MINI Paceman

It’s no accident that the brand refers to the Paceman, essentially a two-door Countryman, as a sports activity vehicle, the same nomenclature that BMW applies to its X5. That said, if there is a variation that’s likely to endear a few critics to the Paceman, it’s this one. Meet the John Cooper Works Paceman, a vehicle created essentially from the parts bin, but impressive nevertheless. The JCW Paceman is powered by the same turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that resides under the hood of the JCW Countryman, a proven unit co-developed with PSA Peugeot Citroën. This engine turns out 208 hp at 6000 rpm and maximum torque is 207 lb-ft, which is available from 1700 rpm. The power and torque is transmitted through a reinforced Getrag six-speed manual box. An Aisin-sourced six-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters is optional. The standard all-wheel-drive system is fully variable and can send up to 100 percent of its power to the rear wheels.Performance is, in Mini’s words, “gratifyingly vivacious,” with a claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 6.5 seconds. Top speed will be governed at an unremarkable 127 mph (European models can reach 140). Those JCW Pacemans equipped with the manual are EPA-rated for 25 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway, while self-shifting versions get a 23/30 split.Tangible performance upgrades include a lowered sports suspension with a high-performance braking system; a louder, “suitably stirring” (so says Mini) exhaust with chrome outlets; and unique 18-inch aluminum wheels. A 19-inch wheel option also is available. Like any Paceman, the JCW comes with electromechanical power steering.

Alfa Romeo MiTo

Four international awards, two cylinders, and congestion charge beating technology. 

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the latest Alfa MiTo TwinAir model was more tree hugger than corner hugger. Well believe it or not, the all-new Alfa MiTo satisfies both modern driver requirements. Fitted with the revolutionary TwinAir engine - a compact 875cc turbo petrol engine - and MultiAir technology, the Alfa MiTo TwinAir delivers on performance with a punchy 85 bhp and 145 NM of torque whilst being the cleanest and most economical car in its class.

LA Auto Show 2012

As Day One of the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show comes to a close, many exciting vehicles took the stage, from wild concepts like the Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force, Nissan Hi-Cross and BMW's i pair to exciting compact cars such as the Mini Paceman, Ford's refreshed Fiesta and Kia's all-new 2014 Forte. Even a few hot performers made their debuts like the Fiat 500c Abarth, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series and the upgraded GT-R from Nissan.

2014 Fiat 500L at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show

Competes with: Mini Cooper Countryman, Volkswagen Tiguan, Ford Focus hatchback

Looks like: Fiat's take on the Mini Cooper Countryman

Drivetrain: 160-hp, turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions; front-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: Mid-2013

Fiat may not yet own all of Chrysler, but its namesake brand's inexorable march into the U.S. market continues with the 500L, which is far from just a four-door version of the 500 For starters, Fiat says the 500L sits on its new "small-wide" platform, giving it 27.5 inches of extra length compared with the non-turbo 500. It's also about 6 inches longer and wider. That puts its footprint between a Mini Cooper S Countryman (5.3 inches shorter) and a Ford Focus hatchback (4.5 inches longer). The 500L could be cross-shopped against either, or dozens of other compact crossovers or hatchbacks.

Black Friday

Black Friday is the name given to the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, often at 4 am, or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the holiday shopping season, similar to Boxing Day sales in many Commonwealth Nations. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many non-retail employers also observe this day as a holiday along with Thanksgiving, giving their employees the day off, thereby increasing the number of potential shoppers. It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005, although news reports, which at that time were inaccurate, have described it as the busiest shopping day of the year for a much longer period of time.

America's choice 2012

The president rolled to a second term over Romney, winning more than 300 electoral votes. Obama told supporters "the best is yet to come."

 

Following America's big moment of political decision, the election revealed a country that is still split in a divisive duel.

The election laid bare a dual — and dueling — nation, politically speaking, jaggedly split down the middle on the presidency and torn over much else. It seems you can please only half of the people nearly all of the time.
Americans retained the fractious balance of power in re-electing President Barack Obama, a Republican House and a Democratic Senate, altogether serving as guarantors of the gridlock that voters say they despise. Slender percentages separated winner and loser from battleground to battleground, and people in exit polls said yea and nay in roughly equal measure to some of the big issues of the day.
Democracy doesn't care if you win big, only that you win. Tuesday was a day of decision as firmly as if Obama had run away with the race. Democrats are ebullient and, after a campaign notable for its raw smackdowns, words of conciliation are coming from leaders on both sides, starting with the plea from defeated Republican rival Mitt Romney that his crestfallen supporters pray for the president.
But after the most ideologically polarized election in years, Obama's assertion Wednesday morning that America is "more than a collection of red states and blue states" was more of an aspiration than a snapshot of where the country stands.
"It's going to take a while for this thing to heal," said Ron Bella, 59, a Cincinnati lawyer who lives in Alexandria, Ky. He is relieved Obama won, but some of his co-workers are in a "sour mood" about it.
"They feel like the vast majority of the country wanted Romney, and the East and the West coasts wanted Obama," he said. "I'm not sure exactly why that is, but there just seems to be such hatred for Obama out there."
Compromise was a popular notion in the hours after Obama's victory and an unavoidable one, given the reality of divided government. But the familiar contours of partisan Washington were also in evidence, especially the notion that compromise means you do things my way.

SEMA '12

The Show will be held til–November 2.

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world (PLEASE NOTE: THE SEMA SHOW IS NOT OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC). It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, powersports, and RV markets. SEMA Show 2011 drew more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers...
Note: The SEMA Show is not open to the general public.
There are thousands of customized vehicles at the SEMA every year, representing the best and most outrageous of the $30 billion aftermarket. Every year there's nothing more fun than picking the king. To determine which one was the most popular on the show floor, SEMA itself started counting the cars three years ago, giving awards based on sheer numbers. Officials wandered the nearly 2 million square feet of show floor the night before the show opened and started counting. While they won't release the exact figures, they did say which vehicle was most popular in each of four categories. And the winners are:
-- Hottest Sport Compact: Scion FR-S
Again, no hard numbers, but the FR-S won its category by far, we're told. There were not nearly as many Subaru BRZs and no significant challenge was posed by any other car. Last year's hot sport compact was the Fiat 500.

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is the current release of the Windows operating system,produced by MS for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablets etc.   The operating system was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012, and was released for general availablity today on October 26, 2012.
Windows 8 introduces significant changes to the operating system's platform, primarily focused towards improving its experience on mobile devices such as tablets to rival other
mobile operating systems  (such as Android and iOS)^.
Windows 8 also introduces a new shell and user interface based off Microsoft's Metro design language, featuring a new Start screen with a grid of dynamically updating tiles to represent applications, a new application platform with an emphasis on toucscreen input, the new Windows Store to obtain and purchase applications for the system, and the ability to synchronize programs and settings between multiple devices.