| MINI says "Nevermind the VW Beetle, Here's the Beatles!" with new Harrison art car
May 14, 2009 at 6:30 pm
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|   George Harrison's Mini Coopers - Click above for a high-res gallery Yesterday, we told you about a one-off Ferrari 430 being auctioned off for Abruzzo earthquake relief, and today we have another special European car that is set to hit the block for a good cause. BMW has just unveiled a special George Harrison Mini Cooper that will be up for bidding, with the proceeds set to go to Harrison's own Material World Charitable Foundation, an organization dedicated "the exploration of alternate and diverse forms of artistic expression, life views and philosophies as well as a way to support established charities and people with special needs." |
| Fool and money parted thanks to convertible and wind
May 14, 2009 at 6:27 pm
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|  Audi A3 Cabriolet – Click above for high-res image gallery The old adage goes, "A fool and his money are soon parted." Never has that more been the case than yesterday in Germany when a 23-year-old man test drove an Audi A3 Cabriolet he was about to buy. Described as "not an experienced convertible driver," the man put an open envelope full of €23,000 in cash (that's about $31,400 USD) on the back seat before he lowered the top and set out on a final test drive. |
| First hydrogen highway opened in Norway
May 14, 2009 at 6:25 pm
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|   Mazda Hydrogen RX-8 - Click above for a high-res image gallery Now that Mazda has shipped the first Hydrogen RX8 REs to Norway, our thoughts naturally turn towards the driving experience. Since the biggest question surrounding hydrogen-powered vehicles right now is where to find an appropriate hydrogen pump, it strikes us as a good idea that Norway has opened up its first hydrogen highway. |
| MotoCzysz focuses on electric power, straps E1 to the dyno
May 14, 2009 at 5:50 pm
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|  Electric motorcycle rendering from Motoczysz - Click above for an image gallery The MotoCzysz saga is one that's taken enough unexpected twists and turns to send most people back to their day jobs. Apparently, that doesn't apply to Michael Czysz. In a new entry on the MotoCzysz blog, Czysz recounts how little interest there is all around the world in making a better internal combustion engine, one of the things his team had previously been focusing on. Instead, Czysz says, "all of the interest, money and deals are happening in alternative fuels and electric." He goes on to write about the company's new electric motorcycle project: |
| Spy Shots: 2012 Volkswagen Passat
May 14, 2009 at 5:27 pm
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|   2012 Volkswagen Passat There's a new 2012 Volkswagen Passat in the works, and early spy shots of prototypes hint that it'll be longer and wider than today's car. The giveaways, according to our colleagues at Motor Authority, are the wheel arches on their spy-shot car, as well as a wider B-pillar on the test mule. The four-door undergoing early testing will have a wagon companion, as it does today. |
| Five Worst Parking Jobs Caught On Video
May 14, 2009 at 5:15 pm
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|   The channel formerly-known-as-CourtTV's running more "reality" content — like these videos of the world's five worst parking jobs. Grab some popcorn, because this five videos are fun to watch. Who needs a Smart Fortwo for easy metropolitan parking when you've got the highly tuned parking genius that this numb nut driver portrays. |
| Australian website gets first spin in GTA Spano
May 14, 2009 at 5:14 pm
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|  GTA Spano – Click above for a high-res image gallery We're spoiled, us supercar fans. With so many awesome road-munching beasts on the market, we've grown jaded. Which may go some ways towards explaining the general reaction to the GTA Spano. Here's an accomplished racing team unveiling an 840-horsepower, mid-engined V10 supercar and all anyone could say was "ho-hum, another cookie-cutter supercar from a new upstart." |
| Foam car to enter Auto X-Prize competition
May 14, 2009 at 4:48 pm
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|  According to Lon Ballard, designer of the Spira, a three-wheeled floating car made from foam (yes, foam), "The Spira team hopes foam will revolutionize autos and motorcycles like the Crocs and flip-flops have revolutionized shoes and sandals." Whether or not that's a good thing may depend not only on your personal opinion of the polarizing footwear, but also on how well the vehicle is able to live up to its maker's lofty claims. |
| Audi reveals plans for RS5 coupe/cabrio, A5 Sportback, new A8, A1 and hybrids
May 14, 2009 at 4:31 pm
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|  Audi Sportback Concept - Click above for a high-res image gallery During yesterday's Audi AG investors meeting, Rupert Stadler, the automaker's chairman, confirmed what's been assumed for some time: the RS5 will be available in both coupe and cabrio forms, the A5 Sportback is due out later this year and the redesigned A8 will debut in late 2009. And there's more... after the jump. |
| Honda Plans New Small Car for India
May 14, 2009 at 4:30 pm
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|  Tata Motors received over 200,000 initial bookings for its Nano subcompact car during its two-week sales period last month. Now the Economic Times reports that Honda is planning to get into the ultra-small car market with a new car built specifically for India. According to the report, the new car would slot beneath the Jazz (or Fit in the United States) in price and size, and launch within three years. It would be the first model from Honda to be developed with India as the lead market. An R&D team of about 25 engineers, led by Honda executives from Japan, will reportedly visit India next month, and the vehicle will compete against market leaders like the Maruti-Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Getz. |
| VIDEO: Tokyo Mater - Pixar's Cars stars head to Japan for some drifting fury
May 14, 2009 at 3:48 pm
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|  Click above to watch video after the jump Disney's Pixar are currently working on Cars 2, set to debut in the summer of 2011, but to hold us over until then, they have created a series of animated shorts called "Mater's Tall Tales" that air on the Toon Disney network. Each video features the lovable tow truck Mater, voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, recalling amazing stories from his past - his time on a rescue squad, when he was a famous daredevil, and his stint as a matador in Spain. |
| Alternative Romeo: Alfa Berlina Da Corsa design study
May 14, 2009 at 3:44 pm
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|  Alfa Romeo Berlina Da Corsa design study – Click above for a high-res image gallery We've never made any attempt to hide our love of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, an exotic GT widely regarded as one of the most beautiful shapes the industry has put on the road in decades. But at the same time, we can't help but feel a little remiss that the Italian automaker has decided to replicate the 8C's design elements over the rest of its line at the expense of other design themes. Like the sharp lines of the 159 and Brera, set to be replaced on the upcoming Giulia with 8C-derived styling. Or this design study, recalling classic Alfa Romeos of yore, but with a modern twist. |
| Better Place Video Of EV Battery-Pack Quick Swap: Nope, STILL Not Convinced
May 14, 2009 at 3:31 pm
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|  Better Place battery-swap demonstration
Yesterday, we laid out in some detail why we're not sold on the idea that the Better Place electric-vehicle startup or Renault, its first vehicle partner, will be able to design a car that lets a battery pack be swapped out in mere minutes. |
| Spy Shots: Could this be the face of BMW's Project i?
May 14, 2009 at 3:31 pm
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|  Take a good look at the spy shot above. The car you see is obviously a MINI of some sort, though nobody seems quite sure what to make of it. There's certainly a possibility that it's nothing more than a clay mock-up of a possible design direction that didn't make it into production, but it could also be some sort of early prototype for a future vehicle. |
| Ten Worst Car Commercials Of All Time
May 14, 2009 at 3:30 pm
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|  Curious why automakers are struggling? Look no further than these ten terrible car commercials. Celine Dion, suicidal robots, and contagious catchphrases combine to make us want to never buy another new car again. Not even musical superstar Celine Dion, seen here in full-on 1980s dance mode, could make the Dodge Colt appealing to a mass audience. In fact, Celine Dion may have made things worse by convincing people they'd scare people away and randomly set fire to parking meters if they purchased one. "Run for your lives! Celine Dion is driving another Chrysler product!" |
| Greenlings: How can I live without a car?
May 14, 2009 at 12:13 pm
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|  Overall, the trend for the upcoming years will be more and more cars, maybe up to 3.5 billion around the world (there are about 800 million on the roads today). Cars like the ultra-cheap Tata Nano are opening the door for more and more people to own their own car, and a lot of people are eager to get their hands on one. |
| Blind Man Wins Chance To Drive 2010 Mustang
May 14, 2009 at 12:00 pm
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|  Roger Keeney, who is blind, won seat time in a 2010 Ford Mustang. It's either especially noble of Ford to arrange this drive or they're completely desperate for new customers. [Online Athens via Mustang Blog] |
| Flying the Not-So-Friendly Skies: Chrysler asks court to cancel corporate jet leases
May 14, 2009 at 11:56 am
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|  Late last year, Rick Wagoner, Bob Nardelli and Alan Mulally each climbed aboard their own company-provided private jets in lieu of commercial flight – or, alternatively, one of their company's own vehicles – to go before Congress and ask for a bailout. In the public eye, at least, that move was – to put it mildly – a mistake. |
| Auction prices show signs of life:
May 14, 2009 at 11:46 am
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|   In a subtle indicator that some parts of the vehicle market are slowly beginning to recover, auction prices rose in April for trucks and minivans over 2008, though cars remain behind last year?s pace. According to an index compiled by online auction company Openlane, trucks were up eight percentage points over 2008 in April, though they dipped from March. SUVs gained two percentage points over 2008 and were up three points over March. |
| REPORT: Fisker planning third Karma variant, low-cost hybrid
May 14, 2009 at 11:15 am
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|  Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker feels like the automotive world is at the beginning of a renaissance, and he believes now is the first time in 40 years that start-up automakers can compete and even thrive against the established OEMs. Fisker has already began to rage against the machine with the Karma. It looks great, promises terrific performance, and it plugs into a standard socket. The tree-hugging, tarmac-punishing Karma won't even be on the road until 2010, but that isn't stopping Fisker from dreaming big. |
| PSA: Diesel fuel now cheaper than regular-grade gasoline
May 14, 2009 at 11:13 am
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|  As of Monday, May 11th, the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. was $2.216, while the average price for a gallon of regular-grade gasoline was $2.240. That's a big deal, as diesel fuel has historically cost a least a bit more than premium gasoline here in the United States. Obviously, that trend is slowly changing. Towards the end of March, there were many areas of the country where diesel fuel was less expensive than gasoline, and today, that trend has taken hold on a national level.
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| European Shell Eco Marathon Europe 2009: more than 8000 mpg!
May 14, 2009 at 11:00 am
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|  2009 Shell Eco Marathon winners - Click above for an image gallery The 25th edition of the Shell Eco Marathon took place last week at the German circuit of Lausitz, and quite a number of records were broken. A French team from the Lycée Saint Joseph la Joliverie in Nantes has improved upon its own record with its MicroJoule prototype, which managed to run 3771 kilometers on a single liter of gasoline. That's well over 8000 miles per gallon! |
| Chrysler seeks to eliminate 789 dealers, 42 in Michigan
May 14, 2009 at 10:56 am
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|   Chrysler has asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez to reject dealer agreements for 789 dealers, including 42 dealerships in Michigan, spanning from Marquette to metro Detroit. Locally, Chrysler is asking the judge for permission to close more than a dozen dealers including Birmingham Chrysler-Jeep in Troy, Meadowbrook Dodge in Rochester Hills, Mt. Clemens Dodge in Clinton Township and Tamaroff Dodge in Southfield. |
| Some Ford shareholders seek exec pay limits
May 14, 2009 at 10:40 am
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| 
WILMINGTON, DEL. -- Ford Motor Co. received both praise for operating without asking for direct federal loans and criticism for three years of annual losses from shareholders at its annual meeting today in Wilmington, Del. |
| Chrysler aims to close 789 dealerships
May 14, 2009 at 10:40 am
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|  NEW YORK - Chrysler LLC has told a bankruptcy court it plans to eliminate 789 of its dealers — or about 25 percent of them — across the country as part of its restructuring process. The automaker has about 3,200 dealers but says that's too many. It wants to have stronger, more profitable dealers with better facilities. |
| BMW Opens the Bidding at $24 Billion?
May 14, 2009 at 10:24 am
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|  2009 BMW Z4 sDrive30i Everything has its price--cars, politicians. And while a small pile of cash could make you the owner of car brands like Rover ($15, sold by BMW to Ford) or Chrysler (we think Fiat took them out for a steak dinner), BMW has a much higher sense of its own self-worth. So if you're considering a hot pursuit of the BMW/Rolls/MINI empire, you'll need some bank--$24 billion, for starters. |
| Group says Chrysler resale value slips 6% in week following bankruptcy filing
May 14, 2009 at 10:16 am
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|  Tipping after Chrysler LLC filed for bankruptcy, the automaker's Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep branded vehicles are facing rapidly dwindling resale values according to a research group. In a report by the Automotive Leasing Guide, secondary values are down an average of 6% across the board for most three-year-old Chrysler vehicles. |
| eBay Find of the Day: $45,000 hot rod couch
May 14, 2009 at 10:13 am
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|  eBay hot rod art couch- Click above for an image gallery Loving all that is automotive is slightly different than living all that is automotive. One of the distinguishing factors is how automotively-influenced your furniture is. If you bought your sofa because it reminds you of your M3's upholstery, you're in the love group. If, however, you can actually drive your furniture, you, my friend, are living it. |
| 2011 Audi A8 On Track
May 14, 2009 at 10:06 am
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|  2011 Audi A8 The 2011 Audi A8 is on track to emerge sometimes next year. The current A8 and long-wheelbase A8L get high marks from our test drivers here at TheCarConnection.com, but today's top Audi has been around since 2003 while a new BMW 7-Series and a new Mercedes-Benz S-Class have been introduced. A minor refresh aside, the A8 is overdue for a complete reworking, and it will get it--by the end of next year, making it a 2011 model in Europe, and possibly a 2012 model in the U.S. |
| Biking to Work, Without the Sweat
May 14, 2009 at 10:00 am
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|  May is National Bike Month (among many other things), and there are loads of events in New York City to promote and encourage the use of bicycles, from races and classes to Bike to Work Day, which is scheduled for Friday. So it's as good a time as any to consider cycling as a commuting option. Biking to work has dramatically increased here in recent years, and Janette Sadik-Khan, who has been the commissioner of the Department of Transportation for two years, has led an effort to make the streets safer and more navigable for bicycles. |
| Why GM Still Needs More Time to Bring the Volt to Market
May 14, 2009 at 6:57 am
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|   I asked Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah why it will another year to bring the Volt to market. "Most of it truly is the aesthetic side of it," he said. "The mule cars aren't pretty. We know that people want a vehicle that is distinctive." He admitted GM has "been working the basic powertrain and battery stuff for more than a year or two," but added that the aesthetic features "only comes together in the final stages before you go." |
| MARK PHELAN: Sleek and sporty, the restyled 2010 Mustang is a head-turner
May 14, 2009 at 3:31 am
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| Sgt. Joe Irwin needed a better look at the 2010 Ford Mustang GT convertible. Needed it enough to delay getting home with his beautiful wife, Holly, and their 2-year-old daughter Alivia on his last night home before rejoining his unit, the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division, in Iraq. "I told Holly, I gotta see that Mustang," Joe said as I pulled into a service station behind him. "Oh, man, I'm so glad you stopped." |
| GM fears U.S. control could hurt in long run
May 14, 2009 at 2:36 am
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|  While the federal government has at least temporarily rescued GM with billions in loans, the automaker warns that U.S. involvement could have a negative effect in the longer term. As a majority owner in General Motors Corp., the U.S. government could make it difficult to compete with other automakers and could influence business strategy in a way that harms the stock price, the automaker said in a recent regulatory filing. |
| GM nears brink, pays parts firms before 6/1
May 14, 2009 at 1:50 am
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| General Motors Corp. appears to be preparing parts suppliers for its bankruptcy, illustrating just how close the Detroit company is to the brink. The struggling automaker has moved up payments to many suppliers in North America that were scheduled for June 2 to May 28 -- just days prior to a June 1 deadline for GM to restructure its debt or else face bankruptcy. |
| GM concedes U.S. can have influential role
May 14, 2009 at 1:28 am
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| In an about-face from two weeks ago, General Motors Corp. is no longer downplaying the government's possible role in the company's future direction. "To the extent the U.S. Treasury elects to exercise influence or control over us, its interests" as a government entity "may differ from those of our other stockholders," GM said in recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. |
| Vintage Volkswagens on display in Plymouth Township
May 13, 2009 at 11:36 pm
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|  Classic Volkswagen Beetles, convertibles, microbuses and even military vehicles will be among hundreds of vehicles at the 22nd annual Michigan Vintage VW Festival Sunday in Plymouth Township. The festival begins at 9 a.m. at Karmann USA Inc., 14967 Pilot Drive, Plymouth Township, and lasts all day. This year's event will feature VW and Karmann-Ghia convertibles produced in Germany by Karmann from the '50s to'70s. |
| Trucking fleets are cutting back
May 13, 2009 at 11:26 pm
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| NEW YORK -- Looking for signs of economic recovery? Try counting the number of trucks on the road. Trucks carry almost all the manufactured and retail goods in the country -- from refrigerators to lumber, detergents to toys. Many economists gauge how fast assembly lines are running, and how much consumers are buying, by the volume of goods hauled by trucks. But the most recent earnings reports show trucks are not carrying enough yet to indicate recovery is near. |
| UAW OKs Chrysler-Fiat labor peace
May 13, 2009 at 11:24 pm
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| The UAW, prodded by the U.S. Treasury Department, has agreed not to strike Chrysler-Fiat at least through the fall of 2015, according to a document filed this week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. In legal terms, the union agreed to submit to "binding arbitration" any unresolved issue in bargaining a new contract in 2011. |
| TOM WALSH: Ford's shrewd, fast moves set it apart from GM
May 13, 2009 at 10:57 pm
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| As Ford Motor Co. holds its annual shareholders meeting today, management is crowing about its move to raise $1.6 billion by issuing 345 million shares of new stock at $4.75 a share. Rival General Motors Corp., meanwhile, saw its stock price tumble to a paltry $1 a share early Wednesday, fueling buzz that GM soon might be removed from the list of 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. GM stock rose later to close at $1.21 a share. |
| Less alphabet soup in Mercedes-Benz names
May 13, 2009 at 10:54 pm
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| Mercedes-Benz's array of vehicle names becomes less confusing for 2010, when a new two-door called the E-class coupe replaces the CLK coupe. For years, Mercedes' naming system was among the auto industry's clearest and most intuitive. A letter designated size class -- C for compact, E for midsize, S for large -- while the numbers revealed the engine's displacement. The SL roadster was the sole exception. |
| Readers respond to Mark Phelan's review of the Audi TTS
May 13, 2009 at 10:53 pm
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| My review of the Audi TTS drew varied responses: "Enough of the foreign cars!" "Come on Mark, does anyone considering a $50,000 mini-car really care that it squeezes 3-4 more m.p.g. than other, larger sporty cars? The new Mustang and Camaro are more comfortable, more powerful, offer more utility, are much safer, as much fun to drive and get 25 m.p.g. hwy." |
| VIDEO: Behind-the-scenes look at Harmony, Toyota's first commercial for the 2010 Prius
May 13, 2009 at 8:19 pm
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|  Click above to watch the video after the break Earlier today, we got a brief description of Toyota's upcoming advertising campaign for the 2010 Prius hybrid, which is intended to promote "harmony between man, nature and machine." To turn this concept into reality, Toyota's first commercial from the campaign required a total of 200 extras, which, after a total of nine 12-hour days, were dressed up in a slew of different costumes and digitally made to look like over a million separate people. |
| REPORT: 2011 Nissan Murano Convertible still in the cards?
May 13, 2009 at 8:18 pm
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|  Last August, InsideLine reported Nissan was working on a convertible variant of the Murano crossover and today, it's released a follow-up, claiming the soft-top SUV will make it to market sometime before next summer and will loose a set of doors (ala PT Cruiser convertible) in the process. This is either the most inane move by Nissan in recent memory or one of the lamest hoaxes ever to spring forth from the interwebs. |
| What's This Engine Bay?
May 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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|  Test out your automotive intellectual fortitude by figuring out what car this is before you click through. Sure, you'll say you got it right in the comments, but you'll know the truth. If you guessed the 2010 Hennessey HPE550 Camaro — good for you. Now take a gander at the official specs below. |
| Mazda officially delivers first Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE in Norway
May 13, 2009 at 7:47 pm
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|  Mazda RX-8 turnover ceremony - Click above for a high-res image gallery Late last month, Mazda delivered the first of 30 European-spec RX-8 Hydrogen RE cars. At a ceremony in the Norwegian capital of Oslo this week, the vehicles were accepted by Norwegian crown prince Haakon at the opening of one of two new hydrogen fueling stations in Oslo. These stations are part of a new hydrogen fueling infrastructure that Norway is building out along the route between Oslo on the eastern coast and Stavanger on the western North Sea coast. | | | 
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