Take that lazy drivers! As anyone who lives in the snow belt will tell you, motorists who drive around with snow all over their car are more than an annoyance, they’re a hazard.

Understanding the danger that snow or ice blowing off a car or truck can cause, the state of New Jersey recently passed a law requiring drivers to clean off all exposed surfaces of their vehicle before heading out on the road. Currently only the state of Pennsylvania legally requires snow to be removed from windows, while several other states have fines if the falling snow results in an injury or accident. Connecticut has passed a similar law but it doesn’t take effect until 2013.

In New Jersey, fines for not swiping or scraping range from $25 to $75 and jump to $1,500 for commercial vehicles. News of the law taking effect is posted on the NJ state website, accompanied by a photo of a driver sweeping off his car and the words, “Ice & Snow Remove it Before You Go.”

According to officials, fines will not be given out for snow that has accumulated when a car is out in a storm and commercial trucks will also be able to avoid the fee if they can prove they are on their way to a snow removal station. (How you prove that, we have no idea).

[Source: NYT]

Tesla Motors announced that 3,000 people have submitted their deposits for a Model S sedan. Slated to go into production in 2011, Tesla also announced that crash testing and other necessities will begin next year, with deliveries starting in 2012.

So far, Tesla has sold 1,400 Roadsters, and is helping automakers like Toyota and Mercedes-Benz made electric powertrains and fully assembled vehicles. The Model S is expected to cost roughly half of the Roadster’s sticker price, or about $50,000.

[Source: USA Today]

Proving once again that only the rich can afford to save the environment, BMW‘s Vision EfficientDynamics eco-friendly supercar concept is expected to retail about about $200,000 when it arrives in time for the year 2013.

Speaking to journalists at the BMW 1-Series M Coupe launch BMW’s sales and marketing director, Ian Robinson, announced the figure, and said that the car will undercut the Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell. While the E-Cell is slated to be fully electric, the EfficientDynamics uses a more conventional hybrid powerplant that will enable costs to be kept down relative to the Mercedes.

[Source: InsideLine]

The Mercedes-Benz B-class is easily one of the most boring cars in the current MB line-up, but that can all change very quickly if the German luxury automaker decides to put its latest concept version on sale.

It’s called the B55 and it comes packed with the firms old 5.5-liter V8 motor, which produces 383-hp and 391 ft-lbs of torque. That is considerably more power than what the normal B-class has to offer.

To deal with the extra grunt, out goes the CVT automatic and in comes the new seven-speed automatic. Oh, and they also converted it from a front-wheel drive vehicle to a rear-wheel drive vehicle, using the axle from an old E430 wagon.

The performance numbers reflect the new grunt. 0-62 mph takes just 5.2 seconds and its top speed is limited to 155 mph. To bring this lunacy to a halt, you get brakes taken from the old C32 AMG.

Looking at the specs, you could be forgiven for thinking that this mad creation must be an AMG job, but it’s not. This is the work of some very passionate people within Mercedes-Benz who wanted to give the B-class a proper send off before an all new model arrives.

If you want one, you are out of luck, because sadly this is just a concept, but it’s great to see such enthusiasm exists in what is normally a very serious automaker.

Hit the link below for pics of this wild machine:

[Source: Autocar]

Nissan‘s entry-level car in North America gets a few upgrades for 2011, namely power windows and door locks as standard equipment on all trim levels, base; S and SL.

On S models, the previous Power Plus package, which added these features has been renamed the Plus package and simply adds cruise control and remote keyless entry.

Nissan is keen to maintain the Versa’s appeal as a value-driven small car, as a result, the base sedan with a five-speed manual gearbox has a MSRP of $9,990 which is unchanged from last year, ranking as one of the cheapest new cars on the market in the U.S.; though hatchback models are still more expensive than their sedan counterparts.

See after the jump for a full rundown of U.S. market pricing for the 2011 model.

Continue Reading…

By getting into the holiday spirit and putting up some outdoor lights on your house, you could win a two nights at the Ritz-Carlton and a test drive in a Tesla electric supercar from Sunday Drive.

The challenge, which is called “Candy Cane lanes,” gives you the chance to take a test spin in one of the world’s most awesome cars, the Tesla roadster. The grand prize winner will get a weekend at the Ritz-Carlton resort in Half Moon Bay. It also includes Sunday brunch followed by a cruise along the “Signature Drive” beginning and ending at the hotel.

All you have to do is post up to ten photos of your favorite outdoor Christmas light display on the Sunday Drive Facebook page. Then, click “like” and tell your friends to do the same. The set of photos with the most “likes” will win. If you really want to win, you can earn double points by recording the route and adding photos with the Free Sunday Drive app on iPhone, then logging on to the website and clicking “submit” (this makes the route available for others and will automatically enter you for the contest).

“People take a lot of pride in decorating their homes during the holidays, we wanted to create a challenge to recognize the most brilliant displays,” said Jason Scott, CEO of Sunday Drive. “Mobile and social networking are ideal and fun ways to find the best neighborhood light display in America. Part of the goal for Sunday Drive is to encourage communities and families to spend more time together. Traveling to the best local light displays is a traditional and nostalgic way for people to do that.”

Hit the link below to visit Sunday Drive’s Facebook page

[Source: Sunday Drive]

Read AutoGuide’s Review of the Tesla Roadster by Clicking Here

BYD, the Chinese automaker backed by American investment magnate Warren Buffet, has delayed plans to bring their B6 electric car to America to better engineer the car for American tastes.

The Wall Street Journal, having spoken to a BYD representative, claims that, “the holdup was caused by BYD’s efforts to make the car roomier, especially its rear-seat area that was cramped thanks to a beefy battery pack that needs to be stored under the seat.”

BYD expects the first 50 B6′s, destined for fleets, to arrive sometime in 2011, with private sales beginning in 2012. With the notoriously unreliable schedule of Chinese automakers, don’t be surprised if we see further delays with the introduction of Chinese-made EVs in the United States.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

The death of the Pontiac brand, and subsequently the G8 sports sedan, also marked the end of the rumored Pontiac G8 ST. The ST was said to be a version of the Holden Ute (above), and the spiritual successor to the famed El Camino.

According to several sources familiar with GM’s product plans the automaker may still look to introduce the pickup car in the U.S., under the Chevy brand and using the El Camino name. The vehicle’s future is, however, conditional and based on a larger RWD plan for GM – with continued rumors indicating a Holden RWD sedan will make it here eventually.

If GM moves ahead with plans to bring the Holden Ute to the U.S., look for it in 2014 as a 2015 model year car, or truck, or… whatever.

[Source: Jalopnik]

What do you think? Should Chevy bring back the El Camino? Or are you still having nightmares about the Subaru Baja?

With General Motors recently announcing plans to increase production of the Volt, it now appears poised to bring that revolutionary technology to even more consumers through varied packages.

Recently GM applied for trademarks on the Amp and Strobe – with the Amp rumored to be a production version of the Volt MPV5 concept, itself based on the Orlando.

Now GM looks to move its Voltec technology up-market with plans to build a plug-in hybrid based on the Cadillac SRX crossover. Initially it seemed that GM would have to limit production of Voltec powered cars based on the ability to produce the complex drivetrains and source the available parts, but GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky has now said higher production volume is possible.

Chief Executive Dan Akerson has confirmed GM will offer the Volt powertrain in different body styles and vehicles, as well as under different GM brands.

[Source: Automotive News]

McLaren previewed what a race-ready version of their MP4-12C sports car will look like, when a small batch of GT3 class cars goes on sale in time for the 2012 FIA GT3 Series in Europe.

Apparently the GT3 version was developed alongside the road car, and considering that the race-trim McLaren F1 was able to win LeMans back in 1995, we’re optimistic that the MP4-12C GT3 will be an awesome performer – even if the name is an alphabet soup.

Customers can register their interest at the website below, but be advised that McLaren probably won’t even look at you unless you have some kind of offshore account to pay for this thing.

[Source: McLaren]