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2011 World Auto Production Sets New Records, Global “Fleet” Could Top 1 Billion by Year’s End

The Worldwatch Institute reports that global production of passenger vehicles, i.e. cars and light commercial trucks, set a new record in 2011 with 76.8 million units compared to 74.4 million in 2010.

This means that at the end of 2011 a total of 691 million passenger cars were on roads all over the world, rising to 979 million if we include light- and heavy-duty trucks.

New Infographic Takes a Look at Eight Generations of the Honda Accord

On the occasion of the announcement of pricing for its 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe models earlier today, Honda is taking a ride back to the future with an infographic that puts the spotlight on each generation of the mid-size model since the company began producing the car in the States in 1982.

The infographic includes a handful of interesting data such as the base model's curb weight, wheelbase length, entry-level engine, starting price in USD, and the highlights of each of the eight generations of the U.S.-built Accord, which you can then compare.

For example, we see that the 1982 Accord was fitted with a 75hp 1.8-liter engine and tipped the scales at 2,184 pounds (990 kg) while priced from $8,245.

Texas Approves 85-MPH Speed Limit on State Highway 130, IIHS Disagrees

On Friday, November 16, Formula 1 will return to the US after a five-year hiatus. The venue that will host the penultimate race of the 2012 season will be the newly-constructed Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

It is therefore fitting that from November 11, a few days before the Grand Prix, the Lone Star state will also be the one sporting the highest speed limit in the country as Texas Transportation officials approved an 85 mph (137km/h) limit along a 41-mile distance of State Highway 130 (SH130), which connects state capital Austin to San Antonio.

Rising Gas Prices Push US Buyers Towards Subcompact and Compact Cars

Last year was pretty good for US car sales, and 2012 looks to be even better. In August alone, the total number of new vehicles sold is up by 19 percent over the same month in 2011.

According to a report from Kelley Blue Book (KBB), many buyers chose their vehicle based on one important factor: rising gasoline prices.

Shortage of Auto Engineers in Michigan Means Carmakers Will Pay More to Attract New Recruits

When GM and Chrysler were in trouble back in 2009, unemployment in the state of Michigan was at 14.2 percent, the worst in the United States. Today, following the government bailout and the two groups’ impressive recovery, that number has fallen closer to the 8.3 percent national average at 9.0 percent.

What’s more, there is more demand for automotive engineers than there are people looking for a job in the field.

Buying Partly Worn Used Tires Can be a Devastating Mistake

Depending on your car, tires can be expensive, we know. But sometimes, there are things you have to purchase like a good set of tires, which you should really spend the extra buck on as it could literally save your life.

Take this recent story for example. Keith Johnston, a 41-year-old man from Tyne and Wear, which is a metropolitan county in North East England, is now paralyzed from the chest down due to the unfortunate bout of purchasing what he claimed to be "partly worn tires" for his Renault Scenic minivan.

London Urges Drivers to Turn Off their Idling Engines or Face a Fine

Fuel saving systems like auto start/stop are becoming increasingly common in all kinds of new models, from minis to supercars. The thing is that these technologies have only recently been widely adopted by car companies. Thus, most vehicles out there are still polluting even when they are standing still.

Transport for London, the local government body that oversees Greater London’s transport system, released a study showing that if all drivers in the center of the city turned off their engines for one minute when stationary instead of letting them idle, CO2 emissions would be reduced by 100 million kg (220 million pounds) each year.

NASA Scientist Makes Roadkill Experiment to See How Many Drivers are Animal Killers

Apparently, Mark Rober has a lot of free time in his hands, which is something you wouldn't normally expect from someone who works as a Mechanical Engineer for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the same unit that is responsible for the Mars Curiosity Rover.

What you would expect from a scientist like Rober is to have diverse interests and an inquisitive mindset, which would explain his latest experiment about motorists and roadkills.

"I read a long time ago that people will swerve more to hit turtles over snakes... as a firm believer in the scientific method, I decided to test this hypothesis," says Rober.

UK Car Production Up 14.1 Percent in the First Half of 2012

Britain may have sold all of its mainstream auto brands to foreign companies, but the industry is well and thriving with car manufacturing up 14.1 percent to 756,116 units in the first half of 2012. In June, car output remained stable with a 0.7 percent drop to 119,193 cars, according to data provided by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read more »

Lexus Brand and Porsche 911 Top J.D. Power's 2012 Initial Quality Study, Jaguar Jumps to Second Spot

Before you rush to remind us that we have already posted the results of a 2012 study from J.D. Powers and Associates back in February, allow us a moment to explain.

The previous findings were for the 2012 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study that recorded problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old (2009 model-year in this case) vehicles.

This latest study is called 2012 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS) and it measures vehicle quality in a period of 90 days of ownerships from new. So with that out of the way, let's see what the study found.

Turbocharged Vehicle Sales Expected to Reach 3.2 Million Units in North America this Year

After conquering Europe, turbocharged engines are now picking up steam in North America, mainly thanks to the efforts of Ford Motor Corp. and General Motors that embraced the technology on their mainstream products.

Honeywell, which develops and provides turbochargers for many vehicles including the gasoline-powered Dodge Dart and Fiat 500 Abarth, and the diesel versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and Volkswagen Touareg, estimates that North American sales of turbocharged commercial and passenger vehicles is projected to reach 3.2 million units in 2012, up from 2.2 million in 2011.