Toyota warms up the Prius with a cozy – Click above to watch video
No matter what part of the country you live in, temperatures are probably a bit colder than you might like. Whether that’s 65 degrees in Arizona or negative numbers in the Midwest, it’s the time of year for extra layers. You know what else gets cold? Your car. To remedy this, decided to get a bunch of crochet pros together and have them knit a cozy… for a .
We really can’t add anything else here… grab some cocoa, put on the holiday sweater your grandmother bought for you and to view the clip.
What a year. After the out-and-out implosion of the car market in 2009, no one quite knew what to expect from 2010. It would have been impossible to predict the rise of both and from the bowels of Chapter 11 to the relatively comfortable perches they now occupy, or the depths to which the spiral would plummet. But 2010 wasn’t just about big stories, either. The past year saw a horde of trends both good and bad rise to the surface, and we’ve picked a handful of notables to share.
Xenatec Maybach Cruiserio coupe – Click above for image gallery
Want to get your hands on a coupe? You’ve got two options. First would be to commission concept car on the chassis of a Dodge Viper. That’ll set you back €550,000, or about $730k at today’s conversion rates. Your other choice is to have Xenatec convert a Maybach 57 S limo into a coupe for €675,000 ($894k).
We brought you initial of the project back in May, followed by in October. For a quick refresher, the German coachbuilder brought in Fredrik Burchhardt, designer of the original Exelero, to pen the modified shape for the coupe. The result keeps most of the saloon’s mechanicals in place – including the 600+ horsepower twin-turbo V12 – only with modified bodywork, cabin and (of course) two longer doors instead of four.
Seen until now only in sketches, the Xenatec Maybach coupe has been (awkwardly) dubbed the Cruiserio, and it has just made its debut at Daimler headquarters in Stuttgart. The project is now being underwritten by a €70 million ($93M) investment from AutoKingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over the course of three years, Xenatec and AutoKingdom ambitiously anticipate building 100 examples, and say they’ve already got enough orders to keep them busy for the next year or so. Can’t wait that long? The first example is out of Riyadh, with a price tag of just under a cool million.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration got a wee bit busier this year. As of December 14th, the agency reported that it had received over 64,000 complaints. Edmunds’ calculations, which remove duplicates, pegs the figure at more than 40,000 complaints – thanks in no small part to the spate of from .
In fact, NHTSA reports that it received 87 complaints for every 100,000 vehicles sold by Toyota in 2010, more than double the Japanese automaker’s performance from the previous year and the highest percentage of any company selling cars in the United States.
Not that other automakers fared that much better. came in with the second highest ratio at 62 complaints per 100,000 vehicles and nabbed third place with 58. The industry average of 47 complaints per 100,000 vehicles was up from fewer than 30 in 2009. For what it’s worth, and had the lowest ratios of complaints, and there was little difference between American and Japanese manufacturers.
These complaints are a good thing, says NHTSA, as the agency can then determine if a customer’s problem is singular or part of a larger issue that affects multiple vehicles, possibly prompting an inspection or safety recall. So don’t quit yer’ complaining!
CHP responds to the ‘89 San Francisco Earthquake – Click above to watch video
On October 17, 1989 at approximately 5:04 pm Pacific Standard Time, the San Andreas Fault shifted and a massive earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area. Called the Loma Prieta Earthquake, it was the largest seismic event for this fault-line since 1906. Sixty-three people lost their lives and nearly 4,000 were injured. The physical damage caused by the quake was estimated to cost around $11 billion, but of course the mental and emotional toll could never be tallied.
Shortly after the earthquake struck, the California Highway Patrol sprung into action. The efforts of the CHP, as well as the devastation caused by the quake, were captured in a 22 minute, 58 second video that is part of the public record. It’s an intriguing look back at an extremely difficult moment in California’s history that will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it firsthand. to view the clip.
If you thought 2010 was going to wrap up with an all quiet on the recall front, think again. and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration have announced the recall of 14,737 vehicles for a faulty body control module that may short out and cause a fire.
The recall covers certain 2011 models that were built in a six-day period, including some 2011 Edge, , F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and vehicles. NHTSA says that if the body control module shorts out, it could overheat and cause a fire.
Dealers are expected to inspect the module and, if necessary, replace it free of charge. NHTSA says that Ford plans to start the work on or before January 10, 2011, and that owners may contact Ford directly with questions at 1-866-436-7332. for a look at the full recall notice.
When the dust settles on 2010, anticipates global sales of about 380,000 units. That’s probably less than Volvo executives (and the new owners at Zhejiang Geely) were hoping for, but a global slump in auto sales is at least partly to blame. Fortunately, many industry analysts are expecting increased demand for autos in 2011, and Volvo apparently feels that the growing appetite for new vehicles will result in more customers at the local Volvo dealer.
Bloomberg reports that the Swedish automaker is hiring an additional 200 workers to increase capacity at the company’s Gothenburg plant. The move will help Volvo increase production from 48 vehicles per hour to 52. That doesn’t sound like a huge bump, but over the course of 365, days four vehicles per hour adds up to thousands of additional vehicles. Volvo will reportedly begin hiring soon, with hopes of filling all 200 positions by March.
The shape may be very similar, but the technology underpinning a modern is light years ahead of what you will find propping up an older model. Inside Line was able to line up two examples of the Range Rover; a 1993 model and the 2011 version. The two were then put through their paces at legendary Eastnor Castle, which sits at the border of England and Wales.
Eastnor is the site where many a has been put through difficult off-road situations. Today, the castle serves as the headquarters for the and is the perfect place to find out how old and new compare with one another.
Sure, coil springs have been replaced by an adjustable platform that literally rides on a cushion of air and the engine has changed from an old to one sourced from , but how do the two off-roaders stack up when the going gets really tough? to read all about it.
The average gas price in the U.S. is over $3 right now, and there’s a good chance it’ll . What do you do in this situation if you’re a car dealer with a lot full of SUVs and big crossovers? You start being cautious.
That’s the takeaway point from an Automotive News article, with the key quote coming from a New York dealer, who told the industry publication:
SUVs are still important in this area, but people are downsizing to more fuel efficient SUVs instead. We are still stocking with the idea that it may go either way. Hoping for the best, but prepared for anything.
For the moment, gas prices aren’t high enough to make people panic and try to offload their gas hogs the way we saw in 2008, but Kelley Blue Book analyst Alec Gutierrez told Automotive News that SUV sales could drop “dramatically” once gas reaches $3.50 or $4 a gallon, saying, “The days where a dealer could just go to auction and stock up on a bunch of SUVs and hold them for 40 or 60 days are over.”
The last time gas jumped up to panic levels was in 2008. That’s when took the picture that illustrates this post. In the accompanying Flickr caption, he writes:
So a local (Culver City) car dealer started storing cars on the top of our parking garage. I always park on the roof, so anytime I am up there I see the cars. I have taken to think of these cars as an economic indicator. They all seem to be SUV vehicles. I wonder about why they are up there, and why there seems to be more every week. I suspect the fact that they’re stored here has something to do with the price of gas.
We suspect he’s right, and we can’t imagine there are dealers out there who want to have to go through a process like that again.
Around this time last year, debuted its brand new system, an infotainment setup that will be spreading like wildfire to the full host of Blue Oval products. To further build upon Ford’s technology, the automaker will now be releasing a free mobile application called SYNC Destinations, available for iPhone, iPad and Android-based phones. (Don’t worry, BlackBerry folk – your app is in the pipeline.)
This app allows customers with the SYNC TDI (Traffic, Directions and Information) service to search for and save destinations to their individual cloud-based software for easy access back in the car. What’s more, the app uses predictive traffic, powered by INRIX, which provides recommended departure times along with estimated travel times for commutes.
Ford says that by using SYNC Destinations, TDI users will be able to better plan the “when and where” of their commutes, simply by using the INRIX features found within the app. Specifically, aids like traffic maps with real-time speed and accident information, traffic forecasts and easy look-up of addresses will make adding new destinations to the user’s SYNC system easier than before, and more accessible while on the go (and not in the car).
SYNC Destinations will make its official debut at CES in January. For the full details, to read Ford’s press release.
ChevroletC7 Corvette renderings by James Robbins – Click above for image gallery
It isn’t easy redesigning an icon, especially one as popular and well-known as the . Nevertheless, a seventh-generation Corvette is coming, and while rumors of an exotic mid-engine layout for America’s supercar are unlikely to pan out, it’s possible that the Bowtie brand’s designers could take the Corvette’s look in an entirely new direction.
Student designer James Robbins has his own ideas for what the C7 Corvette will look like. His renderings look like a logical next step in the car’s design evolution, though we’re not fans of some of the details. We particularly like the rear end’s reimagination of the Corvette’s signature round taillamps, albeit perhaps without some of the edgy detailing on the car’s hood. What say you? Check out the rest of the renderings in the gallery below and let us know what you think of Robbins’ C7 Corvette.
If you think that joining in on the car-sharing party means that you’ll be stuck behind the wheel of a low-buck auto, prepare to be amazed. According to AutoWeek, both and are diving into the car-sharing world with programs designed to allow users to experience a slice of luxury without having to foot the hassles associated with car ownership. BMW on Demand will provide drivers with a for as little as €16 per hour in Europe (around $21 USD/hr). Those wanting a little more room can opt for a for the low price of €23/hr ($30/hr), including servicing and cleaning.
Daimler, meanwhile, is working on a similar program in both Austin, Texas and Ulm, Germany, though that program will serve up products from the company’s line. Users can reserve trim levels and colors on line or by phone, use the vehicle for as long as they like and drop it off in convenient car-sharing parking spaces. The time behind the wheel is automatically calculated and the user’s bank account automatically debited.
Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz are delving into car-sharing to confront a growing lack of interest in ownership from younger generations and increased traffic in urban settings, even though some research has shown that the use of a single shared vehicle can contribute to the loss of as many as nine to 15 personal cars.
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
We have heard that has has (i1, i2, i3, i4, i5, i6, i7, i8 and i9) to use for its fuel efficient MegaCity range of vehicles. is now saying that it has heard a rumor that the combination that will be applied to the upcoming (read: 2013 or 2014) version of the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept will be i8. This makes some sense, as a BMW i8 would conjure up images of the never-seen M8 supercar, but BMWBlog is unconvinced. After all, why bring back memories of gas-guzzling supercars when you’re trying to reinvent what one can be? Plus, since the vehicle is so far away, there’s probably no name set in stone yet anyway.
Whatever BMW decides on, it’ll be better than the name that the car was given when we first saw it at the . Vision EfficientDynamics is just way, way too long.
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Episode #210 of the Autoblog Podcast is hosted by Dan this time around, though Chris Shunk calls in, and Zach Bowman takes up his role as number three. It starts with the Autoblog Garage and then heads for the Camaro outselling the Mustang for the first time since 1985. Staying with neo-ponycars, we talk about the ‘Cuda making a comeback (possibly), and our podcasters discuss why the Hyundai Sonata may just be their car of the year. BYD’s 2011 Detroit appearance and Toyota’s recall woes in 2010 being cited as the second biggest blunder of the year finish us up before we hit a couple of your questions before we end it at 58 minutes. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #210: Camaro outsells Mustang, ‘Cuda comeback, Sonata is our COTY, BYD at Detroit, Toyota’s blunder
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Crossing the line in the canyons – Click above to watch video
There are plenty of roadways in and around Los Angeles that provide excellent opportunities to test a vehicle. Blind curves, dramatic elevation changes and scenic vistas combine to create wonderful stretches of asphalt. These roads attract great drivers and amazing machines, but they also attract more than a few idiots lacking in the common sense department. Those double-yellow lines running down the middle of the road are there for a reason, and ignoring isn’t just bad form, it’s dangerous.
One particular stretch of road that’s popular with Southern Californian drivers is Mulholland Highway. A camera crew is usually on-hand over the weekends, and one group has strung together a video showing a collection of lane-crossers showing off some genuinely lousy driving. Stay in your lane and to watch the video. Thanks for the tip, Brandon!
It seems all the efforts to aren’t going all that well. According to eyewitness reports from Germany as relayed by the Axis of Oversteer clan, all those fancy debt-causing buildings and their roller coasters are sitting idle with nary a visitor in sight… still.
Apparently, there are apparel shops and a dealership without any actual patrons doing any shopping, and the so-called Formula 1 Experience rollercoaster has had its speed cut from over 100 miles per hour to just around 40 due to some shoddy engineering and/or building techniques. Sounds rather un-F1, no?
All of this is bad, but what could be worse are potential plans from the developers to raise the costs of actually driving on the track. Other quick fixes may see the track being rented out for more non-racing events, which will undoubtedly make it more difficult for the true aficionados to actually lap the ‘Ring. Read more about the Nordschliefe’s woes . Thanks to all for the tips!
Ford’s upgraded MyKey for 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Modern technology means that parental controls are now spreading to cars as factory equipment, and the automaker leading the charge is . Using the latest version of the company’s , parents can now block their children from listening to certain radio stations – say, for instance, Howard Stern or Playboy Radio on satellite. In fact, there are a dozen stations listed as explicit by Sirius, and all of them can be blocked using MyKey starting in 2011.
Also seeing an upgrade for 2011 is MyKey’s speed-limiting technology. Previously, the top speed of a properly equipped Ford vehicle could be capped at 80 miles per hour (with chimes sounding at 45, 55 and 65). Now, users can preset a desired speed limit at any of four different settings – 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph. While an obvious safety feature, the technology can also dramatically improve fuel efficiency.
Already, Ford’s MyKey allows parents to limit audio volume, encourage seatbelt usage by muting the radio until front occupants buckle up and provide earlier low-fuel warnings. All of these could be considered important safety features, considering that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that teens are more likely to speed (a contributing factor in 30 percent of fatal accidents) and are less likely to use their safety-belts.
Ford contracted the firm Penn, Schoen & Berland to conduct a survey regarding its new MyKey features, and the results aren’t terribly surprising: 85 percent of parents believe the speed limiting controls are important and 60 percent say the same regarding the radio content controls. Even 45 percent of teen drivers themselves say they approve of the technology… just as long as it means they get extended driving privileges from their parents. Of course, said teens can also simply circumvent the MyKey safety leash by listening to CDs or their MP3 players, but we digress.
Check out a video and full press release to learn more about how the system works.
AT&T anti-texting documentary “The Last Text” – Click above to watch video
AT&T launched the “It Can Wait” campaign earlier in the spring of 2010. The idea behind the movement is to create more awareness about the dangers of texting and driving. In order to create more visual impact, AT&T has commissioned a documentary called The Last Text, and it focuses on a few young lives that have been impacted or even cut short due to distracted driving caused by a text message.
The video may play a bit heavily with the emotional subject matter, but it also helps drive home a very important message – Many lives can be ruined in the blink of an eye – all because you had to read or send that text message. Put your phone down for a minute then to watch The Last Text.
