Back in 2000, rolled out what it called its Blue Oval Certified dealer program to reward its best retail outlets for outstanding customer satisfaction. But after 11 years of mixed results, Automotive News reports that Ford has scrapped the plan.
That’s probably good news to dealers, since the program had gone from a chance for stores to earn thousands in rewards for strong satisfaction scores to a reason to earn special employee purchase prices on new Ford vehicles. Some dealers told AN that there was fear that a dealership would lose the franchise if the satisfaction scores weren’t met.
While the Blue Oval Certified program has met its maker, we wouldn’t be surprised if another program is right around the corner. Dealers will want rewards for making the grade, and car buyers will continue to be pressured into filling out those annoying satisfaction score cards.
We’re glad to see that Mercury vehicles are continuing to make themselves useful even after the brand’s demise. One enterprising soul in Palm Bay, Florida took it upon himself to craft into the image of a . The project took Mike Duff around nine months to complete, including all of the exterior body work and slathering the interior with leather. Outside, the body is stitched from plenty of fiberglass and composites on a steel tube frame, and the finished product looks pretty similar to a legitimate Veryon.
Unfortunately, the vehicle’s drivetrain won’t be setting any world records anytime soon; the car still uses the same beating heart as the 2002 Cougar. The 2.5-liter V6 is good for 170 ponies – a far cry from the nearly 1,000 horsepower available from the legendary W16 in the Veyron.
There are a few plusses, however. For one, Duff’s creation can seat four people comfortably, and we’re guessing it costs significantly less to own and operate. Speaking of price tags, this faux-Bugatti can be yours for the princely sum of $89,000. Check it out on .
If you watched Conan O’Brien in his final days on NBC, you may have seen the . Now feast your eyes on the Asusmouse.
A product of the same collaboration that has already turned out a series of laptop computers and external hard drives, the Asus WX Lamborghini Wireless Mouse packs Sant’Agata’s famously edgy styling into a computer peripheral. It’s available in white, yellow or black, packs a little tire for a scroll wheel and, of course, Lamborghini’s (but never duplicated) logo perched prominently on top. It even sports a USB dongle that stows inside the mouse, has a range of 33 feet and is available for $80.
So why, you ask, would you need a Lamborghini mouse? Well aside from its trademark pinpoint precision and speedy maneuvering, if you’ve already got an Acer Ferrari laptop hooked up to a on your , you’re not about to control it all with just any old mouse now, are you? Of course not.
Though the relaunch of in North America has centered around the , that’s not the only model that the Italian automaker offers. Not by a long shot. And we’re not even talking about rebadged models like the .
Overseas, one of Fiat’s most popular models has long been the Panda. The vehicle forms the basis upon which the Fiat 500, Lancia Ypsilon and Ford Ka are built, not to mention the Brazilian-market Uno, making it one of the company’s most successful and proliferative platforms. But even on its own, the Panda is a success in its own right.
In fact, the Panda has just reached its two-millionth unit built and sold, rolling off the line at Fiat’s busy assembly plant in Tychy, Poland. The model in question (pictured above) is a red Panda Cross softroader with a 75-horsepower, 1.3-liter MultiJet diesel four – one of four engines offered across eight trim levels, in fifteen different colors with two drivetrain configurations. Follow the jump for the full press blast.
2012 Scion iQ – Click above for high-res image gallery
The will be priced from $15,995 (including destination charges) when it hits U.S. showrooms this fall. Scion says the iQ’s U.S. launch, which has been on due to various issues including the March 11 , will hit the West Coast first in October, followed by southern states in January, then the East Coast and, finally, the Midwest.
In typical Scion fashion, base models are well equipped and there are few options. The mid-level stereo includes Pandora integration, and an up-level version will be available with navigation. As with all Scions, loads of accessories (i.e. springs, body kits and wheels) will be available for the iQ.
For comparison, the iQ’s $15,995 price tag means that it’s slightly more expensive than both the and the , both of which off significantly greater utility. And with fuel economy ratings of 36 mpg in the city, 37 on the highway and 37 mpg combined, it’s not the fuel miser something of its size might suggest. Full details in the press blast .
If you like Ken Block’s series of Gymkhana videos, then you’ll definitely want to check out latest flick featuring his Formula Drift . Gittin was recently visiting Saudi Arabia to perform a drifting demo at an event at the Al Reem Circuit, and he decided to stick around for an extra few days to get footage of him drifting on track. The result? Awesome.
Apparently, the track officials pretty much gave Gittin free reign of the entire complex, from the pit lane to the parking lots to the front straight, so the video shows him getting his Mustang sideways in a variety of locations. There’s plenty of tire smoke, wonderful sounds from the naturally aspirated 5.4L V8, and even a few smashed rear fenders. Check the video out for yourself .
We’re not touching the car vs. bike argument this time around. Instead, we’re just going to sit back, relax, and be glad people had their video cameras pointed in the general direction of the GSX1300R (known better as the ) and the Switzer R850 as they lined up against each other in a mile-long drag race.
According to the video, the Hayabusa in question belts out 198 horsepower. That’s a heck of a lot of power strapped between two wheels, but it pales in comparison to the 850 claimed ponies routed to all four tires of the modified GT-R.
So… what does that mean in terms of a drag race? We suggest you to find out for yourself.
GT-R Switzer R850 lines up against Suzuki GSX1300R
As the relative price of gasoline drops, people are not motivated to buy small, fuel efficient cars.
All the top executives in the auto industry tell me that oil supplies will only get tighter this decade. They predict that fuel prices will do nothing but go up. And they say customers will be clamoring for small, fuel-efficient cars. Or electric ones. But what if it turns out they’re wrong?
After all, over the last century the price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States, on an inflation-adjusted basis, has always come down. Always. Data from the Energy Information Administration shows that since 1919 the price of gasoline has spiked during war time or global turmoil, but it has always come down after that. This is a key reason why Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations have not worked. As the relative price of gasoline drops over time, people are not motivated to buy small, fuel efficient cars.
A decade ago, attracted a lot of adherents. It postulated that global oil production would peak in 2006, and that the following shortage would send oil prices skyrocketing. Sure enough, in 2008 a barrel of oil shot to $150. It looked like the Peak Oil theory was coming true. But less than 12 months later it dropped to under $40 a barrel. And though the price is now closer to $100 you don’t hear as much talk about Peak Oil anymore. .
John McElroy is host of the TV program and daily web video . Every week he brings his unique insights as a Detroit insider to Autoblog readers.
With the Chinese market accounting for an increasingly large portion of international auto sales, has landed in Shanghai with a very special edition of its popular hatchback.
Called the First Edition, the limited run of 100 individually numbered units are based on the Lounge trim level with the 1.4-liter, 101-horsepower MultiAir engine coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission, red leather interior and a three-coat pearlescent white paint job. But what makes these limited editions unique is what’s been applied over the white: Fiat has teamed up with five local artists to interpret their vision for the ties that bind Italy and China with unique graphics.
The cars will be offered to the public by lottery, with the first to pre-order their 500 entered into a drawing for the option to change their order to one of the First Editions. to read more about each of the artists and their creations in the full press blast and scope ‘em all out in the high-res image gallery.
The possible return of the Dodge Magnum, Subaru WRX going its own way, Mercedes-Benz tries to reinvigorate Smart
Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!
Episode #238 of the Autoblog Podcast is here done, and this week Chris, Dan and Zach are joined by Executive Editor Chris Paukert. We start with the rumored return of the Dodge Magnum and then move on to reports of the Subaru WRX being separated from the Impreza line, only to finish with Mercedes-Benz trying to revive the Smart brand in the U.S. Your questions and comments wrap it up, and this was the return of our live podcast, available at our . We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #239:
In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Audi A7
2011 Nissan 370Z
2011 Mazda RX-8 GT
2012 Acura TL SH-AWD
Hosts: , , , Runtime: 01:15:44
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Recent reports, including , have incorrectly stated the will only be sold to fleet and car sharing organizations. Though we now know , we’d like to set the record straight by quoting an official response from Toyota about the inaccurate reports:
The 2012 RAV4 EV will definitely be sold to the general public. We anticipate robust public interest in the RAV4 EV and are keen to inform consumers that their future vehicle options include a battery electric Toyota.
Toyota is the only manufacturer bringing two battery electric vehicles to the market in 2012 – the RAV4 EV and the . While the RAV4 EV will be available to the public, the Scion iQ EV will be marketed to fleet and car sharing programs only.
So, perhaps a model name mix-up triggered the erroneous reports? Either way, we’re glad that the all-electric crossover will be available for retail sale. Thirsty for more details on the electric RAV4? Check out Autoblog Green’s .
If Paula Cole were a car enthusiast (and forgive us if she is), she would probably rework her hit song to ask, “Where have all the convertibles gone?” Look around and you may have noticed that less people are buying new convertibles these days. The folks at Polk have taken a look at the sales numbers for convertibles, and market share for droptops is down… way down.
Convertibles must’ve been hard to keep on dealer lots back in 2006, when the reclining-roof rollers accounted for 2 percent of all new vehicle sales. That amounts to nearly 350,000 drivers letting the sun shine in. In 2010, however, total convertible sales fell over 50 percent while market share dropped to just 1.2 percent.
If one automaker wanted to declare victory in this declining segment, it would be . Through the first part of the year, the has accounted for 12.4 percent of the droptop market. The isn’t far behind, making up for an even 11 percent.
Never underestimate the power of hydraulic pressure. We typically think of water as a patient force that quietly sculpts the landscape of our planet over the course of eons, but under the right circumstances, the compound can exert violent force. Take the video , for example. In it, the water in a Montreal sewer is pressurized by extensive rain until it finds a suitable exit. In this case, that exit is a manhole cover on an otherwise quiet side street. The storm runoff causes the sewer to geyser out of the manhole, pushing everything in its path out of the way.
In this case, that means that one very unfortunate suffered Mother Nature’s Canadian wrath. At first, the tired four-door endures nothing worse than a playful goosing by the rising waters, but the storm pressures eventually take to punting the car crooked in its spot. In the process, the rear valance is ripped from the vehicle. The lucky parked behind the Focus survives the incident without so much as a blemish. to check the carnage for yourself.
The guys at DDR Motorsport have put their brand-new Miami GT kits on the market. The kits all sell for right around $20 grand, and can be set up to accept the four pot from either an or in Sport Prototype 4 form, or the LS Series small block from the in Sport Prototype 8 form. The idea, DDR says, is to put a truly affordable supercar on the market.
For your $20k, you get a full tube chassis, an unpainted fiberglass shell, lights, signals and all the glass. What you don’t get is an engine or any running gear. Though they can’t supply the drive trains, DDR will happily explain how to get your McLaren F1 lookalike up and running.
Occasionally, there’s a lunch spot so good that many will risk the chance of receiving a parking ticket to go with their tasty meal. A few folks in Atlanta have found just such a spot, but they’re upset over how the local parking enforcement is handling the situation. Not because the Atlanta Police Department was handing out the tickets, but rather they wrote the tickets to get the cars to move… and then took the spots for themselves.
According to local news outlet WSBTV, a man who chooses to go simply by the name Oscar has supplied cellphone video of cops utilizing the very same illegal spaces that just produced tickets for other motorists. The APD Office of Professional Standards has stated that it’s looking into the matter to determine if officers violated any departmental policies.
You can click over to , and find the rest of their story .
For 2012, the mid-size electric will receive some minor upgrades and a healthy bump in price.
Moving into its second model year, Nissan’s groundbreaking hatchback will not receive any significant modifications to its exterior or powertrain. However, the – consisting of a battery heater, heated outside mirrors, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats and an HVAC duct to the rear seating area – and the as standard equipment (previously offered as a ) on the uplevel model, means that pricing for the 2012 Leaf has increased.
has set the MSRP of the base 2012 Leaf SV at $35,200 (plus an $820 destination charge) and the uplevel SL at $37,250. That’s a healthy step up from the and the . Of course, the $7,500 federal tax credit still applies for 2012 model year Leafs, meaning the base SV model’s after-credit cost is $27,700. Nissan says a three-year lease on a 2012 Leaf rings in at a “highly competitive” $379 a month, a modest
Here’s an in-depth explanation of the complex rollout process for the 2012 Leaf: Beginning on July 25, Nissan will open up the 2012 Leaf ordering process to consumers with existing reservations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Then, on August 4, Nissan will reopen the reservation process to the general public in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and all of the aforementioned states listed above. Later this fall, Nissan will begin accepting orders for the 2012 Leaf from residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Sometime after that, Nissan will open up the process for buyers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada and Ohio. Nissan says deliveries of the first batch of 2012 Leafs will begin this fall.
Like most auto enthusiasts, we prefer to park our own cars rather than hand the keys off to the valet. This owner, however, skipped the whole parking lot song and dance entirely.
How so? A lot of speed and some barrel rolls. The end result is a parking spot at the rear of the lot, some light body damage and a possible concussion. It’s a scary scene, but what is perhaps most remarkable is that even after flipping over a wall, the driver still gets out to inspect the car’s damage.
to see how a vehicular gymnast parks their Porsche.
somersaults into parking space, sticks the landing
First comes word that , and now we hear that the SRT team over at is eager to add a C-segment brawler to its revitalized product lineup. That word doesn’t come from the mouth of just anyone either, as Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of the SRT brand, tells Ward’s Auto that it’s “absolutely paramount” to add a sports compact to the family.
, and it is expected to be underpinned by the platform currently employed on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. While a Hemi is highly unlikely for the upcoming compact SRT, we wouldn’t rule out the idea of a turbocharged four- or six-cylinder engine.
In largely stock form, the has taken to various forms of motorsports like only a technology-laden Japanese supercar can. But for some people, its impressive performance isn’t enough. Word on the web is that ITP Racecars in Perth, Australia has been hard at work on a trio of tube-chassis, carbon-fiber bodied Nissan GT-R drag racers good for shooting down the quarter-mile at blistering speed. So far, the ITP crew have kept the details of the racecar’s drivetrain a closely guarded secret, though if you take a keen look at the photos that the shop has released, it’s easy to see an inline six-pot lurking between the rails.
According to , that means that these beasts will likely come packing a high-strung version of either the RB26 or RB30 powerplant, which could mean that the cars will be capable of clicking off six-second passes. The plan is to campaign the racers in the Pro Turbo and AA/SC classes. Wicked.
is continuing its climb to the top. Kelley Blue Book has declared that the Korean manufacturer has beat out , , and in customer loyalty. According to data gathered from online sales at its KBB.com website, a total of 52.3 percent of Hyundai owners researched another Hyundai vehicle as they shopped during the first quarter of this year. Honda, meanwhile, saw 49.7 percent of its owners do the same, and 47.7 percent of Toyota buyers shopped for another of the company’s vehicles during the same period. The KBB.com study indicated that 45.4 percent of Ford buyers researched another vehicle in that stable while 44.8 Subaru owners clicked through information on the Japanese automaker’s other hardware.
Clearly, vehicle research doesn’t exactly translate to owner loyalty, but the fact that so many current Hyundai owners are even willing to take a look at the rest of the company’s arsenal is a good bellwether as to whether or not consumers will return to the brand in the future. for the full report.
John McElroy is host of the TV program and daily web video . Every week he brings his unique insights as a Detroit insider to Autoblog readers.
