Recent Comments:
Geneva 2008: Honda F1 RA300 and RA108 {Autoblog}
Mar 6th 2008 8:24AM A 2.4-liter V8 engine producing over 700 hp?!?!
Now that's an engineering marvel!
Ford funnelling $58 million to China venture {Autoblog}
Feb 21st 2008 1:12PM "Thus if we're buying more goods from China then China buys from us, then China must invest more in the US than the US invests in China."
You need to check with your logic. Something is definitely wrong with the way your mind operates.
"China invests more in the US, not the other way around. It's a rule of economics that capital and current accounts must net to zero. "
You're wrong. Why don't you first research what the current US international trade deficit is, as well as how many billions of dollars of discrepancy there was last year on import vs. export of goods between the US and China.
"2. Yes China creates a lot pirated software and goods, but so does the US. Look at the RIAA and MPAA's fight against piracy in the US. These companies fail to adapt to newer business models. Meanwhile Apple is getting rich off of this pirated media."
First of all, if you go to China, you will easily see pirated movies, DVDs, and music being sold ON THE STREETS. US music, software, and movie production companies have lost billions of dollars in China alone. You go to Ebay, you'll see tens of thousands of individuals from China and Hongkong selling bootleg movies.
And no, Apple doesn't get rich from these pirated music because they don't sell pirated/illegal copies off of their store through iTunes. iPod has prospered because people dont want to walk around carrying clunky CD players in their hands.
"3. If you've ever been to China, you'd know that the Chinese really value US goods."
Yeah, that's because it gives them an opportunity to pirate, hack, and create more knock-offs out of products that arises from other people's hard work and innovation.
"While the manufacturing takes place in China, what about all the other jobs it creates here? Engineering, finance, etc."
What are you saying, that when manufacturing goes to China, a corresponding job of equal value gets created here?
Ford funnelling $58 million to China venture {Autoblog}
Feb 21st 2008 12:51PM Ford, the All American car company.
Toyota: there is "no way" we can sell more Priuses than last year {Autoblog Green}
Feb 19th 2008 7:19PM This is actually just an excuse - most likely Toyota is starting to scale down the production of the current Prius model.
Sometimes a company will actually start to dwindle, or altogether stop production of a particular make and model if they actually have a newer generation coming down the pipeline.
Of course, they will probably make a decision not to disclose this new generation Prius coming down, otherwise people might hold off purchasing the existing model -- making Toyota accumulate unsold inventory and lose money. So they employ funny reasons, like they can't manufacture as much Priuses like the way they did last year, or that they're still far away from supporting lithium-ion batteries -- even though some enterprising small businesses has already achieved this feat. What makes you think that Toyota, which has billions of dollars worth of research funds, can't even replicate these efforts inside their own laboratory? They have all the money in the world to hire the best scientists and engineers after all.
Guys, looks like we're about to see a new generation of Prius in a year or two. After all, other companies (*ahem* Honda) have 'special' deliverables coming down the pipe as well in the 2009/2010 model year.
GM recalling 180,000 Chevrolet HHRs {Autoblog}
Feb 13th 2008 4:58PM to C.W.:
"...if you really want to show your intelligence, you will research all the 3rd party sources and see that companies like Ford are higher in quality than ever before. on par with the japanese makers. not just quality, but safety as well."
do you remember that news about Ford vehicles catching on fire?
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/03/ford-recalling-3-6-mil-vehicles-with-faulty-cruise-control-units/
this happened just last year. now you think ford has learned their lesson? well, looks like they're doing further recalls early this year on newer vehicles -- and yes, its about them catching on fire as well:
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-recalling-180-000-vans-and-suvs-for-two-issues/
I hate to see these things burn down a house if they catch fire when parked inside a garage. But hey, I'm just pointing to some facts.
While I would wholeheartedly agree that quality has been improving on domestic vehicles (check Malibu, Ford Fushion, etc), its news like the above that makes people shudder and like it or not, its hard the get these out of people's minds.
Good luck to Ford.
http://www.subaru.com/sub/misc/2008/autoshow/ny0311/wrx/index.html?module=wrx_sti§ion=gallery_video
GM recalling 180,000 Chevrolet HHRs {Autoblog}
Feb 13th 2008 3:58PM to whofan:
not at all, since Toyota will not deliberately design a cheap/structurally inferior rooftop just to save money. The recall basically means that if the HHR will rollover, you'll might sustain serious head injury since the rooftop may not be adequate enough to protect you -- hence GM suggesting installing an 'energy absorbing piece of plastic', whatever that is.
There is a reason why a lot of people tend to be more cynical against GM/Ford/Chrysler -- its not that they're anti-american, but rather they are simply smarter than what the big auto 2.5 makes of them. Smart to the point that they can see thru these quality/long term reliability issues - hence forcing them to look at other brands to spend their hard-earned money.
Ford recalling 180,000 vans and SUVs for two issues {Autoblog}
Feb 11th 2008 4:14PM "The second recall, which involves 57,000 E-Series full-size vans and 2007 Expeditions and Navigators with the 5.4L V8, is a bit more serious. The defective part is the engine's fuel rail crossover hose, which could crack and leak, potentially causing a fire. "
Great. We're back again to that Ford Expedition catching fire inside your garage.
Geneva '08 Preview: Honda unmasks the Euro Accord {Autoblog}
Feb 11th 2008 4:05PM Sure, I'll buy that Sebring anytime (sarcasm).
"Hummers are greener than Prius" study makes it into an episode of ABC's Boston Legal {Autoblog Green}
Jan 30th 2008 7:39AM For all those H2 owners:
Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would like to thank you for helping make their oil-producing country very profitable and rich. You can be sure that more exciting things are about to come in the future.
VIDEO: 2008 Mustang commercial is dreamy {Autoblog}
Jan 24th 2008 10:17PM I actually enjoyed the commercial and found it really funny and entertaining. True, some people don't like the mustang (i'm kind of neutral about that car anyway) but attacking them personally to that level -- and even stooping so low as to include their wife and daughters/kids into the picture is kinda… well, freakin' lame and immature. Congratulations, you just made Mustang enthusiasts look like low-class jerks who really are more into brawns and than brains!
