Our long-term Infiniti M inspires a few complaints halfway through its 40,000-mile stay. Date: November 2010 Months in Fleet: 7 months Current Mileage: 20,992 miles Average Fuel Economy: 20 mpg Range: 400 miles Service: $148 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $129 Just past the halfway point of its 40,000-mile Car and Driver tenure, our Infiniti M56 Sport is logging plenty of long-distance miles?from Ann [...] Related posts:

1. 2011 Infiniti M56 Sport – Long-Term Road Test Intro
2. 2011 Infiniti M56 – Road Test
3. 2009 Infiniti FX50S – Long-Term Road Test Update

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/xxumeWFEZsM/

Paul Menard Richmond Menards Ford Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota Carl Edwards

McLaren is upbeat about the progress it is making with its 2011 challenger as the team once again hints about innovative design concepts that it hopes will give it an edge. With the Woking-based team having stolen a march on the opposition at the start of this year after pioneering the F-duct, the team is again trying to push the boundaries with its MP4-26

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/mclaren-upbeat-on-2011-car-progress/

DuPont National Guard Military Intelligence Ryan Newman U S ARMY Chevrolet Greg Biffle 3M Ford

Filed under: Crossover, Ford

Ford has promised that the 2011 Ford Explorer would achieve a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy, and now we can put a pair of numbers with that claim. Environmental Protection Agency ratings show that the Explorer will average 25 miles per gallon on the highway and 17 mpg in the city; a big improvement over the last generation model's 20/14 numbers. The fuel economy numbers for Ford's newest offering also claims bragging rights over the Honda Pilot and the V6-powered Toyota Highlander.

Ford managed such a vast improvement by switching to a lighter front-drive-based setup with a more aerodynamic body. In fact, Ford claims that the Explorer's new rear lip spoiler alone accounts for an efficiency gain of nearly one mpg. Ford's new full-size SUV will also sport a far more efficient 292 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 with twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) mated to a six-speed auto transmission and the company's new EPAS electronic power steering system.

Hitting 25 miles per gallon with a 292-horsepower engine is significant, but The Blue Oval promises more improvement once the turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder arrives early in 2011. The powerful little mill promises to be 30 percent more efficient than the 2010 model. The V6-powered Explorer is now in full production and headed to a dealer near you. Hit the jump to read over the Ford press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2011 Ford Explorer V6 achieves 25 mpg on highway

2011 Ford Explorer V6 achieves 25 mpg on highway originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/10/2011-ford-explorer-v6-achieves-25-mpg-on-highway/

Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet Casey Mears GEICO Toyota Mark Martin

Back in September, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), now Speaker-elect, told Good Morning America he wanted to ?pass a bill this month at 2008 spending levels ? you know, before the TARP, before the bailouts, before the stimulus ? and let?s put some certainty in the economy.? He continued, ?That in itself would save about 100 billion [...]

Source: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/12/07/what-the-gop-spending-rollback-would-mean-for-transportation/

JD Motorsports Chevrolet Hermie Sadler III Virginia Commonwealth University Ford Brian Scott BigSpot com Toyota

Audi star Allan McNish is one of only two drivers who have driven the German marque's latest Le Mans challenger, the R18. AUTOSPORT caught up with him at the official launch of the closed-top machine to get an insight into the car designed to take on Peugeot

Source: http://www.inracingnews.com/3rdparty/q-and-a-mcnish-on-new-audi-r18/

Boudreaux s Butt Paste Chevrolet Justin Allgaier Verizon Wireless Dodge Ryan Truex NAPA Toyota

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/12/07/848792/pinks-all-out-production-halted.html

Hermann Lang Claudio Langes Nicola Larini Oscar Larrauri Gérard Larrousse

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/12/08/851769/october-numbers-allow-nascar-hall.html

Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

He may have won the two races that dole out the least amount of recognition of the entire season, but Carl Edwards doesn't much care.

"For our team, to finish like this and to be on the upswing that we are, this is as good as it gets," Edwards said after winning Sunday at Homestead, his second in a row.

Of course, Edwards was overshadowed by an incredibly dramatic championship fight that he watched from the outside looking in Sunday, largely in his rear-view mirror.

Jimmie Johnson overcame Denny Hamlin and held off Kevin Harvick to win the 2010 title, and proceeded to spin through a burnout as Edwards celebrated with his traditional backflip.

"I tell you, it's a lot more frustrating to not be in victory lane and watching somebody out there doing their donuts and all that stuff," Edwards said.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/spotters-stand-carl-edwards-has-offseason-momentum-in-his-back/

Ruby Tuesday Dodge Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Ricky Stenhouse Jr Citifinancial Ford

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, BMW

BMW's long, agonizing roll-out of information about the 2012 1 Series M Coupe has been a bit maddening. In addition to an early video reveal, we were invited to get some seat time in a prototype of the 1M, leaving us with just the final production-spec images and details in the world of the unknown. Well, wait no more - BMW has officially taken the wraps off of its hot new 1 Series, and while we're still very eager to put this sporty coupe through its paces, we can't help but wish for just a teensy bit more... oomph.

Let's start with power. The 1 Series M Coupe uses BMW's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, and while early estimates had the car pumping out as much as 350 horsepower, the final numbers are: 335 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque - exactly what you get out of this engine in the current Z4 sDrive35is. The car's ECU has an overboost function that provides an additional 37 lb-ft of twist at full tilt, and with your foot pressed hard into the right pedal, 0-60 will happen in just 4.7 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at - you guessed it - 155 miles per hour.

The only transmission available is a six-speed manual, though rumors have circulated about a possible twin-clutch DCT box making its way into the car down the road. Like all M cars, the 1M features an M Drive button on the steering wheel that improves throttle response. Additionally, the car is equipped with an M Dynamic Mode button that allows the electronic driving nannies to kick in slightly later than normal.

Compared to a 2011 135i coupe, the 1M is 0.2 inches longer, 2.1 inches wider and 0.5 inches taller. Both the front and rear tracks have been increased by 2.8 and 1.8 inches, respectively. Weighing in at 3,296 pounds, the 1 Series M Coupe is 77 pounds lighter than your off-the-shelf 135i. The 1M rides on standard M-specific 19-inch wheels wrapped in 245/35 rubber up front and beefy 265/35 out back. BMW hasn't made great strides to rework the 1 Series' interior for the M, but things like sport seats and a fat sport steering wheel are standard fare.

Don't get us wrong, we're drooling over the 1 Series M Coupe, but we can't help but wish for a bit more power and perhaps a larger reduction in weight. After all, BMW is comparing this car to the E30 M3 coupe (see for yourself in our high-res image gallery), which is perhaps one of our all-time favorite Roundel sports cars. Still, BMW needs to position the 1 Series M Coupe in a way that it doesn't step on the toes of it's big brother, the M3, and we're sure that this M Coupe treatment will provide more than enough moxie for us enthusiasts to get our kicks.

We'll have plenty of live shots direct from the 1M's Detroit Auto Show debut, but see the unwrapped beauty for yourself in our image gallery, below. BMW's prolific press release is available after the jump, as well.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is ready to cut and thrust

Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is ready to cut and thrust originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/09/officially-official-2012-bmw-1-series-m-coupe-is-ready-to-cut-a/

Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty

Cold snap results in more s’more consumption Roasting Marshmellows at Carolina Christmas - Charlotte Motor SpeedwayCONCORD, N.C. (Dec. 8, 2010) – Business is picking up at the marshmallow roasting pits at Carolina Christmas thanks in large part to the recent cold snap that has enveloped Charlotte Motor Speedway and the rest of the Carolinas. “We’ve...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2010/arca/12/08/marshmellow-roasting-hot-at-carolina-christmas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=marshmellow-roasting-hot-at-carolina-christmas

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