Automotive News

Filed under: Etc.

OK, this is kind of cool, but kind of scary at the same time. Built by the Institute for Applied Autonomy, this spray-painting van is an ink-jet printer for the road. Pretty cool idea, but what would you actually do with it? Well, the IAA’s stated mission, according to CNET, is “to study the forces and structures which affect self-determination and to provide technologies which extend the autonomy of human activists.” That basically boils down to this being a graffiti truck, and that’s effin sweet.

The so-called StreetWriter uses a “computer-controlled industrial spray painting unit” in an extended-length cargo van. The printings are probably best read from above, but even those on the ground will get the message. At right is a view of the inside of the van.

[Source: CNET via Engadget]

 

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Filed under: Hirings/Firings, Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials

A tip sent us to the blog of Dr. Mark J. Perry, professor of economics and finance at the University of Michigan, who points out that hourly union workers at the Big 3 make on average 57.6% more in a year than a university professor with a Ph.D. Using figures from the automakers themselves, Dr. Perry tells us that a union worker at Ford makes $141,020/year including wages and benefits. A worker at General Motors makes $146,520/year and one at Chrysler earns $151,720/year. According to another report he cites, the average annual salary for a college professor in 2006 was $92,973, which happens to be close to the $96,000/year a Honda, Nissan or Toyota worker makes in the U.S.

Why trot out all these numbers? It’s clear that upcoming negotiations between the Big 3 and UAW will likely yield concessions in both wages and healthcare costs. They have to if the U.S. auto industry is to survive. Dr. Perry references those who say the concessions must be “transformational”, and to illustrate what that means, he suggests that Union workers would have to accept a wage equal to that of a college professor with a Ph.D.

We get that union auto workers are overpaid, we really do. Dr. Perry, however, seems to imply that there’s something inherently wrong with a Ph.D professor making less than a high-school educated auto worker. The wage of a union auto worker, however, should come down because it’s artificially high, not because the social order of education dictates that those with Ph.Ds should earn more than those who only finished high school. But hey, maybe we’re being too sensitive.

[Source: Carpe Diem]

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchbacks, Scion

Don’t forget about the destination charges! Those are an additional $620.

click on the above image to view more pics of the 2008 Scion xD

Scion has come out today and priced its new entry-level xD with an MSRP of $14,550 for one with a manual tranny and $15,350 for one with an automatic. The base MSRP of the outgoing xA is $12,780, so anyone interested in getting into a Scion as cheaply as possible better do so now, because the entry fee will be going up by $1,770 as soon as the new xD arrives. To be fair, the xD looks to be a significantly better car than the anemic xA. Whereas the xA came with a 103-hp (revised 2006 SAE number) 1.5L motor, the xD gets a four-cylinder with .3L more displacement, 25 more horsepower and variable valve timing. With a manual, the new engine will return 27 mpg city/33 mpg highway, which is average though not exceptional fuel economy for a car this size.

Read all the marketing mumbo jumbo on the new xD in the press release after the jump. Pricing can be found in the second last to paragraph, though no options were priced with the car at this time. You can also revisit the xD’s debut in Chicago last February by flipping through the gallery below.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Scion xD gets stickered at $14,550*

 

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Filed under: Etc., Euro, Marketing/Advertising, DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes Benz

With the sale of Chrysler nearly complete, the folks in Stuttgart are looking for a new name to represent the automaker formerly known as Daimler Chrysler. Company executives would like to call the company Daimler AG, but others want the company name to once again include both ‘Daimler’ and ‘Benz’ to reflect both of the company’s original founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. CEO Dieter Zetsche has instead proposed changing the name of all manufacturing plants from Daimler to Mercedes as a compromise. We’d like to point out that none of luxury cars the company produces is called Daimler anyway, so why hold on to that part of the name? In any case, the final name will be decided at the October 4 shareholder meeting in Berlin.

[Source: Auto News - sub. req’d]

 

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Filed under: Etc.

Our sister site Cinematical reports that a sequel to Disney/Pixar’s Cars is apparently in the works, and could arrive as early as Summer 2009. If that’s the case, we should expect to see a trailer for Cars 2 attached to next summer’s Pixar entry, Wall-E. The rumor really built up steam when Paul Newman made comments to reporters about a possible sequel at the Indy 500. Our friends at Cinematical seem to be disappointed that Lightning McQueen and friends appear to be getting a sequel, as it’s not one of their fave Pixar flicks. They also wonder why Cars could get another go-round when its box-office grosses were low compared to the great Pixar successes. We think it’s merchandising, where Cars appears to be quite the juggernaut, what with the toys, video games, bed sheets, etc. that continue to appear in stores everywhere. Anyway, you won’t hear a peep of complaining from us. Cars was one of our favorites last summer, as the talking rides were very cool, and there were plenty of subtle and not-so-subtle references in there to make any pistonhead a happy camper. Seriously, any movie where Richard Petty voices an animated Plymouth Superbird sporting the #43 that’s named “The King” is A-OK in our book. Sequel? Bring it on.

[Source: Cinematical]

 

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Green

As the nation’s fourth-largest state, Florida is about to take a big step forward in the war against car emissions, which might be a tipping point for the whole nation. It looks like Gov. Charlie Crist is about to join the CARB crowd and add his state to the list of those with limits on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Although we are waiting for the official announcement to confirm this news, a few moves by the governor’s office seem to indicate that this is indeed the direction he will be taking his state. Florida would be the twelfth state on the list to adopt the CO2 limits set by the California Air Resources Board.

The CARB limits call for a 30 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2016. Automakers have fought these California limits as being illegal. They claim only the federal government can regulate fuel economy and think this is essentially the same thing. Considering its size and struggle with pollution in the past, the federal government allowed California to set its own emissions standards, and other states have been given the choice to adopt federal emissions standards or adopt the stricter ones set by CARB. It makes it tough for manufacturers to keep up when there isn’t one set of federal rules, but California, for one, thinks moving on their own is the only way to get things to change.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

 

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Filed under: SUVs, Mercedes Benz

Click image for photo gallery

Mercedes has followed-up its live press conference shots of the M-Class “Edition10″ SUV with complete details and the additional photos we’d been expecting to see. In a nutshell, here’s the rundown on the M-Class Edition 10.

Five “Edition 10″models (market availability varies):

• ML 420 CDI 4MATIC
• ML 280 CDI
• ML 320 CDI
• ML 350
• ML 500

“Edition 10″ package includes:

• 20″ alloys in silver or “chrome shadow” finish
• Darkened housings for headlamps and foglamps
• Titanium-look radiator grille and front bumper guard
• Tnted taillamp clusters
• Titanium-look rear bumper guard
• Squared twin-tip dual exhaust outlets
• Blue-tinted glass
• Assorted chrome trim elements
• Edition 10 badging
• Two-tone beige and black interior
• Edition 10 floormats

Follow the jump for the total breakdown in the Mercedes-issued press release, and check out more shots of the car in the gallery below.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Complete info, pics on the Mercedes M-Class “Edition 10″

 

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Filed under: Etc., Ferrari

UPDATED: Trailer with no soundtrack added so you can hear the engines!

One of the biggest complaints about the Gran Turismo series may be corrected when a mini version of the next game, called Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, hits store shelves later this year. GT Channel is reporting that the game will include Ferraris for the first time in its history. This is based on a recent trailer of GT 5 Prologue that shows a Ferrari F430 on track. We would imagine if the F430 is included, other of Modena’s finest are, as well.

E3 is also going on as we speak, and news from the trade show today is that the full version of GT 5 won’t be coming until at least the spring of 2008, Sony is releasing the smaller Gran Turismo 5 Prologue this year to keep us interested. Though likely featuring a small stable of cars, Prologue will reportedly allow online racing, which is another feature the GT series has gone without for too long.

Check out the newly released Gran Turismo 5 Prologue trailer featuring Ferraris on track after the jump.

[Source: GT Channel, YouTube]

Continue reading New Gran Turismo 5 trailer confirms Ferrari included

 

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Chrysler

Senator Barack Obama has tossed aside the keys to his Chrysler 300C in favor of a new Ford Escape Hybrid. According to the Detroit Free Press, the senator from Illinois was lambasted for driving the a V8 300C after chastising Detroit in a May 7 speech for failing to anticipate rising oil prices that have changed consumers’ buying habits.

We for one wish Obama would’ve kept his 300, not because we hate the environment or think his lecture to Detroit wasn’t a wee bit hypocritical, but because hybrids have become nothing more than a decorative accessory for politicians on both sides of the aisle. The Freep reports that John Edwards, Chris Dodd, Hilary Clinton, Mitt Romney and Bill Richardson all have Escape Hybrids in their fleets.

What does it all mean? Nothing really, as hybrids are now politicized to the point where politicians believe owning one gives them a free pass to guilt trip the auto industry in every speech. Less pandering, more substance, please.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

 

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Filed under: Garage, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford, Driving

Click on the Taurus X for a high-res gallery of the latest Ford CUV

Before the Honda Accord and then the Toyota Camry took over the top of the sales charts, the Ford Taurus was the number one selling car in the United States. During the final years of its lifetime the Taurus became the darling of daily rental fleets, with the bulk of its still-prodigious sales going there rather than to retail customers like its competition. This also meant in part that residual values for Taurus were the lowest in its class. As the Taurus era came to an end, Ford decided to make a clean break and split the previous sedan/wagon lineup into three distinct vehicles with new names. Thus was born the smaller, lower-cost Fusion sedan, the larger Five Hundred sedan and the Freestyle crossover wagon. The latter two never made much impact on the market thanks in large part to bland styling and underpowered engines.

Shortly after launch it became known that the Five Hundred and Freestyle would be quickly restyled with the new three bar Ford grille and a bigger engine. Just before their debut at the Chicago Auto Show in February, new CEO Alan Mullaly made the decision to revive the Taurus nameplate for the revamped models and the Freestyle became the new Taurus X. Just a week after production launched at the Chicago assembly plant, Taurus X serial number 70, a Limited AWD model with the new 3.5L V-6 and six-speed automatic was turned over to Autoblog for a week of evaluation.

Find out what it’s like to live with the Taurus X after the jump

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford Taurus X Limited

 

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