Prius - A Decade in North America

This year, the Toyota Prius celebrates a decade of sales in North America. The Prius remains the best selling hybrid in both the U.S. and around the world. Since its Japanese market introduction back in 1997, drivers have purchased more than 1.8 million of the gas-electric vehicles, with approximately half of those ending up in the United States. The first-generation Prius was an awkward looking four-door sedan that was slow and often didn’t meet up with customer’s fuel economy expectations. It wasn’t until the second-generation model arrived in 2004 with a new tear-drop shaped hatchback body style that the Prius really took off. By 2007, sales topped half a million, with the third-generation model arriving two years later offering even more improved efficiency and better dynamic performance. This year, Toyota has begun to set up a test-fleet of plug-in Priuses with lithium ion batteries with full series production of those versions planed for 2012.

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Hyundai Equus

The 385-horsepower Hyundai Equus has arrived.  Hyundai is offering their new model in two different breeds: Equus Signature and Equus Ultimate. The Signature version comes with almost everything: leather and Alcantara interior, heated steering wheel, climate controlled seating with a massaging driver’s seat, Smart Cruise Control, parking assistance, air suspension and a 17-speaker, 608-watt Lexicon stereo are at the beginning of a terrifically long list.

Pay a little more for the Equus Ultimate and you add the around-the-corner-view cameras to the parking assist, power trunk, and in back, reclining, cooled rear seats with their own massage function and leg support – and a rear seat refrigerator. Along with many, many other luxuries. They even offer the manual via an app on an Apple iPad!

MotorWorld Hyundai, Hall Hyundai Western Branch, Hall Hyundai Newport News, Hall Hyundai Elizabeth City, Heritage Hyundai Towson

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Todd Bodine's 1st Annual Onion Slice Open

On July 29^th the first annual Todd Bodine’s Onion Slice Open Golf Tournament benefiting the John Heinz Medical Center will take place. The John Heinz Institute provides comprehensive, state of the art physical rehabilitation services to over 800 children annually. The event will take place at Blue Ridge Trail Golf Course in Mountaintop, PA.

Todd Bodine, a NASCAR race car and race truck driver for more than 25 years, has earned victories in two of the top three national NASCAR divisions and was crowned champion of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Todd and his wife, Janet,  both feel they have been put in a position to work to improve  young lives -the lives of children needing medical care. This is why they have created this golf tournament.

MotorWorld will be sponsoring a couple of holes at this golf tournament.

If you would like to participate you can print out a registration form here.

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A Custom built 2010 Honda Civic was built to Paramore’s specifications to celebrate the kick-off of this year’s Honda Civic Tour!

Custom Paint

The exterior of the car features a “flowing hair” theme. Paramore provided design direction, with Santini USA supplying custom painting, using 1/2 mile of masking tape to create the lines that simulate Hayley’s hair. House of Kolor paint was used to transform the factory metal body into shifting shades of burgundy, orange, gold and yellow. Custom graphics include the airbrushed Paramore logo, surrounded by butterfly wings, that graces the hood. This image streams across the driver’s fender, metamorphosing into smaller butterflies as it progresses toward the back of the vehicle. Lyrics from Paramore’s songs appear on the body panels. The Honda Civic Tour logo, meanwhile, can be found on the rear bumper amid custom bumper stickers, creating a visual effect reminiscent of Paramore singer Hayley Williams’ own car.

Custom Exterior

The exterior also boasts a Honda Factory Performance sport muffler and upgraded aero parts: a lower front spoiler, larger side skirts and a lower rear spoiler. Red LED taillights come courtesy of Anzo USA.

Interior Customization

The customized interior is also reminiscent of Hayley’s car, sporting a collection of buttons on the sun visors. Paramore’s frontwoman added additional color by wrapping the steering wheel, shifter and e-brake handles the same way she wraps her microphone stand onstage. Opening the car’s trunk reveals a complete MOTHERS(R) detailing kit to keep the interior rockin’ – and the “hair” looking shiny and smooth.

For Tour Dates and Ticket  CLICK HERE

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Sarah Jessica Parker and Mercedes-Benz star in Sex and the City 2

Next week, fans will flock to theaters for the long awaited return of their four favorite New Yorkers in the soon-to-be blockbuster “Sex and the City 2″.  Making its big screen debut along side Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) is the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet.  Commenting on the choice to feature Mercedes in “Sex and the City”, Steve Cannon, Vice President of Marketing, Mercedes-Benz USA, notes :  ”The Mercedes-Benz brand has always attracted trendsetters and style-makers and the partnership with New Line Cinema’s ‘Sex and the City,’ which personifies these attributes, is a very natural fit.”

Sex and the City style icons Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda are back and the four friends remain true to their exclusive lifestyle as they escape from the city and find themselves embarking on adventures in the ultra-luxurious Maybach and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. Back home in New York City, Mr. Big. keeps his S-Class, but moves to the new eco-friendly S400 Hybrid, and Carrie and Mr. Big embrace summer chic by heading to Connecticut behind the wheel of their all-new 2011 E-Class Cabriolet, which makes its own retail debut June 2010.

“Based on the success of the first movie and its ability to attract trendsetters and style-makers, Sex and the City 2 is a natural fit for Mercedes-Benz,” says Steve Cannon, Vice President of Marketing, Mercedes-Benz USA. “The movie provides a great stage for us; it showcases our new eco-friendly flagship S-Class, ruggedly sophisticated G-Class and ultra luxury Maybach line in their natural elements. It also perfectly positions the new E-Class Convertible just as it arrives in showrooms.”

“Sex and the City 2″ hits theaters May 27th.

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2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD LTZ

General Motors has recently announced the new hauling capacities for the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickups. The 2011 model trucks can now pull up to 21,700 pounds in fifth-wheel configuration. Also they now can lug around 6,635 pounds worth of payload, making them the new best-in class champions. Traditional tow rating sits at 17,000 pounds. To hit these new towing capabilities GM says that it thoroughly tested the trucks’ systems, including the engine, transmission and brakes at the new gross combined vehicle weight and found that the trucks could handle a much heftier load.

The Silverado HD and the Sierra HD both now come with tougher bed rails. GM specified a new high-strength steel that can handle more compared to last year’s pieces. The trucks are beating the closest competitor, the 2011 Ford F-350, by 1,000 pounds on the conventional towing front and a more modest 100 pounds under fifth-wheel conditions.

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Great Service by a Great Dealership and an outstanding employee, Bret Joseph.

Sincerely,
Thomas Moore

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In 1986 Honda engineers set out to create a humanoid robot that would have similar qualities of a human being.  The new humanoid is the first step in getting that functionality in a robot. ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, is the only humanoid robot that can walk up and down stairs on its own and run at speeds up to four miles per hour.  This robot has advanced abilities that allow human interaction which allows it to understand and carry out more commands.  Tasks include carrying trays, pushing carts, and much more.

Honda hopes that some day it will help elderly or disabled people with day to day tasks like answering the door, getting the mail, remember to take pills or even some day to walk the dog.

This is truly an amazing robot, something out of a sci-fi movie. You have to check this new humanoid out. Watch the video below and check Honda.com for updates on ASIMO.

Also check out the new Personal Mobility Device from Honda. This stuff is fun!

This just reiterates why so many people continue to buy a Honda.

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The mad men at Adweek recently voted for the Commercial of the Decade (Super Bowl commercials not included) and Honda took top honors over memorable ads from the last ten years by companies like Nike, Budweiser and Sony. That’s not a big surprise considering Honda often puts a huge amount of effort into its on-air spots. However, the Japanese automaker didn’t win for the commercial you might have expected: “Cog.” Though Honda’s famous commercial that breaks down a European Accord Tourer into a Rube Goldberg-esque machine was also a finalist, it was beaten by another Honda commercial called “Grrr” that’s narrated by Garrison Keillor of all people. You’ve probably never seen it.

Volkswagen also made the list of finalists, but the particular ad chosen out of all the comical VW ads we’ve seen was unexpected as well. Most surprising car maker with a commercial in the finals: Saturn. Who knew…

You can see all the finalists on Autoblog.com, including swear jar, the creepy-funky Philips clowns, a “rabbit panther thingy with turbines on ice,” and the most sad-but-hilarious IKEA commercial we’ve ever seen. As a bonus we included the Gears of War commercial since we think it deserves a mention, and because it’s almost the weekend and it doesn’t always have to be about cars, does it? Follow the jump for the ad-fest.

Source and Video Gallery: Autoblog

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