Automotive News

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Cadillac, Honda, Mercedes Benz

Our friends over at the Kicking Tires blog decided to take a gander at how well a few of the new 2008 models did their first month on the market, and it turns out really, really well. Though automakers don’t break down what percentage of a particular car’s monthly sales were of the 2007 or 2008 model, Kicking Tires compared the September sales numbers to the prior month when the redesigned ’08s weren’t available. The 2008 Cadillac CTS, for instance, sold 3,887 units in August and a whopping 6,416 units in September. That’s a 65% increase in units sold month over month and a 73.5% increase in the average number of units sold per day versus the prior year. Clearly the car’s positive reviews are reaching the eyes and ears of prospective buyers, which is a good thing for Cadillac overall. Besides the Escalade, which sells in smaller numbers, the CTS was the only Cadillac that increased its sales last month.

Kicking Tires also took a look at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and 2008 Honda Accord, both of which debuted redesigned models in the marketplace last month. The same thing happened. The Merc’s sales shot up 42.8% compared to last September and the Accord, which has also enjoyed positive reviews, was up 37.3% versus last year. Curiously, however, the Honda Accord sold even better two months ago when only 2007 models were available. In August of 2007, the average number of only 2007 Honda Accords sold per day was up 37.3% versus just 31.2% in September 2007 when the 2008 models were added. Either way, sales were still up compared to last year, so Honda should be pleased. Not every automaker can say that about its bread-and-butter midsize sedan.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

 

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Euro, Government/Legal, Supercars, Ferrari

Ferris Bueller fans will have something to twist and shout about this January as Ferrari’s F430-based GT California is expected to debut at the Detroit Auto Show. An astute World Car Fans reader found further evidence to support the suspicion at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s website. There it was discovered that Ferrari had applied for a trademark patent on the words “Ferrari GT California” back in December of 2006. It was then noticed by the site Motor Authority that the application had been denied on a preliminary basis. Ruh-roh. While no reason for the refusal was cited, MA speculates that it may have something to do with the similarly named Ford Mustang GT California Special model. While it’s clear (at least to us) that these two names are using the words “GT California” in different ways, the USPTO may be looking for some more evidence that Ford doesn’t already have a lock on “GT California”. Hopefully the matter has been cleared up or will be by New Year’s, as we’ve become impatient for a new Ferrari to hopelessly want but never own.

[Source: World Car Fans, Motor Authority]

 

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen

In amongst all the concept vehicles and new models on Volkswagen’s stands at last month’s Frankfurt Auto Show was the carmaker’s new ad campaign, which can be surmised by just two words - “Das Auto” (German for “The Car”). The hope is that the ads, which have only be launched in Germany thus far, will brainwash you into thinking ‘VW’ when you think of a car.

Before you brush this aside as just some marketing nonsense, consider what Coca-Cola is to cola soft drinks, Hoover is to vacuums and Kleenex is to tissues. “You don’t ask for brown lemonade, you ask for Coke,” explained one VW spokesman. Yeah, that doesn’t sound refreshing at all.

The other benefit of the new slogan is that it’s so simple, it will work with roughly the same effect in most other languages. VW’s previous tagline was “Aus Liebe zum Automobil,” (”For the love of the automobile”) but the same message was not being conveyed when translated into other languages, especially Chinese. “Auto works around the world,” the spokesman boasted, “so the question is whether it will be just ‘Auto’ or whether we say ‘the Auto.’ “

Whatever it turns out to be, expect to see the ads beaming across TVs and billboards around the globe wherever VWs are sold in the near future.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req’d]

 

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Filed under: Euro, Commercial Trucks, Peugeot, Citroen

And you thought U.S. automakers were guilty of the world’s worst badge engineerings jobs! It’s bad enough that both Citroen and Peugeot took the Mitsubishi Outlander and made the C-Crosser and 4007 clones, but here we have two new compact commercial vans from these companies that are virtually identical. Just pick which logo you’d like on the misshapen schnoz and you’re good to go. The Citroen Nemo and Peugeot Blipper (seriously?) are actually pretty interesting to look at. These purpose built mini vans will do the work of a Chevy HHR Panel in Europe and get much better gas mileage to boot. Either vehicle can be ordered with a 75 HP 1.4L gas or 70 HP 1.4L HDi diesel engine, so they certainly can’t go as fast or haul as much as what we Yanks are used to, but European commercial customers will likely find them more than adequate. And they can haul thanks to a 1,345 lb. payload rating and useable cargo space that amounts to 66 cubic feet. The front passenger seat can also be stored beneath the floor to increase the cargo room to 107 cubic feet. Just don’t come to us asking which one you should buy.

[Source: Citroen and Peugeot]

Continue reading Europeans get new Nemo and Bipper compact commercial vans

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Euro, Supercars, Porsche

click above image for more high-res pics of the Gemballa Mirage GT glitter car

Those with oodles of disposable income may be shopping Gemballa’s website for a Mirage GT, the German tuner’s customization package for the already rarified Porsche Carrera GT. The company recently released pics of this particular Mirage GT to show off how every single one of the 25 scheduled to be converted are completely unique. This one is credited to an unnamed soccer player, who probably won’t remain nameless too long after he takes this sparkly sports car out in public (even the wheels have glitter!).

The Gemballa Mirage GT boasts 652 HP, 40 more than the standard Porsche Carrera GT, as well as an aero package that completely transforms the car’s appearance. For the amount owners are asked to fork over for just the conversion itself, their Carrera GT had better be an almost all-new car. The Gemballa Mirage GT conversion costs €229,800 or $324,385 USD, and that’s not including the cost of the doner Porsche Carrera GT. There are a good number of supercars you could buy with that kind of money, but we doubt Ferrari would ever deliver a 599 that sparkled in the sun.

[Source: Gemballa via Motor Authority]

Continue reading Gemballa Mirage GT gets glitter paint job

 

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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Supercars, Acura, Honda, Lexus, Nissan, Toyota

Winding Road’s Japan correspondent, Peter Nunn, has dashed any hopes of the Tokyo Motor Show bubbling over with Nipponese supercars. Sure, we’ll get to see the rebirth of Godzilla in the form of the R35 GT-R, plus the unveilings of the new Evo X and STI certainly aren’t going to suck. But the knockdown, drag-out brawl between Japan’s Big Three (Honda, Nissan and Toyota) is going to be distinctly one-sided.

Initial speculation was that Lexus might be showing off a production version of its LF-A supercar, but the lull in spy shots, partnered with no form of official notification from Toyota leads Nunn to believe that unless there’s a last minute surprise on press day, the LF-A will be kept under wraps until sometime next year.

As for Acura, the lukewarm (okay, downright frigid) reception the Advanced Sports Car Concept got in Detroit lead many to speculate that after the prototype was sent back to the LA studio’s drawing board, it might make a triumphant return in Tokyo. As it turns out, the combination of internal design haggling and the delay of Acura’s launch in Japan means that there’s no podium for the new AWD, V10-powered rocket to reside.

Despite all that, we’re perfectly content with the GT-R stealing the show. After this long of a wait, it’ll deserve every bit of attention it gets.

[Source: Winding Road]

 

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Filed under: Etc.

Great news everyone! Your favorite dynamic duo since George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell are back to make some more movie magic. That’s right, Paul “Super-Fast-and-Super-Fly (for a white-guy)” Walker and his good buddy Vin “So-Furious-It-Hurts” Diesel will be making their first appearance on-screen together since the first installment of the cinematic masterpiece The Fast and the Furious. We’re sure you’ll agree that the second film was ultimately a let down, if only for the fact that Sir “2-Fast-4-U” Walker reprised his role while Mr. “Not-Quite-So-Furious-Anymore” Diesel did not. Although we were able to catch Diesel’s drift in the movie number tré, the absence of the drift-less Walker left this particular moviegoer wanting. Now that we know the two are back together at last, the only question left unanswered is this: how could the fourth film be any Faster or more Furiouser than the first three? Perhaps you’ll join us at the theater and we can find out together.

[Source: E!]

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Ford

click above image to view more photos of the 2008 Ford Fusion with Sport Package

Most here at Autoblog who have driven the Ford Fusion are a fan, though our one complaint that remains ignored is the car’s lack of power. The 3.0L Duratic V6 with 221 HP just doesn’t cut it for us. Instead of fixing the problem for 2008, Ford has instead decided to offer Fusion customers an optional Sport Appearance Package so your car will look faster than it really it is.

Available on both SE and SEL models, the Sport Package adds 18-inch machined aluminum wheels, a rear lip spoiler and body-color surrounds for the front fog lamps. I can feel the skin peeling back away from my face already. Inside Fusions with the option Sport Package will be charcoal black interior trim, contrasting red stitching and a brushed aluminum face plate for the center console. Also available are “red-splashed” cloth seat inserts or red leather inlays. These Fusions with the Sport Package will only be available in Black, Redfire Metallic, Vapor Silver and Silver Birch Metallic.

But wait, the Sport Package actually does add some go-fast hardware to the Fusion, including a more sporty tuned suspension with a larger rear stabilizer bar, stiffer springs and adjusted springs and dampers. Kudos for the components, but not even a freer breathing air filter or exhaust system for a half dozen more horsepower? Ah well, it’ll only cost you $895, anyway.

Check out Ford’s official press release after the jump and our high-res gallery of the 2008 Ford Fusion with Sport Package below.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2008 Ford Fusion gets Sport Package

 

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Filed under: Safety, Ford

When it comes to vehicle crash safety, the general consensus is that having a roof over your head leads to a better outcome. Ford has just proven that this isn’t always the case with its 2008 Ford Mustang convertible, which has become the first and only convertible of any type to be given a five-star safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In its latest New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) round of testing, the Mustang drop-top took top honors in a field of tests that included both crash testing and rollover resistance evaluations. These included frontal crash evaluations for both driver and front-seat passenger, side impact evaluations for both driver and the rear-seat passenger on the driver’s side, and even a rollover test.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford Mustang Convertible aces NHTSA crash tests

 

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, GM, Toyota

The other day New York Times columnist Tom Friedman put himself squarely in the cross-hairs of Toyota and the rest of the auto industry. Friedman took aim at Toyota for riding the “green wave” with the Prius while at the same time producing ever larger trucks like the Tundra and the new Land Cruiser. He also slammed them for supporting the Hill-Terry fuel economy bill in Congress rather than the more stringent Senate bill that was passed a few months ago. The Michigan congressional delegation got hit in the fire fight as well for defending the interests of their hometown industry. After all, no politician from any other state would ever make short sighted moves to placate the voters in their district, so why should John Dingell (D-MI)?

Toyota and General Motors wasted no time in publicly responding on their respective corporate blogs. Toyota’s Communications VP Irv Miller was first up on the Open Road blog and was quickly followed up by Tom Wilkinson of GM on the FYI blog. Both repeated the mantra that even with high mileage vehicles like the Prius available, consumers still continue to demand big powerful cars and trucks. Just increasing the CAFE standards won’t do anything to influence demand for larger vehicles. They also responded to Friedman’s comments about higher mileage cars being available overseas by reminding him that there is demand driven by high fuel taxes in other countries. Without similar tax changes here to influence demand, CAFE standards will only frustrate buyers by ensuring the vehicles they want are not available.

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

 

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