Ford and Hyundai Jump on CARS Program, Others Dawdle

Ford has really jumped on the "cash-for-clunkers" news. Before Obama's ink was dry, Ford put up a web site (the impossible to type www.letfordrecycleyourride.com) which lets you input you car to check if it is eligible. Then the page shows you a list of Ford vehicles which would qualify for the voucher. Ford puts a happy green spin on the whole thing by offering to "recycle" your old car, which is much nicer than "scrap". It's very slick.It surprises...

Tesla?!

Tesla?!Why would the Department of Energy give half a billion dollars to Tesla?I understand Ford. Ford has many projects, such as GTDI and electrification, that can be filed under CAFE compliance. Nissan was moneyed to show that there is no favoritism to domestic brands, and to spread some joy down south, to soften the stance of the anti-union and anti-Detroit politicans.But Tesla is puny, until recently a financial disaster. And what it is building...

The MKS Abomination

I saw this abomination near downtown Birmingham tonight. A new Lincoln MKS with a blue faux ro...

The Bentley At Einstein's

This morning I stopped in at Einstein's for a $1 refill (bring your own mug), and I noticed a Bentley Continental had parked nearby, with Ontario plates.  I guess I didn't realize that there would be Canadians rich enough to flaunt a Bentley, but there isn't any reason to think there aren't.  Inside, it was immediately obvious who the driver was.  A trim, tanned woman, wearing workout shorts and a hoodie stood in line in front of me....

Autoweek Journalist Survives Bouncing Wheel Of Death In Fiesta

This is an interesting read: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090610/CARNEWS/906109990Natalie Neff was test driving a Ford Fiesta when a loose wheel from an old Olds nailed her.  She is impressed how well the car stood up to the pounding, and attributes it to the use of high-strength steel....

Tata Nano In The U.S.?

According to Automotive News, Tata says that it could bring the Nano to the U.S. as soon as 2011 or 2012. However, you can bet your bottom rupee that it won't cost $2000, won't weigh 1300lb, and probably won't get 61mpg.Before Tata can sell the thing in the U.S., it must be fitted with "2.5mph" bumpers front and rear.It will need ABS and stability control.It will need front and side airbags.It will need front, rear, and side impact crash structures...

Excerpts From GM Live Chat

Fritz Henderson did a live chat on GM's Fastlane Blog. Here are some interesting Q's and A's, excerpted form the whole chat. Red highlights are mine.Fritz Henderson GM CEO, LIVE Webchat (06/04/2009)15:07 [Comment From Bing ]Mr. Henderson, If you were starting a "new" company, wouldn't you want it to be with folks that hadn't failed before?15:09 Fritz Henderson: If I was starting a new company, which we are in fact, I would start with a blend...

An Open Letter To GM

Dear GM,Despite your decision that keeping Pontiac around is not a good business plan, I am asking you to consider saving some of Pontiac's product. Over the last few years, you started to build some Pontiacs that were actually exciting.(Photos courtesy of Edmunds)You should try to save the G8. This car is the best large sedan GM has sold in the U.S., outside of the Cadillacs, in a long time. Yes,...

How do these two brands survive?

In May, Mitsubishi sold 4,352 vehicles. Dying Saturn sold twice as many cars, and dying Pontiac three times as many. And Mitusbishi's sales were down by 58% over last year.Suzuki sold only 2,585 vehicles in May, down a whopping 75% over last year.The entire Suzuki line-up was outsold by Mini, which has a few variations of a single model.How is it that Mitsubishi and Suzuki will survive in the U.S. market? What does Mitsubishi sell that is exciting,...

Props To Fritz

You have to give credit to GM... they have the fortitude to post difficult, pointed questions on their Fastlane Blog. Sample:“Mr. Henderson, I have been a loyal GM owner until June 1, 2009. I will no longer purchase a GM car because owners of the 566 million shares of GM stock and the holders of 27B of bonds have been completely written off by you, the CEO and the US Government - e.g. President Obama.Why would ANYONE invest in the new company? You...

Vista Problem: Filling My Hard Drive

I ran into my first major headache with Windows Vista. After I added a second internal hard drive to my system, it quickly began to fill up, to the point where it is now 99% full. But I am only storing about 40% worth of stuff on it!At first, i was worried I had a virus or something, but then I remembered about Vista's Shadow Copy feature, which copies old versions of files so that if you make a change and you want to undo it, you can restore a...

Video: Amazing Rally Race Crash

Somehow I missed this when it first came out. Ford rally racers Jan-Matti Latvala and Mikka Antilla went over a railing and rolled down a hill, over and over again. It is a testament to the engineering that goes into these cars that they were not seriously injured. The hard roll cage structure in the cabin of the car remained intact, while outer body panels deformed to absorbe ener...