Don't Mess with his Gran Torino

Oct. 30 - Word out of Hollywood is that Clint Eastwood's next directorial effort, Gran Torino, will be previewed with his current one, Changeling.

Scheduled for a December 17 release, Eastwood plays the role of a disaffected widower who sees his neighborhood go in directions he'd rather not. The action begins when a local gang arrives to steal Eastwood's pride and joy - a 1973 Ford Gran Torino Sport.

The Korean War vet defends his property and begins a larger quest that few others than Eastwood could pull off with any credibility. About his character, Eastwood said, "I'm a weirdo in it. I play a real racist… But it also has redemption." The role was sufficient to pull the 77-year old out of retirement from acting, which he had announced after finishing Million Dollar Baby.

Both the car and veteran's prejudice begin to fade as the action develops into a good shoot-em-up, smash-em-up adventure that, in the end, does underscore a hopeful and positive approach to life... so long as you don't take too much crap along the way.

If this has piqued your curiosity, you can watch the movie trailer here.

Smaller, Faster 370Z Coming to America

Oct. 29 - Nissan has offered the first look at the upcoming 2009 370Z Coupe, which makes its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19th.

The all-new 2009 Nissan 370Z, the first full redesign of the iconic Nissan Z since its reintroduction as a 2003 model, solidifies the strengths of its predecessor with an unmatched balance of performance, style and value. The all-new Z will go on sale at Nissan dealers in early 2009.

The 370Z is expected to be smaller, lighter and more powerful. Motive force is likely to come from the 3.7-liter V6 found in the Infiniti G37 coupe, with output increaseded to 350 hp at 6500 rpm and torque to around 280 ft.-lb. at 4500. Shifting duties will likely be handled by either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic.

Suspension duties for the new car will be handled by a double wishbone setup up front with a multi-link setup out back. Brembo brakes and 18 and 19 inch wheels will also be part of the 370Z package.

Bond Girl to Drive Ford Ka

Oct. 28 - Excitement is mounting as film fans await the October 29 world premiere in London of the new James Bond adventure, ‘Quantum of Solace’, which also features a cameo appearance from the stylish new Ford Ka.

In the movie the Ka is driven by Camille, the beautiful but feisty leading lady, played by Olga Kurylenko. To celebrate the cheeky new Ford Ka’s cameo role, Ford is promoting a special series of exciting media features.

Movie fans who want to learn more about Kurylenko and her character Camille don’t need to wait for the film’s release, however. Her independent spirit, sense of adventure, bravery, style and beauty are captured in a series of unique TV programmes, articles and on-line content which have been created with support from Ford.

'Quantum of Solace' is produced for EON Productions by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Directed by Marc Forster, the film stars Daniel Craig as the legendary secret agent, James Bond and opens in the UK and France on October 31st, then November 14 in the U.S. and Canada.

A5 is Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year

Oct. 23 - The Audi A5 earned the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year Award in the luxury on-road category, outperforming 10 competitors. The awards, now in their fifth year, recognize cars and trucks that are best suited to meet the demands of an active and athletic lifestyle.

When the A5 debuted last spring it marked the first time in 16 years that Audi had offered a coupe to U.S. luxury car buyers. Audi loaded the A5 with sporty features, such as a powerful V-6 engine, direct steering and Audi dynamic suspension. The A5 takes just 5.8 seconds from 0-60 mph.

The awards are presented by the Active Network. The selection of the Active Lifestyle Vehicles of the year emerged from two stages of judging. The first round involved an automotive jury, which narrowed the field of 60 entries competing in seven categories.

After four finalists were chosen in each category, the award's sponsors asked elite athletes from the San Diego region to test drive each of the vehicles and offer their opinions, which count for half of the award tallies. Altogether, 17 athletes participated, including professional beach volleyball players, triathlon competitors and a former NFL kicker. The automotive experts then registered their finalist votes for the other half of the tallies.

"Involving the athletes offers a great opportunity get fresh perspectives on the various vehicles so it becomes an impromptu focus group of an elite and active target market" said Nina Russin, jury coordinator for the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year Awards. "What was interesting with the A5 was how the athletes really reacted to the car's athletic performance."

BMW to Build 200HP Electric Mini

Oct. 19 - The BMW Group has announced that it will be the world's first manufacturer of premium automobiles to deploy a fleet of some 500 all-electric vehicles for private use in daily traffic. The MINI E will be powered by a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor fed by a high-performancerechargeable lithium-ion battery, transferring its power to the frontwheels via a single-stage helical gearbox nearly without a sound and entirely free of emissions.

Specially engineered for automobile use, thebattery technology will have a range of more than 240 kilometers, or 150miles. The MINI E will initially be made available to select private andcorporate customers as part of a pilot project in the states of California, New York and New Jersey. The possibility of offering the MINI E in Europe is currently being considered. The MINI E will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19 and 20, 2008.

By introducing the MINI E, the BMW Group is underscoring the resolve with which it works towards reducing energy consumption and emissions in road traffic. The BMW Group is drawing on its unique technological expertise in the field of drive systems to develop a vehicle concept enabling zero emissions without renouncing the joy of driving. Putting some 500 cars on the road under real daily traffic conditions will make it possible to gain widely applicable hands-on experience.

Production of the approximately 500 cars will take place at the company's Oxford and Munich sites and is scheduled for completion beforethe end of 2008.

2009 Fuel Economy Guide Arrives

Oct. 18 - To help consumers make well-informed choices when purchasing new vehicles, EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have unveiled the 2009 Fuel Economy Guide.

"With the new Fuel Economy Guide in hand, Americans now have the information they need to buy greener and cleaner cars and
trucks," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "This valuable guide can help jump start any search for a better, more efficient automobile."

Fuel-efficient models come in all types and sizes, so consumers can save thousands of dollars over a vehicle’s lifetime without sacrificing performance. Included in the 2009 fuel economy leaders are diesel vehicles certified to EPA’s tightest emissions standards. Consumers now have access to the cleanest diesels ever available in the U.S. marketplace.

Each vehicle listing in the Fuel Economy Guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost. The online guide includes an interactive feature that allows consumers to insert their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate. Fuel economy estimates now include the revised test methods implemented in model year 2008. These revised tests better reflect "real world" driving conditions and habits, including higher highway speed limits and use of accessories such as air conditioning.

Caterham RS Levante is Sold Out

Oct. 17 - Despite the recent decline in car sales and consumer spending, all of the 115,000 pound Sterling, Caterham-based Levante supercars scheduled for production have been sold. Launched in Spring 2008, the Levante is the most powerful production Caterham ever, with only eight being hand-built by Hertfordshire-based RS Performance in association with Caterham Cars.

The Levante boasts RS Performance’s unique, in-house designed supercharged 500+bhp 2.4 litre V8 engine, housed in a modified version of the lightweight Caterham SV chassis. With close to 1000bhp-per-tonne, the figure is nearly double that of the Bugatti Veyron.

With its modern and aggressive interpretation of the Seven’s classic looks, the Levante possesses a sophisticated electronics package, including traction and launch control, to allow drivers to get the most from the incredible machine. All new owners of Caterham RS models are required to attend a two-day advanced driving course on delivery of their machines.

In parallel to the success of the Caterham RS Levante, Caterham Cars enjoyed one of its best ever sales periods this summer thanks to the arrival of the critically acclaimed Superlight R500 and the expansion of the Academy race series from two to three grids for the 2009 season.

HANS Innovation Nominated for International Award

Oct. 16 - The patent pending Vision Advantage PLUS sliding tether system from HANS has been shortlisted for the 2008 Safety Innovation of the Year Award. It is one of four finalists. The award will be presented as part of November's Professional MotorSport World Expo held in Cologne, Germany.

Previous winners have been the IMPAXX energy absorbing foam used by every Sprint Cup team in NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow and the TECPRO barrier developed by the FIA Institute, DEKRA and TecPro International for Formula 1.

HANS Performance Products CEO Mark Stiles said: "It is inspiring to have American ingenuity from a specialty Atlanta company acclaimed by industry leaders around the world." He added, "Not a week goes by without a racer somewhere proving the benefits of using a HANS Device."

The Vision Advantage PLUS sliding tether system allows a full range of head motion under normal race conditions and provides the same impact performance that has been tried, tested and trusted for more than 25 years. The HANS Device is worn by more than 65,000 racers worldwide and continues to be the #1 choice for performance, #1 for vision and #1 for winners.

GM Announces Camaro Prices

Oct. 14 - Chevrolet has announced pricing for the all-new, 2010 Camaro. It starts at $22,995 MSRP for the V-6-powered LS model, and $30,995 for the V-8-powered Camaro SS (all prices include $750 destination charge). Customer ordering opened on Oct. 13, with production scheduled to start in first quarter of 2009.

Production is scheduled to begin in mid-February at GM’s Oshawa, Ontario production facility, with dealership deliveries shortly thereafter. Complementing the Camaro’s introduction is a range of performance, appearance and convenience accessories – including 21-inch wheels and tires; ground effects and stripe kits; and even a classic-styled Hurst shifter – that customers can order and have installed at their dealership.

The high-performance Camaro SS is equipped with a powerful 6.2L V-8, with a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmission-equipped models receive the LS3 engine, estimated at 422 horsepower (315 kW) and 408 lb.-ft. of torque (553 Nm). It is paired with a TR6060 six-speed transmission.

A new, L99 V-8 engine is used on automatic transmission-equipped SS models. It is based on the LS3, but also includes GM’s fuel-saving Active Fuel Management feature. It is estimated at 400 horsepower (299 kW) and 395 lb.-ft. of torque (535 Nm). It is matched with a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed transmission that helps delivers an estimated 23 mpg on the highway.

Hyundai Launches Halo Vehicle: Genesis Coupe

Oct. 13 - Hyundai Motor Co. launched its Genesis Coupe in the Korean market today. The Genesis Coupe raises the Hyundai brand's emotional quotient to a new level with its high performance capabilities and front engine/rear wheel drive architecture.

Genesis Coupe projects a unique sports car look with strong character lines, pronounced shoulders and dynamic details. The aggressive, wedge-like silhouette, short overhangs and long wheelbase give it classic sports car proportions. Inside and out, the design is thoroughly provocative. The exterior front styling radiates a sporty character. Its dynamic hood, carefully articulated bumper surfacing and sharply distinctive headlamps combine to give
hints of strong performance.

The Genesis Coupe is the most thrilling performance coupe yet from Hyundai. It promises to be the most affordable 300-hp sport coupe on the planet. At the heart are two performance-focused engines: The range-topping, all-aluminum 310-horsepower DOHC 3.8-liter V6 Lambda RS. The base engine will be the 223 horsepower, 2.0-literturbocharged Theta. Like the V-6, the Theta employs a Dual CVVT system plus a piston oil cooling jet which is positioned under each
cylinder to deliver improved cooling and better fuel efficiency.

Hyundai hopes to sell 40,000 Genesis Coupes annually, 5,000 in Korea and 35,000 in overseas markets. The Genesis Coupe's target customer is a middle-aged male looking for superior acceleration and handling performance.

World's First Purpose-Built Police Vehicle

Oct. 10 - Carbon Motors Corporation announced that it will unveil the Carbon 'E7', the world's first purpose-built law enforcement vehicle, during the "2008 Pure Justice Tour" of nine U.S.cities starting in Chicago, IL, on October 14.

Carbon's 'E7' was designed by law enforcement, for law enforcement. To date, over 1,700 law enforcement professionals, representing all 50 U.S. States and each functional discipline of law enforcement, have volunteered their time to serve on the Carbon Council, providing direct, unfiltered interaction with the Carbon Motors team.

The vehicle will display a robust collection of world-class technological and design enhancements, including an ergonomically correct cockpit inspired by jet fighters and helicopters, a high powered clean-diesel engine capable of running on biodiesel, integrated external and internal surveillance capabilities, radar, LoJack and an automatic license plate recognition system.

Dr. Lee Brown, member of the Carbon Motors Advisory Board said, "We ask so much more of our law enforcement officers today than we ever did in the past and they deserve a vehicle that will not only help them do their jobs better but also protect them while they are doing it."

Carbon Motors is currently weighing its options for a Company site, where it intends to create 10,000 new jobs and have a greater than $3 billion positive economic impact on the selected region over a period of ten years.

Hybrid Taxis Not a Good Idea

Oct. 9 - Two of the world's largest automakers, Toyota and Honda, have issued outright warnings against using their hybrid passenger vehicles as commercial taxicabs.

In late 2007, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) mandated that all new taxis, the vast majority of which are required to have partitions, be hybrids or other vehicles that achieve 25 miles-per-gallon, but a 2008 engineer's report that finds hybrids to be unsafe and unfit as New York City taxicabs.

In response to an August, 2008 request that companies certify their hybrids or alternative fuel vehicles are manufacturer-approved to beused as taxicabs, a spokesman for Honda said "Honda vehicles are not sold or recommended for use as taxicabs."

Toyota, the largest manufacturer of hybrids in the world, reportedly has not responded to the request. A Toyota spokesperson told theNew York Times on April 27, that "our engineers are nervous about it because they were not designed for commercial use." According to the
article, "Toyota did not help convert cars into taxis because they were not intended to be driven so heavily."

Additional concerns over crashworthiness of taxis fitted with partitions between the driver and passengers have surfaced. Ford, General Motors and Nissan have refused to certify the crashworthiness of their hybrid New York City taxicabs when fitted with the mandatory
partitions.

New Mazda3 to Debut at LA Auto Show

Oct. 9 - Mazda Motor Corporation has confirmed that the sedan version of the all-new MAZDA3, fully redesigned for the first time in five years, will be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19.

According to the company, every element of the all-new design has been developed for heightened exhilaration, with a more refined sporty ride, top-class fuel economy and quietness. Environmental and safety features, based on Mazda's long-term "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom" vision, aim to achieve a balance with fun-to-drive. Add in a new expressive face and Mazda's dynamic design elements, and the all-new MAZDA3 is everything a driver could ask for in a sports compact.

The brand-new version of Mazda's best-selling sports compact carries forward the heritage of Mazda and the pedigree of the current MAZDA3. Since its launch in 2003, the current MAZDA3 has sold approx. 1.8 million vehicles in over 100 countries and has won more than 90 global motoring awards to date. The MAZDA3 accounts for almost one in three Mazdas sold every year.

Consumer Reports Cites RainX Latitude

Oct. 8 - Every minute of the day, 1 billion tons of rain falls on the earth. The total amount of precipitation received each year as snow, hail, and rain is equivalent to 10 million gallons of water for every person in the United States. So, why do we ignore our windshield wipers the way we do?

Consumer Reports tested replacement windshield wipers on 185 staffers’ cars. Researchers reported that all of the windshield wipers provided very good or excellent performance when new, but most quickly degrade after six to nine months of regular use. The RainX Latitude was the only wiper that began with very good performance and maintained that level through six months. All others dropped in performance after six months.

In addition, purchase price was not a clear predictor of performance. In the group of 15 wiper models tested, three of the top four were among the least expensive. That includes the top-rated Valeo 600 Series, the Anco 31 Series, and the Michelin RainForce.

The people at RainX suggest that an easy way to remember to proactively change your wiper blades is to replace them on Groundhog Day. When wiper blades no longer make proper contact with the windshield surface, they can begin to squeak, chatter, skip, smear or streak reducing driving visibility. Whether the Groundhog predicts six more weeks of winter or an early spring, new wiper blades are necessary to prepare you for 6 weeks of harsh winter driving conditions or 6 weeks of Spring showers.

Enterprise Goes Exotic

Oct. 7 - For drivers who have Aston Martin wishes and Bentley dreams, Enterprise Rent-A-Car's Southern California division has opened three new offices that exclusively offer luxury and high-performance car rentals.

From a Bentley Continental GT to the Porsche Boxster to luxury SUVs from Hummer, Range Rover and Cadillac, the Exotic Car Collection can make visitors to Southern California feel right at home, enable business travelers to meet with clients in style or help locals enjoy a special weekend getaway.

The Exotic Car Collection is an extension of Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s entertainment division, which provides luxury car rental services to film studios, productions, and other local clientele.

"We developed our Exotic Car Collection with sophisticated audiences in mind – from the
out-of-towner who is seeking the ultimate Southern California experience to the local driver who needs a temporary replacement for their personal luxury car," explained Brett Bittel, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Additional vehicles available for rent include high-performance cars from Lexus, Mercedes, BMW and Audi; specialty sports cars such as the Aston Martin Vantage; and, for drivers looking to enjoy the Southern California sunshine, convertible rentals include the Mercedes SL550 and the BMW 650ci.

Hybrid Interest Goes Beyond Consumers

Oct. 6 - Quantum Fuel Systems announced that it has designed, developed and shipped a new generation of hybrid electric vehicles incorporating hydrogen internal combustion engines to the US Army.

The hydrogen powered hybrid vehicles will be operated by the Army personnel and refueled at a Chevron Hydrogen station located at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base . The vehicles were evaluated under a rigorous Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) review to ensure safe refueling and operation at the base. Cold weather performance data will be collected and evaluated as part of this project.

Initially three hybrid electric vehicles will be tested at SANGB for a period of 1 year. These three are the first batch of eleven that have been ordered by the US Army from Quantum. Three additional vehicles will be deployed at Selfridge; with the remaining five deployed at other joint service partners around the country.

The hydrogen hybrid electric vehicles utilize the Ford Escape platform and incorporate Quantum's advanced hydrogen system, including fuel injectors, fuel flow and pressure management systems, light-weight carbon fiber composite hydrogen storage systems and electronic vehicle management systems.

The vehicles were developed at Quantum's advanced vehicle concept center in Lake Forest California.