Rumor has it that Ford is considering selling its tiny car, Ka, in the U.S. because of the rise in demand for small cars. The new version of the Ford Ka was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and will be launched in the European markets by early 2009.  The Ford Focus is quite popular here, I think it would be a smart move by Ford to bring the Ka as well.

www.msnbc.com

An interesting article was on msnbc.com today. It is about engineers at automakers using an aging suit to help them design a car for the older drivers that may have some ailments. The aging suit being used by Nissan is a “cumbersome, strap-on outfit that gives young auto designers the feel of driving with a bulging belly, arthritic joints, and shaky balance.”   The suit also has goggles which distort color and mimic the effects of cataracts.  Ford has a suit that they call the “Third Age Suit” that simulates aging as well.  GM is working on a high-tech windshield designed  to enhance a driver’s view.  The suits actually limit turning your neck and bending your elbows, knees, and ankles.  This is a neat way to try to design vehicles for the 65 and older driver. Obviously, many would not need these added features but lots of people could use them in the future for sure.  I think this is a very smart idea by the automakers. The trend is changing and there are more people over 65, so finding a car to suit them is a good idea.

Nissan GT-R Google.com

The new Nissan GT-R made its debut last year at the Tokyo Motor Show.  This car is powerful.  This is a super sports car that drives like a regular vehicle, not the fancy car that it is. Nissan wanted to make people feel more comfortable in this car, and according to those that have test drove it, they definitely feel this is the case.  Ezra Dyer, of the New York Times, wrote an article about the GT-R, and he cannot stop talking about its power.  The GT-R is a four-seat coupe with a twin-turbo V-6 and all-wheel drive.  It has a lot of special features such as an electronically adjustable suspension.

The R Mode is the most interesting part about the GT-R.  You can set the transmission to the R mode and the what it is is that the transmission shifts as fast and as “brutally as it can.”  Something pretty cool is when you set the transmission to the R mode, the suspension to R mode, and turn off the stability control.  If you press the brake pedal and floor the gas next, then take your foot off the brak, the GT-R wil drop the clutch at 4500 rpm.  This is called the launch control start. According to the senior manager for product planning at Nissan, Peter Bedrosian, the car is built to take this abuse.

The downside of this car……as you suspected the price. The base price is $70,850, but you can definitely expect to pay more. If you are looking for a super sports car, go for the Nissan GT-R!

According to an article on MSNBC.com, more people are back buying SUVs and pickup trucks again. After the year of smaller cars and fuel-efficient vehicles, the trend is going back to SUVs and pickup trucks.  In September, the automotive market fell apart for most, but not for SUVs or pickup trucks. They ”held steady,” which is great under the circumstances.  Since the gas prices continue to fall, the sales have gone up for these guys.  Also, an added bonus for these customers is the incentives that are being offered are awesome.  Who knows, before we know it, customers may be back to their old selves and buying big again. If the gas prices continue to drop and people think they will stay that way, the trend for bigger vehicles will probably continue again. We’ll have to wait and see…….

Due to high oil prices and the cost of steel, aluminum, and plastics high and continuing to go up, automakers and suppliers have now been using recycled plastics. There is recycled plastics in bumpers, splash guards and under the hood.  Sometimes the savings are just a few cents, and other times the savings is half the price of new plastic. 

The problems with recycled plastic is that sometimes the quality isn’t as good, but if you mix recycled plastics with new material, the quality is just fine.  Bumpers have about 20% recycled plastics in them. 

Ford’s fender liners, which are on the inside of a fender to protect it from debris, are made from recycled automotive battery casings, according to Claudia Duranceau, who is a senior research recycling engineer at Ford.  GM is using recycled water bottles to make the carper and floor mats in the Pontiac G8.  GM also uses recycled nylon for the exterior mirror casings in the GMC Acadia.

The quality and growth in the recycling business has helped automakers to use and continue to grow their uses of recycled material.  It is good to see this happening. Even though the initial intention of the recycling material was probably for the cost efficiency, it’s still good for the environment and will continue to be so as more recycling occurs. 

Source: article in Detroit Free Press 

An article entitled” Mercedes sticks with diesel for SUV offerings” by Frank A. Aukofer of the Scripps Howard News Service talks about how even though the odds are tougher, “Mercedes-Benz is still betting on diesels.”  For 2009, there are three vehicles that are being offered that have the new BlueTEC diesel engine: the GL320, ML320 SUV, and the R320 crossover utility vehicle.  These vehicles emit so few pollutants that they can be sold nationwide, even in California and other states that have higher clean-air requirements than the federal government.  According to William Craven, the general manager of regulatory affairs for Mercedes-Benz says that “We’re a baby’s breath away from a zero-emissions vehicle in California.”  That’s pretty impressive.

Mercedes has been using diesel engines since the 1930s. Diesel engines are stronger, many times last longer, and have better fuel economy than gasoline models, which is why long-distance trucks use diesel.  Diesel is very popular in Europe, because gasoline costs are doubled compared to the price in the U.S. 

The main problem with diesel engines are the price. It costs about $1500 more to have a new diesel engine put into one of these vehicles.  Even though you get more miles to the gallon, it was determined that on average you would save anywhere between $255 and $342 a year with a diesel engine compared to a gasoline engine.  That means it would take more than four years to recoup the additional cost of the diesel model.   Many people that are buying the diesel engines are probably buying them for the lower emissions, better fuel economy, and stronger, longer lasting car, and really do not care too much about the additional $1500.  This is especially true when you think about how much these cars cost. These models start at upwards of $45,000.  What’s $1500? 

I know several people who own diesel-engined cars and really like them, and are still driving them well into the 100,000 mile range. I like the idea because of the low emissions. Hopefully more vehicles will follow Mercedes and continue to work towards lower emissions.

There was an article in my local Sunday paper entitled “10 Vehicles: To redefine the auto industry in the next year.”  This article was originally written by Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press.  Phelan feels that these 10 cars from hybrids to pickup trucks, from expensive to cheap that are coming out in the next 12 months could “shape the future of automakers around the world.”  According to Phelan, he feels that these vehicles will be the most interesting and important new cars to watch as the 2009 models start coming out and the 2010 models begin.  Here is the list and a little synopsis of each car.

1.  2009 Audi A4 - this car is bigger, better and redesigned as well.  It offers more room than the competitors and the base price is $32,700 for the sedan and $34,500 for the station wagon. This prices could make several other competitors like Acura and Lexus quite nervous. 

2.  2009 Chevrolet Traverse - this is a new family car with seating for eight. The price is right too with a base price of $28,225, which is cheaper than the competitors.  If it gets the same good reviews that the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook have, then the competitors better start worrying. The fuel economy of this car is 17 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway. 

3.  2010 Chevrolet Camaro - it has a 422-horsepower V8. Chevy predicts the gas mileage to be 26 mpg on the highway.  The success of the V6 model will be a deciding factor on the success of the 2010 V8 model.   

4.  2009 Ford F-150 - this will be a lighter pickup truck, but improve cargo and towing capability.  The crew cab will have six inches more space as well.  This truck will offer better fuel economy as well. The specs of the mpg have not come out yet.    

5.  2009 Dodge Ram - offers better fuel economy. There will be more room in the crew cab and secured, lockable storage bins in the rear fenders. The base price is $21,270.

6. 2010 Honda Insight - this is a five-passenger gas-electric vehicle.  The base price will be “significantly below” other hybrids when it goes on sale next spring. 

7.  2009 Toyota Venza- this is a five-passenger crossover.  Toyota hopes to combine the appeal of a sporty crossover with the practicality of a midsize station wagon.  It will offer front or all-wheel drive and either a 3.5-liter V6 or 2.7-liter V4.

8.  2009 Mazda 6  - the price starts at $18,550 and comes with either a 2.5- liter V4 or a 3.7-liter V6 engine.  Mazda wants to show this model as a sporty alternative for a midsize sedan than the competitors. 

9.  2010 Toyota Prius - this is the most anticipated car that will debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Showin Detroit in January.  This car will replace the ”hybrid icon.”  The fuel economy should top the current model’s 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway.  Toyota is so excited about the sale prospects that it is going to build this Prius in the U.S.

10.  2010 MKT Lincoln -  this will be an eight-person crossover.  Lincoln has a new design theme, and this will be the first car to have this design.  It will be sold in mid-2009.

Here is a list of the predictions for 2009/2010. It will be interesting to see if Mark Phelan is right, and these vehicles do ”shape the future.” 

According to MSNBC.com, Toyota is offering zero percent financing on 11 models between now and November 3.  Toyota suffered a 32 percent drop in sales in September and up until now only domestic competitors had been feeling these drops.  They decided to offer zero percent financing to tell people that credit will not be a problem and that they are literally ”giving credit away.” 

Several analysts on cars do not feel like the “floodgates” will just be opening, but it will definitely help a lot of people  who may have otherwise had to worry about the financing.  Many people may be now able to afford the cars.  GM just launched zero percent financing on several models this past Wednesday, and Chrysler and Ford have been offering zero percent financing on models, especially trucks and SUVs for a little while now.

The zero percent models for Toyota are the Matrix, Corolla, Camry, RAV 4, Highlander, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, and Tundra.  The hybrids and the Yaris are not included in this deal because their sales are actually pretty good.  So, if you need a car, you may want to check on Toyota and these models. With zero percent financing, you will definitely save a good deal of money, which everyone needs to do at this point during these hard economic times.

The past Thursday production kicked off for the new more fuel-efficient Ford F-150.  An article on MSNBC.com talks about the excitement that was expressed at the Ford plant in Claycomo, MO.  This is Ford’s most popular truck, but like everyone and everything else, the production has been bad due to the gas prices.  In September, Ford truck sales plunged down 39%.  Ford is hoping with this more fuel-efficient F-150, that this will bring more people back to trucks. 

The new F-150 has an average 8 percent increase in fuel economy.  The two-wheel drive F-150 with 5.4 liter, three valve V-8 engine averages 14 miles per gallon in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.  This is compared to 13 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway on the 2008 model.  There is also a “superior fuel economy” version for 2009 increases the mileage to 15 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway.  That matches the averages of the most fuel-efficient trucks out there, the GMC Sierra and the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado.  The “superior fuel economy” version will be no extra cost on the XLT SuperCrew pickups with the chrome package, and it will cost $1095 when you order this version on the XL SuperCrew pickup with the decor package. 

I sure hope that Ford can improve their sales with this new Ford F-150. I want to see more Americans buy from American automakers.

The Paris Motor Show started on Thursday and is open for the next two weeks to the public. The first two days are for media only.  According to an article on MSNBC.com, the Paris Motor Show opened with both “vroom and gloom under the cloud of global financial turmoil.”  The goal of this year’s show was to introduce many more fuel-efficient cars to cater to the consumers both financially strapped and environmentally conscious.  Honda unveiled their new five-door gasoline-electric hatchback to rival the Toyota Prius.  The Honda Insight will be cheaper than any other hybrid that is on the market.  Honda plans to start selling these vehicles in April.

The shaky economic outlook was the top discussion at the show so far.  Many automakers are very concerned that this may not be the end of the slumping sales, and that it could be two years before the sales start to get better.  September posted the worst sales (down 5.4%) in the U.S. since the mid-90s. 

The interesting part of this Paris Motor Show was that many automakers were still willing to make bold predictions about their sales even during these tough times.  Most of the automakers showed how their vehicles were emitting less carbon dioxide and that many were now nonpolluting electric.  

It will be interesting to hear the public’s opinion of the Paris Motor Show after the next two weeks. Hopefully they get excited about the new cars.