How a Dealer Adds $8,835 to a $35,000 Loan   23 May 2007 12:52 GMT
As car price climb and sales slump, auto financiers are getting creative about the loans they offer. As reported in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, low monthly payments and no-money-down deals have long been used to shore up flagging sales. But...
Source: wired.com

Japanese Cars May Run on Sake   23 May 2007 11:51 GMT
You may have slammed it with your sushi, but in Japan, a pilot project at Tokyo University is studying cheap ways to turn rice hulls and other rice by-products into ethanol. It gives new life to the old slur about...
Source: wired.com

2008 Honda Accord Spy Photos Show Styling Cues from Concept Car   23 May 2007 11:48 GMT
Safety regulations forced some changes from the concept car shown here. But the high rear end and tapered roof line will make it to production models. The Accord still lags behind the Toyota Camry in sales. The sleeker look of...
Source: wired.com

Andretti Green Racing Looks to Dominate Indy 500   23 May 2007 11:36 GMT
Michael Andretti has every reason to smile these days. Well, at least he’s got five reasons, every one of them a member of his Andretti Green Racing team. Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti qualified on the front row of the...
Source: wired.com

Race-Prepped Pontiac Solstice Shows Neutral Handling, but Limited Power   23 May 2007 11:36 GMT
The Solstice GXP has barely arrived, but Pontiac wants to prove that it's serious about the competitive prowess of this Mazda MX-5 killer. Two racing packages are available--one is ready to go; the other is a do-it-yourself set of parts....
Source: wired.com

What Do the Candidates Drive?   23 May 2007 10:40 GMT
Democrats Joseph Biden—1967 Corvette Hillary Clinton—Ford Escape hybrid Christopher Dodd—Ford Escape hybrid Jonathan Edwards—Ford Escape hybrid, Chrysler Pacifica, GMC truck Dennis Kucinich—Ford Focus Barack Obama—Chrysler 300C Bill Richardson—Jeep Wrangler Republicans Sam Brownback—Ford Taurus, Honda Civic hybrid Rudolph Giuliani—“I don’t drive....
Source: wired.com

Disparities Exist in ESC Availability in Europe   22 May 2007 20:59 GMT
Europe's Euro NACP says electronic stability control (ESC), which applies brakes to individual wheels to prevent cars or trucks from from skidding, needs to become a standard option in Europe. According to its stats, disparities exist in its availability around...
Source: wired.com

ZAP Poised to Take on Smart Cars   22 May 2007 14:23 GMT
A three-wheel electric car from China last month secured a $79 million deal from Chicago-based the Electric Vehicle Company, which plans to sell 10,000 of the cars to local governments, universities and companies such as Domino's Pizza. The zebra-painted ZAP--which...
Source: wired.com

Aluminum May Provide Cheap Source for Hydrogen   22 May 2007 14:12 GMT
Pellets made from aluminum and gallium can produce hydrogen when water is poured on them. Scientists at Purdue University pose that this chemical reaction might yield the most efficient way to power hydrogen fuel-cell cars. Source: CNN Read More...
Source: wired.com

VW Golf GTI Becomes a Supercar?   22 May 2007 14:05 GMT
Imagine, if you can, a VW GTI with 650 hp. This is not some garage monkey's tuner. Volkswagen actually produced the prototype you see, basing it on the company's venerated W-12 engine. It's a hatchback Golf, just like your Uncle...
Source: wired.com