C. Speck Motors

We would like you to participate in Carson-Kolzig Foundation's "Pieces of Hope" campaign to help raise money to benefit autism in the Tri-Cities. Sponsor a puzzle piece for a minimum of $1 to benefit autism in the Tri-Cities.

• All proceeds will assist with scholarships for autism programs for Tri-Cities families challenged by autism.
• 100% of proceeds benefit local families and services provided at the Responding to Autism Center.
• Puzzle pieces will be displayed for one year at the Responding to Autism Center.
  

 

Costco and General Motors have teamed up to bring Costco Members special pricing on select makes or models.  Click here for further information.

George Thomas recently stopped by for a little visit in our showroom with his 1931 Chevrolet.  Check out his BEAUTIFUL Chevrolet!

Please join the Carson Kolzig Foundation in their effort to raise funds for autism programs and services for Tri-Cities families. It is estimated that 1 in every 91 children are diagnosed with some form of autism. That means that upwards of 500 Tri Cities kids and their families are challenged daily with the struggles associated with this pervasive developmental disorder. The Carson Kolzig Foundation is committed to promoting awareness, raising money and implementing programs for scholarships, training and family focused treatment and intervention. If you are interested in joining in the "Responding to Autism Fun Run" see information below from the Carson Kolzig Foundation:

DISTANCES: 1 mile (family & competitive friendly), 5K and 10K
PLACE: Races start and finish at Howard Amon Park Turn Around in Richland, Washington.
PRIZES: Generous prizes have been donated and will be randomly distributed during the awards ceremony.
CLOTHING: To guarantee a t-shirt you need to be pre-registered by March 28th. If you are a 1 mile participant, are not participating or would like an extra t-shirt, they can be purchased for $15.00ea .
ENTRY FEE: The entry fee for the 5K race is $20.00 and includes a t-shirt. The one mile is $5.00 (and does
not include a t-shirt). If you are unable to participate but would like to make a donation, this is also available.
REGISTRATION: To be PRE-REGISTERED all entries must be RECEIVED by 9pm on March 28th. There will be a small number of extra t-shirts purchased for late registrants. If you want a t-shirt & size guaranteed PREREGISTER.
CORPORATE COMPETITION: The corporation with the greatest number of participants (more than 15) in the event (combination of either distance). Two prizes will be awarded for 1) Fastest combined time 2)Largest
participating group.
PROCEEDS: All proceeds generated from this event will support scholarships and programs offered to Tri Cities families who utilize the Responding to Autism Center.
PARTNERS: This years race will take place alongside of the Liz Duncan

Thanks to all the employee's, friends, and family members who joined us this year at the parade in Sunnyside.  A special thanks goes out to all the C. Speck Motors employee's who worked hard on the C. Speck float- it turned out AWESOME!

Top 10 Sedans with HIGHEST Insurance Expense for 2010

Everyone knows that luxury and performance cars can throw a wrench in your finances when it comes to insurance expense.  Why?  Because they typically are more expensive to repair and with extra horsepower often comes bad choices.  As a result, insurance companies put hefty premiums on these cars. Below is the list of the top 10 most expensive sedans to insure for 2010. Each model's ranking is the trim level that is the least expensive to insure. These rankings are based on a five-year projection generate by an Edmunds data team.

1.  2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
2.  2010 BMW M5
3.  2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
4.  2010 Porsche Panamera
5.  2010 Lexus IS-F
6.  2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
7.  2010 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
8.  2010 BMW M3
9.  2010 Cadillac CTS-V
10. 2010 BMW 7 Series
 
What don't you see on this list?  How about the Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Nissan Maxima, Buick LaCrosse, or Buick Lucerne?  And guess what... we have them!

Washington State is getting $1.3 million for electric car charging stations.

Pudget Sound Business Journal reported Monday June 28th 2010

Here's a copy of the governor's office statement:

Gov. Gregoire announces plan to launch nation's first electric highway

OLYMPIA - Gov. Chris Gregoire announced today that Washington's electric vehicle infrastructure efforts are getting a boost from $1.32 million in Federal Recovery Act funding. Washington State's transportation and commerce departments are teaming up to implement the nation's first "electric highway," an initial network of public access electric vehicle (EV) recharging locations along Interstate 5. Once implemented, Washington will have the first border to border highway to offer fast charge technology.

"Washington state is a leader in creating green jobs, adopting new clean technologies and we are poised to do it again with electric vehicles," said Gregoire. "Providing the nation's first true electrified highway (I-5) will benefit Washingtonians and show the rest of the country how we can use innovative partnerships to solve some of our most difficult challenges like climate change and our dependence on oil."

The electric highway will support plug-in electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus, and Chevy Volt soon rolling off the assembly lines. The infrastructure will enable electric vehicle drivers to travel the length of the state along the 276 miles of I-5 between Washington's borders with Oregon and Canada. As many as 300,000 electric vehicles are anticipated on Washington roads during in the next 10 years.

"With millions of gallons of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, the time is now to replace gas guzzlers with clean electric cars," said Ross Macfarlane, Climate Solutions Senior Business Partnerships Advisor. "Moving to electric vehicles is also one of the fastest ways that we can cut global warming pollution. About half of Washington's greenhouse gas emissions come from tailpipes, and electric vehicles provide one of the fastest ways to slash that pollution and move us to a more sustainable energy future."

Funding is provided by the Department of Commerce with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars being administered through the State Energy Program. This project meets State Energy Program and Recovery Act funding goals to save energy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, invest in transportation and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.

Washington's "electric highway" connects Puget Sound electric vehicle drivers with Portland and other west coast communities participating in the EV Project, a $230 million project to deploy a total of 4,700 electric vehicles and nearly 15,000 charge stations in 5 states (Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona and Tennessee) and the District of Columbia. The state will partner with private companies to install fast charging infrastructure in critical charging zones in unserved locations along major interstates. The first charging sites will be placed along I-5 north of Everett and south of Centralia. The work on I-5 will be complemented with deployments along I-90 to include Central Washington.

"I-5, one of our busiest highways and the backbone of Western Washington's economy, is a natural place to showcase transportation electrification," said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. "This innovative project will keep people and business moving toward a clean transportation future."

"The I-5 project is an important step toward market adoption of electric vehicles in our region," said Commerce Director Rogers Weed. "The transition to clean energy will have a big impact on Washington's future economic growth. The electric highway offers significant new business opportunities, attracting automakers and clean technology industries that are looking to locate or expand in an EV-ready state."

This "electric highway" project supports the state's efforts on the West Coast Green Highway, a tri-state initiative to promote the use of cleaner fuels along the 1,350 miles of I-5 from British Columbia to Baja California. Washington's network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure could jump start the development of a regional EV network spreading across the entire length of I-5 connecting three states and three countries and serving the two million electric vehicles anticipated on the west coast. In February, Governor Gregoire signed an action plan with leaders from Oregon, California, and British Columbia to establish I-5 as a green highway by building infrastructure for alternative fuels and electric vehicle charging.

For more information on the Electric Highways project, visit: http://wsdot.wa.gov/Partners/GreenHighways/electric_highways.htm

Read more: Washington gets $1.3M for I-5 electric car charging stations - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle)

The 2011 Silverado HD underwent testing, resulting in a capbility rating of 21,700 pounds of towing, and 6,635 pounds of payload. 

Rick Spinda, GM Full-size Truck global vehicle line executive, said "Our focus has consistently been on deliverying customers the most capable heavy-duty trucks in the market.  The first set of capability tests confirmed that the team had exceeded the payload and towing targets by a significant margin.  Ongoing testing demonstrated a clear opportunity to increase the true capabilities of these trucks.  Even pulling a combined weight of nearly 15 tons seems easy behind the wheel of a 2011 Silverado HD 3500 with the proven Duramax Diesel. We encourage consumers to test drive the Silverado HD against competitive models.  Based on our test results, we are confident the Silverado HD will prove to be the best cjoice for real-world towing and hauling needs."

2011 Silverado HD Stats:
Max Horsepower: 397 hp
Max Torque: 765 lb-ft
Max Conventional towing: 17,000 lbs.
Max Fifth-wheel towing: 21,700 lbs.
Max GCWR: 29,200 lbs.
Max Payload Capacity: 6,635 lbs.

2010 Dodge Ram HD Stats:
Max Horsepower: 350hp
Max Torque: 650lb-ft
Max Conventional towing: 12,000 lbs.
Max Fifth-wheel towing: 18,500 lbs.
Max GCWR: 25,400 lbs.
Max Payload Capacity: 5,130 lbs.

2011 Ford F-350 Stats:
Max Horsepower: 390 hp
Max Torque: 735 lb-ft
Max Conventional towing: 16,000 lbs.
Max Fifth-wheel towing: 21,600 lbs.
Max GCWR: 29,100 lbs.
Max Payload Capacity: 6,520 lbs.

You just drove under a double rainbow on the highway entrance ramp-sometimes, news is so important you don't want to have to wait to share it with friends.

Now you can update your Facebook status or check your newsfeed without taking your eyes off the road with your current OnStar® subscription(1). With Audio Facebook Updates, your entire social network is on the move with you while your hands stay on the steering wheel and your eyes stay focused on the road. Just press the OnStar Hands-Free calling button to connect to Facebook and speak your update or ask for your newsfeed to listen to your friends' statuses.

Current OnStar subscribers can activate this new service in just a few simple steps. Click here to register and take Facebook on the road with you.