Main page | April 8, 2007 - April 14, 2007 »

Champ Cars Open Season in Las Vegas Sunday

With seventeen brand-new Champ Cars set to take the grid on one of six new venues to grace the 2007 schedule, the Champ Car World Series finds itself on the brink of a future that may be even brighter than the glitz and glamour that surrounds the season-opening Vegas Grand Prix on Sunda, according to champcarworldseries.com.

Posted by   at 10:21 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

High track and temps hurt grip for Malaysian Grand Prix

Kimi Raikkonen added fuel to Ferrari’s fire today when, despite setting the fourth-fastest time (1m 36.160s) within four-tenths of a second of team mate Felipe Massa (1m 35.780s) in the second practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, he revealed that he was not happy with his F2007’s performance, according to Formula1.com.“The car feels reasonably okay but I’m not 100 percent happy,” he said. “We learned things but there is still work to do. The car felt different to the way it did here last week, the set-up was not as good as it was. The grip’s slightly different.”
Most felt the same as the high track and ambient temperatures hurt grip significantly.

Posted by   at 10:12 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

Transportation Dept: Anti-Rollover for U.S. Vehicles

The government says it will require all new passenger vehicles to have anti-rollover technology by the 2012 model year, predicting it could save thousands of lives and dramatically reduce rollover crashes, according to the Associated Press.
The Transportation Department said "electronic stability control" could prevent between 5,300 and 9,600 deaths annually and up to 238,000 injuries a year once it is fully deployed into the nation's fleet, AP says.

Posted by   at 10:00 AM to Transportation | Permalink | Comments 0

GM Still Being Outsold in Nation's Cities

Two years ago, General Motors promised dealers it would do whatever it took to reverse falling sales in the American cities that set the industry's trends, but the slump has only worsened, according to Bloomberg.com
Toyota outsells GM two-to-one in Los Angeles and by a slightly smaller margin in Miami, according to U.S. data compiled by R.L. Polk & Co. In the New York City metropolitan area, where GM had a 4.5 percentage point lead in market share five years ago, Toyota has surged to a four-point advantage.

Posted by   at 9:37 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

What makes 89-year-old Kerkorian Run?

Bloomberg.com's John Lippert offers an overview of Kirk Kerkorian's $4.5 billion bid for Chrysler. It seems the 89-year-old - yes, that's 89 - billionaire from investing in airlines and casinos, still hasn't given up on his Detroit dreams, Lippert writes. He has sought a major role with a U.S. automaker since 1990.
His offer to buy DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler comes 12 years after his first attempt to buy the company and six months after his failed effort to pressure General Motors into an alliance with Renault and Nissan.

Posted by   at 9:32 AM to People in the News | Permalink | Comments 0

USA Today: Crossovers Star in New York

Check out USA Today's auto writer James Healey's take on the New York International Auto Show which opened yesterday, complete with a photo gallery of some of the stars of the show. I'll be heading down tomorrow for a first-hand look at the nation's biggest show after Detroit and Los Angeles.

Posted by   at 9:19 AM to Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

States offer protection against buying lemons

Don't give up if you buy a lemon - a vehicle that is a complete disaster from start to finish, USA Today reports. There is reason for hope even if your car has persistent problems ranging from safety-related to simply annoying.
Every state has a lemon law protecting and spelling out your rights. Most declare vehicles lemons after up to four unsuccessful repair attempts within about 24,000 miles or 24 months, although the laws vary widely, the paper reports.

Posted by   at 9:13 AM to Consumer rights | Permalink | Comments 0

Kerkorian makes $4.5 billion bid for Chrysler

Kirk Kerkorian, once Chrysler's biggest shareholder, has sent a letter to DaimlerChrysler offering to buy the struggling automaker back for $4.5 billion, according to CNN.
Kerkorian is proposing to take the automaker private, and his bid is contingent upon reaching a deal on a new labor agreement with the United Auto Workers union, CNN says.

Posted by   at 2:43 PM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Nice work if you can get it

CNN reports that Ford, which posted a record $12.7 billion net loss in 2006, gave its new CEO Alan Mulally $28 million for four months on the job, according to the company's proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday.
The pay package comes on top of the $7.4 million that aerospace company Boeing had previously reported paying him for his eight months running that company's commercial aircraft unit before he made the move to Ford at the beginning of September.

Posted by   at 2:39 PM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford sees no more job cuts, factory closures

Ford won't cut more jobs or close more factories in North America beyond those already announced, CEO Alan Mulally said yesterday at the New York International Auto Show, according to USA Today.
Mulally acknowledged that some analysts have speculated that Ford will need to get even smaller. "There's a lot of work we need to do over the next three years (of the restructuring plan), but we're just about right," he said.

Posted by   at 10:58 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Listen Up - Get that Headrest Sorted

This is serious stuff.
If you've ever known anyone who has gotten whiplashed by someone slamming into the rear of their car, you know the pain and expense involved with neck and back injuries can be really debilitating. Rear-end accidents are far more common that most people realise and it's a really good idea to protect yourself by making sure your headrest is adequate, set at the right height and that your head is close to it at all times.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety today issued its findings from rear crash tests and finds that seat/head restraint designs in 22 current car models provide good protection, but those in 53 other cars are rated marginal or poor.
The IIHS says its latest evaluations of occupant protection in rear-end collisions found that the seat/head restraints in more than 60 percent of car models fall short of current state-of-the-art protection from neck injury or whiplash.
Check out an AP Video showing test results together with instructions on how to adjust your headrest. Go to the Web site and select "Crash Test: Headrests Unsafe in Many Cars."

Posted by   at 9:39 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Chevrolet's 3 concepts on view

Pix of the three Chevrolet concept cars that GM is unveiling at the NY Auto Show are available on Leftlanenews.com
The Beat, Groove and Trax are all small runabouts and all three look gonky in a way that has been common in Europe for years. Maybe Detroit is finally getting it - but then gas is still basically free over here compared to Europe - so it's hard to blame Detroit for riding the monsters as long as it has.

Posted by   at 12:09 PM to Companies , Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Check out slideshow 16 vehicles skedded for NY show

Check out a slideshow prepared by USA Today of some of the vehicles that automakers are going to be showing at the New York International Auto Show this weekend.

Posted by   at 11:57 AM to Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Mulally: Ford turnaround on track

Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally, said today that the automaker's sweeping turnaround remained on track, according to USA Today.
"This is a massive, massive restructuring of Ford and generally it's going, it's going pretty well," Mulally said in a speech at the New York International Auto Show.
Ford, which has announced plans to shutter 16 plants, lost $12.7 billion last year and mortgaged its factories, brand names and other items to secure a $23.4 billion line of credit to pay for its restructuring plan and cover losses expected until 2009, the paper said.

Posted by   at 11:51 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

March sales figures are out - trend continues

March sales were released today by automakers, and Detroit's automakers continued to see sales dip while Toyota and Honda watched their totals rise, according to thecarconnection.com
GM registered 349,867 vehicle sales and deliveries in March, down 7.7 percent from a year ago while Toyota reported its best month ever in the U.S., selling 242,675 vehicles, 7.7 percent more than in March 2006.
Ford sales totaled 264,975, down nine percent compared with the same period a year ago. Chrysler sales declined 4.4 percent to 537,249 units. Mercedes sales rose 0.9 percent, while the brand hit a record for the first quarter in the U.S.
Honda posted its fifth-best month ever as it sold 143,392 Hondas and Acuras. Sales rose 7.3 percent over 2006.
Nissan reported sales of 111,119 units in March, up 3.9 percent. Nissan Division rose by 2.8 percent, while Infiniti sales grew by 12.6 percent. Mazda sales zoomed 47.9 percent over March 2006 as the brand marked its best March since 1994.
Volkswagen of America, Inc. says it had March 2007 sales of 17,355 units, a decrease of 16.3 percent from March 2006 sales of 20,730 vehicles.

Posted by   at 11:44 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Zetsche confirms talks about sale of Chrysler

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of DaimlerChrysler, has confirmed for the first time that discussions have taken place with interested parties regarding future options for the Chrysler Group, according to PR Newswire.
"In this context, I can confirm that we are talking with some of the potential partners who have shown a clear interest," Zetsche is quoted as saying in the text of the speech he will deliver at the Annual Meeting 2007 in Berlin today. However, Zetsche continued, "But it is also true that we need to keep all options open, and that I cannot disclose any details, because we need to have the maximum scope for maneuver."

Posted by   at 11:35 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

French train breaks speed record

France's high-speed TGV (Tres Grande Vitesse, or very high speed) train broke the record for speed on a rail today in a much publicized test, according to the Paris-based International Herald Tribune. The train, code-named V150, reached a maximum of 574.8 kilometers an hour, or 357 miles an hour, but fell just short of the record for all types of train.
That record is held by the magnetic levitation train of Japan, whose technology means it does not touch the rail. It reached a speed of 581 kilometers per hour, or 361 miles an hour, in 2003. But the Japanese technology is more costly, typically runs shorter distances and is less compatible with existing rail networks.

Posted by   at 4:13 PM to Transportation | Permalink | Comments 0

All go at the New York Auto Show this weekend

The New York Times identified expected highlights of this week's New York International Auto Show in the Sunday paper.
They include the “Taxi 07” exhibit of eight cars and showcase prototypes for taxis of the future, including a Toyota Sienna minivan taxi with a motorized seat and a Chrysler PT Cruiser taxi prototype powered by a lithium-ion battery pack.
Vehicles making their debut include the Infiniti G37 coupe, a stronger 330-horsepower follow-up to the popular G35 and the Ford Flex, a three-row crossover based on the Fairlane concept of 2005. Chevrolet will show three concept minicars from its South Korean design studio, including the Trax, a boxy bulldog-faced crossover with a frugal 1-liter 4-cylinder engine. And a larger 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will also make its first United States appearance. Mercedes hopes the redesigned sedan will offer tougher competition against the BMW 3 Series in the compact luxury class.
Meanwhile, in front of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the west side of Manhattan's midtown, Camp Jeep will let showgoers ride shotgun in Jeeps to demonstrate their off-road ability, including fording water and climbing an 18-foot hill.
Ths show runs Friday through Sunday.

Posted by   at 10:51 AM to Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Auto balls. Yes, they're art

Check out the work of Artist Lars-Eric Fisk who somehow turns entire vehicles into balls about six feet in diameter, in The New York Times. Fisk, of Burlington, Vt., specializes in sphere-shaped sculpture and has made balls out of a VW Microbus - his best known piece - a school bus, a green John Deere tractor, a brown U.P.S. truck and a white Mister Softee ice cream truck, complete with lights
His work has been shown in museums including the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Mass., outside Boston, and the Dartmouth College museum. The VW ball is in a private collection.
In the catalog for the DeCordova exhibition, he called the sphere a “simple, seamless form expressing movement and the concept of endlessness and timelessness without a beginning, without an ending.”
Crikey! But then it's usually best to let an artist's work speak for itself and these pieces are great.

Posted by   at 10:39 AM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Looking at DIY projects for green wheels

Forbes.com's Dan Lienert reports on a number of companies and technologies offering "do-it-yourself" kits for building hybrid cars or converting existing cars into hybrids.
For example, for $200, Robert Q. Riley Enterprises, a Phoenix-based design company, offers construction plans for a three-wheeled sports car called the XR-3. A completed XR-3 will reportedly deliver between 125 and 225 miles per gallon, Lienert reports. A three-cylinder diesel engine powers the front wheels and an electric motor run by a lithium-ion battery powers the rear wheel. The driver can switch between battery-only, diesel-only and hybrid driving modes. The DIY kit will be available this May or June.
Riley is just one of several companies offering electric-car conversions. Spend, say, $15,000 to $25,000, and you can have any car you want converted into an electric one thanks to an array of emerging, green technologies carmakers are unveiling, Lienert writes.

Posted by   at 10:31 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0

Rand McNally offers NASCAR Road Trip Guide

Hey, NASCAR fans, check out Rand McNally's new Ultimate NASCAR Road Trip Guide.
The guide blends 160 pages of maps with 200 pages of in-depth travel information and visitor tips for each of the 31 NASCAR-sanctioned tracks in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Available now at RandMcNally.com, the 8.5 x 11-inch guide
has a suggested retail price of $14.95.

Posted by   at 10:18 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

Proposed law aims to curb street racing in R.I.

Lori Nunes endured every parent’s nightmare in April 2003, when her 17-year-old son, Justin Nunes, was killed in a grisly accident caused by two teenagers racing their cars through Swansea, Warren and Bristol.
Last night, The Providence Journal's Scott Mackay reports, Nunes joined Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, State Rep. Raymond Gallison, D-Bristol, Sen. Walter Felag, D-Warren, Bristol police officers and 30 or more relatives and friends of her son in an event at Colt State Park to remember Justin and argue for legislation that would make it easier to prosecute drivers who use the public streets for drag racing.
To make it easier to prosecute violators, the legislation that Nunes has worked on with Lynch would define street racing as a crime, and would establish tougher penalties for it. A second or third street racing offender would incur an automatic felony. License suspensions of six months and one year would accompany second and third violations respectively. Current law does not provide for an automatic license suspension for street racing, a fact that Lynch said was a “shocking” hole in state law.

Posted by   at 10:02 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

After dry spell, RIDOT projects set to hit the road

After a seven-month financial drought, the state Department of Transportation is about to resume the multimillion-dollar flow of contracts that build and repair the state’s highways and bridges, reports The Providence Journal's Bruce Landis.
Edmund T. Parker, the DOT’s chief engineer, told Landis his agency hopes to advertise 16 contracts, worth an estimated $29 million, for bids from contractors this month and next, after the release of $104 million by the Federal Highway Administration.

Posted by   at 10:00 AM to Traffic , Transportation | Permalink | Comments 0

Justices give EPA power to regulate car emissions

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down two decisions yesterday that could create an unprecedented opportunity for setting new standards for reducing greenhouse gases from automobiles and lead to emissions reductions by a major utility, reports The Providence Journal's Peter Lord.In Massachusetts et al v. Environmental Protection Agency et al, the court ruled 5 to 4 against the Bush administration’s contention that it didn’t have the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles. The EPA had resisted calls by Massachusetts and other states to impose limits, saying it didn’t have the authority to do so. Yesterday, the court rejected every argument made by the EPA to do nothing, Lord writes.
Environmental Defense et al v. Duke Energy Corp. et al, which Lord says appears to have more limited impact, the court ruled unanimously to vacate a lower court ruling that allowed the power company to upgrade 29 of its generating plants without having to conform to stricter air emissions rules. The case was sent back to the lower court for further review.

Posted by   at 9:49 AM to Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

Johnson wins at Martinsville Speedway

Teammates Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon duked it out over the final 18 laps of the Goody's Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway yesterday afternoon, with Johnson holding on for a .065-second win, according to the speedway's Web site.
The final lap was entertaining as Gordon slammed Johnson's rear bumper in the third and fourth turns and pulled halfway alongside his teammate before the two slammed together. Both kept their Chevrolets under control and Johnson edged ahead for the win.

Posted by   at 10:59 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

What's a Turn Under?

Check out a fabulous piece in Sunday's New York Times about the official names that designers give to parts of the car. Do you know what the cowl is, for example? (The base of the windshield) Or the greenhouse (the glassed-in upper section of a car's body), the beltline (the line that divides the greenhouse from the lower body), or the tumblehome (angle formed by the inward slope of the greenhouse sides as they rise from the beltline)?
The online article is accompanied by an interactive graphic.

Posted by   at 10:20 AM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford to show off three hot vehicles in N.Y.

Ford says it will show off a trio of specialty vehicles at the New York International Auto Show next week, meant to lure enthusiasts who influence the opinions of other buyers and to boost troubled Ford's image, according to USAToday.
Each of the three, which were unveiled in Dearborn, Mich., late last week, will be a high-price, limited-production model co-designed with an automotive celebrity, according to the USAToday:
The 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR is a 540 hp Mustang modified by Carroll Shelby. KR stands for "king of the road," a designation used on a now-classic 1968 Mustang.
The 2008 F-150 Foose Edition has huge wheels, a lowered stance and dramatic racing stripes mark the specialty truck styled by Chip Foose. Foose is a car customizer, known for a cable-TV show called Overhaulin' on TLC. Ford says the supercharged V-8 engine will be rated 450 horsepower and 500 pounds-feet of torque.
The 2008 Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition comes with wild paint and a jazzy interior. Funkmaster Flex is a hip-hop music disc jockey and auto enthusiast who has designed vehicles for celebrities.

Posted by   at 10:13 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

GM to debut 1-liter Trax concept car in New York

General Motors will introduce its 1-liter Chevrolet Trax concept car at the New York Auto Show later this week, according to thecarconnection.com
The Trax is one of three Chevrolet minicar concepts featuring an array of powertrain options, starting with the 1.0-liter gasoline engine under the hood of the Trax, that will be unveiled at the show, thecarconnection says. The concepts will
Fuel economy is clearly part of the goal for GM in developing these all-new minicar concepts, but the automaker says it has put an equal emphasis on value and, notably, on design.

Posted by   at 10:02 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0