Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Technology, Ford
Though driving impressions of the new 5.0-liter 2011 Ford Mustang GT are off limits for now, Popular Hot Rodding notes that Ford made no mention of releasing pure facts. It’s all about the numbers anyway, right? During last week’s media launch for the new Mustangs in California, the showdown between the (supposedly) 412-horsepower 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 and the 426-horsepower 2010 Camaro SS got underway at a sectioned-off portion of the Camarillo Airport. An eighth-mile drag strip lay ahead of the two ponycars, both equipped with six-speed automatics.
With time-slips in hand, the numbers don’t lie. Popular Hot Rodding managed a time of 8.82 seconds at 83 miles per hour in the Camaro, but the Mustang proved to be even faster at 8.62 seconds at 86 mph. Virtually all journalists on hand recorded better times in the Mustang. Crude translations to quarter mile numbers come in at 13.8 seconds for the Camaro and 13.5 seconds for the Stang.
With a base price coming in at $30,495 and numbers that – for now, at least – appear to beat the competition, Ford looks like it has a serious hit in the making with its new 5.0 Mustang. How the renewed rivalry translates from the streets to the sales sheets, where the Camaro currently rules the roost, will be interesting to watch.
Gallery: 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0
[Source: Popular Hot Rodding]
Unofficial drag test puts 2011 Mustang GT ahead of Camaro SS in eighth-mile showdown originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai
A California-based Hyundai dealership has filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America claiming that the automaker did not provide help to the struggling dealership despite contractual agreements and assurances that Hyundai would do everything necessary to help out the dealership during the economic downturn.
Estes Automotive Group, owner of Merced Hyundai in California, claims that the company treated them unfairly and did not act in good faith. The suit, filed in early March by Estes, seeks $30 million in losses that the dealership endured under promises from Hyundai that the company would help them weather the economic storm.
Estes claims that Hyundai strung the dealership out for more than a year promising to provided assistance as long as the dealership continued to operate. The dealership was instructed to go about its business as usual and Hyundai would take care of the financial situation. With these words, Estes continued to operate the facility at a loss counting on support from Hyundai which never came.
Hyundai Motor America has not commented on the matter, but has until the beginning of April to respond to the lawsuit. The suit is demanding a jury trial against Hyundai on the grounds of the company “engaging in a calculated scheme to bleed assets and operating capital, and ultimately destroying the business.” Merced Hyundai closed its doors for good in January.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
Report: Hyundai getting sued by former CA dealer for $30M originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Toyota
Toyota announced an all out recall of both floor mats and accelerator pedals beginning in late 2009, but the issue was clearly known by the company years prior. Recent reports indicated that the automaker was well aware of floor mat-related issues dating back to early 2007. Not only was the company aware of the issue, it responded by posting a technical service bulletin (TSB).
Back in March of 2007, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into pedal entrapment on the Lexus ES350. Within two weeks, Toyota issued a TSB to dealers regarding possible pedal entrapment caused by floor mats. Later that year, Toyota warned dealers of the same possible risk on all Toyota models and instructed dealerships not to install optional floor mats. A portion of the TSB is posted below:
NEVER install more than one floormat at a time in the driver’s seating position… If applicable, any secondary set of floormats MUST be placed in the trunk with all the packaging material intact. DO NOT install the secondary mat on top of the primary floormat already in the driver’s seating position.
In September of 2007, Toyota voluntarily recalled 55,000 floormats from Lexus and Toyota vehicles, but stated that no known problem had been found with the mats or vehicles. NHTSA closed the investigation, but the problems didn’t end. Toyota continued to send TSBs for 2008 and 2009 model year vehicles to remind dealers of potential pedal entrapment problems.
The TSBs are clear proof that Toyota was aware of the potential problem and it shows they acted in a way consistent with other automakers by addressing the problem at the dealership level. The mistakes the company made include admitting that the floor mats were not part of the problem and then doing nothing else to discover and fix the real problem.
Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.
[Source: Reuters]
Report: Toyota warned dealers with floormat TSB back in 2007 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Government/Legal
California’s controversial “cool cars” guidelines have been laid to rest. According to a report from The Detroit News, the ill supported legislation is no more and automakers can rejoice. The pressure was too much for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to handle any longer, and automakers, law enforcement officials and crime victim advocates are likely to celebrate their victory.
If you’re unclear about what we’re speaking about, California’s “Cool Cars” legislation was to be adopted into law in May. The rules aimed to reduce heat within a vehicle and thus lower greenhouse gas emissions. The plan included guidelines to reduce the sun’s energy from penetrating a vehicle by 45 percent by 2014 and 60 percent by 2016. The method for achieving this goal included factory installed glazing (window tint) on each and every vehicle sold in California.
Many objections arose. Patrol officers were concerned for their safety, stating that the tint would restrict their view into a vehicle. Sheriff offices argued that the tint could affect cell phone signal quality and thus prevent drivers from contacting emergency services such as 911. Automakers complained that the added costs to tint vehicles would be significant. Complaints poured in from out of state law enforcement and politicians alike.
Of course, “Cool Cars” may be dead, but a CARB spokesman has gone on record stating that the organization will pursue other methods to reduce air conditioning emissions and to provide “cooler” cars in the future. Hat tip to John!
[Source: Detroit News]
Report: California scraps ‘Cool Cars’ legislation, automakers, law enforcement cheer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Toyota
The Los Angeles Times scoured public records and discovered that the number of deaths possibly linked to Toyota’s unintended acceleration issue could top more than 100 – twice the amount previously reported earlier this year.
With recalled vehicles reaching record numbers, complaints have poured in to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the number of reported accidents involving sudden acceleration have increased accordingly. A review of police reports, lawsuits and NHTSA filings have revealed that sudden, unintended acceleration could be a possible cause of death in as many as 102 cases.
The rise in possible deaths related to sudden acceleration has led to a thorough evaluation of each and every fatality reported involving a recalled Toyota vehicle. All accidents involving recalled vehicles, and in particular cases that involve a fatality, will be investigated by the feds, and the government’s final report should finally solidify the gruesome numbers.
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[Source: Los Angeles Times]
Report: 100 cases of death possibly caused by Toyota unintended acceleration originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety
Should other drivers be aware that the vehicle they’re tailing is piloted by someone under the age of 21? New Jersey thinks so and has become the first state to enact a law requiring drivers under 21 to affix a red sticker to both their front and rear license plates.
The law, called Kyleigh’s Law in memory of a young driver killed by another young driver, will go into effect beginning in May, and the stickers can be purchased from the local motor vehicle department for $4.00.
The sticker program is not without its challengers. Some believe that it will call out undue attention to teenage drivers while others believe that teenage drivers could become the target of criminals or even sex offenders.
According to the state, the stickers will help local police to enforce the state’s 11 o’clock curfew for young drivers and to enforce other laws specific to restricted license drivers.
Similar systems have been instituted around the globe – from the UK to Japan – for years, with varying levels of effectiveness. Whether the sticker solution will be widely adopted across the U.S. remains to be seen, but feel free to posit your own opinion in the comments below.
UPDATE: Drivers who have completed the 12-month provisional-license period will not have to display the decal even if younger than 21. Only those with provisional licenses or learner’s permits will be required to display the red sticker. Once the driver obtains a regular driver’s license, the sticker can be removed.
[Source: New Jersey Online , My Central Jersey]
New Jersey drivers under 21 required to affix red sticker to cars *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Recalls, Safety, Toyota
According to a Toyota memo first obtained by Jalopnik and later reported by the Associated Press, Toyota is currently notifying dealers that a replacement pedal can be installed at no charge to owners of recalled Toyota products if the owner is not satisfied with the current fix for the problem.
Most vehicles involved with the pedal recall have been fixed by inserting a metal shim into the accelerator pedal, which is believed to reduce friction and provide smoother travel to the pedal. The AP reports that owners who either do not feel confident in the fix or who still complain of pedal problems can ask their dealership for a new replacement pedal at no charge.
Through data analysis, it has been determined that at least 100 owners of recalled vehicles have filed complaints regarding pedal action after the dealership reportedly fixed the problem. Perhaps by witnessing this data, Toyota has responded to reduce further complaints by replacing the entire pedal assembly on vehicles with on-going problems.
The Associated Press quotes a portion of the memo as follows:
A replacement pedal should only be offered to a customer after the reinforcement bar has been installed and the customer has expressed dissatisfaction with the operation and/or feel of the pedal. (Pedal replacement) is based upon specific customer request only. Dealers are not to solicit pedal replacement.
The AP added that the memo lists vehicles involved as: the 2005-10 Avalon; 2007-10 Camry and Tundra; 2009-10 Corolla, Matrix and RAV4; 2008-10 Sequoia and 2010 Highlander. It remains uncertain if other vehicles such as the Prius may also be included in the replacement pedal process.
UPDATE: Toyota’s official statement on the matter after the jump.
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Gallery: Review: 2007 Toyota Prius Touring
[Source: The Associated Press via Google, Jalopnik]
Continue reading Report: Toyota to replace pedals for owners not satisfied with fix
Report: Toyota to replace pedals for owners not satisfied with fix originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Technology, Hatchback, Toyota
Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported its initial findings on the runaway Prius case in New York. The NHTSA disclosed information regarding its belief that the 2005 Prius involved in the suspected runaway case resulting in a head on crash into a stone wall was not caused by a manufacturing error on Toyota’s behalf, but rather a driver error resulting from not applying the brakes during the incident.
The follow-up investigation conducted by the local Harrison police department came to an identical conclusion. The police department was initially upset with the NHTSA investigation and believed that the agency had come to a conclusion too quickly. Upon conducting its own investigation, Harrison police believe that the overwhelming evidence appears to support the NHTSA findings that driver error was the cause of the crash. The findings point to an open throttle and lack of brake pedal application, causing the vehicle to accelerate and eventually crash. Toyota has released its statement regarding the Harrison, N.Y. incident, which can be read after the jump.
The findings of this investigation appear more conclusive than the one involving James Sikes and his runaway Prius in California, where the California Highway Patrol did not find enough evidence to agree with Toyota and NHTSA that the car could’ve been stopped.
For Toyota, this is one more image boost during trying times for the company. Aside from the Prius winning a J.D Power award a few days ago and a couple of other sparse good words, the automaker has faced nothing but struggles in the last two months.
Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius
[Source: Washington Post, Toyota]
Continue reading Local police agree, runaway Prius in NY caused by driver error
Local police agree, runaway Prius in NY caused by driver error originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology, Electric, Diesel
New CAFE standards set to take affect in 2015 have automakers in a hurried frenzy. Meeting target CAFE numbers of 35.5 miles per gallon within the short five-year time frame is no easy feat. Current standards, set at a fleet average of 27.5 mpg, will quickly become a thing of the past. As automakers push to meet the new requirements, decisions must be made. These decisions could best be regarded as risky bets that could impact an automakers success in the years ahead.
New rules within the CAFE guidelines will require many compact vehicles to achieve even higher numbers than the 35.5 mpg listed above. It’s a bit technical, but put simply, the more compact vehicles a company sells, the higher its fleet average must be. This may sound simple, but compact cars may be hard to sell if the technology required to meet the goals adds a significant amount to the vehicle’s bottom line.
Automakers are at a crossroads where they must decide which approach will prove to be most beneficial. Should the diesel engine be employed to meet CAFE requirements? Should hybrid powertrains be widely adopted? Automakers must answer these questions and many more. The wrong answer could spell disaster for market share and profits, and the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that new CAFE requirements will increase a vehicle’s price by an average of $1,300. Others predict numbers far exceeding these claims, but no matter the numbers, cost is a major concern in the compact class of cars.
Here’s a breakdown of some choices automakers should consider; improve gasoline engines to extract up to 20 percent more fuel efficiency, more widespread adoption of diesel engines, aerodynamically design vehicles for improved efficiency, add start/stop features, add more mild hybrids and consider weight saving measures or electrify vehicles. Each option has an associated risk versus cost versus reward factor that must be weighed out precisely for automotive success.
Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen Golf
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
Report: Diesel and electric vehicles two of many options to meet CAFE regulations originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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