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Back Seat Driver: Biofuels may ADD to global warming

Say it ain’t so!

Granola crunchy biofuels may actually add to global warming, according to The New York Times.
Boy, the bloom is fast coming off the biofuel rose.

Just a year or so ago, biodiesel and ethanol were all the rage; the fuels that were going to save us from both petroleum dependency on the Middle East and global warming.

Well, biodiesel remains the fuel of choice for the Professor Crackpots in their garages. Indeed, production is so low compared to petro-diesel that it barely appears on the radar screen.

Meanwhile, the ethanol “fuel of the future” miracle is looking less credible by the day. It is about 20 percent less efficient as a fuel than gasoline. And it is corrosive and can clog up engines if allowed to sit and absorb water, as it has a propensity to do.

In addition, federal subsidy programs have resulted in excess demand for corn, driving prices up, while limited outlets for ethanol has resulted in a glut, driving prices down.

Now comes the news that the destruction of natural ecosystems, such as forests and savannahs, to make way for corn production is adding to global warming.

Citing the journal Science, the NYT says the destruction of the ecosystems not only releases greenhouse gases when they are burned, but deprives the planet of natural sponges to absorb carbon dioxide.

The news is unlikely to deter production of corn and ethanol, however, as there is too much money at stake. And so we have to swallow an unexpected setback on the road to energy independence and relative climate stability.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:12 PM to Environment , commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Back Seat Driver: Chrysler to cut models, dealerships

Chrysler is changing faster than you can say Mitt Romney.

The company, which was taken private by Cerberus Capital Management last year, says it plans to cut its range of models by as much as half and reduce the number of its dealerships by much as a third, according to the Detroit Free Press.

All this comes under a recently announced Project Genesis, as in beginning. Project Genesis replaces Project Alpha, as in beginning, which called for dealers to sell its Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands under one roof.

Those initiatives follow the elimination of 12,000 jobs announced in November, following the elimination of 13,000 jobs announced last February.

The company also dropped four models in November, including the Chrysler Crossfire and Dodge Magnum.

While Romney’s presidential candidacy partly foundered on shattered credibility as he flipped former moderate positions to suit conservative voters, the moves by Chrysler are an aggressive effort to get on the same playing field with Asian manufacturers.

Analysts have argued, for example, that over half of domestic dealerships, which sell an average of 600 vehicles a year, need to be closed in order to compete with import dealerships, which average more than 1,200 sales.

Hopefully Chrysler’s changes will have the opposite effect from the reaction to Romney’s shifts and increase its credibility with the consumer.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:16 PM to Chrysler , commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Web site doesn't mince words on 10 worst vehicles

Check out The Dallas Morning News' Terry Box find re the 10 worst cars as ranked by thetruthaboutcars.com.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:17 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Back Seat Driver: Bad news from nation's biggest auto retailer

Folks, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when AutoNation, the nation's biggest auto retailer, reports its earnings in the fourth quarter were down 31 percent, there is no point in burying our heads in the sand.

According to the Associated Press, the company said its results were pulled down by lower sales in California and Florida which account for a staggering 20 percent of industrywide new vehicle sales. The slowdown in the housing market in those states has rippled down to a slowdown in pickup sales.

AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson said he expects U.S.sales to fall to about 15.5 million vehicles this year. That's down from 16.2 million last year - which was down 2.5 percent from 2006. Goldman Sachs has forecast sales of 15 million units.

At the same time, Jackson said the recent 1.25 percentage point cut in interest rates - the Fed cut the bellwether federal funds rate by 0.75 percentage points on Jan. 22 and and a further 0.50 percentage points on Jan. 30 - to three percent, combined with the proposed economic stimulus package bode well for sales later this year.

Sure hope so. In the meantime, these are tough times for the auto industry - and everyone else.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:25 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Back Seat Driver: See start of Oscar movie with oil roots

If you are remotely connected to the auto industry or just a gearhead fascinated with all things automotive, I can heartily recommend the Oscar nominated movie "There Will Be Blood" - but only for its start.

The beginning traces the rise of "Oilman" Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day Lewis, at the very birth of the oil industry. Plainview is a wildcatter, drilling for oil near the California coast and working out schemes to pipe it to the coast and down to Los Angeles.

The wild landscapes are not only beautiful but are complimented by an extraordinary musical score by British composer Jonny Greenwood that supplies a haunting sense of agitation and impending drama.

As I said, for these scenes alone, I really recommend the movie for an almost breathless sense of what it was like to seek a fortune by digging wells and pulling oil out by the bucket.

Unfortunately, the movie gets bogged down as Plainview and his rising fortunes become intertwined with religion - another great American theme - in the form of a fanatical young fundamentalist minister. Plainview becomes ever more malevolent and the movie ends up as a weird parody of "Citizen Kane" but without Rosebud: in other words, pointless.

PS See "Juno."

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:35 AM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Massachusetts drivers have many options if hands-free cellphone bill becomes law

If the Massachusetts House gets its way, Bay State drivers can hang onto their steering wheels or their cellphones - but not both, according to the Boston Globe.

Last month, the lower house passed legislation that would ban drivers from text messaging while on the road and require them to use hands-free technology while making voice calls.

Drivers have plenty of hands-free options. Millions of phones have jacks for a headset; wired headsets can be had for $10 or less. Millions of other phones feature Bluetooth, a short-range radio networking technology. Bluetooth phones work with wireless headsets that sell for $25 and up.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:06 PM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Notice Nagging Problems? Here Are Solutions

Clutch problems on 2007 Nissan 350Zs and moaning Acuras are among this month’s roundup of technical service bulletins, according to The New York Times.

The bulletins, known as T.S.B.’s, from alldatapro.com offer automakers’ solutions to some recurring problems with various models.

The bulletins are not recalls; they are information provided by manufacturers to dealers’ service departments and other mechanics. Unless otherwise noted, the manufacturers do not offer payment assistance for these repairs beyond the normal warranty.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:35 AM to Auto industry | Permalink | Comments 0

BMWs beat each other to death on rough Atlantic crossing

SOME customers waiting patiently for a new BMW have received unhappy news: 122 were totaled during a rough North Atlantic crossing that damaged 430 of the vehicles, according to The New York Times.

The Courage, a car carrier headed to New Jersey from a North Sea port in Germany, rolled in heavy winter seas on Jan. 2, breaking BMWs from their lashings and sending them pinballing around a cargo hold. The ship docked in Newark on Jan. 11.

“Once one car broke loose, it all started going downhill,” said Tom Plucinsky, a BMW spokesman. “They just beat each other to death.”

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:33 AM to BMW | Permalink | Comments 0

Chevrolet Impala: Prestige for Everyman

One fine winter day 50 years ago, my father pulled into our driveway with a new Chevrolet, a ’58 Bel Air Impala Sport Coupe in Panama Yellow, according to The New York Times' Jerry Garrett.

At the time, the Impala was not yet a separate model in Chevy’s line, just a nameplate that designated its status as the top trim level for the popular Bel Air coupes and convertibles.

But Dad did not buy this car to signal his upward mobility or to be part of some Chevrolet plan to nudge buyers upmarket. No, he was smitten by the car’s handsome details — and the 283-cubic-inch Ram-Jet fuel-injected V-8 under the hood.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:25 AM to Collecting | Permalink | Comments 0

Chevy Traverse pegged a top seller

Chevrolet will introduce a model at the Chicago Auto Show today that promises to become the best-selling member of General Motors Corp.'s acclaimed family of crossovers, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The Chevrolet Traverse seats seven or eight people and shares its major mechanical systems with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook. While those three models come from a plant in Lansing, GM will use its entire Spring Hill, Tenn., assembly plant to build the Traverse.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:24 AM to GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Chicago show: Dodge debuts limited-edition Challenger

The Chicago auto show has a reputation as a truck show, and it won't give much ground on that this year. General Motors, especially, is rolling out an intriguing array of trucks not seen at the Detroit show last month — or anywhere else, according to USA Today.
Other automakers have a variety of models top show, including sleek coupes and updated sedans.

Check them on USA Today's site - but tell me this is not a beautiful beast:

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8: Not just any ol' Hemi, but a chuffing big 6.1-liter Hemi makes the midsize Challenger retro-muscle car into an SRT8 — Dodge's designation for the highest-performance models. Expect it in April, boasting 425 horsepower, 420 lbs.-ft. of torque, mated to a five-speed automatic and shamelessly asking for premium fuel, as muscle cars did when gasoline was 40 cents a gallon. Should be good for 13 mpg in town, 18 on the highway, Dodge says.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:21 AM to Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Pros and cons of a Honda Civic vs a Lamborghini Gallardo

TO finish first, race-team crew chiefs remind their impatient young drivers, you must first finish. This is another way of saying that a tortoise could have better odds against a hare than a bettor might otherwise presume, according to The New York Times' Jerry Garrett.

Recently, I pitted the most fuel-efficient new compact car sold in the United States against one of the thirstiest gas guzzlers on American roads. I wanted to see just how much difference there really was — not in the mileage, which anyone can learn by simply reading the window sticker — but in dollars and cents under typical driving conditions.

My decidedly unscientific test consisted of taking a Honda Civic Hybrid on a 300-mile trek, followed by a drive over the same route in a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, an Italian exotic with three fewer seats but nearly five times the horsepower.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:42 AM to Alternative fuels , Environment , Fuel economy | Permalink | Comments 0

Gasoline price top concern for consumers: survey

NEW YORK - Despite a flailing U.S. economy and a national housing crisis, gasoline prices are the leading factor in changing American consumer spending, according to a survey by the National Association of Convenience Stores, according to Reuters.

Forty-five percent of U.S. consumers said soaring gasoline prices have effected their spending more than rising energy and food costs, the flagging economy or the national mortgage and lending crisis, the survey found.

The survey, released on Monday, was of 1,215 Americans on behalf of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

On average the tipping point for the average consumer to cut back on gasoline use is $3.71 a gallon, according to the survey.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:34 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota Profit Rises 7.5 Percent on Year

TOKYO -- Toyota's profit for the October-December quarter rose 7.5 percent from the previous year as booming sales in China, Africa and South America offset declining U.S. sales and a stronger yen, according to the Associated Press.

The Japanese automaker - in a neck-and-neck race against General Motors Corp. for the top spot in global vehicle sales - sold 2.281 million vehicles in the fiscal third quarter, up 5.8 percent from the same period a year ago, it said Tuesday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:23 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Drops Below $89 on Recession Fears

VIENNA, Austria -- Oil prices slumped Tuesday, dragged down by persistent concerns about the U.S. economy and global stock market declines, according to the Associated Press.

Energy investors often view stocks as a proxy for economic growth, and in some recent sessions, movements in the oil market have closely followed that of global equities.

Light, sweet crude for March delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange lost $1.41 to $88.61 a barrel in electronic trading by aftenoon in Europe.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:20 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Chrysler Temporarily Closing 4 Plants

DETROIT -- Chrysler LLC plans temporarily to close four assembly plants and to shut down one shift at another due to the bankruptcy filing of one of its plastic parts suppliers, the automaker said Monday, according to the Associated Press.

About 10,500 Chrysler employees will be affected by the plant closures and shift shutdown, spokesman Kevin Frazier said.

Chrysler said the plants are in Sterling Heights; Newark, Del.; Toledo, Ohio, and the Belvidere plant in Rockford, Ill.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 4:18 PM to Chrysler | Permalink | Comments 0

The Morgan Plus 8 is a classic

In the contemporary landscape of architecture, someone like Richard Sammons doesn’t get lionized by the fledgling and impressionable (and constantly blogging) designerati. That might be because his firm, Fairfax & Sammons, which he owns with his wife, Anne Fairfax, specializes in traditional architecture.

So it doesn’t require a giant leap of the imagination to see how Mr. Sammons could be taken by the classic allure of a Morgan Plus 8, according to The New York Times.

Although he bought his car new in 2003, the elegant little roadster looks like something one would have found bumbling across the British lowlands 60 years ago, perhaps with a picnic basket in the trunk.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:27 PM to Collecting | Permalink | Comments 0

Chicago auto show: Trucks, trucks and more trucks

The Chicago auto show has a reputation as a truck show, and it won't give much ground on that this year. General Motors, especially, is rolling out an intriguing array of trucks not seen at the Detroit show last month — or anywhere else, according to USA Today.

Other automakers have a variety of models top show, including sleek coupes and updated sedans. Dodge is unveiling the production version of the Challenger at the show.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:16 PM to GM , Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Automakers Take Shine to Dull Finishes

DETROIT -- You can get a matte finish on your photos or your cell phone, so why not on your car? Dull was the new shiny at last month's North American Auto Show in Detroit, where at least eight cars from General Motors Corp., Volkswagen AG's Lamborghini and Audi divisions, and others sported a gleam-free matte finish, according to the Associated Press.

Matte finish has been appearing on show cars for several years, usually as an accent color to highlight a specific feature such as fender flares. But the all-over matte finish, a trend that began with customizers, is going mainstream. Karen Surcina, color technology and marketing manager of Dupont Automotive, said buyers should expect to see matte finishes on specialty or limited-run vehicles in the next two or three years.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:09 PM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

GM Unveils Hybrid Pickups

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. will introduce a new hybrid full-size pickup and a concept hybrid truck this week at the Chicago Auto Show, betting that pickup drivers have been itching to jump on the hybrid bandwagon, according to the Associated Press.

GM says the 2009 GMC Sierra hybrid gets a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy without compromising performance, while its GMC Denali XT concept - a low-slung, muscular utility vehicle - gets 50 percent better fuel economy than a comparable small pickup.

The Sierra is the next large GM vehicle to get the company's new two-mode hybrid system, which has also been introduced on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles and the Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The SUVs are expected to go on sale early this year, while the Silverado and Sierra are scheduled to hit the market at the end of 2008.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:51 AM to Alternative fuels , GM | Permalink | Comments 0