Survey says: Lincoln is no. 1 in American Customer Satisfaction Index
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) released its annual survey of the auto industry today and Lincoln is shining bright… almost. While Lincoln received a score of 90 on the 100-point index, it could mean something negative for the brand.
Check out more news on the Lincoln MKZ.
“The downside for Lincoln is that high satisfaction may reflect a loyal, but dwindling, customer base,” the survey said.
Lexus came in 2nd place with 89, while Buick came in third at 87 followed by Subaru (87), Cadillac (86) and BMW (86).
Fiat 500 Street Edition For UK
The ultra-popular Fiat 500 is now getting a new version in the British market known as the 500 Street. Distinguishing visual features include dark tinted windows, alloy wheels and satin chrome finished mouldings, handles and door mirrors, and it can be had in five colours including Bossanova White, Pasodoble Red, Crossover Black, Electroclash Grey or Matt Black.
As for the engines, you can have the 500 Street with a 1.2 liter petrol, a 1.3 liter Multi jet diesel, or the superb 0.9 liter TwinAir two-cylinder motor. The latter is the best choice, because despite being so small and economical, it’s actually a lot of fun to use.
Street Edition of Fiat 500 is priced at £11,360 OTR (1.2), £12,760 OTR (TwinAir) and £13,760 OTR (1.3). It’s about £1400 more than the 500 Pop, but then it comes with £1800 worth of extra equipment including air conditioning, sports seats, 16-inch alloy wheels, Blue&Me infotainment, leather steering wheel with radio controls, and rear spoiler. And it’s got a very cool name!
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Long-Term Test Intro: 2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback Manual
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Connected Cars Take to Michigan to Reshape the Driving World
Image: U.S. Department of Transportation
A citizen army of everyday drivers are taking to talking cars, buses and trucks to assemble a torrent of information about how drivers behave and what situations they encounter when behind the wheel. It’s the government-backed study of the connected car, and it’s happening on the tree-lined streets of Ann Arbor, Michigan beginning today.
The mountain of resulting data will be used by the United States Department of Transportation to estimate the safety benefits of the connected car and its future implementations, while the transportation industry will gain access to vital information for developing safe, mobile, and environmentally sound applications using wireless communication technologies.
Deployed as the one-year, real-world portion of the Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot Program run by the DOT, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) won the $ 14.9 million contract in a competitive wrestling match to see which entity would be able to put cars and infrastructure to the test in the first study of its kind.
BMWBLOG Review: BMW X6 M50d driven in Australia
4:15 AM and the alarm goes off. I don’t have this right-hand drive 2012 BMW X6 M50d long and “Man, do I want to go back to sleep.” My aim is to get as far down on one of the best driving roads in the world, The Great Ocean Road on the southeastern coast of Australia, before I have to turn back and return it later that day.
I jump in the shower to clear the fog out of my head and then book downstairs to find the Space Grey Metallic X6 M50d waiting for me outside of our hotel. Taking off before 5 AM free of its usual insane traffic, I am thankful for the iDrive nav and a Head-Up Display to deftly take me out of the maze of streets that is downtown Melbourne.
You know, most of the time a mid-cycle refresh like this X6 just received is just cosmetic tweaking. Maybe a new engine choice or two to keep a given model relevant in a rapidly changing automotive market. This X6 M50d is different. Way different. It represents two firsts for BMW. The X6 M50d, along with the X5 M50d and the M550ds introduce BMW’s new M Performance Automobile line, and second let BMW’s engineering department flex it muscle with the debut of this all-new N57TU tri-turbo diesel motor.
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Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S gets performance tweak
The outgoing Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S has scored a mild performance upgrade before its all-new replacement takes the reins in 2013.
The tweaked flagship Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S sees power from the Italian’s 4.7 litre V8 upped from 323kW to 331kW and torque raised from 490Nm to 510 Nm.
The boost in grunt equates to a 0-100km/h sprint of 5.0 seconds (down from 5.1 seconds) on the way to its 285km/h top speed.
The increased figures are thanks to a remapped engine and friction-reducing measures and join the existing MC-Sportline package that Maserati previously added to the car at no cost.
The MC-Sportline trim and equipment pack includes carbonfibre trim across the dashboard, front and rear centre consoles, interior door panels, gear knob and the six-speed automatic transmission’s Trofeo gearshift paddles.
The Quattroporte Sport GT S MC-Sportline also features single-setting racing-style suspension with single-rate dampers, stiffer springs, lower ride height (10mm front, 25mm rear), 360mm Brembo brakes with six-piston callipers and the option of two different 20-inch alloy wheel designs.
Lotus Festival at Brands Hatch by Spykerforce
Car Shows, Supercar News — By Lawrence on August 21, 2012 at 4:35 pm — No Comments
Alexander van Boekholdt sent us his latest gallery! This time, the subject is the Lotus Festival that took place last weekend at British racing circuit, Brands Hatch. It’s an annual event that brings together both classic and contemporary Lotus models, from the factory and privately owned.
In the gallery you’ll spot the latest Lotus models including the US-only Lotus Exige V6 Cup Racer. It’s a lighter, track-ready variant of the Lotus Exige S built for racers and enthusiasts. It features a 3.5 liter supercharged V6 engine producing up to 346hp while weighing 200 pounds less. Two model variants will be available; the Track Day version and the full-on Competition-spec. It’s the first time Lotus displayed the new model.
Also present was the Lotus Type 125, Lotus’ ultimate exclusive race car. You’ll also spot plenty of Exige and new Evora models. Lotus F1 Team also bought a Formula 1 car to the party! Aside from the historic Lotus models, a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 and a couple of Chevron Racing cars turned up.
Enjoy the photos and be sure to check out the Spyker Force website and Facebook page for more!