Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

Essentially a luxury version of the Honda Civic, the compact ILX features unique styling inside and out, with added amenities. The interior is posh and comfortable, and the car performs admirably, though (unlike small cars from Europe) it emphasizes comfort over sportiness. A 150-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission come standard, but those seeking a more-engaging driving experience can instead choose a peppier 201-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder and six-speed manual gearbox. Meanwhile, a Hybrid version shares its gas/electric powertrains with the Civic Hybrid, which means a 1.5-liter engine teams up with an electric motor/generator and a gearless CVT automatic transmission to boast an estimated 39-mpg in city driving. It comes well equipped and includes smartphone connectivity for tech-savvy buyer

FIA Formula E Championship
1ST DECEMBER 2012 ROME FIRST EUROPEAN CITY TO WELCOME THE FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP The Italian city will host a race in 2014

On December 1st, at Campodoglio, the Mayor of Rome - Mr Gianni Alemanno, President of the FédérationInternationale de l’Automobile (FIA) - Mr Jean Todt, Formula E Holdings CEO – Mr Alejandro Agag and Chairman of the Italian Automobile Club (ACI) Mr Angelo Sticchi Damiani, announced that Rome would be the first European city to host the FIA Formula E Championship in 2014.

Formula E Holdings has signed an agreement with the FIA to promote the new Formula E Championship, featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy.

Jean Todt, FIA President, said: "It gives me great pleasure to be in Rome for this exciting announcement that the eternal city has expressed its firm interest to host a race in the Formula E 2014 championship calendar. The contrast between this innovative motorsport series and the rich ancient history of Rome is one I am sure the public and the media will be intrigued and enriched by."

Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings said: “We are honored to have Rome on board as the first European city to host Formula E, since Italy is renowned for its motorsports passion, expertise and technical innovation. Clean urban mobility and sustainability are a priority for our Championship, and Formula E wants to become a showcase for these advances through an entertaining and all-inclusive spectacle. We are thankful to the Rome City Mayor and authorities for their enthusiastic welcome and support.”

Rome becomes the second city in the world to welcome the FIA Formula E Championship following Rio di Janeiro’s announcement in August this year. In total, the 2014 inaugural Championship will feature 10 urban races. FEH has already received interest from a large number of cities to host the ‘E-Prix’. FEH will soon define the list of venues that will be proposed to the FIA for the first season. Further city announcements are expected in the coming weeks.

In November, McLaren announced it would design and build the powertrain for the first Formula E cars in consortium with Spark Racing Technology (SRT), a new company led by Frederic Vasseur. Formula E has declared itself as an ‘open’ championship. It has been working to encourage other car designers and constructors to build a Formula E car. The FIA technical regulations, to be published soon for the Championship, will ultimately set the framework for making such submissions possible. To ensure the availability of cars for the first year, FEH has ordered 42 cars from SRT for the 2014 Championship. ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

FIA Formula E Championship: Formula E is a new FIA championship featuring racing cars powered exclusively by electric energy. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry over the coming decades. The races will be held in the heart of the world’s leading cities, around their main landmarks. Demonstrations of the first cars will commence in 2013, followed by the first official electric car race in 2014. The aim is for a grid of 10 teams and 20 drivers in 2014. The FIA expressed its delight with the sport’s shared values of clean energy and sustainability. Formula E hopes to promote general awareness around sustainability. It also intends to serve as a framework for R&D around the electric vehicle and accelerate general interest in these cars for personal use.

Avis Budget Group and PortAventura Sign Exclusive Partnership Agreement

Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:CAR) announced today that it has signed an exclusive concession and marketing agreement establishing Avis Car Rental and
Budget Car Rental as "official rental car partners" of PortAventura, Spain's most-visited theme park and resort.

Located in Salou, Catalonia, PortAventura became Spain's first theme park when it opened in 1995. Since then it has expanded to include an aquatic park, three golf courses, four 500-room hotels and a convention center with capacity for 4,000 people.

As part of the new, multi-year agreement, Avis Budget Group will provide on-site access to late-model vehicles at Hotel PortAventura. In addition, the Avis and Budget brands will be featured on PortAventura's official website where visitors can enjoy money-saving offers on rental vehicles. Avis and Budget customers will benefit from exclusive offers
and discounts on park admission and hotel stays.

"We are dedicated to developing strategic alliances with leading international brands like Avis and Budget," said Fernando Aldecoa, general manager of PortAventura. "Our visitors will benefit from their global expertise and trusted service, and enjoy the experience in both the rental car and our theme parks."

PortAventura is the premier theme park in Spain in terms of revenues (nearly EURO175 million*), visits (nearly four million*) and profitability (EURO27 million net profit*), and one of the leading parks in southern Europe by number of visits. PortAventura also boasts the Shambhala, Europe's highest, fastest and longest-descending roller coaster.

"PortAventura is a tourist destination for people from across Europe as well as theme park enthusiasts around the world," said Larry De Shon, president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Avis Budget Group. "Aligning our trusted global brands with one of the Continent's leading attractions will provide our customers with a new convenient service location while advancing our strategic efforts to grow our share of
cross-border travel spending."

* CaixaHolding 2011 Report
About Avis Budget Group
Avis Budget Group, Inc. is a leading global provider of vehicle rental services through its Avis and Budget brands, with 10,000 rental locations in approximately 175 countries around the world. Avis Budget Group operates most of its car rental offices in North America, Europe and Australia directly, and operates primarily through licensees in other parts of the world. Avis Budget Group has approximately 29,000
employees and is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J. For more
information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.

Best 2013 Option Acura ILX