Penske Loses Philip Morris Sponsorship

From Autoweek: "The change comes as part of federal advertising guidelines imposed on tobacco companies.  Well-known tobacco company Philip Morris USA is officially gone from Team Penske, which means the famous day-glo orange-and-white livery is gone from Indy-car racing, too. Team Penske officials confirmed the end of the 20-year association on Tuesday, when the Izod IndyCar Series convened in Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park for its first open test of the season."

Somehow, I think Marlboro will find other ways to advertise their product that will be just as effective.  As for the impact on Penske?  His stock, ticker: PAG, is on a slight downward trend hovering above $14/share.  It might go up if he slapped a logo on the other cheek of this chick.  I'm just sayin'.

New Year, New Name, Same Show

2010 has already proven to be an opportunity to seek change in several aspects of what we’ve come to know as the norm. Take for instance the great automotive events that take place in the warm summer months across our great nation. With the announcements made as of late to the name or title changes to the following events outlined below.

The Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance is changing its name this year and will be known as the Concours d'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook. The vintage-car event is held annually in suburban Detroit on the grounds of the Meadow Brook estate, located on the campus of Oakland University. The estate is the former home of Matilda Dodge Wilson, the widow of auto pioneer John Dodge. The name change reflects the legal name of the concours, which became a registered nonprofit in 2004. The event is scheduled for July 25. Classes for the 2010 edition include celebrity cars, space-age cars from the 1950s and 1960s, Ridler award winners from Detroit's hot-rod show, AutoRama, and European

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced that the Monterey Historic Automobile Races® – held each August for more than three decades – will now be known as the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) will be producing the historic races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca going forward, and that General Racing, Ltd., the creator and producer of the Monterey Historic Automobile Races® for the last 36 years, will no longer be producing the event. However, General Racing still owns the copyright to the now-famous name, prompting SCRAMP and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to come up with an alternative.

Put A Fork In It Already!

A recent announcement made by a Ford executive sporting a mullet at this years NADA conference in Orlando, Florida that Mercury is getting a new product added to their geriatric line-up. In disbelief upon hearing this news report I found myself continually shaking my head and saying WHY… and put a fork in it already!

Mercury once was in its day a more highly contented vehicle that proved to have some success as being the middle of the road affordable offering between a Ford and at that time high-end luxury Lincoln product. That time has long passed and Mercury has had more issues with its identity branding than one can list. It currently provides four warmed over cosmetic changes in a Ford Division product in their offering. For example: Milan (Fusion), Mariner (Escape), Mountaineer (Explorer) and everyone’s early bird dinner special the Grand Marquis.

The sharp newly design “world car”, Ford Focus for 2011 will be bastardized to meet the screaming needs of the Mercury dealers starving for anything to help them survive. Picture a bunch of baby birds waiting for their parent to feed them some warm regurgitation to survive. The perception by most was that Ford was going to let the brand sunset and wait for dealers to drop off the vine and close before they would have to make an official announcement to avoid purchasing them out right. This roadmap provided by their CEO was to focus on the Blue Oval brand and has been working to their favor thus far.

The announcement of this small segment vehicle being added to the Mercury brand is puzzling at best seeing they are going to also bring back the lack luster name Tracer. This seems to be a departure of their naming convention with everything having to begin with a "M", perhaps the Mercury Malaise instead of Tracer. All this to delay the inevitable “writing on the wall”, that Mercury is no longer brand that people say I can’t wait to own in this day and age. More often heard is the bewildered grumbling… Mercury still offers product, seriously?

Porsche May Struggle to Comply With U.S. Fuel Limits

I came across this article in Bloomberg the other day.  What am I missing during the Obama administration that the average fuel economy for gas cars needs to be 41.4 mpg from 2016 on?  The last I checked that number was reserved for diesel Jettas and broken Priusi.  I realize Porsche just came out with a hybrid race car but they are going to have to buy a golf cart company to average out those kind of numbers.

Here's a quick rundown for the base models fuel ratings:

Boxster manual - 19, 27 mpg
Cayman manual - 19, 27 mpg
911 manual - 18, 25 mpg
Panamera - can only find the 25 highway mpg rating through some microsite that launches in a new browser window instead of following the same format as the rest of the entire Porsche website
Cayenne manual - 14, 20 mpg

Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Porsche SE, the maker of the Boxster sports car, may struggle to fulfill U.S. gasoline-consumption rules, potentially denting sales, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing a company spokesman.

Porsche gained a waiver to meet the requirements in 2012 through 2015 yet doubts its automobiles will satisfy the legal minimum consumption rate from 2016, the company’s U.S.-based lobbyist Stephan Schlaefli is cited by the newspaper as saying.

The U.S. legislation, which will become law in May, requires cars to have an average gasoline consumption rate of 41.4 miles to the gallon, the FTD cites Schlaefli as saying. That will entail lowering the consumption of Porsche cars by about 10 percent a year from 2010, which Schlaefli said was not feasible, the newspaper said.

Action Comics No. 1 with Superman

Should it come as any surprise that the first thing Superman is depicted with during his 1938 reveal is a car?  Significant correlation between the car pictured and the $1 million dollar price tag this Action Comics No. 1 fetched yesterday?  Darn tootin'.  Clearly Action Comics needed the lift of a beautiful green sedan with white wall tires and suicide doors to propel what used to cost 10¢ into the stratosphere.  70 years later Superman probably never drove a car in his life.  But man could he chuck them around to save some peeps.  Job well done, Superman.  

Peter Max Corvette Collection Lost, Then Found in N.Y.

NEW YORK — It's like a VH1 documentary: The music TV channel gave away 36 Corvettes (one from every model year from 1953-'89) in a contest back in 1989. What happened to them all? The winner of the contest sold the lot of vehicles to psychedelic-art legend Peter Max, who stored them in a dusty basement in Brooklyn without benefit of so much as car covers. All these years later, the cars have made the news again.

The New York Times reported that the pop artist bought the lot for $250,000 in cash, $250,000 in artwork and a percentage of proceeds from any future sale of the cars with the cap set at $1 million. Max was quoted in the story as saying he was originally interested in painting the cars in his trademark wildly colored style and taking them out on tour. He just never got around to it.

The next bit of news from the Times was that the Vettes had been moved from their longtime storage site, an apartment building that previously had been a printing plant for the New York Daily News. And just where did the collection go?

The answer was not long in coming, thanks to an alert CorvetteBlogger correspondent, who happened to be in the right place at the right time and spotted the collection in full. They're now stored in a garage in upper Manhattan while the artist decides how to decorate them or otherwise do something with the riches he has ignored for so long.

The 36 Vettes appear a bit the worse for wear, but a few have endured significantly more damage than just a thick coat of dust and flat tires. Both the 1974 and '75 Corvettes have some rear panel damage that appears to be from the movers pushing on the brittle fiberglass panels just a little too hard.

Max told the Times that he intends to "paint them so it's respectful" and even add another 14 vehicles to the group to bring it up to date through 2003. Also stay tuned for a possible documentary about the cars.

Quest For The Third Leg

"The exotic car business is quite volatile," stated Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann. "So three legs are invariably better to stand on than two. That's why we have been thinking for several years about a third model to complement the Murciélago and the Gallardo." The dramatic Estoque, revealed in concept form at the Paris auto show is to compete in the segment with the likes of the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide, both of which it would follow to market, in 2012. This has become a very interesting race to grab high-end market share for those who wish or can afford to have an exotic four-door performance sedan. Not a new concept seeing Ferrari and Maserati have presented four-door sedan models on and off for several years in a very similar fashion.

This is in some ways similar to the latest push to reintroduce to the markets a superficial need to have a hatchback sedan. Audi’s A7 Sportback, BMW’s 5 Series GranTurismo and yikes the Acura ZDX are in the midst of rolling out their mainstream versions. I’m curious to see how the US consumer may react to this new convergence of a sports car, four-door sedan and the utility of a hatchback design. Can someone please tell Acura that the cheese slicer or beer bottle opener looking grille has to go?

Bumper Rage

It's easy for a gear-head to be discouraged about the state of the world. But occasionally a bright light of fun renews the spirit. Road-legal bumper cars do just that. Yes, you read that right; these little bumper buddies are street legal. They run on either Kawasaki or Honda motorcycle engines and co-opt vintage bumper car bodies into the most awesome form of mini-car we've seen in too long.

There are seven of these little monsters floating around California and they're all the creation of one man, Tom Wright. A builder in the outskirts of San Diego, California who figured the leftovers of the Long Beach Pike amusement park needed a more dignified end than the trash heap. Harley motors originally powered them but they rattled your teeth loose. Tom replaces them with Honda or Kawasaki 750's and a couple have been measured as capable of 160 MPH, which is terrifyingly fast in machines with such a short wheelbase.

Red-light cameras stir Valentine's Day protest

This is what I love to see.  The people taking it to the streets!   How come I didn't hear about this until after the fact? 

"Nearly two dozen gather on North Side, urging drivers to honk to protest communities they say are using cameras to boost revenue rather than reduce crashes."

Full Story - Valentine's Day captured passion of another kind — the ire of Chicago motorists who joined a nationwide protest Sunday against red-light cameras.

Nearly two dozen protesters armed with posters took over the southeast corner of Addison Street and Western Avenue. They called for drivers to honk their horns to protest communities they say are using the cameras, which snap photos of drivers running red lights, to generate revenue rather than reducing crashes.

"They're stealing our money," car passenger Adrian Cruz shouted out his window.

Scott Tucker, who organized the protest and is the Republican candidate for the 11th District state House seat, said he's supporting pending legislation to rid automated ticketing machines in Illinois.

"It's a quality-of-life issue," said Tucker, 37, of Chicago's Roscoe Village neighborhood. "It's taking money out of our pockets and putting it into a wasteful government economy rather than keeping it in the free enterprise system" and creating jobs.

Chicago Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Steele said the cameras are "first and foremost about safety" and have been since the city launched the program in 2003.

Rostelle Reese, 56, of the city's Grand Crossing community, said he has received three $100 tickets from running red lights and is scared that he'll be rear-ended if he slams on his brakes when a traffic light turns yellow. But it's either that or risk getting another ticket, he said.

"I don't know whether to have an accident or continue through," Reese said.

Juke Box

A very unique B-segment ‘ute is coming to market this fall. Nissan named this vehicle the Juke, which portrays a very stylish café motorcycle gas tank green house with sloped rooflines reminiscing of the earlier FX models. The tall hip line and flared wheel arches offer a wide aggressive looking stance. I find the front clip to be especially intriguing with the marker lights residing in the crest of the high front fender lines; coupled with a lower profile deer spot light looking headlamps flanking the Murano grille. Just below the erector set looking front bumper line fascia are driving lights that seem to round out the multitude of provided illumination. Looking at this vehicle head on reminds me of some older women that have had multiple face-lifts which resulted in an odd fashion that raised their eyebrows nearing hairlines and were unable to blink.

Three engines will be coming to market with AWD models coming equipped with a 187 horsepower 1.6-liter direct injected turbocharged four-cylinder putting out 177 pound-feet of torque. A 113-hp 1.6-liter will also be available, along with a 110-hp 1.5-liter diesel. The turbocharged engine has to make due with a continuously variable transmission, while the other engines can be optioned with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Nissan is offering a host of high-tech features, including keyless entry and start, a rearview camera, automatic headlamps, and more to be announced in the Geneva show. Juke offers a different approach to what appears to be a rush for manufactures to bring B-segment vehicles to market to compete with more car like vehicles. This design may not be for all… but I’m looking forward to seeing this in person.

Porsche 911 Hybrid

In the GT3 R Hybrid, two electric motors power the front wheels while a gasoline engine drives the rear wheels. The GT3 R Hybrid has no batteries, which would add too much weight. Instead, energy is stored using a flywheel generator that can spin at up to 40,000 rpm. Power is sent to the flywheel generator during braking and that power is available for six to eight seconds following each charge. When the driver wants the extra boost -- as much 160 horsepower -- from the electric motors, he presses a button the steering wheel. That extra power comes in addition to the 480 horsepower produced by the GT3's 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine. The extra boost can be useful in accelerating out of a turn or when passing another car.

While you won't be able to park this car in your driveway anytime soon -- it's a racecar intended for LeMans endurance racing.

Like Putting Lipstick On A Pig

The Chrysler Group in their latest attempt to market their brand will bring to market a slightly refreshed product that’s proven to target an 85 percent male buyer with a macho persona.

A limited production of 400 new special edition Dodge Challenger SRT-8 Furious Fuchsia models have been unveiled will having a white interior as standard equipment. It will be optional on R/T models. This is coming from Dodge who has a history of outrageous color names for its performance cars dating back to the original muscle car era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some colors, like Top Banana (yellow) and Sublime (green), and Go Mango (metallic orange) have also been reintroduced in recent years. Furious Fuchsia is an all-new shade. Chrysler describes it as an updated version of Panther Pink and Moulin Rouge, colors available in 1970 and which enjoy a fan following today.

Seriously…? This seems to contradict the “brand message” that is being conveyed in the latest broadcasted commercial spots created by the agency hired to correct.

Who You Going to Sit on the Bench?

You either have to be dumb or stupid to let this crash happen when your mechanic test drives the car and STILL say you will bring your car back for service.  Quote "I have no reason to think I wouldn’t,” she said. “It’s a well-respected place.” 

Playa Haters

My morning ritual is to log on my computer and peruse the usual suspects of publications. I came across this article a while back and shared it with my friends and they all said, “ it was so me”. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-brentwood-garage5-2010feb05,0,4655518.story

Knowing my infinity for finer architectural design, exotic vehicles and someday to have unique garage such as this… I thought this chaps idea of a unique room constructed in and around a display case (garage) was not only functional but esthetically pleasing. All right, I know what a lot of reader are going to say at this very moment. However, there’s a lot of us car loving people out there who would in some way do something very similar if given the opportunity and a very, very understanding wife.

Well it seems that the neighbors and zoning commission board have now a different slant on the matter. I hope that this couple get their variance approved so he can retain this very unique feature of this home. Hmm…I truly wonder if he hadn’t received the attention from the original article written about this unique home if this would have still gone in front of review board.

Who Does Number One Work For?

The total number of vehicles Toyota Motor Corp. has had to recall for gas-pedal related issues now comes to 8.1 million, the carmaker confirmed Thursday. Toyota officials estimate the total cost of the global recall could be as much as $2 billion, including the loss of 100,000 vehicle sales in the United States and Europe.

The figures do not include the Toyota Prius, which is currently not subject to a recall but is under formal investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This follows complaints of faulty braking by consumers and an admission by the company that cars produced early in the 2010 model year had a software problem that caused poor brake performance.

Dealers are extending their hours, opening additional repair stations and offering car washes. In return, Toyota is paying dealers as much as $75,000, depending on their sales volume, to cover additional expenses caused by the recalls.

Which models are involved in the sticking accelerator pedal recall/stop sale?

Toyota’s accelerator pedal recall and suspension of sales is confined to the following Toyota Division vehicles:

• Certain 2009-2010 RAV4

• Certain 2009-2010 Corolla

• 2009-2010 Matrix,

• 2005-2010 Avalon,

• Certain 2007-2010 Camry,

• Certain 2010 Highlander

• 2007-2010 Tundra,

• 2008-2010 Sequoia

Which models are involved in the floor mat pedal entrapment recall?

Toyota

•2007 - 2010 Camry

•2005 - 2010 Avalon

•2004 - 2009 Prius

•2005 - 2010 Tacoma

•2007 - 2010 Tundra

•2008 - 2010 Highlander

•2009 - 2010 Corolla

•2009 - 2010 Venza

•2009 - 2010 Matrix

Lexus

•2006 - 2010 IS 250

•2006 - 2010 IS 350

•2007 - 2010 ES 350

It will be interesting to see what the federal investigation reports in its findings as it relates to the recently noted brake issue with the Prius models. Hopefully, the remaining U.S. companies can take advantage of the recent miss steps of the Japanese power play of becoming number one in global sales. This has come at a great cost to their core brand perception, which is the high-perceived value and quality of a Toyota and Lexus brands. Even more interesting is that VW has announced its intentions to overtake Toyota’s title in global sales leader by the year 2018.

To echo the sentiment of Groosh, GO USA! USA! USA! … OK that’s enough let’s go get a beer or two and watch the upcoming Super Bowl ads to see what Toyota can do to ease the fear of its current owners and future buyers.

Kicking a triping horse.

So now everyone is beating on Toyota for braking issues with the Prius. The issue is over reported braking problem when a driver goes over bumps while applying the brakes. If you have access to Automotive News, you can read this article... if not, you'll find it on just about any news site.

Come on, I had a Ford Ranger that had the same problem - I would hit the brakes while going over a speed-bump and the brake pedal would go to the floor. I figured out that the reason it was doing that was because as my rear tires(rear ABS) would go over the bump, and get a little light, the braking system would register it as being on ice...so it would compensate by reducing the amount of brake pressure on the calipers - which in turn made the pedal hit the floor. If I just released the brakes and then pressed them again the system would re-register and things would be back to normal. I'm not saying that is the problem with the Prius, but it might be...

I just love how the media is kicking Toyota for anything it can...this seems to be pretty typical of people (other automotive companies), when they notice that someone is better than them, they do whatever it takes to knock them down to their level rather than trying to improve their own image.

Let me guess, someone will now try to get JD Power to issue their quality survey early so that all the Toyota owners submit negative numbers. "Yeah, that'll show the world that we're just as good as them - Chrysler"

Toyota's Audi

I think they are screwed for a while.  Look what the accelerator pedal incident did for Audi.  It ruined them for the American market for most of the late 80's and created the new shift lock transmission regulations that cost manufacturers more money.  Side note, I actually happen to love the shift lock as I watch my daughter play in our cars and try to move out like her papa.   

But the point here is that no matter how much ad money Toyota throws at this problem, people are going to freak out, not feel safe, think they can get free lawsuit cash, etc.  This may be the biggest break for the Americans during these incredibly hard times.  U-S-A, U-S-A!   Let's hope they don't blow this opportunity like they do most.