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Description

New cars and light trucks are safer and more capable than ever, with technological features that even a generation ago would have seemed unimaginable. Infotainment centers and wi-fi hot spots, adaptive cruise control, lane-change warnings and collision-avoidance systems are just a few of the new technologies that are becoming increasingly commonplace.
But when does a good thing become just too much?

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Description

In the automotive press, sexy sells. New-car headlines are dominated by swoopy supercars, American muscle machines and the latest Beluga-class hyper luxury tall wagons. Be that as it may, the switch to electricity is on and it some cases, it’s happening rather suddenly.
Crude oil might be cheap right now, but it won’t stay that way forever and automakers know it. Work continues at a dizzying pace on all manner of fuel-efficient (forced by government, of course) and eco-friendly vehicles.

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Description

Every November, the Specialty Equipment Market Association descends on Las Vegas for the annual SEMA Show, an industry event that brings together more than 2,400 exhibiting businesses of all things automotive related, more than 60,000 buyers and some 3,000 media members. SEMA, Nov. 3-6 this year, is where people in the automotive aftermarket industry go to find out what the newest and hottest parts, pieces and trends are in the business. SEMA is not open to the public, but it is a huge event nevertheless. And it’s a place where automakers and aftermarket suppliers alike bring out their wildest creations.

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Description

According to a report AutoWeek magazine, Chrysler will pull the plug on the Viper when it shutters its fabled Connor Avenue Assembly plant in Detroit, Mich., in two years. That’s where each Viper – and there aren’t many of them – is hand-built. AutoWeek cited a copy of a pending labor agreement between the UAW and Fiat-Chrysler as stating the plant will be closed and the Viper discontinued. Officially, so far, Dodge has neither confirmed nor denied that the end is near for its two-seat sports car.

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Description

Most technology just sort of runs in the background without you knowing it. And then there’s the in-your-face stuff . . . like this.
Technology continues to evolve at a dizzying pace in the automotive world. This week, The Octane Lounge takes a closer look at some of the newest and most interesting products and projects out there.

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Description

Electric-car company Tesla has taken the wraps off its latest production vehicle and it is truly something to behold.
The Tesla Model X wagon, which will go on sale in the next six to 12 months, seats seven people and when equipped with the proper set of options is capable of Ludicrous Speed. No really, that’s what Tesla calls its high-performance mode.

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Description

It’s a global mess that involves millions of cars, their owners, Volkswagen’s financial health and reputation, and probably an entire industry that is trusted to somewhat self-regulate yet has a history of using creative ways to flout the law.
This is the tip of the iceberg.

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Description

It’s good to be Rick Hendrick right about now.
He’s the founder of the Hendrick Automotive Group, which is the largest privately held automobile dealership in America and the sixth-largest overall. There are 95 dealerships in 13 states, representing 29 different automotive nameplates. In 2014, the company’s sales topped $7.5 billion, which is an impressive number that will go up this year. The Hendrick Automotive Group employs more than 10,000 people now.

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Description

Chevrolet’s new Camaro convertible not only looks different than previous models, it acts differently. How? It’s all grown up.
The Detroit automaker took the wraps off of the new sixth-generation Camaro convertible recently and it’s a thing of beauty, both figuratively and literally. From an aesthetic standpoint, the sixth-gen Camaro is a much cleaner and more athletic design to begin with, and in convertible form, it’s downright sexy.

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Description

The fact that Keith Richards is even alive, let alone about to release his first solo album in 23 years after having just completed a Rolling Stones tour that wrapped up in Canada on July 15 is something of shocker. After all, Richards, now 71, was the poster boy for the drug-fueled excesses of the 1960s and ’70s, a virtual human chemistry experiment with his trademark dangling cigarette.