Ford Motor Co . got another shot in the arm from Tuesday when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported the automaker had more vehicles than any other manufacturer on itss list of safest vehicles sold today. The IIHS reported that Ford had 16 of the top-rated vehicles, followed by Honda with 13. General Motors and Toyota each had eight vehicles on the list. Seventy-two cars, trucks and SUVs received the top safety pick designation for 2009, more than double the number of vehicles in the 2008 model year and three times the number in 2007. The jump is due primarily to automakers increasing anti-rollover technology in more vehicles. The top-rated vehicles are the best in protecting people in front, side and rear crash tests based on institute evaluations during the year. The vehicles are required to have electronic stability control, or ESC, to qualify for the award. IIHS said electronic stability control is now standard on virtually all new SUVs and three-quarters of passenger cars for the 2009 model year. ESC is also standard on more than one-third of 2009 pickups. Fords list of top-rated vehicles included Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan midsize cars with optional ESC; the Ford F-150 pickup, Ford Edge and Ford Flex midsize sport utility vehicles; and the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner small SUVs. The list also included the Mazda Tribute, which has the same underpinnings as the Escape and Mariner. Fords Volvo vehicles also made the list. Honda and its Acura unit had vehicles in nearly every category, including top-sellers such as the Honda Accord; the Honda Civic 4-door with optional ESC; and the Acura MDX and RDX midsize SUVs; and the Honda Fit with optional ESC. The Fit is the first mini-car to earn the safety award. General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. both had eight vehicles on the list. GM's included the Cadillac CTS and the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook large SUVs. Toyota's top performers were the Toyota Corolla with optional ESC, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra and Scion xB. Electronic stability control senses when a driver may lose control and automatically applies brakes to individual wheels to keep the vehicle stable and avoid a rollover. It helps motorists avoid skidding across icy or slick roads or keep control when swerving to avoid an unexpected object in the road. The absence of the technology became a focal point of lawsuits filed against Ford in the 1990s and early 2000s when tires were blowing on Ford Explorers, often causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle before a crash. IIHS said Chrysler LLC was the only major automaker that did not receive a single award. They said Chrysler could have picked up five awards if the head restraints had been improved in the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, the Sebring convertible and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country. The report comes at an opportune time for Ford, which, along with GM and Chrysler, is asking Congress for bailout loans . Many members of Congress, as well as pundits and critics, have been lambasting Detroit automakers for the last several weeks for failing to stay competitive with Asian automakers.  read more »

A trio of Dodge Challengers: one with a V10 Viper engine, one with a Knight Rider-esque body kit, and a race-prepped version painted snakeskin greenSEMA is approaching. Its almost SEMA time that time of year when a myriad of motoring creations with bolt-on bodykits capable of generating low-level wind shear and turbochargers the size of a dustbin lid descend upon Las Vegas. This year, Chrysler will be showing off a trio of seriously souped-up versions of its modern day muscle car the Dodge Challenger. Now we know this car wont be coming anywhere near our market, but these modified monsters simply have to mentioned for their combination of sheer grunt and Dukes of Hazzard styling cues. First up is the Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept, which basically involves shoehorning the Vipers 8,4-litre V10 into the engine bay. This motor develops a tyre-smoking 447 kW and 759 N.m of twistthats 134 kW up on the SRT8s power output. Among the other modifications this model will wear are a Tornado Red paint job (very General Lee), a carbon-fibre bonnet that makes a retro nod to the 1970 Hemi Barracuda, upgraded brakes and shocks from Bilstein. Inside, the concept will sport the red starter button from the Viper, unique seats and carbon-fibre trim inserts. From Dukes of Hazzard styling to a design more akin to that of Knight Rider, the Challenger Blacktop concept takes a stock Challenger R/T and adds custom spoilers, 22-inch Dodge Viper wheels, and Mopar coil-over suspension set-up. Mopar has also done some tinkering in the engine bay to hike the power by an as yet unspecified amount, while the interior receives bright red Katzkin leather trim and a Mopar/Kicker sound system. + 2009 Dodge Car, Truck, Crossover and SUV: What's New?  read more »

2009 Dodge Avenger: An all-new car in 2008, the 2009 Dodge Avenger gets no major changes this year. All models get a standard sunglasses holder, premium floor mats, cabin air-filtration system, plus a trunk mat and additional acoustic insulation for a quieter cabin. The SXT and R/T models also add a leather-wrapped steering wheel, foglights and rear spoiler as standard. All Avenger R/Ts get 18-inch chrome wheels.

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Americans have decided that after Corvette ZR1 recorded best time on the famous Nurburgring, after Nissan GT-R, the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR should be put on this circuit in Europe. (...)

One could argue over what makes a "supercar." Performance? Price? Styling? Exclusivity?  read more »