Automotive News

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUVs, Trucks/Pickups, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki

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When was the last time you used “Suzuki” and “awesome” in a sentence and weren’t talking about a motorcycle? Well, get ready to do it now. Behold the Suzuki X-HEAD, one of several new concept vehicles the automaker will be showing off at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show. Looking like it’s ready to punch a HUMMER in the mouth and audition for a part in Transformers 2, the mega-trick-looking X-HEAD (dig the “X” tread pattern on the rubber) is all about flexibility (we think). If we’re reading the Google-translated press release correctly, the “X” in its name signifies the unknown — as in unknown or unlimited number of uses. Figure it could be everything from a camper, to a pickup, to a rescue vehicle and beyond. This, from a company whose bread-and-butter is kei cars? A round of applause is in order for this Eastern take on our childhood Tonka fantasies. We’ll be sure to bring you more on this one from the show floor next month.

[Source: Suzuki]

Continue reading Tokyo 2007 Preview: Suzuki X-HEAD

 

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Filed under: Audi, By the Numbers

Audi’s US sales have done quite well lately, with a 7% rise in August, and 6% in July. But successful companies know complacency does not foster greater success. So Audi has had a little talk with some of its less-than-stellar Stateside dealers.

Basically, the German automaker has told underperformers they either need to invest in their franchises to improve sales and customer satisfaction, or sell them back. According to Automotive News, Audi has already identified six specific dealers that fall into this unfavorable category, and is even in final buyback talks with two of them.

An Audi spokesperson told Automotive News that most of the weak businesses also sell brands other than Audi. That’s why the company is urging dealers to build stand-alone Audi dealerships, with a goal of 150 independent Audi sales locations by 2012. The push for more stores includes a new flagship store in New York with another high-volume location in Los Angeles.

An incentive program encourages independent Audi dealers by paying them a 16% bonus for every vehicle sold, while multi-brand dealers get as little as 7%.

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

 

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Filed under: Garage, Time Warp, Etc., Ford, Toys

Yeah, so that didn’t work out so well. At least I’ll get more practice painting. Project Edsel’s time for primer had come, so I thinned some Tamiya X21 into the reservoir and fired up the compressor. It took a while to figure out the proper flow and pressure setting (a pressure gauge would be helpful to adjust the compressor’s regulator), but once everything was connected up and filled, I was ready to shoot some paint.

Continue reading Autoblog Project Edsel part 2 - Paint, round one

 

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Filed under: Ford, UAW/Unions

It wasn’t easy, but it looks like General Motors will have its new contract ratified by the UAW by October 10th. We expect the UAW to start proceedings with either Ford or Chrysler as soon as this Monday, but Ford has apparently made it known that it needs more concessions from the union than were given to its cross-town rival GM. BloggingStocks is reporting the UAW president Ron Gettelfinger knows this, saying that the deal he struck with GM will be a “rough template” for deals with Ford and Chrysler. Ford has made it known that it needs deeper cost costs, up to a 30% cut in labor costs specifically, than those in the UAW’s deal with GM. This likely means that Ford’s contract with UAW may include even lower wages, smaller or no signing bonuses at all, and perhaps a significantly smaller contribution to a UAW health care trust, called a VEBA, that is the cornerstone of the GM contract. Ford is responsible for the health care of fewer active and retired UAW workers than GM, but we’re betting that if a VEBA is part of its deal with the UAW, Ford will be contributing less per worker than GM. Either way, the next round of negotiations, be they with Ford or Chrysler, will be even more brutal than the first, which resulted in a strike. GM could handle a short strike, but we’re not so sure that Ford can.

[Source: BloggingStocks]

 

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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Green, Lexus, Toyota

Lexus is the latest to join the “we’re looking at performance hybrids” chat room. Now that everyone’s talking about it, and rolling out concepts, we’re only waiting on someone to do something about it — as in, put one up for mass market sale.

Lexus US General Manager Jim Farley said the brand is looking gas-electric cars aimed at “enthusiast groups” outside of Lexus core buyers. Toyota already controls 78% of the hybrid market, and ironically, after Toyota recently blasted GM’s Volt, the article asserts that Lexus is waiting for the customer reception to that vehicle before deciding which way it will go. We suppose they will also want to see how their LS600h does, as well. Farley did say, though, that a “super-efficient” version of Toyota’s current hybrid system is more likely.

Three years ago Toyota showed off the concept pictured above, the Volta. It wouldn’t look bad branded as a Lexus, and we could only hope they’d create a hybrid system with the power and frugality to match its looks. Though a hybrid LF-A wouldn’t be so bad either.

[Source: Bloomberg]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA, Tuners, Chrysler, Dodge

The final four entrants in the Mopar Top Eliminator competition have been chosen. The yearlong contest was created to showcase “the most passionate and skilled Mopar enthusiasts and their restored or modified cars.”

The competition winners come in four categories: Mopar Performance Parts, Mopar Muscle, Mopar Collector’s Guide, and Mopar Action. The cars include a 1969 Dodge Dart restored as it would appear on the dealer’s showroom floor, a convertible 1970 Plymouth Cudzter, a rare 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda 440-6BBL, and a ‘70 Challenger R/t (pictured).

The four will show off their cars at next month’s SEMA show in Vegas. They will be joined by three other winners, cars chosen at Chryslers at Carlisle, Mopars at the Strip, and the Detroit AutoRama. Follow the jump to read the full press release.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Mopar bring final four “Top Eliminators” to SEMA

 

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Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Etc., Chevrolet, Toyota

It’s moments like these that you know Toyota wishes it had a heavy-duty version of the Tundra. While the currently-available versions are capable of rescuing shipping containers in distress, and can make like the Millenium Falcon escaping from a giant space slug, they cannot haul the transporter that carries the Tundra race trucks. As our friends at Jalopnik show, at the Texas State Fair, that task is left to the maximum-cojones of a Chevy Silverado 3500 HD. Oh, what a feeling… of humiliation.

[Source: Jalopnik]

 

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Filed under: Economy, Sports/GTs, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchbacks, Mazda

The questionably named Brit-pub What Car? is reporting what’s already been suspected; that Mazda is seriously considering a MazdaSpeed version of the sub compact Mazda2. It’s been rumored that a 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injected motor may find its way underhood, pushing out 230 HP and 231 lb.-ft. of torque (!). But as we already know, the Mazda2 won’t be making its way Stateside anytime soon, which would truly be a shame if the MS2 was ever realized.

Additionally, the magazine is reporting that Mazda will be unveiling a revised version of the RX-8 at the Tokyo Motor Show next month. Although details about the reskin weren’t disclosed, there will be a gasoline/hydrogen electric hybrid concept on the stand.

[Source: What Car?]

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Sports/GTs, China

click above image for more views of the Brilliance BC3

You probably don’t remember this car, but we do. It’s the Brilliance BC3, shown to the public for the first time in Geneva last March and now officially on sale in China. The BC3 is somewhat special because it is the first sports car developed entirely in-house by the Chinese automaker, which also plans to export the car to Europe, and maybe even the U.S. There’s a lot of crash testing that needs to be done before that happens, but Brilliance has lately picked up its game when it comes to safety.

Pricing will start at just below $15,000 and go up to $21,400. It’s powered by a 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 170 HP and can be mated with a five-speed standard tranny or four-speed auto. 0-60 MPH comes in a leisurely 9.7 seconds, but we suppose that may be considered fast for those accustomed to the congested streets of Beijing. The styling is actually not that bad and reminds us a bit of the Hyundai Tiburon, like if someone mashed the second- and third-generation Tibs together.

[Source: Inside Line]

Gallery: Brilliance BC3

 

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Filed under: SUVs, Trucks/Pickups, China

Legendary Italian coachbuilder Bertone hasn’t been doing so well, lately. Since 2005, it has only made a limited edition run of 2,000 MINIs. The company needs to make 30,000 cars per year to break even, and so has lost more than 37 million euros during that time.

In an effort to turn things around, the carrozzeria is in talks to build Chinese SUVs and pickup trucks for the Italian market. DR Automobiles Groupe is an Italian company that imports cars from Zhejiang Gonow Automobile. If it can strike a deal, Bertone would build two vehicles: the Katay Gonow Victory, an SUV based on the previous-gen Isuzu Rodeo (pictured), and the Katay Gonow Troy, a crew-cab pickup version of the Victory. They would only be contracted to build 7,000 of them, but it could help stave off complete disaster. Still, building vehicles for the Chinese is a long way from styling Italian exotics.

[Source: Auto News, sub req’d]

 

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