Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Tata may let other automakers build Nano]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/report-tata-may-let-other-automakers-build-nano/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/report-tata-may-let-other-automakers-build-nano/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/report-tata-may-let-other-automakers-build-nano/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Tata Nano - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Tata Nano has been in production since July, and during that time, Tata Motors has reportedly sold over 7,500 copies of its $2,500 car. The Indian automaker has plenty of potential customers for its inexpensive little econo-gem, but production capacity is another matter altogether. Tata is producing the Nano with existing plant floor capacity until its new, 250,000-unit/year factory comes online at the end of March 2010.

But Tata is thinking of ways to get more Nanos to market - and it's not just limiting its options to models emblazoned with a circle T emblem. Reuters reports that Tata is considering licensing the Nano to other automakers, with or without Tata badging. Tata Vice Chairman Ravi Kant reportedly mentioned at an awards function that the company would allow micro-assembly sites to build their own Nano within India, adding, "We call it Nano, they don't have to."

Tata hasn't announced whether it actually has any partners for its vehicle sharing proposition, but if demand for the inexpensive car continues to hold strong, we suspect there will be some takers. This plan makes perfect sense for Tata because the automaker should be able to amortize some of the car's development costs by sharing its design with others. And when you're dealing with a $2,500 MSRP, every penny counts.


Gallery: Tata Nano


[Source: Reuters]

REPORT: Tata may let other automakers build Nano originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>22500 car2500Car500 car500Carnanoravi kantRaviKantReuterstatatata motorstata nanoTataMotorsTataNanoThu, 05 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Spirit of the VW Camper van goes Element-al]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/spirit-of-the-vw-camper-van-goes-element-al/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/spirit-of-the-vw-camper-van-goes-element-al/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/spirit-of-the-vw-camper-van-goes-element-al/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click above for more pics of the Ursa Minor ECamper

The family vacation just hasn't been the same since the ubiquity of the Westfalia Camper and the VW Type2 as a family vehicle, both of which have been toppled by the rise of the minivan. There have been Westys since VW went mostly conventional with the Eurovan, but they're not much of a common sight on US Highways anymore.

Ursa Minor Vehicles understands that all those former kids who took trips to the Grand Canyon in a Westfalia have a soft spot for the poptop. Thus, the Ursa Minor ECamper kit for the Honda Element has been born. For those willing to part with an additional 4,000 bones, they will regain the ability to tilt up the roof again and contort themselves into an upper bunk area. The ECamper does require that the donor Element have a sunroof, which is the access hatch to the 85" x 50" sleeping area under the carbon fiber lid. Options such as color matched paint and roof racks are also available, and Ursa Minor will even sell you a fully outfitted Element if you don't want to tackle the kit. $4,300 is about what it'd cost in parts and labor to fix the head gaskets in your Wasserboxer, again, isn't it?

[Source: Winding Road]

Gallery: Ursa Minor ECamper

Spirit of the VW Camper van goes Element-al originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2buscampercampingecamperelementhondaminorpoptoptypetype 2type iiType2TypeIiursaursa minorUrsaMinorvanvolkswagenwestfaliawestyMon, 04 Feb 2008 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Mazda UK campaigning for Mazdaspeed2]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/13/mazda-uk-campaigning-for-mazdaspeed2/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/13/mazda-uk-campaigning-for-mazdaspeed2/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/13/mazda-uk-campaigning-for-mazdaspeed2/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Grassroots campaigns aimed at automakers rarely succeed, and even when local dealers get involved those efforts tend to stagnate or get lost in the filter between the showroom floor and the automaker's HQ. But when an entire country's marketing and PR efforts get behind a project there might be a faint hope of success. Mazda UK is launching a lobbying blitz to get its Japanese parent to bring the goods to Britain's masses in the form of the Mazdaspeed2 (well, it'd be called the Mazda2 MPS in the UK, but you get our point).

Hot hatches have consistently been winners abroad, so Mark Cameron, marketing director for Mazda UK, is trying to get Mazda to equip its newest sub-compact with a blown motor and some suspension tweaks to bring the people what they want. If it does happen, and reports say that a three-door MS2 is a distinct possibility, it won't happen for at least two years, but if when it does, expect a turbocharged 1.5-liter four, producing around 170 HP.

[Source: Autocar]

Mazda UK campaigning for Mazdaspeed2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>22mpsmazdamazda2mazdaspeed2mpsmps2ms2Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Time Machine: the DeLorean wristwatch]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/07/time-machine-the-delorean-wristwatch/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/07/time-machine-the-delorean-wristwatch/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/07/time-machine-the-delorean-wristwatch/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Say what you will of the late John DeLorean, but when push came to shove, he never tired of searching for creative ways to promote his business interests.

One of the last initiatives he undertook was a time machine of sorts. Not quite like the one that immortalized his creation -- the stainless-steel, gull-winged DMC12 in the Back to the Future trilogy -- DeLorean Time was an initiative to sell a unique wristwatch. While you could certainly argue that any merchandising initiative - be it a timepiece or anything else - is simply another way for an automaker to raise income through alternative means, DeLorean was a little more direct about it. With the purchase of the DeLorean watch, the buyer would be entered into an unofficial contract to get first crack at the DMC2, the ill-fated sportscar which DeLorean had hoped to build before passing in 2005. By selling enough watches, DeLorean hoped, he could raise enough money to get the DMC2 into production.

Follow the jump to view a video of John DeLorean promoting the watch, or follow the link to view more photos.

[Source: Watchismo]

Continue reading Time Machine: the DeLorean wristwatch

Time Machine: the DeLorean wristwatch originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 May 2007 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>122deloreandmcmachinepiecetimewatchwristMon, 07 May 2007 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Navistar slaps Ford with $2 billion lawsuit]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/02/navistar-slaps-with-ford-with-2-billion-lawsuit/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/02/navistar-slaps-with-ford-with-2-billion-lawsuit/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/02/navistar-slaps-with-ford-with-2-billion-lawsuit/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Ford has not been having much luck with the 6.4-liter diesel engines for its Super Duty trucks of late. In the latest twist of a saga that began in January, Navistar, the company that makes those engines, had added additional charges to its $2 billion counter-suit against Ford.

Navistar has been the exclusive maker of Ford's Super Duty diesel truck engines since 1979. In January of this year, Ford sued Navistar over the price of the engine and excessive warranty claims. In February, Navistar halted shipments of the just launched 6.4-liter engines, saying Ford had stopped paying for them. Ford got a court order to compel Navistar to ship the engines (which Ford paid for) -- then Ford had to recall more than 8,000 trucks because customers were reporting tailpipe fires. Navistar has now filed a counterclaim that seeks more than $2 billion in damages, and alleges that Ford is planning to develop its own diesel engines prior to 2012. There is no indication as to which party, Ford or Navistar, has a better case. For now, though, while the engine issues can't be good for Navistar, it is far more damaging for Ford to have to deal with these kinds of problems with its newly-launched bread-and-butter vehicle.

[Source: Automotive News]

Navistar slaps Ford with $2 billion lawsuit originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2007 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2billioncountersuitdutyenginesfordnavistarsuesuperWed, 02 May 2007 19:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Autoblog Podcast #60]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/autoblog-podcast-60/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/autoblog-podcast-60/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/autoblog-podcast-60/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Podcast #60 finds us reminiscing about the Geneva Motor Show. We spend a while talking about what our team saw at the show - standout vehicles, best and worst, most surprising (good and bad) to see in person versus pictures. John presses Damon for information about how some hotly anticipated cars such as the Mazda2, Audi S5, and the M3 looked at our first opportunity to be up close and personal with them. A good long time is spent covering Geneva before we turn our attention to Ford's sale of Aston Martin. Debate ensues over the move and whether it was a smart one for Ford. Speaking of smart moves and Ford, the bonuses that Alan Mulally breathlessly memo'd Ford employess drew some of our ire, as well as some of our ennui. We'll see how it shakes out, but perhaps the workers would have rather seen their paltry share go back into unbeatable product. We wrap up by alighting on all the doings over at Cadillac. The BLS wagon has just dropped, and there are rumors of a CTS Coupe and Wagon to really give BMW a run for its money. Of course, the sordid affair of the on again, off again $100K plus Caddy (and we don't me an XLR-V) elbows its way into the conversation before we trot off into the sunset. Enjoy!

SUBSCRIBE to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
LISTEN to the show now
ADD the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator

Autoblog Podcast #60 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2aston martionAstonMartionaudiautoblogautoblog podcastAutoblogPodcastblsbmwbonuscadillacciencoupectsfordgenevam3mazdamazda2new yorkNewYorkpodcastprodcirver5s5sixteenwagonTue, 13 Mar 2007 17:28:00 ESTAutoblog Podcast #60Dan Roth42:22Autoblog; Autoblog Podcast; Podcast; Geneva: Mazda 2; Mazda2; Bentley; Spyker; Donkevoort; BMW; M3; Audi; S5; R5; Ford; Aston Martin; Prodrive; Sale; bonuses; Cadillac; CTS; wagon; CTS wagon; CTS coupe; coupe; Sixteen; Cien<![CDATA[How Automobile envisions the next Ford Escort]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/03/how-automobile-envisions-the-next-ford-escort/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/03/how-automobile-envisions-the-next-ford-escort/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/03/how-automobile-envisions-the-next-ford-escort/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As we reported a few days back, Ford has big plans for the bits and pieces that make up the Mazda 2. While the Mazda will have the requesitie joie de vivre known as "zoom zoom," Ford variants are a go, as well. Automobile posits that naming the Ford version might be a sticky wicket. We've recently seen the blue oval return to names with some history, so an all new moniker may be out from the get-go. That leaves us with some greatest hits from yesteryear. Pinto likely won't work, it's too old, and those cars are rolling punchlines, anyway. Fiesta? Well, we're getting closer. The US was graced with the Fiesta back when the Rabbit was a small car, and they were wonderful. Unfortunately, the age problem is still there, and not enough people know what the Fiesta is/was anymore. Staying with F, we can move to Festiva, but we'd rather not. Ka would probably be fine in Boston, but nobody would know what the hell you're talking about. Conversations would have a real "who's on first" feel.

"I'm going to move my Ka, or it'll be plowed in."

What kind of car is it?

"A Ford."

Ford what?

"Ka."

Right, I know it's a car, but what model?

"Ford Ka."

On and on it would go. That leaves us with one venerable name: Escort. The original Laser-platform Escorts were a pretty decent stab at a world car once they solved the oil burning issues with the 1.6L engine and funky shifting from the automatic. By 1985, they were decent little cars. It'd be a return to history all around. The Escort ended up swiping a Mazda platform for it's last iteration (The 91 "shrunken Taurus" model), so taking the Mazda2 and calling it Escort would be a return to the past. Since they've brought back the Taurus and Sable names, revisiting other 1980s names sounds reasonable, but please, leave the fashion, music, and hairstyles there.

How Automobile envisions the next Ford Escort originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>22009escortfordmazdamazda2newnew escortNewEscortSat, 03 Mar 2007 17:37:00 EST