December 14th, 2005 by admin
North America International Auto Show 2005
Looking at two, very opposite, popular market trends, the next few years’ car models seem to be offering either alternative fuel technology or massive horsepower.
This article, from Auto Reviews Online, looks at the North America International Auto Show this year and offers some fascinating highlights from the models showcased:
Mitsubishi showed production models of the Raider and Eclipse Concept cars of last year. The Raider was an "imported brand’s" variation of the Dodge Dakota pick up truck, on which it is based. The styling is more Asian influenced on the exterior and the interior is more car-like than the rugged truck like interior of the Dakota. Factor in the incredible warranty advantage Mitsubishi has on the Dakota, the Raider is sure to attract attention in the showrooms later this year. The Raider will be offered with V6 and V8 power plants. The Eclipse was shown as a gas/electric hybrid at last years show, however it has been introduced as a gas powered model offered with 2 engine choices, the 162HP 2.4L 4 cylinder and 3.8L 260HP V6 motors. The styling is quite bold and should appeal to younger buyers who identify with its street rod persona.
For heavy car buffs, this is a must read. It will be interesting to see whether the market goes the way of the environmentalist or the heavy-duty horsepower route.
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December 9th, 2005 by admin
Will he lose his seat?
The Chairman of the Volkswagon group, Bernd Pischetsrieder, may be in danger of losing his job.
European sales are higher, and a restructured VW Group has gained 0.8 percentage point of market share, the largest increase of all manufacturers in Europe this year. In addition, profits are up and VW has made progress working with its German labor unions.
But with four months to go until his contract comes up for renegotiation, Pischetsrieder is plagued by other problems.
Despite the fact that Volkswagon’s future looks brighter as of late, it may be too far gone to save the Chairman’s job.
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December 7th, 2005 by admin
Unless the United Auto Workers union accepts concessions that enable GM to save money right now
Trimming the expenditures may be the only thing that can save GM. In fact, industry analysts predict that their days are numbered unless the expenses go down.
Analysts say General Motors faces bankruptcy unless the United Auto Workers union accepts concessions that enable GM to hunker down as a smaller business.
And they contend the twin crises at GM and bankrupt auto parts supplier Delphi eventually could reshape much of the state’s 125,000-employee auto industry. It’s no wonder. GM and Delphi are huge.
With 12,000 workers in the state, GM is Indiana’s largest industrial employer after drug maker Eli Lilly. Delphi is No. 3.
What remains to be seen is whether or not unions and internal struggles will prevent that from coming to fruition.
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December 6th, 2005 by admin
New Car Sales Are Up
Finally, a bit of good news from detroit… Auto sales are up this holiday season due to great rebates and incentives.
With car makers upping the ante on manufacturers’ rebates and dealers cutting prices on ’05 models, some local operations are just trying to keep up with the demand. "We’ll run out by mid-December," Towbin Dodge General Sales Manager Will Tooros says of this year’s cars and trucks. "We’re going to the Midwest where they can’t get rid of them and we’re bringing them here."
There seemed to be no shortage of buyers as the countdown to Christmas began. On so-called Black Friday, Nov. 25, some car dealers were too busy with customers to even talk about sales. Those who could break away proclaimed that there is no better time to buy a new car.
There’s never been a better time to buy a car. It really is a buyer’s market, this holiday season.
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December 3rd, 2005 by admin
Burgeoning Auto Testing Industry Comes to Rural NC
The people of Northhampton County, North Carolina have put their minds and money together to build a state-of-the-art automobile testing facility to lure auto makers into testing their newest cars, trucks, and vans in their rural setting. The center, with a projected cost of $130 million, is really a cinderella story, with a book/movie deal in the works.
Local and state officials are building the $130 million center mostly on spec, with only two companies publicly committed to the project. But they’re confident the center, where automobile and parts manufacturers and motorsports teams will be able to test experimental and alternative-fuel vehicles, could generate 300 jobs directly and thousands of others within the automobile and other industries.
And in the process, they hope the center will keep a generation of Northampton kids living at home instead of leaving for the big city.
"I’d love to come back," said 17-year-old Tim Gubitz, a Northampton East senior who wants to get an electrical engineering degree at North Carolina State University and enter the electric vehicle industry. "It’s an area that’s growing and I’d love to be a part of that growth."
Gubitz is now a student at Northampton East High School, where since 1993 members of the Automotive Team have hollowed out old cars with gasoline engines and replaced them with several 12-volt batteries and an electric motor.
"I think the forces are coming together, that our country is finally starting to see that we’ve got to change our transportation methods," said Harold Miller, a retired Northampton East teacher who jump-started that first car project. "A gas engine is just a dirty thing."
In a part of the state where students often rank near the bottom in test scores, the kids from Northampton East stunned everyone when they won a multistate electric vehicle competition on their first try. It’s a story that recently became the subject of a book and a potential movie deal.
Automakers are having a difficult year this year. Gas prices and environmental concerns are causing a consumer outcry for hybrid vehicles. And, falling sales are forcing the industry to cut thousands of jobs to keep the books balanced.
The NC training center may be much less expensive for automakers to utilize than having their own similar center, and the rural location will keep prying eyes out.
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December 1st, 2005 by admin
For the first time since the 80s, Chevrolet tops Ford in car sales
While Chevrolet points to clearance sales and quality improvements as driving the leap over Ford, some industry experts are blaming Ford’s poor performance this year.
Ford’s U.S. sales fell to 2.78 million last year from 3.47 million vehicles in 2000. That was the same year Firestone’s recall of more than 6.5 million tires, most on the Ford Explorer, raised questions about the safety of the top-selling SUV.
Chevrolet’s stronger sales are a rare bit of good news for GM.
The automaker announced plans last month to stop production at a dozen North American plants and cut 30,000 hourly jobs by the end of 2008. The company has lost nearly $5 billion in its North American automotive operations this year.
But Chevrolet really isn’t focusing much on the #1 spot publicly. Instead they are choosing to downplay the honor because industry analysts say Toyota will soon take the top slot.
Finally though, some good news for GM, at least for now.
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November 30th, 2005 by admin
More Job Losses Ahead for Auto Giant
Due to gas prices last quarter and poor performance from Volvo, Ford is cutting a little over 5% of Volvo’s workforce. The job cuts fall mainly in Sweden, with a small portion from Belguim.
The automaker will eliminate 1,470 positions, primarily in Sweden and Belgium, out of a total workforce of 27,500 people, Gothenburg, Sweden-based Volvo Cars said Monday.
"We have to reduce the number of employees we have in order to be more effective in the future," Christer Gustafsson, a Volvo spokesman, said in an interview. "We are reviewing all cost-driving areas within the company."
These cuts are not due to the auto giant’s earlier plans to reduce their workforce by 10,000 jobs by years end. Those cuts will be on top of these at Volvo.
Looks like Ford employees will have a very stressful holiday season.
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November 24th, 2005 by admin
Should You Be Able To Avoid The Dealer When Repairing Your Car?
Many owners choose to use their own mechanic, rather than the dealership, to maintain and repair their vehicles. While dealerships maintain they should be notified, for statistical reporting’s sake, when certain repairs are made, the consumer is forced to spend the extra money and time for the automaker’s convenience.
In some late-model cars, for instance, the immobilizer activates if the battery dies. Since independent shops can’t access security-system information, the car must be taken to a dealer for reprogramming. Similarly, some ignition systems use keys that contain computer chips — if there’s a problem with the key, or the ignition, only the dealer is authorized to fix it. Given how common dead batteries and damaged keys are, this can leave drivers in a serious and costly lurch — forget calling a mobile locksmith or having AAA tow you to a nearby service station. And heaven forbid you break down on a remote road, or on a Friday night when the dealer doesn’t open until Monday.
Lawmakers and citizens’ groups are attempting to remedy the situation, but unfortunatly both sides have real merit. Convenience and safety are both important, so it will be important to closely monitor the coming decisions. AutoWarranties.com will keep you abreast of any news on this issue.
See Also
- The Dealers’ Choice
Carmakers thwart neighborhood mechanics and foil drivers, critics say, by withholding information needed for repairs.
November 24th, 2005 by admin
Take Precautions This Winter
With the advent of all-season and advanced traction control tires, most consumers simply don’t change their tires seasonally anymore. John McCormick of Autos Insider hopes this disturbing trend reverses.
All season tires are, by their very nature, designed to be a compromise. They do reasonably well in the heat of summer but do not give up all their grip capability in ultra-cold snowy conditions.
The problem with such a compromise is that all season tires simply cannot work as well as dedicated winter tires in sub-zero temperatures, when rubber designed for summer use turns hard and inflexible. Winter tires are engineered to remain compliant in bitter cold and have treads designed to cut through layers of snow or slush.
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November 24th, 2005 by admin
Toyotas May Soon Be Made in Indiana
Indiana’s Subaru plant may soon produce Toyotas, including their hybrids. Beginning as early as 2007, the Indiana plant may ramp up their production to more 50% their current output.
Toyota purchased 8.7% of Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. from General Motors Corp. in October reportedly for $315 million, giving Toyota access to the Lafayette plant.
There reportedly are five to six models, including hybrids, being considered for production at Lafayette. Subaru currently builds the B9 Tribeca, Baja, Legacy and Outback vehicles in Indiana.
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