The Chrysler 300 has been given the title as one of the most awarded vehicles in the history of the automotive industry. It has been given many accolades for the various features that it comes with. It has been given recognition for its performance and for its design. And the Chrysler 300 has also gained the title as being one of the very few vehicles in the automotive arena that could be known as a canvass.

According to owners of the Chrysler 300, they are very much happy with the vehicle for the Chrysler 300 can be customized and personalized easily. And many owners have gone ahead and put on the kind of styles and designs that they would like their vehicle to have. If you have been looking for a vehicle which would really reflect who you are and what you want, the Chrysler 300 would be the right kind of canvass to put your ideas into something tangible.

Chrysler, of course, is very much aware of this. And so they have created a contest - Spin It Your Way. Owners of a Chrysler 300 unit have been given the opportunity to upgrade their vehicles and customize it the way they want the vehicle to look. After they have done so, they could create a short video to showcase just what the vehicle is all about and just what changes have been done to the vehicle and it could be anything from the paint to the features to everything else in between. Those who were interested in joining the contest would have to upload their videos to the Chrysler 300’s channel over at YouTube. Indeed, the whole collection of customized Chrysler 300s did show off the kind of identity that each Chrysler 300 had.

To choose who would be declared the winner, those visiting the Chrysler 300 channel would be able to vote which among the whole lot was the best. It was Lisa Marie Varon who hailed from Kentucky who got the most number of votes. Her prize for winning the Spin It Your Way contest was a trip to Los Angeles and she could take yet another person with her on this trip. Upon arriving in Los Angeles this November 2008, she would be able to see her customized Chrysler 300 set on display at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. Her Chrysler 300 comes with rims measuring 24 inches, a new air suspension, a 7-inch visor, Lambeau doors, as well as lighting kits for the interior and the exterior.

 

The TaxPayers' Alliance calculated that 88 percent of automobiles would be hit with higher tax, while only nine percent would leave car owners better off.

In an interview with the UK Press, the alliance said the Treasury would get more than £1 billion from the changes designed to encourage the production of more environmentally friendly cars. Treasury officials estimate that the council tax take will rise 5.1 percent to £24.9 billion in the 12 months from April. Last year, receipts soared 6.7 percent to £23.7 billion.

The Tories said the figures showed that Government promises to cap council tax rises at five percent were hollow. Since 1997, the tax has almost doubled under Labour. The Local Government Association, meanwhile, maintained that the estimate did not mean that average bills would increase by 5.1 percent. The association said the average rise will be about four percent.

"The higher estimates for the amount to be raised could be for many reasons. There could be more people paying council tax because of an increase in the number of households. And there could be few people claiming a single person discount. But it does not automatically mean 5.1 percent average rises," a senior association official told the Telegraph.

Matthew Elliott, the chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said another big rise "would tip many household budgets over the edge".

At the Fruitland Township, instead of bothering about road tax, spending plan for bumpy roads was approved. The plan will take effect on the first of April. The township board of trustees, in a split vote Monday night, adopted a budget that maintains most of the spending reforms set in place in the 2007-08 budget and earmarked funds for reconstruction of a stretch of Orshal Road, reported MLive.

The overall budget features additional, separate funds, including a larger public roads fund. The highlights in the budget include the setting aside of $150,000 for road repair on Orshal Road. Last year, the special roads committee ranked the road as top priority.

Recently though, BMW Sauber's second driver Polish Robert Kubica said that they have finally solved the problems on the handling of their new car.  "We have sorted out some of the problems and made very promising progress," reported Kubica.

"We introduced some new mechanical parts and also worked on the aerodynamics, which clearly improved the car. In Poland we say that 'it's not important how you start, it's important how you finish', so I really am convinced we are doing a good job," continued the Polish driver who was involved last year in a high speed crash at the Canadian Grand Prix. 

The driver did not comment as to how they would be able to perform against the other teams this season. "At this stage... we are not looking at the other teams too much," said Kubica.  Instead, the third-year driver said that he is just expecting everyone to start the season with a bang. "It's quite normal that everybody only shows their full potential at the start of the season in Australia," Kubica concluded.

Kubica's teammate, German Nick Heidfeld, agrees with the Polish driver.  "We can steer the car much more accurately now," said Heidfeld. 

"We don't know the car well enough yet," said Heidfeld.  "There is still so much to do before the season starts in Melbourne, so it is impossible to make any predictions." 

Meanwhile, BMW Sauber test driver Christian Klien has this to say about his expectation for the team:  "The team was the third strongest in 2007 and finished 2nd in the World Championship for Constructors last season and 5th and 6th in the Drivers series, so I think the BMW Sauber F1 Team has already shown its ability to compete at the front. The next step is going to be a difficult one – we want to win the first race in 2008. The competition between the top four teams will be as tough as ever this year, and I expect BMW to be the focal point of what promises to be another exciting year for all of the F1 fans around the world." 

Ford F-150, the most popular variant of the F-Series, has been the best-selling truck in America for 23 years. Worldwide, the F-150 is the best-selling truck for three decades now. But along its popularity and prestige is a sad fact. The truck is also the most-stolen vehicle in Texas, a trucker state.

The Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority has released its list of the most-stolen vehicles in the state over 2007. The top three vehicles were Ford F-Series, Chevy and Dodge. They are followed by Honda Accord and Civic, Chevy Tahoe SUV and the GMC pickup. To complete the top ten were Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry and Ford Mustang.

The ABTPA, a division of the Texas Department of Transportation works with local, state and national law enforcement agencies to reduce auto theft, and its annual report is a compilation of monthly vehicle theft reports filed with the Texas Department of Public Safety by all of the state’s law enforcement agencies, according to The Gazette-Enterprise.

Bobby Bailey, Guadalupe County sheriff’s investigator, is detailed to the Combined Sheriff’s Auto Theft Task Force, a unit composed of deputies who patrol 17 south central Texas counties. On the average, Bailey estimated that four or five motor vehicles, not including RVs, ATVs or utility trailers, are stolen on average each month in unincorporated areas of his territory. However, the figure can be as dismal as one or two or as vigorous as up to 15 during any given month.

Bailey said that trucks have long been a major target of auto thieves. A few years ago, the popular notion was that vehicles were often stolen here and taken to Mexico to be parted out, Bailey noted. In Texas, the pickup is a famed transportation, he added. What’s more, there is a booming used parts business connected with all vehicles.

The best thing to do to avoid becoming a crime statistic, Bailey said, is to practice basic security techniques because a large percentage of auto thieves are criminals of opportunity, and if roadblocks are thrown into their paths, they will often look for a softer target.

General Motors Corp. will be gradually wiping the gas-guzzling image off its pickups. As such, at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, the automaker will be unveiling two hybrid pickups – GMC Sierra and Denali XT.

Automakers are mandated to produce more environmentally friendly vehicles. And pickups are no exception. Matter of fact, by 2012 the auto industry is expected to produce vehicles which have an average of 35mpg.

The Detroit automaker said the new GMC Sierra hybrid gets a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy without compromising performance, while its GMC Denali XT concept, a low-slung, muscular utility vehicle, gets 50 percent better fuel economy than a comparable small pickup, according to the Associated Press.

General Motors said the Sierra can drive up to 30 mph on just electricity, which is stored during braking and cruising in a 300-volt battery. When the gasoline engine is used, the hybrid system of the 2009 Sierra helps the 6-liter, V-8 engine run longer in its more economical four-cylinder mode. The company added the new Sierra can tow up to 6,100 pounds. The non-hybrid version of the pickup, meanwhile, can tow up to 10,500 pounds.

The Detroit automaker radically redesigned Denali XT concept uses a unibody frame rather than a truck frame for better ride and improved mileage. It's the first vehicle from the automaker that mated the ethanol-capable engine to the two-mode hybrid system.

The 2009 Sierra and the Denali XT concept will use dual-mode hybrid gas-electric technology, alternating between straight electric power and electric-assisted V8 engine.