Subaru News - Marriage counseling solution: set Guinness fuel-economy record set in VW Golf

July 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

John Taylor and wife Helen, both in their 50s, set a Guinness world record by driving 18,001 miles on only 344 gallons of gas in their unmodified VW Golf. That equates to 52.29mpg.

The Taylors were on the road for 78 days, driving through Europe, Asia, and North America. The trip started and ended in London.

The trip was a challenge from Shell after the Taylors had shown the oil company they made a 522-mile trip in a Subaru Impreza without refueling. Shell says the Taylors were chosen because of their record-breaking experience. They share 34 driving records.

John said that journalists often pressed for details on their relationship during stops, and many “tried to get us divorced.”

[Source: The New Paper]

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[tags]subaru cars, subaru news, subaru models[/tags]

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Jaguar News - Land Rover sheds pounds, improves MPG

July 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, Jaguar, Land Rover

Gas guzzlers are starting to get serious about their weight problem. The next generation of Range Rovers from Land Rover is drawing on the experience of sister company Jaguar and may be offered in a rivet-bonded aluminum monocoque body. Insiders say the vehicle could be ready by 2010 but an official decision hasn’t been made. Previously, pundits thought the Range Rover would get Land Rover’s semi-monocoque steel platform. With aluminum, the weight savings could be 500kg (around 15 percent). Fuel economy with the 4.4-liter engine could jump from 18 to 22mpg. The company is also considering aluminum construction for other models.

[Source: whatcar.com]

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Mercedes-Benz News - Automakers create radio and print ads in an attempt to stall fuel economy regulations

July 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

[tags]mercedes benz news, mercedes benz reviews, mercedes benz, daimler chrysler[/tags] -

Filed under: MPG, BMW, Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen, Legislation and Policy

In an effort to sway consumer’s minds when it comes to the types of vehicles they purchase and the regulations concerning fuel mileage of those vehicles, a consortium of automakers is running radio and print advertising in some states. The group, Auto Alliance, consists of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Porsche, and is known officially as The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Their mission: “The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers represents the common interests of its members and provides a forum to enable them to advance public policies that meet consumer and societal needs for clean, safe, efficient, and affordable personal transportation. ”

Although claiming that “we need a balanced approach that avoids harm to Americans dependent on larger cars and light trucks,” according to Gloria Bergquist, the group is not really taking a balanced approach in the states the ads will be heard and shown in. According to this article, “the alliance said it would spend “way north” of $1 million on the ads to be run in Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — all states with high percentages of truck and SUV owners.”

The ads are said to be targeted towards truck owners and mothers who drive larger vehicles and are concerned with safety. The idea is that fuel mileage regulations would make it more difficult for consumers to purchase heavy duty, work capable pickups and for mothers to find safe vehicles.

Click here for ad one (.mp3). Click here for ad two (.mp3).

Grassroots efforts are also said to be in effect to contact retirees from the large automakers with similar information. At this time, automakers are under regulations that were created in 1975 to regulate fuel economy. So, all of you consumers out there, what do you think?

[Source: Detroit News]

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Isuzu News - Toyota to take a stake in Isuzu for engine and emissions collaboration

July 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

, Isuzu, Toyota

Today, Toyota and Isuzu announced a collaboration which will be made possible by the former purchasing a 5.9 percent stake (100 million shares) in the latter. The two companies said in a public statement that the deal will allow them to work together in the research and development in three areas of green car technology. According to Automotive News (subscription required), Isuzu will take the lead in the development of small diesel engines and diesel emissions control while Toyota spearheads alternative-fuel drivetrains and environmental technologies for gas engines.

It seems as though most of the industry can’t help but see an impending omen in the announcement. Just seven months ago, GM sold off the entirety of its stake (7.9 percent) in Isuzu in an effort to focus on falling profits in North America. And now, as Toyota makes one of GM’s old alliances its own, the Japanese giant also gears up in an attempt to overtake GM as the world’s number one automaker.

There’s currently no word on the price of the deal, but it should hover somewhere around $354 million. “You have my word on it.”

[Source: Associated Press via International Herald Tribune]

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Dodge News - Update on the ongoing saga of Chryslers B segment deal with Chery

July 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

, Chrysler, Dodge

Small cars often come in handy, especially when writing the initial check to purchase it and when pulling up next to the gas pump. For obvious reasons, the smaller the car and the smaller the engine, the less it costs and the less gas it uses. Anyway, Chrysler has been after a small B-Class car of their own for a while now, and appeared to have a deal in hand with the Chinese carmaker Chery for a car in that segment, namely, the Dodge Hornet. We have brought you quite a few news stories since then regarding that deal, which seems odd, considering that a deal had apparently been struck already… but, it seems that Chery might think that the deal is off based on the new owner of the Chrysler group. According to this story on Autoblog, Chery wants to renegotiate the deal with Cerberus, the new owner. I guess we’ll just need to keep an eye on this one for now and hope that the vehicle gets built at some point.