Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: LA Auto Show preview: Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

Filed under: LA Auto Show, SUVs, Green, Porsche

Click image for photo gallery

As was the case last year, the upcoming LA Auto Show will have a decidedly "green" tinge to it as automakers use the California setting to tout the alt-fuel offerings that they're both selling now and have under development. Porsche (now that it has removed Detroit from its calendar) calls LA its most important showcase, and will bring the Cayenne Hybrid along for all to see. Due by the end of the decade, the Cayenne uses a parallel hybrid system that will help the SUV achieve fuel economy of at least 26 US MPG. This, while retaining its off-road capabilities and and a towing capacity of 7,000 pounds, according to an earlier announcement by the automaker. Joining the Cayenne Hybrid on the stand will be Lohner-Porsche electric vehicle, which first made its debut at the 1900 World's Fair. Yep, they did in-wheel electric motors way back then, too. AutoblogGreen has more on Porsche's vintage EV, and we'll have a full complement of Autobloggers on hand in LA to get the skinny on the Cayenne Hybrid.

[Source: Porsche]

Gallery: Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

Continue reading LA Auto Show preview: Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: More cracks in the dam: 2009 Nissan Murano

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Nissan


With only two days between us and the unveiling of the redesigned Nissan Murano, The Car Connection saw fit to let out a couple of images of the 2009 CUV. The new front end is visible in all its, ummm... glory, and the shot of the freshened interior may have eschewed Alex's initial concerns about the chintz-factor that plagued the last generation.

While we'll avoid any Battlestar Galactica references, we will say that the new front clip is a pretty large departure for Nissan, who obviously nixed the idea of aping the redesigned G-series for a clean sheet makeover. The profile is much the same as the current Murano, but according to TCC, the rear benefits from new LED taillamps and the roof has a skylight hovering over the second-row passengers.

Inside, the new Murano gets a huge helping of refinement, complete with push-button start-system, wood and aluminum trim, optional Intelligent Key, Bose audio, DVD navigation, 9.3-gig hard drive and iPod connectivity (on LE models). Buyers who haven't ticked off all the options will get a standard audio system with a six-disc changer and an auxiliary jack.

Front- and all-wheel-drive models will get power from Nissan's 265 HP, 3.5-liter V6, mated to a CVT, with five trim levels available: S, LS and LE, the latter of which will only be available with AWD.

[Source: The Car Connection]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: AutoblogGreen for 11.12.07

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green


One could argue that the only real difference between the 1900 Porsche EV in the middle of the picture above and Steve Titus' Solar Bug over on the right is the presence of solar panels on the roof of the Solar Bug. Sure, there's also the century of engineering advances between the two, but think of the similarities. The vehicles were designed and made 100 years apart, and both are electric vehicles designed for two and - if they had better batteries - could go a lot further.

There are two other AutoblogGreen stories I think Autoblog readers will be interested in from this past weekend's coverage: We've got the goods on the greenification of Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage and all the details on the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. Enjoy.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/11/09/more-on-steve-titus-new-solar-bug-price-revealed-along-with/

• Move over crossovers, 2008 will be the year of the Super-Mini SUV (Top 10 list included)
• High-end diesel VS hybrid, Audi A8L takes on the Lexus LS600h
• Survey says: We want 35 mpg by 2020! Will we buy them? Who knows!
• Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage needed $450,000+ to make it green
• LA 2007 Preview: Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, all the details
• Video: recapping Chevy's first green TV ads
• LA 2007 Preview: Are their really any new ideas? 1900 Porsche EV!
• More on Steve Titus' new Solar Bug - price revealed, along with high-res photos

The complete list of ABG stories from the weekend is after the jump.

Continue reading AutoblogGreen for 11.12.07

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Report: New UAW deal to save automakers $1000 per car

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, Ford, GM, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions


While throwing billions of dollars into a health-care VEBA for workers might be a heavy hit for the Big Three, in the long-term, the new contracts will likely save each automaker a substantial amount of cash. According to analysts, when the new contracts are in place in 2010, Chrysler, Ford and GM will be saving approximately $1000 on each vehicle it sells. If all three automakers maintain market share - over 16 million vehicles sold per year - that nets GM $3.8 billion per year, with Ford saving $2.4 billion and Chrysler being able to pocket an extra $2 billion. The "if" that started the previous sentence is a big one, particularly with the U.S. economy teetering on the brink of the "R-word."

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: All VW models to get touch screens

Filed under: Gadgets, Volkswagen
Recently we reviewed VW's four-door GTI and one of our few complaints was the difficult-to-use nav system. We suggested replacing all the little buttons and dials with a touch screen. Guess what? They listened! VW's design chief, Walter de' Silva, tells Automotive News Europe that starting next year, every VW will have a touch screen interface. Not just those equipped with nav, but every VW made. It's not clear from the story whether this is will be in Europe only or includes U.S.-spec VWs as well.

According to the article, all the car's main passenger-usable systems will be controlled by the screen including climate, radio, entertainment, etc. While we'll withhold judgment on the usefulness or intuitiveness of the system, it will surely go a long way toward giving VW a high-tech look. Could this have been what VW consulted Apple on a few months ago? Or is it just finally the fruition of VW's tech licensing of touch-screen technology from Immersion back in 2005? If so, that could mean the company's new touch screens will have tactile feedback like GPS units that use Immersion's TouchSense technology. Either way, we look forward to seeing how iPhone-like automotive controls work out.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - Sub. Req.]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Compact, seven-seat Chevy crossover coming to the U.S.

Filed under: Minivans/MPVs, Euro, Crossovers/CUVs, Chevrolet, GM, Saturn


While GM's new labor contract with the UAW has been out for some time, it took some snooping on the part of Automotive News to find out that one of the models set to be produced at the General's Hamtramck, Mich. plant will be a new seven-seat people mover. The imaginative codename for the new model is the MPV-7, which will find inspiration from the next generation Opel Zafira. According to AN's sources, it will sport a more manly exterior, with a box shape to make room for a "unique interior."

The minivan replacement will carry a Chevrolet emblem at first, with a Saturn-badged variant to follow. Pricing is expected to be in the upper-$20k to $30,000 realm and GM plans to sell 100,000 units annually, both in the U.S. and Europe. If Ford decides to bring over a version of its S-Max from the UK, this could be the beginning of a competitive segment here in the States.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Do your job at GM, win cash for a car

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, GM, UAW/Unions
Apparently, absenteeism at GM's North American plants is such a huge issue that the automaker has to offer more than just a paycheck to get workers to show up. The new labor contract the General signed with the UAW includes an incentive for workers that go a full year without missing a day. Their reward is to be entered into a drawing that gives five lucky employees $15,000 to put towards a new GM car or truck.

While the idea of offering an incentive for employees to do their job might be a surprise to the rest of us working stiffs, the auto industry's hourly workforce has one of the highest annual absenteeism rates in the U.S. A 2004 study showed that about 10-percent of workers aren't manning their positions during the year - three-times higher than other industries. Naturally, this has a massive effect on labor costs and quality control.

GM has tried a number of different programs to lower that absentee rate to no avail (sometimes it actually went up ), but in addition to the cash giveaway program, a new absence excuse system will be employed January 1st that puts more stringent restrictions on employee attendance. Workers will now need to show proof of test results or a prescription slip for medical issues, and if the problem persists, the offending employee will be given the axe.

[Source: Detroit News]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Proton may build world's first Islamic car

Filed under: Etc.


What exactly differentiates a car we might think of as "normal" from an Islamic car? For starters, it would include a compass dialed in to always point towards Mecca. It would also feature a storage compartment similar to a glove box for your copy of the Koran. Such a car is being considered for production by Proton, Malaysia's state-owned automaker. It would be developed in cooperation with parties from Turkey and Iran and possibly based on the automaker's Waja sedan, shown above. Proton could use a sales hit, and clearly the Islamic market is one yet to be fully tapped by automakers. We're curious to know whether or not such a vehicle would be seen as pandering to a demographic that's sensitive about its culture, or whether it would be embraced by people of the Islamic faith. Western religions have certainly penetrated car culture, as any person who has christened his center console with a plastic Dashboard Jesus will tell you, though we can't remember a time when Christ was offered as a factory option.

[Source: caradvice.com.au]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Honda plans hybrid to rival Toyota Prius

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Honda

Toyota's Prius has been the perennial hybrid player for a few years now and Honda thinks it's about time to provide it with some competition. Honda has big plans for its next generation hybrid, with annual worldwide sales expected to be in the neighborhood of 200,000 - half of which are destined to find homes in the garages of North American consumers.

Unlike the Civic Hybrid which has put a very small dent in the Prius' success, the new model will only be available with a hybrid system and is rumored to take its styling cues from the FCX fuel-cell vehicle set to begin production next year. This new model will be joined by another hybrid based off the CR-Z concept that debuted in Tokyo.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Doing their heavy duty: OEMs seek one towing standard to rule them all

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Marketing/Advertising


A pickup's towing capacity is perhaps its biggest bragging point. With the arrival of the full-size Toyota Tundra on the scene, truck makers began upping their maximum tow rating for half-tons just to beat the Japanese truck's rating of 10,800 lbs. The Ford F-150, for instance, jumped from a maximum two rating of 9,900 lbs. to 11,000 lbs. overnight. Unfortunately, these tow ratings that are held in such high esteem are practically worthless when comparing trucks side by side. That's because there is no standard for rating how much a pickup can tow, so companies are free to determine the maximum towing capacity of their trucks under ideal conditions that will yield the best results. Well, all of that's about to change.

According to Pickuptruck.com, every major pickup manufacturer including Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda and Toyota, as well as a select group of trailer and hitch makers, convened last winter with the Society of Automotive Engineers to develop a single towing standard to rate pickups all the way from half-tons to Class 5 trucks. Dubbed the 'J-2807 - Performance Requirements for Determining Tow Vehicle Gross Combination Weight Ratings and Trailer Weight Ratings', the standard will reportedly include testing trucks with a trailer in tow on a level grade and 7% incline with an ambient temperature of 100 degrees F. Each truck will be timed from 0 to 60 mph, and their braking and cooling performance will also be measured. Other aspects of towing that involve trailers and hitches like tongue weight will also be standardized.

While the standards are about to be voted upon by a group of representatives from each company, they should be in place so that by mid-2008 all advertisements that boast a truck's maximum towing capabilities will hold true to these standards. Finally we'll be able to see which half-ton and heavy duty trucks are truly King of the Hill when it comes to towing.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 introduction: Suspension technology

Filed under: Motorsports, Sports/GTs, Tech, Supercars, Porsche


While the incredible power output of the new Porsche GT2 gets plenty of attention, it's the suspension and braking systems that should be receiving credit for making this vehicle something other than just a straight-line terror.

At the GT2's North American introduction, we had the opportunity not just to try out the hardware on the track, but also to discuss it in detail with GT2 Product Engineer Carsten Schebsdat and Porsche Motorsports head Hartmut Kristen. These gentlemen were in the pits with some examples of their work, and described the subsystems with all the enthusiasm of a proud parent.

Gallery: 2008 Porsche GT2 intro

Continue reading 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 introduction: Suspension technology

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Corporate Carpooling: Zipcar and Flexcar to merge

Filed under: Etc.

Both Zipcar and Flexcar are known as the two biggest players in the nascent industry of renting cars by the hour in urban areas and around college campuses. Their pick-up and drop-off locations have popped up all over the country, as well as Canada and London, though surprisingly the two companies only compete directly in Washington D.C. and San Francisco. Neither company, however, has managed to turn a profit, so they've decided to merge, combine their fleets and operate under the Zipcar brand name out of Cambridge, MA. Though both firms operate fleets that number in the thousands, neither had become big enough to enjoy those cost savings that only come from large economies of scale. Following the merge, they should be able to capitalize on reduce costs for everything from the cars themselves to the insurance with which they're covered. The execs handling the merge expect their first profit maybe within a year, and then an IPO may follow shortly after. For anyone who uses these services, the merger is undoubtedly great news. We can't attest to how well the system works having never tried it, but perhaps we'll give it a go now that renting cars by the hour is going mainstream.

[Source: Washington Post via AutobloGreen]Continue reading Corporate Carpooling: Zipcar and Flexcar to merge

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Acura RL

Filed under: Garage, Sedans/Saloons, Acura, Driving

Click the Acura RL for a high-res gallery

Being first to the party is often not a guarantee that you'll be the most popular. Diamond Multimedia was one of the first to introduce a portable MP3 player with the Rio 500, but it wasn't until some other company brought out a device called the iPod that the market broke wide open. Similarly, Toyota's Lexus division is currently the big dog among Japanese luxury car brands, but it was by no means the first. In 1986, Honda opened up 18 new stores with a brand called Acura.

Over the years, the Acura Legend evolved into the RL as Acura changed its nomenclature. Honda seemed to struggle, however, with what its top sedan was supposed to be. It went from what looked like a fancy Accord to a soft and underpowered Lexus wannabe and finally took a sharp left turn with this latest iteration. The current third generation RL first appeared back in 2005 when it was reintroduced as a luxury sport sedan.

We were actually first exposed to the RL in late summer when Acura held its 2008 model preview at the Waterford Hills race track just north of Detroit. Immediately following that session of thrashing the RL on the track, we asked Acura if we could spend more time with an RL and got one for a week shortly afterward.

Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Acura RL


All photos (C)2007 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Acura RL

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[Daf_Scott]

Looks like a miniature citroen picasso?

daf

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Toyota prepping Urban Cruiser-inspired SUV for Europe

Filed under: SUVs, Geneva Motor Show, Euro, Toyota

Click image for hi-res gallery of the Urban Cruiser Concept

While its RAV4 is a sales success in Europe, Toyota has no entry with which to compete in the constantly-growing small SUV segment. The solution? Take the JDM Toyota Ist, which is essentially the USDM Scion xD, and make an SUV out of it. The butched-up variant will bow in March '08 at the Geneva show and go on sale in Europe shortly thereafter. According to Automotove News, the still-unnamed sport ute will derive its styling from Toyota's 2006 Urban Cruiser concept (above). No word yet on what the powertrain offering(s) will be, but we'll find out soon enough. March isn't all that far off.

[Source: Automotive news, sub. req'd]

Gallery: 2006 Toyota Urban Cruiser Concept


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Ford confirms Lincoln won't be lifted to replace Jaguar

Filed under: Car Buying, Lincoln

A report today by Automotive News reveals that Ford doesn't plan on moving the Lincoln brand upmarket to take the place of Jaguar when the British brand is eventually sold along with Land Rover. First of all, who ever suggested that selling more expensive Lincolns was even a viable option? As Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, tells AN, "We have a ways to go to strengthen Lincoln." Indeed.

The talk about town was apparently that Lincoln could cross the $60,000 threshold to replace the position once held by Jaguar. We're not sure why Ford would think it even needs to compete in that price range any more, but with its current line up of the MKZ, MKX, Navigator, Town Car and Mark LT (for a few more months, anyway), the Lincoln brand is ill-equipped to compete with cars and SUVs that start above $60,000. Even the upcoming MKS luxury sedan will start well below that mark, as not many wealthy folk are interested in a V6 powering their ego trips.

But it's all good, because like we said, Ford doesn't need to compete in this segment. The school of thought that an automaker should be in every segment from dirt cheap to filthy expensive is what resulted in the Blue Oval Empire that the automaker is now in a race against time to dismantle.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: We're out too! Foose Design also cuts ties with Unique Performance

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Government/Legal, Ford

Foose Design and the man for which the company is named, Chip Foose, announced last Friday that it is severing all ties with Unique Performance. The Dallas-based company had agreements with Foose to produce the Foose Mustang Stallion (pictured), Foose Camaro, Foose Challenger and Foose Motorcycle, as well as handle the sales and marketing for the Hemisfear. The break up comes after Shelby ended its relationship with the Unique last month, and a police raided Unique's facility last week for suspected title washing. Foose Design wants to let its customers know that it now has no affiliation whatsoever with Unique Performance, and that Unique does not have any rights to anything regarding Foose for any project. Follow the jump for the official press release from Foose Design.
[Source: Foose Design]
Continue reading We're out too! Foose Design also cuts ties with Unique Performance

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Tractorri Lamborghini Mustang is strong like bull

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA, Coupes, Supercars, Ford, Lamborghini

click either image to enlarge

The SEMA Show in Las Vegas is huge, which is the only explanation we can muster for why we didn't see the Tractorri Lamborghini Mustang there ourselves. Built by John Haugh from Cleveland, OH (w00t!), the car you see is basically a 520-hp mid-engine, all-wheel-drive Lamborghini Gallardo wearing the heavily modified body panels of a Ford Mustang. Out back the rear taillamps of the Gallardo have been incorporated along with a gaping grate through which one can view the Lamborghini hardware. The interior is also mostly Lamborghini, though the door panels obviously come from the Ford.

We know, some of you are asking why anyone would embark on such a project, but why sweat the details when there's a freakin' mid-engine, all-wheel-drive Mustang staring back at you? Just count your lucky stars that there are people out there who will build something like a Mustang-bodied Lamborghini for the rest of us to enjoy. Oh, and we extend an open offer to buy Mr. Haugh a beer at The Winking Lizard in Lakewood so he can show us this insane coupe in person.

Click the Read link below to visit themustangnews.com where there are more pics of the Tractorri Lamborghini Mustang.

[Source: The Mustang News via Carscoop]

Gallery: Tractorri Lamborghini Mustang


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[Stuart]

I can't figure out what I'm missing that so many other people have seen.

 

[Stuart]

Why?