Category: Auto Industry

Video: Watch Werner Herzog’s intense anti-texting-while-driving documentary

Filed under: Safety, Videos

People, if there are any doubts as to just how dangerous texting while driving is, you need to watch this documentary, entitled From One Second to the Next, created by Werner Herzog for AT&T and co-presented by Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile. The short film starts out by saying that more than 100,000 accidents occur each year by someone who is texting while driving, and then proceeds to tell just four stories that feature people affected (and devastated) as the result of a distracted driver.

The image above is the aftermath of one of the incidents that killed two men, but each of the stories describe the anger, pain, regret and even forgiveness of these easily preventable accidents. This video, which is posted below, is part of the It Can Wait campaign aimed at getting people to pledge not to engage in dangerous driving distractions, including texting, e-mailing and surfing the internet.

Continue reading Watch Werner Herzog’s intense anti-texting-while-driving documentary

Watch Werner Herzog’s intense anti-texting-while-driving documentary originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Watch Werner Herzog’s intense anti-texting-while-driving documentary”

Video: Porsche 911: Big in Taiwan

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

porsche 911 taiwan

Porsche is continuing celebrations for the fiftieth anniversary of its iconic 911. In its latest video, it’s gone to Taiwan, to interview some of the folks that have grown passionate about the rear-engined sportscar over the years.

By and large, the views expressed in this video could have come from anywhere in the world. The 911 is a great car and that doesn’t change from country to country. These enthusiasts have the same passion that fans in England, the United States or Germany have for the Carrera. Take a look below at the full video, to see what the 911 enthusiasts of Taiwan love about their 911s.

Continue reading Porsche 911: Big in Taiwan

Porsche 911: Big in Taiwan originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Porsche 911: Big in Taiwan”

Report: Would-be car thief foiled by drunk driver ignition interlock

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology

Herb Simpson, president and CEO of the Traffic Injury Reasearch Foundation, left, demonstates an alcohol ignition interlock device as Sen. Locke Burt, R-Ormond Beach, right and Ken Howes, spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol, center, watch, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2002, in Tallahassee, Fla. Burke is sponsoring a bill that would make the device mandantory equipment in automobiles driven by persons who have had two driving under the influence convictions. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

A drunk driver prevented the theft of a TJ Maxx in Farmington, CT on Wednesday. Okay, not exactly. The drunk driver’s car prevented the theft. According to The Hartford Courant, three men swiped $4,500 worth of ladies handbags from the department store, but didn’t get very far. Store security noticed the heist and alerted authorities, who were waiting for the pilferers outside the store.

One man, Levar Fulgham, saw the police and booked it, hopping in a nearby idling car. The only problem, though, was the ignition interlock that was installed. The interlock, which prevented the car from being shifted into gear without first blowing into a breathalizer, was installed because the car’s owner had a few too many and got busted driving drunk (shame he didn’t have a good friend to try and take his keys).

After revving the engine and realizing he couldn’t get it into drive, Fulgham abandoned the car and continued his flight on foot. Police were forced to tase the thief before they could apprehend him. Fulgham was charged with third-, fourth- and sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit fourth- and sixth-degree larceny, refusal to be fingerprinted and interfering with police.

Would-be car thief foiled by drunk driver ignition interlock originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Would-be car thief foiled by drunk driver ignition interlock”

Official: Honda invests $215M in Ohio Earth Dreams production

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Acura, Honda

Honda Ohio Operations

Honda has announced a $215 million investment in a pair of its Ohio operations, taking its total tally for North American operations up to $2.7 billion in three years. The announcement was made at the 2013 Center For Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City.

$180 million of the investment is earmarked for Honda’s Anna, OH engine plant. The money will allow the facility to increase its aluminum die casting and increase production of Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology engines. Think of Earth Dreams as sort of like Mazda’s Skyactiv line, only ED is limited to a new line of engines, rather than a full suite of automotive components. Anna will also be getting a new technical center to train engineers, techs, and line workers on powertrain technology.

The remaining $35 million is slated for Honda’s main Ohio operations in Marysville. A 160,000-square-foot facility will be constructed near Honda’s current properties, which will house another technical training center to focus on automotive manufacturing. The new building will also house Honda’s North American Services group, as well as a new heritage center.

Continue reading Honda invests $215M in Ohio Earth Dreams production

Honda invests $215M in Ohio Earth Dreams production originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Official: Honda invests $215M in Ohio Earth Dreams production”

Video: Russian windshield wiper fix strings us up

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Videos, Humor, Russia

Russians drive Lada in rainy weather with pull-string windshield wipers.

Speaking to the effectiveness of ingenuity and improvisation, the string-pull windshield wipers in this Russian Lada work surprisingly well in the snow and the rainy weather. We wouldn’t recommend practicing this MacGyver-like move unless it’s absolutely necessary, but then again, there can’t be too many Ladas in the US.

So what’s all the jesting about? We’re told the car’s occupants are joking about hand-wiper jobs, and the driver is cautioning the passenger not to rip the rope. That leads us to the tip of the day: remember to keep the wiping motion nice and slow to preserve the string. Watch the video below to see the strung-up wipers in action.

Continue reading Russian windshield wiper fix strings us up

Russian windshield wiper fix strings us up originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Russian windshield wiper fix strings us up”

Report: Akerson looking for 20 percent more range from next-gen Chevy Volt [w/video]

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Videos, Chevrolet

Dan Akerson wants to see 20 percent improvement in electric-drive range.

The Chevrolet Volt’s 38-mile electric range leaves something to be desired, despite being able to run nonstop for hundreds more miles when the range-extending gasoline generator kicks in. General Motors CEO Dan Akerson has recognized this and let slip that he wants to see the next-generation Volt get a significant electric-range increase, Bloomberg reports in a recorded interview with Akerson. The CEO says significant to him means 20 percent – “50 to 60 miles, or more,” he adds – and remarks that the range improvement could be a reality in three or four years. It’s a much bigger deal than the mid-cycle increase that the 2013 Volt got: three electric miles thanks to a half-kWH battery capacity increase.

In a less explicit statement about the next-gen Volt’s electric range, but still in context of the expected 20 percent increase, Akerson also tells Bloomberg that he hopes to see breakthroughs in battery technology that could further reduce cost and increase performance over the next couple of years. Already, the Volt’s 16.5-kilowatt-hour battery’s initial $800 per kWh price has dropped significantly due to volume and improvements in battery technology, according to Akerson. That’s without mentioning the current cost to produce a battery, of course.

Last spring Akerson said that GM hopes to trim $10,000 from the Volt’s price, currently at $39,145, through cost reductions. The goal is halfway met with the recent announcement of a $5,000 price drop for the 2014 Volt, which Akerson confirms in the interview was possible through “some cost savings by virtue of the evolution of the [battery] technology.” Feel free to watch listen to the video below for more details.

Continue reading Akerson looking for 20 percent more range from next-gen Chevy Volt [w/video]

Akerson looking for 20 percent more range from next-gen Chevy Volt [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Akerson looking for 20 percent more range from next-gen Chevy Volt [w/video]”

Official: Kia teases B-segment concept headed to Frankfurt

Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Kia, Design/Style

Kia Concept Frankfurt Motor Show

It’s not uncommon to see an automaker go a little outside of its comfort zone when creating a concept car, but Kia seems to be going all out for a new small concept it plans to unveil at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Although there is not much information to go on about this unnamed concept, Kia does say that it “hints at a possible future B-segment contender.”

With headlights that would look at home on a C7 Corvette or Jaguar F-Type and door cut lines reminiscent of a Ford GT, we can only imagine how sporty this car will look in the flesh. The wide door openings also give a good glimpse inside the car revealing details deep, flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters and the peculiar rotary-style shifter, but our attention is on the instrument panel switches. If you look closely, the second switch from the left seems to be for a center differential possibly hinting at a future sporty all-wheel-drive Kia. Yes, please! Scroll down for the brief press release on the car, and stay tuned for more info as we’ll be on hand covering the show next month.

Continue reading Kia teases B-segment concept headed to Frankfurt

Kia teases B-segment concept headed to Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Official: Kia teases B-segment concept headed to Frankfurt”

Followup: Tony Stewart out ‘indefinitely’ after leg surgery

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Racing

Driver Tony Stewart prepares for a practice session for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 400 auto race, Saturday, June 8, 2013, in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Tony Stewart’s passion for racing is likely going to prevent him from having a hope of capturing his fourth Sprint Cup Championship. Stewart currently sits eleventh in the championship, but after a second surgery for the broken leg he suffered in a sprint car crash earlier this week, his second wreck in less than two weeks, Stewart-Haas Racing says the 42-year-old veteran will be out of the car “indefinitely,” according to USA Today.

While Stewart’s first surgery was at an Iowa hospital, it only stabilized and cleaned the injury (making it likely that this was a compound fracture, in which the bone protruded through the skin, Google if you dare). The second surgery was conducted by a North Carolina specialist, who inserted a metal rod in the tibia (the larger of the two lower leg bones Stewart broke, located on the inside of the leg).

Max Papis is slated to run Stewart’s number 14 Chevrolet at this weekend’s Watkins Glen road race. As for the oval races Stewart will miss, a replacement has not been announced. USA Today also notes that this weekend will be the first race Stewart has missed since 1998, breaking a record that placed him third among active drivers.

Tony Stewart out ‘indefinitely’ after leg surgery originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Followup: Tony Stewart out ‘indefinitely’ after leg surgery”

Report: Two new RWD Toyota sports cars to join FR-S?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Scion, Toyota, Rumormill

2013 Scion FR-S

Toyota as we know it could become a thing of the past. According to Australian site Car Advice, the Japanese brand known for bland cruisers like the Camry and Corolla is preparing to bring two new rear-drive cars to market that would slot above and below the Scion-badged FR-S. This is very, very good news.

Car Advice spoke to the GT86/FR-S’ chief engineer, Tatsuya Tada, who claimed, “Akio Toyoda always says to me, Toyota sports car [family] should be three sports car brothers. 86 is in the middle.” The oldest “brother” would be the spiritual successor to the Supra, even if it doesn’t wear that name. Tada is in charge of that project, while a sub-GT86 project is being headed-up elsewhere.

Tada refused to comment on names (CA specifically mentions MR2 and Celica) for the new small car, but did say that, “Yes it is rear-wheel drive and that’s Toyota’s strong position – Toyota sports car must be rear-wheel drive.” Perhaps the juiciest bit of information obtained from Tada’s interview with Car Advice was his hinting that both new sports cars would be joint ventures, like the GT86/FR-S/Subaru BRZ triplets. Tada wouldn’t say who Toyota was in bed with on the smaller model, but did mention that the Supra would be a product of the world’s largest automaker’s partnership with BMW.

Now, things can and do change often, so we’d advise taking this information with a grain of salt. Still, the above report basically confirms a 2012 story on the return of the MR2 and Supra, while filling in a few blank details, like the fact that both cars will be join projects with other manufacturers. Looks like the next few years will be exciting for Toyota fans.

Two new RWD Toyota sports cars to join FR-S? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Two new RWD Toyota sports cars to join FR-S?”

Report: Trademark trolls cause headache for Tesla in China

Filed under: China, Government/Legal, Electric

It happened to Apple when it first tried to enter the Chinese market, and now it’s happening to electric vehicle maker Tesla: the automaker’s name has already been registered in China by trademark trolls, reports Want China Times. Trademark trolls are people or organizations that register company names in anticipation of selling them when said company decides to enter the market. After two years of litigation, Apple ended up paying Chinese computer monitor maker Proview $60 million to buy the “IPAD” trademark. Tesla has been in litigation since 2009 for the use of its name, and so far, it doesn’t have much to show for it.

“Tesla” was registered in 2009 by Zhan Baosheng, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the automaker already made an offer to buy it for two million yuan ($326,000), but Baosheng wanted the equivalent of about $32.6 million for the trademark. Tesla’s fight to use its name has been somewhat fruitful – it bought the rights to “TESLA MOTORS” on May 6 – but the name can’t be used for finished automotive products for various legal reasons.

The Silicon Valley-based EV maker might have some leverage in its case to acquire ownership of the “Tesla” trademark, because Baosheng hasn’t used the name since he registered it in 2009, and he hasn’t yet proved that he develops products relating to EVs.

Trademark trolls cause headache for Tesla in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Trademark trolls cause headache for Tesla in China”