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Report: UK man claims he lost Lamborghini while drunk, beats insurance fraud charges

Initially, authorities in England charged Glenn Knowles and Richard Mant with trying to defraud their insurance company. The pair of men co-own a Lamborghini, or at least they did, until Knowles misplaced it during a night of binge drinking. Prosecutors weren't buying the story that Mr. Knowles took the car and then drank until he erased his mind as a way of coping with a bad time in his personal life. The matter went to trial, and after six days, a jury conceded that it didn't seem like fraud, ultimately acquitting the pair. It's not ... Read more →

Report: Disgruntled hacker disables 100 cars in Texas remotely Dan Roth

Omar Ramos-Lopez' retaliation on his former employers' customers might be something we conjure up while lying sleepless in bed, but we've got the power of self-restraint. Omar? Not so much. Ignoring ...

Canada Post to replace fleet with Ford Transit Connect Sam Abuelsamid

Ford scored a big deal this week for its new Transit Connect when Canada Post chose the compact commercial van to replace its current fleet of mail carriers. The Canadian post office went through ...

Feds suggest driver error may have caused runaway Prius in NY Steven J. Ewing

Last week we told you about an incident in New York involving unintended acceleration in a 2005 Toyota Prius. This accident occurred just after the high-profile case involving Jim Sikes and his ...

CHP report seemingly sides with Sikes on case of the Runaway Prius Jeremy Korzeniewski

In reality, the California Highway Patrol isn't taking sides with anyone regarding the recent speeding Prius of Jim Sikes. But the CHP doesn't see any reason to doubt Sikes' version of events that ...

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Video: Mr. Unstoppable Force, this is Mr. Immovable Object 2 days ago on Autoblog

We recently received the email below from a friend and felt like we had to share. We really think you'll like this one. How many times have you wondered how strong those cement barriers are, that you see in front of military base entrances? (Are all barriers created equal?) This was sent by ...

Toyota asks ABC News for apology, retraction of Brian Ross report 2 days ago on Autoblog

"Toyota deserves a public retraction and formal apology from ABC News." At least according to the automaker itself. For what, you ask? For ABC's "irresponsible broadcast entitled "Expert: Electronic Design Flaw Linked to Runaway Toyotas." You surely remember the piece, which originally aired the ...

Followup: Toyota considering stall fix for 1.2M Corolla and Matrix models 2 days ago on Autoblog

Are you tired of hearing about Toyota recalls and safety concerns? If that's the case, we must regrettably inform you that there's an update to note on a previously reported issue, this one potentially affecting some 1.2 million Corolla and Matrix models from 2005, 2006 and 2007. This issue ...

Report: Detroit automakers head to Congress to talk Japanese, Korean currency manipulation 3 days ago on Autoblog

We can't even pretend to know the first thing about currency manipulation, so we won't bother trying to explain how artificially depreciated currency can help imports into the U.S. market. But American manufacturing groups have long accused the governments of China, Japan and South Korea of ...

Report: Congressmen spending thousands of dollars a month to lease ordinary vehicles 3 days ago on Autoblog

Remember when Congress got all up in the grilles of Detroit automaker chief executives for traveling to Washington in luxury courtesy of the companies private jets? It appears our lawmakers are less than perfect when it comes to sourcing their own cost-effective transportation, as Politico is ...

Toyota being sued for full refund of recalled vehicles 4 days ago on Autoblog

"When we talked with Toyota owners, they all voiced the same desire – to drive the car back to the lot, hand them the keys and pick up a check." So says Steve Berman, a lawyer from Seattle who has filed a class action lawsuit against Toyota on behalf of "dozens" of owners in Arizona and ...

**Toyota's top NA exec reportedly declines invite to appear before Canadian gov't. *UPDATED** 4 days ago on Autoblog

It would seem that once was enough for Toyota North America President Yoshimi Inaba. Just weeks after the top Toyota executive went before a congressional hearing in the United States, The Globe and Mail is reporting that Inaba has turned down a similar invitation to appear before the Canadian ...

Toyota agrees with NHTSA investigation of runaway Prius, but not calling Sikes a liar 5 days ago on Autoblog

Toyota walked a fine line this afternoon when it revealed that its own two-day investigation of last week's runaway Prius near San Diego, CA had reached the same conclusion as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's investigation. That is, the brakes on Jim Sikes' 2008 Toyota Prius ...

Official investigation of runaway Prius begins to answer questions 6 days ago on Autoblog

A joint investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Toyota into the highly publicized incident last week of a runaway 2008 Toyota Prius near San Diego, CA may begin to answer questions raised after the owner's credibility was challenged. In particular, the brakes ...

PSA: If you're going to attempt insurance fraud, you might want to avoid posting on YouTube [w/video] 6 days ago on Autoblog

Why is it that people engaged in illegal activities feel compelled to record their indiscretions? It's just a really, really bad idea. And a bad idea becomes an act of outright stupidity when said video is published on YouTube, where any random investigator can easily find evidence that can be ...

Report: California prosecutor sues Toyota, alleges automaker ignored defects 6 days ago on Autoblog

The hits keep on coming for Toyota, with reports of unintended acceleration multiplying like rabbits with aphrodisiacs and grandstanding of all sorts going on at every level. Orange County, California District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has added another layer to the cake with a lawsuit alleging ...

Amelia Island Concours set to symbolically break Cuban embargo 8 days ago on Autoblog

Recognizing that car guys (and gals) are car guys no matter where in the world they live, the folks running this weekend's Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance have decided to use a bit of "Car-Guy Diplomacy" to reach out to that bigger island a little south of Florida...Cuba. They have invited ...

Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor 8 days ago on Autoblog

Earlier today, Ford unveiled its next generation Police Interceptor (they'd rather you not call it a Taurus) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway before a group of police agency fleet buyers. The event was webcast live, but you can now watch a replay as Ford president Mark Fields and vehicle line ...

Report: Congressional panel doubts GMAC business case, suggests breakup 8 days ago on Autoblog

"The panel is deeply concerned that Treasury has not required GMAC to lay out a clear path to viability or a strategy for fully repaying taxpayers." This, according to a Congressional Oversight Panel that was created as a watchdog for the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) ...

Former NHTSA head Claybrook reportedly blasts relationship between safety agency and automakers 8 days ago on Autoblog

One of the most interesting sidebars that came out of Toyota's recent recall woes and the subsequent Congressional hearings on the subject was the Japanese automaker's relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Actually, the interesting part of the relationship with ...

Report: Main rejected-dealer advocates fail to get GM reinstatement call. Coincidence? 9 days ago on Autoblog

We have no proof that General Motors is getting payback on the three dealers who founded the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights (CRDR), Tammy Darvish, Jack Fitzgerald and Alan Spitzer. But we do know that retribution is a game often played by all sides, and that Darvish, Fitzgerald and Spitzer ...

BREAKING: First images of Ford's new Taurus-based Police Interceptor revealed! 9 days ago on Autoblog

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Know_Your_Enemy_First_snaps_of_2012_Ford_Police_Interceptor'; Later today, Ford will officially unveil its new Police Interceptor at a private fleet sales event in Las Vegas, but the first images of the new vehicle were posted this morning on the ...

NHTSA announces 2009 fatalities lowest since 1954, continue downward trend 9 days ago on Autoblog

Safety doesn't sell cars. At least that's what Detroit executives walked around saying back in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The whole of them were convinced that if you even mentioned the word "safety" in a marketing campaign it would imply that cars were unsafe. In fact, it took a crusader like ...

Rattner: Auto bailout saved Michigan from bankruptcy 9 days ago on Autoblog

Without the government bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, the U.S. auto industry would likely have two fewer domestic automakers and hundreds of thousands of high paying jobs would be history. The Detroit News reports that ex auto task force chief Steve Rattner recently told an audience at ...

Update: Texas high school gets to keep using Ram logo 10 days ago on Autoblog

Remember a couple weeks back when we told you about Chrysler's improbable legal battle against little Lake Mary High School in Florida? Chrysler's legal team put the smack down on the school for using the Ram logo as its school insignia, and the law jockeys in Auburn Hills, MI were giving the school ...

Source: Next-gen Ford Police Interceptor will debut this Friday in Las Vegas 10 days ago on Autoblog

Hold on to your sap gloves and night sticks – it's that time of the decade! An Autoblog source reveals that Ford is about to release a brand spankin' new Police Interceptor. Not only is this humongous news for our pals in the law enforcement community, but this is 120-point headline font ...

Cash for Clunkers more than twice as effective as first thought? 10 days ago on Autoblog

In what might turn out to be one of the biggest games of "he said, she said," in the history of the world, Maritz Research, an automotive market research company, is claiming that the government's Cash for Clunkers program actually boosted auto sales by much more than previously thought. Maritz ...

Report: California to amend 'Cool Cars' legislation over... criminal activity? 11 days ago on Autoblog

Is CARB backing down on its so-called "cool cars" regulation? On May 7, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will have to turn in its final draft of the controversial regulations, which calls for automakers to build cars and trucks with windows that prevent 45% of the sun's energy from ...

Video: San Diego 'runaway Prius' has media buzzing 11 days ago on Autoblog

Both the second- and third-generation Prius are part of Toyota's massive recall – the former for floormat problems, the latter for braking issues – but a new incident from California has the automaker looking into more potential issues with the second-generation car. As CNN tells ...

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in peril over Toyota recalls? 12 days ago on Autoblog

After Dave Chappelle threw himself overboard the USS Hollywood, he did an interview in which he said, "When a person tells you something's... just business, that means some ice-cold [stuff] might be about" to happen. We can imagine that Toyota, doing everything it can to make its case better in ...

2011 Hyundai Sonata door latch recall gets official 12 days ago on Autoblog

A couple weeks back, Hyundai put a stop-sale on its freshly minted 2011 Sonata sedan because a front door latch could malfunction after a rather labored series of steps. The stop-sale was lifted almost immediately, though, as the Korean automaker was able to quickly ship replacement parts to ...

Report: GM CEO Whitacre still flies on AT&T jets equipped with golden parachutes 12 days ago on Autoblog

When U.S. domestic automakers were commuting back and forth between Detroit and Washington while begging for government funds in the fall of 2008, a big deal was made of the fact that their CEOs were traveling in private jets instead of driving company vehicles. The backlash from JetGate was ...

Toyota gets dishonorable mention in Oscars opening 13 days ago on Autoblog

And here we thought all that Toyota bashing was happening just in Washington, D.C., in Midwest bars and on late night talk shows. It appears Toyota can't even escape the negative press that has come as a result of the company's recent recall woes at the 82 annual Academy Awards, either. During ...

Hope on the horizon? General Motors reportedly to reinstate more than 580 dealers 15 days ago on Autoblog

According to Automotive News (which is citing four separate yet unknown sources), General Motors is preparing to reinstate more than 580 dealers that had applied for government-mediated arbitration to keep their franchises in the United States. For those keeping track, 580 represents exactly half ...

Report: Hyundai sued by Louis Vuitton over high-end basketball [w/video] 15 days ago on Autoblog

There probably isn't a day that goes by when an automaker isn't being sued for something. Some suits are extremely serious, while others peg the needle on the frivolity scale. And while Hyundai is flying high on the sales charts right now, the Korean automaker apparently isn't immune to a trip ...

Former U.S. Sec. of Transportation to lead Toyota Quality Advisory Panel 17 days ago on Autoblog

An independent advisory panel has been formed to help Toyota get a handle on its quality issues. With all of the current headlines relating to Toyota recalls and defects, the independent North American Quality Advisory Panel has been convened to study and give the automaker advice on quality and ...

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Autoblog Podcast #170: The Hooniverse Visits

Jeff Glucker and Tim ODell join Chris, Sam, and Dan on this episode of the Autoblog Podcast. They share what's in their garage (much cooler) and we mull some of the week's news.