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EU’s Top Cop Quits Afghanistan Over Armored Car Snafu
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions-- and its frequently empty. The International Herald Tribune reports that the European Unions man in Afghanistan, former German commando Brigadier General Eichele, has given up trying to beef-up the national police force and quit the theater. Seems bureacracy and corruption left him stuck at base, when the EU executive delayed approving a budget for 70 armored cars, computers and office equipment." "We cannot travel outside Kabul because the armored-plated cars have not arrived," an EU diplomat based in Kabul told the Trib. The [theoretical] vehicles originally cost €110k a pop, but increased to €170k when security specifications changed. The commission went back to drawing up a new budget, issuing new tenders, etc. And then theres a turf war between the EU and NATO.....
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-12 18:21:54 ·
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GM Alternative Propulsion Smackdown, Part II
Take that Toyota! Not only is GM going to bring us a lithium-ion-powered plug-in hybrid by 2010, but theyre going to produce an entire family of electric vehicles. So sayeth GM Car Czar "Maximum" Bob Lutz in Frankfurt. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) described Lutz remarks as "the latest salvo in a combined product-development and public-relations campaign... to dispel the image that it has its corporate head in the sand when it comes to advanced vehicle technology, oil prices and concerns about greenhouse-gas emissions." Lutz also said GM wants to build its E-Flex vehicles alongside mainstream models; a common chassis would accommodate either a conventional or alternative-propulsion powertrain. The WSJ cautions that the Volt-- and any other electric vehicles in GMs future-- depend on battery suppliers, and "it isnt yet certain the suppliers will come through." OK, Toyota-- your turn!..
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-12 17:56:42 ·
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Asians Get Smart. Or not.
Business Week reports that newly divorced Daimlers got the hots for the Asian market. On the eve of sending the FourTwo on its America adventure (via AutoNation), Mercedes CEO Rainer Schmueckle says hes contemplating selling the self-same city car in China and its nearby neighbors. Although the move is not exactly unanticipated (where else would you sell such a titchy car?), its hardly a slam-dunk. Not only does China have its own faux Smart, but the vehicle faces the same "THATS not a Mercedes" headwind thats bedeviled the entire brand since birth-- to the tune of billions of dollars in losses. Anyway, Schmeuckle is deeply impressed by the possibilities provided by Chinese Smarts: "We have a profound production base there now, primarily for the domestic market," he said. "It cant be ruled out that we might export from there to other Asian markets at some point." Now thats what we call confidence!..
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-12 17:43:58 ·
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Rising Housing Costs Casts Long Shadow over U.S. Car Industry
Contemplating yesterdays 2006 Census report on the average Americans housing costs (via The New York Times), it appears that U.S. automakers fears about the effects of the housing market on car sales are far from greatly exaggerated. The stats reveal that half of U.S. renters and more than one third of mortgage holders spent at least 30 percent of their gross income on housing. Thats up two percent or 1.5 million households from 05. A staggering fourteen percent of mortgage-holders spent at least half their income on housing in 2006, up from 13 percent from the year previous. As The Grey Lady says, "The rising housing burden cuts into the money people have available for other expenses and anticipated the rise in foreclosures." To see how badly this trend will hit the auto industry, keep an eye on California sales. The Eureka state tops the list of mortgage borrowers forking over more than 30 percent of their income for housing...
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-12 17:28:10 ·
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LPG Not Just for Tree-hugging, Penny Pinching, Slow Driving, Woolly Jumper Wearing Motorists
According to Italy’s DueMotori, converting cars to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is not only “for tree-hugging, penny pinching, slow driving, woolly jumper wearing motorists with a guilty conscience.” Drivers fortunate enough to be left off that list are advised to consider an LPG conversion package from the UK’s Future Power, which is “ideal for high performance cars and luxury vehicles.” On September 22nd, Future Power will be showing a 300hp LPG-powered Subaru WRX on “Rally Day” at the Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire. Future Power’s managing director Malcolm Douglas is gassed about LPG’s potential. “It is now quite possible for the executive and the enthusiast to have their sporty car and also combat critics by running on LPG, making their cars much more environmentally friendly than many alternative petrol or diesel ‘city’ cars." Proof positive, if proof were needed, that the greens have pistonheads on the defensive...
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-12 15:46:47 ·
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Top Gear’s Hamster Crashes Again
The UKs Hello magazine reports that Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond crashed a BMW 330 Dti Sport during an endurance race at Silverstone. Even though the "Hamster" is famous for crashing a jet car at 288mph, sustaining brain injuries and returning to full health, this incident doesnt really have what it takes to make it to the top of the media pile (i.e. death or more serious injury). Hence Hello, a magazine predicated on the simple belief that millions of people want to see what kind of wallpaper celebrities prefer. But you really have to read Hecklersprays blog on the story. Regarding the information that fellow Top Gears top Jeremy Clarkson consoled the The Hamster after his latest fender bender, Stuart Heritage writes "Dear lord, hasnt the poor man suffered enough? But, yeah, thanks a lot for that last sentence, Hello - were going to hold you personally responsible for all the screaming night terrors were bound to be saddled with for the rest of our lives after summoning up that grotesque mental image." ..
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-12 15:44:29 ·
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Toyota’s Miller and GM’s Lutz Play the Dozens on Alt. Propulsion
The gloves are off; GMs Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and Toyotas U.S. VP for Communications, Irv Miller, are having an alternative powerplant smackdown. On a company web site today, Miller wrote "the advanced lithium-ion batteries that the Volt would use, batteries suitable for the long-term rigors of everyday automotive use, dont exist" while ..
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-11 20:06:08 ·
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Another One Rides the Bus - Then Drives His Expedition
What do you do if youre a politician heading to a news conference where you intend to tell citizens to leave their cars at home-- and your staff car is a Lincoln Navigator? That was the dilemma facing Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty. The Metro (subway) couldnt get him there on time. Riding his bicycle would make him sweaty. Taking one of the citys fleet hybrids would look too contrived. So Mayor Fenty did what shocked a lot of people: he took the bus, minus his security detail. Hizzhonor stated to the Washington Post, "You dont need a car to get around. Thats what makes us different than the suburbs." After the conference, he took the subway back to his office. Then he hopped into his personal Ford Expedition to drive across town to a pair of meetings...
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-11 19:23:16 ·
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Honda Snubs Baby Boomers for Gen Xers
Auto advertising seems to be aimed at one of two groups: baby boomers trying to recapture their youth or "Gen Y," the twenty-somethings Scion was shooting for-- and missed. Honda has decided to split the difference and target Generation X to reinvigorate sales of their [new] Accord. Advertising Age [sub] reports Honda wants to lower the median age of Accord buyers from its current 54 to somewhere between 30 and 44-years. Only Gen X buyers arent as "inspired" to own a Honda because they perceive the brands current products to be too fuddy duddy. So Hondas largest ever ad spend on a single model will tempt Gen X buyers with ads embodying a more "emotional appeal." Whether Hondas PC patrol-- which nixed the marketing departments idea to sell the Accord hybrid as a performance car-- will loosen-up sufficiently to let the ad guys draw on Hondas Hooners and Tunerz heritage remains to be seen. ..
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-11 18:32:53 ·
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MINI Claims Diesel as Clean as a Prius
Drive dutifully reports the results of a MINI-commissioned survey of 2,018 UK motorists on the subject of diesel cleanliness. Market-research agency YouGov (who me, Giv?) discovered that “diesel-powered cars are thought to be way behind hybrid models for cleanliness.” Those of you equipped with a functional PR BS-detector will immediately note the “thought to be” proviso and the vague “way behind” qualifier. You’ll also fail to be surprised when MINI’s UK brand manager Andy Hearn follows-up this startling factoid by revealing that his employer’s new, oil-burning model generates CO2 numbers that are “identical” to the Toyota Prius’. This despite the fact that “just three per cent believe a diesel vehicle could be considered a low source of carbon emissions.” On the subject of relative levels of particulate matter emanating from diesel and hybrid engined tailpipes, the survey and its PR lackey the Cambridge Evening News showed no interest whatsoever...
The Truth About Cars
Publication date 2007-09-11 17:02:25 ·
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