Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Performance-based pay raises coming back to Ford

Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials
Cost-of-living pay increases are nice and all, but after you've invested your heart and soul in a job well done and have performance metrics to prove it, a merit increase should be expected, as well. Salaried employees for Ford haven't seen a merit-based increase in pay since last year. Regardless of how well they performed their jobs, the Blue Oval just didn't have enough money to invest back into its workforce. While Ford claims it's hasn't "completely turned the corner", it's doing well enough that merit-based pay increases are being reinstated this April.

According to The Detroit News, Ford is setting aside 2.7% of its total U.S. payroll for salaried workers so that it can dish out raises based on how well each employee has performed. Managers will get an automatic half percent pay increase, and bonuses will also be doled out. There's a catch, though. Salaried employees will also be asked to be pay 24% more for their health insurance next year, an amount that breaks down to be between $20 and $25 per month, which TDN reports is more than the merit increase for most workers will cover. For their sake, hopefully Ford will turn the corner soon so these people can get paid.

[Source: The Detroit News]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: REMINDER: Enter to win a DashDAQ Series II

Filed under: Contests


If you haven't already entered to win the Grand Prize of our 2007 Holiday Sweepstakes, click here to do it now. The prize of a DashDAQ Series II is worth $695, and it's more than just a computer for your car. Read more about it on the DashDAQ website, click here to enter, and read the official rules. We'll be randomly selecting a commenter as the winner at 12:00PM EST, Monday 12/17/07. Good luck!
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Maserati GranTurismo has some baggage

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Maserati, Lifestyle

Click photo for gallery

Fret not. The new Maserati doesn't have issues and isn't in need of therapy or anything. The baggage we're talking about is the kind you pack your clothes and shaving kit in. The slinky new coupe is actually the beneficiary of a little tie-in with Salvatore Ferragamo, which has produced a new five-piece set of fitted luggage inspired by the GranTurismo. To celebrate the car's UK arrival, the set is being displayed in the window of the Salvatore Ferragamo store on London's Bond Street through Christmas Eve. It's the perfect gift for that special someone who pretty much has everything else there is to have already. You can see it in the gallery below, which also contains four nice new hi-res shots of the car. We know that's what you really want to look at anyway.

[Source: Maserati]

Gallery: Salvatore Ferragamo luggage for Maserati GranTurismo


Gallery: 2007 Maserati GranTurismo

Continue reading Maserati GranTurismo has some baggage

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: BMW X6 to debut at Detroit


click above image to see high-res gallery of the BMW X6

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/BMW_X6_unveiled_400_hp_twin_turbo_V8_to_be_offered'; BMW's big Detroit debut will be the production X6 Sports Activity Coupe (unsurprisingly, BMW avoids the somewhat unbecoming "SAC" acronym), which will be arriving in US showrooms sometime during the second quarter of 2008. When it does, buyers get two flavors to choose from. The xDrive50i is powered by a twin-turbo direct-injected 4.4L V8 pumping out 400-horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. The xDrive35i, meanwhile, gets the automaker's acclaimed 300-hp TT inline six-cylinder. Dynamic Performance Control is a standard feature that can direct torque to either rear wheel, further aiding steering in both dry weather and sloppier conditions. Designwise, the production X6 looks pretty much just like the hybrid-equipped concept version we saw earlier this year. Basically, it is a larger "X" model with a coupe roofline. Not bad, as SUVs go, but the sloping roof obviously forces owners to compromise some space in the name of style. Still, the driver and three friends can stow their golf clubs in back while riding in comfort. Interior appointments are typical BMW fare, meaning they're quite nice. If you've been in a modern Bimmer, you know precisely what to expect. The X6 is no slug, either, with a manufacturer-claimed 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds for the trubo V8 model. We'll have plenty more to say after we check it out firsthand in a few weeks.

[Source: BMW]

Gallery: BMW X6

Continue reading OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: BMW X6 to debut at Detroit

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: New Mercedes E-Class coming this September

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Euro, Mercedes Benz
Mercedes is moving beyond the neo-retro theme it's cultivated for its E-Class middle child. The C-Class has established some new familial cues with its recent redesign, and Autocar is reporting that the E-Class will expand on those themes. Tauter, edgier, and crisper are the words used to describe the new look, and Autocar's rendering certainly backs up its statement. The attendant increase in bulk that seems to plague each new generation will hopefully be held in check by further use of weight-saving construction techniques and materials.

Powering the new E-Class will be the 3.5-liter V6 with direct injection (E35), as well as newly revised V8s. Based on the current 4.5- and 5.5-liter V8s (M273), the new versions will pick up direct injection, as well as efficiency and performance tweaks. More exciting, perhaps, will be a hybrid model by 2010, and BLUETEC diesels. With a mileage target of 47 mpg, the hybrid is not likely to follow the "V12 performance with V8 consumption" model of the Lexus LS, but will still do that Benz thing; get you there stylishly ,safe and comfortably cosseted.

[Source: Autocar, Rendering: DeLuisi]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Ghosn hints at killing Nissan Titan

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Nissan


No one doubts that selling full-size trucks in the U.S. is a tough racket. Nissan knows this firsthand, as it's sold only 60,961 units of its Titan pickup so far in 2007. Compare that to the third best-selling truck in the U.S., the Dodge Ram, which has sold 326,177 units, or the new-for-2007 Toyota Tundra, which has sold 177,336 units.

In a Newsweek article profiling Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Nissan-Renault reportedly hinted that he may kill the Titan pickup. The fact is, it's becoming less and less profitable to compete in a full-size truck segment that's shrinking and becoming more competitive by the day. While Ghosn is far from hammering the last nail in the Titan's coffin, his reported comment simply highlights the fact that a smart company will build what it can sell for a profit.

Producing a pickup profitably is clearly on Ghosn's mind, and considering last Friday's rumor that Nissan is in talks with Chrysler on a possible collaboration, a Dodge Ram-based Titan that's cheaper to produce than the current truck is definitely a possibility going forward. Either that, or there won't be a Titan at all if Ghosn can't figure out how to make a buck off it.

[Source: Newsweek via Pickuptruck.com]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit Preview: North American debut for Buick Riviera concept

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Coupes, Buick

click above image for more high-res pics of the Buick Riviera Concept

One of the stylistic highlights of the 2007 Shanghai Motor Show was the Buick Riviera concept. The gullwing coupe was developed by GM's Chinese design team, who did a bang-up job. The Riviera reportedly gives a pretty good preview of the design direction for future Buicks, especially ones sold in China. If so, Buicks will finally have some real character besides those fender portholes. The Riv would make an attractive variant of the Zeta platform, although those gull-wing doors are unlikely to go any further than the concept. North American audiences will finally get a firsthand look at the new Buick when it kicks off its tour on this continent at the Detroit Auto Show.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Gallery: Buick Riviera Concept - Press Photos


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Spy Shot: Mercedes-Benz GLK caught on Sex and the City set

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossovers/CUVs, Mercedes Benz

click to enlarge

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Mercedes_Benz_GLK_caught_on_Sex_and_the_City_set'; Thank the four ladies from Sex and the City for this very early sneak peek of the Mercedes-Benz GLK, Stuttgart's new compact CUV that wasn't supposed to be seen in public until the Geneva Motor Show in March. The vehicle's being used in the upcoming Sex and the City movie and was snapped completely free of camo on an open set.

Without all of the covering and cladding, it's now apparent just how sharp and chunky the GLK's styling is. Some have described it as Jeep-like, though we think it's a bit more complicated and busy than a simple slab-sided Jeep.

Curiously, the GLK will not be sold in right-hand-drive markets like the UK because its 4Matic four-wheel-drive system can't be made to work with the steering wheel on the right. Where the GLK is on sale, it will be offered with a smattering of engines, including two gas-powered V6s, a diesel V6 and diesel four-cylinder.

Considering that the GLK has long been considered a response to the BMW X3, we're wondering how you think it stacks up, at least in the area of styling. We've always considered the X3 awkward-looking, but the GLK is also a little too butch for our liking. So we guess the question is, which one's less ugly?

[Photo: Brenda Priddy & Co.]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Kovalainen confirmed as Hamilton's McLaren teammate for 2008

Filed under: Motorsports

With Fernando Alonso officially heading back to Renault, the next question to be answered was who was going to fill the vacancy left at McLaren. Back in October we speculated that anyone from McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rossa to Mika Hakkinen could take the position. On Friday it was announced that Heikki Kovalainen, who was left without a seat at Renault, will join Lewis Hamilton at McLaren for 2008. Kovalainen scored 30 or Renault's 51 points and finished seventh in the 2007 driver standings. The duo will be one of the youngest driver combos, and both will be starting just their second season in Formula 1. McLaren's press release as well as a Q&A with Kovalainen are after the jump.
[Source: McLaren]
Continue reading Kovalainen confirmed as Hamilton's McLaren teammate for 2008

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: REPORT: 2009 GMC Terrain to replace Pontiac Torrent in US

Filed under: SUVs, GMC, Pontiac

Click image to enlarge

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/2009_GMC_Terrain_replacing_Pontiac_Torrent_in_the_US'; With the Torrent dropped from Pontiac's long-term plans as the brand returns its focus to performance-oriented cars, GM appears to already know how and where it'll replace the small crossover. The answer was unveiled back in November when GMC introduced the Terrain in Kuwait. Like the Saturn Vue, the GMC Terrain is essentially a badge-engineered Opel Antara; and now the Terrain is coming to the US, according to an Automotive News report that's set to hit the wires tomorrow. Due as a 2009 model, the Terrain will be GMC's first foray into the compact SUV CUV segment. As you can see above, the division's branding looks right at home on the Vue/Antara bodywork. The long-in-the-tooth Chevy Equinox can't be hanging around much longer, either, and while GM has denied plans to do so in the past, we've got to believe the Chevy Captiva version of the Antara is waiting in the wings to carry the Equinox moniker forward. At least we hope that's the case.

[Source: All Cars All The Time]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: REPORT: Ford to say "Tata" to Jaguar, Land Rover soon

Filed under: Euro, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover


According to numerous published reports today, Ford is expected to announce within days that India's Tata Motors will be the preferred bidder for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Assuming this happens, look for Tata to pay Ford up to $2 billion USD for the pair of iconic British marques. As has already been reported here and elsewhere, the British labor unions have come out in support of the Tata bid, and the Indian company also has Fiat lined up to help show it the ropes when it comes to managing major European brands. Tata has also stated that the three British factories used to produce Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will be retained. We'll keep tabs on the developments, since it now sounds like some sort of announcement is imminent.

[Source: The Sunday Times]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: UPDATE: 2009 GMC Terrain a new vehicle, will join a new Chevy Equinox

Filed under: SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Misc. Auto Shows


Okay, the Automotive News story we were tipped on earlier is now out, and we can clarify the details about the upcoming 2009 GMC Terrain. As initially reported, the Terrain replaces the Pontiac Torrent, which gets laid to rest as Pontiac becomes car-focused once again. The news is that Terrain will be a new vehicle roughly sized the same as the Jeep Liberty, and probably not the exact truck you see above, from the sound of things. It'll join a new Chevy Equinox also built atop the updated Theta platform, and the GMC will have unique sheetmetal that's said to be "bolder" than that of the Chevy. Look for pricing to be in the same ballpark as the Equinox, which will start in the $22,000 range. The Terrain (and presumably the Equinox) will be built at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. So, while the new Terrain will share a name with the Antara variant being sold in the Middle East, it sounds like it's going to be its own truck, and not a straight rebadging exercise like the one shown here. We expect to see both the new Terrain and the next-gen Equinox at some point during the upcoming show season.

[Source: Automotive News]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: AutoblogGreen for 12.17.07

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green


Need a fresh gift idea for young car lovers this holiday season? AutoblogGreen has put together a list of ten great clean car toys for kids of all ages. For the older set, here's an idea to turn a VW Bug into a 65-70 mpg green machine. For those of you who still use copious amounts of gas this lift your spirits.

• ABG Top 10: Greenest toy cars for the holidays
• Ernie Rogers tweaks a VW Bug to get 65-70 mpg
• Video: Fly Bo - a 150 mile-range, Smart look-a-like EV - on sale in Michigan (just don't use it in winter)
• General Motors has considered E85 as a performance fuel
• Zetsche: We can't make it under 120 for 2012
• It's not your father's Oldsmobile diesel: checking out modern oil-burners
• China's Changan Auto's first hybrid model: Jiexun-HEV
• Opec sees possible lower oil prices soon
• HUMMER H2T being tested, possibly with new GM 4.5L diesel
• NASCAR hears the word: green means go

Many more headlines after the break.

Continue reading AutoblogGreen for 12.17.07

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Schumacher under investigation for taxi-driving affair

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

When news broke of Michael Schumacher's adventure behind the wheel of a taxi in Germany, most of us chuckled at the thought of the multiple-champion driver hustling a cab through the streets of Munich. German police were evidently not quite so amused, and have reportedly launched an investigation into the matter.
Both Schumacher and Tuncer Yilmax, the cabbie whose taxi Schumacher commandeered in exchange for fare plus a 100-Euro tip, are under investigation by the Coburg traffic authority for their respective involvement in the erstwhile-amusing affair.
"That was an offence against transport laws. We will have a hearing," said a local law enforcement official. Schumacher's response: "You just have to laugh about it". We'll go with Michael's approach, but keep you posted on what couldn't very well turn into the court-room drama of the year.
[Source: Autosport, photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: More turbocharged motors coming from Hyundai

Filed under: Coupes, Hyundai

Click the image above for a gallery of the Hyundai Genesis coupe concept.

2008 is shaping up to be a great year for enthusiasts, with the Nissan GT-R, Mitsubishi Evolution X and Subaru Impreza STI all coming to market. But drivers bent on rear-wheel drive performance on a budget have been left out in the cold, assuming that they're looking for something with an independent suspension and a small displacement, turbocharged motor.

In 2009, that's all going to change when Hyundai unleashes its RWD Genesis coupe to the masses. The new two-door model from Hyundai will feature a direct-injection 2.0-liter turbo'd motor (co-developed by Hyundai, Chrysler and Mitsubishi), sending power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual, supposedly with an optional LSD and the possibility of more factory-produced go-fast bits on the way.

In an interview with Automotive News, John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America's veep of product development said that the Genesis coupe won't be the only model sporting forced induction in the automaker's future. Plans to install turbos in other models are underway, as Hyundai has no intentions of offering a diesel or hybrid in the near future, and strapping a snail to a small motor can return benefits both in performance and fuel economy.

The coupe will also have a V6 option (a 3.8-liter making upwards of 300 hp), but for the enthusiast set, the blown four will be more desirable since the plumping necessary for upgrades is already in place. Despite this, Hyundai plans on taking the V6 Mustang to task on the tarmac, and with rumors swirling (Automotive News - Sub. Req.) that FoMoCo will drop the 4.0-liter V6 in favor of either the new 3.5- or 3.7-liter V6s in 2009, things are looking good for budget racers in North America.

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

Autoblog: 2008 Tokyo Auto Salon: Mazda's three 'Speed-enhanced models

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Hatchbacks, Mazda, Misc. Auto Shows

Click either image for a gallery of high-res pics.

Mazda's presence at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the great aftermarket emporium in the East, will be marked with three Mazdaspeed concepts that should give us an insight into what's in store for the automaker's in-house performance arm.

The Atenza/Mazda6 concept we saw last week will be joined by hotted-up Axela (Mazda3) and Demio (Mazda2) models that receive a fair share of body enhancements and interior upgrades. Unfortunately, Mazda has yet to release an English language press release on its Japanese site and Google doesn't seem to be keen on providing a translation. However, we know that Japanese tuning houses, Ken Style and DAMD, had their hands in the development, so we'll see what's released when the show gets underway January 11 through 13.

[Sources: Mazda, Carview]

Gallery: Mazda Mazdaspeed Concepts - Tokyo Auto Salon


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: European Ford Focus RS teaser hits the 'net, sales begin in 2009

Filed under: Euro, Hatchbacks, Ford

It's been rumored, spied and denied, but the Blue Oval boys have finally made it official: the Focus RS is on its way. The successor to the Escort RS Cosworth and the last generation Focus RS will be based off the current Focus ST and come equipped with a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five producing around 280 HP and 295 lb.-ft. of torque.

The suspension and chassis will be tuned to compete with the new Evo X and Subaru Impreza STI, and will include plenty of rally-inspired kit, blistered wheel arches, hood vents, spoilers and a driver-centric interior fitted with deeply bolstered seats.

You can now count Ford among the automakers that still haven't understood releasing a darkened teaser of the newest hotness is only a few Photoshop minutes away from being unmasked, and the image above shows a huge front air dam, restyled headlamps and plenty of imposing exterior elements that are likely to give VW R32 owners a shock when it rolls up at their six.

The only questions now are how power will be sent to the wheels and what kind of gearbox the new RS will be fitted with. Expect answers when the Focus RS makes its debut sometime during the 2008 auto show season, right before the RS goes on sale in Europe in the spring of '09.

[Source: Ford]Continue reading European Ford Focus RS teaser hits the 'net, sales begin in 2009

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: VIDEO: The Dark Knight returns, full trailer released into the wild

Filed under: Etc., Videos


After enduring a long and arduous week of never-ending KITT coverage, it's time to turn our focus to something that has the distinct possibility of not sucking - The Dark Knight. Batman Begins proved that comic book-based movies can actually be entertaining, not causing excessive eye-rolling and extraneous cringing. Plus, it didn't hurt that our female friends could sit through the flick and enjoy the machismo provided by Christian Bale.

Over the weekend, a few shoddy videos of the full, two-minute trailer for The Dark Knight began to surface, so Warner Bros. decided to release the trailer in downloadable form for the masses. Naturally, we've got it up and hosted on YouTube and you can check it out in full after the jump.

Needless to say, it looks damn good. Heath Ledger's Joker will give Nicholson a run for his money, the man in black gets a new two-wheeled conveyance and who can deny burnouts in the Tumbler? Batman returns in the summer of '08, but you can get your fix by clicking here.Continue reading VIDEO: The Dark Knight returns, full trailer released into the wild

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[Daf_Scott]

Excellent, another one to look forward too.

daf

 

[Woppum]

Anyone else find the idea of this strangely attractive?