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That's what humanitarian organization Empowerment Plan has decided to create in order to help Downtown Detroit homeless people. As part of its support, GM bought 2000 yards of car-insulation scraps and donated them to Empowerment Plan founder Veronika Scott.

This fabric, used to as interior insulating material in the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Verano, is also waterproof; it will be used as insulating material for the production of more than 400 jackets that can be transformed into sleeping-bags, which will be handed out to some of the many homeless in that city, giving them a fighting chance over the cold winter months.

Mrs. Scott employs eight homeless women full-time in order to produce these jackets, at a rate of 150 per month. What's more, because of this donation, GM also helps reduce the volume of waste created at its production facilities. Hats-off to these two organizations for this great initiative!

Photo: General Motors

Photo: General Motors

From WRC

Jari-Matti Latvala is six stages away from winning Wales Rally GB, round 10 of the FIA World Rally Championship, following a controlled, albeit rapid display at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC on day two of the gravel event.

Latvala left the overnight halt in Cardiff this morning leading by 12.1s. In largely dry conditions, the Finn bagged a further three stage bests to stretch his advantage out front to 24.5s. Team-mate Petter Solberg is second after staving off the attentions of Citroen's world champion Sebastien Loeb, who had closed to within 3.9s of the Norwegian after the morning stages but was then unable to respond when Solberg sped up in the afternoon.

Photo: WRC

Despite ending Ford's sequence of stage wins with the fastest time on Saturday's second test, Loeb will start day three trailing Latvala by 30.9s after he admitted to struggling to match the leading Fiestas.

Mads Ostberg made a hugely impressive start to day two by winning the first stage to close up to third-placed Loeb. However, his decision to carry two spare tyres for the afternoon loop adversely affected his car's handling and slowed the Norwegian's ultimate pace. Ostberg is more than half a minute clear of Mikko Hirvonen, who has struggled to make an impact in his works Citroen.

Classification after day 2:
1. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) in 2.16'18”4
2. P. Solberg-Patterson (Ford Fiesta Wrc) + 21”7

3. Loeb-Elena (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 29”0

4. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 45”6
5. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 1'16”8
6. Tanak-Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 1'29”3
7. Novikov-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 1'48"6

8. Neuville-Gilsoul (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 3'22”1

9. Wilson-Martin (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 4'30"6
10. Prokop-Hruza (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 5'21”4
Etc.

D.J. Kennington took his 6th victory of the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season by winning the Wilson Equipment 300 at the Riverside Speedway in Nova Scotia.

Kennington's nearest championship challenger, J.R. Fitzpatrick, who had started from pole, finished second after trading the lead at least six times with Kennington.

But Kennington was way too strong on long green-flag runs and he finally pulled away to win by a margin of more than 3.453 seconds.

DJ Kennington, happy with his win at the Riverside Speedway. (Photo: NASCAR)

Mark Dilley finished third, followed by Scott Steckly and Ron Beauchamp Jr who rounded up the top 5.

Not a great day for Andrew Ranger who finished a distant 12th. Martin Roy finished 8th, winning the rookie title while Isabelle Roy and LP Dumoulin completed the event in 10th and 11th.

Kennington heads into the finale leading Fitzpatrick by 23 and Andrew Ranger by 30.

It was Kennington's 17th career win, which includes a win at Riverside in 2010. He led a race-high 188 laps Saturday to Fitzpatrick's 101.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 concludes the season with the Pinty's 250 presented by Dodge at Kawartha on Saturday, Sept. 22.

Two days before a strike deadline, the head of the Canadian Auto Workers said the union has made more headway in contract talks with Ford Motor Co. than with General Motors and Chrysler Group, but that any deal remains far off.

PSA may sell a majority stake in its Gefco trucking unit to Russian Railways after the state-owned company made the highest offer, a union official said.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said German carmakers are sticking to their opposition to his efforts to form a united front to push the EU to address overcapacity in the region.

When Daimler introduced the diminutive Smart car in 1998, the vision included a smog-reducing electric version to cement the brand's image as an urban transport leader.

When Daimler introduced the diminutive Smart car in 1998, the vision included a smog-reducing electric version to cement the brand's image as an urban transport leader.

Canada's unionized autoworkers, perhaps the best rewarded in the world, may have a choice in the next few days: Give the Detroit 3 automakers concessions in current talks over new contracts or watch some of their jobs head for the United States or...

After being offered a seat at Team Penske, Ryan Hunter-Reay has decided in the end to remain with Michael Andretti and his Andretti Autosport's squad for the coming years.

According to reports, Reay has now signed a multiple-year deal with Andretti, the same team that gave him the chance to rekindle his career a couple of seasons ago.

In order to replace Ryan Briscoe, Team Penske had first approached Simon Pagenaud but due to contractual obligations with his current team Sam Schmidt, the Frenchman had to decline. Penske then spoke with Hunter-Reay.

But it wasn't going to be a clear decision, the 31-year-old veteran being loyal to Andretti for having helped him stay in the sport back in 2010 when Hunter-Reay did not have anywhere to go.

Ryan Hunter-Reay recently won the race at Baltimore. (Photo: IndyCar)

Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti set the best time early in the session to take pole ahead of the IZOD IndyCar season's finale that will be presented Saturday night on the 2-mile oval in Fontana.

Andretti reached an average speed of more than 216.069mph that would end-up being unreachable by all his adversaries.

Ryan Briscoe (Team Penske) was the only other racer to pass the 216 mph mark in qualifying and finished second in front of his teammate and series leader Will Power but who will get a ten-spot grid penalty for an unauthorized engine change.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned for Marco Andretti teammate and championship contender Ryan Hunter-Reay who set the 17th fastest time with a 10-place penalty to be added.

Canadians Alex Tagliani (BHA) and James Hinchcliffe (Andretti) had set respectively the 6th and 12th time but, as in the case for a total of 14 drivers, they will go down the order by 10 places.

IZOD IndyCar Fontana event - Qualifying speeds

Pos Driver Team/Car Speed
1. Marco Andretti Andretti Dallara-Chevy 216.069
2. Ryan Briscoe Penske Dallara-Chevy 216.058
3. Will Power Penske Dallara-Chevy 215.940
4. Josef Newgarden Fisher Dallara-Honda 215.919
5. Scott Dixon Ganassi Dallara-Honda 215.391
6. Alex Tagliani Herta Dallara-Honda 215.226
7. Tony Kanaan KV Dallara-Chevy 214.877
8. JR Hildebrand Panther Dallara-Chevy 214.749
9. Ed Carpenter Carpenter Dallara-Chevy 214.684
10. Helio Castroneves Penske Dallara-Chevy 214.409
11. Graham Rahal Ganassi Dallara-Honda 214.015
12. James Hinchcliffe Andretti Dallara-Chevy 213.726
13. Rubens Barrichello KV Dallara-Chevy 213.527
14. Katherine Legge Dragon Dallara-Chevy 213.308
15. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Dallara-Honda 213.282
16. Takuma Sato Rahal Dallara-Honda 213.222
17. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Dallara-Chevy 212.773
18. Oriol Servia Panther/DRR Dallara-Chevy 212.533
19. Dario Franchitti Ganassi Dallara-Honda 211.999
20. Charlie Kimball Ganassi Dallara-Honda 211.531
21. Sebastian Saavedra AFS/Andretti Dallara-Chevy 210.619
22. EJ Viso KV Dallara-Chevy 210.134
23. Wade Cunningham Foyt Dallara-Honda 209.526
24. James Jakes Coyne Dallara-Honda 208.056
25. Simona de Silvestro HVM Dallara-Lotus
26. Justin Wilson Coyne Dallara-Honda

According to IZOD IndyCar officials, 14 drivers, including both championship contenders Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay will get a ten-spot grid penalty at the upcoming event at Fontana.

Of those 14, 11 have been penalized for having change engine and the three remaining for having use a sixth engine, one more than the total of 5 allowed by the IZOD IndyCar rules.

Photo: IndyCar

Drivers penalized:
No. 3 Helio Castroneves (fitting sixth engine)
No. 12 Will Power (fitting sixth engine)

No. 28 Ryan Hunter-Reay (fitting sixth engine)
No. 9 Scott Dixon (unapproved engine change)

No. 14 Wade Cunningham (unapproved engine change)
No. 15 Takuma Sato (unapproved engine change)
No. 18 Justin Wilson (unapproved engine change)
No. 38 Graham Rahal (unapproved engine change)

No. 67 Josef Newgarden (unapproved engine change)
No. 78 Simona de Silvestro (unapproved engine change)

No. 83 Charlie Kimball (unapproved engine change)

No. 77 Simon Pagenaud (unapproved engine change/fitting sixth engine)

No. 98 Alex Tagliani (unapproved engine change/fitting sixth engine)

No. 27 James Hinchcliffe (unapproved engine change/fitting sixth engine).

From WRC

Jari-Matti Latvala has reached an overnight halt of an FIA World Rally Championship round in the lead for the first time since Portugal in late March following an impressive charge on Wales Rally GB on Friday.

Latvala was slightly hesitant through the opening brace of tests while he found the “feeling” on board his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. But a quartet of stage wins has put him out front by 12.1s heading into Saturday's seven runs.

Jari-Matti Latvala, Ford. (Photo: WRC)

Indeed, it's been a day dominated by the works Ford squad with Petter Solberg moving into an early lead after going quickest on the first two stages. The Norwegian, a four-time winner in Wales, holds second with Citroen's multiple world champion Sebastien Loeb 9.2s further back after conceding that he couldn't live with the pace of the Fords on the slippery gravel stages.

Loeb, who is on course for his ninth world title and can help Citroen secure its eighth world crown in Wales, carried two spare tyres for each loop in the event of his soft compound tyres losing performance in the drying conditions. Latvala and Solberg both relied on one spare.

Mads Ostberg is fourth overnight in his Adapta Fiesta having lost precious seconds in the morning when he slowed in the mistaken belief he'd picked up a puncture on stage two. His decision to use an old set of pace notes on stage three also led to a loss of confidence. Mikko Hirvonen is fifth in the second factory Citroen with Ott Tanak sixth despite reporting a powersteering glitch in his M-Sport Fiesta.

Classification after day 1:
1. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) in 1.25'05”7

2. P. Solberg-Patterson (Ford Fiesta Wrc) + 12”1

3. Loeb-Elena (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 21”3

4. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 32”6
5. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 53”8

6. Tanak-Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 1'19”2

7. Novikov-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 1'32”8
8. Neuville-Gilsoul (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 2'27”9
9. Wilson-Martin (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 3'17"0
10. Prokop-Hruza (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 3'36”8
Etc.

A recent study released by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and three other organizations reveals that the most Canadian infrastructures are in dire straits.

More than half of the total municipal road infrastructures in the country are in need of important work. FCM President Karen Leibovici confirms the findings, stating that '' the study shows that basic municipal infrastructures, like roads and waterworks are at risk. The investments that have been made these past few years have helped, but without a major long-term strategy we are heading for a crisis.''

120 municipalities representing more than 60% of the Canadian population were polled: 25% of Canadian roads are overloaded, supporting much more than the loads that they were designed for, thanks in great part to the rise in vehicle traffic using these roadways. If no action is taken, the cost of repairing and maintaining these roads will explode.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

History/Description: In its last generation, the Dodge Charger was a Canadian-built American sedan that offered up plenty of space, power and feature content.

Sharing the same rear-drive “LX” platform as the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum, Charger offered up three engine options. A 2.7L V6 made 180 or 190 horsepower, though reliability issues meant that shoppers should exclude this engine option from their list from the get-go.

2006 Dodge Charger (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

A 3.5L V6 delivered 250 horsepower. Available was Chrysler's HEMI V8, a 5.7L unit that made 340 to 370 horsepower, depending on the year. Automatic transmissions were fitted to all models, and all-wheel drive was optional.

Look for feature content including Bluetooth, navigation, heated leather seats, a sunroof, automatic climate control, remote access, cruise control, power seats, and plenty more.

What Owners Like: Styling, roominess, a generous trunk, overall value, and overall performance were all highly rated by Charger owners. Particularly, HEMI-powered models were loved for robust acceleration and sound effects. Many owners also raved about the up-level stereo system.

What Owners Dislike: Some owners complained of limited outward visibility, big blind spots, poor fuel consumption (especially with the HEMI) and a “slippery” feel when driving the Charger in the rain. Consider winter tires mandatory for driving on snow and ice. Some also wished for a more refined and upscale interior, an issue which Dodge addressed in an interior makeover for 2008 on.

Common Issues: Start your test drive with a full check of the Chargers on-board electronics, ensuring all motorized or computer-driven features work properly and as expected. Pay close attention to all windows, door locks, the climate control system, and the power seats.

2008 Dodge Charger (Photo: Chrysler)

Continue reading 2006-2010 Dodge Charger Pre-owned

The Toyota TS030 Hybrid LMP1, which already set the pace in the free practice sessions on Thursday, set the pole position ahead of the Sao Paulo Six Hours, next round of the World Endurance Championship.

Audi was back in the lead in the last free practice session on Saturday morning, but Alex Wurz was again fastest during the qualifying, as the Austrian set the best performance of the session. The former F1 driver, who will share the car with Nicolas Lapierre during the race, gives Toyota its first pole position since his return in endurance racing this season.

Photo: Toyota Racing

Luca di Grassi was performant since the first practice session, and the brazilian, who makes his prototype racing debuts, set the second best performance aboard the Audi R18 Ultra that he will share with Tom Kristensen and Alan McNish. The second Audi R18, the Hybrid (last Le Mans 24 Hours winning car) driven by Andre Lotterer, Benoît Treluyer and Marcel Fassler, will start from third position on the grid.

The Rebellion's Lola Toyota of Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost was the quickest petrol powered car, and will start from 4th position on the grid. The best LMP2 car was the Starworks' HPD-ARX 03b-Honda, who set the 8th best performance with Stéphane Sarrazin.

Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke's Aston Martin Vantage was quickest in the GTE Pro class, while the AF Corse-Waltrip's Ferrari F458 driven by Enrique Bernoldi set the best performance in the GTE Am class.

Last yearand#8217;s Amelia Island Guest of Honor will be this yearand#8217;s Amelia Island Honoree.

To say that every car has a story is not only a bit cliché, but also patently untrue. The beige

Want a chance to win a free Chrysler 300 SRT? Of course you do. The

The new, more Evoque-ative Range Rover was officially unveiled a little over a week ago. At the time, Land Rover only deigned to announce pricing for the United Kingdom.