Auto news and reviews from Car Buyer's Notebook.com: Auto News: July 2006 Archives

July 31, 2006

Nissan donates 200K to Lebanese refugees

Nissan is donating $200,000 to assist Lebanese citizens displaced by the shelling of their homes, an unusual move given the political quotient, but understandable given that CEO Carlos Ghosn spent much of his childhood there.

Link.

July 31, 2006

Demystify car care with new guide from the Car Care Council

Car Care Guide Takes Mystery Out of Vehicle Maintenance and Repair

Motorists Can Order Free Guide Online

A new Car Care Guide for motorists turns technical automotive jargon into easy-to-understand everyday language, taking the mystery out of vehicle maintenance and repair. The free guide, published by the Car Care Council, can be ordered on the council's Web site at http://www.carcare.org/.

Continue reading "Demystify car care with new guide from the Car Care Council"

Posted by Frank at 4:44 PM | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed under Auto News

Chevy using webcast to unveil new 2007 Silverado, Sierra

This Wednesday, August 2 at 10 am, EST, Chevy will unveil the 2007 Silverado and GMC Sierra, which you can watch live, via webcast, by clicking on this link.

Audi racing annoints Piloti as official footwear

Piloti, the fancy racing footwear maker, is now the official fotwear of Champion Racing, which is the official team of Audi Sport, officially, in North America.

Official press release after the jump.

Continue reading "Audi racing annoints Piloti as official footwear"

Nitrogen gas being used to save $$ on the other kind

TOPSHAM, Maine - Many motorists seeking to improve their mileage as gas prices soar this summer are examining everything — right down to the air in their tires. And for a growing number, plain old air isn’t good enough.

George Bourque of Fairfield is one of those who’s driving around on tires filled with pure nitrogen, the same stuff that NASCAR racers use.

Bourque, an engineer, said he has seen a 1 to 1.5 mile-per-gallon increase since he began filling his tires with nitrogen, which is touted as maintaining tire pressure longer and resisting heat buildup on hot summer days.

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Subaru diesel coming in 2008

Subaru is developing its own 2 liter diesel engine, that will not be in vehicles until 2008.

Rather than buying a diesel from someone else, Subaru is developing its own, and reportedly has working examples of a four-cylinder plant. This engine will first appear in the Subaru Legacy in 2008.

However, the new diesel is unlikely to appear in Subaru's all-new premium 4x4, the Tribeca. The manufacturer is looking at a six cylinder 3 liter diesel for the Tribeca.

Yahoo! Autos provides Total Cost To Own info

New Pricing Features Include First-of-Its-Kind Graphing and Data Customization Tools

Yahoo! Autos announced new features to further aid consumers in making informed vehicle purchase decisions. Yahoo!’s Estimated Market Price (EMP) provides consumers with the estimated market price of vehicles based on real-time sales data, collected on a national basis. This feature gives consumers a sense of the actual average price people are paying for a particular vehicle.

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Promotion: Toyota/Scion = Yaris

Taking a page from their successful Scion marketing strategy, Toyota is attempting to reach out to prospective buyers of their new subcompact, the Yaris, with an independent destination site, YarisWorks.

The site details times and locations for this summer's 12-city Drive it Yourself Tour, as well as a very neat, "virtual test drive" feature that has video of someobody driving a Yaris in the city of your choice, all online.

Beyond that, there's a bunch of features that are supposed to be hip, or cool, or social network-y, but personally, it looks like a jumble of bullshit, to me.

Link.

Ford: No incentives for Edge, Lincoln MKX

Ford has said they are launching the 2007 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers without incentives -- remaining intent on winning customers with value and appeal.

Both the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX go on sale in November; the Edge should be priced in the mid-$20K range, the should be in the mid-$30K range.

Audi produces 1,500,000th A3

INGOLSTADT, Germany - Audi has sold 1.5 million units of its successful A3 model since market launch in 1996. The jubilee car of the compact model built in Ingolstadt is destined for the US market. It is an A3 3.2 quattro in Misano Red, with a 3.2-litre V6 engine generating an output of 250 hp and 236 ft.-lbs. of torque.

“The Audi A3 can boast outstanding quality in its class and has hallmarked the market by being the first real premium car in the compact class”, says Frank Dreves, Audi Plant Manager in Ingolstadt. Along with the A3, Audi also builds the A4, the A4 Avant and the body of the new Audi TT at its Ingolstadt plant. Further future-oriented models, in the guise of the A5 midsize coupé and the Audi Q5 SUV, are designated to be built at the Ingolstadt plant.

Production of the Audi A3 began at the Ingolstadt plant in 1996. The second generation of the A3 followed in 2003, and June 2004 saw the launch of the five-door A3. At the moment, more than 800 units of the A3 leave the production halls each day and are sent out to customers all over the world. Almost 127,000 units of the Audi A3 were sold worldwide in the first half of 2006 alone. This represents a growth rate of 16.3 percent compared with the same period of last year.

The Audi A3 has made a very significant contribution to the overall success of the brand. “The outstanding way in which the A3 has progressed is thanks to its highly motivated and well-qualified team of workers”, Peter Mosch, Chairman of the General Works Council at AUDI AG points out. With just under 463,500 vehicles sold in the first half of 2006, Audi has achieved a growth rate up 9.8 percent compared with the same period of last year.

Porsche getting VW's DSG Tranny

Shared with Volkswagen, the Porsche-developed slushbox is the well-known torque-converter equipped Tiptronic transmission. Outselling the manual by quite a margin, this automatic gearbox was one of the first manual-shifted automatics on the market, and while it was heralded as excellent and ingenious in its day, the onset of newer, more advanced (and simply better) technology has left it in the proverbial dust. Recognizing this, Volkswagen contracted BorgWarner to build a newer, better box for use in the various high-performance Audi models. What BorgWarner came back with was the Direct-Shift Gearbox, or DSG.

Sporting two clutches in place of the Tiptronics torque converter, the DSG sequential-manual was greeted with open arms by the enthusiast community. Always engaged, the DSG unit uses an inner and an outer clutch to engage and disengage cogs. The outer pack drives gears 1, 3, and 5; while the inner clutch pack drives 2, 4, and 6. Using complicated electronic algorithms, the drivers selected gear is engaged by one clutch pack while the previous gear is disengaged by the other. The result is lag-free, seamless, predictable shifts that can be easily tuned for different situations by simply changing the clutch packs modulation. Compared to the slow, jerky, and cumbersome Tiptronic gearbox, the DSG is light years ahead and miles better.

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Boomers buying cars not built for them

It wasn't until Jim Tudor got his new Honda Element that he noticed a quirk in its design. Why was the boxy vehicle's sunroof over the empty back seat instead of over his spot up front?

"I found out that it's supposed to be for my surfboard," says Tudor, who's 56, a grandfather of two who never surfs anywhere but the Internet. "It was really only after the fact, when I started doing a little reading on the car, that I found out I wasn't supposed to be the one driving it."

It turns out many of the people buying the Element — which looks like a cross between a minivan and a Hummer — aren't the young surfers and mountain bikers Honda expected. The same applies to many buyers of Toyota's Scion models.

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New Designer to Help Kia Conquer Identity Crisis

Kia Motors has launched full-scale efforts to differentiate itself from its mother company Hyundai Motor. The automaker said Monday that it will bring in globally recognized car designer Peter Schreyer as the chief design officer, a vice president-level post, as part of its efforts to develop unique designs, which are distinct from Hyundai models.

Schreyer will take charge of Kia’s design institutes in Korea, California in the U.S. and Frankfurt in Germany.

While working with Audi, an affiliate of Volkswagen, for eight years, Schreyer earned fame for his outstanding creative car designs including the first generation "TT" model. He designed the concept car “R-Roadster” after moving to Volkswagen in 2002.

80% of Chrysler ad viewers think the guy with the mustache is related to Popeye

In other words, more than three out of four ad watchers think Dieter Zetsche is a fictional character, not the CEO of a global corporation.

Also, the ads don't seem to be selling very many cars.

Link.

Mitsubishi makes SIRIUS Radio Standard or Option on All 2007 Models

SIRIUS to be Offered on Four Models This Fall and Full Vehicle Lineup Next Year

Mitsubishi Motors North America and SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI - News) today announced that Mitsubishi will offer SIRIUS as a standard feature or factory option on four models this fall, and throughout the entire 2008 Mitsubishi model line, available in the United States next year.

Continue reading "Mitsubishi makes SIRIUS Radio Standard or Option on All 2007 Models"

Toyota readies comedy series for mobile phones

Toyota is spending more than $10 million to create and promote a comedy series designed specifically for multimedia mobile phones. The effort will feature the 2007 Camry, and the program's creators claim it's the first branded entertainment series created for the video-phone medium.

In what's believed to be a first, Toyota is also buying spots on broadcast and cable TV (including Fox, ABC and BET) that showcase the new Camry as well as promote the mobile phone comedy series. The ads and the series share some of the same cast members.

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Ghosn rules out hostile GM takeover bid

The alliance between Renault and Nissan would not mount a hostile takeover bid for General Motors should talks on a three-way tie-up among the carmakers fail, Carlos Ghosn told a German newspaper.

"If only one partner desires cooperation it will not come to pass," Ghosn, who is chief executive of both France's Renault SA and Japan's Nissan Motor Co Ltd, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in an interview printed on Monday.

"This is very clear between (GM CEO) Rick (Wagoner) and me. And you can be certain that we will not do anything hostile against GM."

Link.

Posted by Frank at 11:09 AM | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed under Auto News

Detroit-based carmakers try friendly ads

Detroit automakers want you to think of them as your dear friend -- and in the process, they hope you'll buy their cars.

DaimlerChrysler AG is using its mustachioed German chairman in good-humored commercials for Chrysler Group. Ford Motor Co. believes a bold ad campaign and its hometown CEO will catch your fancy. And General Motors Corp. thinks showing you how fads -- and GM products -- have evolved over the years will give you the warm fuzzies.

As foreign automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. make deeper inroads in the U.S. market, Detroit's three auto companies, which spend $2 billion a year on American advertising, are rolling out campaigns to boost their corporate images.

Link.

Posted by Frank at 11:04 AM | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed under Auto News

Gadgets driving motorists to distraction

Latest technologies compounding the dangers on the highway

Drivers talking on their cell phones — it’s every motorist’s pet peeve. After all, which of us doesn’t have a story about another driver who, cell phone to their ear and engrossed in conversation, has carelessly weaved their way across our path.

But when it comes to gadgets, cell phones are so last century. A new generation of technological devices — from BlackBerries to iPods to multi-channel satellite radios — are distracting today’s drivers. And they’re compounding the dangers of driver distraction.

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Recalls dent Toyota image

Vehicle callbacks, probe into handling of defects could hurt No. 2 carmaker's reputation

Toyota Motor Corp. CEO Katsuaki Watanabe bowed deeply before the cameras on July 20 in a humbling moment for the mighty Japanese automaker.

Toyota has come under intense scrutiny as prosecutors in Japan investigate its handling of vehicle defects. Separately, the government told Toyota to review its policy on recalls and respond to the Transport Ministry by Friday.

Ritual apologies are common in Japan, where executives are expected to convey their regret for corporate shortcomings. It's unusual, however, to see executives from Japan's leading industrial company on the defensive. "That was a very big deal in Japan," said Daniel Baum, a Tokyo-based auto analyst.

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Progressive Insurance has new accident service

If you get into a car crash, chances are better than ever that your vehicle will be declared a total loss - in other words, your insurance company will tell you that your car would cost more to fix than it's worth. An estimated five million vehicles, or about 20 percent of those involved in insurance claims each year, are totaled in crashes - that's a 40 percent increase over the past seven years. This means that each year, millions of people face the daunting and time-consuming task of replacing their cars following crashes.

And while some insurance companies advertise total loss replacement coverage, the coverage generally only helps you if you drive a newer car. By contrast, "Total Loss Concierge" from The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies will help find you a replacement car regardless of the age of your totaled vehicle - and even if you want a used car.

Continue reading "Progressive Insurance has new accident service"

Posted by Frank at 10:46 AM | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed under Auto News

VW Jetta, Rabbit, Passat lead the field in safety

IIHS and NHTSA recognize Volkswagen’s innovative active and passive safety equipment

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that the four-door 2006 Rabbit has been named a “Top Safety Pick-Silver” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the latest in a series of accolades for the exceptional safety designed into Volkswagen models. Earlier this year, the IIHS named the 2006 Jetta a “Top Safety Pick-Silver.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also recognized the safety and performance for the 2006 and 2007 four-door Volkswagen Rabbit, Jetta, and Passat, giving them all four stars for driver and passenger frontal crash protection. The Rabbit and Jetta earned five stars for driver and rear passenger side crash protection and the Passat earned five stars for the driver and four stars for the rear passenger side crash protection.

Continue reading "VW Jetta, Rabbit, Passat lead the field in safety"

July 30, 2006

Ex-Nissan boss: Move is mistake

Shift from California may put brakes on company's progress, he says

A legendary Nissan executive who led the Japanese carmaker's U.S. invasion in the late 1950s, built its West Coast offices and headed operations in America for 20 years said the company will be making a big mistake if it moves its headquarters from the prestigious Los Angeles market.

Yutaka Katayama, "Mr. K" to Nissan and Datsun fans, said in a letter to Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn that a move from California to either the Nashville area or Texas would hurt the company he helped build.

"In the 1980s Nissan lost huge assets in the United States when the 'Datsun' label was removed from its products," Katayama said in an Oct. 20 letter to Ghosn. "I do not want Nissan to make a similar public relations mistake."

Link.

Nissan California headquarters building is all but empty

The distinctive building with its large red Nissan signs and reflective windows still stands at the corner of 190th and Figueroa streets.

Last year, looking up at those windows at just the right spot would have shown the reflection of a colorful mosaic of vehicles filling the parking lot.

Today, the reflection is mostly of black asphalt. Few vehicles remain in the lot. The once bustling front lobby is nearly deserted.

Nissan's North American sales and marketing headquarters officially completed its departure from the South Bay on Friday, culminating a monthslong move to Nashville, Tenn.

"There's going to be some people there working to get the property ready for sale. We've got security around there," Nissan spokesman Fred Standish said from Nashville. "There might be a couple of people tying up loose ends there, but literally a handful. The parking lot is essentially empty."

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Kia first among user-friendly Canadian auto websites

User-friendly websites translate into increased showroom traffic for auto manufacturers, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates.

The market-research firm's inaugural look at Canadian auto makers' Web presence concludes that the easier to navigate and more useful their websites are, the more likely would-be buyers will head into showrooms for a test drive.

By that measure, Korean auto makers Kia and Hyundai ought to be pretty busy.

They ranked Number 1 and Number 2 in the poll.

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GM confident in their pickup game

White smiled with sly recognition after seeing Toyota Motor Corp. executives trumpet the painstaking research for the new Tundra full-size pickup.

At the Chicago Auto show last winter, while watching a Toyota video of "true truckers" driving through the most rugged and punishing conditions, such as oil fields and ranches, it quickly became apparent to White whose trucks Toyota studied.

"They were watching our trucks. Their trucks aren't out there," said White, who is in charge of GM's newly designed Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups that will be unveiled Wednesday.

It's GM's long history of building trucks and legions of loyal buyers that make White confident his pickups will match up against the Tundra and other competitors when they go on sale this fall.

Lihttp://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060730/BUSINESS01/607300578/1014nk.

Goodyear Tires Selected for New Dodge Nitro

The 2007 Dodge Nitro will roll into dealer showrooms later this year in three different models, and all of them exclusively on Goodyear tires.

The Nitro is the first mid-size SUV for Dodge, and is recognized for its distinctive style, sporty performance and cargo flexibility. It features five- passenger seating and a slide-out cargo floor for extra flexibility.

Continue reading "Goodyear Tires Selected for New Dodge Nitro"

West Virginia Honda dealer trying to block new franchise

CHARLESTON - The owner of a South Charleston Honda dealership is trying to keep American Honda from opening a new franchise in the same area.

Raines Imports, Inc., doing business as Lester Raines Honda, filed a lawsuit July 20 in Kanawha Circuit Court against American Honda.

Raines says he received a letter May 24 from American Honda stating it intended to start a new Honda dealership in the South Charleston area. He adds that he responded with a letter expressing his objection.

Since he has not heard anything back from American Honda, he says he filed the lawsuit seeking a declaration prohibiting American Honda from opening a new dealership.

Link.

Arizona man lifts car off injured teen

Tom Boyle of Tucson couldn't believe what he was seeing: A boy hit by a car, then pinned underneath it. "I was just like, 'Oh my God.' You think things like that only happen in movies," he later told the Arizona Daily Star.

Boyle took action. He lifted the Chevrolet Camaro up high enough so that the driver could pull 18-year-old Kyle Holtrust away. Then Boyle held the teen until help arrived. Holtrust suffered head and leg injuries. He's expected to recover, the Daily Star reports.

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Prince Harry's alleged driving spurs fear

BOVINGTON, England -- Prince Harry's alleged driving is causing concern at his British Army base in Bovington, Dorset, the Sun reports.

Much of the anxious complaints have come from mothers on the base who fear for their children's safety, the newspaper said. Parents have expressed concern about how Harry often allegedly drives his sporty black Audi A3 coupe well over the speed limit.

Mother-of-two Sandra McGhee, who works at the base, told the Sun: "He drives around the barracks like a maniac. There are a lot of children around here who are worried for their safety."

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Mel Gibson charged with DUI, blames Jews

Not only did Mel Gibson get arrested for DUI this weekend, he also apparently blamed the Jews for his arrest.

The actor has since publicly apologized for behaving like a rich, drunken asshole, and for making anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest.

But that doesn't mean the Jews weren't behind it.

Because apparently, they make all the tequila in Mexico.

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Elderly man won't be charged for crashing Starbucks patio

85 year old deserves a medal

Ted Kawashima, 85, probably mistook the gas pedal for the brake when he crashed onto a Starbucks patio Friday night, and will not be charged with a crime.

Police have not determined whether he simply made a mistake, is too old to drive or simply hates latte-drinking yuppies.

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San Diego employees won't drive Honda FCX

The star of Chula Vista's auto pool is a high-tech wonder that never needs gasoline. The 2005 Honda FCX runs on hydrogen, one of the most plentiful elements on earth.

Sounds like a dream. But finding city employees to pilot the vehicle has been a nightmare.

“It's been a challenge to keep people driving it,” said Jack Dickens, the city's fleet manager. “They are intimidated by the cost.”

Manufactured in small batches, these experimental cars are painstakingly engineered and stuffed with costly gizmos. This gives the little FCX a big price tag: $1 million.

“I try not to drive it just because of the price,” said Claire Gomez, a fiscal office specialist for the city. “I don't want to be the one to crash it.”

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Ford putting 600,000 Fusion toys in cereal boxes

Ford plans to put 600,000 toy Fusion Hot Wheels cars into Kellogg Co. cereal boxes starting Sunday.

The boxes will be distributed through Target Corp.'s stores nationwide. Fusion photos will appear on each box, the nation's second-largest automaker said.

The Fusion toys will be inserted in boxes of Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Krispies. Ford said one red model with the Target logo will be among them, and whoever gets that box will win a real Fusion.

Continued promotion of the Fusion, one of Ford's better-selling models, is a priority for Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas. In a recent interview, he said Ford used to roll out a vehicle, then stop promoting it.

"We used to do the launch and abandon, which means advertise it for three or four months and then move onto the next product," he said.

"In the case of the Fusion, it's a new nameplate. We need to make sure we continually have the right care and feeding of that nameplate so that the awareness builds over time," Fields said.

Hyundai Alabama plant works to build tolerance

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama is on a mission to help break down cultural barriers.

The automotive plant has hired a diversity expert, Martin Creagh of Atlanta, to train its employees as well as educators from counties throughout central Alabama. The educators, in turn, will foster tolerance in their students.

A diverse community, such as Montgomery, becomes an even better place to live when its residents truly accept each other, according to Hyundai's top local official.

"We are very concerned that this is the community in which our team members live and they shop and their children go to school," said Keith Duckworth, deputy president and chief administrative officer of HMMA.

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Saleen store open in Orange County

Shopping at 200 MPH - Saleen Style!

A New Era in Automotive Retailing Roars In!

From the high-performance specialty automotive manufacturer, Saleen (www.saleen.com), now comes, THE SALEEN STORE!

Opening today, in the Irvine Spectrum, Orange County, California, is The Saleen Store. Saleen has created a unique shopping experience that will undoubtedly set a new standard in the automotive and the retail industry. The Saleen Store is so different that it has created a buzz, and that buzz has traveled almost as fast as the world's fastest production car, the Saleen S7.

Extreme Experience

"Anything with the Saleen name attached to it has to exceed our uncompromising standards." Founder & CEO of Saleen, Steve Saleen states, The Saleen Store is a total brand experience -- whether it's through our legendary vehicles, aftermarket performance parts or hot new apparel, we guarantee a unique shopping experience."

Continue reading "Saleen store open in Orange County"

U.S. carmakers brace for drop in July sales

High gas prices driving buyers toward more fuel-efficient Asian models

DETROIT - U.S. automakers are expected to register a dramatic decline in July vehicle sales compared with a year ago when heavy discounts stoked near-record sales. At the same time, high gas prices are driving many buyers toward more fuel-efficient models, an area where Asian manufacturers still dominate.

New vehicle sales are expected to come in at about 1.54 million units, a 15 percent decrease from July 2005.

Link.

Posted by Frank at 4:15 PM | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed under Auto News

Hyundai Brand Value Rises

BusinessWeek Calls Brand 'Big Winner'

* Jumps nine positions in Best Global Brands survey by BusinessWeek/Interbrand

* Biggest increase of automakers

Hyundai Motor Co. has emerged as one of the world's leading brands ranking 75th overall, according to the 2006 Best Global Brands survey jointly conducted by Interbrand, a leading consultancy in branding and BusinessWeek, the New York-based global media organization.

Continue reading "Hyundai Brand Value Rises"

8 year old takes driving test, uncle goes to jail

William Diaz-Perez, 27, of North Lebanon Township, let his 8-year-old nephew drive on a course used for giving the Pennsylavania driver's test, and he is now in jail.

According to AP, he let the boy drive a Chevrolet Blazer on the course in South Lebanon Township on a Sunday afternoon in February. Someone who was practicing there saw the child driving and called police, according to court records.

Diaz-Perez pleaded guilty Wednesday and was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person. He also was fined $225 for letting an unlicensed person drive his vehicle and driving without a license.

Link.

July 27, 2006

Vehicle leasing: the ten most requested models

Based on over one million information requests, Leasecompare.com has compiled a list of the ten most researched models from their customers, for the first half of 2006:

1. BMW 325
2. Chevrolet Corvette
3. Honda Accord
4. BMW 330
5. Honda Civic
6. Toyota Camry
7. Infiniti G35
8. Land Rover Range Rover Sport
9. Acura TL
10. Honda Odyssey

Thanks to the high price of fuel, the Honda Civic continues to move up in the rankings while sport utilities have virtually dropped off the Top 10 lists. The new re-designed Toyota Camry makes its debut on the new list along with the ever popular Honda Odyssey minivan. The only domestic model represented was the Chevrolet Corvette and it holds second place on both lists.

"Many people are dumping their gas-guzzling SUVs right now causing market prices to drop," says Tarry Shebesta, President of ACS and a certified lease consultant. "In volatile market conditions, leasing makes a lot of sense. With a lease, you don't have to worry about market fluctuations because the lease-end value on which the lease is based is locked in. At the end of a lease, you just turn your vehicle back in. You don't have to worry about finding a buyer in an adverse market cycle."

Exxon Mobil earns $1,318 a second

Profits at Exxon Mobil surged 36 percent to a near record $10.4 billion in the second quarter as surging oil prices helped the world's largest publicly traded company soundly beat Wall Street forecasts.

The company's profit - which amounts to a cool $1,318 a second - is the second biggest ever reported by a U.S. company, behind only the $10.7 billion Exxon itself earned in the fourth quarter of 2005.

The earnings equaled $1.72 a share, topping the $1.64 a share analysts had forecast on average, according to First Call. Total revenue in the quarter was just a bit more than $99 billion.

The $1,318 a second would buy enough gasoline, even at the current $3 a gallon national average, to drive a Hummer H3 between Los Angeles and New York three times.

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Acura announces 2007 Acura RDX pricing

Making its debut at Acura dealerships on August 10, the 2007 RDX will have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $32,995. The performance oriented RDX is poised to bring a new level of driving excitement and enjoyment to consumers seeking sports sedan performance in the growing entry premium SUV segment.

Continue reading "Acura announces 2007 Acura RDX pricing"

The 2007 Acura RDX SUV

The sport-luxury SUV marketplace is in an exciting state of evolution. With the arrival of Acura's new RDX 5-passenger Entry Premium SUV, this emerging market segment gets a decidedly "connected" spin.

Not only does this all-new SUV combine the immediate response of Acura's first-ever turbocharged engine and the agile control of Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, the RDX puts state-of-the-art communications, navigation and audio entertainment at the driver's fingertips. And the RDX delivers it all in keeping with Acura's long-established tradition of respect for crisp, contemporary styling and simple, intuitive operation that adds to the driving experience.

Continue reading "The 2007 Acura RDX SUV"

Mitsubishi releases 2007 Galant pricing

The new Galant Ralliart spearheads the restyled Galant midsize sedan line for 2007. Powered by a MIVEC-enhanced 258-hp 3.8-liter V-6 engine and equipped with sport suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels and exclusive exterior styling and interior features, Galant Ralliart competes in the growing performance sedan segment. One of the most powerful import brand sport sedans in its segment, the 2007 Galant Ralliart can accelerate from zero-to-60 mph in about seven seconds.

All Galant models get an updated, sophisticated new look for 2007 with new front and rear bumper fascias, a new grille with chrome surround. The Galant Ralliart is distinguished by a unique front aero bumper, sport mesh grille projector-style ellipsoid headlamps, two-tone bumpers and color-keyed side air dams.

Prices for the four Galant trim levels are as follows:
Galant DE 4-Door -- $ 19,899.00
Galant ES 4-Door -- $ 20,999.00
Galant GTS-V6 4-Door -- $ 24,999.00
Galant Ralliart-V6 4-Door -- $ 26,999.00

Continue reading "Mitsubishi releases 2007 Galant pricing"

Tempura-fueled racer to run Dakar Rally

OSAKA -- Entering possibly the world's toughest car rally powered by used tempura oil may seem like folly, but that is exactly what former Formula One driver Ukyo Katayama plans to do. And the good news is that his efforts may help the environment.

Katayama, 43, plans to enter the Dakar rally next January with a diesel car powered by biodiesel fuel (BDF) produced by refining used tempura oil.

The oil will be made into fuel after being specially processed with chemicals by Revo International Co., a BDF manufacturer in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward.

"I would like to draw attention to the fact that we need to protect the environment," Katayama said. "We can help do that by using an eco-friendly fuel made in Kyoto, the city known as the birthplace of the Kyoto Protocol aimed at curbing global warming."

The Dakar rally, often called the Paris-Dakar rally because it used to start in Paris, is one of the most demanding car races in the world.

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Mapping function for eBay Motors

Now people can locate hard to find muscle cars, classic cars, antique cars and project vehicles fast using MotorMapUSA.com, the mappified view of eBay Motors -- a Google map + eBay Mashup that displays all car and truck locations on a map.

If people want to buy a new car they go to their local dealer. But, if people want to locate a hard to find car or truck, as close as possible to their home, they go to eBay via www.MotorMapUSA.com.

Scarcity is the reason buyers turn to eBay.
Ordinary vehicles are readily available locally, but to locate a specific rare auto by make and model people need to look further afield. In fact, they really need a map to find what they are looking for faster.

If locating a special rare auto was as simple a going to a local used car lot and driving one home it would not be very rare and also not very much fun.

But discovering the same car, after weeks of searching, just a few miles down the road or even hundreds of miles away is much more fun because of the thrill of the chase.

Continue reading "Mapping function for eBay Motors"

Posted by Frank at 3:12 PM | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed under Auto News

Trade advertising on your car for free gas

A company called FreeGasHelp.com is offering gas cards in exchange for putting advertising on your vehicle. You have to drive a thousand miles a month or more and be willing to look like you're always delivering pizzas.

Some of the dollar for ad schemes include:

Truck Rear Tail Gate Magnet 12”x 36” -- $25.00
Rear Window Decal Advertisement -- $50.00
License Plate Frames Advertisement -- $5.00
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Ford uses array of sponsorships, alliances and celebs to connect with the public

When country music star Toby Keith performs at a Ford-sponsored concert, it is one aspect of a multi-faceted marketing strategy designed to zero in on customers who are most likely to buy Ford F-Series trucks.

"When we look at our trucks, we've got a couple of things that align us with our truck customers, and country music is one of them," said Marty Collins, executive director of Marketing for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury divisions. "So we look to align ourselves with people who are going to give us access to that audience. And Toby's a natural."

Ford’s aggressive marketing approach includes increasingly meaningful events and communications -- beyond mass market ads and hanging banners at events -- that meet customers where they live, work and play.

Continue reading "Ford uses array of sponsorships, alliances and celebs to connect with the public"

Tom LaSorda's rein extended at Chrysler Group

Tom LaSorda, the first American to run Chrysler since the German takeover by Daimler, has been given a five-year contract extension.

His current contract expires April 30, 2007, with the new one extended to April 30, 2012.

LaSorda has been a Member of the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management since May 1, 2004.

New Dodge Challenger shadows concept version

ROYAL OAK -- The Dodge Challenger that hits the road in 2008 will be nearly identical to the concept pony car that wowed crowds this year at the Detroit auto show, Chrysler officials said Wednesday.

"You're not going to be able to tell the difference," said Tom Tremont, Chrysler's vice president and top designer. "We're going to keep the Challenger as close as we can to the concept."

Creating a production version of the Challenger will be easier for the automaker than casting some more elaborate concept vehicle into a production mold.

Link.

Small cars help Honda profits soar

High-mileage Civic and Fit boost U.S. sales, contributing to a nearly 30% earnings increase.

TOKYO -- First-quarter profit at Honda soared nearly 30 percent as a solid reputation for mileage lifted sales in the U.S., a critical region that makes up half of the Japanese automaker's vehicle sales.

With U.S. gas prices hovering at around $3 a gallon, Americans were snatching up Honda's small car models like the Civic and Fit, boosting Honda's North American sales by nearly 9 percent to 456,000 vehicles for the quarter from the same period a year earlier.

Link.

Acura TL going on sale in China

Acura TL Becomes First U.S. Model Exported to China by Japanese Luxury Nameplate

Number One Acura Seller Goes On-sale in September

Acura took a major step forward in its global plans with the export of the first U.S.-made Acura vehicle to China, the company announced today.

Scheduled to go on-sale beginning in September at newly constructed Acura dealerships in key metropolitan areas of China, the first shipment of TL performance luxury sedans was off-loaded at the port of Shanghai earlier this week. Designed, developed and assembled in the United States, the sporty TL is the number one selling Acura model in the U.S., and will be sold alongside the top-of-the-line RL luxury sedan.

"We are excited about Acura's expansion to China this year and look forward to launching the brand in Japan in 2008," said John Mendel, senior vice president automobile operations. "China is one of the fastest growing markets in the world and we are confident that Acura will be at the forefront of China's luxury automobile market."

Sales of three thousand Acura vehicles are projected during the first twelve months of operation.

Continue reading "Acura TL going on sale in China"

New Cadillac DTS ads

These ads for the 2007 Cadillac DTS is part of the “Life. Liberty. And The Pursuit," campaign.

New Cadillac STS ads

These ads for the 2007 Cadillac STS is part of the “Life. Liberty. And The Pursuit," campaign.

New Cadillac Escalade ad

This ad for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade is part of the “Life. Liberty. And The Pursuit," campaign.

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Ford uses array of sponsorships, alliances and celebs to connect with the public

Tom LaSorda's rein extended at Chrysler Group

New Dodge Challenger shadows concept version

Small cars help Honda profits soar

Acura TL going on sale in China

New Cadillac DTS ads

New Cadillac STS ads

New Cadillac Escalade ad