Tag: car

Report: Company car offers in decline, but not at The Cheesecake Factory [w/poll]

Filed under: Etc., BMW

As businesses look to keep high-level employees happy, it seems that use of company cars can still be an effective method, although fewer companies are employing it. According to Businessweek, only about 25 percent of companies offer company vehicles as a perk, while less than half give allowances for employees to use their personal vehicles for work purposes.

The report says that one business still in the practice of handing out company cars is The Cheesecake Factory, which offers the benefit to top managers. And we’re not talking about some econobox, either. The article indicates the restaurant chain hands out BMWs on a three-year basis – although the company’s own report says that the type of vehicle “varies with the executive’s level.”

Still, we mostly agree with the article’s conclusion that money is the best way to keep employees or attract new ones, even if a corporate car is a big perk. What do you think? Let us know, in the poll below, whether a company car could sway you to work for a certain company (not just the Cheesecake factory, where the “Glamburgers” portion of the menu alone is enough to keep a guy hanging around).

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Company car offers in decline, but not at The Cheesecake Factory [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: VW agrees to halt next-gen rally car development to help others stay in WRC

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Racing

Volkswagen Polo R WRC - dead on front view

Volkswagen has petitioned the FIA to hold on to the current specifications for cars in the World Rally Championship, according to Autosport.com. The move is evidently an effort to keep as many competitors in the sport as possible, despite the fact that using the current spec racers may actually hurt Volkswagen’s chances at winning. The three factory teams currently competing in the WRC are at the end of a three-year homologation cycle at the end of 2013, and new cars are expected to bow next year. But developing new racers could cost as much as $4.7 million.

That price tag would put M-Sport (which fields Ford racers) out of the WRC game for 2014 and would put Citroën participation in question as well. VW has already begun work on the next iteration of its Polo R WRC, and the hatch has nabbed four wins in six rounds this season. Now it appears that car won’t bow until at least 2015. The FIA has officially agreed to freeze homologation of new WRC cars until the end of next season.

VW agrees to halt next-gen rally car development to help others stay in WRC originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Mercedes releases spy shots of its sub-SLS AMG sports car

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes has handed out “spy shots” of its sub-SLS AMG sports car prototype, which tells us that this on-again/off-again product is most definitely on again. Looking smaller than the company’s SLS AMG in these first shots of a running prototype, it nevertheless appears to retain the same basic shape as the larger halo car with a long hood and the cabin located far back on the chassis. Despite the similarities in shape, it does not have gullwing doors and appears to have barely enough room for 2+2 seating like the Porsche 911.

Moving into the realm of speculation and hearsay, the sub-SLS should have a good fighting weight thanks to a new all-aluminum spaceframe, and be powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 producing in the neighborhood of 485 horsepower. Of course, being a Merc, we can expect a 500+hp S variant and a bonkers Black Series model with something approaching 600 hp, the latter of which would be spoiling for a fight with the 911 Turbo. As for the car’s name, we’re told internally its codename is C190, but the production model could go by GT, SLC or even revive the SLR moniker.

Mercedes releases spy shots of its sub-SLS AMG sports car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Volvo demos autonomous self-parking car concept

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Videos, Volvo

Volvo autonomous parking demo - video screencap

A number of companies are developing autonomous vehicle technology – Google and Audi come to mind – but Volvo is applying its work in the area to a particular usage case: parking. The Swedish automaker has the technology up and running in a concept vehicle, which it says can be dropped off at the curb by its owner and left to its own devices to enter and navigate a car park, then find and park in an available parking spot. Volvo says the process can even be reversed when the owner is ready to go, with the car leaving the car park on its own to meet its key-holder again at the curb.

The vehicle first interacts with Vehicle 2 Infrastructure technology, which places transmitters in the road itself to inform the car (and driver) if the self-parking service is available. The driver then hops out, activates the Self Parking function on his or her smartphone and then leaves the car to do its work. The car uses sensors, all seemingly hidden from view (an advancement of its own in this field), to autonomously navigate the car park, which includes interacting and adjusting to other cars, people and objects.

The technology used here builds off of Volvo’s other work in autonomous vehicle research, namely the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) project in which the company managed to create a train of four cars autonomously following a lead truck at speeds up 56 miles per hour. Volvo says the first application of its autonomous research in a production vehicle will happen at the end of 2014 with some level of autonomous steering available in the next-generation XC90. See the system in action by watching the video below.

Continue reading Volvo demos autonomous self-parking car concept

Volvo demos autonomous self-parking car concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Tata Nano updated, world’s cheapest car gets CNG option

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, India, MISC

2013 Tata Nano - blue

Back when it went on sale in 2008, the Tata Nano was heralded as something of a new Model T for developing economies. As the world’s cheapest new car – and not by a little – the four-door Indian runabout was poised to usher in a new age of personal transportation to the world. But things didn’t quite work out that way, and the discount rear-drive minicar has seen its sales fortunes undone by all manner of issues, from reports of fires and quality issues to protests at its assembly plant and poor public reception. But Tata Motors isn’t giving up on the Nano just yet, having just unveiled a newly updated design and a compressed natural gas (CNG) model.

The new updates don’t register as much more than a mid-cycle refresh, with small differences outside like a new rear fascia with mesh inserts and additional chrome trim. More meaningful updates indoors include a revamped center console and a new twin glovebox, updated upholstery, body-color trim bits and available extras that include remote keyless entry, a four-speaker AmphiStream audio setup with Bluetooth and USB hookups. Minor controls have also been relocated for improved ergonomics, and there’s a slightly larger steering wheel to ease parking maneuvers. In addition, a range of new personalization kits are available, including things like body graphics, aero kits, different alloy wheels and contrasting roof treatments.

The conventional two-cylinder gas powertrain remains unchanged, giving 37 horsepower. The new bi-fuel Emax model runs on gasoline and, with the flick of a switch, CNG. The four-stroke, 624-cc engine features an aluminum head and block, and it offers 37 hp on gas and 33 on CNG, while the torque peak sits at 38 lb-ft under gasoline power and 33 lb-ft on natural gas.

Along with the revamped Nano, Tata Motors also rolled out updated versions of its Indica, Indigo, Safari and Sumo models.

Tata Nano updated, world’s cheapest car gets CNG option originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Euro car sales hit 20-year low in May

Filed under: Car Buying, Europe

Renault billboard

Automotive News Europe reports vehicle registrations in the European Union fell to 1.08 million in May. That’s down from 1.15 million a year earlier and marks the lowest number for any May since 1993. General Motors, Peugeot-Citroen, Fiat, Renault, Ford, Volkswagen and Audi all saw sales fall off last month, though Seat managed to increase its sales by a relatively heady 13 percent. Currently, analysts are predicting that the European automotive market will continue to contract through 2013, though may show signs of rebounding by the end of the year. From there, it may be a further five years before EU car sales recover to their pre-recession heights.

In Germany, new-car registrations fell by 10 percent in May. France suffered a similar fall while Italy saw a decline of eight percent and Spain suffered a dip of three percent. The UK, meanwhile, saw registrations climb by 11 percent. EU heads of state are currently looking for ways to reverse the region’s economic decline. Unemployment is now at 12 percent in the 17 countries that make up the European Union.

Euro car sales hit 20-year low in May originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunswift Eve is a solar car for everyone, maybe [w/video]

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Solar

Sunswift Eve

Sydney’s University of New South Wales Sunswift team has worked on a number of solar-powered cars in the past, enough that they call themselves “Australia’s premier solar car racing team.” The team is headed in a new direction now, though, with the Eve, which dispenses with the ultra-efficient design meant to win races and instead moves a bit into “normal” car territory.

Project director Sam Paterson said in a statement that the Eve is intended to be more mainstream. “This year’s vehicle, unlike some of our previous models, has four wheels, doors and is designed to be safer and more practical. It departs from the typical spaceship design of most solar cars and looks like an actual car,” he said.

Actual performance details for the Eve are not yet available, but we expect we’ll hear more when the car is officially unveiled on August 9th. If you’re in Australia, or want to go, you can get tickets to the event through the crowdfunding site Pozible, where the team is collecting pledges to try and build the Eve. The team set a $20,000 (Australian) goal and is currently sitting at $15,390. For added geekiness, the Pozible page is full of Eve-centric memes.

The Sunswift team is made up of students from a variety of courses at UNSW (engineering, business, science and industrial design are the examples listed) and has been going since 1995. The Sunswift Eve is the team’s fifth-generation solar powered supercar.

Since the official Sunswift website loads sloooowly and causes an “unresponsive script” for some of the Autoblog team, we recommend connecting with UNSW over on their Facebook page. A short (30-second) video of the Sunswift Eve being unloaded is available below.

Continue reading Sunswift Eve is a solar car for everyone, maybe [w/video]

Sunswift Eve is a solar car for everyone, maybe [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Mercedes ready to offer Car-to-X communications by end of year

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Mercedes-Benz

Although Mercedes-Benz isn’t the first automaker to develop a Car-to-X system, it sounds like it will be the first to get this automated safety technology into a production vehicle. Car-to-X allows a car to transmit and receive data in order to warn the driver of impending danger or traffic problems.

Using a mobile communication platform, the car would be sent alerts for approaching concerns including a broken down car, dangerous weather conditions or a car being driven the wrong way. In addition to automatic alerts, this system will have the ability to allow users to warn other motorists of road dangers, such as animals or debris on the road.

Mercedes says that it will not only have this technology as a standard feature in its vehicles by year’s end, but will also offer a kit that can be retrofitted to older models. It sounds like this technology will likely be limited to Germany or Europe for now, and the automaker it is also working with other automakers to get such a system implemented quicker. Scroll down for a press release.

Continue reading Mercedes ready to offer Car-to-X communications by end of year

Mercedes ready to offer Car-to-X communications by end of year originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Audi overtakes BMW as adulterers’ favorite car brand

Filed under: Etc., Audi, BMW, Luxury

As Audi hopes to surpass BMW as the top-selling luxury automaker, sometimes it has to look at the small victories, too. For instance, IllicitEncounters.com – a UK dating site for married folks (also known as adultery) – is reporting that a recent poll shows that more people willing to cheat on their spouses drive an Audi. Last year, this same poll showed that BMW was the car-of-choice for adulterers.

With Audi on top (pun intended) and BMW bumped to number two, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Volkswagen round out the top five car brands owned by unfaithful wives and husbands. Check out the poll over at IllicitEncounters.com, but be sure to clear your browser history afterward. You know, just to make sure your spouse doesn’t get the wrong idea about the websites you visit.

Audi overtakes BMW as adulterers’ favorite car brand originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Forget the Dukes of Hazzard, this is how you get into a car

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

car entry agility

Car Entry: Advanced Class – Click above to watch video after the jump

You open the door, sit down and go on your way. You’re boring… at least compared to one Caribbean man. He makes getting into his too fast, too furious island cruiser more of an art form.

Based on the car’s license plate, we’re going to guess this video was taken on the island of Montserrat (feel free to prove us wrong in Comments*), and we hope this passenger’s better-than-the-Duke-Boys entry method (he doesn’t even spill his drink!) provides 10 seconds of happiness and inspiration as you trudge through yet another workday.

Click past the jump to watch one man enter his car like a boss.

*Seems like some folks are saying this is Barbados, thanks for the tips!

Continue reading Forget the Dukes of Hazzard, this is how you get into a car

Forget the Dukes of Hazzard, this is how you get into a car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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