Check out reviews, walkthroughs, and on the scene coverage from the High Gear Media team, including video from the recent Detroit Auto Show.

As we say in our “about me” area: “The Car Connection is the car review site that makes car research easier.” And we are always working on ways to do just that!

Subscribe to The Car Connection channel by heading here.

You can also find original video on The Car Connection’s video section as well.

And that now includes Google Currents, Google’s new magazine-like app for smartphones. Similar in nature to Flipboard, Currents is a riff on social readers. Available on both Android and iOS devices, Google Currents displays stories and updates from RSS feeds, Google+ streams, photos, videos, and other forms of media, creating a visually rich experience.

To add High Gear Media brands to Google Currents, just hop onto a mobile browser and click here to add The Car Connection, here to add Motor Authority, and here to add Green Car Reports.

This is great for our sites The Car Connection, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports — each of which will be contributing.  It goes without saying that The Washington Post represents journalistic excellence.  Syndicating some of the best work from our sites speaks to the quality of content our hard working team creates — automotive content that is credible and engaging.  We’re the first automotive content company to work with The Post like this.

Second, High Gear Media articles appearing in The Post puts our content in front of potentially millions of more readers. The Post, in turn, gains access to our breaking news, first drives and more.    Here are a couple of examples of this syndication in action.

Given that automotive news is also often business news, we’re especially proud to  join The Post’s  business news section, which features The Post‘s original reporting and columns. We’re joining  other great outside content sources like Bloomberg, VentureBeat, and The Verge.

The Washington Post is the latest to join High Gear Media’s list of syndication deals, which already includes arrangements with Yahoo!, VentureBeat, Fox News and Business Insider, among others.

Stay tuned, we’re just getting warmed up.

Be sure to stay tuned to High Gear Media, where you’ll find full blown Detroit Auto Show coverage on The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports.

For example, check out but a sampling of recent stories:

2013 Lincoln MKZ Preview: 2012 Detroit Auto Show
2013 Acura ILX Compact Hybrid: Detroit Auto Show Preview
2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo Live Pics: 2012 Detroit Auto Show
2013 Ford Fusion: Live Detroit Show Photos
Acura NSX Concept Live Photos: 2012 Detroit Auto Show

And of course we’re all over Facebook and Twitter as well:

Facebook: The Car Connection | Motor Authority | Green Car Reports
Twitter: The Car Connection | Motor Authority | Green Car Reports

On the Web today, automotive content is often either bland reviews or old school forums. We’re changing all of that by creating the next generation of car content with a world-wide team of writers and developers building fast growing new content brands focused on green cars, performance cars, car tech, car shopping and more. Think ESPN for cars. But faster, more social and more fun. Come help create a media juggernaut.

You’ll colloborate with editors, product managers, and engineers taking ideas and sketches to wire frames and mocks, perfect and hone the user interface and the visual design and then do what it takes to help us ship.  You will own all things design for a small team that ships products quickly and is looking to innovate on the way core media is displayed and interacted with: articles, photo galleries, video clips and more.

Basic requirements:

- A killer portfolio that demonstrates excellence in media design (layout, information density, typography and imagery) plus mobile app design.

- You are committed and expert at user-centered design, web standards, usability and accessibility.
- Experience designing rich interactive media experiences for the web. This could, but doesn’t have to be, at an automotive site, but ideally, you’ve spent serious time designing content experiences for the web — so blogs, news, sports or entertainment sites, review sites, etc. all qualify.
- Comprehensive expertise in the tools of the trade: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, etc.
- Understanding of cross-browser, cross-platform issues inherent in CSS and front end development.
- Ability to produce timely deliverables and manage multiple and shifting priorities in a dynamic environment
- Ability to work independently as part of a small team with high productivity and excellent organization.
- A team player and master of collaboration with excellent communication skills.

Interested? email: jeff@.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 28, 2011 — High Gear Media, the fastest growing automotive publisher on the Web, today named three cars as its “Best Cars to Buy 2012”–the Ford Focus, the Porsche 911 and the Toyota Prius.  The awards were named by expert editors from High Gear Media’s premium destination sites The Car Connection, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports.

The Ford Focus was named The Car Connection’s Best Car to Buy 2012 after being chosen by the site’s editors from amongst a field of 40 nominees using the site’s unique “meta reviews” that combine reviews by staff journalists with opinions gathered from around the Web – all presented together with a simple rating. “The 2012 Ford Focus has great looks, gas mileage and handling, plus some of the most advanced technology features in its class,” according to Marty Padgett, editorial director of High Gear Media. The Focus earned the highest rating from editors this year, topping other brand-new vehicles such as the Hyundai Veloster, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, and Chevy Sonic.

High Gear Media’s luxury and performance site, Motor Authority, awarded the 2012 Porsche 911 as its “Best Performance/Luxury Car to Buy 2012.”  Motor Authority editors selected the single luxury/performance vehicle priced higher than $50,000, that appealed to enthusiasts most strongly with styling, features, acceleration and handling. “The Porsche 911 isn’t just a new 911,” said Motor Authority editor Nelson Ireson, “it’s a brilliant new sports car that just happens to have an awesome back story.” The 911 was chosen over finalists such as the Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG roadster, and the Ford Mustang Boss 302.

Green Car Reports, High Gear Media’s green and electric car destination, also named the 2012 Toyota Prius range as its “Best Green Car to Buy 2012.”  Green Car Reports editors choose the most significant new green car made available to shoppers during the 2012 model year, taking into account new technologies, their practicality, and their impact on the environment.  “The Prius is more than just one car this year,” said Green Car Reports Editor John Voelcker.  “With a new Prius V wagon and the Prius Plug-In Hybrid, it’s now a family of vehicles with some of the highest gas mileage on the market today, and the Prius name is likely to help encourage buyers to take the plunge into plug-in vehicles.”

About High Gear Media

High Gear Media is a vertical media company publishing engaging, premium automotive content on some of the Web’s fastest growing car websites targeting key buyer and vehicle segments. High Gear Media’s owned and operated network of automotive destinations has over 4 million visitors monthly and includes its anchor site, The Car Connection; its luxury site, Motor Authority; the fastest growing green car site on the Web, Green Car Reports; and its family site, Family Car Guide. High Gear Media’s editorial staff and contributors have written at publications such as Car and Driver, AOL Autos, AutoWeek, Automobile Magazine, and Wired. The company’s content is syndicated to partners including Yahoo! Autos, Discovery News, SpeedTV and The San Francisco Chronicle. High Gear Media is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif. and received its funding from Accel Partners, Greylock Partners and DAG Ventures.

We received a slew of amazing submissions in the final days of our contest to tell us about your favorite auto show moment and win a trip to the New York International Auto Show (sponsored by High Gear Media, Hyundai, and the New York International Auto Show). The editorial brain trust put its collective (and collectively fierce) mind to the task of selecting a winner, and…

We are thrilled to announce that Brian Parker is our winner! Check out Brian’s favorite auto show moment: My Memorable Auto Show Moment: Tokyo 1991

Here is a snippet:

As we entered the North Hall, I quickly discovered that this was a Motor Show unlike any other that I had been to in the United States.  Where your typical show in the U.S. was more or less a huge, temporary, multi-brand showroom where you could wander at random, climbing in and out of cars, picking up brochures off a rack and viewing the occasional prototype or new model on a turntable – the Tokyo show seemed more like a museum where one would walk along a pathway past the exhibits, perhaps listen to a presentation if you understood Japanese or pick up brochures handed to you from behind a desk by a smiling young lady, maybe peer into the windows of a car on the floor that’s been locked up or gaze at a mockup of a transmission that had been laid open for viewing or even watch as the bodywork of a production car was peeled open like a grape to reveal its interior – then move along to the next exhibit along the pathway.

Please feel free to drop by Brian’s winning article to let him know what you think and to discuss your favorite auto show moment as well. And in the meantime Brian is getting ready to head to New York City to meet up with the High Gear Media team to help cover the New York International Auto Show!

Look out for a new contest announcement soon, and in the meantime, we are always on on the lookout for skilled writers – and it’s easy to get started in writing about cars with High Gear Media using our open blogging platform.

Winner With Best-Written Entry Will Travel to New York to Cover the Show

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Car Connection, the Internet’s authority for car shoppers that reviews both cars and the best of the Web, together with Hyundai Motor America (http://www.hyundai.com), and the New York International Auto Show, are launching an automotive writing contest.  The contest winner will receive a trip to cover the auto show’s media days in New York later this month.

The Car Connection is part of High Gear Media, a premium automotive digital media company publishing sites including MotorAuthority, GreenCarReports, AllCarsElectric, FamilyCarGuide, and AllCarTech.  The contest, sponsored by Hyundai and the New York International Auto Show, is open to visitors of High Gear Media’s websites. The theme of the contest is:  “What is your all-time favorite auto show moment?”

High Gear Media’s team of editors will pick the winner based on the quality of content submitted.  The winner’s New York International Auto Show experience will include airfare and hotel for a trip (for two) to New York City and passes for the floor of the Auto Show.

The winner will also be paid by High Gear Media to write an article about the experience to be published on one of the company’s web sites.

To enter, writers should submit their own original articles at http://www.highgearmedia.com/iwanttowrite.  Editors review all submissions for publication and will choose the best overall writing submitted as the winner. The contest remains open until 11:59 PST, April 11, 2011. Additional rules can be found on High Gear Media’s website.

“Our focus is creating premium content experiences for each of our brands targeting key audiences looking for cars,” said Matt Heist, CEO of High Gear Media. “We are always looking for new ways to find great writing talent and we’re pleased to work with Hyundai and the New York International Auto Show to offer unique insider access for a talented, knowledgeable person.”

At Hyundai, we push the envelope in everything we do, from game-changing product innovation to industry-first marketing campaigns to new social media activities that build relationships with consumers,” said Dan Bedore, national manager of social media and public relations for Hyundai Motor America. “Working with High Gear Media and the New York Auto Show on this activity is a new way to bring the whole auto show experience, not just Hyundai, to car fans.”

About High Gear Media

High Gear Media is a premium automotive digital media company targeting key buyer and vehicle segments. High Gear Media’s owned and operated network of premium automotive destinations have over 3.5 million visitors monthly and include its anchor site, TheCarConnection.com, luxury site, MotorAuthority.com, green and electric car sites, GreenCarReports.com and AllCarsElectric.com, a family site FamilyCarGuide.com, a car technology site, AllCarTech.com and social media site SocialCarNews.com. High Gear Media’s editorial staff and over 350 contributors have written at publications such as Car and Driver, AOL Autos, AutoWeek, Automobile Magazine, and Wired. The company’s content is syndicated to partners including Yahoo! Autos, Huffington Post, NASCAR.com, Discovery News, SpeedTV and The San Francisco Chronicle. High Gear Media is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif. and received its funding from Accel Partners, Greylock Partners and DAG Ventures.

About Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through about 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program which includes the 5-year/60,000 mile fully transferable bumper-to-bumper warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, and 5-year complimentary Roadside Assistance. For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com.

About the 2011 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS)

Showcasing the latest automotive trends, the 2011 New York International Auto Show will unveil an extensive collection of the most technologically advanced vehicles on display anywhere in the world. More than four floors of displays, including the new Javits Center North exhibition hall, will house nearly 1,000 stunning new 2011/2012 vehicles as well as sensational futuristic concept cars. NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.

CONTACT:  High Gear Media, +1-650-576-8371, feedback@highgearmedia.com

John Voelcker created a fake scoop for Green Car Reports on a company called NuTankX, supposedly a start-up based in Michigan that worked a new angle on the Better Place battery swap — gas tank switching.

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield write a story on All Cars Electric where she “found” some plug-in innovation from the oil giant BP.

“Instead of a lengthy battery charge, BP’s Liquid Electrolyte Transference System (LETS) innovates with a “special drain plug” that allows “depleted” fluid to be quickly replaced with fresh and fully charged liquid.”

The Car Connection also featured a handy compendium of all the automotive based April Fool’s gags around the Web.

Interested in getting flown to New York City with a guest to help us cover the big event?

Here are some tips and pointers to help you impress our editorial team and to give you the best shot to win.

Write about your favorite auto show moment!
The contest theme is this: write about your favorite auto show moment.

It only takes one published story to count as a contest prize entry! And the more you write, the better your chances to win.

Want some examples to help get your creative juices flowing? Look no further than the NAIAS Auto Show Flash Mob:

And here’s the 2007 NAIAS Chrysler Group Minivan Press Announcement:

Or you may simply have a car in mind that was introduced at an auto show that simply dazzled you, thus prompting you to get to a computer to write frantically:

Be creative and have fun!
The point is that we want you to take this contest and make it your own. Maybe you have a fond memory as a child of attending your first auto show – such as is the case for me when I saw the Batmobile at the New York Auto Show in the late ‘80s! Or perhaps there was an event or moment that changed the way you think about cars or represented a new era in a fundamental way. Or it’s something that went down at an auto show that was just so much fun, so weird, or so memorable that it can’t help but leap to mind as your favorite auto show moment.

And/but… tight, focused, and well written
Our editorial team will be looking for the very best so make sure you bring yours!

Submissions should be at least 250 words but focused like the proverbial laser on your favorite auto show moment. And of course review your work several times for spelling, grammar, and readability so that your copy will really pop off of the monitor.

Big hint: check out what our editors produce everyday on sites like The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports to get a sense of their style.

Check your facts
Back up your opinions and references with source links. Check out how you should do that here.

Use images and video
Our open blogging platform gives you access to a huge library of photos. Make sure that you select at least one that runs at the top of your story. Also, YouTube is an amazing resource to support your stories with relevant video. In short, images + videos make your submission prettier.

Be original (no cheating!)
Using the power of technology, we have ways of checking to make sure content has not been published previously and is wholly original. Any article that plagiarizes material from other sources, doesn’t cite quoted sources, or improperly uses copyrighted material will be disqualified.

Write about cars and enter to win a trip to cover the New York Auto Show: the recap
Here’s the quick recap on everything you need to know:

* High Gear Media and Hyundai are offering aspiring automotive writers inside access to cover the 2011 New York Auto Show.
* All published articles submitted between April 4th and April 11th count as entries.
* The more you write, the better your chance to win. Winner flies to New York as a guest of Hyundai and High Gear Media.

All you need to do is click here to get started…