Oh My.... Washington Auto Show Tries to get back on the Radar with Jersey Shore's Snooki and her Doppelgangers

Did you know that there's a motor show currently going on in Washington DC this week? Well, neither did we until we heard about Snooki's special appearance at the show on Monday. We know, we know, shame on us. Nevertheless, there's something fundamentally wrong and to be quite frank, distressing, about a car show that needs the "4'9 tall tanaholic" reality star of MTV’s Jersey Shore and even worse, a competition with her look-alikes, to grab some media attention and draw in the crowds.

Photo Source: Facebook Washautoshow , Link: Washington Auto Show

GM, Daimler and BMW halt production in Egypt Volkswagen delivers more

General Motors, Daimler and BMW, three splus major automaker on the planet, took the decision to stop producing their vehicles in Egypt in order to ensure the safety of their employees given the political situation that s' worsens by the day.

Johan Willems, a spokesman for General Motors, said that leaders in Cairo "assess the situation and decide to continue its operations as soon as conditions permit. "

For their part, Daimler and BMW have taken the decision to repatriate some employees in addition to end their production activities.

Volkswagen has also agreed to deliver its products since the company is not sure they will be delivered safely.

In 2009, nearly 92 400 vehicles for individuals and for the commercial market were built in Egypt by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers

Porsche, Foursquare and Super Bowl: A modern treasure hunt

Porsche plans to take the Super Bowl to be held in Dallas this weekend to invite the public to participate in a game that involves taking pictures of the vehicles located in areas where the celebrations take place around the celebration of American football.

Chevy Camaro 2011 Super Bowl Ad video Transformers Edition Bumblebee

2011 Super Bowl: the commercials for Chevrolet Transformers 3

first spot to be aired during the Super Bowl a few days: this is a promo for the Chevrolet Transformers: Dark of the Moon, with Bumblebee...

The day after tomorrow will be held on Super Bowl in the United States, so these days and prepare to see a preview from commercials to be broadcast during the sports event.

The first video is a commercial for Chevrolet, where we see none other than the Chevrolet Camaro that turns into Bumblebee to promote Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

NHTSA Investigates 490,000 Volkswagen Passat Models Over Engine Compartment Fires

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] has upgraded an ongoing investigation into the Volkswagen Passat with 4-cylinder turbo powerplants over reports of engine fires to include all sedans from the 2001-2007 model years and Wagons from the 2006-2007 model years. Last summer, the government agency had opened a preliminary examination into the 2002-2003 model year Passat amid concerns on fires caused by failing ignition coils. The upgraded investigation now covers some 490,000 VW Passats.

According to a document filed on the safety agency's web site, the Office of Defects Investigation [ODI] has received 14 complaints alleging that a fire started in the engine compartment of the vehicle that may be related to ignition coil failure, and 21 complaints of ignition coil failure that did not result in a fire. Volkswagen said it has received another 199 complaints for problems related to coil failures.

The reports received by the NHTSA state that the "vehicle hesitated or lost power, and the check engine or dashboard lights illuminated", and that "the vehicles were repaired by replacing the faulty ignition coil(s) while some of the complaints indicated that the ignition coils were replaced more than once".

Honda Rumors: 2012 Civic Si to get a 2.4-liter Engine

Earlier this month, Honda unveiled the Civic Si Concept coupe and Civic Concept sedan at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, signaling that the ninth generation 2012 Civic will follow soon, to be precise, this spring. However, the official press bits weren’t exactly what you’d call detailed, leaving lots of aspects, including the engine lineup, to our imagination.

Today, the Honda-obsessed team at the Temple of VTEC forums claim to have solved part of this mystery thanks some inside sources that told them a 2.4-liter gasoline engine, very similar to the Acura TSX’s powerplant, will make its way into the new Civic Si.

The new four-cylinder engine will replace the current K20Z3 197HP 2.0-liter unit and is expected to deliver a little over 200 horsepower and, thanks to its larger displacement, significantly more torque. The other conventional powerplant for the Civic's North American lineup is said to be the current 1.8-liter gasoline unit, possibly revised to return better fuel efficiency.

In other news, there are also rumors about Honda planning an HF trim level just for the sedan with gray or white exterior color. Fans of the manual transmissions can expect to find them on the DX- and LX-trimmed sedans as well as part of the EX trim level for coupe models.

Last but not least, the list of colors for 2012 has also been revealed and it’s available below.

Crystal Black Pearl

Dyno Blue Pearl

Urban Titanium Metallic

Cool Mist Metallic

Polished Metal Metallic

Crimson Pearl

Alabaster Silver Metallic

Taffeta White

The 2012 Honda Civic will go on sale in the U.S. this spring.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Temple of VTEC

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GM, Mercedes, BMW and other Automakers Close Down Factories in Egypt

The continuing crisis in Egypt has prompted several automakers including General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and BMW to shut down their factories in the country, while other companies like Volkswagen, have been forced to completely stop vehicle deliveries as it was uncertain if the cars would reach their destinations, according to a company spokesman.

“We decided to close our assembly plant in Egypt due to the unstable political situation,” Nissan spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa told Bloomberg News on Monday.

GM international operations spokesman, Johan Willems, told Autonews Europe: "All of our employees in Egypt as well as our plant property is safe and secure. Our local team in Cairo is assessing the situation and will decide to commence normal operations once the conditions permit."

As well as bringing production to a stop to ensure the safety of their workers, certain carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes are also evacuating expatriate employees and their families.

At the time being, it remains unclear when automakers will resume production in Egypt.

Source: Autonews Europe [Subscription required]