Gallery: 2010 Nissan Micra

Report: Nissan planning two $10,000 cars for U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Follow the jump to watch the action

Gallery: 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR

Continue reading VIDEO: Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR at the track

VIDEO: Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR at the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cool doesn't have to be expensive. At least that's what the folks over at Kelley Blue Book figure. The website of the authoritative car-buying resource has put together a list of what they figure are the ten coolest cars you can buy with less than $18,000.

There are some definite good choices on the list, but some of their choices - and how they arrived at them - leave us scratching our heads and wondering if their cool-meter doesn't need recalibration. Rather than taking the entirely subjective Top Gear "Cool Wall" approach and anointing a car cool or not based purely on image, KBB.com came up with a list of criteria. A cool car, they figure, should have folding seats. Huh? Yeah, versatility was their first criteria, including such features as "clever cubbies and innovative storage solutions" as a prerequisite for classifying a car as cool or not. (That way you've got more places to hide your coolness.) Also taken into consideration were such factors as safety, fuel economy and cabin space, before subjective assessments came into the mix.

The resulting list includes a Chevy pick-up at the top, followed by a Focus, a tiny Honda, an Hyundai, a Jeep, a Mazda3, a Nissan hatch, a Scion, a Suzuki and a VW. Each was included in the sub-$18k list based on Kelley's own proprietary blue-book value; follow the link to find out what made each of these cars cool enough to make the cut.

[Source: Kelley Blue Book]

Kelley Blue Book names coolest cars under $18k originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Each quarter, Gaywheels.com publishes a list of their Top 10 Most Researched Vehicles, and the latest data is in, providing a market indicator for the most popular cars in the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community.

The Toyota Yaris remained the most searched car among Gaywheels.com community, while the Saab 9-3 edged out the Toyota Camry for the number two spot. While the list, which is based on web traffic and not on purchases, is self-perpetuating to an extent, newcomers like the Volkswagen Rabbit and Toyota Corolla have made it into the #7 and #9 slots. Perhaps the most surprising car on the list is the Dodge Caliber, which garnered controversy for perceived gay-bashing humor in a television commercial.

Gaywheels.com points out that all the cars in the Top 10 are produced by "gay-friendly" automakers, thus assessed by their manufacturer's provision of spousal benefits to same-sex partners of employees.

For the full list, follow the jump.

[Source: Gaywheels.com]

Continue reading Still on Top: Toyota Yaris remains most researched vehicle among GLBT community

Still on Top: Toyota Yaris remains most researched vehicle among GLBT community originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Clarkson's at it again, casting shadows of doubt on the future of Top Gear. The celebrity automotive journalist (perhaps the most well-known, period) claims that while the BBC program ranks among the most watched television shows on the air, and that its audience continues to climb "like an F-15 on combat power," Top Gear is facing serious problems which could jeopardize its future.

The first, according to Jezza, is that following Richard Hammond's miraculous recovery and return to the show, the production schedule got horribly delayed. Clarkson figures that it takes about half a year to produce a season, which puts them severely behind schedule for the next series. Even if the show were to return in October, which he figures is the earliest a new series could air, Clarkson cites disgruntled fans who lamented the lack of content in the hastily-produced and recently-concluded 9th season.

"The series that's just finished was full of us three cocking about, and almost completely devoid of anything you might fairly call a 'road test,'" surmised Clarkson in his recent column. "This has gone down very badly with the people in internet land." (Hey, is he talking about us?)

Clarkson fears that most television viewers don't want to see him and the gang driving Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but just want to be entertained, and that if and when the show does return for a tenth season, it stands the danger of being watered-down. But it's the extraordinary track tests and tire-munching road trips that made the show as popular as it is. Top Gear, it seems, needs to be rescued from its own success.

Cheerio for the tip, Kim.

[Source: Top Gear]

Save Top Gear from its own success originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Precision engineering. Artful design. Exclusive prestige. The kind of machine you can enjoy using every day. Are we talking about the finest automobiles or timepieces? We're referring to both, because these and so many other superlatives and qualities can be attributed to both, and both are among the favorite purchases of those with the means.

It should come as no surprise, then, that these two industries have been crossing over at increasing frequency. The result of the mingling of the two worlds has been a wide array of automotive-inspired watches, taking more or less design cues and construction materials from the automotive industry. On some of the most lusted-after timepieces in jeweler's windows today you'll see such materials as aluminum, titanium, ceramics and carbon fiber; you'll see rubber wrist straps with tire-tread patterns; and you'll see ultra-exclusive watches sharing their name with the most prestigious automobiles and motor races in the world. Of course, some of them cost as much as some cars as well, but there's a wide range of choices for every budget. Here are our Top Ten favorites.

Continue reading Top 10 Car Watches

Top 10 Car Watches originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.