Nissan Mocks GM's Volt

Nissan throws down this funny smack-down of the Chevrolet Volt.L...

Memorial Day Video

This video is very moving. Thanks to our veterans and our fallen warrio...

The New EPA Label

The new EPA fuel economy label, thankfully, won't have the highly subjective letter grades.What is interesting, is that it will clearly show the decrease in vehicle range (and fuel economy) caused by running on E85, in the example given of a flex-fuel F150....

Edmunds $1,000,000 Contest: No Winner

As I expected, no winner in the Edmunds $1,000,000 Unintended Acceleration contest.Les Jackson re-stated Edmund's conclusion that most cases of UA were caused by driver error. Sean Kane and Joan Claybrook didn't like the conclusion, and in the Q&A period attempted to dismiss Edmunds. This is not surprising, as Kane and Claybrook are solidly on the side of the trial lawyers, and have an interest in showing that driver error is not the root cause....

Edmunds $1,000,000 Challenge Prediction: No Winner

Tomorrow, Edmunds will announce the results of its $1,000,000 Unintended Acceleration challenge, the contest they set up to see if anyone could demonstrate a hardware or software error state that could cause unintended acceleration in a Toyota with electronic throttle control. My prediction: no millionaires.  No winner.  Because the problem was explained by floor mats and some sticky pedal assemblies, compounded by user error.  ...

Sprinter With Vortex Generators

Spotted this Sprinter van on Southfield road. The owner has stuck onY-shaped vortex generators (Airtabs?) in hopes of improving fueleconomy. The theory is that these break up the air flow behind thevehicle, reducing the drag from the low pressure area behind thevehic...

Dunkin Aston

Saw this Aston Martin at a lowly Dunkin Donuts the other d...

Neat Old Truck

I spotted this old truck on Woodward the other day. It is an oldDodge pickup, which was a rail inspection truck -- you can see therail wheels folded up under the rear bumper. The truck had the phrase"Born in Detroit, Raised in Montana" painted on the bed box.Sorry for the crummy cell phone pic it's the best I could ...

Is Saab Smoking Something?

According to Automotive News, Saab is considering the possibility of selling cheap Chinese SUVs through their dealer network as part of a Chinese partnership.If they do, they're dead. Saab's cachet, if it has much left, is that they are an offbeat, "sensible luxury" brand.  Saab is not cheap.  Selling junky Chinese trucks alongside Saab's aerospace influenced Scandinavian cars will muddy their brand and alienate buyers.  It's...

Old Chevy, Royal Oak

This is a neat photo from a friend of mine. You can check out her photoblog he...

Obama Considering Mileage Based Taxes

According to this Detroit News article, the Obama administration is considering funding roads through a tax on miles driven, as opposed to gasoline taxes as they are now. This is a reasonable approach, and it should be studied.  As gasoline consumption decreases due to more efficient vehicles, and different forms of propulsion, the amount of tax revenue from gasoline taxes will decline.  A sensible approach would be to tax the common denominator--miles...

NYC Picks Nissan Minivan Taxi

New York City has chosen, somewhat surprisingly, Nissan as the supplier for the "Taxi Of Tomorrow".  I had expected them to choose the Ford Transit, because it is the only vehicle that actually is in production, and has some quality history behind it.  The Karsan taxi was a complete unknown, while the Nissan NV200 is for sale in Japan, has not been modified to meet U.S. regulations, and is not currently street legal in the U.S. Interestingly,...