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GM Collection: It's All About Electrification

The GM Collection, a two-day media event in Chandler, Ariz., to showcase the General Motors’ vast 2009 brands, brought to the forefront several automotive terms that will increasingly become more prevelant in industry lexicon.

From the much-ballyhooed Chevrolet Volt to the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, here are a few of the terms GM representatives used during their presentations of the new vehicles:

1. Electrification; 2. Alleviate Range Anxiety; 3. Vehicle Electrification Efforts; 4. Propolsion Alernatives; 5. Homogenours Fuel Flex Vehicles.

Paul Newman: One More Lap As Death Nears

Several weeks ago, while speaking with a public relations representative from one of the country’s major racetracks, Paul Newman’s name entered the conversation.

The PR person, whose name I’ll protect, told me that in the final months of his life, Newman visited some of his favorite racetracks.

With very few people aware, Newman drove the courses he visited.

Newman, who died Sept. 26, was known throughout the world for his acting and philanthropic pursuits. But it was always driving race cars where Newman was the most comfortable. And it’s nice to know he able to experience his great passion for automobiles and race car driving as he approached death.

New Hip Trash Car In The Movies — Used Dodge Spirit

It’s likely not the kind publicity General Motors is seeking. But don’t be surprised if there’s a rush in the purchases of the defunct Dodge Spirit.

Dodge Spirit? Really?

It’s the vehicle (made from 1990-95) used in the transport of illegal immigrants smuggled across the U.S.-Canadian border in the new movie, Frozen River.

Frozen River features the story of Ray Eddy, an upstate New York trailer mom lured into illegal immigrant smuggling when she meets a Mohawk girl who lives on a reservation that straddles the U.S.-Canadian border.

Broke after her husband leasves with the down payment for their new doublewide trailer Ray teams with Lila, a smuggler. The two begin making runs across the frozen St. Lawrence River carrying illegal Chinese and Pakistani immigrants in the trunk of Ray’s Dodge Spirit.

The reason the two use a Dodge Spirit is because it has big, deep trunk.

Beyond the use of the the non-descript car, the movie is well done and the performance of lead actress, Melissa Leo, has been bantered around as an early contender for Academy Award consideration.

Kaiser Darrin, 1954: My Best Of Show At Concours On The Avenue In Carmel

It was one of the first cars I noticed this year, and after looking at an estimated 200 other vehicles, it was still my favorite at the recently concluded Monterey Auto Week.

The Concours on the Avenue in Carmel was only presented for the second year. But it has come into its own, particularly with cars like the 1954 Kaiser Darrin.

Owner John Nirenstein of Tiburon, California, showcased it on Tuesday, Aug. 12, the second day of the event. Nirenstein, participating in the first for the first time, bought the car 10 years ago and took 22 months to restore it.

While soft jazz played in the background, the Darrin got plenty of attention, nicely situated on a corner on Ocean Ave., amid a diverse selection of multi-marques, Volkswagen Beetles to myriad muscle cars, Fiats to Lamborghini. The Darrin's unique grill, its sliding front door and perfectly matched cream exterior and red leather interior had no equals.

Nirenstein’s Kaiser Darrin is No. 25 of 435 produced.

“I’ve just always loved cars since I was a boy,” said Nirenstein. “But I’m more interested in cars where the designer put his art and soul into it. I’m not so concerned about how much horsepower it has.”

Nirenstein’s remarks perfectly matched his car, not the fastest, nor the most rare. Nevertheless, it was the best car of the week — at least for me.

Nissan Rogue, 2008: Nice Wheels, Bad Name

A few friends and I drove around the recent Monterey Auto Week in a 2008 Nissan Rogue. It’s a new sport utility vehicle that offers a lot for a good price point — around $23,000.

What the Rogue doesn’t have is a good name.

My friends and I had a pretty easy and fun time calling ourselves rogues. And there we were finding our way around Pebble Beach and Laguna Seca and parking next to wondrous machines with well-heeled nameplates like Bentley, Maserati and Ferrari.

So why would Nissan call its new SUV Rogue?

As a noun, rogue is defined:

* An unprincipled, deceitful and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal.
* One who is playfully mischievous; a scamp.
* A wandering beggar; a vagrant.
* A vicious and solitary animal, especially an elephant that has separated itself from its herd.
* An organism, especially a plant that shows an undesirable variation from a standard.

And as adjective, rogue is defined:

* Vicious and solitary. Used of an animal, especially an elephant.
* Large, destructive, and anomalous or unpredictable: a rogue wave; a rogue tornado.
* Operating outside normal or desirable controls.

Any of those seem like a good fit for a car?

My friends and I had fun joking about being rogues and cruising around in our rogue-mobile. But it's just a bad name for a car.

But perhaps as a new vehicle for 2008, the Rogue just hasn’t been around long enough to make the all-time list of Worst Car Names.

According to the web site, www.jalopnik.com, subtitled: “Obsessed With The Cult Of Cars,” here’s the list in reverse of the top-10 worst car names.

I’ve included images of the Nissan Rogue and the Mazda Scrum Wagon, which Jalopnik cites as the worst named car in history.

10. Toyota Estima Lucida G Luxury Joyful Canopy
    
9. Diahatsu Charade
    
8. Tang Hua Detroit Fish
    
7. Pontiac Parisienne
    
6. Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard
    
5. Nissan Homy Super Long
    
4. Studebaker Dictator
    
3. Geely PU Rural Nanny
    
2. Ford Probe
    
1. Mazda Scrum Wagon


Monterey Auto Week: What's In A (No) Name?

Monterey Auto Week is hard to describe, particularly since it lasts nearly two weeks. And Monterey Auto Week isn’t really an official name, either, because there isn’t an official name to all of the car-related activities on the Monterey Peninsula in August.

Nonetheless, the sensory overload of all things automotive continued this week with the second Carmel-By-The Sea Concours on the Avenue.

Porsche and Ferrari were the attractions Monday on Ocean Avenue in Carmel and accompanying side streets. And on Tuesday marques from 1946-1971 were presented.

Both days were car owners’ and enthusiasts’ nirvanas. But the Tuesday gathering was particularly enjoyable, classic Volkswagen Beetles to a rare Kaiser Darrin, pristine Mercedes Benz coupes to an early Toyota Corolla, a prime example of the most popular car ever made.

But what of this 10 days of automobile stuff? It begins with pre-historics at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and ends with granddaddy of offerings, the famed Concours d’Elegance.

Without an umbrella event overseeing the marketing, it seems like every event is out for itself. Which makes sense, since word on the street is that many of event organizers don’t get along.

Organizers of the Concours On The Avenue have received keen reviews, particularly for a second-year event. And in its slick and informative magazine, it reprinted  an article about the inaugural event in which author William Edgar provides an apropos description:

“Ten fabulous days in August frame the Monterey Pre-Historic and Historic Automobile Races, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, sundry vintage car auctions, tribute galas, corporate summits and elite dinners.”

Edgar got nearly everything in 28 words, but a few events are missing. Nonetheless, the Monterey Auto Weeks, Monterey Ten-Day Automania or whatever. It’s hard to beat even for someone with a mild interest in cars. But it’s finding a good name that’s proving difficult.

Toyota Prius, VW Jetta Top Only 15 Cars In U.S. Averaging At Least 30 mpg

Jim Henry, an automotive writer for Business Week  Online, has written a succinct, informative piece detailing top-15 cars in the United Sates via gas mileage averages.

Toyota is represented on the list by four vehicles — Prius, Camry hybrids, and the Yaris and Corolla gas-engined vehicles.

Chevrolet (Cobalt, Aero) and Honda (Civic hybrid and Fit) each have two vehicles on the list.

Six of the vehicles are hybrids and the total of 15 are the only new offerings in the United States averaging more than 30 mpg in combined driving averages.

Here’s the list in deceasing order, with city, highway and combined gas mileage averages listed:

Toyota Prius (hybrid, 2008, (combined 46 miles per gallon);

Honda Civic (hybrid), 40/46, 42 mpg combined;

Smart Fortwo, 2008, 33/41, 36 mpg combined;

Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 2009, 30/41, 34 mpg combined;

Nissan Altima (hybrid), 35/33, 34 mpg combined;

Toyota Camry (hybrid), 33/34, 34 mpg combined;

Mini Cooper, 2008, 28/37 32 mpg combined;

Toyota Yaris, 2008 29/36, 32 mpg combined;

Ford Escape (hybrid), 2009, 34/31, 32 mpg combined;

Mercury Mariner (hybrid), 34/31, 32 mpg combined;

Honda Fit, 2008, 28/34, 31 mpg combined;

Toyota Corolla, 2009, 27/35, 30 mpg combined;

Chevrolet Aero, 2009, 27/34 30 mpg combined;

Chevrolet Cobalt, 27/35, 30 mpg combined;

Pontiac G5, 2009, 25/37, 30 mpg combined.

Buy Land In Australia, Get A Free Toyota Prius

A land developer in Australia has taken a new appraoch to stimulating business: Buy land, get a free Toyota Prius.

Mark Chapman, a property developer on the Gold Coast of Australia, is giving away free cars with every block of land sold at an environmentally sustainable estate.

Chapman, ounder of Currumbin Ridge, will provide a $40,000 Toyota Prius hybrid top the purchaser of each of the next six sales at his $80 million gated development.

The 33-year-old oil miner-turned environmental crusader, who has funded the giveaway himself, said he hoped prospective home buyers would grasp the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint.

"I don't think this is a gamble from a marketer's perspective, as much as it is a good step toward environmental solutions for the future," Chapman said.

The 28-acre development, which boasts 14 acres of rehabilitated bushland, is built on sustainable, locally produced materials.

"We use recyclable building material from Yatla, among a vast array of other such materials," Chapman said. "The Prius is simply the icing on the cake in this case.”

And the cake is green.

Dubious Honors For Old Honda Civics, Accords: Thieves' Favorite Cars

The beauty is in the eyes of thieves. That’s the undeniable truth in terms of stolen cars since the most No. 1 hot-wired car in the United States is a 1995 Honda Civic.
 
According to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB, the 14-year-old Civic is followed by its older sibling, the 1991 Honda Accord in term susceptible car to thieves.

According to the report, published in Forbes Magazine, “junkers” like older Honda Civics and Accord are more valuable to thieves because they can easily strip the cars and sell the parts on the street.

According to the NICB, a car is stolen in the United States every 2.5 seconds.

Here’s the list of the top 10 most stolen cars in the Uinited States in 2007 followed by the 2006 ranking

1.  1995 Honda Civic ; 1.  1995 Honda Civic
2.  1991 Honda Accord; 2. 1991 Honda Accord
3.  1989 Toyota Camry; 3. 1989 Toyota Camry
4.  1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup; 4.  1997 Ford  F-150 Series Pickup
5.  1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup; 5.  2005 Dodge Ram Pickup
6.  1994 Acura Integra; 6. 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup
7.  2004 Dodge Ram Pickup; 7. 1994 Nissan Sentra
8.  1994 Nissan Sentra; 8. 1994 Dodge Caravan
9.  1988 Toyota Pickup; 9. 1994 Saturn SL
10. 2007 Toyota Corolla; 10. 1990 Acura Integra

The NICB study confirms theft of older model vehicles has remained constant for the past several years because they provide the market for stolen vehicle parts.

Cool Toyota Prius Even Coloer In 2010 With Solar-Powered Air Conditioning?

Toyota hasn’t provided details, but global media outlets, including the Japanese daily newspaper, The Nikkei, report the manufacturer’s highly successful Prius hybrid will include solar-powered air conditioning in its 2010 models.

The solar panels on the roof of the new Prius model will provide two to five kilowatts of electricity, according to the newspaper.

Toyota plans to purchase the panels from Japanese electronics maker Kyocera. The panels would produce approximately the same kilowatts as a rooftop solar array on a typical house.

Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco declined comment.

The Prius is currently the most successful hybrid vehicle. In the United States, Toyota sold more than three times as many Prius models in 2007 than any other manufacturer. The Prius is also the commanding hybrid sales leader through the first six months of 2008.

Toyota’s success with its hybrid has prompted the manufacturer’s promise to offer hybrids in every model in its line-up soon after 2020.

Toyota has sold more than a million Prius models during the past decade and is planning to sell a million hybrids a year sometime after 2010.

Solar panels are already available on some vehicles, including as an option of Audi’s luxurious, all-option A8 W12, a $140,000 non-hybrid that averages between 12-18 mpg and has a 450-horsepower engine.
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