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Chrysler and the United Auto Workers have officially agreed to a new four-year labor contract as the rank and file have voted in favor of the new agreement. A total of 54.8 percent of all Chrysler UAW workers gave the agreement a 'yes' vote.

The agreement helps keep wages in check for Chrysler, while providing some guarantees to blue collar workers. The pact calls for up to 2,100 additional jobs, which comes on top of the 2,500 jobs already added since 2009. Those workers will also receive improved profit sharing when the black ink begins to flow. The contract promises a more transparent bonus system calculated directly from profit performance. Chrysler also promises to increase investment in U.S. facilities by an additional $1.3 billion, bringing the total investment in plants to $4.5 billion since Team Pentastar's 2009 bankruptcy.

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne was understandably happy to have the negotiations behind him, and he praised workers and the UAW. Marchionne added that the pain of bankruptcy won't be forgotten, adding that the contract "rewards [workers] for the current and potential future success of the Company while ensuring Chrysler Group will be able to remain competitive."

After very little fanfare and few bumps in the road, all members of the Detroit Three now have fresh UAW contracts in place. It's hard to believe that there were no strikes, few threats and minimal theatrics, and you'll hear no complaints from us. We'd rather talk about cars than contracts any day of the week. Hit the jump to read over the Chrysler press release.

Red light traffic cameras can be a real pain in the butt. The fines can be outrageous, the points lead to higher insurance rates and the programs can even take hard-working police officers off the streets. But what happens if you simply throw the ticket in the trash? In Los Angeles County, the answer seems to be a whole lot of nothing.

The Newspaper reports that red light camera revenue is down by one third after LA Police Commissioner Alan Skoban called the cameras "a voluntary citation program" back on June 7. The cameras have already been shut down in Los Angeles, but surrounding cities are losing boat-loads of dough. Since that June announcement, photo enforcement vendors are reportedly losing $1 million per month.

Still, while red light camera tickets are down, they're certainly not out. Drivers still paid 25,693 tickets at nearly $500 a pop from May through September. That's nearly $30 million over the course of a full year, which gets split between municipalities and the traffic camera system companies.

We're not sure what is more noteworthy – red light cameras that dole out $500 tickets, or ticked motorists that continue to pay outrageous fines even though the program is "voluntary." It appears the moral fiber of this country is still high... or not enough motorists know that the tickets don't have to be paid.

When General Motors announced that the ad agency in charge of Chevrolet was up for review, the speculation was that its "Chevy Runs Deep" ad campaign could be on the ropes after only one year. Critics say "Runs Deep" doesn't have the impact of previous campaigns like "See the USA in Your Chevrolet," "Heartbeat of America" and "Like a Rock," but GM apparently doesn't doesn't see it that way.

The General has reportedly informed Advertising Age that the creative review of Goodby Silverstein & Partners is all about reducing complexity and cutting costs. GM spokesman Tom Henderson is quoted as saying that the review "is consistent with GM's push to reduce complexities across the business." Henderson reportedly added that GM hopes to "make a decision on a way forward, concurrent with a decision on our media-buying and planning review, by the end of this year."

The new year at GM may or may not come without Goodby Silverstein & Partners, but it looks like we can expect the "Runs Deep" campaign in 2012 and beyond.

There is a lot to love about the 2014 Audi e-tron Spyder. It's a compact roadster with a torque-happy, twin-turbo diesel V6 mated to two electric motors capable of more instant twist. When we recently took the e-tron Spyder for a spin, we were limited to just 40 miles per hour, but the Four-Ringed automaker tells us that a trip to 62 takes only 4.4 seconds.

And because this Spyder is a green monster, it can travel up to 30 miles on electric power alone. Using a mixture of the diesel and its lithium ion battery, it will consume on average a scant 2.2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.

That sounds like a lot of "too good to be true," but Audi promises to be the leader in luxury electric cars by 2020, and a production version of this vehicle is expected for 2014. Hit the jump to watch new footage of the e-tron Spyder in motion. It might not be ready to go on sale, but it at least looks mighty fine on the roads of Malibu, California, near where we drove it.

The 2011 Ford Explorer is a massive improvement over the last-generation model, and the Blue Oval's sales tally supports this claim. Ford tells us that the the Explorer is flying off store shelves, with 100,000 units sold so far in 2011. Those numbers are up 290 percent compared to 2010 totals, making the Explorer the fastest-growing mid-size utility vehicle in the country. This is the first time the Explorer has hit the 100,000 mark since 2007, and there are still over two months left in the year.

The Explorer appears to be selling quite well in spite of mixed reviews. While the vehicle came in for 2011 North American Truck Of The Year laurels, it hasn't fared as well in a number of comparison tests. Cars.com recently ranked the Explorer sixth in its $37,000 SUV Shootout, and earlier in the year, Consumer Reports ranked the Explorer as the 17th best utility vehicle out of 19 models, with complaints centering on the CUV's MyFordTouch infotainment system.

Ford would likely counter that the company is more concerned with what CUV buyers think, and those customers appear to be giving their vote of approval with their pocketbooks, and they might also note that the Explorer's 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder model is only hitting the market as a 2012 model now (though it's already claiming about 15 percent of the model mix). Hit the jump to read Ford's official press release.

We've all done it before. The light is red, but you're turning right, so you stop and then proceed as soon as traffic clears. But then, just as you've committed, you spot a Crown Victoria, and your mind starts to race. Was there a no turn on red sign back there? Is that a cop? Oh snap, there goes my insurance premiums!

It's not a pretty feeling, but once you're committed, you know it's too late. Well, it's too late for most, but apparently not everyone in Russia agrees. Hit the jump to see video that illustrates what not to do after deciding to turn right on a red light. We don't speak Russian, but we'd like to think that the video's narrator is calling this driver a, uh, buffoon.

Auto sales have grown steadily since the U.S. and its auto industry performed a synchronized swan dive. But, unfortunately for automakers, those numbers have risen at a painfully slow pace.

The 'slow and steady' trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, but The Detroit News reports that both Ford and General Motors see continued sales increases in 2012. Ford economist Jenny Lin thinks that sales should progress beyond the 12.5 million to 13.5 million units forecasted for 2011. Lin added that a lack of new car sales over the last few years has led to a quickly aging fleet of vehicles on U.S. roads. In fact, the average vehicle on our roads is 10.6 years old, an all-time high.

GM chief economist Mustafa Mohatarem seems to agree, adding that demand is high and sales would be higher if Honda and Toyota could ramp up production. Mohatarem says the two Japanese automakers are still struggling to fill dealer lots in the wake of Japan's March earthquake and tsunami. As a consequence, he believes some buyers are sitting on the sidelines until they can pick up the Toyota or Honda of their choosing.

As for what the new yearly sales figure is projected to be, Mohatarem sees U.S. new vehicle sales hitting 16 million units as soon as 2014 or 2015.

Pixar movies have a history of being massive commercial success stories. They seem to mint money, and CARS 2 was no different. The sequel to CARS pulled in $551 million in global box office receipts and vast riches await thanks to a DVD release date that coincides with the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Oh, and did we mention that the CARS franchise has already produced $2 billion in merchandise?

Is all that monetary success cause for celebration? We're thinking yes, but at the same time, Pixar has received a great deal of flack for CARS 2. We thought it was a fun movie, but plenty of critics and naysayers feel otherwise.

The New York Times sat down with director John Lasseter, who is also a founding member of Pixar, to talk about some of the controversy surrounding the movie. Lasseter appears mostly unaffected by the criticism, and he denies that parent Disney forced Pixar to make CARS 2 to maximize profits. Lasseter goes on to call CARS 2 "a very, very special film to me," and adds that he makes movies for kids who love the characters so much that he wants to "pack his clothes in a Lightning McQueen suitcase."

Head over to NYT to read the entire interview for yourself.

When BlackBerry servers crashed between Tuesday and Thursday last week, owners of the popular business phones were left without a tool they've come to rely on. At the same time, the server crash could have made roads in the Middle East that much safer.

The National reports that traffic accidents in Dubai dropped 20 percent compared to historical averages during the blackout. In Abu Dhabi, accidents dropped by 40 percent, and there were zero fatalities. If you're thinking that this isn't a significant enough sample to show that smart phones and distracted driving are inexorably linked, consider this: There is an accident in Dubai every three minutes.

Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim pointed out to The National that the accidents resulting from distracted driving "range between minor and moderate ones, but at times they are deadly." Officer Al Harethi took it a step farther, adding "the roads became much safer when BlackBerry stopped working."

While the loss of BlackBerry service was no doubt a major inconvenience, these real-life statistics once again show that smart phones and driving just don't mix.

Tragedy struck this weekend's Las Vegas Indy 300, as driver Dan Wheldon, 33, died from injuries sustained in a gruesome 15-car wreck just 13 laps into the race. Wheldon's car sailed through the air outside turn two and smashed into a wall.

Yahoo! reports that the other drivers were told of Wheldon's death at a meeting held two hours after the wreck. Some drivers reportedly called the crash the worst they've ever seen. The crash comes after some drivers voiced concerns about the high speeds reached at the Las Vegas circuit, as cars were traveling at up to 225 miles per hour during practice.

IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard issued a statement after the race saying that IndyCar "is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries." Bernard went on to announce that the race had been stopped, but drivers chose to salute the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner with a five-lap run in his honor.

Wheldon, a 16-time IndyCar race winner, 2003 rookie of the year and two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, including this year's, was among the most skilled drivers in motorsports. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Wheldon and his family.

UPDATE: Statement from Honda added after the jump.

Tailgating is an important part of going to see a sports event in person, and in the city of Detroit, that pastime also includes something called the Booty Lounge. The Booty Lounge is a low-rent strip-club on wheels, and it has been a somewhat shady part of the game-day experience in Detroit since 2005.

Owners of the mobile strip club were likely hoping for a big payday thanks to a Lions appearance on the NFL's Monday Night Football, but instead, the bus was impounded by Detroit Police. Detroit's NBC affiliate reports that the bus was towed way because it was parked illegally, the driver didn't have a commercial license and the vehicle wasn't inspected by the Michigan Department of Transportation. The fuzz reportedly weren't targeting the rolling tribute, but the bus recently came under fire after a local TV station uncovered the goings-on inside the bus.

The Booty Lounge will reportedly be cleared to exit the impound once it provides proof of inspection, but we're getting the feeling that this tailgater is going to be sitting out a quite few more games. Click past the jump to watch Sports Time Out's coverage of the Booty Lounge.

We've never won a free car, but we bet it would be one helluva good feeling. But waiting a year for that very new ride? That has to be plenty painful. A year has passed since Oprah gave away 275 2012 Volkswagen Beetle models during her final "Favorite Things" episode, but those audience members didn't drive off the lot with their new ride. Since the Beetle was still a year away from production, audience members didn't even get to see what their new car looked like.

But while the wait was likely difficult, those lucky audience member are finally getting their high-five-inducing Bug. The Car Connection reports that the first 25 deliveries are taking place at a VW dealership in Orland Park, IL, and Volkswagen of America CEO Jonathan Browning will be present to hand over the keys. The remaining winners will reportedly receive their Beetle within the next few weeks.

As an added kicker to those 275 soon-to-be new Bug owners, the cash to take care of taxes and fees are also going to be provided. We're guessing the wait will be well worth the reward.

Chinese automakers have had a heck of a time trying to crack the crowded European vehicle market, but Chery is hoping to change that in a few years. Automotive News reports that Chery is hoping to take up shop in Europe sometime after 2015.

Chery Deputy General Manager Lu Jianhui reportedly provided the 2015 timeline as the planned date to offer the brand in Europe, but added "we are still focusing on Russia and South America, among others, as our major export markets." Chery is already moving a lot of metal in those emerging markets, with a planned 180,000 vehicles for export in 2011. The automaker hopes to bump that sum closer to one million vehicles before the decade is out.

The 2015 timeline comes after news of a joint venture between Chery and Israel Corp to build three vehicles. The 1.5-billion-euro project would result in vehicles to be sold in China, followed by European sales one year later.

It seems we may never get enough of Jeremy Clarkson. The Top Gear host always attracts loads of attention no matter what he does, and it doesn't hurt that he always seems to surround himself with some of the most beautiful machines on the planet.

That doesn't change for his new DVD, which is titled 'Powered Up.' Clarkson and his band of highly skilled photogs shot the DVD at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, and the post-jump trailer gives us a good idea of the automotive stars of this show.

Hit the jump to watch four minutes of Sir Clarkson as he takes on the McLaren MP4-12C, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, Jaguar E-Type Convertible and plenty more. Even Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok got in on the fun, if a high-speed spin-out in a 911 GT3 is your idea of a good time. 'Powered Up' goes on sale on November 7.