As much as we read about the auto industry dismal sales, there are still some bright spots.  I’m going to give you 5 of the cars that have actually gone up in sales from last year at this time.  Some will probably surprise you, they did to me.  This information is from forbesautos.com.

1.  Hyundai Tiburon - April 2008 sales 894, April 2009 sales 3353. Increase of 275.1% (that’s pretty good!)  MSRP $17,270.

2.  Kia Amanti - April ‘08 sales 235, April ‘09 sales 671.  Increase of 185.5%. MSRP $26,580.

3.  Nissan Maxima - April ‘08 sales 2398, April ‘09 sales 3901. Increase of 62.7%. MSRP $30,160.

4.  Audi A5/S5 Coupe - April ‘08 sales 484, April ‘09 sales 680.  Increase of 40.5%. MSRP $40,700.

5.  Nissan 350Z/370Z - April ‘08 sales 1208, April ‘09 sales 1561. Increase of 29.2%. MSRP $29,930.

Did any surprise you?  I wonder why these cars (and the article listed more as well) had such significant increases in sales? I would never even consider like 3 out of the 5. Interesting information I think.

So, you want to know the names of some fast cars??  Well, get out your checkbook first. Fast doesn’t come free!  I think it’s kind of crazy for me to write about these cars today, since the stock market was down big today, because the unemployment rate is so high, and I saw a headline on msnbc.com that said “Jobless consumers will hold back recovery.”  So, who has the money to buy these fast cars?? I’m not too sure, but here’s some fast cars and their high price tags as well.

BMW M3 - 4-liter 414 horsepower V8 engine.  Price tag starts at $54,000. Fuel economy is city 13-14 mpg and highway 20 mpg.

Cadillac CTS-V - 6.2-liter 556 horsepower V8 engine.  Price starts at $56,000.  Fuel economy is city 18 mpg and highway 24 mpg.  Reaches 60 mph in about 4 seconds and has a top speed of 191 miles per hour (who in the right mind needs to go this fast!) 

Jaguar XF Supercharged - 4.2-liter 420 horsepower V8 engine.  Price starts at $49,000.  Fuel economy is city 15 mpg and highway 23 mpg. 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds.

Lexus IS-F - 5-liter 416 horsepower V8 engine.  Price starts at $57,000.  City mpg is 16 and highway is 23.  0 to 60 in less than 4.9 5 seconds. 

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG - 6.2-liter 457 horsepower V8 engine.  Price starts at $54,000.  City mpg is 12 mpg (not good) and 19 on the highway (still not good.)  It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. 

So, here’s the common denominators - fast, expensive, and V8 engines.  For those of you that can afford it, good luck and buy one of these fast cars. I’m partial to the Mercedes and Cadillac (if I had the money!)

Remember last summer when Chrysler offered a gas incentive guaranteeing gas for $2.99/gallon for a year if you bought a new car?  Well, it was ok for awhile when the gas cost was greater than $4/gallon, but then the  gas price drastically decreased and it was cheaper than $2.99. Oops. Well, Hyundai is now offering the same idea, but the guaranteed gas price will be $1.49/gallon, which we haven’t seen in five years. Smart thinking by Hyundai. I doubt that we will see $1.50 anytime soon.  The average for a gallon of gas is about $2.60.  So, if you buy a Hyundai, you can get a year of gas for $1.49/gallon. Beware though…..there is fine print (as always.)  Just make sure you check out the fine print before you buy. 

Here’s just alittle fun information for you. Actually before reading any further, try to guess the top 10 movie cars according to autoweek.com. 

10. Eleanor from Gone in 60 Seconds

9.  Harry’s Dog Grooming Van from Dumb and Dumber

8.  Lightning McQueen from Cars

7.  The Deathmobile from Animal House

6.  The Minis from The Italian Job

5.  The Bluesmobile from The Blues Brothers

4.  Milner’s Coupe from American Graffiti

3.  Bullitt’s Mustang from Bullitt

2.  Porsche 917 from Le Mans

and the number 1 movie car is……………..

1.  The DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future - I agree that this was the BEST!

You can read more about each car in the article.  I loved the Back to the Future movies.

I found an article on MSNBC.com that talks about yet another technology advance for automobiles.  The new technology is called the Ford Work Solutions, which is a built-in, theft-proof computer.  No more stolen or broken laptops.  This system is currently available for the Ford F-150 light-duty pickups, the Super Duty pickups, and the Transit Connect commercial minivans that will be available soon.  Some of the components will be available to consumers that already own these trucks. 

The Work Solutions system allows you to have hands-free for your cell phone and uses a Garmin navigation system.  The Work Solutions system has a 6.5 inch touch-screen, 4 gigabytes of RAM, a memory-card sot, a USB port, and a wireless keyboard.  The in-dash computer costs $1195 and the internet access costs between $25 and $50 a month.

There is also a tool tracking system. This lets the user compare the tools on the truck to a tool list for the scheduled job to make sure that you have all the tools needed for the job, and then you do it again at the end of the day to make sure that you don’t leave any tools at the job site. That’s pretty helpful, right?  It will definitely save companies a great deal of money in misplaced tools, I would assume. 

I think that this new technology, the Work Solutions, seems like a great new advancement that will be very helpful. I see how it is cost efficient, because it saves companies from stolen and broken laptops. My only hesitation (and it’s alittle one) is that no one knows the costs of repairs for this in-dash computer system. That can’t be cheap to fix. I guess we’ll have to wait and see when as the technology is used more often.

After the good news several weeks ago for General Motors and their Hummer brand that GM had found a buyer, the news is not as favorable currently.  According to an article on MSNBC.com, the company, Tengzhong Heavy Industry Machinery Corp., that was planning to take over Hummer is having problems doing so with the Chinese government.  The government, which has a lot of control through regulations, does not like the acquisition of the Hummer because its’ “gas-guzzling vehicles conflict with Beijing’s conservation goals.”  The company must get the government’s approval in order for their to be a deal. Another problem is that currently Tengzhong that makes construction machinery, such as cement mixers and tow trucks, has the experience to create more fuel-efficient Hummers and get this company back on its feet.  Supposedly, this acquisition would save 3000 jobs in the U.S., and the Hummer headquarters and manufacturing will stay in the United States.  Tengzhong says that is will “invest in research to create more fuel-efficient Hummers.” 

This is obviously not good news for Hummer and the 3000 workers here in the U.S. Hopefully, this can work. It’s crazy how much the government can control.  Scary actually.  I’m not a huge fan of the Hummer, but as I’ve said before I hate to see any company go away completely. 

www.motorcitytimes.com

So, this new Ford Fiesta that will be available in the United States early next year, is different and looks “fun to drive” according to autoweek.com.  The Fiesta is currently on sale in Europe now.  It has “flamelike headlamps, wheels-at-the-corner stance, and a sculpted hood” that makes the Fiesta want “to be noticed.”  Small cars have been the norm in Europe for a long time, with many people choosing small over big any day.  Just recently have the consumers in the U.S. started to show interest in these small cars. There used to be a perception that small meant cheap, but that’s not the case anymore. There are a lot of well made cars out for sale now. 

The Ford Fiesta has almost identical to the Honda Fit dimension-wise. Here are the specs -  it has a 1.6-liter, 118 horsepower, front-wheel drive, 5 speed manual engine.  It can go from 0 to 60 in 9.8 seconds, which is not fast by any means, but it’ll do just fine.  the Fiesta gets about 32 miles per gallon, and even though the prices have not been set for the U.S., it is thought that the price will be about $15,000.  Looks like a good car, watch out for it after Christmas.

Cox Newpapers has written an article talking about yet another auto technology specifically for the safety of drivers and other cars on the road as well.  The technology is called the Owner Compliance Key (OCK),  which is a device that is part of the car’s key, that turns cell phones of when the car is turned on.  This key was made by Try Safey First Inc., and the key was first launched in 2007.  The key prevents outbound calls and sends inbound calls directly to voicemail.  Emergency calls to 911 will still work.  The Owner Compliance Key also requires you to have your seat belt fastened before you can start the engine.  The usage of the OCK is voluntary, because it’s on the spare key.  Also, passengers in the car can use cell phones. The key only works in the area of the driver.  This technology was designed for parents and employers.  Teenage drivers are particularly vulnerable to accidents period, especially when cell phones and text messaging are involved. 

According to the article, there is a lot of competition with this technology, and Try Safety First is also having a hard time because automakers’ are now making hands-free communication systems that are built into the cars.  Currently, you can only buy the OCK as an aftermarket item, and the company would like to see it factory installed, though it isn’t currently happening.   

I don’t know how I feel about this. I guess if I had teenage children, I would really like it. I think that the hands-free systems in cars are safe, and this technology seems alittle extreme to me. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me though.      

www.cargurus.com

So, according to G. Chambers Williams III of the San Antonio Express-News, the new redesigned 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover is better than its 2009 counterpart.  It has a completely different exterior, “more refined interior” and lots of new technology.  The price starts at about $34,000.  The engine choices are either a V6 3-liter with 265 horsepower, or a 2.8-liter turbocharged 300 horsepower engine.  The 2010 Cadillac SRX is a 5 passenger vehicle, instead of the 2009 SRX that offered a third row seat.  The five passenger layout allows for more cargo space.  The SRX’s biggest competitor will be the Lexus RX 350. 

I think that the best feature of the Cadillac SRX is the advanced all-wheel drive system.  The system starts the vehicle off with power to the rear wheels. This allows the car to drive like a rear-drive sport sedan.  On dry pavement, “half the power automatically goes to the rear wheels during full-throttle operation, which helps eliminate wheel spin.”  If there are slippery roads, “the systems detects which wheels have the best traction, and power is sent to those wheels as needed to keep the car moving.”  How cool is that? 

This vehicle has good standard features and some of the other improvements seem like step ups as well.  It’s not terribly expensive. If I wanted a crossover, I think that I’d be strongly considering this one.

Did you hear that there is a new automotive company that will be starting to assemble fuel-efficient cars in Louisiana?  Well, it’s true.  The company, called V Vehicle Company in San Diego, will take over a vacant plant in Monroe, LA.  The V Vehicle Company estimates that it will employ 1400 employees once the plant begins to produce these vehicles. That’s good news for the state, and for the consumers to have another choice of vehicle. 

Fiat, which recently took over Chrysler, has said that ”serious restructuring” needs to take place in the auto industry saying that the there is a major problem with production overcapacity.  The restructuring would include measures to cut costs and increase efficiency. Fiat feels that is this doesn’t happen, the auto industry will only have more problems and that restructuring will help the industry make the turn upwards. 

General Motors has sold their Saab brand to a group that is part of the Koenigsegg Automotive,which is a Swedish supercar maker.  Currently, Koenigsegg sells two very high end vehicles that cost over $1 million.  This company likes to produce eye-catching, fast cars, but they cost ALOT of money. We’ll have to see what happens to Saab. 

GM is stopping production of the Pontiac Vibesin August. All Pontiacs will be slowly eliminated from the production line, and the Vibes are the first to go, I guess.  It’s sad to see the brand go, but hopefully this will help GM to get back on track.

That’s all the news I have for now. More to come, I’m sure.