All About Cars

Tesla Motors has been operating with an interim CEO since last August when its founder, Martin Eberhard, stepped down as head of the company. Today the start up that promises to herald in a new era of EV motoring (if it can stay on schedule) announced the appointment of a permanent replacement. Ze’ev Drori will now be at the helm of Tesla Motors as it tries to guide the Tesla Roadster through the production process. Drori has a history of turning around small companies, having founded a computer chip company called Monolithic Memories and later running Clifford Electronics, an automobile security system company, until it was bought by Allstate Insurance in 1999.

We’ve always wondered whether that’s been the plan for Tesla Motors all along: get the all-electric Tesla Roadster to market, build the brand and sell the technology to the major automaker with the highest bid. Bringing on a guy like Drori lends some credibility to that hypothesis, though it’s just as likely Tesla plans to remain independent as it builds an entire lineup of all-electric vehicles in the coming years.

A meeting comes to order somewhere deep within the halls of a tower adorned with a five-pointed star just off I-75 in Auburn Hills, MI. A group of engineers and product planners gather to shoot around some ideas for what kind of car they want to create that will top off the upcoming Dodge Caliber line-up. The leader of the team opens the meeting by placing a cup in the middle of the table and declaring that anyone who utters the words ’subtle’ or ’subdued’ during the discussions must pay a dollar into the cup toward the beer fund. And thus, the Caliber SRT-4 was born.

We have absolutely no idea if it actually went down that way, but there’s no doubt that the latest addition to the Chrysler SRT family is in no way subtle or subdued. If you are looking for a Q-ship, move right along because you will not find one here. In many ways the Caliber SRT-4 is the spiritual successor to the original Omni GLH, a rowdy rip-snortin’ hot hatch, with too much power for a front-wheel-drive car.

Fiat’s new car-derived utility truck, the Fiorino Mk IV, has been revealed in all its Chiclet-colored glory. These small car-based working vehicles are just right for businesses that don’t need the heft of the ubiquitous pickup-based cargo van here in the states, or larger Continental vehicles like the Sprinter. Horsepower will be around 75 whether buyers choose the 1.4 liter gasoline or 1.3 liter turbodiesel, plenty to haul all those tiny die-cast Eiffel towers down from port to the Champs Elysees. Continuing on the French tip, it’s worth noting that the Fiorino was co-developed with PSA, which means there’s also Peugeot and Citroen variants of the little van. If you don’t want people to laugh at you when you tell them what you drive, you’d be best to stick with the new Fiat, though. The Citroen is named Nemo, ever so cute. Peugeot picked a moniker that sounds possibly lewd: Bipper. Call it whatever, the Fiorino blends utility, more style than you’d expect in a commercial vehicle, and a comfortable interior with carlike dynamics. Coming soon on the heels of the Fiorino will be the announcement of the “Adventure” package, which will outfit the small wagon for duty on less-improved roads in rural areas. The closest thing we’ve got to this in the States is the HHR Panel, cool in its own right, but alas, no feisty Italian.

If at first — or three times — you don’t succeed, then try a V10 without turbos. After a few RS8’s went up like popcorn while testing with the twin-turbo V10 from the RS6, Evo magazine bolsters our report from yesterday that the new supeR8 will come with a normally aspirated V10. However, it will be a clean-sheet-of-paper engine, and not related to the V10s in the RS6 or Lamborghini Gallardo, but rather an evolution of the V8 in the RS4.

In his interview regarding the incinerated R8s, Quattro boss Werner Frowein said that Audi was experimenting with a V10 that would get more than 500 horsepower, but the fact that the brand would commit to a brand new powerplant — even if it is an evolution — is somewhat surprising. Evo pegs the new engine at about 520 brake horsepower, which would put it ahead of the M-division unit from BMW and even the freer breathing versions of AMG’s 6.2-liter lump. The car’s arrival has been pushed back slightly to satisfy demand for the regular R8, though. In the mean time, we’ll savor the possibility that the new engine will go in the S8.

I had to post about this one, it is so funny!
Any men out there really should beware of a woman scorned.

You see, there’s this car selling website. One of the top in the UK. You can advertise your car on there for just £4.95 no matter how long it takes. They also sell New Cars, and offer Car Loans. They have thousands of hits a day so you’re sure to get some interest in your vehicle.

You see, what happened was, this man bought himself a lovely Jaguar car. Very nice! Top car!
But for some reason he registered it in his wife’s name. The reason for that is not clear in the story. But what is clear is that it really wasn’t a good idea to do THAT and then go cheat on his wife with another woman!

First, she did THIS!

and then she decided to sell his car on the Used Cars section of the aforementioned website. And she is selling it for half of it’s true value! She says a Jaguar dealer has said the paint can be removed fairly cheaply, but that is up to whomever buys the car. And there is not one single thing the husband can do about it, because he put the car in her name, so legally it’s hers! HA!

Every state requires a certain minimum amount of auto insurance on those vehicles that are registered in the state. The amounts and the types of coverage required vary from one state to the next and you can learn what your state requires by calling your local DMV. However, there are other issues associated with auto insurance and this article details some of those.

Once you have decided on your basic policy, you may want to add to the policy with certain riders. The cost of riders will vary according to what they are. Some people are more likely to need certain added protection, while others are less likely. Choosing the riders that will best suit your needs is truly a personal task.

Added medical payment riders are one type of rider. These will help pay the deductibles and any co-payments that you incur that are above and beyond what your health insurance will pay. Most of these will also cover funeral expenses and some rehab expenses.

You may be asked to buy a towing rider. These are very inexpensive but they may not be needed if you already belong to an auto club. Car insurance only kicks in and pays if you are unable to drive your car away from an accident. They do not, in many cases, pay if your car simply breaks down and needs to be towed away. You should check on exactly what this rider will pay for before you buy.

There are car rental insurance riders as well. Rental insurance is very inexpensive and it only cost a few dollars per year. If you have to rent cars often during the year, it may be a worthwhile expense. If you rarely if ever rent a car it may not be a good choice.

With some auto insurance companies, adding glass breakage coverage can increase your premiums by as much as twenty percent. Think carefully before you add this to your basic policy.

When you are looking to buy auto insurance, try to get at least four quotes from four companies. You can do this online now, and doing so can save you a lot of time and energy.

A good place to start any online search is with your state’s insurance department. Over thirty states now have online areas where you can learn more about the insurance that is required by your state and may also offer information on companies that offer the lowest rates.

You can also do some research online to see how fast a company acts when claims are sent to it. Finding the lowest rates on auto insurance is worthless if the company is slow to handle claims or if it balks with customers who need service. Many online consumer agencies have ratings charts that identify those companies that are superior with customer service and those that are not. It is always a good idea to check these before buying from an unknown company.

There are some individuals who have bad driving records and they may not be able to find coverage through normal channels. If you happen to fall into that category, you may have to opt into your state’s high-risk insurance pool. These programs are sponsored by the state and they are expensive.

Should you be one of those denied auto insurance because of a past bad record, you can always try getting insurance later. A good rule of thumb is to apply yearly. You may also want to approach those companies that normally work with drivers that other companies turn down. In order to save money, it is usually best to get off your state’s insurance as quickly as possible.

When considering auto insurance, there are four main considerations you need to take into account when picking your auto insurance or car insurance company. All are important: Price, Financial Strentght of the Insurance Company, Service provided by the company during claims, and Comfort Level with your Insurance Agent. At US Insurance Zone we strive to help auto insurance quote and car insurance quote shoppers make better decisions involving these four principles. Auto Insurance and cheap car insurance for new drivers programs protect consumers from experiencing personal financial setbacks if you they involved in an automobile accident.

Despite no official release from Toyota, there is word on the 2009 Celica return.

The Toyota Celica was scrapped in 2005 worldwide to make way for more efficient cars. Reasonings for this was due to cost restraints and a small market.

Also in 2009, Lexus will be releasing its LF-A current concept, and Toyota will release a possible Rear-Wheel-Drive vehicle as well.

Neil Young is having his 1959 Lincoln Continental converted to electric/biodiesel for the new year. According to the man heading the conversion it should take 45 days, Just in time for Christmas. The car will run on electric until it needs a recharge.

Neil just flips a switch and the biodiesel takes over. We need to “make cars more environmentally friendly,” Young said. “It can get 100 miles a gallon,” instead of 10. He is making a movie of the conversion to be released in 2008.

Johnathan Goodwin, the converter, has worked on Hummers, Cadillacs, Jeeps and other big American cars and turns them into biodiesel vehicles. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is even having his Wagoneer converted to biodiesel. The cost? About $40,000.00.

Automobile dealerships are worried that 2008 sales will be worse than this year’s. Amid these concerns they are not ordering as many new cars and trucks. This is the worst vehicle sales slump since 1998.

“I’m certainly being more cautious,” said Carl Galeana, president of the Galeana Automotive Group. “I’m reeling in what I’m stocking and am looking not to sell at the same rate that I sold at this year.”

“If we don’t see some sort of boost, our orders will be reflective of that slowdown,” said Bob Thibodeau, a Ford dealer. “We certainly are seeing a little bit of an increase in our stocking levels. Sales are just not what we hoped.”