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Canadian Auto Press

Nobody disputes that Volkswagen comes extremely close to being included in the entry-level luxury class, if it doesn’t qualify already. The segment boasts such brands as Acura, Saab, Volvo, and I suppose Buick now that the domestic brand is finally putting out product that’s worthy of inclusion. While Volkswagen dips down a bit further in price than most of these contenders, its premium-level quality and technology is always present, and in the case of some of its models, top-tier fuel economy.

2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Recently I had the chance to spend a week in VW’s Jetta TDI, and by so doing enjoyed an extremely thrifty seven days of luxury motoring. Thrift and luxury together? Yes, while feasting on the premium plastics, playing with the top-grade switchgear and fully supported in light gray leather enhanced with multi-level seat heaters, not to mention an attractive woven headliner overhead that wraps down each pillar like only premium cars do, I was feeling rather smug at my TDI’s ridiculously stingy 6.7L100km city and 4.6L100km highway fuel consumption rating. It pulled me along by VW’s stout little 2.0-litre turbo-diesel making a moderate 140 horsepower at 4,250 rpm yet a positively spirited 236 lb-ft of torque from a low 1,750 rpm up to 2,500 rpm. All that torque gets fed to the front wheels via Volkswagen’s ultra-advanced six-speed DSG dual-clutch sequential automatic transmission with manual mode.

The TDI comes standard with a six-speed manual, while I should probably also mention that base model Jettas come with a five-speed manual connecting through to a torquey 2.5-litre five-cylinder while a zippy 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder is also available. I prefer the Jetta the way Volkswagen fitted my tester, in drivetrain and trim level.

As mentioned, my example featured leather seats and therefore Highline trim; Trendline is base and Comfortline in between. New for Jetta this year is a Wolfsburg edition, which replaces last year’s GLI model. The Wolfsburg is the sportiest iteration, and while my heart would naturally gravitate towards this model, fuel prices over a dollar per litre has my mind winning the inner battle of passion versus pragmatism. And like I mentioned earlier, with 236 lb-ft of torque on tap, it’s hardly like we’re asked to give up much for such stellar fuel economy.

Over and above the leather upholstery, the Highline comes with a few unique features overtop the Trendline and Comfortline, such as a power sunroof, a multifunction steering wheel, iPod interface and Bluetooth connectivity, plus a digital compass, multifunction trip computer, rear seat centre armrest with pass-through, rear side airbags and also on the safety front, rear seatbelt pretensioners. Consider that these items get added onto Comfortline features, which include a leather-wrapped steering wheel, driver’s seat with power recline (ya, manual control other than the recline… odd for our market), and a premium 6-CD stereo with Sirius satellite radio, plus the base Trendline features that include air conditioning, auto up/down powered windows, powered locks with keyless entry, heated power-remote mirrors with integrated turn signals, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, variable intermittent wipers, cruise control, auxiliary input jack for the audio system, eight-way manually-adjustable seats, and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, it’s a pretty impressive package.

Out on the road the Jetta TDI feels solid and secure, with a quiet interior benefiting by minimal road, wind and engine noise. The ride is good, but should be categorized on the firm Germanic side of the equation, which makes handling better than average for this class, a Volkswagen trademark. Excepting the sportier Wolfsburg, all Jettas get 16-inch wheels riding on 205/55R16 all-season tires, but the Comfortline and Highline get alloy rims. Electronic stability control, traction control, and ABS-enhanced disc brakes all-round with standard brake assist come standard on Highline.

One of the big features that came as part of the Jetta’s fifth generation upgrade was the trunk, increased to a staggering 500 litres (17.6 cu ft)! That puts this smaller than average midsize model in the Lincoln Town Car class for luggage space, and the rear seat accommodations aren’t too shabby either.

You luggage and more importantly occupants will be safe inside, not only thanks to the most side airbags in its class, but also because the current generation Jetta uses extensive high strength steel in its body structure, plus the laser welding of body parts went up from 5% to 35%. This resulted in double-digit increases in both dynamic and torsional rigidity. Volkswagen included other body innovations such as an impact-absorbing front bumper that yields slightly in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, reducing injury, while a new door design made it possible to remove and replace only the outer panel if damaged, rather than the entire door, reducing repair costs.

There’s so much more to the Jetta that’s worth talking about, but when it comes right down to it what matters more to most VW buyers is Teutonic attributes built into ever model. These include simple, straightforward yet stylish design, high-quality workmanship inside and out, performance-oriented road manners and superb fuel economy, and the 2010 Jetta TDI fits the bill in every respect, backed up by a premium-like 4-year or 80,000 km comprehensive and 5-year or 100,000 powertrain warranty, plus 4-year unlimited mileage roadside assistance.

Yes, the Jetta TDI is a premium experience for a pauper’s price, the Trendline starting at $24,475, the Comfortline for $27,175, and the top-line Highline out the door at only $30,875, plus $1,365 for freight and pre-delivery inspection. Is it an entry-level premium vehicle? It certainly feels like one, and made me ask why someone would want to spend more for premium badge.

Via Prison Planet.com » Prison Planet

Chris Brooke
UK Daily Mail
Monday, May 17th, 2010

Residents are being asked to report neighbours for ‘environmental crimes’ such as putting their bins out too early or late.

A council is urging householders to snoop on fellow residents and fill in ‘diary sheets’ to log incidents – the same way it tackles violent anti-social behaviour.

Such ‘crimes’ can be committed by putting bins out at the wrong times or leaving them in the wrong place.

Householders could face a £100 fixed penalty notice or be fined up to £1,000 in court for leaving rubbish next to a bin or blocking a path with a bin.

The clampdown, by Hull City Council, has provoked a furious reaction, with residents insisting they won’t do officials’ ‘dirty work’ for them.

It sent letters to residents of one street after complaints that rubbish had been dumped and wheelie bins left out for days on end.

Full article here

Mourners hold a vigil on April 10 for the miners who died in the Upper Big Branch explosion. (EPA/ZUMApress.com)

Driving out of Charleston, south on Rte. 119, you can’t miss it: An enormous billboard, on the left side of the road, with a message from the Patriot Coal Corporation: “Be Proud of Where You Work.”

Not merely self-promotional, the statement is also a thinly veiled shot at Massey Energy, Appalachia’s most dominant coal producer — and one with a reputation for putting profits above worker safety. The billboard message implies that, unlike its larger rival, Patriot’s approach to safety ensures innocuous conditions in its mines and the well-being of its workers.

Image by: Matt Mahurin

Well, not quite.

Since April 5, when the Massey-owned Upper Big Branch mine exploded, killing 29 workers inside, Patriot’s 11 underground coal mines in Appalachia have racked up roughly 350 safety violations, according to a review of federal records by TWI. The violations include scores of citations indicating problems with ventilation systems and the accumulation of combustible materials — the very conditions thought to have caused the deadly blast at the UBB project. Of those 350 violations, 120 were deemed “significant and substantial,” indicating that they are “reasonably likely to result in a reasonably serious injury or illness.”

Patriot’s Highland 9 Mine, in Union County, Ky., for example, has tallied 83 violations since April 6, of which 19 fall into the S&S category, according to MSHA data. In Monongalia County, W.Va., the company’s Federal No. 2 mine has been hit with 74 safety citations over the same span, including 28 deemed an immediate threat to miner safety. The list goes on.

Patriot, based in St. Louis, did not respond to calls last week requesting comment.

The figures are a cogent reminder that, though the spotlight might currently be on Massey in the wake of the UBB disaster, the corporate attitude of wringing the most profits from Appalachia’s coal mines — even if, at times, it means sacrificing worker safety — is hardly limited to just one company. Indeed, Maria Gunnoe, an environmental activist with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, said Friday that the Massey model — an extremely successful one from a perspective of strict business — is starting to spread through out the industry, at the potential threat to the miners underground.

“Companies see Massey getting away with things,” Gunnoe said, “so they start doing those things themselves.”

Patriot’s track-record hasn’t been overlooked by officials at the Mine Safety and Health Administration, who are cracking down on lax mine-safety practices in the wake of the UBB tragedy. Indeed, of the 57 troubled mines that MSHA identified last month as significant or repeat safety violators, five were Patriot-owned operations in either West Virginia or Kentucky. (Only Massey had more mines on the list, with nine.)

Yet, in at least some cases, the additional scrutiny doesn’t seem to be improving conditions. Indeed, federal officials last week forced the closing of the Harris No. 1 mine, a Patriot-owned project in Boone County, W.Va., over a faulty ventilation system — a vital tool that prevents the accumulation of toxic gasses and combustible coal dust.

Leslie Fitzwater, spokeswoman for the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training, told Reuters that MSHA officials had warned mine operators about low oxygen levels in some parts of the Harris mine. But the company hadn’t fixed the problem when regulators reinspected the project last Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Congress is taking a closer look at the nation’s mine-safety rules as well, with the Senate Appropriations Committee’s subpanel on labor scheduled to hold a hearing on the issue on Thursday. Massey CEO Don Blankenship is scheduled to testify. No one else representing the coal industry, however, was expected to speak.

The WKF 170 is suitable for a member of materials, steel, tool steel, non-ferrous metal and plastics. The Angle Adjustable Chamfering Machine for the preparation of weldseam WKF 170 makes the chamfering possible for round stock cuts, tubes and blanks with table stop collar.
Long work pieces, also for the series production, can be chamfered by the automatic stepless feed.
Bevel 0,1 mm up to 8 mm chamfer height in steel from 3 mm work piece height.
The Chamfering Machine WKF 170 is easy to handle because the guidance is given.

Like all system accessories from Cat Pumps, the new 7375 and 7376 pressure regulators are designed to meet the demands of industrial applications where continuous-duty, dependable performance is a must. These high flow regulators set system pressure, by-pass unused liquid without interrupting system operation and protects pump from exceeding set system pressure.

These regulators feature the same conical piston/seat design used in our popular 5-35 gpm (19-132 lpm) family of pressure regulators. The conical design lowers the minimum required by-pass flow from 10% to 5% which permits optimum system output while providing more consistent pressure control. Compared to traditional poppet style regulators, the conical shape virtually eliminates cavitation effects as the high pressure liquid is expanded across the piston and seat significantly extending service life.

The new pressure regulators can be used with a variety of liquids including fresh water, sea water, clean oils, oilfield wastewater and chemicals.

Typical Applications
• Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO)
• Large central cleaning systems
• Off-road equipment cleaning
• Mass transit cleaning
• Multiple nozzle cleaning/ misting systems
• Oil and liquid transfer systems
• Off-shore wash down systems

Features
• Conical design assures consistent pressure for multiple pump, gun, or nozzle installation
• Flow through inlet/outlet design for easy installation and compact footprint
• Stainless steel construction with FPM elastomers for durability and chemical compatibility

Tsubakimoto Chain Co., a leading manufacturer of power transmission and conveyor components, has redesigned its Plastic Block Chain to provide even greater user-friendliness and safer conveyance. And by expanding its innovative line-up of Tsubaki Plastic Block Chain products to include the new RSP40 chain with top plates, Tsubakimoto can better satisfy customer needs for a variety of applications in food processing, packaging, solar modules, rechargeable batteries, automotive parts, containers and pharmaceuticals.

New Advanced Features!
1) New Chain Link Design Enhances Safety
Redesigned chain links result in less toppling and tipping of goods from snagging during transfer from one conveyor to another. They also reduce the potential for broken chain fragments to become intermixed with conveyed goods.

2) D-Pin Technology Prevents Stress Cracking
The use of D-pins for all connecting pins reduces the risk of damage to connecting areas, such as stress cracking of pin holes, brought on by cleaning solutions or other means.

3) Smaller Back-Flex Radius Helps in Layout Design
The back flex radius on the RSP60 single strand chain has been reduced from 450mm to 180mm, making it easier to design return way layouts.

Other basic features also include minimal damage to products during conveyance, lightweight chain resulting in lower running costs, smooth conveyance, lube free operation, easy maintenance, and quiet operation.

For more information please refer to the TSUBAKI PLASTIC BLOCK CHAIN catalog found in the catalog section here, or your local Tsubakimoto representative.

Tsubaki Pin Oven Chain, featuring precision components and accurate assembly, is a sealed chain that uses special X-Rings to seal in heat resistant lubricant for reduced bending resistance and sustained smooth movement. In addition, outstanding wear resistance minimizes elongation and further reduces vibration.

Further, accurately controlled assembly and precise component alignment ensures even contact between pin and bush. Tsubaki Pin Oven Chain is also pre-stretched, minimizing initial elongation and eliminating the need for post-installation adjustments.

With the use of specially formulated grease between pin and bush, and a specially designed X-Ring, Tsubaki Pin Oven Chain suffers fewer jams and wrecks, which means less downtime and more profits for you. The spring loaded tip, available in nylon or high-temperature material, incorporates a tough spring that softens shock and absorbs impact load.

With over 90 years of know-how, trust Tsubaki to carry your operations to profit!

The fourth and final Darth Vader Project exhibition is being staged this June, where over 100 helmets have been redesigned by some of the biggest names in underground art. More »










starwars – Darth Vader – TomTom – Science Fiction – Toys

Remember a few months ago when a disgruntled ex-employee from a car dealer was able to login to the dealer’s computer system and remotely disable over 100 cars? And, of course, there have been concerns over the ability to use systems like OnStar to remotely disable cars as well, with concerns about what would happen if malicious hackers were able to get their hands on the controls. Now, to add to those concerns, some researchers are reporting that modern day car computing is vulnerable to malicious hacks that could put drivers in danger.

The scientists say that they were able to remotely control braking and other functions, and that the car industry was running the risk of repeating the security mistakes of the PC industry….

The researchers, financed by the National Science Foundation, tested two versions of a late-model car in both laboratory and field settings. They did not identify the maker or the brand of the car, but said they believed they were representative of the computer network control systems that have proliferated in most cars today.

The researchers asked what could happen if a hacker could gain access to the network of a car, said Tadayoshi Kohno, a University of Washington computer scientist. He said the research teams were able to demonstrate their ability to circumvent a wide variety of systems critical to the safety of drivers and passengers.

They also demonstrated what they described as “composite attacks” that showed their ability to insert malicious software and then erase any evidence of tampering after a crash.

The researchers were able to activate dozens of functions and almost all of them while the car was in motion.

Happy driving, everyone…

To be fair, the researchers admit that they did not look at what kinds of “defense” the car might have to block such attacks, but they do point out that those developing car computing systems probably don’t have as much experience or concern in the security realm. For the most part, this sounds like it’s not a problem that anyone’s going to face in the short-term. If anything, I’m guessing we’ll have a lot more moral panic stories about what will happen before any reports of something bad actually happening. However, at some point, it seems likely that these sorts of stories will pass over from the hypothetical into the real world, and at that point, I’ll be looking for a car that runs on open source software.

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Eco Factor: Solar-powered eco-tower with water collection and a cooling system.

Kenneth Loh and Michelle Lim have come up with an ingenious design of an eco-tower that blends a vertical garden, mixed-use development and open space together. The new urban prototype of solar powered skyscraper incorporates many programs to make the building as green as possible. The entire façade of the spiraling hollow structure is covered with a thin membrane of solar cells that produce enough energy to meet with its interior requirements.

(more…)

This is the bind of Beijing, and other major Chinese cities affected by China’s property boom — they need to kill off any potential bubble, but at the same time their economy has grown massively dependent on property.

For the Americans out there, this problem might sound familiar.

Yet to grasp just how dependent cities are on economic activity from property, note how, so far this year, over 50% of fixed investment in Beijing has been property-related:

China Daily:

China’s capital [Beijing] reported 110.37 billion yuan ($16.18 billion) in fixed-assets investment in the first four months, a growth of 32.5 percent on the same period of last year.

The total included in 55.59 billion yuan in real estate development, up 64.4 percent. Of the investment in the property sector, 25.93 billion yuan went to commercial housing projects, up 58.8 percent.

Yet they can’t let things continue forever either. Even the city’s real estate association has admitted to a property bubble and it’s also become dead obvious to others that speculation is driving prices, rather than underlying demand for living spaces.

For example, via Capital Vue, wealthy Chinese accounting for just 10% of the country’s population account for 50% of property transaction volume according to Wang Xiaoguang at the Chinese Academy of Governance. In some cities such as Shenzen, near Hong Kong, Wang Xiaoguang attributes 80-90% of activity to speculation.

Now there are fresh rumors of a property tax hike:

Capital Vue:

The State Administration of Taxation (SAT) is rumored to be enlarging the scope of property taxes, with details expected to be released by May 20, reports 21st Century Business Herald, citing sources close to the SAT.

If this happens and works too well, watch for economic activity in major Chinese cities to nose-dive. If it doesn’t work, prices will keep rising rapidly. No speculator-driven market sky-rockets and then simply stops.

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We’re not sure moviegoers asked for a second helping of The Klumps, but we may be getting one anyway.

It’s been 10 years since Sherman Klump — the shy scientist with a waistline the size of the equator and a heart of pure gold — battled the bulge on the big screen, but funnyman star Eddie Murphy says it’s never too late for a new Nutty Professor movie.

Eddie says he’s already written a rough draft for a third installment of The Nutty Professor — which would join a franchise that spawned Klumps-themed box office blockbusters in 1996 and 2000. The original Nutty Professor — a remake of the 1963 Jerry Lewis classic of the same name — and its sequel The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps were both a hit with viewers, each earning over $120 million upon theatrical release.

“You know what, there might be another Nutty Professor. We kind of wrote something that might be kind of funny. If the studios want to do it, we’ll do it. If you don’t see it, the studio was like, ‘This isn’t funny,’” Murphy told Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson on Sunday.

Good news! i was one of the 12 lucky students choosen for the Berman Autostyle Design Contest.

Berman is a company that organizes a design contest for students all over the world, but they only select 12, so the single fact of been choosen is something to be happy about.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler, who was awareded the IPHE Award at the opening day of the WHEC 2010 in Essen,  indicated that the time for hydrogen market introduction have never been better; in the long run only hydrogen is best placed to substitute oil;  battery technology is not able to resolve range issues. The Mercedes FC B-Class will be able to cover 600 km in the near future, mass production of 100.000 fuel cel cars is foreseen for 2015.  The cost of 1 kg for 100 km range is still € 8, but with the German  H2 Mobility Initiative will from 2013 install 1000 public hydrogen refuelling stations in Germany  (today 30 stations, of which 7 public, are operational). The new Mercedes F 800 with a “sandwich” platform that can be used for battery, fuel cel and hydoride models is showing that electric powertrains are entering luxury sedan models.

Miley Cyrus is will on her way to replacing Lindsay Lohan as Hollywood’s proverbial unemployable, chain smokin’ trainwreck, if the predictions of Tinseltown bigwigs are to be believed.

Hollywood bosses are concerned the one-time Hannah Montana sweetheart is destroying future career prospects with a string of controversies. The most recent — a video of Cyrus giving So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Adam Shankman.

Earlier this month, Cyrus, 17, sent tongues wagging around the watercooler with her “Can’t Be Tamed” music video. Critics have suggested the vid — which features Miley scantily-clad and dancing suggestively in a cage — is too sexy for the teen star’s young fans.

“Everyone in Hollywood is worried that Miley is on the path to becoming the next Lindsay Lohan. It’s the oldest story in showbiz – when a child star grows up and loses his or her entire fan base,” whispers one unidentified Hollywood casting agent.

Like a bed that pops out of the wall, Focus Fireplace‘s wall-mounted barbecue swings down when the time is right—when your stomach is growling for action. More »










Barbecue – Shopping – Home and Garden – Outdoor cooking – United States

Last night we noted an interesting paragraph in an Ambrose Evans-Pritchard piece on the Telegraph, which cited an article in the major German newspaper Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung, which described a future euro currency of strong nations that didn’t even include france.

Thanks to a Greek reader, we’ve found the article here and thanks to Google translate we can read it.

The article is written as a history of Europe post Greek bailout written from the year 2013.

It’s a fantasy, but none of it sounds implausible, including this description of what’s going to happen next to Greece:

In 2010 all these promises were just waste paper. With the 110-billion-euro package over three years for Greece only have time for the indebted state was purchased. 2009, the Hellenic state deficit had amounted to 13.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), the debt ratio had increased to 115 percent. With a brutal budget rate, which had been the International Monetary Fund (IMF) designed with, the government promised to reduce the deficit in large increments of up to 4 percentage points a year. The plans were unrealistic, as was soon evident.  Even the IMF had estimated the chances of success in internal analysis to be low. The Hellenic economy went completely to its knees after the government expenditure had been reduced sharply and choking off the VAT increase and rising unemployment, consumer spending.

Greece falls from recession into depression

In 2010, GDP shrank by more than 5 percent (the government had predicted 4.5 percent decrease), in the following year by another 5 percent (instead of the predicted decline to “only” 2.5 percent).”The Greeks are coming from a recession into a depression,” some economists had said earlier. They warned: “The medicine can be worse than the disease.” Thus the Greek patient was killed.As early as 2010 50.000 small and medium-sized companies were insolvent. And the bloated civil service jobs quarried masses, the unemployment rate doubled to 20 percent.

In 2011, Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantino resigns.

By this point, the ECB goes into full-on inflation mode to save the banks that are left with worthless Greek paper.

By 2012, IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has wone the Presidency of France.

Ultimately, Europe splits in two:

Germany, Austria, the Benelux countries and Finland decided to form a domestic union. In support of its monetary policy Avantgarde, Berlin has relied on the concept of “two-speed Europe”: a centralized unit for money too different economies have caused too much tension.

The two-speed Europe went better.  The new arrangement allowed more flexibility. The Hartwährungsunion on depreciated, from soft-evaluated. This made it easier to adapt to different levels of competition, imbalances in the current account balances declined.  In no case was the end of the Euro, the end of Europe.  Integration. On the contrary: increasing cross-border trade, free movement of capital and people led to another, from the bottom of growing integration. That’s how it could.

Hartwährungsunion = Hard currency union. Learn that word.

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See Also:

• Germans Fantasize About New Rich-Nation Currency Bloc That Doesn’t Even Include France
• Why Germany Is Particularly Vulnerable To A Sharp Reversal Right Now
• Germany Was Out-Voted And Forced To Bail Out Europe

Glee star Matthew Morrison calls rumors that he is dating co-star Lea Michele “laughable.”

Last week, Morrison’s former bride-to-be — All My Children actress Chrishell Stause — allegedly told Star Magazine that she dumped the 31-year-old actor after growing suspicious that he was cheating on her. Stause’s rumored quotes set The Gossip Wire ablaze with whispers that Morrison may have been secretly hooking up with Michele, 23.

Morrison — who plays teacher Will Schuester on the TV musical — denies any romantic relationship with Lea, a Broadway alum currently involved in a steamy romance with a young theater star.

“It’s so laughable. There’s one about Lea and myself, and we were literally on set and I got a call from my publicist, and [Lea] got a call a minute later. And we looked at each other like, ‘What the f — ?’” Morrison told Parade Magazine. “And now there’s this one about my ex-fiancee going to the tabloids, which so isn’t true. I have a great relationship with her,” he explained. “I feel like I can handle this stuff because I don’t really care. I’ve never gotten into tabloids and I don’t really care about it now, but I just feel bad for other people in my life who are getting dragged into it. It just kinda sucks.”

With eyes set on benefitting from the rise in demand for more environment-friendly cars, Toshiba Corp. revealed that it is developing lithium-ion batteries with multiple carmakers.

Toshiba has received orders from Honda Motor to provide batteries for electric motorcycles. Toshiba also disclosed that it will supply batteries for electric cars to an unidentified automaker. This is not the first time that electronics companies are teaming up with automakers to supply battery systems for electric cars and hybrid vehicles. Toshiba said that the output of rechargeable batteries is expected to jump five-fold in the next five years. Recently, Sanyo Electric, the world’s largest maker of these battery systems, agreed to being included in Suzuki Motor’s list of automakers to which it supplies batteries. It’s interesting to note that Panasonic Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. are making lithium-ion batteries through a joint venture.

[via autonews – sub. required]

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