CarsBikesBoatsNews

October 1, 2008 — Vroom Vroom Vroom, an eco-conscious car rental site, announces its official U.S. launch, bringing stateside consumers a fast, hassle-free and environmentally friendly car rental booking service. The new site enables customers to make reservations with all major car rental companies in more than 2,000 U.S. locations, including major airports, city centers, and smaller regional towns, and boasts the industry’s fastest interface (28.5 seconds to complete a reservation). Vroom Vroom Vroom is the first car rental site to provide carbon offset credits with each rental, at no cost to the customer. Renters get the benefit of no cancellation restrictions and a lowest price guarantee that offers $10 if a lower rate is found elsewhere. And one lucky renter each month will get their entire booking FREE. With no extra fees and Vroom Vroom Vroom picking up the tab on carbon offset credits for all rentals, Vroom Vroom Vroom takes customer service and social responsibility as seriously as it takes its unconventional name.

An Australian-born brand with success in several countries including Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and Canada, Vroom Vroom Vroom has established its U.S. headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada. The U.S. platform has been three years in the making, but Vroom Vroom Vroom didn’t spend that time buried ‘down under’—they were developing technology and building relationships to offer real-time pricing and direct connections to key car rental providers, giving American consumers a new choice for renting with ease. Read more

September 29, 2008--Hybrid vehicles reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and minimize emissions from greenhouse gases. But it's still a question whether they save money in the long run. The answer: maybe.

Some models achieving well over 40 miles per gallon cost thousands more than equivalent gas models, which get 30 miles per gallon. Even with gas prices at $4 a gallon, it could take driving 15,000 miles per year for 12 years to make up the difference, according to U.S. News & World Report.

That's not all. According to data compiled by InsWeb.com, the auto insurance comparison shopping Web site, it costs slightly more to insure the hybrid for a 30-year-old single male driver with a clean driving record as opposed to the gas-only model. Read more

September 18, 2008/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- America's best-selling pickup, the Ford F-Series, is raising the bar once again -- this time with unsurpassed fuel efficiency on the new 2009 F-150, thanks to significant miles per gallon improvement across the entire F-150 lineup.

On sale in October, the new F-150 offers fuel economy that has improved an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup as a result of a wide-range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume 3-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. At the same time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds -- a combination no other competitor can match. Read more

Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Bang & Olufsen, the global provider of exclusive, high-quality audio and video products, together with Aston Martin, the leading British luxury sports and performance car manufacturer, announce the North American arrival of the BeoSound DBS sound system in the Aston Martin DBS this December 2008. The BeoSound DBS is significant as it produces a natural, pure sound with its 13-channel Digital Signal Processing (DSP) platform, 13 speakers with 10 individual speaker locations, and over 1000 watts of power. It is included in the standard package offering for the Aston Martin DBS, a first for Bang & Olufsen's automotive division.

BeoSound DBS is one of the finest in-car audio systems on the market due to its profound attention to detail and superior sonic performance. With its unique tuning process, custom made sound stage, free-form aluminum processing, and smooth harmonic operation, the BeoSound DBS is engineered to exceed all expectations. Read more

September 8, 2008/PRNewswire/ -- Winning Porsches come in many shapes, and nowhere is the competitive Porsche Motorsport DNA more evident than in the latest version of the thriving Cayenne range -- the new race-inspired 2010 Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia.

The Cayenne S Transsyberia is based on the Cayennes that won one of the most grueling endurance races in the world. The rally marathon, which is held every spring, is a two-week race that traverses Russia, Siberia and Mongolia and covers over 4,400 miles. It is called, simply, the Transsyberia Rally, and slightly modified Porsche Cayenne S models have won this brutally demanding event three times in a row. Read more

August 28, 2008--Garmin International Inc. just announced the next evolution of the popular nüvi 2x5 series, adding top-of-the-line features to this family of affordable navigators. The nüvi 265T, 265WT and 275T enhance upon their 2x5-series predecessors with Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling and provide free traffic alerts.

“Many customers want a simple-to-use, low-cost personal navigator, but find themselves in need of premium add-ons along the way,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “These devices add two of the most popular premium features – traffic alerts and hands-free calling – to an affordable, yet powerful navigator.” Read more

August 28, 2008--Garmin International Inc. today announced the next evolution of the nüvi 700 series, adding state-of-the-art technology to this popular line of advanced navigators. With lane assist, the nüvi 7x5 series provides drivers with a clear illustration of what lies ahead on their route.

“Garmin’s nüvi 7x5 series uses lane assist to make navigation clearer and easier than ever before,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “The lane assist view takes the guesswork out of driving through a busy intersection or an unfamiliar city. Drivers will no longer have to speculate which turn lane to be in, or what lane leads to which exit – that’s nüvi’s job.” Read more

August 27, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony today announced four new Xplod in-dash head units that are able to connect directly to compatible iPod music players, allowing users to charge and control their iPod devices on the road.

The top-of-the-line unit (model CDX-GT630UI) is Sony's first car stereo that can connect directly to iPod players, other digital music players and USB thumb drives via a USB connection. It also includes Sony's unique ZAPPIN function, which offers a way of searching and listening to music.

Providing several options for connectivity in the car, the CDX-GT630UI head unit connects to compatible iPod or other digital music players via USB, allowing users to control and charge their devices and enjoy exceptional sound quality. CDX-GT630UI also supports iPhone. Read more

August 27, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony today announced four new feature-packed nav-u personal navigation devices (models NV-U94T, NV-U84, NV-U74T and NV-U44) which add more brand icons, search functionality and photo viewing features.

"Sony is bringing entertainment to navigation," said Mike Kahn, director of marketing for mobile electronics products in the Sony Electronics' Digital Imaging and Audio Division. "We've added features that make it fun to spend time with the nav-u."

The top-of-the-line NV-U94T adds new features such as a photo viewer, audio/video player and stereo Bluetooth technology for streaming audio and making hands-free phone calls using compatible devices. Read more

Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced that their all-new, and highly anticipated 50-state compliant clean diesel Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen are now available for customer delivery.

"We're proud to be the first manufacturer to offer a clean diesel vehicle for sale in all fifty states," said Stefan Jacoby, CEO/President, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We believe our Jetta TDIs truly offer a no compromise alternative fuel driving experience, that provides the customer the best of both worlds -- excellent fuel efficiency combined with a dynamic driving experience."

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the Jetta TDI at an economical 29 mpg City and 40 mpg Highway. Volkswagen went a step further to evaluate the real world fuel economy of the Jetta TDI. Leading third-party certifier, AMCI, tested the Jetta TDI and found it performed 24 percent better in real world conditions, achieving 38 mpg in the City and 44 mpg on the Highway.* Read more