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Read This: Auto critic calls out Corvette, Mustang and Cherokee faithful

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, SUV, Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, Design/Style, Read This

2014 Chevy Corvette

Most automotive purists fear change, but not without reason. Change, after all, did kill big-block V8s, along with most station wagons and manual transmissions. But change has also brought with it far more performance, safety and fuel economy – not to mention ridding the world of shag carpet interiors, bias-ply tires and those horrible motorized seatbelts of the early ’90s.

By this time next year, the Chevy Corvette, Jeep Cherokee and next-generation Ford Mustang will all be on sale and will all, in some way, have angered or offended purists. To those critics, Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press is preemptively telling them to stop complaining – at least until they’ve all been driven. From the Corvette’s square taillights and the Cherokee’s radical nose to whatever pony car purists will harp on the 2015 Mustang for, Phelan’s column points out the positives of automotive evolution and the negatives of staying the course for too long. That’s fair enough, but do you think Phelan is on point, or all wet? Head on over to the Detroit Free Press to read his words, then have your say in Comments.

Auto critic calls out Corvette, Mustang and Cherokee faithful originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Aug 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Akerson calls for GM tech to stymie Tesla

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, GM, Tesla, Electric

Electric vehicle maker Tesla has had some good days lately as sales of the Model S have exceeded expectations as much as the company’s profits, thanks in no small part to innovative thinking that has resulted in mass sales of ZEV credits to other manufacturers, free charging stations, 90-second battery swaps and manufacturer-owned dealerships. All of this has the attention of General Motors, who views Tesla as a disruptive force to the auto industry and as a threat to the 104-year-old automaker.

Case in point: GM recognizes that Tesla must be doing something right if it can sell more of its $69,900 Model S sedans than the $39,145 Volt. So what is GM doing about it? Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson assigned a small team to study Tesla so the company won’t be caught off guard in the future. In an interview with Bloomberg, Steve Girsky, GM vice chairman, said, “History is littered with big companies that ignored innovation that was coming their way because you didn’t know where you could be disrupted.”

GM was one of those big companies at one point, and it hasn’t quite broken that mold. It has struggled to move on from the old, inefficient practices of its past, leading Akerson to chide employees at a recent conference in Houston because so many in-house patents had failed to be commercialized and implemented in GM designs. This, of course, resulted in a huge research-and-development budget that was wasteful. But Akerson knows that GM must rely on innovation and a tight focus on technologies that customers want if it is to be profitable and survive in the long term.

Ultimately, it seems GM is looking at Tesla to help establish a healthy culture of innovation, as the company is stinging from the success of the Model S. But at least it’s looking at a glass that’s half full.

Akerson calls for GM tech to stymie Tesla originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ninja Alert! Beware of car salesmen trained in the art of phone calls

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, BMW

It may sound obvious to say you should be wary of car salesmen on the phone, just as you should be wary of car salesmen in general. To hammer the point home, though, here are some audio files of Jerry Thibeau training salespeople at car dealerships, in this case a BMW dealership, to schmooze and potentially ensnare customers before they even walk on the lot.

With the Internet stealing large portions of business from car dealerships, there’s a real need for dealers to invest in this kind of telephone training. Thibeau answered the call when he started New York-based Phone-Up Ninjas back in late 2009.

Guys like Thibeau charge $2,000 a day plus expenses to visit car dealerships for these training sessions. They can also do the work remotely, dubbing constructive criticism into mystery shopper phone calls to point out where a salesperson’s pitch could use some help.

The car salesman on the other end of the line has a job to do: make you buy a car (or how about this nice SUV that’s just a little more per month?). Just remember that, next time, you may be talking to a ninja.

Our advice? Hang up. Follow the jump to hear the ninja training calls, or read the full report at AOL Autos to learn more about how this industry operates.

[Source: AOL Autos | Image: Getty]

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Ninja Alert! Beware of car salesmen trained in the art of phone calls originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Suzuki makes a Kizashi Turbo, calls it the Apex concept

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Sedan, Suzuki

Suzuki Kizashi Apex Concept

Suzuki Kizashi Apex Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Suzuki has often flirted with the idea of strapping a turbocharger to the Kizashi, and it’s once again putting it at the front of our minds with this, the Apex concept, here at the 2011 New York Auto Show.

The Kizashi Apex uses a Garrett turbocharger, air-to-liquid intercooler and a recalibrated ECU to produce an estimated 275 to 300 horsepower, mated solely to a six-speed manual transmission. To communicate that grunt to the road, Suzuki has fitted the Apex with a set of 19-inch wheels wrapped in sticky 245-series Yokohama tires.

As for the graphics package, the livery is pulled from the Japanese automaker’s GSX-R race motorcycles, tying the Apex to Suzuki’s racier roots. Of course, the car is simply a concept for now, but we’re crossing our fingers that it makes it to production… somehow.

Gallery: Suzuki Kizashi Apex Concept: New York 2011

Gallery: Suzuki Kizashi Apex Concept

New York 2011: Suzuki makes a Kizashi Turbo, calls it the Apex concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: UAW boss calls Mulally’s salary “morally wrong”

Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions

UAW boss Bob King

After the miracle Ford CEO Alan Mulally and his One Ford team pulled off in turning around the company in the face of an industry meltdown, it might seem hard to argue about the amount of money the CEO makes. But that’s exactly what United Auto Workers President Bob King did in front of reporters at an event in Detroit, calling Mulally’s $54.5 million stock payment “morally wrong.”

CNN Money reports that King said that he liked Mulally, but added, “It creates problems for Ford in both the salaried work force and the hourly work force. It seems like one individual is getting all of the gain.”

So how and why would King bring up Mulally’s pay at a time when Ford just doled out $5,000 in profit sharing checks to the union? King’s statements come as the UAW prepares to negotiate with the Detroit 3 automakers on a new labor contract to replace the last deal that was ratified in 2007. Yeah, that may have something to do with it…

King wouldn’t go into specifics when asked what the UAW is looking for in the next contract, but did add that he’d like to get back some of the concessions the UAW agreed upon when the Detroit 3 were losing money by the bushel full. The UAW boss also said that he wasn’t looking for a contract that will make Detroit automakers uncompetitive.

[Source: CNN Money | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images]

Report: UAW boss calls Mulally’s salary “morally wrong” originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESPN: Bernie Ecclestone lashes out at the newbies, calls for cutting the grid back to 10

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Bernie Ecclestone

There are ways to make friends, and ways to make enemies. Telling several members of your party they’re unwelcome is a sure way to the latter, but then, Bernie Ecclestone has never shied away from controversy. In his latest statement, the Formula One chief has indicated that the field should be cut down from its current grid of 13 teams to just 10.

The number of teams grew in recent years to adopt Virgin, Hispania and Lotus, but the former two in particular have struggled to keep the pace with the competition. Ecclestone also reportedly feels that there isn’t enough sponsor cash to go around, as evidenced by the lack of corporate logos on HRT’s new car. The outspoken racing chief, however, appears to support Lotus, which he apparently feels has a stronger chance of overcoming its teething pains and catching up to the rest of the grid.

In related news, Ecclestone is reportedly cooperating with German authorities who are investigating alleged corruption in the sale of F1’s commercial rights five years ago to CVC Capital Partners, whom Ecclestone represents. Authorities are looking into the personal finances of German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky who at the time chaired the series’ previous commercial rights holder, and was discovered to have received a mysterious $50 million payment into an offshore account.

[Source: ESPN | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

ESPN: Bernie Ecclestone lashes out at the newbies, calls for cutting the grid back to 10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Consumer Reports calls out six cars it says are worse than their predecessors

Filed under: Car Buying, BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen

2011 Volkswagen Jetta

Six cars that CR says are worse than their predecessors – Click above for high-res image gallery

There’s nothing like being told you aren’t as good as you used to be. “You’ve changed, man. You’ve really changed.”

In its annual automotive issue, Consumer Reports awards scores to each new car available on the market, and though you’d think that a new model would score higher than the one it replaces, that isn’t always the case. In fact, CR points out six 2011 model year vehicles that received substantially lower scores under its methodology than their predecessors.

At the top of CR‘s list is the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta – a car that has come in for a raft of criticism from the media since its redesign launched in mid-2010 (criticism that has been summarily ignored if the Jetta’s rising sales figures are anything to go by). Rounding off the rest of the list are the Honda Odyssey, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Sienna, Mercedes-Benz E350 and BMW X5.

Consumer Reports does raise an important point, though: Earning a lower score doesn’t automatically mean the car should be written off completely. In its story, CR states:

Some models, such as the Honda Odyssey, Mercedes-Benz E350, and Toyota Sienna, are still very good vehicles that we recommend. But they don’t quite measure up to the standards set by their previous generation models. Others, such as the current BMW X5, Toyota 4Runner, and Volkswagen Jetta sedan, are clear disappointments.

Clear disappointments? Ouch. Head over to Consumer Reports for the full story.

Gallery: 2011 Consumer Reports Disappointments

2011 Volkswagen Jetta 2011 Honda Odyssey 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 Sedan

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Consumer Reports calls out six cars it says are worse than their predecessors originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Sport Quattro designer calls his iconic creation “ugly”

Filed under: Classics, Performance, Hatchback, Audi, Design/Style

Audi SWB Sport Quattro

Audi SWB Sport Quattro – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audiphiles, prepare to have your lederhosen wrinkled. While speaking with Autocar, Peter Birtwhistle went and called the legendary SWB Sport Quattro “bloody ugly.” While Birtwhistle is currently the chief designer at Mazda Europe, he’s particularly well-suited to comment on the lines of the boxy Audi. After all, he designed the thing. According to the designer, the biggest problem facing the car is that it rides on the Audi 80 platform, and massaging the Sport Quattro design over those cumbersome bones required some sacrifices. Still, when taken a grain of salt borrowed from the time period, the car is as good-looking as it gets.

Of course, our opinion could be slightly tainted by the fact that Audi only minted a mere 200 of the cars as homologation specials. Anything built to justify a race car nets an automatic win in our book, and the SWB Sport Quattro is no different.

Gallery: Audi Quattro’s 30th Anniversary

[Source: Autocar]

Audi Sport Quattro designer calls his iconic creation “ugly” originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ralph Nader calls out Toyota on R&D spending

Filed under: Safety, Videos, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Toyota Camry

Ralph Nader challenges Toyota’s R&D spending claim – Click above to watch commercial after the jump

Ralph Nader isn’t finished. The man whose fame has long outlasted the first car he took to task is now gnawing at Toyota over claims the company makes in its print advertising: “That’s why we’re spending a million dollars an hour on research and development.” In a letter Nader wrote to the U.S. sales chief Toyota, Jim Lentz, he states that an $8.7 billion investment in R&D is “astonishing,” and he’d like to know precisely how that amount is spent.

The larger issue, however, might be Nader coming so late to the game. After all, Toyota released a commercial in June in which the narrator says, “At Toyota, we care about your safety. That’s why we’re investing one million dollars every hour to improve our technology and your safety.” Everyone, including the New York Times, wanted to know how Toyota could be spending a million an hour on safety.

A Toyota rep responded to the NYT by saying “The $1,000,000 an hour claim represents all Toyota R&D spending globally, much of that allocated to new quality and safety technologies.” True, that doesn’t exactly answer Nader’s question since he moves the discussion from spending on safety to spending on R&D, but the claim relies on how Toyota defines R&D. Even though Nader says the term “has a specific meaning,” it’s amorphous enough that we’re sure Toyota can defend it… if that’s even necessary. Lentz says he’ll respond to Nader directly.

[Source: USA Today]

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Ralph Nader calls out Toyota on R&D spending originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeremy Clarkson calls The Stig a ‘Greedy Tw*t’ [w/poll]

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK, Celebrities

It would seem that the vitriol between the trio of presenters on Top Gear and Ben Collins, the man behind the Stig’s helmet, isn’t just for show. During a recent charity event, Jeremy Clarkson, arguably the leader of the TG three amigos, made it clear just how he feels about Collins’ unmasking of himself by calling the former tame racing driver “The Greedy Tw*t.” That’s certainly one way to put it.

Rumors began dusting up over whether or not Ben Collins was the racer in white after it was widely publicized that Collins was seeking to publish a book on his life as the White Stig. The BBC attempted to file an injunction stopping the publisher from moving forward, but a judge found that there was no reason to stop Collins from moving forward.

The BBC reacted to Collins’ actions by putting the driver out of a job. Or at least out of a job in show business. Overall, fans have been less than thrilled with the debacle, with most saying that the driver has gone a long way toward ruining a good thing for everyone.

Even so, we’re guessing the Collins memoir will have no problem finding a global audience. After all’s said and done, will you read it?

[Source: The Herald Sun | Image: Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage.com]

View Poll

Jeremy Clarkson calls The Stig a ‘Greedy Tw*t’ [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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