Reports on on new automotive trends, new cars and trucks and other information of interest to drivers.
Contents:
Gas Prices Hit Five-Year Low
CNN reports that gas prices have hit a five-year low after falling for seven straight days. The AAA has the nation's average gas price at $1.630 a gallon. A year ago gas prices were just over the $3 mark and earlier this summer they hit a peak of $4.114 a gallon. The $1.630 average is the lowest we have seen gas prices since February 18, 2004 when they were $1.63.
Today, the AAA has gas prices down again to $1.627 which is even lower than the Feb. 18, 2004 number. You can find the AAA's Fuel Gauge Report here.
Chrysler Halts Manufacturing For One Month Chrysler says it will close all 30 of its manufacturing plants for a month starting Friday. Chrysler says the decrease in demand requires a slowdown in production. Crysler also says tight credit markets are keepign buyers away from its showroom.s
In a statement Wednesday, Chrysler said tighter credit markets are keeping would-be buyers away from its showrooms. The company said its dealers are unable to close sales for buyers due to a lack of financing, and estimate that 20 to 25 percent of their volume has been lost due to the credit situation. Sales in November slid 47.1 percent.
Road Salt Shortage Could Mean Slicker Roads
Kate Couric reports for CBS that there is a road salt shortage. The reasons are that Hurricanes Ike and Gustav delayed barges from making salt deliveries. Last Winter's higher snowfalls also depleted salt stockpiles. With this year's Winter already starting out as a colder winter the road salt shortage could escalate. Shortages are already impacting some roads around the nation - see here, here and here.
Big Three Want $34 Million
The CEOs of the big three automotive companies were in D.C. to make the case for an auto industry bailout. A new jobless report showing over 500,000 layoffs in November alone have given backers of the an automotive bailout extra amunition. There is concern that the Big Three won't make it even with the loan. The auto execs are warning that the fallout from not loaning the auto firms money could mean millions more jobs will be lost.
James Bond Lotus Esprit Coupe Auctioned
The James Bond Lotus Esprit Coupe from The Spy Who Love Me was auctioned
off on Monday at the Bonham's auction room in London. The 1976 vehicle sold for 165,936 dollars reportsSky News by an anonymous buyer.
The Terrafugia Transition is a flying car from Terrafugia, Inc.. Dvice reports that the Terrafugia Transition will be available in 2009 for $194,000. The company also says the car will be out in 2009 in the FAQ. The video below shows the Terrafugia Transition landing and converting itself into a regular car. OhGizmo says it's not really a flying car - it's just a drivable plane. Popsci.com has a longer story on the Terrafugia.
The Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe above was just sold on eBay for the Buy it Now price of $289,950.00. You can see the listing on eBay here. The Lamborghini has 1,000 hours worth of artwork on its exterior.
This is a 'ONE OF A KIND ' Gallardo Coupe: The car has been featured on MTV 'My sweet 16 with 'Timbaland'. This car is the most Famous Gallardo ever made for the U.S. market. It took over 1000 hours of art work done by hand to complete this incredible masterpiece. This car is still on M.S.O. so you would be the first owner if you win the auction.
Via Geekologie who calls it the Sharpie Lamborghini.
GM Losing $2 Billion a Month
General Motors is losing $2 billion a month and is on the brink of bankruptcy says CBS in the clip below. Speaker Pelosi is said to be pushing for an aid package for U.S. auto makers GM, Ford and Chrysler. GM's sales fell 45% in October. If one of the big three fails it is estimated that over 2 million jobs could be lost. There's also an article here about what could happen if GM fails.
Above is a sleek station wagon from Ferrari called the Ferrari 456 Venice Station Wagon.
Yes, Ferrari created a custom, one-of-a-kind station wagon for the insanely rich family, putting a station wagon body on a Ferrari engine. It looks like some sort of cruel hybrid created in a lab, with the front end looking like a sports car and the back looking like a Subaru.
You have to admit that for a station wagon it is pretty good looking. But that doesn't mean it was a good idea for this to be made. At least it is a limited-edition custom vehicle from Ferrari and not something we will see a lot of. (via Dvice via DoobyBrain)
This limited-edition Fighter Motorcycle was featured in the 2008 Christmas Book from Neiman Marcus. The motorcylce from Confederate Motor Company packs 190 mph of performance into its cutting-edge carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum chassis. Features include the 62" wheelbase, 27"H seat, integrated braking system and other high-tech bells and whistles. The bike retails for $110,000. Neiman's holiday book also includes an NM limited-edition 2009 BMW Individual 7 Series sedan.
ShoppingBlog.com has more on some of the unusual goodies inside this year's Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.
New Meters End Free Parking
The AP reports that Forth Worth, Texas has implemented new parking meters that contain censors. The censors reset the meter each time a car leaves. Some in favor of the new meters believe the new meters will free up more parking spaces. Others think it is just a way for the city to make more revenue.
Auto Sales Plunged in September
Consumers are turning away from buying new cars as the nation's credit crisis deepends. Reuters reports a 26% drop in industry-wide auto sales
Major automakers reported plunging U.S. sales for September -- led by a 34 percent slide at Ford Motor Co -- as an escalating credit crisis hit the slumping industry and raised new doubts about when the world's largest auto market would stabilize.
The 26-percent drop in industry-wide auto sales was sharper than expected and coincided with a crisis on Wall Street that automakers said rocked consumer confidence and made it harder for remaining shoppers to finance vehicles.
Sales were down 24 percent at Honda Motor Co, 32 percent at Toyota Motor Corp and 37 percent at Nissan Motor Co. Chrysler LLC sales were down 33 percent.
GM beat out its rivals by having sales fall 16%. October isn't likely to be any better for automakers as the economy seems to be getting worse before it gets better. An AP story about the auto sales cites economists who say a bottom has not yet been reached. BloggingStocks reports that Ford Motor CEO Alan Mulally has warned of stagnant sales through 2009.
This is the 2010 Chevy Orlando which is a prototype vehicle that will be displayed at the Paris Motor Show next week. Gizmodo says that blue lights give the Orlando a Tron-like feel.
It's pretty similar to the 2010 Chevy Cruze, but as you can see, it's got some pretty dramatic blue lighting on its exterior. I'm not quite sure if its completely ridiculous or totally awesome; it probably falls somewhere between the two. I mean, Tron lights are awesome, but Tron lights on a glorified minivan?
The blue lights are cool but are they real or is it just a trick of the lighting. There are many more pics here on Jalopnik.
Above is an image of the upcoming Chevrolet Volt from General Motors. It's an impressive vehicle and for an electric car you have to love the name choice of Volt. Dvice has some more pictures and Jalopnik has yet more pictures and specs. The car will be out in 2010. You can find the website for the Chevrolet Volt here. You can see a spec sheet on the Volt here.
General Motors launched its next 100 years today by unveiling the much-anticipated production version of the Chevrolet Volt - a vehicle that delivers up to 40 miles of gasoline- and emissions-free electric driving, with the extended-range capability of hundreds of additional miles.
"Revealing the production version of the Chevy Volt is a great way to open our second century," said Rick Wagoner, GM Chairman and CEO. "The Volt is symbolic of GM's strong commitment to the future ... just the kind of technology innovation that our industry needs to respond to today's and tomorrow's energy and environmental challenges."
The above smart fortwo was a collaboration between Club Monaco, a global fashion brand, and smart USA. It was part of a caravan at New York Fashion Week of chic Club Monaco designed smart fortwos and fall fashion. The Club Monaco smart fortwos, ten in total, featured images from the newly launched Fall 2008 Club Monaco Campaign as well as the brand's iconic black and white crest.
"It's a natural partnership for us and one we feel aligns with Club Monaco's core values - design, style, and function," says John Mehas, President and CEO of Club Monaco. "Both Club Monaco and the smart fortwo are urban and sophisticated, and are geared toward meeting the needs of the modern consumer - one who has a versatile and demanding lifestyle, and is looking for affordable luxury."
You can get a look at the Club Monaco Fortwo designs here, here, here and here.
