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| Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 5.19.09
May 19, 2009 at 7:32 pm
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|   Review: 2009 Land Rover LR2 HSE is naughty by nature
Land Rovers have always been a gloriously and uniquely British contradiction on wheels –- a fact that goes some way toward explaining why we're more than a little conflicted when it comes to this LR2. |
| Porsche-VW merger could take on new investors
May 19, 2009 at 7:29 pm
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|  Volkswagen's second-largest shareholder, the German state of Lower Saxony, has the final say on the proposed Porsche-Volkswagen merger, and according to a spokesperson for the state's prime minister, Christian Wulff, the new company birthed from the union should be open to outside investors. Currently, Porsche maintains 51% of VW's voting rights, with Lower Saxony coming in at 20% and miscellaneous investors comprising the final 29%... |
| REPORT: GM could be wholly owned by U.S. gov't after bankruptcy, $15.4 billion in loans forgiven
May 19, 2009 at 7:19 pm
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|  With General Motors' bankruptcy filing all but assured, details of the deal are being hashed out as you read this and sources are coming forward to secretly divulge some of the more critical aspects of the plan. |
| Toyota questions demand for plug-ins, cost, range, durability concerns
May 19, 2009 at 7:18 pm
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|   We all know that there is a hard-core group of you out there chanting the mantra of "no plug, no sale!" The problem is that, like commenters on the internet, the loud fringe makes most of the noise, but actually represents a very small percentage of the total population. For the rest of the car buying public, the realities of choosing a new car go well beyond the ability to "refuel" from a plug in the garage. This is the reality that Toyota, GM, Nissan, Mitsubishi and others have to face in planning for future electric vehicles. |
| VW struggling to make business case for BlueSport Roadster
May 19, 2009 at 6:35 pm
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|  Volkswagen Bluesport concept - Click above for a high-res image gallery Due to the distinct lack of people spending money on emotional purchases, Volkswagen is reportedly thinking that now might not be the best time to introduce a sport two-seat roadster. That's bad news for fans of the firm's BlueSport concept from this year's Detroit Auto Show. Despite the favorable fuel mileage (up to 62 miles per gallon in Eco Mode) earned by the car's mid-mounted 2.0-liter turbodiesel four cylinder engine, the German automaker isn't sure it could sell enough copies of the Roadster to turn a profit. |
| The coolest coffee tables made from reclaimed automotive sheetmetal you'll see today
May 19, 2009 at 6:19 pm
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|  Nine Stories Furniture auto sheet metal tables - Click above for an image gallery This whole cash-for-clunkers global movement is sure to result in a lot more dead iron in salvage yards, but that may not be such a horrible thing if that trend gives birth to more neat stuff like this. The folks over at Nine Stories Furniture Co. have taken to building furnishings built from reclaimed metalwork, including the Elsie tables seen here built from at least 70% reclaimed automotive sheet metal (apparently roof panels are the easiest to make use of). |
| Keep it 'Made in America,' leaders, workers tell D.C.
May 19, 2009 at 6:11 pm
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|  WASHINGTON ? While President Barack Obama, the auto companies and the UAW were in the White House talking up a national fuel standard, a group of civic leaders, workers and mayors from around the country were on Capitol Hill wondering what good that might do them if they lose their auto manufacturing plants. |
| Rumormill: Polaris could enter NEV, scooter and sportbike markets
May 19, 2009 at 5:49 pm
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|  A new press released (pasted after the break, naturally) from Polaris Industries has quite a few observers wondering what's in store from the well-known powersports company. The company already offers a line of snowmobiles, ATVs, side-by-sides and, of course, Victory motorcycles, but Polaris is now reporting that it's launching a new "on-road division" that will develop "a significant on-road presence" and will launch into "adjacent industries." |
| Hoisting A 1965 Mustang To The Roof Of The Empire State Building
May 19, 2009 at 5:45 pm
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|   When Porsche put its Panamera on the 94th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center, we thought it was pretty clever. Turns out Ford did the same with the Mustang, some 44 years earlier. Unlike the Panamera lift which took place in a freight elevator with a complete automobile, Ford took apart their Mustang and shipped it in pieces, via a people elevator, to the observation deck of the Empire State Building, then reassembled it. |
| Saab 'confident' it will get deadline extension to restructure
May 19, 2009 at 5:45 pm
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|  Saab remains confident that the motion to extend its bankruptcy protection for an additional three months will be approved in court and that it will be purchased in whole by one of three remaining interested parties early this summer. Those three parties will not be identified in court documents, according to Saab spokeswoman Gunilla Gustavs, but widespread speculation suggests they include both Fiat and Chinese automaker Geely. |
| Sakti3 looks for $15 million grant from Dep. of Energy
May 19, 2009 at 5:44 pm
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|  Sakti3, a lithium-ion battery start-up company based in old Detroit got its start in 2007 with the help of University of Michigan professor Ann Marie Sastry. Now, we hear that the company has not only secured $15 million capital for its project, but is also doing paperwork to get an additional $15 million from the Department of Energy... |
| VIDEO: Hoofy and Boo's take on the Chrysler-Fiat tie up
May 19, 2009 at 5:36 pm
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|  Hoofy and Boo: Click above to watch the video after the jump You may or may not have heard of Hoofy and Boo. They're animated characters from the site Minyanville. Hoofy is the big, confident anchorman that just so happens to be a CGI bull. Boo is a bit more cynical about the world at large, and it appears he's not very fond of Chrysler or Fiat for that matter. |
| Support Grows for Alcohol Interlocks on Cars
May 19, 2009 at 5:16 pm
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|  A campaign to stop drunken driving by putting some form of alcohol interlock in every new car is picking up support. As Congress considers highway spending for next year, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers suggested spending $30 million a year on developing devices that would sense alcohol in a driver. The idea comes from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and is also backed by the auto insurance industry [pdf] and a former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. |
| Fifth Gear attempts world's biggest loop-the-loop
May 19, 2009 at 4:47 pm
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|  Stuntman Steve Truglia attempts what is believed to be the tallest loop-the-loop by a real car We've heard that 'Ring times have become the de facto benchmark for performance cars of late, but this is ridiculous. Not so much a ring as a loop, stuntman Steve Truglia just attempted to drive a Toyota Aygo through a 40-foot loop for the (other) British motor show, Fifth Gear. The stunt was filmed at a Suffolk airbase, and was planned by a team that included a Cambridge physicist. - Link Love From The Car Connection: Looping In A Toyota, Charging Up A Passat, And The Rumor Mill Turns For Lexus, MINI, Daimler, Tesla
- Toyota questions demand for plug-ins, cost, range, durability concerns
- Porsche-VW merger could take on new investors
- REPORT: GM could be wholly owned by U.S. gov't after bankruptcy, $15.4 billion in loans forgiven
- Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 5.19.09
- VW struggling to make business case for BlueSport Roadster
- The coolest coffee tables made from reclaimed automotive sheetmetal you'll see today
- Keep it 'Made in America,' leaders, workers tell D.C.
- Hoisting A 1965 Mustang To The Roof Of The Empire State Building
- Support Grows for Alcohol Interlocks on Cars
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| REPORT: Ford's Farley rejects big dealer cuts
May 19, 2009 at 4:35 pm
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|  With General Motors cutting some 1,100 dealers next year and Chrysler unceremoniously killing off nearly 800 retailers, all eyes turn to Ford – the only domestic automaker not suckling off the federal teat – to see what, if any, cutbacks will be made to the Blue Oval's sales network. |
| Autoblog Podcast #128
May 19, 2009 at 4:31 pm
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|  Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!
It's another listener-question edition for Episode #128 of the Autoblog Podcast! Chris, Sam, and Dan touch only briefly on the new CAFE standards and Jeremy Clarkson's diss of the Honda Insight before digging into your submissions... |
| Volkswagen Dealerships Healthy, Looking Ahead to U.S.-Built Cars
May 19, 2009 at 4:04 pm
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|   Volkswagen Service Center As the dealership networks for Chrysler and GM are being quite painfully trimmed, Volkswagen's dealer network is doing just fine, according to Volkswagen of America president and CEO Stefan Jacoby, and all of its individual dealerships remain profitable. Volkswagen now has about 580 dealerships in the U... |
| No Automakers Meet Obama's New Fuel Economy Standard
May 19, 2009 at 4:00 pm
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|  The just-announced fuel economy policy changes demand 42 MPG for cars and 27 MPG for light trucks. A look at the data shows not a single automaker currently meets the new guidelines proposed today. Using the Model-Year 2009 Fleet Fuel Economy standards provided by the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA), we determined the current ratings for passenger cars and light trucks and compared them to the goal for each of the major automakers selling cars in the U... |
| REPORT: Volkswagen bringing new EV concept to Frankfurt
May 19, 2009 at 3:43 pm
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|  VW Up! concept - Click above for a high-res image gallery
According to a report on Auto Express, Volkswagen plans to debut a new eco-friendly concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September that could potentially rival the Chevy Volt-based Opel Ampera in Europe... |
| Responses to higher CAFE standard from Plug In America, Auto Alliance, more
May 19, 2009 at 3:41 pm
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|  In President Obama's speech this afternoon about the new 35.5 mpg CAFE standard for 2016, he made sure to emphasize the broad support for the new national rule. From the responses we're seeing around the web following the announcement, it's clear that he wasn't just expressing a hope that a broad coalition would come together. Everyone from the Auto Alliance to the Automotive X Prize has put out a statement in favor of the new rule. Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally said: |
| 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe a C-Class underneath?
May 19, 2009 at 2:58 pm
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|  2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is all-new for 2010, with sleeker, sportier proportions and improved efficiency and performance... |
| 2010 Prius: The shape of things to come from Toyota
May 19, 2009 at 2:48 pm
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|  2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for a high-res image gallery Toyota's Prius hatchback has long been something of a love-it-or-hate-it design. The sweeping roofline of the hybrid sedan may have been penned to maximize the car's ability to cut through the wind, but the shape is now instantly recognizable to the masses on street corners all around the world – so much so, in fact, that Honda was accused by some of ripping off the Prius' basic design for its latest Insight. |
| VIDEO: MotoCzysz E1pc goes 0-120 in under 11 seconds on dyno
May 19, 2009 at 2:46 pm
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|  The more we see and hear about the entrants for the upcoming TTXGP race at the Isle of Man, the more excited we are at the prospect of zero emissions electric motorcycles. One of the machines attracting the most attention is the MotoCzysz E1pc, which could potentially become the basis of a new range of electric motorcycles based on a single platform. |
| BMW motorcycle garage door opener is domestic bliss
May 19, 2009 at 2:41 pm
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|  Click above to watch a video of the this new garage door opener in action after the jump If you haven't yet embraced modernity and installed an automatic garage door opener, you're in luck, as you may now be able to take advantage of a clever new sound-activated unit developed by an English motorcycle rider for his BMW... |
| 2009 Subaru WRX, Part One
May 19, 2009 at 2:30 pm
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|  Wes Siler, our road test boffin, keeps saying the 2009 Subaru WRX mixes power and practicality, outdoing every other performance car on the market. He's also got a big mouth; let's see if he's right. In fact, Wes talks about it so much I've decided I have to hate the WRX. It's not what you'd call good looking, it's got the wrong image for someone who produces the third most popular Lutheran podcast on iTunes and it's a five-door hatch, the hallmark of boring cars. |
| Daimler Takes a Stake in Tesla Motors
May 19, 2009 at 2:06 pm
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|  The collaboration between Daimler and Tesla Motors — which began with a deal to put Tesla's battery packs in Daimler's Smart cars — is deepening. Daimler announced on Tuesday morning that it had acquired a "nearly 10 percent" stake in Tesla, makers of the $109,000 electric Roadster, for what a Daimler board member, Thomas Weber, said was a "double-digit million-dollar sum." Also, Herbert Kohler, a Daimler vice president, will take a seat on Tesla's board of directors. |
| U.K. Loves EVs
May 19, 2009 at 2:00 pm
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|  England goes electric In America, Brits are usually associated with left-hand driving, fish and chips, period films, and sub-par dentistry. But hark: good old Albion is working hard to become known as a leader in the electric vehicle movement, too. The U.K. has gotten off to an impressive start in building EV infrastructure--notably, charging stations. And last month, the government took the wraps off a new program that'll offer £5,000 (~$7,750) rebates to purchasers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. |
| Unintended Consequences: Nissan GT-R being purchased under Cash For Clunkers provisions?
May 19, 2009 at 1:55 pm
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|  When legislators in the United Kingdom decided to introduce a so-called Cash for Clunkers program, it was widely suggested that older, fuel-guzzling vehicles would be removed from the road in favor of the latest crop of clean, green, fuel efficient cars and trucks. As is often the case, reality may not be quite so cut-and-dry.
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| Rumormill: Volkswagen BlueSport roadster production plans halted
May 19, 2009 at 1:49 pm
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|  Volkswagen Bluesport Concept - Click above for a high-res gallery In a new (and very brief) report, UK's Channel4 reports that a production version of Volkswagen's comely BlueSport concept has been delayed. While details are slim, Channel4 says that a company insider came clean to journalists about the diesel roadster's demise at a recent Australian press event, and according to said source, the reason for the model's mothballing is that the company believes that the dire global economy won't support niche products like the BlueSport. |
| Obama wants increased fuel efficiency, less smog
May 19, 2009 at 1:41 pm
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|  WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama has announced a new fuel and emission standard that he says will, at last, put the United States on the road to a cleaner environment and better fuel efficiency. Surrounded by leading members of Congress, the industry and the auto workers union, Obama said: "The goal is to set one national standard." The plan the administration revealed Tuesday would be aimed at saving billions of barrels of oil, although it also is expected to cost consumers an additional $1,300 per vehicle by 2016. |
| Obama: CAFE increase is "an historic agreement to help American break its addiction to oil"
May 19, 2009 at 1:15 pm
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|  Aside from the Daimler-Tesla announcement earlier today, the big green car news for May 19 is the increase in CAFE standards that President Obama made just a short while ago, joined by Governors Jennifer Granholm (MI), Deval Patrick (MA) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (CA), members of Congress and Ron Gettelfinger (of the UAW), among others. Obama said the agreement was "an historic agreement to help American break its addiction to oil." Here are the details: |
| Chevy Volt Mule: First Drive
May 19, 2009 at 1:00 pm
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|  Yesterday morning we finally hopped into a Chevy Volt mule with outgoing GM product czar Bob Lutz for a spin around the Warren Tech Center. What's it feel like? It's utterly unremarkable and appliance-like. The Volt project's often dismissed as a marketing stunt, a gimmick, too expensive for the segment, or a toy for wealthy eco-nuts... |
| Andy Frank gets Neil Young soundtrack in music video tribute
May 19, 2009 at 12:58 pm
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|  Click above and scroll down to watch the video We've talked to and about Dr. Andy Frank many times here on AutoblogGreen, but we haven't yet made a music video tribute to the man behind the plug-in hybrid. Thankfully, Paul Steinbroner, of EnergyRush TV, has rectified our oversight by making a musical tribute to Dr... |
| VIDEO: Lexus launches new TV ads for IS C
May 19, 2009 at 12:48 pm
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|  Lexus IS C commercials – Click above to watch after the jump Not since Ice Cube and Mark Wahlberg famously argued in the movie Three Kings about whether or not Lexus made a convertible have we cared this much about the existence of a drop top from the italicized L gang. |
| Obama Reveals Plans For 35.5 MPG Fuel Economy Average By 2016
May 19, 2009 at 12:40 pm
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|  President Obama and distinguished hostages auto execs gathered together today to announce new emissions and economy standards. The details: a 5% annual increase in average fuel economy from 2011, culminating in 35.5 MPG in 2016. In his opening, President Obama framed the historic moment by pointing out the gathering of auto executives, governors, legislators, environmental activists and others historically at odds with each other. He failed to mention the reason everyone is so happy to get together is that he has a gun to their heads in the form of government funding. |
| Obama Kills Fun Cars, Unveils 35.5 MPG Fuel Economy Plan By 2016
May 19, 2009 at 12:40 pm
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|  President Obama and distinguished hostages auto execs just unveiled new emissions and fuel economy standards. The result? They've just killed all the fun cars.
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| VW, Porsche revive combined company plans
May 19, 2009 at 12:38 pm
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|  FRANKFURT - The board chairmen of German carmakers Volkswagen and Porsche now say the two firms will work toward an integrated company. Ferdinand Piech, chairman of Volkswagen AG, and Wolfgang Porsche of Porsche SE expressed their intention in a joint statement. They said that both companies will push ahead to achieve their goal "constructively and amicably." |
| Automakers back Obama rule to raise mpg
May 19, 2009 at 12:27 pm
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|  WASHINGTON - Joined by an uncommon alliance of auto executives, union leaders and environmental activists, President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced a national program to cut new vehicle carbon emissions by 30 percent while also improving car and light truck mileage by that much. |
| Review: 2009 Land Rover LR2 HSE is naughty by nature
May 19, 2009 at 12:16 pm
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|  2007 Land Rover LR2 HSE – Click above for high-res image gallery Land Rovers have always gone their own way – often literally. While off-roading demands a low center of gravity and muddy trails would seem to warrant hose-out interiors and body-on-frame-construction, the British automaker has long contented itself building tippy-looking unibody boxes with tall greenhouses and opulent cabins – the anti-Humvee, as it were... |
| More Cubes Coming For Dodge Ram HD?
May 19, 2009 at 12:13 pm
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|  2010 Dodge Ram 2500 Boy, timing is everything! On the very day we're learning about new strict new CAFE and emissions regulations, here comes more rumblings about a bigger HEMI slated to go in the 2010 Ram Heavy Duty series of trucks. The chain of reports started at www.PickupTrucks.com and spread like crazy because there is still great interest in pickups despite the down economy and housing market. The fact is that big trucks like the new 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 (and other Heavy Duty Dodge Rams) require big power to move big loads. |
| Rumormill: Quantya developing $27,000 electric sportbike
May 19, 2009 at 8:31 am
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|  Quantya Track - Click above for a high-res image gallery Swiss electric motorcycle manufacturer Quantya is planning to show off a new electric sportbike at the upcoming EICMA show in Milan on November 10th. For what it's worth, Zero Motorcycles plans on releasing its upcoming Zero SS electric sportbike around the same time period. According to MC24.no's Ivar Kvadsheim, who's reportedly seen images of the bike, Quantya's new machine features Italian sportbike styling not unlike the Ducati 1198 or Cagiva Mito, but more angular. |
| First Chevy Camaro Rental Car Spotted At Avis!
May 19, 2009 at 8:30 am
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|  We spotted this Avis Chevy Camaro rental car yesterday in midtown Manhattan on our way to the train station. Want to rent it for a weekend? It'll cost more than a monthly lease. While walking down 43rd St on the way from Jalopnik's Manhattan HQ to Grand Central, we spotted this red Camaro sitting right out front of the Avis rental place... |
| Hulu adds 51 vintage episodes of Speed Racer
May 19, 2009 at 8:17 am
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|  The team over at Hulu, the site that offers streaming video of television content from NBC, Fox, and now ABC, has added 51 episodes of Speed Racer to its lineup. That's right, you can now catch Speed, Trixie, Spritle, Pops, and even Chim-Chim from the comfort of your own work cubicle. Savvy followers of Speed Racer and the awesome Mach 5 will know that 52 episodes originally aired from 1967-1968 on U... |
| Link Love From The Car Connection: Looping In A Toyota, Charging Up A Passat, And The Rumor Mill Turns For Lexus, MINI, Daimler, Tesla
May 19, 2009 at 8:14 am
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|  Stuntman Steve Truglia gets loopy A Lexus supercar in the making? Going 'round in circles -- Congrats to stuntman Steve Truglia for clearing the world's largest loop-the-loop in a Toyota. We hope to replicate this feat someday in TCC's vintage Ford Escort. Thank you, Steve, for giving us hope. [DailyMail via AutoMotto] |
| Live Blog: Daimler announces new strategic partnership with Tesla for EVs
May 19, 2009 at 7:50 am
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|  In just a few minutes, Daimler will be starting a press conference with Dr. Thomas Weber, the head of R&D for Mercedes-Benz. Dr. Weber will be making an announcement about a new strategic partnership for electric vehicles. Most of the speculation at this point involves a possible investment in Tesla Motors. The startup is already supplying batteries and charging systems for the second generation Smart ED. |
| Obama to Raise Fuel-Economy Standards
May 19, 2009 at 7:32 am
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| President Obama will unveil "tough new standards" for cars and trucks on Tuesday that will reach 39 miles per gallon for cars and 30 for trucks (or a fleetwide average of 35.5 m.p.g.) in 2016, the program's last year, said a senior administration official. Though the mandates are aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, the only practical way to do that is to improve fuel economy. |
| AutoblogGreen for 05.19.09
May 19, 2009 at 6:31 am
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|  Obama's new CAFE standards will require 34 mpg
Full details coming later today, but a national standard - based on California's strict rules - looks likely. |
| GM, UAW restructuring deal may be soon
May 19, 2009 at 3:46 am
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| Negotiations between General Motors and UAW are heating up with hopes of a final deal being reached by the end of the week, the Free Press has learned. GM's bond exchange is also nearing its May 26 deadline. The automaker must successfully restructure its debt outside of court by June 1 or else go into bankruptcy. However, bondholders have criticized the offer. |
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