Zamboni Driving Lessons
Source Blogs NYTimes by NICK KURCZEWSKI on Thursday, March 11, 2010
Autos - Driving a Zamboni ice resurfacer isn't as easy as you might think.
Chevy's New Lightweight Corvette: The Z06 Carbon Limited Edition
Source Blogs NYTimes by PAUL STENQUIST on Thursday, March 11, 2010
Autos - The Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition celebrates the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Toyota's incentive deals drive interest. Can the company drive pricing back up?
Source BusinessWeek by David Welch on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Autos - Toyota is looking more like Detroit’s Big three all the time. First the quality problems and now the company has a big incentive campaign to win back loyalty. Toyota is offering 0% financing for up to five years and some discounted lease deals as a way to get buyers to look at its cars in the wake of its seemingly unending recall problems. The latest problem came in San Diego when a driver of a 2008 Prius claimed couldn’t stop the car even though he was braking hard. The incentive deal appears to be working, according to Edmunds.com. The company said in this Bloomberg story that Toyota may report a 30% boost in sales in March thanks to the offers. That comparison comes off a particularly bad March 2009 when the recession was hammering auto sales. Still, it’s good news if Toyota can gin up more sales interest when the company’s recall drama is a mainstay in the 24-hour news cycle. There is a bigger point here. As I pointed out in this Bloomberg BusinessWeek story, Toyota’s troubles will put its brand on a more even playing field with its rivals, creating an opening for Ford, Honda, General Motors, Hyundai-Kia and others to steal buyers. The first casualty of Toyota’s problems may be pricing. Getting fat sticker prices is partly a function of brand
Geely Said to Lock In Volvo Financing
Source Blogs NYTimes by DEALBOOK on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Autos - Zhejiang Geely Holding, the Chinese carmaker that struck a deal with Ford in December to by its Swedish unit Volvo, has finally secured the necessary financing, the Swedish daily Dagens Industri reported.
Wal-Mart Is Top GPS Destination, Says One Report
Source Blogs NYTimes by JOHN R. QUAIN on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Autos - TeleNav, maker of navigation applications for cellphones, says Wal-Mart was No. 1 among all subscriber destinations last December.
Designer Potholes
Source Blogs NYTimes by PHIL PATTON on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Autos - Potholes are a fact of life, but two Italian design students are proposing a way to make them more avoidable.
Automakers and Airplanes, and Privacy
Source Blogs NYTimes by CHRISTINE NEGRONI on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Autos - Shortly after the Detroit Three were chastised for taking private jets to Washington to ask for a bailout, General Motors requested its flight info be shielded from the public. More than a year later, the fallout is being felt beyond the auto industry.
With CR-Z, Honda Will Find Out if U.S. Is Ready for a Sporty Hybrid
Source Blogs NYTimes by RICHARD S. CHANG on Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Autos - Early in the development of the CR-Z, the president of American Honda said that Americans did not want a sporty hybrid.
Daimler Sells Stake in Tata Motors
Source Blogs NYTimes by DEALBOOK on Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Autos - Daimler says it has sold all of its shares in India's Tata Motors to various groups of investors through the capital markets.
New York Auto Show Preview: Acura TSX Sport Wagon
Source Blogs NYTimes by RICHARD S. CHANG on Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Autos - Honda plans to unveil the United States version of its wagon at the New York auto show at the end of March.
Stirling Moss Injured in Accident
Source Blogs NYTimes by BRAD SPURGEON on Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Autos - Stirling Moss suffers broken bones in serious fall at his home in London.