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Study finds teens model driving habits after parents

Teen driving habits are heavily influenced by those of their parents, according to a recent study by Toyota and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Good or bad, teens are likely to model their level of distraction and attention to safety after their parents, according to the national study that surveyed teen drivers ages 16 to 18 and parents of teen drivers. In general, parents who engage in distracting behaviors more frequently have teens who engage in distracting behaviors, according to the study.

Ram truck gets new V6, eight-speed transmission

The Ram pickup scheduled to be introduced in April will offer both the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 and an eight-speed transmission, according to a Chrysler Group filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The voluntary annual filing--which appeared Tuesday on the automaker's corporate Web site, chryslergroupllc.com--laid out many new features of the upcoming version of the automaker's top-selling vehicle. The new eight-speed transmission "reduces fuel consumption by up to 12 percent over our current five-speed transmissions," such as the one now in the Ram, the filing said.

To thwart speculators, Lexus will lease, not sell, 500 LFAs

Lexus has a plan to head off speculators when its limited-edition LFA sports car goes on sale in January 2011. The company will offer only two-year leases for the $375,000 two-seater, said Brian Smith, vice president of sales and dealer development for Lexus division. Lexus will hang on to the vehicle's title.