Eric

There is probably no shortage of people who would love to see Tom Cruise careening down the street at 200 mph with only inches separating him and the asphalt.  Well, it appears that Mr. Cruise is about to grant those anti-fans their wish. 

Tom Cruise placed the first advance order for the new Ducati Superbike.  The Ducati Superbike is composed of, among other things, titanium, magnesium, and carbon fiber and is said to reach speeds of up to 200 mph. 

Cruise is expected to take delivery of the Ducati Superbike sometime next week.  Making this event more special is the fact that only 1,500 of the Ducati Superbikes are being produced.  Have to give some love to the cool cats that read the SF Chronicle for their commentary on the Cruise-Superbike story.

As for the price, you know what they say, if you have to ask…Cruise is reportedly shelling out just under $75,000 for his serial 0001 Superbike.  But don’t shed too many tears for the speed-loving celeb.  Cruise is reported to have spent roughly $1 million on just fuel in 2006.  This would be to propel his many other cars, motorcycles, and planes. 

Cruise is, of course, fortunate that his near limitless wealth enables him to splurge on such toys.  Typically, the need-for-speed crowd has a difficult time dealing with the high costs of their exotic vehicle tastes.  For this reason, many are turning away from the high costs and stress of direct ownership of such exotic machines. 

With respect to cars, exotic car clubs now exist all over the country.  Don’t believe me?  Check out www.exoticcarclubs.com for a nationwide listing of these exotic car clubs.  DFW Elite Car Club (www.dfwelitecarclub.com) is an example of one such exotic car club that caters to those who love exotic cars but either don’t want to deal with or can’t afford ownership of many different exotic cars.  The club boasts an impressive assortment of exotic cars and allows members to choose from several different tiers of membership.  This allows nearly all budgets to gain access to some incredible machines.  Check out this video link to see how the exotic car club operates:

Some people are satisfied with the occasional exotic car fix.  For these people, exotic car rental may be the best solution.  www.rentexoticcars.net provides a nationwide listing of agencies that specialize in exotic car rentals.  DFW Elite Auto Rental (www.dfweliteautorental.com) offers a huge assortment of exotic automobiles for rent.  Everything from vintage classic cars to exotic sports cars is available for rent.  This particular entity has embraced technology by allowing reservations online and posting weekly car rental specials. 

Finally, for those that truly want to submerge themselves in the exotic car experience, there are exotic car tours.  These exotic car tours typically feature day long trips throughout scenic areas and permit participants to sample several different exotic cars.  In the case of DFW Drive Your Dream (www.dfwdriveyourdream.com), the tours are eight hours long and take drivers through some of the most scenic roadways in Texas.  Additionally, there are several different exotic car tour packages to choose from, each with its own set of five exotic cars. 

These options can at least help you pretend to be Tom Cruise for a day.  That is, if you want to.

Written by G.D. Gregory.  If you are interested in having me write stories for you or seeing my portfolio, please contact me at ggpsu@yahoo.com.

 

Source: DUCATI SUPERBIKE READIES FOR TAKEOFF

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By Bill Visnic

After the giant outpouring of product at last month’s Detroit auto show, there’s barely time for anyone to come up for air before taking in this week’s Chicago auto show.

At Chicago, automakers, rushing to grapple with a rapidly transitioning U.S. market, will stage a bevy of facelifted models and continue to promote fuel-efficient options such as more-powerful but more-efficient four-cylinder engines.

But more important will be new models and concepts that hope to revive interest in two flagging market segments: vans and compact pickups.

Vans At Center Stage? Vans?

Volkswagen AG will roll out one of the Chicago show’s most-significant production models with the planned unveiling of its Routan, the badge-engineered version of Chrysler LLC’s Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country – and VW’s first-ever true minivan. There was scant detail prior to the Routan’s unveiling, other than another of VW’s persistently ill-advised names seems certain to once again displease dealers and befuddle the public.

And Ford Motor Co. is expected to show a U.S.-spec version of the Transit Connect commercial van that is enduringly popular in Europe, in what may be a stab to realign the paradigm and instill the Euro “sensibility” (read: fuel economy) in that market.

The Second Coming – Or is it Third – of the “Compact” Pickup

And high gasoline prices are beginning to reinvigorate automakers’ attention to small- to mid-size pickup trucks – a market all but written off a couple years ago. Data from Edmunds.com indicate buyers once again are considering smaller pickups as an alternative to the thirsty full-sizers into which automakers for years have lured them – largely via outsized incentives.

Most intriguing of Chicago’s lesser-than-a-fullsize pickups is General Motors Corp.’s GMC Denali XT concept, a unibody revival of the’70s and’80s Chevy El Camino (few remember GMC’s versions called the Sprint and Caballero). The Denali XT concept doesn’t appear particularly small – unless considered in relation to today’s hulking Sierra pickup – but is built on the new GM global rear-wheel-drive platform slated to underpin the still-gestating new-generation Chevy Camaro. GM’s Pontiac also has suggested it could market a similar car-truck as a family partner to its new G8 sedan.

Suzuki Motor Corp. shows up in Chicago with its new Equator midsize pickup, built courtesy of a new deal with Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. Equator is a rebadged variant of Nissan’s Frontier. The deal may help Nissan deal with some excess capacity at its Smyrna, TN, assembly plant, given Frontier sales nose-dived to around 64,000 units last year.

And although it may not convince many of its save-the-planet credentials – particularly with the V8-toting Alpha model – GM’s Hummer brand unveils its H3T, a version of the flagging H3 SUV with a 5-foot bed and 22 inches added to the wheelbase.

Facelifts And Reworked Engines

The Chicago show’s facelift brigade includes:

• The Ford Edge Sport is a new version of the popular crossover; it will be introduced as a 2009 model in the fall. It looks like a factory-cutomized vehicle with an exterior body kit, special interior and — believed to be an industry first on a crossover — standard 20-inch wheels; 22-inch wheels are optional.

• The Mitsubishi Galant sedan and Eclipse coupe. Galant also gets some V6 reworking, while Eclipse mainly sports the Japanese variation of the Audi gaping-trapezoid grille. Its V6 is slightly retuned for a couple extra horses.

• Hyundai’s ’09 Sonata has reworked sheetmetal and what is said to be an all-new interior, reflecting how quickly the standard is rising for luxo-perception in mid-market sedans. The Sonata’s not at all old in the market, yet since the current model’s launch, Hyundai has watched new generations of  Toyota’s Camry and the Honda Accord come to market with markedly richer interiors. The Sonata also features a revised 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that delivers more power yet better fuel economy.

• GMC also will show the ’09 Sierra Hybrid, its fullsize pickup that utilizes GM’s  innovative but pricy Two-Mode hybrid-electric drivetrain to boost combined fuel economy by 25 percent.

• And Chrysler ends the misery by finally unveiling the ’08 Dodge Challenger SRT8. The Challenger is the two-door the world insisted was immediately necessary when the Charger sedan was launched, meaning Chrysler’s enjoyed nearly three full years to dribble out teasers and innuendos about the Challenger. After the protracted buildup, the horsepower wars are winding down; now the Challenger stands a fine chance to set a new record for the most-anticipated new vehicle to launch into immediate irrelevance.

Photos by the manufacturers
1 & 2 - GMC Denali XT concept
3 - 2009 Ford Edge Sport
4 - 2009 GMC Sierra 2-Mode Hybrid
5 - 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Source: Chicago Auto Show: Nibbling Around the Edges

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Toyota posted a profit that set a new record for a third quarter, thanks to strong sales in emerging markets, but the quarter demonstrated that Toyota’s growth is slowing.

Toyota reported a profit of $4.29 billion, up 7.5 percent from the year ago for the October-December fiscal quarter. Revenues rose 9.2 percent to $62.79 billion. Toyota sold 2.281 million vehicles in the period, up 5.8 percent from a year ago.

Despite setting a quarterly profit, the 7.5-percent increase in income represents the smallest gain since December 2006, and the 9.2-percent sales increase was the smallest gain in 2 ½ years, according to Bloomberg News’s records.

Higher sales in China, Africa and South America offset declining U.S. sales – where sales fell by 8,000 vehicles to 756,000 in the quarter — and the stronger yen, which cost Toyota $187 million in currency exchange in the quarter.

For the first nine months of its fiscal year, Toyota has earned $13.11 billion in profits, for a 16.4-percent increase, on 11.9-percent higher revenues of $184.54 billion.

Toyota warns fourth-quarter profits may decline due to slowing consumer spending in the U.S. and a stronger yen that is eroding profits, especially from the Japan-made Prius and Lexus models.

Still, Toyota is sticking with its sales forecast for the fiscal year, which ends March 31, at 8.93 million vehicles, up 4.8 percent from the previous fiscal year. The automaker predicts emerging markets ultimately will make up for weak markets of the U.S., Europe and Japan. In North America, Toyota lowered its forecast by 20,000 units to 2.97 million vehicles; it also cut its projections for Japan and Europe. At the same time, Toyota raised sales forecasts for Asia and other regions.

Analysts project Toyota’s full-year profit will be %15.91 billion on $238.61 billion in sales.

Source: Toyota’s Record Quarter Buoyed by Emerging Markets

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Simona Alina
Filed in: Gmc | 2008 | concept cars | Chicago Auto Show | pickup trucks | GMC Denali

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GMC will unveil the Denali XT Concept at the Chicago Auto Show. It offers a 50-percent increase in combined fuel economy over comparable small pickup trucks when running on gasoline, and it incorporates a new, muscular form in a performance-styled, hybrid sport-utility truck (SUT).

The concept is powered by a 4.9L version of GM’s small-block V8 engine that features fuel-saving technologies such as direct-injection technology and Active Fuel Management. The V8 engine delivers 326 hp. It uses direct-injection technology to produce the power of a larger engine, but consumes less fuel and produces lower emissions.

The Denali XT’s two-mode hybrid system is partnered with the 4.9L engine and uses an electrically variable transmission to enhance fuel efficiency in city and highway driving. In city driving, all-electric propulsion is used at low speeds; on the highway, fixed-gear operation enables efficient performance even when towing a trailer.

Press release after jump.

Press release

GMC unveiled the Denali XT concept at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. It offers a 50-percent increase in combined fuel economy over comparable small pickup trucks when running on gasoline, and it incorporates a new, muscular form in a performance-styled, hybrid sport-utility truck (SUT).

The Denali XT has a unibody architecture and rear-wheel drive, enabling its distinctive design and efficient performance. It builds on the equity of the Denali line and its reputation for advanced engineering and refinement, including the first combination of GM’s two-mode hybrid system with an E85 ethanol-capable engine. Denali XT’s new, more efficient 4.9L version of GM’s small-block V-8 features fuel-saving technologies such as direct-injection technology and Active Fuel Management.

The engine is matched with GM’s unique two-mode hybrid propulsion system, giving the powerful SUT exceptional fuel economy and uncompromising capability – including all-electric drive at low speeds. It is a powertrain combination that makes the Denali XT perfectly suited to a variety of active lifestyle activities, such as hauling skis and snowboards to the mountain or towing a sport jet boat to the lake.

“Like all GMCs, the Denali XT is functional and capable, but it blends those traits with a more efficient, sporty driving experience,” said Jim Bunnell, GMC general manager. “It is a vehicle that exemplifies GMC’s engineering excellence, as well as GM’s commitment to hybrid and advanced technologies.”

With its unibody structure, the Denali XT is lighter than conventional body-on-frame trucks, with great ride-and-handling characteristics. This design enhances fuel economy while giving the vehicle a sporty driving experience. True to its GMC Professional Grade heritage, the Denali XT is filled with technologies and features that maximize its flexibility, including a cargo space-enhancing Midgate® and height-adjustable suspension.

The Denali XT’s proportions are framed around a high cowl and 123.4-inch (3,134 mm) wheelbase. This enhances the vehicle’s truck functionality, but packages it in an efficient, unibody architecture.

Design and construction were spearheaded by Holden Design, within the Australian arm of GM’s global design and engineering network.

“Denali XT is about working hard, playing hard and enjoying an active lifestyle,” said Bunnell. “It is the same philosophy that has helped make the GMC Acadia crossover a huge hit with consumers.”

Dramatic design statement

A muscular form and wide, firmly planted stance give the Denali XT a confidently capable road presence. Minimal overhangs, large wheels, sleek headlamps and a low roof profile deliver an aggressive, performance-oriented appearance.

“It is a robust yet tailored design statement that is unlike anything else on the road,” said Ed Welburn, vice president, Global Design. “It has the youthful look of a custom automobile that incorporates the capability customers expect from a truck.”

The Denali XT’s design includes a new take on GMC’s iconic grille, with a prominent, four-bar element in addition to the large, red GMC logo and signature Denali background. Flared fenders accentuate the wide road stance. The stance is also enhanced when the Denali XT is lowered on its air-adjustable suspension, which creates a sleeker appearance that simultaneously improves aerodynamics. Large, bold 23-inch wheels and custom Kuhmo tires complement the Denali XT’s stance.

Inside, the Denali XT blends mechanical functionality with leather-trimmed comfort.

Billet-metal surrounds, controls and instruments convey the cold precision of an aircraft cockpit. This is balanced by the warmth of bespoke saddle-leather trimmed seats and other contact surfaces.

“The form language is smooth and structured to characterize GMC’s power. The details have a deliberately contrasting mechanical aesthetic to mark GMC’s engineering sophistication,” said Warrack Leach, lead designer.

The interior features innovative instrumentation with “floating” red-illuminated numerals backed by surface chaplets in the clusters and a large integrated vehicle interface screen. The interior illumination was supplied by Osram.

The Denali XT seats four. The high-cowl vehicle architecture enables higher seating positions, allowing the couple distance between front and rear occupants to be reduced without compromising knee room. This packaging efficiency creates generous interior and cargo bed dimensions within a more compact package.

Truck capability

With stiffness that is greater than most conventional, body-on-frame trucks, the Denali XT’s unibody structure supports a very capable truck platform. It also serves as the mounting point for a four-wheel independent suspension that gives the vehicle its performance feel on the road. The multilink front suspension features a forward-mounted steering rack and dual lower links with ball joints at the outer ends, providing sharp responses to driver input. At the rear, a four-link suspension design uses coil-over shocks and a decoupled stabilizer bar to enhance cornering control, reduce body roll and optimize longitudinal compliance. In short, it’s a truck that hauls more than cargo on twisting roads.

The rear cargo area is wide, deep and flat, with no suspension or wheelhouse protrusions; the cargo floor measures 55 inches long (1,397 mm) by 47.5 inches wide (1,206 mm). It all adds up to the space to haul a wide variety of lifestyle accessories.

The easy-to-operate Midgate can be lowered to extend the cargo-carrying capacity inside the vehicle. The rear seats fold flat to provide a longer floor for carrying items such as skis, surfboards or wood from the home improvement store. A fixed rear window allowed engineers to retain the vehicle’s structure, reducing mass and complexity.

The Denali XT has an estimated payload capacity of 1,100 pounds (499 kg) and a towing capacity of an estimated 3,500 pounds (1,587 kg). This capability is delivered through unique vehicle and powertrain integration, where the multiple modes of GM’s two-mode hybrid system provide towing capability.

New 4.9L SIDI V-8 and two-mode hybrid system

For the first time, GM’s rear-wheel-drive two-mode hybrid transmission is paired with a smaller-displacement version of the small-block engine. The new V-8 4.9L E85-capable engine powers the Denali XT with an estimated 326 horsepower (243 kW). It uses direct-injection technology to produce the power of a larger engine, but consumes less fuel and produces lower emissions.

Also, the functionality of GM’s Active Fuel Management system has been expanded through the use of hybrid technologies, enhancing the cylinder-deactivating feature to further improve fuel efficiency.

The Denali XT’s two-mode hybrid system is partnered with the 4.9L engine and uses an electrically variable transmission to enhance fuel efficiency in city and highway driving. In city driving, all-electric propulsion is used at low speeds; on the highway, fixed-gear operation enables efficient performance even when towing a trailer.

The specific characteristics of the Denali XT allowed the synergistic evolution of GM’s small-block V-8 and two-mode hybrid beyond the recently introduced in GM two-mode hybrid products, such as the GMC Yukon Hybrid and Sierra Hybrid. During this optimization process, additional powertrain technologies have been integrated, including Active Thermal Management, which transfers thermal energy from one driveline component to another to improve efficiency; and a high-efficiency axle configuration, which fundamentally reduces the losses normally associated with conventional axle configurations.

The integration of the advanced internal combustion engine technologies and two-mode hybrid system on the Denali XT reinforces GMC’s Professional Grade position as a brand that continues to exceed customer expectations.

Source: GMC Denali XT

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Ford today revealed the 2008 Focus Coupe-Cabriolet for the European market. On display at the Geneva auto show next month, the new model joins the three-door, four-door, five-door, wagon and ST models that have been recently updated.

As a final addition to the Focus range, the high-performance Ford Focus RS model will be launched in 2009.

The newly designed Coupe-Cabriolet with its retractable hardtop will again be manufactured at Pininfarina's Bairo plant. The italian firm also had a hand in designing the car.

"The new Ford Focus Coupé-Cabriolet is a special blend: We felt that the new very 'kinetic' front end design will perfectly complement the timelessly-elegant, Italian flavoured profile and rear end design," explained Chris Bird, Design Director at Ford of Europe. "The result is a perfect mix of latest level Focus dynamics and the special Coupe-Cabriolet design execution that we had already developed jointly with Pininfarina."

The interior also received a new look, plus higher quality finishes and hard-wearing materials. Perhaps the most noticeable visual change for the driver is the new "binocular-style" instrument cluster with instruments components illuminated in red.

A range of Duratec gas and Duratorq diesel engines are available with the car. These include a 1.6-litre gasoline engine producing 100 horsepower and a more powerful 2.0-liter gas motor delivering 145 horsepower. On the diesel front, a 2.0-liter TDCi engine churns out 136 horses.

Source: 2008 Focus Coupe-Cabriolet unveiled for Europe

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For the 2009 model year, Ford will begin offering a "Sport" version of its Edge crossover. The Ford Edge Sport offers standard 20- or optional 22-inch wheels, low-profile tires, exterior modifications and interior enhancements.

In addition to the premium wheel choices, the package includes 40-series Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires complete the look and improve handling and performance.

According to Ford, the Edge Sport marks the first time that a 22-inch wheel-and-tire combination has been offered on a crossover from the factory.

Details, like custom Sport badging, polished dual exhaust, and smoked headlamp and taillamp lenses are included.

Contrasting, light gray stitching on the seats helps differentiate the Sport model from the regular Edge. Edge Sport is further distinguished by an etched metal effect on the instrument panel center console.

Available paint colors include Sport Blue, Ebony, Brilliant Silver and Redfire.

Source: 2009 Ford Edge Sport adds style to flagship crossover

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A couple of years ago, I expected the United Auto Workers (UAW) to sink The Big Three (as they were known at the time). Scanning the situation at bankrupt parts supplier Delphi, I thought the union would strike rather than accept pay cuts and kill Detroit. Either that or Detroit would pay them off, burn all their cash and die. I didn't envision the creation of a $37b UAW slush fund (a.k.a. a health care VEBA) that would "convince" the bosses to surrender their members' future without a fight. But I did note that Delphi's bankruptcy was a bad omen. If GM's own former division couldn't make money building parts for Detroit, what hope for other suppliers? And if the suppliers went under… As today's Chrysler factory shutdown proves, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. For decades, The Big 2.8 (as they are now) have beaten-down their suppliers. Their constant abuse has turned "partners" into adversaries. It's this relentless pursuit of profit — at the expense of human decency– that's poisoned Detroit's relationship with its paying customers. And now, as Chrysler faces the consequences of their sour supplier relations, the situation proves an adage that informs all my analysis of Detroit's inexorable slide into bankruptcy: as you sow, so shall you reap. Or, if you prefer, payback's a bitch.  

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Source: Daily Podcast: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

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Lascelles Linton
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hydrogen, Honda

Honda recently launched a new green ad campagn called Problem Playground. It just kicked off the second phase with a TV ad that features Honda’s hydrogen fuel cell FCX Clarity (which you can watch below the fold). The ad’s voiceover is done by Garrison Keillor and goes like this:

A hydrogen car with zero emissions. More efficient solar panels. Hybrid engines. When you love solving things, isn’t every a problem a playground?

The ad’s general theme is that Honda enjoys problem solving the same way that children enjoy a playground. Pretending to be Honda workers, 140 actors work together to create puzzle piece structures of green things like the FCX Clarity. No special effects either: those are really thousands of Rubix cubes spelling out hybrid. The ads were created by Wieden & Kennedy London with planning by Publicis Groupe’s Starcom.

Related:

• Video: Škoda’s life sized car made out of … cake!
• Kia TV ad: Spectra is so fuel efficient, you will forget which side the car the gas tank is on
• Honda gives its own green credentials a shout out
• VIDEO: Water fight for water emitting car, first ad for the Honda FCX Clarity
• First Drive: 2009 Honda FCX Clarity, world’s first series production fuel cell car

[Source: YouTube]

Source: Honda’s new TV ad features fuel cell-powered FCX Clarity

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