Former United States Vice President Dick Cheney didn’t hold back when it came time to write his memoir of his time in office. Cheney has taken shots at everyone from Colin Powell to Condoleezza Rice, and according to The Detroit News, the VP wasn’t thrilled about the idea of pulling General Motors out of financial dire straits. The memoir reveals that Cheney would have preferred that the Bush Administration hadn’t bailed out General Motors with a $13.4 million rescue package and that he was disappointed, “but not surprised” that the Obama Administration took further steps to keep the world’s largest automaker afloat.
Cheney said that he felt that bankruptcy was the right option.
Even so, the former vice president defended the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program designed to pull U.S. banks out of hot water, saying that the U.S. government was the only body able to protect the banking system from collapse. Private companies, Cheney said, should be judged by the marketplace.
’s recent troubles weren’t merely issues for its customers, dealers, lawyers and bottom line – the repercussions also went all the way up through diplomatic channels. A series of cables posted by Wikileaks reveals that then-Transportation Minister Seiji Maehara asked that Toyota’s situation not cause “obstacles to trade.”
The entreaties disallow bilateral trade to be affected by the Toyota recalls, and in the words of a Japanese cable to Washington, “For many GOJ (Government of Japan) bureaucrats and Japanese auto executives, any and all auto issues seem to trigger memories of bilateral trade friction in the 1980s and 90s.” That was when sectors like automobiles, agriculture, steel, textiles and market access were rich sources of friction, retaliation, treaties and new accusations.
The U.S. position – beyond Ray LaHood’s occasional thundering – was also a desire not to return to dark international days as long as everyone realized “It is crucial for Toyota to stay ahead of the issue.”
You may recall a luxury phone designer out of Vancouver called Mobiado collaborated with on a concept device that featured a clear panel, all the gadgetry in the frame and keyless entry for Aston’s GTs. That was unfortunately just a design study that, while intriguing, was never bound for production. But this one is.
Called The Grand 350 Aston Martin, this insanely upscale phone is made from a CNC-machined aluminum case, 2.36-inch 271-carat sapphire crystal screen with 16 million colors, stainless steel keys, quad-band antenna, Bluetooth, micro USB connector, GPS and more.
We dare not ask what the device sells for, but if you’re buying one to go with your new …
Of all the new debuts scheduled for the – now less than two weeks away – few will proliferate quite like the new European-market . The Old World version of the new Civic has so far only been , but the company’s UK competition division has already started work on the racing version that will take on the most famous circuits Great Britain has to offer.
The competition version of the new Euro Civic is being built according to the new NGTC rules employed by the British Touring Car Championship, and is currently undergoing development in conjunction with Team Dynamics. The outfit fields the old Civic, which was introduced to the BTCC back in 2007, with considerable success: the team has collected a slew of titles in the series, including the teams’ and manufacturers’ championships last season, and is currently sitting second and third in the current standings.
Expect the new racer to be unveiled sometime after the road car makes its debut in Frankfurt. In the meantime, Honda has released the first of a four-part video series highlighting its BTCC effort. Check it out .
A new law is going on the books in that will simultaneously eliminate the state’s lower nighttime speed limits and . The 85 mph limit will be limited to rural areas, while most places will see a max of 75.
Apparently, increasing to 75 will require that a study be done to make sure it’s safe to do so, but we can’t imagine it being too exhaustive.
While there is some apprehension that the increased limit will make the highways more dangerous, the change means getting across the Lone Star State might not take three days anymore.
Five drivers invited to meet President Barack Obama at the White House aren’t going to show, citing “scheduling conflicts.” Nobody’s sure whether “scheduling conflicts” means “political views,” but thanks to stereotypes associated with NASCAR, nobody’s ruling that out.
The president invited 12 drivers from the 2010 Chase to celebrate their successes. The drivers bailing include Greg Biffle, , Kevin Harvick, and Carl Edwards. , Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch (who had initially declined), Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth all plan to attend.
While the absentees may indeed have scheduling conflicts, we’d expect that if that were the case, it’d hold true for the majority of those invited. Also, passing on the chance to meet the sitting U.S. president, regardless of one’s views, seems like an odd move.
Five drivers invited to meet President Barack Obama at the White House aren’t going to show, citing “scheduling conflicts.” Nobody’s sure whether “scheduling conflicts” means “political views,” but thanks to stereotypes associated with NASCAR, nobody’s ruling that out.
The president invited 12 drivers from the 2010 Chase to celebrate their successes. The drivers bailing include Greg Biffle, , Kevin Harvick, and Carl Edwards. , Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch (who had initially declined), Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth all plan to attend.
While the absentees may indeed have scheduling conflicts, we’d expect that if that were the case, it’d hold true for the majority of those invited. Also, passing on the chance to meet the sitting U.S. president, regardless of one’s views, seems like an odd move.
is going for broke with its 2012 truck range, increasing power in both the and 6.7 diesel. The gas V8 gets a bump to 383 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The 6.7-liter Cummins diesel inline six now pushes 350 horses backed by 800 lb.-ft. of torque.
Added to that, there’s a new six-speed automatic transmission with an updated torque converter. Ram says that the transmission should not only be stronger, but lead to improved fuel efficiency as well. With the new power in the big Cummins, the 4500 and 5500 series chassis cab trucks get a combined gross weight increase from 26,000 pounds to 30,000 pounds.
plans to do more with its NASCAR pace car than merely slow the field down. For the next two races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway, a Camaro doused in pink to support breast cancer research will lead the field. As if the hue weren’t enough, when the safety car comes out, Chevrolet will donate $200 per lap to the American Cancer Society.
The tie-in is part of the Bowtie’s lead-up to Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October and its November 3 birthday. Not that we’re hoping for any crashes during the next two Sprint Cup rounds, if they happen, at least they’ll be more than just screeching spectacle. Follow the jump for the press release, and check out the pink muscle car in the high-res gallery below.
is adding a ragtop to its lineup of muscle-bound Bavarians. Set to debut in Frankfurt, the 2012 Alpina B6 Biturbo Convertible should have enough muscle to hustle to 60 in just 4.8 seconds. The big droptop packs 507 hp and 516 lb. ft. of torque thanks to a twin-turbo V8.
Alpina also says the car is capable of running north of 190 mph, but has limited the production version to the de rigeur 155 mph.
Pricing hasn’t been announced, but expect the number to be well clear of the standard 650i convertible’s $90,500 starting point.
Television and movie memorabilia fans can get excited. Both the original Pink Panther car and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang are headed to auction. The Panthermobile has been to auction once before since being created in 1969 by Jay Ohrberg. You may remember the designer as the mind behind hardware like K.I.T.T., the Back to the Future DeLorean, the General Lee, the Ford Gran Torino from Starsky and Hutch as well as Batmobiles from both 1966 and 1989. This was a busy guy. The Panthermobile is expected to fetch between £50,000 and £100,000 when it goes on sale on October 14. That’s between $81,585 and $163,170 at current conversion rates.
Meanwhile, a licensed replica of the famous Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is also going under the gavel. This particular machine was crafted in 2000 by Tony Green and includes hardware from one of the six original movie cars. The replica also features folding wings, a propeller and rotating blades to mimic the movements of the movie cars. All told, the auction house expects the replica to bring in between £150,000 to £250,000, or $244,755 to $407,925 at current conversion rates. Seems a bit steep to us. to check out press releases on both vehicles.
General Motors execs say production of the will not hit a level capable of satisfying demand until the second-quarter of 2012. Despite dismal , GM insists it’s not a lack of demand that’s holding the Volt back.
While The General continues to blame the Volt’s lack of sales on limited availability – thanks in part to a recent – data compiled by Ward’s Auto shows the supply of Volts now stands at 1,361 units, up from the 226 reported at the end of July. GM says that some 700 to 800 of the 1,361 plug-in hybrids are dealer demonstration units that, at least for now, can’t be sold. If Ward’s numbers are correct, that leaves almost a two-month supply of Volts sitting on dealer lots.
Later this year, the . Don Johnson, GM’s U.S. sales chief, told Ward’s Auto that since dealers must stock a demo Volt before receiving salable units, retail sales of the plug-in sedan won’t increase significantly anytime soon. During a conference call on Friday, Johnson added, “It’s going to take us a month or two to really fill up the retail inventory for those dealers.” It looks like that the will continue its electrifying reign over the Volt for the next couple of months will hold true.
Indian automaker Mahindra has announced that its first global SUV will be called the XUV500, pronounced “five double-o.” The company says the vehicle’s design was influenced by input from buyers all over the globe, including unnamed western markets, South Africa and, of course, India. The XUV500 will be the first unibody SUV from Mahindra to feature a transverse engine, which means that there’s a good chance it’ll have a front-wheel drive bias. Beyond that, details on the new SUV are scarce.
Rajesh Jejurikar, chief executive of Mahindra’s automotive division (right) said that he expects the XUV500 to make his company the lead brand in SUVs.
Mahindra says that it enjoys a market share of 60.5 percent in India due to the success of products like the Bolero, Scorpio and even the Xylo sedan. Pawan Goenka, president of automotive and farm equipment sectors (left) says that the XUV500 will launch in South America simultaneously under the same name, hopefully broadening the brand’s appeal around the world. Click to read the full press release.
Next summer, when The Avengers opens to packed multiplexes, playboy billionaire Tony Stark will be rolling in a trick new ride. After driving an in the two Iron Man features, Stark apparently switches to a never-before-seen Acura sports car (in keeping with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s use of all Acura vehicles, as seen in this summer’s Thor and Captain America films).
The new ride appears in a series of (borrowed from ) showing Robert Downey, Jr. standing next to it as Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki) look on. Another shot, (we’ve posted a cropped version here), shows the mystery convertible by itself, parked on the set in New York’s Central Park.
Note to the spoiler-averse: the WorstPreviews.com report explicitly details the scenes that were filmed, and they’re reportedly for the the conclusion of the movie. So, you’ve been warned.
We also have a note in to Acura to see if they’ll give up any other information. We’ll update the post accordingly if and when we know more.
UPDATE: Acura spokesman Gary Robinson has gotten back to us. to see what he had to say.
Next summer, when The Avengers opens to packed multiplexes, playboy billionaire Tony Stark will be rolling in a trick new ride. After driving an in the two Iron Man features, Stark apparently switches to a never-before-seen Acura sports car (in keeping with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s use of all Acura vehicles, as seen in this summer’s Thor and Captain America films).
The new ride appears in a series of (borrowed from ) showing Robert Downey, Jr. standing next to it as Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki) look on. Another shot, (we’ve posted a cropped version here), shows the mystery convertible sportscar by itself, parked on the set in New York’s Central Park.
Note to the spoiler-averse: the WorstPreviews.com report explicitly details the scenes that were filmed, and they’re reportedly for the the conclusion of the movie. So, you’ve been warned.
We also have a note in to Acura to see if they’ll give up any other information. We’ll update the post accordingly if and when we know more.
We’ll be honest. The future hasn’t quite turned out like we expected. While Saturday-morning cartoons promised us a world in which our fantasy-powered flying bubble cars would conveniently origami themselves into easily-transportable briefcases, reality has been a bit slower to abandon the traditional internal-combustion model. But that may eventually change. Scientists at research-and-development firm Laser Power Systems are working on a new turbine electric generator system powered by a thorium-based laser. If, like us, you spent the majority of chemistry class studiously analyzing the insides of your eyelids, you may not recall that thorium is a mildly radioactive metal with an atomic weight of 90.
That’s right, kids. We’re talking about a nuclear-powered car. Please insert maniacal laugh track.
The principle is fairly simple. The thorium would be lased to generate heat, which would then produce steam in a closed-loop system. That steam would then power a generator to produce electricity. Since it only takes a thin sheet of aluminum foil to shield the world from the weak thorium radiation and the element can’t be weaponized, it’s thought to be perfect for mobile power generation.
Scientists say that just eight grams of thorium could be enough to power a vehicle for somewhere around 300,000 miles of driving. If this all sounds a little far-fetched, it may pay to remember that thorium is already on automakers’ radar. introduced the thorium-powered at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show.
There are many elements that go into making a a Porsche, and one of them is the minimalist dashboard. Ten years ago, Porsche Design, the company’s Austrian product design division, took its cues from a 911’s instrument cluster and designed a wristwatch after it. And now they’ve updated the design with a new model.
The P’6620 is made of titanium with available black PVD coating in a nod to the original black watch that FA Porsche pioneered in 1972. Inside the oversize 44-milimeter case and behind the anti-glare, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal sits an ETA Valjoux 7753 chronograph function with power reserve that can keep it going for two days straight without moving from your night table.
The overall package is about as slick as they come, and sells for about six grand. Check it out in the press release after the jump and the gallery of high-resolution images.
The United Arab Emirates is a land that continually breathes new life into the phrase “More money than sense.” The new prime example of this is a custom-built that believes the prime number of doors is six. Said to hail from the UAE, it’s quite clear that anything goes in the Land Of The Burning Dollar Sign Sun.
We’re not going to completely hate on this thing, of course, as the idea of a six-door Raptor puts visions of a seriously great camping trip in mind. Still, we’re not even sure if this thing is actually real or if someone with solid skills spent too much time playing around on their computer. Judge for yourself by and watching the video.
According to , the Tubik is “a concept car designed to make travel meaningful again.” We’re not entirely sure what that means, but we’re happy to see the ethos wrapped up in a package that reminds us of the old .
As you can tell from the highly stylized set of images and renderings that the quirky French automaker has released of its new concept, the Tubik is intended to be a wholly modern take on the one-box MPV shape. Note too the asymmetrical entry portals. We can’t quite tell what’s going on with the driver’s seat (really more like a perch…), but it’s kind of like a cocoon with all kinds of ethereal lighting surrounding it.
The rest of the interior is a bit more subdued, but only just. There are a slew of configurations for the passenger compartment along with a somewhat disarming lack of windows. We’d guess the driver gets a view of the outside world through cameras and LCD screens.
Citroën used phrases like “shared, intelligent, connected and eco-friendly” to describe the Tubik Concept, but stops well short of telling us any meaningful details on what any of that entails. In any case, stay tuned for more about this far-out concept at the upcoming and feel free to check out the brief press release .
We all know Koenigsegg makes blisteringly fast exotic cars. The latest hyper machine from Sweden is the Agera R, and Koenigsegg wanted to see just how fast its two-door toy could go. With the help of an (unnamed) third party to verify the results and a Racelogic VBox, the Koenigsegg team set out to make some high-speed passes at its Sweden-based proving ground.
The Koenigsegg Agera R has impressive acceleration numbers, but we’re equally stunned by how quickly the car can come to a stop. Koenigsegg says it has video of the runs, which will be released soon. For now, all you can do is stare at the photo above and make vroom vroom noises while imagining the G-forces at play.
