2010 Ford Taurus Awarded Five-Star Crash Test

The 2010 Ford Taurus has been awarded a five-star front and side impact crash test rating from the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Though the Taurus is engineered with to handle crash impacts, the Taurus also includes various crash-avoidance technologies. It features a segment first, radar-based forward collision warning system. This helps drivers avoid accidents by warning them of impending collisions. This system is also used with Adaptive Cruise Control that detects slower traffic ahead and warns the driver. Ford currently holds the most "Top Safety Picks" and five-star crash tested rated vehicle out of any automaker.

-Anthony Alaniz
(Photo: 2010 Ford Taurus)
[Source: Left Lane News]

Video of the Day: Ferrari 458 Italia Official Commercial

Term of the Day

Tachometer - It is an instrument for measuring and indicating the speed at which the engine crankshaft is turning. It is universally calibrated in revolutions per minute.

-Anthony Alaniz

(Photo: Tachometer)

Car Fact of the Day

The Mercury Cougar was introduced in 1967. The Cougar nameplate was first used on the Mustang concepts during the early 1960's. Though the Cougar was Mercury's flagship muscle car that shared the same platform as the Ford Mustang, it was not always based off of the Mustang. It later shared a platform with the Ford Thunderbird, and even later the Ford Contour.

-Anthony Alaniz

2013 Nissan GT-R Hybrid Power Plant

Rumors are swirling again for the 2013 Nissan GT-R Hybrid. Sources that spoke with Inside Line said that the drivetrain will be a version will soon show up in the upcoming Inifiniti M35 Hybrid. There will be an increase in power output and an all-wheel-drive system. Expected output should hover around 600 horsepower, with a 440 horsepower gas engine combined with a 160 horsepower electrical power plant. Expected debut is 2012 as a 2013 model year, with a price around $100,000.

-Anthony Alaniz

(Photo: 2010 Nissan GT-R from egmCarTech)

[Source: egmCarTech)

Video of the Day: Noble M600

Ford and Geely Reach Volvo Agreement

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company Limited has came to agreement with Ford over the sale of Volvo. The agreement won't be final until the first quarter of 2010, with the official sale not occurring until the second quarter. This will give Ford the time to focuses on its core brands. Though Volvo will be owned by Geely, Ford will still work with Volvo as they share technologies and platforms.

-Anthony Alaniz
[Source: Ford]

December Car Sales Improve

Though 2009 was not the greatest year for automakers, with brands disappearing and merging, December will be a high note of the year. According to J.D. Power and Associates, December will see a 15 percent increase in sales. December is expected to end with 1.03 units sold, an improvement from 895,000 one year ago. Retail sales climbed 20 percent, while fleet sales decreased 2.5 percent, averaging out to an overall 15 percent improvement for the month.

-Anthony Alaniz
[Source: Left Lane News]

NASCAR Heading in the Right Direction

Adding a little spice to the new season, NASCAR has added two road courses for the upcoming year. The first road course race is Infenion Raceway in Sonoma, California. It is a Sprint Cup race. The second is a Nationwide Truck Series Race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at Road America. Be prepared to see some new strategies as NASCAR drivers learn how to handle the new courses.

-Anthony Alaniz
[Source: NASCAR]