Jim Press Leaves Toyota for Chrysler LLC

In an absolutely stunning development, longtime Toyota executive Jim Press, who had been with the company for 37 years and was the first American ever elected to Toyota Motor Corporation's Board of Directors, resigned from the company to become Vice Chairman and President of Chrysler LLC. He now has the same job title as former Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda, except that Mr. Press will be responsible for Sales and Marketing, and Mr. LaSorda will be responsible for manufacturing, labor relations, procurement, supply, and global business development and alliances.

With Toyota, which Mr. Press joined in 1970 when annual sales were about 100,000 units, his job titles were Toyota Motor America president and a Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) senior managing director. Toyota is now the largest automaker in the world and the #2 automaker in the US (depending on the month), with 2,542,545 light vehicles sold in 2006.

Frankly, I'm surprised to see someone like Jim Press leave a comfortable, successful environment like he had at Toyota for the uncertainty of Chrysler. I would have expected Tom LaSorda to be out the door (since he was basically demoted from CEO to a COO role), but I guess money talks. Also, while Toyota sold more vehicles in the US than Chrysler did, the Chrysler job might be larger in scope than Mr. Press's job with Toyota was.

Jim Press has a proven track record of success in the industry - he was one of the executives who pushed for the latest Tundra to be larger, faster, and more capable than previous 7/8ths scale half-baked versions, and its sales success so far has proven that strategy to be a good one. Also, I needn't remind you that the Toyota Camry has been the best selling car in the US for nearly a decade. The guy knows how to sell cars, and Chrysler needs it. I believe that Chrysler, having already undergone several painful restructurings, needs someone who knows what consumers want and how to sell cars (and alter/shape perceptions of those products). Mr. LaSorda is good at his more operations-based behind-the-scenes role, and as long as Mr. Press can encourage the development of more appealing vehicles, and more importantly get consumers to buy them, Chrysler will be fine. Chrysler's dealer body is near mutiny, and Mr. Press has already promised to make repairing that relationship a high priority in his tenure.

I wish Mr. Press the best of luck in his new job. It won't be easy, but he is probably the right guy for the role. Also, congratulations are in order to Chrysler for the recruiting coup d'état, with a seemingly struggling company snagging Toyota's top US executive. Also, Toyota has lost its Lexus division vice president of marketing Debra Wahl Meyer at the end of August, who joined Chrysler as the company's chief marketing officer.

Super Corvette Gets a Name?

The future "super Corvette," often referred to as the Blue Devil, Corvette SS, or Z07, has been named the ZR1, according to Todd Lassa's blog on MotorTrend.com.

If this is true (and I say "if" because Motor Trend has had "scoops" before that turned out to be completely wrong), it's a good move for GM in my opinion. For those of us who reached driving age around the time the Corvette ZR-1 made its debut in 1990, the name conjures up images of the ultimate in Corvette performance at the time.

I still think the ultimate Corvette will be called the Corvette SS, but the ZR1 name (not hyphenated) is a better name choice than SS. Yes, apparently there was an SS variant of an old Corvette somewhere in the past, but only the biggest Corvette history buff/die hard will be able to make that connection. There's no such problem with Corvette ZR1.

Motor Trend also stated matter of factly that this specific model will have 650 horsepower. I was actually hoping for a little more, for bragging rights and all, but that's still an awful lot, more than I could imagine needing (or even being able to control safely). Now, 505 horsepower, that's a different story!

Absent public confirmation from GM on this car's name, I guess we won't know for sure until it debuts in concept form at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January. I'll be there in person to cover it!

I Know What You're Thinking

Where the heck are the updates from Mags?

Hold yer horses. Real life stuff has gotten a hold of me. Until then, Mr. Firebird will do what he can to sate the 10's of you who read daily.

2009 Dodge Journey Crossover Revealed

Dodge's new midsize crossover, named Journey, was revealed this past weekend. Although the Journey shares its platform with the Sebring and Avenger, it has a much longer wheelbase to accommodate the all-important third row seat. It will reach US dealerships in the first quarter of 2008, and will be sold in Europe (where Chrysler is working to establish the Dodge brand) starting in the middle of 2008.

Before even getting into the vehicle itself, I find it interesting that so many family haulers carry names that invoke adventures/travels. Other than the 2009 Dodge Journey, Chevrolet will come to market around 2009 with its Traverse crossover. Ford already sells the Expedition (and used to sell the Excursion). Chrysler/Plymouth used to sell a Voyager minivan. Actually, of the nine synonyms for 'journey' in the Microsoft Word thesaurus, 33% of them are, or were, recently-sold vehicle names (Voyage[r], Expedition, and Excursion). Incidentally, Word lists six synonyms for 'traverse,' of which one - 'navigat[e/or]' is the name of a vehicle.

The Journey is a nice looking vehicle. Certainly, it has much more attractive proportions than its platform mates, the Avenger and Sebring. The front is reminiscent of the Dodge Grand Caravan and at least looks like other Dodge products, and the profile reminds me of a Mazda CX-9 (certainly not a bad looking vehicle to emulate). The rear view is reminiscent of a Volkswagen Touareg, with horizontal taillights placed in the middle of the sides. Both front and rear overhangs appear to be fashionably short, especially considering its front wheel drive-based underpinnings.

Inside, although interior space won't be as voluminous or useful as a Caravan's, there are some nice family-friendly features either standard or optional, depending on the trim level chosen. The second row seats slide forward or backward to improve either second or third row passenger room, there are numerous "hidden" storage compartments under seats or in the floor, YES Essentials stain- and smell-resistant upholstery is available in all cloth seat-equipped versions (leather in standard in the top R/T model), and integrated child booster seats. From the press release photos, the interior detailing doesn't look as impressive as some of its competitors will. Until I actually see one in person, I'll reserve judgment on the quality of interior materials. After spending a few hours in a 2006 Dodge Magnum last weekend, I can attest that although the Magnum's interior design is somewhat bland, most of the dash is soft-touch, and not as bad as it looks. Chrysler said early in 2007 that they were going to have a renewed commitment to interior design and materials. This vehicle may have been too far along in the development curve to receive the full benefit of that, but it's nicer looking inside than other recent Chrysler efforts.

In terms of safety equipment, the Journey is coming to bat with everything that's expected in an all-new family hauler: multi-stage driver and front passenger airbags, front seat-mounted airbags, three-row side curtain airbags, standard ABS, stability control, roll mitigation, an available back-up camera, and optional all-wheel drive.

Powertrain options are numerous. Since the Journey will be sold in Europe, a small 2.0 liter turbo diesel is available there only with a 6-speed Getrag DSG gearbox. US engine choices include a 173 horsepower 2.4 liter four cylinder, a 186 horsepower 2.7 liter V6, and a 235 horsepower 3.5 liter V6. The 3.5 liter comes with a six-speed automatic, while the other engines get four-speeds. Chrysler has not given an estimated curb weight, but only people who care more about fuel economy than safely merging onto the highway would select the four cylinder, because I'm guessing it will be overwhelmed by a three-row crossover's mass. The 3.5 liter V6 is about 30-40 horsepower down on the class norm of 265-275, and that baseline might continue to increase by early 2008, but it should still have enough power to move the Journey briskly when needed.

The crossover field certainly is getting crowded. Chrysler was caught for the past few years without any viable crossovers in its Dodge lineup; hopefully they can catch onto the crossover wave and sell a few of these. They seem like a reasonably attractive, compelling package for families.

Canadians Are Getting The Shaft

Have you looked at car prices lately?

If you're an American, probably not too closely since all of your media and information is fairly insular and will always report the US pricing alone. Subcompact cars will run from 12k to 16k, compacts will nudge up to 21k, midsizers will range from 20k to 30k, and so forth. There are identifiable pricing segments, and there are identifiable ranges. Yes, inflation has moved pricing upwards, but at a fairly average pace.

If you're a Canadian however, and you've looked at car prices lately, you're probably slamming your head against your computer monitor as you read this. The reason? Car prices in Canada are ridiculously out of whack. Due to pricing differences predicated on a 60 to 70 cent Canadian dollar from 3-5 years ago, Canadian car prices have absolutely soared compared to their American counterparts- without moving up beyond usual inflation increases- all this is because if you haven't heard about it recently- the Canadian dollar is floating near 95 cents US...and climbing.

Parity between the bucks appears likely to happen, and every car maker is sitting back quietly raking in the profits.

Some examples?

Take the Honda S2000. In Canada, the pricing starts at approximately $51,000. A 70 cent dollar would give you an American price of about $35,000. However, with the dollar at the level it is, the American price should be closer to $49,000. Want to know the actual price of an S2000 in the US? $34,000. So for every S2000 sold near sticker in Canada right now, Honda is making an extra $15,000 Canadian. Without doing anything. Think about that for a second. If you adjust for the current dollar, the S2000 shouldn't be anywhere near $51,000 in Canada right now- it should be closer to $36,000.

Want another example? Let's go mainstream.

How about the Camry? The XLE V6 trim with navigation will cost a Canadian buyer a tad over $40,000. So you would expect that the same American car would cost about $37,000 US right? Wrong. A Camry XLE V6 with navigation in the US will cost at MOST $31,520. In essence, just by sitting pat and letting the markets move, Toyota is making an extra $6,000 per Camry sold in Canada. Think they don't want to increase their market share at these prices?

A final example? Let's play with a truck.

An extended cab Chevrolet Silverado LTZ 4WD with a regular box with cost a Canadian buyer a shade over $45,000 with no other options ticked off. The American version at current dollar levels should cost almost $43,000 US. Instead, US buyers can get the exact same vehicle in the US for about $34,500- a difference of $7,500 US. When you're selling as many Silverados as GM does, this is big money.

And it's not just the 3 examples above. Every single model of vehicle out there has this discrepancy built into it. Now, I'm not advocating that car manufacturers change their pricing structures on a month to month basis depending on the level of the dollar- but we're talking a more than 20 cent swing in the last 5 years, and not a single one has done anything to rectify the situation. Would a yearly evaluation help? Every 2 years? Even more amazing is that no one is doing or saying anything in Canada right now. No consumer groups have made a peep and no one is writing into their local newspaper griping about it. And yet it's plastered in front of us regularly if we read any information from an American source. Yes, there are some border dealers who specialize in importing American cars over, but really, this is a quiet 'epidemic' that is getting no play.

I guess the only question is- who will be the first to sacrifice some profit in order to make an artificial price play in the Canadian market? Or even more out there- who will be the first automaker in the US to RAISE prices to reflect the weakness of the greenback?

Two Extremes in Chinese Knockoffs

Continuing on a humorous, yet also pathetic road that we've traveled before, two of the latest Chinese knockoff vehicles have come to light, and they couldn't be more extreme opposites. For previous coverage on this, click here.

The first is called the Shuanghuan Noble, and is almost identical to DaimlerChrysler's Smart ForTwo. Automotive News reported that Mercedes-Benz may be filing a lawsuit to block the Noble's sales in Germany. There are two major differences between the cars, visual similarities aside: The Smart is a two seater and starts at €9,490, while the Noble clone is a four seater and is expected to sell for just €7,000, making it the least expensive vehicle sold in Germany.

Shuanghuan Noble (above) and the real Smart ForTwo (below)

China Automobile Deutschland is the intended importer of the vehicle, and its managing director, said Klaus Schlössl said the car only "bears a resemblance to the Smart ForTwo from certain angles" and that "The cars are priced differently and are in a different class in terms of quality. There are many cars on the road today that look similar to each other." Well, I'll concede that they're priced differently, and that the quality is likely going to be a strong point of differentiation, but the cars look similar from more than "certain angles." Here's hoping that DaimlerChrysler prevails in keeping this vehicle out of Germany.

Our next example is the Dongfeng Crazy Soldier, which looks curiously similar to the AM General Humvee favored by the US Military, and previously in vogue by "urban soldiers" in the 1990s. The vehicle was developed in cooperation with Chinese Army officials over several years, but it is now for sale to civilians in the Chinese domestic market.

The Dongfeng Crazy Soldier (above) and the real Hummer H1 (below)

Let's see - failed crash tests, failed quality, and copycat designs. Sounds like a recipe for a successful industry, doesn't it? I'm not saying that the Chinese auto industry will never be successful, but it's not going to happen overnight.

The Japanese Car The Germans Wish They Made?

See that title? That's the tag line for the new Subaru Impreza. At present time I have no idea if it's being used outside of Canada, but I do know that in the past 2 days I've seen it plastered all over the newspaper and on TV commercials that seem to run in an endless loop of despair.

I mean seriously, this is the best marketing idea that Subaru chose from?

I was unaware that German engineers were scrambling to find ways to engineer a compact car that looks like a bar of soap with a set of late 80's Mercury Sable headlights out front, combined with a floaty suspension that completely disregards the past history of the make (if you believe the car rags). Obviously they've failed if the best they can do is the 3 Series, C-Class and upcoming 1 Series.

As time goes by, I'm finding it very difficult to believe that some of these car companies are run by sane people. It's even more bewildering now that Toyota has a stake in Subie. If you think about it, a 'pseudo-German' ad campaign makes absolutely ZERO sense in the story that is Subaru, regardless of the vehicle. They've just spent the last 10 years reinforcing the 'Outback' style and their AWD system. They went so far as to hire freaking Crocodile Dundee for an ad campaign. I'd wager that most people not into cars might have actually thought that Subaru was an Australian company.

And the solution to all this brand image? To dump it all off and go with 'Japanese but with a German edge'.

It must be too brilliant for my mind to comprehend.

Anatomy Of A Message Board Poster

The interwebs have been around for a while now, and while its impact is debatable (see: Snakes On A Plane, unjustified hype of), there is one thing that it offers that cannot be debated- the message board.

Today, I write not of just any message board, but the car message board. The car message board isn't something that can easily be pinned down. You can have a general message board... you can have a brand message board... you can have a model message board... you can have an anti-brand/model message board... you can have a message board based on country of origin... you can have an engine message board... and so on. It really is an endless loop, rivaled only by the music message board and its variants.

With that being said, the types of posters who inhabit these message boards are finite. I present to you a smattering of them. As always, this list is by no means complete, but I tried.

• The Brand Humper

Pretty self-explanatory. In years past, the lines were pretty clear. Followers of the Big 3 hated everything else, especially their Big 3 counterparts. German car fans were in the same boat, with BMW and Mercedes fans loathing eachother equally. The one constant was that everyone hated the Japanese brands and the Korean brands. Today however, the lines aren't so clear anymore- many GM fans are rooting for Ford... Chrysler used to be owned by Mercedes... BMW owns Mini. Globalization has flipped everything on its head. The common thread of course, is that they all still hate the Japanese and Korean makes. Not to fear however, as rampant brand favoritism still exists out there. Things to look out for- the Brand Humper will usually plaster their entire garage in their signature, and it will always be one brand of vehicle. Be on the lookout for model or company names in their message board name- MUSTANGFREEK1986 is a good example. They'll also interject with their favorite brand into any and every thread- even when it has nothing to do with anything. And lastly, and most deviously, they'll enter threads that are about direct competitors to their favorite brands, and will either show their true colours out in the open, or compliment the competitor in a backhanded manner.

• The Chassis Nerd (Also: Engine Nerd, Model Nerd)
  

The easiest way to spot the Chassis Nerd is by the way they refer to vehicles. Instead of starting a thread about a 2007 BMW 3 Series sedan, they'll start a thread about an E90 (E92 if they're talking about the coupe). Instead of responding to a Honda engine swap question by suggesting a 2.0 liter Civic motor, they'll blithely throw out a K20A2 reference. And don't get me started on Volkswagens. You're not buying a used 1987 Jetta- you're buying a Mk2. And you're sure as hell an idiot if you refer to a mid 90's RX-7 as anything but an FD (bonus points if you have a JDM FD3s). The Nerd revels in acronyms. They bathe in nomenclature. They shower in useless abbreviations. They are to be approached with caution - if you see one of their threads, click on a Google AdWord instead. If you still accidentally click, slowly and carefully hit your back button.

• Hacksaw Jim Duggan (Also: Ze German, Goku)

Sometimes very easy to spot, sometimes very stealthy, the nationalistic poster is quite possibly my favorite type of poster for a number of reasons- they are blindly loyal to whatever they're spewing about (regardless of facts), they are very easy to rile up, and lastly, they tend to reinforce every single stereotype that you could possibly imagine when you initiate contact with them. Really, if you think about it, they're like the message board answer to a Creationist. The weak point of a Hacksaw Jim Duggan is questioning the superiority of American trucks. The weak point of Ze German is questioning German quality. The weak point of Goku is questioning the passion of Japanese vehicles. Touch on any of these weak points and be prepared for vicious rebuttals ranging from randoming misspellings of your/you're/yer, to assaults on the car you drive yourself, to proclamations on the superiority of VTEC!!!OMG!!!111!!!. Want to get on their good side? American patriots love reminiscing about the old days. German patriots will swoon if you mention driving on the Nurburgring or call it an S-Klasse. Japanese patriots will fall head over heels in love with you if you think Bluetooth, navi, self parking mechanisms and portable cappuccino machines should be in every car sold today.

• The Tree Hugger (Also: The Oil Burner)
  

It used to be that the Tree Hugger was easily identifiable- they would squeal like Ned Beatty in Deliverance at the sight of any SUV related thread. The Prius has changed this dynamic however. Yes, they'll still infiltrate anything truck and SUV related- but now they'll also set their sites on such wonderful acronyms as ULEV, SULEV, PZEV, and of course, the Holy Grail- ZEV. My advice? Stay far far far away from them. Dare to question them and be prepared to face the wrath of a thousand spreadsheets extolling the virtues of their vehicles. A fun pastime however, is to mention the presence of diesel alternatives. You can then sit back, relax, and enjoy the view as The Oil Burner sect descend upon the thread for entertaining battle.

• The Noob (Also: Your Mom/Dad/Grandma/Grandpa)
  

Some poor sap who typed in 'Chevy Uplander breaking down' into Google, stumbled upon the message board, took the time to register and post a question about their poor Chevy Uplander (which is breaking down), and promptly gets lambasted for not knowing the answer to their own question.

• The Mechanic

Generally a pretty good poster- limited to what they service, but can be a fountain of knowledge if you're looking for model specific information. I've got nothing bad to say here. Beware the similar but very different species The (Fake) Mechanic, identifiable by a wealth of anecdotal experiences but very little in the way of actual knowledge.

• The Yeller (Also: The 14 Year Old Poster)
  

OMG LOL I LUV THE NEW CAMARO!!!!111ONE!!!!!111!!! IM GUNNA ASK MY DAD TO GET ME ONE IN YELLO WHEN IT COMES OUT ROFLMAO!!!!!111!!!!

• The Unbiased (Also: The Contrarian)

Luckily for those of us living in democratic societies, we have measures in place to protect our freedom, justice and equality. No, I'm not talking about the law or the police. I'm talking about The Unbiased. 99.9% of the time found in brand/nation/model specific forums, where their sole goal is to ensure that everyone is being UNBIASED. They will proclaim this loudly and clearly. Multiple times. Bias is anathema to these people. But look at it this way- they're helping you not get attached to inanimate objects! Of course, what The Unbiased will never admit to is that in order to be truly unbiased, they'd have to not own a vehicle at all, read anything about cars (including message boards), or form an opinion about anything. Bring this up and wait for the stock answer- "I thoroughly tested each and every vehicle in my price range before picking the one that best suited my needs, budget and social status". It's like talking to a cardboard cutout of a Consumer Reports reader. The Contrarian is related to The Unbiased, but is different because they don't care about bias- they just love going contrary to whatever everyone else says. To them, a Corvette has 6 wheels, and an S-Class is a BMW.

• The CEO

Criticizes anything and everything about the business. New model coming out? There's something wrong with it. Mid-cycle refresh? They didn't address all the shortcomings. Making a profit? They should have made more. Will generally supplement their posting on a message board with a blog to satisfy their ego and rampant Napoleonic tendencies (hmmmmm).

• The Insider

Dark and mysterious. Sort of like a Caramilk bar, but even sweeter because they have all the tidbits of information that you crave like a Star Wars fan does a 3rd trilogy. They almost always either work on the line (where secrets are apparently shared like Halloween candy) or have a friend in the company who likes sabotaging the efforts of the employer who provides their living. They're to be trusted 50% of the time- the other half is to be copied for future pastings in order to showcase their lack of knowledge.

• The Moderator

Friendless. Cold and lonely. Live in the basement of their parents house. Best to ignore completely.

• The One Worder (Also: Emoticonner)
  

Yup. ;)

...

Like I said...just a sprinkling of what you'll find out there- I'm sure there are many more I've passed over.

Car Sharing at Colleges Is Introduced

Yes, I know that nearly everyone who has gone to college in the past half century has shared their car (or borrowed a friend's car) from time to time. I had the pleasure of driving a friend's 1978 Volare wagon back in 1995, when I could have instead driven my 1992 Oldsmobile Achieva.

This is something different, though. Two companies that provide primarily urban car sharing, ZipCar and FlexCar, have started expanding their service to college campuses in recent months.

The college car sharing plans work similarly to the urban car sharing plans that these firms offer. Once enrolled in the program for a nominal annual fee (usually around $35), you reserve a car (usually a Civic or other compact car) and go to various locations (identified by the company online or via phone), swipe your card, hop into the car and drive away. Hourly rates are usually between $5 and $10, and include gasoline and a relatively large mileage allowance. For someone who lives in a city, they're a great alternative to car ownership and all of the insurance, parking, and vandalism headaches that it can entail.

These companies have now decided to move into the next logical arena - car sharing for college students. The plans work almost identically, except the cars are picked up at locations around campus instead of in a city, and ZipCar or FlexCar contract with the school's fleet department to perform weekly inspections, cleaning, and maintenance.

While most rental companies will not rent to individuals under age 21, and tack on sometimes-hefty surcharges for renters between age 21 and 25, FlexCar and ZipCar are allowing renters as young as 18 to borrow cars for occasional use, as long as they have two years of driving history and adequate liability insurance. The companies are also encouraging faculty and fleet departments to utilize their cars when needed rather than maintaining their own vehicles.

To me, this is a brilliant idea. Many schools do not allow freshmen or sophomores to have cars on campus - car sharing solves that. Many schools are in urban areas with limited parking - car sharing solves that because each shared car gets its own dedicated parking space.

The kinds of cars that are available may not set enthusiasts' hearts a-flutter, but they are a nice, relatively inexpensive solution to not having "wheels" available when needed for a trip to the grocery store. I'd encourage parents of college students, and even college students themselves, to look into these services.

If You Didn't Already Do It, Now's The Time To Really Say Goodbye To Jaguar

Left Lane News is reporting that the following image is a pretty good look at what to expect from the Jaguar XF- a car that basically needs to be a hit for Jaguar to even think about surviving beyond the Ford years.


Umm, excuse me?

I didn't know the market was clamouring for a car that looks like a Lexus ES. Especially in the mid-range lux segment. And if there WAS such a market, Lexus would have probably made their GS look like it.

So what the hell are they smoking? Are they so bereft of ideas over at Ford/Jaguar that THIS is the best they could come up with? Frankly, I don't give a crap about the interior or the power. What Jaguar is CURRENTLY offering has pretty nice interiors and pretty good power- what they all lack however (including the XK, which I think looks okay) is any type of distinctive Jaguar style (and no, the 30 year old perpetually refreshed XJ isn't the answer). The worst part of it all? That this is the car that supposedly 'inspired' what you see above:

Nissan To GT-R Buyers- 'Only We Can Gouge'

Nissan has come up with a fantastic way to win over potential buyers of their upcoming supercar entrant, the GT-R-

According to Jan Thompson, Nissan's vice president of marketing, in an effort to prevent buyers from selling their dealer-purchased Skyline GT-R immediately for a profit, Nissan is considering voiding the Skyline's warranty for the second buyer if the transaction takes place less than one year after the initial purchase.

So to make things very clear- Nissan dealers who will probably be taking thousands of dollars of markup on this car? Perfectly fine. People buying the GT-R to flip it immediately for a profit? Not perfectly fine. And finally, rich guy who gets bored of his cars easily and wants to sell his car? Not perfectly fine either.

Is option #3 a believable situation? Not in most instances. But it IS weird to hear of a car company essentially handcuffing buyers this way. A part of me hopes that the dealers fulfill their inherent greediness and mark up the vehicle so much that no one wants them at all... and are forced to come back down to earth... at which time no one will want to buy a GT-R anyways because of the idiotic warranty rule. Leaving, of course, all the models for me. For $2.99 apiece.

But of course, that's all just a dream.

(Source: Edmunds)

Next Generation Corvette To Put The Thrust Behind Your Butt?

Oftentimes insane Peter De Lorenzo at Autoextremist thinks so-

But after my conversations late last week with executives at the top of the company (who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons), I can tell you that the "idea" of a mid-engined "C7" Corvette has not only progressed far beyond the initial planning stages, the engineering on the car is well underway.

What's the impetus for such a drastic change in philosphy?

Apparently the forces behind the decision think they can make it work from a cost effectiveness standpoint, and they also feel it is needed to stay current in racing series and to re-establish and enhance GM as a technological leader.

...

Wait a second. All three of those reasons sound like perfectly legitimate business reasons to move ahead with the project. This is GM right?

2008 Honda Accord Officially Introduced

Although the 2008 Accord may well be the most-leaked vehicle in recent automotive history (its interior and exterior were captured by countless spy photographers, in both disguised and undisguised forms), today Honda officially pulled the wraps off of the Accord. And wow, is it an impressive car.

At the risk of sounding like a Honda press release, I'll begin by stating what I am not enamored with the exterior styling of the sedan - which is the model I'd buy if I was in the market for a new car. It is something of a derivative shape, and cribs some styling cues from BMW, the Acura RL, and even the Hyundai Sonata. To my eyes, it doesn't look as bad as some of its critics are trying to portray it. I wouldn't call it ugly, but it's neither beautiful nor unique. It is, however, more interesting than the ho-hum styling of the current model, of which I'm an owner for the past four years. The coupe, on the other hand, has a similar-looking but entirely unique body and has a much sleeker and sportier appearance.

All Accord models have improved fuel economy, safety features, interior room, and horsepower compared to their predecessors. Engine offerings include two 2.4 liter four cylinders (177 horsepower in the base LX and LX-P sedans, 190 horsepower in the EX and EX-L sedans and LX-S and EX coupe) and a new 3.5 liter V6 (268 horsepower in the EX-L V6 sedan and coupe). Five-speed manual transmissions are standard in all four-cylinder models, and five-speed automatic transmissions are standard in all V6 models and optional in all four-cylinder models. There is also a six-speed manual available exclusively in the EX-L V6 6MT coupe. Fuel economy for the V6 has improved from 18 city/26 highway to 19 city/29 highway (by 1 mpg in the city and 3 mpg on the highway) when comparing the new for 2008 EPA ratings, in spite of the car moving from the EPA midsize to large car class, gaining 150 pounds, and 24 horsepower. That's a 5.6% improvement in city mileage and an 11.5% improvement in highway mileage, in a bigger, more powerful car. Much of the thanks goes to Honda's cylinder deactivation, which can run the V6 in three-, four-, or six-cylinder mode depending on need. Most likely, all six cylinders aren't needed for steady-state highway cruising, so some of them are shut down to conserve fuel. Honda also includes Active Noise Control sound cancellation standard on all V-6 models with automatic transmission and on all 190-hp four-cylinder cars to mitigate any vibrations or noises from the four cylinders or the V6 running on three or four cylinders.

Inside, the back seat has more room (according to Honda, nearly as much legroom as the Pilot SUV) and comfort. The dash and instrument panel were redesigned to move the 8" navigation screen up and more into the driver's line of sight. Models without navigation have a multi-display in its place to show HVAC and audio settings. Some have criticized the new Accord's interior as being too button-heavy, but when an interior includes all of the technology that this one does (navigation, Bluetooth, XM Satellite Radio, CD changer, dual zone climate control), it's difficult to control everything without a button. At any rate, the buttons are logically arranged and large so that they can be operated with minimum distraction. The alternative would be excluding the technology (as GM has chosen to do with its 2008 Chevrolet Malibu) or using an iDrive-type interface as BMW, Audi, and Mercedes do (and are oft-criticized). The interior has some premium detailing absent from the old model, such as horizontal trim strips across the dash and door panels and jewel-like gauges, and Honda claims that material quality has been upgraded (and they were already pretty good in most places).

Safety equipment sets the class standard. The Accord comes with six airbags and stability control, active head restraints, four wheel ABS and four wheel disc brakes, all standard.

Final pricing has not been released yet, but I expect it to be in line with the outgoing 2007 model's pricing; that is, between $20,000 and $30,000, which isn't bad considering the amount of safety, technology, and performance that you're getting for the money.

Comparisons between the Accord and its midsize sedan classmates will be inevitable. Objectively, it has basically everything on paper that the class leaders have - it's two horsepower shy of the Altima's 270-horsepower V6, but gets the best V6 fuel economy in its class, in spite of only having a five-speed automatic - and recent Accords have been very good as space efficiency in a smaller package; I expect more of the same from this iteration.

A sidebar to the Accord's launch is that the 2008 Chevy Malibu is put in the unenviable position of having to launch against this car. The Malibu has an optional six-speed automatic, but is down on horsepower and fuel economy (the similar 2008 Saturn Aura gets 17/26 city/highway according to the EPA, which is about 12% less). Now having seen the Malibu's competition, and having seen GM fans already clamoring for the next generation replacement of a car that still has yet to be launched itself, the Malibu's work is more than cut out for it. It would be difficult enough to convince loyal Honda, Toyota, and Nissan buyers to leave their comfort zone and consider a Malibu or Saturn even if those cars were clearly superior to the Accord, but when the Accord is probably already a better car, where's the compelling reason to jump ship? This means that GM will probably have to resort to selling the Malibu on its "value" rather than its features, which is a shame. Unfortunately, the US auto market, and particularly the midsize sedan market, is extremely competitive. While the Malibu is heads and tails better than the 2004-2007 model, it might not be good enough to change peoples' minds when the Honda Accord is also hitting dealers' lots. I hope for GM's sake that I'm wrong.

Cars That Should Be Buried for 50 Years

Now that the hype of Tulsa, Oklahoma's Plymouth Belvedere, which sat in an underground (and sometimes underwater) vault for half a century, has died down, I thought I'd take a look at which 2007 model year vehicles might be good to bury for 50 years.

Now, does "good to bury" mean that they are representative of the automotive landscape in 2007, or that they're vehicles we hate so much that our planet is better served by having at least one example underground away from human sight for 50 years? I decided on the former - the best representatives of what's popular with consumers in 2007. You may have a different list, and I'd love to hear any other suggestions or critiques of the list I came up with. Obviously, there's no "right" or "wrong" answer - it's just a fun exercise. I also have no delusions like the Tulsans did in 1957 that ANY of the vehicles in my list will be in style in "2,057," but I just want people 50 years from now to agree with some of my choices. So, let's get into the list!

2007 Honda Odyssey
The Honda Odyssey is arguably the best minivan on the market. Although Chrysler has two new vans ready for battle in this competitive-but-shrinking segment, Honda has set the benchmark with quality, comfort, family-friendly features, and decent handling and fuel economy for a vehicle of its size. They're also strong sellers and a strong profit driver for Honda.

2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
The full-size pickup truck market may be under attack from several angles - high gas prices, environmentalists, etc. - but the fact is, the two top-selling vehicles in the US are the Ford F-Series and Chevy Silverado. I was going to choose the Ford to bury, but since it's at the end of its life cycle and the Chevy was all-new for the 2007 model year, I'll give the nod to the Chevy. I chose a half ton because those are the most popular with personal use buyers who rarely need a pickup's carrying capacity.

2007 Toyota Camry
The Camry is the best selling car in the US, and has been for more or less the past decade. If any car defines what the public is driving in the US in 2007, it's the Camry. You see the darn things everywhere.

2007 Honda CR-V
The CR-V is all-new this year, and Honda came up with the right vehicle at the right time. While its competitors were shoehorning V6s into their "cute utes" (Toyota, Mitsubishi, Suzuki), Honda stuck with the four cylinder in a move that with the benefit of hindsight looks to be a master stroke. It gives much of the utility and elevated view of the road of larger SUVs with the fuel economy of a car. People love them - they're the #1 selling SUV in the country (even though they're not SUVs in the traditional sense).

2007 Toyota Prius
One of the founders of the "green" movement in cars, and far and away the most popular hybrid model, the Prius makes the list. I personally am tired of the way the car looks and would never drive something willingly with such an anemic powertrain, but people who have them seem to love them.

2007 GMC Acadia
The crossover segment is one of the few segments growing quickly right now - consumers really seem to take to vehicles that have much of the ground clearance, looks, and capabilities of truck-based SUVs, but with better fuel economy thanks to their unibody car-based platforms. The Acadia (along with its cousins the Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave) are the leaders in the large crossover segment, which also can count the Honda Pilot, 2008 Toyota Highlander, and Mazda CX-9 as members. These vehicles have been well-regarded so far by the press and by customers, so the Acadia makes the list.

2007 Chevrolet Corvette
If you hopped into a time machine in 1968 and showed the owner of a new Corvette a photo of a 2007 Corvette, I bet they'd be able to figure out what it was you're showing them. The C6 Corvette has modern, yet classic lines with nearly all of the important, classic styling cues that define a Corvette (long hood, arched fenders, gills on the front fenders, four round taillights). I may be biased (since the C6 is my favorite new car), but I believe that someone in 2057 would be as thrilled to open a vault with a pristine 2007 Corvette as they would to open a vault with a pristine 1957 Corvette today. The Corvette is an icon, and I expect it to remain one.

2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
Another icon from a different era that survives, and even thrives, in 2007 is the Jeep Wrangler. Sales are up this year by huge percentages, thanks entirely to the introduction of the first four door Wrangler, called the Unlimited. The Wrangler Unlimited combines more than 90% of the two door's capabilities with much more passenger and luggage space (and more convenient access to the rear seat).

2006 Scion xB
The Scion xB is the vehicle most identified as a Scion by the general public, and Toyota's Scion division has gone from zero sales to a household name in just a few years, thanks to appropriately priced products, a new selling model (low prices, lots of standard equipment, and the only factory option is color and automatic or manual transmission), and Toyota's marketing dollars/acumen. Scions are generally customized by their owners (or by a dealer at the owner's behest), in a trend that many other manufacturers are trying to latch onto because of the healthy profit margins that accessories generate. I chose the 2006 model because there was no 2007 xB, and the 2008 is too wrong to make the list.

2007 BMW 335i Sedan
The 3-series BMW is the consummate sport sedan, and the new twin turbocharged 300 horsepower 3.0 liter I6 makes the current model the best non-M3 yet. The 3-series has also been its class benchmark for decades, and as hard as they try, the competition can't out-BMW the 3. The steering, handling, braking, shifting, and acceleration are simply out of this world, especially for less than $40,000.

So, which of the above ten cars should be buried? Or should it be something else? Comment below!

Aston Martin DBS Makes Its Official Debut

Tomorrow, Aston Martin will officially unveil its new DBS model, which was James Bond's mode of transportation in the film Casino Royale at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California. The car is the newly-independent Aston Martin's flagship model, and is motivated by a 510 horsepower V12 (derived from Aston's V12 racing engines in the DBR9 and DBSR9) connected to a rear-mounted traditional six-speed manual transaxle. Other performance-related features include ceramic brakes, 20 inch alloy wheels, and an exhaust bypass valve that opens in the higher RPM ranges.

The DBS is a two seat car with a bonded aluminum structure. Befitting of the Aston Martin name, it has a gorgeous exterior and exquisitely detailed interior. The interior features Semi-aniline leather and Alcantara surfaces, Matrix alloy fascia trim, Iridium Silver centre console finish, and Carbon fiber door trims and door pulls. Navigation, of course, is standard, and the map data is stored on an integrated hard disk for quick access times.

Aston Martin has built itself into an impressive aspirational luxury brand. Although production volumes are substantially larger than they have been in past years, it's still basically a boutique company that produces beautiful, well-regarded automobiles. Without even sitting in the actual car, it's obvious that Aston Martin has given its flagship an incredible attention to detail - look at the interior photo above.

Meanwhile, keep saving your pennies. The car is expected to cost about £160,000 (€235,000 or $317,000) when it goes on sale in early 2008.

What's The Next 'Killer App' For Cars?

Short of cars that drive themselves (and really, who's looking forward to that?), it would seem that we're quickly approaching the limits of usable features and luxury in cars today. Even some of the cheapest economy sedans are now available with Bluetooth, navigation and push button starting, and it's become the bare minimum for midsize sedans to offer such things. That doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the true luxury cars, which have literally run out of things to offer and are now moving into the aforementioned 'computer running everything for you' side of luxury (automatic parking, lane departure warning systems, etc.). Essentially, the divide between luxury cars and regular cars is no longer one of luxury- it's quickly becoming one of safety.

To further muddle the issue, even power is no longer the sole domain of the big rig flagship luxury models. Not when you've got midsize sedans creeping up to 300 HP, and entry level luxury cars approaching 500 and 600 HP.

So if you're an automaker in search of an identity, and you're facing an options list that is basically a list of commodities nowadays, what's the next step?

I'll focus on the the midsize segment simply because I think this is where the 'revolution' needs to happen, as opposed to other times in automotive history where advancements were made up top and trickled down, the time is ripe for the reverse- the mass market dictating to the upper crust.

Here's the idea- take your normal run of the mill midsize sedan. It will cost anywhere between 17k to 27k depending on options and engines. Now drop all the options and make them all standard. All of them. The only option available to the consumer would be to pick an engine. Do base prices go up in this scenario? Yes. Do they go up appreciably? Not if the automaker fights the urge to ride the gravy train. The fact is, there is a LOT of profit made on $1500 navigation units and $2000 sunroofs by car companies- so there is also a considerable amount of wiggle room to play with here. Bring that base price up by 3k to $20,000, and bring your top level down to $24,000, and you've got two vehicles with different engines/performance levels that are bristling with technology, all at a manageable price. And at that point, you don't even have to worry about fleet sales. Because if somebody is walking up to a rental counter and getting your 'base' $20k version, they're getting a hell of a vehicle.

What's most amusing is that there is a company out there with the available dealer volume, engine lineups, and production capacity to do this right now. The company? General Motors. Yup, you heard right.

Imagine the GM midsize segment right now, but with the above scenario played out. Engine options and suspension settings would differentiate Pontiac, Chevrolet and Saturn. That's it. And really, doing it that way would really force the brands out of the 'rebadge' mentality- just think- if you're a Pontiac designer/engineer and you don't make your car drive differently (more to the point, like a Pontiac), Customer A will just walk on down the street to Saturn or Chevy and take a look at another version.

Is this a 'killer app'? Some would say no. My contention is that it can be labelled as such because very few companies could operate this way- only automakers with large economies of scale would have a chance with this. And since that's the case, it would be a fairly hard thing for a smaller manufacturer to duplicate effectively.

Is it at all doable? Is it realistic? I have no idea. But this a blog. We don't deal in doable or realistic. We deal in utopia.