As far as Audi is concerned, the much heralded coming of the Chevy Volt is made for idiots. This was shared to the media by Audi President Johan de Nysschen, referring to the hybrid car as overpriced and no better than a Toyota Corolla. The rumored price for the Chevy Volt was said to be around $40,000.00.

The Chevy Volt is expected to be categorized in the company of cars priced in the $25,000.00 mark. However, a lot of criticism is being raised at the moment, waiting to see if the Chevy Volt can really be a car choice for people looking towards new electric cars coming out in the market. Will the Chevy Volt succeed? All we can do is wait and see once this GM hybrid car hits the automotive market.

Image courtesy: Auto Blog Green

(Source) Tech Whack

Tags: automotive market, car choice, chevy volt, electric cars, GM, hybrid car, market image, Toyota, toyota corolla

Continue reading...

Established in 1984, this Toyota plant situated in Fremont, California was a joint venture between them and General Motors. Apparently the plant was aimed to aid in Toyota’s experiment on building cars for the North American market and General Motors’ way of studying efficient car production techniques. Sad to say, that same plant which employs over 4,700 United Automobile Workers has been closed down by Toyota as voted upon by its board of directors.

The decision was expected since General Motors went bankrupt. This officially becomes Toyota’s first experience in shutting down a manufacturing plant in the U.S. despite the effort of California lawmakers to come up with an amicable package.

With the closure, 40,000 jobs stand to be lost. But lawmakers are still hoping for the best to keep the plant up despite the decision handed down by the Toyota execs. There were two vehicles being manufactured at the California plant; the Toyota Corolla and the Tacoma pickup truck.

G.M. stopped building the Pontiac Vibe, a small crossover vehicle, there last week.

(Source) The NY Times

Tags: automobile workers, board of directors, building cars, california lawmakers, california plant, car production, crossover vehicle, first experience, fremont california, General Motors, joint venture, manufacturing plant, pickup truck, Pontiac, pontiac vibe, toyota corolla, toyota plant

Continue reading...

Parting with a car (1990 Toyota Corolla AE92)you have dreamed of having since you were in college has to be one of the hardest things to do. After fulfilling everything you had wanted to do with it, ranging from mechanical, body works, interiors and simple in-car entertainment audio system, one can imagine the cost and effort a person would put into it. I realized that effort but in the end, it all boils down to practicality and needs.

The Toyota Corolla 16 Valve does not have the common problems of high fuel consumption nor major car repairs. The AE92 had nothing to fix except perhaps for some minor paint job if you really wanted your car to stand out and live to its “Car Show” finish. But you have to take into consideration the year issue. The car is depreciating in cost and while you would want to part with it at something more, you just have to admit that you will not get it for the value you had gotten it along with modifications you had already spent on it.

Why should you read this? When it comes to selling your old car, you have limited options. Especially if you have a car that is reaching the 20 year age limit, you have to make decisions. Unless you are the famed car collector, if you are going to sell it, sell it now when the market value is still acceptable. Prolonging it will only drive the car value lower and eventually you may find it outrageous.

Figures? I had sold the car for about $2,200.00. I had bought the car as well for almost the same amount and then spend over $2,000.00 in modifying it. In the end, that amount used for improvement became my means of living a dream.

In the end, it was the depreciation value that claimed that investment even if the car still looked great. The next best thing to do with such a car? Don’t sell it to the car buying business wolves. Sell it to a friend who will value it. That is exactly what I did. Now the problem is, what car will I use to replace it!

Tags: body works, car collector, car entertainment, car repairs, car show, car value, depreciation, fuel consumption, living a dream, mechanical body, paint job, practicality, Toyota, toyota corolla, toyota corolla ae92

Continue reading...

With all the fuss about going green, here is something that most car owners are bound to notice. Bridgestone, a long time brand in the tire industry, has unveiled a new line of environmentally friendly tires in the Ecopia EP100.

The Ecopia tire line incorporates Bridgestone’s latest and best low rolling resistance technology. Ecopia targets fuel efficient vehicles, including hybrids and electric vehicles, and will be used in original equipment and replacement applications.

The new Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 is the first aftermarket product in the Ecopia tire line for the North American market. The Ecopia EP100 is a summer replacement tire fitment for popular fuel efficient, hybrid and electric vehicles including the Mini Cooper, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Nissan Versa, Toyota Corolla and a selection of other conventional vehicles.

Available in H- and V-speed ratings, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 has a UTQG of 400AB and will be offered in six different sizes ranging from 14-16 inch. The tire will be available in March in the first phase of a two-phase rollout in 2009.

(Source) Press

Tags: bridgestone, conventional vehicles, efficient vehicles, electric vehicles, ep100, honda civic, honda civic hybrid, nissan versa, tire industry, toyota corolla, toyota prius

Continue reading...

Here is some good news to car buffs who are religiously following the Toyota Corolla line. The 2009 Toyota Corolla was presented at the North American International Auto Show and this fuel-efficient vehicle offers quite a number of features that are sure to make it another hot car in the market.

The 2009 Corolla is offered with a choice of fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines, a new 1.8-liter and a re-engineered 2.4-liter. The Corolla Standard, LE and XLE are equipped with the all-new 1.8-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine, which produces 132 hp at 6,000 rpm and 128 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm.

Dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) controls valve timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts to help optimize performance and fuel economy. Internal components are optimized to reduce friction, while valve-train components are downsized to provide a compact valve layout.

Common features:

Five-speed manual transmission

Four-speed automatic Electronically Controlled Transmission (ECT)

Torque converter uses flex lockup for enhanced fuel efficiency

Uphill/downhill shift controls

(Source) Aving.net

Tags: 2009 corolla, 2009 toyota corolla, north american international auto, north american international auto show, toyota corolla

Continue reading...