October 11, 2008
If you are or have ever thought about buying a car on eBay, you must read The Auto Prophet's expose of a new scam bubbling around the Internet these days. Amazing how creative crooks can be in their devious ways.
Did you know you can have a plug-in hybrid today? As usual, the private sector is way ahead of the big corporations. Autopia will tell you all about Alison Gannett and the $35,000 conversion kit that turned her Ford Escape into a 100 mpg wonder.
In news from Paris, Peter De Lorenzo at AUTOEXTREMIST spent a good bit of time studying the new Ferrari California and came away wondering if perhaps everything is not OK in Maranello.
Uh oh, The New York Times has got Robert Farago's dander up, publishing a poorly sourced story suggesting that GM and Chrysler are talking merger. Frankly, my bet is on the man behind The Truth About Cars.
And speaking of GM, over at The Auto Observer, Bill Visnic meditates on the current plunge in stock prices in Detroit. With GM at around $5 a share, either this is the beginning of American Automotive Armageddon or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy really low and then sell way high in a couple of years once the Volt re-charges the General.
There seems to be a bit of, oh, how should I say this, uh, skepticism at DrivingEnthusiast.net regarding a report in Road & Track that a redesigned Honda S2000 is right around the corner.
The skepticism is a bit more understated at GM-Volt concerning new details of the Chrysler EV program.
Your next cab ride in New York might be in an alternative-fuel powered taxi. Or maybe not. Steve Parker explains the ins and outs of a debate that could make Gotham like Tokyo ... Sorry, you have to go read Parker to understand that connection!
You say you can't make it to the 2009 F-150 short-lead but you have questions about the newest full-size Ford pickup? Well, drop a line to Dorri at If It's Got An Engine ... because he's going to be there. Better hurry, though, because that's next week.
Have you joined the National Motorist Association yet? No? Well, go read Eric Peters' excellent explanation for why car insurance costs so much these days.
Come on now, admit it, you are absolutely dying to know what "Cookie, the dog's owner" thinks of Nissan's answer to the Scion xB. With an intro like that, it almost doesn't matter what Cookie says at Car Lust, you just gotta read it regardless!
Well, Jim Dollinger still thinks it's time for "Red Ink Rick" to get the old heave-ho at GM.
Strange things going on at Honda, according to Green Car Advisor, which worries about production delays of the CNG-powered Civic GX. Does T. Boone's buddy, Aubrey McClendon, knows about this?
WHAT I'M DRIVING THIS WEEK: Audi A4 Quattro Turbo
It was a mid-70s Audi Fox that hooked me on German sedans, so I was biased in favor of the latest A4 when it arrived recently for a week in the Tapscott stable. And sure enough, it took about five miles behind the wheel of the silver 2009 Quattro Turbo tester to confirm the old love.
Yes, I know lots of Three-Series Bimmers and Infiniti G35s and so on and so on are quicker in a straight line and some get around corners a bit more majestically. But the thing that most impresses me about this A4 is its all-around excellence, from arrow-straight stability at triple-digit cruising speeds to an interior that is gorgeous to look at and simply begs to be used.
I'm still not there yet with the Large-Mouth Bass Audi grille, but there are some intriguing details elsewhere with this A4's exterior styling. From certain angles, for example, you think you are looking at an A5 coupe. And the A4 is bigger, with a six-inch addition to the wheelbase that, among other things, makes for genuinely useful rear seating. At $38,000 and change for the Quattro Turbo, we're definitely talking premium small German sedan at a not-quite premium price.
See ya next time!
- Permalink | Comments (1)
- Posted by: Mark Tapscott October 11, 2008, 6:03 AM
- Categories: Carnival of Cars
Here we go again folks. Another rumor of a possible industry merger between GM and Chrysler. The question is: does this one have legs? With all that's going on in the financial market, does this now make more sense than it did before?
It's well known, or at least suspected, that Cerberus would love to get out of this Chrysler mess. Even so, I cannot for the life of me see what's in it for the General. Redundant models, already a huge problem at GM, would only get worse by including Chrysler models. I suppose the Jeep brand is worth saving, especially since GM is dropping the Trailblazer and its cousins. Beyond that I just don't get it. Maybe their are manufacturing synergies to be gained, or the possible link to both Nissan and Renault have possibilities since Chrysler has a toe in the door there?
Stay tuned folks. This should be interesting.
Full story here and here.
UPDATE: It looks like Cerberus is interested in acquiring all of GMAC. Back in 2006 they bought 51 percent of GM's finance arm, and now it looks like they want the whole kit and kubutle. No further word on possible merger mentioned above.
Full story here.
- Permalink | Comments (3)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 11, 2008, 6:03 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Chrysler, General Motors, Nissan, Renault
October 10, 2008
The Toyota Smart-fighter, the iQ, will be on display at the LA auto show. There is some speculation that it could be sold here under the Scion banner, and could come in under $15K.
The iQ is scheduled to go on sale in Europe and Japan in 2010. If it does come here the current 3-cylinder engine might be replaced with a more powerful 4-cylinder unit.
Full story here.
- Permalink | Comments (6)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 10, 2008, 10:36 AM
- Categories: All Auto Shows, LA Auto Show, SMART, Scion, Toyota
With the ever-deepening global financial crisis, October auto sales continue to plummet.
Full story here, here and here.
"The automotive market slowdown has entered a new phase," said Edmunds.com Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Anwyl. "Instead of looking for reasons to buy, consumers have completely abandoned the new car market as a result of poor economic conditions."
Here's AutoObserver's take: October Sales Remain in Freefall; Zero-Interest Financing Provides Little Lift
Image: Richard Drew Associated Press
- Permalink | Comments (4)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 10, 2008, 5:55 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry
<
So, we're in the midst of the worst financial mess since the great depression, and Bentley and Bugatti are thinking of pairing up, and taking on Rolls-Royce? Are they nuts? Or are they and their customers just sooooo wealthy that they're immune to everything that's going on around them? So what if they or their customers drop a few million on the stock exchange? That must be chump change to these guys.
Full story here and here.
More über-rich silliness: Captain Mercedes, a.k.a. Dieter Zetsche, says Daimler will not kill the Maybach--and that it's making money!
Last year they sold 146 cars. With the addition of the new 62S Landaulet (pictured), they should sell 150 cars next year. Wow.
Full story here.
Here's your chance to obtain a bit of Hollywood history. The '59 Cadillac ambulance from the movie Ghostbusters is up on eBay Motors. As of this posting the bid stands at $25,400--and the reserve has not been met. The buyer will be responsible for pick-up and shipping; the vehicle is currently located in Dandridge, TN.
Full story here.
- Permalink | Comments (5)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 10, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Cadillac, Classic Cars
October 9, 2008
These past few weeks the news has been for the most part, doom-and-gloom. However, there a bit of good news out there if you look for it; and that being, gas prices are dropping. In fact The Detroit News is reporting that there are some Michigan stations now reporting gas under (barely) $3.00 a gallon.
The prices have dropped for a couple of reasons: the price of crude oil and demand for gas in Michigan are down so states John Griffin, executive director of the Associated Petroleum Industries of Michigan.
"In fact, it's expected that it will decline by another 5 percent," he said. "Refineries back online is also good news for consumers. But who would have expected prices to have fallen this fast -- a dollar a month?"
Full story here.
- Permalink | Comments (9)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 9, 2008, 6:08 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Trends
Zoom-Zoom-Smile...
Interesting. It looks like Mazda has discovered the happy face (as opposed to Mitsubishi's angry face) as the new look for their cars. We saw it first on the facelifted Miata, and now again on the 2010 Mazda 3. The new car will debut at the LA auto show, and will be available with both 2.0L and 2.5L engines.
Here's Inside Line's take: 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show Preview: Beefier 2010 Mazda 3 Sedan Set for Debut
- Permalink | Comments (13)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 9, 2008, 5:36 AM
- Categories: All Auto Shows, Hatchbacks, LA Auto Show, Mazda, Sedans
Set to debut at the LA auto show, images of a lightly camouflaged Nissan 370Z have been posted up on the Net. While similar in look to the current 350Z, closer examination indicates a more substantial change from that model. The fenders seem to be much more pronounced and the roof appears to have a more severe rake to it.
Here's Inside Line's take: Spy Photos: 2010 Nissan 370Z Spotted in Germany
Update:
Inside Line has some interior images: Spy Photos: 2010 Nissan 370Z Reveals its Interior
No, it's not what you think. Mini is not going to build a pickup truck. Rather they are offering a free shuttle--as in pick-me-up--around the streets of Sydney, Australia during the week that the Sydney auto show is running. Called Mini Pick-Up, it's a free taxi service, with the taxi fleet consisting of a bunch of Minis. Pretty cool--and a great marketing idea to boot.
Full story here.
- Permalink | Comments (1)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 9, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: All Auto Shows, MINI
October 8, 2008
Modern kids have it made. No more boring license plate games or playing Punch Buggy when today's tech-savvy tots and teens can choose from rear-seat video systems, video games and Sirius Backseat TV. Now three students at Berlin University of the Arts have come up with a way to turn the world outside of a car into a video game using a laptop and a webcam.
The webcam projects buildings, trees and other objects outside the car window onto a computer screen, and the player has to steer a "ship" around the obstacles on the screen without crashing into them. The faster the speed of the car, the faster the ship flies and the more difficult it is to keep from crashing.
Check out a video of the students test driving a prototype of the video game concept on the street.
And, fortunately, it's the passenger playing.
- Permalink | Comments (2)
-
- Posted by: Doug Newcomb October 8, 2008, 10:30 AM
- Categories: Car Tech
Now before you write this off as merely a silly stylistic concept, you just might want to hold off a bit. Yeah, it's only a "dream bike" which hints at what Honda may be up to with their two-wheelers, but it's more than that--much more.
What's really unique here is that Honda may be reviving their oval cylinder engine design once again. Anyone who has followed Honda's 2-wheeled GP history knows that back in 1979 Honda experimented with an oval cylinder V-4 GP racer called the NR500 (here) (engine pictured below); and without much success, I might add.
Why oval cylinders, you ask? It allowed for the use of 8 valves per cylinder as well as 2 plugs per cylinder, In doing so Honda was able to get power levels comparable to an 8-cylinder engine of that era, but without the size and weight of an 8-cylinder engine. So imagine an 32-valve, 8-plug, sorta 8-cylinder, 500cc engine, if you will.
Apparently this oval cylinder concept has not died, but rather has been honed over the intervening years to the point in which it may see production some day. Now fast-forward this thinking a bit, and imagine an oval-cylinder, 8-valve/2-plug Honda car. It's not as wild as you may think, as much of the high-tech engineering that you see in Honda cars first started on their bikes.
This new Honda concept is being shown at Intermot, a.k.a. the Cologne Motorcycle Show.
Full story here and here.
- Permalink | Comments (12)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 8, 2008, 7:57 AM
- Categories: All Auto Shows, Car Tech, Honda
Shortly after announcing MyKey, a parental check for young drivers (Ford's MyKey offers parental check on young drivers), they now have announced a radar-based collision avoidance system called Collision Warning with Brake Support.
What it does is use the radar system from Adaptive Cruise Control to detect danger. If the system senses contact with something might occur, it will at first sound an audible alarm and activate a warning light. At the same time it will "precharge" the brakes and activate a brake-assist function in case the driver needs to slam on the brakes.
This will be available on some 2009 models.
Full story here.
- Permalink | Comments (6)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 8, 2008, 7:26 AM
- Categories: Car Tech, Ford
Not surprising in that as the economy struggles, automotive loan delinquencies are on the rise. According to figures released by Experian Automotive, nearly $25 billion in loans are past due.
This was shown in a comprehensive overview of automotive lending trends based on a quarterly analysis of the market from the second quarter of 2006 through the second quarter of 2008. The analysis found that loans 30 days past due were up 9 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2008, while loans 60 days past due were up 11 percent. Currently, 2.48 percent of all automotive loans are 30 days past due, compared with 2.28 percent in the second quarter of 2007. Automotive loans 60 days past due rose to 0.75 percent from 0.67 percent.
"The economy continues to force lenders to tighten their loan criteria while consumers are faced with increased difficulty in repaying those loans on time," said Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive. "Our data has shown a clear pattern of rising past-due loans in the auto industry, where even a slight increase in delinquent loans severely affects the industry by accounting for hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid debt."
In other findings:
• Market share for captive finance companies (those owned by auto manufacturers) has fallen from 31.1 percent of all loans opened in the second quarter of 2006 to 25.2 percent of all loans opened in the second quarter of 2008
• As auto sales have fallen, total loan originations have dropped by 14 percent
• Banks have become more cautious in their overall lending, dropping their percentage of below subprime loans from 15.7 percent in the second quarter of 2006 to 9.7 percent in the second quarter of 2008
• Finance companies specializing in automotive loans have picked up the below subprime market share from banks, growing their below subprime portfolios from 15 percent in the second quarter of 2006 to 24.6 percent in the second quarter of 2008
• Below subprime is the fastest-growing automotive loan segment, increasing from 9.4 percent in the second quarter of 2006 to 13.4 percent in the second quarter of 2008
Full story here.
- Permalink | Comments (2)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 8, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Trends
Now that all the cars have been laid bare for everyone to see, oggle, berate or just ignore, AutoObserver offers their opinion as to what works and what doesn't work at this latest Parisianne offering.
2008 Paris Auto Show: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
So what's your take? Do you agree with AO? Or do you have some favorites that you just love to hate, or love to love?
As to me? I disagree with them on the Honda Insight, even though it may well resemble a Prius. Both these cars were wind tunnel-designed--and when you're going for max fuel mileage, the wind tunnel will always win over visual distinction. Prius-like or not, the Insight (left) is better looking than the Prius; plus I see a lot of Honda FCX Clarity (right) styling there as well.
- Permalink | Comments (13)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 8, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: All Auto Shows, Honda, Hybrids, Paris Auto Show, Toyota
Next Page »
