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Skateboarders provide framework for new motorcycle designs

 July 24, 2010

Indianapolis - When Lee Bender learned in 2007 that he had multiple sclerosis, he knew right away that his all-consuming passion of nearly 20 years, skateboarding, would no longer be possible.

''I was sponsored, skating quite a bit,...

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End of the line: Chrysler PT Cruiser will no longer be produced

 July 24, 2010

If the retro-styled Chrysler PT Cruiser is one of those cars you always wanted to buy but never got around to it, you'd better hurry.

Time is running out, at least if you want to buy a new one.

The last of the PT Cruisers rolled off...

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2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDi: Turbo power, diesel efficiency and the beauty of virtue

 July 24, 2010

WASHINGTON - I should have set aside a day to celebrate its being, the goodness and specialness of it. But it was too easy to take it for granted, to expect that it would always be there fulfilling my will.

It's gone now. Volkswagen took it...

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Why a $30,500 Ford Mustang beats pricey European sports cars

 July 24, 2010

I have a $150,000 sports car in my parking garage, a handcrafted machine produced overseas in limited numbers. Next to it, I have a U.S.-made Ford Mustang GT, armadas of which will be sold for as little as $30,500.

I tested both the day...

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Porsche's new CEO faces first test with smaller Boxster

 July 24, 2010

Berlin - Matthias Mueller, the new Porsche chief executive officer tasked with reviving the luxury car maker's vehicle lineup, faces his first test with the introduction of a new line of smaller Boxster roadsters.

Mueller, 57, will...

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Projected pricetag for Porsche's new luxury Spyder: $630,000

 July 24, 2010

Berlin - Porsche may price the 918 Spyder, which soars to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, at $630,000, according to two people with direct knowledge of the plan.

At least 2,000 individuals have put in non-binding expressions of interest for...

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Crash dummies' parts, costumes join museum exhibit about auto safety

 July 24, 2010

Washington - Show biz has required Vince and Larry to break much more than a leg.

As crash dummies - or safety crash devices - the accident-prone duo have sacrificed piles of arms, suffered battered chests and endured countless cases...

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Daimler, BMW surge on 'bottomless' appetite for German luxury

 July 24, 2010

Helsinki - Daimler's E-Class Mercedes-Benz, Bayerische Motoren Werke's new 5-Series and Volkswagen's revamped Audi A8...

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Prize deadline looming for makers of first lightweight, high-efficiency vehicle

 July 24, 2010

Lynchburg, Va. - Mechanic Bobby Mouzayck, 28, stands inside a former textile factory staring ruefully at the shell of something that looks like a cockpit that's missing the rest of the airplane.

"I'm so tired of looking at this thing," says...

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Homeowners use room-renting site to avoid foreclosure

 July 23, 2010

San Francisco - Nichelle Morant was on the verge of losing her three-unit house in Brooklyn earlier this year after tenants renting the second and third floors lost their jobs and moved out.

With bills mounting and foreclosure...

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Miami's downtown is coming alive with young renters

 July 23, 2010

Brandon Klein has done what few Floridians can: go weeks without driving his car.

The 26-year-old tax accountant walks three blocks from his condominium tower on Miami's Biscayne Bay to his office at Deloitte LLP. On weekends, he and his...

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Ford's Edge gets sportier with a little help from the Mustang

 July 17, 2010

The Ford Edge Sport is getting sportier with a new engine swiped from the Ford Mustang. Ford Motor Co. officials said the 2011 Ford Edge Sport - the high-performance version of the Edge, which is one of the country's top-selling mid-size crossovers...

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Replacing spark plugs yourself

 July 17, 2010

You'll need only a few tools and will gain a lot of satisfaction performing more of your own vehicle maintenance. You'll need a 3/8-inch ratchet, a 6-inch extension, and a 5/8-inch spark plug socket.

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Low-tech mirrors more prevalent as aid in tackling blind spots

 July 17, 2010

Detroit - Lisa Suida doesn't twist her torso or turn her neck anymore to check her blind spot while driving her 2010 Chevrolet Traverse.

Instead, Suida, of Macomb Township, Mich., checks the small convex mirrors built into her car's...

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20111 BMW ActiveHybrid7: You'll pay dearly to get it

 July 17, 2010

Cornwall, N.Y. - Luxury has a conscience. It can be found in the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid7 - a gas-and-electric version of the BMW 750i sedan.

But it is not conscience with humility. The ActiveHybrid7, in the words of its maker, is "the...

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Porsche 911 Turbo: Get ready for blastoff

 July 17, 2010

Porsche likes to tinker. Whatever the model, there's always some update just around the corner. Sometimes, the differences are subtle (Hey, are those new turn signals?) and other times the changes significantly alter the car's personality.

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Online used car histories provide security blanket for buyers By BILL POOVEY

 July 17, 2010

Chattanooga, Tenn. - Although a used car looks great and the price is right, today's shoppers know they must do their homework.

A vehicle history report provides important insight on a car's potential hidden problems, such as...

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Tesla Motors enters the world stage and a time of testing

 July 17, 2010

San Jose, Calif. - Tesla's entrance this week onto the world stage of finance was a high-voltage affair, with the electric-carmaker's IPO stock price soaring nearly 41 percent on its first day. But the company faces a future where...

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Airstream International brings civilized touch to camping

 July 17, 2010

Los Angeles - Like a lot of Angelenos, I like to ditch the city every once in a while and experience nature. Briefly.

My last escape involved 1,000 or so Cub Scouts, a battered, borrowed tent and two days of port-a-potties and...

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