It’s called “The Chase”, and on the surface it doesn’t exactly have anything to do with cars. In reality, we’re not so sure it has a lot to do with anything other than serving as promotional material for Philippe Gamer and the Space Patrol Crew, but that’s fine. It’s a fun video with four animated girls and a car chase scene unlike any other we’ve ever seen.
You’ll see about four minutes of animated insanity that includes what appears to be hundreds of police cars, a couple of log-toting semi trucks, some extremely unrealistic loops and lots of explosions. Oh, and four models, driven by the female lead characters. Apparently, the studio had previously done work for Nissan and the already digitally rendered vehicles were reused for The Chase.
Topping it all off is a plot twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan. We won’t spoil it for you, but the director says it’s “a story about the art of aging.” We should also warn you that some language makes this one unsafe for work. See for yourself in the video .
Everyone knows that, when buying pretty much any kind of merchandise, paying with cash is by nearly all accounts the best option. Sometimes, though, cash isn’t in plentiful supply for the average American consumer, and some items need to be procured post haste. Enter the wide world of credit.
But what if you don’t have a credit card? For many consumers, the rent-to-own industry is waiting in the wings to provide the item they need with a payment plan they can afford. One consumable we’d never have imagined for the rent-to-own business, though, is tires. Somewhat surprisingly, it’s apparently a booming business.
Back in the heyday of the early 2000s, a number of businesses sprouted to provide consumers will new wheels for their cars and trucks – mostly gaudy oversize chrome ones, we imagine – but that business model dried up when the recession set in. The solution, according to Ken Butler, chief operating officer for rent-to-own superpower Aaron’s, was to offer the customer something they’d need instead of something they merely want.
Bingo. Tires are a necessity for every car and truck on the road, and, in case you haven’t gone tire shopping recently, they’re expensive. Thing is, they are also wear items, and we’re not certain how that works into such a rental scheme. If nothing else, it makes these parting words from Butler sound somewhat ironic: “The sustainable part, the legitimate business, is the tires.”
is shutting down the lines at its today, after a fire struck a nearby parts supplier. According to Reuters, the Kia plant will be closed for two days, with production scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning.
Kia builds its sedan and crossover at the Georgia facility, and it also provides its corporate cousin with crossovers. The plant operates three full shifts and has an annual production capacity of over 300,000 vehicles.
The fire broke out at a factory owned by Daehan Solution on Saturday, according to a local TV report, which described the damage as “major,” including a partially collapsed roof. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which is suspected to have started when a hot piece of metal was not allowed to cool before being discarded.
While a Kia spokesman told Reuters that the interruption would have a limited impact on sales, due to the plant’s inventory, Hyundai officials can’t be happy about the down time. for months, as the company’s rapid growth in recent years has led to speculation that in the U.S.
In yet another case of a carmaker who probably (and certainly doesn’t need it), has offered to build a pickup for Peyton Manning. Or at least it has issued to that effect.
The hook here is that the Tennessee Titans NFL franchise is wooing the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback and likely future NFL Hall of Famer, with owner Bud Adams offering Manning a lifetime contract, according to ESPN. Nissan, of course, . Manning also has roots in the state, as he attended the University of Tennessee, where he was the Volunteers’ all-time leading passer.
We suspect Manning has better things to do right now than help Nissan stage a further publicity stunt, given that he’s spent the past week working out for two other NFL teams in addition to Tennessee. That’s not stopping the PR team at Nissan from suggesting that Peyton might want a Titan, the slowest-selling full-size pickup in America, because . That’s Canton, Mississippi, rather than Canton, Ohio, where the NFL Hall of Fame is located.
And lest anyone get all up-in-arms over Nissan’s homer-ism, the company has said it will give Manning the truck regardless of which team he signs with “as a gesture of gratitude recognizing your great accomplishments and philanthropic contributions to our national community.” Click to read the full press release.
*UPDATE: If a slew of reports are to be believed, it appears Mr. Manning is . As some readers have noted in Comments, we, too, hope that takes this opportunity to build Peyton – and the rest of us – a new Bronco.
In yet another case of a carmaker who probably (and certainly doesn’t need it), has offered to build a pickup for Peyton Manning. Or at least it has issued to that effect.
The hook here is that the Tennessee Titans NFL franchise is wooing the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback and likely future NFL Hall of Famer, with owner Bud Adams offering Manning a lifetime contract, according to ESPN. Nissan, of course, . Manning also has roots in the state, as he attended the University of Tennessee, where he was the Volunteers’ all-time leading passer.
We suspect Manning has better things to do right now than help Nissan stage a further publicity stunt, given that he’s spent the past week working out for two other NFL teams in addition to Tennessee. That’s not stopping the PR team at Nissan from suggesting that Peyton might want a Titan, the slowest-selling full-size pickup in America, because . That’s Canton, Mississippi, rather than Canton, Ohio, where the NFL Hall of Fame is located.
And lest anyone get all up-in-arms over Nissan’s homer-ism, the company has said it will give Manning the truck regardless of which team he signs with “as a gesture of gratitude recognizing your great accomplishments and philanthropic contributions to our national community.” Click to read the full press release.
Samuel Hübinette, two-time Formula D champion, will not return for the 2012 Formula Drift pro championship season. “Two of our main sponsors changed their marketing direction, so we decided that the best thing to do with the SHR drift car is to focus on doing demos,” said Hübinette, driver and team owner of Team Samuel Hübinette Racing. But don’t think team SHR has lost its competitiveness. While drifting has been put on the back burner, Hübinette (the “Crazy Swede”) has refocused his team on rallycross and off-road truck competitions.
Born in Sweden, Hübinette earned an early reputation for pushing motorcycles, cars and snowmobiles to the limit. He worked for Volvo Cars as a test driver in product development and was on the company’s Touring Car racing team from 1997 through 2000. Since moving to the United States 2004, he has secured a bronze medal in the X Games, won two Formula Drift championships, and driven in the Baja 1000. He is also a working stunt driver in Hollywood productions.
Not only has Hübinette been one of the top names in drifting, but he maintains the record for most Formula D victories. “We will miss having a competitor like Samuel this season,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula Drift.
According to a report from Reuters, has been sued for allegedly selling pickup trucks and vans with defective fuel tank linings. The suit alleges that Ford knew about the problem and continued to sell affected vehicles over a 10-year period.
According to the complaint, the fuel tank lining of Ford’s full-size trucks and vans built between 1999 and 2008 can “separate and flake off,” clogging the fuel system and causing the truck to stumble or stall. Further, Ford is said to have issued a “secret” technical service bulletin to dealers about the problem, but never issued a recall or offering to fix customer vehicles for free.
The complaint, brought on by Coba Landscaping and Construction Inc of New Jersey and its principal Galo Coba, is said to be seeking class-action status on behalf of all owners of affected models. Considering that the Ford F-Series pickup was the best-selling vehicle between 1999 and 2008, that’s a heck of a lot of owners.
Ford has yet to comment on the issue, saying it has not received the complaint. Apparently, the issue is unrelated to the found by certain F-Series owners in snowy climates.
New car sales have endured all manner of impediments since The Great Recession began in 2008, and for various reasons including everything from restricted lending by banks to strikes and Acts of God. Next up among the bugbears could be a shortage of car haulers, which were pulled from active duty when there simply weren’t cars to haul.
However, with 2012 sales riding a projected wave of 15 million in sales for the year, the opposite has happened: too many new vehicles to be shipped paired with a paucity of tractor-trailers and trains to do the shipping. Estimates put the disparity between demand and supply at 1.7 million vehicles – the kind of number that could make a dent that won’t buff out.
On the other hand, shipping companies are buying all the haulers they can, it’s only March, and no one knows how long the superheated sales will continue. Yet even if the hauler shortage is remedied, there could be a shortage of drivers. According to magazine, finding truckers to fill the drivers’ seats will become more difficult since pay hasn’t kept up with the economy.
to see the Autoline Daily report (skip to 1:18 for the car hauler story).
Looks like and can breathe a corporate sigh of relief. The has into both companies without issuing fines or ordering a recall.
The government safety agency said it had reviewed 43 reports of engine fires in 2001-2007 VW models. The turbocharged four cylinder’s ignition coils apparently were the source of the blazes. We reported on the initial investigation .
After a 19-month study, NHTSA said, “The fires observed were contained in the engine compartment and did not reach into the passenger compartment. There were no reports of crashes or personal injury in this examination. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.”
“Safety-related defect” or not, that hardly sounds comforting for Passat owners. Might want to get that ignition coil checked out.
GM got the all clear after the NHTSA checked into cracked cooling fans on the series of trucks, which includes , and 4500 and 5000 models. NHTSA said it “remains concerned about the potential for injury,” but basically couldn’t find the “root cause” and that the number of complaints seems to be “small and diminishing.”
Hmmm. Might want to get those fans checked, too.
Check out the full PR text to read the NHTSA report on the Passat.
It appears that a British arbitration panel has shattered any hopes of seeing a small diesel Mahindra pickup truck in the States. According to PickupTrucks.com, the panel ruled in favor of the Indian automaker in Global Vehicles’ lawsuit against the company, saying the contract between the two companies had expired. Furthermore, Mahindra was not found to have violated any U.S. laws. The ruling is the final chapter in a saga that began six years ago when the companies announced that Global Vehicles would distribute Mahindra T20 and T40 compact diesel pickups in America.
In 2010, the deal began unraveling, with Mahindra saying Global Vehicles allowed the contract to expire. Global Vehicles, meanwhile, pointed the finger right back at its former Indian partner. It wasn’t long before the American company then sought arbitration.
Global Vehicles has been ordered to pay court costs.
In a separate case, a group of would-be Mahindra dealers sued the Indian company in U.S. District Court, but that suit was thrown out after the judge ruled Global Vehicles was not the recognized agent for Mahindra in the United States.
That isn’t double vision you’re experiencing, it’s the Gigahorse. Said to be the “hero car” in Mad Max: Fury Road, the ride, , is a double-bodied ‘59 Cadillac with two supercharged V8s connected by a planetary gear, sitting on a monster-truck chassis and sporting a four-bladed cow catcher. With Charlize Theron as Furiosa alongside Tom Hardy as Mad Max, it’s unknown which hero the Gigahorse might serve but it’s certainly bat**** crazy enough for The Mad One.
Production is setting up in Namibia (because the Aussie outback has gotten too green, according the director), and peeks at have shown at least one other car as big as a semi, a couple of buggies and, of course, enough tractor-trailers to remake Convoy. A stuntman said the movie would have “.”
Speaking of Theron, last November George Miller said he’d (Mad Maxes 4 and 5, essentially) back-to-back and that production could take 2.5 years, so it might be some time before we see the Gigahorse in the local multiplex.
Odyne Systems is known for making big honking hybrid vehicles, things like the we first saw in 2008. At the 2012 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis this week, is showcasing the biggest plug-in hybrid vehicle with a J1772 connector that we know of: a PHEV F-750. Yes, that’s a big one.
Odyne adds its plug-in architecture to work vehicles after the fact. The liquid-cooled 346V lithium-ion battery from Johnson Controls that’s used in the system isn’t that outrageous – only 14.2 kWh – but a converted truck can get two packs installed for extra energy at the work site. Aside from 120- or 240-volt exportable AC power, the plug-in hybrid powertrain provides launch assist and recaptures energy through regenerative braking. The battery packs can also power the truck’s electronics to reduce idling.
With 28 kWh worth of batteries and a Level 2 charger, Odyne says a full charge takes just five hours. The hybrid system adds about 1,600 pounds, which we think is for a two-pack set-up. Johnson Controls has invested in Odyne, and the company works with Remy Motors on its powertrains.
Ford says the PHEV F-750 can save up to 1,750 gallons of fuel a year compared to a non-plug-in version, which adds up quickly when you’ve got $4 gallons of diesel. Odyne’s Louise Hermsen told AutoblogGreen that the cost for the PHEV conversion can be up to $100,000 depending on options, and it is available now. In fact, she said 15 plug-in hybrid F-750s have been delivered already because, even though $100,000 is not cheap, “the whole equation hinges on what kind of fuel use reduction they’re going to achieve. Making the decision to go with a hybrid takes a lot of data collection.”
Odyne has been selling hybrid truck conversion kits for years, but most of them on the road are the older, lead-acid models. The company introduced the advanced li-ion system last June and has been working with customers to make them operate best for each individual situation. Odyne can modify the truck’s software remotely as data comes in on how the trucks are being used, too (for example, how much time they spend at the job vs. on the road). Even with a vehicle this big, you want to keep track of every little thing.
Scott Burgess, former auto critic for The Detroit News, has joined the AOL Autos / Autoblog team. He is a veteran automotive journalist with six years in Detroit covering the auto industry and a Michigan native. Each month he’ll dig deeper into the industry’s sales figures and file this By The Numbers special report.
Now that I’ve figured out how to open my email, what in fact my email address is, and where the office is, I’ve been able to catch my breath and go through the February sales figures.
Lots of people were excited over the February sales numbers, which were the highest since 2009, declaring the end of tough times and announcing only big profits ahead.
Then again, that may not be exactly true. Yes, it was a 15-million-a-year sales pace, outperforming everyone’s expectations with sales jumping 15.7 percent compared to the same month last year. But people are waiting to buy cars like never before. The average age of a vehicle on the road is over 10 years old, a trend growing for nearly 20 years, according to a Polk research firm study. Polk says that people are just hanging onto vehicles longer because they’re worried about the economy. To think about how different times were 10.8 years ago – Motor Co. had just (re)introduced the all new Fabulous , which, someone is holding onto right now.
So the depression/recession party may not be over, but times are still good. Here are the things I learned by examining the February sales figures.
1. LOTS OF PEOPLE WANT CARS
This February, cars outsold trucks 53.3 to 46.7 percent.
Throughout the industry, car sales jumped 23.9 percent compared to February last year. (Truck sales rose 7.6 percent.)
There are lots of reasons for the jump, though my gut says that people buying new vehicles are also listening to the fear mongering concerning climbing gas prices. Don’t expect either trend to end any time soon.
A more important trend might be that in February 2011, trucks outsold cars 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. This February, cars outsold trucks 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent.
However, the big difference between 2008 and 2012, the last time gas prices skyrocketed, are that Detroit’s carmakers have a solid collection of little cars ranging from the and to the and soon-to-be released . More on the later. The key for Detroit is to see if people associate fuel efficient vehicles with those brands. When times get tough, people tend to go with the brands they assume are the most efficient, even when they’re not.
has officially served up the details on the upcoming . Buyers will be able to snap up the latest work rig with in a new Platinum trim level that throws in niceties like SYNC, MyFord Touch, navigation and a rear-view camera as standard equipment. Power telescoping mirrors are also part of the package.
Unfortunately, the Platinum trim will only be available in Super Duty Crew Cab configuration. Even so, the cabin is swaddled in high-quality wood grain trim and premium leather seating. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is also heated for those really frosty mornings.
Outside, a smattering of chrome trim work sets the 2013 F-Series Super Duty Platinum apart from the rest of the trucks on the job site. Chrome door handles, mirror caps and running boards all add a bit of splash, as do the sizable 20-inch wheels that are newly designed for 2013.
Ford says the MyFord Touch at work in the new Super Duty is truck specific with features like a massive eight-inch touch screen display which has been optimized to function even when users are wearing thick work gloves. for the full press release as well as a brief video.
A range of safety groups are calling for judicial review of federal rules for truck drivers’ hours of service. According to a lawsuit filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen, the Truck Safety Coalition and two truck drivers, the new rule doesn’t protect the public from tired truckers. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently ruled drivers could only work 70 hours within a seven-day period, down from a previous limit of 82. Truckers must also take a break of at least 30 minutes after an eight-hour shift.
That’s a step in the right direction, but drivers are still allowed to travel up to 11 hours in one day. Those who reach their hourly limit in a week may then restart the clock by taking a 34-hour break, but that may only be done once within a seven-day period.
The concerned parties want a judicial review of the rule to eliminate the 34-hour restart provision and cut consecutive drive hours to 10, saying that truck crash fatalities increased by nine percent in 2010.
Automotive News reports has big plans for its line of pickup trucks. According to a group filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the new Ram set to debut next month will no only boast a Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 option, but an eight-speed automatic transmission and new lightweight axles as well.
The gearbox alone is said to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 12 percent compared to current models. Right now, buyers with an eye toward economy are forced to cope with an anemic 215 horsepower 3.7-liter V6. While Chrysler hasn’t released any specifications for the Ram-bound Pentastar, the most powerful form of the 3.6-liter V6 currently available produces 285 hp.
The 2012 Ram 1500 yields just 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway in its most efficient configuration, but the new hardware should help yield significantly improved figures and help the Ram line be more competitive against the Ecoboost-equipped . Chrysler is expected to reveal full details on the upcoming Ram in April.
In related news, reports that the and will also be getting new eight-speed gearboxes, which ought to result in similar fuel savings for the ‘utes as it does for the Ram.
Like pretty much any driver, we’ve had our share of car trouble over the years, both with vehicles loaned to us for review by automakers and our own private rides. What we haven’t experienced is being the first media outlet to plunk down over $100,000 for a luxury plug-in hybrid, only to have it konk out before we even put 200 miles on it.
That “honor” goes to Consumer Reports and their brand new , which broke down during calibration tests, just a few days into CR’s ownership period. After the dashboard flashed a warning, the driver stopped to see what was wrong, and then couldn’t get the PHEV into gear again. Self-repairs (i.e., let’s leave it alone for an hour and see what happens) didn’t work and the manual was no help, so the nearby dealer sent out a flatbed truck to haul the Karma away. As CR writes:
We buy about 80 cars a year and this is the first time in memory that we have had a car that is undriveable before it has finished our check-in process.
The Karma’s problems are widespread. It has been plagued by a variety of problems, including two recalls, one for a and one for , following a long delay getting the car to market. Owners commenting on the FiskerBuzz forum are also . Not exactly behavior that leads to a “Recommended” rating.
Please excuse us while we banish thoughts of – Magna; MILA… Uma; Oprah – and instead focus on what this concept car brings to the table. This is , the Austrian arm of Canadian auto parts giant Magna International, and it’s meant to showcase the capabilities of the supplier.
First and foremost, the MILA Coupic’s two-door crossover shape can convert into a convertible or a pickup truck, depending on the configuration of the rear seat. There’s seating for as many as five occupants in full CUV mode, and the two glass roof elements can be opened or closed independently.
The MILA Coupic is an impressive engineering exercise, and, since Magna builds such production machines as the , Fiat 500C and , it’s one that could potentially see a roadway near you at some point in the not-too-distant future. See for yourself in our image gallery above, and read more in the official press release .
It’s a big week for compressed natural gas vehicles, thanks to President Obama’s announcement today that his administration wants to increase federal support for CNG automobiles by introducing a tax credit similar to the one in place for plug-in vehicles. Plug-in vehicles, too, could get a big boost – and a double-whammy at that – with the current tax credit exchanged for a point-of-sale rebate and an increase in the maximum value from $7,500 to $10,000. The President made the announcement today at a Daimler Trucks North America plant in North Carolina.
The White House is proposing spending $3.7 billion on the the tax credits and another $1 billion that would go directly to 10 or 15 communities through a “Race to the Top” challenge that
will allow the local governments “to invest in the necessary infrastructure, remove the regulatory barriers, and create the local incentives to support deployment of advanced vehicles at critical mass.” This challenge is “fuel neutral” and thus allows “communities to determine if electrification, natural gas, or other alternative fuels would be the best fit.”
The White House also announced a new “EV Everywhere” plan, which it described as, “a clean energy grand challenge to make electric-powered vehicles as affordable and convenient as gasoline-powered vehicles for the average American family within a decade.” The White House says driving electric will save the average driver $100 a month, which will be much more valuable when the upfront cost of an EV drops and more people can afford one. To this end, EV Everywhere “will invest in breakthrough R&D for advanced batteries, electric drivetrain technologies, lightweight vehicle structures, and fast charging technology.”
As the President said in North Carolina today:
Here is the truth. If we are going to control our energy future, then we’ve got to have an all-of-the-above strategy. We’ve got to develop every source of American energy – not just oil and gas, but wind power and solar power, nuclear power, biofuels. We need to invest in the technology that will help us use less oil in our cars and our trucks, in our buildings, in our factories. That’s the only solution to the challenge. Because as we start using less, that lowers the demand, prices come down. It’s pretty straightforward. That’s the only solution to this challenge.
We’re pretty fond of the Ram Tradesman. The truck offers impressive power and capability per dollar spent, and now it looks as if aims to give buyers a little extra functionality, as well. For 2012, the Tradesman can be had in either Crew Cab or Quad Cab configurations to provide comfortable-enough transportation for six adults.
Long live the bench seat.
The vehicles will come boasting the same 4.7-liter V8 found in the standard-cab Tradesman, complete with 310 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. With an EPA rating of 20 mpg highway and a standard tow package that allows the truck to pull up to 7,700 pounds, the pickup is still a smart combination of economy and power. That is, at least by full-size truck standards. A six-speed automatic transmission, spray in bed liner and a no-cost Ram Box storage system are all part of the mix, as well.
Ram also announced that it intends to offer a compressed natural gas version of the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty. Powered by a 5.7-liter V8, the truck is technically a bi-fuel offering. While there are tanks on board, Chrysler also threw in an eight-gallon gasoline tank in the event buyers can’t make it between CNG fueling stations. Canadian customers can opt for a 35-gallon gasoline tank, as well. In order for the truck to be able to swill down both fuels, new cylinder heads had to be designed with reworked valves and valve seats. The V8 also wears two sets of fuel rails and injectors: one for gasoline and the other for CNG.
The system is fully automatic, and will switch between the two fuels without any user input. Very cool. No prices have been announced for the 2500 CNG, though we do know the truck can haul up to 1,580 pounds and tow 7,650 pounds. for the full press releases.
