Filed under: Videos, Humor
Do you love to hate speed cameras? We feel your pain. After all, no technology is foolproof, and we prefer our citations to come straight from a fellow human being. But what if the speed camera had a mind of its own? As in, a real brain inside its head?
Not sure where we’re going with this? Allow us to explain. Rémi Gaillard, a French funny man famous for his hilarious YouTube stunts (real-life Mario Kart ring a bell?), decided to play dress-up a full nine months before Halloween. Flashes fire, antics ensue.
We suggest you stick around to the very end, as the exhibition reaches it final, perhaps inevitable, conclusion. See for yourself in the video after the break.
Continue reading Rémi Gaillard lends speed cameras a human element
Rémi Gaillard lends speed cameras a human element originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Electric
Less than a year after everyone with any sort of say in the matter seemed to agree that 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025 was a properly attainable goal, the California Air Resources Board has decided to change things up a bit.
In addition to CAFE requirements of a 54.5-mpg fleet average (using the government’s formula, not what you see on window stickers), at least 15.4 percent of all cars sold by any major automaker doing business in California will have to be either fully electric, a plug-in hybrid or be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell by 2025. There are questions about the “over-compliance” section of the bill, which we’ll be investigating further.
According to Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, 15.4 percent is “actually a relatively modest goal, but that’s all that we’re mandating.” Most automakers are on board, says Nichols. “Probably the most heartening aspect of this whole rulemaking was the level of cooperation that we received from the industry… Overall, the degree of support for the package was just extraordinary.”
Even if automakers are on board, though, there’s still a question of who will actually buy the vehicles. While everyone wants better fuel efficiency, not everyone is willing to pay for it, counters the California New Car Dealers Association, estimating that the plan would add about $ 3,200 to the average price of a new car or truck. Perhaps to help dissuade such fears, Nichols added that “direct incentives to people who buy these cars (like) rebates and credits” are also in the works.
At least 10 more states are likely to follow California’s lead, reports Automotive News. That would put the total number of advanced green vehicles (either with a plug or powered by hydrogen) at around three million total units by 2025, 1.4 million of which would be in California.
California breaks rank again, demands over 15% of cars sold be non-polluting by 2025 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Etc., Chevrolet
At the Washington Auto Show today, Chevrolet introduced a sticker.
Okay, the new Ecologic environmental labels that will be coming to all new Chevy vehicles – starting with the 2013 Sonic – is a lot more than just an adhesive piece of paper. Last year, the EPA revamped its mileage stickers, and GM has realized that many people like more information about the environmental impact of the vehicle they may be buying. GM North America President Mark Reuss said at the show that, “Customers want companies to be honest and transparent about their environmental efforts and sustainability goals, and rightly so.” This is why the information on the labels will be verified by the independent organization Two Tomorrows. The label campaign will be backed up with a website that includes “more information on the audit process and environmental features for each vehicle with an Ecologic label.”
What’s on the labels? Information about the car from its time “before,” “on” and “after” the road. This means that environmentally friendly steps that GM uses in the manufacturing process (before), steps taken to improve fuel economy (on) and information on how much of the vehicle can be recycled at the end of its life (after). You can see a detailed example of the Sonic sticker by clicking on the picture above. Since Ecologic is going to be on all Chevy models, we’ll admit we’re interested to see how GM finds the eco side of the Camaro ZL1.
Continue reading Chevrolet introduces new Ecologic window sticker, coming first to Sonic
Chevrolet introduces new Ecologic window sticker, coming first to Sonic originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Earnings/Financials
Most everyone at Ford is grinning from ear-to-ear these days, as the company is enjoying profits as well as a vastly improved product portfolio and public image. Sales are up, the product pipeline is full, and market share grew last year. You can almost imagine Ford CEO Alan Mulally saying, “What, me worry?”
But that’s exactly what he should be doing, according to Forbes, which suggests Ford is growing arrogant and its numbers aren’t nearly as solid as they appear. For instance, Forbes says Ford was also right up there with Toyota and Honda when it came to recalls last year, far outpacing crosstown rivals General Motors and Chrysler. Ford recalled some 3.3 million vehicles in 2011, compared to 773,000 for Chrysler and just 500,000 for GM.
But the real shocker is that Forbes says Ford tops all automakers when it comes to fleet sales. Not only are fleet sales usually less profitable, but they also tend to hurt resale values, meaning that selling 32 percent of its vehicles into fleets last year does not bode well for the Blue Oval or the residual values of its owners. According to the report, the model with the most fleet sales was the new-for-2012 Focus. A staggering 45 percent of Focus models sold last year were to fleets, which isn’t good for anyone, save the guy standing in line at the Hertz counter.
Ford tops in non-retail sales, 45% of Focus sold to fleets originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Performance, Mini, Diesel
As far as the Mini lineup goes, the John Cooper Works models sit at the very top of the performance spectrum. But that’s not enough for Mini’s (relatively) new chief Kay Segler. The German auto exec came to the post from the M division of parent company BMW, and that’s what Segler wants for the Mini brand as well.
So what does a further differentiated JCW line mean for the Mini? That’s hard to say at this point, beyond marketing, but we could be looking at even more powerful versions than the 208-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbo four currently employed. With the arrival of the JCW Countryman, Mini will have created Works versions of every bodystyle in its considerable portfolio – and it will have a more powerful 223hp mill on its hands, which could find its way into the rumored upcoming Mini GP edition as well.
More exciting JCW models aren’t all that Segler has planned for Mini, however. According to Car and Driver, as U.S. demand is growing for for Mini’s diesel-powered models already offered in Europe and other markets. While we wouldn’t expect an oil-burning Mini to find its way across the Atlantic in this generation of models, once the next series comes along in the next couple of years, a diesel-powered Mini could wind up in American showrooms.
Mini wants to make JCW its BMW M, bring diesel models Stateside originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Budget, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai
Hyundai’s Elantra has been on fire, with sales up 41 percent last year. The compact sedan won North American Car of the Year in January, and the icing on the cake will be a new coupe bodystyle that will soon be landing at dealers. But all is not completely well, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Hyundai expects Elantra sales to run into a brick wall of limited production capacity, as the company’s Montgomery, Alabama plant is already operating at 110 percent. The plant, which builds the Elantra and its big brother, the midsize Sonata, churned out 338,000 units in 2011. Hyundai sold over 186,000 Elantra models in the U.S. last year.
With Hyundai posting 20 percent overall sales growth in the U.S. in 2011, it clearly needs to address its capacity bottleneck. Speculation is building that the company will soon announce plans to build another North American assembly plant.
Hyundai says Elantra sales to slow because factory can’t keep up with demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Hatchback, Electric
General Motors has launched an advertising campaign touting the safety of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in electric vehicle, just as its CEO testified to Congress that a recent Volt fire that took place after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test would never occur under real-world circumstances, Bloomberg has reported.
GM CEO Dan Akerson (pictured) said in the campaign that he “couldn’t be prouder” of the technology the company uses to produce the Volt, the wire service noted. The campaign includes full-page ads in 19 U.S. daily newspapers, including the The New York Times, as well as a television ad that will debut on News Corp’s Fox News channel. GM has also released a new “normal” ad that calls the Volt “the car America had to build.” You can watch the 30-second clip, which may appear in or around the Super Bowl, after the jump.
Akerson spoke Wednesday in a hearing with the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending. Both he and NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said the car was safe and defended NHTSA’s handling of the situation against accusations from some Republican members of Congress who’ve been critical of the Obama Administration and its relationship with GM.
NHTSA said late last week that it finished its two-month investigation into the crash test that resulted in a fire three weeks after the fact last summer, and concluded that neither the Volt nor other electric vehicles pose more of a fire risk than conventional vehicles.
Continue reading GM launches ad campaign touting Chevy Volt safety [w/video]
GM launches ad campaign touting Chevy Volt safety [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Minivan/Van, BMW, Electric, Luxury
Imagine you’re an auto exec launching a new line of cars. One’s a sportscar, the other a city car – pretty much opposite extremes on the spectrum of automotive bodystyles. Do you give them alphanumeric nameplates close to one another? Of course not. You assign them disparate numbers to make room for more models to slot in between.
That’s just what BMW is doing with its upcoming “i” range, with an i3 at one end and the i8 (star of the recent Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol). So what does it have planned to fit in the middle? According to Autobild out of Germany, an i5.
The third model in the range is tipped to come in as a compact MPV in a similar mold as the Toyota Prius V – only probably significantly more expensive. Underpinnings would likely be borrowed from the i3, but stretched out a bit to make extra room for people and stuff. For that matter, we wouldn’t be surprised to see an i2 come in as a two-door version of the i3 with the Smart ForTwo in its sights, or an i6 or i7 electric sedan, either.
BMW planning to slot i5 minivan into new range originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Etc., Design/Style
There’s a thin line between patina and outright decay, and artist Bo Lundvang seems to understand that threshold all too well. He’s created unique pieces of art using massive 40-inch by 20-inch sheetmetal panels wrapped in white vinyl. The artist cuts out the profile of his desired image, removes the negative and allows the metal to endure the elements. Once the panels have reached the appropriate level of patina, Lundvang seals the pieces in several layers of clear coat to prevent further deterioration. The designs are appropriately stylish for office or garage decor, and Lundvang has crafted artwork based on everything from classic muscle like the 1969 Dodge Charger above to modern supercars like the McLaren MP4-12C and Koenigsegg CCX.
The artist hasn’t listed any prices, so if you like what you see, you’ll have to head over to his web site and reach out through email. Too cool.
Artist uses rust as brush to paint cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Etc., Europe
It may as well be on The List, because lapping the infamous Nordschleife at the Nürburgring is one of those rights of passage for so many driving enthusiasts around the world. It’s also increasingly becoming the go-to test track for automakers big and small. But those two things may in the end become mutually exclusive.
The root of the problem appears to be a lack of funding for the Nürburgring. The famous public race track in the Eifel hills of Germany is publicly owned but privately managed, and the books have – push come to shove – just not balanced out recently. In an effort to turn a profit, Nürburgring Automotive has tried turning it into a tourist attraction, but with the expensive Ring˚Werk complex still weighing down the books and the number of tourists it was supposed to attract still not coming out to the track’s remote part of the German countryside, management is apparently changing tracks. (Figuratively speaking, anyway.)
The result is that the latest calendar released by Nürburgring Automotive has fewer and fewer slots open for “tourist drivers” to come lap the Ring. That’s because the circuit is being rented out more and more to automakers, who undertake development work there and pay more consistently than random ticket sales from enthusiasts. There’s still plenty of weekend openings available, but those – as Autoweek correspondent Davey Johnson points out – typically much busier than the now-elusive weekday slots.
At the end of the day, we can hardly blame anyone in specific. The enthusiasts pay handsomely and take considerable risks to do what they love. The automakers pay more in search of the bragging rights and the taut chassis setups we all clamor for. Nürburgring Automotive, for its part, needs to balance the books if the Nordschleife is to stay open at all. But the bottom line is that the days of showing up in Eifel and lapping the vaunted Green Hell may be drawing to a close, and that’s just a shame.
Nürburgring lap days fast becoming a thing of the past originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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