Video: Huge rack causes roadway mishap

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

Big rack problems

Russia. As much as that sprawling, Eurasian country has given us, nothing – not even vodka – can rank above the country singlehandedly turning the dash cam into a spectator sport. Thanks to various safety issues, those diminutive little video cameras are a necessary part of life in the former communist country. While we’re sure they spend most of their lives recording meaningless miles, every once in a while, they capture something truly extraordinary.

Take a look below for what could be the next great Russian dash cam video, discovered by English Russia. The short but amusing video involves the transportation of what looks like a large animal sculpture in a dump truck. Oh, deer.

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Huge rack causes roadway mishap originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Aug 2013 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Toyota reports huge quarterly profit increase, raises forecast for the year

Filed under: Toyota, Earnings/Financials

2014 Toyota Tundra Grille

Toyota isn’t just the world’s largest automaker – so far its the biggest winner for quarterly profits. With an enormous $5.5 billion take during Q2, Toyota took advantage of the weak Japanese yen and strong US demand to record a 94-percent improvement in profit over the same period from last year. So far, Toyota brought in larger profits than Ford and General Motors combined.

Toyota is showing no signs of slowing down either, as it has bumped up its forecast for full-year global production, going from 9.94 million to 10.12 million vehicles, on the back of a 13-percent drop in the buying power of the Japanese yen versus the US dollar. That strong exchange rate is largely responsible for Toyota’s big jump in profits, although it also managed to shift 1.3 million vehicles in the US market this year. Strong Camry sales have also helped. But while Toyota is raking in the cash, it actually saw a small drop in market share, down 0.1 percent to 14.3 percent of the US market.

As is the case with most automakers, Toyota seems flummoxed by Europe, where it recorded less than one percent of its revenue. Still, as Automotive News points out, Toyota only maintains a 4.5-percent market share in Europe and is far less dependent on the continent than other manufacturers. Toyota also struggled at home, much like Honda. With 525,777 units sold, JDM sales were down almost 51,000 units, although Toyota still saw its operating profit jump from $3.5 billion to $4.6 billion.

Scroll down for Toyota’s official press release.

Continue reading Toyota reports huge quarterly profit increase, raises forecast for the year

Toyota reports huge quarterly profit increase, raises forecast for the year originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Aug 2013 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi still supply constrained on many models; making huge inroads into CA

Filed under: Car Buying, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Audi, Luxury

2012 audi a6

2012 Audi A6 – Click above for high-res image gallery

When is success a bad thing? If you’re Audi, it’s when you can’t get adequate quantities of new vehicles to U.S. dealerships. Wards Automotive talked supply and demand with Audi of America president Johan de Nysschen, and it’s apparently very difficult to keep Audi dealers stocked. The Audi prez says the luxury brand is down to a 27-day supply of vehicles, adding, “We simply can’t get our inventory up to a 60-day supply.”

But while a short supply of new vehicles typically signals strong demand and minimizes incentives, Audi is faced with a custom order rate that is up to 31 percent. When you are maxed out at factories in Europe and there is that whole matter of shipping the vehicle across an ocean, an order can take months. And if customers face a long wait for what can sometimes be an emotion-driven buying decision, not everybody can be so patient, and Audi risks losing sales as a result. The waiting game hasn’t stopped Audi from turning up the heat in California, though, as the Four-Ringed Automaker’s sales have jumped from 3.5 percent to 10 percent market share.

Beyond supply issues, the German automaker is also struggling to push higher-end products, as de Nysschen says the volume products are the A4 and Q5. Only 15 percent of overall sales come from the A6, a number Audi hopes to stretch to 55 percent. The automaker is hoping the A7 helps solve that problem as well, along with a high mix of diesel-powered Q7 SUVs.

Gallery: 2012 Audi A6: Detroit 2011

2012 Audi A62012 Audi A62012 Audi A62012 Audi A62012 Audi A6

[Source: Wards Automotive]

Audi still supply constrained on many models; making huge inroads into CA originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch Son-uva Digger monster truck perform huge backflip

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

Sonuvadigger backflip

Son-uva Digger backflip – Click above to watch video after the jump

Ryan Anderson is the son of monster truck legend and Grave Digger owner/driver Dennis Anderson, which makes him monster truck royalty. Despite his privileged place among the elites in the high court of methanol and fairgrounds, the young Anderson doesn’t spend much time riding his father’s coattails.

While Ryan may have used his father’s success as a launch pad, the Grave Digger heir apparent is eager to prove himself worthy of the crown. Anderson showed this at Monster Jam 2011 in Las Vegas, executing an awesome monster truck backflip. This may not be the first time a monster truck has ever flipped end over end, but it’s certainly the biggest one yet. Hit the jump to check it out.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Watch Son-uva Digger monster truck perform huge backflip

Video: Watch Son-uva Digger monster truck perform huge backflip originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Alan Mullaly, Bill Ford Jr. get huge bonuses from Blue Oval *Update

Filed under: Etc., Ford, Earnings/Financials

Bill Ford Jr. and Alan Mulally

Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Jr. and Chief Executive Alan Mulally have reportedly been given big-time bonuses by the Blue Oval for keeping things moving when General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy. Mulally received $56.5 million worth of Ford stock before taxes and Ford got stock worth $42.4 million.

Ford, Jr. hired Mulally from Boeing in 2006, before they went around to different banks to secure restructuring loans to stay solvent through the lending crisis and economic recession. In 2010, Ford saw its best year since 1999, clearing $6.6 billion in profits.

To add to their enormous bonuses, the Los Angeles Times says that Ford, Jr. and Mulally opted to purchase Ford stock at $14.76 a share. *Update: Ford tells us that Ford, Jr. and Mulally do indeed have stock options but have not cashed them in at this time. Market value of Ford stock rose three percent today to $14.46 a share.

[Source: Los Angeles Times | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Report: Alan Mullaly, Bill Ford Jr. get huge bonuses from Blue Oval *Update originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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