Monday, December 14, 2009

The Car Connection

The Car Connection

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Preview: Cars Of The Future, Coming Sooner Than You Think

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 10:25 AM PST

Grab any science magazine from the last century, and you'll see ideas and sketches for cars of the future, from atomic-powered to levitating. But the future is here already, and it's going on sale at a showroom near you over the next three model years. Here's our roundup of the most significant new cars that you'll be able to buy between now ..


Feds May Lift The $500k Salary Cap For Top-Tier Talent

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 09:51 AM PST

Back in February, the federal government set a limit of $500,000 on executive salaries at any company that received bailout dollars. Of that total, only 45% could be in cash, with the remaining 55% made up of cash incentives, paid over two years. Now, Kenneth Feinberg, the U.S. paymaster for rescued companies, has extended that restriction to ..


Clunkers Results: CA, DC See Most Benefit; LA, MI See Least

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 08:45 AM PST

Drivers in California and Washington, D.C. realized the most benefit from last summer's Cash-for-Clunkers program, using federal incentives to purchase vehicles that averaged 10.4 miles per gallon better than their old ones. At the other end of the scale, folks in Louisiana saw the least improvement, upgrading by about 7.9 MPGs; Michigan took ..


Prius Plug-In, Saab To Baic, New Benz Coming: Today At High Gear Media

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

Lovers of quirky Swedish cars are sweating today as official news of the sale of Saab's last-gen 9-3 and 9-5 tooling to China's BAIC is out. Saab says the cash infusion will allow them to get back on their feet, though GM is still thought to be looking for a buyer. What does the future hold for the brand that was Born From ..


Toyota Hybrid Concept Confirmed for 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

Toyota has confirmed it will show a new hybrid car concept at the Detroit auto show next month. And hybrid followers are eagerly speculating what it might be: a two-door Prius? a hybrid Yaris? a 2011 Scion iQ hybrid? or a dedicated plug-in hybrid? The king of hybrids says you'll have to wait a month until you see the latest gas-electric ..


Schumacher Back In F1?, 9ff Building World's Fastest Car: Today's Car News

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

Could it be true? German media is reporting that Michael Schumacher has already agreed to a deal with the newly established Mercedes GP for next year's F1 season. His partner will be Nico Rosberg and the new deal could be announced as early as this week. [AutoExpress] Engineers at 9ff have the Bugatti Veyron clearly in their sights with ..


Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid To Go On Sale in 2011

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 06:38 AM PST

Toyota has been a late and cautious entrant into the field of plug-in vehicles, gradually rolling out a small fleet of Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid versions of the third-generation Prius. But for the first time, the company has announced that it will put the car on sale to regular consumers. The date is 2011--which probably means it'll be a ..


Honda Element Gets a Second Coming

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 05:59 AM PST

It was new in 2003, and hasn't changed much since--but U.S. Honda officials say the funky Element crossover vehicle will get a second act. Honda sales chief John Mendel tells Automotive News that the automaker has plans for a second coming of the Element. And though he didn't divulge any details to the industry magazine, Mendel did indicate ..


JD Power: Mercedes, Honda, Toyota Best In Customer Retention

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 05:56 AM PST

During economic times like these, customer retention has given some automakers an edge in the marketplace. Though studies have suggested that brand loyalty is a thing of the past, J.D. Power's new Customer Retention Survey shows a whopping 67% of Mercedes-Benz buyers remain loyal to the company, with Honda (64%) and Toyota (61%) following ..


Good News/Bad News/Good News For Disenfranchised Dealers

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 05:30 AM PST

Last week, we told you about General Motors' "Comprehensive Plan to Address Dealer Concerns", in which GM essentially said, "Okay, dealers: we'll explain our criteria for cutting you from our network, and if you think you were treated unfairly, we'll go to arbitration. (Although the only thing subject to arbitration is whether or not you met ..


Breaking: GM Sells Key Saab Assets To Beijing Auto

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 12:22 AM PST

When Saab's sale to Koenigsegg flamed out in late November, many presumed it was the end of the line for the brand, much as Penske's withdrawal spelled the end for Saturn. It now looks like those pessimists may not have been far from the mark but there is some hope for the brand in the form of China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. ..


Posted by Tan at 5:55 PM

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