451 Articles by Damon
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Venezuela may be losing its nickel-a-gallon gas

There aren't many places in the world where one can buy a gallon of gas for the equivalent of a nickel, but, for the time being, Venezuela is one of those places. There the price of gasoline has been frozen for nearly two decades, but the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, says he favors raising prices gradually over three years to help fight the country's economic crisis, Damon Lowney

Official
Auto Ad of the Year Award finalists announced [w/video]

Finalists for the 2013 Automobile Advertising of the Year awards have been picked, and Ron Burgundy from Anchorman 2 with the 2014 Dodge Durango is one of them. So is the underside of a cat (it's more interesting than it sounds), which is seen through a Damon Lowney

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First accident makes insurance jump up 67% in Massachusetts, survey says

We don't have to tell you to think twice about causing an accident (we hope), but if you do happen to be at fault in a crash, there are a few states where insurance rates jump by as much as 67 percent. That's in Massachusetts, but California drivers who are at fault in a crash experience a substantial 62 percent rate hike, and New Jersey isn't far behind at 59 percent, according to a survey reported by the Damon Lowney

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Chris Perry resigns as Chevy's US marketing chief

its Chevrolet brand with surprising frequency over the past few years. In the latest development, The Detroit News reports that Chris Perry – Chevy's current head of marketing – announced his resignation on Wednesday, effective immediately. Perry's departure comes a little over three years since he joined Chevy after

ETC
This American Life spends a week selling Jeeps in Long Island

So you think you know car dealers? Well, maybe you do, but This American Life spent a month at Town and Country Jeep Chrysler Dodge Ram in Long Island to give us a behind-the-scenes look (or listen, since it's a radio program) at what it's like to be a car dealer.

Study
Which state has the worst drivers? New survey says Louisiana is lousy with 'em... again

I've always thought that California has the worst drivers - plenty of trips through Los Angeles during rush hour led to that belief - but statistically speaking, in 2012 (and 2011) Lousiana actually ranked at the top for having the worst drivers, according to a study by Car Insurance Comparison. California is a bit lower down the list, at number 19.

Video
2014 Mini Cooper goes to the dogs

We wouldn't buy a car to make a dog happy, but Mini's latest commercial, Bullheaded, would have you believe that dogs like the new 2014 Cooper as much as humans. Regardless of the commercial's target audience (Spike The Bulldog, or his owner?), it does show a couple new tidbits about the car, such as the new center dial touchscreen, ambient lighting and the nifty tinted pop-up display on top of the dashboard that reminds us of the head

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Asking price for Paul Walker's GT-R from Fast & Furious nearly triples [w/video]

The German owner of the only Nissan Skyline GT-R to survive filming Fast & Furious (a.k.a., The Fast and the Furious 4) has put his car up for sale following the death of Paul Walker, Yahoo

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Story of Texas car dealer hero takes a bizarre turn [w/video]

A Texas car dealer, nicknamed "The Finnisher" for his Finnish ancestry and heroic exploits apprehending a robber in his Bellaire neighborhood, has been arrested on nine felony charges related to sexual assault involving two teenage girls, Automotive News reports.

Two Wheels
Icon builds 'Iron Lung' Harley Davidson Sportster [w/video]

Icon is known for its stylized motorcycle helmets and gear, but it also builds themed, custom motorcycles, too. The folks over at Icon most recently built Iron Lung, which started out as a 1991 Harley-Davidson Sportster. Of course, it now looks nothing like the bike on which it's based - more like what Harley might have produced if it got into road racing a couple decades ago.

Video
Santa upgrades to Lamborghini Gallardo, spreads joy in LA

We understand. It's hard to slow down and really take in the holiday season, so it often comes and goes in a blur. That's especially so in Los Angeles, where almost everything moves fast and you feel like a face in the crowd. Determined to keep up with the fast pace and be noticed, one Santa Clause and his "elf" assistant decided to upgrade their "sleigh" - to a Lamborghini Gallardo (no reindeer needed).

ETC
This Auto Aerobics car art ties our brains in knots like pretzels

We like cars, and we like art. Naturally, Chris Labrooy's Auto Aerobics series - computer-generated images of some seriously contorted 1968 Pontiac Bonnevilles floating in mid-air - instantly clicked with us. If the Pontiacs weren't floating or hollow, we could be fooled into believing the image is real. But where's the fun in that?

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Carvana tests consumers' appetite for used-car 'vending machine' [w/videos]

If you're fed up with haggling at your local used-car dealership - so much so that you'd rather not talk to anybody when you're buying your next ride - then Carvana could be for you. It's a used-car dealership (more like a used-car vending machine), and the buying process is completed online. Carvana then gives you the choice to pick up the car yourself or have it delivered to your home. No verbal communication required.

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NHTSA chief David Strickland leaving position

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland, 45, is stepping down after heading the agency since January 2010, The Detroit News reports, but his plans after NHTSA haven't been announced. It's expected that he'll leave within the next couple of months, after which David Friedman, NHTSA's deputy dir

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Judge says GM doesn't owe $450M in retiree benefits

General Motors is not obligated to honor a pre-bankruptcy contract between the automaker, its affiliate, Delphi, and the United Auto Workers to cover $450 million in retiree medical benefits, a federal judge says, according to

Video
Mustang pinball game will feature art by Ford GT designer

To celebrate 50 years of Mustang, Ford and Stern Pinball are collaborating on a new pinball machine that will feature the muscle car in all its glory, Polygon reports. Even better, Camilo Pardo, the guy who designed the Damon Lowney

Video
Dashcam captures woman in calmest car roll ever

If you were driving in the rain on a two-lane highway, caught a tire on the edge of the pavement and flipped your car, what would you do? Let out a yelp, maybe a scream? We would too, but somehow this woman found herself in a barrel roll and remained totally silent; completely composed. After the crash, the woman is fully conscious - even slightly perturbed judging by the look on her face. We're just glad she wasn't seriously injured (and we hope nobody else was, either).

Official
Willie bus concept turns walls into transparent LCD screens [w/video]

A rather clever mass-transit concept with a silly sounding name, the "Willie" bus by designer Tad Orlowski is intended to "transform city landscapes."

Deep Dive
2015 BMW M3 Sedan, M4 Coupe are officially revealed [w/video]

The Next Generation Of M Is Born

The new 3.0-liter inline-six makes 425 turbocharged horsepower from 5500 rpm all the way up to 7300 rpm.

Video
Jay Leno bangs up his own Toronado in GT6

Ever since Gran Turismo 4, Jay Leno has had at least one of his cars included in the popular racing simulator (starting with the Tank Car), and more of his machines appears in Gran Turismo 6. They include this nose-heavy, front-wheel-drive V8-powered muscle car. Yes, that

Video
Why we love racing and racing drivers

The Racers starts off with a quote from legendary racecar driver Sir Stirling Moss: "There are two things no man will admit he cannot do well... Drive and make love." Whether that's true or not, it sets the tone of the video, to be sure, and is fitting for a film that romanticizes Formula One racing, traditionally a male-dominated sport.

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