2009 ~ Automotive

D&C Honda website review

When talking about cars, several of my friends are die hard Honda fans. And it is not difficult to see why. According to the latest Auto Pulse survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, the Honda brand was ranked highly by American consumers (the second best in the US). Their cars are well known for their styling, reliability, fuel economy, safety and best of all, their resale value. They are also the favourite for people who are into modding and a huge industry exists to support them.

Anyway if you are a resident of Paramus, NJ and thinking of buying a car, do take a look at D&C Honda of Tenafly, a premier Paramus Honda dealer. They offer the latest Honda as well as used vehicles. Their site lists hundreds of Honda models ranging from the best selling Honda Civic to the popular Honda CR-V SUV.

What really stuck me were their amazing benefits and as far as I know, no other Honda dealer can match them in that respect. This includes:
10 Day money back guarantee on used vehicles,
48 Hour money back guarantee on new Vehicles and
10 Day best price guarantee.

The home page is really informative though my wife thought that it looked a bit too busy. If I was a customer looking to buy a car, I would really appreciate any information I could get my hands on before actually going down to the dealership. That’s why I really liked their interactive chat feature where you could chat with a sales person live online. Another feature that makes this website different is their user friendly online loan calculator. I also liked the fact that using the search facility on the site brings up results with images of the car – and they are not blurry small resolution images you get in some car site. Other car dealers can learn a thing or two form D&C Honda.

One way to gauge a dealer is to hear from previous customers and it was interesting to know that D&C Honda now part of DealerRater.com where you can read the experiences of customers at the dealership. They were rated 4.6/5 (on a 24 Month rating) when I last checked and that is definitely not bad.

Electric cars tested in the UK

The CABLED (Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Vehicle Demonstrators) consortium is currently testing a total of 340 electric cars across the UK. This includes the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Jaguar Land Rover's _e electric/diesel hybrid, LTI’s TX4E taxis, Mercedes Benz/Smart FourTwo electric drive, Tata Indica Vista EV and the hydrogen-powered Microcab.

The Microcab

The test seeks to find out how how practical these electric cars under real life conditions would be - this include how they are used and charging information. Recharging points will be provided by Birmingham and Coventry City Councils and Eon. Birmingham University’s hydrogen refuelling station will also be available.

Researchers from Aston University will be analysing the data generated.

Interestingly out of the total cars that will be tested for a year, 110 will be based in Birmingham and Coventry. 25 Mitsubishi i-MiEV cars were passed to test drivers in the West Midlands with the rest will be given to lucky drivers, specially selected by Coventry University researchers. Hope I am one of them.

Mitsubishi's new compact crossover will be called the RVR.

Fitted with a new 1.8L MIVEC petrol engine and a lightweight compact body, the vehicle will be approximately 4.3 meters in length.

The car will be released globally sequentially starting Japan next spring.

i MiEV (white) and the i MiEV SPORT AIR (blue) concepts

The "MiEV OS" integrated vehicle control system installed in Mitsubishi Motors' new-generation electric vehicle i-MiEV, has been selected by as the winner of the "2009 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car Technology of the Year" award by The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization.

Go here for more details

The funny G-wiz

When I saw the G-Wiz for the very first time, it brought a smile to my lips. This is apparently quite different from my friend's reactions when they first laid eyes on this unusually shaped car. UGLY was the term they used to describe it.

The first time I saw this car was in London and the reason I found the car amusing was not the shape which does look funny but because there were two of these cars parked in a single parking space. I only learnt later that these cars are pure electric cars and built by an Indian company based in Bangalore called the Reva Electric Car Company. It is sold under the G-Wiz brand name in the UK by GoinGreen and costs about £7500 which makes it one of the cheapest green cars.

Their latest model, the G-Wiz L-ion is the world's first commercially produced lithium-ion powered electric vehicle.

The car is meant for urban driving and seats two adults and two kids. It is said to have a range of around 80 Kms per charge using lead acid batteries or 120 Kms on lithium ion batteries.

Being well groomed will take you places

How often have we heard the saying "the first impression is the last impression". Well, a survey commissioned by Gillette and conducted by Harris Interactive, confirms that it is true.

One of the most critical grooming cue for making a good first impression was having a clean-shaven face. Other no nos include body odour or sweat stains. Also make sure you wear good fitting, nicely pressed and and appropriate clothing as well.

Apparently it's not just the first impression that matters. Being well groomed may very well help you in your career and get the sports car of your dreams. I am not joking. According to the survey, most HR professionals agreed that well-groomed employees do better in the corporate race as compared to those who don't take care of how they look.

So if you are one of those who never bothered to look in the mirror while going to work, you should be worried. Especially in these bad economic times.

However, hope is on the way. You may not only keep your job but get that Ferrari as well. Gillette has launched Gillette Career Advantage on their website and you can get expert advice from career expert Mark Jeffries and GQ style correspondent, Brett Fahlgren.

Brett Fahlgren

On the site, you can take the Gillette career quiz and find out what HR professionals really think.

For more information of what Gillette has to offer for you and to read the survey findings, visit the Gillette Resource Center. Loads of other useful resources as well.

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Tata secures loan to develop electric cars

The Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC), which is based in the University of Warwick Campus has secured a £10 million loan from British Government to produce a four seater electric car. Tata Motors will pump in a further £25 million.

The car which is based on the Tata Indica Vista is expected to go into production by the end of this year.

The Tata Indica Vista

TMETC was set up in the UK in 2005 as a 100% subsidiary of Tata Motors. The centre is engaged in design engineering and the development of products for the automotive industry.

Two new Minis unvieled

Two new MINI's were unveiled today - the MINI Coupé and a twin. They will be built at the BMW factory in Cowley, near Oxford.

Watch their crazy launch video:

Both cars will be at the IAA - International Motor Show from September 17th onwards.

Formula One team McLaren has unveiled a road car - the McLaren MP4-12C. This car will be built near their group's headquarters in Woking in Surrey. According to McLaren, the factories should employ some 800 people and produce 4,000 cars per year.

The cars will cost approximately £125,000 and £175,000. I don't really agree with McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, when he says that it is an "affordable sports car". I guess it is cheaper than the Ferrari and Porsches. According to news reports, the MP4-12C powered by a 3.8 litre V8 twin turbo engine can accelerate to 60mph from rest in just 3.4 seconds.

The sexy looking car features gull-wing doors.

Their McLaren Automative website is still under construction.

These are the first official photos of the new Honda Accord Crosstour. The car is based on the award-winning Honda Accord.

The car features a bold front grille, a longer, wider stance and a versatile, spacious cargo area.

The Crosstour will be going on sale later this fall.

Mini turns 50

The Mini celebrates its 50th birthday today. The iconic car was first unveiled to the public in August 26 1959.

Here is the official Mini birthday-song "That´s Entertainment", a Paul Weller and The Jam classic. It's performed by Twisted Wheel.

On their 90th anniversary, Bentley Motors unveiled their new flagship grand tourer - the Mulsanne on the 16th of August at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California.

Not much info apart from that it will be powered by a 6.75 litre V8 engine.

According to Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors:

"The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world’s most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement – the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned."

Chassis number one was sold at auction by Gooding and Company for US$500,000 at the event.

The Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale from mid 2010 and will also be displayed at the forthcoming IAA Frankfurt Motor Show (15-27th September, 2009).

Link: The official Bently Mulsanne site

New Audi R8 in Ferrari territory

I don't know about you but I found this Audi ad really funny.

Nissan unveiled their much awaited electric car called the Leaf yesterday. In their words, it is the "World's THE WORLD'S first electric car designed for affordability and real-world requirements".

The hatchback will be launched in late 2010. It comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 160km (100 miles).

In case you are wondering about the name,

The "LEAF" name is a significant statement about the car itself. Just as leaves purify the air in nature, so Nissan LEAF purifies mobility by taking emissions out of the driving experience.

The car is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm.

or more information about the car, check out their press release.

However, they failed to actually say how much the car will actually cost.

Ferrari has officially unveiled their latest car - the Ferrari 458 Italia. With styling byPininfarina, this mid-engined V8 car replaces the Ferrari F430.

According to their press release, the two-seater458 has lower fuel consumption than the F430 but with a higher overall displacement and power. The car has a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.4 seconds. It has a top speed of 202 mph. For now all I have got are some pics and the press release. The car will be unveiled to the public at the next Frankfurt Motor Show.

For more information go to the Ferrari site.

Jaguar to cut jobs and more auto news

Jaguar has just announced that it may cut up to 300 jobs at its Halewood plant on Merseyside. This follows news that they will end production of the Jaguar X-Type.

More info here

Earlier Aston Martin had also announced that about 95 workers in Gaydon in Warwickshire would lose their jobs .

More news here

In another news, Toyota may build a hybrid version of the Auris hatchback here in the UK.

Read more here

Can Tesla survive?

Tesla motors, the US based makers of electric cars, recently received $465 million as part of the Department of Energy's $25 billion advanced technology loan fund. This fund seeks to create green jobs and reduce the US dependency on foreign fuel.

However, I am not quite sure whether Tesla can survive the current crisis that has hit the US automakers quite hard. One reason is that they only have two models in the stable, viz., the Model S and the Roadster. Unlike the Toyota Prius or the Honda Hybrid cars, Tesla's models are pure electric cars.

They are also targeted at a niche market - people who like sporty cars. So they are going up against some big names like Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, etc.

Having said that, maybe being small and nimble may actually serve the company well. Plus, a number of people who can afford the fast, flashy cars are turning their backs on the gas guzzlers as being seen as "Green" becomes fashionable. They have already "delivered slightly more than 500 Roadsters". The Model S sedan is also due to come out in 2011.

Model S

This interesting BusinessWeek article asks "Can Tesla Become a Real Automaker?"

The Riversimple Urban car was launched in London yesterday.

The two-seater car is powered by hydrogen fuel cells and was developed with Oxford University and Cranfield University. It features gull wing doors as well.

The car is expected to go into production by 2013.

Avoiding motorway congestion

If you are someone who lives in the UK and regularly travel on the motorway, I can understand how frustrating it can be when you discover that there are mile long jams caused by some repair work or an accident. Even if you don't travel up and down the motorway regularly and venture on to the motor ways occasionally, you might want to check out the following sites below:

1. Frixo, a road / motorway traffic reporting site which is updated every 3 minutes via feeds from various sources.

2, My Way, a joint initiative between RAC and Expedia, which provides alternative routes to some of the UK's worst congestion hotspots.

UK's first 4 seater family car was launched last weekend. The Citroen C1 Ev'ie was developed and built by the Electric Car Corporation.

It is available in 3 or 5 doors versions. According to their site, the car has a top speed of 60 mph with a range of 60- 75 miles on a full charge. Charging from domestic 13 amp socket overnight takes 6 hours.

The cars cost £16,850.

LDV files for administration

Birmingham based van maker LDV applied for administration. 800 jobs at its Birmingham factory and another 1,200 in various dealerships are at stake.

However, the interesting news is that Malaysian investor Westar is said to be in advanced talks to take control of the company. If that happens, it will become the second British automobile company to be taken over by the Malaysians. The first was Lotus which was taken over by Proton in 1996.

Useful law firm site

You don't expect a law firm site to show how auto accidents can be avoided - I mean more accidents mean more business for them I guess. However, found out that the Majlessi Law Firm - Legal Metro site has a extensive collection of videos of various car accident crash tests and shows how to avoid them.

Art Majlessi is a well known personal injury lawyer based in Los Angeles with over over 10 years practice and he heads the Majlessi Law Firm. According to their web site, the firm has helped thousands of their clients recover millions of dollars in injury cases. I was quite impressed after watching the video testimonials of some of their past clients.

You can also read up on the latest law updates including some of the latest law cases on their blog. One article which is a must read is "Nine Things You Must Do When You Are Involved in an Auto Accident".

This is one of the most informative sites I have come across recently and they have so many resources including articles on the site which anyone can access totally free of charge. Even though I hope that none of my readers (or myself for that matter) would never be involved in a major accident (touch wood), I feel that we should definitely be aware of the various types of accidents and common injury risk factors including including whiplash.

Do go over and check out the site.

Cool MINI Cabrio ad.

Check out this crazy Mini Cabrio ad:

The second clip shows how it was made

Malaysian car maker, Proton has launched their MPV - the Exora. It is Malaysia’s first locally produced MPV.

It was launched on Wednesday by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The 7-seater is powered by Proton's own 1.6 Campro CPS engine linked to a 4 speed automatic transmission.

The MPV has a top speed of 165 km/h (103 mph) and is available in six colours - pyrite brown, gaia blue, genetic silver, tranquillity black, blue haze and solid white.

Prices start at RM69998 going up to RM75998 for the higher end models. Proton had accepted bookings since Feb 21 and it was reported that more than 2500 orders have been received.

GM and Segway's Project PUMA

Recently unveiled at the 2009 New York auto show, PUMA stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility and is the result of the collaboration between GM and Segway.

The PUMA has a maximum speed of 35 mph and can go up to 35 miles on a full charge.

Is Ikea planning to branch into automobile manufacture?

A microsite for the mysterious Leko suddenly appeared linked from the Ikea France site. It features a rotating car covered with cloth and a designer called Christophe Grazs talking about it in French. I have no idea what he's talking about but I can probably get my brother-in-law to tell what he is going on about.

It has generated a fair amount of interest but seems a lot of people are not taking it seriously.

I hope they are not going to ask their customers to assemble it using an Allen key.

Funny Mini Clubman ad

Watch the funny ad of two MINI Clubman on the German autobahn.

Tata Nano launch today

Tata Nano the World's cheapest car will be commercially launched today.

Watch the 10 things you should know about the Tata Nano slideshow on the Time site.

Go to the Tata Nano microsite for more information about the car.

i MiEV (white) and the i MiEV SPORT AIR (blue) concepts

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation launched two concepts at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show at the Geneva Palexpo exhibition and conference complex on the 3rd of this month.

The two new cars are the i MiEV and the i MiEV SPORT AIR concept models. MiEV stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle.

The i MiEV prototype is the precursor to a model that will be introduced to the European market in 2010.

The i MiEV SPORT AIR does bear a close resemblance to the VW Beetle.

3 new Minis

Mini fans rejoice. Mini will present three new models at the Geneva Motor Show(March 5th - 15th).
The three models are the MINI John Cooper Works Cabrio, a new MINI One and the MINI One Clubman. For more info, visit the special Mini site.

Check out the exclusive video:

Independent Volvo Specialists in Coventry

Are there any independent Volvo specialist garages in Coventry?

I have been trying to find one for sometime but without any success. My old Volvo S40 is giving me a headache. The remote doesn't work and opening the car manually with the keys sets off the alarm and the hazard lights start blinking. Unlike other cars, there is no way to manually shut off the alarm from inside the car. I know my old Proton car had a button that you could press to shut off the alarm.

Searching on the net reveals that other S40 owners have had similar problems but unfortunately there were no solutions. I tried a few garages but they were not able to help me.

A friend suggested VRS who call themselves "UK’s leading MOT and auto repair experts". However, when I told them my problem, the guy on the line replied that they had diagnostics solutions for every brand apart from Volvo.

In the end it look like I have to go to TMS Volvo Coventry - the official distributor here in Coventry. Of course they would be the best people to help me but the problem is that like all "authorised" garages, they will charge me a lot. A call to their service centre confirmed it: "It will be £80 to run the diagnostics". You should note that this £80 is only for the diagnostics and don't cover the actual repair costs.

Now the car is parked there in front of my house, practically useless while I wait for my pay to come in.

I do regret buying the Volvo and should have gone with a Ford Mondeo instead. Cheaper and easier to repair.

Arrgh!

New Renault Mégane Coupé.

The economy is really bad and car sales have fallen drastically in the UK. However, some companies are still launching new cars and some of them are really hot - like this new Renault Mégane Coupé.

Prices start from £14,485 OTR for the Expression.

BMW Concept 5 Series Gand Turismo

You might recall that I blogged about the new BMW concept. Well, I found out that it's called the BMW Concept 5 Series Gand Turismo.

Here's the first footage of the car:

Very fast yet green Bentley

Just found out about the new Bentley which runs on biofuel. You would not normally associate "green" credentials with powerful cars but this will be their fastest, most powerful production car ever. It will be unveiled on March 3rd at the 2009 International Geneva Motor Show.

Car tax renewal

Just renewed the vehicle tax for my old Ford. It cost me £185 for a year. Tax is high because my is above 1549 cc and registered before 1 March 2001. The cost of vehicle tax is given on the DirectGov site.

Was really annoyed when I found out that the post office near our house where I normally renew my tax, has now been closed. Had to drive to the Great Heath Sub Post Office on Foleshill road (CV6 5JX).

Just found out that I might have lost the chance to win a SEAT car. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) working with SEAT has just launched a free prize draw for people who renew their tax online or by phone.

Revolutionary concept from BMW

Ever wonder how BMW comes up with their concepts?

The first video of a series presenting a revolutionary concept by BMW appeared on the BMW-web.tv site.

According to what I heard, it's strange because it doesn't fall in any predefined car types - it's not a sedan, nor a SUV or even a station-wagon.

Thanks for the info Markus.

Good news for UK car industry

The UK car industry finally has some good news. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson today outlined a loan package potentially worth up to £2.3bn.

This includes a scheme to unlock £1.3bn of European loans and a government guarantee for up to £1bn of further loans.

The news was welcomed by Jaguar Land Rover and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

New MINI Cabrio

Read about out the new MINI Cabrio which recently had it's World premiere at the North American International Motor Show 2009 at Detroit on MINIunited.com .

Thanks for the info Andreas.

New Jaguar cars revealed

Jaguar showed off their new generation XK and XF ranges at the North American International Autoshow, Detroit.

The new Jaguar XK has new 3.0 Litre V6 Diesel engine, new exterior and a redesigned interior.

The range comprises three models: the XK, XK Portfolio and supercharged XKR, and each are available in Coupe or Convertible body style.

The new 510 PS 5.0 Litre AJ-V8 GEN III R supercharged engine is said to be Jaguar's most powerful and efficient ever.

The new XF range are available with the naturally aspirated version of the new 5.0-litre petrol V8 and the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel engines (in two versions -500 and 600Nm).

Extras include a 7-inch Touch-screen, Portable Audio Interface, Driver Information Centre and the industry-leading JaguarDrive Selector used to control the all-new ZF 6HP28 six speed automatic transmission.

According to their press release, the new XF Diesel S model has a powerful 275PS engine and goes from 0-60mph speed in just 5.9 seconds. Available as Premium Luxury and Portfolio models. It was interesting to note that the maximum speed is electronically limited to 155mph.

If you are worried about the green credential (if you really are, why don't you drive a Prius) the average fuel consumption in both models is 42.0mpg and has a CO2 emissions rating of only 179g/km.

The new XFR - XF's new sporting flagship model, has two new generation 5.0 litre V8 petrol engines that goes from 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds. The AJ-V6D Gen III engine - available in either 240PS/500Nm form or 275PS/600Nm 'S' features parallel sequential turbochargers to help deliver the high levels of power and torque. The engine is coupled with a six-speed ZF 6HP28 automatic transmission.

Of course you don't buy a Jaguar just to drive fast. There's the comfort and craftsmanship. The new Jaguar cars offer a wider choice of veneers and trim colours. For audiophiles, a Bowers and Wilkins 440W surround sound system with portable audio interface and DAB radio is also included.

The new XK and XF range will be on sale from March 2009.

Have been seeing ads about the new Vauxhall Insignia everywhere on the net. In continental Europe, it is sold as the Opel Insignia. It was unveiled at the British motor show in 2008.

Recently voted as Car of the Year 2009, it has also achieved a five-star adult occupant rating and four stars for child protection and two stars for pedestrian protection (the highest so far in it's category) from Euro NCAP.

The Insignia is available in Hatch and Saloon variants and come in a choice of 5 engines - Two 2 litre diesel engines and three petrol engines (1.8, 2.0 and 2.8 V6 engines).

Prices start from £15600.74 (OTR) for the base model - Insignia Exclusiv 1.8i 16v VVT (140PS) Manual.

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