April 21, 2008
The Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade passed by grain silos in Lamont last June.
What do you call 460 antiquated farm tractors clattering across the highways of rural Iowa, covering 140 miles at the killer pace of 11 miles an hour over three days of June?
Some people might call it a traffic jam, but to the folks who look forward to it every year, it’s the annual Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade, and it brings out an eclectic collection of old farm tractors, along with equally old farmers and collectors of all ages nostalgic for the days before big agribusiness put eight-wheel monsters into fields of corn and soybeans, according to The New York Times.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth 
at 10:30 AM | Permalink
March 20, 2008
If there is a theme to the New York International Auto Show that opens tomorrow in Manhattan, it is that small is back.
Well, perhaps small and green.
Journal photographer Steve Szydlowski and I attended the press preview yesterday to get the lowdown without having to wade through the enormous crowds this show attracts.
While the auto shows in Detroit and Los Angeles tend to have more concept cars, no show beats New York for attendance, with over a million folks expected in the show’s nine day run from March 21 through March 30.
This weekend will see upward of 200,000 visitors a day, so prepare yourselves before you go!
Is it worth going? Absolutely. New York has its share of concept cars and latest models, and the sheer size of the show guarantees a lot of everything for everyone.
But back to small is beautiful. For while the concept Lincoln MKT is a standout beauty with its gleaming white interior, it represents the exception rather than the rule. Instead, the Ford Verve, a compact concept from Ford’s European design team that is displayed nearby, seems more in the spirit on the show.
Ford Verve concept
“Small has become smart once again,” said Dick Colliver, Honda American’s executive vice president in announcing the 2009 Honda Fit to the backdrop of a massive sound system and stage to an amphitheatre-like semi-circle of 400-to-500 members of the media.
2009 Honda Fit
Indeed, even Hummer has its cute(?!) concept on display, the Hummer HX which its bigger siblings could run over in a heartbeat. However, it still displays the trademark aggressive styling, with flared fenders and big tires.
Hummer HX Concept
Hummers clearly have a following, with a display cabinet offering shirts and hats and other pieces of paraphernalia. The only other cars that offer such a range of knick-knacks are the exotics like Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Ford is also debuting its neat Transit Connect vans. These cheerful working vans also come from Ford’s European division (they are made in Turkey) and can be converted for recreational use. The rear is easy to step into as the side and rear doors are set low and the van has a high roof to allow for plenty of headroom.
Volvo is showing its new XC60 SUV which it claims is the safest vehicle it had ever produced. Apart from the usual Volvo emphasis on structural strength and air bags, the XC60 is armed with proactive computer sensors that will automatically brake it before low speed collisions and initiate warnings and the safety features in high speed situations.
“The car knows before you crash,” said Volvo technician Hakan Ivarsson. “It’s a lot faster for the computer to do things to the car than the driver.”
Land Rover’s concept LRX is also small, its high haunches and upward sloping beltline echoing a design theme seen on a number of concepts, including the Saab 9-X Biohybrid concept – although the Saab’s face is a lot beefier than its profile
The tiny lithium-ion battery powered Mitsubishi i-MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle is displayed in a variety of modes, from sedan to coupe.
And speaking of tiny, Smart has its three basic models – Pure, Passion Coupe and Passion Cabriolet – on display.
Tony Pordon, Smart USA Penske Autogroup’s senior vice president, said the iconic small car has proved emormously popular, with the company hoping to deliver up to 25,000 vehicles this year. Reservations, meanwhile, are slightly ahead at 30,000.
Meanwhile, Mitsubishi is also displaying its Concept-cX compact diesel SUV. The vehicle is stylish in addition to covering a lot of bases with its size and green power plant. And is ‘compact SUV’ the wave of the future?
General Motor’s Saturn division has its Flextreme plug-in concept on display. Like Ford’s Verve, the car, which comes out of GM’s Opel division in Germany, is a flowing tear drop, with barely any differentiation of the windshield.
Saturn Flextreme
Like so many of the displays, the BMW backdrop includes a two-story 'building' with a balcony where filet mignon was being served to the invited when we cruised by. Apart from BMW’s concept CS and M3 ALMS racer, I was taken with a 1972 BMW 2002 Tii which was on loan from former ace Bobby Rahal.
The color is the only color these cars should be – Colorado Orange – and the sight of the car brought back memories of a couple of months I spent in the Canary Islands during a former life.
Memories of cars we have loved play an important role in our lives, and an adjacent display speaks directly to nostalgia for the celebrated muscle car era of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Dodge had set aside a vast area to display three versions of its 2008 Challenger SRT8s in patriotic red, white and blue: the original SRT8, the SE and the R/T. They sit on display stands at different heights, purring like big cats in the zoo. I have sung the praises of this revival before; it really is a beautiful car, although I confess I prefer the perhaps less patriotic orange version with black stripes that was on display at the New England International Auto Show in Boston.
From Rhode Island, Mark Hurwitz is promoting the Newport Concours d'Elegance which is scheduled for the Memorial Day weekend. He has a display of four vintage cars - a 1927 Rolls Royce, a 1927 Bentley, a 1927 Dusenberg and a 1950 Buick Woody Wagon and a prototype modern Iconic roadster from Long Island.
Finally, the LeMay Auto Museum in Tacoma, Wash., is displaying a number of cars that are either part of its collection or belong to members. The museum expects to break ground on its new building this summer, part of a $100 million program that will result in the largest auto museum in the world by far.
Among the displays was a Fred Flintstone car which was given to the museum and which has proved to be a great attention getter. Steve was shooting a picture of it when this idiot got on board!
- Peter C. T. Elsworth
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 3:34 PM | Permalink
Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
A Bentley Brooklands is displayed at the 2008 New York International Auto Show. The show is running through March 30 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, highlighting the latest trends in the auto industry.
Read more about the Auto Show ...
Posted by Pam Cotter at 2:35 PM | Permalink
March 17, 2008
Pontiac Sport Truck
This year’s New York International Auto Show has much in common with the going-nowhere Knicks: both will focus on rookies in the hope of improving next season, according to The New York Times.
With American car sales falling and some automakers predicting the numbers could be the lowest since at least 1998, the industry is looking toward 2009. Several of those ’09 models will make their debuts here this week before arriving at showrooms this year.
Show organizers expect more than one million people to attend the 108th New York show, which runs March 21-30 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center after press introductions starting Wednesday.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:56 AM | Permalink
March 10, 2008
Check out this solid rundown of the The Geneva Motor Show from The New York Times' Jerry Garrett:
The Bentley GTZ by Zagato
The Geneva Motor Show remains a throwback to the time when auto shows were celebrations of the industry. Glamorous women, wearing the latest fashions from Paris and Milan, still pose provocatively next to gleaming cars as waiters pass by with caviar and pricey Champagne.
During the press previews at other auto shows, most of that glamour has faded away — the Champagne fountains dried up long ago and the foie gras has been replaced by chili dogs.
That reality will return in two weeks when the whole assembly reconvenes, sans the Geneva-style flamboyance, for the New York International Auto Show.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:28 AM | Permalink
February 6, 2008
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 | Permalink
February 4, 2008
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 | Permalink
January 31, 2008
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 9:50 AM | Permalink
January 21, 2008
ANY environmentalist, faced with the blaring soundtracks and flashy unveilings during the press previews of the North American International Auto Show, could be forgiven for thinking he had stepped into a bizarre stage production called “Jekyll and Hyde: The Motown Musical," according to the New York Times.
For every earth-hugging citizen like the Mercedes-Benz S300 Bluetec Hybrid or Toyota A-BAT hybrid truck, there was a hard-drinking V-8 pickup or a sinister sports car out to murder your m.p.g. Those dueling automotive natures were much in evidence at this year’s show, which opened to the public Saturday and runs through Jan. 27.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:46 AM | Permalink
Check out the comprehensive coverage of the Detroit Auto Show from the Detroit Free Press, natch.
Thousands of automobile fans, ranging from seniors to small children packed Cobo Center to check out the latest offerings from Audi to Volkswagen and car companies in between.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:41 AM | Permalink
January 17, 2008
Check out these concepts at the Detroit Auto Show, courtesy of USA Today.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:56 AM | Permalink
DETROIT — Hundreds of media representatives crowded around two Chinese vehicles at the North American International Auto Show Tuesday, somewhat confused and befuddled about what they were looking at, according to USA Today.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:48 AM | Permalink
December 6, 2007
Bologna, Italy - Ford continued its roll-out of new small vehicles with the reveal of the new Ford Focus wagon at the Bologna Motor Show, which hosted a few international debuts in the waning days of the 2007 auto show season, according to thecarconnection.com.
The Bologna show also played host to a number of other introductions, including a HUMMER H3 Black Edition and the Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder, which will be produced in limited quantities. Fewer than 2000 units will go into showrooms worldwide, Porsche officials said.
Renault also rolled out a restyled version of the Modus and Mahindra and Mahindra, the Indian car maker with global ambitions, showed off a version of the GOA sport-utility vehicle that it hopes to sell in Europe.
By and large, European carmakers, judging from the remarks during the Bologna show, are cautious about 2008. The turmoil in financial systems has undermined consumer confidence in key markets such as the United Kingdom and Germany.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 12:26 PM | Permalink
November 30, 2007
If you don't spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, you won't likely be invited to luxury night at the North American International Auto Show, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Entry to the new event -- formally called the Gallery -- is far more limited than the $400-a-ticket Charity Preview.
Only about 200 elites are expected to fly in to Detroit for the ultra-exclusive showing of the premium brands Jan. 13, almost a week before the show opens to the public. Cadillac and Lexus aren't included. Think Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:42 AM | Permalink
November 23, 2007
LOWRIDERS are riding high. For instance, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has just opened an exhibition entitled “La Vida Lowrider: Cruising the City of Angels.” It includes 21 cars, several bicycles, pedal cars, scale models, photographs and other images from the lowrider culture of Los Angeles, according to the New York Times.
This is not the museum’s first exploration of the subject. In 2000, it held a show called “Arte y Estilo: The Lowriding Tradition.”
“We always thought about revisiting the subject,” said Denise M. Sandoval, the guest curator for both shows and an assistant professor of Latino studies at California State University, Northridge. “We wanted to tell a cohesive story. This show is a way to teach kids the early history of L.A.,” or at least the mid-20th-century part of it.
The new show, which runs through June 8, emphasizes the social side of lowriding in Los Angeles. Things have changed in the city since the Petersen’s last lowrider show. The city has a mayor with Hispanic roots, for one thing. Also, the image of lowriding is no longer that of outlaws, and Professor Sandoval’s emphasis in the exhibition is on ethnic, neighborhood and family pride. She said car clubs provided an alternative to criminal gangs, a cause for community spirit and an avenue for family bonding.
Almost forgotten is the rebellion in which lowriding was born. Lowering cars as close to the pavement as possible was a symbol of defiance, as irritating to authorities as drag-racing souped up Model A’s or installing very loud sound systems in Honda Civics.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:51 AM | Permalink
November 16, 2007
THE annual auto show here, which opened to the public on Friday, is usually a laid-back, colorful affair with an emphasis on the sports cars and convertibles that suit the Southern California lifestyle.
But this year, the accent is on sustainable mobility and the only color that matters is green, according to the New York Times.
If the show is shorter on actual new models than many in the industry had expected, it is long on talk about future models that would be powered by alternative fuels, hybrid drivetrains or both. The boast that most automakers seem to be making to their competitors is, “My green is greener than your green.”
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 1:32 PM | Permalink
November 14, 2007
The Mercedes-Benz SilverFlow evokes the 1930s.
FIFTY years ago, tail fins were at their most extreme: cars seemed to want to be rockets. But 50 years from now, cars will want to be robots, at least according to the design challenge at the Los Angeles auto show this year, according to the New York Times.
“Robocar 2057” is the theme of the fourth edition of an event created by Chuck Pelly, the noted designer and teacher, who said the theme was inspired by the recent film “Transformers.”
So this year, automotive design studios in the Los Angeles area competed to produce designs showing how artificial intelligence might improve the automobile and integrate it more closely with human lives.
As usual in this competition, practical constraints like marketability, fuel economy, safety and even high school physics are put aside in the interest of exercising designers’ imaginations. These cars exist only on paper and in digital form.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:20 AM | Permalink
November 13, 2007
DEARBORN, Mich. — Forty years after the legendary on-screen car chase, there's a new Mustang Bullitt ripping up the roadway, according to USA Today.
Ford will debut the latest variant of the growling, retro-styled Mustang at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the public Nov. 16 after two days of media previews. The 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt, an update of the iconic 1968 pony car driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt, goes on sale in January.
Automakers typically promote their greenest vehicles in Los Angeles, but the show has no shortage of horsepower.
In addition to the Bullitt, Chrysler will introduce a street-legal version of its Dodge Viper SRT10 race car, while Hyundai will take aim at the Mustang with the Genesis Coupe, a rear-wheel-drive concept. Lamborghini's Reventon — a $1.4 million super car whose 20 copies already are sold out — also will make its North American debut.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:57 AM | Permalink
November 8, 2007
The 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center has a superstar, according to the New York Times.
Chip Foose is, arguably, the closest thing the auto industry has to a design superstar. Increasingly, he plays a major role in setting the tone at this annual extravaganza for aftermarket parts companies, industry executives, dealers, buyers and journalists.
The SEMA show is an idea farm, and no one seems to have more fertile ideas than Mr. Foose. From a design standpoint, SEMA is very much “The Chip Foose Show.” AutoWeek magazine describes the million-plus square feet of show floor here as “Foosetopia.”
Last year, Mr. Foose had at least 30 vehicles on display, which SEMA characterized as a record for a single individual. This year, organizers were unsure of the total number of Foose-designed vehicles here, but they conceded he had more than exhibitors with the next highest totals: the Ford Motor Company with 25 and General Motors with 28.
The show has the attention of the mainstream auto industry, which has begun using SEMA to introduce production vehicles — for example, Toyota’s showing of its 2009 Corolla and Matrix models. SEMA officials estimated that more than 100,000 people would attend the show, where auto industry engineers, dreamers and backyard mechanics display new ideas, extreme creations and envelope-pushing customizations.
Google the words “Foose” and “SEMA” and you will get more than 193,000 hits.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:28 AM | Permalink
November 1, 2007
LAS VEGAS — The world's all-time best-selling car is going high-tech, according to USA Today.
Toyota says the all-new Corolla compact will become the smallest non-luxury car with XM satellite navigation for real-time traffic information when it goes on sale in February. Until now, the feature in Toyotas has only shown up in the Lexus division.
The 2009 Corolla and its sister, the five-door Matrix hatchback, sport a slightly edgier look. Corolla is a couple of inches wider, an inch lower and has available 17-inch alloy wheels, up from 16 inches on the previous version.
"It gives it more of a European flavor," says Tim Morrison, corporate marketing manager for Toyota who unveiled the two models here at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show, the industry's premier aftermarket products exhibition.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:31 AM | Permalink
October 29, 2007
Check out the New York Times' slideshow from the Tokyo Motor Show.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:19 AM | Permalink
Honda CR-Z hybrid concept.
Chiba, Japan - The Tokyo Motor Show, which opened to the public in this suburban city on Saturday and runs through Nov. 11, is a showcase of the automobile industry’s split personality, according to the New York Times.
The industry indeed seems increasingly to be of two minds, and the split between them is becoming more like a fracture.
On the one hand, the Tokyo show offers the requisite number of socially responsible hybrid concept cars, alternative-fuel propulsion systems and traffic-congestion-relieving technologies.
On the other, there is a bigger collection of the newest engine-revving, pollutant-belching, tire-smoking supercars. Can this house, so divided, continue to stand?
For the time being, the NYT writes, the supercars seem to be taking the fast lane to dealer showrooms.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:09 AM | Permalink
October 25, 2007
The Tokyo Auto Show is awash with fantastic concepts. Check out these from ABC News.
Here is Nissan's R.D./B.X.:
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:19 AM | Permalink
October 5, 2007
LOS ANGELES — This year's Los Angeles Auto Show is slated to feature at least 14 world debuts and nearly 30 North American debuts during press days, Nov. 14 and 15, according to Autoremarketing.com
According to officials, the show will kick-off with 28 press conferences featuring some never-before-seen vehicles, as well as many eagerly anticipated North American debuts.
The show opens to the public at the conclusion of the press days Friday, Nov. 16, and runs through Nov. 25, including Thanksgiving Day.
"The show's new fall dates now make Los Angeles the first major North American stop of the auto show season, and as anticipated, manufacturers have taken advantage of this earlier timing by making more world and North American debuts than in previous years," explained Andy Fuzesi, general manager of the LA Auto Show.
While most world debuts remain closely guarded until press days, a few manufacturers have announced their intentions, including Hyundai's world premiere of a new sports car concept, Nissan's all-new, mid-size Murano crossover and Volkswagen's new mini-car concept design, executives reported.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:16 AM | Permalink
September 18, 2007
Check out these fabulous concept cars currently on display at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany!
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:21 AM | Permalink
September 12, 2007
European automakers, stung by criticisms from environmentalists and government regulators that they are late to the green party, will be using the 2007 Frankfurt motor show to showcase everything in their alternative fuel and powertrain arsenals, according to the New York Times.
The biennial show, the 62nd Internationalen Automobil-Ausstellungen Cars, will be held at the mammoth CongressCenter Messe Frankfurt convention center from Thursday through Sept. 23.
Press preview days began Monday night and continue through Wednesday. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, will open the show to the public on Thursday.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:13 AM | Permalink
FRANKFURT, Germany — Got a spare $1.4 million? Want a Lamborghini Reventon? Get in line and start saving your money.
The Italian carmaker has made just one of the cars so far and unveiled it at the 62nd International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, according to USA Today. It plans another 20 for 2008.
They've already been ordered and down payments banked, said Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann. Each Reventon is a symbol of extreme exclusivity, even by Lamborghini's standards.
Winkelmann said the name itself, like the company, has a storied history. Reventon was a fighting bull, owned by the Don Rodriguez family and is famous for killing famed bullfighter Felix Guzman in 1943.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:49 AM | Permalink
July 24, 2007
If you want to see cars this weekend, a couple of major shows are really worth looking into.
The Preservation Society of Newport County is hosting the William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. Concours d’Elegance with events scheduled at its Breakers and Chateau-sur-Mer mansions.
Over 100 classic vintage cars will be on display at the Breakers while 25 or so vintage racing cars will be on display at Chateau-sur-Mer, including the famous “Birdcage” Maserati Tipo 61 that Dan Gurney and Stirling Moss drove to victory in the 1960 Nurburgring (Germany) 1000 kilometer race.
And Gurney and Moss will both be available for autographs and book signings along with a number of other race drivers, including Richard Attwood, Skip Barber, Bob Bondurant, Nick Craw, Janet Guthrie, David Hobbs, David Piper, Johnny Rutherford, Peter Windsor and George Wintersteen.
The concours will be open to the public from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Judging will take place Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the awards ceremony scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
General admission is $25 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 17, including access to the grounds of Chateau-sur-Mer and the Breakers, as well as a tour of Chateau-sur-Mer.
See www.newportmansions.org for more information.
Meanwhile, across the Bay in Goddard State Park in Warwick, the Autos of the World show is featuring as many as 1,200 classic cars and trucks as well as tractors and military vehicles. The show also runs Friday through Sunday.
All sorts of activities are planned, including a charity golf classic, a beach party, engine maintenance demonstration, detailing, welding and spray painting seminars, a battle of the bands, awards and a parade of winners.
In addition, there will be a craft show and raffle, vendors plus food and drink. The event is sponsored by Capco Steel Inc.
Check out http://autosoftheworld.org for more details.
Posted by at 1:47 PM | Permalink
July 10, 2007
Gov. Donald L. Carcieri is hosting a shindig this Sunday featuring as many as 400 classic cars that will be parked all around the State House.
It's the first ever Governor's Classic Car Appreciation Day and will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The governor will present 200 citations to selected cars.
Cruisin' Bruce Palmer will keep the banter going and provide the tunes. In addition, there concession stands for drinks and refreshments.
Carcieri said he had visited a number of car cruises around the state and was impressed by the amount of money each raised for varioius charities. "I thought it would be a good thing for (Providence) in the summer time," he said, and worked with his deputy director of community relations, Sue Stenhouse, and Gene Pezzulli, chairman of the Autos of the World car show in Warwick at the end of July.
Pezzulli said he expected over 300 cars, with as many as 600, "depending on the weather," and 3,000-to-4,000 spectators. There is no charge for either showing a car or getting into the show.
"There'll be signs all over the place," said Pezzulli, noting that he was hoping to attract alot of folks from the Providence Place Mall to stroll over to check out the cars.
"We'll have all types, from the old to the new, 1099 to 2007," he said, adding that he was planning to attent in his red 1961 Ford Sunliner convertible.
Carcieri said he did not have a favorite classic, claiming his family was too poor to invest much money in cars. "I always got a ride with my buddies," he said.
Posted by at 2:31 PM | Permalink
June 20, 2007
The first Trabant, the rattletrap car that b ecame perhaps the most enduring symbol of the former East Germany, rolled off the assembly line in Zwickau in the fall of 1957.
To celebrate the car’s 50th anniversary, about 2,000 Trabant owners converged onm the old industrial town last week on a grassy field next to an airstrip, determined, for a weekend at least, to put the Berlin Wall up again, according to a report in the New York Times.
Posted by at 11:07 AM | Permalink
May 10, 2007
The New York Times has put together a list of national and international car-related activities now that summer is here. Whether it’s a concours or a swap meet, or some of the world’s most prestigious races, spring brings more than enough activities to keep an auto enthusiast happy — and busy.
Posted by at 1:23 PM | Permalink
April 23, 2007
Political correctness be damned. Modern China’s founder, Mao Zedong may have promised a truly egalitarian society, but today’s increasingly capitalistic Chinese have discovered what the West long knew: sex sells, according to thecarconnection.com. And they seem to have foregone that limiting discipline that has tamed and toned down most U.S. and European auto shows, political correctness.
Posted by at 9:14 AM | Permalink
The main language spoken at the Shanghai auto show is Chinese, but the vocabulary of the designs is polyglot: Italian flourishes, high Japanese roofs, German solidity, American assertiveness, according to The New York Times.
What is missing? Almost anything that could indicate the emergence of a distinctly Chinese school of automotive design.
Posted by at 8:43 AM | Permalink
April 20, 2007
Following up on the high-profile launch of its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt concept, at January's Detroit Auto Show, General Motors returns with an alternate take on the show car at the Shanghai Motor Show, according to thecarconnection.com. This Volt version uses a downsized battery paired with a hydrogen-powered fuel cell.
Posted by at 10:10 AM | Permalink
April 10, 2007
Here are some thoughts from the N.Y. Auto Show which I visited on Saturday.
Scale:
Living in the provinces, one forgets just how many people live in the New York area. The show was not only enormous, taking up two floors of the imposing Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the west side of Manhattan's midtown, but absolutely crowded. And the variety of people - every culture and race, with a different language at every turn.
Trying to get close to see some of the hot exhibits (themselves works of art, with special flooring, loud music, videos on massive screens, turntables) such as the Ferraris, the various concept cars, the high-end German marques - Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz - was all-but-impossible.
As for the Lamborghinis, forget about it - but more about that later.
Just remember, if you ever go, start on the top floor - where all the cars and especially the exotics are located - and then go downstairs for mostly trucks and minivans (although some key marques such as VW, Subaru and Mitsubishi were downstairs too). It takes a good 3 hours to see it all and it's better to be fresh for the truly exciting stuff upstairs.
I started on the lower level, partly because Ithe media center is downstairs and I naturally drifted into the lower show area and partly because I am an idiot, and I was truly tired by the end of my visit 3-1/2 hours later.
Hybrids
Maybe it was because I hit the VW display first, but I found myself getting very interested in which companies are really going for alternative energy - whether hybrid. clean diesel, hydrogen fuel cell electric ethanol. Most of the German manufacturers - Audi, Merecedes-Benz and VW - are all pushing clean diesel and will be bringing in a range of models next year. VW, for example, will introduce diesel Beetles, Jettas and Rabbits and I for one find the Jetta Sportswagen , which was introduced at the show, very tasty indeed.
Anyway, while Honda and Toyota are off to races with the alternative fuel thing - they both have well-known hybrids and are also experimenting with various other technologies, other companies are clearly playing wait and see. Subaru, for example, has nothing in the pipeline; nor does Mitsubishi or Suzuki. Mazda has a hybrid version of its Tribute SUV coming out in the fall and Lexus was making much of its new hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h, which gets 31/27 mpg. Saab seems to be chasing the ethanol line and had a bioethanol vehicle at the show.
With global warming and the environment becoming an ever more serious issue - highlighted by the Supreme Court's recent ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency can regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases - the move to alternative fuels is going to explode.
Overheard
"I can see you tooling around in that thing. It has to be an obnoxious color, though."
- One woman to another as they looked at the Toyota FJ Cruiser.
"It's the Batmobile."
- Heavyset African-American in Hawaiin shirt, fur coat and straw hat, about the Mosler MT 900S Corvette-powered super car.
"The flared fenders put people on notice that this is a rear-wheel driving machine."
- Model on turntable describing the Dodge Demon roadster.
"It's the new concept car coming out next year."
"Yeah, it's called the Frame."
- Teenagers looking at Volvo's display of the frame of a sedan color coded to indicated the various grades of steel used.
"Inside, the Nitro is both people and cargo friendly."
- Model on turntable describing the Dodge Nitro
Concepts and Debuts
Auto shows are famous for the concept cars and New York did not disappoint. Among the more exotic was the Infiniti EX 3.5, a small crossover, the Lexus LX 570, $60,000 monster luxury SUV, Chevrolet's tiny trio - the Beat, the Groove and the Trax - which were all designed in Korea and are very small indeed, the Kia Soul which is a small SUV and the Toyota FT-HS Hybrid Sports Concept. Apart from the far out designs, many come in brilliant white with white interiors, blue and orange lighting and open or glassed roofs giving them an even more exotic air.
Less exotic were a number of vehicles from Ford, including the Airstream, which was introduced in Detroit and is truly far out with its nods to Airstream trailers and futuristic visions from the 1960s. The vehicle which opens fully on one side to reveal a seating area straight out of StarTrek, is powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell electric engine. Other Ford notables included two trucks designed by current favorites, the Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition by DJ Funkmaster Flex, and an F-150 designed by Chip Foose. And then there was the 540 horsepower, V8 Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang modifed by Carroll Shelby.
And talking about StarTrek, the concept with the most far out lines was Mazda's Hazake which had been introduced at the Geneva Auto Show and looked like a bar of soap that had been left in a sandstorm - all raked lines and angles.
Lamborghinis
Of all the displays, Lamborghini was the most exotic. The company exhibited all three of its current models, a white Murcielago LP640, a white Murcielago LP640 Roadster and an orange Gallardo SE. They were accompanied by four of the tallest models wearing fairly skimpy evening dresses who stood around occasionally opening or closing doors.
The crowd was divided into two section - those on an inside track who had been "invited," and the rest of use relegated to the outside where we could see nothing but the roofs of the cars and the models.
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April 9, 2007
Just as automakers prepared to parade their signature V-8 models with 300, 400 and even 500-plus horsepower last week at the opening of the New York International Auto Show, the New York Times noted yesterday, a landmark Supreme Court ruling on greenhouse gas emissions wafted a message to the petrol-fueled party in Manhattan: enjoy the fun while it lasts.
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Check out photos of Forbes.com's favorite debuts from the New York Auto Show - although the slide show does not include one of my favorites - the Kia Soul.
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Automakers are showing plenty of crossover SUVs at the New York International Auto Show as well as a small car or three, according to USA Today's James R. Healey.
Included in his list are the 2009 Ford Flex, 2008 Volvo XC70, 2008 Jeep Liberty, VW Jetta SportWagon, 2008 Subaru Tribeca, 2008 Infiniti EX 3.5 and 2008 Lexus LX 570.
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April 6, 2007
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.
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April 4, 2007
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.
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April 3, 2007
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.
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March 28, 2007
Accounting firm KPMG said today the three finalists for its 2007 World Car of the Year are the Audi TT, Lexus LS460 and MINI, according to PR Newswire
The winners of the 2007 WCOTY will be unveiled during Press Preview at the upcoming New York International Auto Show Thursday, April 5. To be eligible for a World Car award, the contender had to be in production, and sold, in at least five countries on two continents during 2006. Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 44 top-level automotive journalists from 22 countries around the world.
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March 20, 2007
Top Gear, BBC's popular auto show starring the larger-than-life Jeremy Clarkson, will go on, according to Clarkson who recently raised doubt abouk its future. This from leftlanenews.com
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March 19, 2007
Jeremy Clarkson's famous BBC show Top Gear will not be returning next season, the outspoken star tells the a local British newspaper, according to a report in leftlanenews.com. Apparently Clarkson and his co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond have been rowing with producers over the show's future, with management said to be wanting more celebrity appearances and less focus on cars. It's always been a bit of a loony show but to take the cars away would seem an odd plan.
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March 15, 2007
What is it about cars and sex? The two go together like Frick and Frack. The Providence Auto Show had its share of leggy birds expounding the virtues of various cars and trucks and leftlanenews.com has a gallery of photos of various beauties at the current Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland. I suppose it's all very irregular nowadays, but maybe cars and sex go together so well because both activities are such jolly good fun!
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March 7, 2007
The Detroit Free Press's auto critic Mark Phelan reports that small and midsize cars are dominating the Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland. Sure, the glamor cars are there - Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Bentley - but he says it's cars like the Ford Mondeo, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Toyota Auris, Opel GTC, Honda Small Hybrid Sports concept and Dodge Demon concept that are stealing the show.
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February 23, 2007
The 14th Annual Rhode Island RV and Camping Show is opening at the Rhode Island Convention Center next Friday and runs through Sunday. Everything from small pop-up to heavy-duty diesel RV buses will be on display. Lightweight travel trailer are expected to be a big hit this year. Check out details here,
and read about it in Peter C.T. Elsworth's story early next Wednesday, either online at projo.com/projocars or in the projoCars section of The Providence Journal.
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