Lincoln MKE (.com)?

This is interesting.http://www.lincolnmke.com points to the Lincoln web site.So does http://www.lincolnmkl.com So what is an MKE and MKL?...

Should Ford Kill Mercury?

Bloomberg reports via unnamed sources that Ford's leadership is planning on killing Mercury in about four years. Reasons they should: It's a small brand which probably doesn't make much money; it's a damaged brand which doesn't seem to stand for much.  Many of the major automakers only have a couple of U.S. brands, such as Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/Acura, VW/Audi, BMW/Mini, Mercedes/Smart.   Reasons they shouldn't: Mercury sold...

What's In HR5381, the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010

The House committee on energy and commerce has voted to release HR 5381, the Motor Vehicle Safey Act of 2010, to the full house for a vote.So what is in it?  Here is a quick synopsis.  You can read it for yourself here.  My comments in italics. Section 101: The NHTSA will create a Center for Vehicle Electronics and Emerging Technologies to focus attention on electronics.  The Secretary Of Transportation will set up an honors recruitment...

IBM Patent: Traffic Signal Engine Shutdown

IBM has filed a patent application for a smart traffic signal communication system, where a traffic signal would communicate with the queued cars, telling them to shut down their engines, and scheduling when to restart their engines, based on where in the queue each car is.    From Slashdot. This is not a bad idea, but it may be overly complicated and expensive.  Automakers and suppliers, including my own employer, are actively working...

IIHS: NEVs Aren't Safe (On Public Roads)

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) are not safe enough for public roads.  That's because they don't have to meet Federal automobile crash standards, and are very light.  In any meeting between an NEV and a real car, the occupants of the NEV have a good chance of being squashed. IIHS demonstrates this quite graphically, here.Anyone driving an NEV on public roads is only a little better off than riding a scooter....

Buick Regal Impressions

I was at the Birmingham art fair this weekend, where Buick had set up a small display with two 2011 Regals. The Regal is a sharp looking car, with taught lines and a hint of curve. I thought they looked like a mix if Mazda and BMW. Thankfully, no stupid faux portholes.Inside the car I sat in was decidedly un-Buick with nice materials, tight seams, and no fake wood in sight. My only complaints: my right leg was rubbing up against the center console...

Hacking Cars? Not So Fast

In a widely publicized paper, here, a pair of research teams were able to "hack" cars, to demonstrate that modern cars are not sufficiently secure. Don't worry, you're not in danger, yet.The key to hacking a car is that the vehicle communications bus, typically a mix of high and low speed CAN bus, is not encrypted.  By connecting to the OBD-II port with the right tools (such as a laptop with a CAN communications interface device),...

New Carnival Of Cars

A new auto blog on the block, Automedia, is hosting a Carnival Of Cars. Check it out he...

Grass Fed Kosher Beef!

I'm throwing this out there in case someone else is interested in the information.The company that is supplying some Costco stores with kosher beef, Colorado Kosher, uses cattle that are grass-fed for the first part of their lives, then finished on a feed lot (e.g. grain) for the last 4 months or so. So they aren't 100% grass fed, but they are a combination. I got this information from the company, when I called to ask.So, if you wanted to try...

Buy A Paper Poppy

Today, I went to a local market to buy some lunch supplies.  Out front was an old fellow in VFW gear, Chris, selling the wire and paper poppies.I dropped a dollar in his milk jug, and thanked him for his service.   On the way out, I stopped to ask him where he served.  "North Africa and Italy" he said, which made me pause--this guy was a WWII vet, probably about 90 years old.  I asked him what his job was in the army.  "Infantry--I...

Parents Magazine FAIL

Parents magazine has published its list of top family friendly vehicles for 2010.  But their screening criteria are full of fail. "We've only included models equipped with antilock brakes and front, side, and side-curtain air bags. " ABS?!?   I can't recommend any vehicle which does not have ESC, particularly any vehicle with a tall profile such as most CUVs and SUVs.  ...

Mahindra Trucks, Waiting... Waiting...

Mahindra is not inspiring confidence.  After several delays, the news is that they are almost ready to submit EPA certification paperwork.  Which means that an actual approval to sell their trucks in the U.S. is still some time away, on the order of months.  Meanwhile, dealers are getting antsy.  Some of them have paid around $200,000 for a franchise,  plus much more for showroom remodelling, but don't have anything to show...