Today on some of our other blogs:
No tags for this post.30
Sep
Toyota Develops Self-Regenerating Clear-Coat Paint
Published in Industry, Toyota
How many times have you scratched your car? Or better said, how many people have keyed your cars? What about bumps, parking accidents and so on? I bet you hated going to the shop to have your car paint again and again, didn’t you? And because small accidents will always happen Toyota has conceived a brand new clear-coat paint which will be able to regenerate itself. No matter how many times you’d have your Toyota car scratched, the paint will recover. The way it works is fairly easy if you know a thing or two about physics and chemistry. The paint will have a secret ingredient inside which will help molecules stay closer together and thus offer the paint a new level of flexibility and elasticity. The new coat should be available on the new Lexus LS but you’d better check back with your local Toyota dealer for more info on the matter!
30
Sep
A few days ago we showed you Honda’s U3-X personal mobility device, a gadget that has been probably inspired by the Segway. Today we have found the perfect box to store the U3-X. And we like to call it the Honda EV-N electric car concept. That’s right, you heard me correctly! The tiny car in the picture will house that U3-X of yours right inside the door. It’s a two-for-one deal but we have no prices at this point. In fact we don’t even know if these projects are going to make it past the prototype stage but we’ll be back with more details after the Tokyo Motor Show. That’s where you’ll see this dynamic duo emerge.
via autoblog
No tags for this post.30
Sep
It seems that Saturn’s days are numbered — Recent reports have let us know that Penske Automotive group has backed out of a deal with GM that would have effectively purchased the entire Saturn brand.
The reason for the backing out is because Penske fears they will not be able to provide the Saturn dealerships with inventory after GM stops supplying them with vehicles at the end of 2010. The deal said that they would have to find their own manufacturers to produce vehicles for the dealerships, something Penske doesn’t think they will be able to do.
So, in lieu of this deal falling through, GM has said they will be phasing out Saturn, closing all dealerships and directing current Saturn owners to other GM dealers for service. Goodbye Saturn, you shall be missed.
via autoblog
Tags: brand, buyout, GM, penske, Saturn30
Sep
GM / eBay Deal Dead, Officially
Published in Uncategorized
It’s been just six weeks, but GM has officially announced that it will no longer sell new cars at auction on the auction site eBay, instead choosing to focus on “other marketing efforts”, or, those that’ll help keep the automaker from completely tanking.
Neither GM nor eBay was prepared to reveal sales numbers, but going over the website by standard channels revealed an absolute wasteland of sales, and chances are, this is what ultimately killed the deal.
However, GM will continue to sell used cars on eBay, as will several other manufacturers, and both eBay and GM were quick to mention that their involvement with each other was far from over.
GM does have other marketing irons in the fire, such as their recently announced sixty day money back guarantee. So it’s a fair bet that they’ll carry right on until the day they finally crash and burn, which actually looks more likely with every passing day.
Tags: auction, business partners, corporate commitment, eBay, GM30
Sep
Used Car Prices Climbing Frantically
Published in Business, Cars, Industry
Surprise, surprise–your used car might be worth more than you thought it’d be in trade! But the bad news is just as unusual–that new used car you’re looking at…surprise, surprise…is likely to cost more than expected.
Everything we’ve been expecting here for some months now–the bad economy driving up demand for inexpensive used cars coupled with cash for clunkers driving down the supply of said used cars, leaves a perfect storm for those interested in picking up a used car.
There’s fewer of them, more people want them, thus the price of them has gone up to make up for the short supply. It’s economics 101, folks, but it doesn’t exactly help the overall picture.
But interestingly enough, the problem should also prove to be self-correcting. Since the prices are up, as is the case for anything that’s in high demand with a slim supply, fewer people will be inclined to buy. Thus, prices will have to come down just to get people back in the door and buying again. The consumer’s capacity for consumption has fallen off a cliff in recent months–any huge price hikes will be met with resistance.
And this in turn should, in six months to a year or so, drop prices back down.
Tags: Business, commodities, economics, used car, used car prices30
Sep
ZipCars Can Now Be Started By iPhone
Published in Business, Cars, car audio
We’re all familiar with the ZipCar by now, that car rental line that offers driving freedom to urbanites who don’t want to bother with the hassles that come with owning a car. But what you may not be aware of is that, if you have an iPhone, you’ve just opened up the entire world of ZipCar.
iPhone users will now be able to lock and unlock ZipCar car doors remotely with their iPhones, as well as start their engines remotely. Plus you can even locate and reserve a particular car from the ZipCar lineup with your iPhone.
Seems that one third of all ZipCar customers use iPhones for one purpose or another, and so, offering iPhone connectivity represented a significant advantage to ZipCar users. This in turn helps fuel brand loyalty.
It’s a smart idea for the ZipCar company, and if you’re an iPhone user who’s looking for a rental car, ZipCar may just be your ticket after all.
Tags: iPhone, remote start, rental car, rental car company, zipcar30
Sep
Hyundai Skips Tokyo Motor Show
Published in Business, Cars, Hyundai
The Tokyo Motor Show officially opens on October 24, hosting a wide roster of automakers to show off their latest vehicles set to be released in the market. And just when many people were looking forward to the event, Hyundai has begged off from the Tokyo Motor Show despite having paid a non-refundable reservation fee of $122,000.
There were no definitive reasons given for Hyundai’s pull out but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it has something to do with expenses. If Hyundai participated, they would have to address other costs that include outlays, staffing and other support materials for any new model they would be unveiling as well as the space rental for the duration of the event. as well as the space rental for the duration of the event.
With their pull-out, the Tokyo Motor Show looms like a showdown among Japan’s familiar car brands. Only two other foreign car companies remain for the event and these are Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen and Lotus. With 3 weeks to go, will they stay or will they go?
(Source) NY Times
Tags: Alpina, automakers, burkard, car brands, car companies, duration, foreign car, genius, Hyundai, Japan, Lotus, new model, october 24, outlays, refundable, reservation fee, support materials, tokyo motor show29
Sep
It’s not every day that you see Microsoft and Ford working closely together but it seems that Windows 7 deserves some special attention. Microsoft’s newest operating system will be promoted by Ford too which is a weird decision… or isn’t it? Not that it’s wrong to support Microsoft but since Ford is, well, a car maker, it sounds pretty strange to lobby for a computer company.
Ford will upgrade its computers from previous Windows versions to Windows 7 but will that help Microsoft increase sales? We certainly are waiting to see Microsoft return the favor. Or should we assume that Ford is doing it considering that Microsoft developed that SYNC infotainment system for Ford a couple of years ago?
via Bloomberg
No tags for this post.29
Sep
I bet you were not expecting this but Tesla’s Model S seems to have hit the jackpot for the company. I am not referring to Model S sales, which are also impressive, but rather on the Model S platform itself which could be used in various other electric cars. According to Diarmuid O’Connell, Tesla’s VP of Business Development, the platform will be used for a minivan, a cross-over utility vehicle and an utility van. That should be the logical next step! At some point in time all our cars will run on electricity rather than petrol fumes so why not start making the first steps now? Unfortunately for us no actual roadmap has been leaked so far so we’re still in the dark when it comes to features and even names of the future Tesla cars.
via Autoblog Green
No tags for this post.29
Sep
Recent reports suggest that BMW is gearing up to send the V10 engine featured in their current generation M5 to the great beyond and instead replace it with a turbocharged V8.
Sure, the V10 is fast, that’s not secret, but the fact that it’s just about everything besides environmentally friendly has left BMW with no choice but to turn towards greener alternatives such as the above mentioned turbocharged V8.
If these reports are true, we should be seeing the a turbocharged V8 engine appear in the next generation M5 with right around 555 HP and 500 lb-per-feet of torque.
via autoblog
Tags: BMW, m5, report, turbocharger, v10, V829
Sep
Ferrari 458 Italia Spider on its way?
Published in 2010 Vehicles, 2011 Vehicles, 2012 Vehicles, Cars, Supercar
If recent reports are to be believed we may in fact be seeing a drop top convertible version of the Ferrari 458 Italia entitled the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider appear at some point in the near future.
WCF says that reports come to us out of Italy where buzz is circulating that Ferrari will in fact begin producing the 458 Italia that surfaced after Ferrari’s Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was quoted to have said the Spider is coming withing the next couple of years.
Those who plan on purchasing the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider better start saving up now as it’s not going to be cheap. I mean, it is a Ferrari, after all.
Tags: 458 italia, convertible, Ferrari, Italy, rumor, spider29
Sep
Mazda will be among the many car manufacturers at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show on October 24. For their part, Mazda is expected to debut the Mazda Kiyora Concept Car although that is not the only thing they will be unveiling. They will also unveil their next-generation engine and automatic transmissions lineup. This includes the Mazda SKY-G direct injection gasoline engine Mazda SKY-D clean diesel engine and the Mazda SKY Drive high-efficiency automatic transmission.
These new technological advancements are expected to help in the improvement of fuel-efficiency as well as some eco-friendly enhancements and optimized combustion systems. But a lot of the focus is sure to be on the Mazda Kiyora Concept car which highlights the next-generation Mazda SKY concept powertrain technologies and comprehensive advancements in weight reduction for better fuel economy at 32 kilometers per liter.
(Source) Auto Racing
Tags: auto racing, automatic transmission, automatic transmissions, car manufacturers, combustion systems, concept car, diesel engine, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, gasoline engine, generation engine, high efficiency, kilometers, Mazda, new technological advancements, october 24, powertrain, sky drive, tokyo motor show, weight reduction29
Sep
Toyota Land Cruiser LC3 to Get Tricked Out
Published in Business, Cars, Enviroment, Toyota
From the look of the initial reports, the LC3 model of the Toyota Land Cruiser is going to get some serious modifications made to it. Let’s take a quick look at the list.
–It’ll be getting about thirty five miles per gallon on a new kind of diesel engine, but a gas engine will be available on other models and get roughly the same mileage.
–The suspension has been revised and will give a more comfortable ride.
–Power and braking systems are altered to improve the Land Cruiser’s offroad capabilities.
You can see that there are a whole lot of improvements made in the newer model Toyota Land Cruiser, and chances are this will draw a whole lot of interest, especially from current truck and SUV owners planning to make trades. A small SUV that gets thirty five miles per gallon and comes in straight gas or diesel? That’s too good for a lot of car buffs to turn down.
Tags: diesel, Gas, suspension, Toyota, toyota land cruiser, Toyota land cruiser LC3