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CarmaRace board game seeks funding on Kickstarter

Automotive geekery isn’t just limited to internet forums, dingy garages, or coffee shop parking lots. It extends far beyond that, actually. Board games – and we’re talking the complex ones with rulebooks longer than The Grapes Of Wrath, not Chutes and Ladders – are actually a fairly popular outlet for auto enthusiasts. Take the wildly addicting Formula D, for example.

The problem with board games is that they are often too long and complex to be played on a whim. CarmaRace aims to change that, by delivering a game that is both easy to learn and difficult to master, making it a bit like Risk. Unlike Risk, though, this game is all about getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible.

Players will need to hitchhike across the continent, be it on a plane, train, or by car. Each mode of transport has a card, while players can collect bonuses for future use, or obstacles to slow down an opponent. The strong social element can force players to make and break alliances at the drop of the hat, which is one of the things that’s so darn entertaining about these types of games.

Normally, we wouldn’t be quite so keen on a board game, but it comes from one of the producers for the online board game review show (yes, there is such a thing) Board to Death TV. That gives this game just a bit more credibility than one made by a big corporation. It’s sort of like what you’d get if you bought a car designed by the Autoblog team. Take a look at CarmaRace’s Kickstarter, which has 26 days to go and is already one-third of the way to its goal.

CarmaRace board game seeks funding on Kickstarter originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jul 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: UAW to vie for board seats at GM, Ford and Chrysler

Filed under: Chrysler, Ford, GM, UAW/Unions

United Auto Workers president Bob King

The United Auto Workers currently doesn’t have any representation on the boards of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford, but boss Bob King apparently wants to change that. TheDetroitBureau.com is reporting that King and co. would like to add union representation to boards, and the UAW chief is looking to Germany for inspiration. German automakers adhere to a co-determination law that requires automakers to have union representation on the Board of Supervisors of each company.

According to TDB, the UAW hasn’t had any representation on a board since Owen Bieber (no relation to Justin) served on the board of Chrysler in the 1980s. Bieber was allegedly voted off the board for voting against executive pay raises. The union has also has some indirect representation thanks to the Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association. General Motors and Chrysler each have a VEBA representative, though the board spots aren’t affiliated with the UAW.

King hasn’t given many specifics about any plan to add union representation on company boards and he hasn’t outright called for The Detroit Three to agree to such an arrangement, but it looks like it may come sooner or later. The UAW contracts are up as of September, and there has been talk that King may want to negotiate with all three automakers at the same time instead of picking one target for pattern bargaining.

UAW to vie for board seats at GM, Ford and Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Veritas twin-turbo coupe still on the drawing board

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, MISC

Veritas coupe CAD rendering In Vino Veritas, the old Latin saying goes, “In wine is truth.” But what about CAD renderings? That’s what Aussie auto website CarAdvice got a glimpse at while touring the headquarters of German niche carmaker Veritas.

The engineering trust formed the collective brain behind the Veritas RSIII, a radical retro roadster powered by BMW’s celebrated V10 engine, and has long been rumored to be following up with a coupe to join it. And the design, at least, for that model appears to be coming along nicely.

Since the M5’s V10 has now been discontinued, Veritas has, like Wiesmann, had to work around its replacement: the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that powers the X5 M and X6 M and which will drive the new M5, as well. Since the turbo-eight reportedly requires a lot more cooling than the ten-pot it replaces, the design’s aerodynamics had to be thoroughly rethought.

That’s about all there is at present, but we’ll expect to hear more as the project progresses. In the meantime, head over to CarAdvice for a closer look.

Veritas twin-turbo coupe still on the drawing board originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Focus adds on-board WiFi in Europe

Filed under: Europe, Technology, Ford, UK

Ford SYNC Mobile WiFi Hotspot

Ford SYNC Mobile WiFi Hotspot – Click above for high-res image gallery

You might figure that, with a name like Focus, Ford’s compact model would be all about eliminating distractions. But the new global Focus is jam-packed with technology, and the latest among them is a new in-car WiFi system.

The device works with SYNC and MyFord Touch to pick up the signal from a mobile internet dongle or smartphone and share it with as many as five additional devices in the car. This should come in handy for road trips and traveling salesmen, but we hope drivers will be able to stayed focused while behind the wheel.

One way or another, the system appears to be available – at least initially – only overseas in European markets, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for its introduction in the United Sates, as well. In the meantime you can follow the jump to scope out the full details in the press release from Ford’s British subsidiary.

Gallery: Ford SYNC Mobile WiFi Hotspot

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Ford Focus adds on-board WiFi in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Honda Civic Hybrid scores 44 mpg across the board

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Honda

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s not 50 miles per gallon (rest, easy Prius), but the mpg numbers for the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid impress us nonetheless: 44/44/44. That’s city/highway/combined, and it’s a nice jump – especially in the city – from the 40/43/41 numbers sported by the 2011 model.

The New York Auto Show this week has been full of “40 mpg” claims from many automakers, but these have mostly described just one of the three ratings categories (usually highway). To have Honda announce you get an estimated 44 miles to the gallon no matter how you drive deserves a bit of praise. (Golf clap.)

The reason for the fuel economy boost lies, in part, with the upgraded battery pack used in the Honda Integrated Motor Assist system. Instead of the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in previous Civic Hybrids, the ’12 version cruises along with 20-kW worth of li-ion cells. Compared to the NiMH pack, the lithium-ion battery is 5 kW more powerful and also a bit lighter. The gas engine has also been upgraded from 1.3 liters to a 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder, and the full system offers 110 combined horsepower at 5,500 rpm. There are also some design tweaks on the exterior – nothing too fancy – that you can check out in our gallery below and read all about after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid: New York 2011

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New York 2011: Honda Civic Hybrid scores 44 mpg across the board originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Honda slashes board size to speed decision making

Filed under: Etc., Honda

In a move similar to one recently made by Toyota, Honda has announced a plan to reduce the size of its Board of Directors. Downsizing from 20 to 12 board members will allow Honda to streamline its decision making process.

Pending approval at Honda’s upcoming shareholder’s meeting, the changes will be made official in June. Among those being removed from the board is American Honda Motor Company President Tetsuo Iwamura. He will retain his stateside presidential role and his additional position of Senior Managing Director with Honda HQ in Japan. [Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Honda slashes board size to speed decision making originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: UAW may seek board seats at Chrysler, Ford and GM

Filed under: UAW/Unions

Bob King, UAW President

Automotive News is reporting that the United Auto Workers has set its sights on securing a position on the executive board of each domestic automaker. The move would mirror similar relationships between labor unions and German automakers in Europe, and UAW President Bob King says that his organization has broached the subject with the Big Three in the past. Moving forward, having a slot on each of the automakers ruling boards is something that the UAW will continue to push. King says that such a relationship would allow the UAW to preserve current jobs while advocating for the creation of new employment opportunities.

That’s all well and good, but as MT points out, there could be issues with plopping UAW representatives on the boards of America’s automakers. The biggest of those is that whoever the union chose to represent the organization would be facing large conflicts of interest when it came time to vote on labor decisions, though other issues would likely arise as well.

[Sources: Automotive News – sub. req. | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images]

Report: UAW may seek board seats at Chrysler, Ford and GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy Volt’s first customers will be 15-person Customer Advisory Board

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, Electric

2011 Chevrolet Volt

2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lyle Dennis. Bill Nye. Jim Woolsey. Brian Wynne. What do these people have in common, besides being featured at one time or another on AutoblogGreen? They are all members of the new Chevrolet Volt Customer Advisory Board that General Motors announced today (disclosure: AutoblogGreen columnist Chelsea Sexton is also on the panel).

So, what will the 15 people who make up the board actually do? Basically, they’re getting a Volt before you do and will tell GM what’s working and what isn’t. More specifically, they will be the first people who get to, “experience the Volt every day under real-world conditions during a three-month vehicle and charging evaluation program starting in late October.”

The 15 (see all the names after the jump, and note the number of electric vehicle enthusiasts included) volunteered for the position and Chevy picked people who knew the most about electric vehicles and also happen to live in one of the initial markets where the Volt will be available. Besides getting a three-month test vehicle, board members will get a free 240-volt charging station, “for the duration of the vehicle evaluation program.” Sexton is excited about the group, and said in a statement that:

It’s great to see Chevrolet tap into both experienced and new electric vehicle enthusiasts for real-world feedback. This is a great opportunity to not only provide meaningful input to the Volt team, but also to raise awareness using a real, available electric vehicle instead of a PowerPoint slide.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

[Source: GM]

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Chevy Volt’s first customers will be 15-person Customer Advisory Board originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM board member Kresa retiring, led automaker as interim chairman last year

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM

General Motors board member Kent Kresa has reached the ripe old age of 72, and as such, he is no longer eligible for re-election to the company’s controlling body.

Kresa originally came to GM after retiring from Northrop Grumman Corp. where he helped lead the aviation giant through troubled waters of its own. Kresa joined ‘old GM’ in 2003 and served on the board until the company’s bankruptcy in 2009. You might best recall that Kresa stepped into the chairman slot left vacant when former CEO Rick Wagoner left the company just prior to The General entering into Chapter 11. When ‘new GM’ formed its board, the executive was there to lend his experience in leading a company through difficult financial decisions.

Kresa was also instrumental in bringing in a wide array of new talent onto the GM board, including the company’s 13th board member, Cynthia Tulles. Don’t expect Kresa to be spending his days playing shuffleboard, though. He also serves on a number of other corporate boards, including Fluor Corp in Irving, Texas and MannKind Corp in Valencia, California. Hit the jump for the GM press release.

[Sources: General Motors, The Detroit News]

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GM board member Kresa retiring, led automaker as interim chairman last year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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