ever constructed.

Assembled by Carol Shelby himself, the roadster is the very first pairing of an AC Ace and Ford V8 engine. Shelby first opted to slide a 221 cubic-inch eight-cylinder under the hood before later switching to a 260 cube engine tuned to around 260 horsepower. He beefed up components like the chassis tubes, spindles, rear differential and springs to build a car capable of handling the uptick in power.