Automotive News

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

“Blow 5 seconds.” That’s got to be the best dashboard information item ever. It’ll appear in some Volvo cars early next year thanks to the fuel-cell powered Alcoguard breathalyzer. The Alcoguard was the most unusual bit of new AutoblogGreen had yesterday, the rest of our coverage seemed to focus on car size. Pick your favorite titles from the list below:

• Could you live with a tiny car?
• Volvo’s fuel cell Alcoguard breathalyzer says “Blow 5 seconds”
• Richardson: you won’t lose your SUV
• Editorial: Why must cars continue to get larger and larger?
• So you want a van but you don’t need too much space … what can you choose?
• Small Fit proving to be big hit for Honda
• Welcome mat is out for Tesla in Menlo Park
• The German Industry’s Green awards go to…
• Citroën to show hybrid C-Cactus at Frankfurt
• Oklahoma State working on sweet sorghum ethanol process
• Zenn claiming 500 mile range on 5 minute charge without any batteries
• Toyota reiterates caution on lithium ion batteries
• Brazil forecasts record sugarcane and ethanol production
• Michigan’s role in the biofuel industry
• BP and AGF get green light from EU to build ethanol plant in the UK

 

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Filed under: Etc., Euro, Hirings/Firings, Volkswagen

The workforce exodus in Southeast Michigan is slated to continue, as Volkswagen’s North American headquarters is officially heading over to Washington D.C. VW currently employs 1,500 workers in Auburn Hills, just a stone’s throw away from Chrysler’s epicenter. The move to D.C. comes as VW has lost about $2 billion in North America in 2005 and 2006. Past headquarter moves, like Nissan’s shift from California to Tennessee, have helped pare-down a company’s white collar workforce, and VW feels its workforce is bloated and in need of fresh blood.

While it’s unfortunate for Michigan to lose yet another large employer, the move promises to be a big win for the D.C. area. It’ll be tough for VW to improve its bottom line, however, with the Euro worth so much more than the Dollar at the moment. Perhaps a view of the White House and Lincoln Memorial will motivate the new VW North America workforce to keep making great products, but with price tags that are a bit closer to the competition.

[Source: The Car Connection]

 

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Filed under: Garage, Etc., Safety, Tech, Volvo

As fuel cell technology gains ground, carmakers will find new ways to incorporate it into vehicles beyond mere motive power. In a noteworthy development for social sippers everywhere, Volvo has used it to create a gadget called the Alcoguard, which is a fuel cell breathalyzer.

The use of fuel cells is occasioned by their accuracy. Apparently, European police already use fuel cell breathalyzers, which render more accurate readings because the membranes react only to ethanol and nothing else. The more molecules of ethanol in a potential driver’s breath, the higher the electrical current created when they pass through the membrane. In Sweden, the unit is tuned to let the car start at readings of less than 0.2 g/l. Above 0.1 g/l, the car will start, but it lets the driver know that he shouldn’t drive.

The Alcoguard can, of course, be calibrated to each country’s particular limits. It will be available on the S80, V70, and XC70 models from next year, and will cost 900 euros.

Thanks for the tip, Dave!

[Source: Autoblog Green]>

 

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows

In an interview with EVO, Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley let it fly that two new projects are on their way, and the financial woes that have troubled the niche automaker are finally beginning to dissolve.

We were already aware that a new Esprit had been under development for the past few years, and that the launch would come before the end of the decade. Kimberley confirmed that we could expect to see the next-gen Esprit in late 2009, with power provided by “a very well respected prestige car maker.” The initial speculation was that BMW might be tapped to supply an engine, but several signs now peg Aston Martin as being the power provider. The £70,000 supercar has already been sent back to the drawing board once, and Kimberley is confident that the new Esprit will be the dynamic masterpiece expected from Lotus.

More intriguing was the revelation that Lotus is in the process of developing a 2+2 coupe, codenamed Project Eagle, which is designed to slot in between the Elise/Exige/Europa and the forthcoming Esprit. EVO was privy to a brief glance of the concept and described it as a, “Bertone-bodied Dino 308GT4 with a modern Lotus twist.” The chassis won’t be derived from the Elise platform, but instead will incorporate an aluminum tub accompanied by fiberglass-composite panels. Power is likely to come via a Toyota-sourced V6, mounted amidships, and sending 300+ horsepower to the rear wheels. Lotus will take the wraps off the concept at the London Motor Show next year, with sales expected to begin early 2009.

[Source: EVO]

 

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Filed under: Time Warp, Videos

The final word on Pebble for 2007 comes via these last video clips of the Tour d’Elegance. As we profiled in the gallery post about The Tour, this is a chance for locals and visitors to get a glimpse of the Pebble Concours field for free, a few days before the big show. The vast majority of entrants take the drive along 17-Mile Drive and down the coast a bit before heading back into Carmel for lunch and then back down to the Polo Fields near Pebble Beach to get ready for Sunday’s main event. Entrants who successfully complete the drive get a bonus ribbon that will tip a tie vote in their favor during judging at the Concours.

We shared a ton of still shots from the lineup, 17-Mile Drive and the Bixby Bridge already, but here is some video from those same locales. You’ll really get a feel for why the bridge can be a magical location for photos on a clear day, but this year’s fog made things a bit trickier. Thanks again to our buddy Duane for processing and hosting these videos. Be sure to check out his site to see some great higher def clips from this year’s Pebble Beach festivities and from a bunch of other So Cal auto shows and museum visits as well. Two YouTube compilations follow the jump.

Continue reading VIDEO: 2007 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance

 

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Auto Show, Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hatchbacks, Citroen

Click image for photo gallery

Citroën can always be counted upon to show off interesting concept cars at the major European automobile shows, and when the IAA in Frankfurt kicks off in the coming days, the French marque will live up to those expectations. We’ve already seen the attractive, open-topped C5 Airscape, and the second Frankfurt show car is the green-minded C-Cactus concept.

Named after the desert-dwelling plants that survive while consuming very little, the C-Cactus is a green concept that minimizes both the amount of materials that go into its construction and the amount of fuel it needs to operate. The latter half of that equation comes from its hybrid HDi diesel-electric powertrain equipped with a ZEV mode. Like sister company’s Peugeot 308 Hybride HDi, the C-Cactus also delivers 70 mpg in the combined cycle, and it actually beats the Peugeot show car’s C02 output, emitting a paltry 78 g/km. But the car’s ecological approach doesn’t end there.

[Source: Citroën]

Continue reading Frankfurt Preview: Citroën C-Cactus Concept

 

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Maybach, Mercedes Benz

While we won’t question the rationale behind dropping over $300-large on a tarted-up last-gen S-Class, Maybach dealers in the U.S. may be asking if it’s smart business. According to Automotive News, M-B originally intended to sell 500 Maybachs each year from the over 70 dealers spread throughout the U.S., with each of them required to drop over $500k on a special “studio” where well-to-do shoppers could individually customize their ‘Bach. But the results since the brand’s launch in 2003 have been less than stellar, with only 778 vehicles finding homes over the last three-and-a-half years.

The question posed by A.N. is whether or not Mercedes will blend the premium brand into its lineup, making an uber-Benz, or if it will continue to run as a separate marque altogether. Discriminating buyers are already voting with their wallets, and as such, the future of Maybach may be up in the air.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

 

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Filed under: Mercury

The writing’s on the wall for Ford’s pseudo luxury brand Mercury, which is now tipped to face extinction within the next couple of years. Flagging sales and no major new products in the pipeline mean Ford execs are likely to close the book on Mercury for good, and it could happen as early as 2012. Both industry experts and Mercury’s own dealers are predicting the brand won’t be around much longer. In fact, a recent survey of 125 dealers found that nearly four out of every five dealers were concerned that Ford is planning to dump Mercury.

Sales for Mercury last year totaled 180,848 units in the U.S., less than eight vehicles a month per franchise and the lowest total for the label since 1960. Remember, Chrysler killed the Plymouth brand because its sales dropped to 246,000 units per year and GM said goodbye to Oldsmobile when its annual tally dropped to 289,000 vehicles. So where does that leave Mercury? According to one expert, it leaves Mercury on life support. Of course, we’ve heard similar reports before, and yet Ford brass continue to pledge support for Mercury with their words. Too bad they refuse to do so with decent products.

[Source: Automotive News - Subs. Req’d]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Time Warp, Videos

Continuing our video wrap-ups from this year’s Pebble Beach extravaganza, here is a clip of some of the track action from Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races presented by Toyota. We’ll just shorten that to the Monterey Historics from now on, unless the Rolex and Toyota folks are looking in. We actually covered the races in two posts a couple of weeks ago. Part one covered Saturday’s main action, while part two showed some of the events earlier in the week. The tape starts with some vintage open-wheel racers from old GP cars to the featured Indy Roadsters of the mid- to late-’50s. You’ll also catch some of the most famous sports and GT racers of the mid ’60s, like the Ferrari 250 LM and GTO, Shelby GT350 and Corvette pictured above. Not a lot of coverage, but we were juggling still cams and video cams so it was a bit difficult. The thrill of seeing these iconic race cars from throughout history is something that is hard to impart. Hopefully this gives you at least a little taste. The YouTube clip is after the jump.

Continue reading VIDEO: 2007 Monterey Historics sampler

 

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Chevrolet

It’s another slew of Corvette Blue Devil/SS/Stingray/Who-Really-Knows spy shots, this time in yellow with some modifications. Speculation continues that it will have a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with a carbon fiber roof and hood, which probably does not include the transparent Plexiglas panel that was all the buzz a few months back. There’s a new decklid lip, conjecture about a second vent higher up the front fenders, and a different shape for the lower rear fascia.

It also is possible that the uber-Corvette will ditch its Goodyears in the closet and slip into some Michelins for the big dance, a first for the Vette it seems. The rubber shoes in the photo contain markings and designs particular to each wheel. The rear rims — the same staggered, double dual 5-spoke design seen before — measure a whopping 20-inches, and slight mud flaps do little to hide their girth.

Thanks for the tip, Marco!

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

 

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