Gotryke

Size 36: Mini Measures the Car Fun Footprint

I knew it was going to rough, but Yikes! Number 186 out of 197. My old Dodge Dakota didn’t bode well on the Mini Carfun Foot Print calculator. The Car Fun Factor weighs Fun to Drive with Green points. The 2001 Dodge Dakota that gets 13 city/16 highway mpg never had a chance. I don’t drive [...]

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Auto Pilot: Microsoft’s Automotive Platform

The latest entry to the computer car game is Microsoft’s Automotive Business Unit (ABU). Microsoft's Live Search for Devices opens up the doors for new applications including local search services, for in-vehicle infotainment. This means that cool platforms such as Ford Sync, where you can search locally for cheapest gas or Fiat's Blue&Me, which are Microsoft's prized developments. Next on the horizon for Microsoft is a partnership with Hyundai and Kia.

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Heartbreak Highway: Establishing a Healthy Relationship with Your Car

Back in the day, the first car we drove meant something -- a symbol of freedom and independence, or perhaps a candid memory that reminds us of a grandfather and what he drove. In the 20th century, cars first began to pull at our heart strings, in the same way old timers probably adored the family horse. We have yet to see what this century has in store for our emotional receptors.

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To the Rescue: Land Rover and Red Cross

Snippy comments are floating around the Internet about Land Rover's early July announcement to donate vehicles to the British Red Cross. Apparently, because Land Rover is a big SUV, it's very uncool to write anything positive about the British automakers. And I'm sure there will be more quips about Land Rover's decision to raise fund for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund as part of a broader effort to support international Red Cross efforts.

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Hydroplane on Wheels Lands on the Block: 1957 Chrysler Diablo

It would take Virgil Exner , who was then head of advanced styling, some time before he was able to express himself. As VP of styling, Exner's effect was brazen, bold - finned futurism at it's finest, putting Chrysler on the design map. The 1957 Chrysler Diablo is a rare example of Exner's wild-eyed vision, and in his designs he sought to find the aerodynamic functionality of fins.

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Playing with Cars: Diecast Models

When I was 16 years old, my father bought me a car - a black 1992 Dodge Daytona. In actuality the car weighed less than a pound and was under a foot long. “Of course I’m buying my daughter a brand new car for her 16th birthday,” he teased while he and my mother [...]

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Chinese S.W.A.T team using Segway’s to fight terrorist

In shangdong Province, China, S.W.A.T. members are in training on this economical gas saving device. More pics after the jump

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Common Ground: Common and Lincoln Come Together

My manager was telling me we might have this great deal on the table. He said Lincoln wants to do this deal where you will be representing and endorsing the 2008 Lincoln Navigator, and in return they want to promote my Common Ground foundation.

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Chewing on the Gas Crunch

This Volkswagen R32 is a randy race car, but probably not the best choice when it comes to driving with a gas-minded conscious. R32 might be a little guy, but it’s one with considerable pep shifting in .2 second. R32 nabs 18 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway — better than a Toureg, but not quite a Prius. That’s the slippery down-slide of the quintessential Euro hatchback pocket rocket. But there are ways to cut corners even in this young buck.

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My Favorite Color is Blue-Green: the 2009 Mercedes-Benz RL 320 and ML 320

Reporting live from the Mercedes lounge at the Albany International Airport. I’ve been scooting around in ML and RL 320s since yesterday afternoon, reflecting on diesel, hybrids, and the quagmire facing the automotive industry.

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