Joke

My husband works in a former supermarket that was remodeled to accommodate professional offices.

One day he overheard his receptionist giving directions over the phone. “Remember the old grocery store?” she asked the caller. “Well, you’ll find us in the meat department.”

To Make The Volt Affordable, GM Needs Toyota

When it comes to cars we’ll be driving in the future, this much was clear at the 2008 Society of Automotive Engineers’ Hybrid Symposia in San Diego last week: The future is far from clear.

There were some pretty sharp papers being delivered by such stars as Ford, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, GM and Chrysler at the event. But by far the most thought-provoking presentation was given by Dr. Menahem Anderman of Advanced Automotive Batteries. His paper, ‘PHEV – A Step Forward or a Detour?’ took a cold-eyed view of the debate over plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) based upon his interviews with over 40 companies, including all the major car manufacturers and battery makers.

Dr. Anderman’s analysis shows that, for one thing, when we talk about hybrids, we’re still effectively talking about one company – Toyota. With an 83% hybrid market share in 2007, Toyota is the 900-pound gorilla in the business of mass manufacturing and selling nickel-metal hydride batteries for automobiles. Moreover, the transition to lithium-ion batteries (as needed by GM for the Volt) will be based less on particular chemistries and technical details than their suitability for being mass manufactured in a reliable, economic fashion.

Audi S5

Audi S5 Adds Power to All-New Model

Audi isn’t going to make us wait for the high-performance version of its all-new A5 coupe. The S5 packs a 354-hp V-8 and Quattro all-wheel drive and it hits 62 mph in 5.1 seconds.

That should be all we have to say about that. The S5 will go on sale in November with a six-speed manual transmission. An automatic will be available six months later. Having the choice between transmissions is a nice plus, since other Audi S models come with either one or the other, but not both. The enthusiast audience still prefers to shift for themselves, especially in a coupe, but there is a growing group of those who enjoy shift-paddle equipped automatics.                                                                                           

cts coupe

Take a look at our Cadillac CTS Coupe video from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

Cadillac exterior design director John Manoogian II can’t contain himself. He talks about the production CTS coupe and how it will hardly vary from the “CTS coupe concept,” the unmitigated hit of the North American International Auto Show (Detroit), without adding the requisite, “If we were to build it.” And so what’s a poor Cadillac P.R. guy to do, but to say it hasn’t been made official?

silverado hybrid

We´ve spent 90 years making trucks that get the job done right, the first time, every time. And, after years of building the most dependable, longest-lasting trucks on the road,(1) we´re now the first manufacturer to bring you a production two-mode hybrid full-size pickup.

The 2009 Chevy Silverado Two-Mode Hybrid (limited availability starting late fall 2008) is expected to provide the same dependability, power and performance you demand in a Chevy Truck. Plus, it´s expected to feature cutting edge technology to help you through the rigors of your everyday life while being conscious of the environment.

In the first mode, at low speed and light load, the vehicle can operate in three ways: electric power, engine power, or in any combination of electric and engine power. When operating with electric power, it provides all the efficiency of a full hybrid system. The second mode is used primarily at highway speeds to optimize efficiency. It provides electric assist in addition to four-cylinder or full eight-cylinder power when conditions demand it, such as trailer towing and climbing steep grades. Put another way, you´ll experience the benefit of excellent efficiency while also having access to plenty of horsepower and torque.

intresting

Wake up, muscle-car nation: Here is a clear look at the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, the fourth and final installation of the LX-platform that birthed the 300C, Magnum, Charger and their corresponding bad-boy models created by Chrysler LLC’s skunkworks in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Wake up, muscle-car nation: Here is a clear look at the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, the fourth and final installation of the LX-platform that birthed the 300C, Magnum, Charger and their corresponding bad-boy models created by Chrysler LLC’s skunkworks .

knight rider GT500KR

When the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR launches this spring don’t be surprised if there’s some confusion over what the letters “KR” stand for.

While the super car has been known to racing fans as “King of the Road” since 1968, it’s about to star in a remake of the hit TV series Knight Rider making mix-ups inevitable.
The HERO is a standard 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR and the ATTACK is a further modified high-speed version.

“It’s purely a coincidence and a nice one at that,”" said Al Uzielli a senior advisor, to Ford Global Brand Entertainment the Ford office in Beverly Hills which works to place Ford branded vehicles in movies, TV and other media. “Auto enthusiasts will know what KR stands for. But most viewers will probably think it means Knight Rider; at least at first.”

The popular American television series which ran from 1982 to 1986 starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a kind of modern day “knight”. His partner was an advanced Pontiac Trans Am with artificial intelligence. Not only could it talk, it could morph into an attack vehicle that accelerated to 300 mph, used a Turbo Boost to jump over obstacles and even drive itself.

In the new version, Hasselhoff returns, but the lead character is now Justin Bruening who plays Knight’s long-lost son Michael Tracer. Replacing the Pontiac is the KR which in real-life is about to launch a 40th anniversary limited edition with an engine output estimated at 540 horsepower.

“Blue Devil”

The ZR1 is the most expensive and most powerful production Corvette in history, with a price of about 100 grand ($110,000 for the loaded 4LZ trim level) and an estimated 620 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 600 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm from its supercharged LS9 6.2-liter V-8.

It is the first factory-built Corvette to feature forced induction, and it will also be the first Corvette to top 200 mph off the showroom floor. The idea that such a Vette could exist is certifiably bonkers.

New Maserati

The  Maserati CC will roll out in 2008 for around $96,000.The CC will have all-wheel drive, powered by a 280 hp 3.5-liter V6, through a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The current Maserati line-up, with the exception of the MC12 supercar, is exclusively V8-powered, so it’s possible that the CC’s V6 is a bored-out version of the Alfa’s top-of-the-line 3.2-liter, 24 valve, 240 hp engine.

News

Why he’s number one: Carlos Ghosn is fond of saying there’s no problem at a car company that good product can’t fix. Rick Wagoner has taken that to heart. He’s let his number-one car guy, Bob Lutz, help fix the primary problem GM has had since Ron Zarella was running the show, with his repugnant “brand management” style. All the GM engineers and designers on the Power List this year have contributed to Wagoner’s standing and the company’s refound product success. And some car-guy attitude has rubbed off on Wagoner, who, it turns out, is the man behind the “Blue Devil” Corvette ZR1.