hiptop Nation

Alpha Cars

ziral at developer dot danger dot com

Alpha Cars We've pulled together photos of literally tons of automobiles in an A to Z chain of posts sorted by brand name. The descriptions are extra fun facts. Our day has gone from "let's roll" to "let's post" to give you a winning hiptop Halloween Hunt experience. --Team MAW

A is for Honda Accord

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The Honda Accord was released in 1976, with the aim of creating harmony between people and society. The history of the Accord runs parallel to the history of Honda's car manufacturing, with six full model changes over 26 years. --ziral

B is for Volkswagen Beetle

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In 1973 the production of Beetles passed 16.5 Million and officially became the world's most popular car (yes even more popular than that car in front - the Toyota Corolla). Then in 1992 the Beetle set a new world automobile production record by producing the 21st Million vehicle. --ziral

E is for Cadillac Escalade

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The Escalade is a large SUV, equipped by standard with a GPS and OnStar sytem. It also uses Cadillac's "road sensing" suspension system. However, many fault it for its abysmal gas mileage: 12 mpg city and 16 mpg highway. --ziral

C is for Corvette Stingray

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The 1963 Corvette "Sting Ray" was an instant success. Initial demand for the attractive Sting Ray was so great, the adding an extra shift at the St. Louis plant couldn't even help keep up. Sales soared by 50% to 21,513 up more than 6000 units over the previous year. --ziral

D is for Dodge Durango

ziral at developer dot danger dot com

The 1998 Dodge Durango sought to do for SUVs what the Dakota did for pickups: strike a balance between the heavy-duty loads and cargo space of a big truck, and the parkability and handling of a small truck. It was billed in press statements as a 'Smart-Size' SUV, but Dodge also classified it as a compact SUV so it would have the most powerful engine, largest interior, and highest towing capability and hauling capacity, with seating for up to eight people, making it the only "compact" with that capability. --ziral

F is for Ford Mustang

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A late 60's Mustang is, according to some, the very definition of the phrase "muscle car". The current Mustang offers a good compromise between price, fuel economy, and performance. --ziral

G is for Pontiac Grand Am

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The Pontiac Grand Am has an available 3.4 liter V6 engine--the largest in its class. --ziral

H is for H2 Hummer

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Introduced in 2002, the H2 is designed as a more affordable, smaller version of the original Hummer. --ziral

I is for Chevrolet Impala

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While the Impala itself is not very remarkable, it lead to the design of the Chevrolet Impala SS, one of the first muscle cars of the 60's. --ziral

J is for Jeep CJ 7

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The original Jeep was designed to fill the Army's need during World War II for a standardized vehicle platform. The design specifications included a 30-caliber machine gun mount and four- wheel steering. While the design needs of today's Jeep are quite different from the original (though a machine gun could be useful for rush hour), the exterior design of the Jeep has stayed much the same. --ziral

K is for Kia Rio

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Kia is actually owned by Hyundai Motors, and is mainly marketed as a line of economy cars. --ziral

L is for Mitsubishi Lancer

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New to the US market, the Lancer is a fast car, despite its economy- class external stylings. Its transmission is equipped with "Adaptive Shift Control", a transmission control system that "learns" and adapts to different driving styles and conditions. --ziral

M is for Chevrolet Monte Carlo

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This car was inspired by the most victorious nameplate in NASCAR. --ziral

N is for Dodge Neon

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The Dodge Neon is a surprisingly sporty vehicle for its low price. Its high performance and easy "moddability" have sparked a large online community of Neon enthusiasts. --ziral

O is for Subaru Outback

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Want to travel in style? The wagon version of this vehicle comes in a special L.L. Bean edition which offers a signature leather and mahogany interior. --ziral

P is for PT Cruiser

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The Chrysler PT Cruiser has a virtually hidden feature to display engine fault codes on the dash so you don't need a special diagnostic tool. <m>

Q is for Audi Quattro

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Standard configuration is a six-speed manual transmission with $1,000 more buying a five-speed automatic with Tiptronic. The “Tip” allows some manual control of the gears with a second set of controls on the steering wheel for fingertip shifting. (Now that’s fun!) <m>

R is for Ford Ranger

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The best-selling compact pickup 16 years running. <m>

S is for SsangYong

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SsangYong means "twin dragons" and refers to a legend in which two dragons waited 1000 years to fly to dragon heaven. <m>