Main page | June 17, 2007 - June 23, 2007 »

Backseat Driver: Big Weekend for Race Fans

It's a big weekend for race fans with a number of key races, including the Le Mans 24-hour race in France, the USA Formula 1 Grand Prix in Indianapolis, NASCAR's Citizens Bank 400 at the Michigan International Speedway and the NHRA's Franklin Trailers Lucas Oil Division 1 Points Race at Atco Raceway in Atco, NJ.

Rhode Island's own Bob Tasca III is competing at Atco after already building up quite a record in Top Alcohol Funny Cars this season. Last month, he won at the Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond and came second at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, PA.

But perhaps his most impressive performance was at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL, in March where he set the record for Top Alcohol Funny Cars with a pass at 263 mph. That's 263 mph - a speed that few of us can even imagine let alone ever experience.

Tasca is one of the brightest stars on the Top Alcohol Funny Car circuit - where he he currently ranks No.8 nationally - and I look forward to writing an indepth piece about him later in the season as he keeps up this blistering pace. I mean, what is it really like to drive at 263 mph?

Speaking of No.8, all eyes will be on Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Michigan this weekend following his signing with Hendrick Motorsports, the most dominant team in the Nextel Cup. Earnhardt, son of legend Dale Earnhardt, is the most popular driver in the sport and the move - he will start driving with Hendrick next year - is expected to generate increased interest and revenues for the sport.

Meanwhile, much speculation surrounds the possibility that Chevrolet might break out of a winless pattern at Michigan and come in with a win with current Nextel Cup leader Jeff Gordon. Chevrolet has been dominating the circuit this year, but last won at Michigan with Gordon in 2001.

By the by New England race fans, NASCAR is coming to Loudon, NH, on July 1 for the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. That's just two weeks away, and I plan to go.

But let's get back to superstars. The Formula I Grand Prix in Indianapolis this weekend features a major new star in the form of Lewis Hamilton of the McLaren team who won the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend in Montreal.

Hamilton, a Brit, is being hailed as the next Tiger Woods - he is young (22), black, handsome and extremely media/sponsor savvy. Already, there is talk of him being lured to the Ferrari team, which is suffering this season, for sums beyond the dreams of avarice, as Dr. Johnson would say.

Then we have the Le Mans 24-hour race in France, starting Saturday afternoon. There really is no race like it in the world - the cars run through the night for 24 hours with teams of three drivers changing places every three hours or so - and the car that has completed the most number of circuits at the end of the race wins. So it's really a matter of endurance and traditionally a great testing platform for engine and performance technology.

Certainly one of the most dramatic leaps in engine technology was highlighted last year with the win by Audi's R10 TDI diesel racer. One of the R10s was down at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance earlier this month and they are impressive just to look at - wide and low slung in silver and white with red and black flashes.

The TDI (Turbo Direct Injection) engine, with its massive torque, is incredibly powerful and romped to victory last year and is the favorite again this year. It's success follows the numerous victories of Audi's R8 gasoline Le Mans racer which retired last year after a final tour of the Le Mans American Series, including a run at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.

The only drawback of the R10 is the noise: there isn't any. For any race fan used to the breastbone-breaking thunder of a sqad of NASCARs or the madding whine of a flow of Formula I racers, the discrete hum of the R10 is something of a letdown to say the least.

But with the TDI technology due to hit the American roads next year as the VW group starts importing its clean diesels, the comparative quiet of their engines will be more than welcome. Just not at the racetrack!

Posted by   at 3:45 PM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

1957 Plymouth standing in water-logged time capsule

In a major setback to festivities surrounding the unearthing of a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that had been buried in a time capsule in Tulsa, Okla., in 1957, a preliminary opening of the concrete vault revealed the car in several feet of water, according to the Associated Press and reported by CBS.

Hundreds of curious onlookers gathered to learn the secrets of a gold and white Plymouth Belvedere buried half a century ago under this city's courthouse lawn, according to the AP.

The 1957 two-door hardtop - buried to celebrate Oklahoma's 50 years of statehood - was encased in a 12-by-20-foot concrete vault, supposedly tough enough to withstand a nuclear attack.

Event officials already had to pump out several feet of water from the crypt that held the Belvedere for a half-century. But the condition of the car, wrapped in three layers of mud-caked protective material, remains a mystery.

Posted by   at 3:15 PM to Marques , Popular culture | Permalink | Comments 1

As the Rich Get Richer, the Nascar Field Tilts

Dale Earnhardt Jr. flashed a broad smile as he stood next to the race-team owner Rick Hendrick with cameras clicking away, capturing the moment that marked the beginning of a new era in Nascar, according to The New York Times

Earnhardt, the most popular driver in the sport, announced Wednesday at his JR Motorsports headquarters that he would join Hendrick Motorsports, the most dominant team in the Nextel Cup. Earnhardt has agreed to a five-year contract starting in 2008. His addition will create an all-star lineup at Hendrick next year with the four-time Cup winner Jeff Gordon and the defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

Posted by   at 1:25 PM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 1

Can discount gas crimp your ride?

Gasoline prices hit near-record levels recently, and the government says the average will stay above $3 all summer, sending motorists shopping for lower-price fuel and making them wonder if they're hurting their engines burning the cheap stuff, according to USA Today.

Their anxieties have lately been fueled by a $35 million Shell marketing campaign, warning that discount fuel is the petro-chemical equivalent of the road to hell.

And those anxieties are likely to go unresolved, because there seems no easy answer to the simple questions: What is bad gas? How can I avoid it?

Posted by   at 1:19 PM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

27,000 hourly workers have taken Ford buyouts

Ford says about 27,000 U.S. hourly workers have left the company under buyout or early retirement offers, according to USA Today.

Ford offered the packages last year to reduce its workforce to match lower demand for its cars and trucks.

Initially about 37,000 workers signed up for the offers, but not all have left the company, it said. Ford has until September to phase in the departures as it closes plants under a restructuring plan, and some of the workers could change their minds and stay with the company.

Posted by   at 1:16 PM to Auto industry , Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Carmakers funnel more funds to Democrats

American automakers, who are lobbying against legislation that would increase fuel economy standards, have directed more than half of their contributions this year to Democrats after 12 years of giving heavily to Republicans, according to USA Today.

The political action committees of the three automakers have contributed $374,000 in the first five months of this year, with 54% going to Democratic candidates, leadership PACs and party committees, according to a USA TODAY analysis of campaign data collected by PoliticalMoneyLine, a non-partisan group that tracks money in politics.

Posted by   at 1:14 PM to Auto industry | Permalink | Comments 0

Hertz, Avis Plan to Boost Hybrid Fleets

The increased demand for "green" vehicles is spilling over to the rental car counter, where many more drivers will soon be able to choose a hybrid vehicle, according to the Associated Press.

Hertz said it will spend $68 million to add 3,400 Toyota Prius hybrids to its fleets by 2008. And Avis said this week it plans to make 1,000 hybrid Prius vehicles available for rent as early as next week.

Posted by   at 1:12 PM to Alternative fuels , Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

Winnebago 3Q Profit Falls

Motor home manufacturer Winnebago Industries Inc. reported its earnings fell 14.4 percent in the third quarter as higher materials and labor costs hurt its profit margins, according to the Associated Press.

The Des Moines, Iowa-based company's shares fell 2 percent in afternoon trading. Winnebago earned $11.3 million, or 35 cents a share, in the three months ended May 26 versus $13.2 million, or 40 cents a share, a year ago.

Posted by   at 1:09 PM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas Prices Expected to Rise at Pump

Gasoline futures extended their rally today, raising the prospect that prices at the pump will reverse course and again head higher in the coming weeks, according to the Associated Press. Oil futures moved above $68 a barrel.

Retail gasoline prices, which typically lag the futures market, fell again by 1.4 cents overnight to a national average price of $3.029 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices peaked at $3.227 a gallon on May 24.

Posted by   at 1:05 PM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Left Lane Drivers Attack!

Summertime is when America hits the road, and — if you believe some people — it’s also when too many slow drivers clog the fast lane. Well, help is on the way for that beloved character, the Assertive American, according to the cars.com.

Left Lane Drivers of America has taken the lead in this national aggravation, and it wants to keep slower drivers where they belong — on the right-hand side of the road.

“As traffic gets increasingly congested, it’s time for citizens to reclaim the left lane,” J.A. Tosti, a spokesman for the group, said in a press release.

Tosti and his group are offering backward-reading “Move Over” windshield decal (complete with an arrow that points to the right) that “gently prods” those slower drivers into, well, getting the hell out of the way when they see it in their rearview mirror.

Posted by   at 10:20 AM to On the road , Popular culture | Permalink | Comments 1

BioFuel expects to raise $93 million from IPO

BioFuel Energy Corp., a development-stage ethanol producer, said it plans to sell 5.25 million shares at $10.50 a share in an initial public offering, below its expected IPO pricing range of $13 to $14 a share, according to Reuters.

In a regulatory filing, BioFuel said it will also sell 4.25 million shares in a private placement directly to affiliates of Greenlight Capital Inc., Third Point LLC and its chairman, Thomas Edelman.

The Denver, Colorado-based company expects to receive about $93 million in net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses.

BioFuel plans to use the net proceeds to fund the equity portion of the construction costs of its Alta plant and repay or defer debt.

Posted by   at 10:12 AM to Alternative fuels , Companies , Environment , Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Gibbs Aquada Aquacar Floating to Reality?

Gibbs Technologies, founded by Britain 's Neil Jenkins and Alan Gibbs, is expected to announce a new deal to produce a military version of its prototype Aquada, a car-like vehicle that can operate on land or water, according to thecarconnection.com.

Specifics are expected to outlined today, but a prototype is expected to allow for a range of military operations, including the ability to deliver special forces troops and material at remote locations, or to provide flexible patrols along waterfronts.

According to Jenkins, the company's High Speed Amphibian technology would allow for fast travel off-shore, but unlike a traditional boat, the vehicles could quickly move onto dry land to pursue an enemy.

Posted by   at 10:05 AM to Companies , Design , Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Nanjing to bring back Healey, Austin-Healey

Nanjing Automobile (Group) Corp. says it's reached a deal with Healey Automobile Consultants Ltd., to bring back the Healey and Austin Healey nameplates, according to thecarconnection.com

The Chinese company, the new owner of the MG Rover brands and their Longbridge, U.K., factory, and the Healey group, said "they were delighted to announce their intention to collaborate with each other on the future development of the Healey and Austin Healey brands and sports cars bearing their name," according to a news release.

Posted by   at 10:01 AM to Auto industry , Companies , Marques | Permalink | Comments 0

Chrysler Group dealers believe in Cerberus

Top Chrysler Group dealers emerged from their first face-to-face meeting with Cerberus Capital Management impressed with the investor's plan to make Chrysler "a great American car company" again, according to the Detoit Free Press.

Cerberus Chief Executive Officer Steve Feinberg sat at a table Thursday with 16 of the 20 members of the dealer council that represents about 3,700 Chrysler Group dealerships around the country.

The meeting was held at Cerberus' offices in New York City.

Feinberg, whose private equity firm is set to acquire the automaker, spoke about Cerberus' commitment to the U.S. auto industry, dealers at the table said.

Posted by   at 9:59 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas alternatives are near, and on several routes

It's the end of the driving world as you know it, some of the automotive industry's top engineers and executives said Tuesday during a University of Michigan forum on alternative-fuel vehicles, according to the Detroit Free Press.

More than 700 people filled the Power Center in Ann Arbor to hear hybrid and advanced technology directors from General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. discuss what their companies are doing to address increasing consumer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Posted by   at 9:55 AM to Alternative fuels , Design , Environment , Fuel economy , Technology | Permalink | Comments 0

Detroit blasted over fuel rules

Detroit's auto industry was cast as an environmental villain Tuesday in an unusual blast of criticism by backers of tougher fuel-economy standards who contend the Senate must force the industry to build more efficient vehicles, according to the Detroit Free Press.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., blistered Detroit automakers, saying the industry had "buffaloed" Congress with false claims of financial and technological hurdles to meeting a proposed standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

Posted by   at 9:49 AM to Auto industry , Fuel economy | Permalink | Comments 0

Senate mulls tougher fuel standards

As motorists face near record gasoline prices, the Senate took up an energy bill Tuesday that would raise auto fuel economy standards for the first time in nearly 20 years and make oil industry price gouging a federal crime, according to USA Today.

Democratic leaders in both the Senate and House said they want broad energy legislation passed before the Fourth of July congressional recess, hoping to dampen growing voter anger over paying well above $3 a gallon at gasoline pumps across the country.

The Senate bill urges automakers to boost their fuel economy to a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, about a 40% increase over what new cars and the less fuel efficient SUVs and pickups are required to attain today. The auto standard of 27.5 mpg was last increased 18 years ago. SUVS and small trucks must achieve a fleet average of 22.2 mpg.

Posted by   at 9:46 AM to Fuel economy | Permalink | Comments 0

Renault Reports Worldwide Sales Decline

French automaker Renault said vehicle sales slipped 4.2 percent in May from a year earlier to 214,358 amid competition from Asian brands and an older product lineup, according to the Associated Press.

Renault is hoping the launch of new and updated models in the second half of this year will arrest the slide and bolster prospects in 2008.

It is about to launch its latest version of the Twingo subcompact.

Posted by   at 9:41 AM to Auto industry , Companies , Marques | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Thomas Hardy, where are you?

This is a daffy thing to mention, but on the Massachusetts Turnpike recently I spotted this truck and the simple message across the back caught my attention.

Butter Eggs Cheese

It reminded me that while we think we live in a whizz-bang age, the delivery of such simple staffs of life go on as they have for centuries. One could almost imagine a cart with exactly the same message plodding along one of the country lanes of Thomas Hardy's beloved Dorset in southern England over 100 years ago - or another cart and another horse plodding along a lane somewhere in Rhode Island or Massachusetts or France or wherever 200, 300 years ago.

The daily round does not change and I remember a similar feeling when I used to commute from Jamestown to Boston in the early morning hours (I had to report to work at 3:30 a.m.) and the roads being empty save for the food trucks - bread and groceries - which were making their daily deliveries.

So, here's to you Mr N. Winer & Son Inc. for reminding me that the pace of modern life is often only in our heads. Hardy, after all, had his own madding crowd.

Posted by   at 12:13 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: A '57 Plymouth Belvedere to be unearthed on Friday

It's hard to believe that Oklahoma is only 100 years old. But the Sooner State became the 46th state on November, 16, 1907, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary, the city of Tulsa buried a time capsule on June 15, 1957.

In that capsule, among other items, was a brand new gold-and-white Plymouth Belvedere. Plymouth donated the car as a promotion.

The time capsule will be opened this Friday and it will be interesting to see what kind of condition the car will be in. It could be very good - it was sealed in a concrete vault, after all.

The New York Times' Dan Barry, who used to be a reporter here at The Providence Journal and who is one of the best writers around bar none, has written an advance story.

Meanwhile, I will attempt to keep tabs on the unearthing on the day, hopefully relying on Barry's reporting although I do not know whether he will be there. Certainly the Associated Press will be.

Posted by   at 11:33 AM to Popular culture | Permalink | Comments 1

Backseat Driver: Spotted - A GMC Futureliner

So there I was driving to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Mass., the other day when what should I come across on the Mass. Pike but a GMC Futureliner. Here was the first view:

Then I raced ahead, stopped by the side of the road and shot it from in front - getting a good honk from the driver as he passed:

A total of 12 of these fabulous looking vehicles were made in 1939 and they were used to travel around the country displaying the latest wonders from Detroit. Nine survive and this one was clearly keeping up with the traffic (a bit slow on the hills) on a sunny June day in Massachusetts.

There are many Web sites about the Futureliners. Here is one.

Posted by   at 10:49 AM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 2

Is MirraChrome the Next Big Bling?

The most popular color to buy a car in has long been silver, but one U.K. company is now offering a variation on that them. Chrome is the new silver, with shiny body panels apparently set to be the next big thing, according to thecarconnection.com.

MirraChrome is claimed to be the world’s most realistic chrome-effect paint finish, with 98 percent of the reflectivity of true chrome-plating. It’s the stuff was used on a Lamborghini Murcielago in the recent video by rapper 50 Cent.

Posted by   at 10:33 AM to Design , Popular culture | Permalink | Comments 1

Toyota goal: 1 million hybrids a year

After taking a decade to sell its first 1 million gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles worldwide, Toyota now says it plans to sell 1 million a year within a few years, according to USA Today.

At the same time, the big automaker appears to be backing away from a pledge made a few years ago that hybrid powertrains would be available as options on nearly every one of its U.S. vehicles by 2010.

Posted by   at 10:30 AM to Alternative fuels , Companies , Environment , Fuel economy , Sales , Technology | Permalink | Comments 0

Caution: Lower Truck Sales Ahead

As with sport utilities, the popularity of pickups is in decline. Sales have dropped, rebates and other incentives are climbing, even for companies like G.M. and Toyota that have the newest models on the market, according to The New York Times.

Posted by   at 10:28 AM to Analysis , Auto industry , Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Nymex Crude Oil Rises on Supply Worries

A benchmark crude oil contract edged up Tuesday after climbing more than $1 a barrel a day earlier amid indications that OPEC is unlikely to boost production and a report outlining a possible oil crunch in the coming months, according to the Associated Press.

The International Energy Agency raised the prospect of a global oil crunch this year on a recipe of higher-than-expected demand and below-par supply from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers.

Light, sweet crude for July delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 6 cents to $66.03 a barrel in electronic trading by midday in Europe. The contract had gained $1.21 Monday to settle at $65.97 a barrel.

Posted by   at 10:05 AM to Oil | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford Weighs Jaguar, Land Rover Future

Ford said it was reviewing its position on its Jaguar and Land Rover businesses, and union officials pressed for more information amid reports that the two brands were up for sale, according to the Associated Press.

John Gardiner, a spokesman for Ford's Premier Automotive Group, told Dow Jones Newswires that the company continued to review all of its global operations and all options were still on the table.

"I can confirm we're working with our financial advisers to determine the best way forward for Jaguar and Land Rover," Gardiner said.

Posted by   at 9:53 AM to Auto industry , Companies , Marques , Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Rocket Scientist or Auto Mechanic? The Distinction Is Blurring

People who know cars know that it’s getting tougher to find skilled mechanics. Cars have become increasingly complex, and require the kind of specialized training that teenagers can’t pick up hanging around the local gas station, according to The New York Times.

Although these students are part of the video-game generation and are comfortable around computers, automotive experts said many teenagers were unwilling to undertake the training for jobs that don’t initially pay much, when they can learn similar skills to enter higher-paying professions that get more respect.

Posted by   at 10:18 AM to Technology | Permalink | Comments 1

At Park Opening in ’09, It’s All Ferrari, All the Time

In coming weeks, Ferrari loyalists will gather to celebrate the 60th anniversary with festivities in Maranello that include a concours, a parade of racecars and the arrival of a relay tour that began Jan. 28 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and will have traveled through 50 countries over 148 days, according to The New York Times.

Plans to spread the Ferrari influence further yet are heading in a new, and perhaps unexpected, direction — a Ferrari theme park that is scheduled to open on an island in the Persian Gulf in 2009. The entertainment it will offer is intended to appeal to a range of car enthusiasts, from the Six Flags daytrippers to those whose dream is to someday own a vintage Testa Rossa or Daytona.

Posted by   at 10:14 AM to Marques | Permalink | Comments 0

Safety Systems Of the Future

Active safety systems, like anti-lock brakes, traction control, brake assist, and electronic stability control, act without your input. They decide an accident is coming and act to control the car before the accident happens. (Passive safety systems, like seatbelts and airbags, differ in that they engage once an accident has happened.)

But there's a new crop of active safety systems that give you warnings to which you must respond, like the lane departure warning system that beeps at you (M45) or vibrates your steering wheel (2008 BMW 5 Series) when it detects you're departing from your proper lane, according to thecarconnection.com. These systems beep, flash, light up, and cause vibrations in your seat and steering wheel. There are a host of these baby sitters, which are being developed because we aren't just driving - we're falling asleep, drifting and fiddling with the audio or our phone and people are getting killed.

Interested parties like the big insurance companies have been pushing these technologies behind the scenes mostly because they want fewer fatalities, and fewer payouts on claims. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is conducting a study on the lane departure warning system now. Results will be in over this summer and IIHS and will probably recommend the system when the study is complete. The big question is whether or not drivers are going to embrace these systems.

Posted by   at 10:06 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

OPEOil Prices Rise on OPEC Minister Remarks

Oil prices rose after Iran's oil minister said OPEC has no plans to release more oil into the market ahead of its next policy meeting in September and Saudi Arabia said it would keep its shipment volumes steady, according to the Associated Press.
OPEC has no plans to release more oil into the market ahead of its next policy meeting in September, Iran's oil minister said today, according to AP.
There is adequate crude oil in the market and commercial oil inventories are at a high level, Iranian Minister of Petroleum Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh told reporters on the sideline of a regional oil and gas conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Posted by   at 9:57 AM to Oil | Permalink | Comments 0