Automotive News

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler, Dodge

Another action group has set its sights on the auto industry, this time its People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA has the Chrysler Group in its crosshairs for a loose connection it maintains with the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race held in Alask, which officially starts this Sunday. Clearly PETA has a problem with using sled dogs as an engine for ground-based transportation over snow. We get that. What we don’t get is why the organization is attacking the Chrysler Group.

Automotive News reports that Dodge actually sponsored the Iditarod for three years in the early ’90s. Dodge backed off, however, in 1993 when Alaska’s Dodge dealers group took over primary sponsorship of the event. The dealers dropped the sponsorship in 2003, and ever since Ron Udd, owner of Anchorage Chrysler-Dodge (a single dealership) has paid $300,000 a year to be the official sponsor.

PETA claims on its website that DaimlerChrysler is a sponsor of the 2007 Iditarod, which obviously is not the case, and invites its members to contact who it refers to as “DaimlerChrysler Corporation CEO” Tom LaSorda (Uh, that would be Dieter Zetsche, did you mean to say Chrysler Group CEO?). The organization conveniently has a page set up with a letter all written, all you have to do is type in your name and hit send. When did protestors get so lazy?

Regardless of your feelings towards the plight of sled dogs, PETA could at least put in the leg work to get its facts straight before it aims its gun of righteousness at the wrong target.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

 

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IRVINE, Calif., Mar. 1, 2007 – Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced its best February sales ever of 23,512 units, a 13.5-percent increase over the same period in 2006. Year-to-date sales for Kia totaled 46,036 units, an 18.6-percent improvement over 2006. Spectra had a strong month with 4,545 units, a 10.8-percent increase over the same period last year. The all-new Rondo sold 928 units for the month.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Mitsubishi

The rapidly rebounding Mitsubishi has just announced pricing for its new 2008 Lancer that could help solidify the automakers return to solvency in the U.S. market. The next Lancer will carry a base price of $14,615 for the base DE model with a 5-speed manual and the only engine being offered at the moment, a 2.0L MIVEC four-cylinder producing 152 horsepower. Stepping up to the optional CVT tranny will cost an additional $900 on DE and midlevel ES, but on the uplevel GTS it will cost a cool thousand extra thanks to a set of 6-Step Sportronic paddle-shifters.

Three packages will be offered including the A/C and Power Package ($1,100), Sun & Sound Package ($1,500) and the Navigation & Technology Package ($2,000), the last of which includes a 30GB hard drive and nav system with a 7-inch screen.

It should be noted that the new Lancer’s base price is a full $589 less than a 2006 Lancer ES, the current base model with a manual transmission. Pricing for each new model appears lower than their 2006 counterparts across the board.

Check out the complete list of prices* below.

• Lancer DE (2.0L/5M) $14,615
• Lancer DE (2.0L/CVT) $15,515
• Lancer ES (2.0L/5M) $16,615
• Lancer ES (2.0L/CVT) $17,515
• Lancer GTS (2.0L/5M) $18,115
• Lancer GTS (2.0L/CVT) $19,115

*All prices include an extra $625 for shipping.

Check out the pricing for every option and feature after the jump.

Continue reading Mitsubishi prices 2008 Lancer from $14,615*

 

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Filed under: Etc.

Fractalspin, the cyber outlet for all things geek, is currently offering one of the manliest keychains ever. What might appear to the casual observer to be just some geometric sculpture, is in fact the male testosterone molecule. Sure the ladies have testosterone as well, but it is principally known as the male sex hormone. For those of us a little rusty on our high school biology, the Fractalspin description tells us that testosterone “plays key roles in health and well-being, including enhanced libido, energy levels, proper immune function, and protection against osteoporosis.” But it’s that libido bit that gets all the headlines. Cars and sex have often been linked, so perhaps this was inevitable. How many times have we heard expensive sports cars described a way for men to compensate for their…shortcomings?

[Source: Fractalspin]

Continue reading Manliest keychain ever made from testosterone

 

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DETROIT - Despite an expected decline in U.S. industry sales, GM reported a 3.4 percent total sales increase, compared with February 2006. The sales gain was due to an 11 percent retail sales increase. Retail and fleet sales by GM dealers in the United States totaled 311,763 vehicles, compared with sales of 301,545 in February 2006. Fleet sales were down 18 percent due to a planned 25 percent reduction in daily rental sales.

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Filed under: Trends, Etc., Euro, Driving

Because they’re such stellar role models with cutting, well-educated insight on all matters, we should follow the lead of our favorite television and movie characters when on the road. We’ve been so impressed by the well-informed and thoroughly considered stances that many movie and television stars have taken that we hang on their every word, awaiting the eventual revelation of the meaning of life. They’re on TV, so they must know, you know? That Ed Begley, what an automotive authority he is. Who hasn’t wanted to emulate the drunk starlet as she cruises through life thouroughly self-absorbed? Sarcasm aside, UK-based Motorists’ Forum is suggesting the use of television and movie stars, as well as atheletes, to deliver positive messages about road safety.

The premise is that sports figures and popular characters are so well known in people’s homes that they’re almost like surrogate family members. Because of the familiarity, the feeling is people will pay attention to an embedded message about driving respectfully and raise awareness of poor and antisocial driving practices. They go on to link criminality to seriously bad driving and suggest rewarding responsible behavior behind the wheel. We don’t know why, but suggesting we look to people who are yessed to death and insulated from the real world for cues on how to behave in the real world doesn’t impress us. We Autobloggers have always been self-thinkers, though. For those that don’t see the problem in looking to unqualified, well-known stars for life tips, we can’t help you. Babies outgrow spoonfeeding quickly, there’s no need for adults to return to the practice.

[Source: Motorists Forum via AutoExpress]

 

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Trucks/Pickups, Toyota, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for TRD Aurion gallery. TRD HiLux gallery below.

TRD didn’t just show off its new Corolla-based rally car at the Melbourne Motor Show. The Aussie wing of Toyota’s factory motorsports arm also pulled the sheets off a new production car, the TRD Aurion, and a near-production-looking concept in the TRD HiLux pickup. The emergence of the special Aurion represents the world debut of TRD as a vehicle brand, opening the door for TRD versions of just about anything the automaker sets its mind to.

The TRD Aurion doesn’t play around, either. This better-looking (much better looking in fact) Aussie version of the Camry gets a blown 3.5L V6 good for at least 320 horsepower. Some of you will notice that the TRD production car is essentially a dead ringer for the Aurion Sports Concept (gallery) that made its debut at the Sydney Motor Show back in October. We think the production car looks better, with less grey in the nose and much nicer-looking wheels. Sadly, Toyota thinks that the Camry has to look boring in our market. Come on guys, this look and the supercharged engine would go a long way towards making people think of the car as something other than an inoffensive, boring appliance.

Joining the TRD Aurion at the Toyota Stand is a TRD HiLux concept pickup. The four-door short-bed truck sports TRD graphics, a black roll bar, and a supercharged 4.0L V6. No power numbers were given. TRD only says that HiLux concept’s engine is good for “substantially more” than the 234 horses the standard HiLux produces. If we had to guess, we’d say that our friends in Oz can look for the “concept” part of the HiLux’s name to be dropped in the future.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Melbourne: Toyota shows off TRD versions of Aurion sedan and HiLux pickup

 

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Auburn Hills, Mich., Mar 1, 2007 - Chrysler Group reported sales for February 2007 of 174,506 units; down 8 percent compared to February 2006 with 190,367 units. All sales figures are reported unadjusted.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, SUVs, Toyota

The oldest member of Toyota’s seemingly ever-expanding SUV lineup, the Land Cruiser, is due for another update for model year 2009. It’s expected to make an initial appearance in production trim at the Tokyo Auto Salon in December, but a Czech site has some spy photos of a camo-covered prototype. The new Land “Bruiser” is expected to have a new 4.5L turbo-diesel W-8 with common rail injection, putting out 206hp and 317lb-ft of torque.

[Source: News.Auto.cz via CarScoop]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchbacks, Toyota, Misc. Auto Shows

Click for high-res photo gallery

Toyota has a lot going on at the Melbourne Motor Show this week. In addition to the Aussie debut of the new Corolla (right), a new Super 2000-spec rally car is also on hand, resplendent in red-and-white TRD livery. 2006 Australian Rally Champion Simon Evans and rally team leader Neal Bates were on hand for the presentation of the new racer, which is powered by a 2.0 liter, 255 horsepower normally-aspirated four-cylinder that runs up to the class-mandated 8,500 rpm maximum. It weighs in at around 2500 pounds.

As is the case with other Super 2000 rally cars, electronic aids are prohibited and not present on this new Corolla, which will see its first racing action in June.

[Sources: Toyota, Rally.com.au]

Continue reading Toyota unveils Corolla Super 2000 rally car

 

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