TOKYO MOTOR SHOW OPENS TO PRESS
The
world’s most recent auto show in Frankfurt was overshadowed by the Sept. 11
terror attacks. Now, the Tokyo Motor Show hopes to override global concern for
terrorism as it opens this week to the media. The Tokyo show, true to its
tradition, will host a slew of Japanese-brand product introductions, including
the Mazda 6 midsizer and the production version of the Nissan Z, along with the
world debut of the Mini Cooper S and the usual array of baffling idea cars
unveiled by tiny girls in white gloves and funky outfits. TCC is on the road
this week in Tokyo to bring you coverage from the show floor; until then,
content yourself with our Tokyo preview and come back often this week for the
latest unveilings.
GAS PRICES UNDER A BUCK?
Earlier this year, America’s drivers
were warned that gas prices might be headed for $3 a gallon. This week, a few
stations across the nation are reporting prices for a gallon of regular unleaded
at less than $1. What gives? Various sources cite the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
and a steep decline in travel as one reason for the price drop. The Oil
Information Service, a source cited by Reuters, says that the average price of
unleaded is $1.358 a gallon across the country, versus $1.529 before Sept. 11.
Drivers in the West are paying the most as usual, with those in the southeast
paying the least, but overall, the Department of Energy says that prices are at
their lowest since January of 2000.
Gas Prices Spike, Then Fall by Marty Padgett
(9/17/2001)
VW UNVEILS D1 LUXURY FOUR-DOOR
Can the company that made its name
selling cheap and basic transportation find a niche in the luxury car market?
Volkswagen is clearly set to give it a try. The company is showing just what its
D1 upmarket sedan is going to look like when it rolls into dealer showrooms next
spring. They’re keeping a few details up the corporate sleeve—like the name of
the production car — but yesterday they released pictures, engine specs and some
other data. The D1 will be bigger than any other passenger car Volkswagen has
ever built, measuring 199.2 inches long by 74.8 inches wide; and there will be
two engines offered at launch, a 3.2-liter, 241-horsepower V-6 and a 6.0-liter
420-horsepower W-12. Other engines, including a 313-hp 5.0-liter, V-10
direct-injection turbodiesel, will be added later. There’ll be a new, six-speed
automatic for the V-10 TDI, too.
VW Unveils D1 Luxury 4-Door by TCC Team
(10/15/2001)
2002 Saturn VUE
VUE: NEW VISION FOR
SATURN?
It was meant to be the American answer to the Japanese small car.
But after an auspicious introduction, General Motors has allowed its Saturn
brand to languish, raising serious questions about its long-term viability. So
all eyes will be on the VUE, Saturn’s third and newest model, when it makes its
debut next month. With trucks and crossovers now accounting for half the
American market, this car-based sport-ute is likely to be the most significant
Saturn since the marque’s 1989 debut. But it will be essential for the automaker
to avoid the sort of mistakes made two years ago, with the botched launch of the
mid-size L-Series sedans and wagons.
VUE: New Vision for
Saturn? by TCC Team (10/15/2001)
FUEL CELLS VIABLE, STUDY
FINDS
A new study commissioned for the
California Fuel Cell Partnership says that vehicles powered by the new
technology can be commercially viable, but will only succeed with help from the
federal government. The study, cited by a Reuters report, says that commercial
applications for fuel cells will come along sooner if carmakers agree to use
compressed hydrogen and agree on ways to reformulate hydrogen from liquid fuels
such as gasoline. Fuel cells release electric energy from hydrogen, usually by
passing the hydrogen through a membrane that breaks hydrogen molecules apart and
captures the electricity generated during the chemical process, converting it
into mechanical energy and emitting only water vapor. Each of the Big Three
automakers, as well as many of the Japanese and German brands, have predicted
fuel cells will be in service sometime in this decade.
DC, Ford Boost Ballard Shareby TCC Team (10/8/2001)
HONDA OUT OF
CART
Adding to the woes of the CART open-wheel racing series, Honda
now says it won’t field a team after the 2002 season, citing recent rules
changes that make it prohibitively expensive to develop a new, competitive
engine. CART’s new 3.5-liter engine specifications, says Honda, won’t enable it
to develop an entirely new engine while continuing work apace on its current
race engine. "This decision is a great disappointment to Honda as we have
informed CART from the beginning of the process that it is impossible to supply
a new engine conforming to their proposed specifications prior to the 2004
season," said Tom Elliott, Honda’s president of performance development, in a
statement. Since 1994, Honda has won 60 races and three championships in the
series.
CART SETTLES WITH TEXAS
SPEEDWAY
A lawsuit
filed by Texas Motor Speedway against CART has been settled. In April, CART
cancelled what would have been the inaugural Firestone Firehawk 600 two hours
before race time, in response to concerns raised by drivers in the series. The
racing organization says that 21 of 25 drivers practicing on the speedway, which
is banked to an unusually steep 24 degree, experienced dizziness as they reached
speeds nearing 230 mph. Bruton Smith, owner of the speedway, said both sides
were happy to put an end to the controversy: "We have reached a favorable
agreement and are glad to have this behind us," Smith said. Terms of the
settlement were not made public; at this point, no CART race is scheduled for
2002 at the Texas track.
DODGE BACK IN
UNIFORM
After a twelve-year absence from the
police-car market, Dodge will once again don police markings in 2002 with a
version of the ’02 Intrepid R/T. In the past, Dodge fielded many of the nation’s
police cars, spun off from various Plymouth, Dodge and Chrysler passenger
sedans. The new police R/T, with its 242-hp V-6 and front-wheel drive, has been
undergoing testing with the Auburn Hills, Mich., police department. The company
hopes to sell as many as 60,000 copies each year.
Review: American Police Carsby Eric Peters (8/27/2001)
CHEVY PREPS INTIMIDATOR
MONTE CARLO
Dale
Earnhardt’s the subject of another commemorative edition — only this one’s on
wheels. The Intimidator will be honored in the ’02 model year by a special Monte
Carlo SS Dale Earnhardt Signature Edition that is now in production. The special
Montes will be black with a red racing stripe and Earnhardt’s signature inside
and out; other equipment includes leather seats, special gauges, 16-inch wheels
and traction control. The model had been planned with Earnhardt in early 2000:
"Dale's magnificent NASCAR career earned him not only respect on the track but
also many friends in daily life," said Kurt Ritter, Chevrolet's general manager.
"When we started discussing this project with him, he took it as an honor to
have his legendary status commemorated with such a special vehicle." Chevrolet
says 3,333 copies will be made; Earnhardt ran under the number 3 until his fatal
crash at Daytona in February 2001.
HIGHLANDER IN TOYOTA
RECALL
Some 41,169 copies of Toyota’s crossover Highlander wagon are
being recalled to fix a brake problem, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) said on Monday. A possible air leak in the Highlander’s
brake system could lead to longer stopping distances, and thus increase the risk
for an accident, NHTSA said. All the recalled Highlanders are 2001 models.
FEWER YOUNGER NEW-CAR
BUYERS?
During the past 14 years, the under-35 year old age group has
gone from a 37.3-percent share of the light vehicle market (1988) to 24.4
percent in 2001, according to J.D. Power and Associates Power Car and Truck
Media Reports. The drop is even more extreme for the under-25 year old age
group, which went from 11.2 percent of the market (1988) to 6.0 percent (2001),
a reduction of 48 percent. This change in demographics could have major
implications for new-vehicle marketing, advertising and promotional
programs.
POWER: PEOPLE WANT
HIGH-TECH AIRBAGS
The next generation of airbag
technology is high on the list of safety-related equipment desired by
new-vehicle buyers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2001 Automotive
Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Feature Contenting Report(SM) released
today. Safety-related features such as airbags and vehicle control systems
continue to be among the most desired equipment consumers would like to see in
new vehicles. Head protection/side curtain airbags are the most desired new
feature; while only seven percent of vehicles currently have these new airbags,
66 percent of new-vehicle buyers expressed a strong interest in seeing them in
their next vehicles. Side impact airbags, which are currently in 28 percent of
new vehicles, continue to increase in popularity, ranking highest among emerging
features in all eight super segments in the report. An average of 77 percent of
respondents want such airbags on their next car.
Power Shows Slower Gains
by Jim Burt (7/16/2001)
U.S. PLANT TALK HEATS UP
FOR HYUNDAI
Hyundai Motor president Kim Dong-jin’s recent visit to the U.S. has
rumormongers speculating on an American assembly plant for the carmaker once
more. Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper reports the company is looking closely at
Alabama — home of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class plant and a new plant for Honda
sport-utes — as its leading candidate for a new North American factory. The
newspaper says Hyundai will begin construction on a $1 billion facility next
year. A specific site was not mentioned in the report; Mercedes’ plant sits next
to I-59 between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, while Honda’s factory is located near
Talladega, on I-20 between Birmingham and Atlanta.
2002 Hyundai Elantra GT by
Bob Hall (10/15/2001)
ALFA
RETURN DELAYED
Alfisti will be
disappointed to learn that General Motors and Fiat have decided to postpone the
Italian marque's return to the U.S. Fiat will not retrofit current model Alfas
to meet U.S. federal requirements for 2003; now, all-new models will enter the
U.S. as 2005 model year cars. A new Alfa Spider is due in 2005 and a replacement
for the 156 small sports sedan should come the following year. A high-end 166
model is tentatively due in 2007. Originally GM said Alfas would share showrooms
with Cadillac but they are now leaning toward selling the Italian brand through
Saab dealerships, both in here and in other markets where they are not currently
sold. — Bob
Storck
CHEAPER
CUSTOM COLORS COMING
Getting a
custom color for a new car or truck is going to get easier and cheaper. PPG
Industries and Behr Systems Inc. are testing their Dynamic FlexColors system to
meet the five-day car standard and use in conventional paint shops on a
just-in-time basis. The paint guns normally must be cleaned for a new color, but
the new system allows pigments to be added to get new colors similar to a color
printing cartridge for a computer printer. They're aiming for 2003 as a start-up
date.— Mike
Strong
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