StartMeUp2

Ford's aging Crown Victoria is barely relevant to most consumers, but cabbies and police officers across the country will bemoan its demise once production ceases next fall. The Transit Connect van may satisfy the livery fleets, but to appease law enforcement officers, Ford crafted its new 2012 Police Interceptor.inline_mediumwraptextright27176507/features/news/1003_2012_ford_taurus_police_interceptor2012-ford-police-interceptor-in-action.jpgTrue

One year ago was the nadir. February 2009 was the low point last winter, when auto sales all but ground to a halt. So the fact that February 2010 sales are up versus last year is good, but it's not saying much. What's more encouraging is that the percent gain over one year ago was pretty healthy: 13%. That's much better than January's 6% increase over similarly sickly 2009 totals, and close to December's 15% gain over year-ago figures. But while December sales are always goosed by the year-end deal-a-thon, February's boost seems more organic. Particularly since it was achieved despite an ongoing publicity nightmare for Toyota and, for much of the country, several days of bad winter weather. The only real qualifier for February is that it did reflect increased fleet sales (up from a very low level last winter) - and the fact that the February's annualized sales rate of 10 million vehicles is still far off the 17 million of just a few years ago.inline_mediumwraptextright24626542/features/news/1003_2010_february_auto_sales0908_04_z+2010_ford_fusion_sport_aWD+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

GMC has always been about "Professional Grade" trucks, but the Denali trim level takes it up a notch or two -- it's the package for people who work hard but like to do it in style, too. Now, the folks in the big trucks will get their own pampering as GMC reveals the new 2011 GMC Sierra Denali Heavy Duty.inline_mediumwraptextright28350700/features/news/1003_2011_gmc_sierra_heavy_duty2011-GMC-sierra-denali-heavy-duty-front.jpgTrue

For the past decade the commercial van segment has been idle with the same stale vehicles: Ford E-series, Chevrolet Express, and Mercedes-Benz (formerly Dodge) Sprinter. So the addition of another player to the game with a whole new model is big news.inline_mediumwraptextright28357939/features/news/1003_2011_nissan_nv1003_01_z+2011_nissan_nV+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

A new seventh-generation (C7) Corvette is at least three years away. That means the current C6 Vette will have to soldier on for nine, possibly ten, full model years. To keep the old girl fresh, Chevy will continue coining limited-edition packages and model variations to juggle the storehouse of engines, transaxles, frames, bodystyles, and chassis components developed for the sixth generation.inline_mediumwraptextright28344964/features/news/1003_2011_chevrolet_corvette_z06_carbon_edition1003_01_z+2011_chevrolet_corvette_z06_carbon_edition+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

This August, Alfa Romeo will celebrate its centennial at Pebble Beach, where it is a featured marque at the Concours d'Elegance. Rumor has it that the Italians will cap off the festivities by unveiling the 4C, a compact, lightweight sports car concept. Says one insider from parent company Fiat's headquarters: "The 8C has been a very successful halo car. What we need next is a more affordable follow-up model that spreads the message over a wider customer base."inline_mediumwraptextright28091446/features/news/1004_alfa_romeos_centennial_anniversary1004_02_z+alfa_romeo_4c+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Tom Hoover, one of the original Ramchargers and the father of the second-generation Hemi V-8 engine, enjoyed his share of excitement during his 24 years as a Chrysler engineer, but a couple of incidents stand out. During the early days of electronic engine controls, Hoover had two brushes with runaway acceleration.inline_mediumwraptextright1957 Dodge Royal Lancer27037838/features/news/1003_sudden_acceleration_the_early_years1003_01_z+1957_dodge_royal_lancer+side_view.jpgTrue

It’s been nearly a decade since Dr. Ulrich Bez assumed the helm at Aston Martin, but instead of awarding its CEO a jewel-encrusted tie-tack, the folks at Gaydon crafted a better gift to celebrate his milestone: a special-edition DBS.inline_mediumwraptextright32469699/features/news/1003_2010_aston_martin_dbs_ub2010_special_edition1003_01_z+2010_aston_martin_dBS_uB-2010_special_edition+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

We thought owning a Rolls-Royce Ghost would be a privilege in itself, but if that’s not exclusive to you, renowned tuner Mansory may have just the solution.inline_mediumwraptextright28276762/features/news/1003_mansory_rolls_royce_ghostmansory-rolls-royce-ghost-front-three-quarters-passenger.jpgTrue

While we knew Porsche was planning a hybrid Porsche Cayenne for the Geneva show, news of a hybrid 911 admittedly caught us a little off guard. But the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car, which will join the Cayenne on Porsche's Geneva stand, is a far cry from your conventional hybrid.inline_mediumwraptextright28272889/green/news/1003_2011_porsche_911_gt3_r_hybrid1003_03_z+2011_porsche_911_gt3_r_hybrid+front_three_quarter_view.JPG.jpgTrue