The World's Ugliest Cars

A recent survey selects the worst designed cars of all time. The top pick? The AMC Pacer.

See Businessweek's complete list HERE.

Most Recalled Cars in 2007

See BusinessWeek's slideshow HERE.

The Most Dependable Cars of 2007

The Most Dependable Cars of 2007.....see slideshow HERE

Families in Need Get Cars for Christmas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Several families received a car from the man known as Car Santa on Thursday.KMBC's Jere Gish reported that 11 years ago, Terry Franz gave away six cars from his small lot. This year, he'll help give away 50 in Kansas City.The cars are donated, along with the parts to make sure the vehicles are in good condition.

"An old car sitting on the side of your house you're not using isn't worth much to you, but it's worth a million to these people if they can get across town," Franz said.Jewel Smith cried as she look at her new car. She's never owned a car in her life, Gish reported. Now she doesn't have to walk to work."It's so nice. Thank you guys so much," Smith said. Sylvia Hoover lost both of her parents last year, then she lost her house and her car because of financial problems.

She has been borrowing a van to drive her 3-year-old daughter and two younger siblings."All these people that are here helping are just doing amazing things for everybody. For myself, for all the other families in there, it's just amazing. It's absolutely fantastic," Hoover said.

Gish reported that the families were nominated through Car Santa's Web site and through radio station 99.7KY. Franz said that he now gets 20,000 requests a year. He's also giving away cars in several other cities.

Source: KMBC-TV

Chinese automaker recalls 1,875 faulty cars globally

The Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., a home-grown carmaker based in eastern China's Anhui Province, has announced it will recall 1,875 defective cars sold globally.

This is the first time for a Chinese local automaker to recall cars in the world range.

The recall involved offroad vehicles with automatic gear shift, which were branded Tiggo and manufactured between March 27, 2006 and Oct. 25, 2006.

Chery said there's something wrong with the fan controller which may overheat the engine.

These cars will be recalled between Dec. 20, 2006 and March 31, 2007.

Chery said it had exported over 25,000 cars this year, including the salable Tiggo series, to more than thirty countries and regions including Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Russia and Iran.

From November 2005, Chery began recalling its faulty Eastar series in China, making it the first home-brand automaker to recall cars in the country.

In developed countries, auto recalls are commonplace. China launched its first auto recall regulations with detailed implementation rules in October 2004.

Analysts said that there would be more vehicle recalls in China and the recall was good for the healthy development of the auto industry.

Source: People's Daily Online

Classic Mustang Limos

Source: AutoBlog

In the aftermath of the whole four-door Mustang affair, we bring you something along the same lines... only significantly more depressing, at least for classic motor enthusiasts. It seems that for some, owning a vintage Mustang just isn't unique enough. A few owners have chopped and butchered their classics into stretched abominations.

Our friends over at Carscoop have managed to hold back the tears long enough to find three Mustangs that have met such an ill fate. A black pony-car was stretched out by Mustang Restorations in Illinois. A light blue Mustang limo is operated by Preferred Limousine in Ontario. A third example, a white '66 model with a 289, can be found in California (of course), built by ABC Mustangs of Hayward. And if by some sick, twisted chance this actually strikes you as a good idea and you simply must own such a black mark in the history books of this iconic motor, that last one is up for sale on eBay Motors. At the time of writing, the bidding was up to $15k, the first payment of which must be accompanied by your soul.

We've seen a lot of strange novelty stretched limousines, but this is just too much. Someone put a stop to the madness!

Cool Cars

A look at some of the cool things automakers have done to make cars worth the gas money. VW's guitar offer, Nissans CarWings, and the Lexus LS460 that parks itself are mentioned.

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Google Earth exposes automakers' secret test tracks around the world

Manufacturers don't want you getting near the hidden circuits where they trial their newest cars – but we've dropped in using the latest satellite software...Google Earth!

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Poop-Grown Algae to Fuel Cars?

Aquaflow Bionomic, a startup based in Malborough, said earlier this year that it produced the world’s first sample of biodiesel from sewage ponds, and the test drive proves the “wild algae” biodiesel can power a car.

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Concept cars in China

With photos.

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Car Pictures from 9/11 (World Trade Center)

A reported 1400 vehicles were damaged on 9/11. These vehicles had peculiar patterns of damage and some were as far away as 7 blocks from the WTC buildings. The pictures are weird .. you just have to see them for yourself.

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The $10,000 Car Wash (Video)

Not many people would list washing cars as a career aspiration, but then they've probably not seen this video.

Here's a guy who gets to work over every detail of the most exotic of exotics, and gets paid as much as ten grand each time he does.

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Laser Sensors to Guide Cars in the Near Future

DARPA Grand Challenge, the world's most unusual car rally will be held on November 3 and November 4 2007. What makes this race so special is that all of the competing vehicles must master a 60-mile course entirely autonomously, with neither a driver nor remote control.

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Women Executives Leaving the Big 3 Automakers

Anne Doyle, formerly the director of communications at Ford, published a column in Automotive News warning that the exodus of women in high-ranking positions at the domestic automakers is a problem that ought to be taken seriously... as seriously as the Big 3's struggles to build cars that can compete with the import brands.

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New Suzuki marketing campaign

SUZUKI will be launching a new ad campaign that links their motorcycle heritage with their cars. The idea here is to create an awareness campaign among car customers that Suzuki indeed makes some great cars, and that they are fun to drive.

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Fuel cell motorcycle video

A new way to get around town with this Fuel cell motorcycle, who needs gas anyway.

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Consumers forgetting high gas prices, searching for large vehicles goes up

Two main car information websites - Cars.com and CarMax - both announced that the 70 cent dip in gasoline prices since August was responsible for the increase in shopper searches for large, fuel inefficient SUVs and trucks. Am I surprised this happened? No. But I am surprised it happened so damn fast.

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Toyota Salesmen Arrested Over Sales

Four Toyota sales subsidiary employees were arrested Tuesday on charges they filed false reports to the government on the sales of four used cars, police said.

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Smart Cars?

On the way to driverless vehicles!

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Bacteria to run our cars, warm our homes

The United States Department of Energy has devoted $1.6 million to sequencing the DNA of six photosynthetic bacteria that Washington University in St. Louis biologists will examine for their potential as one of the next great sources of biofuel that can run our cars and warm our houses.

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Dodge finally puts out a great commercial

This is too funny - nice job, Dodge.

Mark Martin to remain in Nextel Cup in 2007, part time

Martin has signed a multi-year deal with MB2 Motorsports, which has him leaving Roush Racing after nearly 20 years. He will drive 20 Nextel Cup point races next year and the two non-point paying races.

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Worlds Fastest Electric Car? It sure is fast...

Stumbled upon this video. Not sure how new it is, but its pretty amazing how fast electric cars can be made to go. I want one!

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Awesome Future and Concept Cars

Cool cars that will soon be coming out...sooner than you think...

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110 Octane Gasoline from Pig Feces too Good to be True?

Dean Gokel, a NASCAR fuel specialist, says he can produce 110 octane "pigoline"--gasoline made from hog waste--that is indistinguishable on a molecular level from petroleum-based additives. *If* other scientists confirm his technology--which they have yet to do--and can scale it to industrial levels, we can solve addiction to foreign oil and...

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2000 MINI cars Final Special Edition photos >>

In 2000, production for the classic Mini ended with 4 special edition cars. The Seven was the most traditional and basic, while the Knightsbridge was more a luxurious, deluxe version. The Cooper and Cooper S were more oriented towards performance.

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Honest Car Dealer Commercial

Wow, are there really honest car dealers out there?


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South Korean car sales up 46 percent

SEOUL: South Korean carmakers reported a combined 46% jump in September sales yesterday, with Hyundai Motor Co posting a monthly record, but the outlook for the upcoming quarters remains unclear. The automakers showed signs of recovery amid softer oil prices and as interest rates were not expected to rise further at home or abroad

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Weekend NASCAR update: Brian Vickers Wins Wild Finish at Talladega

Brian Vickers won his first career Nextel Cup race after a wild final lap at the Talladega Super Speedway in the UAW Ford 500. Vickers triggered a collision on the final lap while running third to cause some major controversy in the world of NASCAR Sunday.

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Mitsubishi Plug-In Electric Car for U.S. Market on the Way

They will soon announce an electric sub-compact, first to be released in Japan then the US.

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Tire comes off a car in a race and lands in an amazing spot

Watch this clip of BMW car racing from the UK!. A car loses a wheel and it keeps rolling down the strait, then bounces over the road in a chicane missing all of the cars, and bounces up to sit neatly on top of another pile of tires as if it were sat there on purpose!

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$10,000 Car wash!

Ever want to wash cars for a living? This guy did.

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the wonders of the Hershey, Pennsylvania, swap meet

Once a year, car guys from around the world gather at Hershey to swap parts, cars and stories. This year, I found (among other things) a belly tanker kit, the world's best LeCar, a Shriner Cushman, shaft-drive bicycles and the GM Futurliner

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