Specualation confirmed by recent official announcement.

The Pontiac G8, poised to replace the Grand Prix, will be introduced at the Chicago Auto Show next week according to an article at cars.com.

The announcement was prompted by an ABC News special that aired last night in which GM’s Rick Wagoner showed off the front end of the new G8 to Charlie Gibson. As we told you before, the new G8 is based on the also-new Holden Commodore sedan that GM produces in Australia. It will be rear-wheel drive, with an optional V-8 engine of some type

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Device will initiate multiple tasks from a distance.

GM is soon to debut a high-tech version of the key fobs currently available that performs eeveral routine maintenance functions, including checking tire pressure. Tire pressure checks are frequently neglected by about half of the US car-owning population, according to the article. Improper pressure is a contributing cause of many car accidents.

General Motors soon will introduce a remote control that does a lot more than unlock doors and allow pickpockets to find the car that goes with the keys they’ve boosted.

The high-tech key fob will check tire pressures, fuel level and odometer readings from a distance, displaying the numbers on a digital screen. You’ll also be able to tune the radio from the safety and security of your own pocket, so you don’t have to suffer through two seconds of the wrong station when you start the car. The $150 option will show up first on Ostentation Class trucks like the Cadillac Escalade.

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Department of Energy seeking to reduce foreign dependence on oil.

The Department of Energy is dedicating funds to increase fuel efficiency, $14 million towards support of plug-in hybrid electric automobile technology, and another $3 million towards improving engine efficiency.

DOE’s FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program will lead the efforts to bring new, more efficient technologies to market with research on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and E85-blended fuel.

The $3 million cost-shared solicitation will support engineering advances to improve the fuel economy of E85 engines and reduce vehicle emissions. The solicitation also serves to undertake research and development projects that will result in flex-fuel vehicles, which take advantage of the favorable properties of ethanol gasoline blends. E85 can be used in flex-fuel vehicles and is a gasoline-ethanol blend of motor fuel containing 85% ethanol. E85 has the highest oxygen content of any fuel available today, allowing it to burn more completely – and cleaner – than conventional gasoline.

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Best Coupé in its class for Audi TT 2.0 TFSI

Citing its agility, style and “real driving talent” the What Car? judges extended honors to the Audi TT for Best Coupe in class, which will be detailed in the March 2007 edition.

The subtly updated skin of the new Audi TT conceals a highly advanced superstructure benefiting from 69% lightweight aluminium content, giving a freer rein to the 200PS, 2.0-litre Turbo engine with FSI direct petrol injection, and a brand new sports chassis incorporating the leading edge Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping system for optimum balance and composure.

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Sales surge late in the year may have put the Motorrad over the edge.

BMW may have claimed honors for best selling motorcycle of 2006, but so far the numbers are unofficial. The current unofficial benchmark is that it has surprassed last year’s sales record of its nearest competitor by a comfortable margin.

Combined UK sales of its R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure models totalled 2,277 units in 2006. This is a figure that comfortably beats that achieved by Honda’s CBR1000RR, which at 2,067 units was officially the best selling motorcycle of last year, according to figures released by the Motorcycle Industry Association.

Until fairly recently, BMW’s ‘GS’ range of motorcycles was considered as a rather niche proposition, used mainly by globetrotters and desert racers. However, the legendary ‘Gelande Strasse’ (on/off-road) genre, which made its debut back in 1980 with the iconic R 80 G/S, has now firmly entered the mainstream, buoyed by a general move away from race replica machines and a realisation that road-specific suspension, ergonomic efficiency and all-day comfort make more sense in the real world of high insurance premiums, poorly maintained roads and traffic congestion.

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New law would allow speed limit increase

Utah may join Texas in the recent raising of the speed limit to 80 miles per hour. Last May, Texas raised speed limits on its rural roads to 80 MPH, which a study found to be the rate at which travelers were going anyway. It became the highest posted speed limit in the US.

(Montana re-instituted a speed limit in 1999 of 75 MPPH.)

Utah’s Senate transportation committee has recommended the adoption of a law that would give officials the discretion to increase speed limits where engineering and safety surveys show that most motorists are already safely travelling at that speed.

It would also allow the police to stop drivers for committing various misdemeanours such as using a mobile phone and other due care and attention offences, but not speeding.

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The International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas included several gadgets made for cars.

The average US citizen commutes by car, spending an average of one hour in their vehicle. This chunk of time is part of what pushes the rising technology demand for automotive industry, according to an article series at TechNewsWorld.

The consumer electronics industry’s attempts to address that need was significantly featured at the Consumer Electonics Show in Las Vegas.

Some of the gadgets and technology highlights included:

• More sophisticated radar detectors
• A Device that Monitors Car Health
• Motorola’s iRadio for mobile music
• Mobile WiFi (mentioned in an article earlier this month)
• Portable Navigation Devices
• Vehicle tracking technological advances

Hyundai debuts midsize crossover.

Hyundai recently debuted its Veracruz midsize crossover at the  North American International Auto Show, in direct competition with the Honda Pilot and the Toyota Highlander.

“Hyundai Veracruz is an exceptional vehicle at the right time for this developing segment,” said Steve Wilhite, chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor America. “The vehicle”s designers recognized that the needs and desires of traditional SUV buyers weren”t being met and focused on meeting those needs in an elegant and ingenious way. The result is a spacious crossover that delivers both refined style and first-rate performance.”

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NAIAS public show starts January 13 at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan.

Though the first week of the North American International Auto Show traditionally opens only to the press and the automotive industry, the public will soon be able to purchase tickets to view the show, starting this coming weekend. Public access will be allowed daily through January 21, 2007.

More than 700 cars representing over 60 automotive manufacturers will include 15 new production models. Several debuts are expected, including selections from BMW, Ford, Toyota, Maserati, and Cadillac, to name a few.

The event will be held in the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. Tickets are $12 for adults, and $6 for children 7 – 12. Kids under 6 can get in free with parents present. Ticket information is available at the NAIAS site, where they can also be purchased online.

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System will debut in Ford cars later this year.

Continental Automotive Systems, a leading automotive supplier has announced a partnership with Microsoft to integrate Microsoft’s Auto software system into its Telematic gateway. The Telematic gateway will connect portable consumer electronics such as cell phones or iPods to a vehicle’s audio system.

The system also includes a USB port so a driver will have multiple options and can choose how they prefer to easily carry, play and listen to their personal music collection from inside the car. The product, which also will be voice-operated, will provide consumers with a more convenient way to “control” and use their portable devices while inside the car.

The resulting Continental Telematics gateway will debut in the Ford Sync communications system.

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