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Auto journo learns hard way that new vehicles burn differently than old ones

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Luxury, Ram, Read This

Terry Box, a writer for the Dallas Morning News, was tootling down the Dallas North Tollway in a Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn pickup after work and enjoying the ride. Box thought the $53,335, option-filled press loaner had been "flawless - very serious competition for anything built by Ford or Chevy." And then, for reasons that still aren't clear, something in the engine compartment caught fire and the Ram cremated itself on the shoulder of an off-ramp.

Box tells the story and it isn't an indictment of the truck, but a cautionary tale about how new vehicles don't burn like the old ones did - and why not to go back for your gym bag. It could also be a kind reminder about what kind of safety gear everyone should keep in their cars. Click the link to read the whole piece.

Auto journo learns hard way that new vehicles burn differently than old ones originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorting through the rat's nest that is Mini's model history

Seyth Miersma — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Mini, Read This

What do Austin, Morris, British Motor Corporation, British Motor Holdings, British Leyland, Rover Group, and BMW all have in common? Each company has had a hand in bringing the world a sprightly, fuel-efficient, front-wheel-drive fun box on wheels - the Mini.

The Sir Alec Issigonis-designed car has been sold under more brand names and with more model designations than most of us would guess. For seven generations of the classic Mini, from 1959 to 2000, the car carried a bewildering number of model names as well. (Note that's even before BMW took over the nameplate, and starting building cars styled as "MINI" rather than "Mini" in 2001.)

As is its wont, Hemmings Daily has taken the time to break down the complex lineage of the car, with a kind of model etymology that makes for a pretty entertaining read. Click over to the site to give it a go; but check out our gallery of classic Mini pictures before you jump.

Sorting through the rat's nest that is Mini's model history originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why do carmakers still fail to get what women want?

Seyth Miersma — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Read This

Automakers have a long and checkered past when it comes to attempting to market cars specifically to woman buyers. Stabs at attracting the female sex have ranged from the subtly sexist notion that woman are really only shopping on behalf of their children's needs, to out-and-out condescension of lipstick-colored paint jobs and interior-matching frocks. (For one such clunker, take a look at the ill-conceived Dodge La Femme, above.)

Slate writer Libby Copeland has put together an interesting piece that attempts to answer the question, "Why does the auto industry get women so wrong?" You may or may not take issue with that premise to begin with, but it's hard to argue with the evidence that auto companies, at the very least, seem to make wild swings of strategy on a regular basis.

In the Slate piece, we get a good sense of the history of for-women car marketing, as well as some reality based information about why and how women and men shop for cars differently. It's a compelling read, check it out.

Why do carmakers still fail to get what women want? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota GT86 engineers explored shooting brake and sedan variants, are they still in the cards?

Zach Bowman — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Wagon, BMW, Toyota, Read This

According to the Toyota UK blog, engineers for the automaker were so excited developing the GT86 coupe that they investigated producing a whole family of models based on the rear-wheel drive sports car. And at least one engineer - product chief Tetsuya Tada - still hopes it can happen, even if not everyone at Toyota is onboard. Tada: "Actually we tried to do this secretly but the executives found us out. They said: 'What are you doing? Will you please focus on the coupe.'"

Those mooted variants included both a four-door sedan and a shooting brake. Why? Aside from the pure excellence of a lightweight, brilliantly handling hatchback, Toyota was keenly aware of the fact that it may need to spread the cost of development out across several models. Tada says that's part of the reason why it was so easy to create the convertible. The company knew from the outset that a softtop version was in the cards, and built the machine's structure to accommodate having the roof sliced off.

Tada also made mention of the already-announced collaboration between Toyota and BMW. The engineer said that the GT86 was particularly helpful because it demonstrated just how successful a product conceived and designed by two different companies can be. While he didn't say exactly what Toyota and BMW are up to, it's clear the two are looking into a number of possibilities. It's an interesting read with a lot of

Toyota GT86 engineers explored shooting brake and sedan variants, are they still in the cards? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do automotive safety defect investigations often stay hidden?

Zach Bowman — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:16:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Read This

USA Today is accusing the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of conducting safety probes out of the view of the public. Reporter Jayne O'Donnell highlights a number of recalls that stemmed from months of investigations that went on without informing consumers of potential safety issues first. Specifically, the article points to a new spate of tire failures on certain Ford Explorer models that have claimed the lives of four times as many drivers as the issue that led to infamous Ford/Firestone recall of 2000. Ford says it has reviewed the problem with NHTSA and that the government agency found no defect.

O'Donnell also touches on certain Hyundai and Chevrolet recalls preceded by lengthy probes. Part of the problem, the report says, is that there's no formal designation that separates a probe for a full-blown investigation. Head over to USA Today for a closer look.

Do automotive safety defect investigations often stay hidden? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Cadillac thinks it needs to succeed in Europe to sell cars elsewhere

Zach Bowman — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: China, Europe, Cadillac, Luxury, Read This

Ward's Auto has taken an interesting look at the renewed focus General Motors is showing towards Cadillac in Europe. Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet and Cadillac in Europe (pictured), says in order for the luxury brand to thrive in China, it first needs to succeed in the old country. The reason? Chinese buyers look to Europe for cues as to what's deemed worthy of the term "luxury." There are hurdles to the plan, however. In addition to the fact that the EU is flooded with high-end nameplates, GM doesn't necessarily have the distribution network in place to put buyers behind the wheel.

Combine that with persistent economic woes and Cadillac's checkered past marred by a lack of diesel engine options and a bankrupt distributor, and the road ahead for the brand looks like less of an uphill climb and more like a straight-up cliff face. But Docherty is optimistic and says she has a plan for the brand. We recommend heading over to Ward's for a closer look at the full read.

Why Cadillac thinks it needs to succeed in Europe to sell cars elsewhere originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Saab 9-3 that never was finally shows up

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Saab, Design/Style, Read This

Looking back on the life and [slow and painful] death of Saab, it's impossible to not stop and think of what might have been with the quirky Swedish automaker. As it turns out, SaabsUnited has decided to shed some light on what the company's future might have looked like, including some images and information that include full-scale mockups of the 9-3 Phoenix, which you see above.

In its waning years, Saab's lead designer Jason Castriota was working feverishly to deliver new products that built on the heritage of the brand while doing so at a lower cost and in a shorter time period than previous models. In the end, though, it sounds like the earliest that we could have seen any of these plans come to fruition was 2014. In addition to hatchback and convertible 9-3 variants, Castriota also created the Sonnett - a sporty-looking 2+2 that never made it past the design study phase.

Regardless of whether you're a diehard fan of the brand or if you were just pulling for the underdog, you'll want to head on over to SaabsUnited to check out a little more of what the future could have held for Saab.

The Saab 9-3 that never was finally shows up originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota GT86 engineer Tada recounts how sports car came to be

Seyth Miersma — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Subaru, Toyota, Read This

Because the Toyota GT86, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ coupes are now a reality, it's almost hard to imagine the struggle that had to happen within the large, conservative corporate structures at both automakers for the joint project to even get off of the ground.

Speaking to those struggles on Toyota UK's Toyota Blog, GT86 Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada enlightens us with a recap of the sports car's earliest origins. For Tada, the first stages of the project must have seemed almost as dreamlike as the final product is to drive.

Said the Chief, "I had been working in the minivan department engineering new product, but a month after the meeting I was summoned. 'Forget about minivans,' they said, 'you are now working on the sports-car project.'"

The recounting of the GT86 development process makes for a genuinely interesting yarn, and is a must-read for any owners/enthusiasts of the BRZ/FR-S twins. We highly recommend clicking through to read it in full. Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but we can't help hoping that Tada-san has got more of the story to tell, still. We'll be keeping an eye on the official Toyota Blog, just in case.

Toyota GT86 engineer Tada recounts how sports car came to be originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slate argues Danica Patrick is putting the women's movement back [w/poll]

Seyth Miersma — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Celebrities, Read This

Danica Patrick has been a lightning rod for both praise and criticism throughout her objectively successful, decade-long career as a racing driver. Putting to the side for a moment that it is still very rare for a woman to get a drive in a top-tier series, something that Patrick first managed back in the 2005 IRL season, her successes are still impressive. Patrick is the only woman to ever win an IndyCar race, hold the best finish ever by a woman at the Indy 500 (third) as well as being the only woman to lead the storied race in Indianapolis.

It's all of that background that has Slate writer (and racing aficionado) Laura Helmuth up in arms. Helmuth's basic claim is that Patrick's questionable sponsorship deals, and resultant lowest-common-denominator commercials, have not only undermined her credibility as a role model for woman and girls, but have even served to set back woman's rights and the place of woman in the sport of racing.

The argument is nuanced and interesting, and we encourage you to click through and read it in full on Slate. When you're done, come back and tell us what you think about the Patrick/Go Daddy relationship in our poll below.

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Slate argues Danica Patrick is putting the women's movement back [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auto Extremist advocates for Corvette as brand with multiple models [w/poll]

Zach Bowman — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM, Read This

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette really grinds Peter De Lorenzo's gears. Or, more accurately, the self-anointed Auto Extremist has an issue with what he sees as mismanagement of the legendary sports car by General Motors executives. In a new editorial on his website, De Lorenzo argues it's time to split Corvette off from Chevrolet to create an all-new brand, complete with a model range with at least three new takes on the sports car. Capable of fully leveraging the successes of the Corvette Racing program and brandishing the full might of GM's technical prowess, the Corvette brand would theoretically give Porsche something to sweat over.

Sure, that sounds like a party, but given GM's troubled track record when it comes to launching (let alone managing) brands, we say that's slippery slope that could just as easily end with the whole Corvette franchise in the scrap bin. Either way, the notion is certainly an interesting one. Head over to Auto Extremist to take in the full editorial, and then let us know what you think in Comments. Should GM split off its most storied nameplate?

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Auto Extremist advocates for Corvette as brand with multiple models [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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