Rolls-Royce Ghost Long

Rolls-Royce has announced a new program to sell used models called Rolls-Royce Provenance.
The scheme is meant to bring new customers to the Rolls-Royce brand by introducing a 'pre-owned' service which will offer peace of mind and a level of quality appropriate to the marque's standing.

Rolls-Royce says that each used car it will offer for sale must have adhered to the brand's service requirements and will be inspected by factory-trained technicians before going back to the dealer. The cars will be sold exclusively through Rolls-Royce's network of dealers around the world.
The used Rolls' will also come with a minimum 24 month warranty, all-inclusive servicing and 24-hour roadside assistance.

Audi Q3

Instead, the German automaker has gone ahead and let the cat completely out of the bag ahead of the cute 'ute's official unveiling at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show.As you're likely already aware, the Q3 is Audi's take on how to make a Volkswagen Tiguan into an entry-level luxury model. Naturally, that means entirely new sheetmetal with Audi's well-known gaping grille along with LED lighting all around and a steeply sloping rear hatch. Add it all up and Audi says you get an impressively low drag coefficient of just 0.32.That shapely rear hatch means there are a few concessions inside. There's 16.24 cubic feet of storage capacity with the rear seats in place, and 48.2 with them folded down. The Tiguan, by way of comparison, offers 18.6 and 56.1, respectively, and even that is about 25 percent smaller than a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. Judging by the shape of the hind quarters, large and bulky items may be a bit tough to fit inside as well.

Donating Your Cars To Charity, Have You?

Donating old cars to nonprofits used to be a win-win: charities generated revenue from the re-sale or auction of vehicles, and donors got a nice write-off on their taxes. But automobile donations have slid as much as 90% from where they were just a few years ago, leaving charities to make up big holes in their operating budgets. What happened? The U.S. Congress.

In 2004, Congress passed the American Jobs Creation Act, a sprawling bill that, among other things, offered tax credits for the purchase of "sonar devices suitable for finding fish", cut taxes levied on "fishing tackle boxes", and gave credits for the manufacture and use of biofuels.

Buried in all the bill's legal mumbo-jumbo was also a clause that changed the credits that donors of motor vehicles, boats, and airplanes could take on their tax returns. Previously, they'd been able to claim the fair market value of the donation, but after the law was enacted in 2005, donors could only claim the amount that the car (or boat, or plane) sold for, which was often far below standard value. From a donor's perspective, that made giving to charity a much less attractive proposition.

Chevrolet Camaro Z28 spy shots

The highly anticipated Chevrolet Camaro Z28, which we caught an early glimpse of this summer, has been shipped off to Germany to be put through its paces on the Nürburgring. Much of the early prototypes' heavy front cladding has been stripped away and replaced with General Motors' usual checkerboard camouflage, but we can still see the Z28 upgrades clear as day under all that tape.

As if the massive power bulge in the hood doesn't give it away, the Z28 will be powered by the same supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V8 that's found in the Cadillac CTS-V. In that application, 556 horsepower is pumped to the rear wheels, but there's no telling what sort of power numbers will be on tap in the Z28.
We won't be shocked if the Z28 makes its official debut at the Los Angeles or Detroit auto shows with the first sales starting sometime in 2011.

America calls for 60 mpg CAFE standard by 2025

Now that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency have established fleet fuel economy standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, the government agencies are hard at work on the next phase of increases that will stretch out to 2020 and beyond. The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act mandated 40 mpg by 2020 as a minimum, but the standards could actually be set higher. That's exactly what the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) want.

A report from CFA declares that the technology exists to raise fuel economy standards to 60 mpg by 2025 and estimates that doing so would add about $2,600 to the cost of new cars and $3,200 to light trucks. CFA's analysis indicates that, at the equivalent of $3.50 per gallon in 2025, the payback period for the extra costs would only be five years. While the technology definitely exists to produce 60-mpg vehicles, the real problem is consumer behavior, and most American consumers probably won't buy the kinds of small cars required to meet those standards at current fuel prices – particularly with that much cost tacked on to their MSRPs.

Hitting 60 mpg while maintaining the size and capability Americans currently buy would doubtlessly cost substantially more. In order to get people to buy such vehicles, critics suggest there will need to be significantly higher prices at the pump. The idea of a revenue-neutral petroleum tax (whereby other taxes would be cut to compensate) that establishes a floor price of at least $4 per gallon could be a good place to start on the way to 40 mpg. Getting people into 60-mpg vehicles would probably require an even higher floor – perhaps $5/gal or more.

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Mercedes-Benz R350 4Matic

Mercedes-Benz debuts an updated R-class for the 2011 model year with a new front-end design, slightly altered rear and lightly freshened interior. From the A-pillar forward, the '11 R-class is new, with a more upright grille, fenders, hood and headlights to better relate to the rest of Mercedes-Benz's SUV lineup. Out back, a bumper with rear diffuser and integrated exhaust outlets and rear LED taillamps highlight the changes. The R350 4Matic and the R350 Bluetec 4Matic also ride on fresh wheel designs and sport sleeker rearview side mirrors.

Inside, the mild changes include new two-tone interior color schemes, wood trim, silver air vents, rearview mirror with integrated compass and 3-D gauges. Other major portions of the interior, such as the dashboard and consoles, continue unchanged from the 2010 model. A blind-spot monitoring system joins the options list for 2011.

Also being carried over are both powertrain options: a 3.5-liter 268-hp V6 and a 50-state 3.5-liter turbocharged diesel V6 with 400 lb-ft of torque. Both engines come bolted to a seven-speed automatic transmission and both are only available with Benz's 4Matic all-wheel-drive system in the United States. Suspension tuning is also unchanged from the previous model.

How's it drive?

Ride comfort is the name of the game with the R-class. It's quiet and has a well-sorted suspension to smooth out bumps yet is not overly soft or hampered with large amounts of body roll. In fact, the car exhibited only minimal roll--in large crossover terms--on some twisting roads on our drive route in New Jersey. The brakes were also a strong point, offering impressive muscle to bring things to a halt with fairly solid brake pedal feel. We would like the steering to offer a more direct feel because at times it felt way too disconnected. However, for a long road trip with the family and luggage, the R-class is a perfect tool to take along with roomy enough third-row seating for average-size adults.

We drove the gasoline and diesel versions of the new car and while the gas engine was adequate, we highly recommend springing for the Bluetec diesel to get the healthy amount of torque and better fuel economy. It took a heavy right foot to get the gasoline-equipped R-class up to speed quick for expressway merging exercises, but it is fine to motor away from stoplights when you're not in a hurry. On the other hand, the diesel offered great off-the-line punch, which is always appreciated. The seven-speed transmission offered seamless shifts and quickly goes down the gears when needed.

Do I want it?

If you put high value in the functionality of your vehicle, carry six or seven passengers often and don't mind driving around a vehicle that closely resembles a (gasp!) minivan, then yes. The third row can accommodate most adults, and even though the majority of the interior is unchanged, it is still a nice place to be with high build quality and it's put together with nice materials.

Again, we strongly suggest splurging for the diesel engine option. The turbocharged diesel V6 is potent and offers the thrust and better fuel efficiency that you will appreciate. And with the premium for the diesel being only $1,500 on the current 2010 model over the gasoline engine, we see that as money well spent.

2011 Mercedes-Benz R350 4Matic

Price: $50,375 (est)

On Sale: July

Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6; 268 hp @ 6,000, 258-lb-ft @ 2,400-5,000 rpm, seven-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 4,949 lb

0-60 mph: 8.0 sec (mfr)

Fuel Economy (EPA): 14 city/19 highway mpg