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For years, the production of alternative energy vehicles faced skepticism from consumers. Some thought that the production costs would be too much for the economy to handle, while others declared certain energy sources too difficult to maintain. Today, Americans are finally warming up to energy-efficient cars. According to surveys conducted by Capital One Auto Finance, more and more people are thinking about owning a hybrid.

While 96% of Americans still don’t own alternative energy vehicles, 76% have tried driving one, and 78% of the participants believe that these vehicles are here to stay. This is a pretty impressive number for a technology that can turn lifestyles around completely. Apparently, less than 30% of the American population is unwilling to let go of their fuel-run cars.

To boot, 23% of respondents believe that hybrid or alternative vehicles will contribute more than half of automotive sales in the next ten years. This is more optimism than expected from most Americans, and it gives us more confidence that it’s possible for Japan to make half of its vehicles alternative-fuel-dependent.

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Top carmakers battle it out no holds barred at FIA GT1 racing featuring their race cars based on their production vehicles. Recently Nissan uncovered the new GT1 racer in the form of the Nissan GT-R.

The car is a product of the collaboration between Nissan, NISMO, Sumo Power GT, and Swiss Racing. The GT-R GT1 is stripped down as focused as it could be. The details about the car are limited but it will join the battle for supremacy in 10 GT1 races kicking off in Abu Dhabi.

The previous Nissan race car used a V-8 VK56DE racing powerplant that has a displacement of 5.6L and is capable of giving out 600 horsepower and has a torque of 480 pound feet. The racing engine is coupled with a 6-speed Ricardo sequential transmission with a triple plate clutch.

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Many may have been wondering what happened to the redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee unveiled by Chrysler during the 2009 New York Auto Show. The new vehicle is nowhere to be seen. If you are a fan of Cherokee, you do not have to wait too long since the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will be out by the second quarter of 2010.

Michael Manley, Jeep CEO, explains that they have completed the development work and they are not studying how the new Cherokee should be priced and package.

The 2011 Grand Cherokee will be the first major launch of the brand under the helm of the Fiat Group and its top executive Sergio Marchionne. The different brands of Chrysler have been hungry for new releases in recent years because of the company’s poor performance and resulting financial struggle.

Looking at the design lines of the Jeep Grand Cherokee displayed at last year’s auto show in New York, it seems it will be able to boos the numbers for the brand and reverse its fortune of a 31% drop in sales back in 2009.

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I know we talk about all these amazing cars every week, but getting auto insurance for one of these is often something else. You won't be able to insurance a Ferrari for $1k a year, so pick a car within your insurance budget!

When it comes to modifying high-end cars, one can go from the extreme to the insane then to the level of Mansory. Once again, they make all eyes go big as they Mansory-nized a Chopster of Porsche Cayenne. They dropped the ride and made almost everything carbon fiber. This is just another day at the office for the designers.

The transformation isn’t pure Mansory effort since they were able to purchase the Rinspeed arm of Porsche. They purchased the tuning firm last November. But it is so obvious that all the creative juices applied on the Chopster is from Mansory.

The facelifting Mansory to the Porsche Cayenne made it wider by 80 mm. They also injected some upgrades to boost the SUV’s performance which included a seemingly overkill on the braking power of the vehicle. The tuning team installed 375 mm in the rear while doing 420 mm rotors on the front which looked normal brakes inside the 23×11 wheels.

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Whenever you're looking for cars for sale, make sure to have a clear eye on your budget. Don't get carried away, because when you can't meet your payments, your car becomes someone else's car!

The market of the auto industry undeniably shrunk as the global economy struggled in the past year. Mini thinks ahead and expands its network of dealerships in the United States. The car maker, operating under the umbrella of BMW, will have 34 new stores strategically located in different states. The move will bring the Mini dealerships to 120 in three years time from the current number of 86.

The car maker plans to reach more people as they plan to build on bigger metros and markets which are new to the brand. According to an insider, Mini is planning to increase their sales in double percentage digits compared to the 54,077 units sold in 2008. To achieve their goal, the aggressive expansion is really a necessity.

What Mini aims for is not really indicative of the current demand of their North American market but it is the vision of the company to push their sales up. This entails also improving the demand for their cars by 2011.

It is really quite a risk to take since the economy is set to slowly recover in a matter of years. Growth will come not in months but in years if all improvement factors fall into place. With new models to be released, Mini might just get what they foresee.

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Audi has been gaining grounds little by little especially in the United States where it used to be a second pick either behind a Benz, BMW, or a Lexus. The four rings of the brand is set to do some whipping as they see a brighter 2010 for their fleet.

The car maker had their second best figures for an August this year. Their figures rose by as much as 26% and it has been their best since the first half of 2008. The August 2009 sales report details 8,057 units sold compared to 6,406 that rolled off dealerships back in August of 2008.

Things could even get better as they introduce new members of their fleet. Before the closing of 2009, the supercar R8 V-10 will zoom on the streets. Joining the release will be the S4 Sedan and the S5 convertible.

Audi packs more excitement for 2010 as they will be unveiling the new leader of the pack to replace the current A8 sedan. There will also be the new A6 and the 4-door coupe variant of the A7.

The 2011 A8 is confirmed to grace the motor show in Detroit by next year. The aluminum sedan will spell the new language of styling of Audi. The performance is of course expected to be great with an all wheel drive configuration coupled with a dual clutch gearbox. There will be a V8, turbocharged V6, diesel, and a hybrid V8 to choose from.

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Ford Kuga is the crossover SUV sold by Ford Europe in 2008. It was praised for its all-wheel-drive system. It’s sporty and dynamic features is perfect for cross-country trips. It is also noted for its impressive intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) feature that allows you to maneuver effortlessly off -road.

Today, there are humors that Ford is planning to develop a three-door coupe version of Kuga. However, many contest that a Kuga coupe may not be as functional during these times.

The first Ford Kuga was labeled as a sports-activity vehicle. Doing a coupe version would take off the rear doors to make it more sleek. However, removing the rear doors would take out a lot of its utility feature, therefore decreasing its market and value.

If Kuga Coupe goes to production, it would carry the similar features and powertrain of the original Kuga. According to AutoExpress, it would also get a Powershift twin-clutch gearbox. This would be the first time an advanced gearbox would be added to the Kuga.

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If you think that average Mercedez-AMG G55 SUV is not that extreme to quench your thirst for adrenaline and powerful engines, then you share the same sentiments of several German engineers at the Hamann tuning firm. As a result, a brand new, high performance, power-hungry, automobile monster is born with an output of 600HP and 576lb-ft of torque.

The upgraded Mercedez G55 AMG SUV is now called the Hamann Typhoon. It received Hamann’s HM600 power kit which raked the old engine’s 100HP to an impressive 600HP.

The power kit includes the following modifications: enlarged belt pulleys, customized transmission with oil-cooler, and a brand new ECU. As a result, the Hamann Typhoon can go from 0 to 60mph in 5.1 seconds at the top speed of 162mph. Not bad for a vehicle weighing 5,635 pounds.

Exterior upgrades includes new Yokohama tires, lightweight 24inch alloy wheels, customized braking system, LED running lights for daytime, and spoiler attached to the roof.

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Determined to double the sales of Rolls Royce vehicles in the next few years, the high-end automaker is in the process of creating a new model set to launch in 2010. According to latest reports, the new model will have the name “Ghost” and several spy shots have revealed that it is patterned after the concept car 2009 Rolls-Royce EX200.

The Ghost bears the same modern RR lines but is relatively smaller compared to the existing Phantom. Most RR models reek of a formal feel; therefore, several elements were added to give it a vaguely sportier look.

The 2010 Ghost will rolls with a 6.6L V12 turbocharged engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It will have the power output of 500HP, making the Ghost more powerful compared to the Phantom that ranks above it.

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Coming up soon – our brand new auto blog, which we’ll update whenever we feel like it (and not more often, that’s a promise I can make!)… HANG IN THERE!