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April 30, 2005

Xcelerators: 5 Racing Movies from Xbox

Microsoft Game Studios has five must-view short films about car racing, which they put together to promote the launch of their newest Xbox video game.

The collection, "Xcelerators," can be viewed online at the game's website, here.

Each of the five movies focuses on a different class of car and the people who drive them. What makes these movies so much fun is that they come across unfiltered -- you get a real sense of the passion and commitment that drives the crews.

In the film American Muscle, we get an unvarnished bias toward old school muscle cars; in Exotic Modified, we hear braggadocio over 700-hp Porsches.

Each of the movies -- and I'm going to let you check out the other three for yourself -- features pulse pumping, original music and quick cut camera work, all designed to get you in the mood to think about fast cars.

And of course, for the majority who can't afford the expense of fielding their own race car[s], Xbox wants to turn that interest toward their new video game franchise, Forza Motorsport.

Due out on May 3, Forza Motorsport has a collection of over 200 cars for players to customize, and 17 tracks where they can run their simulated speedsters. The game retails for $49.99.

In yet another twist, Xbox enlisted the aid of Popular Science to conduct an unusual test -- they let real live race car drivers test cars on a track, Road Atlanta, that's featured in the game, then had them drive the same vehicle, on the same track, in the Xbox game version.

The drivers tested six cars on the track and in the game, and the results produced plenty of similarities -- with the exception that they weren't as ramped up [read: petrified] during the simulation, causing them to turn in slightly slower times. For the full report, read the Popular Science story, here.

Posted by Frank at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2005

Dacia: By Any Other Name, A Romanian Scion for Eastern Europe and the Developing World

As every one who watches the car industry knows, Carlos Ghosn is taking over as CEO of Renault today, while maintaining the top spot at Nissan.

For a good take on the situation, without the adoring hagiography, read this BBC account.

While doing some reading on Renault, I came across their Dacia project. Renault took a controlling share in the Romanian automaker in 1999, and now owns nearly 100% of the manufacturer.

Dacia only makes two models -- the Logan, an economy car, and the Range, a small pickup -- in an attempt to create and fill a niche market at the same time. Sound familiar? Toyota is doing it here with Scion, but Renault's market for the company is in Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The Logan is their lead product, the so-called five thousand Euro car [that's $6,500 to you and me]. Dacia sold a total 95,000 cars in 2004, and is shooting for sales of 700,000 for the Logan by 2010. Consider it Renault's "Developing World Car."

Check out the site, here. If you don't read French or Romanian, look for the English language link on the right side of the window.

It offers a glimpse of how complex and far-reaching the global auto industry is, and how companies like Renault and Nissan are meeting the challenge of making vehicles for the world.

Posted by Frank at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)

April 28, 2005

Booster Seat Education Still Lagging

While the percentage of infants and toddlers riding in safety seats has reached record levels, the number of older children who are properly restrained lags behind, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Only 21% of children aged 4 to 8 ride in booster seats -- and only "on occasion" -- according to a NHTSA survey, while 99% of infants and 94% of toddlers are in safety seats of some kind.

Part of the problem is that education efforts have been largely focused on teaching parents and caregivers to place young children in either rear-facing [for infants] or forward-facing toddler seats -- and that all children under age 12 should ride in the back seat.

Until recently, legislation has also focused on requiring restraints for the youngest children, but according to this USA TODAY story, 27 states and Washington, D.C., now have laws requiring 4 to 6 year olds to be placed in booster seats.

With nine other states considering similar laws, the government is stepping up education efforts, with programs like BoosterSeat.Gov, that uses the tagline, "If they’re under 4’ 9", they need a booster seat."

Bob Yakushi, Director of Product Safety for Nissan, said the push to educate parents about booster seats is necessary, because "we graduate children too early into adult seat belts."

Yakushi said that while it’s important to remember that "seat belts are the primary restraint system" that protects people in a crash, they were designed for average sized adults, not children. A booster seat, which can either be high-backed or backless, "helps correctly position the seat belt on a child," Yakushi said.

Without the aid of a booster seat, and in the event of a collision, the seat belt can cause serious injury, even though parents think their children are protected. "When the seat belt doesn’t fit correctly, in an accident, the child tends to slide under the lap portion of the belt" Yakushi said, which then "slides up into the tummy area of the child and can cause massive internal injuries."

A similar danger exists with the shoulder portion of the belt, which on a shorter child is riding up against their neck and can also lead to serious injury.

In order to determine whether a child needs to be in a booster seat, Yakushi offered an easy to use benchmark: "The child needs to be able to sit all the way against the seat back with their knees comfortably bent over the edge of the seat cushion."

Yakushi added that the child needs to be able to sit like that for the entire trip, and gave a bit of commonsense advice for parents -- by graduating the child directly into a booster seat, riding in it becomes the norm, and is less likely to invoke protest.

If that opportunity has already passed and the child is vocal about their seating arrangement, Yakushi cautioned that "children can’t make the decision for their own safety in a vehicle."

"That is the parents’ responsibility, they are our precious cargo," Yakushi said. "We’re the only ones who can make the decision for our children’s safety."
------------------
About Nissan’s Snug Kids Program

Since it was launched in 2002, Nissan’s Snug Kids has provided parents with specific information to assist them in finding the right child seat for thir Nissan and Infiniti vehicles.

Seat fit guides for either brand’s vehicles are available at www.NissanUSA.com/Snugkids, or www.Infiniti.com/SnugKids. Safety seat tips and a handy visual reference card are also online.

Bob Yakushi, Nissan’s Director of Product Safety, said the program "takes the frustration out of buying a seat and finding it doesn’t fit."

Resources:
Nissan Snug Kids,
Infiniti Snug Kids
Nissan Quick Reference Child Safety Seat Card
NHTSA Child Safety Resource page
BoosterSeat.gov
Child Safety Reference Card [seen above]
Ad Council child safety resource page
Buckle Up America

Posted by Frank at 09:35 AM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2005

Chevy Small Pickup Sales Up 47.7% on the Year

More Than One Out of Four Small Pickups sold in America is Chevy or GMC as GM Gains 9.3% Category Share

These numbers are astonishing. Taking all GM small pickups into account, the company's sales are up nearly 50% in the first quarter of 2005 -- and account for 27.8% of all small pickups sold in America.

Granted, it's a little tricky to follow, because the above chart shows four GM models. In simple terms, the Chevy Colorado replaced the S-10, and the GMC Canyon replaced the Sonoma. So in order to get a clear number for the Chevy small pickup, we have to add the Colorado and S-10 together, to understand how many small trucks the nameplate is selling. Same goes for GMC.

In a few days, we'll see some numbers for April that should have pretty much moved the two old models out of the picture, allowing journalists to see more clearly exactly what's happening in the small pickup category.

GM is killing. In the small pickup category, GM's market share is up 9.3% from last year's mark of 18.5% at the end of the first quarter.

At first glance, the Colorado is up 64.3% in sales. But that's not entirely a clean number, as the S-10 was still on sale last year. Combining them, we still get a sales increase of 42.1% for the Chevy small truck entry.

The same goes for the Canyon/Sonoma numbers. Total sales of GMC small pickups were up 50% over March of last year.

In total, GM accounts for 41,080 of small pickups sold this year, versus the company's sales of 27,815 units last year. That's a 47.7% sales increase.

Further, the Chevy Colorado has been the number one selling small pickup for two of three months this year [January and March], and is number two behind the Toyota Tacoma by only 1,571 units, or 4.6%.

If this were a boxing match, we'd say the Chevy Colorado won two out of three rounds but was behind on points.

It gets better. Looking at the Toyota Tacoma's numbers, you see they are down 7.6% from last year. Conventional wisdom likes to point out that since Toyota's big pickup, the Tundra, is selling so well, [12,950 last month vs. 8,671 in March '04] they are cannibalizing customers from themselves.

In other words, folks who would have bought a Tacoma are opting instead for the Tundra. This is the same argument that has been used to explain the Ford Ranger's precipitous drop in sales -- some say the F-150 is stealing sales from its little sibling.

However, this does not hold true for Chevy -- sales of its big pickup, the Silverado, were up 22.7% in March, and are up 8.1% for the year. Which means they are simply selling more pickups, large and small.

That means GM is killing in pickups. Period.

Posted by Frank at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2005

Indy 500: The Legacy Series 5-DVD Set

Want to know everything about the historic race -- or at least 40 years worth? This 5 DVD boxed set takes you down through the years.

Warning: it runs longer than the race itself!

The first ever boxed set of its kind, THE INDIANAPOLIS 500: THE LEGACY SERIES races into stores April 26th offering fans an in-depth look at the history of the Indianapolis 500 from 1960-1990.

This is an encyclopedic overview of the race, from 1960-1999, and is perfect for Indy fan[atics].

The five-disc DVD boxed set, priced to sell at $39.99, features seven hours of never-before-seen footage and fresh interviews with the legends of the Indy.

Timed perfectly to coincide with the 89th Indianapolis 500 (May 8 – 29), this DVD boxed set is perfect for the ultimate racing enthusiast.

The 60’s: A Decade of Change
The dawn of modern day Indy racing – featuring legendary A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, the Unsers, the invasion of Formula One drivers Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti.

The 70’s: A Decade of Legends:
Faster cars and higher speeds. See how brave new teams with fearless young drivers and new technology overthrew the old school. Featuring a tribute to the late owner of The Brickyard®, Tony Hulman.

The 80’s: A Decade for the Ages
Features some of the most heart-racing excitement in Indy history. Relive the glory of Team Penske’s dominance, Sullivan’s “Spin and Win” and Big Al’s miraculous fourth win.

The 90’s: Over a Decade of Drama:
Indy 500 glory at its best. The 90s marked the changing of the guard. Legends like Foyt, Andretti, Rutherford, and Unser hung up their helmets and opened the door for current generation of racing heroes.

BONUS DISC
The bonus disc includes one hour of features on the Indy 500. The disc includes the documentary, “Voices of the 500” – a history of the IMS Radio Network. Features Indy legacies like Tom Carnegie, Firestone, and the Borg-Warner Trophy. In addition, the disc includes an image gallery of past Indy 500 memories. Cast: A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Tony Hulman, Al Unser, Mario Andretti

Posted by Frank at 07:48 AM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2005

London Calling: Traditional Brit Cabs in the US

This London Executive Sedan, spotted on the streets of Old Town Alexandria this past weekend, is owned by Prime Transportation, a wedding and corporate livery company.

The vehicle is built by LTI, the same company that has been making traditional London Taxis since 1948. Imported into the states since 2003, the vehicles are available in two trim levels. The Executive Sedan retails for about $50,000, while the Civilized Taxi sells for about $45,000. The taxis are left-hand drive, and have been modified to meet federal emissions and safety standards.

Richard Quartey, pictured above, said he loves driving the 6-cylinder diesel. "People do a doubletake all the time, even the police stop me and want to know what kind of car it is," Quartey said. "I like the way it handles, it will get you out of corners in a minute."

The London Taxi is designed as a chaffeur-driven vehicle -- there is no front passenger seat, the space left open for luggage. The main cabin has a wide-enough bench seat to accommodate up to three adults, and there are two jump seats built into the divider for a larger party.

The configuration -- aided by a wide door and a high ceiling, makes for truly comfortable portage. The vehicles are designed with accessibility in mind -- in addition to the wheelchair ramp, the rear seats fold up to allow the chair to be secured to floor mounted chocks. The jump seats have a swivel feature that allows elderly passengers to get in and out of the taxi easily.

Posted by Frank at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2005

Seize the Joystick: CPD Racing Team Got on the Rally Trail in Unorthodox Fashion

[Vehicle photography by Morgan Segal]

President Ronald Reagan once famously said tomorrow's fighter pilots might come from the ranks of video game players, and maybe Doug Havir's life would be different had he taken up a different joystick.

As it was, Havir's tastes in PlayStation video found him battling four wheeled opponents in Gran Turismo -- and catching the Rally bug.

"I kept getting my butt kicked by this little blue car," said Havir, a Minnesota businessman, who owns National Bankcard Services. "I did a little research and found out it was a Subaru Impreza."

In a twist from the usual video game fan's practice, Havir got off the couch and decided he wanted to see what driving one of those little blue cars was actually like.

Havir's research led him to cross paths with Scott Putnam, the fleet sales manager of Bloomington Acura-Subaru. Little did either man know that meeting would lead to the creation of CPD Racing, with Havir as the owner-driver and Putnam as the co-driver.

To get a feel for how the little blue car felt like in the real world, Havir bought a 2001 Impreza 2.5 RS from Putnam.

Even though it was a pre-turbo model [he did put another $10,000 in aftermarket equipment in it], Havir was now in the grasp of Rally fever.

But there was a problem with owning a car like the Impreza -- especially for someone who was used to running all out on a computer screen.

"You're just going to go out and get tickets," Havir said. A little more research later, Havir found out about stateside Rally racing.

Even though he could have specced the car for Rally, Havir was using it as a daily driver and said he didn't want to strip the interior and put a rollcage in it.

That led Havir to buy a second cart from Putnam -- this one a 2002 WRX Turbo -- after the $25,000 retail price and about $30,000 in modifications, Havir had himself a Rally car.

To get ready for actual competition, Havir spent four days at Tim O'Neil's Rally School, where he learned left-foot braking and the nuances of weight transfer techniques. Havir said the school's courses, "make you a better driver, period," and thinks they're also suitable for folks who aren't bent on driving in competition.

"If you live anywhere it snows or have gravel roads, you learn how the car handles close to the edge of performance."

But it was after only a few Rally events in his new car that Havir said, "I was hooked and I knew it."

That led him, once again, back to the showroom floor -- but this time, in England instead of Bloomington. Havir decided to go top of the line with Prodrive, a company that has won an incredible 100 international rallies and six World Rally Championship titles with Subaru vehicles.

For Havir, they started with a WRX and built him a world class Rally racer. At a sales price of $160,000, you understand the acronym of CPD Racing, which stands for "Carpe per Diem," or "seize the paycheck."

With Putnam in the co-driver position, Havir and CPD won rookie of the year in 2002. While he appreciates the honor, Havir said his first objective was "I didn't want to suck."

For Putnam, being CPD co-driver is an "opportunity to do something lots of people want to do."

As a hardcore Subaru fan -- besides his job as sales manager -- Putnam said Rally affords him the luxury of combining work and play.

"It's a way for me to combine my vocation and my avocation -- I love Subarus, I sell Subarus -- and 30 days a year I get to race Subarus," Putnam said.

Figuring in the Subaru news website he runs, Subaru.net, Putnam's total portfolio in sales, Rally and publishing qualifies him as one of the most knowledgeable car dealers around.

Even, it turns out, with some of the less glamorous aspects of cruising along gravel and mud roads at improbable speeds.

Last October, the CPD car took a bad hit -- the second crash in two years that put the car out of commission, in a sport that runs a 50% attrition rate per event, according to JB Niday of Rally America.

Putnam said crashing, rolling and other manner of mechanical breakdowns are part of the sport. "It's all fixable, even though going into a tree at 45 miles an hour is kind of violent, you kinda get used to it," Putnam said.

CPD was schedule to run in this weekend's Oregon Trail Rally, the first time they were back in the car since the wreck, but the engine rebuild proved not to be up to snuff.

"You expect to not finish a race a couple of times a season," Putnam said, adding that CPD expects to be back in action for the Susquehannock Trail race on June 4.

Despite missing this weekend's race, Havir said he's pumped to get back on the Rally circuit, because it's a sport that really is "about personal best."

"You're not out there scraping paint with the other guy," Havir said. "It really is you, your car and the road -- that's the part I enjoy about it."

Posted by Frank at 05:23 AM | Comments (0)

April 22, 2005

Ford's Hau Thai-Tang Brought a Team of Mustang Convertibles to Washington, D.C.

It's well established that in 2005, the Ford Mustang is the star in the car industry firmament. The fifth generation pony is number eight on the best selling car list, is on track to sell over 160,000 units, Ford has upped production by over 70% and everyone is paying their props.

At the same time, Hau Thai-Tang, who served as chief nameplate engineer for the Mustang redesign, is becoming a bona fide name in his own right - perhaps more respected by car people than executives, because he's the guy who started "with a blank sheet of paper."

Along with over 300 other Ford employees, of course, Thai-Tang succeeded in doing the impossible -- creating a 21st century Mustang that harkened to the past while pointed, aggressively, into the future.

It's not Thai-Tang's first succcess with Ford -- his work on the 2000 Lincoln LS won industry honors and he also led the development of the 2001 Mustang GT, V-6, Cobra and Bullitt GT models.

His bosses obviously expects more from the guy who joined the company in 1988 as a Ford College Graduate trainee. In December, Thai-Tang was named Director of Advanced Product Creation and SVT, the Special Vehicle Team.

In May, he will receive an honor from outside the car industry -- Thai-Tang is one of six Vietnamese Americans slated to receive the "Golden Torch" award at the Vietnamese American National Gala in Washington, D.C.

Despite avowing that English is not his first language, Thai-Tang entertained a group of about 100 auto journalists and Mustang fans at a lunch this Wednesday, with his story about how the Ford team approached their task.

Calling the project akin to "writing the novel to Star Wars," Thai-Tang said the obvious problem was balancing an ever present pair of opposites -- honoring the past while creating a modern car, and delivering performance while keeping price in mind.

The latter dynamic brought up audience questions regarding why neither a six-speed manual transmission nor independent rear suspension appear in the final car.

Rather than give a political answer, Thai-Tang was direct on both counts, saying they had to make a choice between incremental performance improvements versus how much the equipment would add to the MSRP. And while the solid rear axle remains a bone of contention for hard core fans, Thai-Tang said he was convinced the majority of Mustang buyers were not among those calling for an independent rear.

In terms of the former dynamic -- honoring the Mustang tradition -- Thai-Tang said the team "showed a lot of reverence for the Mustang" and made a conscious decision to "go back and embrace our heritage."

Perhaps the best illustration of this bias is his story of the Steve McQueen poster hanging in the design shop. The picture of McQueen from the movie, Bullitt, showed him with a "menacing scowl," Thai-Tang said, that telegraphed a "quintessential American toughness," they wanted the car to represent.

The image they were striving for? When you see the Mustang in your rear view mirror, Thai-Tang said they wanted people to think, "I need to get out of the way."

We were given the chance to test that proposition. Ford brought a handful of GT convertibles for a short ride & drive. I am sorry to report that I have no idea what the stereo sounds like -- given only 4.9 miles before I had to turn the convertible around, checking out the controls was not on my to-do list.

I suspect you would do with the Mustang exactly as I did. Rev the motor and enjoy the the menacing rumble.

[By the way, Thai-Tang relayed how delivering an authentic muscle car sound was a challenge since they had moved the muffler behind the rear axle. Comparing the muffler to a wind instument -- hence dependent on length and diameter to produce a quintessentially American roar, he told us they compensated by pushing the tailpipe further into the muffler body.]

Given the tight parkway traffic, you'd probably also slow the Mustang down to open some distance -- and then give it the gun to experience the pure indulgence of 300-horsepower acceleration.

I don't know what people were thinking when the Mustang came roaring from behind [always maintaining the driver-ed mandated three-car length of course].

I do know that I've still got that delirious smile on my face from driving the Mustang. And I can still remember the jaw-dropping looks and similar wide-open smiles on the drivers I passed. I'm pretty sure they were admiring the Mustang, but maybe it wasn't just the car.

After all, as Thai-Tang said, "everyone looks good in a Mustang."

Posted by Frank at 11:34 AM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2005

Mercedes Sponsoring Ride & Drives for New M-Class

Sometimes subscribing to company newsletters pays off -- as does opening the e-mail.

We received an invitation today to attend the M-Class Road Rally here in D.C. through such an e-mail, and we're happy our twitchy finger didn't hit delete right away.

Mercedes is hosting 37 ride & drives nationwide between the end of April and July, during an event the company promises will be a "no-pressure sales-free environment."

If you live near any of the cities [listed after the jump], you can sign up by going to the special M-Class Road Rally site, here.

If the events haven't filled up, you can reserve a time to drive the redesigned SUV through two different road courses, and then take advantage of the refreshments and displays of some of the "lifestyle" cosponsors, such as Pottery Barn, Saks Fifth Avenue and Harmon/Kardon.

Chicago ... June 3 - 5, 2005
Dallas ... May 13 - 15, 2005
Houston ... May 20 - 22, 2005
Los Angeles ... May 6 - 8, 2005
Miami ... June 24 - 26, 2005
New Jersey ... June 10 - 12, 2005
New York ... June 17 - 19, 2005
Orange County ... April 29 - May 1, 2005
San Francisco ... April 22 - 24, 2005
Washington DC ... May 27 - 29, 2005

Posted by Frank at 07:01 PM | Comments (0)

Spotted! The Elusive Smart Car Spied in the U.S.!

Exclusive pics from the Notebook!

They said it would never materialize on our shores. That it was a fable, a dream that would never come true. They were wrong.

The Notebook spotted a two-seat Smart car -- diesel-powered at that -- on Daingerfield Island in Virginia this past Wednesday.

Though our hands were shaking, we managed to acquire irrefutable evidence that the Smart car -- at least one, with Ontario plates -- does indeed exist in America.

This almost tops our stunning three-part series on a Bigfoot sighting in Pennsyvania several years ago.

[Click through, both links, it's worth it.]

Smart, as you may know, is a division of DaimlerChrysler that makes the three-cylinder, two-seater pictured above, and is planning a four seat version with Mitsubishi. But the company has been plagued with heavy financial losses, despite selling 167,000 units in 2004, and DCX has recently announced a financial restructuring of the company.

[Full DCX release and more pics after the jump.]

Daimler Chrysler Press Release

New business model for smart

* Goal for smart: Breakeven in 2007

* Restructuring expenses of up to €1.2 billion

* DaimlerChrysler: Operating profit in 2005 still expected to slightly exceed the prior-year result of €5.8 billion, excluding exceptional charge from smart

Stuttgart, Apr 01, 2005
On March 31, 2005, the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG discussed a new business model for the smart business unit of the Mercedes Car Group.

This concept will be further developed in detail in the coming weeks and, as announced at the annual press conference on February 10, will be submitted to the Supervisory Board of DaimlerChrysler AG for a decision at the end of April.

The new business model aims to put the small-car brand onto a financially sound basis, with the goal of breaking even in 2007.

The new product concept calls for the intensified development of the successor to the smart fortwo, including fulfilling the requirements for the U.S. market.

The next generation of the three-cylinder gasoline engine will also be used by other manufacturers, with resulting economies of scale that will substantially improve the cost position of this engine project.

Cooperation with Mitsubishi Motors on the smart forfour will be continued. Measures to be taken to improve profitability mean that this product will break even in the future.

The production of the smart roadster will be terminated at the end of 2005.

The smart SUV project will be discontinued.

Key component of the new business model is a restructuring program with which earnings are to be increased by some €600 million in the year 2007.

It will be possible to reduce fixed costs by around 30% within the next two years, while substantially improving productivity.

The new business model also includes a fundamental organizational change.

Key tasks in development, sales, procurement, after sales and service will be integrated into the respective areas of Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars. This will allow substantial synergy effects to be realized.

At the same time, additional sales and market potential will be explored. For example, to boost unit sales, the number of smart outlets in the Mercedes-Benz sales organization will be increased by about 25% using the shop-in-shop concept.

Overall, DaimlerChrysler assumes that the restructuring expenses incurred in 2005 will total up to €1.2 billion.

This figure includes exceptional write-downs on plant and equipment, the settlement of obligations to third parties, and other value adjustments. The program also includes significant workforce reductions.

The management of smart GmbH aims to achieve these reductions in a socially acceptable manner. Talks are planned with the works council on this issue in the coming weeks.

The substantial exceptional expenses in connection with the new smart business model will impact DaimlerChrysler’s earnings forecast for 2005. Excluding the exceptional charge from smart, DaimlerChrysler, after a weaker first and second quarter, still expects a slightly higher operating profit for full year 2005 compared to 2004.

Posted by Frank at 02:25 PM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2005

Creative PR: Air Fresheners Reduce Driver Fatigue, Road Rage -- and Contribute to World Peace!

You have to admire PR people. Sometimes they're handed a project so void of a real hook, they just get a little wacky.

Case study: AroMetrics makes a car air freshener. We're sure it's lovely. But how do you promote it to the press?

By crafting a convoluted relationship between olfactory health and mental stability of course!

Today's press release from AroMetrics claims that not only does a refreshing aroma decrease feelings of anger and post-modern anxiety, it also keeps you perky when driving long stretches on lovely roads.

They even quoted a scientific study backing their premise. But maybe there's another explanation for how they came up with this mess.

Stumped for how to create a newsworthy message for the humble sniff stick, maybe an intern went down to a bodega, scammed a couple paper bags and staged a huffing party in the break room.

Posted by Frank at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2005

What is Rally?

Like soccer, it’s big in Europe. Unlike soccer, it’s exciting.

It’s called Rally, a motorsport that pits seasoned professional drivers against garage mechanics, takes place in dirt, snow, gravel and mud and places an emphasis on driver skill over flat-out speed in ever-changing conditions.

To get a handle on what Rally is, and why it promises to be the next big thing in America’s fascination with things that go fast and win ugly, we spoke to JB Niday, managing director of Rally America, the sport’s sanctioning body in the U.S.

“Why is Rally exciting?” Niday said in response to a question only a novice could ask. “Because of the extreme nature of the sport -- it’s the only form of motorsports where you see the cars going sideways all the time.”

[To really get an idea of why Rally is exciting, check out the videos at Team O'Neil, the premier Rally instruction school, located in New Hampshire's White Mountains.]

Rally races are staged like time trials in the Tour de France, another European sport catching fire in the New World. Cars are released in one minute intervals; the competition is against the clock, but the real challenge is the second-by-second challenge of running the car through the small, tight courses that average between 4 and 20 miles.

“We’re going sideways on purpose, because it’s the fastest way around the corner,” Niday said.

Rally America is sponsoring eight national and three regional championship series in 2005 that include a total of 25 events. National events are run over two days and are comprised of 12 to 15 individual stages. Sno*Drift, the first national event, was run in January, and the Oregon Trail race will be held April 22-24 [check Rally America’s site for details.]

Rally cars are team-driven. The driver is aided by a co-driver, or navigator, who’s job it is to relay turn and course information while the car is shimmying through turns and switchbacks at over 60 miles an hour.

One of the challenges built into Rally is that the driving team haven’t run the course in competition. “There’s no practice,” Niday said. “They haven’t seen the roads, the co-driver is reading route instructions to the driver as they go down the road.”

Because cars are running so close together, the physical course actually changes during the trial, Niday said, adding the element of surprise and stomach dropping tension to Rally.

“Someone will go around a corner and yank out a rock the size of a microwave,” Niday said. “All of a sudden the line you were going to take isn’t there any more.”

Rally is more exciting than traditional motorsports for spectators, as viewing areas are positioned up close to the action.

“You get up close -- we put spectator corners somewhere exciting – where they can see a jump or a pirouette through a hairpin. Whenever you’re watching a sport with a 50% attrition rate, you’re going to see something exciting now and then, you’re gonna see a lot of cool stuff,” Niday said.

Oh yeah, attrition. Niday said flat-out crunch time and mechanical breakdowns claim a staggering number of victims at a Rally event. “Half the time you don’t make it home with the car you brought,” he said.

Even cars that don’t bail out completely take a beating. Niday estimates that each event costs its team about $5,000 in maintenance.

Yet despite that high number, Rally attracts a democratic base of competitors, thanks to the six classes of cars that can enter events. While some cars cost well over $150,000 just to get to the starting line, Niday said the average is about $25K for a Regional car and $75K for a National entry. There are about 1,000 Rally competition cars in the United States.

Rally is broken down into two broad classes of cars – “Open” and “Production,” each of which is made up of three categories.

Very broadly speaking, Rally cars are overachieving compact cars, such as modified Subaru Imprezas, Mitsubishi Evos, Dodge Neon SRTs and VW Golfs. Again, also put roughly, category and class are determined by engine size, whether they are turbocharged or have two-wheel or all-wheel drive. [For a comprehensive article on Rally car types, check out this SCCA article.]

Because of the wide range of specs for Rally cars, the sport attracts everyone from “a college kid who put together a car with his buddies in a garage,” Niday said, to top competitors, “somebody who goes to European driving schools, and has a budget of half million a year.”

Niday, however, offers himself as an extreme example of how someone can get into Rally on a budget. “My first car cost a thousand dollars – it was a Ford Fiesta, prepped and ready to go in 1998,” he said.

Another feature that makes Rally exciting is that all cars run on the same track on the same day – only their times are segregated – so spectators are watching everyone from the college kid to the guy with a Ford Fiesta to a half million dollar machine match their skills against the same trail, one minute after the other.

This is part of the reason why Niday thinks Rally is poised to strike big in America. “Your little circle track guy can’t go up and see how he did against one of his NASCAR heroes because they didn’t race on the same track on the same day,” he said.

And while the cars can reach top speeds of 120 to 135 miles an hours on the straightaways, the cup goes not to the fastest car, but to the best driving team. "If you've got the 20th fastest car you could win," Niday said. "It's about the drivers -- and the teamwork between the driver and the co-driver."

“Most people in America would be fans of Rally if they only knew about it,” Niday said, and there’s reason to believe more people are going to get a taste of Rally excitement later this year, when the races get televised.

Rally America has just signed an agreement with cable channel OLN [Outdoor Life Network] to televise the eight national championship races, beginning in October, and will cap off coverage with a season-in-review special.

Resources
Rally America
Subaru.net
Subaru Rally Support Program
Team O'Neil Rally School
CPD Racing

Photos courtesy of Rally America,Team O'Neil Rally School and Morgan Segal.

Posted by Frank at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2005

Ford Mobility Motoring Tradition [Unofficially] Started with FDR

While reviewing the DVD of FDR: A Presidency Revealed, there was an interesting anecdote about how he used to love driving cars adapted with hand controls so he could enjoy cruising around.

While I knew he had polio, the documentary taught me something new -- after contracting the disease in 1921, he never walked again. So the cars, one of which was a 1936 Ford Phaeton convertible, were a way for him to enjoy an activity everyone else had access to.

Ford Motor Company did not work on FDR's car -- the controls were aftermarket, to place a modern spin on it. And given the secrecy that FDR maintained about his disability, it's doubtful he would have gone outside his tight knit circle to obtain the equipment.

[The FDR documentary airs on the History Channel April 17-18 at 9 p.m. -- don't miss it!]

But Ford has officially been running its Mobility Motoring program since 1992 -- and has provided financial aid to assist over 120,000 motorists in outfitting their cars with mobility equipment.

Ford's program reimburses new Mercury, Lincoln and Ford buyers up to $1,000 toward the cost of installing the gear.

Race car driver Carol Hollfelder has acted as spokesperson for Ford's program over the last several years, and this year, her Tiger Racing team produced a special edition "Mobility Mustang."

Ford provided a 2005 Mustang GT to the project and Tiger Racing went out and did a full-on customization of the vehicle.

Pictured above at the NY Auto Show, the Mobility Mustang features Ford's Intelligent Vehicles Passive Entry System that unlocks and opens the driver side door -- along with a host of speed performance tunes that make the car almost as fast as Hollfelder's race car, which is based on the 2003 Ford Mustang.

Hollfelder, who is paraplegic, uses specially designed hand controls to race her Mustang on the track.

Posted by Frank at 05:47 PM | Comments (0)

April 16, 2005

Chevy's Equinox is a Top-Selling Hit

GM has a new product success story on their hands in the Equinox SUV, which is selling quite well since its introduction a little over a year ago.

Actually, that's an understatement. For the first quarter of 2005, the Equinox has been the number one seller in the small SUV category every month, by a wide margin. [See chart after the jump.]

On the market only eight full months last year, the Equinox sold 84,024 units -- well ahead of its nearest competition, the Nissan Xterra, which sold 66,690 in twelve months. In 2005, the Equinox has sold 29,777 vehicles through March.

In the overall SUV segment, the Equinox is the 11th best-selling vehicle, which is led by the Ford Explorer in first place and the Chevy Trailblazer in second.

Autodata, the company that compiles industry statistics, does not include the Equinox in the "Sport wagon/crossover" category, which is led in sales by the Ford Escape. Were the Equinox listed there, it would be the fourth best seller, behind the Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota Highlander.

No matter how you slice the stats, the Equinox is performing better than anyone in the auto media is acknowledging.

Sold in two versions, the Equinox LS lists for $20,995 and the LT starts at $22,710. Both are front-wheel drive; the LS can be outfitted with all-wheel drive for $22,970; the LT gets AWD at $24,335.

The Equinox is an all-new vehicle for GM, and though it does replaces the Tracker in the small SUV category the two vehicles are completely different. Based on the same architecture as the Saturn VUE, the Equinox has a redesigned exterior and interior design and has both a longer wheelbase and wider stance.

Both the LS and LT share a 3.4L V-6 engine that produces 185-horsepower and is rated at 19 MPG in the city, 22 on the highway. Chevy dealers currently offer 0% financing on 36-month loans and a choice of either $1,000 in "Hot Button Bonus Cash" or a $1,500 total cash allowance.

The GM Hot Button program is giving away 1,000 vehicle between April 11 and May 31 to consumers who go to a GM dealer, push the OnStar button in a vehicle -- and are then told they are one of the lucky winners. Either way, you can use the $1,000 against the price of the vehicle you buy, though no purchase is required just to walk into a dealership and play.

Posted by Frank at 03:42 PM | Comments (0)

Goldberg to Host TV Car Show, "Automaniacs"

Goldberg is taking his well-known love for large things that make loud noises and go crunch -- and is turning it into a side job for the History Channel.

Starting in June, the wrestling superstar and budding thespian [Longest Yard, Santa Slay, Universal Soldier II] will host Automaniacs, a 13-episode show about big, loud and dangerous cars.

Episodes include:

GANGSTER CARS (June 1st at 10 p.m.): Smooth, sleek and glamorous, these cars helped make outlaws like John Dillinger, John Gotti and Al Capone look like gentlemen. Their cars could go from zero to 60 faster than most police cars. Some were bulletproof; others weren't. This episode looks at such cars as Al Capone's 1929 V-16 Cadillac, Bonnie & Clyde's 1934 Ford Deluxe Four-Door Sedan, John Dillinger's Hudson Terraplane 8, and armored versions of the S- Class Mercedes, one of the protective cars of today's mobsters.

MOONSHINE CARS (June 8th at 10 p.m.): Today's NASCAR circuit has its roots dating back to Prohibition. During that era, a variety of vehicles had roles in transporting illegal bootleg liquor. Searching for any advantage over the Feds who sought to close them down, they modified Detroit's best cars into hot wheels that they raced against each other on Sunday afternoons-and then raced for their lives and livelihood.

SUPER CARS (June 15th at 10 p.m.): Superfast, supercharged and superbeautiful, these are the ultimate sports cars. The ideal marriage of art, engineering and passion, these cars are sleek, powerful expressions of affluence and freedom. Ride along in cars such as the Lamborghini Miura, Ferrari F-40, the Saleen S7, and the McLaren F1 Road Car, the fastest passenger car in the world.

MUSCLE CARS (June 22nd at 9 p.m.): They're some of the baddest cars ever built. High performance, fast cars from the 60s and 70s, powered with large V8 engines. We'll trace their history from the Pontiac GTO -- the first true muscle car -- to the Yenko Camaro to the Shelby Cobra. We'll also burn rubber in Goldberg's own Mustang Lawman, a one of a kind muscle car that went to war to entertain troops overseas.

DEATH CARS (June 29th at 10 p.m.): As long as there have been cars, there have been accidents and death. This episode looks at the circumstances behind the automobile-related deaths of 1950s icon James Dean, cowboy star Tom Mix, sexy screen siren Jayne Mansfield, and standup comedian, Sam Kinison.

LOWRIDERS (July 6th at 9 p.m.): They spray brilliant sparks when scraping over asphalt. They dance down dark alleys like a salsa performer. They hop higher than a kangaroo. These cars are a unique combination of art and sophisticated technology welded together to create the ultimate automobile phenomenon. From their Mexican origins to today's car shows throughout the world, they have become some of the coolest cars to cruise the boulevards of America's roads.

COP CARS (July 13th at 10 p.m.): These four-wheeled predators prowl the urban and rural roadways of America, hunting down speed demons, armed robbers and cold-blooded killers. From the primitive paddy wagons to today's state of the art sedans and the 2004 Crown Victoria, go on the chase in some of the most popular and powerful police cars ever made. Go under the hood to see how these vehicles are modified to be the highest performing cars on the road.

CUSTOM PICK UPS (July 20th at 10 p.m.): The pickup truck is a uniquely American concept. Built tough, rugged and reliable, they were originally designed by Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet to be workhorses, but since their inception, their owners have dedicated themselves to testing the pick up truck's limits, to expand its functions, increase its power and improve its look. Meet die-hard enthusiasts who restore, trick out and customize any classic model they can get their hands on. This includes George Barris' 1929 Model A Roadster, the A La Kart, Spencer Murray's 1950/54 Chevy Dreamtruck, Bill "Maverick" Golden's Dodge A100 "The Little Red Wagon," and Gale Banks Dodge Dakota "Sidewinder," a diesel powered pickup clocked at more than 200 mph.

EXTREME BIKES (July 27th at 10 p.m.): Not all bikes are created equal. These sleek, fast and innovate bikes were made for the rich or for speed-crazy racers. Hop on for a ride on the ultimate bikes in terms of technology, design and performance including the Indian 8-Valve Board Track Racer, the 2005 Ducati 999R, the BMW R32, the Vincent series C "Black Shadow" and the Easy Rider "Captain America" chopper.

RIDICULOUSLY LARGE ENGINES (August 3rd at 10 p.m.): Meet the innovative hot rodders who practice their craft on an unimaginable scale. This episode will showcase extraordinary mechanical engineers who have managed to cram the largest powerplants into the most amazing vehicles -- Bryan Thatcher and his massively overpowered Nash Metropolitan; the tank-engine powered roadsters of the Blastolene Brothers; Shannon Seydel and his Jet Firetruck; and some Boss Hoss motorbike sporting engines that belong in cars.

HOT RODS (August 10th at 10 p.m.): Hot Rods. They're an American pop-culture icon, revered throughout the world. Stripped down and hopped up, they started as a Southern California craze nearly a century ago, and are now found racing on streets, drag strips and dry lakes everywhere. We'll explore the colorful history of these speed demons. From the "souped up" Model T's of the 20's to the Belly Tank Lakesters of the 40s and 50s, to today's Rat Rods and fiberglass reproductions. We'll even take a ride in "Milner's Coupe", the hot rod made famous in the 1973 film, "American Graffiti."

BIKES FROM HELL (August 10th at 11 p.m.): Strap on your leatherjacket for a badass ride on the motorcycles preferred by hardcore bikers. Motorcycles include the 1948 Indian Chief (the bike of choice of the Jack Pine Gypsies), "bobbed" 1941 Crocker (the bike of the Boozefighters), the chopped Harley (of the 1960s Hell's Angels), the 2003 Honda CBR 954RR (of today's Sport Bike Freaks) and the Suzuki TL 1000S (of today's Team-X Factor), which can go a jolting zero to 100 in four to five seconds.

CARS OF WORLD WAR II (August 17th at 10 p.m.): They're the cars driven by the leaders during World War II. Dwight Eisenhower's 1942 Cadillac, FDR's 1939 Ford, Hirohito's 1930 Rolls Royce, and the 1931 Mercedes 770K and 1938 Maybach driven by members of the German High Command. These automobiles share a unique history from one of the darkest times in human history.

Posted by Frank at 02:48 PM | Comments (0)

Solve the Gas Crisis by Working From Home

Tired of those thumb-sucking high gas prices stories? So are we -- here's a solution

Gas prices are up 29% in Virignia over a year ago, oh my. That's not really a story, but a way for a publication to look like they're "current" by piling on the bad news bandwagon.

Despite all the great and wonderful news about hybrid and hydrogen vehicles, there is a simple way to ease the current gas price problem -- don't drive to work!

Telecommuting is the solution that would put a chunk of money back in workers' pockets, and even help ease demand for gas, which in turn could lead to lower prices.

Driving to work is depressing. I've always felt it was uncompensated labor -- at a minimum of a 40-minute roundtrip commute, that's 3.33 hours a week you're investing in your job and not getting paid for it. In other words, an average commuter spends almost a full week driving to work every year.

With so many companies outsourcing work to Bangalore, there's no reason why telecommuting can't be done in greater numbers in America. Telecommuters are happier and more productive, and cost companies less money to support in terms of office space and employee retention.

If you aren't telecommuting now, you have two options. Convince your boss to let you work from home, full or part-time, or find a new job.

The International Telework Association & Council [ITAC] is an advocacy org that helps people do just that. If you want to turn your present job into a telecommuting arrangement, you may have to do some groundwork. Namely, creating a pilot program that will satisfy your managers that you aren't just trying to get out of work.

ITAC has a couple resources that can be used by employees to get over managerial resistance. For the record, managers can be leery of telecommuting because it represents a change from the "plantation mentality," and they wonder how they are going to manage your productivity.

I loved one quote from the materials. When asked how they knew an employee was being productive, a manager is likely to say, "because I can see them working."

Well every manager knows activity does not equal productivity, right? Sorry for the bad joke, but if you're going to convince your current boss to let you telecommute, you may have to help them do their job -- which includes having a demonstrable method of measuring productivity.

To help your company, and you, make the transition to telecommuting, check out ITAC's free resources, and an eWork guide that sells for $35.

The free presentations I learned the most from were, Creating a Great Places To Work: Telecommuting Lessons from the "100 Best," and "Making the Telework Case to Management."

If you don't think appeals to logic will get you anywhere at your current job, ITAC has another resources page that lists tools for telecommuting and a link to Careers from Home, a teleworking job board.

Posted by Frank at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)

April 15, 2005

GM Sells 1,000 "Apprentice" Badged Solstices in 41 Minutes

Pontiac paid an estimated $2 to $4 million to have the Solstice used as a marketing guinea pig on this week's Apprentice, simultaneously offering a limited edition badged version for advance buyers.

The promotion worked -- Pontiac took a 1,000 orders in way less than an hour -- and it seems as if there is some legit buzz building for this $20,000 entry level sportser.

See the related Notebook story.

Posted by Frank at 09:33 AM | Comments (0)

Top 10 Best Selling Cars for March 2005

The Honda Accord regained the #2 spot in March, after being displaced last month -- but for the year, Toyota still owns the #1 and #2 best selling cars in America with the Camry and Corolla. Amazing. But what's more amazing is that no one else is writing about it. Read the charts, people.

The Ford Mustang is now the #8 best selling car in the country, up one spot, thanks to a fall in sales of the Focus. The Mustang should easily take the top spot in the convertible segment in '05 -- Ford expects droptops to account for 30% of the 160,000 pony cars it expects to sell this year, for at least 50,000 total.

This volume should easily displace the Chrysler Sebring as the best selling convertible in America, which sold 37,147 in '04. The Mustang and the Sebring have traded the first two spots the last five years, according to Emily Foley of John Bailey & Associates. Sebring was #1 in 2004, 2003 and 2000, while Mustang led in 2001 and 2002.

The surprise gainer for the month is the Chevy Malibu, up 38.4% in sales -- displacing the Chrysler 300 from the #10 position.

Posted by Frank at 06:30 AM | Comments (0)

April 14, 2005

Test Driving the Suzuki Aerio SX -- More Fun than an Insomniac Could Ever Hope For!

Concept for a great TV commercial -- camera follows a grumpy insomniac from his apartment at 3 a.m to the parking lot. Sight of the Suzuki Aerio SX brightens him up a little ... then he gets in the car, starts the engine and drives off ... suddenly he's back on screen, wide awake and grinning as he guns the engine, throws it into gear and takes off up the ramp and onto the highway ...

Of course I think it's a great idea, it happened to me! Not able to sleep one night, I got up and decided to go get something from an all-night gas station -- taking advantage of the empty roads, I had a blast pushing through the Aerio's five-speeds, enjoying the right-there acceleration and tight handling.

Whatever you think about my directorial ambitions, if you're in the market for a incredibly affordable, fun car, you need to think about getting your bad self to a Suzuki dealer to check out the Aerio SX.

This car surprised me from the first time I saw it. My co-pilot had rented one in Cape Cod, and kept going on about what a fun car it was. And spacious, and peppy and good looking, to the point I almost got jealous.

First off, the Aerio SX, which is Suzuki's sport crossover version of the base vehicle, is a sharp looker. Angular and with a somewhat offbeat style, it's perfect for those who see their car as a refuge of fun after a hard day's work.

Second, the sticker price made me do a double take -- but the good kind. I couldn't believe the sporty five-door hatchback carried an MSRP of only $15,449. For that little money, in relative terms to the new car market, we've been taught to expect, well, not much.

Second, the sticker price made me do a double take -- but the good kind. I couldn't believe the sporty five-door hatchback carried an MSRP of only $15,449. For that little money, in relative terms to the new car market, we've been taught to expect, well, not much.

And who buys cars under $20,000? People who work the hardest for their money, and need reliable -- even fun -- transportation.

So driving the Suzuki Aerio SX was that much more enjoyable for me, as my delight with the car's performance was strengthened by my awareness of its afforadability, and vice versa, in a reinforcing feedback loop.

If that isn't enough, the Aerio is also the most affordable all-wheel drive vehicles available today. You can get an SX with automatic transmission and AWD for $17,249, or add anti-lock brakes for a total of $17,749.

The Aerio's main claim to performance fame comes from its 155-horsepower engine, and attendant 152 lb-ft. of torque, both best in class. At the end of the article you'll find a comparison chart showing how the car stacks up against other vehicles, but please don't stop there -- to appreciate the car you have to test drive it.

Mated to the five-speed transmission, you get more pick up and go out of this car than you probably need, but as I said, a big part of this car's appeal is it's fun factor.

Moving past that, it's also practical. The SX is a hatchback version of the base Aerio Suzuki sells, and it boasts 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded flat -- also more than any other vehicle in its class.

The interior also delivered greater style and quality than you would expect if you were to look at the sticker price first. The black cloth seats have a stain fighting pattern to them, and the center radio & air control console is a brushed aluminum affair with big buttons. A six CD stereo with seven speakers and steering wheel mounted controls are standard on the SX.

Suzuki even added several thoughtful details that improved the appearance and an owner's enjoyment in the car. Small items such as the ridged chrome door locks, the cowled, dash-top clock and an opera-style pane of glass on the front doors made me feel as if this was a car a bunch of unnamed designers and engineers are proud of.

Gas mileage is rated as 25 in the city and 31 highway. The Aerio is backed by a 36-month, 36,000-mile bumper to bumper warranty, augmented 84-month, 100,000-mile powertrain coverage.

While this review covered the Suzuki Aerio SX hatchback, the company also sells a sedan version, available in S, LX and LX all-wheel drive trim levels. Prices for the Aerio sedan start at $13,449 and run to $17,449.

Posted by Frank at 05:49 PM | Comments (0)

When Car Ads Attack! Check Out Isuzu's Brilliant Stealth Tactic

Early this evening I was checking my site stats and saw someone had posted a link at the Jeep enthusiast site, WranglerGear.com.

So I started backtracking to see what was said, when I spied the Google AdSense ad pictured here.

Pretty provocative copy, eh? So I clicked on it -- and laughed out loud when I was taken to an ad for the Isuzu Ascender [click through to see a screenshot.]

All car companies compare their products to one another, it's SOP. However, this ad is inspired. Just think -- it took the cunning to deliberately set up an AdSense account for this campaign, where Isuzu is delving directly into the heart of where their competition lives. I love it!

The ad copy is raw, it was deliberately placed on a site allied with a competitor and the landing page is a blunt instrument. By the way, on the page you see below the Ascender's value isn't as well spelled out as it is here, where the price is given as $19,209.

For those of you unfortunate enough to work in large corporations, you know how crazy it is to get even normal things, like a spring water account, approved and paid for.

Even though Isuzu is a small company, neither is it a five-person group where things get approved in casual conversation. What's really admirable about this stealth attack ad campaign is that it exists at all.

Posted by Frank at 07:48 AM | Comments (0)

April 13, 2005

NY Subaru Dealer -- and Shelby Alum -- Adds "X" Factor to Special Edition Legacy GT

Bill Kolb, Jr., knows how to tune production cars for a discerning -- and eager -- market. Coming off a drag racing career in the early 1960s Kolb found himself selling Shelby Cobra Mustangs, and quickly became the number one salesman in the country of the modified Pony cars.

Having owned and sold two Ford stores himself, Kolb bought a Subaru dealership in Rockland County, New York, and is repeating his earlier success with his very own, branded and tuned Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT.

Like the Shelby Cobra, Kolb takes the base Legacy 2.5 GT sedan and wagon -- already outfitted with 250 hp and 5-speed tranny -- and gives it a bump up the performance ladder with a custom-desgined tuner package.

Dubbed the "GTX," Kolb's custom cars come equipped with a tuner package worth $4,349 -- but sells for only a fraction of that thanks to Kolb's volume purchasing.

"My philosophy in selling cars is to give them what they want," Kolb said. "The GTX gives you more power and an appearance of something special."

And while Legacy GT shoppers are already looking for an every day car that has an extra amount of style and performance, Kolb's GTX adds a competition-bred strut tower brace, free-flow sport exhaust system [including a Borla Exhaust and K&N Filtration], a custom rear spoiler, a choice of three different leather interior upgrades and unique GTX badging.

Kolb's GTX sedan sells for $27,388 [only $713 over plain retail], and the GTX wagon lists at $28,277, only $600 more than Subaru's MSRP. Because Kolb knows many of the suppliers from his previous careers as a drag racer, Ford dealer and his time founding his own aftermarket company, he's able to get volume pricing and can pass those savings on to GTX customers.

"People like to have a different kind of car," Kolb said. "What we're doing is giving people an alternative, helping them feel like they're part of building a custom car."

To help his customers make their GTX truly their own, Kolb also sells additional accessories such as a navigation system, and four different performance wheel sets.

Kolb has already sold 50 of his custom GTXs, toward his 2005 goal of putting 100 new cars on the road. "We're looking to build our own niche market," he said. "People have friends who like this kind of car and they can't get it anywhere else."

To learn more about the Subaru GTX, and see plenty of pics, visit http://subarugtx.com/.

Posted by Frank at 08:56 AM | Comments (0)

April 12, 2005

Test Driving the Ford Five Hundred: Rediscovering the Pleasures of Driving a Sedan

In this latter-day age of specialty vehicles, from minivans and SUVs to sporty hatchbacks and convertibles, it seems that somewhere along the way, people have forgotten that the sedan, too, has it own special place.

I'm a sedan guy. My last two cars were Buick sedans, one full, one mid, and getting a week in the Ford Five Hundred meant reveling in the unique pleasure of driving a car that makes no apologies for what it is – long and wide and determined to carve its own path in the road.

Actually, the Five Hundred is a niche vehicle of sorts. It’s considered a “premium midsize sedan,” which I suppose means it’s a five seater as opposed to an old school large car, the kind that used to seat six across two wide benches.

Nevertheless, the Ford Five Hundred is a big car. Parked in my lot next to a Lincoln LS, it towered over it – indeed, it was taller and wider than most cars I found pulling up alongside.

It drives like a big sedan. And in the best sense of function follows form, driving the Five Hundred conveys that “I’m in my lane, stay in yours,” lassitude that characterizes what it means to drive a sedan.

In short, the pleasure of driving the Five Hundred comes from feeling safely ensconced in a big cabin where you are the captain and no one is going to try and squidge into your lane, pressure you from behind or make a silly move from the blind right side.

Other drivers gave the Five Hundred plenty of space – and I got plenty of double takes as I blithely went on my rounds. Honking the horn at a friend who happened to pull up at a red light, we rolled down our windows and did the hellos.

“So, that’s the Five Hundred,” he said, nodding approvingly at the big burgundy vessel atop 18-inch wheels.

He wasn’t alone. I got the full gamut of approving looks – from arched eyebrows and short-stops to following gazes and slight head nods. The Five Hundred garnered plenty of attention, but remember I was in full-on I’m in my own sedan world state of mind so I probably missed some.

This car is for people who either want to rediscover – or experience for the first time – the joy of living in their own four-wheel environment, that keeps the world outside at bay and delivers its own sense of manifest destination along the way.

In a landscape of special purpose vehicles, the Five Hundred’s purpose could be stated “especially for you.”

The Five Hundred comes equipped with a 203-horsepower V6 in all three versions, which retail for $22,840 to $26,965. All are either front-wheel drive or can be ordered with the all-wheel drive option that comes mated to a continuously variable transmission. The Five Hundred is the only sedan in its class that offer AWD, and Ford is having a hard time keeping up with the orders – about 25% of buyers want the all-power option.

The previously mentioned “big sedan experience” is augmented by Ford’s “Command Seating” feature, which has the seats mounted four inches higher than in other sedans. I found this to be a nice compromise between having to drive an SUV, versus suffering the bug on the road complex that plagues car drivers when sport utes pull next door.

The performance trinity of acceleration, handling and braking are all within the comfortable range for an everyday driver. The Five Hundred does not squeal its tires when given the green, or respond to attempts at G-force hairpin turns, but that’s not it’s mission. The car accelerates to cruising speed easily, the wheels absorb asphalt divots and the steering is somewhat of a country club affair.

In other words, it’s a pleasure to drive.

The cabin on all models continues the sedan concept – of creating an environment that means to keep the mean streets separate from you, if only for the trip. Space is plentiful, no one feels cramped, and the Command Seating provides a clear view of the outside world.

The Limited edition we drove had leather seats and wood-burled fronts on the dash, along with a retro, oval-shaped analog clock that enhanced the old-school sedan feel. In a bow to technology, the Five Hundred has a message center in the SEL and Limited models, that tells you miles to empty and average mpg.

Speaking of which, an unheralded benefit of the Five Hundred is its fuel economy, relative to its size and category. All models are rated at 21 mpg city, 29 highway – now give that Americans are apparently torn between buying gas guzzlers and sippers, it seems the Five Hundred offers the best of both worlds – a roomy sedan with reasonable mileage. Mileage is slightly lower -- 19/26 -- for the AWD version.

And thanks to the fold-flat passenger seat, the 60-40 fold-down rear backs and the supersized, 21-cubic foot trunk, the Five Hundred is one of the most versatile sedans for hauling around “stuff.”

In terms of safety, the Five Hundred comes with standard, dual stage front airbags, anti-lock brakes and traction control. Second row canopy airbags and side impact airbags are optional – as is the back-up safety sensor, a system which beeps when you are getting close to an object. I found this feature particularly useful due to the car’s size and extended height.

For more information about the Ford Five Hundred, you can always check out the company’s site, and I also recommend the excellent owner forum My Ford 500 as well as the news portal, Blue Oval News.

Posted by Frank at 06:14 PM | Comments (0)

XM MyFi Final Thoughts

I've had the XM MyFi for a week now, using it as a walkman, home stereo and car accessory, and this is [probably] the last of three articles about this amazing $299 gadget.

As a piece of technology unto itself, the MyFi is not as prosaic as it looks. Weighing 6.9 ounces and with an easy to hold profile, the radio was the first portable satellite receiver and it one of those rare products that got it right in the first iteration.

Given its triple-use nature, I think it should be a first stop for anyone thinking about becoming an XM satellite radio subscriber. By functioning as a personal-home-car unit, it alleviates the need to purchase a second radio, as well as incurring the additional $6.99 a month XM charges to add additional receivers to the basic $12.99 a month subscription price.

As for using it as a personal walkman, I clipped the MyFi onto my sweatpants Sunday, listening during a three-hour bike ride to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom around the tidal basin in Washington, D.C.

Except for a few spots on the bike trail, reception was crystal clear, as I rode and strolled through the day. While this may not sound like a big deal, using it as a walkman means relying on the built-in antenna -- that receives the signal from the space-bound XM satellites. The MyFi kit includes a so-called "wearable antenna" that you can clip on an article of clothing or the shoulder strap of a backpack or purse, but I didn't fool with it and got along just fine.

During my ride, and actually most of the time, I wind up listening to channel 110, the classics station. I've also enjoyed listening to the two comedy stations, the eighties channel and two R&B stations, "Soul Street," and "The Groove."

However, I do have two complaints about the programming, one major, one minor.

The major complaint is that XM plays way too many overproduced, blaring promo spots that sound like the regular radio stations I've gladly left behind. Please note I don't mind if an announcer tells me they've got baseball on 175, or even that I should tell my friends about how much I love XM. Every business needs to promote itself.

However, the XM programmers seem to be comepting internally to see who can create the most obnoxioius promos. I don't want to hear the same kind of "wild" and "wacky" self-boosting that I can get on any Clear Channel or Infinity station. It's intrusive, abusive and in my view, a violation of the compact XM has made with their audience, where they've promised a listening experience that's superior to traditional radio. I'm hoping that XM's programmers will get over themselves and tone down the volume.

The minor complaint was that one night, when I tuned into my classics station, I was greeted by the hideous noise of a Ravi Shankar Sitar Concerto. That's right -- sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

It was as painful as getting accupuncture -- in the eye. With all that bandwidth, if the XMmies want to expand someone's consciousness, they can play Mr. Shankar's masterpiece on the One World channel or some other obscure corner of the dial. The sitar is not a classical instrument and Mr. Shankar's music will not be played 300 years from now, OK?

Posted by Frank at 01:20 PM | Comments (0)

Better Smile When You Call Me a Blogger, Mister

Site update: After running Car Buyer's Notebook for a full quarter, I'm taking stock of what works, what doesn't and what I can and can't do.

The main issue is blogging. It's not only impossible to blog every silly item that comes across the Internet, it's pointless when you consider that any reader can set up a couple newsfeeds to catch every item that's accessible to me.

Toward this end, I'm including the URL for my custom Google News page, which you can copy, set as your own and have more news stories than you can read in a day. Check it out -- it's rich!

For me as a writer and journalist, blogging is enervating. I did not grow up aspiring to be a compulsive, ADD-afflicted chimp that types a couple sentences and throws in a link. It's boring work and time will prove that straight blogs really don't add much value.

I have notes and printouts for about a dozen original stories on my desk at any time, and even though they take longer to produce, that's where I'm going to concentrate my efforts. In the long run, that's what's going to keep readers coming back, and create an inventory of stories that are worth more than running water gone down the drain.

In the last week, I've written a bunch of stories that you either can't find anywhere else, or are unique in their approach to the topic. As examples, please check out any of these: Town & Country minivan, the GM-LA Times dustup, the XM MyFi, Subaru's new ad campaign, Greasecar and using Honda's navigation system. All these stories are based on either original data analysis, primary interviews or first-hand experience, or a combination of elements. More satisfying for me, better content for you.

I'm still going to blog a couple stories a day, according to my own own interest level and my gauge of relevance to the reader. For you, I estimate you can expect 3-8 stories per day, a mix of original journalism and news briefs, which is what blogging posts are called when editors place them in newspapers and magazines.

In a short time, Car Buyer's Notebook has attracted a core group of regular readers, which is the second best part of the job I've assigned myself. First best is the writing, which I hope keeps you coming back.

Posted by Frank at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)

BMW's Comic Series Paying for Itself

The fourth of six installments of BMW's comic book is on sale, and Ad Age reports the spin-off project is returning enough royaties to make it a zero-sum marketing effort.

Based on BMW's short film series, The Hire, the six-issue limited edition project is published and sold by Dark Horse Comics.

Dark Horse prints between 20,000 and 30,000 copies of each 32-page book, which sells for $2.99.

Posted by Frank at 08:17 AM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2005

The Real Import of the GM-LA Times Dustup

Have you noticed of all the people tsk-tsking about GM pulling their LA Times ads, none of them are newspaper advertising executives?

That's because they're having a Depend's moment.

The real story here is that GM was wasting the money they were spending on newspaper advertising. I'm not referring to dealer advertising, which will continue to flow, due to sheer brinkmanship and the still underperforming promise of local Internet marketing penetration.

The reason newspaper ad execs are wetting themselves is that print advertising is an overpriced, inefficient product that defies any attempts to measure its effectiveness. And everyone knows it. Insert the old saw, "half my advertising budget is wasted, I just don't know which half," here.

The flip side is that there is an alternative, particularly in the automotive space -- the one you are using right now.

The Internet continues to dominate as the medium consumers use to make vehicle buying choices. About two-thirds of new vehicle buyers use the Internet to research their purchases, according to the latest J.D. Power and Jupiter Research reports.

With the Internet, you can do real research on vehicles that cannot be accomplished with either a single daily newspaper or even credible buyer's guide books and magazines. And the resources are formidable -- from the most popular third party sites such as Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book, to manufacturer's and dealer websites, consumers can compile an encyclopedic case study on their purchasing project.

This list leaves out ancillary resources, such as the government's safety and gas mileage sites, general interest magazines from industry giants Primedia and Hachette and yes, even independent upstarts run by newspaper refugees.

According to J.D. Power’s New Autoshopper.com study released last year, the average Internet shopper spent 4.9 hours researching their vehicle online, visiting seven different websites. While the overall percentage of Internet users remained steady at 64%, consumers 60 and over increased their usage to 47%, up from 39% in 2003.

And the percentage of consumers using the Internet is only going to go up, for three main reasons, according to Julie Ask, a Jupiter Research analyst who specializes in the automotive industry.

The first reason is the sheer increase in the Internet population – at about 200 million users today, the United States has the greatest percentage of Internet users in the world.

And those users are “maturing” in terms of their comfort and savvy in using online tools, according to Ask. “Internet tenure is maturing,” Ask said. “The higher the tenure the more likely they are to do research online and the more likely they are to make decisions online.”

Finally, while Jupiter found that Internet usage among car buyer’s has remained steady at about two-thirds from 2002 to 2004, Ask said the car buying cycle may have contributed to that plateau. Because people buy cars in three to five year cycles, as more people get around to buying their next set of wheels, the usage number is likely to go up, Ask said.

In terms of Internet advertising, this recent San Francisco Chronicle article details how online advertising reached a high of $12.3 billion last year, with all signs pointing to continued growth. The article makes two broad points about this increase worth mentioning in the context of GM’s retraction from the LA Times ad pool.

First, consumers spend an approximate 14% of their media time online – and let’s fact it, a lot of that time is at the office, when they’re supposed to be working. Could you imagine reading a newspaper in your cubicle? And trying to pass that off as “research” when your supervisor walks by?

Getting back to the article, Greg Stuart, of the Interactive Advertising Bureau gives the money quote: "That is a dramatic shift, going from zero to 14 percent in 10 years. If time is our most precious commodity, and that is where consumers are spending their time, marketers will follow,'' he said.

Second, online advertising is trackable – more so than that placed in any other media. Advertisers and their agents know with chilling precision who is looking at their ad, for how long and what action, if any, they took.

One thing the article did not mention is the cost imbalance that currently favors online advertisers. Simply put, newspaper and TV advertising is expensive, due partly to a legacy phenomenon, and also because ad reps can claim large audiences.

In the Internet space, however, advertisers are buying more effective and more trackable assets at laughably low rates, due to the recent dot-com crash, the still nascent reality of online advertising, as well as the diffuse market presented by thousands of web operators.

In other words, there’s only one dominant newspaper in LA, there are still only four TV networks and a half dozen cable outlets that aggregate “big eyeballs.” On the Internet, Google, Yahoo and AOL notwithstanding, there are thousands of sites that are in a position of they’ll take what they can get.

Back to GM and the LA Times. GM made a mistake. The negative publicity flak wasn’t worth what they’re saving in ill-spent ad dollars, because instead of buying no paying customers, they got a load of vitriol for free.

But in the words of an old PR hand, they now have an opportunity to make “chicken salad out of chicken shit.”

They could go populist, and spread a tiny portion of that reputed $10 million ad budget among hundreds – thousands of web sites, with tiny banner and interactive ad buys that would at first look transparent but wind up looking guerrilla savvy. Because two-thirds of today’s car buyers are on the Internet, for hours, researching their next ride.

Further, if they really wanted to do some of that out of the box thinking they so desperately need, they could go to every website in the LA geographic market -- including churches, community centers, blogs, band and artist sites and so on, and sprinkle some of that magic ad money dust around -- to the point they would actually be combining community service with marketing.

Come to think of it, this could be so effective that it might generate a bunch of positive press -- we could call it the GM Effect, and marvel how a company restored parks, clothed the naked and fed children while selling cars to the people. I'm sure some wonk would dub it, "Doing well while saving their behind."

The real import of this event is that neither GM nor any other car company needs to spend dime one on a newspaper print ad, ever again. The newspaper people know they are facing a naked emperor gambit, and are crossing their legs hoping no one calls them out.

Fortunately for fretting newspaper ad executives, you can order Depends online.

Posted by Frank at 09:35 PM | Comments (0)

Using Honda's Navigation System

Like a lot of software, the idea of learning how to use Honda's navigation system was worse than the fact. Add in the 92-page manual, and I put it off a day longer than I ought have.

I'm happy to report the nav system was not only ease to use, beyond the initial gee-whiz this is cool factor, the benefits of the tool create a new level of enjoyment in driving, plus it can relieve the enormous stresses of not knowing where you are, where you're going and so on.

This article is going to take a look at some of the basic features in the navsystem, how to operate it, and a couple examples of how I used it to help me get around.

The nav system in my Accord Coupe is a central command center that runs a live, on-board Mapquest-type feature, and also includes controls for the audio and climate control functions. Best of all, most of the commands can be voice-activated, by pressing a button under the steering wheel and speaking clearly so the overhead microphone can pick up what you mean.

Without doing anything, you can display the map screen that will show an icon representing the vehicle as it moves along city streets. Thanks to the zoom feature, the icon will move along clearly marked streets, or appear as a dot on a map that represents a larger area.

The other day, after I made a cable payment, I wanted to travel from Virginia into D.C. to catch a performance of Taiko drumming at the Kennedy Center. Having brought the address with me, I started typing it in until I decided to try the "place" finder. By using the touchpad to enter "Kennedy," I scrolled down using the stubby joystick to locate the entertainment complex's entry.

Clicking on it took me to an option where I could have my route calculated. It took the system less than a minute to give me the best way to get from where I was to the Kennedy Center -- and best of all, the onboard voice announced directions well in advance of any necessary turns. Alternately, the directions list and a Triptik-style colored route is displayed on the screen at the same time.

Like a lot of folks, I know how to get to certain places from my home, but navigating from point to point can get tricky without a map -- so this feature is phenomenal.

I was using the female voice, but the setup screen allows you to choose between a male's voice as well.

Later the same evening, I used it to get me from the Kennedy Center to a bookstore, and then from the bookstore to home. The first two were saved as "destinations" in the system's memory, but I typed in my address and saved it as "home," to aid future trips.

For long-term practicality, users will have their personal info saved in the navsystem, and enter destinations before they leave their home or office. This way, you can program a day's worth of traveling from one place to another, with your routes easily available.

When calculating routes, users can choose either a direct or easy route, and minimize travel on freeways or toll roads. Using either the voice command or touch screen, you can have the computer repeat recent instructions, particularly valuable if you're struggling to negotiate traffic.

Two additional features of the route feature are also worth mentioning. First, with the map display zoomed all the way in, turns are clearly indicated with little icons. I found this immensely helpful on D.C. streets, which are littered with merges and squiggles that printed directions fail to adequately convey.

Second, the system will recalculate how to get you to your destination, should you miss a turn. Somehow, I caught a hint of irony when the voice said, "make an immediate U-turn," or something to that effect.

During a routed trip, the screen will display a reading of the miles and time to your destination. In D.C., however, if you have a mile to go, it is not reasonable to assume you'll be there in four minutes, so this piece of data is more for comic relief than anything else.

For those traveling in unfamiliar areas, the "find nearest" feature will prove a blessing. By using either the screen or voice commands, you can ask the navsystem to find the nearest gas station, parking garage, restaurant, etc.

The display screen can also be set up to show icons for these and other type of landmark destinations. And while it could seem self-serving, the navsystem also helps you find the nearest Honda or Acura dealers, but think again -- should you be in an unfamiliar area and need service, this feature would remove a lot of the anxiety involved in an emergency.

The navsystem's control panel also lets you type in a calendar based to-do list, which I suspect would be used by folks who are either errand-bound or need to remember tasks for after work and the like.

The climate control and audio functions are also controlled through the navsystem, either by touch screen or voice command. By choosing "radio select XM," and "XM channel 110," and "volume down," you arrive at the satellite radio's Classics station, at an appropriately soothing level.

The same goes for air conditioning, where you can even use voice command to set different temperatures for the driver and passenger, thanks to the dual-control climate system.

Overall, I have to say the navsystem is well worth the $2,000 it costs to get through Honda. It delivers ease to the driver when getting from one place to another, and is really quite a fun thing to have onboard. As I wrote in my XM MyFi installation article, writing and reading this article takes more time than it does to sit down and figure out how to get it working for you.

Posted by Frank at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)

Performance Driving School -- Texas Style

The Driver's Edge runs an open-to-all drivers performance school eight times a year down in Texas, and the price is right.

The two-day seminars, where newbies run courses with instructors until they're certified, cost $275. TDE has five events left this year, and their website reports they sell out weeks in advance. The next school is April 30 to May 1, when drivers can run their own vehicles around a 2.9 mile, 14-turn Super Speedway.

Posted by Frank at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)

April 10, 2005

Subaru Exec Discusses New Marketing Campaign

Subaru is rolling out two brand new vehicles this year, and while the new Tribeca SUV is important to the company, their new advertising campaign may be the more vital engine that drives the automaker forward.

Titled “Think. Feel. Drive.” the company’s new multi-platform campaign is more than a tagline, according to Rick Crosson, Subaru’s VP of Marketing.

“It literally is our philosophy,” Crosson said, explaining that to arrive at their new public theme, the company turned their previous marketing efforts upside down.

With the help of new ad agency DDB New York, Subaru first sought to come up with a way to describe their existing customer base.

One of the things Subaru wanted to change was their previous niche marketing strategy, where they deliberately targeted half a dozen distinct groups.

“We turned the glass the other way,” Crosson said, asking themselves, “what do these six groups have in common?”

The brainstorming process resulted in a new coinage, “inspired pragmatists,” that Subaru feels describes the common thread running through their current audience.

What Subaru’s “inspired pragmatists” have in common are the following: a sense of community, commitment to the environment, and a love of travel and adventure. What this list demonstrated to Subaru executives was that it not only described the kinds of things people did, but also represented a set of shared emotional values.

Crosson said that with the previous advertising methods that focused directly on lifestyle, Subaru communicated their messages to about 33 million potential customers.

But Subaru also determined, after looking at their new definition of “inspired pragmatists,” that they were missing a chance to communicate with another huge chunk of the car buying public.

By previously focusing on what people did, in their lives and in their Subaru’s, the company realized they were missing the chance to speak to a larger audience that shared similar views on the world and their place in it.

“There’s 14 million people we weren’t reaching,” Crosson said, adding their research begged the question: “Could we position our products to make them more relevant not only to their lifestyles but to their values?”

Posted by Frank at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)

Now You’re Driving With [Free] Grease!

Mass. Company Converts Diesels to Run on Vegetable Oil

Now that gas price hysteria is reaching War of the Worlds levels, wouldn’t you like to hear how you can escape the tyranny of one hose bandits?

Apparently, so do the hundreds of customers of Greasecar, a company that fabricates $795 conversion kits that allow diesels to run on used vegetable oil.

Based in Florence, MA, Greasecar fabricates a system that includes an extra fuel tank, a heater and all the hardware necessary to convert driving from a fee to free experience. The conversion kit is designed as a do it yourself project, and can be installed with a solid weekend’s effort, according to the company.

Greasers, as driver-evangelists are sometimes called, collect and filter used cooking oil from restaurants, and add it to the newly installed 15-gallon grease tank. Most greasers have no problem arranging for the free oil, as restaurants normally pay a rendering company to remove the waste.

The Greasecar conversion works by working in tandem with the original diesel tank; after starting the engine with diesel, heat exchangers warm the veggie oil to a low simmer, allowing it to start fueling the engine. At that point, the diesel supply is shut off, and the car is running on grease.

End result – Greasecars wind up getting over 200 miles per gallon of diesel they paid for, due to the low initial consumption. Grease mileage average the same as when the vehicle ran of pure diesel – but since it’s free, greasers wind up reducing their annual fuel bill by over 90%. Figuring the current cost of diesel and average driving habits, Greasers pay for the conversion in six to eight months.

Lee Briante, a Greasecar technical service rep – and proud Greaser himself – says the company is selling 40 to 60 of the kits every month, and is steadily increasing sales, thanks to the dual effect of gas prices and to a lesser extent, the Iraq war.

“In the beginning, it was environmentalists and hippies, but now we’re seeing a different kind of clientele,” Briante said. While many are motivated by some kind of green concern – for the planet or their pocketbook – Greasecar has seen several current or former military personnel become customers.

Briante said these customers, “know firsthand the importance of using foreign fuels versus American-produced vegetable oil, there’s a certain patriotic thing going on.”

Environmentalists, the frugal and the patriotic notwithstanding, Greasecar’s biggest opportunity for growth is probably in commercial sales. Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company, converted a delivery truck to run on vegetable oil collected from their own cafeteria, garnering savings as well as local green bennies.

Briante said Greasecar has interest from trucking and bus fleets, and is negotiating to convert several taxi companies as well.

Briante said most Greasers have their oil collection and filtration task down to about an hour a week, which is not bad for a dedicated hobbyist. But how many individuals are willing to stick with the discipline?

With a fleet of several vehicles, however, the process benefits from economies of scale – instead of a pump jockey, companies will probably have to create a designated grease ranger.

Greasecar customers, Briante included, have reported hundreds of thousands of friction-free driving with veggie oil. Besides the financial benefits and pride of place, Greasers also tout the sulfur-free and 25% to 50% reduction in carbon monoxide from the tailpipe of a veggie car.

Besides information on their products, the Greasecar website has a list of customer profiles, as well as a classified section where greaser wannabes can shop for retro-diesels or post-conversion Greasecars.

Posted by Frank at 05:57 AM | Comments (0)

April 09, 2005

First Impression: Driving the Honda Accord Coupe

Normally when you think of the Honda Accord, images of a sensible, MOR vehicle that gets you from here to there conjure up -- without drawing attention to itself. Or you.

But the Accord Coupe is a revelation. Thanks to the two-door config, the lines of the car are sculpted, with a somewhat aggressive nose and a dramatic back. Because the car's lines aren't interrupted by the usual set of four doors, you get the feeling the designers were able to put a little more love into this Accord version, because they knew their vision wouldn't be squelched.

It actually looks and evokes more of an upscale Acura feel to it, while at the same time whispering, "get in and lets go for a spin."

We did -- and here's where we really need to express our gratitude to our car guy Dave. He delivered a top of the line EX 6-speed coupe, equipped with the XM satellite radio and GPS Navigation system. This mockup retails for $29,315, destination charges included, and has the 240-horsepower, 24-valve V-6 lurking under the hood.

Who knew a Honda Accord would have so much power, so much spring with the manual, that it would take a day and a half to get used to the pop? Driving the car feels like you do the day after a long, clean run -- your legs are loose and itching to break into a lope -- taking you down the trail faster than you thought you wanted to go.

Same with the Accord Coupe. I had to deliberately tune down my accelerator foot to keep from chirping the wheels. The gearing is fat -- you always seem to have plenty of juice left no matter where the shifter is in the box. And even at top speed on the Beltway, sixth gear still had plenty of accel-power.

Inside the Accord Coupe, you get a comfortable, moderately low-slung cockpit. The speedometer and tach are somewhat plain affairs, but your attention is drawn to the center navigation system control panel, that also serves as the gateway to the stereo and air controls.

The pre-installed XM satellite radio is controlled through one screen that allows you to program 12 preset stations. Audio commands, along with AC, are logged with a combination of touch screen and fixed buttons.

The navsystem is a wonder in itself -- meaning I wonder when I'm going to have the time to read the 92-page manual that describes how to set up and use all its features!

For now at least, I know how to bring up the map page, which shows the progress of the car along my neighborhood streets.

Somehow, the GPS system also calculates speed, because the little red arrow icon that is my coupe moves faster or slower depending on whether I'm crawling around town or speeding along the beltway.

Apparently you can set up the navsystem to give you directions -- think of a live-action, interactive Mapquest. That talks to you. Yes, that's right, the Honda navsystem has a voice function that tells you when the next turn or merge is coming up in your trip.

Overall, the Coupe is an exciting ride. Prices start at $19,875 for a 4-cylinder, up to our top o' the line V-6.

Posted by Frank at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)

April 06, 2005

Installing the XM MyFi Satellite Radio Receiver in the Ford Five Hundred

In yesterday's post, I got all happy-happy about my new MyFi portable XM radio. Having listened to bits of a couple dozen channels, I can say the happiness keeps on coming.

Last night, using a couple accessories from the MyFi kit, I installed the radio to play over the stereo of my Ford Five Hundred. It was easy -- so easy, in fact, that I completed the installation in about five minutes -- despite having brought the Spanish language instructions with me!

And no, "No leo a españoles!"

Not only was the experience of having XM radio in the car a quantum leap in enjoyable entertainment, I'm emphasizing the ease of installation for anyone who may have been avoiding adding satellite to their existing vehicle over fear of hassle, expense or damaging their car.

For $299, the MyFi unit delivers a triple boon -- new car stereo, home reception, and obviously, the portable solution.

To install the MyFi in the Ford Five Hundred -- temporarily, as it's not my car -- I used six items from the unit's kit. I chose the vent mount to put it in the car, as it's a temporary fixture, as opposed to the other two included pieces of hardware, that are permanent. [Scroll down for the equipment and how-to lists.]

There are also three different way to get the radio to work with your car's existing stereo, two of which are temporary. The third method requires the purchase and installation of an additional $50 adapter.

For the Five Hundred, I chose the easiest method, using the MyFi's internal wireless FM transmitter. By setting your car's FM dial and the MyFi to the same station, the MyFi's satellite channels are "magically" heard over your stereo -- no wires, no hacks -- nothing but digital.

I was surprised at how well the wireless option worked. After awhile, the audio experience was so tranparent, the only evidence I had of the new stereo was by looking at it mounted on the dash. At one point I did have to switch to another FM frequency when the sound fizzled a bit, something the instruction manual warns you about. And something I read about after retrieving the English language manual.

The great thing about the MyFi in the car is that you can take it with you, for personal use as well as security reasons. I left it in the car when stopping at a convenience store, and looking at it through the window I thought that it presented a too-juicy incentive for someone to bash the glass and take it with them.

And I like the way it looks, exclusive, in an aftermarket kind of way.

Now, about the experience. All I can say to anyone is don't try it if you're not ready to buy it. Satellite radio in the car is as different from radio as driving is to walking. You will never go back.

I loved the remote control, switching back and forth to different stations, and being able to enjoy XM's decade-oriented music stations, my classical favorites, or the mutliple live news feeds from cable TV.

Satellite radio offers the user access to an entire universe of audio programming -- I contend that even the most ardent self-programming iPod maven can't match what's available on satellite 24/7. Even after six months of listening, I can't get over what a revolution this represents.

Self-Installing the XM MyFi, Equipment List
1. The MyFi receiver.
2. Vehicle power adapter.
3. Vehicle antenna.
4. Vehicle cradle.
5. Vent mount.
6. Remote control.

Self Installing the XM MyFi, Step-by-Step
1. Connect the antenna, power adapter and vent mount to the back of the cradle.
2. Plug the MyFi receiver into the cradle.
3. Snap the vent mount clips into the louvers.
4. Plug in the adapter.
5. With the MyFi unit off, tune the FM radio into one of twelve unused frequencies.
6. Turn the MyFi on.
7. Using the MyFi menu button, select "FM Frequency."
8. Use the thumbwheel to select the FM frequency you set the FM radio on.
9. Listen!

Posted by Frank at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)

First Subaru Tribeca Rolls Off Line, Prices Announced

The first Subaru B9 Tribeca rolled off its Indiana assembly line Monday, the first of 26,000 SUVs the company plans to make and market this year.

Subaru has also just announced pricing for the Tribeca, with five passenger models selling for $30,695 to $32,295. Seven seaters start at $32,395 and run to $37,695.

The Notebook saw the Tribeca at the NY Auto Show, you can read the story here. Full price list after the jump.

2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices

B9 Tribeca 5-Passenger Models:

B9 Tribeca 5-Pass. (Slate Gray Interior)

B9 Tribeca 5-Pass. (Desert Beige Interior) $30,695

B9 Tribeca Limited 5-Pass. (Slate Gray Interior) $32,295

B9 Tribeca Limited 5-Pass. (Desert Beige Interior) $32,295

B9 Tribeca 7-Passenger Models:

B9 Tribeca 7-Pass. (Slate Gray Interior) $32,395

B9 Tribeca 7-Pass. (Desert Beige Interior) $32,395

B9 Tribeca 7-Pass. w/ Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System (Slate Gray Interior) $34,195

B9 Tribeca 7-Pass. w/ Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System (Desert Beige Interior) $34,195

B9 Tribeca Limited 7-Pass. (Slate Gray Interior) $33,895

B9 Tribeca Limited 7-Pass. (Desert Beige Interior) $33,895

B9 Tribeca Limited 7-Pass. w/ Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System (Slate Gray Interior) $35,695

B9 Tribeca Limited 7-Pass. w/ Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System (Desert Beige Interior) $35,695

B9 Tribeca Limited 7-Pass. w/ Navigation (Slate Gray Interior) $35,895

B9 Tribeca Limited 7-Pass. w/ Navigation (Desert Beige Interior) $35,895

B9 Tribeca Limited 7-Pass. w/ Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System + Navigation (Slate Gray Interior) $37,695

B9 Tribeca Limited 7-Pass. w/ Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System + Navigation (Desert Beige Interior) $37,695

Posted by Frank at 09:45 AM | Comments (0)

April 05, 2005

This is My XM MyFi

The knock at the door was the FedEx lady bearing gifts -- this portable XM satellite radio unit, aka the MyFi.

And I say gifts, because the MyFi is much more than a handheld, belt-clippable satellite receiver that lets you listen to over 150 channels of XM's digital music, news and sports through a pair of headphones.

The unit ships complete with everything you need to use it in its three modes -- as a portable, a home unit or an in-vehicle radio.

As I'm writing this I've got the MyFi in its home cradle, wired through my computer speakers and controlled by remote.

Later on, I'm going to "install" it in the Ford 500 I'm test driving. I put that in quotes because the MyFi has a truly cool feature that lets you listen to XM through your car's existing stereo -- yet without using any permanent hardware.

Known as the Wireless FM option, the Myfi has a built in transmitter that sends the signal to any FM radio. By tuning the radio to an unused frequency, then setting the MyFi to communicate with that wavelength, you'll hear XM through your car stereo!

But, for those of you who decide to take the plunge and go XM, you can purchase an adapter that can be installed at a stereo shop. Alternately, the MyFi kit also comes with an adapter for cars with casette decks.

I'm going to fiddle around with the MyFi and will post an in-depth review. For now, though, I can report the sound on the unit, when used as a portable, is simply great.

And more than loud enough -- this morning, the road crew was using a jackhammer to bust up the parking lot right outside my window. In cases like this, using the speakers just wasn't good enough.

I was also surprised at the clarity -- certainly better than any Walkman I've ever listened to.

The MyFi now sports a much tastier price -- list is $299 for the entire kit, down $50 from when it first appeared.

And I'll also report on the "My XM" feature, that allows you to record up to five hours of programming. This is perfect for frequent flying business travelers, sports junkies who want to record specfic events or NPR-refugees who want to capture every minute of the XM-exclusive Bob Edwards show.

Posted by Frank at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)

City of Papillion Lets You Work for Your Freedom

In an effort to collect $300,000 in unpaid traffic tickets, the beautifully named city of Papillion, Nebraska, is allowing scofflaws to work off their debts.

According to AP, offenders will work in the cities parks, golf courses, etc. In other words, picking up trash.

No word yet if the city will put people to work catching butterflies -- or building rafts out of coconuts.

Posted by Frank at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)

Chrysler Town & Country Minivan -- the Hottest Vehicle in America!

DCX's Stow 'n Go System is Stuffing the Competition

Believe it. After the jump, there's a patented Notebook sales chart that lays it out in black and white.

The Town & Country has a firm grip on the number two spot in the minivan segment, with an astounding 70.8% sales increase for the first quarter of 2005. For the last two years, the Town & Country has finished in fourth place, and there it seemed destined to languish.

For the last three months, we've been watching Chrysler shred our January prediction that the minivan market was a battle for second between Honda and Toyota, allowing for the Dodge Caravan's lock on the number one slot.

And we do mean shred. The Chrysler Town & Country minivan is turning in one of the hottest, unheralded sleeper performances of the year -- March sales were up 50.8% -- and there's no sign Chrysler Group is going to let go of the number one and number two spots in the supposedly boring minivan segment.

Even with a good showing from the Honda Odyssey in March – coming within 62 units of second place – the Town & Country is 5,000 units sales ahead for the year.

Combine the up to $3,500 in rebates with the predetermined aggressive pricing of the T&C versus the Odyssey, and it is possible Chrysler Group could make 2005 a banner year for the segment they created over 20 years ago.

The key to the Town & Country's success [and the Caravan's] lies in two and a half words: Stow 'n Go.

Introduced in December ’03, Stow ‘n Go is a seating system that allows the second and third row seats to fold flat. In the upright position, both rows have usable storage bins that keep gear, pocketbooks, laptops and all manner of modern accouterments out of the way.

Though the Odyssey has a third row Magic Seat system, and the Toyota Sienna has the Split & Stow third row, neither has the storage capacity or overall functionality of the Chrysler Stow ‘n Go.

With both rows sporting either upright storage, total fold-flat options or any of the 254 options in-between, the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country appear to have what more people really want in minivans.

In the words of Kevin McCormick, a Chrysler Group spokesman, Stow ‘n Go is the “killer app” of minivans. In other words, Chrysler continues to show it understand why people buy minivans – family-oriented hauling, convenience and usability.

“The Stow ‘n Go system is definitely the feature,” that’s driving Chrysler Group’s minivan sales, McCormick said. Stow 'n Go equipped minivans make up about 80% of Chrysler Group's minivan sales.

Designed and produced at a stated cost of $400 million, the Stow ‘n Go system is Chrysler’s statement they intend to own what they invented.

“We’ve had leadership dominance since we created the minivan in 1984,” McCormick said. “We’re not sitting on our heels. We have no plans to give up our dominant position.”

The Stow 'n Go system is only available on Chrysler Group minivans with a long wheelbase, though short wheelbase options are available. Prices for the Town & Country with Stow 'n Go range from $25,905 to $36,260, including destination fees.

Chrysler currently offers a $2,500 cash back rebate for the Town & Country, plus an additional $1,000 when purchased through Chrysler's financial arm.

The Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan has several different ways to get into a Stow 'n Go equipped minvan, with prices from $24,295 to $27,625. Similar rebates and financing deals are available with the Caravan.

Posted by Frank at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)

April 04, 2005

XM Adds 540,000 Subscribers in 1st Quarter

Hmm, this looks familiar. Let's do the math.

540,000 new XM subscribers
/90 days in first quarter of 2005
Equals:
XM Radio Adding 6,000 New Subscribers a Day in 2005

Posted by Frank at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)

Lutz Retracts "Phase Out" Remarks, then Gets Phased Out Himself

After being forced to retreat from a statement he made, saying Pontiac and Buick were damaged, Robert Lutz has now said, "We love all of our children equally. Nobody gets pushed out of the house."

Except that now Lutz has been pushed.

GM CEO Rick Wagoner has pushed Lutz aside, along with North American President Gary Cowger, from their current roles. Wagoner will assume responsibility for North American operations and focus on fixing the region as market share has fallen to its lowest level in 80 years, according to Bloomberg.

Lutz had been quoted as saying GM would likely discontinue one or more brands. Lutz and Cowger will now focus full-time on global product development and global manufacturing and labor, the company said.

On the positive side, this is a stand and deliver action for GM. If Wagoner fails, he too, will get pushed. He's probably got less than a year.

Posted by Frank at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)

Exhaustive Import Vehicle Sales Report for March 2005

Nissan joins exclusive club, Toyota breaks record,
Honda rebounds, Hyundai marches on

Ed. note -- click through to see the Notebook's nifty sales chart!

International nameplate vehicle sales rose 7.8% in March over the same month last year, as the auto industry as a whole posted a 4.6% volume increase, according to statistics from Autodata.

Market share for imports stayed above the 40% mark for the third straight month of 2005, at 41.9%. Perhaps most interesting, light truck and SUV sales increased for many automakers, showing that despite all the coverage about high gas prices, Americans still prefer to purchase larger vehicles.

For the market as a whole, light trucks accounted for 54.4% of all sales in March, though within this number sales of large SUVs are down, trucks and smaller SUVs continue to appeal to buyers.

Nissan hits the magic number
Not only did Nissan achieve its highly public goal of reaching one million unit sales in its fiscal year, March was also the first month the automaker ever broke the 100,000 sales barrier.

The final push can be attributed largely to Nissan’s light truck division -- up 44.9% for the month where every one of its seven models posted gains. The biggest increase came from the Pathfinder, which nearly tripled sales volume over March 2004.

From Infiniti, Nissan saw especially encouraging sales from its new M45 sedan, which sold 2,253 cars for an over 1,100% increase over last year’s 187 vehicles sold.

Toyota remains formidable
The nation’s number four automaker posted a 16.7% sales increase in March, breaking 200,000 vehicles for the first time and enjoying its best ever first quarter in nearly 50 years of doing business in the United States.

Nearly the entire sales increase came from Toyota brand cars. By itself the division sold over 100,000 units, for a 33.7% increase. While perennial best-sellers Camry and Corolla posted respectable gains, the really big news comes from the Prius, Avalon and Scion cars.

Avalon more than doubled volume, to 8,625 cars, and Prius nealry tripled last year’s mark, selling 10,236 hybrids. Scion’s three cars sold a total 13,855 units. With 32,972 Scions solds in the first quarter, the brand should easily exceed 120,000 units in its first full year of nationwide sales.

Honda bounces back
After a couple tough months, Honda posted an 11% sales increase in March, led by a 24% gain in light truck sales. Notably the Odyssey minivan posted 16,201 sales for a 33% increase, and the new Ridgeline pickup sold 3,875 units.

Honda also had its best-ever month for hybrid sales, moving a total 4,814 hybrid Accords, Civics and Insights. The all-new Acura RL continues to be a strong seller for the premium line, with 1,376 cars sold, over 451 last March.

Hyundai does it again
Not only did Hyundai’s 40,063 total units set a company record for the month, sales are up 11% over March 2004 and 13% over the first quarter of last year. The Sonata posted a 30% gain in sales, and the new Tucson SUV sold 4,604 vehicles.

Kia, Suzuki and MINI, plus BMW
Kia posted an 8.2% sales increase for the month, due to the reintroduction of the Sportage SUV, which sold 3,515 units. The Amanti sedan also performed well, nearly doubling sales over last year with 1,982 vehicles sold.

Suzuki had its best March sales period in 17 years -- up 7.6% from gains in both car and light truck sales. The Forenza platform, which includes the Forenza, Forenza wagon and Reno, sold 3,211 vehicles, over 1,932 last March. The XL-7 SUV sold 2,189 utes, over 1,487 last year. For the quarter, Suzuki is up 10.2% over last year’s record-breaking pace.

MINI convertibles are the force behind the niche brand’s 44% monthly increase -- as well as the little car’s 23% increase for the year. For the year, 3,022 MINI convertibles have been sold --- and the weather’s just starting to brighten up outside, when convertible sales typically take off.

Parent company BMW, however, suffered a 5% sales drop in March, due to an 18.4% dropoff in car sales. The BMW sales release said the "decline was not surprising, given that inventories of 3 Series sedans are at extremely low levels, in preparation for the launch of the all-new 2006 sedans in May."

BMW's overall sales numbers were salvaged by SUV volume, which rose 14.5%.

Porsche and Mazda mix it up
Mazda posted an overall 3.3% sales gain, with a 6.1% sales increase in cars versus a 4% drop in trucks. The 3 and 6 series cars did best, with the Mazda3 zooming ahead by 31.8% on 9,455 cars sold. The Mazda6 sold 6,791 cars for a 5.6% increase; the two cars are Mazda’s number one and two sellers, respectively.

While Mazda trucks did drop in sales, due mostly to a 32.6% falloff in MPV sales, numbers for the Mazda pickup and the Tribute both increased.

Porsche announced a 6.1% sales increase in March, and blamed a supply chain problem on low Cayenne sales numbers. Volume for the company’s popular luxury SUV was down 27.4%, but Porsche said dealers recorded the "highest number ever for customers ordering cars to their specification." The company said they are working through the supply problems and hope to be able to deliver more Cayennes to registered buyers.

The good news for Porsche is that sales of their refurbished sports car models are up 45.3%, with the biggest gain posted by the Boxster. The four versions of the entry-level sportster sold 741 units, for a 74% increase. Sales of all 911 variants increased from 785 last March to 991 this year.

Mercedes has an uptick, Mitsubishi looks on the bright side of life
As a means to leave the past behind, Mitsubishi’s sales releases now compare sales only to the previous month, leaving off last year’s negative performance. In March, Mitsubishi reports sales of 14,776 vehicles were up 18.4% over February. According to this measurement, all but three of the company’s fourteen offerings posted sales gains.

When compared to last year, however, Mitsubishi is down 27.6%.

Mercedes, struggling with quality problems and a recent recall of 1.3 million vehicles, posted a 1.9% sales increase, to 18,162 vehicles. All but two models lost ground -- the C-Class and the SLK. The latter’s sales of 1,170 cars accounted for the three-pointed star’s overall gain. Mercedes sales are down 11% for the first quarter of 2005.

Posted by Frank at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)

Nissan Gives Record-Setting Millionth Car to Lucky Buyer

Vince Sheehy, Michelle Merson, Troy Bekel, Michelle's fiancee, and Mike Matson, Executive Manager, Sheehy Nissan, stand in front of the millionth vehicle sold.

All Michelle Merson knew was that she wanted to get back into a Nissan. After selling a Maxima and switching to another brand for a couple years, the Maryland resident spent some time shopping before choosing to buy at Sheehy Nissan in Annapolis.

"It really wasn't the same," Merson said of her non-Nissan ride. "I bought my new Altima because I really wanted to come back to Nissan."

Merson drove off the Sheehy lot around 10 p.m. last Wednesday in her new Altima SE-R. Little did she know that Nissan executives were monitoring the transaction.

Mike Matson, GM of Sheehy, said company officers were watching the RDRs, or Retail Daily Reports, come in from around the country so they could see exactly when the one-millionth car went over the curb. Nissan was in the last days of their drive to a million promotion, where they were trying to reach one million sales in their fiscal year.

"They were sitting around and the one-millionth came across," Matson said.

It turned out that Merson's Altima represented the company's milestone vehicle.

After calling Sheehy to verify the deal, a Nissan exec told Matson they were going to do "something special" for Merson.

Sometime Thursday evening, Merson found out Nissan was giving her the Altima for free.

"She was over the moon, obviously," Matson said. "All the stars were in alignment."

Like a lot of Nissan dealerships, Sheehy had a strong month and not just with the Altima, which Matson said is "always our number one seller."

Sales of the new Pathfinder through the store were more than double, and the dealership also had best-ever months for the Titan and Armada.

But to get to a million sales in the U.S. -- and to be only the sixth company to do so -- both Nissan and Sheehy had to have more than a couple good sales periods.

"It's been a whole year straight, just one good month after another," Matson said. "Nissan is the greatest thing out there, everyone on our team's really excited."

Posted by Frank at 03:53 AM | Comments (0)

April 03, 2005

MINI Convertible Selling Wild in Mild Weather

When MINI first came to the U.S. three years ago they pulled off some great marketing gimmicks and shot off to a strong start.

But how many cars could what is essentially a one-vehicle brand actually sell off the lots? [MINI is owned by BMW.]

Surpisingly, MINI sales keep climbing, and while the numbers are small compared to broad platform companies, this nichemobile is still gaining fans that are voting with their cash.

BMW's latest sales numbers for March show a 44% sales increase for the month -- and for the first quarter, sales are up a likewise healthy 23%.

The real head scratcher is how many convertibles MINI is selling in the cold, dreary early part of the year.

There are 3,022 brand new MINI drop-top owners in 2005, and the next question is this -- how many are they going to move when the weather matches the feature?

Convertible pricing is either $21,450 for the Cooper or $24,900 for the Cooper S -- and BTW, did you know the rag has an integral sliding sunroof -- that can be opened at up to 75 MPH?

Posted by Frank at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)

Miata Still Zoom-Zooming after 16 Years

When Mazda introduced the Miata in 1989, it was the end of a drought for small convertible sports cars. The press loved it, but no one knew whether the public would buy, or just simply ogle them in the showroom.

Well, 16 years later, the Miata has sold over 700,000 units, mainly by starting with a good product that stayed true to its mission -- deliver a light, quick ragtop that was affordable and most of all, fun to zoom around in.

For 2005, the MX-5 Miata again stays true to its roots. While the 142-hp engine doesn't sound like much, bear in mind the car only weighs a little over 2,400 pounds. The power to weight ration, especially when combined with the five or six-speed manual, delivers eyeball jiggling performance -- for a little over $22K.

There's also an LS option, for $25,463, that gets you into the six-speed with a limited-slip differential, Bose stereo and leather seats.

However, for those who want to reach the pinnacle of Zoom-Zoom Island, there's the MazdaSpeed performance Miata, for $26,340, that gets you a turbocharged 178 hp engine mated to the 6-speed manual gearbox. The performance Miata also features 17-inch Racing Hart® alloy wheels, lower ground clearance and a shock tower brace that minimizes body toll.

And if that isn't enough for you, Mazda Motorsports has a "Spec Miata" model available for those who want to enter the exciting world of SCCA racing. The Spec Miata features upgrades from the MazdaSpeed kit and should set you back another ten grand.

To read more about outfitting a Miata for the race track, check out Mazda MotorSports wesite.

Posted by Frank at 01:22 PM | Comments (0)

April 02, 2005

Insanely Great Idea: Hire Steve Jobs as the Nation's Hydrogen Czar!

The hydrogen industry needs a salesman.

As evidence, consider the above photo. A cameraman is trying to capture the essence of the hydrogen story with footage of water leaking out a Honda FCX tailpipe. Gripping!

Yes, hydrogen needs a salesman. Right now, not later, when the technology is "ready for market."

Some people say it is premature to be getting in front of the public and hyping the wonders of a clean, domestically produced fuel source for transportation.

I say my Microsoft-driven computer still doesn't work all the time.

Hydrogen needs someone who can explain hydrogen in simple terms, make it exciting, and most of all get people to pay for it. Right now. Cable got its customers to pay for the the laying of wires, and cell phone companies funded the installation of a nationwide string of ugly towers by overcharging their clients -- it's the American way!

I say someone -- like Steve Jobs -- can do better. Jobs is famous for taking products to market before they were ready, overhyping what was in the box and generally obtaining the public's buy-in, guaranteeing that personal computers would take their place in everyday life.

Jobs is also famous for stuffing the techies in the closet, and yes, at times taking credit for their work. Hydrogen needs someone like that right now, because the last people that should be explaining it to the public are the scientists creating the technology.

At this week's Hydrogen Conference, the hotel basement was full of supremely technical and esoteric displays that all have something to do with eventually getting hydrogen powered cars on the road.

I felt like I was at a Star Trek convention. Worse, it was like attending a Trek convention when you're the only one that doesn't know Vulcans have green blood.

Not to take anything away from the geniuses working to fix the membrane hydration dilemma in PEM fuel cells -- but the public does not care.

Try and find someone who can explain the technology of e-mail. Cogently. The inability to explain how something works does not stop any of us from using e-mail a hundred times a day.

The mass public will never care about the intricacies of the hydrogen fuel industry. After spending four days on it, my 'ead 'urts. And I'm half a geek.

The public does care about cars, and lately, clean, fuel and environmentally friendly cars. Look at hybrid sales, they're selling hybrids faster than the suppliers can make the batteries -- and every single economic analysis shows the cost difference is not paid for in gas savings! In other words, the public is already funding the development of alternative fuel technology!

Finally, hydrogen needs a salesman like Jobs to wrest the discourse away from those reprehensible hybrid "conservative environmentalists," who keep talking about "national energy security policy."

Give me a break. The scientists and product people were openly mocking this absurd rationale for investing in hydrogen. They hate it, but they'll take it, 'cause it's getting them cash to do the research.

This fair weather argument for hydrogen carries within it the seeds of its own destruction. If gas prices go down, all this interest will evaporate faster than unreformed methane.

Which is yet another reason why we need Steve Jobs to be the U.S. Hydrogen Czar. He needs to take the current interest and move it past the point where the national energy security crowd will be able to turn their back on it.

He'd do it by selling it on its own merits -- "Hydrogen cars are insanely great!" This form of marketing, where you're enthralled by the brio of a master salesman, becomes the only raison d'etre required. And it takes on its own life force. Plus, the cars would all be equipped with iPod docks.

In order to get Jobs to take the job, I would paraphrase what he famously said to former Pepsi CEO John Sculley when he wanted him to take over Apple: "Do you want to spend the rest of your life making cartoons and redesigning the walkman? Wouldn't you rather change the world?"

Posted by Frank at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)

Secretary of Energy Signs Agreement for Four Major Hydrogen Programs

In support of President Bush's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, the Department of Energy has committed $190 million to four test projects that will place fuel cell vehicles on the roads in real world driving conditions.

In the cost-sharing plan, the four project leaders -- DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM and ChevronTexaco -- are financing the other half of the $380 million for the five-year trials.

Representatives from the companies signed "recognition agreements" with the energy department on Wednesday, kicking off another phase of research and investment since the president announced his $1.2 billion progam in 2003.

Samuel W. Bodman, U.S. Secretary of Energy, speaking alongside prototype vehicles from the participants, said, "it is not unreasonable to think we could approach mass marketing of these vehicles fifteen years from now."

Don Paul, Chief Technology Officer of ChevronTexaco, said hydrogen is "an integral part of the energy equation for the future."

ChevronTexaco is working with Hyundai and UTC Fuel Cells as part of the program to test hydrogen production and refueling methods.

As part of the "learning demonstration" agreement signed with the government, all four teams will collect and share data with the energy department.

"We can see the vision, but going through this gate to the next stage of hydorgen has been a struggle," Paul said.

As their part in the program, General Motors is spending $44-million to deploy a 40-vehicle demonstration fleets in Washington D.C., New York , California and Michigan.

Shell Hydrogen is working with GM by setting up five hydrogen refueling stations in Washington, DC., New York City, in California, and between Washington D.C. and New York.

DaimlerChrysler has committed $70 million to the program, in which it will operate its F-Cell and Sprinter hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The F-Cell, pictured here, is based on an extended version of the Mercedes A-Class car. DaimlerChrysler uses Ballard fuel cells in its 100 vehicle hydrogen fleet.

Posted by Frank at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)

April 01, 2005

Honda Fuel Cell Caravan in D.C.

Honda brought four of its seventeen U.S.-based fuel cell vehicles to the Hydrogen Conference this week, allowing industry people and journalists to take a very quiet spin around the block in the FCX. [Read the Notebook's review here.]

Honda has fourteen of their FCX cars placed in lease agreements around the country, as part of their effort to demonstrate the technology and gather performance data at the same time.

Perhaps the company's most important experiment is with the two FCXs leased to New York State. The company is testing its proprietary FC stack there to test its ability to start and operate in extremely cold temperatures.

Stephen Ellis, Honda's Alternative Fuel Vehicles Manager, said they told the car's operators, "not to protect the vehicle," either by garaging them or using any cold weather protection devices.

"In these sub-freezing climates, they're used to not being able to start or drive their vehicles," Ellis said. Honda is more interested in finding the limits of their technology, and improving on them, he said.

"It's a great day when it's fifteen below," Ellis said, adding that Honda is eager to prove that fuel cell vehicles can be used anytime, in any clime. While the company has not released official data from the New York trials, Ellis said the FCX has met their targets in over two thousand miles of real world conditions.

Honda's latest lessee is the City of Las Vegas, where the FCX is expected to endure temperatures at the other extreme of the thermometer. The FCX is the only fuel cell vehicle certified Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) and is the only fuel cell vehicle to appear in the 2003 and 2004 EPA Fuel Economy Guide.

The EPA has certified the FCX's range to be 190 miles – significant, Ellis said, because this is a third-party affirmation of a manufacturer's claims.

Ellis believes fuel cells are a realistic pathway to sustainable transportation along two lines of thought. First, hydrogen-powered vehicles “remove our dependence on oil, imported or otherwise,” he said.

Second, fuel cells go further than simply providing freedom from petroleum. Due to the technology’s environmentally neutral impact, they’re a pathway to truly sustainable transportation, because they are “zero emission and potentially zero CO2,” Ellis said.

Honda is expected to announce leases on additional FCXs in the near-term, but Ellis said he couldn’t reveal anything new. He did say, however, that Honda remains committed to being the first automaker to place a fuel cell vehicle in the retail market.

Posted by Frank at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)

Mercedes Sales Up in Shadow of 1.3 Million Unit Recall

Mercedes sales were up 1.9% in March over the same month last year, but first quarter sales for the automaker are lagging 11% behind last year's pace.

Mercedes is hoping the new R-Class crossover and redesigned M-Class will give sales some oomph, but the recent recall of 1.3 million vehicles is not going to help public perception.

E-Class and CLS-Class cars built between January 2002 and January 2005 are being recalled to have electrical and braking system power faults repaired.

Posted by Frank at 04:07 PM | Comments (0)

Hybrid Sales Spike in March

Hybrid vehicles found 16,619 buyers in March, a 59% jump over the second-best month ever, December 2004, when 10,441 units were sold, according to Green Car Congress.

The Prius sold 10,236 units -- almost beating December's mark on its own. Honda had its best ever month, selling a combined 4,814 cars. The Accord hybrid had its best month to date, with 1,862 cars sold. The Ford Escape hybrid also had its best month, selling 1,569 SUVs.

Posted by Frank at 03:43 PM | Comments (0)