Automopedia is taking a closer look at the safety of Puppy Car Seats. With all the reports of car recalls and unsafe safety features we think it’s important to make sure every pup is protected on the road.

Well, ok we didn’t even know there were such things as “puppy safety seats” on the market – but thanks to our hook up at parenting site MotherProof.com they discovered the perfect car carries for the “pampered pooch everywhere.” The device comes from Christina Selter, the Pet Safety Lady from BarkBuckleUp.com. Advocates for animal safety behind the wheel stress that having your dog comfortable yet contained is very important for stress-free travel. It’s great having you pooch roam around the back window, but not very smart for those unforeseen incidences where you come to a quick stop – we don’t want any pup-concussions happening!

A Puppy car seat can also keep “a dog contained in the car cuts down on driver distraction and limits the potential for the dog to become a projectile in the event of an accident. It also keeps emergency responders safe if there’s been a car crash and the dog is agitated.”

We can be pretty certain these dog seats are made from non-flammable materials, and that no open recalls exist for the devices. So, if you have anything smaller then a beagle and need to commute with doggy in tow – we highly recommend a Puppy Safety Seat for your vehicle.

The Source: Motherproof

Probably best known for his friendship with Corey Feldman and starring in vampire classic The Lost Boys we remember Haim in another 80’s masterpiece License to Drive – about cars, girls, and a very buxom/underage Heather Graham. Good night, sweet addict.

Tron Legacy – The 2010 Official Trailer – We hate that it won’t be out until December 17th 2010, and that anticipation will only be exacerbated by trailers such as this official Disney release. But recent Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges is back, along with his son to race cyber cycles and bring new life to the classic 80’s feature with this sequel / reboot – Tron: Legacy. Geek Alert!!!

It’s called Dolmette – a motorcycle built with a 24 gas powered chainsaw engines. Only in…Germany? Dolmar, for those who do not know, is a brand of chainsaw. These wacky Chermans took 24 of them and went hog wild on two wheels. Man, I love youtube.

AutoMD.com mystery shoppers visited over 600 shops in the top-50 most populated cities in America, which included “mom & pop” repair facilities, dealership service centers and franchises (ie: Pep Boys, NTB, etc.) – According to the report: To measure pricing integrity, the mystery shoppers called back two weeks later with an industry standard price estimate. The best and worst list was then calculated based on each city‘s rankings for three critical factors, weighted equally:

1. Repair Affordability: The average cost-per-job for that city based on prices quoted by repair shops
2. Price Disparity Range: The percentage variance between the lowest price quoted and the highest price quoted in each market
3. Shop Integrity Factor: The percentage of shops that shifted their original quoted price by more than 5% when presented with an industry standard price estimate

In AutoMD’s report, Memphis ranked as the best city for fairness and consistency of prices quoted. Chicago, the windy city and home to Molly’s Cupcakes, ranked as the worst. Here’s the 5 Top & Bottom cities:

Thanks to Dan & AutoMD for the heads up on this great research!

Gilles Lessard, organizer of the show, is very proud to announce “nearly three million dollars of pure-blooded machines!” will be part of Lambo’s piece.

This attraction, located amongst other foreign and domestic car makes at Centre de foires de Québec in Quebec City until March 7, is made up of four Lamborghini’s on loan from collectors: a Super Trofeo GTR, the only one of its kind in North America ($410,000), an LP 650-4 Roadster unique in Canada ($559,000), an LP 670-4 SV ($614,000) and an LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni ($349,860), the only one of their kind in Quebec.

Quebec Auto Show show’s organizers are ready to present a “beefed-up version” for this year. Many of the vehicles will make their first appearance in this part of the Nation: including the 2011 Ford Focus and Mustang, Fiat 500, the new Hyundai Sonata, Infiniti M, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet and Kia’s Forte Hybrid.

Every year, the government authorities responsible for running and developing the Centre de foires de Québec promise to expand the grounds. The project currently on the table plans for nothing less than doubling the square footage.

But take it from an auto writer who once lived in Montreal, Quebec: workers love a strike, and their officials love to take their time with any and all projects. So expect this expo center to be finally reinvented sometime in 2019. Gotta love the separatist mentality. But until then be sure to check out one of the biggest car events to hit this part of Canada in 2010!

By the way, for those not in “the know” – this is poutine:

The Source: Auto123

BMW Concept ActiveE: 1-Series Goes Electric

BMW’s ActiveHybrid series is one of the most ambitious luxury alternative fuel concepts ever imagined. The German auto maker claims its vehicle has a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 and a 40-kW electric motor. How much power that combination creates is a mystery thus far- although we know the 7 Series ActiveHybrid needs to be gas-electric, while the 5 Series can run on electric-only power. Now that’s impressive.

Mercedes CLS – F800 Style Edition

One of the more spectacular options that goes along with owning a Mercedes F800 is its lithium-ion battery pack can be recharged from household currents or local charging station. Convenient! Mercedes says its F-Cell technology also could be adapted to the F800, bundling a 136-hp, rear-drive electric motor that generates 214 pound-feet of torque with a fuel cell stack. Range is said to be nearly 375 miles. The concept’s hybrid powertrain provides 0-60 acceleration in 4.7 seconds and a top speed limited to 155 mph, says Mercedes.

Tesla Roadster – Death Becomes It

One of the most infamous electric sports cars out there is Tesla’s Roadster. It’s been killed off several times already, and when the all-electric sports car seems like it’ll hit more dealerships outside of California, three Tesla execs die in a small plane crash. Conspiracy theory much? And just this week, Tesla Motors announced they will cease production of the Roadster in 2011. They already have a planned replacement, Model S, for 2013 – but the company needs to start paying off a $465 million loan with the Department of Energy. And you thought college loans were bad. We still have high hopes for Telsa – they’ve been through hell, which could make them stronger in the end.

5 by Peugeot – French Environmentalist Auto

Even the French are into going green. With their “5 by Peugeot” the auto maker has combined a luxury hybrid with the speediness of German cars. It uses a front-mounted 163 bhp 2.0-liter diesel engine, which works with a 27 kW electric motor at the back. The two combine for 147 kW / 200 PS when both systems are in use, providing power to all four wheels. At low speeds, the 5 goes all-electric, and has upwards of 61.9 MPG US. Too bad we’ll never see a Peugeot in ‘Merica outside of their bicycles.

Electric Zamboni For 2010’s Vancouver Olympics

As more auto makers are turning to luxury hybrids, sports electric and plug-ins for the future of production models we are optimistic The Electric Car will survive – no matter what Government Black Ops have to say about them.

Now on a somewhat related, and embarrassing note – The electric Zamboni was part of Canada’s attempt at a green Vancouver Olympics, and was a failure not once, not twice, but thrice! According to Jalopnik, “The Canadian-built electric ice resurfacers (note: Zamboni is a brand of ice resurfacers, these are built by Olympia) used at the Richmond Olympic Oval are supposed to help the environment but it cost the second half of the 500M speedskating pairs after one ice-resurfacing machine couldn’t properly clean the ice. Then a second machine failed. Then they brought in a third and it, too, screwed up the course.” Good try, Canada – but leave the trendy green car stuff to Americans…and Europeans…and Japanese.

Sources: Jalopnik | Inside Line | Worldcarfans