Just like the housing market in the US the Auto Industry is not only dealing with their reorganizations from their gluttonous years but also with the economic situation that has gripped this country. As could be expected each auto maker has its own approach to handling such shifts, and it is there strategic efforts that will determine their future. Focusing for a moment on how the foreign auto makers are handling the American economic situation some are adding new plants and assembly factories, some are re-imagining themselves and others may be doing Pres. Bush’s least favorite thing… the cut and run.
To combat a slumping US dollar and to protect themselves from a loss of profit Volkswagen is looking to expand more into North America. While American companies still out-source their jobs over seas to nations with cheaper labor, the Germans are starting to look at America the same way… sorta speak. They can save money and salvage greater profits by moving some more manufacturing and assembly plants into the US.
As the rest of the world grows stymied over the multiple alternatives to oil that are combating for a market share the Israeli government in a cooperative effort with Project Better Place and Renault-Nissan is preparing for the future. …The very near future. The plan calls for the mass marketing of an electric vehicle (EV) with an inter-changeable battery system and a series of battery recharging/swapping stations through-out Israel by 2011. What appears like an overly ambitious plan with a short time-table is potentially a daring adventure based on a working model: the mobil phone.
Just as cell phone towers span the land to spread each cellular companies signals to all areas, so to will the refueling stations for the battery powered cars. The cars on-board computer will calculate the amount of charge remaining in the battery and will also calculate the distance to the nearest recharging station.
There is a conflict brewing in the auto industry and it is not just with the designers and decision makers. The conflict is in the consumer as well. There are Green forces that are encouraging us to want fuel efficient, low emissions vehicles while at the same time there are Performance forces that encourage us to desire the vehicle that goes faster or hauls more. It is a Frosted Mini Wheat of a conundrum and until there are sufficient cars on the road that satisfy our Frosted Side for performance and our healthy Wheat side with low environmental impact we are going to continue to have this fight.
According to Wards Auto (via the Motor Authority) the EPA, the federal agency that regulates emissions and determines MPG ratings for cars (among other tasks), is calling for an end to the horsepower wars that they see being waged within the auto industry. Apparently the Gas Guzzler Tax that is slapped on high horsepower and low fuel mileage cars is not deterrent enough. They are calling on the auto industry to scull back the horsepower battle and to refocus their energies on Greener projects.
Daryl Hannah’s bio-diesel, flat black el Camino as found a winning bidder on ebay. Closing at a wallet friendly $15,600 the auction winner will be awarded his Hannah friendly el Camino and its bio-diesel pumping 55-gallon fuel drum as soon as he is ready to pick it all up we can only presume. Because why would you go through all of this and then pass up the chance to meet the cars owner in the flesh?
While I am personally not one for movie memorabilia or autographs of the stars Daryl Hannah’s el Camino might have been a possible exception. At least it is something that can be driven and has some environmentally kind purpose, and since the auction for the car closed at a relatively acceptable price it might not be a purchase that would be too hard to swallow. That is until the first time it breaks down and spends some time in the garage with my other project car. Then I might not feel so good about my purchase.
Following up on the heels of their HX Concept in Detroit and just ahead of its official unveiling scheduled for Chicago some high-res photos of the up-and-coming Hummer H3T pick-up have found their way across the internet. Based off of the H3 model the H3T goes where the other Hummer truck attempts have not; a complete truck bed. In the case of the H3T the truck bed is a completely separate piece from the cab and even comes with bed rails to better express its “truckiness” (yes, made up word included).
There are two suspension packages expected to come in the H3T: off-road and road/tow. While there is plenty of truck versatility in the back the interior of the H3T comes with the same available packages as the H3. Also like its H3 counterpart you can look for the H3T to come with the same available engine packages: 3.5 liter 5-cylinder or the 5.3 liter V8. (…H3T Photo Gallery Following Link)
Less than a week after seeing the rights to the very first production Challenger SRT8 go for $400,000 at the Barrett-Jackson Auction we have our second auction opportunity for a very special car. Starting February 12 bidding will begin on the #43 Challenger SRT8. The car will be painted a special B5 Blue and will be the only Challenger painted that color.
The famed color and significance of the #43, for the rare few reading this that do not know, goes back to Nascar driver Richard Petty. The proceeds from this auction will go toward the Victory Junction Gang, a childrens charity that was founded by Nascar driver Kyle Petty following the death of his son Adam. The organization has a camp where children with chronic diseases can go to take part in various activities and maybe forget for a while about the disease they are living with.
Following the similar path that GM announced not too long ago, Chrysler has announced that the Hemi engine “is not the powertrain of the future” as co-President Jim Press put it. This should not come as too much of a surprise as rising gas prices have already affected the sales figures for large V8 engines across the board. More and more people are opting for efficient V6 engines in their place.
Another obvious factor in the decision is the passing of the new CAFE standards. Chrysler is not about to spend the added research money into determining a way to make the Hemi fuel efficient enough to fit into the future fuel economy ratings. It would be a long and expensive path to take as direct-inject V6 engines are closer to spec and can come close enough in horsepower ratings to satisfy most buyers.
Is it one thing to be Car Crazy and still another thing to just be Crazy? Is to be the first that significant?
When the news broke that pre-sales for the new Dodge Challenger SRT8 were reaching a premium of up to $20,000 over MSRP I was, not shocked so much, but outraged. Not at the dealership’s for “getting theirs” and not at Dodge for enjoying some much needed “love”, but at the general idea. How Crazy are we to need to be at the head of the line? How much are we really willing to spend?
Well, I believe I got my answer to that this weekend at the Barrett-Jackson Auction.
This year the right to be the first to own one of the three instant classic/collector cars was being auctioned off.
There is a lot of talk in the media and among economists about the decline of the US Dollar; a looming economic recession; the decline of the housing market and yet despite all there there are still some people with a bit of play money burning a hole in their pocket. Lamborghini has been the benefactor of some of that play money in 2007 as they achieved a record year in sales.
For 2007 Lamborghini sold 2,406 cars, which was a 15% increase over 2006 total of 2,087 cars sold. There turned out to be 1,000 people in the US with some play money that opted for a new Lamborghini in 2007. Europe accounted for 959 of the total cars sold in 2007.
Lamborghini is not alone in having a banner sales year. Bentley, Rolls Royce and Ferrari have all had exemplary years in sales. That is a significant contrast to the year the domestic auto market had in 2007. Ford lost it’s #2 seller in America ranking to Toyota, and GM too is bracing for Toyota’s invasion on the #1 spot.
Maybe to protect themselves from reprisals by angry American automotive employees new Lamborghini owners should get a bumper-sticker that says, “my other car is a domestic.” Ofcourse we would all know that is a lie, but all they will need is a split seconds delay in-order to get away.
As the Speed Racer’s Mach 5 receives plenty of gawking in Detroit one of his opponents cars gets it’s own staging area at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The futuristic racing car pictured above is actually a fine product placement from an winning racing team in Japan. The Autobac’s Racing Team Arguri (ARTA) were the team and drivers champions of the 2007 series in the GT500 Class of the Japanese Super GT series. Ofcourse their actual racing car differs a great deal (obviously), the movie car does share the race teams colors, sponsors and car number.
While in person and in photos the car may appear to be a living cartoon I am sure it will seem much faster beneath the magical lights and CGI effects that the Wachowski Bros. and Warner Brothers will put it through.
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