Automotive News

Filed under: Etc., Driving

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Earlier this evening, a bridge that’s part of Interstate 35 in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River. In a scene that can only be described as horrific and catastrophic, vehicles and debris plunged into the water below. Additionally, a freight train passing underneath the bridge was struck and essentially cut in two by a falling section. According to authorities in Minnesota, at least 59 people, including 10 children, were injured. Sadly, as of this writing, 7 people have reportedly lost their lives as a result of this tragedy.

The event is being described as a structural failure and not an act of terrorism, an understandable concern at the time it occurred given the scope of the accident. Traffic at the time of the collapse (6:10 PM) was said to be bumper-to-bumper, as there was construction underway and many people were trying to get into downtown Minneapolis for the 7:10 PM Twins game at the Metrodome. Our condolences go to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts and wishes for a speedy recovery go to the injured.

[Source: MSNBC, Local TV video via YouTube]

 

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Filed under: Maintenance, Tech

With gasoline prices sometimes spiking above $3, it’s good to know just how much of the stuff you’re burning. And as a good car owner, you know the best way to do that is to habitually keep track of how many miles you’ve driven, how many gallons you’ve pumped and how often you change your car’s oil.

The easiest way, of course, is to just keep a small notebook and pen in your glovebox. But if you’ve abandoned such ancient technology for more modern record-keeping, maybe you should give My Milemarker a try. It’s a new website that helps you keep track of things like how much fuel you’re burning, how much money you’re spending on that fuel and how often you’re changing your oil.

It’s simple, ad-free interface even lets you text message your information from your mobile phone. Or, if you have a laptop (or an iPhone), you can input the info directly. It will even keep track of multiple cars.

It’s a sweet melding of geek and automotive. Oh, and it’s free.

[Source: Lifehacker]

 

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Filed under: Convertibles, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen

What a pleasant “problem” to have! The Volkswagen Eos has left such an impression on Canadian drivers who already snapped one up, that dealer lots were picked clean of the Rabbit-based convertible purely on word of mouth alone. That’s all well and good, but when you’re an automaker with a new car to launch, you pull out all the stops for an advertising campaign to roll it out. As these cars were zipping off to homes, VW was in the middle of planning the Canadian marketing launch of the Eos. Looking at the numbers, it quickly became obvious that the car was selling itself, and that it no longer made sense to go through with the launch campaign. We’re sure that VW’s trying to figure out why that happened for the relatively affordable Eos, and not the über-sedan Phaeton.

Thanks for the tip, Erica

[Source: mediaincanada.com]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc.

Looks like MTV wants to shake things up a bit on Sunday nights. They are set to pit two customizers against each other in a new series that will join a longtime favorite in the lineup. Out-going classic “Pimp My Ride” will follow the freshman series “Trick It Out” starting at 10pm ET/PT. Check your program guide though, because the site has it listed as airing on Thursdays instead of Sundays. There’s a full press release after the jump that explains what the new series has to offer, but in brief, “Trick It Out” will be more of a competitive show, where cars will be customized by different specialists who want to one-up each other and show off their mad skillz. Set in L.A., the show will visit some of the top mod shops to see who can “trick out” their vehicle the best.

It will be two four-member teams each week starting out with similarly beat up rides and identical budgets of 15 grand(!). In just 10 days, the teams have to turn their “worn-out clunkers into the most badass looking rides imaginable.” To keep the shops from repeating their favorite tricks, there will be a different theme each week. RJ Devera, who you may remember in the first Fast and the Furious as the guy playing Gran Turismo in his car before the first big street race, will be the judge who decides which team gets not only bragging rights for the build, but also both the winning and losing rides.

It sounds worth a watch, especially if the teams figure out how to get to the judge. We’re guessing this might be a knock-down, drag-out fight in the works. And for “Pimp” fans who might be feeling withdrawal symptoms, MTV says shows are now available at the iTunes Store, Amazon Unbox, and the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Of course, they could always pick up one of the show’s creations for themselves instead.

Full release after the jump.

[Source: MTV]

Continue reading MTV goes car crazy: Trick it Out joins final season of Pimp My Ride

 

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Filed under: Coupes, Supercars, Lamborghini, Earnings/Financials

A little bit ago, Stephan Winkleman was declaring that, as far as Lamborghini goes, “the results will speak for themselves.” Now, he is proved right. These are the kinds of black and white numbers — especially black — that any business salivates at the chance to tell analysts: in all of 2006 Lamborghini made 18.1 million euros in pre-tax profit; in the first half of 2007, it has already posted a pre-tax profit of 26.4 million euros. That compares to a 6.9 million euro pre-tax profit in the first half of 2006.

Lamborghini sold more than 2,000 cars for the first time in its history in 2006. So far this year it has bested deliveries by 30%, selling 1,239 cars, and raised revenue by 61% to 253 million euros. Increased brand awareness — via espresso makers and Batman Begins — and a young model lineup have been attributed as causes. Nevertheless, we’re sure that building the fastest, most comfortable, most reliable, and among the most beautiful cars the Sant’ Agata maker has ever created could account for the flush results as well.

[Source: Auto News, sub req’d]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Mercedes Benz, Ferrari

FIA President Max Mosley (above) announced today that last week’s decision by the World Motor sport council will be appealed. It appears the Italian motorsport authorities didn’t like the idea of McLaren getting off so easily. Although they found that McLaren had indeed been given Ferrari’s confidential materials, the group decided that the British team hadn’t benefited from that info and no penalty was assessed. A warning was issued that if their feelings on that matter changed for any reason later in the season, they would revisit their penalty options. One of the reasons for the appeal is that Ferrari wasn’t there. Mosley agreed that the outcome of the hearing may have been different if the Maranello firm had attended.

And while all this was going on, one of the parties involved said he thinks there is still a leak at Ferrari. Former head designer, Nigel Stepney, says that the person inside Ferrari who used him as a courier is still with the team. In his statements he makes the Formula 1 world sound like something straight out of a James Bond movie. Well, maybe Austin Powers. Stepney says that Ferrari knows more about the situation than it is admitting. He even claims that he was set up on this issue and on another one from a while back. At one point he had been investigated when a mysterious white powder had been found in the race cars’ fuel tanks. He says that he was framed, and that the real culprit put the powder in his pocket while he was taking a shower!

Damn, this is getting good!

Thanks, Jay.

[Source: PitPass]

 

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Filed under: Green

Sibling-blog AB Green just posted a follow-up story about the Automotive X-Prize. As we reported a few months ago, the same people who put up a bounty to encourage private space flight are doing something similar to encourage fuel-efficient vehicle innovation. The latest release from Automotive X-Prize names the first 31 teams to be accepted into the competition. The list of teams includes some familiar names, like Tesla, Zap, and Phoenix Motorcars. Fuel Vapor Technology and Team Velozzi are there, too. The 31 teams already chosen came from a stack of some 300 applications the Automotive X-Prize group received since announcing their latest competition.

The Automotive X-Prize is designed to get engineers thinking outside the box in terms of fuel economy. The goal is to develop a “commercially viable” vehicle that will get at least 100 mpg. How it’s done is up to the individual teams, but they have to keep production in mind to be eligible. They even have to show a business plan proving that they can sell at least 10,000 units a year. The competition starts with peer reviews next year, and then the actual vehicle competitions in 2009. Click over to AB Green for more details.

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

 

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Filed under: Earnings/Financials

As we reported in our By the Numbers post earlier today, last month nearly every automaker, import and domestics alike, had a tough time selling cars. The domestics, including General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler Group., had it tougher, however, and for the first time in the automotive industry’s 102-year history, the Big 3’s market share fell below that of the imported brands combined. The official tally according to Automotive News was 629,569 units sold by the Big 3 and 679,523 units sold by the imports. That works out to a 48.6% market share for the domestics and a 51.4% share for the imports.

Shall we all cry in our travel mugs that our beloved automakers from downtown Detroit, Dearborn and Auburn Hills have lost their leading role in the U.S. market? Hardly, we say. All three domestic heavyweights have realized that bouncing back from their financial doldrums requires ditching their excess and paring down to the essentials. With fleet sales drastically reduced and resources diverted to programs that will bear fruit a few years out, we all know their sales are going to fall, in some cases drastically. Nevertheless, their loss in size and sales will allow each to focus on product more in an environment where what’s on the sales floor is all that matters.

And don’t fret, the Big 3 still retain majority market share in the U.S. year-to-date. This was just one bad month of sales. One really bad month.

[Source: Automotive News]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Minivans/MPVs, Chrysler

Sometimes folks buy a slice of automotive history and put it somewhere safe, away from roads and crowds, so it won’t get hurt. If you bought this particular example of automotive history, you’d probably lock it up somewhere safe because, like the folks who are selling it, you wouldn’t actually drive it anywhere in public — outside of Zacatecas.

What is it? It’s a truly pimped-out Chrysler Voyager that miraculously survived this transformation on Pimp My Ride. Among the tasties included: black suede ceiling, triple flip down monitors, a 32″ footrest monitor, denim upholstery, a lighted floor controlled by remote, lasers, and heart-shaped exhaust tips. Don’t expect to haul much, though — the back end is, of course, nothing but speakers. However, it does come with an advance mobility power sliding door for when grandma needs to get her pimp on.

If you saw the episode and you’re really interested, you should know that it doesn’t come with the Vroom Box. Whatever that was, it was only a prototype. So if you’re a pimp with a family, you chariot is calling. And don’t let being light on funds stop you — the seller even offers a link for a loan.

Thanks for the tip, Sean!

[Source: eBay]

 

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertibles, Coupes, BMW

The 2009 BMW Z4 has been caught out testing again, and by the look of it, the cloth roof is going to go away. The last batch of shots left people wondering what kind of roof the little coupe would wear, with many predicting a continuation of the cloth hood. These shots, however, give a pretty good indication of a retractable hardtop. Instead of the 3-Series’ three-piece folding top, the Z4 will merely fold in two. If the shots don’t lie, then the SLK won’t be able to lord it’s folding metal over its competitors much longer. According to our best French and the help of Babelfish, the Z4 will also grow in length from 13.42 feet to 14.11 feet, in order to leave room for a Z2 that will be racier than the 1-Series. It is also claimed that the Z4M will arrive in 2010 or 2011 and come with the 420-hp V8 in the M3.

[Source: Cardisiac]

 

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