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industry news
news
GM Buys Renaissance Center Headquarters for $626 Million
General Motors has announced it will be taking advantage of the downturn in the Detroit real estate market (burning cars isn't an amenity) and purchasing its Renaissance Center headquarters. The crown jewel of the Detroit downtown riverfront has served as the General's headquarters since 1996 and after the successful loss of $3.3 billion last quarter, GM is making a move to increase its overhead. We're assuming that $626 million will be buying all five towers but as GM only lives in a couple of them, it's possible Rick Wagoner will be taking on new responsibilities as the building super. [Internation Herald tribune]
news
Moron Drives Through High School Practice Fields
Listen people, hoonage really should be limited to only putting your machine and at most yourself at risk. This is the principle element our moron of the day missed when performing a textbook ramp which, in other circumstances, would have been most impressive. Unfortunately George Cowen, 17, decided to pull this stunt of his on a high school practice field in Carver, Massachusetts — while kids were out there practicing. Understandably, the police were quickly summoned and though Georgie boy fled from the scene, the cops were kind enough to meet him at home. Congratulations George, you're a jackass. (Thanks to DustyButt and Dion for the tip) [Boston Channel 5]
news
Canadian Cabinet Members Forced To Give Back Vehicles, Thanks To One Teenage Hoon
The cabinet ministers in Nova Scotia will no longer be allowed to cruise around in government-paid vehicles after one teenage son of a cabinet minister crashed a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid likely doing something very un-green-like. It turned into a bit of a messy he-said she-said as the cabinet member, Judy Streatch, said she was given verbal permission to allow her son to drive the vehicle, but not written permission, which was previously required by the cabinet. More »
news
Ford Reveals New 6-Speed Automatic, More Power For Escape And Mariner
Ford has announced an all new front drive automatic 6 speed transmission with the elegant name "6F35." The new trans sports all kinds of innovative features designed to offer better fuel economy, quieter operation and reduced NVH. The 6F35 has also got a trick up its sleeve in that flat vehicle towing will no longer be a no-no due to a revised pump and baffle design which provides lube when the interior bits turn, regardless of energy source. As important is the announcement the transmission will be installed in the 2009 Ford Escape and 2009 Mercury Mariner, both of which will get a horsepower bump for their engines. The 2.5L four will see another 17 HP, and the 3.0L V6 will get a whopping 40 HP increase. So despite the 4 to 6% fuel economy improvement with the new trans, expect to see only a 1 MPG improvement in fuel economy. Full details in the press release below. More »
news
Microsoft Shills Its SYNC To Hyundai, Kia
Microsoft is again shilling its technology out to the masses, but this time offering up its car infotainment system, better known as SYNC, to the Hyundai-Kia Auto Group. The 2010 models will be the first to include the Microsoft entertainment system that still remains nameless as Ford has the name SYNC locked down by the balls. For the time being, the system used by Hyundai and Kia will be similar to that offered by Ford, FIAT and most recently with Suzuki (who decided on the Suzuki TRIP name), but the group is looking at new capabilities that could be added like navigation and emergency call services. Press release below the jump. More »
news
Icelandic Hoons Protest Falling Krona, Rising Gas Prices
Iceland's the one country with a currency rate falling further than the dollar and according to the front-pager today in the Wall Street
news
Porsche Boss Finds Baby Monitor In Room, Freaks Out About Corporate Spying
Wendelin Wiedeking has got a lot on his plate right now. The CEO of Porsche has got a line of cars selling like hotcakes, a new super sedan around the corner, and is trying to expand their stake in Volkswagen on the side. So when an operating baby monitor was found in his hotel room ahead of his attendance at a meeting of VW's advisory board, we can understand if a little concern was in order. No allegations have been leveled yet, but an investigation is underway and the possibility of corporate espionage is not out of the question. We'll have to see what happens, but something is rotten in Lower Saxony. [AP Story on Yahoo]
news
Tracinda To Expand Stake In Ford, Buy 20 Million More Shares
Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Corp is planning to add 20 million shares to its current pile of 100 million Ford Motor Company shares and is willing to pay $8.50 per share to do it. Trancinda made the announcement this morning to which Ford has responded with a "thanks for the vote of confidence" style statement. Seems KirkKerk is going for an automaker trifecta after past activities like buying a major portion of GM (then selling it), trying to buy all of Chrysler (and losing), and now getting into the 5.5% ownership range of Ford. Apparently falling market share but improving profit trends creates a mixed message that Tracinda is willing to stake a little coin on this quarter. [Reuters]
i feel gassy
DC Choir Director Prays For Cheap Go-Go Juice In San Francisco
We've tried taking over a major oil-producing country. We've tried making fuel out of food crops. We've even tried making hybrid SUVs. Not one of those solutions has lowered gas prices, so how about praying 'em down? Choir director Rocky Twyman has come out to San Francisco from DC to take a shot at invoking some divine intervention at some of the costliest gas pumps in the land. He suggests that, in addition to praying for cheaper gas, folks should walk more and use carpools... wait, isn't that cheating?[Associated Press]
alternative energy
Coskata Breaks Ground On Ethanol Plant, Could Make Fuel For $1 Per Gallon
Kings of ethanol and new GM buddy, Coskata, has announced it has broken ground on an new cellulosic ethanol plant in Pennsylvania that could be churning out the alternative fuel as early as next year. Coskata claims it can produce the two carbon alcohol at a cost of $1 per gallon so unless they aren't interested in getting to step three, expect pricing on the more renewable fuel to be higher than that. Regardless, it will likely beat the hell out of that $5.40 gallon gas bullshit going on in California. More »
free cars
By way of Toyota's own Open Road Blog is word of a new scam using Toyota's name in vain to obtain financial info for use in identity theft and raiding bank accounts. The scam involves a letter and sometimes an included check branded with Toyota's logo. A couple of different forms of the scam are circulating — one of them involves a mystery-shopper program. Another is a about a lottery awarding free money and a Toyota vehicle. And let's be clear here — if you fell for this, we've got a Nigerian lottery we'd like to discuss with you.
More »
Scammers Using Toyota's Name To Rip Off Consumers
By way of Toyota's own Open Road Blog is word of a new scam using Toyota's name in vain to obtain financial info for use in identity theft and raiding bank accounts. The scam involves a letter and sometimes an included check branded with Toyota's logo. A couple of different forms of the scam are circulating — one of them involves a mystery-shopper program. Another is a about a lottery awarding free money and a Toyota vehicle. And let's be clear here — if you fell for this, we've got a Nigerian lottery we'd like to discuss with you.
More »
news
Volkwagen Demonstrates Parking Assist, Lexus Giggles
Lexus has been letting drivers prove they cannot handle basic driving functions for a while now, but Volkswagen is getting into the act and recently demonstrated a similar type of parking assist service at the Hanover Fair. The system uses the usual array of cameras and ultrasound sensors to perfectly park the car in a narrow space. Similar to Lexus though it may be, VW's Park Assist Vision does have one particularly nice function that would even make the DARPA folks envious. More »
news
Truck Nutz Now Fineable In Florida, One State Senator Admits Guilt
The infamous Truck Nutz have now been deemed illegal in Florida and are punishable with a measly $60 fine. If you remember, Virginia was working on enacting a similar bill that would make displaying the genitals a misdemeanor punishable with a $250 fine. What makes this even funnier is what some of Florida's senators had to say about the matter, including an admission of guilt by one. More »
news
James Bond's Aston Martin DBS Swan Dives Into Italian Lake
It seems the lusty power of the Aston Martin DBS, a rain-soaked night and an over-zealous stunt driver conspired to result in James Bond's car taking a swim in Lake Garda in Italy. According to the Daily Telegraph, a stunt driver for the latest film Quantum of Solace, lost control while bombing along some narrow roads and managed to fly off the road. While the car was a quantum of sogginess, the driver managed to escape a similarly water-soaked fate, but probably decidedly less marketable as a stunt driver. We're thinking it's excusable to lose a car when you're rehearsing or performing a stunt in front of the camera and crew. It's probably less acceptable when you're merely attempting to deliver the car to the set. Even less acceptable is that it's the only car available for filming.
offbeat news
Scarfing, Cellphone-Blabbing Driver Hits Cop Car, Surprised To Get Ticket
Justin D. Grill, 19, was just minding his own business, taking his '87 Crown Vic out for a little spin in Chippewa Falls. Oh sure, he had a sandwich in one hand and a cellphone in the other (no doubt delivering one of those riveting monologues that goes like "And so I MFFGP SMOFF told that sumbitch GLOOMPH NARF GLRMPH he could kiss my SPLRMPH GRUNCH..." and makes you wonder whether the unseen spirit of Miss Manners had a hand in subsequent events) when he sideswiped an oncoming police car on a bridge, but you really couldn't say that was his fault, right? His reaction? "I'm getting a ticket? For what?" [Chippewa.com]
news
Scion Chooses Lackluster HD Radio For Its Audio-Centric Customers
Toyota has recently announced a partnership with iBiquity, which will put HD Radio systems in a variety of Scion vehicles. What makes this partnership even funnier is the PR-speak Toyota used to announce the partnership."Since Scion customers are in tune with audio technology, it makes sense that we enhance our already outstanding audio offerings for them," said Jason Adang, Accessory Audio and Electronics Planning Manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Digital HD Radio technology is ideal for our youthful, tech-savvy customers who will enjoy the wide range of content available on HD Radio channels."Toyota hasn't gotten that hint that HD Radio is floundering, big time. This whole marketing thing is pretty new to Scion, as well. More »
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