Checkered Flag
Checkered Flag's Blog of the latest Automotive News
Audi Officially Confirms Q5 Hybrid Coming in 2011
Article by Autoblog-
Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen doesn't seem to be a big fan of electric vehicles, yet the four-ringed automaker appears to be warming to the green tech. Since de Nysschen's assault on the Chevrolet Volt (and electric vehicles in general), the German luxury automaker has unveiled the sweet-looking eTron concept, and it is now officially confirming that it will venture into the hybrid market.
Audi published a press release today touting the billions of euros it is spending to increase its product portfolio from 34 models to 42 in 2015. One of the…
<text locale='en_US'>Honda Can't Say "Save the Earth"? Really?</text>
J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey Results- Looks Good to Us!
Several Checkered Flag brands have been recognized by J.D. Power for outstanding customer satisfaction. This is especially important to me because, as I've said a hundred times, at Checkered Flag customer satisfaction is our number one goal. At all of our stores we continually look for new ways to better serve our valuable customers in both service and sales.
The folks at J.D. Power released their 2009 customer satisfaction survey this morning and the car company with the most satisfied owners is .. drum roll please..
Detroit Preview: BMW 535i Gran Turismo also gets a six pack
Article by Autoblog-
BMW is rounding out its Detroit Auto Show premier lineup with the North American debut of the 535i Gran Turismo. The 550i GT that's powered by the 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 is already on sale in the U.S., but we won't get our shot at the six cylinder model until the spring of 2010. Like the recently-announced 5 Series sedan, the Gran Turismo is getting a new version of the 3.0-liter inline six cylinder turbo.
The current 535i and 335i both use a version of the six with two turbochargers. The version…
Toyota Sienna Pricing Announced- Starts at Just $24,260
Article by Autoblog-
This is our last Sienna post. We promise. Until we have something else we think is worth sharing. Toyota just released pricing details for the 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan and as expected it will indeed start lower than the 2009 model. Whereas the cheapest version of the current model rang in at $24,600, the newly available four cylinder allows Toyota to offer the significantly upgraded '11 model at a starting price of just $24,260 plus delivery. Hey, $340 is lower.
We recently had a chance to drive the whole range of Siennas and were quite…
Honda Wins Commercial of the Decade
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…
BMW ActiveHybrid 5 Concept Could Debut in Geneva
Article from Autoblog-
Late last month, BMW officially revealed its next generation 5 series sedan in Munich and the opening salvo of powertrains includes the usual array of gas and diesel six- and eight-cylinder engines. However, with the recent launches of the ActiveHybrid X6 and 7, no one expects it to stay that way for long. BMW officials have acknowledged its intent to expand hybrid capability to other models going forward and, as the next redesign, the 5 would be the logical choice.
We're not sure if the new 5 will show up at the Detroit show next month…
Jetta TDI Cup is Here Now at Checkered Flag Volkswagen!
Take a look at this awesome Jetta TDI Cup in person right now, right
here at Checkered Flag
Volkswagen! We're located at 3033 Virginia Beach
Blvd. Come by and see
us!
The SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was launched in 2008 as way to introduce clean diesel technology to the U.S. market and develop the best of motorsport's up-and-coming talent. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) compete on road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDI's. Each driver competing in the series earns a Pro…
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The SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was launched in 2008 as way to introduce clean diesel technology to the U.S. market and develop the best of motorsport's up-and-coming talent. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) compete on road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDI's. Each driver competing in the series earns a Pro…
Audi A8 is the First Car to Feature Google Maps Navigation Connectivity
Article from Car and Driver-
When the next-generation Audi A8 launches in 2010, the car's MMI navigation system will feature the first in-car connection to Google Maps. With the connection, drivers will be able to search for points of interest like "deli" or "movie theater" and get directions to the nearest such locations. You can also choose destinations online via Google Maps or a special Audi website, and then retrieve them from the car's navigation system.
Later in the year, the MMI system will also be able to stream real-time imagery from Google Earth. That means drivers can…