Automotive News

Filed under: Recalls/TSBs, Honda

Automotive News is reporting that fuel pump problems dogging Honda worldwide have lead to a third recall, this time in Japan affecting some 390,000 vehicles. As we’ve already reported, the issue involves something leaking, something breaking and a motor that subsequently may not start. The offending part appears to be the fuel pump that could leak some type of sealant onto important wires exposed below. The sealer gunk apparently can cause the wires to break or snap eventually.

Honda has already recalled over 525,000 vehicles in China (a new record!) and 165,000 in the U.S for the same issue. The new recall affects 13 models in Japan including the Accord, Civic, Civic Hybrid, Odyssey, Life and Fit build between April and October 2005. In all, 1,080,000 vehicles have now been recalled worldwide to repair this problem.

[Source: Automotive News]

 

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Filed under: Chevrolet

General Motors has proven it should be taken seriously in its efforts to harmonize its many global outposts into a single, coherent unit. The Opel-ifying of Saturn is the most obvious example, but Chevy, which is enjoying increased popularity in Europe, wants in on the globalization action, too. AutoWeek reports that GM’s everyman brand wants to commonize its nameplates globally over the next couple of years. Right now the brand sells same models in various regions under different monikers. Our Chevy Aveo, for instance, is called the Kalos in Europe and the Lova in China. When Chevy introduces a brand new small car around the end of the decade, it will be known as the Aveo everywhere it’s sold.

GM also plans to unify the marketing strategies and retail systems that sells Chevy brand vehicles worldwide. When the new Aveo was introduced around the world in 2006, for instance, it was accompanied in India by the slogan “An Indian Revolution”, an obvious play on Chevy’s own tagline here in the States, “An American Revolution”. In the future, a global marketing council for Chevy with reps from each of the four biggest regions will decide on a unified brand message.

[Source: Autoweek via Winding Road]

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Economy, Dodge

The Dodge SRT team is more accessible than most engineers working for a major OEM, which is evident by its participation in monthly forum chats on CaliberForums.com to update fanboys on the progress of its projects. Currently, the team has the Caliber SRT-4 on its plate, and the focus of the most recent chat session centered around the car’s impending arrival. The SRT team revealed that Dodge’s 300-horsepower “economy” car will be a normal 2008 model year car, which means it will arrive “as the leaves change colors”, according to one engineer. Unfortunately, the on-sale date can’t be pinned down to a specific day this far out, so we’ll have to be satisfied with an autumnal arrival. We’re very eager for someone to get their hands on an SRT-4 to see how Dodge handles the torque steer issues with routing 300 horsepower through the front wheels. But for now, we wait.

Thanks for the tip, John!

[Source: CaliberForums.com]

 

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Cadillac, GM, Pontiac

In the past 18 months, GM has brought out two all-new rear-wheel drive platforms at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Kappa platform underpins the Solstice and Sky roadsters, as well as several concepts that have been shown at auto shows this season. At the larger end, the crew at Holden has created the Zeta platform that drives the Commodore/Pontiac G8/Chevy Camaro/2009 Impala and likely more.

Now it’s being reporting that there will be a new mid-sized RWD platform code-named Alpha. Alpha would apparently take pieces from the other platforms and be used for future Pontiacs and Cadillacs. The next generation G6 may use this architecture instead of the front wheel drive Epsilon II. For Cadillac, the new car would slot in below the CTS and also replace the much derided BLS in Europe.

If it’s done right, such a Cadillac would give the brand a real competitor for the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4/S4, as long as consumers aren’t hounded by the memory of other entry-level Cadillacs like the Cimarron. A smaller, rear-drive sedan and/or coupe would fit in much better with Cadillac’s current lineup, however, and further help to lower the average age of the brands’ customers.

[Source: Winding Road]

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Crossovers/CUVs, Buick

If dealer anticipation is anything to go by, the new Buick Enclave has already exceeded the expectations of General Motors. Buick dealers have put in orders for 6,000 units of the third large CUV to be built on the automaker’s Lambda platform, the other two being the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia. This is one of those good news/bad news situations, as GM only has the capacity to build around half of the orders taken for the Enclave by the time the SUV goes on sale by June 1st.

So far, the Acadia appears to be handily outselling the Outlook by over 2 to 1, racking up 5,965 sales this year through February compared to 2,844 sales of the Outlook. The Enclave will be positioned above its two CUV siblings with a starting price of $32,790. Dealers are also ordering Enclaves optioned to the hilt with premium items, so expect average transaction prices to be much higher. The looming question is whether consumers can stomach a premium-priced CUV from Buick after being weened on the heavily incentivised Rendezvous. We think they can, if based solely on the fact that the Enclave is a real looker and the other two Lambda CUVs have been received well by the press so far.

[Source: The Detroit News]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Jaguar

Now here’s an engine that will get you rippin’ when you uncork it. After a long life of constant high-revving thrills, this former E-Type V-12 has retired to a life of leisure. Creatively titled ‘V12 Wine Rack’ by its maker, David Lacey, this bottle-fed Jag mill has been opened up to a capacity of 9 liters, 750 ml from each of its 12 ports.

According to the description, the block has been sand-blasted to bare aluminum, the liners and bearing caps are zinc plated and the crank is nickel plated, all mounted on a custom and very attractive mahogany base that even rotates. Looks like the flat top could even accomodate a box of Chillable Red.

It probably can’t turn 5,400 RPM like the original, but after a case of your favorite port, perhaps you’d be better off taking this for a spin and not the Jag. Looks like we might have a new suggestion for what to do with Uday’s old Ferrari V12.

Thanks for the tip, Chuck!

[Source: Jag-Lovers]

 

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Filed under: Time Warp, Coupes, Toyota

Our pals at Winding Road just passed along a note that Toyota might be considering re-releasing the driftastic Corolla Sport. The endearingly tossable rear-wheel-drive AE86 platform was known by many names around the world: Corolla Levin, Sprinter Trueno, Corolla GT and of course the Corolla Sport in the States. Particularly in GT-S trim, it was one of the few sporty models to make its way into Toyota dealerships, alongside the Celica and Supra, and eventually the MR2, which essentially replaced it. But it was fun and cheap, and that set it apart. Available from 1983-1987, it was one of the last affordable rear-drive cars that could take a pounding, making it a favorite of budget street racers and the emerging drift scene in the ’80s and ’90s.

It looks like the suits at Toyota are close to greenlighting a new version. Apparently the idea has been floated several times over the years with mixed reaction, but it seems to be gaining some momentum lately. There is reportedly some disagreement within the corporate ranks over whether or not it would actually sell, but a few officials appear to be backing it strongly. Must be some Initial D fans up in there. A modernized Hachi-Roku would have to find a suitable rwd platform, but would be a blast to see in the lineup again. Of course, we’ve had access to AE86 in games like Need For Speed for years now, but getting our hands on the real deal would be sweet. We’ll keep our fingers crossed on this one.

[Source: Winding Road]

 

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Filed under: Etc.

This is what happens when you don’t get those 1.21 Jigowatts of power flowing cleanly. One unfortunate Delorean owner recently had a bit of a meltdown, but we don’t think Doc Brown was anywhere in the immediate vicinity. An instant classic after its appearance in the “Back To The Future” movies, the Delorean was one of those “could have been” cars that captured a lot of people’s imaginations. Among them is director Robert Zemeckis, who cast the Irish-built, French-powered, stainless-steel wonder in his films. The gullwing doors, naked stainless body and overall rakish shape promised so much more than the Renault V6 delivered, but the car still had quite a following.

The DeLorean still does have a following, as a matter of fact. Some people even use them as their daily drivers. This particular example was found near a pawn shop, and photographed for posterity. We see no evidence of a Flux Capacitor, so we can only guess that those modifications burned away during this sample’s untimely demise. With nearly 130 years of wear and tear on it, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that it might have had a few mechanical issues. It did manage to succeed in traveling from 1985 to 1955 and back again, with stops in 2015 and 1885 along the way, after all.

Thanks for the tip, aL!

[Source: Chalkline]

 

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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford

The production version of the Ford Fairlane concept is named the Flex, and the Blue Oval will pull the wraps off this key new vehicle at the New York Auto Show in two weeks. The Flex joins a Ford crossover lineup that includes the newly restyled and renamed Taurus X and, of course, the Edge. The Flex, however, is essentially Ford’s minivan replacement. Unlike the Edge, it features three-row seating and opposite-opening side doors (basically big suicide doors, just like the ones seen on the Fairlane). Of course, the “minivan” look is radioactive these days unless you’re the Chrysler Group, and Ford thinks it’s got a winner in the Flex, which will appeal to families who want minivan utility and space, but not the stodgy appearance. The other domestics are ready with competition — GM with its GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, and Buick Enclave, and Chrysler with the new Town & Country and Dodge Caravan (and the Pacifica, lest we forget).

According to Dow Jones Newswires, dealers who’ve seen the crossover are very enthused and Ford’s looking to hit a sales volume of 100,000 units for the family-friendly hauler starting in 2008. Naturally, the Flex will spawn a Lincoln version as well (it won’t be at NY), and if it finds the same level of popularity and acceptance as the Fusion and Edge, well, this whole Way Forward thing is going to start looking pretty good. We eagerly await seeing the Flex in person, and will report back once we’ve climbed all over it at the Javits Center.

UPDATE: The whole French Doors/Suicide Doors thing is in question, as the Detroit News says the Flex has regular doors. We’ve contacted Ford, requesting a clarification. We’ll let you know what they say.

Thanks for the tip, JuanTan!

[Source: Dow Jones Newswires via CNN Money]

 

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Filed under: Garage, Sedans/Saloons, Mercury

click above image for desktop-sized pics of the 2007 Mercury Montego

Alas, Montego, we hardly knew ye. Of course, the large sedan from Mercury is not going away, but being relaunched as the Sable with a new schnoz, larger engine, and some interior upgrades. The Montego name will once again drift off into obscurity like its Torino-based forebear. While the Sable picks up where the Montego left off, it would be foolish to think the Montego is a dud. The 2007 Montego Premier AWD is a big car, with some dimensions exceeding the Grand Marquis. With a bump here and a nip there, the Montego would make the best Marquis ever. As it is, the Volvo-donated architecture underneath the Montego makes it a very modern driving sedan that belies the comfort-sized dimensions.

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Mercury Montego Premier

 

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