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Toyota drags down new-vehicle quality average; Ford leads Detroit 3 gains

Dragged down by Toyota Motor Corp., the quality of new cars and trucks sold in the United States slipped slightly this year--the first time since 2007, according to a study released Thursday. But Detroit's automakers--helped by Ford Motor Co. and some of the smoothest new-model launches ever--have matched or surpassed Asian and European rivals in initial vehicle quality for the first time, based on the closely watched J.D.

Nissan showcases crashproof cars and an eco pedal

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 06 August 2008 09:17 Nissan has unveiled a brace of new technologies to make driving in the 21st century cleaner and greener – but they also signal a further erosion of driver independence, ceding more control from man to microchip. How so? Well, the new systems announced today mark a step towards the driverless car: one is part of a project that hopes to eliminate accidents altogether while the other pushes against the accelerator to encourage a lighter right foot.

Ferrari 599 successor teased in Internet video

Ferrari is following the new SRT Viper playbook by leaking out bits and pieces of its 599 successor on various Internet pages. The darkened photo shown comes from Ferrari.com, while the video was released at the company's media site. Not much information has been shared about the car.