Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Toyota wants to sell 1 million hybrids per year

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Toyota


Shortly after the turn of the decade, Toyota expects sales of its hybrid vehicles to crest the one million unit per year mark. ToMoCo's goal may seem a bit ambitious considering that it's only sold about 1.25 million hybrids since the Prius' introduction in 1997, but the alternative-power push will mainly be fueled by sales of upcoming plug-in hybrid models and Toyota's aim to equip every vehicle in its lineup with a hybrid drivetrain by 2020.

Testing of the plug-in version of the Prius is about to begin in the U.S., Europe and Japan, equipped with a fancy-schmancy lithium-ion battery that's being developed by Toyota and Panasonic EV Energy Co. Sales should start around 2010, assuming that all is well with the power-pack, and we're expecting even more Synergy-Drive models to bow during the upcoming 2008 show season.

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

Autoblog: REPORT: Volvo plans XC30 CUV to join V30 wagon and C30 hatch

Filed under: Trends, Wagons/Estates, Crossovers/CUVs, Hatchbacks, Volvo


We recently got confirmation from a Volvo PR person that the Swedish automaker's new C30 hatchback will soon be joined by a V30 five-door wagon. Just-Auto.com is going one step further by reporting that Volvo will also add a new XC CUV model to its lineup based on the C30 hatch to be called, not unsurprisingly, the XC30. Presumably it will also be a five-door model with all-wheel-drive that's jacked up off the ground a bit.

The burgeoning of Volvo's 30 series of cars will come at the expense of the S40 sedan, which will be merged with the larger S60 eventually creating a common mid-size sedan likely to retain the S60 name. The new S60 won't get a V-named wagon counterpart, however, which would be too close in concept to Volvo's standalone V70 and XC70 models. Do expect, however, an XC60 CUV model to be based on the XC60 Concept that debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January.

Finally, as we recently reported, rumors of the larger XC90's demise have been exaggerated and Volvo's largest SUV is expected to get a refresh soon and a full-on replacement eventually. Clearly, however, Volvo sees future profits by filling out its small car lineup with versions of the C30 hatchback that will sell well all over the world, and not just the U.S.

[Source: Just-Auto.com]

Gallery: Volvo C30 T5


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Daimler to invest $420m in Indian venture

Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Plants/Manufacturing, Commercial Trucks, DaimlerChrysler
Daimler is joining throngs of other automakers, including Navistar, Nissan and Volvo, to establish India as one of the largest builders of commercial trucks in the world. Its newest venture involves a partnership between Daimler AG and India's Hero Group (great name!), with Daimler investing some $420 million for a 60-percent stake in the India-based manufacturer. The venture will involve the creation of light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks in one of the world's burgeoning production centers that's still got a lot left to build, and although company officials at both corps remained mum on details, expect things to be firmed up in the first quarter of 2008.

[Source: Economic Times via Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: 'Splain Yourself: Senator invites EPA chief to California

Filed under: Government/Legal, Green


Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson (shown above) has found himself with few friends after denying California's request for a waiver to regulate its own emissions. The denial was issued shortly after President Bush signed the new energy bill into law, leaving some to wonder if the auto industry struck a deal with the White House - we'll give you your energy bill if you give us one national emissions standard to follow, i.e. don't allow California to set its own set of stricter emissions standards. How did the White House get involved? A few newspapers have reported that Vice President Dick Cheney met with each of the Big 3 domestic automakers in the months leading up to the energy bill's passage. Did Cheney order EPA chief Johnson to deny California's request against the unanimous counsel of his advisors? Who knows, but the appearance of impropriety is there.

Johnson, however, is the one who has to back up the decision to deny California the ability to set its own emissions standards. As such, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has invited him to the Golden State to explain his decision to an eager audience that includes Edmund G. Brown Jr. (Attorney General of California), Mary Nichols (Chairperson of the California Air Resources Board), Fran Pavley (Senior Advisor, Natural Resources Defense Council), and Carl Pope (Executive Director of the Sierra Club) - a truly hostile crowd if ever there was one. There will no doubt be other curious senators in attendance for this field briefing, scheduled for January 10th. Since it's just an invitation, we're fairly certain that Johnson doesn't have to go, but for his own safety he better not show up with the automakers' interests as his only justification for the controversial decision.

[Source: Senate.gov via AutoblogGreen, Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Getty]
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[Allan]

I am sometimes bewildered by the decentralisation of car /consumer products. Once they have destabilised the economy from which they just removed the manufacturing, who do they propose to sell the products to ?

Cheers

A

 

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit '08 Preview: Toyota A-BAT hybrid pickup concept

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Trucks/Pickups, Toyota

click above to view more images of the Toyota A-BAT Concept

Perhaps in response to the criticism that Toyota has received over the past year from environmentalists for its ever larger and thirstier trucks, the Japanese automaker is switching direction with its 2008 Detroit concept - the A-BAT hybrid pickup concept. Toyota and Nissan pioneered the idea of modern compact pickup trucks in the U.S. market, but Toyota has largely left it behind over the past decade. The new A-BAT concept pickup is 27 inches shorter than an extended cab Tacoma and nine inches shorter than the regular cab model. In profile, the uni-body truck looks somewhat like a shorter Honda Ridgeline with rounder contours. The A-BAT is the first Toyota to have a mid-gate allowing cargo longer than the standard four-foot bed to extend into the cab. With the tailgate down, drivers can pack the proverbial 4x8 sheet of plywood. Power for the A-BAT comes from Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive mated to a four-cylinder engine, although so far there is no indication of which wheels get propulsion. Based on the snub-nosed styling, it seems probable that the engine is transversely mounted and driving the front wheels, but we'll find out for sure when the A-BAT officially debuts at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

[Source: Toyota]

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Toyota A-BAT Concept

Continue reading Detroit '08 Preview: Toyota A-BAT hybrid pickup concept

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Euro-only Toyota Auris gains sporty SR180 model

Filed under: Euro, Hatchbacks, Toyota, UK

click above for high resolution gallery of the Toyota Auris SR180

The bucket of parts that makes up the Toyota Corolla also gives life to several other vehicles worldwide. In the UK and other parts of the world, they get the Auris, a three- or five-door hatch-type-thing. While Toyotas in the United States are sleepy affairs, the Auris is ringing in 2008 with a sporty, well-equipped SR180 version. Looking great with a lowered suspension from Toyota Motorsport and blacked out rear glass, the Auris appears intimately involved with the pavement. There's a subtle spoiler atop the hatch, which always gives a nice finish to the back end of this style car, and the wheel arches are nicely filled with 17-inch alloy rims. Underhood, Toyota's D-4D Diesel provides 175 horsepower and a whopping 294 ft-lbs of torque through a six-speed manual while returning 38 mpg (US) on a combined cycle.

Equipment levels are up, providing the driver with such goodies as dual-zone climate control, automatic headlamps and wipers, and cruise control. Stability and traction-control systems are standard, too. It all sounds and looks very good until you run the roughly &pound;18,500 price through a currency conversion - coming out the other side at about $37,000 greenbacks. Some people would sell a kidney on eBay for the opportunity to get something like this Stateside, and it certainly is a rare Toyota that makes us say "That's cool." If you're someplace where you can take advantage of it, order yours now for January delivery.

[Source: Toyota]

Gallery: Toyota Auris SR180

Continue reading Euro-only Toyota Auris gains sporty SR180 model

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: eBay Find of the Day: Saleen Transformers Barricade Replica

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Ford, Saleen

click above for more images of the Saleen Transformers Barricade Replica
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/movies/Transformers_Barricade_full_size_replica_for_sale'; We are big fans of the movie Transformers despite its faults, and not because we're fascinated with alien robots, but rather because it shows off some of our favorite cars in action. You can't get your very own Bumblebee yet with production of the Camaro still a year away, but you can buy this replica of Barricade being sold by McDonald Ford in Freeland, Michigan. This 2007 Mustang was built by Saleen to help promote the movie, and features the same police garb found on the movie car with a few changes. "To punish and enslave" has been changed to "Power in the hands of a few", and the 911 decal has been switched to a 411 promoting the Saleen web site. The light bar is also absent, probably to help prevent the vehicle from being mistaken for an actual police vehicle. That's probably a good thing, considering it's a felony to impersonate a police vehicle. The buyer also gets the standard Saleen add-ons including the body kit, upgraded interior, Racecraft suspension, and supercharged engine, so this marketing prop is more than just eye-candy. Pretty much the only thing it can't do is hunt down Sam Witwicky, grandson of Archibald Witwicky.

[Source: eBay Motors]
Gallery: Saleen Transformers Barricade Replica


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Cadillac already selling CTS Coupe in newspaper

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Spy Photos, Coupes, Cadillac

We're not sure how these things happen, but somehow an image of a Cadillac CTS Coupe made its way into a dealer advertisement in the dead-tree edition of the Detroit Free Press. According to the advert, you can pick up a two-year lease on a 2008 CTS Coupe for $366.98/month with $1,885.16 due at signing. Considering that the Cadillac CTS Coupe doesn't exist quite yet, though we expect one to debut at an upcoming auto show, this dealer either made a big mistake or has some serious pull over at the Ren Cen. As for the image of the CTS Coupe, while it does likely come from General Motors, it's difficult to call this a leak. I mean, is it really hard to imagine what the Cadillac CTS Coupe is going to look like? Nevertheless, this may be our first official peek.

BONUS: We found a bunch of new 2008 Cadillact CTS images that show the luxury sedan getting thrashed on the track. View them all in the gallery below, though we especially like the one at right.

Thanks for the tip and pic, Ross!

Gallery: 2008 Cadillac CTS - action shots


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Speculation for 2008: Ford and Chrysler to merge?

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler, Dodge, Ford


Chrysler and Ford have been at the top of the headlines all year long for various reasons, with Ford continuing to slim down by selling off its PAG brands, while Chrysler got dumped by Daimler and went private at the hands of Cerberus Capital Management. 2008 looks to be an equally interesting year in the auto industry, and a recent article in Fortune by senior editor Alex Taylor III suggests that a merger between Chrysler and Ford could be in the cards for the coming year. Talk about your haymakers.

Much of the speculation regarding Chrysler surrounds how Cerberus intends to get itself out from under the prolific paperweight that is the Pentastar. Financial types still feel Cerberus is out to make a quick buck, and that long-term ownership is highly unlikely. We're no big business experts, but it looks to us as though the three headed dog has a very limited list of potential buyers out there, so throwing a blind-folded dart that lands on the Blue Oval is as good a guess as any. It's a crazy Chrysler news day anyway, as TTAC is reporting that Cerberus may be preparing to sue Daimler for tricking the investment firm into buying what a thought was an automaker with nowhere to go but up.

Let us know in the comments what you think about the wild speculation of the day.

[Source: Fortune]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Make it up to the kid with an Alfa Spider

Filed under: Gadgets, Alfa Romeo

Uh-oh. The big day came and went and you forgot a present for that pint-size kiddie on your shopping list. This is gonna cost ya. We'd charge you for information on the ultimate "stop crying, let me make it up to you" gift, but our lawyers insist it's legally questionable and our life coach says it's "wrong", whatever that means.
So here's what you want to get to make the kid forget the conspicuous and disappointing void under the tree: an Alfa Romeo. Okay, not a real one, but everything is relative and to a child, this will seem just as cool - trust us. These downsized rideable Alfa Spiders are available with a choice of body-styles - 8C Competizione or Brera - and powertrain. A hair under three bills will get pedal-power, or an extra two hundred nets the 6-volt electric version. Shipping's extra if you live outside the UK, and the roadsters are made for kids ages 2-5. Oh, and they're available only in red.
If your kid's passion lies elsewhere than with Alfa Romeo, we'd recommend a better education. In the meantime, don't fret: Turbo Toys has a variety of similar ride-ons, including a Maserati, Audi TT, Jag XK, Porsche, and several Ferraris.
You can thank us later.
[Source: Turbo Toys via Carscoop]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Rumormill: Proton may sell Lotus to local Malaysian firm

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Etc., Lotus, UK
Lotus appears to be in play, with reports that a Malaysian company has approached Proton about buying the sports car maker. State-owned Proton, which has been struggling of late, has seen its shares take a further beating since the collapse of its talks with Volkswagen, which has set the table for an opportunistic approach.

The bidder hasn't been named, but it is suspected to be Malaysian conglomerate Naza. Lotus ownership would give Naza its own platform -- Lotus' Variable Vehicle Architecture -- for a new car that Naza's developing in-house. Since Naza also distributes brands like Brabus, Hamann, and Porsche in Malaysia, adding Lotus to the stable would make sense.

On a side note, as for economy-car-maker ownership of a premium English brand goes -- for those afraid of Tata owning Jaguar -- Proton's ownership of Lotus hasn't diminished the marque's desirability in the least...

[Source: Paul Tan]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Rolls-Royce to produce 10% more Phantoms in 2008

Filed under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Rolls-Royce


Business at Goodwood is, well... good. As such, Rolls-Royce, already having dedicated millions of dollars to enhancing its production facilities, is looking to add more hands in a bid to keep up with the ever-growing demand for its cars. Production in 2007 was up 25% over 2006 to 1,000 units, and RR execs see another 10% of growth likely for 2008. Credit emerging markets for the increase in demand, especially China, in which 100 cars are expected to be sold by year's end. That's up from 71 of the mega-sleds sold there in 2006. Where people are coming into money, they're buying Rolls-Royces. After all, as status symbols go, the Spirit of Ecstasy is almost without peer, and few luxury objects communicate wealth like a big new Roller. The Phantom (saloon or drophead, take your pick) might well be the ultimate arrival machine. Things are going so well, in fact, that the automaker is basically sold-out through 2009. Better get that second production line going soon, guys.

[Source: Financial Times]

Gallery: 2007 Rolls-Royce Phantom


Gallery: 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe


Gallery: Rolls-Royce 101EX


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: VIDEO: Ins and Outs of the Toyota A-BAT Concept hybrid pickup

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Trucks/Pickups, Videos, Toyota


Mike Levine from Pickuptruck.com first tipped us off that the Scion brand might be considering a pickup for its youth-targeted lineup. In the video above, Levine explains why the A-BAT hybrid pickup concept ended up being a Toyota truck rather than the Scion we were expecting, as well as going over every feature and design detail of what we've come to call the "Toyota Ridgeline".

From your comments, we gather that the A-BAT's design is not what you would call... attractive. As one commenter put it, "(It's) like a Ridgeline, but uglier with bigger blind spots." Touch&eacute; sir. Nevertheless, we'd welcome a truly small and modern pickup back into the market, just not this one. We'll defer to another commenter who said what was exactly on our minds: "Just bring back the small pick-up and with a strong diesel and 6-speed. It'll get 40+mpg." If wishing made it so.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]
Gallery: Detroit 2008: Toyota A-BAT Concept


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit '08 Preview: Mazda Furai breaks cover!

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Mazda

We got a small preview of the Furai Concept with a teaser photo released by Mazda a few weeks ago, but Inside Line has let the cat out of the bag with a full set of photos and more details about the car. The Furai, which translates to "sound of wind", is built on a Courage C65 chassis that was campaigned by Mazda in the 2005 ALMS season. It features a fully-running three-rotor Mazda 20B rotary engine that runs on E100 ethanol and produces around 450 horsepower. The flowing shape of the Furai was co-designed by Mazda and Swift Engineering at Mazda's design studio in Southern California. Expect the full details and tons of photos when we see the car in person at the Detroit Auto Show in just a few weeks. Until then, fix your eyes on the gallery of photos below.
[Source: Inside Line]
Gallery: Mazda Furai Concept



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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: AutoblogGreen for 12.28.07

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

A-BAT? That's Toyota's name for the concept hybrid truck (above left) that will be making an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show in a few weeks? There has got to be a Dark Knight joke in here somewhere. Or is the joke on the people who laugh at the highly modified 1992 Honda Civic called the Aerocivic there on the right? Why is the joke on them? That beast can get 95 mpg.

• Detroit '08 Preview: Toyota A-BAT Concept
• Aerocivic's mods combine great aerodynamic and a, um, stunning look in 95 mpg Civic
• Suzuki chairman on Tata's 59 mpg, $2,500 car: details, please
• Toyota, Honda gearing up to fight for hybrid crown
• Popular Mechanics: "Hybrids, beware of diesels"
• Video: Huckabee on a Segway
• Ford claims high percentage of its vehicles recycled
• Sen. Boxer invites EPA head to testify January 10
• VIDEO: G-Wiz takes on an even smaller electric car!
• Biodiesel furor in Argentina
• Panasonic starts feasability studies for manufacturing LiIon cells
• Wired Magazine January 2008 cover: the race to make 100 MPG car
• Video: documentary on the making of the electric "cooler" go-cart
• 21st Century carpooling: nearing perfection?
• UK drivers have a new guide to propane filling stations and converters
• French manned electric plane test flight a success

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Don't mess with Texas: Lone Star State expands forced blood draw program

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal
Despite Texans' talk about individual rights, the Lone Star State isn't afraid to take them away when it wants to. Case in point: get pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence in certain Texas counties, and the police will take your blood whether you like it or not.

It's called the "No Refusal" program, and it's designed to "streamline the blood drawing process" -- something it does quite well. If you're pulled over and accused of driving while intoxicated, the police take you downtown and ask you, on videotape, to take a breathalyzer test. They don't tell you that if you refuse, a nurse -- or sometimes, the police themselves -- will take your blood anyway, getting a warrant from a judge who is on call specifically for the purpose, and using whatever force is required.

Of course, we're all for getting drunk drivers off the roads, and the question of civil liberties vs. safe roads does not have an easy answer. The program will be in force again over New Year's, so everyone, everywhere -- not just in Texas -- have a safe holiday.

[Source: The Newspaper][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Another giant leap for Big Brother: four states to insert RFID chips in dri

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Tech
Just because you have an RFID chip in your driver's license doesn't mean the authorities are watching you; it simply means they can if they want, whenever they want. Arizona, Michigan, Vermont, and Washington will be the first states to begin placing the radio frequency identification chips in their citizens' licenses.

The chips don't need to be physically read by someone scanning your license -- they can be read by monitors within a 30-foot range. Information contained will include name, DOB, physical characteristics, and a private identity number that will allow access to further information stored in the state's DMV database. One good thing about the enhanced ID's: travelers will be able to cross the border without a passport as of January 2009.

The Department of Homeland Security is in favor of the program, promoting it under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Said a DHS fact sheet, "Multiple cards can be read at a distance and simultaneously with vicinity RFID technology, allowing an entire car full of people to be processed at once."[/FONT] Motorists won't be compelled to use an enhanced ID, however -- in the beginning, it will be by voluntary issue only.

[Source: The Newspaper][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Practical Joke of the Day: VW Touareg Cabrio

Filed under: Convertibles, SUVs, Euro, Volkswagen

Click image for photo gallery

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/VW_Spain_kids_visitors_with'; December 28 is the "d&iacute;a de los Inocentes" in Spain, which is basically equivalent to our April Fool's Day. Bogus media stories are part of the fun, and it looks like businesses get in on the action, too. Case in point: Volkswagen.

If you visit VW Spain's website today, you're greeted with the normal landing page, which spotlights the "new Touareg Cabrio" at the top. Clicking on the image brings you to touaregcabrio.com, a microsite registered to VW's Spanish division according to a quick WHOIS lookup.

There, you're given three links: Acabados (trim levels), Motores (engines), and Galer&iacute;a (gallery). Clicking on any of them lets you know it's all a joke, and allows you to forward the gag to a friend. If you do that, your buddy will receive this email message, which "introduces" the reader the ragtop Touareg and directs him or her to the website. Tomorrow, it'll probably all be gone. Go through the motions yourselves starting here. If you miss it on 12/28, no worries. We've screen-captured all the elements in the attached gallery.

Feliz d&iacute;a de los Inocentes, everyone!

[Source: VW Espa&ntilde;a via German Car Blog]

Gallery: VW Touareg Cabrio


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Subaru R1e electric vehicle ready for sale early

Filed under: Car Buying, Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Japan, Hatchbacks, Subaru


Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), has announced that the R1e electric vehicle will begin silently rolling off dealer lots come 2009, which is a year ahead of schedule. With lithium-ion batteries developed by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, the R1e will have a 50-mile range and a 62-MPH top speed. While the 'range isn't too impressive -- although plenty for typical urban commuting, and it will certainly increase -- the car can be 80-percent recharged in just 8 minutes.

Prices haven't been released for the 2009 launch, but FHI says that by 2012 or 2013, it expects to be able to sell the car for around $17,500. A couple more years of mass production of the battery should allow for a price drop to about $13,100. Initially, FHI only plans to sell 100 of the cars annually, which is only 60 more than are being tested on roads right now and sounds rather conservative to us. Nevertheless, for those of you in Japan, your electric future is nearly here.

[Source: Green Car Congress via Winding Road]
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