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Jalopnik Reviews

2009 Cadillac CTS-V: First Drive

Only a couple of minutes into the briefing and already things are going bad. “The supercharged engine doesn’t trail off up to the 6,200 RPM redline, so on the track, you may find yourself hitting the rev limiter once or twice,” says a Cadillac spokesperson, preparing us for our first foray onto the track at Monticello. I’m sheepishly trying to sink further into the leather couch, hoping none of the elderly car journalists sitting around me brings up the fact that, half an hour ago, I was bouncing off the rev-limiter at full throttle in third and fourth gear, passing all of them on the wrong side of a two-lane mountain road. I guess that Cadillac considers the 556 HP, 191 MPH 2009 Cadillac CTS-V so fast that drivers — even professional car reviewers — won’t be able to fully exploit its engine on the road. The thing is, they’re wrong.

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Feature

By Wes Siler
1,520 views, 67 comments

Latest by : more »

general motors recall

GM Recalls 950,000 Vehicles For Heated Washer Fluid Problems

If you ponied up for the heated washer fluid on your late-model GM vehicle, you likely own one of more than 950,000 cars, trucks and SUVs worldwide that the company is recalling. The Detroit News reports a short-circuit in the heated windshield washer fluid circuit could cause smoke, an odor or potentially a fire. But has it? Apparently yes: In at least three of nine suspicious fires involving the recalled vehicles, the windshield washer system was found at fault. No accidents or injuries have been reported due to the defect, but a new circuit with an inline fuse will be installed by your local dealer to ensure that remains the case. Full recall model listing and manufacturer contact information below the jump. More »

6:00 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Andrew Stoy
0 views, Comment

custom cars

Lada Niva Transformed With Martini Livery

Call it amusing, call it ridiculous, but whatever you call it, reader James has applied the classic Martini livery to his Lada Niva weekend toy, and we call it awesome. The little Ruskie brute wears the vinyl graphics with all the class and sophistication of the rally and race cars of yore. Check out the complete application process in the gallery below, and sit back imagining a weekend bombing around the rugged countryside in this pocket-sized beast.

5:00 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
126 views, 3 comments

Latest by bobdobbs: That's facking awesome! more »

Down

Alfetta Lives On In Brooklyn Despite Dead Owner

As big fans of the Alfa Romeo Alfetta, this New York Times profile of one abandoned Alfa in Brooklyn has touched us. Owned by a Romanian immigrant who passed away, the worn 1975 Alfetta should have been towed away after a few parking tickets because alternate side of the street parking in NYC is strictly enforced. Miraculously, an angel of Italian metal let the owner expire just days before those rules were temporarily suspended, allowing the car to live on just a bit longer. The rules were reinstated and parking tickets have accrued on the lone Alfa but, for reasons only explainable by priests or mystics (or negligent city services), the rusted Alfetta still lives on Plaza Street West. (Thanks to Tony for the tip) [NYTimes, Photo: Robert Stolarik for The New York Times]

4:30 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Matt Hardigree
406 views, 6 comments

Latest by beercheck: Good lord. I guess it's effective, but if you keep with this post-tagging scheme, your tag cloud is going to more »

Barack Obama

Illinois Woman Wants To Sell You Obama's 2000 Grand Cherokee

Liz Murphy of Naperville, Illinois discovered while signing papers on a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee that the vehicle had been owned by then state senator Barack Obama. Local paper The Naperville Sun reports that Murphy was happy to discover her Jeep had been celebrity-owned, but now that Obama has a chance at the White House, she's hoping to cash in a little. Murphy plans to sell the Grand Cherokee after the November elections with an eye toward getting at least above the average trade-in value. She also reports that Obama's firm handshake is evidenced on the interior of the Jeep, as a left-hand mark is imprinted on the steering wheel. Says Murphy, "Every once in a while I'll run my hands over the top of the steering wheel and say, 'Wow, this guy had a grip.'" While we're optimistic, the jury is still out. [Jeepz.com]

4:00 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Andrew Stoy
445 views, 21 comments

Latest by danson: For sale: 1994 Lincoln Town Car, originally owned by Bill Clinton. Gently smoked in. Minor stains on upholstery. more »

Tesla Roadster

A Peek Under The Tesla Roadster’s Hood

Ever been curious what takes place under the Tesla Roadster’s hood in the absence of internal combustion? Well, here’s an explanation of what the parts are and and what they do, conveniently numbered so you can follow along at home. Make the jump to see why "Tesla mechanic" would be a totally cush job.

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3:30 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Wes Siler
1,096 views, 33 comments

Latest by discontinuuity: Hmm...you might want to connect those lower control arms to something if you want it to handle well. more »

Ethanol

Ethanol In Gasoline Reportedly Wreaking Havoc On Small Engines

If you've been having trouble with your small gasoline power equipment lately, MSNBC reports that you're not alone: Small-engine mechanics nationwide are seeing a spike in engine damage they claim is attributable to the increasing use of ethanol in gasoline. We're not talking about E85 here either; apparently, it's the much more common (and in some places ubiquitous) E10 blend, which is 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, that technicians are blaming for gummed-up carburetors, internal rust and lubrication issues. More »

3:00 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Andrew Stoy
949 views, 40 comments

Latest by pres: Time to run some SeaFoam through the old Honda mower. That'll fix it one way or another. more »

chevy volt

2010 Chevy Volt: Concept Versus Reality

The 2010 Chevy Volt has been a landmark project not only for its daring powertrain and breakneck development cycle, but also for GMs general openness with the media during the process. Along the way we've been invited in to see the development first hand, even spending a whole day with the Chevy Volt. But despite the buddy-buddy, easy-publicity PR maneuvering, up until the wee hours of this morning, we still didn't know what it looked like. Now that we've seen it in all but minute detail, it's time to compare the concept against the reality. More »

Feature

2:30 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
1,871 views, 32 comments

Latest by timtoolman: Ok so it was a typo. more »

Down On The Street Bonus Edition

1966 Magnette 1622

This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. The Rambler American-based Renault Torino wasn't the only license-built foreign car built in Argentina back in the day. SIAM Di Tella made a deal with BMC to build the MG Magnette in Argentina, resulting in the Di Tella Magnette 1622. Daniel of has photographed this '66 down on the Buenos Aires street for us; he didn't provide a lot of details, but the car speaks for itself: 42 years old, British engineering, and still going strong!


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2:00 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Murilee Martin
296 views, 6 comments

Latest by A_Benz_Apart: SIAM Di Tella made some crazazy looking cars down in Argentina, lots of fins and chrome but all small and more »

Will It Float?

Why You Don't Let A 16-Year-Old Launch Your Boat: A Slideshow

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2010 Rolls-Royce RR4

2010 Rolls-Royce RR4 Spotted: Slightly Bigger Than A 7-Series, Slightly Smaller Than A Phantom

Autocar spied this 2010 Rolls-Royce RR4 undergoing final testing in Europe. Immediately apparent are its Phantom-style door handles and rear suicide doors. Also visible is the surprisingly Phantom-like side profile. In fact, the whole thing looks like smaller Phantom, which is precisely what it is, just based on the 2009 BMW 7-Series platform. Unlike the 7-Series though, the RR4 will cost at least $170,000 when it goes on sale next year. More »

Spy Photos

1:00 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Wes Siler
1,525 views, 21 comments

Latest by Jan Hancic: What's next? A ferrari build on a golf's platform? more »

Gadgets

TomTom Go x40 LIVE Lets Users Inform Each Other Of Speed Traps, Uses Cell Phone Position Data to Map Traffic

The new TomTom Go x40 LIVE series of GPS navigation units allows users to update maps on the fly with the positions of police speed traps and traffic cameras, thus alerting other TomTom users in the area of their presence. Also stored within the system is historical travel time data for every road by day of the week, in five-minute intervals. To calculate a traffic-free route, the TomTom compares these figures to real-time anonymous cell phone movements. More »

12:30 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Wes Siler
366 views, 6 comments

Latest by biasply: Until this thing has an application that allows real-time chat with truck-stop hookers, I'm sticking with my CB. more »

Dbags Behind The Wheel

The Official Jalopnik Map Of United States Vehicular Douchebaggery

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12:00 PM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Matt Hardigree
5,436 views, 138 comments

Latest by SupermotoThud: SoCal bros with their lifted Super-duty, or anything diesel FTW! what douchebags...has anyone seen diesel prices in San Diego? How more »

Question of the day

Do You Like The 2010 Chevy Volt?

We all knew the Chevy Volt was going to be a big deal. We knew it was going to be very carefully designed. And, thanks to a well-placed camera, we now have 2010 Chevy Volt video and images. Though we care about the powertrain, powersource and performance, this thing has to look the part, too. And that's the question: does it look the part? More »

11:30 AM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Matt Hardigree
2,487 views, 88 comments

Latest by Martt: I think the little bugger looks dandy at this point.. hope they make sure it stays dandy. And I know we've more »

In Brief

Insanely Rare Saleen Ranger On eBay

FROM CARDOMAIN CAR BLOG: By Jen Dunnaway Editor Saleen developed a Ford Ranger for SCCA truck racing in the 80's, and the rules stated that in order for it to be legal, an equivalent model had to be made available for public purchase. More »
classic ad watch

1988 Yugo Florida: Belgrade Pride!

The Zastava Koral, better known in North America as the Yugo, has been the butt of jokes for 20 years (even in turbocharged form), but Zastava also made cars that weren't Fiat 127/128 clones. For example, the Zastava Florida, which boasts Giugiaro design and Peugeot running gear. Note the leading-edge use of timing lights, welding equipment, and garage doors in the Zastava factory. More »

11:00 AM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Murilee Martin
753 views, 15 comments

Latest by longdx: A coworker had a Yugo as a commuter vehicle. Finally, junked it when the entire windshield wiper assembly fell off more »

Truck And SUV Sales

GM Seeing Uptick In Truck, SUV Sales According To Lutz

Bloomberg today reports that GM product czar Bob Lutz, referencing a handful of GM dealerships, is saying that the decline in pickup sales may be "bottoming out." Lutz apparently commented that dealers are seeing "some resurgence in demand for full-size SUVs and pickups," though he declined to mention specific figures — or the specific dealers reporting the demand. So, what's behind the new SUV boomlet? More »

10:40 AM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Andrew Stoy
647 views, 33 comments

Latest by crevans: I think it's less that gas prices are closer to 3.50\gal so much as they're somewhat stabilized in the 3.50-4.00 more »

2010 Porsche Panamera

2010 Porsche Panamera Caught With Its Hatch Open

The excruciatingly slow striptease in which the 2010 Porsche Panamera is engaged has taken a big step today, as this is the first look we've gotten at the car with its rear hatch raised. We see a car loaded up with test equipment and displaying several features visible via the open hatch. There appears to be no power open and close mechanism in action here (thankfully) and it seems the rear seats fold flat permitting a huge cargo area. Also, aft of the front wheel there seems to be a fender detail which could be a styled fender vent reminiscent of the Porsche Carrera GT. Absent still are a comely design and brand self-awareness.

[GlobalMotors]

Spy Photos

10:05 AM on Fri Aug 29 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
1,665 views, 57 comments

Latest by Maymar - now with 37% less anonymity: Keep in mind, this is the company that started off building really quick VW Bugs and ran with it. Ze more »

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