New Ram ad joins Chevy in knocking Ford F-150

It's probably a toss-up as to what's worse about life at the top: the loneliness or the rocks that everyone throws at you. Chevrolet recently took aim at Ford with a humorous Super Bowl commercial that not only took the unusual step of calling Ford out by name, but made claims about the segment that Ford didn't find funny at all.

Ram is next up to lob a light-duty boulder with a commercial that says if you take one of its trucks and make it less capable, then you end up with a Ford. For what it's worth, such claims are, rather obviously, directed at specific trims with specific options and packages.

We imagine that eventually the sleeping giant, Ford, will awaken and respond. For now, you can find the provocation after the jump.

Jay Leno Camaro finally finds its way home

Back in 2009, General Motors whipped up a special-edition Chevrolet Camaro for Jay Leno. With a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 engine, unique aerodynamic and cooling work, Brembo brakes on all four corners and a Pedders coil-over suspension kit, the vehicle was designed to be a modern interpretation of the old Z28. Small aesthetic tweaks abound as well, from a revised front fascia to functional brake duct inlets on the rear quarters and unique exhaust outlets. GM even slathered the vehicle in the same paint as the original Camaro Concept. Very sexy.

Why do we bring up the 420 horsepower special edition now? Because Leno just took delivery of it. The latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage pours over every last detail of the car before hitting the road.

We like the idea of a better-handling, more track-focused Camaro, and while the Camaro ZL1 has scratched that itch for plenty of people, Leno's V6 bruiser is very cool. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

IF YOU HAVE GOODYEAR TIRES READ THIS RECALL NOTICE !!!!Goodyear recalls 41,000 tires for potential tread separation

Goodyear is recalling 40,914 Wrangler Silent Armor tires manufactured in 2009. According to the manufacturer, the tread may separate from the rest of the tire under "severe conditions," which could lead to vehicle damage or an accident. The company says that it first recognized an issue with the light truck and SUV tires after an increase in warranty claims in 2010. In 2011, two people in a vehicle equipped with Silent Armor tires died in a rollover crash in Texas.

The company said the tire had sustained external damage prior to the incident, and in most cases of failure, the tires were either underinflated, overloaded or had suffered impact damage.

While 27,000 of the tires are believed to be still in service, Goodyear decided to move forward with a recall on February 16. Owners will be notified of the campaign by March 22, and the company will replace the tires free of charge. Check out the official recall information from NHTSA after the break.
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Tire Brand Name / Tire Line / Tire Size:
Production Dates:
GOODYEAR / WRANGLER SILENT ARMOR / LT285/70R17 LRD
MAR 01, 2009 - MAY 31, 2009
GOODYEAR / WRANGLER SILENT ARMOR / LT245/75R17 LRE
MAR 01, 2009 - MAY 31, 2009
GOODYEAR / WRANGLER SILENT ARMOR / LT275/70R18 LRE
MAR 01, 2009 - MAY 31, 2009
GOODYEAR / WRANGLER SILENT ARMOR / LT265/70R17 LRE
MAR 01, 2009 - MAY 31, 2009
GOODYEAR / WRANGLER SILENT ARMOR / LT325/60R18 LRE
MAR 01, 2009 - MAY 31, 2009
GOODYEAR / WRANGLER SILENT ARMOR / LT235/80R17 LRE
MAR 01, 2009 - MAY 31, 2009

NHTSA Campaign ID Number:
12T003000

Summary:
GOODYEAR IS RECALLING CERTAIN WRANGLER SILENT ARMOR TIRES, SIZES LT235/80R17 LRE, LT325/60R18 LRE, LT275/70R18 LRE, LT265/70R17 LRE, LT245/75R17 LRE, AND LT285/70R17 LRD, PRODUCED FROM THE 9TH WEEK OF 2009, THROUGH THE 22ND WEEK OF 2009 (MARCH 31ST THROUGH MAY 31ST). THESE TIRES MAY EXPERIENCE A PARTIAL TREAD AREA SEPARATION UNDER CERTAIN SEVERE USAGE CONDITIONS.

Consequence:
PARTIAL TREAD SEPARATION COULD LEAD TO VEHICLE DAMAGE WHEN THE SEPARATED TREAD STRIKES THE VEHICLE. A TREAD SEPARATION COULD ALSO CAUSE A TIRE FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT INA MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy:
GOODYEAR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE TIRES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 22, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GOODYEAR AT 1-800-592-3267.

Notes:
OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

Chrysler working to gain foothold in downtown Detroit with Quicken tycoon Gilbert?

Word has it Chrysler is looking to establish a base of operations in downtown Detroit in a move that would strengthen its "Imported from Detroit" image. The company is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a short hike from downtown proper, but reports say the automaker has signed a lease for 20,000 square feet in the Motor City. (There's no indication that Chrysler is contemplating moving its headquarters and the space on offer wouldn't be enough to do so anyhow). Despite this, according to a bit of rumormongering in Crain's Detroit Business, Chrysler will set up camp in downtown's Dime Building, but not before unleashing an impressive renovation on the structure.

That's not all there is to the story, however. You see, the Dime Building is owned by none other than Dan Gilbert, the founder of Quicken Loans and majority owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Gilbert was one of a handful of individuals who came together to purchase the $225 million loan against Chrysler World Headquarters back in 2010. Rumors immediately began circulating that Gilbert used his position with the headquarters loan to coerce Chrysler, and more importantly, CEO Sergio Marchionne, into leasing the Dime Building instead of alternative locations within the city. Gilbert, who has been on a real estate binge as of late, is said to be the third largest land owner in Detroit behind General Motors and the city itself.

Quicken Loans has since stated the Dime deal was the result of little more than a strong pitch and Chrysler has also denied any behind-the-scenes influence on the decision.

PA judge charged with dismissing her own traffic tickets

We have to imagine it's easier to fight the law and win when you're a judge. Reuters reports Magisterial District Judge Kelly Ballentine of Lancaster, Pennsylvania has been charged with a number of crimes associated with dismissing her own traffic violations. According to Attorney General Linda Kelley, the 43-year-old judge faces charges on conflict of interest, tampering with public records and obstruction of justice.

Ballentine was issued two parking tickets in November 2010 when her BMW was parked illegally in front of her home, followed by a third citation for an out-of-date registration. The judge failed to pay the tickets on time, and summonses were mailed to her home. Ballentine then allegedly went onto the online court system and dismissed the tickets with a waive of her judicial wand.

The judge has since been arraigned and released on a $25,000 bond, though she has not commented on the situation.

Romney doubles down on auto bailout opposition?

GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is trailing in the polls in Michigan ahead of that state's February 28 primary, and the former Mass. Governor thinks the way to close the gap is to bash the bailout of the auto industry in 2009 that saved General Motors and Chrysler from being broken up and liquidated in bankruptcy court.

Romney's timing is tough, what with GM's setting an all-time record profit for 2011.

Polls have suggested that despite the obvious benefit from the bailout to Michigan, state residents have been divided about whether Uncle Sam should have stepped in to keep the automakers in tact.

My big beef with Romney is not that he opposes the bailout in principle (though he did support the bailout of Wall Street), but that he fictionalizes events of 2009 when GM and Chrysler went through bankruptcy. Romney asserts that the companies could have gone through a managed bankruptcy without the help of the federal government. Not true.

Perhaps a better tack for Romney would be to suggest that as long as GM is making such huge profits the company might pay back some of the loans granted it under President Bush. GM got billions before the bankruptcy that it is not required to pay back.

J.D. Power reports vehicle dependability has substantially improved

Remember the days of planned obsolescence? They're over. The latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study shows a 13-percent improvement in new car dependability over the first three years of ownership. The latest sample of 2009 model year vehicles shows the lowest rate of problems since the study's inception in 1990.

The big winner was the Lexus LS, which had the fewest reported problems in the study. Lexus was the highest rated brand as well, followed by Porsche, Cadillac, Toyota and Scion. J.D. Power says 25 of 32 automotive brands showed improved dependability, with six declining and one remaining the same.

While J.D. Power was pleased to see automakers producing high quality cars despite the economic disaster unfolding around them three years ago, it did note that some brands are still not getting credit for building reliable vehicles. "During the past four years, models from Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai and Lincoln have achieved consistently strong levels of dependability," the company's release stated, "but still have relatively high proportions of new-vehicle buyers expressing reliability concerns."

To read the full press release, click past the jump.
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J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
Overall Vehicle Dependability Improves Substantially, Reflecting High Quality of 2009 Models; However, Perceptions of Dependability for Certain Brands Continue to Lag

Toyota Motor Corporation Models Receive Eight Awards, While Models from Ford Motor Company Receive Three Awards

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 15 February 2012 - Strong initial quality of 2009 model-year vehicles-which were produced during one of the toughest years for the automotive industry-has translated into historically high levels of vehicle dependability in 2012, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) released today.

The study measures problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old (2009 model-year) vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

In 2012, overall vehicle dependability averages 132 PP100-an improvement of 13 percent from the 2011 average of 151-which is the lowest problem rate since the inception of the study in 1990. The strong dependability of these models reflects their high levels of initial quality when measured three years ago. According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Initial Quality Study,SM overall initial quality of 2009 model-year vehicles was, at the time, the highest level of initial quality since the inaugural IQS in 1987.

Fully 25 of 32 brands have improved in dependability from 2011, while only six have declined and one has remained stable. Domestic nameplates have improved in 2012 at a slightly faster rate than imports, narrowing the dependability gap to 13 PP100 from 18 PP100 in 2011.

"Despite facing immense challenges in 2009, automakers placed a keen focus on delivering outstanding levels of quality, which they understood would be essential to their long-term success," said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates. "Three years later, owners of these models are enjoying unprecedented levels of vehicle dependability and manufacturers are experiencing market recovery. This is good news both for owners-who are holding onto their vehicles for longer than ever-and manufacturers, since perception of quality and dependability is a critical factor in vehicle purchase decisions."

However, according to Sargent, there are several brands that have performed very well in dependability during the past several years but still face challenges with customer perceptions of their reliability. In particular, during the past four years, models from Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai and Lincoln have achieved consistently strong levels of dependability, but still have relatively high proportions of new-vehicle buyers expressing reliability concerns.1

"Building vehicles with high levels of dependability is obviously a necessary element in reshaping consumer perceptions," said Sargent. "Negative quality perceptions are notoriously difficult to change, and it takes considerable time, but effectively communicating improvements in dependability may reduce concerns, and by extension, help new-vehicle sales."

Highest-Ranked Nameplates and Models
Lexus ranks highest in vehicle dependability among all nameplates in 2012. In addition, the Lexus LS has the fewest problems in the industry, with just 72 PP100. Rounding out the five highest-ranking nameplates are Porsche, Cadillac, Toyota and Scion, respectively. MINI and Scion post the greatest year-over-year improvements from 2011-by 60 PP100 and 55 PP100, respectively.

Toyota Motor Corporation continues to perform well in long-term dependability and garners eight segment awards-more than any other automaker in 2012-for the Lexus ES 350 (in a tie with the Lincoln MKZ); Lexus RX 350; Scion tC; Scion xB; Toyota Prius; Toyota Sienna; Toyota Tundra; and Toyota Yaris.

Ford Motor Company receives three model awards for the Ford Explorer (in a tie with the Nissan Murano); Ford Fusion; and Lincoln MKZ (in a tie). General Motors (Buick Lucerne and Chevrolet Equinox) and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan Frontier and Nissan Murano, in a tie with the Ford Explorer) each receive two awards. In addition, the Hyundai Genesis also receives an award. Although there are no awards in their respective segments due to an insufficient number of award-eligible models, or insufficient market share of award-eligible models in the segment, these models also perform particularly well: Ford Mustang, GMC Yukon and Porsche 911.

J.D. Power and Associates offers the following tips for consumers regarding vehicle dependability:

Consumer perceptions of vehicle quality and dependability are often based on historical experiences or anecdotes and may be out of line with the current reality. Consumers should gather as much information as they can on the latest models from a variety of sources to make an informed decision.
Historically, initial quality has been a good indicator of likely long-term dependability. If a model has high levels of quality when new, it is more likely to be dependable over the long term.
Vehicle dependability is at an all-time high and resale values are also very high by historical standards. If your vehicle has been properly maintained and is in good working condition, it may be worth more than you think if you are considering trading it in.

The Vehicle Dependability Study is used extensively by vehicle manufacturers worldwide to help design and build better vehicles-which typically translates to higher resale values and higher customer loyalty. It also helps consumers make more-informed choices for both new- and used-vehicle purchases.

The 2012 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 31,000 original owners of 2009 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded between October and December 2011.

Find more detailed information on vehicle dependability, as well as model photos and specs, by reading an article and reviewing brand and segment dependability ratings at JDPower.com.

1Source: J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Vehicle Dependability StudySM and J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2012 Avoider StudySM

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing forecasting, performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

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GM confirms discontinued Saturn Outlook parts used in refreshed GMC

Yesterday, Car and Driver called out GM in a snarky blog post for repurposing parts from the discontinued Saturn Outlook to refresh the GMC Acadia. GM didn't confirm C/D's suspicions at the time, but after we called and asked politely, GMC PR did answer our request.

According to spokesman Joe LaMuraglia, the 2013 Acadia liftgate glass, spoiler, rear quarter panel and rear side glass are all sourced from the Outlook. The hatch is also the same as the Saturn, but that's always been the case, as the old Acadia used the same part.

Now before you rush to judgment here, we suggest you take a good hard look at the new Acadia and tell us you don't think it looks better than the old model. We've always thought the Saturn Outlook was the more attractive of the siblings, so we don't have any issues with GM's parts-sharing tactic, especially considering all these parts are in the rear of the vehicle rather than up front in the all-important "face."

Considering that GM is likely to still be producing service parts for the thousands of Outlooks on the road, this is actually a really good move. Needless spending to refresh the Acadia when this suitable alternative already exists is the kind of smart decision that we hope GM continues to make.

Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning Stands to Win Plenty, Including Gorgeous New Corvette

Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning Stands to Win Plenty, Including Gorgeous New Corvette
Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning will leave Indianapolis with plenty to bring home. There's some hardware. There are chances for newfound fame. There's probably even some money to be made in terms of endorsement deals and the like.

And oh yeah, there's a pretty sweet car, too.

As if the Super Bowl combatants needed any more motivation to succeed on Sunday, they also had a chance to walk away with a shiny new Corvette.

NESN.com Patriots reporter Jeff Howe is in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, and he got an up-close-and-personal look at the impressive prize earlier this week. See more in the video below.

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ferrari F1 launch snowed out in Maranello

If you grew up in a sufficiently northern climate, you probably remember staying eagerly tuned in to the local radio or television station, praying on a cold day that enough snow would have fallen for them to close the schools. Well that's what's happened in the Modena area in northern Italy, but while the school children may be celebrating in their jammies, the racing fans among them will be disappointed to learn that the snow has caused the launch of the latest Scuderia Ferrari single-seater to be canceled.

Enough snow, as you can see from the photo above, has fallen on Maranello to not only close down the team's private Fiorano test track – which was supposed to be used for the car's first demonstration run – but also all the roads leading to and from the site, preventing the motorsport press from getting there.

Ferrari will undoubtedly reschedule or make alternate arrangements to unveil the new car, but for now, the latest scarlet speedster will have to stay under wraps. Official announcements can be found after the jump.
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Maranello white-out

Maranello, 1st February – It's not the first time and it certainly won't be the last that snow has put in an appearance on the eve of the launch of a new Ferrari Formula 1 car. However, it seems that this year, the weather gods really want to have their say. From late yesterday morning, Maranello has been hit by snow, with no sign of a let up. Work to set up the structure that will host the launch ceremony is still going ahead, even if it is not proving straightforward. The forecast is not exactly comforting, as snow is set to continue falling at least until tomorrow morning and the temperature will continue to drop, getting down to the -10º mark, which will make for icy roads.

The situation is far from simple, as can be seen from the fact that the Maranello local authorities and those surrounding it (including Modena) have announced the closure of all schools at all levels up until Saturday 4 February.

It now looks as though there is little chance of carrying out the planned promotional filming featuring action shots of the car at the Fiorano track: even if the snow was to stop it's hard to imagine that the escape roads could be cleared of their blanket of snow which is gradually building up.


New Ferrari launch cancelled because of snow

Maranello, 2 February – There was no let up from the snow last night, which continued to fall on Maranello and the surrounding area and the situation does not appear to be changing this morning. The forecast is still bad both in terms of predictions of more snow fall and of a further drop in temperature.

Therefore, the decision has been taken to cancel the presentation ceremony for the new car, which was to have taken place at 10.30 tomorrow. The decision was taken because of the weather conditions and because of the difficulties that would have faced the 300 or so people due to attend from the team partners, the authorities and representatives of the media in their attempts to get to Maranello.

Photographs and all technical information relating to the car, along with exclusive interviews, will be available to all on www.ferrarif1.com.

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