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Monday, June 02, 2008
Annual Tecate SCORE International Baja 500's Grand Marshall
Volkswagen of America, Inc. has been the Grand Marshall for
the 40th Annual Tecate SCORE International Baja 500 which started last Thursday,
May 29, 2008 until Sunday, June 1 in Ensenada,
Baja California, Mexico.
The world-renowned group has boosted several of division victories in off-road
racing for the past four decades in Baja which includes an overall thirteen wins.
It is also the official vehicle of SCORE International.
"Volkswagen is honored to be the first auto
manufacturer to serve as Grand Marshall for SCORE Baja 500 since the event's
inception. Volkswagen was SCORE's official vehicle back in 1973, and is now
once again the official vehicle, plus we have the honor of marshalling the
event this year, an honor that Volkswagen accepts with tremendous pride,"
says Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America.
The Volkswagen model Thing was SCORE's Official Vehicle in
1973. While at present, SCORE officials get to take pleasure in the luxurious, stylish,
and highly proficient off-road Sport Utility Vehicle Touareg as the official
vehicle of SCORE International.
In addition to this, the Tecate SCORE International Baja 500
began and conluded in downtown Ensenada
on Boulevard Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural,
underscoring the first time the event has ever completed on Boulevard Costero.
"The customized Volkswagen Touareg that SCORE has for
course identification and marking has worked flawlessly. As a matter of fact,
it is easy to forget you're riding around the tortuous desert the ride is so
smooth and comfortable. SCORE has never had a better course-marking vehicle in
its long history than the SCORE Touareg," says Sal Fish, CEO and
president, SCORE International.
Posted at 09:19 pm by angiebroody
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Thursday, May 29, 2008
2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Award Winners
The latest study today is already out ang released by renowned
automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. It summarizes the results of its
2008 model year vehicle satisfaction research. AutoPacific's Vehicle
Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry standard for independently evaluating
how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck.
"Vehicles that are all new received top rankings in
several categories: Cadillac CTS, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Lancer, Scion xD,
Toyota Sequoia, Audi Q7, Buick Enclave, Hyundai Veracruz, GMC Acadia, Saturn Vue and Nissan
Rogue. These new-for-2008 vehicles were strongly rated by their owners showing
that the industry continues to improve as new vehicles are added to the hotly
contested American car and light truck markets,” says AutoPacific president
George Peterson.
Here are the Top 2008 model year performers:
BRAND: Cadillac
PASSENGER CARS:
Premium Luxury Car - Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Aspirational Luxury Car - Cadillac CTS
Large Luxury Car - Cadillac DTS
Large Car - Toyota
Avalon/Ford Taurus
Luxury Mid-Size Car -Lexus ES350
Premium Mid-Size Car - Honda Accord
Mid-Size Car - Volkswagen Jetta/Mercury Milan
Image Compact Car - Chevrolet HHR/Volkswagen GTi
Compact Car - Mitsubishi Lancer
Economy Car - Scion xD
Premium Sports Car - Audi TT
Sports Car- Saturn Sky
Sporty Car - Scion tC
LIGHT TRUCKS:
Large Light-Duty Pickup - Cadillac Escalade EXT/Lincoln Mark
LT
Large Heavy-Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado HD
Compact Pickup - Ford Explorer Sport Trac/Honda Ridgeline
Luxury Sport Utility - Cadillac Escalade/Cadillac Escalade
ESV
Large Sport Utility - Toyota
Sequoia
Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility - Ford Explorer
Mid-Size Sport Utility - HUMMER H3/Kia Sorento
Compact SUV/Off-Road Vehicle - Toyota FJ Cruiser
Premium Luxury Crossover SUV - Audi Q7
Luxury Crossover SUV - BMW X3/Acura RDX/Buick Enclave
Large Crossover SUV - Hyundai Veracruz/GMC Acadia
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Ford Edge/Suzuki XL-7
Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Saturn Vue/Toyota RAV4
Compact Crossover SUV - Nissan Rogue
Minivan - Toyota
Sienna
Posted at 09:50 pm by angiebroody
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Monday, May 12, 2008
Jaguar Signs Up As Exclusive Advertiser
Advertising plays an important role in marketing. In fact,
these two, marketing and advertising are highly related to one another, like
sisters. Behind a successful promotion is a bright concept carried out by
effective advertising. That’s what marketing goods is all about…a great
convincing power.
For auto manufacturers, effective advertising is a must. Try
to recall some of the advertising campaigns they have carried out; they are
catchy right? But before companies can obtain this kind of success, first, they
should acquire the best advertising firm to help them come up with the brightest
idea, execute the plan to perfection and everything will follow in order. Just
like what Jaguar did.
It was reported that the renowned luxury car manufacturer
Jaguar just became an exclusive advertiser for the launch of Market Intelligence
Center video business
news website section. The Market Intelligence Center is operated by Fresh
Brewed Media, a leading independent research firm providing research and systematic
tools for equity options investors according to the Auto Channel.
"The demographics for the Market Intelligence
Center are a great fit
with the Jaguar customer base. What's more, we are seeing interest in options
research and trading continues to increase as investors look for ways to
protect and grow their portfolios in the current volatile market environment.
This is driving increased levels of traffic to our site, a trend that Jaguar
should find compelling,” says Victor Schiller, chief executive officer at Fresh
Brewed Media.
Click HERE for more details, check it out.
Posted at 11:59 pm by angiebroody
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Thursday, May 08, 2008
Chrysler Celebrates Production Of All-New Dodge Challenger SRT8(R)
The all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8(R) is definitely a
vehicle worth celebrating for. The newest Challenger to resurface in various
dealerships is among the highly anticipated vehicles this year.
Yesterday, the production launch of the 2008 Dodge
Challenger SRT8(R) was celebrated by Chrysler LLC, according to The Auto Channel. It is a festivity of the remarkable comeback of Chrysler’s line-up of modern
muscle car with new SRT8 model leading the way. In addition to this, a complete
line-up will follow in the 2009 model-year. The all-new Dodge Challenger is
manufactured at Chrysler's Brampton Assembly Plant, which is the same assembly
line as the Dodge Charger and the certified-winner Chrysler 300. Almost 1,000
employees and invited guests participated with Mr. Ewasyshyn for the
celebration.
"Even though the development time for this Dodge
Challenger SRT8 is one of the shortest in Chrysler's history, the wait for this
exciting car has been too long, and as of today, the wait is finally over! Dodge
Challenger represents the best of Chrysler's past and future. The teams that
worked to bring this vehicle to market with quality and speed have done an
excellent job," says Frank Ewasyshyn, Executive Vice President -
Manufacturing.
"The vision of rolling launches on lines that build
multiple and variant models are becoming a reality as demonstrated with the
Dodge Challenger at the Brampton Assembly Plant. Chrysler's Flexible
Manufacturing Strategy, little more than a theory a few years ago, is being
proved out at plants across North America,"
says Fred Godetel, Vice President - Car and Minivan Manufacturing.
Posted at 05:59 pm by angiebroody
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The month is about to reach its end and in the auto industry, that means, automakers will soon be reporting their sales for February. Before we actually see how many vehicles automakers sold this month, Edmunds is giving us an idea with their forecast for this month. According to the guys and gals at Edmunds, they are expecting sales to be down compared to February of last year but better than last month. The forecast mentioned that the incentives offered by automakers are getting good results as dealership traffic is yet to really slow down. Jesse Toprak, Executive Director of Industry Analysis for Edmunds said: "Despite the decline in new vehicle sales, the automotive industry seems to be stronger than some were expecting so far this year. Automakers continue to be proactive in their marketing programs and incentive spending to keep showroom traffic from slowing down during these times of adverse economic news." As can be expected, the Big Three are forecasted to report lowered sales compared to February of 2007. On the other hand, the three biggest Japanese automakers, Toyota, Honda and Nissan will post increased sales. Toyota will be leading the way with a 3.5 percent increase followed by Honda at 3.1 and Nissan with 1 percent improvement. Michelle Krebs, Senior Editor of Edmunds' AutoObserver added: "After months of inconsistent ups and downs for the automakers, we are now back to an old theme; domestic market share fell while the major Japanese players enjoyed gains. Chrysler, Ford and GM must continue to work hard at raising awareness of their vehicles and closing the gap in quality perceptions versus realities." Since Edmunds is getting their information from dealerships, it is safe to say that these predictions are very near the actual figure that automakers will be reporting soon.
Posted at 06:28 pm by angiebroody
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Friday, February 22, 2008
General Motors Suicides Opel Concept
It is always fun to visit auto shows. But if you have no money to burn for that, you can just surf the web to see what automakers have been showcasing on these events. Next month, the Geneva International Motor Show will open its doors and we will once again be given a glimpse of the future through concept cars. General Motors recently announced that they will be unveiling an Opel concept car. The automaker said that it will be featuring a rear-hinged rear door. Now, they may describe this using that term but we all know it by the term "suicide". But this feature is only used on the rear doors of the car. I would have to agree with Damon writing for Autoblog saying that this feature alone is not that innovative. It could be seen on lots of vehicles already in the country and I think your local mechanic can suicide your car for you. General Motors though has a lot to say about the door. According to them, here are some of the things that are "good" with these doors: - Greater functionality: entering and exiting the vehicle is more convenient as the rear doors open to a 90-degree angle, creating a much wider aperture than standard car doors. Thanks to the high roofline, rear passengers also have more headroom when getting in and out of the car. The interior is much more accessible, so stowing a briefcase behind the front seat, for instance, is considerably easier.
- Higher level of safety: securing children in the back seats is much easier. The rear-hinged rear doors also improve control over children exiting the car, as they can be better seen from the different seating positions. The “safety zone” created between both doors also makes it much more difficult for them to step out into traffic than with conventional doors.
- More style: entering and exiting the rear of the vehicle not only looks cool and elegant, but also feels much more natural.
Posted at 10:33 pm by angiebroody
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Things You Could Have Done At Silicon Valley International Auto Show
While the talk of the auto industry revolves around the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we should not forget the Silicon Valley International Auto Show. But I think many of us have missed it with all these reports about the NAIAS. I am not saying that the NAIAS stole some attention from the Silicon Valley International Auto Show. But there are a lot of things we have missed if you, like me, was not able to attend the said show in San Jose. According to Mercury News, here are the attractions of the show, which sadly, I missed. - Bumblebee Camaro- With a 5.7-liter LS1 V-8 engine, a 110.5-inch wheelbase and all the glamour surrounding a star of a blockbuster movie ("Transformers" took in more than $319 million last year), this is sure to be a favorite among those who attend.
- College two-fer day- College students with a valid ID can purchase one student admission and receive a second for free. Such a deal!
- Aftermarket Alley- Want to see the latest, coolest stuff to pimp your ride? Head to Aftermarket Alley, the citadel for car customizing. Tricked-out vehicles will be on display, including entries from Z Car Garage, one of San Jose's top custom shops. You can also get up close and personal with cars customized for celebrities, athletes and others whose names you may recognize at the DUB Magazine Celebrity Car Showcase.
- Eight-Minute Dating- You got the ride. You got the clothes. You got the attitude. But not the arm candy? The auto show is here to help. One collection of cars will play host to eight-minute dates for singles. Dates will take place in the front seats of coupes, SUVs and trucks, where couples can discuss everything from weekend plans and career aspirations to horsepower and bucket seats.
- IGX Video Game Arena- You can get off the couch, switch off your video games, go to the auto show and - play video games! For free. Could life get any better? Players of all ages can test drive the latest racing and sports-entertainment games on stations whose platforms include Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. The games are family-friendly (rated either "E" for everyone or "T" for teen). And while you're there, register for a chance to win a Nintendo Wii or Guitar Hero III.
- Toyota Trucks Off Road On Site Adventure- Tell the truth: You've never taken your four-wheel-drive vehicle off the road? Don't be embarrassed; you're not alone. Well, here's a chance to go off-road without leaving the comfort zone of downtown San Jose. Auto show visitors - who are 18 years old and have a valid driver's license - can test drive a Toyota truck or SUV on a course built especially for the show. That's right, hundreds of tons of dirt are being dumped and bulldozed around the convention center to create a course with hills, bridges, offset berms and a frame-twister. The site will operate Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Family Day- Children 12 and younger will be admitted for free Sunday, when accompanied by a paying adult. This is one day when big families get a break.
- The 2008 Bugatti Veyron- Makers of this car claim that, priced at $1.85 million, it is the most expensive production car in the world. Check it out before Larry Ellison or one of the Google boys snaps it up.
- Green is good- You can learn a lot about environmentally friendly cars and fuels at this show. For instance, the Volkswagen "Dieselution" Tour will spotlight advances in diesel-engine technology, design and performance. Housed in a 53-foot-long, double-expandable semi-trailer, the tour features exhibits and interactive displays. Volkswagen will also show its lineup of diesel-powered vehicles, including the 2009 Jetta TDI, which meets emission requirements in all 50 states, the company claims. Add in the other alternative vehicles, from hybrids to hydrogen-fuel-cell cars, on display here, and you've got a show that will attract environmentally-conscious motorists.
- E tickets- Yeah! Tickets for admission can be purchased and downloaded at the official auto show Web site, www.SVAutoShow.com. With an e-ticket, you can breeze right past the line without a hassle.
Posted at 06:35 pm by angiebroody
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Monday, November 26, 2007
Saving money from fuel consumption has been a concern to everyone, especially this holiday when we think of many things to spend for. So, let me share with you the following tips from wjtv.com: - Don't drive aggressively speedy. Avoid rapid acceleration and braking. They could waste gas. It can lower your gas mileage 33%.
- Consider removing extra weight in your car. An extra 100 pounds can reduce your gas mileage 2%.
- Make use of cruise control on the highway. Doing so would allow you to maintain a constant speed and save gas.
- Drive speed limit. Speeding by 10 milers per hour can decrease gas mileage by 10%.
- Check your oil and coolant levels when the car is cool.
- Use a gauge to check your tire pressure. You can find recommended pressure inside driver's door or on your car’s owner’s manual.
- Use unleaded fuel instead of premium. If your car recommends unleaded, it will run just as efficiently.
- Try traveling with others to conserve gas.
- Don't load your roof with too much cargo. A loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel economy by 5%.
- Don't idle. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle, compared to cars with smaller engines.
- Use your overdrive gears. Using them would allow your car's engine speed to go down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.
- Replace air filters. Remove a clogged filter to improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%.
Have them all done to get the best gas mileage you desire. Besides, doing so will give you the chance to give your family an extra gift for the holiday.
Posted at 05:15 pm by angiebroody
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
2008 Saab 9-3 Sedan with Explosive VFX
The new Saab 2008 9-3 sedan is about to be launched with an explosive spot. The special spot has been created by commercial and feature VFX Supervisor Kevin Rafferty from "The Orphanage" and celebrated director Joseph Kahn from HIS Productions, in partnership with Lowe New York. The highlight of the explosive spot is more of the rebirth of 9-3 series in the form of a sedan, sport combi and a convertible. In the CG-packed spot, there will be a jet engine-blast that will be fueling a fireball around the 2007 9-3. The new 2008 car will be featured racing through the sun-drenched stretch of road, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The spot was shot in an airplane hanger under the 115 degree heat of Death Valley. Considering that his "Toxic" music video for Britney Spears has received the Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Music Video, Joseph Kahn is undeniably a well-known individual in kinetic visual flair and has a keen understanding of vfx. And when asked about his experience in doing such kind of spot, Kahn said, "The Orphanage executed the very demanding task of finding beauty – in an act of – evolutionary destruction. They brought a compelling level of design artistry to an ambitious idea. I had a great experience working with them." On the other hand, VFX Supervisor Kevin Rafferty, a celebrated veteran of the industry, said, "After the recent creative successes of Director Bong Joon-ho's 'The Host' and 'Fantastic Four', I was excited to work on this visually arresting commercial, especially one with such a well known cutting-edge director." He has relished the challenge to envision and eventually created a CG jet, CG jetblast, CG 'welding' sparks, CG molten metal, CG Saabs, CG Set extensions and CG ground fog, which in combination he named "an epic amount of elements for a 30 second spot". Aside from Rafferty, The Orphanage team has included Executive Producer Paul Grimshaw, VFX Producer Lawson Owen and CG Supervison Nathan Fariss. Being part of creating the spot, the Lowe New York agency team was grouped by: Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Mark Wnek, Creative Director Simon Bowden, and Executive Producer/Head of Production Sara Eolin, Executive Producer Michael McQuhae along with DP Chris Probst and Line Producer Richard Weager has supervised the live action shoot by HSI Productions. With all those prominent individuals in the industry, sounds like General Motors has nothing to worry about in terms of the Saab's promotion.
Posted at 11:34 pm by angiebroody
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
Saab tests Anti-Fatigue System
In partnership with Sweden's Linkoping University, Saab has started testing a driver fatigue warning system on eight-month trial. Drive Attention Warning System allows tracking of eye and head movements through two tiny infra-red cameras (one at the base of the windscreen pillar and another in the dashboard). It also analyses eyelid movement and sustained drifting of attention from the road ahead. The system can also send text messages to the dashboards display, voice messages and vibrations to the driver's seat cushion. With the ultimate command "You are dangerously tired – stop as soon as it is safe to do so!", the voice messages seems to get persistently more stem. A Saab 9.3 SportCombi was the vehicle that has been tested. It was developed by the Human Vehicle Integration team in Trollhatten. According to HVI head Arne Nabo, "It is a fact that many drivers do not stop and get out of the car if they are feeling drowsy. So we are now trying to help drivers to help themselves." "This system also helps prevent a dangerous habit we call 'cognitive capturing'. For example, the driver can become too absorbed in searching for a favourite CD, programming pre-sets into the radio or trying to pick up a screaming baby's pacifier form the floor," he explained. Saab said that all those behaviours mentioned will be monitored and admonished. Well, maybe it would be great to test it ourselves.
Posted at 01:20 am by angiebroody
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