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2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder Around the Barber Motorsports Park track in Birmingham, Alabama, the new Boxster RS 60 Spyder pays tribute to the 1960 Type 718 RS 60 Spyder. Last April the The 2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder made its U.S debut at the 2008 New York Auto Show. Inside the Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder is the GT Silver Metallic paint work, a red convertible top, along with a plaque on the dashboard that reminds of 1,960 limited edition models. Other than that is a ?RS 60 Spyder? kicking plate, body color paint work on the rear seat and a $700 sexy gear-shift knob that reminds the Iron Man. The ?RS? badging on the back doesn?t mean a super high-performing, lightweight version of the Boxster S as in the case of the 911 GT3 RS. However, it has an extra 8-hp for a total of 303-hp which Porsche says comes courtesy of some ?engine management upgrades? and a sports exhaust system. The regular Boxster S, the performance of the RS 60 Spyder is just sensational. The steering and handling is very crisp along with very responsive acceleration. However, an additional $9,200 is very high price to pay. You don?t really need to spend that much to get the best Boxster. Only 1,960 units of the 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder will be built; which coincides with the 1960 12-Hours of Sebring won by the 550 Spyder Type 718 RS 60. However, only 800 of those will make it over to the with prices starting at $64,900. Now you?re probably wondering if the extra $9,200 over the Boxster S (which starts at $55,700) is worth the ?R?, ?60? and the ?Spyder? badging on the back. Japanese government to develop Prius gas-electric hybrid car Toyota Motor Corp. denied it had received any funding from the Japanese government to develop its hit Prius gas-electric hybrid car. Japan's top automaker rejected a March 24 Business Week report that quoted Jim Press, vice chairman and president of Chrysler LLC and a former board member at Toyota, as saying, "The Japanese government paid for 100 percent of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius." Press worked for 37 years at Toyota, including the years of research for the Prius, which went on sale 10 years ago. He left Toyota for Chrysler last September. Prius has become a global hit because of the appeal of its technology that boosts fuel efficiency by switching between a gas engine and electric motor amid growing concerns about global warming and soaring gas prices. Toyota said the report was untrue. "I can say 100 percent that Toyota received absolutely no support -- no money, no grants -- from the Japanese government for the development of the Prius," Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco said. Japanese companies have a reputation for having close relations with the government, and some private-sector projects receive public money, especially those for clean energy. But there have been no previous high-profile reports alleging that Toyota's hybrid project received public money. Separately, Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru cars, in which Toyota owns an 8.7 percent stake, said they were in talks about collaborations but denied a report in The Nikkei business daily they were considering raising Toyota's stake in Fuji to 17 percent. 2008 PACE Award The Volkswagen and Mercedes are introducing new diesel powered cars and the Honda Accord for 2009 will have a diesel option offered. The passenger car market in the US has long been not including all that many choices when it comes to diesel engines, though that is now changing. Since the light duty pickup trucks go, diesel power plants have been offered for many years. Fuel efficiency and torque are the big reasons why people prefer a diesel and Columbus, Indiana-based Cummins is one of the most well-known builders, most notably for the Dodge Ram pickup trucks. Automotive critics have lauded the 6.7L diesel that Dodge uses as it meets 2010 50-state emissions requirements and is recognized for being both strong and quiet. According to the company?s latest press release, ?Cummins achieves this by using a NOx Adsorber Catalyst ? a breakthrough technology designed and integrated by Cummins.? Automotive News, for one, recently recognized Cummins with its 2008 PACE Award for this very engine. ??the 2008 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty Cummins turbodiesel is the newest offering in the heavy-duty segment with 650 lb.-ft. of low-end torque (881 N?m) at 1,500 rpm and 350 horsepower (261 kW) at 3,013 rpm generated from an all-new 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine.? According to Dodge. Chrysler LLC mentioned in January that Cummins is rising another new diesel engine which will power the Ram 1500 after the 2009 model year. Together with meeting stringent state emissions standards, the new engine will provide a 30% edge in fuel economy compared to gasoline models. New CCTV System In UK To Detect Motorists? Amount Of Blood Did you know that in the United Kingdom, camera systems will be installed to detect the blood of people driving in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes? This is because traffic camera lights are no longer enough to find out whether drivers are obeying the rules against lone driving in HOV lanes. According to dailytech.com, some drivers practice trickery on this traffic rule either by placing photographs or mannequins on the windshield to make it appear that they are not alone. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is the means of monitoring public places by using video cameras that transmit signals to a specific group of screens. It is commonly used in banks, airports and other areas with high standard of safety measures. But in Leed, United Kingdom, an upgraded version of this camera system will be used, as I?ve mentioned earlier, to stop traffic offenses particularly in using the HOV lanes. As detailed in dailytech.com, this system is also known in hospitals as pulse oximetry, a technology which is used to determine the quantity of oxygen dissolved in the blood via an infrared beam. Using the same system, traffic enforces will utilize the new CCTV system by discharging infrared beams through vehicles? windshield. Through this, the amount of blood and fluids of people inside the vehicles will be verified. Meanwhile, some motorists perceive the plan as a violation against their rights to privacy. It was supported by a study conducted last year, which revealed that installation of these CCTV cameras did not really reduce crime rates in the UK. More or less 10,000 CCTV cameras are currently set out in various places in London. New Plug-in Hybrid Bucket Truck In this age where green vehicles are in, hybrids are very popular. Toyota is the leader of course thanks to its Prius. But hybrids are said to be just the beginning. In fact, many automakers are now experimenting with plug-in hybrid vehicles. These are basically hybrid vehicles but you can recharge its battery pack by plugging it into a socket. There are different concept cars out there showcased by different automakers but none of them are available for the public. The Auto Channel though reported recently that a plug-in hybrid vehicle will be used by Adams Electric Cooperative in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The said company will be suing a bucket truck which has a diesel engine and electric motors powered by a battery pack. According to DUECO, the developer of the plug-in hybrid vehicle, the said bucket truck can cut fuel consumption and emission significantly as its batteries can power all hydraulic functions of the truck as well as climate control systems for a whole day. That means that in a site, the vehicle does not need to have its diesel engine running. The batteries of the said bucket truck take about eight hours to recharge which is not that troubling as it can be recharged at night during off-peak hours. Also, I expect the truck to have parts like catalytic converters to further clean its emission. Steve Rasmussen, Adams Electric?s CEO/general manager said that they would be the firs to have a plug-in hybrid vehicle in the country. "To our knowledge no other utility has such a material-handling vehicle. That makes Adams Electric a national leader in efficiency and environmental investment. Because final assembly was done in York, Pennsylvania, it also lays the groundwork for a Pennsylvania-based service center for this technology." Toyota Builds New Training Center Toyota is working like a dynamo to maintain the quality of its vehicles. The most recent initiative, by far, is the construction of a $4.5 million-worth training center which has an annual operating budget of about $6 million. With that in mind, the new training center isn?t just a so-so, if not, ordinary classroom. But for all its avant-garde technology, the official opening of the training centered on its role as a classroom for the Japanese automaker?s workers. "Centres such as this are an important way for us to advance Toyota's global reputation for quality," said Yasuhiko Ichihashi, the president of North America's Toyota Technical Centre. "(The employees) have been trained to use the same processes... to build the vehicles to the same high standards of quality around the world," he said. The 3,250-square-metre training center in Cambridge is inspired by the Toyota?s first global production centre in Japan. The sophistication is far from the facility of Chrysler which makes Dodge WM300 power wagon parts. Economic Development Minister Sandra Pupatello and Colleges and Universities Minister John Milloy, Toyota Canada President Ray Tanguay explained how the centre is intended to simulate the actual plants. He said that the centre's location is vital to its purpose, noting the Cambridge plant's existing employees have easier access to the training. The new centre will be utilized to train new workers in Woodstock. The automaker will announce the names of those formally hired prior to the plants opening set in October. The employees from the Cambridge and Toyota plants will be "blended," Tanguay said after the ceremony. "We want to create one company," he said. "We want to develop the same level of skills among all of our team members." Pupatello and Milloy had an opportunity to try some of the training stations equipped with computerized training videos and basic skills instructions. "We're very, very pleased about the centre today because it says (Toyota) is here for the long haul," Pupatello concluded. "We, too, are about continuous improvement and this is the kind of showcase we'll be talking about." Mother Proof Knows Best One of the best things about cars, aside from the fact that it?s unquestionably a status symbol, is the relationship it forms and keeps together, particularly family relationships. Hours of traveling together enhance family bonding, thus, strengthening the relationship family members have for each other. There are various car models out there that claim to be the best family car ever made. But as the cliché? goes, ?Mothers know best.? In AutoChannel yesterday, Mother Proof, a website that gives online car information especially for women and mothers, named the winners of its 2008 best family vehicles during the Chicago Motor Show Women?s Day. Mother Proof mom-reviewers selected the winners according to a set of criteria which includes efficiency of latch connector, seat belt comfort for kid users and other features that are proven to be family friendly. The 2008 Mother Proof awardees were the 2008 Chrysler Town and Country, noted for its homey ambience, the 2008 Hyundai Veracruz with its ?Safety first? image, the functional and stylish 2008 Mazda CX-7, the high-tech 2008 Volvo XC70, the feminine 2008 Chevy Malibu, the powerful 2008 Toyota Highlander, Hybrid, the fun-to-drive 2008 Volvo C30, the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and, lastly, the Mini Cooper. Kristin Varela, a young mother with two children, launched the Mother Proof site in 2004 after discovering that no available site was intended to meet the needs of people with the same lifestyle as hers. By providing significant information women and mothers need, Mother Proof acts like an Acura wiper blade that makes the best auto purchase more visible for them. Ford Introduces Commercial Vehicle Ford has become a leader in it sown right in the pickup segment because of its bigger, badder, and better F-150. But recently, the automaker is aiming to take the lead in the commercial vehicle segment by going small. The automaker recently unveiled the Ford Transit Connect at the Chicago Auto Show. Although it is not really small, it is not as big as the cargo vans being offered by Chevrolet and Dodge. But how will size be a difference-maker for the Transit? Well, first off, the smaller the engine, the better the fuel economy. That is of course a general rule. In the case of the Transit and the cargo vans offered today by other American automakers, that's true. And, it also does not hurt that the Transit is designed in Europe and given a really advanced powertrain which saps every drop of fuel for power. The fuel efficiency of the Transit is just one of the many wonders of this vehicle. Despite its small appearance, it has a large capacity hold which rivals that of cargo vans. Apart from that, the vehicle's cargo hold is designed so that it is easily accessible. Derrick Kuzak, Ford group VP for Global Product Development is very enthusiastic about this product as if it is equipped with an Acura thermostat. "Ford Transit Connect is built on a dedicated, commercial vehicle platform to meet the rigors business use demands. This workhorse is like nothing available today in the American market," he said. This European-designed commercial I think has the potential to become a bestseller in its class. After all, it is carving its own niche by targeting small business owners who need vehicles for deliveries. GM Invests $69 Million In DMAX By 2010, General Motors can already meet strict emissions standards in US. This was after GM, the world?s leading car manufacturer, invested about $69 million in its DMAX plant, a joint venture diesel engine factory in Moraine, Ohio to manufacture the new Duramax 6.6-liter V-8 turbo diesel engine. The investment would cover immediate renovations to the plant, new machinery as well as tooling to support manufacturing of the new diesel engine. In Autochannel yesterday, GM Powertrain Vice President of Global Manufacturing John Buttermore said, ?GM is committed to continuing to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across its portfolio and around the world. The 2010 Duramax diesel is an integral part of that transformation as well as a component of GM?s strategy to diversify vehicle energy sources." While an Acura Legend EGR valve also called the exhaust gas recirculation valve helps reduce pollutants caused by vehicle combustion, GM sees its DMAX investment as a manifestation of its unrelenting commitment to promote environmental advocacies in the auto industry. ?This new investment demonstrates GM?s commitment to continue to invest in technologies that reduce the impact of our vehicles on the environment, while maintaining performance attributes required by customers in the areas of towing and hauling loads,? Buttermore added. The V-8 Duramax diesel for the 2010 model year is equipped with a selective catalytic reduction NOx after-treatment system with a diesel particulate filter to help achieve the 2010 Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standard for compliance in all 50 states and is covered by the stringent 2007 emissions requirements. Is That A Future Collector Car? You own this practically pristine Honda Civic with its parts still glowing under the moonlight. Your friend owns an Enzo Ferrari while your cousin has this Ford F150. These vehicles that you have now. Would any of them be collector cars in the future? Well, to answer your question, Hagerty Insurance Agency had come up with a list of the top ten future collector cars and on this, McKeel Hagerty, the chief head honcho of the agency, shared, ?Many consumers could be driving a future collector car right now. Our goal was to find cars that are currently on the road but may be considered nostalgic in 15 to 20 years. Each car on Hagerty's Hot List possesses a 'buzz,' a Wow Factor that resonates with consumers of all ages, many cars being daily drivers that turn heads already.? Now you ready to find out which vehicle is a future collector car? Here?s the list: Audi S5 Cadillac XLR-V Roadster Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Dodge Charger Super Bee Honda S2000 CR Lotus Exige S Mustang Shelby GT 500 KR Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky Smart Subaru Impreza WRX STi Is your car a future collector car?