CarAnatomy

GM: Shutting Hummer Down?

2008-06-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

The surging fuel prices hit GM hard, so much so that they’ve decided to close four truck plants; not only that, they are also considering discontinuing the Hummer brand or putting it up for sale. But since no sane company would ever dream of buying that brand during this present time, the former is more imminent than the latter.

Ken Bensinger of the Los Angeles Times reported that: For GM, pickups and SUVs have been deeply problematic for some time. But by far its worst division has been Hummer. Through April, Hummer was the worst-performing vehicle brand in the country, with sales down 29.6% from a year earlier, putting it below runners-up Mercury, Chrysler and Bentley.

"At this point, we are considering all options for the Hummer brand," Wagoner said. "Everything from a complete revamp of the product lineup to partial or complete sale of the brand."

No possible buyer has been named for the division, which was for a few years -- when gasoline cost less than $3 a gallon -- one of GM's strongest. Last week, GM stock hit a 26-year low, falling to $17.38. At 11:15 this morning [June 3, 2008], the stock was unchanged at $17.43.

This is straight out of necessity because the sales slump that the Hummer brand hit will ultimately strike GM very hard if it continues to worsen. And it came at a highly inopportune time – the release of the 2008 Hummer H2 and the highly-anticipated debut of the 2009 Hummer H3T and the Hummer HX, which was one of the attention-catchers during the 2008 NAIAS. But it’s inevitable.

According to a press release on Al Jazeera online, Earlier this year GM reported a $38.7 billion loss for 2007, the largest ever annual loss for an automotive firm, following a slump in the North American market due to US economic turmoil.

It also said it was to offer voluntary redundancy or early retirement options to about 73,000 unionised workers in a bid to cut labour costs.

And in September last year more than 74,000 GM workers went on strike over healthcare costs and job security, returning to work after a deal was struck between the company and the United Auto Workers union.

The four plants to be closed are in Oshawa, Ontario, in Canada; Moraine in the US state of Ohio; Janesville in the US state of Wisconsin and Toluca in Mexico.

An estimated 2,500 workers at each of the four facilities will be affected, Wagoner told AP.

GM’s sales during the month of May dropped about 28%, and the decision to close four truck plants in order to focus on more consumer-friendly cars is a step in the right direction, albeit a highly disappointing one for Hummer fans.

Mark Fellows of the Michigan Business Review wrote: The moves will save the company $1 billion per year starting in 2010. Combined with previous efforts, GM will have cut costs by $15 billion a year, Wagoner said.

"From the start of our North American turnaround plan in 2005, I've said that our goal is not just to return GM to profitability, but to structure GM globally for sustained profitability and growth," Wagoner said in his announcement.

"Since the first of this year, however, U.S. economic and market conditions have become significantly more difficult. Higher gasoline prices are changing consumer behavior, and they are significantly affecting the U.S. auto industry sales mix," he said.

It seems the effect of the rising oil prices as well as the weak economy is snowballing. First there was Ford, and now GM. Chrysler and even Toyota is not far behind. The damage can no longer be averted. All they can do is a lot of damage control.

NHTSA Proposes Two-side Roof Strength Test

2008-06-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

It’s a bit surprising, even for me, that rollover crashes account for about 10,000 deaths annually. I always thought it was side-impact collisions that caused more casualties. As I was reading the automotive news online, I chanced upon a couple of write-ups about a proposed rewriting of decades-old regulations that deal with roof strength standard. And I thought to myself that it isn’t a bad idea; in fact I fully support it. It addresses the problem of rollover crash casualties. The problem is, there is conflict between a number of groups, and this proposed action may not even come to fruition. I say, just give it a try. Anyway, you can read the article I’m talking about below, or you can visit the site by clicking here.

David Shepardson reported for the Detroit News Washington Bureau:

NHTSA has been grappling with updating the current regulation for more than a decade. In January, it stiffened its August 2005 proposal to require a two-sided roof strength test, which would have the effect of requiring tougher roofs. Automakers oppose the double-sided test, saying it is unnecessary. They have also sought more time to comply, noting the expense of redesigning vehicles.

A Senate panel on Wednesday featured sharp criticism from senators who argued NHTSA's proposal is inadequate, saves too few lives and shouldn't pre-empt the ability of vehicle owners to file lawsuits in state courts.

Safety advocates also argued NHTSA's proposal is inadequate, noting it is expected to save only up to 44 lives and 800 serious injuries a year.

"If there were as many fatalities in plane crashes as there are in just rollover crashes, there would be overwhelming public outcry," said Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator and head of Public Citizen, a group that lobbies for auto safety regulations.

Toughening vehicle roofs is aimed at helping people survive rollover crashes, which account for more than 10,000 deaths annually, according to federal reports. Rollovers represent 3 percent of crashes, but account for one-third of all vehicle deaths.

NHTSA is considering making its final proposal tougher than its amended proposal issued in January, officials said. NHTSA is planning to issue a final rule by the congressional deadline of July 1. NHTSA's current proposal would require that a roof withstand a force equal to 2.5 times the unloaded vehicle weight while maintaining sufficient head room for a buckled-in average-size adult male to avoid being struck, up over the current 1.5 times standard. NHTSA also would extend the requirements to vehicles up to 10,000 pounds, from the current 6,000 pound requirement.

NHTSA is considering at least one alternative proposal: a single-sided test with a stronger overall roof strength of around 3 times. NHTSA said in 2005 that a 3-times standard would cost automakers at least $1.1 billion more than the $95 million annually for the 2.5 requirement.

Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., chairman of the subcommittee on consumer protection, insurance and automotive safety that held the hearing, told NHTSA that it's "overstepping" its bounds by including pre-emption, which makes it harder for consumers to sue in state courts. "I would strongly encourage NHTSA to back off," he said. Other senators also were critical of that aspect. "Why does NHTSA feel compelled to crush the rights of states?" asked Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said NHTSA should back a tougher standard or Congress should write its own.

James Ports, NHTSA's deputy administrator, said the agency had made no final decisions on the roof strength regulation.

General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. essentially wrote the regulation that's been in effect since 1973 after their fleets failed NHTSA's first proposed standard in 1971.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the trade group representing Detroit's Big Three, Toyota Motor Corp. and others, said automakers should have a multi-year phase-in schedule to comply, rather than meeting the complete requirements beginning in the 2012 model year or later. It also argues the double-sided test isn't necessary.

NHTSA has maintained that of the 10,000 rollover deaths annually, stronger roofs would save about 476 lives, compared to as many as 5,000 lives saved through electronic stability control, which would prevent many rollovers from happening. Safety advocates contend that roof strength plays a role in a greater proportion of rollover deaths and injuries.

Crash-Testing: How IIHS Does It

2008-06-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

If you’ve browsed through my posts, you probably saw an entry entitled “The Safest Cars of 2008”. As you may have guessed it’s a list of all the cars that came out this year that have aced safety standard tests, or if not, at least rated better than other vehicles. It’s a list put out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS, which is an organization dedicated to reducing the number of deaths associated with car-related accidents. Before I only had an idea of how they did the tests because I once saw something like it being done on the Discovery channel, but today I ran across a post in SearchChicago – Autos, detailing how the tests are done. Kirk Bell, a contributor, wrote:

The IIHS advocates measures to avoid a crash, but accidents are inevitable, so the Institute conducts crash tests to evaluate front, side and rear crashworthiness. A vehicle can earn one of four ratings in each test: good, acceptable, marginal and poor.

Frontal Offset Test: The frontal test is a 40 mph offset crash with a dummy representing an average size adult male in the driver’s seat. Forty percent of the front of the vehicle strikes a barrier on the driver’s side. The barrier is made of aluminum honeycomb, and the IIHS says the forces in the test are similar to those in a crash between two vehicles of the same weight, each going about 40 mph.

The vehicle is evaluated based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on the dummy and slow-motion film analysis of how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement.

The dummy’s head, neck, chest, legs and feet are assessed for injury. The slow-motion film shows how well the seat belts, airbags, steering column, head restraints and other restraint features control dummy movement. Keeping the dummy from moving too much prevents another, interior collision or a partial or complete ejection from the vehicle. Intrusion on the safety cage is measured in 10 places in the driver seating area, and the front crush zone is evaluated for how well it managed the crash energy.

Side Impact Test: The IIHS’s side crash test involves a vehicle with dummies in the driver’s seat and the rear seat behind the driver. The dummies represent fifth percentile females or 12-year-old children.

The vehicle tested is struck perpendicularly in the side by an SUV-height barrier that weighs 3,300 pounds moving 31 mph. The Institute’s ratings are based on injury measures recorded on the dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle’s structural performance during the impact.

The injury measures determine the likelihood that either occupant would sustain serious injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis or femur. How the dummies’ heads move and if they contact any surfaces are also evaluated. Structural performance is determined by how far the side pillar intrudes into the occupant compartment.

Rear Impact Test: The rear impact test measures the effectiveness of a vehicle’s seats. Rear crashes aren’t as likely to cause life-threatening injuries as front and side impacts. The main injury is whiplash, which can be prevented with a head restraint that stays close to the head.

The IIHS assigns a seat/head restraint geometry and a dynamic rating that combine for an overall rating. If the seat/head restraint geometry rates good or acceptable, the seat is subjected to a dynamic test. Seat/head restraints with marginal or poor geometry aren’t tested dynamically because they don’t protect taller people in rear-end crashes. These seats are given a poor overall rating.

For a seat/head restraint to receive a good or acceptable geometric rating, the IIHS says the head restraint should be no more than 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) below an average-size male’s head and sit back no more than 10 centimeters (4 inches).

For the dynamic test, a dummy with a realistic spine and neck is placed in the seat. All restraints are used and the seat/head restraint is bolted to a sled. The sled is shot forward, mimicking a stationary vehicle being struck from behind by a vehicle of the same weight doing about 20 mph.

This test assesses how well the seats support the torso, head and neck by measuring torso acceleration, the time for the head to contact the restraint and forces on the neck. Better seats allow the head to contact the restraint quicker and exhibit slower torso acceleration. Neck forces are classified as low, moderate and high. A seat must have low neck forces and either low torso acceleration or a quick time to head restraint contact to earn a good rating.

Finally, the geometric and dynamic ratings are combined to determine and overall rating. It usually matches the dynamic rating.

Tesla Roadster: Slowly Edging Out Hybrids

2008-06-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

Tesla is giving hybrid-manufacturers a run for their money with the 2008 Tesla Roadster and the much awaited 2009 model. It is the first high-performance electric car ever; that means it uses nothing but electricity. Yes! No gasoline! Plus, it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. With that much power, you would think that it uses rocket fuel, but it does not. And to think that this is Tesla’s first ever production car.

Here’s a look at what powers the Tesla Roadster, courtesy of Howstuffworks:

Unlike a traditional gasoline-powered car, the Tesla Roadster doesn't contain hundreds of moving parts. It's powered by just four main systems:

• The Energy Storage System (ESS)
• The Power Electronics Module (PEM)
• An electric motor
• A sequential manual transmission

In place of an internal combustion engine, the Tesla Roadster sports a bank of batteries -- the Energy Storage System (ESS). In developing a power source befitting such a high-performance car, Tesla went with technology proven in the laptop computer field -- rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The Roadster contains 6,831 of them. They weigh about 1,000 pounds in total, and Tesla claims that they provide "four to five times the energy-density stores of other batteries". The batteries fit into 11 sectors with 621 batteries each. A separate computer processor controls each sector to make sure all of the charging and discharging is handled smoothly.

The Power Electronics Module (PEM) is a power inverter and charging system that converts DC power to AC power using 72 insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). This results in a marked increase in power output compared to first-generation electric cars. Under peak acceleration, the batteries can crank out 200 kW of energy -- enough to light 2,000 incandescent light bulbs.

In addition to controlling charge and discharge rates, the Power Electronics Module controls voltage levels, the motor's RPM (revolutions per minute), torque and the regenerative braking system. This braking system captures the kinetic energy usually lost through braking and transfers it back into the ESS. The efficiency and integration of the battery, PEM and motor systems is between 85 and 95 percent, allowing the motor to put out up to 185 kW of power. Aluminum heat dissipation fins and a rear-mounted ventilation port keep the power transistors from overheating.

You can recharge the Roadster in two different ways. An electrician can install a recharging station in your garage. This 220-volt, 70-amp outlet allows for a full recharge in 3.5 hours from a completely dead battery. Tesla likens charging your car to charging your cell phone; you can plug it in at night and have a fully-charged car in the morning. There's also a mobile kit that allows recharging at any electrical outlet, no matter where you are. The length of time it takes to charge using the mobile kit depends on the outlet configuration that you're using (110-volt or 220-volt).

Although auto owners have been driving around for decades with tankfulls of volatile, flammable gasoline in their cars, having 1,000 pounds of batteries behind their head gives some people pause. The recent recalls of lithium-ion batteries used in laptop computers have increased those fears. Tesla has gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of the Roadster's energy system. First, the battery system was extensively "catastrophe tested," which involved heating individual cells until they burst into flames. Each cell is isolated enough from adjacent cells to prevent any damage to them. If one cell overheats, it will not start a chain reaction explosion.
A host of sensors detects acceleration, deceleration, tilt, temperature and smoke. If one senses an abnormal event, like a crash, it immediately shuts down and disconnects the power system. Similar anti-fault protections and sensors are part of the charging system.

That’s just a sneak peek at the Tesla Roadster. If you want to read more about this high-performance electric car, click here.

Discounted Cars, Anyone?

2008-06-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

Automotive sales forecasts are not very promising. Summer is slowly creeping up. You know what that means, right? Buying season! Well, not really. Unless if automakers are selling 30-40 mpg vehicles, I’d say there’ll be a huge sales slump. It was good during the first quarter, but we’ve seen a lot of oil price increases in the world market, and the economy is just not doin’ well. GM just closed 4 of its plants, those that manufactured SUVs and trucks. That’s a step in the right direction. They plan to start focusing on fuel efficient cars, which is what other automakers should be doing. And those that are not planning on doing that are employing various marketing strategies to get those chunky SUVs and trucks out of the dealer lots.

We’ve seen a lot of incentives being offered to consumers nowadays. There’s free gasoline for a specific period of time. There are a few who offer discount cards. Probably the most popular options are low financing and rebates. There’s a quiet desperation in the way automakers are offering these cars to the buying public.

In an article entitled “Top 10 Deeply Discounted 2008 Cars”, Terry Jackson highlights ten highly marketable cars (before oil prices soared through the roof, that is) that are offered at a significantly discounted price. It’s unbelievable, but if you’ve been to the gas pumps recently, I’m sure you’ll know why.

Top 10 New-Car Discounts

Chrysler 300C. The full-sized sedan comes with either a $3,000 rebate or financing ranging from zero percent to 4.9 percent.

Dodge Ram 1500. Dodge's full-sized pickup truck carries either a $5,000 rebate or zero percent to 1.9 percent financing.

Ford Explorer. Once the most popular sport utility vehicle, the Explorer carries rebates from $3,000 to $4,000 and financing from 0.9 percent to 6.9 percent.

Mercury Grand Marquis. A large sedan that can carry six people and their luggage, it can be had with a rebate of $5,500 to $6,500 or financing of zero percent to 3.9 percent.

Cadillac DTS. The large sedan in the Cadillac lineup is not as quick a seller as the new, smaller CTS. So, GM is offering a $3,000 rebate or 5.9 percent to 7.9 percent financing.

GMC Envoy. This midsized SUV has been packed with a $3,000 rebate or 2.9 percent to 5.9 percent financing.

Nissan Pathfinder. Nissan, which is not enjoying the same sales success as some other Japanese manufacturers, is offering deals on this SUV that include rebates of $2,250 to $3,250 or 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent financing.

BMW 7 Series. While not offering direct-to-customer rebates on its luxury 7 Series sedan, BMW is giving dealers $3,500 to $5,000 in incentives. Such incentives should be a part of a buyer's price negotiations.

Land Rover LR2. Land Rover is offering a $3,000 incentive on this SUV.

Lexus RX 350. Lexus is being a little stingier than some other manufacturers when it comes to incentives, but is offering dealers as much as $2,000 on the RX 350.

If you do a double-check you’d notice that almost all of the largest automakers are on the list. In fact, during a research it was determined that over 150 models are offered on discounted prices. Some incentives are directly offered to buyers, but most are offered to the dealers. It’s their choice if they want to use that during buyer’s price negotiations, which they should if they want to have those dealer lots vacant by the end of summer and spring. All in all, it’s a good list. I bet BMW and Cadillac will have the most sales. We’ll see.

Source: Bankrate

A Push for a Universal Ignition Interlock Mandate

2008-05-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

People never listen. That’s a fact of life. No matter how many times you advocate that drunk driving is not good, at the end of the day you are just labeled a nuisance. What’s the solution to prevent all these alcohol-related road accidents then? Simple. Special Breathalyzers.

In the Los Angeles Times, Ken Bensinger wrote: For more than 20 years, special breathalyzers — hard-wired to a car’s ignition to prevent the vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected — have been installed under judicial order in the cars of repeat, or especially egregious, alcohol offenders. But in the past few years, six states have passed laws that require the devices, called ignition interlocks, in the cars of everyone convicted of driving under the influence.

Now, several more states, including California, are considering making interlocks mandatory for all offenders. And a group of automakers has launched a major project with the federal government to develop advanced technologies that could someday make alcohol detectors a standard feature in all cars.

Advocates of interlocks, particularly Mothers Against Drunk Driving, say the devices could reduce the nation’s estimated 17,000 annual alcohol-related automotive fatalities and thereby ease the burden that drunken driving places on the nation’s criminal justice system.

Critics say that it is not that effective. I say let’s give it a try.

Source: LJWorld

Drunk Driving: Not as fun as “Just Drinking”

2008-05-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

Alcohol and cars don’t mix. Nothing good ever comes out of drinking and then driving. However, adults and teens alike still find reasons to do it. I wouldn’t say it’s fun, because I’ve been on that road once. It was, for me, a matter of necessity. I happen to have had a couple of drinks with a friend. I had to come home and didn’t have time to sober up. Luckily I was alert enough to get home in one piece.

However, hundreds of teens are not as lucky as I am. The number of deaths attributed to drunk driving has alarmingly increased over the past years. We may not be able to monitor our kids all the time, but we can talk and listen to them. During the recent 2008 Lifesavers Conference, participants tackled this issue and they came up with a number of tips for every concerned parent. It’s not foolproof, but it’s worth a shot.

Lecturing doesn’t work. Teens have heard all the sermons before.
Keep the messages positive. Point out how mutual respect works in everyone’s self-interest.
Teach your kids to listen by listening to what they have to say.
Set a good example. If you don’t buckle up, why would they? If they see you drinking and driving, they’ll think it’s OK.
Look at your own drinking habits. What do they say about you?
Talk and listen positively and persistently. Don’t throw in the towel.
Read between the lines. Some things are hard to say directly.
Try to understand the teen’s world.
Praise your kids for doing little things, the sort of things you might think are taken for granted.
Lighten up. Let there be humor, whenever possible.
If you’re looking for a solution to a behavior issue, ask the teens what they think should be done.
Use logic and love.
Talk about results as the consequence of decisions rather than actions. Good decisions get good results.
Give teens the power to make decisions. That way, teens can feel they’re taking control of their own lives, acting responsibly because they want to.
Don’t be afraid to say no or set boundaries.

It’ll be years before I have that kind of talk with my son, but surely when the time comes I’ll never put off following all those pieces of advice.

Source: Consumer Reports; Lifesavers

OnStar Technology: In Hot Pursuit of Criminals

2008-05-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Telematics. In-Car Advertisements. Infotainment System. These are all available with the OnStar technology. Just when you think things can no longer get any better, OnStar pulled another one from up its sleeve – a tool that will help police officers catch criminals who are running away on a stolen vehicle, or any vehicle that has the OnStar system on it. It’s projected to be released by the end of the year, and is expected to be fully-functional by the start of next year.

Val Clifton reports for the Houston Community Newspapers: Aimed at reducing car thefts and the high speed chases they can incur, OnStar has developed a device that can remotely decrease the speed of stolen vehicles.

The Stolen Vehicle Slowdown technology is an enhancement to OnStar’s existing Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance, which aids in more than 6,000 vehicle theft cases each year.

Emergency Service Line Manager Cathy McCormick said the SVS feature, which will be available later this year, was announced last October.

“For 2009, depending on the model, it will be a part of the “Safe and Sound” package, so it won’t be any additional cost for the customers,” McCormick said. “OnStar expects 1.6 million vehicles will be equipped with the technology next year.”

OnStar has been working with police for more than a decade, she said, sometimes as often as 700 times a month.

“The beauty of this particular technology is that it will allow them to get within view of the vehicle without the thief even knowing it,” McCormick said. “The tool can be used before a high speed pursuit can even be contemplated.”

Once OnStar has identified the vehicle’s location using its Global Positioning Satellite technology, it will work with police officers on the ground to confirm they have the correct vehicle in their sight.

OnStar can flash the lights of the car so that the officer can verify they are following the correct car. Once police have confirmed the scene is safe for a slowdown, the OnStar advisor can initiate one.

SVS can only be activated if the subscriber has filed a stolen vehicle report, and the police have a direct line of sight on the vehicle in question and have confirmed with OnStar that conditions are safe to activate a slowdown.

“It slows the vehicle, but the braking and steering will still work,” McCormick said. “The thieves will just think they are experiencing a mechanical malfunction.”

In 2007, more than 31,000 vehicle thefts occurred in Houston, according to OnStar data. Across the country, that figure numbers closer to 1.2 million with many thefts resulting in one of the 30,000 high-speed chases that occur yearly.

The National Traffic Safety Administration reports that these chases result in 12,000 incidents of property damage, 7,500 injuries and 300 fatalities each year.

Harris County Sheriff’s Lt. John Legg said that OnStar has been of assistance to law enforcement and that the department welcomes any tool that will aid them in dealing with auto thefts.

“It would appear that this new technology would be beneficial by way of preventing high speed pursuits for those vehicles in which this technology has been installed,” Legg said. “It does seem like it’s a promising advancement.”

If this pushes through, we’ll see less and less car thefts and police pursuits. Although it is pretty alarming how fast these technologies that allow other people to “mess” with our car is cropping up. I’ve recently heard about in-car advertisements and how advertisers can monitor your every move. It’s quite scary. But if for it’s a good reason, then I’m up for it. I wonder what OnStar can come up with next.

In-Car Advertising

2008-05-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

How would you feel about advertisements in your car? Pretty irritating, right? That’s also what I thought when I first heard about the concept. I’ve tried so hard to keep my name off telemarketers’ lists. I even called up the Do Not Call (DNC) ministry (if that’s indeed what it’s called) and had my name placed on the DNC list. I change channels whenever a commercial is on. And besides what use is 250 channels if I don’t browse all of them during a commercial break, right? I hate advertisements. But I had a change of heart about in-car advertising when I heard the upsides to it.

Here’s the deal. Automakers pack a lot of stuff into our cars, some of which are General Motors’ OnStar and Ford’s SYNC system. But then again are we amenable to paying a monthly fee for them? With the rising cost of gasoline, I highly doubt it. But now because of in-car advertisements, which are already rumored to be in the offing, we no longer have to pay a monthly fee, or we’ll have to pay just a smaller amount. Why? It’s because companies will sponsor these technologies so they will be given rights to broadcast their products while you are on the go. That does not sound bad, right?

The Detroit Free Press reports that, “Getting people to pay for a monthly subscription -- General Motors Corp.'s OnStar starts at $18.95 a month -- or even a flat fee -- Ford Motor Co.'s Sync costs $395 -- is a hurdle that can be lowered by allowing advertisers to sponsor services or parts of the technology. That could mean drivers can download online movies for the kids in the minivan courtesy of Netflix, book oil-change appointments courtesy of Pennzoil, or handle that outstanding recall on their air bags courtesy of the Detroit Medical Center. "It's something that can speed up" the digital revolution in the car, explained Antonino Damiano, product line manager for Magneti Marelli, an Italian company with local offices in Farmington Hills and Troy. That firm has taken on a leadership role in this global revolution. "Ad-supported is the way this can go mass-market," explained Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis for the Consumer Electronics Association in Arlington, Va. In the next few years, for example, Kolde says most new vehicles could have navigation systems that are almost entirely supported through advertising listings tied to the map. Advertisers would pay for premier placement in the map listings that come up when a driver is searching for a nearby coffee shop or a pharmacy.

But just like all things, this also has its disadvantages. Advertisers can keep tabs on where you’ve been, where you’re going and what you’re about to do. Paul Stephens, a spokesman for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego, related to the Free Press that, "We're being tracked in more ways than you can imagine," he said. "There are some people that are going to be extremely sensitive to this sort of tracking. There are others that will find it desirable, especially if there's some sort of inducement." But then again, "If it's managed right, it's a big opportunity," he said.

It’s a thinker, actually. I haven’t yet made up my mind about it. It’s great to have discounts on in-car technologies and to be informed where the next gasoline station or fastfood is, but do I really want that kind of invasion of privacy in my car? I’m sensitive when it comes to my home phone ringing all the time because companies want me to change telephone, satellite and internet services. But this is something. A little assurance from the automakers and advertisers won’t hurt.

Soaring Gas Prices: Looking at the Glass Half-Full

2008-05-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

An article in U.S. News entitled “5 Upsides of $4 Gas” by Rick Newman caught me by surprise. We’ve been focusing too much on the downside of rising fuel costs that we fail to see that there are also upsides, as Rick Newman quickly points out. Now, this is a man who looks at a glass as half-full, instead of half-empty. The article is pretty interesting and is an eye-opener so I decided to post an excerpt here. The 5 Upsides of $4 Gas are…

1. Breakthrough technologies

Over the past 20 years, when gas was relatively cheap, automakers put a lot of effort into making cars more powerful—and not so much into making them more efficient. But with drivers suddenly desperate for better mileage, there's growing demand for technologies that improve efficiency without turning cars into threadbare econoboxes. A boom in hybrids—likely to double in sales by 2010, according to J. D. Power & Associates—is one obvious trend. But manufacturers are also ramping up investment in advanced transmissions, new kinds of diesels, better engines, cars that run on renewable fuels, and many other innovations that will make cars better and cheaper to operate. If developed in the United States, such technologies could become valuable exports, since gas is even more expensive in lots of other countries.

Here's the irony: This benefit will accrue only if gas prices stay high. In the early '80s, when gas hit the equivalent of about $3.25 per gallon, automakers did the same thing, plowing R&D money into more efficient cars. Then gas prices plummeted. "All that alternative fuel and powertrain research died instantly," says David Cole of the Center for Automotive Research. That will probably happen again if gas prices head back toward $2 per gallon and drivers return to big, powerful vehicles.

2. Less petroleum use

There's been talk for years—especially since 9/11—about conserving energy and reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. Finally, it seems to be happening. U.S. gasoline consumption has ticked down so far in 2008, for the first time in 17 years. That will probably intensify as people drive less and trade in big cars for smaller ones. There's a catch, though: If consumers cut back dramatically, that will reduce demand for oil, which in turn could lower prices—exactly what happened during other energy shocks. This time, it does appear that stronger demand from overseas is keeping prices high, so cutbacks in America may not trigger falling prices.

3. Better driving habits

Everybody knows that good car hygiene means keeping your tires properly inflated, changing the oil and air filter regularly, and turning off the car instead of idling. But it's like flossing: Who actually bothers? Well, now people are actually doing these things, since a 4 or 5 percent gas-mileage improvement can add up. In households with more than one car, there's better use of the family fleet, too: The smallest car is getting more of a workout, while the big hauler is reserved for carpooling or weekend getaways.

4. Greater awareness.

It goes without saying that ordinary Joes care a lot more about fuel economy these days. But even rich people are paying more attention. Three years ago, only 2.6 percent of the wealthiest consumers said the price of gas affected the kind of car they bought, according to surveys conducted by CNW Marketing Research. By this spring, that had jumped to 26.7 percent. That's almost as high as the rate among middle-income buyers.

5. Less traffic

Americans have been logging fewer miles in their cars since last November, and the drop in March was the biggest since government tracking began in 1942. Train and bus use is up, more people are carpooling, and bicycle sales are rising. Among other things, that lowers greenhouse-gas emissions from cars. If drivers also continue to downsize their cars, that means less metal clogging the roads. I'm just speaking for myself here, but—hurray! A robust auto industry is great, but let's add value through technology and innovation, not mass and weight. And save a few minutes on the highway in the process.
You can read the rest of the article here.

How to Turn Your Car into an Office

2008-05-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Who said work can only be done at the office? You can do it from the comfort of your car. You can ask someone to drive while you finish some reports, or you can do the driving while the missus prepare for a presentation. The kids can also do their homework on their way home, or on their way to the school. However, if you don’t have the necessary tools, gadgets and accessories, working and studying inside the car can be awkward and taxing. Here are some things that you can get to make your second office a l’il more comfortable.

Lap Desks

Balancing your laptop, notepad, calculator and worksheets on your lap can be very tricky. The solution? A lap desk. Most travel lap desks have a ridged surface or a felt covering to prevent the things laid on it from slipping. There’s even room for your morning coffee. If your kids forgot to bring their playthings and would like to color some books or draw instead, then you can get a kiddie lap desk too. They vary in size. Some are big enough to hold a notepad and a calculator, while others can hold a big-sized laptop.

Trash Receptacles

Of course there are those occasional bumps on the road that would cause you to make mistakes while writing on your notepad or worksheet. If you need to start over again, you can just scrap that piece of paper and throw it in the trash bag. The floor is big enough to hold all your trash, but if you don’t want to clutter up your car then having a trash receptacle would be nice. If you want one that can be hidden from view, get a under-the-seat trash bag. On the other hand, if you want one that’s more accessible you can get a trash can, instead.

Portable Fans

You can work comfortably if it’s cool inside the car. If the a/c is no longer up to its usual standards, then a portable fan is just the device to get. These are lightweight fans that don’t take up that much space. There are clip-on fans if you don’t want to go through the hassle of drilling a hole in your dashboard. But if you have the time, then you should get one that can be mounted permanently on the dash. These can be plugged into any 12V socket. You can use the slot for the cigarette lighter for that, or the one you use for the cellphone charger.

Portable Appliances

After working long and hard, the only thing that can get you going is a hot cup of coffee and pizza. But if the nearest fastfood chain is nowhere near then you can make do if you have portable appliances like a 12V coffeemaker and an oven. Other useful appliances are a blender, stove, cooler and warmer and travel mugs. These are also great when you are on long trips. The food and drink can keep you awake at night while you are driving. The food can also keep your kids occupied so you can enjoy some peace and quiet.

Air Fresheners

How will you be able to work inside your car if the carpet stinks, or if all you smell is your pet dog that’s in tow? There’s a simple solution to that problem – an air freshener. Again there are a number to choose from. They can be categorized according to type and of course, smell. You can hang one on your rear view mirror. There are also others that you can stick to your dash. If you want a more powerful air freshener, an air sanitizer and deodorizer is the one to get. But of course nothing ever beats a clean car.

Must-have Gadgets and Interior Accessories

2008-05-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of gadgets and accessories that you can get that would put all those high-tech stuff on modern cars to shame. From entertainment to temperature control, this list will highlight all the must-haves available in the market today. The price range is varied so I will no longer place estimates. Feel free to browse any online store for the pricing.

Video Unit

This is extremely useful during long drives, especially if you have kids in tow. You can play a video or have them play a game. So you won’t be tempted to sneak a look while you are driving the best system that you can get is one that can be placed at the back of the headrest. Some of these units still need to be attached to a central entertainment system in the dash, but there are already new designs that integrate the CD player in the headrest. However, if you want to be able to watch a movie while you are resting you can get either an overhead monitor or a sunvisor monitor. This also comes in handy when the missus throws you out of the house in the middle of the night because you snore too hard.

Heater

It’s winter and you’re stuck inside your car watching the latest blockbuster movie. It will be very comfy if you have a heater installed. You can get a 12V portable heater that you can plug and use inside the car. You can place one in the backseat so you’ll feel comfortable whilst enjoying the movie. If you have the habit of driving in cold weather, then you should get a defroster too. It’ll be much safer if your windows are clear.

Cellphone Accessories

Do you need to call someone while you are on the go? Not advisable to do so. But if you have a hands-free kit, you can call as many times as you want. This device enables you to answer and make calls without holding on to the cellphone; that’s why it’s called hands-free. But of course you can’t make calls if you are low on battery. And so, a charger should also be on your shopping list. Or if not, you can get a battery backup. If you’re out for a long drive, like if you are gonna catch the NBA finals in the next state, then you should have a spare battery or a charger at hand.Compass/Clock

Men have a good sense of direction. That’s true. But if you have already forgotten which way is north and which is south, then a compass will come in handy if you use a map to get around. This is extremely useful if you don’t want to re-live what happened in the movies Wrong Turn and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Anyway, compasses usually have built-in clocks just in case your stock one is already broken. They are also very stylish.

Interior Lights

Do you know what one of the differences between a UFO and a car is? Well a UFO has a lot of lights, that’s for sure. If you don’t want to be outdone, then run to the nearest store and get as many lights as you can. Dash lights. Seat belt clip lights. Moodlights. Book lights. LED lights. Map lights. Trim lights. Light tubes. The list is virtually endless. You shouldn’t overdo it, however. Not unless if you are gunning for the Guinness record for Most Interior Lights in a Car. Because if you are, I sure am interested in knowing how it all pans out. I’d even pay for a picture so I can post it online.

Easy Dashboard Fixes

2008-05-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

You may be able to get away with a dirty floor and a stained seat by covering them up with something, but you will find it really taxing to hide your dashboard from view. I must admit there are very few things that can damage it, and it does not get old and dingy that fast. For some people the original design of the dash grows on them, but for most people it could get very boring. If you want your interior to have that unique and personal look, I may be able to help you. Just read on…

Dashboard Cover ($27 - $45)

This gives your dashboard a more stylish look and it serves as protection against the harmful rays of the sun, which is often the cause of dashboard warping, discoloration and cracking. Your dash will look drastically different once you fit a cover over it. One type of cover is the dash mat. It looks like a floor mat, but it’s made to fit the contours of the dash. The great thing about this is you can have the maker put logos of your favorite sports team, a flag, college / university or even have your name monogrammed into it. And as you may have noticed, it is virtually inexpensive. If you look around you might find one that’s even less expensive.
Dash Kit ($130 - $200)

In some cars the area around the stereo, glove box and the top console is devoid of any paneling. This does not bother most people, but if you are one of those who are then you should rush to the nearest store so you can get a dash kit. There are a lot to choose from, but be careful not to pick one that isn’t made for your vehicle otherwise you’ll find it hard to attach it. It is recommended that you get one that matches the trim of your interior, but if you want to be adventurous you can get one that offers a sharp contrast so you can mix and match. Take your pick from wood panels, carbon fiber fitting and aluminum dash kits. Aside from those three there are others to choose from.

Interior Trim Strip ($40)

Are there bare panels in your dash that you cannot fill with a cover or a dash kit? That is not a problem. You can get a interior trim strip that you can peel and stick. These are about 1 inch wide strips that vary in length which you can stick anywhere in the interior. There are a couple of colors and designs to choose from, but it would make an elegant effect if you follow the trim of your dash kit and/or cover. I found a site that offers it at $40, but I bet some offer it at a cheaper price.

Steering Wheel Cover ($9 - $60)

Do not be confused about the price range. The cheapest ones are the standard and those with print. I recommend you get this because although it costs about $9 or $10, it is usually made from the same material as those that costs more. So why is it that some costs way over $50? Well, those are the custom-made ones. Let’s face it there are millions of cars on the streets nowadays, and the variety of interior designs and aftermarket styling accessories do not make it easier for steering wheel cover manufacturers. They cannot make a complete lineup that fits cars to a T. The solution? You place an order, indicate what style, size and design you want and voila! You can have one made in no time. This is a quick fix if you can’t find a cover that suits your vehicle’s interior styling.

What You Should Have to Avoid Being a WHO Statistic

2008-05-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

I got a message this morning from my friend. He said he had his car towed to the service station jut a couple of blocks away from my house, and that if I had the time that I check on it once in a while. It seems that he got into an accident last night because he was driving under the influence. The funny thing is, he tried telling the police that he wasn’t drunk but the cop with the breathalyzer thought different. For this past months state troopers and traffic enforcers have been really strict with this sort of behavior here. And rightly so because according to latest surveys by WHO car-related accidents are the leading causes of injury-related deaths worldwide.

But safety should not be the concern of a third-person. It should be a first-person effort. Once my friend gets out of the hospital, he’ll definitely hear from me. I’ve told him many times that they should have a designated driver every time they go out, but they just won’t listen. Safety is a very big issue for me, and so I’m taking a break from my tips-on-how-to-make-your-car-more-stylish posts and focus on safety.

Safety features are categorized into two: active and passive. The former are those that prevent accidents from happening, while the latter are those that minimize injury when danger is imminent. It is important that your car has majority of these features installed.

The active safety features in a vehicle are:

Intelligent speed adaptation which physically prevents vehicles from being able to exceed the speed limit through electronic throttle control governed by a GPS matched database of speed limits.
Turn signals and brake lights, including Center High Mounted Stop Lamps (CHMSL)
Rear end Collision Warning Lamps senses deceleration of lead vehicle and flashes amber warning strobe rearward to warn following vehicles of a pending braking or stopping event
Variable assist power steering allows assistance to the motorist while parking, but reduces steering effort assistance at motorway speeds
Headlight wipers/washers
Mercedes-style ribbed tail lights to prevent snow and grime build-up
Dynamic steering response (DSR) corrects the rate of power steering system to adapt it to vehicle's speed and road conditions.
Traction control (TCS) actuates brakes or reduces throttle to restore traction if driven wheels begin to spin.
Hill holder.
Four wheel drive (AWD). Distributing power to all four wheels lessens the chances of wheel spin. It also suffers less from oversteer and understeer than front wheel drive, but more understeer than rear wheel drive. However, some four wheel drive vehicles (particularly SUVs have a higher center of gravity and are more prone to roll-over and cause injury or death to passengers.
Reverse backup sensors, which alert drivers to nearby objects in their path, are installed in some high-end vehicles, but may also be purchased separately.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC, also known by ESP and other numerous manufacturer-specific names). Uses various sensors to intervene when the car senses a possible loss of control. The car's control unit can reduce power from the engine and even apply the brakes to prevent the car from understeering or oversteering. See car stability
Lateral Support : Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS).
Directional headlights, which allow the driver to see obstacles ahead in the roadway while cornering.
Low center of gravity and other conventional features promoting good car handling and braking, and helping to avoid rollover.
Comfortable suspension and seating to avoid accidents from driver fatigue.
Large (relative to weight) high performance tires, suited to the weather and road conditions, contribute to braking and handling. Soft high histeresis rubber, tread and cord design are important. See Run flat tire.
Visibility for the driver, mirrors, elimination of blind spots and possibly other awareness aids such as radar, wireless vehicle safety communications and night vision.
Death Brake; there is a move to introduce deadman's braking into automotive application, primarily heavy vehicles, there may also be a need to add penalty switches to cruise controls.
Four wheel steering gives, at the cost of mechanical complexity, quicker, more accurate maneuvers at high speed and/or decreased turning circle at low speed. It may also help stability.
Adaptive cruise control (ACC).
AWAKE and intelligent car features.
Precrash system
Seatbelts might also play a minor role in active safety by keeping (via locking of the inertial reel) the driver firm on his/her seat in a high-g turn or deceleration. This has been further developed and patented by Mercedes-Benz in the PreSafe technology which provides a synergy between active and passive systems, helping the driver avoid a danger and preparing him/her for an imminent crash.
Brakes

Anti-lock braking system (ABS)

Electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD)

Cornering Brake Control (CBC)

Emergency brake assist (EBA)

Brake assist system (BAS)

Forward Collision Warning System (FCW)

Lane Departure Warning System (LDW)

Dynamic Brake Control (DBC).

Inboard brakes allow large fade resistant discs or drums, without contributing to unsprung weight and wheel bounce, which degrade braking, handling and ride, and increase mechanical loads.

The passive safety features are:

Seatbelts (or safety belts) absorb energy and limit forward motion of an occupant, and help keep occupants from being ejected from the vehicle.
Shoulder harnesses add additional protection to seatbelts by restraining the upper body, absorbing energy and preventing injuries from second collisions where the moving occupant hits the stationary dashboard or windshield.
Energy absorbing windshields. Beginning in 1966, windshields in cars sold in the US have had a deformable polymer layer that allows the windshield to deform on impact absorbing energy and preventing penetration of the head through the windshield.
Airbags: There are many types of airbags, all of which should be considered supplemental restraint systems (SRS), used in addition to belts.

Front airbags inflate in a medium speed head on collision to cushion the impact of the head to the steering wheel (driver) or dashboard to the (front passenger) .
Side airbags inflate in a side impact (T-bone) collision to cushion the torso and sometimes the pelvis and head.
Curtain airbags protect the head and upper body of passengers in a side collision. Newer models may stay inflated for a longer period of time, and may help to keep unbelted occupants in vehicle during a rollover, but should be considered supplemental to belts and never used in place of belts.
Knee airbags inflate in frontal impact collisions to protect the driver's knees and are now available in many newer high end model vehicles.

Crumple zone technology absorbs the energy of a collision by displacing the impact of a crash and diverting it from the internal (passenger compartment) critical structure of the vehicle.
Side impact bars for protection against side on collisions
Collapsible steering column, sometimes provided with steel sheet bellows.
Crash compatibility can be improved by matching vehicles by weight and by matching crumple zones with points of structural rigidity, particularly for side-on collisions. Some pairs of vehicle front end structures interact better than others in crashes.
Cage construction is designed to protect vehicle occupants. Some racing vehicles have a tubular roll cage
Reinforced side door structural members
Door handles secure enough for emergency occupant extrication through a winch.
Fuel pump shutoff devices turn off gas flow in the event of a collision for the purpose of preventing gasoline fires.
Active pedestrian protection systems.
Driver State Sensor - The system measures 3D head pose and eyelid motion parameters of the driver.
Padding of the instrument panel and other interior parts of the vehicle likely to be struck by the occupants during a crash. Whilst largely being supplanted by airbags, it still plays an important role in preventing injuries.

Source: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia

Take A Seat, Please

2008-05-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

So now your floor is okay. What about the rest of the interior? Aside from the floor, the other things that people notice upon entering a car are the seats and the dashboard. Why? Simply because they occupy a large percentage of the passenger compartment. When you first laid eyes on your car, you probably sat inside to get a feel of the seat. It may be one of the reasons why you bought the car in the first place. Because of the material used in the production of car seats as well as the design, you don’t need to replace it very often, and maybe even not once in a lifetime. It can even outlive the vehicle itself.

Here’s an example of how durable a car seat is. A friend of mine owned a mid size crossover SUV once. He decided to trade it in for a hybrid. At the last minute he decided to keep it. He remodeled the interior and had to replace the second row seat with a custom-made one. He didn’t scrap the old one. What he did was attach a couple of blocks of wood at the bottom which acted as legs and welded a back support. He then had a cover tailored-fit for the seat. Now you can see it in the den, still being used. That is how hardy a seat is. If you take care not to damage it, it will serve you long and well. But that only happens in a perfect world. No matter how careful you are there are times when you spill coffee on the seats, or drop a lighted cigarette. If you have a habit of bringing along your pet on trips, they can damage the seats as well with their long nails. And even if the seats are not damaged, if it no longer goes with the new trim of your vehicle then you can opt to replace it with a new one.

Seat Covers ($25 - $350)

If you can’t afford a new seat, you can buy a new seat cover instead. The price ranges depending on the material, design and sometimes the brand name. If you have one custom-made to fit over your original seat it sometimes costs more. But then again, the cost is way more economical than buying a new one. Seat covers afford protection so you can preserve the original upholstery. It can also be used to cover up existing damage. And if you have the extra dough, you can even have a logo or a picture emblazoned at the front. These covers are also very easy to install. Furthermore there are designs that feature storage pockets and slots for existing components.

Seat Cushion ($10 - $50)

Does your back ache after driving? It’s either you are not sitting properly or the seat is just not comfy. To eliminate this problem you should get a seat cushion. There are ones that have offer lumbar support. Sometimes it comes fitted with massage bubbles. Seat cushions are also handy during weather extremes. During summer you can get a seat that absorbs body heat so you’ll feel cool. During winter you can get a heated seat cushion. And to top it all off, these are also great styling tools and they can be used to hide stains and other signs of damage.

Storage Nets and Bags ($15 - $30)

Is your glove box not big enough to hold all your stuff? Get a storage net/bag that you can put over your seat or at the side. These great space-savers can hold spare change, keys, papers, magazines and soda. As long as it fits inside it, it can hold it. They are also not that expensive.

We now turn to the dashboard…

Interior Makeover Ideas

2008-05-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

From the outside, we now move to the inside. Only those that enter your car can see the inside but it is nevertheless important that you go out of your way to make it presentable. The factory original design is good, but over time it tends to become boring. A car owner probably spends about 2-3 hours and maybe even more inside his car every day. It already acts as a third home (next to the house and the office, of course), and it is but right that you make it as homey as possible, partly for other people but mainly for yourself. There are myriads of ways to customize the look of your interior. If all you want to do is restore the original look, you can do so as well.

Anyway, the best place to start when giving your interior a makeover is the floor. This is the part that easily gets dingy. Here is what you’ll often find on the floor of a stock car: sound deadeners, carpet and a mat. All these three can get damaged easily. Rubber floor mats can crack and break apart under weather extremes. The carpet easily gets dirty, and if you smoke inside the vehicle there is a chance that you’ll see cigarette holes on the carpet. If you forget to take off your golf shoes you’re also likely to do some damage. The deadeners can also lose its effectivity over time. Read on so you’ll get an idea what to get for your vehicle’s floor.

Cargo liners ($50 - $350)

These are rubber pads that have raised edges that fit over an entire section of the car floor. The raised edges prevent water and dust from seeping into the floor. The surface features anti-skid plates that prevent sliding, even the back is ridged so that it does not slip. Most cargo liners in the market are resistant against automotive substances like motor oil, coolant and fuel as well as other liquids like soda and coffee. It does not crack like ordinary rubber mats because the rubber material used is weather-resistant. The icing on the cake is, cargo liners are very easy to clean. You can just take it out any time and you can just sweep it, hose it down, brush it or whatever it is that you do to keep things clean.

Custom Floor Mats ($13 - $280)

I know what you’re thinking. Why is it so darn expensive? Well, for starters, the materials used are premium grade; they’re probably 10 times better (and costlier) than your stock floor mats. These are very durable mats; in fact it may even outlive your vehicle, as long as you clean it periodically of course. They are custom-made also. That means it is configured to fit a section of your car’s floor perfectly. The color, shape and design is also completely up to you. If you support a sports team, a school or a particular group you can advertise that fact on your floor mats. And to think that they are placed over a car floor primarily to keep it from getting dirty.

Auto Carpet ($50 – $450)

If your car’s interior smells like a wet dog, then it is already time to re-carpet the floor. No matter how much you vacuum the carpet, you won’t be able to completely get rid of the dirt. Also, it’s not as if you can hang the carpet to dry when it is wet. A wet carpet is a hotbed for all kinds of germs. If you get a new carpet, not only will you be making your vehicle nice-smelling, you’ll also protect your kids from diseases. I suggest you run to the nearest carpet “fitter” now.

Not Your Routine Trip to the Salon (Part II)

2008-05-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

There are a thousand options to choose from if you want to give your car a makeover. These range from subtle to drastic alterations. The cost also varies, and most of the time it depends on how much change you are willing to make. Emblems, logos and badges are very economical because they only offer subtle changes. On the other hand, spoilers are easily noticeable so they rake in more money. Giving a car a makeover depends highly on how much money you are willing to part with. So it is actually more of a question of resource than desire. Remember however that no matter how subtle a change is as long as it is properly done can produce a significant outcome. Do not be disheartened if you can’t give your car a complete makeover. It is not a one day project. You can take your time with it. It took me about 4 months to restore an ’84 Ford EXP, not because I am lame at my hobby but because I saved up first and bought the replacements as well as the aftermarket parts one by one. You can do the same thing. Here are a couple of things that should also be on your shopping list.

Wing-doors Conversion Kit ($600 - $2500)

Yep! Converting your ordinary car door to wing-doors can be pretty expensive. And that is just a ballpark figure. Some can even be more expensive. I think the cheapest one is priced at about $599.99 so I just rounded it up. Lambo doors, which are also called scissor doors are priced at $1000 - $1500. It depends on what are included in the conversion kit and highly on the make of your car. The options are suicide doors (the rear doors are hinged to the trailing edge, the one near the rear part of the vehicle), gull-wing doors (doors that open outwards and then up) and Lambo doors (one that open upwards and twists at an angle) which are also called beetle-wing doors, jackknife doors and switchblade doors.

Window Graphics ($120 - $200)

A window graphic is different from a decal. The latter is a pattern that can be transferred to another surface. The former, on the other hand, is a poster (or you can call it a sticker if you must) that is attached to the window of a car, usually the rear. Unlike a sticker though, the one with the print is the one pasted to the window so that other people can see it from the outside. But there are others that can be attached outside of the window. The price depends on the design as well as the size. A custom-made one is even more expensive than the projected cost mentioned above. It stays on for a very long period of time because it is UV-resistant and it won’t peel off even if you go to the car wash regularly. There are thousands of designs to choose from.

Aftermarket Grilles ($50 - $720)

Chrome grilles. Billet grilles. Mesh grilles. Custom grilles. OEM grilles. Chrome grille overlays. Those are just a few of the choices. These are great options too. If for example you own a Honda Fit just like about a hundred thousand Americans do. In the sea of Honda Fits, how can you stand out? Well one thing that these have in common is that they have the trademark Honda grille. You can make your car more unique if you get a different kind of grille, say one that is made for another vehicle make or model. Wouldn’t that be much simpler than buying a new car?

Not Your Routine Trip to the Salon

2008-05-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

A complete car makeover like the one often done in MTV’s Pimp My Ride probably cost a couple of thousand dollars. If you find that price too steep, yet you want to give your car a complete new look, lemme help you out. Instead of completely remodeling your car, you can make a few changes here and there so you can alter, enhance and improve your car’s appearance for just a few dollars, or a couple of hundred dollars. OK! That price is still too steep, but compared to a thousand bucks which do you prefer? Anyway, just read on.

Car Decal ($5 - $80)

This option is probably the most popular one among car stylists not to mention the easiest. A decal is a material, often plastic, that has a pattern that can be transferred to another surface by heat or water treatment. You may have seen the immensely popular pee-on decal on most cars. It’s a black and white sticker of Calvin of “Calvin and Hobbes” peeing with his back turned to you. But that is just one of the many examples. You can choose among decals that feature school names, sports teams, short funny messages, organizations, advertisements, brand names and a lot more. It can be placed almost anywhere. You can transfer it to your windshield, hood, side panel, tailgate, rear window, license plate and fuel tank cover. You can even have one custom-made, but that one would cost you extra.

Spoiler ($80 - $270)

A spoiler is a panel that can be attached to a vehicle for various reasons: 1) to reduce drag or wind resistance; 2) to increase traction between the tires and road surface so as to prevent the cars from “lifting off” ; 3) to draw in air to various parts of the vehicle; 4) to accessorize. There are various kinds of spoilers and each one vary in price. The most common is the rear spoiler. This is the one that you’d often see on sports cars and race cars. It is that device attached over the trunk door. Another kind of spoiler is the air dam. It is placed at the front, just below the bumper. It draws in air towards the engine and increases traction. It is a great option if you wan to give your car a bit of a sporty look. The expensive ones usually include some extras like LED lights so if you want to save money then you can do away with those and just avail of an inexpensive one.

Aftermarket Lighting Assemblies ($60 - $120)
Factory original lights complement the look of your vehicle, but they tend to look too conventional over time. You can remove them and replace them with aftermarket ones that are more eye-catching. You can get altezza lights for about $65 - $80. PIAA bulbs cost about $100 and some cost even more. Other options are projector lamps and fog lamps. The options are endless so you can try browsing online for online stores that offer them. If you google “Aftermarket Lighting Assemblies” you’ll get more than 200,000 hits so just take your pick from all those choices.

Badges, Emblems & Logos ($9 - $20)

Most emblems and logos are priced at $9.95, but there are a few online stores that offer them at a slightly higher rate. These are also very popular because not only are they economical, they are also very easy to install. They typically have a pre-set adhesive backing. You can just peel and stick. And it is guaranteed to stay on come rain or shine. If you do not want to do that much work you can just get yourself one of these.

What Women Want

2008-05-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading this article in KRISTV about what cars appeal most to women drivers. It was cited there that men have their eyes on cars which have attributes that appeal to the wants, needs and whims of a male person. Women, on the other hand, take into consideration all these desired attributes and add a couple more to them, some of which are incomprehensible or insignificant to the male point of view. GM vehicle line director Mary Sipes asked her team (which is composed mainly of men) to wear women’s clothes in order to make them feel what it’s like to climb aboard a beefy SUV. The exercise is aimed towards giving the men on the team a feel of what it’s like to be a woman and climb a beefy SUV. This can be very useful because nowadays automakers are no longer aiming only for the male market, but they are also reaching out to the female population. And they have enough reason to do so because we are seeing a lot of women drivers these days on the streets.

It is said in the write-up that the availability of space for the purse, the easy of entry and exit may be important to women, but there are more serious consideration which can make or break a sale. Bengt Halvorson of KRISTV provided an excellent overview of what it is women look for in a car.

What Matters Most

Safety, comfort, practicality and value are top priorities for women car buyers, experts say. Styling, design and performance are also important, but not necessarily more so than practicality.

Our all-inclusive list of vehicles with the highest percentage of female primary drivers includes some of the smallest, least expensive cars available, such as the Honda Fit, Kia Spectra and Toyota Yaris. The Fit tops our list encompassing both luxury and non-luxury vehicles, with 80.46 percent driven primarily by women.

Show Me Practicality

Women might be more inclined than men to buy smaller vehicles, but many prefer large models. Three sport utility vehicles made our list that takes into account both luxury and non-luxury vehicles: The Honda Pilot in seventh place (with 60.28 percent female primary drivers), the Mazda's CX-7 in eighth (60.19 percent), and the wagon-like Chrysler Pacifica in 10th (59.81 percent).

"Women are looking for practicality and versatility," says Alexander Edwards, automotive division president at consulting firm Strategic Vision.

Value-Minded Luxury

When looking only at luxury vehicles, it's clear that even wealthy women focus on price more than do affluent men. Many of the luxury vehicles with the highest percentage of female primary drivers are among the most affordable premium models on the market.

Among the most affordable models on our second list, which is limited to luxury or premium models, are the second-place $25,930 Audi A3, with 54.85 percent female primary drivers, and the third-ranked $24,365 Volvo S40 with 53.69 percent.

The Form Factor

The BMW Z4 is the only model to make both of our lists of vehicles with the highest percentage of female primary drivers. With 60.31 percent driven primarily by women, BMW's sleek Z4 two-seater sports car tops our luxury-only list and ranks sixth on the all-encompassing list.

It has the kind of styling women gravitate toward, says Imre Molnar, dean of Detroit's College for Creative Studies, home to one of the country's top automotive design programs. The BMW Z4 has a "complex and sophisticated compound form that's very feminine," he says, adding that some women are attracted to so-called "masculine" designs, but most gravitate toward vehicles with softer curves.

Here are the cars that made the list:

1. Honda Fit
2. Kia Spectra
3. Hyundai Elantra
4. Toyota Yaris
5. Nissan Versa
6. BMW Z4
7. Honda Pilot
8. Mazda CX-7
9. Hyundai Tiburon
10. Chrysler Pacifica

Source: KRISTV

Infotainment In, Entertainment Out

2008-05-12T22:32:00.000-07:00

Lately, it seems I have been talking a lot about the environment as well as the rising cost of gasoline. Well, hybrids and green cars are already old news. Some of ‘em are even beginning to be phased out and replaced with new models. I’ve been thinking that we already have problems of our own, what with all the typhoons and earthquakes that continue to plague our country. So… I’m on to less serious topics, some that can make us really look forward to car models that will come out probably in the next year or so.

So here it is. It has been in the news for some time now that Ford already made a deal with Microsoft to provide some of its vehicles with a Sync system, one that makes use of voice-activated technologies to control communication and entertainment features. Recently, Hyundai-Kia also followed suit and made the same deal. Last Tuesday, the company announced the deal it made with Microsoft to develop a revolutionary automotive software that will make all other entertainment systems obsolete, even the new ones. This is set to be introduced to the market in two years time.

The details of the said venture are not that clear but this I was able to gather. Some of the features of the proposed venture are:

An infotainment system that provides voice controlled connectivity between mobile devices and car stereo systems
A more user-friendly entertainment system capable of playing various digital formats
A system that has PC-functions such as the ability to accept software upgrades and add-ons

Furthermore, it was revealed by South Korea’s presidential Blue House that: Microsoft and Hyundai Motor Group will invest $113 million and $166 million, respectively, in the `Automotive IT Innovation Center' they will set up jointly.

In an article in domain-b.com, it was stated that:

With both Ford and Hyundai as customers, Microsoft's software could potentially be put into more than eight million vehicles worldwide each year.

Its competitors include OnStar from General Motors, Johnson Controls and QNX Software Systems from Harman International.

Systems based on Microsoft Automotive are available in Fiat Group vehicles in Europe and South America, as well as in 12 Ford models in North America.

Windows Automotive will first appear in Hyundai vehicles in North America in 2010, said Martin Thall, general manager of Microsoft's automotive business unit. Subsequent versions will give drivers voice control over navigation systems and video entertainment, in addition to cellphones and digital music players.

The market for car-based information and data systems is expected to grow sharply in coming years, and automakers such as BMW AG and Chrysler LLC have projects in the works to bring regular iInternet access to vehicles.

This venture will mark a very interesting point in car entertainment history. And the good thing about this is, probably in a few years to come this technology will be available on most, if not all, cars. With all the problems we have, it is a good thing we can turn to automakers to surprise us at least with this kind of news. The downside is, there may be a slight increase in vehicle price tags. But with entertainment systems like those, I wouldn’t mind buying me one of those Hyundais that will come out in 2010. I wonder what they will come up with next? Voice-controlled driving? Auto-pilot? Remote driving? Or maybe self-inflating tires like the ones seen in Die Another Day? Either one will be pretty much interesting. At least we have some things to look forward to because it seems oil deregulation laws are very far from the minds of our legislators.

Green Olympics

2008-05-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

There are only 90 days left before the start of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That’s 3 more months of waiting, but with all the work that I am putting through right now, I bet time will just blow by. Some of my younger office buddies are gonna take a week off from work to go to Beijing in August. It seems that they do that kind of stuff every Olympics. I did not make plans with them; anyway, I only want to watch the basketball games, which I can do online or via satellite TV. I gotta ask my provider if they’ll be carrying the games. But I bet it’s all included in my Premium package. Well, anyway, I guess the basketball games are already decided and team USA is gonna bring home the bacon. It’s payback time so I bet the NBA stars are gonna go out with guns a-blazing. I just wanna see how many points they win by.

The torch run caused quite a stir, what with all the protests that it met. I just saw a picture of the mascots, by the way. That’s right! Mascots with an “S”. There are 5 actually. And it’s supposed to be symbolic. Why don’t they just stick to tradition and just have one. Well, what can I do. They spent a lot of money so I can’t complain. The Olympics is causing a lot of concerns and controversies. Mass displacement. Human rights violations. Sabotage plots. Boycotts. Protests and counter-protests. Health issues. Even eco-lovers are joining in. I read in an article that during the Olympics, cars within and those in close proximity to the venues as well those that will be used are going to produce zero emissions. Now, that is gonna be one for the books if they’re indeed able to achieve that. Here’s the whole article.

The Beijing Olympic venues will achieve "zero emissions," first in the history of the Games, with the use of more environmentally-friendly vehicles, China's minister of science and technology told reporters in Beijing on Thursday. Automakers and the event's organizers are also experimenting with new-energy automobile technology, including hybrid electric vehicles.

"Te 'Green Olympics' will control the use of vehicles and reduce emissions by between 1 million and 1.29 million tons," Wan told a news conference. Areas around the venues and priority Olympic traffic routes would meet the target of "low emissions" from vehicles. Some 500 clean fuel vehicles to travel in and between the venues, including 50 electricity-powered buses, 400 electric venue vehicles and 15 electric cleaning vehicles, are expected to achieve "zero-emissions" for the first time in Olympic history.

And in a more traditional green approach, solar, wind and geothermal power will also be used at venues and other Olympic-related buildings. Carmakers and authorities were working to have another 105 hybrid vehicles and 23 fuel cell cars and buses in use during the games.

These vehicles would continue to run on the roads as a demonstration project after the games, Wan said, adding that more Chinese cities would use such clean fuel vehicles, especially energy-efficiency hybrids with mature auto technology.

Whoever thought of this should be given an award. Al Gore may have won the Nobel prize for promoting environmental awareness, but these people are actually doing something about it instead of blabbering about it. Things like this snowball, and before you know it events will be organized in that fashion. Here in the US, incentives are offered to promote eco-friendly cars. Employers are doin’ it. So do local governments and even a few automakers. But the existence of green cars is still comparatively rare. Some more steps should be taken to protect the environment.

Source: The Auto Channel

Get Smart

2008-05-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

Europe is the stage for the emergence of Smart cars. If you’ve seen the movie the Da Vinci Code, you probably saw how the female protagonist was able to elude all those policemen by snaking through heavy traffic in her small, but surprisingly fast, car. That was in France. In places like London and Paris, Smart cars are very popular because they are very practical to drive in congested streets. This, plus the fact that Smart cars are integrated with new technologies, did not elude the US market. A couple of years ago, the same model that you saw in the Da Vinci Code was introduced in the US.

Now, there are various new models that are set to debut in Europe and are expected to take the world by storm. One of these is Norwegian-owned Th!nk’s lithium-ion battery powered car. That is the same kind of battery you would often find on cellular phones; although the one that you’ll find on this vehicle is probably a lot larger. The battery is developed by A123 sytems and Enerdel and is expected to last for 180 km (city) as long as it has been charged for a minimum of 8 hours. And unlike other electric cars, it does not even need to be charged when not in use. And if you think that it is sluggish just by the looks of it, then you are mistaken. Th!nk says that it tops out at 100 km/h. It even takes little effort to maintain as compared to your run-of-the-mill gasoline-powered vehicle. It is set to debut in the UK market in autumn of this year and its msrp will be around £14,000.

In the US, Smart cars may not be as popular as it is in cities like London, Rome and Paris but people are beginning to get smart and getting one. Mercedes introduced one that has three cylinders and it scores about 30 mpg in the city and as much as 40 mpg on the highway. That is twice as much as what you can get from an SUV, and even a family sedan. It may take twice as much time get to where you are going if you are accustomed to driving fast cars, but then again for a dollar or less for a complete 8 hour charge, who’s gonna complain about the speed difference? It’s all about the math. For a gallon of gasoline, you’ll shell out about $3.20 and you will get about 25-35 km. But with a Smart car, all you have to do is plug it in for 8 hours (that costs about $0.60 cents to $1 on an electric bill) and you can drive it for almost 100 km, or in the case of the Th!nk vehicle mentioned above, 180 km in the city. Hybrid Smart cars also are very economical. You can get over 40 mpg even while driving at 60-70 mph. With the hype being generated by these cars, it is no surprise that there is a long wait list.

There are drawbacks. No one is denying that. It’s small, definitely not as flashy as your average vehicle, it seats only two people and there is little room for cargo. But its advantages definitely outweigh most of the disadvantages. You will be able to save up on gas money. And it’s practical to drive in the city where locating a parking space can be very taxing. You will also have no problems with the seating capacity if you only use it to go to work or to the grocery store. It is guaranteed to be safe notwithstanding its compact size because numerous tests have been conducted before it was mass-produced. All in all, it is a smart choice.

Source: ClimateChangeCorp

Recent Technological Advances in the Automotive Industry

2008-05-08T22:16:00.000-07:00

What’s new in automotive technology? Here are a few things that I came across while I was browsing the Net yesterday.

A system that alerts your doctor when you get a heart attack or if you figured in an accident. A technology that calculates the time needed for you to reach your destination, and one that gives you a simpler and quicker route. And a device that communicates with other people’s car if they are veering dangerously to your own vehicle. That’s wireless technology at its best. These are just some of the new technologies that car engineers are working on at present. Some of these may sound surreal, but they are within reach, experts say. There are, however, a few obstacles along the way.

In an article, A Wireless Wonderland, featured in the Telegraph, Britain’s No. 1 quality newspaper website, the pros and cons of these technologies are put in detail.

Beat the jams, avoid prangs

The vision: Cars will communicate wirelessly with other vehicles to warn them when they are about to break sharply, reducing accidents. Cars will also boast intelligent sat-nav systems, wirelessly connected to a transport hub relaying real-time road and rail info, capable of planning the fastest route by road and of informing you when it would be faster to take another mode of transport. Tickets will be automatically booked at the touch of a button, and paid for using a pre?pay card.

The reality: This kind of in-car technology is already well advanced: parking sensors alert drivers to hazards, while auto-braking on some vehicles will bring the car to an emergency stop. Combining this technology with that which powers self-driving cars is the next logical step. Sat-nav systems are already able to access real-time traffic updates; improving this to make it link into a central database would be easy enough - the difficulty comes in developing a software platform used across the whole transport network that will allow operators to share information in a consistent, usable format.

Mayday alerts and enhanced medical care

The vision: Cars of the future will contain a "black box" style communications hub that will be able to alert the emergency services if you have a crash or pass out at the wheel. If the person involved in the crash has their medical details embedded on their person, paramedics will be able to access them and decide on the most effective course of treatment.

The reality: Crash-response technology already exists and is an extra on many high-end vehicles. Enhancing this technology to alert the emergency services in the event of any accident will be relatively straightforward. And software already allows people to store their medical records on their mobile phones. However, finding a way to securely and confidentially embed them in wearable technology will be the main challenge.

These technologies could prove to be very beneficial once they hit production lines. The emergence of so-called “Smart” cars will be in the offing once these are perfected. Maybe in a few years time your car will be able to tell you where you are likely to get jammed in traffic, or maybe even where you can fill up your tank if it’s already almost running empty. Some even went so far as to say that your car can even order for you at the rest stop that’s in close proximity to your vehicle. Safety and convenience will be increased because of the existence of wireless technology. We did not believe them when they said they can invent cars that run on electricity, and even water. And now the streets are replete with them. So when they say Smart cars will be the new thing, I am in no position to argue any longer.

To Wait or Not to Wait?

2008-05-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

If those (Shell’s) FuelStretch Tips are not working out for you, maybe you are doin’ it wrong. Or, then again, it may be time that you bought a new car that’s really more fuel-efficient. You will shell out some hard-earned cash but consider it as an investment. Analysts see no decrease in the price of gasoline in the near future, so your new car will be more useful in the months, and maybe even years, to come. I’m actually giving you options here. One day I’m encouraging you to keep your car and just try to do things that can let you make the most out of every drop of gasoline, then, the next day I advise you to buy a hybrid instead. Well, it’s all a matter of perspective. I’m just posting for the sake of providing information. The choice is still up to you.

Well, a lot of hybrids showed up recently, some of which are just concept cars that aren’t that far from coming out of the production lines. Hyundai brought two eco-friendly concept cars to the recent Busan Auto Show, namely the i-Mode and i-Blue. It was revealed in a press release featured by Damon Lavrinc of the AutoBlog that:

The i-Mode is an innovatively styled, eco-friendly and socially adaptive vehicle.

The materials used are lighter and more adaptable than the metal and glass they replace. This, in combination with a light weight body construction, reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emission. Self-healing water based bodywork finishes from Bayer add to the environmentally friendly concept of the vehicle and even let minor scratches magically disappear by themselves.

If the i-Mode is innovative as it is adaptive, then the i-Blue concept is downright impressive.

The i-blue concept, which was developed at Hyundai's research center in Japan, is an eco-friendly model that emits nothing but water.

At the Geneva International Motor Show in March, Hyundai Motor unveiled three i-blue line-ups, including i10 blue, i10 blue CNG and i30 blue.

i-30 Blue:
With the 90PS new 1.6CRDi diesel engine, the i30 5-door emits an impressively low 125 g/km CO2. With the i-blue package, this is reduced by 15.2% lowering the CO2 emissions to just 106g/km. Naturally, this percentile reduction is also reflected in reduced fuel consumption.

"Blue" represents Hyundai Motor's eco-friendly strategy and related technologies.

Hyundai and the Eco-Sphere:
Hyundai has always been at the forefront of ecological consideration. From the very beginning, we have offered our customers the best possible economy combined with technology designed to protect them and our world. Long before legislation arrived, Hyundai had cut pollution in all of its factories and introduced recycling codes.

Hyundai is indeed giving other automakers a reason to keep on researching ways to make their vehicles far better. But Toyota is a step ahead of most of the other car manufacturers. In fact, they have already announced their plans of redesigning the Prius hybrid. The plan is to make it more buff and give it more oomph in the horsepower department. More upgrades will also be available. There will be no significant changes in the weight though. The plan to unveil this new concept Prius is scheduled for January of next year.

If you do not want to wait for the Hyundai concept cars or the next Prius to go out in the market, then you can just consider getting a small car like the Honda Fit, or what’s called the Jazz in some places. You can get 30 miles on a gallon; that’s twice as much as what you can get from an SUV. Or you can get a Chrysler and get yourself one of those pre-paid cards that get you free gasoline for a fixed amount of time.

Tips That Could Save You Some Gas Money

2008-05-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Gasoline prices could reach an all time high $4 a gallon before the end of spring this year, analysts said. Just this March, the price at the pump rose to $3.222 a gallon, a far cry from last year’s prices. And this trend is expected to continue for months to come. More people are trooping to commuter stations. And even more people are turning in their SUVs for hybrids. But there are still people who still want to make use of their good old gas-guzzling vehicle, primarily because it is more comfortable that way.

Aside from buying hybrid vehicles or taking the train, there are ways that you can reduce your gasoline expenses as what John and Helen Taylor, the couple who holds the Guinness World Record for Fuel Efficiency, has proven. First, here is a background information about the car, a Volkswagen Golf FSI 1.6, that they used.

DICOMWG12 scores the fuel-efficiency of the Volkswagen Golf FSI 1.6 at a combined rate of 40.40 mpg. The Auto Express gives it a combined rating of 42 mpg. CarPriceChecker rates it at 42.2 mpg. While both the AutoWeb and Yahoo! Cars scores it at 44.1 mpg. All in all, that’s about 42.56. Now, here’s the exciting part, the record-holding couple was able to crank it up to an average of 52.1 mpg on several trips. How were they able to do that? They followed Shell’s “FuelStretch" tips, to wit:

Drive smoothly: Avoid heavy acceleration or braking. Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gasoline mileage by 5 percent at lower speeds around town and by 33 percent at highway speeds.

Replace dirty or clogged air filters: Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter with a clean one can improve gasoline mileage by as much as 10 percent. A car's air filter can protect the engine from impurities.

Keep your engine well-tuned and repair any problems immediately: If your car has failed an emissions test or is noticeably out of tune, repairing the problem could improve your gasoline mileage by 4 percent on average.

Make sure tires are not over or under-inflated: Proper air pressure cuts down on fuel used while driving. Keeping tires at the correct pressure can improve your gasoline mileage by more than 3 percent.

Minimize vehicle drag: Keep your trunk and back seat clear of unnecessary items that only add weight. Removing excess weight can improve your gasoline mileage.

Use the recommended grade of oil in your engine: Following your manufacturer's motor oil recommendation can improve gasoline mileage by up to 2 percent. Look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to ensure it contains friction-reducing additives.

Choose a high-quality gasoline: Top automakers say that carbon deposits can build up on critical engine parts, which can decrease the power, performance and fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Audi, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen recommend using TOP TIER Detergent Gasolines to help keep engines clean. All Shell gasolines meet TOP TIER standards and stop gunky build-up on critical engine parts to help cars perform at their best.

Use cruise control on major roads and in free-flowing traffic: Maintaining a constant speed can improve gasoline mileage.

Avoid idling: When you idle, you get zero miles per gallon.

Avoid higher speeds: Gasoline mileage usually decreases when driving at speeds over 60 miles per hour.

Plan your outings to avoid separate trips: Combine your errands into one outing to avoid short separate trips. This helps avoid unnecessary cold starts and keeps your car's engine running warm and more efficiently.

Pay with a rebate credit card: Credit cards offer a simple way to pay for things quickly, but using a rebate credit card means earning rewards with every purchase. For example, with a 5 percent rebate on Shell gasoline purchases and a 1 percent rebate on all other purchases**, the Shell Platinum MasterCard(R) is one of the best rebate cards of its kind, helping consumers lower the cost of driving without sacrificing the quality of their gasoline.

Source: The Auto Channel

What Can Make People Buy A “Green” Car

2008-04-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Talk about being committed to the environment and the community, people all over the world are making sure that people are enticed to go “green” starting this year. Lawmakers are introducing legislation about it. Employers are asking their employees to follow their example and buy hybrid cars. Governments are offering incentives for people who are seeking “greener pastures” (and I’m not just goin’ for the metaphor!). Researchers are doing write-ups about the advantages of these eco-friendly cars. If you take time out of your busy day to read this post, in just a few minutes you may be tempted to go to the dealership to get one of these cars.

In Adelaide, the fifth most populous city in Australia, a proposal was put forth by Councilor Michael Henningsen to give drivers of hybrids a lower parking rate. In an interview, he defended his proposal by saying that:

"Because these cars are a bit more expensive and I think that, if you're taking the long-term view that you want to make a positive diminution in the greenhouse gases, that you should get some sort of acknowledgment and some kudos and some relief for doing that."

In the US, owner of Calibration Consultants in Sorrento Valley, CJ Langler exchanged his V8 engine truck for two hybrid vehicles, one for himself and another for his wife. And because of the savings that he immediately got he started enticing his employees to go green by offering them incentives. In an interview, he said:

"We decided to give a $2,000 employee bonus to each one that decides to turn in their big V-8," and that, "We have single mothers, we have military dependents that have people overseas right now, it's about food on the table for them.” Finally, he revealed that, "I would challenge some of the big guys -- locally and nationally -- to come up with similar programs and do the same.”

And he is right to do so. Companies should in a way feel responsible for what their employees drive. Why? It’s because by putting incentives they can influence their choices. But it does not mean they need to put their foot down. The choice will still be up to the employees. But it is a perfect example of how committed certain people are, and that if you are committed enough you can make other people make the same right choice.

But incentives and legislation are not the most effective way of enticing people to turn in their car for a hybrid. Studies show that if presented with a whole lot of advantages, people are willing to go green. Kay Murchie states that fact well by saying that “”Motorists would go green if the price was right” in an article in the Finance Markets. Here is an excerpt from her write-up:

Research by Tescocompare.com, the car insurance comparison site, has established that 2 million motorists claim to be driving an environmentally friendly car.

Low-emission vehicles are most popular in Wales and the South West, where 12% have chosen a car which is environmentally friendly compared to 4% in London.

However, Tescocompare.com discovered that more than 21 million are driven by financial incentives and would consider converting to a ‘green’ or low-emission car if the price was more competitive and the Government offered incentives for doing so.

If road tax was reduced, 62% would be persuaded to go green while 25% could be convinced if there was a steep rise in fuel prices. 36% would consider going green if the incentive was cheaper parking fees.

So there you go. Incentives. Legislation. Savings. Those three will make or break the popularity of green cars among car owners.

References: ABC News ; NBC San Diego; Finance Markets

Hybrids: What Are They Exactly?

2008-04-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last night a friend and I were watchin’ this documentary about “green” cars, prior to that we were at the post office to pick up the catalytic converter that he ordered. And so began our discussion about “green” cars and “cats”. He (being a fan of old school cars) does not have any idea what these supposedly eco-friendly cars are. He asked me if these cars have catalytic converters. Well, I am not an expert on “green” cars ‘coz I haven’t had the chance to check one out yet but that much I know. I said hybrids do. And so he asked again, “what are hybrids?” I told him that these are still petrol-powered vehicles, however the least amount of petrol is used because the car battery assists the engine to make the car run. So basically, both petrol and electricity are making the car move, unlike before when petrol was the sole generator of power. That is why it is called a hybrid in the first place. So it got me thinking, all over the US people are questioning the feasibility of these cars in the years to come. A lot are commenting that they are here to stay because they are far more environment-friendly than most cars in production today. But, surprisingly, not that many people know about “green” cars and the entire working/s behind it, hence this blog post.

I was searching online for information about hybrids, but all I could find where data that were too technical for most people. There was this Frequently Asked Questions thing online about the Honda Civic Hybrid and I decided it would be a great example. The Honda Civic is one of the most lauded hybrids to ever come out this year, and here are a few information about the car.

What is a hybrid vehicle?
A hybrid car combines a petrol-powered engine with an electric motor to provide substantially better fuel economy with substantially lower emissions. Specifically, the Civic Hybrid utilizes Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology, which uses a 1.3-liter VTEC engine for primary power, with an ultra-thin electric motor providing additional power and torque.

Do I need to plug the Civic Hybrid in?
Never. The Civic Hybrid battery pack is recharged automatically when decelerating through regenerative braking, as well as when cruising. The driver never needs to worry about recharging the battery; the Civic Hybrid does this by itself in the usual course of driving.

What Petrol do I use in the Civic Hybrid?
The Civic Hybrid runs on the cheaper 91 octane unleaded.

What fuel economy can I expect from the Civic Hybrid?
The Civic Hybrid should achieve an average of approximately 18km/ltr on highway driving and 15km/ltr around town, but like any car it depends how you drive it. Better figures than this can be achieved, e.g. In the 2002 EnergyWise Rally the Civic Hybrid achieved an average fuel economy of 21.46km/ltr (4.66 litres per 100kms or 60.6 mpg).

How does the Civic Hybrid perform and handle compared to conventional vehicles?
The Civic Hybrid feels and drives like a normal automatic non-hybrid Civic with the exception that when stopped, the petrol engine cuts out automatically.

Can the Civic Hybrid run on electricity when it runs out of petrol?
No, the Civic Hybrid always drives using the petrol engine with the electric motor only assisting. Like any other car, drivers should be sure to keep petrol in the tank of their Civic Hybrid at all times.

How long does the battery last in the Civic Hybrid?
To quote from the Honda website: "The battery pack is designed to last 10 years under normal driving conditions."

If you want to read the entire write-up, you can just click here.

Source: The Clean Green Car Company

High Gas Mileage = A Sure Sale?

2008-04-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

I wrote something about the Hummer being a “green” car in my previous post. I did so not only because I am a big Hummer fan, but because I am quite relieved that GM is taking steps to make this behemoth more environment-friendly. Yes! There is no way it can be as fuel-efficient as the super eco-friendly hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic and the Ford Escape. But I found out recently that the Hummer in a way is more eco-friendly because of how it is manufactured. It may be a gas-guzzler, but at least in its production there are no damages made like the increase of acid rain, water poisoning and the likes. This should be a matter of concern for auto-makers because fuel-efficiency is not the only way to battle pollution. By making vehicles in a way that there is no damage done to the environment and making them fuel-efficient at the same time, auto-makers can make this world a better place to live in.

Sadly though, agencies like the EPA focus more on how many miles a car can travel on a gallon, than on how it is made. But for some people it works. Speaking for myself, the mpg rating of a vehicle can also be an important tool in determining which vehicle to buy. If we don’t have information about how a certain car was built, then at least we can make a contribution to the environment by getting a fuel-efficient car. That much we can do. I am not being a hypocrite here. It’s just that we have no choice but to do so. And with the soaring prices of fuel, we suddenly find ourselves in between a rock and a hard place. It is important that we know how a certain vehicle performed in a fuel-efficiency test. This is where the EPA shines through. I have found a list of vehicles that offer the best gas mileage by class. There are a couple surprises here and there, but you know which ones to expect on the list. Here it is:

(Class Leaders / City MPG / Highway MPG)

Compact Cars (Range: 11-37; Avg.: 21/28)
Toyota Yaris 29 35
Honda Fit 27 34

Midsize Cars (Range: 9-33; Avg.: 18/26)
Hyundai Elantra 25 33
Pontiac Vibe 25 31
Toyota Matrix 25 31

Full-Size Cars (Range: 10-31; Avg.: 15/23)
Hyundai Sonata 21 30
Toyota Avalon 19 28

Luxury Cars (Range: 9-32; Avg.: 15/23)
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (diesel) 23 32
Audi A4* 21 30

Sports Cars (Range: 9-31; Avg.: 16/23)
Audi TT* 22 29
Volkswagen GTI* 22 29

SUVs (Range: 12-28; Avg.: 15/21)
Jeep Compass (2WD) 23 27
Jeep Patriot (2WD) 23 27

Pickup Trucks (Range: 12-26; Avg.: 15/20)
Toyota Tacoma (2WD) 19 25
Ford Ranger (2WD) 19 24
Mazda B2300 (2WD) 19 24

Minivans (Range: 15-28; Avg.: 17/24)
Mazda Mazda5 21 27
Kia Rondo 19 26

Source: EPA's 2008 Fuel Economy Guide

I am longing for the day that a Hummer will be on that list. I’m kinda getting my hopes up because of the recent introduction of the Hummer H3T. It hasn’t yet come close to being on the abovementioned list, but at least you can see a little improvement. And if plans push through, GM may be able to increase the gas mileage of Hummers. All we can do is to wait for a redesign (and maybe a compact version?) But maybe that is already asking too much. We just have to be thankful that steps are taken into making this impressive vehicle more available to the public by making them more eco-friendly than their older counterparts.

“Green” Hummers

2008-04-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Hummers are notorious for being gas-guzzlers. It can travel a measly 15-16 miles on one gallon of gas. That is why it is labeled as one of the most inefficient vehicles when it comes to gas mileage. People are praising green cars for addressing issues related to the environment, and Hummers are farthest in the minds of people when it comes to this matter. But little do people know that Hummers, to a certain degree, can be considered green. Well, not technically speaking, of course.

Green cars are popular for being very fuel-efficient. That is what people notice firsthand. But little do they know the resources used in the production of this vehicles. Roger Marolt of the Aspen Times wrote:

A report by the organization Target of Opportunity notes that AM General has decided not employ the use of nickel batteries in their vehicles, which are found extensively in the Prius, and are, in fact, at the nucleus of Prius’ hybrid power plant. The nickel for these Prius batteries is mined and smelted in Sudbury, Ontario, causing a nightmare of environmental damage.

According to David Martin, Canadian Greenpeace energy-coordinator, “The acid rain around Sudbury was so bad it destroyed all the plants and the soil slid off the hillside.”

Hummers, on the other hand, may not be as fuel-efficient as other vehicles, but GM’s commitment to making its production as environmentally-safe as possible is definitely laudable. Several technologies and safeguards are used so that in the production of every Hummer, the damage done by the production of eco-friendly cars is not replicated. That’s what makes Hummers green. And GM finally has plans of making the Hummer as fuel-efficient as any car that you see on the streets. That would set the GM marquee a step above the rest.

Hummer H3: Saudi Auto’s Editor’s Choice

2008-04-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Hummer H3 and the Toyota FJ Cruiser were test-driven at a course built for four-wheel drive vehicles at the Bahrain International Circuit. These two vehicles were in a head-to-head match-up for the coveted Saudi Auto’s Editor’s Choice Award, an award given by the premiere automotive magazine in the region. In what can only be called a one-sided competition, the Hummer H3 edged out the Toyota FJ Cruiser and went on to win the award.

Bakur Azher, publisher and editor-in-chief of the said magazine said in an interview:

“We felt that the Hummer H3 was particularly deserving of the Saudi Auto Editor's Choice award for a number of reasons. It possesses a greater ability to cross rough terrain than its competitor, helped by its higher ground clearance and better approach and departure angles; it looks great, inside and outside; and it offers much equipment that is not available in its competitor.”

Surprisingly, fuel-efficiency was one of the determining factors why the H3 bagged the award. During recent testing, the Hummer H3’s official fuel economy rating ranged from 15-16 mpg. That is already quite impressive for such a bulky and heavy vehicle. And there are rumors that GM is planning on redesigning the Hummer line-up further in order to take into consideration the rising cost of fuel. If that goes well, then we might see hundreds more of this superb vehicles on the street.

The 2008 Hummer H2

2008-04-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

GM’s Hummer keeps getting better and better. The Hummer H2 reportedly received not only a facelift but also an upgrade. Here is what you can expect from the H2:

6.2 L, V-8 engine capable of producing 388 bhp (393 according to different sources) and 423 lb-ft of torque
4WD w/ six-speed automatic transmission (with overdrive)
New seats (including optional third-row seats for two passengers)
New interior trims
Rear-seat overhead DVD system
New Bose audio system
Redesigned front end (larger grille openings / lower bumpers painted in silver rather than black)
Available in three trims (the Base, Luxury and the Adventure)
Quicker steering response
Quieter

A double-cab, pick-up version, the Hummer H2 SUT

The standard features that were retained are the following:

Heating, ventilation and a/c system for the rear compartment
Off-road ability
17 in wheels
Independent front suspension and a five-link rear suspension
Extensive underbody protection for the engine and transmission
Self-leveling rear air spring suspension system (optional for extreme off-road and towing jobs)

Its price ranges from $56,690 to $56,735. There are also minor changes that are not that worth mentioning. All in all, it is just as good as the old one, although a little different.

Source: Paul Hudson for the Telegraph.co.uk

How to Prevent Your Car from Getting Stolen

2008-04-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

You already know where thieves operate. You know what kinds of stuff they do so they can steal your car. Now, you need to know what you should do so you can prevent those from happening. I’ve cited a few examples in my previous post, but just to be safe, I again did a little research and found the following:

Caroline Pardilla of Edmunds.com wrote:

Since it seems like everything from a loud Harley to a rumbling garbage truck can set off a car alarm, people have been conditioned to tune them out. Instead of a motion-sensitive car alarm, use one that has a pager that will notify you as soon as your alarm is activated.
Don't tempt car thieves. Keep valuables out of plain sight. Take them with you or store them in the trunk. Also, if you have a stereo with a removable face plate, take it with you instead of tucking it away in the glovebox.
Instead of locking just your steering wheel, "lock" your car's ability to go by using a starter disable switch and putting it in a place where only you can get to it.
Instead of going to a big retail chain store, have your car alarm installed by a professional car alarm installer, preferably a reasonably shady one. Unlike retail chain employees, these experts know what it takes to make your car elusive to crooks.
Never display stickers that advertise what sort of car alarm you have, or audio system for that matter. Consider using a hood lock cable so the thief can't get to your battery or car alarm mechanism.
Never leave your keys in the ignition even for a quick errand. Car theft is a crime of opportunity, so don't make it easy for them to grab yours.
Keep your registration and insurance information with you and never leave personal information in your car.
Whenever possible, park in lots and garages that have security and/or parking lot attendants. If not, don't park in the farthest corner of the lot but rather near the entrance of these facilities to insure the most foot traffic (and the most potential witnesses). Also, opt for paying the extra couple of dollars for the monitored parking lot instead of using the free parking on the less-trafficked side streets.
Don't leave spare keys in your car or in a magnetic box attached to the underside of your car. Thieves know where all the "hiding places" are.
Instead of VIN etching the major parts of your vehicle, which doesn't turn most thieves off, drop your business card into the doors through the window slots to identify your car as yours.

If you have read that thoroughly then you know you are late for a little shopping. A car alarm pager should head your list followed by a starter disable switch and a hood lock cable conversion kit. Among the three, I only have the first. I suggest you avail of one. I would suggest getting a Kingtronic car alarm pager (KRF-430C), or a Crimestopper. They do not come cheap because usually they have built-in LCD displays that show whatever the security video inside the car is getting. If you can’t get in time to your car to ward off the thief, that’s what the starter disable switch is for. If he can’t get the hood to open, he won’t know that the starter is disabled. And it takes a long time to get it up and running.

The abovementioned tips are actually very good. And some of ‘em are original. You would do well to follow them if you don’t want your car to get stolen.

Car Thieves’ Modus Operandi

2008-04-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

It is said that the best offense is a good defense. That is not only applicable in sports. You can also make use of this principle in preventing your car from getting stolen. By knowing how car thieves operate, you would know how to guard your car against them. I said in my previous blog that if it was me, and I was parking in a shady neighborhood I will not be averse to putting a wheel boot on my car. It is not a foolproof technique because given enough time, anyone can figure out how to disengage it, but it is a start.

Another thing that you can do is to park the vehicle where you can see it, or where others can. It is also sensible to park in places where there is ample security like in one of those commercial parking lots. If it were me, I wouldn’t mind paying for the time I’m gonna spend there. At least car thieves wouldn’t be able to duplicate my parking ticket. Another tip is to make sure that all your alarm systems are working. You can try engaging it and the bumping into parts like the bumper, wheels, doors, mirrors, window and hood and see if the alarm picks up. Be sure to keep your keys in hand so you can stop the alarm any time. You would not want angry neighbors to bark at you for being so noisy. Those six are usually the areas that thieves first inspect, and if just one of those do not sound off that is a sure indication that your alarm system or a part of it (that is, if you have one) is not working.

Well, I’ve run out of tips, so lemme’ give you a few which have been dug up online. I got this one from edmunds.com, a website that has been very helpful in the past when I bought one of my cars. In an article entitled, “Top 10 Ways to Steal a Car (and how to defend against them)” by Caroline Pardilla, the author presented the most common modus operandi of car thieves. The article featured tips on how to avoid being a victim, but I’ll present that in a different post so as to be a bit organized.

10 Ways to Steal a Car

Bump against the car to check for a car alarm
Break the window or jimmy the lock to gain entry into a locked car.
Cut the steering wheel itself if there's a steering wheel lock.
Look for exposed wiring that can be cut or for the central unit of the car alarm to deactivate it.
Look for car alarm decals to figure out which method to use to eliminate the alarm.
Jump into an unattended running car while the owner is at the ATM, dropping off videos, etc.
Look for the car's title, registration or anything with a home address on it.
Stake out sporting events, movie theaters and shopping center parking lots for the car of your choice since they offer the largest variety of cars in one area.
Find the second set of keys the owner "hid" in the car.
Copy specific vehicle information and take it to the manufacturer to get a replacement key made.

If ever you see someone doing any of those to your car, or any other car for that matter, you should immediately notify the police. If good judgment tells you that the police won’t make it in time and that the car will just end up getting stolen, then you can try and frighten the thief away. Don’t confront him. Just shout at him. Also get a good look at the face. That person will eventually get caught once you give the police the description. Once you know what to look out for, you will know what to do.

Places Where Your Car Is Likely to Get Stolen

2008-04-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

If you are from Modesto, San Diego or San Francisco, you better think twice about parking your car where no one can keep tabs on it. Statistics show that these cities are where car thieves are most active. No car is safe, really. If you leave it somewhere long enough, someone is bound to take it. However, recent data points out that in Western states, people’s cars get stolen all the time. Maybe there are more car thieves there, or there is the same amount of thieves but they are just better at their trade. Nevertheless, I’d never take my chances when I’m there. It’s either I’ll put a wheel boot on my car or I’ll park it near a police station. I found this interesting tidbit in an article in The Auto Channel, and I deemed it prudent to post this information here so you can be warned.

Washington DC April 22, 2008; The AIADA newsletter reported that according to a report issued by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Modesto, Calif. tops the charts for the highest rate of auto theft per capita in 2007.

Preliminary FBI crime data signals that nationally vehicle thefts dropped 7.4 percent in 2007 - marking the fourth consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts. Western states continue to take the top spots when it comes to auto theft rates, according to CNN.

In 2007, four out of the top 10 metro areas with the highest vehicle theft rates were in California. The final number of thefts for 2007 has not been released yet, but in 2006 Californians lost 242,693 cars. Texans, which came in a distant second for stolen cars, lost 95,429 cars.

Most of the cities that are seeing high theft rates are near the nation's border with Mexico, a fact that can make it tricky for authorities to recover the vehicles. "Once it is Mexico or Canada, then you are dealing with another country and you can't go in there and route around," said Frank Scafidi, spokesman for NICB.

Top 10 metro areas by per capita auto theft rate for 2007

1. Modesto, Calif.
2. Las Vegas/Paradise, Nev.
3. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, Calif.
4. Stockton, Calif.
5. San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, Calif.
6. Laredo, Texas
7. Albuquerque, N.M.
8. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz.
9. Yakima, Wash.
10. Tucson, Ariz.

NCIB April 22, 2008

I would like to comment that although your city’s name is not on the list, it does not mean that you are safe against car thieves. Your car may not be as flashy or expensive as others, but after chop shops are done with it they can sell individual parts for double or triple the price. In fact a whole car, when stripped, will cost more than its msrp when everything is sold. And that is not only speculation. That is fact. It is for this reason why most thieves will steal whatever they can get their hands on. And just because you have an old model car does not mean you are safe against people who prefer new ones. Old model cars are easier to steal simply because it has obsolete alarm systems, and its locks are easy to pick. Give someone 30 seconds with it, and they’ll be off before you notice it.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t drive your car any longer because it’ll just get stolen. There are precautions that you can take so that scenario can be avoided. Maybe in my next post I’ll write something about that. As for now, be contented with parking your car in secure locations. And if possible, park it where you and other people can see it.

Sales Slump: A Bump in the Road or a Blockade?

2008-04-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

The last quarter of the previous year and the first quarter of this year are both bad periods for the auto industry. The global oil crisis has affected not only the consumers but the automakers themselves. It is a simple equation, really. A new couple wants to buy a new car. The new car is relatively inexpensive, but the cost of maintaining it exceeds the budget because of the rising cost of fuel. So the new couple decides to put off buying a new car because in more ways than one, commuting is more economical. What took $1,000 a few years back now requires $2,000 annually to maintain. Gas allowances have doubled over the past few years, and this is gradually taking its toll in the auto industry. And this is not only felt in the US, but in other countries as well.

Norman de Bono of the London Free Press wrote:

London lost $341 million in payroll last year from auto sector job losses alone, according to a Canadian Auto Workers analysis of the London and area economy.

The CAW has released a detailed analysis of the impact the automotive industry has had on the London and area economy, and while it has been hit hard by a downturn, it remains a critical industry, Bill Murnighan, a researcher for the CAW, said yesterday.

"This is not just about job losses, but about how important automotive is to this economy," said Murnighan. "We wanted to lay out the facts and it is stunning to see how critical it is. We are trying to make people understand that."

The sector has lost more than 5,000 jobs over the last five years, a third of auto jobs that existed in the city and region a few years ago.

Similarly, Eric Beauchesne of the Montreal Gazette wrote:

The Canadian auto industry, including the parts sector that accounts for the lion's share of its jobs, faces tough times, a report released yesterday suggests. But it expressed confidence some firms will survive and even thrive.
…
But it's more than a case of being outpaced by the booming energy sector, as exports of autos and parts have been falling in absolute terms, he added. Exports have fallen nearly 20 per cent this decade.

"And the outlook for 2008 is for more of the same," Poloz (Export Development Canada's chief economist) warned.

This trend extends as far as several other countries in Europe. But over-all, Europe is having a slump. In The Earth Times it was cited that:

New European passenger car registrations slumped by 9.5 per cent in March, data released Tuesday showed, as rising oil prices and growing economic uncertainty kept consumers away from car showrooms. The March fall resulted in car registrations dropping by 1.7 per cent during the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2007, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said releasing the figures.

Last month's decline dragged down sales for the major car manufacturers in Europe with the German-based Volkswagen group reporting a 12.5-per-cent fall and its Japanese rival, Toyota posting a 16.5-per-cent drop during March.

The effect in these countries mirrors the 15-year low slump in the US brought about mainly by the oil and the credit crisis. Surprisingly, automakers are able to hold their own because of the increase of sales in Asia, particularly in India and China. But if this trend continues, the auto industry will suffer a tremendous blow, one of which is likely to cause several problems for months, and even years to come. They should try to weather it out, and hope for a favorable change during the coming months.

A Look at the Upcoming ’08 Beijing Int’l Auto Exhibition

2008-04-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

Beijing is really going all out this year. Not only will they be hosting the Olympics, the metropolis will also be the stage for one of the biggest auto-shows this year – the 2008 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. It is set for next week, between April 20 and 28. The auto-show is expected to be grand, and a large number of foreign automakers have already confirmed that they will not miss the exhibition for the world. Their presence is not only expected because China is said to be in the running for the spot as the “#1 Automotive Market” in the world, but because they are aiming to offset the decline of sales during the first quarter of this year.

An article in CHINAdaily.com cites:

Foreign auto makers will display a large number of new models at the Beijing auto show next week, hoping the booming market in China will offset sales slumps elsewhere in the world.

Big global names saw their sales growth far outpace the industry average in China, where passenger car sales rose 20 percent to 1.85 million in the first quarter.

But new vehicle sales in the United States hit a 15-year low as consumers held back due to concerns about soaring oil prices and the spreading credit crisis.

The biennial Beijing auto show has attracted all the world's major auto makers - including General Motors, BMW, Toyota and Honda - and none of the big names will be absent, the organizers said.

The Exhibition is expected to be at par with the recent ’08 NAIAS in scale, but it is already fashioning out to be a huge success. Since the second quarter has just begun, several automakers are planning on unveiling several new models that will be coming out this year. Some will exhibit a record number of cars, while others are there for the simple reason that they saw a big rise in car sales in China during the past months and would want to take advantage of the trend. And if this trend continues, it wouldn’t take long before China becomes the world’s largest auto-market. In fact, Kevin Wale, the president of GM in China has made a bold prediction, saying that, “China will be the world's largest auto market before 2020”. It would seem that India is not the only country that’s pretty much interested in foreign markets, as can be seen in the recent acquisition of Tata Motors of British marques, Land Rover and Jaguar.

CHINAdaily.com provides a great overview of what people can expect from the 2008 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, and here it is:

Ford Motor Co plans to show 55 vehicles in its 5,500-square-meter exhibition space, the largest for a single company in the history of the auto show.
…
Volkswagen AG will wheel in a record 31 vehicles at the biggest event of the Chinese automotive industry. The largest European auto maker will debut two sedans tailor-made for the Chinese market and showcase the highly anticipated Passat CC sedan and Tiguan sport-utility vehicle for the first time in China.
…
German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz, which saw its first-quarter sales soar 40 percent in China, nearly four times the global rise, will show 33 vehicles, including the super luxury Maybach and a particularly clean diesel hybrid model.

That probably is just the tip of the iceberg. And if all goes well, and sales in the People’s Republic are off the charts, expect the biennial auto-show to become an annual thing. This will definitely be the case if an answer to the rising cost of fuel is not found, and if the sales in the US are still in the dumps.

Old News, New Information: Jordan’s Private Car Collection

2008-04-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

The scenario was like this: I was fiddling with my keyboard, googling anything that pops out in my head. I so badly wanted to write a new blog post but I could not seem to think of anything to write. I also keep a personal journal online so I wrote something there first. Then, out of curiosity I typed “Michael Jordan car” in a search engine and I came across some pretty fascinating information. It turns out that Michael Jordan has his own car collection, something I’m not aware of even though I am a big Jordan fan. And get this, among his collection; he only has one American-made car. But that was way back in March of 2006. There is no recent news regarding Jordan’s collection so there is a possibility he already added another. Maybe the vehicles in the collection are not noteworthy to receive that much attention or His Airness is just very private about it. In any case, I tried hard to find a list of his car collection, to no avail. Although I did learn that the American car he bought in 2006 is a 2006 Cadillac XLR-V. (You can find the entire story here.)

It was reported that Cadillac GM Jim Taylor had his team bring three XLR-Vs of varying colors to Jordan’s house so that the NBA star can pick one. He chose the red (no surprise there!), and paid in full the amount of $100,000. That more than covers the car, the delivery and the little show they put up for his benefit. The red XLR-V custom side sills also sport Jordan’s signature etched in aluminum. Here is a review of the vehicle taken from a GM press release that I came across upon in Serious Wheels.

At the heart of the XLR-V is the new, 4.4-liter version of the Northstar engine outfitted with a positive displacement intercooled supercharger. The dual overhead cam (DOHC) V-8 engine delivers the highest horsepower rating of any Cadillac engine to date.

Called the Northstar V-8 SC (supercharged), the engine produces 440 horsepower (328 kW) at 6400 rpm and 425 lb.-ft. (576 Nm) torque at 3600 rpm (power and torque figures estimated) – and the engine’s power is underscored by its ability to deliver 90 percent of its peak torque between 2200 and 6000 rpm.

The Northstar V-8 SC generates 120 horsepower (90 kW) and 115 lb.-ft. (156 Nm) of torque more than its naturally aspirated counterpart, while its specific output of 100-horsepower-per-liter makes it one of the world’s highest specific output production V-8 engines.

However, the Northstar V-8 SC used in the XLR-V is more than just power and torque. The DOHC engine includes variable valve timing that enables outstanding top-end performance while maintaining the expected refinement and quality associated with a luxury marque.

The aggressive torque curve enabled by the choice of a supercharged engine gives the XLR-V acceleration capable of placing it firmly in the under-5-second-club for 0-to-60 time – a signature capability of V-Series vehicles.

The refined shift feel is enabled by careful electronic calibration of both the engine and transmission. During shifts, power is instantaneously lowered, then ramped back up carefully to make gear changes virtually unnoticeable.

And that is just the engine. Other impressive stuff about the XLR-V is related to its air induction and exhaust system, 6-speed automatic transmission, performance-tuned chassis system, innovative cooling system and adaptive forward lighting, among others. Even though it is relatively an old model, it still is better than some of the cars that have come out of production this year and last year. Better read the entire review for more information.

Movie Time: Taking a Break from All the “Car-Talk”

2008-04-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

A G. I. Joe movie is in production, and it is set to be released in 2009. As soon as I heard about the movie, I quickly searched online. The rumors are true, and I haven’t seen myself as excited about a movie as I am now. I did not grow up watching the G. I. Joe animated series, but I did own a couple of Hasbro toys. I can’t seem to find them now. I would have shared them with my son, and tell him something about G. I. Joe (about how they are an elite group of military men, originally formed to protect oil interests overseas). I don’t know how much of that is true. All I know is they are good role models, and compared to the shows my son is watching now, G. I. Joe will definitely get my thumbs up. I watched Transformers, the movie, with my son; we’re definitely gonna line-up in the movie house during the first week of this movie.

Here is a peek at the cast and crew of the movie. Some of the information is still subject to change because it is still in production (and I do hope they replace the other cast members)

Cast:
Channing Tatum ... Duke
Dennis Quaid ... General Hawk
Dwayne Johnson ... Hector 'Shipwreck' Delgado (rumored)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt ... Cobra Commander
Brendan Fraser ... Gung Ho (rumored)
Rachel Nichols ... Shana 'Scarlett' O'Hara
Sienna Miller ... The Baroness
Ray Park ... Snake Eyes
Jonathan Pryce ... U.S. President
Christopher Eccleston ... Destro
Arnold Vosloo .. Zartan
Marlon Wayans ... Ripcord
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje... Heavy Duty
Saïd Taghmaoui ... Breaker
Byung-hun Lee ... Storm Shadow
Karolina Kurkova ... Courtney A. Kreiger / Cover girl (rumored)

Directed by:
Stephen Sommers

Writing credits
Stuart Beattie (screenplay)
Skip Woods (screenplay)

Produced by:
Lorenzo di Bonaventura .... producer
Bob Ducsay .... producer
Brian Goldner .... executive producer
JoAnn Perritano .... co-producer
Stephen Sommers .... producer
David Womark .... executive producer

And guess who (or what) is making a special appearance? Hummer!!! Being originally a military vehicle, it comes as no surprise that the Hummer will make an appearance in the movie. Sadly, the concept car Hummer HX won’t be featured in the movie. I read about this particular piece of disappointing information online, but I don’t want to let that bring the movie down. As long as there are Humvees there, I’m ok with it.

I’ve got a couple of issues with the cast, though. Channing Tatum as Duke? No way! He’s supposed to be second in command of the Joe’s, and he’s a first sergeant at that, not a kid. Even a toy Duke looks more manly than Channing Tatum. And I don’t even care if he has a huge following. They would’ve been better off casting Mark Wahlberg or John Cena. Also, at first, I had difficulty imagining Joseph Gordon-Levitt palying the role of Cobra Commander. But the more I think about it, the more I believe that it is actually a good idea. There is nothing more vile and evil (in a movie) than a kid who is corrupted by revenge, greed and malicious intent. Although, I don’t think he can pull off the voice. Also, interchange Rachel Nichols and Sienna Miller’s roles. I think that would work better. Brendan Fraser as Gung-Ho? What’s so gung-ho about him? Forget it. Better not include the character in the movie.

Things that I’m looking forward to seeing are a fight scene between Quick Kick and Storm Shadow and Storm Shadow against Snake Eyes along with appearances from Sgt. Slaughter and the Renegades, just like in the 1980’s movie. Now that would bring back very good memories of the past.

Hydrogen: The Answer to the Rising Cost of Fuel

2008-04-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

The unique traits of hydrogen have not escaped the eyes of people who have sought the answer for an alternative fuel that is more effective, and far more abundant in supply. In fact, it was predicted by futurists that by 2010, hydrogen-powered cars will already be in production. During the time this prediction was told, it was deemed bold and it was treated with a lot of incredulity. But because of the numerous advances that are being made year by year, a mass-produced, hydrogen-powered may not be far from being possible. Frank Markus details the advantages of hydrogen in automotive applications in an article in Motor Trend, and here is an excerpt from that article:

Hydrogen to the rescue. This fuel of the future burns so quickly and easily, even in low concentrations, that converting 20 to 30 percent of the gasoline into hydrogen allows the engine to burn all its fuel under ultralean conditions. The carbon monoxide also reacts in the combustion chamber to form carbon dioxide, releasing energy in the process.

And here's a bonus: In the concentrations we're talking about here, hydrogen gas and CO inhibit knock quite effectively. Together, they manage to boost the effective octane rating of the fuel by 20 points (making regular unleaded behave like 107-octane racing fuel). This enables the engine to be heavily turbocharged and/or its compression ratio to be raised by three to four points.

Raising the boost and/or compression ratio of an engine allows it to be downsized dramatically and still achieve the same level of performance, which is how the hydrogen-enabled combustion engine concept derives most of its efficiency. Running an engine with lots of excess air also means the throttle plate stays open farther, so the engine does less work pumping air. Total fuel savings are pegged at 20 percent or better. That's equal to or better than diesel-fuel economy burning quiet, odorless, less-polluting gasoline--and it's all achieved without Alfen waves (whatever they are).

Mazda Recalls Demio, Among Others

2008-04-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Just a few days ago, a report went out about Mazda Motor Corp. recalling three of their passenger cars because as it turns out, they all have computer defects. One of these three Mazda cars is the Demio, which was also sold as the Mazda 121, Mazda Metro, Mazda 2 and Ford Festiva Mini Wagon. The name rings a bell, right? That is because the third generation of this model was named 2008 World Car of the Year title. It bested out other nominees such as the Audi A5, Audi R8, Cadillac CTS, Ford S-Max, and, what in my personal opinion is the best among the nominees (including the Demio), the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Can automotive journalists still recall their votes? I don’t’ think so. They should have done a more thorough job, instead of relying on figures.

Almost a million Demios have been sold ever since its introduction. And now, according to the transport ministry almost a quarter of this is being recalled. Granted that all of those produced in between March 2005 and October 2007 has not been sold, the sheer number of those with computer defects is alarming. After what I have learned, I will never buy a Mazda in the future. Not that I am planning on buying one because I am not a Mazda-type of guy. But I know a friend who owns a Mazda and if he hears about this, I’m sure the guy at the dealership will have his hands full. And the bad part is, the program defect in the ECU affects the braking distance of the vehicle. It may not be a problem if the owner has already adapted to it. However, what about the first-time users of the Demio? The safety of customers is the one compromised here. Mazda owners need more from the automaker than just an action to recall the vehicles. They need assurance that this does not happen again ever. Extensive road-testing must be done before any vehicle comes out in production. That is, like auto-making 101. People expect them not to make this kind of rookie mistake.

The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicles

2008-04-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Next to safety, mileage should be another prime consideration. What use is a stylish car if it takes like $5,000 to drive it yearly from your house to work and back on an everyday basis? Unless you are a millionaire, you better check the mpg (miles per gallon) rating of your vehicle. You can check it online, or if you are going to a car dealership it should be placed on a sticker that is conspicuous enough to be seen by everyone, much like the one you can see on tacked onto a brand new refrigerator. That sticker is placed there by the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA to relay the scores a particular vehicle has garnered during standard emission testing and the likes, so it is fairly reliable. It helps to do research online as well so you can make an informed decision. But you should be warned that these are just rough estimates, and gas mileage is oftentimes dependent on how you drive and maintain your vehicle. If, for example, you make a lot of start and stops while you drive, you will be using more fuel than when you are driving without many stops. But what is good about the EPA estimates is that it gives you a background on how well a particular car is expected to perform, assuming of course that you drive it properly and you take care of it.

I searched the web for the safest and least safe cars to come out this year and last year, respectively, and I deemed it fitting to do the same here in my newest post. I found a list made by Dan Shapley in the The Daily Green of the 10 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicles. You can view the article by clicking here, or you can read on because I grabbed a few data from his comprehensive article.

The Toyota Prius Hybrid
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Midsize Car
Fuel Economy
City: 48 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $1.62
Per Year: $970
Annual Carbon Output:
4.0 tons

The Honda Civic Hybrid
No. 2 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Compact Car
Fuel Economy
City: 40 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $1.77
Per Year: $1,064
Annual Carbon Output:
4.4 tons

The Nissan Altima Hybrid
No. 3 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
Fuel Economy
City: 35 mpg
Highway: 33 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.19
Per Year: $1,314
Annual Carbon Output:
5.4 tons

The Ford Escape Hybrid
No. 4 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 SUV
Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 30 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.33
Per Year: $1,399
Annual Carbon Output:
5.7 tons

The Mazda Tribute Hybrid
No. 4 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 SUV
Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 30 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.33
Per Year: $1,399
Annual Carbon Output:
5.7 tons

The Mercury Mariner Hybrid
No. 4 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 (tie) Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 SUV
Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 30 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.33
Per Year: $1,399
Annual Carbon Output:
5.7 tons

The Toyota Camry Hybrid
No. 7 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
Fuel Economy
City: 33 mpg
Highway: 34 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.19
Per Year: $1,314
Annual Carbon Output:
5.4 tons

The Toyota Yaris
No. 8 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Subcompact Car
Fuel Economy
City: 29 mpg
Highway: 36 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.33
Per Year: $1,399
Annual Carbon Output:
5.7 tons

The Toyota Corolla
No. 9 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
Fuel Economy
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.40
Per Year: $1,444
Annual Carbon Output:
5.9 tons

The Honda Fit
No. 10 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Vehicle
No. 1 Most Fuel-Efficient 2008 Small Station Wagon
Fuel Economy
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 34 mpg
Fuel Cost:
25 Miles: $2.40
Per Year: $1,444
Annual Carbon Output:
5.9 tons

The surprising thing is, three SUVs make it to the top ten. That makes the 2008 line-up of vehicles very impressive. So if you still want to own a family car, you can opt for an Escape, Tribute or a Mariner. Make a wise choice.

Latest List of Least Safe Cars

2008-04-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

In my previous post, I cited the safest cars according to crash tests and statistics compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS. Now, those are the vehicles that you should buy. But then again, it all still depends on the driver. The test was just conducted to determine which ones will hold up well in an unforeseen and inevitable accident. Even if you are the most cautious driver, and even if you have an Audi A6, Acura RDX or a Honda CR-V, accidents can still happen. And that is what the safety features of your vehicle are for. It is also best to know which ones failed to pass the test conducted by the IIHS. I looked and looked for a list of least safe cars in 2008, but I can’t seem to find one, so I settled for the latest. I was able to find an article in Forbes.com which contained the info I was looking for. It was written by Dan Lienert and here is the list (in no particular order):

Ford Focus

2007 Ford Focus four-door, without optional side airbags
Safety issues:
--"Poor" side-impact rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
--Substantially worse-than-average frequency of injury claims filed
--Three-star frontal side-impact rating from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (out of a possible five stars)

Mazda3

2007 Mazda3 four-door, without optional side airbags
Safety issues:
--"Poor" side-impact rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
--Substantially worse-than-average frequency of injury claims filed
--Three-star frontal and rear side-impact ratings from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (out of a possible five stars)

Saturn Ion

2007 Saturn Ion four-door, with or without optional side airbags
Safety issues:
--"Poor" side-impact rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
--Substantially worse-than-average frequency of injury claims filed
--Three-star frontal side-impact ratings from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (out of a possible five stars)
--"Marginal" rear crash-protection rating from IIHS--the second lowest-possible rating

Suzuki Aerio

2007 Suzuki Aerio four-door and Aerio SX
Safety issues:
--"Poor" side-impact rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
--Substantially worse-than-average frequency of injury claims filed
--"Marginal" rear crash-protection rating from IIHS--the second lowest-possible rating

Suzuki Forenza

2007 Suzuki Forenza four-door
Safety issues:
--"Poor" side-impact rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
--Substantially worse-than-average frequency of injury claims filed
--"Poor" rear crash-protection rating from IIHS--the lowest-possible rating

Toyota Corolla

2007 Toyota Corolla four-door, without optional side airbags
Safety issues:
--"Poor" side-impact rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
--Substantially worse-than-average frequency of injury claims filed
--"Poor" rear crash-protection rating from IIHS--the lowest-possible rating

Chevrolet Cobalt

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt four-door, without optional side airbags
Safety issues:
--"Poor" side-impact rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
--Substantially worse-than-average frequency of injury claims filed
--"Safety concern" issued by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, based on Cobalt's performance in frontal side-impact testing

It is very surprising that Ford heads the list when they have a number of vehicle models in lists of safest cars. But the fact that it has no side airbags (even an optional one) guarantees it a spot on the list. Tests have proven that side airbags greatly reduce injury during a collision. It is even said to be the “new seatbelt”. And it actually makes sense. If you strategically place airbags all over the passenger compartment, you will be well protected during low-speed to moderate collisions. When you make a visit to a car dealership, you should think twice before you buy the abovementioned cars. But if you’re confident enough that you are a safe and cautious driver, then you can still get it if it’s what you fancy. All in all, the choice depends on you. The IIHS is just giving you facts. It’s up to you if you want to depend on it.

Safest Cars of 2008

2008-04-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Safety should always take precedence over speed when buying a vehicle, more so if it is not only your safety that is on the line, but those of others as well. While I am not a big fan of accidents, my prime consideration whenever I am driving is not myself but the well-being of my kids. That is what I am most concerned about. Safety is a very big issue for me, and I do not only settle on knowing what safety features a particular car has. I want to know how it holds up in a simulated or if possible, real life scenarios. Of course, by real life I don’t mean there should be a person driving the car and then see if he lives or not after an accident. A dummy would suffice.

When a car, truck or SUV goes out in the market, that means it has passed certain standards, and that it offers a degree of protection, enough to satisfy safety norms. That is ok. But the question is: How high/low is the safety level of that particular vehicle? If a vehicle has, for example, a safety rating of 7 and it is considered to be above average in terms of safety, should you consider buying it or settle for one that is rated an 8 or a 9? Of course you should get the one with the higher safety rating. It is for this reason why several groups conduct yearly tests to determine which cars are safe and which are not. One of these groups is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS which is an “independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reduce the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation's highways.” This organization is backed by auto-insurers so they would know which cars should have a low insurance rating, and which ones would cost a lot to insure. The safety of car owners is also another consideration.

I checked their website and they have already put out a list of the safest cars to come out in the year 2008, and here they are:

Large cars
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus with optional electronic stability control
Mercury Sable with optional electronic stability control
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Audi A3
Audi A4
Honda Accord 4-door models
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy with optional electronic stability control

Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volvo C70

Small car
Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control

Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX
Acura RDX
BMW X3
BMW X5
Ford Edge
Ford Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Veracruz built after August 2007
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M class
Nissan Murano
Saturn VUE built after December 2007
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Honda CR-V
Honda Element
Subaru Forester with optional electronic stability control

Large pickup
Toyota Tundra

You can check out this list, as well as past lists on their website by clicking here. If you want more proof of a vehicle’s safety rating, you can also gather information from other websites. I would suggest you check out the list at CNN.com Autos, Forbes.com and AOL Autos. If you buy a “safe” car, and then you drive with caution, you observe traffic rules and you stay alert, you will decrease the likeliness of getting into any kind of accident. It also pays to know which cars you should steer clear of. It is recommended that you do this kind of research before you buy any vehicle. I am going to provide you with a list, probably tomorrow, of the least safest cars to ever come out, if not this year, then last year.

The Marvel that is Gran Turismo

2008-04-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

I walked in on my son playing Playstation in the den, and he was too engrossed on this car racing game. I found out later that its title is Gran Turismo 4. Normally, I would have let him be, but the game was about cars so I got intrigued. It is not that I’m ignorant or I’m afraid to touch the console, it is just that those kinds of things are not my cup of tea. Well, anyway, I sat with him for about 20 minutes. And it turns out that it is not only racing that you can do in the game, you can also acquire cars by winning, unlocking or buying ‘em. That is pretty neat. And as I sat there mesmerized, he even surprised me further by telling me that you can even modify the cars. I’ve heard that Pimp My Ride, a show in MTV, already has a video game version, but I did not expect a racing game to be this expansive. It is very different from the games I used to play in the arcade where all you do is turn this way and that and press button to change gears. However, busy man that I am, I did not play. What I did though is look up Gran Turismo in the web and I found out that there are more than 1 installment of the game. I found a brief summary in Wikipedia, and here it is:

Gran Turismo 1

As the best selling PlayStation game ever Gran Turismo is a legend throughout both the masses of car simulation games, and PlayStation fans. Naturally, GT is the least sophisticated of the primary game versions. It has 11 courses and 178 cars, and includes arcade and simulation modes.

Gran Turismo 2

Released in 1999/2000 for the PlayStation, Gran Turismo 2 has 28 courses and some 650 cars, making it one of the biggest games at the time; it was released as a double disc due to its sheer size. It also has dirt tracks, Racing modifications (race colors, etc.), tallies the player's game completion percentage, and has the series' first real life track, Laguna Seca.

Gran Turismo 3

The first installment of the Gran Turismo series on the PlayStation 2, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (GT3) featured vastly improved graphics and new gameplay features, such as oil changes. It was released in July of 2001. The Gran Turismo Mode has a reorganized layout, with a more structured and progressive arrangement of races and challenges. As of December 2007, the game has sold 1,890,000 copies in Japan, 7,140,000 in North America, 5,840,000 in Europe, and 10,000 in Southeast Asia.

Gran Turismo 4

Gran Turismo 4 (GT4) was released in 2004/2005 with 728 cars and 50+ racetracks (including the Nürburgring Nordschleife), and the notable additions of installable spoilers (different from "racing modification" in earlier versions), nitrous oxide, a photo mode, an auto-drive feature dubbed "B-spec", and HD capability. An online component, originally intended, was not included.

Aside from those four, there are prologues, special editions, limited production installments and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue which is set to be released this spring. I told my son over dinner that one of these days he should teach me how to play. He laughed at me. He said I can assemble car from scratch but I will find it hard to know which way in his controller was up or down. He may be exaggerating, but I did not pursue the topic further. I’ll just walk in on him someday and demand that he teach me. For more information about the game, you can visit the official Gran Turismo website by clicking here.

The 2009 Hummer H3T Unveiled

2008-04-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Dallas is so lucky. They got a first hand view of the 2009 Hummer H3T which was unceremoniously unveiled at the Dallas Auto Show. Being a huge Hummer fan, I would have been there if I was not tied up at work. I’ve been missing a lot of good auto shows lately. First there was the hugely successful NAIAS and now this. I’ve not been paying attention to the news so I was not aware that they were unveiling the H3T.

From what I have heard and what I’ve read, the 2009 Hummer H3t lives up to the brand name. You can see from the picture posted below that it is a pick-up truck, the first ever from Hummer. It is a bit larger than a mid-size pick-up truck, but not as large as a full-size one. It brings to mind images of the Ford F150, although the H3T has the trademark wide front fascia which is a noticeable spin-off from previous models. And it’s a bit bulkier and it offers a more menacing look. You know what the automaker just did? Cut the passenger compartment into two, making one part the cab and the other the truck bed. But who cares? It looks good anyway. Plus, you get to lug things around in the 1.5 meter truck bed.

As for the specs, it sports a Vortec 3.7 L I-5 engine. This five-cylinder engine is capable of producing as much as 242 hp at 5600 rpm, and 242 lb-ft of torque at 4600 rpm. Manual transmission comes standard on the H3T mainly because it is preferable for off-road driving. But if you’re lazy enough to shift gears, automatic transmission is available as well. The H3T Alpha which is slowly beginning to be the most favored trim has a 5.3L V8 engine that produces as much as 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque.

The H3T is offered in four trims, including the V8-powered H3T Alpha which is rumored to have a towing capability of a tractor (well, not exactly!). But it can tow up to 5,900 pounds. That is very impressive for a non full-size truck. It also has 4WD capability, being an off-road machine like all its predecessors. It is fitted with 32-33-inch tires, depending on the trim. And skid shields make a great addition to its off-road capability. The cab is similar to the H3, except for the length, for obvious reasons. And the truck bed is lifted from GM’s newest designs of full-size trucks.

Now, about the interior, it has everything that you would expect from a Hummer. And that means, a spacious passenger compartment which can hold five people including the driver, and even six if I bring along my anorexic uncle. The design is very similar to the H3 SUV, and as always it has standard amenities like power features, radio and a/c. It’s also fitted with the OnStar technology, Bluetooth connectivity, a navigation system and a rear-view camera. The last one can be very helpful when towing stuff.

As for the icing on the cake, well Hummer is planning on marketing as much as 125 accessories for the H3T, and that includes many off-road tools that can make you feel like you can take on any trail in front of you. And, these accessories are even made for different applications, like water sports, biking, trekking, hiking and many other extreme sports. The 2009 Hummer H3T is a definitive must-have. It is set to be in production lines by the last quarter of this year, so expect it to come out early next year. And, by the way, the Hummer HX, which I featured on one post, is set to make a debut in 2010, as well another Hummer, the H4, Can’t wait for those to hit the market.

Afraid of Buying a Used Car? Get a New One, Instead.

2008-04-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

I wrote a guideline on what things to look out for when buying a used car, and I deemed it right to post another one that details the things that one should consider before getting a new one. Being a family man, the first thing I ask about are the safety features. Next to that, I ask about the gas mileage. Then I take a look around the vehicle and I take about 20 minutes to check the engine. Only then do I take it for a test drive. And I don’t want to waste my time. If I don’t like a car at the onset I don’t bother the salesperson about it. And, by the way, I do research even before I go to a dealership. I check out the MSRP of vehicles, compare cars and check out the specs. Speed, for me, is not a prime consideration, mainly because I only do city driving, unless of course if the in-laws ask the family to visit. Even then I don’t drive fast because of the kids.

I also researched and found a checklist that’s very much like the one I cited in my previous post. I got this from the Better Business Bureau site. And I ignored the part about the safety features, specs, etc because those can be read off the manual or online. But when it comes to test driving the vehicle, here are a few things you should check out:

• Visibility. Can you see the end of the hood and the trunk? Does any part of the car block your vision? Can you easily see all the mirrors?
• Safety features. Check for manual or automatic seat belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes, and child safety locks.
• Steering wheel placement. Are you comfortable behind the wheel? Is it easy to adjust the steering wheel, the seat, and mirrors?
• Entry/exit. Is it easy to get in and out of the car from each position?
• Seating. Does each passenger have plenty of head and leg room? Check rear seats, too. Fasten the safety belt in each position. Each belt should fit snugly across the hips; shoulder harnesses should ride comfortably across the shoulder.
• Instrument panel and controls. While driving, can you quickly and easily check the speedometer and fuel gauge? Try the windshield wipers, lights, turn signals and other functions to see how easy they are to operate. Check the climate controls.
• Trunk. Is there enough space in the trunk or cargo area? Is it easy to get to the spare tire?
• Engine. Does it accelerate smoothly? Does it have enough "passing power?" Slow down and speed up a few times to check out the responsiveness of the engine. Does the engine idle smoothly, or does it appear to race?
• Transmission. If the car has an automatic transmission, does it shift smoothly between speeds, without jolting? If it is a manual, check the feel of the clutch, and the ease of shifting gears.
• Ride. Is the ride smooth? Does it offer responsive handling that makes you feel comfortable in all road conditions?
• Parking. Does your car maneuver easily into a parking space? Does the steering wheel turn easily? Parallel park the car. Does any part of the car obstruct your view?
• Braking. Take the car out to a stretch of empty road, accelerate to about 40 mph and make an emergency stop. Does the car stop in a straight line without pulling to one side? Do the brakes lock up?
• Steering/handling. When your grip is relaxed on the steering wheel, does the car drift? At highway speeds, does the steering wheel provide a firm feel of the road? Is the car stable when you turn corners?
• Noise levels. With windows closed, listen to the noise level. Listen for engine noises when accelerating. At lower speeds, listen for road noises and tire sounds. At highway speeds, listen for wind whistling outside the windows.
• Exterior. Is the car's finish glossy and even? Check for evenly aligned body panels and secure trim.

If the car has passed all of those, and if it has passed your standards when it comes to look and/or image, delay buying it for another day and think about it over night. Do more research online. And if it really satisfies all your wants and needs, then you can get it the next day, assuming of course if it fits your budget. Be a smart buyer.

Planning On Buying A Used Car? Go Prepared!

2008-04-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

With the soaring prices of cars nowadays, which by the way is mainly the result of rising production costs and the addition of numerous automotive technologies, people are oftentimes backed into a wall and are forced to buy used cars instead. There’s no problem with buying a used car. I’m all for it, as a matter of fact. I’ve bought my share of used cars, two to be exact. One I bought when I graduated from high school, and the other was when I first started working. So long as you know what you’re doin’ you’ll be able to get a car that’s as good as a brand new one.

Some people take one long and lingering look at a car and they immediately judge it to be in good/bad condition. If they’re lucky enough they could be right on the money, but if they’re not, they’ll end up with a lousy car. So, if you can’t bring a mechanic friend along with you to check a used car for you, then it’d be best if you are armed with the knowledge of what to look out for. I browsed the Net and found site managed by the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles and this is a few of their recommendations when buying a used car.

Exterior Checklist:

• Check for nicks and scratches
• Look for ripples, waves, poorly fitted panels and mismatched colors.
• Check for bubbles along molding or chrome (indicates rust underneath).
• Check for welding spots on the frame (serious accident or repairs).
• Stand back approximately 10 to 15 feet from the car and see if the car is level.
• Check the shocks by pushing down on each corner of the car and letting go.
• Check the tires (sidewall cracks, uneven tire wear, brake fluid leakage)
• Look under the car for: oil spots, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, or shock absorber fluid.
• Open the hood and check belts and hoses for cracks or wear.
• Pull out the oil dipstick. Oil should not be gummy or grayish or smell burnt.

Interior Checklist

• Check the mileage
• Compare mileage on service stickers (door jamb/under hood) to the odometer reading.
• Check the condition of the seats, belts and carpeting.
• Check the windows to see if they open and close easily.
• Check the brake, accelerator and clutch -- should work smoothly, no strange noises.
• Check all exterior lights and flashers on the car
• Start the engine and check the warning lights and gauges
• Make certain that the air conditioning blows very cold air.
• Check the glove box for the owner's manual.

Test Drive Checklist

• Drive the car on hills, highways and in stop-and-go traffic.
• Start the engine and press down on the brake.
• Listen for noises which could indicate engine problems.
• Check the lights on the control panels--be sure they all work.
• Clutch should engage and disengage smoothly without grabbing
• Does the car bounce or bang over small bumps?
• Check the temperature gauge to see if it shows a high reading
• Cut off the engine. Then restart the engine -- does it restart easily?
• Check the tailpipe. Are there any black, sooty oil deposits?
• Does the odometer mileage seem to match the physical condition of the car?
• Check odometer for scratches, misaligned digits, digits that stick.

Again, those are just a few guidelines. As for me, I always come prepared with a checklist. Unfortunately, I don’t have a copy with me now. What I did was search online, again, and fortunately enough, I was able to find a very comprehensive one made by a Mr. Todd R. Haverstock. Here’s the link to that site – Used Car FAQ. If you follow all of those, it would seem like you’re a mechanic yourself. And one last thing, don’t let yourself be bullied or talked into buying a car that you really don’t want. Salespeople do that, so be wary. Hope this helps.

Car Safety Features Get a Needed Bolster

2008-04-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

According to statistics, teenage pregnancy is not the most common accident in the United States; it’s actually rear-ending a vehicle. I’m not kidding at all. Every second there’s someone in the U.S. who is at the moment crashing or bumping into the rear-end of another vehicle. That’s why innovative automakers have made it a point to integrate added safety features to their vehicle which is designed to prevent those dangers. And, oh, by the way this technology is relatively new. Not many cars are fitted with this. It’s what is called the automatic braking system, not very technical-sounding, eh? But it’s very helpful, to say the least.

This brake system is composed of a set of sensors and wires connected to the vehicle’s existing brake system. This is basically how it works: Infrared sensors along the front of the vehicle measure the distance between the object in front of the car and the vehicle’s front end. Once the other vehicle comes too close for comfort, the automatic braking system engages the brake in order to slow down the vehicle (not stop). Once the driver notices this sudden change, he’ll be aware of the other vehicle and apply the brakes fully if it’s necessary. Without me saying so, you’ll know how helpful this device is. And I just wish more cars are fitted with this, which by the way reminds me to ask my friend at the auto shop if it’s available as an aftermarket upgrade. I hope it is. It would be useful in city-driving and if ever I fall asleep while driving, which I hope I don’t.

Iconic Bug Makes a Comeback

2008-04-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

It looks like the VW Beetle is making a comeback. It is said to be the face of VW’s new campaign that will start some time next week. But then again, this move only precedes the introduction of the automaker’s newest line-up of vehicles which is composed of the Tiguan crossover SUV, Passat CC, Routan minivan, clean diesel Jetta TDi, and the Jetta SportWagen among others. On the other hand, it’s expected to bolster the clamor of people who love old-school cars for a new version of the “Bug”.

I definitely won’t say no to that. I haven’t been an owner of a classic Beetle, but my brother had one when I was young, and he was a proud owner. The Beetle at that time was sort of iconic, and he used to teach me how to drive using his beat-up Beetle instead of my dad’s car. And, trust me; it was very easy to drive. And you don’t even have to worry about wrecking the engine if you bump into anything because it is at the back. One sad thing though (and I remembered this because my son snuck up to me while I was writing this post): In the recent Transformers movie, Bumblebee was shown as a Chevy Camaro, instead of a Beetle because of some misunderstanding between VW and the producers, or so they say. That might have turned up well for the movie, but for people, like my son, who adores the Transformers franchise ever since he was a kid, it was a bit disappointing. But that’s already water under the bridge.

Lastly, VW is worried because their marketing strategy comes off as being silly at the outset, but if you think about it, one look at the restored 1964 black Bug, which is named “Max” by the way, people will immediately think of Volkswagen. And when they do they’ll wonder what’s new with the company. That’s when the new line-up is introduced. It’s a great move, if you ask me. I just hope that the new models live up to the hype generated by the iconic Bug.

2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3L Diesel

2008-03-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

I was browsing the Net for reviews on new vehicle models. I stumbled upon a review of the new Chevrolet Camaro, but I found it still lacking. It’s perfectly understandable because the 2008 Camaro hasn’t yet been unveiled, but there have been a few who have been granted an exclusive peek at the new model, so I was kinda keeping my fingers crossed there. Unfortunately, there was still nothing much about the new Chevy in the news. On other hand, I did stumble on a great review about the 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3L Diesel written by Rex Roy, a columnist for the Detroit Bureau of the Auto Channel. Here are a few lines from his first-hand review:

…In industry parlance, this SUV is mid-cycle—another way of saying that its middle aged, old news, not worthy of much attention, and completely out of the media limelight. However, when fitted with the 3.0-liter clean diesel V-6 produced by Mercedes-Benz, the Grand Cherokee suddenly becomes a newly-relevant SUV.

With the exception of a small badge on the rear hatch, you'd never know this Jeep packed a huge diesel punch while sipping fuel like a tree hugging hybrid.

It's not that the tried-and-true Grand Cherokee isn't a fine SUV when powered by any of its three gasoline-fired engines. The Jeep's lightweight unibody and trail rated suspension deliver performance and refinement that compare favorably within the class of five-passenger SUVs.

Certainly, the 420-horsepower SRT-8 models lives in rarified air because of its mind-bending acceleration and cornering performance. However —more like HOWEVER—in 2008 the biggest newsmakers are attracting attention by "out greening" their competition.

…

The specifications on the diesel are this: 215 horsepower at 3800 rpm, 376 lb-ft of torque at a low1600-2800 rpm, and a towing capacity rated at a maximum of 7,400 lbs. What these numbers don't tell you is that while racking up such impressive performance figures, the diesel produces approximately 30-percent fewer C02 emissions than its gasoline-burning counterparts…

For an SUV, this information is definitely very surprising. And it’s also promising to say the least. How I would wish this same technology can be applied to Hummers so I won’t feel guilty every time I drive one. Maybe next week I’ll get to read a review of the new Chevy Camaro.

Tata Motors: Hoping to Breathe Life into the Jaguar

2008-03-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here’s more on the Tata Motors acquisition of British auto marquee, Jaguar, and its counterpart, Land Rover.

It seems that the desire of Tata Motors for European-owned companies is already bordering on obsession. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but just take for instance their acquisition of Tetley, the second largest manufacturer and distributor of tea, as well as Corus, which is one of the largest producers of steel. It seems like it’s all a ploy to get back at their former colonizers, but in reality it actually pans out well in the end. The incorporation of the Corus Group into the company which also owns Tata Steel, ensures the monopoly of the production of steel in most countries, and even continents. As for Tetley, well, people love tea especially the British. In fact, Tetley products are widely popular in over 40 countries. Once the transfer of the ownership of Jaguar and Land Rover is finalized, expect Tata Motors to make a play to make these two marques, which by the way are beleaguered by low sales over the past year, the best in the world. It wouldn’t be surprising, because most of the companies that this firm touches turn into gold.

Here are just a couple of the firms that the Tata Group owns:

Ø Tata Motors

Ø Tata Steel

Ø Tata Power

Ø Tata Petrodyne

Ø Tata Chemicals

Ø Indian Hotels

Ø Tata Consultancy Services

Ø Tata Sky

Ø Tata Teleservices

Ø Tata Communications

Ø Tata Ceramics

Ø and others…

That is just about a tenth of the number of firms they own. And to think that those are leading companies in their respective sectors. Ford has made a good play of selling Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata, especially if they have the best interest of the auto-makers name/s at heart. No doubt, Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors would have sold the marques, if need be, to Tata Motors as well.

Tata Motors Acquires Jaguar and Land Rover

2008-03-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

There previously have been talks that Tata Motors was eyeing British marques, Land Rover and Jaguar. Rumors of that began to circulate and then died down after a couple of days. In a stunning turn of events, Ford agreed to sell these two prestigious automakers for a “mere” 2.3 billion. I know it’s a lot of money, but it’s “mere” compared to what Ford paid for Jaguar alone when it first acquired the marquee. What more for both, right? Maybe it’s because of the plummeting sales of Jaguar this year. Moreover, Ford, under the sale agreement, still has to cover the pension plans of these two, meaning they’ll still be paying for the manufacturing and distribution of these two for a period of twelve months. This will be to ease the transition of ownership. It is certainly very generous of them.

The sale is not yet final though, as it will take the two companies’ months to sort out regulatory approvals. The rough estimate when the sale can be finalized is probable by mid-year. So far, this deal has benefited none of the two companies. In an article in the Business Standard, it was cited how the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover has affected Tata Motors’ stocks. The writer stated that:

The Tata Motors stock fell the most in two months on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on concerns of decline in profits of the company after it agreed to buy Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) from Ford Motor for $2.3 billion.

The stock dropped as much as 7.3% to a low of Rs 630 and traded at Rs 647 at 1320 hours on the BSE. The benchmark index of the BSE, the Sensex, was down 110 points.

Analysts are of the view that Tata Motor's loans to finance the purchase may increase interest payments and profit may fall by 30% next year. The company had tied up $3 billion of short-term loans to fund its acquisition, seeking overseas markets and new technology.

The only good thing that it has brought Tata Motors is the recognition as a major player in the global automotive industry. And combined with China’s play on being the # 1 automobile market in the world, it seems the future is bright for the Asian automotive industry. To strengthen this idea, here are a couple of comments placed in an article in the Financial Times: Mergermarket, to wit:

The deal is small by the standards of the global automotive industry – or of other big mergers and acquisitions in industry and finance – but has been closely followed as a new high-water mark for an Asian company in acquiring two world-renowned automaking marques.

“Their [Tata’s] acquisition of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands will make the world sit up and take notice of India’s growing prominence in the global automotive arena,” said Anand Mahindra, managing director of rival Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra, which also considered bidding for the marques.

It may not be a big deal today since Tata Motors is still recoiling from the shock of getting two highly-renowned auto-makers. But once they take the reins, I am willing to bet that they can turn this slump around and turn it into a good thing. I won’t be surprised at all if in the following years, Indian and Chinese companies will buy-out more and more foreign marques, cementing their hold in the process on the global automotive industry. The only thing that they have to face is the challenge of building automobiles that are at par or even better than what are being manufactured today. And considering their impressive business portfolio, I wouldn’t be amazed at all if they rise up to the challenge.

The Transporter’s Mode of Transportation (Part II)

2008-03-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

I’m still very much feeling the Jason Statham fever today so I feel like continuing the post about the cars he used in his movies. This time it’s all about The Transporter 2. And if you wait long enough, maybe in 2009 I’ll write about the cars that’ll be used in the third installment. But that would have to wait. Maybe it’s the cars and not the actor that I really like. Oh, well! Anyhow, the second installment was released in 2005. I know it’s about 3 years old already, but I feel my auto-blog won’t be complete without it, or am I just bein’ too melodramatic? I’ve already started it so I might as well finish it.

Audi A8 (W12 6.0)

I mistook the first car Jason Statham used in the movie for an Audi A8, but it turned out to be a 1999 Black BMW 735i. This time around, he did use an Audi A8. And get this: he uses it to transport a rich guy’s kid to and from school. That’s a $120,000 car. He might as well have used a limo while he’s at it. But then again those types of cars are not built for quick getaways. Compared to the first car, this one’s more fuel-efficient especially in highway driving. It is able to go as far as 23 miles on a gallon. It has a 6.0 L, W-12 engine that’s able to produce 450 hp. And that’s surprising given the fact that it’s more fuel-efficient than cars which are less powerful than it. It is highly maneuverable because it has a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. In the hands of Frank Martin (Statham’s character) it becomes one mean machine.

Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster

If the Audi A8 W12 is fuel-efficient, the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster clearly isn’t. It can only travel half of what the former can travel on one gallon of gas, and maybe even less. So what’s the big deal with this car? For one, billionaires love to drive ‘em. Also, in the movie you’d see that it can catch up to a helicopter and even a jet which is about to take-off. It’s mainly because the Murcielago can reach speeds of up to 211 mph with its 6.5 L, V-12 engine. I’ve featured this in a previous post and I’ve stated that it was also used in Batman Begins as the car that Bruce Wayne, billionaire extraordinaire, favors. And you know what, I get the feeling that whenever there is a chase scene in any action flick, there has to be a Lamborghini in there somewhere. And it’s always the good guy who gets to drive it. You’ve seen it in The Rock, Bedazzled, Die Another Day, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Italian Job and even Dumb and Dumber. That’s a list of very exceptional movies, if you ask me.

Audi A3 Sportback 3.2 Quattro

I don’t remember seeing this one in the movie, although I remember it being mentioned in an interview about the movie before. It’s far less economical than the Audi A8 and smaller. It’s actually too petite for my taste. But being in the movie, it deserves a spot in my post. It’s half the size of the A8 even in fuel capacity. It also has a V-6 which is again half the number of cylinders the Audi A8 has. At first glance, it would not seem to be something that Frank Martin would drive. But, in reality it is a good car. Its top speed is 250 km/h and it can accelerate from 0-100 kmh in just 6.6 seconds. That’s not bad at all.

The Transporter’s Mode of Transportation

2008-03-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

I love watchin’ movies that star Jason Statham. Ever since I saw the movie, The Transporter, I’ve been turned into a huge fan. It was only then that I remembered seeing him in other movies that I like, some of which are The One, Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. These three preceded the release of The Transporter in ’02, and he only played supporting roles. Afterwards, there was the second installment of The Transporter, then Crank and, finally, the Bank Job. There were a couple of movies in between, but the aforementioned are the ones I really liked. I like Jason Statham’s movies for the same reason I like Bruce Willis’ and Sylvester Stallone’s movies – the adrenaline-pumping action. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched the Die Hard and Rambo Series. And I haven’t felt more excited when I heard the news last year of a fourth installment for both series. And there is a rumor circulating about a Rambo V in the offing. How great is that?! Well, anyway, Jason Statham is almost always portrayed as a cold, calculating and smart killing machine in his movies. In real life, he has studied martial arts, is a great diver and is an exceptional driver; that’s why he does all the driving and the fight scenes in his movies. And since we’re on the topic, I’d just like to talk about the cars used in his movies, particularly in The Transporter. I think it’s but fitting since this is an auto-blog, so here goes:

1999 Black BMW 735i

The first time I saw the car Frank Martin (Statham’s character in The Transporter) drives, I initially thought it was an Audi A8. But in the beginning sequences of the movie, he specifically said that it’s a 1999 Black BMW 735i. And, whew, what a car that was! It was sleek and fast. It even had interchangeable license plates to confuse the police and those following him. Now, that is very useful when you are evading traffic enforcers. There were a lot of shots taken of the interior of the car, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the dash kits and seats were made of leather. There were also a lot of buttons on the driver’s console. Actually there’s too much, if you ask me. It was bordering on becoming labeled as a Bond car. But, its best features are its amazing handling and power. After the first scene with the bank robbers, his car came out without a single scratch because he was able to maneuver the car perfectly. Hmmm, I wonder if that’s really the case.

1999 7-Series 750iL

The following year after the release of The Transporter, a DVD was released which includes never before seen action sequences and a documentary. It was revealed that the car isn’t really a 1999 Black BMW 735i, but rather a 1999 7-Series 750iL. The difference is basically in the detailing of the two vehicles, but when seen from afar they look the same. That could account for the mistake, but maybe it was all part of the storyline. Anyway, the 750IL has a 5.4L V-12 engine capable of producing 322 hp at 5,000 rpm. That alone spells power.

Mercedes-Benz W140

Bad guys wrecked his 1999 7-Series 750 IL. There’s no better way to get back at them than taking their luxurious Mercedes-Benz W140. Talk about payback. This bad boy features premium components geared towards enhanced comfort, convenience and safety. It is also integrated with enhanced drivetrain technologies. And don’t get me started on its specs. Judging from the V12 engine that it has, it’s safe to say it’s one mean machine. Frank Martin sure has good taste.

Cars of the Rich and Mighty (Part II)

2008-03-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

I just can’t get enough of these “billionaire” cars. They are expensive, but they’re all worth it. I mean, once you’ve taken a peek at the specs of these cars you’ll know that you’re not just paying for the name. You’ll get the best value for every cent that you pay. You’ll get impressive horsepower and acceleration, acceptable gas mileage, comforts fit for a king, top-of-the-line features and functionality. Best of all, they are all wrapped in one impressive package. These cars do more than make people take a second look. It’s the stuff you only see in dreams turned into reality. So you better run to the nearest Walmart, buy a piggy-bank and put a dime every day. If you do that religiously, in about 30-40 years you’ll be able to buy your own “billionaire” car. Here are a couple of options that you can choose from (that is, if you’re delusional enough to think you’ll be able to afford one in the near future):

Venturi Fetish Convertible

Whoever said green cars aren’t built for speed? This electric car is able to produce 200 hp at 5400 rpm. The engine’s performance is similar to that of a typical sports car with an internal combustion engine. It even looks like one. In some aspects, the Venturi Fetish even surpasses a number of popular sports cars. It is said to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. That’s just phenomenal. It tops out at 160 kmh, but that is already impressive considering the fact that it only has one gear. This alternative to fuel-powered cars is very popular to billionaires who are committed to keeping the environment clean. If green cars were all like this, and they have a cheaper price tag, I wouldn’t mind trading my gas-guzzling car for one. And by the way, when it first came out it costs about $460,000, but the last time I checked it’s in the market for only $392,000. Pretty neat, eh?! If you want a flashy, but environment-friendly car, this is the one you should get.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

Do you know what SLR stands for? That’s Speed, Light, Racing. And Mercedes-Benz didn’t just put that on the model name just to make it sound cooler. The car actually lives up to its name. Check this out: It sports a supercharged 5.5L, 24 valve AMG V-8 engine capable of producing as much as 617 hp at 6,500 rpm. It kinda makes you think twice about getting a Venturi Fetish Convertible. And to think, it’s a couple of thousand dollars cheaper than the Fetish. Its msrp last I checked is $453,000. It is considered the fastest automatic transmission car in production. Many people compare it to the Porsche Carrera GT and Enzo Ferrari, but I think this car beats those two by a mile. In fact, this shouldn’t be placed in a showroom next to those two because they’ll just look bad. It sounds like it should be driven only in a race-track, but it’s actually very suitable for city-driving.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Convertible

Finally, the crème de la crème: the Phantom Drophead. Dubbed as the most extravagant convertible in factory lines at the present time, it is the production version of two very famous concept cars, the 100EX convertible and the 101EX coupe. For its seemingly huge size, it packs a mean punch; it can accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds. That’s pretty impressive for a car which name sounds like a Russian submarine. If you want to get one, you will have to get in line because there’s a waiting list. Its base price is $412,000, so you better start savin’.

Cars of the Rich and Mighty

2008-03-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Venturi Fetish Convertible. Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Maybach 62 S. Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Convertible. Lamborghini Murcielago Coupe. Those names probably don’t ring a bell; that’s because it’s not often that you’ll get to see ‘em. In fact, only the rich can afford them, and by rich I mean the type who thinks your college tuition money is just cheap change. Yep! These are the cars that millionaires and billionaires get in line for. You may be able to afford these, but that’s only if you, your siblings, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, grandsons and granddaughters no longer get to go to college. On the other hand, even if you aren’t a billionaire, if you’re driving one of these cars, people will think you are.

These cars are pretty “chi-ching” (or is it ka-ching?). Well, anyway, the price tags of new cars range from $15,000 – $40,000, but these billionaire-driven cars costs 20-years worth of grade-school teaching salary, and maybe even more. Talk about over-the-top and extravagant! But, they can afford it, and we can’t do anything about it. And besides they give a lot of cash to charity, so who am I to complain, right?

Here are three cars that billionaires drive. Prepare to do some serious droolin’.

Lamborghini Murcielago Coupe

Aside from its stunning looks, this monster of a car is built for speed. It is fitted with a 6.5-liter Lamborghini V12 engine. It tops at a speed of 211 mph. Its available transmissions are six-speed manual, six-speed sequential automatic transmission, and it has a four-wheel drive capability. Its unique features are self-adjusting side scoops, foldable mirrors, and movable spoilers. The only downside to the Murcielago is that it’s, according to the EPA, the least fuel efficient car to ever come out this year. In fact, it is said to require a gallon just to travel 8 miles; that’s like 30-liters for every 100 kilometers. On the other hand, even with the rising cost of gasoline, I bet billionaires won’t ever run out of gas money, unless of course if you’re a spendthrift like Warren Buffett. If you have about $288,000, this car is yours for the taking. And, oh! By the way, this car made a cameo appearance in Batman Begins, and it was driven by none other than Bruce Wayne himself. Now, that’s cool!

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

Do you know why this car is on this list? It costs approximately $1.2 million! That’s more like a gazillion to a 10-year old. And what does a billionaire get in exchange for that kind of money? Well, about 10 radiators! (Not exaggerating here!) No wonder it’s that expensive. Setting that aside, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is one heck of a fast car. It sports a 16-cylinder engine and a seven-speed (that’s one more than the Murcielago), dual-clutch transmission. It was advertised as capable of producing 1,001 hp. And the automaker wasn’t even kidding. It is the fastest car that’s street-legal. It was tested a couple of times and it was proven to be able to accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 2.5 seconds, not to mention that it can reach a top speed of 253 mph. That almost borders on the “redline”. But what’s impressive is the level of safety guaranteed when driving this mean machine. Engineers must’ve used thousands of crash-test dummies.

Maybach 62 S

After a tiring day of jet-setting, hanging out at the country club, visiting the ranch, getting spa treatment and raking in millions of dollars, some billionaires rest in their Maybach 62 S. It is dubbed as the car with the best backseat ever. It is as luxurious as it’ll ever get. It’s roomy, comfortable, stylish and elegant. It’s definitely special (by the way, that’s what the S in the name stands for). Can you have a car loan for $428,750 approved by the end of the year? Then you should place an order for this vehicle. I wonder what you’re gonna put up as collateral.

Well, anyway, I’m done for the day. Maybe tomorrow, I’m gonna post more pictures and comments.

Nanotechnology: The Future of Automotive Technology?

2008-03-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

Nanotechnology is described in the Center for Responsible Technology as that field of applied science that deals with the “engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale.” Kind of deep, huh? Well, basically what it means is the manipulation of matter at the atomic or molecular level. It’s fairly hard to explain ‘cause I’m not a physicist, but Dr. Ralph Merkle, a Nanotechnology Theorist, provides an interesting and informative illustration of what nanotechnology is all about, and here it is:

Manufactured products are made from atoms. The properties of those products depend on how those atoms are arranged. If we rearrange the atoms in coal we can make diamond. If we rearrange the atoms in sand (and add a few other trace elements) we can make computer chips. If we rearrange the atoms in dirt, water and air we can make potatoes.

Today’s manufacturing methods are very crude at the molecular level. Casting, grinding, milling and even lithography move atoms in great thundering statistical herds. It's like trying to make things out of LEGO blocks with boxing gloves on your hands. Yes, you can push the LEGO blocks into great heaps and pile them up, but you can't really snap them together the way you'd like.

In the future, nanotechnology will let us take off the boxing gloves. We'll be able to snap together the fundamental building blocks of nature easily, inexpensively and in most of the ways permitted by the laws of physics. This will be essential if we are to continue the revolution in computer hardware beyond about the next decade, and will also let us fabricate an entire new generation of products that are cleaner, stronger, lighter, and more precise.

Once nanotechnology is applied in the field of automotive technology, car engineers will be able to manufacture products that are more efficient, economic, durable and even environment-friendly. This is made possible by the fact that automakers can now reduce or altogether eliminate the minute errors that are contained in their products because they now have access to areas which were virtually inaccessible before, and it’s all because of the wonders of nanotechnology. To cite an example, Jack Uldrich, a futurist and author of “The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business” relates in an article in Nanotechnology Now the innovations that can and will be brought about by this new technology, to wit:

“…nanotechnology will also lead to the creation of new and more effective catalysts which will reduce the amount of platinum and palladium automobile manufacturers use. Nanoparticles will also be used to improve fuel efficiency. In fact, Oxonica is already testing its nanoparticles on buses in England (where they have demonstrated a 4.3% in fuel efficiency), and new nanocoatings such as Ecology Coatings is developing will reduce both the amount of material and energy OEMs use to coat existing auto parts.”

And,

“Again, thanks to advances in nanotechnology (this time in the form of new nanomaterials and silicon nanowires), a number of manufacturers are producing extraordinary leaps in battery technology. Companies such as EEStor, A123 Systems and Altair Nanotechnologies should all be closely monitored because they could soon be building batteries capable of powering a car for 300 to 400 miles. (As an added benefit, they might need only minutes to recharge.)”

This breakthrough can lead to so many positive changes and innovations that the future seems to be very bright for the automotive world. And this also redounds to the betterment of the environment as well as of the community. Who wouldn’t want that, right? This new technology definitely has my support.

Automotive 101

2008-03-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Electrical System

It may be gasoline that powers up an engine, but it is electricity that initially cranks it up and keeps it running. The most known electrical part in a vehicle is the battery. It supplies power to other electrical parts of an engine. Many may not know this, but the battery is highly dependent on other car parts, like the alternator and the ignition coil. The former converts mechanical power into electrical power and relays this to the battery in order to replenish its continuously dwindling power supply. The latter magnifies the meager output of the battery in order for the electrical parts to have the power supply they need. Without these two you might as well push your car to wherever you’re going.

The importance of the battery can’t be stressed enough. It is the one that relays power to the ignition system of a vehicle. Without it, your spark plug wouldn’t have its spark. The gasoline won’t be ignited, and the mechanical parts of your car won’t move as well. Other car parts that are dependent on electricity are the lighting systems, entertainment components, GPS, alarms and even the power mirrors and windows.

Body Panels

Ugly. Primitive. Unsightly. These are just a few of the words that you’d hear people mumbling if you drive around in a car that has no body panels. And those are just the polite comments. Just wait till you hear the rude ones. And it’s not as if you’d drive around in a stripped car, I’m just stressing how important the body panels are to a vehicle. It affords protection, it acts as a mounting spot for several car parts and it gives your vehicle one heck of an impressive look.

Body panels can be customized to fit your wants and whims. If your car looks sissy and too girly for your taste, you can avail of after-market parts that can make it look sporty and/or imposing. There are also body panels that can add functionality to your vehicle. The market for automotive body panels is so big that the options are almost unlimited. Examples of stock and after-market body panels are: fenders, fender flares, bumper covers, bumper fillers, hood, trims, exterior door panel, roof, bug shields, air deflectors, valances and spoilers.

The downside of body panels is that they’re actually one of the most costly parts to repair or replace. Plus, they get damaged all the time. There are hundreds of different scenarios when you’re likely to get them scratched, dinged, dented and scuffed. And if you figure in an accident, you’ll end up with a messed up vehicle and a large repair bill.

Accessories

Accessorizing can do wonders for the style and functionality of a vehicle. First, there are thousands of cars of the same make and model. And if you’re unfortunate enough, in a one block radius you could have as much as two or three neighbors who have the exact same car as yours. If you want your car to stand out, you can accessorize it. Maybe you can put grille inserts, emblems and logos and decals. And this is not limited to the exterior of your vehicle, you can also place accessories in the passenger compartment.

Second of all, there are accessories which are geared towards providing your car with some added functions. Bike racks and mounts enable you to easily bring your bike and almost any kind of luggage whenever you feel like going out on a trip. Floor mats, liners, bed extenders, bed rail caps and carpets afford your car with much needed protection. Aside from those, there are still hundreds of car accessories that are ripe for the taking.

Automotive 101

2008-03-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Brake System

A car would move even if it doesn’t have a brake system, but then again how can it be stopped? One would have thought that electrical car parts, body parts, the drivetrain and chassis would have come before the brake system in my list of very important car parts, but those parts do not even come close to the brakes. It is often said that the ability of a car to stop is as important as its ability to run. In fact, if you put me in the driver’s seat of a million-dollar car, I wouldn’t put my feet on the gas pedal, let alone start it, if its brakes are not working. That’s a sure way to invite disaster.

Anyway, there are two types of brake systems that are often employed in modern cars today. The first one is the disc brake system. It is so-called because in this kind of system a rotating disk is placed inside the wheel hub assembly. Enclosing this are the other components of the disc brake system, which are the calipers and the pads. These parts are hydraulically connected to the brake pedal. When the pedal is depressed, the calipers and pads are forced to press on the brake disc. The resulting friction stops the disc from spinning, as well as the wheel which is attached to it.

Another type of brake system is the drum brake. Instead of a disk, a drum is used. Not very complicated, eh? Well, when the brake pedal is depressed, a set of pads that line the drum press against it. Again, friction is produced and the drum and wheels gradually stop rotating.

You’d know instantly the second you lose the functionality of your brakes, because you’ll get nothing even if you depress the brake pedal until it reaches the floor. It is recommended that they should be checked every time you take your car out for a drive. And it is not even advisable to drive it if the brakes are malfunctioning. It should be towed all the way to the service station where the worn parts can be replaced.

Automotive 101

2008-03-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Suspension System

Next to the engine, the suspension is the next most important part of a vehicle. Its functions are: 1) to allow the vehicle to adapt to road irregularities, even the most minute ones; 2) to maximize traction between the tires and the road surface; 3) to support the weight of the vehicle; 4) to maintain ride height; 5) to improve steering, accelerating and braking stability, and; 6) to improve ride comfort. That seems to be a lot, but surprisingly that’s not all. Specific suspension components have their own individual functions.

A typical automotive suspension has three fundamental components, and these are the springs, dampers and anti-sway bars. The first two are responsible for absorbing and reducing the oscillations that result from the encounter of the vehicle with road irregularities. Anti-sway bars provide additional stability by reducing the swaying motion of the vehicle, hence the name. These three along with secondary suspension parts work as a unit to serve all the functions mentioned above.

There are different kinds of suspension according to location, linkage presence/absence, design and even application. The most common types are the front and rear wheel suspensions. These two can be further subdivided into dependent, independent and semi-independent systems. But theoretically, they work the same way, so it really doesn’t matter what kind a vehicle has. And besides, car engineers wouldn’t have placed them there if it wasn’t the right one for the vehicle.

Just like the engine, it should be regularly inspected. Anything unusual should be checked out at the soonest possible time. One big difference between an engine part and a suspension part is that if the former breaks down, at worst the car will stop, but if a suspension component breaks down, at worst it could lead to an accident.

Automotive 101

2008-03-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Engine

The engine is the most important part of a vehicle. I’m not downplaying the role of the other car parts. It’s just that the engine is the one responsible for making the car move with relative ease. It wouldn’t even be called a car in the first place if it doesn’t have an engine. Basically, what an automotive engine does is convert gasoline into motion. The easiest way to go about it is to ignite the gasoline, convert to power and relay it to other car parts that facilitate the movement of the mechanical parts. It is for this reason why the automotive engine is termed as an internal combustion engine.

A typical four-stroke internal combustion engine usually operates under the principle of the Otto Cycle, which relates that the workings of an engine are characterized by four cycles: the intake, compression, power and the exhaust strokes. An air and fuel mixture is sent to the cylinders under high pressure. The mixture is then compressed to facilitate combustion, after which it is ignited. The burning gases produced push the pistons downward, producing power in the process. The combustion by-products are then let out by a series of pipes and tubes. Then, the whole cycle begins again.

Since there are different kinds of engine, as well as different engine displacements, the workings differ variably. Other cycles used by other cars are the Miller Cycle and Brayton Cycle, to name a few. As for the engine parts, most cars usually have the same components, although there are sometimes slight differences. The basic engine parts are the spark plugs, valves, pistons, piston rings, crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rod and timing belt. The aforementioned parts approximately comprise only a 10th of the engine, so there are others that weren’t mentioned.

The automotive engine is so important that it needs constant maintenance. To sum up, here are the things that one should do in order to keep a vehicle running for the longest time possible: lubricate, calibrate, tighten, replace, clean, replenish and inspect. That may sound too vague, but if a person has even a hint of mechanical experience he’d know what to do. Plus, I’d be discussing those in detail in the next few weeks so those of you who’ve stumbled upon my blog don’t have to worry. And here’s two very important tips: 1) Always heed what’s written in the car manual, especially the intervals in between engine parts tune-up, calibration, cleaning and replacement; and 2) Once it’s noticed that there’s something amiss relative to the workings of the engine, the car should be brought to a service station for inspection at once.

Eye-Catchers and Jaw-Droppers at the ’08 NAIAS

2008-03-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

I wasn’t able to go to Detroit during the opening of 2008 North American International Auto Show, although a few years back I promised myself I would again attend one of those. I remember my friends bugging me about goin’ on a road trip so we can be at the opening. Unfortunately, I was held up at work. They went without me and took a lot of pictures. I even saw some glued on my friend’s desk at his office cubicle. It’s been weeks since the ’08 NAIAS, but this is the first time I actually looked for pictures of the concept cars, as well as the new vehicle models. I figured they won’t be uploaded that soon. I came upon a website, allpar.com, that had a lot of impressive pictures taken by someone named Gregg R. Groff and Marc Rozman. I again came up with my top 5, and here they are:

Given my penchant for Hummers, It comes as no surprise that the Hummer HX is first on my list. It has an imposing front-end as is typical of Hummers, but this one beats the rest. It looks like it could tow a tank. In fact, this picture reminds me of the stealthy and deadly Batmobile featured in “Batman Begins”. Added features are removable roof and doors.

This concept car is years from coming out of the factory lines; that’s to say it’s far from completion. It’s not very practical, given that it has no roof, side windows and a weather-proof door. Nevertheless, it looks better than most of the concept cars in the recent auto-show.

One look at the Wrangler Unlimited is enough to tell you that it can weather any off-road trail, especially if it’s fitted with after-market off-road enhancements. It has one mean look that would make any man want to buy it. It’s great for drives to the beach, back-country roads and maybe even across deserts. It would beat the other Wranglers by a mile once it goes out in production (if ever, that is!), but that just my personal opinion. But my friends actually think I’m spot on with my prediction. But that’s maybe because most them are off-road enthusiasts.

This is an early model of the newest Mitsubishi Galant. And it’s on my list because of the fact that I like cars that are reminiscent of the classic cars produced between the ‘50s and the ‘70s. It actually brings to mind the original Mustang design, although I couldn’t see if it indeed resembles the first or the second generation Mustangs because the picture taken above was of the back-view. Maybe because the one who took the photo wanted to get the shot of the GTO logo above the license plate, which in itself can attract would-be buyers in the future. Judging by the looks of it, I think it packs a mean punch.

Personally speaking, it wouldn’t be to an auto show if there were no Dodge vehicles included. Yes! Detroit would still host one, but I’d bet it’ll just be a collection of lousy cars. The above photo is of the modified Viper. The 2008 Dodge Viper, particularly the SRT still has the standard 8.4 L Aluminum V10 engine. It is able to produce as much as 600 hp and 560 lb.-ft of torque. It can accelerate to 60 mph in just four seconds, and 100 mph in under 12 seconds. If that doesn’t impress you, then what will?

I wasn’t able to personally see the cars but I think the 2008 NAIAS had a pretty impressive lineup of new models and concept cars. It’s such a shame I wasn’t able to go there. Note to self: Next year, better attend the NAIAS or you’ll miss half of your life.

China: All Set to Take On The U.S. to Become the World’s #1 Automobile Market

2008-03-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

There have been many speculations that China is going to overtake the U.S. and become the world’s number one producer of automobiles in the next couple of years. It’s not surprising considering the fact that China is home to almost a quarter of the world’s population. This steady growth in population has prompted large companies to delve into the automotive business, and the existing automakers to increase their already impressive output.

This was very evident during the recent 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit where there was, surprisingly, five contingents of Chinese companies, namely the BYD (Build Your Dreams) Company, Geely, Changfeng, Chamfeng (Chamco in the U.S.) and Zhongxing. While the quality of the models these companies brought to the auto-show were not as outstanding as the others, the fact that they were able to come up with fairly acceptable modern vehicles is impressive in itself. And what’s more impressive is that they are still in the learning stage. By learning, I don’t mean they’re new to the auto-making industry; I mean they are just adapting to the U.S. style/way of building cars. What more if they become adept at this field?

Anyway, the models the Chinese contingent brought were fully-functional, not like some of the other models that were brought only for show. Representatives of some of the companies even announced the release date of these models, as well as the estimated price tag. And get this, most of them are so cost-effective that the price tag trims down as much as 20% of the price tag of its competitors. That’s not bad. They’re up to the times, fairly stylish, fully functional and they’re more economical than cars in the same category/ies as them. If it’s an average-looking car you’re in need of, it won’t hurt if you get one that’s made in China, instead of a typical overpriced U.S. car.

Reference: Straight.com

My Take on Auto-Design Outsourcing

2008-03-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

I think outsourcing vehicle design jobs to states other than Michigan and to off-shore countries is a good idea. First, it allows diversification. Different people mean different ideas. And since the automotive market is clamoring for more modern cars, it is high-time for automakers to start tapping into the ideas of other people instead of limiting it to the Motor City. And besides, since it has been somewhat limited to Michigan for a very long time, the ideas have probably been exhausted by now. I’m not saying all of the employees in automotive factories are all natives and residents of Michigan, but I bet most of them are.

Second, it lessens the cost of operations. Given the high monetary value of the dollar, when you bring the job to off-shore countries you can drastically cut down on costs. What you’re paying one skilled worker here can be used to pay two, three and maybe even ten persons overseas. And the icing on the cake is, they’ll give you ten times the result. That’s ten times more new ideas and innovations.

Third, it makes room for improvement and innovation. Even with the continuous influx of automotive technology, car owners are still dissatisfied to a certain degree of the vehicles available in the market. That’s just man’s nature. They can be extremely satisfied with their car one second, and dissatisfied with it the next. Car owners are obsessed with what’s new. That’s no surprise. And car makers should take advantage of that by continuously improving their car and by adding innovative technology. And besides, it does not only benefit the auto-makers themselves, but also car owners. With all these advantages, I bet auto-design outsourcing will snowball continuously for years.

The Motor City and Michigan: Are They About to be Replaced?

2008-03-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Motor City might consider changing its namesake because of the recent trend in auto-design. US-based auto-manufacturers have begun broadening their off-shore business to include the design of automotive components and technology; in the process, lessening the hold of Michigan-based factories, particularly those in Detroit on automotive design.

In fact, in an article in the Tri-Cities Business Review it was revealed that:

Last year's North American International Auto Show sensation, the Chevrolet Volt concept, was designed in part in the United Kingdom.

Toyota's Venza production crossover design introduced in Detroit this year came from its California design studio. The Verve subcompact came from Ford's European designers.

Even GM's reborn Buick Riviera was designed in cooperation with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.

A program announced recently by GM to focus on advanced battery technology will operate from facilities in Warren, Milford, Germany and China.

Automotive design - from conceptual sketches and clay modeling to computer-aided-design engineering - has been hit as hard in Michigan as any other part of the industry.

While it’s far from being impractical, this trend has affected thousands of Michigan natives and residents, particularly those who are skilled in vehicle design. But it seems this trend is likely to continue because the advantages of moving designing jobs out to other states and even off-shore countries greatly outweigh the disadvantages. Automakers have talked about diversifying their products, continuing to improve every car that comes out of their factories, lessening production and labor costs and giving people jobs, and those can be achieved by expanding the reach of their companies.

On the other hand, Michigan, despite all the odds, still is considered to be the “world's intellectual center for the auto industry”, according to David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. Clearly the effects of the changes have yet to be felt in the Motor City. But with automakers relying more and more on outsourced sites for auto-design, it wouldn’t take long until large numbers of Michigan-based workers will find themselves removed from industry support.

Hood Scoop Installation Guide/Tips

2008-03-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

As promised, I’m gonna write a blow-by-blow on how to install a hood scoop. I’ve seen lots of DIY guides on the Net and I’ve tried some of ‘em before, but they aren’t that helpful, especially for people who don’t have that much mechanical experience. Well, anyway, give me a couple of minutes and you’ll be well on your way to knowing exactly how to install a hood scoop.

First thing that you should ask yourself: Why in God’s name am I gonna install a hood scoop? Well, there are two reasons why hood scoops are used: 1) to accessorize the hood (non-functional); and 2) to increase cold air intake (functional). If your reason is not one of the two, then I would suggest not going through with it. But if you’ve already bought one, then there’s nothing we can do but attach that to your car.

Then there’s the problem of finding the one that suits your car the best. This can be very taxing, and would require patience on your part. You can do a couple of things here. You can go to the nearest car parts store and browse through their selection. You can ask your mechanic if he has one lying around (that’s what I did when I installed mine). You can have one custom-made. Or you can check out auto parts sites online. The good thing about getting parts from the Net is that you can just input what you need, like for example a Ford Mustang hood scoop, and they’ll choose the best after-market part for your car. One note of advice though, if you have a steel hood, it’s not advisable to attach a fiberglass scoop. The latter works better with a fiberglass hood.

Once your order arrives, you gotta make sure that you have everything that you’d need at hand. It also helps if you have the instructions included in the scoop kit that you just bought because scoops vary in installation. This guide here is only general, and details the ones I’ve done myself. Here is a list of all the things that you should have according to the order you’re gonna need ‘em:

Mat

Tape

Permanent Marker

Pencil and Paper

Tape Measure

Sabre Saw or Jig Saw

Drill

Sandpaper

Plastic Spreader/Squeegee

Resin (1 pint)

Filler (1 pint)

Remove the hood and place it on top of the mat. If your hood has a heat shield, remove it as well. You can do so by unhooking the fasteners.
Take out the scoop and place it on top of the hood. If it is a non-functional scoop,you can place it wherever you want, although preferably it should be centered. If it is a functional scoop, you should take note of the position of the air intake. Some hood scoops can be held by fasteners while being marked, some need to be taped, while others require you to do some measuring.
Once it is held in place, you can proceed to drilling holes as prescribed in the instruction kit that usually comes with it. Some would require the use of a sabre saw because a portion of the scoop will be inserted into the hood. There are hood scoops which only require you to drill from underneath and hold them in place with fasteners and a couple of bolts. So, the procedure will differ slightly depending on its design and application.
It also works if you place the scoop on top of a pad of paper and trace the contours with a pencil. You can place this at the bottom of the hood so you can mark the spot exactly.
Some hood scoops are not made to fit your vehicle so you would need to do some trimming before it can be installed. This should be done by a professional; otherwise you might end up with mismatched parts.
After you have drilled a hole (any kind, be it one where a bolt can fit, or one where a portion of the scoop fits), you should sand the edges so it’ll be smooth, and to prevent the paint from cracking.
Attach the scoop and hold it in place with the fasteners and bolts that come with it. If there are extra bolts, there’s a good chance you missed drilling some parts.
Lastly, if you’re working with fiberglass materials, be sure to spread the resin evenly, making sure you apply the appropriate amount, nothing more and nothing less. Let dry for half a day, and sand it again for a smooth finish. Paint it to match the color of the hood and you’re done.

You can now admire your newly installed hood scoop. Some take minutes to install, while others can take the better part of a day. Follow the installation instructions, and be guided by the abovementioned and you’ll do fine.

Things That Make You Wanna Get Stuck in Traffic for a Long Time

2008-03-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

If you’ve driven from one end of the US to the other, you’d know how important an entertainment system is, especially if you have kids in tow. It can get irritating how often they ask “Are we there yet?” as if they don’t notice that the car is still moving. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve had my share of driving across the interstate and highways that I always make it a point to test all of my car’s entertainment features before I set out. And, mind you, it takes the better part of an hour with all the stuff that’s fitted to my car. And I don’t even have one of those high-end entertainment systems, which are so complex they make a supercomputer seem like a kid’s toy.

One of my favorite hang-outs is the car service station a block away from my house. I love to ogle at all cars that are checked in for regular maintenance and inspection. Being the helpful guy that I am, I often stick my nose inside the passenger compartment and check out the features of all the newer car models. The guys there don’t mind because when they are bamboozled by something (Hey! I don’t seem to remember the last time that word was used!), they’d come to me. And with an air of nonchalance (Again, what’s up with the 18th century words? They keep popping in my head like crazy!) I help them out. During my innocent sticking-my-nose-in-the-passenger-compartment doings, I was able to see different entertainment systems in use today, and here they are:

CD/DVD Player

It transforms your conventional car into a movie theater on wheels. At first glance it’s not highly conspicuous, but at a push of a button a fairly wide screen pops out and you can watch movies, concerts and recorded TV shows while you’re on the go. This technology is not that new, but it certainly is still a must-have.

Multi-Disc Changer

Car owners are lazy people. They aren’t satisfied with high-end entertainment systems, and so they ask for more. The answer? An upgrade. Nowadays you can store a number of CDs and DVDs in your entertainment unit and move from watching one movie to the next at a push of a button. How cool is that?! Brands that offer multi-disc changers are Kenwood, Pioneer, Alpine and many others.

HD Radio/Satellite Radio Tuner

Forgot to bring your CD/DVD collection? Don’t worry. Most vehicles are still fitted with a radio and antenna so your car still has AM/FM capabilities. Old school radios are also taken to the next level when HD Radio, XM and Sirius systems were offered as standard parts and upgrades on new vehicle models. You may need to get a tuner, or subscribe to a network to get some of the frequencies.

USB Connectivity

If you’re a techie, I bet you have an iPod or a USB flash drive. If you do, then it’s a good thing that most auto entertainment units have USB ports. You can just plug and play. You no longer need to bring audio CDs because you can just download music from your PC to your USB-capable device.

Navigation System

Who said GPS was only made so dumb drivers wouldn’t get lost? If you have nothing better to do, you can brush up on your elementary and high school geography by memorizing the states, cities and even streets of the US. I wonder how long it would take you to do all that.

Mobile Video Games

I saved the best for last. If you have kids, this is the ultimate must-have. Even if your car doesn’t have a radio or a movie player, you can distract your kid long enough for you to reach your destination as peacefully and quietly as possible. It’s preferable that you place it on the front seat headrest, facing the 2nd row of seats so you won’t be tempted to grab that control stick.

And the great thing about mobile entertainment systems is that they can be placed almost anywhere. You can have it on your dashboard, overhead, in the headrest, or even on the floor for all I care. For maximum effect, the entertainment system should be hooked up to surround-sound speakers, or speakers on the headrest. Whew! I’d just as soon live in my car if it has all of those.

This is Me Doing a Double Take

2008-03-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

I’ve been too engrossed on “green” cars these past days. With all the hype they’ve been generating, I’ve sort of deviated from what my blog was truly about. Indeed, I said in my introduction that this blog will be about anything related to automobiles. Actually, the very reason I started this is so I can find a “container” for everything I’ve learned about cars, parts-wise. That’s why it’s called CarAnatomy in the first place. And besides, it’s easier to write here than in a notepad. And I can even add images. Isn’t that neat? So, beginning on my next post, I’ll be tackling car parts.

Well, first on my list are car entertainment systems and most of the electronic devices found near your dashboard. Those devices are the reasons why I never pick up hitchhikers in the interstate (unless of course if it’s a hot babe!) Kidding aside, it’s never boring if the radio is blaring all day long while I’m on one of my drives. And to think, they never cost that much to have them play all day long. I can just charge the battery, and make sure the alternator and ignition coils are okay and I’m all set and ready to go.

Meanwhile, I’m gonna leave it at that and head off to my friend’s house. I figured I need to help the poor guy attach his hood scoop, and maybe later I can write a blow by blow on how to install one.

Honda’s “Greener” Take on Things

2008-03-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! came up with a list of the Top 100 Cars by Green Rating and it came as no surprise that Honda was leading the way for green cars. The company has been very supportive of the drive for a less polluted environment, and this commitment is seen in the impressive production of hybrid-electric vehicles that are slowly paving the way for a “greener” take on car manufacturing. In fact, in the top 10 alone, four Honda models are included, and one of those even got the number one ranking. Let’s see what makes the 2007 Honda Civic hybrid CVT AT-PZEV, the number one green car, very special.

It boasts of a 1.3 L L4, 8 valve engine that is capable of producing as much as 110 hp at 6000 rpm. It features a variable speed automatic transmission, and it comes in two trims. Standard features that come with it are airbags, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes and a state-of-the-art entertainment system. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 2007 Honda Civic hybrid CVT AT-PZEV is capable of traveling 49 miles on just one gallon in the city and as much as 51 miles on the highway; that’s what sets it apart from the rest of the green cars in production today. Those that follow in the list are mostly not capable of this. And because it has a very low price tag, it’s already considered to be a steal.

The 2007 Honda Civic hybrid CVT AT-PZEV has a green rating of 86. That means that among the rest of the green cars in the Top 100, it is the one that produces lesser pollutants. It also the green car capable of going long distances on just one gallon of gasoline. The EPA has also determined that in the process of manufacturing the said vehicle, there was a reduced amount of pollution produced. That and many other things put the Honda Civic hybrid in a class of its own.

The clamor for more environment-friendly cars is slowly but surely being heeded by automakers. And judging from the sheer number of the green cars available in the market today, automakers are up to the challenge. Honda is just one of the many companies whose commitment to the environment comes first and foremost on their list of priorities. And, it won’t hurt if you get an earth-friendly 2007 Honda Civic hybrid CVT AT-PZEV the next time you need to buy a car.

Green and/or Mean

2008-03-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Increased concerns over the effects of automobile exhaust emissions have forced governments to put pressure on automakers to build more environment-friendly cars. Presently, car manufacturers are torn between making sales and upholding their commitment to the environment and the community.

In an article posted at The Detroit News, Klaus Maier, head of sales at Daimler AG’s Mercedes group was quoted in saying:

“The secret for marketing in the next two years will be to make green or blue as sexy and desirable as horsepower.” And that currently, consumers don't show the willingness to pay extra for costly environmental technologies that they do for "more torque, power and more cylinders,"

On the other hand, Lamborghini, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group has proven that producing “green” cars that are at the same time efficient and powerful is possible. In an article in The Press Association it was cited that:

Italian sports car maker Lamborghini has introduced a lighter, faster and less-polluting version of the Gallardo, its most successful model ever, at the Geneva International Motor Show

And,

The new Gallardo also cut carbon emissions by 18% from its predecessor.

Furthermore, in a review of the new Gallardo LP560-4 in Edmunds Inside Line, it was revealed that:

The new LP560-4 is so named for its more powerful engine, a new direct-injection 5.2-liter V10 that makes 552 horsepower, and its permanent four-wheel drive. Lamborghini says the addition of nearly 40 hp and a reduction in weight help trim 0-60-mph acceleration to less than 3.7 seconds. Top speed is 202 mph.

There are a couple of contradicting views regarding the feasibility of “green” cars, and because of the drastic changes, it’s very hard to pick a side. All I can say is, if Lamborghini can do it, the others can too.

Not Too Shabby For Someone Who No Longer Works

2008-03-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

Most people build showrooms for trophies, posters and antiques, but do you know why Jerry Seinfeld, star of famous hit TV show Seinfeld, had a showroom built for? It’s for his large Porsche collection. I am not a big fan of Porsche vehicles, but I’m impressed by the sheer number of his overpriced collection. I can’t even buy a collection of model cars. If he decides to sell all of ‘em, he can buy a small country with the proceeds. Heck! He can even do so with his income alone. And get this! The guy is no longer working like he used to, but he’s still raking in millions just from the profit of syndications of his show. Life is good to Jerry Seinfeld.

Anyway, the most recent count puts his collection at 47 Porsches, most notable
of which are the following:

1955 Porsche 550 Spyder
Porsche 959
1959 Porsche GT speedster
Porsche 911
Porsche Boxter

Judging from that list, he’s got all bases covered. He’s got famous Porches, speedy Porsches, limited edition Porches, small Porsches and stylish Porsches. And that’s just five of his 47 cars. I don’t think there’s a garage big enough to house the rest. In fact, because he had a showroom-like garage built instead of a typical garage, he can only fit about half of his collection in there. The rest are stored in a rented place. The sprawling two-storey Manhattan garage also has its own elevator, kitchenette, deck, bathroom and an 844 sq/ft office. The kitchenette, deck, bathroom and office I understand, but why he needs an elevator in a two-storey building? That may be the reason why he’s not as thin as he was during his Seinfeld days. If I were him I’d build a Porsche from scratch. He could make that the centerpiece of his collection. Anyway, he’s been around cars so much that he probably knows every part of it. If the car parts needed are no longer in production, maybe he can knock on a few doors, wave a couple of thousand dollars and maybe he could have factory body parts, suspension system and engine parts made.

Interestingly enough, Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the Dr. ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH or Porsche, had a son, Ferry, who decided to build his own car because he didn’t like the ones in production. He and his team were able to build a crude version of the 356, which was later mass-produced. It’s considered by many as the first Porsche ever built, but that is in reality not the case. The first one was the Porsche 64, although most of the components used were taken from the Volkswagen Beetle. Hmmm. That’s kinda interesting. Jerry Seinfeld should definitely consider that.

Five Cars That Make Me Say “Whoa!”

2008-03-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

There are millions of cars on the streets today and there are probably a million more in production. It can be a daunting task to pick among that many and list down one’s favorites, but today I feel that I’m up to the task so here goes...

1. Hummer H1

First on my list is the Hummer. If a vehicle impresses Arnold Schwarzenegger, then consider me its fan. It is said that it’s the Governator himself who is responsible for asking AM General Corporation to mass-produce a civilian version of the Humvee. And the fact that its design is taken from military vehicles used during Operation Desert Storm blows me away, its over-all stance is very imposing yet stylish. In fact, you can drive it around in the city, or you can tackle harsh off-road trails with it. It is fitted with off-road equipment and accessories that can take on even the harshest trail. It all boils down to that. It is a man’s car. And I bet any man will scrap their boring car if they’re given a Hummer.

2. Lamborghini Diablo SV

Opening and closing those wing-doors are enough reason to own a Diablo. It is the definitive Lamborghini, with the Gallardo coming in close second. It’s not only the V12 engine that will power you up; the revving sound of the engine is loud enough to raise your hair on end. Some people would advise you against driving it in the evening, especially in a quiet neighborhood. But Nah! Never mind them. Anyway, annoyed people can’t catch up to you once you step on the gas pedal. When it was first introduced, it drew a lot of praise. Just when you thought that is all there is to the Diablo, Lamborghini still continued to improve it. The result? The number two spot on my list.

3. 1974-1976 Ford Torino

I’ve seen pictures of the Ford Torino in car magazines when I was a boy, but I only took a keen interest in it after I saw the movie Starsky and Hutch. The Torino was elevated to cult status overnight by the success of the movie. And me, I may not be able to afford a classic Ford but I can definitely repaint my stock car to look like a Torino. I can see it now in bright red and white stripes. And maybe I’m gonna add a hood scoop in order to give it a more mean look. It’s all good.

4. 1974-1978 Ford Mustang

I have to classify this one, because not all Mustangs suit my taste. I only like the first and second generations. The rest does not say American muscle; they’re more like conventional cars, and there’s nothing special about that. But the first two generations define power. Not that the newer ones don’t. It’s just that they don’t look that powerful. Back in those days, you can take a stock Mustang and race it against modified cars and still win. It helps if you have nitrous kits fitted to your vehicle, or several other performance parts like a cold air intake which greatly complements the sound the engine makes when it is being driven. It is a must-have for every car enthusiast.

5. 2003 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe

Number 5 on my list was really neck in neck. I was leaning a bit towards the Chevrolet Camaro, but the Corvette edged it out. First, the Corvette is one of the oldest cars in production. Second, the ZR1 which will come out in 2009-2010 is rumored to have a supercharged engine capable of producing as much as 620 hp, 200 hp more than the new Camaros. Lastly, the name Corvette refers to a warship, while a Camaro is French slang for companion. Need I say more?

And It's All Because People Are Too Lazy To Walk

2008-03-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

I finally got around making a blog about one of the things that I like most. Yup! This blog is all about automobiles. I’ll be posting about latest news in the automotive world, racing events, innovative technologies, cars preferred by famous celebrities, cars that appear in movies, how-to’s for the DIY-type of people, things that you should look out for in order to extend the life service of your beloved car, basic car parts and a couple of other things. So, basically, this’ll gonna be about the whole shebang!

Cars are a must-have in this modern day and age. If you don’t have one, then you are probably stuck in the Cretaceous period. But even then, there were cars already, although they may not be as much as cars like a piece of wood tied to round boulders similar to what you see in cartoons. Anyway, since this is the first post, I think it’s highly appropriate to start off with an introduction. And there’s no better way to introduce a blog about cars than to talk about their history.

Just like any great invention, it all began with a general idea. As soon as man conceived of the wheel and axle, they began to invent contraptions that will work with wheels so they can travel faster and easier. Then inventions like the wheelbarrow, carts, horse-drawn carriages, push-carts and many other fascinating things saw the light of day. But, as expected, people weren’t satisfied. Those things still take a lot of effort, not to mention the fact that some of them were bordering on animal cruelty. So, again, they began thinking and drawing up plans.

It is said that hundreds of thousands of patents enabled the creation of the automobile into what it is today. But the theory that sparked everything is attributed to Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci. They drew up the first theoretical plans that were sane enough to be believable. A lot of people condemned them for their ideas, but not Nicolas Joseph Cugnot. In 1979, he came up with a self-propelled vehicle powered by a steam engine. Its design was crude and I would’ve laughed at his face had I been there. Luckily, I wasn’t there, otherwise I would’ve been embarrassed by the hype generated by his invention. Cugnot is not only credited for having invented the first self-propelled military tractor and tricycle, but he is also the first one to get into a motor vehicle accident (so much for being a genius). But, you know, intelligence has its consequences, like bad hair, eye bags or in the case of Cugnot, poor driving. Even so, he’s said to be the inventor of the first automobile.

A number of people followed suit and invented their own steam-powered vehicle. After half a century since the first steam-powered vehicle was conceptualized, people began taking interest in building road vehicles powered by electricity. During the mid 1830s, the first electric carriage was invented by Robert Anderson. People received the shock of their lives (figuratively speaking of course) at this new innovation, but the hype never lasted long. Again, they weren’t satisfied and asked for more practical motor vehicles.

The solution? Gas-powered vehicles like what we presently see on the streets, only the designs back then were just plain ugly. You read it right. I said ugly. If you think otherwise then you’re better off in the 1800s when people think the first designs were cool. Anyway, after reading this post, people may think that even though the design of a vehicle is very complex, it surprisingly took only a very short time to be perfected. That is far from being correct. Automobiles underwent millions, and maybe even billions of changes ever since it was first conceptualized. And you can see from the trends today that it is still undergoing changes. Cars are now fitted with turbo-chargers, high-performance chips, entertainment systems, GPS and even monster wheels which were unheard of before. Cars can even be customized according to the whims of the owner. And the 21st century is seeing the rise of environment-friendly cars or what are called green cars. And that is just a drop in the bucket. Innovations are being thought of every minute of the day all over the world. And automotive technology will continue to change until the time that we’re all driving nuclear-powered flying vehicles. And even then the changes won’t stop.