Nissan hasn't really marketed it as such (and I commend them for that), but the EX35 could easily be considered part of the "premium four-door crossover coupe" crowd, along with the likes of the BMW X6 and the Acura ZDX. Of course, the attractive first-generation Infiniti FX35/45 could also be lumped into that group, if not for the fact that adults can actually fit in the FX's back seats.inline_mediumwraptextright32218137/reviews/editors_notebook/1002_2010_infiniti_ex35_journey_awd1002_08_z+2010_infiniti_eX35_journey_aWD+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Gallery: 2009 Toyota Prius

Report: Toyota Prius braking issues may predate 2010 model; other problems reported originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Patience. A lot of patience. And when that runs out, rallying for some help from Congress and the White House.

The current brouhaha dates to 1999, when the USDA reached a settlement with black farmers in a discrimination case that alleged that the agency had denied federal loans, disaster assistance and other aid to certain farmers because of the color of their skin. (The agency is still fighting similar class-action suits filed by Latino and Native American farmers.)

The USDA approved about 15,000 claims and paid out about $1 billion, but has refused more than 70,000 claims that were filed after the October 1999 deadline. Farmers said they were given no notice of the deadline.

The two sides have been fighting ever since. And despite a fairly scathing slap by the Government Accountability Office a few years ago, and President Obama more recently pledging to add an additional $1 billion-plus to the settlement fund as part of other Congressional bills, the cash still isn’t getting out to these farmers.

So the farmers are shutting off their tractors and taking their frustrations to the streets. This week, the National Black Farmers Assn. has been staging rallies across the South, trying to bolster support. It might be a tough sell, given the current state of the economy. They’re planning to wrap up their campaign with a national rally on Feb. 15 in front of USDA's main offices in Washington.

-- P.J. Huffstutter

Photo: A farmer walks past an old plow. Credit: Al Schaben / Los Angeles Times

The burliest Mustang loses some weight and gains 10 hp and an optional track-focused package for 2011.

The Blue Oval is leaving no Stang untweaked for 2011, now announcing significant updates to the Shelby GT500 to go along with the already revealed 5.0-liter Mustang GT and base 3.7-liter V-6 cars. The most important alteration to the Shelby is a switch in engine-block material, tossing the old cast-iron block for a version of the all-aluminum lower end that was originally developed for the Ford GT. A larger intercooler and a revised exhaust bump power by 10 hp to 550, while torque stands pat at 510 lb-ft.

Keep Reading: 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Official Photos and Info

Related posts:

1. 2011 Ford Mustang V6 – Official Photos and Info
2. 2010 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport vs. 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Comparison Tests
3. 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Auto Shows

Continue reading Audi Super Bowl ad: what trikes did the Green Police ride? The T3 Series

Audi Super Bowl ad: what trikes did the Green Police ride? The T3 Series originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Bright IDEA

Bright Automotive gets a visit from Obama Administration official originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Holy schnikes! The have-it-all Turbo S returns to the 911 lineup.

After an absence of five years, the Turbo S has returned to the 911 lineup.

The new, 997-flavored twist on the ultimate neunelf will feed some 530 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat six. The regular, and now useless, non-S 911 Turbo makes do with an inadequate 500 hp and 480 lb-ft from the same engine, although it can match the 516 pounding feet of the Turbo S via an overboost function. The creation of the S involved revising the engine software to pump up the maximum boost from 11.6 psi to 14.5, which just so happens to be the figure made during the Turbo’s overboost function. No engine internals were changed. Fuel economy is rated at 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S – Official Photos and Info

Related posts:

1. 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo – Official Photos and Info
2. 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R Race Car – Official Photos and Info
3. 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder – Official Photos and Info

Newer is always better among luxury flagships, and the third-gen A8 may have just moved to the head of the class.

The full-size luxury-car segment is a ship constantly steered by a new captain. Indeed, whenever one of the usual suspects—Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, or Audi—releases a new model, it seems the current favorite then drops to second place. The BMW 7-series recently pulled off this feat, topping the previous gold standard, the Mercedes-Benz S550, in a comparison test. The Porsche Panamera then swooped in to knock off the Bimmer. (Granted, the Panamera is a bit of an outlier, given that its five-door body doesn’t fit the traditions of the segment.) Now, the 2011 Audi A8 looks like a strong contender to be the next to sit in the captain’s chair.

Keep Reading: 2011 Audi A8 – First Drive Review

Related posts:

1. 2010 Audi A8 / 2011 Audi S8 – Car News
2. 2011 Audi A8 – Spied
3. 2011 Audi A8 – Official Photos and Info

EVERETT, Washington — Boeing’s biggest commercial airplane took off for the first time today, one day short of the 41st anniversary of the maiden flight of the first 747.

The 747-8, airframe No. RC501, taxied onto runway 34L at Paine Field, then sped down the runway and into the air at 12:39 p.m. It quickly vanished in low clouds as Boeing employees cheered. The flight window opened at 10 a.m. but fog delayed the takeoff for more than two hours. Mark Feuerstein, Boeing’s chief pilot of 747 programs, and co-pilot Tom Imrich have a four-hour flight planned before returning to Paine Field before dark.

They’re flying a huge plane that is 250 feet long. That’s 18 feet longer than the current 747. The wings are a new design and stretch 224 feet 7 inches tip to tip. That’s 13 feet wider than the original. The plane is smaller than the massive Airbus A380, with a maximum takeoff weight of 975,000 pounds compared to the Airbus’ 1.2 million pounds. But the 747-8 is 10 feet longer than the A380. Its four GEnx 2B67 engines produce 66,500 pounds of thrust and give the plane a maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.85.

Today’s inaugural flight is the first of many that will take place over the next six to eight months as Boeing adds two more 747-8s (photo below) to the flight test program. Boeing will test the planes in central Washington before moving the testing to California. The flight marked the second inaugural flight of a Boeing airplane in as many months, following December’s flight of the 787 Dreamliner. The two planes share the same engines and avionics and are part of Boeing’s push to build more fuel-efficient aircraft.

Boeing has booked 76 orders for the 747-8, which is more than a year behind schedule and was to be delivered last year. The initial version is configured for hauling freight, and the first plane is slated to be delivered to Cargolux Airlines International of Luxembourg by the end of the year. Boeing says the 747-8 will have 16 percent more cargo capacity, 17 percent lower fuel costs and 16 percent lower operating costs than the 747-400.

A passenger version capable of carrying as many as 467 people will follow next year, and Boeing has booked 32 orders. Still, Boeing has conceded the plane is unprofitable, according to The Wall Street Journal, and and it isn’t clear when the plane will turn a profit.

We’re taking a tour of a second 747-8, airframe No. RC521, this afternoon and will have a full report on the plane’s maiden flight Tuesday.

Be sure to check out our Day In Tech about the anniversary of the maiden flight of the first 747.

UPDATE 7:20 a.m.: RC501 returned home and touched down at 4:18 p.m. Pacific time. The nose bounched a bit on touchdown, but Feuerstein and Imrich brought her home safely after 3 hours and 39 minutes in the air.

Photos: Jason Paur/Wired.com

There’s no replacement for displacement, and although Carroll Shelby didn’t coin the phrase, he sure believes in it. He’s been spreading that gospel since back in the day when he was shoehorning Ford V8s into ACs and Sunbeams and literally making Ford’s Mustang live up to its pony car name.

Ol’ Shel is at it again, and his latest iteration of the Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang features an all alloy aluminum V8 that cranks out well in excess of 500 horsepower and promises to make short work of your favorite road.

This baby’s got 550 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque. With those kinds of figures, it’s easy to see just what a monster of a car the GT500 should be at the track or on the strip.

That’s a 10 horsepower boost over the previous model. It comes from an all-new 5.4-liter supercharged aluminum engine that is 102 pounds lighter than the previous cast-iron plant and uses Ford’s patented plasma-coating technology. That cuts friction and shaves another 8.5 pounds from the block because the cylinders don’t need cast  iron liners. Sweet! Not only that, but the new mill offers better fuel economy than the outgoing GT500, returning a claimed 23 mpg highway and 15 city. Yeah, yeah… that’s nothing great. But we’re talking about a hardcore muscle car here, and it is good enough to eliminate the gas guzzler tax. The boost in fuel economy comes from, among other things, lower weight and electric power assist steering.

“Cutting weight to improve performance is a tradition among hot rodders,” Carroll Shelby said in a statement. “It might not be as sexy as adding more horsepower or bigger brakes, but shaving pounds off of a car is the single smartest move you can make.”

It all rides on a chassis that’s 12 percent stiffer than the 2010 model. Those of you with competition aspirations can order the SVT package. It includes stickier rubber, stiffer springs, lighter wheels and a higher rear axle ratio. Ford says its enough to shave 3.0 seconds off the  2010 GT500’s lap time on its 2.3-mile test track.

All of this is in line with what Shelby has been doing with Mustangs since back in the 1960s when he was turning fastbacks into GT350 race cars and getting the larger 1969 and 1979 Mustangs going with the GT500 package. Shoot, you could even rent a GT350 from Hertz Corporation back in the day. How cool was that? Ford and Shelby carry on that tradition into the present day, and the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 is a worthy successor.

“The SVT team continues to push the performance standards of the Shelby to even higher levels and better refinement, All the changes we made reflect a desire for even better handling and outstanding driving dynamics – from weight savings to improved balance,” said Jost Capito, director of global performance vehicles and motorsports business development.

Photos: Ford