Interesting Car News

Lambo's new SUV Urus

2012-04-20T14:59:00.003-07:00

Lamborghini’s not-so-secret SUV leaks early as the Urus

By Justin Hyde | Motoramic – 6 hours ago

The least-kept secret of the Beijing Motor Show spilled out today with the leak of these renderings showing Lamborghini's proposed new sport utility vehicle. Dubbed the Urus, the concept SUV would be Lamborghini's bid to cash in on the booming global market for high-end luxury SUVs -- if customers can accept the strange blend of supercar angles and racing tires on a high-riding hatchback.

While Lamborghini has flourished with new models under its ownership by Volkswagen, profits have remained elusive. With Porsche thriving thanks to its Cayenne SUV, other automakers now wonder just how big the market for people movers with some off-road capability might be; BMW keeps adding to its already full range of luxury SUVs, while Lamborghini stablemate Bentley's idea of the EXP 9F concept shows the dangers inherent in the concept. Lamborghini execs have said they have yet to win approval to build it -- but given demand for big vehicles in China and the Middle East, that seems like a formality ahead of a 2017 arrival.

Unlike Bentley, Lamborghini has a history with trucks; the LM002 SUV set the mold that the Hummer H2 would attempt to fill two decades later. The Urus -- named for the ancestor of modern bulls in Spain -- looks nothing like the LM002, drawing its styling from what a four-door Aventador might look like and its underpinnings from either the Cayenne or corporate cousin Audi. Many details such as specific engine choices remain under embargo; we'll have the full story on the Urus this weekend, but until then you can debate whether a Lamborghini SUV stands as a savvy move or just a lot of bull.

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/lamborghini-not-secret-suv-leaks-early-urus-153631899.html

Lead foot out there pay attention!

2012-04-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

Cities with the most speed traps

By Colleen Kane | CNBC – Fri, Feb 10, 2012 4:19 PM EST

(Photo: woodleywonderworks | Flickr)

When lead-footed drivers get snagged and ticketed, their downfall might have been passing a speed trap where a cop was using radar or a laser, or maybe the driver passed a speed camera. However, as technology improves traffic enforcement, it is also progressing on the side of the speeder. Now joining the radar detector is crowd-sourced reporting of speed traps, a virtual warning system using the Internet and a mobile app.

This list of the 10 most-active cities for speed traps was compiled by Trapster.com, a community platform accessed online and via smartphone app, that alerts drivers to traps, hazards and other traffic issues nearby.

Trapster"s list is drawn from the reports of its base of nearly 15 million users. In addition to speed traps and enforcement cameras, "activity" can include road hazards, traffic, school zones, construction zones and locations of roadkill. However, Sean Farrell, product manager for Trapster, says that over 50 percent of the activity reported on Trapster are "live police" speed traps. For each of the following 10 most-active cities, Trapster users entered 3,000 to 4,000 reports in a recent 30-day period.

Note: These slides are taken from Trapster's TrapMap, and symbols indicate red-light cameras, fixed-speed cameras, and known enforcement points.

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: Matthew Rutledge | Flickr)

10. Austin, TX

Law enforcement in the capital of Texas has a reputation for handing out speeding tickets to motorists only one to three miles per hour over the posted limits, says Farrell. "Trapster users have posted on Trapster"s Facebook page that many speed limits drop quickly, and happen to have heavy police ‘speed enforcement" in those areas."

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: David Shankbone | Creative Commons)

9. Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado Springs uses a lot of unmarked police cars that will try to blend into traffic to catch unsuspecting motorists, says Farrell.

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: John Picken | Flickr)

8. Chicago, IL

"Chicago has the MOST red light cameras, more than any other U.S. city," Farrell says, although according to the GPS community website POI Factory , which maintains an updated list of red light and speed cameras, Chicago is number two in the country, with a whopping 418 traffic–enforcement cameras in its metro area.

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: Marcus Winter | Flickr)

7. Orlando, FL

In Orlando, home of Disney World, we have this list"s first example of revenue-generating tourist trapping. "Orlando was one of the early adopters of red-light cameras. They installed many before it was legal to do so," says Farrell. The POI Factory list reports 41 cameras in the city.

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: Walter Bibikow | Age Fotostock | Getty Images)

6. St. Louis, MO

"St. Louis has a reputation for having many small ‘speed trap" towns," Farrell says. "Looking at the TrapMap [ shown at left ], I can see why!" In the St. Louis metro area, there are 89 traffic cameras, according to POI Factory.

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images)

5. Washington DC

In addition to its place in American history, Washington has a long history of handing out speeding tickets. The nation"s capital is also known for its large number of enforcement cameras, Farrell says. It has 349, according to POI Factory.

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: Tom McGhee | Workbook Stock | Getty Images)

4. Las Vegas, NV

Ah, Vegas: There"s your local resident traffic plus the glut of everyday out-of-towners who don"t know where they"re going or the speed limits, and big events bringing even more congestion and out-of-towners. The LVPD views this as a jackpot. "Look out for speed traps while vacationing in Vegas, especially in the summer months," Farrell says.

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: Ed Schipul | Flickr)

3. Houston, TX

Most cities in Texas are in Trapster"s top 20, but Houston is the highest-ranking speed-trap city at number 3. "Texas can be tricky, with a reputation of changing the speed limits on major highways to dramatically low speeds, then back up to high speeds," Farrell says.

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: Kevork Djansezian | Getty Images)

2. Los Angeles, CA

Every Los Angeleno spends a significant portion of their L.A. life in a car — and it seems much of that car time is spent doing the opposite of speeding. So why is L.A. number 2? Farrell points out, "If you are on the freeway any time other than morning commute or after-work commute, you know that the speed limit on the freeway does not match the flow of traffic. It almost seems like all of Southern California"s highways have an average of 80-mph drivers."

(Photo: Trapster.com | inset: Brian Jeffery Beggerly | Flickr)

1. New York metro area

Driving in New York is not for the faint of heart. It is for the hardy of spirit and the liberal user of hand gestures and the vigorous proclaimer of vocal epithets. It"s fortunate that driving in many parts of New York City, especially Manhattan, is not necessary for most residents because it comes in at number one on the list with the most reports on Trapster.

"With its high number of drivers on the road, police enforce speed very seriously," says Farrell. POI Factory lists the number traffic-enforcement camera locations at 451 for the New York metro area, making it number one on its list.

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/cities-with-the-most-speed-traps.html;_ylt=AnBmSzV2P3nEkuLNqq7gfnu7f9x_;_ylu=X3oDMTF2YzhpdHJmBG1pdANBcnRpY2xlIEJvZHkgTW9kdWxlBHBvcwMxNgRzZWMDTWVkaWFBcnRpY2xlQm9keVRlbXBBc3NlbWJseQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTQyYnIwZHFtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDZjBkNDI4ZTctNjcyYi0zNTdmLWI3NDAtNzk0ZjgyYTljMzIyBHBzdGNhdANuZXdzYW5kaW5mb3xmZWF0dXJlZGluZm98ZmVhdHVyZWRhcnRpY2xlcwRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2UEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3?page=all

Nobody wants the "Best car of the year"

2012-04-20T06:33:00.004-07:00

When Nobody Wants To Buy The Best Car Of The Year

By Joann Muller | Forbes – Mon, Mar 5, 2012 6:34 PM EST

The Chevrolet Volt and its European sister, the Opel Ampera, were selected Monday as European Car of the Year by a panel of 59 judges from 23 European nations. The Volt/Ampera outscored the new Volkswagen Up and the redesigned Ford Focus on attributes such as design, comfort, performance, innovative technology and efficiency. It was the latest in a string of awards for General Motors' plug-in hybrid, which was also voted World Green Car of the Year and North American Car of the Year in 2011.

The European award, announced at the Geneva Motor Show, was oddly juxtaposed with last Friday's news that GM is temporarily suspending production of the Volt because of slow sales. Volt inventories have ballooned to 154 days' supply, whereas an inventory of 60 days is considered ideal.
Critics quickly jumped on that news as evidence that the Volt is a wasteful folly and the federal government shouldn't be meddling in the auto industry. Never mind that the Volt was conceived long before GM's 2009 taxpayer-financed bankruptcy. As investors with a 32% stake in the world's largest carmaker, taxpayers ought to be pleased by GM's uncharacteristic discipline in matching its vehicle production to real demand. Instead of overproducing Volts, and then heavily discounting them to get people to buy, GM is protecting its investment.
But there's a real problem when the best new car on the market (in the estimation of journalists who write about the car industry, anyway) is not popular with consumers. And that goes to a bigger issue that will affect Ford Motor, Toyota Motor and others rushing to bring out plug-in cars in the next 12 months or so: there is no market for EVs. At least not yet.
GM had expected to sell about 10,000 Volts in 2011, its first full year on the market. Instead, it sold 7,600. It recently backed off a target of 45,000 for 2012, after selling 603 in January and 1,023 in February. Still, the Volt outsold two other EVs on the market: the Nissan Leaf (478 in February) and the Mitsuibishi i (44). Traditional hybrids, on the other hand, did OK, with about 36,000 sold in February, or 3 percent of all cars sold in the U.S. About three-quarters of them were Toyota Priuses.
The Volt's hefty pricetag, $41,000, no doubt scared away some buyers. Even with a $7,500 federal tax credit, it's a lot to pay for a four-seat Chevrolet. The lease price isn't bad at all -- $350 a month, with $2,500 down -- but consumers have somehow missed that marketing pitch, and that's GM's fault.There have been other issues, too: a government investigation into post-crash test fires (much ado about nothing) and the challenge of making people understand the Volt's unique gas-and-electric technology.
The Volt is a range-extended electric car. It runs solely on electricity for the first 25 to 50 miles, but has a backup gasoline-powered motor that recharges the battery, enabling a total range of about 350 miles. It's a technological wonder, and a testament to American innovation.
But thanks to improvements in gasoline-powered internal combustion engines, there are plenty of other cars in dealer showrooms that can deliver 35 or 40 miles per gallon for a much lower price. The Chevy Cruze, which shares an engineering platform with the Volt, is a perfect example. Its turbocharged 1.4-liter Ecotec engine has a cruising range of more than 500 miles and gets 26 mpg city and 38 mpg highway. The Cruze sells for $17,000 to $24,000.
Gas prices are rising, though. The current average for a gallon of regular gas is $3.77, according to AAA, and many people are already paying more than $4 to fill up. Gas prices peaked in 2008 at $4.14 per gallon. Back then, auto industry executives said consumer behavior changed when prices topped $3.50 per gallon. I wonder what's the tipping point for EVs -- $5 a gallon? $6? Share your thoughts.

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Worst-built cars of 2012

2012-04-20T06:28:00.003-07:00

The Worst-Built Cars For 2012

By Jim Gorzelany | Forbes – Mon, Mar 19, 2012 12:42 PM EDT

Let’s get this out of the way: There really aren't any truly abysmal new cars in dealers' showrooms any more. Even the worst of the lot would be considered superior when compared to some notorious clunkers from the 1970's and '80's. Still, not all models are created equal. Each offers varying degrees of performance, comfort, utility and economy. A few hit home runs in virtually every category, while others may miss the mark in one or more areas, sometimes as trade offs for excellence in another. Some have just stayed on the shelf for too long and are forced to compete with dated designs and technology.

As the latest round of new-car ratings from Consumer Reports illustrates so soundly, the differences between the “best” vehicles in the market and the also-rans is decreasing to an ever narrowing degree. Truly awful cars from the dark days of the auto industry might have been characterized by inferior engineering, dismal – often hazardous – performance, dubious reliability and fit and finish that rivaled the craftsmanship of a seven-year-old assembling a model car while dozy on plastic-cement fumes. By comparison, some highly criticized new cars today tend to commit far more lenient sins.
For example, Ford dropped from fifth place among all manufacturers rated by Consumer Reports to the 11^th spot this year, even though its road-test scores actually improved by two points. What makes better-performing cars bad? The magazine chalks it up to “subpar reliability of some new vehicles, due largely to the troublesome MyFord Touch infotainment system and Power-Shift automatic transmission.” We’re not big fans of Ford’s clumsy control system or the too-busy-for-its-own-good gearbox found in the automaker’s smallest cars, but neither qualm is hardly on the same plane as notorious episodes from past model years of cars rolling over and/or out of control in emergency handling maneuvers or bursting into flames following a collision.
Similarly, Honda fell a step out of CR's favor because recently redesigned versions of the compact Civic and Odyssey minivan were good, but not just deemed good enough as the versions they replaced.

In Pictures: 10 Worst Built Cars For 2012

That said, we poured over the latest data from Consumer Reports' 2012 Annual Auto Issue to identify which models, based on a convergence of objective test results, could be considered the 10 Worst Built Cars for 2012.

We started by examining CR’s road test ratings and isolated the models that were ranked at or near the bottom, as noted by an aggregate score under 50. Overall ratings are based on more than 50 individual tests and evaluations, and are presented on a 100-point scale. We then identified those models that received the lowest marks for reliability, based on Consumer Reports subscriber surveys, and were cited for at least two other “worsts,” including bottom-of-the-pack value ratings, highest five-year operating costs, lowest owner satisfaction, poorest fuel economy in a given class and/or worst performance in accident-avoidance tests.

Of the 10 models that comprise our final list of 10 Worst-Built Cars for 2012, all but two of them, the Smart ForTwo and Toyota FJ Cruiser, come from domestic-brand automakers, specifically Chrysler LLC and General Motors. While those automakers have been making great strides in recent years with new and recently redesigned models, they’re still recovering from their near-death experiences in 2008-2009 and the laggards in their respective lines awaiting major makeovers or replacements continue to haunt them.

"GM and Chrysler are building nicer cars with each redesign. Still, their scores are dragged down by several older designs that score low in Consumer Reports testing or have reliability issues," says David Champion, senior director, Consumer Reports Automotive Test Center, "As more new products are introduced, their fortunes could change if they can improve their overall reliability."
In Pictures: 10 Worst Built Cars For 2012
Most of the vehicles on our list are comparatively dated models that have fallen behind the competition in terms of automotive engineering and/or meeting consumers’ expectations. The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks, for example, haven’t seen a major redesign since the 2004 model year; the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Dodge Avenger, Jeep Compass and Liberty, Smart ForTwo and Toyota FJ Cruiser have received only incremental changes since 2007 or 2008. Even the most modern models in our list, the Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck (redesigned for 2010) and the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (debuting for 2009) still run on dated underpinnings and have limited appeal except perhaps to a loyal following with specific needs.
In Pictures: 10 Worst Built Cars For 2012
There is at least one bright side here, however. For those who can overlook their flaws, most of the models on our least-desirable list tend to command deep dealer discounts and are eligible for substantial manufacturers' incentives, including cash rebates, cut-rate financing and affordable lease deals. For example, the pint-sized Smart ForTwo can currently be leased for as little as $139 a month for 36 months with a $999 down payment. Dodge is offering $3,000 cash back on the midsize Avenger sedan, with Jeep granting a like amount to buyers of its midsize Liberty SUV. The heavy-duty Dodge RAM 2500 pickup on our list is being offered with a $1,500 rebate, while the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks are being sold with up to $2,000 cash back.
Jim Gorzelany is author of the Automotive Intelligentsia 2011-2012 Sports Car Guide, available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com and the Apple iBooks Store.

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/worst-built-cars-2012-164241323.html;_ylt=AiUvihLc7e9HMktki6fTnktOca9_;_ylu=X3oDMTRjY3F0aHFvBG1pdANOZXdzIGFuZCBSZXBvcnRzIFN0b3J5IExpc3QEcGtnAzEyY2Y3ZjE0LTE3MTItM2E0MS05ZjViLThjOTAzN2I5MzU2YwRwb3MDMwRzZWMDTWVkaWFTdG9yeUxpc3RMUAR2ZXIDN2Q3ODczMzAtNzFlOS0xMWUxLWExZmItZmU0YzZkOGE0MDRm;_ylg=X3oDMTFrM25vcXFyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

motor oil change frequency

2012-04-20T06:22:00.002-07:00

How often do you really need to change motor oil?

By Brandy Schaffels, Senior Editor | TrueCar – Thu, Mar 29, 2012 4:12 PM EDT

(Photo: Robert Couse-Baker/Flickr)

Do you change your oil every 3,000 miles? The majority of drivers on the road have been bombarded by advertising that recommends changing their car's oil every 3,000 miles, but the truth is that interval is no longer really necessary. Yes, engine oil does get dirty, and when that happens, it can clog engine parts, but if you’re driving a car that’s less than five years old, you’re probably wasting money — and oil — if you change it as frequently as that. Yes, knowing when to change oil is not as simple as some ad campaigns would have you believe. Changing the oil in your car every 3,000 miles was necessary in the 1970s, when most cars used 10W-40 oil, which tended to wear out within about 3,000 miles. Thanks to improvements in high-quality lubricants and tighter tolerances in the assembly of automotive engines, the 3,000-mile baseline simply does not apply to many cars on the road today; in fact, automakers now recommend you change oil at 5,000, 7,000, 10,000 or even as high as 15,000 miles for newer models under ideal driving conditions. For example, Toyota recommends you change oil at 5,000 miles for a 2005 Tacoma pickup, Honda recommends 7,500 miles for its 2002 Odyssey, General Motors suggests 7,500 miles for its 2007 Chevrolet Malibu, and Ford recommends 10,000 miles for its 2011 Fiesta. A 2008 Porsche Boxster can go 12,000 miles between changes, and a 2010 BMW 3 Series can go up to 15,000 miles before you change oil under ideal conditions; with this kind of complexity, it’s easy for consumers to be confused.

Almost 15 million Californians change their motor oil every 3,000 miles or more often, using more than 150 million gallons of motor oil each year – enough oil to fill 255 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to a recent study by CalRecycle. CalRecycle spokesperson Jeff Danzinger says their studies indicate the state could reduce total motor oil consumption by as much as 10 million gallons per year if motorists were to change oil according to manufacturer recommendations. "If you're changing your oil too soon, you're needlessly creating waste oil and putting a strain on the system and supply," Danzinger explains.
(Photo: JASON ANFINSEN/Flickr)And that’s just California — wonder how much oil is being wasted across the entire United States by people who have fallen victim to advertising and don’t follow the intervals recommended in their owner’s manual? Across the country, reprocessors treat about 1.1 billion gallons of used oil yearly according to the American Petroleum Institute (API).
Unless you’re driving a car that's more than ten years old, or under super extreme conditions, there’s really no reason to change your oil at 3000 miles anymore. Let’s put that amount into dollars: Changing motor oil according to manufacturer specifications would reduce motor oil demand in California by approximately 10 million gallons per year, and could halve the amount of money those drivers spend on oil changes, which average about $25 at quick-change facilities and can cost significantly more if your vehicle uses long-life synthetic oil. Under normal driving conditions, following the automaker’s recommended intervals will not affect your car’s engine, its performance, or your warranty.
What Is Considered Severe Use?
Severe use involves extensive idling or driving frequently in stop-and-go traffic; operating in cold temperatures below 10 degrees or extreme temperatures above 90 degrees; extreme humidity; repeated short-distance trips of less than five miles; towing a trailer or hauling heavy materials; or using E85 fuel more than 50 percent of the time. If you do drive in any one of these conditions in a typical week, you are driving in severe conditions, and may need to change oil more often.
What Happens if you Don't Change Oil in Your Car?
As Alina Tugend of the New York Times says, "It just gets dirtier and dirtier. It’s like mopping the floor with a bucket of water and detergent. The water starts out clean, but the more you use it, the filthier it gets. Eventually, you’re making the floor dirtier if you don’t change the water." Dirty oil no longer lubricates properly, increasing friction, operating temperature, and causing the engine to wear faster.
Do You Know When to Change Oil?
Your vehicle’s owners manual will tell you how often you need to change your oil. If you drive a newer model, the car may just tell you when you need to change your oil. Since 2003, General Motors has equipped nearly its entire North American lineup with the GM Oil Life System; in fact, since the 2010 model year, nearly half of American carmakers now offer Oil Life Monitoring Systems to tell drivers when their car actually needs its oil changed, including Acura, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and Mini. These Oil Life Monitoring systems automatically monitor engine characteristics, driving habits, cold starts, short-distance trips, and the climate in which the vehicle is operated, and then notify the driver when it is time to get an engine oil change with an signal on the dash indicating it's time for service.

If you are an extremely low-mileage driver you should change oil at least once a year. Otherwise, if your vehicle is equipped with an oil life monitoring system, you can trust the info/alert in your dashboard to tell you more accurately when you need a change. Don’t have an Oil Life Monitoring System? Consult your owner’s manual, your auto manufacturer’s official website, or authorized dealer for more information. Curious about your car right now but don’t have an owner’s manual handy? You can find suggested oil change intervals for many makes and models all the way back to the 2000 model year on the nifty widget at www.checkyournumber.org.
Tired Of Changing Your Oil Every 3,000 Miles?
Then trade in that beat-up 1970's jalopy for something newer! Consider these new models that boast 10,000 to 15,000 oil change intervals:

All 2012 Audi models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles
All 2012 BMW models suggest you change oil at 15,000 miles
2012 Ford Fiesta, Flex, Focus, and Mustang models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles
All 2012 Jaguar models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles
2012 Lincoln MKT and MKX models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles
All 2012 Mercedes-Benz models suggest you change oil at 12,000 miles
All 2012 Mini Cooper models suggest you change oil at 12,000 miles
All 2012 Porsche models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles, though some can go as far as 12,000 miles between oil changes
Nearly all 2012 Toyota models go 10,000 miles between oil changes
All Volkswagen models can go 10,000 miles between oil changes

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/how-do-you-really-know-when-to-change-oil-in-your-car-.html;_ylt=AigPLuGzbd8.ARJLoGeGI0lOca9_;_ylu=X3oDMTRjN2gzcjFwBG1pdANOZXdzIGFuZCBSZXBvcnRzIFN0b3J5IExpc3QEcGtnAzA2YjViMTM2LTc1NDYtMzgzYS1hZmQzLTQ3OWI2ODRkNDc2MwRwb3MDMgRzZWMDTWVkaWFTdG9yeUxpc3RMUAR2ZXIDNzNmNWMxYjAtNzlkYi0xMWUxLWJkYWQtMmEzZTJhODFmYWI5;_ylg=X3oDMTFrM25vcXFyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

What is up with American cars catching on fire?

2012-04-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

Feds open investigation into Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Cruze fires

By Justin Hyde | Motoramic – Mon, Apr 2, 2012 9:20 AM EDT

U.S. auto safety regulators on Sunday opened two separate probes involving fires in 2010 Jeep Wranglers and 2011 Chevrolet Cruzes. In both cases, a handful of owners say the vehicles burst into flame with little or no warning, like the Wrangler shown above. While two reports of Cruze fires happened within the past month, the eight Wrangler cases date back to last October -- and even then, had to be revealed by Jalopnik before federal officials acted. What took regulators so long to get worried about Wranglers randomly catching fire?

Because vehicles catch fire all the time, and when not in an accident, the causes often perish with the vehicle. The National Fire Protection Association places the number of vehicle fires in the United States at 184,500 in 2010 -- an astonishing figure, but also the lowest since the agency started tracking vehicle fires in 1980. Most were due to crashes, but people who report non-crash fires to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can find their complaint lost in the thousands of similar reports NHTSA receives a year.

NHTSA has a screening system that's supposed to alert regulators to potential defects from consumer reports, but there's no hard guidelines for when a defect investigation should be launched. Many probes into defects linked to vehicle fires didn't start until NHTSA had more than 10 reports; other cases began with only one or two. And automakers often contend -- as Jeep has with the Wrangler -- that poor maintenance by customers may play as much of a role as anything in the vehicle.

GM and Chrysler pledged to cooperate with NHTSA, as they always do. Both automakers now have several weeks to report back to the agency on how many similar complaints they have and any potential explanation.

Photo: Sean Heiney via Twitter.

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Diesel cars steadily becoming popular in the States.

2012-04-20T05:30:00.002-07:00

Diesel Sales Rise Along with Gas Prices

Increase in diesel vehicle sales signals that U.S. drivers’ attitudes toward the fuel have changed.

By Douglas Newcomb 15 hours ago

A joint report from Hybridcars.com and the research company Baum and Associates shows that sales of diesel vehicles in the U.S. increased in the first three months of 2012. Compared to last year, January sales rose 21.2 percent, jumped 42.9 percent in February and in March sales rose 39.0 percent.

“This 35 percent increase in clean-diesel auto sales during the first quarter of 2012 is a continuation of the 27 percent sales jump in 2011,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, in a statement.

Unsurprisingly, diesel sales have risen right alongside fuel prices. And although diesel fuel costs slightly more than gasoline, vehicles that use it can get up to 40 percent better mileage, which makes diesels an attractive alternative for the cost-conscious.

This trend should continue, since several new vehicles available in the U.S. are scheduled to get fuel-efficient diesel engines. These include European vehicles like the Volkswagen Beetle, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Cayenne and the Audi A8, A6 and Q5.

Diesels have long been popular in Europe and elsewhere. But several domestic vehicles are also slated to be fitted with diesels, such as the Chevrolet Cruze, Jeep Grand Cherokee and new Cadillac ATS.

[Source: USA Today]

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost.aspx?post=f08b3c8b-a7bb-4b63-8b83-97b06c6b887f

Mood detectors in cars

2012-04-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Toyota Technology Detects Driver’s Mood to Avoid Accidents

System uses camera to analyze a driver’s face and calculate emotion state and distractions.

By Douglas Newcomb 14 hours ago

Many people anthropomorphize their vehicles and give them cute or clever names -- even talk to them. And while some cars can already talk back – albeit in a pre-programmed and often robotic voice – the next step to making cars more human may come from mood-sensing technology Toyota is developing to help create safer vehicles.

Someday soon we could own cars that will know if we’re too tired to drive and are about to fall asleep behind the wheel, or if we're angry and could therefore have a delayed reaction time. Like many advanced safety feature found in cars these days, this one builds on previous technology such as the Driver Attention Monitor feature found on some Lexus vehicles, which uses a camera to detect whether a driver is looking away from the road for too long.

The system would first give drivers some type of warning should they become distracted. The next evolution is to actually ascertain the emotional state of the driver -- even take control of the vehicle by actively braking or steering to avoid a collision.

The technology uses sensors that analyze 238 different points of data from a camera pointed at the driver’s face, then crunches the numbers to calculate the driver’s emotional state. Toyota claims that it will work even if a driver’s face is partially covered by sunglasses and facial hair, for example.

The system is being improved to even recognize what the driver is doing – operating the radio, fiddling with a phone, yelling at kids in the backseat – and then issue a warning that reminds the driver to stay focused on the road. (One we’d recommend: Shouting out, “Hang up and drive!”)

With exterior sensors used in other advanced safety systems, such as the Pre-Collision System on some Lexus vehicles, an angry and distracted driver could be alerted of a potential hazard much earlier than a calm driver. The system could also detect the direction the driver is looking to warn of a hazard coming from the opposite direction.

Toyota’s lead developer of the technology, Jonas Ambeck, explained to a British media outlet that the system is still in an early development phase, though we could see some aspects of it in Toyota vehicles within the next six years.

A company called Tobii Technology has also shown a similar system for cars that detects a drivers facial expressions and can issue warnings to keep them from getting distracted or too drowsy.

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost.aspx?post=5d05dad6-e20a-4df3-8bcc-bb8ceb8a410a

Electric Car Charging Can Create More Emissions Than Fueling

2012-04-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

Electric Car Charging Can Create More Emissions Than Fueling

New study shows that in regions highly dependent on coal for electricity, plug-in vehicles are not always more green.

By Claire_Martin 19 hours ago

The worst region in the country for charging emissions? The Rockies. "The Rocky Mountain grid region (covering Colorado and parts of neighboring states) has the highest emissions intensity of any regional grid in the United States, which means an [electric vehicle] will produce global warming emissions equivalent to a gasoline vehicle achieving about 33 mpg," according to the study. "Gasoline-powered cars with fuel economy at this level include the Hyundai Elantra (33 mpg) and the Ford Fiesta (34 mpg)."

While charging in this region is still an improvement over the emissions generated by the majority of fuel-burning vehicles, it's not the zero-emissions equation most people think they're signing up for when they buy an electric vehicle.

"This will certainly make it clear that even with no tailpipe emissions, there are emissions associated with charging [an electric vehicle]," Don Anair, one of the UCS researchers, told the Detroit Free Press.

The good news is that electric vehicles do minimize emissions in most of the country. On the coasts, where grid energy is cleanest, charging an electric vehicle produces emissions equivalent to a gasoline-burning vehicle that gets as much as 50 miles per gallon. In Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida and parts of the South and Midwest, that number drops to 41 to 50 miles per gallon -- similar to what hybrids achieve. In most of the Midwest, the average is 31 to 40 miles per gallon.

Cutting back further on emissions will require a larger effort, according the UCS study: "[Our] nation’s reliance on coal-powered electricity limits electric vehicles from delivering their full potential," UCS researchers wrote. "Only by making improvements to our electricity grid—by decreasing the use of coal and increasing the use of clean and renewable sources of electricity—will electric vehicles deliver their greatest global warming and air pollution benefits."

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost.aspx?post=267da915-ae85-409c-85ee-58c894b22e27

One of the great engines of our generation, the rotary, shall live on!

2012-04-19T12:35:00.003-07:00

Mazda: No New V-6, CX-7 Won’t Be Replaced, and the Rotary Lives

April 17, 2012 at 2:32pm by David Gluckman

We recently sat down with Robert Davis, Mazda’s senior vice president of U.S. Operations. Subjects discussed included the proliferation of the automaker’s Skyactiv technology suite, the future of V-6 and rotary engines, future crossover strategy in the wake of the CX-7 leaving our market, and a little about the next MX-5 Miata. Here are the high points.
Rotaries, Plural
When asked how Skyactiv squares with a revived rotary, Davis told us to expect many of the same core technologies to be applied: reduced internal friction, reduced rotating mass, and more-efficient transmissions. He mentioned that a new rotary is being explored for applications where it would drive the wheels as well as those for which it would drive an electric generator. The smoothness of a rotary and its low weight are advantages for this role, while its relative lack of torque wouldn’t be a problem. We are reassured that Mazda sees the rotary as part of the company’s soul.
CX-7: CX-ancelled
Mazda recently announced that it will no longer sell the CX-7 crossover in the U.S. (The two-row utility will continue on in other markets, including Mexico.) It turns out that the new CX-5, the first new Mazda to be engineered under the Skyactiv banner, is not only more fuel-efficient than the CX-7, but more space-efficient as well. The CX-7 was somewhat of a tweener, sized between compact and mid-size crossovers. Davis tells us that the CX-5 was at one point considered to replace the CX-7, but overlap in production contracts wouldn’t allow it. That means, for the foreseeable future, Mazda will have a size-four gap between the CX-5 and CX-9.
No New V-6 Planned
Davis also told us that Mazda isn’t working on a V-6 for its Skyactiv portfolio. The 6 sedan and CX-9 currently offer six-cylinders (optional on the Mazda 6 and standard on the CX-9); the new, lighter 6 will make do with four-cylinders (we also expect a hybrid version of the next 6, while Davis says a new CX-9, which would be lighter as well, could get power and good fuel economy from a boosted four-cylinder. So for now, Mazda is concentrating on developing four-cylinders as well as the aforementioned rotary.
Skyactiv and the Miata
We pressed Davis for any information on the next Miata, but he wouldn’t give up much in the way of detail. He did say that the lightweight/efficiency approach of Skyactiv is basically the same as the development process for the third-gen MX-5, and that we should expect the same for the new car. It’ll be lighter, but Davis wouldn’t share the weight target; we certainly won’t say no to a lighter Miata. And it’s obvious, but the automaker’s latest design philosophy, Kodo, will influence the next Miata’s styling. When we asked whether or not Mazda would build anything like the Miata Spyder and Super20 concepts, Davis said, “We would love to. Pay attention: There are some special editions coming that I think your readers will like.”

http://blog.caranddriver.com/mazda-no-new-v-6-cx-7-won%E2%80%99t-be-replaced-and-the-rotary-lives/

Wish I was smart enough to BS like this!

2012-04-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Science Beats Traffic Ticket for Rolling Through Stop Sign

Physics professor uses graphs and formulas to prove his innocence and baffle the judge.

By Douglas Newcomb Tue 10:50 AM

According to an article in Physics Central, Krioukov drafted a four-page defense paper, arguing that the police officer only mistakenly thought he ran the stop sign.

Before the judge, the physicist posited that the officer, who was parked 100 feet away from the stop sign, was approximating the angular velocity -- not the linear velocity -- of the professor’s Toyota Yaris; this, argued the prof, could give the observer a skewed perception of the driver's actual speed. Krioukov says he was driving his Yaris when he sneezed as he approached the stop sign, which caused him to brake hard.

Toyota doesn’t publish the stopping distance of the Yaris, but Krioukov estimated that he decelerated at 22.36 mph. He said that a larger vehicle about the size of a Subaru Outback passed his Toyota Yaris and obstructed the officer's view of his full and complete stop.

Krioukov used graphs and mathematical formulas to show that, to an observer, a vehicle traveling at a constant speed could look very similar to a vehicle that decelerated quickly to a complete stop and then rapidly accelerated at the exact moment the vehicle came to a stop, if the view of the vehicle was obscured. Since the Outback-like vehicle didn't have a stop sign, Krioukov maintained that the vehicle's larger length concealed his car for a crucial few seconds. As he accelerated away quickly, the officer mistakenly thought he never stopped and had performed a classic “California roll.”

Apparently, the judge hadn’t studied physics and dismissed the case rather than refute physicist’s findings. But as a devotee to the scientific method and peer review, Krioukov claims there could be a potential flaw in his proof and invites people to discover it on their own.

We suspect it may have something to do with the vehicle in question, since Krioukov claims his Yaris managed to go from 22 mph to 0 and then back to 22 in the span of three seconds. We don't know physics at that level, but we do know cars, and that's not exactly what we’d expect from the subcompact.

Dig out your physics textbook if you want study the full paper, titled The Proof of Innocence.

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost.aspx?post=a00244b8-f320-4822-a97e-a098cde68b9d&_blg=2

Could it be? American mustang to look like every other European sports car instead of the iconic lines?

2012-04-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

Could this be the next Ford Mustang?

By Justin Hyde | Motoramic – Wed, Apr 18, 2012 10:53 AM EDT

Ford Motor Co. engineers and designers working on the next generation of the Ford Mustang face a tough quandary of how to update the original pony car for the 21st century. According to the Wall Street Journal, the new Mustang may look much like this: the Evos concept shown last year in Europe. It's a radical change, but any new Mustang will need more global appeal than ever to survive.

While the current generation of the Mustang remains a strong performer on the street and the sales results, it's showing its age. Its underpinnings date to the Lincoln LS sedan unveiled in 1999; its solid-rear axle increasingly seems quaint compared to the Chevy Camaro, and the retro styling trend that it spurred at the beginning of the decade has passed.

More urgently for Mustang fans, it's once again out of sync with Ford's overall strategy, which calls for building millions of vehicles off a few basic platforms that can be sold worldwide with minor changes. The new Ford Fusion in the United States will become the Ford Mondeo in Europe with only a few tweaks; the Fiesta and Focus are already global travelers, and even Ford's SUV lineup will turn international with the new Escape. There are exceptions, such as the F-Series that dominates American roads and the Ranger pickup sold outside the United States, but the Mustang is the only rear-wheel-drive coupe left in Ford's stable worldwide. And unlike the Camaro, Ford doesn't have a base of demand for the Mustang in China, nor exports to Europe, to bolster sales.

Ford executives know better than to make the mistake of trying to turn the Mustang into a front-wheel-drive sports car, as their predecessors once attempted with the model that eventually became the misbegotten Ford Probe. Instead, the next generation of Mustang will need to have an international touch to merit the hundreds of millions of dollars Ford will need to spend designing and building it -- which means walking back some of the pony-car styling that's resonated with Americans for 47 years.

Ford spokespeople decline to talk about new products, and no one at the company has officially said the Evos previews what the new Mustang will look like. But the Evos was heralded as the new corporate face for Ford worldwide, with its Aston Martin-derived cues already showing up on other models. More tellingly, it's about the right size -- shorter by 10 inches than the current Mustang, but with a wheelbase shrunk only an inch. And the rear fenders have a hint of the vent and kick-up from the original Mustang, which also came as a fastback body style.

Making the Mustang an international player would require Ford to build a smaller, lighter car that could get better fuel economy without compromising performance. Ford's already expected to put a four-cylinder Ecoboost turbo engine in the Mustang before any new model arrives in 2014 or so; combining that with a traditional V8 option would cover the bases. All of which will mean little if the changes result in a Mustang that American fans reject as too foreign, and foreign customers pass over as too American. If the auto business were easy, there'd be a lot more people building cars.

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/could-next-ford-mustang-145308691.html;_ylt=AsNda3Op8klEQLUM9eO6bQZGca9_;_ylu=X3oDMTFucjRvbzM5BG1pdANCbG9nIEluZGV4IE1vdG9yYW1pYzIEcG9zAzQ1BHNlYwNNZWRpYUJsb2dJbmRleFRlbXA-;_ylg=X3oDMTFvcGs0cnBnBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANibG9nBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3#more-3560

Wasteful spending Germans!

2012-04-19T07:19:00.001-07:00

Police spend $33M on new cars, but cops don't fit in them

Put those doughnut jokes back in the box because, for once, they're not the reason we're snickering at a police department. The German state of Hesse spent almost $33 million on a patrol car upgrade, swapping the cops' Opel minivans for sleeker-looking sports cars. The problem? Their new wheels are SO sleek that the officers can't fit in the seats while they're wearing their guns, nightsticks and other equipment, and the tiny windows are terrible for visibility. "I need to see out of the back every minute, every second," officer Lothar Hölzgen said. "That's a safety matter for us." Don't worry officers, we're laughing with you. WITH YOU.

http://now.msn.com/now/0418-german-police-cars.aspx

Rules of the blog

2012-04-19T07:16:00.002-07:00

I will post news that spark my interest and curiosity. Hopefully, it will peak your interest as well. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to comment on any of the posts.