2012 Leaf Charger, Kids In Hot Cars, GM Hacked: Today's Car News

Newsletter Stay up to date on car reviews, buying guides, articles and more Yesterday was an important one for General Motors, with the new Spark and Spark EV, the Cadillac CUE system, and new engines announced, but a hacked WiFi network put a different spin on things. Green cars are going gangbusters today, too, with a cheaper Nissan Leaf charger for 2012, a home natural gas pump, and a look at the Green Grand Prix. In safety news, there's some question as to whether new mandates to protect kids from dying in hot cars are actually helping the situation. Check out the full details on all of these and more in the links below.

Preventing kids from dying in hot cars: is it helping or hurting?

GM network hacked to make fun of rivals, GM retaliates.

You can now get a home filling station for natural gas-powered cars.

The Cost2Drive app prices out the relative cost of flying or driving to your destination.

The Green Grand Prix shows it's easy to get good gas mileage.

Saab gets a cash infusion, but could still be on the rocks.

Nissan has reduced the price of the Leaf's charging station--but is it cheap enough?

Why sell electric cars? To sell more gasoline cars, of course!

Cadillac's CUE preview gives us a glimpse of the 2013 XTS sedan's interior.

The first Fisker Karma sold in the U.K. has raised $220,000 for charity.

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Chrysler reveals limited edition Mopar ’11 Charger

Wednesday, Apr 13th, 2011 @ 12:40 p.m.

Following an earlier teaser sketch, Dodge has officially revealed the Mopar ’11 Charger. The Mopar ’11 Charger follows in the footsteps of last year’s Mopar ’10 Challenger.

Based on the R/T version of the all-new Dodge Charger, the Mopar ’11 features a 370 horsepower, 395 lb-ft of torque version of Chrysler’s 5.7L HEMI V8. Paired with Dodge’s “Super Trac Pac”, Mopar says that the Mopar ’11 Charger is capable of accelerating from 0-60 in the low 5-second range.

“After the success of our Mopar ’10 Challenger, we moved on to the iconic Dodge Charger and added even more performance,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “As a new company, we will continue to leverage the heritage of the Mopar brand at every turn.”

But the Mopar ’11 Charger promises to be more than just a straight-line performer, thanks to larger front and rear sway bars and front and rear strut tower braces. To aid in luggage capacity, the rear tower braces are removable.

The exterior of the Mopar ’11 Charger is finished off in “Pitch Black” — the only color available — with Mopar blue stripes. The Mopar ’11 rides on a set of 20-inch five-spoke wheels.

Inside the Mopar ’11 Charger carries over the exterior’s black and blue color scheme, complimented by Katzkin leather seats.

Mopar is planning to produce just 1,000 examples of the Mopar ’11 Charger — 900 for the U.S. and 100 for Canada. Prices will start at $39,750, including destination.

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Charger, Sonata, Cruze Among Insurer-Rated Best-Value Vehicles

If you're wanting to keep costs down with your next vehicle, you'll want to pay attention here: The insurer USAA has compiled a list of best-value vehicles using three main criteria: cost (including purchase price, insurance, and fuel costs); safety (looking only at Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings); and reliability.

USAA says that more reliable vehicles cost less to maintain, which is usually, but not always, the case from our experience.

Luckily, we can agree on a number of vehicles that are stylish, perform well, and are comfortable, in addition to meeting all of those objective points. From their list the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Sonata, Audi A4, Kia Sportage, Audi Q7, Lexus RX 450h are all among our top picks, achieving an Overall Rating of 8.0 or higher in TheCarConnection's vehicle ratings.

For those not familiar, our editors rate vehicles in six different categories—including objective areas like safety and features, as well as more subjective areas including styling and comfort.

USAA has more information on each of its picks at http://www.usaa.com/bestvalue.

Here's their complete list of best-value vehicles:

Large Sedan: Dodge Charger
Midsize Sedan: Hyundai Sonata
Small Sedan: Chevrolet Cruze
Large Luxury Sedan: Hyundai Genesis
Midsize Luxury Sedan: Audi A4
Large SUV: Chevrolet Traverse
Midsize SUV: Toyota FJ Cruiser
Small SUV: Kia Sportage
Large Luxury SUV: Audi Q7
Midsize Luxury SUV: Lexus RX 450h
Large Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid
Small Pickup: Suzuki Equator
Sports: Ford Mustang
Coupe: Scion tC
Wagon: Scion xB
Minivan: Kia Sedona

[USAA]

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1966 Dodge Charger

Owner... Dale Murray, Mount Joy, PA
Engine... 383 4-Barrel
Horsepower...350 HP [Dyno'd]
Torque...370 lb. -ft.
Transmission...4-Speed
Engine by...RaceKrafters, Lancaster, PA

November 23, 2010, 3:29 am

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