It's Throwback Thursday! Take a look at these 1968 FJ Cruisers! Which do you prefer? The classic version or the newer models?

Scion FR-S Nominated to Best of 2013 List by Cars.com

The Scion FR-S was nominated as a Best of 2013 car by Cars.com, an online review and consumer information website. Judges evaluated this year’s new and redesigned cars, and they praised the FR-S for its driving experience and affordability. The FR-S shares its nomination with the Subaru BRZ.

  To earn the nomination for best overall car, the FR-S first won the Cars.com best sports car category. It will go up against the best SUV, midsize sedan, luxury sedan and pickup as well as the best hybrid won by the Toyota Prius c. The overall Best of 2013 winner will be announced on Jan. 15, 2013 during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

  “Consumers frequently turn to online research before a vehicle purchase, so we are honored that Cars.com selected the FR-S as one of the best cars of the year and recognized its uniqueness in the marketplace,” said Scion Vice President Doug Murtha. “By delivering a fun and accessible sports car, Scion expands its appeal with drivers looking for vehicles they can make their own.”

*Courtesy of Scion USA Newsroom

Nissan Announces Winners for “Innovation Garage” Social Media Campaign – Nissan Online Newsroom

A device enabling you to learn in your sleep and a low-cost system for improving health care in developing countries are steps closer to reality, thanks to Nissan. Today Nissan announced that Andrew Saldana of Downey, Calif., Ryan Helsel of Durham, N.C., and Kyle Vath of Cincinnati are the winners of the "Nissan Innovation Garage" campaign, a social media movement designed to inspire and celebrate innovation and provide funding to launch new ideas.

Earlier this fall, more than 15,000 people answered the question, "Wouldn't It Be Cool If ____?", by submitting their best creative ideas at NissanInnovationGarage.com. Nissan is presenting its grand prize winners, Saldana and Helsel, with $50,000 grants and 2013 Nissan Altimas in recognition of their submissions, which were chosen as the best two concepts by a panel of engineering and product development experts in collaboration with Nissan executive leadership. Ideas were evaluated according to their originality, impact and feasibility. Nissan will work with both winners to promote their ideas using Kickstarter.com, a funding platform for creative projects. The company will also award Vath a 2013 Nissan Altima for his idea, which fans selected as their favorite.

"We've been impressed by the great ideas that were submitted," said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Marketing, Nissan North America. "The team at Nissan enjoyed providing a platform for these innovations to surface. We're looking forward to seeing where they may lead. It's inspiring to see people fired up to find ways to make the world a better place."

Saldana's idea, "Dreamwork," is a device that promotes learning while sleeping. Helsel's submission, "Low-Tech Bedsore Prevention," is an affordable system to reduce the occurrence of bedsores for patients in developing countries. Vath's concept, "Non-Emergency Medical Response Unit," is intended to reduce inappropriate use of hospital emergency room services. Participants submitted nearly 33,000 ideas for innovations during the course of the six-week campaign.

 

Building on its "Innovation That Excites" philosophy, Nissan’s hunt for the next great innovation was inspired by the all-new fifth generation Altima - the most innovative Altima yet - which promises to shake up the mid-size sedan segment with its interior  innovations and styling. Among the 2013 Altima's many attributes are its best-in-segment fuel economy of 38 mpg highway (2.5-liter engine), new premium exterior styling, an upscale interior with premium materials, including NASA-inspired "zero-gravity" front seats, and an outstanding balance of ride comfort, stability and a fun-to-drive demeanor. Altima features Nissan "signature innovations" including, Easy Fill Tire Alert, which sounds the car horn when tires are being inflated to signal proper pressure, and Smart Auto Headlights, which turns on the headlights when the windshield wipers are on.

*Courtesy of Nissan News

Lighten up your key chain

Does your car key share a chain with a dozen or more other keys? That’s a pretty heavy load hanging off the car key when it’s in the ignition.The weight, combined with bouncing while you drive, can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition and eventually lead to ignition switch failure.To add years of service to your ignition switch, purchase a lightweight key chain that allows you to separate your ignition key from the others. Drive with only the ignition key in your ignition. If your ignition key “sticks” when you try to turn on the car, it’s a warning that your ignition switch is about to fail. Replace it before you get stranded.

*Courtesy of Reader's Digest

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The all-new 2014 Transit Connect for the way you live

There’s finally a vehicle as unique as you are. The all-new 2014 Ford Transit Connect answers your drive for life with its ability to be ready for just about anything. This rolling statement of individuality shatters the norm with distinctive styling, versatility, efficiency and affordability.

Transit Connect stands out with style and will be offered in two wheelbases with standard seating for five, and available seating for seven. Available EcoBoost® technology helps optimize power and efficiency. Other features include a low floor for easy loading, entry and exit, and available flip-and-fold seating for customized space. Sliding rear seats help accommodate long legs and large cargo while overhead storage bins help keep personal items secure. An available panoramic roof allows plenty of natural light. The Transit Connect helps you get more done with ease and comfort by giving you what you need to fit your life.

The Transit Connect will be available in the fall of 2013.

*Courtesy of Ford News

 

 

   

   

2013 NASCAR Chevrolet SS Unveiled

Chevrolet today opened a new chapter in its storied racing history, unveiling its eagerly anticipated 2013 NASCAR Chevrolet SS race car. Powered by the legendary small block V-8 engine, the rear-wheel drive performance sedan will be Chevrolet’s newest entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, beginning with the 2013 SpeedWeeks in Daytona, Fla. 

The new NASCAR race car closely resembles the all-new rear wheel drive V-8 Chevrolet SS performance sedan that will debut early next year.

“As a passionate race fan, the debut of the SS NASCAR race car is a genuinely exciting moment for me,” said GM North America President Mark Reuss. “With the SS, Chevrolet is delivering a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR race car that is very closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale, ensuring that our most loyal enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience the same thrill every day on the open road that our race car drivers enjoy on the track on race day.  

“The Chevrolet SS also demonstrates how we are able to leverage our global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience,” Reuss said. “The specialized development and testing work done for the race car will certainly benefit the entire Chevrolet product lineup.”

The Chevrolet SS is the next in a long line of famed nameplates that Chevrolet has campaigned in NASCAR. It replaces Impala, which scored 151 wins from 1959-64 and 2007-12.

“We are looking forward to another exciting year of NASCAR competition and expect that the new SS race car, with some of the most skilled drivers on the circuit behind the wheel, will distinguish itself on the track,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports.

The Chevrolet SS will be a derivative of the award-winning global rear-wheel-drive architecture that spawns performance vehicles like Chevrolet Camaro and Holden’s upcoming VF Commodore. The limited production version of the Chevrolet SS will be a 2014 model and will arrive in dealer showrooms in late 2013. It is the first time in 17 years that Chevrolet will offer a rear-wheel-drive sedan for sale in the United States.

Chevrolet has long used the SS (Super Sport) designation on high-performance models of some of its most enduring nameplates. The SS designation first appeared in 1957 on a Corvette prototype race car built under the guidance of Zora Arkus-Duntov with the plan to enter it in the Le Mans 24-hour race. 

The first production vehicle to be offered with an SS optional package was the 1961 Impala – 453 were built with the performance upgrades, which included a modified chassis and suspension, power brakes, a steering column mounted tachometer and unique wheels and tires.  The SS designation returned to the Chevrolet lineup in 2010 with the debut of the fifth-generation Camaro. 

Chevrolet has 702 victories in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, more than any other manufacturer.  Fonty Flock earned the manufacturer’s first win on March 26, 1955, at Columbia, S.C. Five-time series champion Jimmie Johnson achieved Chevrolet’s 700th victory earlier this month at Texas Motor Speedway.

Chevrolet was America’s best-selling performance car brand in 2011 with Camaro and Corvette accounting for one out of every three sports cars sold in the United States.  The addition of the SS to the lineup is expected to further strengthen Chevrolet’s position as a leading performance brand.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

*Courtesy of Chevrolet News

Don’t fill up if you see the tanker!

"If you happen to see a gasoline tanker filling the tanks at your local gas station, come back another day or go to a different station. As the station’s underground tanks are being filled, the turbulence can stir up sediment. Sediment in your gas can clog fuel filters and fuel injectors, causing poor performance and possibly necessitating repairs."

*Courtesy of Reader's Digest