Hybrid sales poor in China  
Pollution is a big problem in China's biggest cities and the government is increasing taxes on less economical cars.

However, sales of hybrid engine vehicles have been extremely disappointing.

Prius sales are currently running at around 100 a month, or less than half the rate required to meet the annual goal.

The poor showing suggests that energy conservation is not a priority among China's newly rich consumers. The difficulties in China also may reflect the contradictions between the government's goals regarding fuel-efficiency and some of its policies.

"There's no incentive, monetary or social," said Yoshimi Inaba, an executive vice president of Toyota and its top executive in China, during an interview at the Beijing auto show. "We think it's a long-term investment."

Despite the weak demand, Toyota plans to bring more hybrids to China as part of its overall plan to sell a million hybrids annually in the next decade. Other automakers such as General Motors Corp. also want to offer hybrids in China.

GM expects to start producing a hybrid model with its Shanghai-based venture partner SAIC Motor in 2008.

Toyota is in talks with Chinese government officials about establishing incentives to encourage consumers to buy cars with fuel-saving technologies.

Source : http://www.newcarnet.co.uk (11/21/2006)

TVR special edition  
TVR is set to celebrate its 60th birthday with a limited run of 60 cars with a 600bhp engine.

Based on the Tuscan, the new supercar is expected to be called Typhoon.

The car is set to be unveiled at next March's Geneva Motor Show and will use a supercharged version of the company's own 4.0-litre six-cylinder Speed Six engine.

The Typhoon will also come with lightweight body panels made from carbon fibre to further its performance potential. It is thought that the car will be capable of more than 200mph and 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds.

The Typhoon is the first TVR to have been designed by computer to refine its chassis and aerodynamics.

The Typhoon is also set to be one of the first TVRs built at the company's new European factory with engines supplied from its Blackpool base. TVR is yet to confirm where its new factory will be.

Source : http://www.newcarnet.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Attention Holiday Shoppers: Laminated Glass Protects Gifts Stored in Parked Cars  
DETROIT, /PRNewswire/ -- With "Black Friday" looming, holiday shoppers need to be aware of potential thieves lurking around shopping center parking lots. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce - Office of Security, historically the holiday shopping season is one of the highest crime periods of the year. During this time of year, many gifts are stolen from parked vehicles.

Research by the Enhanced Protective Glass Automotive Association (EPGAA) shows vehicles equipped with laminated glass in side and rear windows, or roof applications, can protect items such as holiday purchases from being stolen out of a parked car.

"Laminated glass is a technology with many benefits, including vehicle security, which is extremely important during this time of year," said Pete Dishart, EPGAA president and global product manager for PPG Industries, Inc. "No one wants to experience the feeling of returning to their vehicle only to find a shattered window and their holiday gifts missing."

With a tough plastic interlayer between two glass panes, laminated glass significantly increases resistance to vehicle intrusion. The EPGAA states that compared to tempered glass, which can be shattered in about one-tenth of a second, laminated glass can protect the vehicle and the objects within for about 30 seconds -- enough time to deter most would-be thieves.

Over the past 10 years, laminated side window glass has become a mainstream technology in the automotive industry, appearing on approximately 1.3 million vehicles produced annually, representing eight percent of total vehicles sold in North America.

Additional benefits of laminated glass include:

Sound Reduction

Laminated glass reduces the transmission of outside wind and road noises, keeping the car interior quieter and more comfortable. Acoustic studies note that laminated glass reduces interior noise by three to four decibels, allowing for better conversation and use of entertainment equipment. This benefit allows automakers to offer consumers a vehicle with additional value without significantly increasing the cost of the vehicle.

Safety

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), when used in a system that includes side curtain air bags, laminated glass could help save up to 1,300 lives annually and reduce occupant ejection in accidents involving vehicle rollovers.

Thermal

Vehicles equipped with laminated glass can easily add infrared (IR) coatings to block IR heat energy. Testing has shown when vehicles equipped with these coatings are parked in the sun with the windows closed, the laminated glass reduces the effects of solar heat on the vehicle. Test results prove the interior of the vehicle can be up to 18 degrees F cooler than if the side windows were equipped with untreated tempered glass.

Ultraviolet

Comprehensive testing conducted by the EPGAA proves that cars with laminated glass can protect passengers from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, which have been associated with skin cancer. The testing has found that laminated glass screens up to 95 percent of damaging UV rays, providing UV protection equivalent to 50+ SPF sunscreen, compared to tempered glass which only blocks up to 66 percent.

In addition to protecting skin, the blocking of UV light by laminated glass provides protection to the interior of vehicles. Laminated glass minimizes the effects of UV rays in causing interior vehicle fabric colors to fade and degrade, leather to age, and plastic and wood to crack.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/20/2006)

Survey: 3 Out of 4 Americans Want Detroit and Washington to Impose 40 MPG Fuel-Efficiency Standard  
Will the Big 3 automakers blow it for a second time by misreading an American public that is expecting gasoline prices to start soaring again soon? As President Bush and Congress continue to huddle with Detroit vehicle manufacturers, a strong and bipartisan 78 percent of Americans want Washington to impose a 40 mile per gallon (MPG) fuel-efficiency standard for American vehicles, according to a new Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) national opinion survey to be released on November 21, 2006 by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI).

Other key findings of the ORC survey include the following:

* Nine out of 10 Americans expect gas prices to go up "in the near future," with nearly half (46 percent) "definitely" expecting a resumption of higher fuel prices.

* 70 percent of Americans are not turning their back on fuel-efficiency concerns and say that they are factoring "expected future gasoline price increases into consideration in thinking about buying a new vehicle."

* Temporarily lower gasoline prices are not sending large numbers of Americans rushing back to gas-guzzling SUV and trucks.In fact, nearly half (45 percent) of Americans are now more likely to buy a "hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle" than they were six months ago, compared to 30 percent who are unchanged in their plans and fewer than one in four (24 percent) who are less likely to make such a vehicle purchase.

Civil Society Institute President and Founder Pam Solo said: "These findings should be a real wake-up call to any auto executive in Detroit who is hoping against hope that Americans will fall back in love with gas-hog vehicles. What Americans are saying to American carmakers is that they are ready for change. We know the technology exists for higher fuel efficiency that will save money, reduce this nation's dependence on foreign oil and diminish the pollution linked to global warming. What Detroit needs to realize is that low gas prices have not -- and will not -- lead to the demise of the now very strong and continuing demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles. If American carmakers make that wrong-headed gamble for a second time, it may just be the last losing bet they can afford to make."

Opinion Research Corporation Vice President Wayne Russum said: "It's official: Reducing America's dependence on foreign oil through tougher fuel efficiency standards is a bona fide national security issue that cuts right across political party lines. Respondents were asked: 'Given America's dependence on foreign oil, do you agree or disagree that greater fuel efficiency for cars, SUVs and trucks is in our national security interests?' Four out of five respondents agreed, including half who did so strongly. Interestingly, the national security issued resonated even more with Republicans (82 percent) than it did with Independents (77 percent) and Democrats (79 percent)."

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Racing: Ford Claims WRC Amid Great Weekend for the Blue Oval  
HAMILTON, New Zealand — Ford claimed its first FIA World Rally Championship manufacturer's title since 1979 when veteran Marcus Gronholm and teammate Mikko Hirvonen claimed the winner and runner-up spot in the Propecia Rally New Zealand.

The two Ford Focus drivers dominated the event, running in the top two spots throughout the three-day event. It was the sixth victory of the season for Gronholm, a two-time WRC driving champion.

It was the third straight victory for the works Ford team since Citroën driver Sebastien Loeb was sidelined by an injury. Those victories enabled Ford to clinch the manufacturer's crown with one race still to go on the schedule.

Ford also swept the trio of events in the final weekend of NASCAR racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway in South Florida. Mark Martin won the Craftsman Truck Series event on Friday, Matt Kenseth the Busch Series event on Saturday and Greg Biffle the Nextel Cup event on Sunday of Ford Championship Weekend at the 1.5-mile oval. Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson stole some of the glory, though, by winning his first Nextel Cup Series driver championship title.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/21/2006)

Chery Hints at Future Model Plans in Istanbul and Beijing  
ISTANBUL, Turkey — China's Chery has made a splash this past week with a slate of show cars at the Auto China show in Beijing. But wait, there's more from the ambitious automaker, notably the S12 Kimo and the A3 concept shown at Istanbul's Motor Show in Turkey.

Earlier this month, at the Istanbul show, Chery held a secret world premiere. To celebrate its entry to the Turkish market, the company presented the S16 WOW, which was first shown at the 2005 Shanghai Motor Show — but also a smaller hatch, called the S12 Kimo. The S12, powered by a 1.3-liter engine, was also shown at Beijing, but under the name A1. It was designed in Italy, reportedly by Pininfarina.

Another newcomer that was one of the highlights of the Chery stand is the A3 concept. It is again reportedly designed by Pininfarina. The rather cryptic press release hinted that it may be introduced next year with 1.3-, 1.6- and 2.0-liter engines — all of them belonging to Chery's ACTECO. Features mentioned include four airbags (two front, two curtain), ABS, ESP, satellite navigation, DVD player and electric windows.

Last but not least, a strangely named light commercial van was also shown. Called the Karry, it bears some similarity to the Volkswagen Caddy. It was built on the platform of Chery's mainstream model, the Fulwin, with a 1.6-liter engine and 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/21/2006)

Marketing: Ford Spices Up Rebates To Goose Holiday Sales  
DEARBORN, Mich. — Following on the heels of General Motors' Red Tag promotion, Ford on Friday started its year-end sales promotion by adding cash rebates to several models.

The $1,000 bonus is on top of existing rebates, pushing the total discount to as high as $3,000 on some models, including the '07 Escape and the '07 F-Series Super Duty. The $1,000 cash rebate also applies to the '06 Ford Five Hundred and Freestyle. The automaker said a program offering zero-percent financing for 60 months remains available on some '06 models.

The Ford deals run through January 2.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/20/2006)

Heartland Energy Launches Ethanol Brand HE85  
Heartland Energy Group Inc. announced Monday that they have officially launched their new ethanol brand name, HE85, and have entered into an agreement with Casella & Casella, LLP to file trademark applications for that name.

Heartland Energy Group has developed the following ethanol Brand Name Identity to use as a recognizable marketing tool for their Ethanol E85 Brand - HE85. Heartland Energy Group is developing a national marketing campaign that they plan to launch when the trademark is approved. Heartland intends on putting alternative fuel sections in independent gas stations across the country. The trademark will create asset protection for their future marketing of the Heartland Alternative Fuel line-up. The trademarks are set to co-inside with the Branding Package currently in development.

Roy Thornhill President of Heartland Energy Group, Inc. stated that: He is receiving positive feedback about the marketing plan being developed to create brand recognition for this ethanol product.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Lear Announces Pricing for $900 Million in Senior Notes  
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lear Corporation , one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, today announced it has priced the offering of $900 million in new senior notes. This offering is an increase of $200 million from the $700 million offering amount previously announced by Lear.

The $900 million offering includes $300 million in senior notes due 2013 and $600 million in senior notes due 2016. The notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the company. The $300 million of seven-year notes will be sold at par and will bear interest at a rate of 8.50%. The $600 million of ten- year notes will be sold at par and will bear interest at a rate of 8.75%. The financing is scheduled to close on November 24, 2006.

These new notes will be purchased by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and are expected to be eligible for resale under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933.

Lear intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to pre-fund the repayment or repurchase of any and all of Lear's outstanding 8.125% senior notes due 2008 and a substantial portion of the outstanding 8.11% senior notes due 2009.

This news release is not an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, any securities. The notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

HotShot Makes Ice Scrapers Obsolete  
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., -- More than 500,000 drivers throughout the world will not scrape snow, ice and freezing rain from their windshields this winter thanks to a revolutionary de-icing technology that makes ice scrapers obsolete. HotShot(R) is the patented cycling, hot-fluid, de-icing system designed and manufactured by Microheat, Inc., a Tier-One supplier to the automotive industry. It represents the greatest breakthrough in windshield wiper technology in over 70 years.

HotShot is currently featured on a variety of General Motors vehicles including the Cadillac DTS and Escalade, the Buick Lucerne, and SUVs and full size trucks including the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMS Yukon, Hummer H2, Sierra, and Silverado. In addition, more than 20 OEMS throughout the world are in various stages of testing the product. Microheat has shipped product to Daihatsu for vehicles in Japan, has a purchase order from Toyota, and has a sourcing agreement with Ford.

First available on vehicles in 2004, the convenience and safety of HotShot has catapulted the product to a highly desired feature by most drivers, according to research from J.D. Power and Associates. According to the research, 69 percent of drivers surveyed expressed interest in having a system like HotShot on their next vehicle. They ranked it higher than features currently in series production such as Satellite Radio, Navigation, and Rear Seat Entertainment systems.

"Half a million motorists now enjoy the convenience, comfort and safety of HotShot in every season and under all driving conditions," said Microheat President and CEO Gary Pilibosian. "The system automatically removes snow, ice, bugs and road grime from windshields in under 90 seconds with the push of a button."

Introduced commercially in 2002, HotShot features a patented cycling technology that intelligently heats fluid to an exact temperature and sprays the fluid at a precise time interval to quickly and efficiently remove snow, ice, bugs and road grime from vehicles. The all-season, all-weather system can be activated at vehicle start-up and maintains hot fluid for use by drivers on demand during normal driving conditions.

The acclaimed HotShot has been the recipient of numerous awards including: Finalist in 2006 PACE Awards, celebrating product and process innovations; Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Excellence in Emerging Technologies Best Practices Award; Popular Mechanics deemed it the "Outstanding Achievement in New Product Design and Innovation;" RoadStar Magazine and Newport Publications awarded Microheat in 2004. Microheat's CEO Gary Pilibosian was named Automation Alley's 2006 Emerging Leader.

Microheat, Inc. is a Farmington Hills, Michigan-based, privately-held company fully focused on the design, manufacture, production and sale of its advanced fluid heating system products and related components for integration into washer/wiper system modules of cars and trucks. To date, Microheat has received four U.S. patents and 27 patent applications globally. The company is TS16949 certified.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

State Farm Insurance Contributes $1.5 Million to TxDOT Vehicle Registration...  
AUSTIN, Texas, PRNewswire/ -- State Farm and the State Farm Agents of Texas are contributing $1.5 million through in-kind services to support "Put Texas in your corner," the Texas Department of Transportation's initiative to remind vehicle owners to register their cars, trucks, motorcycles, and trailers on time. TxDOT presented State Farm with a plaque during the college football Mascot Day on November 19 at the State Capitol.

"We appreciate State Farm being there to help us reach out to our Texas neighbors about the importance of on-time registration," said Rebecca Davio, director of TxDOT's Vehicle Titles and Registration Division.

"State Farm's impressive commitment, which includes printing support and sports promotions, represents big Texas thinking and serves as an example of how private companies and TxDOT can work together for the benefit of the motoring public," Davio added.

State Farm's donated services include 3,000 radio commercials for "Put Texas in your corner" during college football games. Football team mascots from The University of Texas in Austin; Texas State University of San Marcos; Baylor University of Waco; Texas Tech of Lubbock; Texas A&M University of College Station; and Texas Christian University of Fort Worth were on hand to support the partnership.

"State Farm is proud to partner with the Texas Department of Transportation, an agency that is committed to keeping Texas drivers and roadways safe," said Chris Schell, State Farm Vice President of the South Texas Region. "We support many great programs that capture the spirit of Texas, such as collegiate sports."

In 2005, before the campaign was launched statewide, an estimated 720,000 vehicles were not legally registered in the state mainly due to procrastination, forgetfulness, or because newcomers did not understand the 30-day registration process. This failure to register on time cost the state more than $80 million per year. Registration fees are critical for building and maintaining Texas highways, roads, and bridges, as well as supporting numerous county programs. Now, almost 20,000 more vehicles each month are registering on time compared to the same time last year.

The Vehicle Titles and Registration Division is dedicated to helping TxDOT achieve its goals to reduce congestion; eliminate unsafe conditions; expand economic opportunity; improve air quality; and increase the value of transportation assets.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Telematics Provider ATX Expands Into Personal Navigation  
ATX Group, the world's second largest telematics provider to the automotive industry, announced today it would be extending its enhanced navigation assistance beyond the dashboard to various types of portable and desktop communications and navigation devices sold throughout North America and Europe.

"Mobile consumers today demand real-time data such as traffic flow and special store hours, and that can only be provided through a connected device," said Ingrid Dinsmore, ATX Director of Navigation Services. "Enhancing the capability of any navigation unit by providing real-time access to any type of content is one of our company's core capabilities. With nearly a decade of experience in providing private-labeled service to embedded telematics systems in vehicles, we're just extending the connection beyond the car."

With the growth rate of portable navigation units expected to exceed 88 percent this year and the market becoming saturated with similar devices (the majority of which offer static content that comes with the box), ATX believes the portable navigation market is ready for devices that are connected to real-time content that is easy to use, refreshable, localized, specific, and even intuitive to the user's needs.

"We can provide manufacturers of portable navigation devices a new service that offers a better alternative to the increasing competition they face from other types of devices," Dinsmore added.

ATX's decade-long record of providing in-vehicle assistance also has enabled it to develop expertise in the application of interactive voice recognition technology, critical in delivering service in mobile environments, as well as basic administrative business functions ranging from billing and customer care to interfacing with various wireless, IP and hardware protocols.

Because of ATX's ongoing interface with drivers and research into their needs, ATX cites several trends pointing to the need for portable navigation devices to integrate with telematics databases. Mobile consumers want the capability to link their portable devices with their in-vehicle audio system and controls. More than just getting directions to a destination, they want the capability to transmit their pre-planned routes to their portable navigation device. And when the directions to an intended destination become complicated to the user, connectivity to a telematics center always provides the ability to enlist the support of a person specialized in routing assistance or securing help.

"Connectivity is the next logical step for personal navigation devices, expanding its usefulness beyond navigation and expanding its reach to interact with vehicles, the desktop computer and other devices," said Dinsmore.

Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX Group is the world's second largest provider of telematics services for the automobile industry, serving both North America and Europe. ATX telematics services are designed to provide enhanced safety, security and driving convenience to vehicle owners. These services include location-specific emergency and roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery, remote diagnostics and real-time traffic and navigation assistance. ATX, the largest independent telematics provider not owned by an automobile manufacturer or telecommunications firm, also provides telematics services designed to help automobile manufacturers and their affiliated dealerships to use telematics data to reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer relationships. ATX services are provided to vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Monaco Coach Corporation to Receive Prestigious RVDA Quality Circle Award for Dealer Satisfaction  
Monaco Coach Corporation , one of the nation's leading manufacturers of recreational vehicles, will receive the prestigious and highly coveted 2006 Quality Circle Award from the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), in a special ceremony at the 44th Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky., on November 27, 2006.

Monaco Coach Corporation is one of only four manufacturers to be awarded this honor that recognizes top performing manufacturers according to RVDA's annual Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey.

"These RV manufacturers demonstrate consistently high performance in the opinion of their dealers," said RVDA Chairman of the Board Jim Shields of Pan-Pacific RV Centers in French Camp, Calif.

RV dealers use the DSI to confidentially rate their manufacturers' performance in four major categories: sales support, product competitiveness, service/warranty/support and management.

"We are extremely pleased to receive this honor, as it comes directly from our dealer partners over a wide spectrum of performance categories," said Monaco Coach Corporation CEO and Chairman Kay Toolson. "We are very proud of all our employees for making this recognition possible. Looking ahead to 2007, we will continue to strive to deliver this outstanding level of service and quality products, and strengthen the partnership with our dealers through continued improvement in all areas of the Company."

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

'Technology and Nature in Harmony' - The 12th International Automobile & Manufacturing  
Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. announced today that the 12th International Automobile & Manufacturing Technology Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2007), will be held at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center from April 22 to 28, 2007. Themed around 'Technology and Nature in Harmony', Auto Shanghai 2007 will be the focus of world leading automobile companies, and will see the super scale of a 140,000 square meter exhibition area.

Brief Overview of Auto Shanghai

Since its first outing in 1985, Auto Shanghai is the earliest international auto show in China. In June 2004, Auto Shanghai became the first UFI approved Chinese auto show. With the development of automotive industries, both in China and internationally, and accumulating experience of 20 years, Auto Shanghai has grown into the most authoritative exhibition in China, and one of the most influential international exhibitions. Starting from 2003, the China Association of Automobile Manufactures and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Automotive Sub-Council have been involved in the exhibition as organizers, teaming up with the original organizer, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Shanghai Sub-Council. The close collaboration among these three organizers has laid a solid foundation for the show's growth, transforming from a regional auto show to a country level show, and on to an international exhibition, strongly positioning Auto Shanghai and building up its authoritative status. Auto Shanghai 2005, with a total exhibition area of 120,000 square meters, attracted 1,036 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions, 5,380 reporters from 1,020 media outlets from 35 countries and regions, as well as 391,593 visitors from 113 countries and regions.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--Following a brave tour of duty in the Iraq War and a wild  
"Overhaulin'" by Chip Foose and his partners on The Learning Channel, a one-off CNN Hummer will be sold for charity at No Reserve during the 36th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event from Jan. 13-21, 2007, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Nicknamed "Warrior One," the custom SUV was unveiled before a host of CNN employees on October 12, 2006.

Proceeds from the sale of the Hummer will be donated to The Fisher House Foundation, a group that builds "comfort homes" for families of hospitalized military personnel. Hailed as "The World's Greatest Collector Car Events(tm)", the auction will feature more than 1,100 of the world's finest collector automobiles, attract over 225,000 visitors and be featured on SPEED with 40 hours of live coverage.

"The CNN Hummer will be one of the most historic, inspiring vehicles to ever cross the block at a Barrett-Jackson auction," said Craig Jackson, president of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. "This machine served with America's brave soldiers in Iraq, and now it will help fund an amazing organization that supports the families of wounded soldiers. The future owner of this Hummer will capture a commemorative gem to add to their automotive collection."

CNN officials purchased the Hummer in Kuwait prior to the war. Correspondents, producers and photojournalists depended on "Warrior One" to report stories while embedded with the First Battalion, 7th Marines. In addition to basic transportation, the Hummer served as living quarters and a storage facility for the CNN crew.

This past summer "Overhaulin'" took the Hummer to the show's workshop in Irvine, Calif. Crews revamped the Hummer's engine and made numerous upgrades including a 6-inch suspension lift, custom leather interior, 37-inch BFGoodrich tires and one-off Foose wheels.

Stereo system upgrades include 7,500 watts of Kicker audio, 250-pound subwoofers, a DVD player and six LCD monitors. Airbrush artists Dru Blaier, Mickey Harris and Mike Lavallee spent 240 hours painting images of journalists and military personnel onto the vehicle as a tribute to those who served during the war in Iraq and to the brave journalists who covered the war.

"The crew from Overhaulin' has created a memorable tribute to military personnel who serve during times of war and the journalists who cover them," said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. "We feel the Fisher House - with its mission to support military families during times of medical need - is an ideal recipient for the proceeds raised by the auction."

Since its unveiling, the Hummer has visited various U.S. military bases and automotive events, including the SEMA Show in Las Vegas from October 31-November 3, 2006. The "Overhaulin'" episode featuring the Hummer aired on November 14, 2006, on TLC.

"In addition to its sentimental value, Chip Foose transformed this military beast into one of the best looking SUVs on the planet," added Steve Davis, executive vice president of Barrett-Jackson. "CNN wanted to personalize this Hummer to honor the brave men and women of our armed forces and the journalists who risk their lives alongside them. I believe Chip and his team delivered."

Barrett-Jackson continually reaffirms its leadership position in the collector car market by elevating consignment standards, challenging annual records and serving as the barometer for market trends. Last year, more than 300,000 attendees and millions of television viewers from around the world witnessed over 1,600 cars being auctioned off for approximately $135 million at the two 2006 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Events held in Scottsdale and Palm Beach, Fla.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

HotShot Makes Ice Scrapers Obsolete  
More than 500,000 drivers throughout the world will not scrape snow, ice and freezing rain from their windshields this winter thanks to a revolutionary de-icing technology that makes ice scrapers obsolete. HotShot(R) is the patented cycling, hot-fluid, de-icing system designed and manufactured by Microheat, Inc., a Tier-One supplier to the automotive industry. It represents the greatest breakthrough in windshield wiper technology in over 70 years.

HotShot is currently featured on a variety of General Motors vehicles including the Cadillac DTS and Escalade, the Buick Lucerne, and SUVs and full size trucks including the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMS Yukon, Hummer H2, Sierra, and Silverado. In addition, more than 20 OEMS throughout the world are in various stages of testing the product. Microheat has shipped product to Daihatsu for vehicles in Japan, has a purchase order from Toyota, and has a sourcing agreement with Ford.

First available on vehicles in 2004, the convenience and safety of HotShot has catapulted the product to a highly desired feature by most drivers, according to research from J.D. Power and Associates. According to the research, 69 percent of drivers surveyed expressed interest in having a system like HotShot on their next vehicle. They ranked it higher than features currently in series production such as Satellite Radio, Navigation, and Rear Seat Entertainment systems.

"Half a million motorists now enjoy the convenience, comfort and safety of HotShot in every season and under all driving conditions," said Microheat President and CEO Gary Pilibosian. "The system automatically removes snow, ice, bugs and road grime from windshields in under 90 seconds with the push of a button."

Introduced commercially in 2002, HotShot features a patented cycling technology that intelligently heats fluid to an exact temperature and sprays the fluid at a precise time interval to quickly and efficiently remove snow, ice, bugs and road grime from vehicles. The all-season, all-weather system can be activated at vehicle start-up and maintains hot fluid for use by drivers on demand during normal driving conditions.

The acclaimed HotShot has been the recipient of numerous awards including: Finalist in 2006 PACE Awards, celebrating product and process innovations; Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Excellence in Emerging Technologies Best Practices Award; Popular Mechanics deemed it the "Outstanding Achievement in New Product Design and Innovation;" RoadStar Magazine and Newport Publications awarded Microheat in 2004. Microheat's CEO Gary Pilibosian was named Automation Alley's 2006 Emerging Leader.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

UAW says has deal on temporary Delphi workers  
DETROIT, - The United Auto Workers union has reached an agreement with bankrupt auto parts supplier Delphi Corp. to convert temporary workers it has recently hired to permanent status, the union's president said on Tuesday.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, answering questions from union rank and file members in an online chat session, said union local leaders had been briefed about the agreement with Delphi on Tuesday afternoon.

He said the agreement would apply to temporary workers hired by Delphi as of Monday. Delphi has hired temporary workers to replace UAW-represented workers who accepted buyouts as part of a deal negotiated with GM.

Gettelfinger had said earlier on Tuesday that the union was not in active negotiations with Delphi, a former General Motors Corp. subsidiary, about its plans to reduce labor costs as it reorganizes in bankruptcy.

Source : Reuters (11/21/2006)

Technology and Nature in Harmony'  
SHANGHAI, China, -- Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. announced today that the 12th International Automobile & Manufacturing Technology Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2007), will be held atthe Shanghai New International Exhibition Center from April 22 to 28, 2007.Themed around 'Technology and Nature in Harmony', Auto Shanghai 2007 will be the focus of world leading automobile companies, and will see the super scale of a 140,000 square meter exhibition area.

Brief Overview of Auto Shanghai

Since its first outing in 1985, Auto Shanghai is the earliest international auto show in China. In June 2004, Auto Shanghai became the first UFI approved Chinese auto show. With the development of automotive industries, both in China and internationally, and accumulating experience of 20 years, Auto Shanghai has grown into the most authoritative exhibition in China, and one of the most influential international exhibitions.

Starting from 2003, the China Association of Automobile Manufactures and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Automotive Sub-Council have been involved in the exhibition as organizers, teaming up with the original organizer, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Shanghai Sub-Council. The close collaboration among these three organizers has laid a solid foundation for the show's growth, transforming from a regional auto show to a country level show, and on to an international exhibition, strongly positioning Auto Shanghai and building up its authoritative status. Auto Shanghai 2005, with a total exhibition area of 120,000 square meters, attracted 1,036 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions, 5,380 reporters from 1,020 media outlets from 35 countries and regions, as well as 391,593 visitors from 113 countries and regions.

Introduction of Auto Shanghai 2007

Auto Shanghai 2007 is organized by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Shanghai Sub-Council and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Automotive Sub-Council, and is co-organized by the World Expo Group- Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd., and

MMG-Messe Muenchen International/IMAG- Internationaler Messe- und Ausstellungsdienst GmbH. The event is also specially supported by the China Machinery Industry Federation, and the Society of Automotive Engineers of China (SAE China).

Auto Shanghai 2007 will utilize all nine indoor exhibition halls (seven halls for automobile manufactures, and two for auto components), two temporary outdoor halls and the outside venue of the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, with a combined total exhibition area of over 140,000 square meters. Regarding the schedule, organizers plan to make April 20 and 21 as the media days, available only to domestic and overseas media, which aims at facilitating the reports and journalists at Auto Shanghai in a comprehensive way and to conduct interviews in a detailed and unfeigned way. April 22 and 23 are trade visitor days, while April 24 to 28 will be days open to the public.

'Technology and Nature in Harmony'

The theme of Auto Shanghai 2007 is 'Technology and Nature in Harmony.'

The exhibition will showcase passenger cars, commercial vehicles, buses, trucks, special-purpose vehicles, auto design and new concept products, automotive parts & components, car audio, tires, measuring devices, maintenance equipment, and car accessories, etc. This will highlight the latest achievements of the international automotive industry and leading technologies and products from domestic companies, reflecting the current development level of the automotive industry.

Highlights and Features on Services

Auto Shanghai has grown 14 times in terms of exhibition scale from the 10,000 square meters of its initiation to the current 140,000. As far as scale is concerned, Auto Shanghai can be ranked among the world's most influential auto shows. Besides the scale, the benchmark of an exhibition depends on whether it can retain the first-class and leading position.

Therefore, in order to make Auto Shanghai one of the famous world auto shows, the concept of organizers is to enhance the quality via its increased exhibition area, and by improving service standards and management skills. In view of the above, CEOs from the biggest automobile companies will be invited by the organizers. Industry giants will be requested to participate in line with the criteria of top auto shows, and the number of global unveilings will be increased. The organizers will also share communication and promotion channels with the Paris Auto Show to further expand the scale and quality of overseas visitors. Country pavilions from places like the United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea will be displayed in the Auto Components sections.

For the media, a large press center, with advanced sound facilities, will be made available, providing reporters with high standard services, as organizers look to pay more attention to details and enhance management skills.

Source : http://www.prnewswire.com (11/21/2006)

LG navigates its way into automobile sector  
The introduction of the LN series of car navigation systems will see LG Electronics consolidating its comprehensive portfolio of automotive-related products, where it reported an impressive 20 per cent growth in 2005. LG will introduce the range during this year's GITEX exhibition, taking place from November 18 - 23.

With demand for passenger cars growing at a rapid rate, LG expects to capture a substantial share of the car navigation market. Its latest range allows motorists to effortlessly find their way through digital, user-friendly interfaces and voice instructions guarantee that the user can remain in complete driving control while accessing information.

'LG's automotive products segment has witnessed a spectacular growth over the past two years due to unprecedented regional demand for state-of-the-art devices,' explained Mr. C. H. Lee, President, LG Electronics Gulf FZE. 'The latest range complements our existing product offering to ensure that motorists can choose from a wide variety of solutions that meet their requirements.'

The LN715 is the leader of the pack. Built for high-performance and durability, the LN715 features a 4-inch TFT LCD touch-screen and allows for full map navigation in 2D, 3D, and day-and-night mode with a Sirf Star III chipset. The device comes equipped with a 2GB built-in memory, 1.1 USB port, and SD card slot. It also facilitates clear voice guidance in 11 languages with high power speaker output of 1.4 Watts.

At the touch of a button, users can access detailed area information in 2D or 3D viewing modes about roads and highways, restaurants, hospitals, gas stations, hotels, airports or any other points of interest. Other useful and customisable features include Trip Planner, History, and even road guidance so that motorists can choose from a range of short and decongested routes while driving.

During GITEX, LG will also introduce the LN700, LN600 and LN400 - each of them acclaimed for their versatility and rich features, while highlighting LG's technological superiority in the consumer electronics segment.

The LG pavilion located in Hall 3 will highlight a range of its award-winning products that are aimed at enhancing the digital lifestyle. The new offerings include laptops, LCD and PDP televisions, DLP projectors, car audio and navigation systems, MP3 players, and more. Several of these products have recently won prestigious awards around the world.

'GITEX is of paramount significance to the LG brand,' Lee said. 'It is our seventh year of participation and our main purpose is to showcase LG's technical strengths and position the company as the leader in the IT, home appliance and communications segments.

'The exhibition provides us a platform to promote new products and maintain and enhance brand visibility. Over 100,000 visitors will be in the UAE to attend GITEX, and this is therefore the perfect time to position the brand.'

Source : http://www.ameinfo.com (11/21/2006)

DaimlerChrysler looks at joint venture in China  
LONDON – DaimlerChrysler AG Friday said that it is in talks with China’s Chery Automobile Co for a possible joint venture to make cars for the Dodge brand, for sale in the US.

The company’s CEO, Dieter Zetsche, said during a visit to China that DaimlerChrysler was in talks with several possible partners, but when asked whether Chery Automobile was the exclusive partner for the talks in China, he said, "It's fair to say." Zetsche indicated that he was optimistic that a decision will be reached in the "not so far future."

Source : newratings.com (11/21/2006)

Geely unveils two new car models  
Geely Automobile Holdings, China's largest privately owned carmaker, announced that production of two mid-range models priced at RMB 100,000 each will begin by next year to boost profitability, reported the South China Morning Post on Wednesday.

The new models, China Dragon and Vision, will be sold at RMB 100,000, compared to the RMB 50,000 to RMB 60,000 price range of its other cars.

Geely’s latest car models were first showcased at the Geely University, an institution founded by chairman Li Shufu on the outskirts of Beijing, rather than at the recently-concluded Beijing international car show due to space constraints.

Source : http://www.chinaknowledge.com (11/21/2006)

Multinational car makers optimistic about China  
"China has become the world's second largest auto market as well as Toyota's second largest overseas market. This is the reason we've chosen to launch our new Corolla in Beijing," said Yoshimi Inaba, Vice President of Toyota Motor Sales at the launch of the tenth model of the Toyota Corolla on November 16. He added, "We would like to send a message at this point: Toyota attaches great importance to China's market and hopes that Chinese consumers are conscious of our enthusiasm and sincerity."

Yoshimi Inaba's speech reflected the sentiments of nearly all the multinational car makers. Toyota aims to have a 10% share in the Chinese auto market by 2010, which means that it needs to sell more than one million cars in four years.

Mazda has a similar ambition and equal confidence in the Chinese market. Kiyoshi Ozaki, Director and Senior Executive Officer of Mazda said that Mazda's mid-term goal is to produce and sell 300,000 cars in China by 2010. To this end, Mazda will cooperate with FAW and Chang'an-Ford in production and sales. According to Kiyoshi Ozaki, Chang'an Ford Mazda's second factory in Nanjing will be able to produce 160,000 vehicles when it is operational. It is currently at the stage of equipment installation and testing. Mazda has also started building another factory in Nanjing with a production capacity of 350,000 vehicles. Both factories will be put into production in 2007. In terms of car models, Mazda will introduce five new models to China. Moreover, Mazda will enlarge its sales network to improve customer satisfaction.

In the first 10 months of this year, GM China Group sold 714,000 cars in China, an increase of 37 percent from the same period of last year. This is a very gratifying record. Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of GM China Group said, "Although China has not been the only highlight of GM's year and its growth rate is lower than that of the emerging market of Mexico, the Chinese market will continue to grow rapidly in the next 10 to15 years. The Chinese market is absolutely essential to GM's future." The United States was the center of the automobile industry in the 20th century and in the 21st century but now China has the attention of the world, added Mr. Wale.

New cars versus local vehicles

At the Beijing Auto Show, the latest models, some of which were released to the public for the first time, attracted the most attention. BMW and Maybach launched new models at the show ¨C the BMW long wheelbase 5 series and the Maybach 62S. The BMW long wheelbase 5 series has been developed specifically for the Chinese market.

FAW introduced its Skoda model-- Skoda Octavia -- to China at the show and this has been very popular. Detlef Wittig, CEO of Skoda Auto prefaced the vehicle by saying that Octavia has been well received in Europe and won a number of awards. In Germany, Octavia was the biggest selling imported vehicle. Different from popular brands, Skoda models are usually more spacious and have more functions. This is because in the Czech Republic (where the company is from), a country that is not especially wealthy, people expect more for the price of their car and this expectation is increasing elsewhere. Detlef Wittig added that the new Octavia, produced by Shanghai Volkswagen, has had alterations made to meet the demands of Chinese consumers.

With the Chinese auto market maturing, differences in consumer demand are emerging. Multinational auto makers are conscious of the high demand for vehicles in China. Although the time is not yet ripe for them to develop special models for the Chinese market, there is a growing trend towards localizing auto products in accordance with Chinese demands.

Premier brands itching to have a try

Competition between multinational car makers in China has been fierce for some time; however, it is only just heating up between premier and luxurious automobile brands.

A day before the opening of the Beijing Auto Show, approximately 400 people from 35 countries arrived in Beijing driving the new Mercedes E-class sedans. It had taken them 15 days to cross 9 countries on a 14,000 kilometer journey. The same night, the brand new Mercedes E-class was formally launched at the Beijing Benz-DaimlerChrysler factory. Benz-DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche said that the Mercedes E-Class Experience Paris-Beijing 2006 was the longest and biggest road show in the history of Mercedes Benz. "In a very short time, China has rapidly become one of the world's most important automobile markets. During this period of rapid growth, Benz-DaimlerChrysler has established a very solid foundation, which will ensure us long-term success and enormous profits in China."

The Volvo S40 has been a bestseller since being launched in September. Volvo expects to sell 4,000 S40s in the next four months. During the ongoing Beijing Auto Show, President and CEO of Volvo Cars Fredrik Arp introduced two of the company's latest models to China, the C70 and the C30, which demonstrates Volvo's confidence in China's development. "Of the approximately 3.8 million cars sold every year in China, luxury cars account for only 4 percent. I believe that as China develops economically, the luxury and premier car market will grow rapidly. In the next 5 to 10 years, the growth rate of the luxury car market will be higher than that of the standard car."

Arp told reporters that Volvo is "pursuing the idea of a balanced growth, according to which it is necessary to achieve a balance between imported products, domestic cars and sales distribution networks". Volvo Cars' general manager in China, Per Norinder, explained that Volvo is developing a series of projects and programs to improve customer satisfaction and service satisfaction, which will help double sales in the near future.

Source : http://english.people.com (11/21/2006)

Survey: 3 Out of 4 Americans Want Detroit and Washington to Impose 40 MPG...  
WASHINGTON, -- Will the Big 3 automakers blow it for a second time by misreading an American public that is expecting gasoline prices to start soaring again soon? As President Bush and Congress continue to huddle with Detroit vehicle manufacturers, a strong and bipartisan 78 percent of Americans want Washington to impose a 40 mile per gallon (MPG) fuel-efficiency standard for American vehicles, according to a new Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) national opinion survey to be released on November 21, 2006 by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI).

Other key findings of the ORC survey include the following:

* Nine out of 10 Americans expect gas prices to go up "in the near future," with nearly half (46 percent) "definitely" expecting a resumption of higher fuel prices.

* 70 percent of Americans are not turning their back on fuel-efficiency concerns and say that they are factoring "expected future gasoline price increases into consideration in thinking about buying a new vehicle."

* Temporarily lower gasoline prices are not sending large numbers of Americans rushing back to gas-guzzling SUV and trucks. In fact, nearly half (45 percent) of Americans are now more likely to buy a "hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle" than they were six months ago, compared to 30 percent who are unchanged in their plans and fewer than one in four (24 percent) who are less likely to make such a vehicle purchase.

Civil Society Institute President and Founder Pam Solo said: "These findings should be a real wake-up call to any auto executive in Detroit who is hoping against hope that Americans will fall back in love with gas-hog vehicles. What Americans are saying to American carmakers is that they are ready for change. We know the technology exists for higher fuel efficiency that will save money, reduce this nation's dependence on foreign oil and diminish the pollution linked to global warming. What Detroit needs to realize is that low gas prices have not -- and will not -- lead to the demise of the now very strong and continuing demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles. If American carmakers make that wrong-headed gamble for a second time, it may just be the last losing bet they can afford to make."

Opinion Research Corporation Vice President Wayne Russum said: "It's official: Reducing America's dependence on foreign oil through tougher fuel efficiency standards is a bona fide national security issue that cuts right across political party lines. Respondents were asked: 'Given America's dependence on foreign oil, do you agree or disagree that greater fuel efficiency for cars, SUVs and trucks is in our national security interests?' Four out of five respondents agreed, including half who did so strongly. Interestingly, the national security issued resonated even more with Republicans (82 percent) than it did with Independents (77 percent) and Democrats (79 percent)."

DETAILED SURVEY FINDINGS

Other key results of the Opinion Research Corporation survey conducted for the Civil Society Institute include the following:

* Most Americans think Detroit is to blame for its current woes. Respondents were asked: "Do you agree or disagree that U.S. automakers have generally been blind to U.S. consumer needs and tastes by focusing so heavily on fuel-inefficient SUVs and trucks while European and Japanese automakers have focused their efforts on vehicle design and/or improved fuel efficiency?" More than three out of four (76 percent) agreed with the statement, compared to just 22 percent who disagreed.

* Nearly all Americans want President Bush to pressure U.S. automakers to focus more on the latest in fuel-efficiency technology. White House pressure for Detroit to take up such innovations reducing "energy consumption and related global-warming pollution" is backed by 85 percent of Americans, including 58 percent who would strongly support such pressure by President Bush. Political support for White House action on this front is strongly bipartisan: Republicans (82 percent); Independents (81 percent); and Democrats (91 percent).

* Most Americans think "President Bush and Congress could help U.S. automakers be more competitive by increasing the federal fuel-efficiency standard to 40 miles per gallon." Such a move is supported by 78 percent of Americans, including 45 percent who back it strongly. Support for a 40 mpg fuel-efficiency standard cuts across party lines: Republicans (70 percent); Independents (78 percent); and Democrats (84 percent).

* Most Americans agree that "President Bush and Congress should provide incentives -- such as helping to lower health care costs for autoworkers -- in exchange for increased investments by Detroit car makers in fuel-efficient technologies to reduce energy consumption and related global-warming pollution." Two thirds of Americans support this step, compared to less than a third (31 percent) opposing. Strong majorities of Republicans (60 percent), Independents (60 percent) and Democrats (75 percent) would back such an inducement.

* A majority of Americans see Japanese automakers ahead of U.S. car manufacturers. Respondents were asked: "Would you say that U.S. or Japanese automakers are in the lead when it comes to hybrid technology and other more highly fuel-efficient technologies to reduce energy consumption and related global-warming pollution?" Half said Japan was in the lead, compared to only 6 percent who put the U.S. in the pole position. Slightly more than a third (36 percent) see the U.S. and Japan as being roughly neck and neck. Men were more likely than woman to see Japan ahead of the U.S. by a margin of 57 percent to 44 percent, respectively.

* Almost all Americans want Detroit to start selling here at home the highly fuel-efficient vehicles that they make or sell overseas -- but not in the U.S. The survey notes that "American automakers produce or sell dozens of car models that achieve over 35 miles per gallon but are not made available to consumers here in the United States. Do you think Detroit carmakers should be encouraged to make available here at home the more fuel-efficient cars they are currently only selling abroad?" An overwhelming 90 percent of respondents said "yes," including 60 percent who said "definitely yes." Almost no difference was seen on this question across party lines: Republicans (88 percent); Independents (86 percent); and Democrats (93 percent).

* Most Americans would support federal gasoline taxes devoted to renewable energy/clean tech R&D. Respondents were asked: Do you think President Bush and the Congress should dedicate a portion of existing or increased gasoline taxes for investment in research and development of renewable energy and related clean technologies?" Nearly three out of four (74 percent) said yes, compared to just 24 percent who said no. Support was little changed on the basis of party affiliation, with Republicans (70 percent), Independents (73 percent) and Democrats (78 percent) in agreement on such a tax policy.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

Results are based on telephone interviews conducted among a sample of 1,016 adults (509 men and 507 women) age 18 and over, living in private households, in the continental United States. Interviewing by ORC was completed during the period of November 9-12, 2006. Completed interviews of the 1,016 adults were weighted by four variables: age, sex, geographic region, and race, to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total adult population. The margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the sample of 1,016 adults. Smaller sub-groups will have larger error margins.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Fiat recalls 21,000 Grande Puntos  
Fiat is recalling 21,000 Grande Puntos because of a parts omission

Fiat is recalling around 21,000 of its Grande Punto superminis after it was discovered that a metal plate was missing from early right-hand models of the car.

The metal load-spreading plate can help prevent the driver sustaining serious knee injuries in a frontal crash. The car had gained a five-star Euro NCAP rating, but cars without the metal plate would have only scored four stars.

Fiat is contacting affected owners with the offer of free checks and remedial work.

Source : http://www.whatcar.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Monaco Coach Corporation Announces Cash Dividend  
COBURG, Ore., -- Monaco Coach Corporation announced today that its upcoming quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share will be payable on December 15, 2006 to stockholders of record on December 1, 2006, and represents its 12th consecutive quarterly cash dividend since the Company declared its initial cash dividend on February 23, 2004. The Company's Board of Directors declared the dividend on November 17, 2006. Monaco Coach Corporation has approximately 29.8 million shares outstanding.

Dedicated to quality and service, Monaco Coach Corporation is one of the nation's leading manufacturers of motorized and towable recreational vehicles. Headquartered in Coburg, Oregon, with substantial manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Monaco Coach employs approximately 6,000 people. The Company offers entry-level priced towable RVs up to custom-made luxury recreational vehicle models under the Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Safari, Beaver, McKenzie, R-Vision and Dodge brand names. Monaco Coach maintains RV service centers in Harrisburg, Ore., Elkhart, Ind. and Wildwood, Fla.

Ranked as the number one manufacturer of diesel powered motorhomes, Monaco Coach is a leader in innovative RVs designed to meet the needs of a broad range of customers with varied interests. Monaco Coach Corporation trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MNC," and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock index.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Touran gets Cross makeover  
This is the Polo Dune - looks like a 4x4 but isn't. The Touran will soon get the same treatment

Volkswagen will unveil a Cross Touran concept at the Bologna motor show in December.

Remember the Polo Dune 4x4-lookalike? The Cross Touran is a similar concept, with off-roader-style body cladding, but without the four-wheel drive.

A production version of the Cross Touran will go on sale in Europe next year, but VW says a right-hand-drive version will only reach the UK if there is sufficient demand.

Source : http://www.whatcar.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Improvements for Impian  
Proton's Impian family car has been given a face-lift, and the new car is available now.

The Impian gets a new front grille, rear light cluster and alloy wheels, while there are numerous interior improvements, too. The new interior features a new dash with remodelled dials, and there are leather seats in the GSX model.

Power comes from a 11bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine, and Lotus has tweaked the suspension to improve the ride.

Anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, and traction control are all fitted as standard.

Prices range from the £10,595 for the GLS manual to £12,195 for the GSX auto, and all models get a three-year/60,000-mile warranty and three years' RAC cover.

Source : http://www.whatcar.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Nissan North America Expands Online Advertising Alliance With Microsoft  
REDMOND, Wash., /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nissan North America Inc. (NNA) will dramatically expand its Web advertising initiatives across online properties of Microsoft Corp. , the two companies announced today. This expanded alliance will enable Nissan to more powerfully engage with consumers across multiple digital touch points throughout Microsoft(R) Digital Advertising Solutions including MSN(R), Windows Live(TM), Live Search, Xbox(R) and Windows Mobile(R). Furthermore, this new alliance allows Nissan to work directly with Microsoft content developers, strategists and subject matters experts to help Nissan reach its target consumers.

"Nissan's target audience is adopting an increasingly mobile lifestyle, and the amount of time consumers spend online is rising significantly," said Jan Thompson, vice president of marketing at NNA. "Broadening our relationship with Microsoft will enable us to deliver targeted messages to consumers across a diverse online network."

Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions is designed to connect advertisers with their target audiences across such devices as PCs, Xbox video game systems, Web-enabled mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Through these channels, advertisers can reach more than 465 million consumers each month across the MSN network and millions more through Windows Live, Xbox Live(R) and Microsoft Office Online.

"Nissan North America is demonstrating exceptional vision and bold leadership with its commitment to make the Internet a cornerstone of its advertising strategy in this alliance with Microsoft," said Eric Hadley, general manager of global marketing at Microsoft. "With unique, diverse and flexible assets that Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions can provide, Nissan is extremely well-positioned to reach consumers at every stage of the automotive buying cycle."

Key parts of this alliance will include sponsorship of the "Forza Motorsport(TM) 2" console game on Xbox 360(R) and global tournament on Xbox Live, a co-branded "blogazine" for Infiniti on MSN called "Open for Design" ( http://openfordesign.msn.com ), search advertising with Microsoft adCenter, behavioral targeting, and participation in pilot advertising programs within Windows Mobile and Microsoft Office Live. Central to the alliance is a customized regional dealer strategy that involves the embedding of Nissan and Infiniti dealerships into Live Local Search mapping technology and geo-targeted advertising for dealerships.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/20/2006)

U.S. Patent Seminar, Midea Holding Co Ltd, Guangdong, China  
GUANGDONG, China, /PRNewswire/ -- As Chinese companies are increasingly pushing their own domestically designed products into the global market place, a strong interest in the particulars of U.S. and international patent laws has developed. Midea Holding Co Ltd, one of China's largest home appliance manufacturers (expected 2006 sales volume of $6 billion) has set its sights on U.S. shores. Recognizing the potential complications involved with introducing new products abroad, the intellectual property department at Midea sought an all-day forum with Dovas Law, P.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Advance China IP, Beijing, China, to allow its in-house counsel and engineering staff the opportunity to interactively address U.S. and international patent procedures.

Dimitri Dovas of Dovas Law provided instruction on the subjects of U.S. and international patent prosecution, including costs and strategies. Also discussed were the conditions for patent infringement and the litigation process. Shelly Zheng of Advance China IP helped to provide insight into differences between Chinese and U.S. patent law from both a technical and cultural perspective.

As recognized by the management at Midea, evaluating benefits and pitfalls from an intellectual property perspective is imperative when considering the pursuit of sales in the U.S. or any foreign market. Law firms such as Dovas Law and Advance China IP recognize that companies with international interests have special needs, and therefore, they endeavor to accommodate such companies with intellectual property education and tailored solutions.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/20/2006)

2007 Honda CR-V and Pilot Earn Insurance Institute for Highway Safety  
The all-new 2007 Honda CR-V, along with the 2007 Honda Pilot, were among seven SUVs to earn 2007 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK Awards. The annual award, given to SUVs for the first time this year, recognizes vehicles that perform best in protecting passengers in front, side and rear crashes, based on their ratings in the Institute's tests.

"Honda is honored that IIHS awarded their highest safety rating of 'TOP SAFETY PICK' to both the Pilot and the all-new CR-V, recognizing the advances Honda continues to make through our 'Safety for Everyone' commitment," said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Having both the CR-V and Pilot earn IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK awards demonstrates that mainstream and affordable Honda SUVs can achieve the highest levels of crash protection in these types of tests."

As part of Honda's "Safety for Everyone" initiative, all trim levels of the 2007 Honda CR-V and the 2007 Honda Pilot include side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor as standard equipment. These airbags further complement the vehicles' existing standard driver's and front passenger's airbags (SRS), front-side air bags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System and Vehicle Stability Assist(TM) (VSA(R)). In addition, the CR-V utilizes Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering(TM) (ACE(TM)) body structure.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Capital Dream Cars Announces Winter Rates for Its Fleet of Exotic Cars  
Give the gift of an "experience" this holiday season with an exhilarating car rental from Capital Dream Cars. To make the experience even sweeter, Capital Dream Cars announces winter savings of 30% off its regular season rates for rentals occurring between December 1, 2006 and February 28, 2007.

Why give the gift of an experience? Although the experience gift industry has largely been a European phenomenon, experience gifts have been catching on fast in the U.S. In fact, 1 in 4 shoppers plan to give a gift of experience this holiday season, according to Unity Marketing's latest Gift Tracker survey. As it becomes increasingly difficult with each passing year to find that extraordinary gift for that special someone, more people are favoring experience and activity gifts over traditional tangible gifts as a way to make gift-giving (and gift-receiving, for that matter) more memorable and meaningful.

"When a wife surprises her husband with our fiery red Ferrari or classy gray Bentley, the look he gets on his face is uniformly the same each time -- instant love," says Capital Dream Cars Founder Eugene Kim. "But by the end of the rental, it's not unlikely for the wife to have fallen in love with the vehicle as well. Not only has she been along for the ride, she's been able to watch her husband up close as he savors the thrill of fulfilling a dream he's possibly had his entire life. That goes beyond vicarious enjoyment. That's empathy and shared experience."

Adam Michaels, Founder of Cloud 9 Living, an experience gift company offering over 1,200 unique and memorable experiences across the country, can attest to this. "Today, more than ever, people have enough stuff. What they long for are experiences that will have an indelible impact on their lives and the lives of their loved ones."

"Since Spring 2006, Cloud 9 Living has partnered with Capital Dream Cars because they share our commitment to offering extraordinary lifestyle experiences -- helping people fulfill their dreams and create life-long memories. These core values are evident in how they operate their business and how they treat their customers."

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Peterbilt Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Conventional Medium  
Peterbilt Motors Company is the highest ranked manufacturer in the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Medium-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction StudySM in the conventional medium-duty truck segment.

This latest award is the fifth time Peterbilt has ranked highest in customer satisfaction among Conventional Medium-Duty Trucks in the annual J.D. Power and Associates study.

"Peterbilt continues to demonstrate its strength in the medium-duty markets by providing products of the highest quality," says Dan Sobic, Peterbilt General Manager and PACCAR Vice President. "Versatility, efficiency and innovation are hallmarks of our Class 6 and 7 truck models. We are proud that customers recognize our commitment to developing and manufacturing product solutions that exceed their expectations for performance, reliability and durability."

Peterbilt received the highest scores in two of the four factors that comprise overall conventional product satisfaction - performance and cost of ownership - and was significantly higher than the industry average in quality as well. In the five areas that make up the performance factor, Peterbilt scored significantly higher than the industry in all of them, and led in three - interior, exterior and engine.

The J.D. Power and Associates study is based on interviews with nearly 1,500 principal maintainers, such as fleet managers or owner-operators, of two-year-old conventional cab medium-duty trucks.

Expanded Medium-Duty Product Lineup

This year Peterbilt introduced three new medium-duty vehicles to join the Model 335 - the Model 220, Model 330 and Model 340. The Model 335 remains a true Class 7 vehicle that is ideal for the majority of medium-duty applications, such as van body and beverage distribution. The Model 330 is a Class 6 truck or tractor than can be configured for non-CDL operation. The Model 340 is available for more robust vocational applications. The Model 220 is a Class 7 cabover based on the DAF LF which was named the 2002 "International Truck of the Year." The DAF LF is manufactured by European truck market leader DAF Trucks, which is a subsidiary of Bellevue, Washington-based PACCAR Inc.

"Peterbilt now offers one of the industry's most comprehensive and versatile medium-duty truck lineups to meet the full range of customer applications and requirements," says Sobic. "Never before in the history of the company has Peterbilt been better positioned to help medium-duty customers increase efficiencies and reduce operating expenses related to their Class 6 and 7 truck fleets. Additionally, our comprehensive North American dealer network and numerous aftermarket programs support customers throughout their ownership experience."

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Harley-Davidson: Race to the Rally Roars into Retail Stores Nationwide  
Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision, Inc., is giving gamers the chance to stop dreaming and start riding in Harley-Davidson(r): Race to the Rally available now for the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system. Charge out on the highways and byways across America on fully upgradeable classic and late-model Harley-Davidson(r) motorcycles while facing outrageous road challenges.

"Harley-Davidson(r): Race to the Rally offers gamers the chance to ride some of the most recognizable motorcycles in the world in this fast-paced, open-road adventure," said David Oxford, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Players experience the thrill of saddling up an American icon and the camaraderie of its brotherhood from their living room."

Harley-Davidson(r): Race to the Rally takes gamers from coast to coast across America exploring classic rides centric to "Harley-Davidson" and the biker lifestyle such as Big Sur, historic Route 66, and the Badlands. Each of the 20 authentic Harley-Davidson(r) motorcycles including the Dyna(r), Softail(r), Touring(r), and Sportster(r) are fully customizable and upgradeable with licensed parts and accessories, so there are thousands of possibilities on which to perform the gravity-defying jumps, and high-speed turbo boosts in this game. Plus, it features a soundtrack that captures the attitude of "Harley-Davidson" with tracks by George Thorogood, Heart, Poison, Great White and more.

Harley-Davidson(r): Race to the Rally is available now for the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $29.99. The PC version will be available on November 28 for a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game has been rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

SORL Auto Parts Upgrade to NASDAQ Global Market  
SORL Auto Parts, Inc. , a leading manufacturer and distributor of commercial vehicle air brake valves as well as other auto parts in China, today announced that the NASDAQ Stock Market has approved the transfer of the Company's Common Stock listing from the NASDAQ Capital Market to the NASDAQ Global Market. The Company's common stock will commence trading on the NASDAQ Global Market at market open on November 21, 2006. The Company's trading symbol, "SORL" will not be affected by the transfer to the Global Market.

SORL Auto Parts' Chairman and CEO, Mr. Xiaoping Zhang, stated, "Our improved NASDAQ listing is in line with our objectives to continue to improve our fiscal performance while increasing our visibility as an industry leader in China. This significant upgrade in our listing, in light of having only been a NASDAQ-listed company since April of this year, is an accomplishment of which we are very proud."

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

As Shopping Season Begins, ATPA Reminds Consumers to Include Theft Prevention on Their Holiday To-Do Lists  
On Friday, thousands of excited shoppers across Pennsylvania will head to shopping malls and big-box retailers to officially kick-off the holiday shopping season. Unfortunately, many of them will be too concerned with hunting for a bargain to worry about the thieves that could be hunting for their vehicles or newly purchased holiday treasures.

"Statistically, reported thefts rise during the last six months of the year, which is when most of us are doing our holiday shopping and errands," said Michelle Staton, executive director of the Auto Theft Prevention Authority (ATPA). "But there are some very basic tips drivers can follow to prevent such thefts from happening to them. Sometimes just being alert and aware can make all the difference."

Staton says common-sense precautions often are overlooked during the busy shopping season, particularly when malls and parking lots are crowded and shoppers are in a hurry. Remembering to properly lock cars or secure purchases in a trunk may take a back seat to the shopping mission at hand. But consumers need to know this is a ripe time for thieves to strike. Thieves will look for the easiest car to break into - or the car with the biggest bounty on the back seat.

Here are some tips from the Auto Theft Prevention Authority to help shoppers protect their holiday purchases and their cars:

-- Lock your vehicle, close all windows and sunroof, and take your keys.

-- Don't leave gifts and other valuables in plain view. Don't throw shopping bags on the back seat. Items left in open view attract thieves. Lock purchases in the trunk of your car, or better yet, take them home before you go anywhere else.

-- Don't leave car registration, credit card receipts from recent purchases or other important documents in your glove compartment. Finding these will make it easier for a thief to access your identity and account information.

-- Never leave your car running unattended, even if it's only for a few minutes. Vehicles are commonly stolen at ATMs, convenience stores, etc.

-- Always park in well-lit areas with plenty of pedestrian traffic, or when possible, park in attendant lots.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Raser Technologies, Inc. Hires Hybrid Vehicle Expert for Transportation Market Development  
Raser Technologies, Inc. a technology licensing company established to develop and license advanced electric motor, controller and related technologies, today reported that the company has hired James A. Spellman as Director - Business Development - Transportation. In this new role, Spellman will direct Raser's efforts to commercialize the company's Symetron(tm) technologies in transportation markets.

Spellman, 49, joins Raser after a 27-year career with Remy International, formerly the Delco Remy division of General Motors. As Director of Hybrid Technology, Spellman organized a group to lead Remy's entry to the hybrid motor and energy storage market. Spellman was a leader of teams in the U.S. and Europe that developed and commercialized both belt-driven and shaft-driven motor systems for hybrid vehicles ranging from automobiles to Class 8 trucks. Prior to his work with hybrid technologies, he served in key quality, engineering and design posts within Remy. Spellman holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's of business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

"Raser's alternator innovations offer immediate benefit in heavy duty transportation applications, and the ISA technology offers great improvements for electric motors and controls for hybrid electric vehicles and mobile power generation," said Spellman. "I look forward to applying my experience in the transportation markets to commercialize these exciting technologies."

"Jim is an outstanding addition to the Raser team," said Raser President Patrick J. Schwartz. "His groundbreaking work with the world's largest automotive manufacturer is a perfect fit for Raser's ongoing development of alternator and integrated starter-alternator (ISA) technologies. The U.S. Army recently funded continued development of our P-50 ISA, and Jim's technical and market knowledge of the hybrid space will help Raser continue that R&D momentum into commercial applications."

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Steelworkers Rip Goodyear Disclosure, Launch Investor Website  
The United Steelworkers (USW) released a scathing critique of Goodyear's claims on its recent earnings conference call, part of a series of Investor Alert newsletters the union is producing during the strike at Goodyear.

In this third issue of the newsletter, USW states that during the call "management may not have been as full, fair and factual as they are required to be in their disclosure about both the third quarter and the labor dispute."

The Investor Alert systematically undermines Goodyear's claims about its third quarter results, its strategic initiatives and its four point plan for dealing with the strike.

USW's Investor Alerts are available at Goodyear Alert, a website that provides research and news about Goodyear relevant to Goodyear shareholders and the investment community.

"Goodyear Alert details the costs and risks Goodyear faces as a result of management's decision to provoke a labor dispute with the United Steelworkers," said Ron Bloom, USW Assistant to the President and Director of Corporate Research. "We want to ensure Goodyear shareholders, analysts and other investors have access to this information."

Along with Investor Alerts, Goodyear Alert includes consumer-targeted rich media content detailing safety risks tire consumers have faced connected with the use of replacement workers in a prior tire industry labor dispute. Users can link to a video, also available on You Tube.

It also includes an examination of Goodyear corporate governance concerns and discussion of costs to investors of prior labor disputes with the USW.

"Goodyear Alert is another tool we're using to facilitate a dialogue with other Goodyear stakeholders in what appears to be a long confrontation," stated USW President Leo Gerard.

Goodyear forced 15,000 USW members in 16 plants in North America out on strike on October 5.

The USW is the largest industrial union in North America, representing more than 850,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada. Some 70,000 are employed in the tire, rubber and plastics industry.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Lear Announces Commencement of Tender Offer for up to $850 Million of Existing 2008...  
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lear Corporation , one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, today announced it is commencing a tender offer for up to $850 million aggregate principal amount of its 8.125% senior notes due 2008, of which approximately euro 237 million is outstanding, and its 8.11% senior notes due 2009, of which approximately $593 million is outstanding. The tender offer will expire at midnight, New York City time, on December 19, 2006, unless extended.

Lear is offering to purchase for cash at a purchase price of euro 1,045 per euro 1,000 principal amount at maturity plus accrued interest any and all 2008 notes that are validly tendered and not withdrawn on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 5, 2006, unless extended. The purchase price for any 2008 notes validly tendered after December 5, 2006 and prior to the expiration of the tender offer is euro 1,025 per euro 1,000 principal amount at maturity plus accrued interest.

Lear is concurrently offering to purchase for cash, at a purchase price of $1,055 per $1,000 principal amount at maturity plus accrued interest, 2009 notes that are validly tendered and not withdrawn on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 5, 2006, unless extended. The purchase price for any 2009 notes validly tendered after December 5, 2006 and prior to the expiration of the tender offer is $1,035 per $1,000 principal amount at maturity plus accrued interest. The tender offer for the 2009 notes will be in an aggregate amount such that the aggregate principal amount of 2008 notes and 2009 notes purchased in the tender offer will not exceed an aggregate maximum tender offer amount of $850 million. Lear has the right to increase or waive the maximum tender offer amount in its sole discretion.

All notes purchased in the tender offer will be retired upon consummation of the tender offer. Payments of the tender consideration for the notes validly tendered and not withdrawn shall be made pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase that will be furnished to all holders of the 2008 and 2009 notes. The consummation of the tender offer is conditioned upon, among other things, completion of the company's previously announced $900 million private offering and other customary closing conditions. If any of the conditions are not satisfied, Lear is not obligated to accept for payment, purchase or pay for, or may delay the acceptance for payment of, any tendered notes, and may terminate the tender offer. Subject to applicable law, Lear may waive any condition applicable to the tender offer and extend or otherwise amend the tender offer.

Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking is the dealer manager for the tender offer. Questions regarding the tender offer may be directed to Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking at 800-558-3745 (toll free) or at 212-723-6106 (collect).

Global Bondholder Services Corporation is acting as information agent and the depositary. Copies of the Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and related documents may be obtained at no charge from Global Bondholder Services Corporation at 866-873-5600 (toll-free) or at 212-430-3774 (collect). The Company has also retained Dexia Banque Internationale a Luxembourg to act as depositary for the 2008 notes.

The tender offer may only be made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. Holders of the notes should read carefully the Offer to Purchase and related materials because they contain important information related to the tender offer. Lear intends to mail a copy of the applicable Offer to Purchase and Letter of Transmittal and related documents to each of the holders of senior notes.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Experian Automotive Releases September 2006 New Vehicle Sales Statistics  
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., -- Experian Automotive, a division of global information solutions company Experian(R) , today announced definitive September new vehicle sales statistics based on actual state vehicle registrations from across the United States.

"For the month of September the Ford F-150 leads as the number one selling new vehicle, up 11.6 percent from August," said Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive. "In total, 1,385,730 new vehicles were sold across the U.S. in September, a 9.4 percent decrease from August levels."

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Avis Budget Group Announces Filing of its Third Quarter Form 10-Q  
PARSIPPANY, N.J., / - Avis Budget Group, Inc. announced today that it has filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for third quarter 2006.

The Company noted that, in addition to the adjustments required in connection with the previously disclosed restatement, the Form 10-Q reflects additional correcting adjustments related to the amounts of the Travelport impairment charge recorded in second quarter 2006 and the after-tax loss incurred in connection with such sale recorded in third quarter 2006. As a result, the timing of the amounts recorded was required to be adjusted to increase the amount recorded in second quarter 2006 by $300 million, which resulted in an after-tax loss of approximately $500 million in third quarter 2006. Accordingly, the aggregate after-tax loss on the sale of Travelport was approximately $1.8 billion, which is approximately $150 million less than the previously announced $1.95 billion ($1.0 billion impairment charge recorded in second quarter 2006 and $950 million expected loss on sale for third quarter 2006). The adjustments related to the Travelport impairment charge are reflected within discontinued operations.

The Company also announced that it expects to post the 2005, 2004 and 2003 restated financial statements for Avis Budget Car Rental, LLC and its subsidiaries, the companies that operate its vehicle rental business, on its web site during the week of November 27, 2006.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Ituran Location and Control Ltd.  
AZOUR, Israel, -- Ituran Location and Control Ltd. , today announced its consolidated financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2006. Highlights of the third quarter

- Record results with strong growth across all parameters, with gross, operating and net profit continuing year-over-year improvement.

- Record revenues of $26 million, representing year-over-year growth of 13.5%.

- Record net income of $4.9 million, representing year-over-year growth of 35%.

- Record net margin of 18.8%.

- The number of subscribers as of September 30th, 2006 reached 383,000 representing a 20% growth compared with 320,000 subscribers as of September 30th, 2005.

Revenues for the third quarter of 2006 reached US$26.0 million. This represents a 13.5% increase compared with revenues of US$23.0 million in the third quarter of last year. The increase in revenues was driven by the continued growth of the Company's subscriber base, sales of infrastructures in the Far East, and sales of the AMR products.

Gross margin in the third quarter of 2006 was 48.7% compared with 48.6% in the third quarter of 2005.

Net profit was US$4.9 million in the third quarter of 2006, or 18.8% of revenues, representing growth of 34.6% over US$3.6 million, or 15.7% of revenues, as reported for the third quarter of 2005. The main reason for the continued improvement in margins over the last few quarters was primarily due to the operating leverage inherent in the Company's business.

Fully diluted EPS in the third quarter of 2006 was US$0.21 compared with US$0.19 per fully diluted share in the third quarter of 2005. Due to the Company's initial public offering on the NASDAQ in the fourth quarter of 2005, the number of shares grew from 19.1 million in the third quarter of 2005 to 23.4 million in the third quarter of 2006.

Cash flow from operations during the third quarter of 2006 was US$5.6 million. As of September 30th, 2006 the company had a net cash position (including marketable securities) of US$57.3 million compared with US$2 million on September 30th, 2005.

Eyal Sheratzky, Co-CEO of Ituran said, "Again we have shown record top and bottom line results. Our global expansion is progressing to plan. In South Korea, our subsidiary Telematics Wireless, was awarded a $14.6 million order for the second and third phase of the deployment of our infrastructure equipment, to our local customer in Korea."

"Our core business continues to grow and we are also looking to expand the range of services we can provide," continued Mr. Sheratzky. "During the quarter we announced our intention to purchase a majority stake in ERM, a manufacturer of leading-edge vehicle alarm and GPRS tracking systems. The main reason for this purchase is the significant synergies we see with our business. We intend to leverage our brand through the value added services that can be provided by ERM, using our existing marketing and sales infrastructure, as well as our 24-hour service control center. We see the ERM business as an additional growth engine for Ituran."

Mr. Sheratzky concluded, "We remain well positioned internationally in countries with strong growth potential such as Brazil, Argentina, China and South Korea, while our core business in Israel remains strong. We expect our growth to continue over the rest of the year and into 2007."

Conference Call Information

The Company will also be hosting a conference call today, Tuesday, November 21st 2006 at 10am EST. On the call, management will review and discuss the results and will be available to answer investor questions.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Capital Dream Cars Announces Winter Rates for Its Fleet of Exotic Cars  
WASHINGTON, -- Give the gift of an "experience" this holiday season with an exhilarating car rental from Capital Dream Cars. To make the experience even sweeter, Capital Dream Cars announces winter savings of 30% off its regular season rates for rentals occurring between December 1, 2006 and February 28, 2007.

Why give the gift of an experience? Although the experience gift industry has largely been a European phenomenon, experience gifts have been catching on fast in the U.S. In fact, 1 in 4 shoppers plan to give a gift of experience this holiday season, according to Unity Marketing's latest Gift Tracker survey. As it becomes increasingly difficult with each passing year to find that extraordinary gift for that special someone, more people are favoring experience and activity gifts over traditional tangible gifts as a way to make gift-giving (and gift-receiving, for that matter) more memorable and meaningful.

"When a wife surprises her husband with our fiery red Ferrari or classy gray Bentley, the look he gets on his face is uniformly the same each time -- instant love," says Capital Dream Cars Founder Eugene Kim. "But by the end of the rental, it's not unlikely for the wife to have fallen in love with the vehicle as well. Not only has she been along for the ride, she's been able to watch her husband up close as he savors the thrill of fulfilling a dream he's possibly had his entire life. That goes beyond vicarious enjoyment. That's empathy and shared experience."

Adam Michaels, Founder of Cloud 9 Living, an experience gift company offering over 1,200 unique and memorable experiences across the country, can attest to this. "Today, more than ever, people have enough stuff. What they long for are experiences that will have an indelible impact on their lives and the lives of their loved ones."

"Since Spring 2006, Cloud 9 Living has partnered with Capital Dream Cars because they share our commitment to offering extraordinary lifestyle experiences -- helping people fulfill their dreams and create life-long memories. These core values are evident in how they operate their business and how they treat their customers."

Capital Dream Cars opened in March 2006 to wide acclaim and is the premier exotic car rental company serving the Washington, DC/Baltimore region. The mission of Capital Dream Cars is to provide area drivers with a boutique rental experience featuring only the finest automobiles and attentive, personal service. Cars can be rented on a half-day, daily or weekly basis. Vehicles currently available at Capital Dream Cars include a red Ferrari 360 Spider and a slate gray Bentley Continental GT. Other world-class vehicles, including the Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari 430, are scheduled to arrive in 2007.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

LoJack Corporation Enters Into Retirement and Non-Competition Agreement With Former...  
WESTWOOD, Mass., --LoJack Corporation announced that it had entered into a Retirement and Non-Competition Agreement with Joseph F. Abely, former Chairman and CEO. The agreement provides for his continued employment at his current base salary and benefits through July 31, 2007, at which time he will retire from employment by the Company. He will be paid $50,000 on December 1, 2006. Upon retirement or earlier death or total disability, all outstanding options and time-vesting restricted stock grants will vest. Mr. Abely will be covered under the Company's retiree medical plan to age sixty-five, and the Company will pay all premiums for five years and one half of the premiums thereafter. Retirement will vest benefits under the Company's deferred compensation plan. The Agreement includes a covenant against competition with the Company in exchange for which he will be paid a total of $1.25 million over five years.

Richard T. Riley, Chief Executive Officer said, "Charges related to the agreement will impact earnings in the fourth quarter by approximately $0.09 per fully diluted share. As a result, it is now our expectation that GAAP earnings for the full year will be approximately $0.86 to $0.88 per fully diluted share. The company continues to expect GAAP revenue for the year to grow by 11% to 12% compared to the prior year. We remain very positive about the long term strength of our business for the balance of the year and going forward."

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Optimizing Flow Characteristics Under High Pressure Using FLUENT for CATIA Software  
SOUTHPOINTE, Pa., PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fluent Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ANSYS, Inc. , today announced that the leading producer of high pressure cleaning systems, Alfred Karcher GmbH & Co. KG, has decided to optimize the flow characteristics of its devices with the computational fluid dynamics solution FLUENT(R) for CATIA(R) V5. Karcher is based in Winnenden, Germany with a workforce in 40 countries.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used for simulation, visualization and analysis of fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, and chemical reactions. It is a vital part of the computer-aided engineering (CAE) process for companies around the world and is deployed in nearly every manufacturing industry. FLUENT for CATIA V5, developed by Fluent as a member of the CAA V5 Software Community Program, delivers simulation-driven product design to customers working within the CATIA V5 PLM environment, enabling customers to predict performance at a very early stage of the product development process. The result is better performing, more cost-effective products in less time.

"As a fully integrated tool within Dassault Systemes' V5 PLM environment, FLUENT for CATIA V5 is totally compatible with upstream and downstream PLM functions and enables flow simulation to be performed with ease as part of the product development process," says Georg Scheuerer, managing director of ANSYS Germany GmbH. "The product is the result of Fluent's close technical collaboration with Dassault Systemes and our customer advisors, who have helped us to ensure that the software meets their need for ease-of-use, reliable simulation results and a high level of integration."

Karcher selected Fluent's software solution with a clear strategic vision in mind: Innovative products remain the company's principal growth factor. A continuous increase in development capacity and a high number of patents show Karcher's commitment to innovation. By investing in FLUENT for CATIA V5, Karcher sees itself prepared for global competition and a continued growth in the years to come. Dr. Christian Stewen from the Central Research, Advance Development and Process Development department at Karcher points out, "The crucial factor in our decision for FLUENT for CATIA V5 were the advantages we get from the full integration concept pursued by Fluent and Dassault Systemes, which provides for a unified design and analysis process in the product development cycle."

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

The 2007 Subaru Legacy, Forester and Tribeca all earn the TOP SAFETY PICK awards from the IIHS  
Subaru was a big winner with this year's Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awards, the 2007 Subaru Legacy, Forester and Tribeca all earned the TOP SAFETY PICK designation. These three Subaru models, with available Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), were among only 10 other 2007 TOP SAFETY PICKS in the industry, but Subaru had the most IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK designations of any single automotive brand.

"We are very pleased that the IIHS has recommended the Subaru Legacy, Forester and Tribeca models in their recent tests. Uncompromising active and passive safety is a long-time hallmark of the Subaru brand," said Tim Mahoney, senior vice president, and CMO, Subaru of America, Inc. "Our research indicates that customers strongly associate the Subaru brand with safety and the recent recommendation from the IIHS validates this positioning in the mind of our customers."

The IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on ratings in Institute tests. The Institute rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. The first requirement for a vehicle to become a TOP SAFETY PICK is to earn good ratings in all three Institute tests. Vehicles that were eligible to win included current small, midsize, and large car models plus minivans and small and midsize SUVs. Winners also had to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC). Subaru calls its electronic stability control Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control or VDC.

Subaru VDC monitors vehicle stability by continually measuring inputs including steering angle, lateral-g, yaw rate, and individual wheel speed. Using this data, VDC can compare the driver's intended path to the vehicle's actual path. Working with Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and ABS, VDC can correct understeer, oversteer, drift conditions and wheel slip.

Subaru designed VDC to increase stability on slippery surfaces and to also enhance cornering performance on dry roads. The system can improve high-speed stability and help prevent oversteer from occurring when the throttle is quickly lifted while cornering. Using various sensor inputs, VDC can sense impending loss of control at either the front or rear of the vehicle. If VDC detects instability, it will produce a counteracting force by adjusting power distribution between the front and rear wheels and momentarily applying (or releasing) brake force on one or more wheels.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Family-Friendly Atlas From Rand McNally Eases Travel Planning, Helps Entertain and Engage Kids  
Every parent dreams of a fun, relaxing, road trip with kids who are engaged and excited to explore the land they're navigating. That dream will come one step closer to reality with Rand McNally's new Family Adventure Guide & Interstate Atlas, a road atlas in every way designed to help families plan stress-free vacations and keep children entertained along the way.

The Family Adventure Guide features 85 pages of easy-to-read interstate maps dotted with family-friendly locations, as well as engaging car games to occupy kids. The Guide also includes atlas activities -- such as its "Road Maps for Rug Rats" and "Travel Unplugged" sections -- that make learning about maps and geography fun for children and parents alike.

"More and more families are opting for road travel because it's cheaper and more flexible, but keeping kids occupied in the car can be a challenge," said Laurie Borman, editorial director of Rand McNally. "The Family Adventure Guide lets everyone get involved in the trip, so they can enjoy the journey as much as the destination."

Sweepstakes Offers Chance to Win a Disney Family Vacation

According to Rand McNally's Great American Road Trip Survey, conducted this year in honor of the company's 150th anniversary, Disney Parks are the No. 1 destination choice for family vacations. So, as an added bonus, families who pick up a Family Adventure Guide have a chance to win a magical vacation for four to Walt Disney World(R) Resort or Disneyland(R) Resort. Each Guide comes with a magic code that lets the purchaser enter to win Rand McNally's Magical Family Vacation Sweepstakes. Participants simply enter their magic code online and wave the magic wand to see how many sweepstakes entries they get -- from 1 to 1000! Information on how to enter appears in the Family Adventure Guide and at

Every entrant will be in luck, because bound inside each Rand McNally Family Adventure Guide is a free Pocket Guide to Disney Parks. This pocket guide contains a wealth of information for visitors to the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, including 50 must-see attractions, insider tips, bargains and recommended splurges, and useful facts such as park hours, ticket information and Disney phone numbers.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

GM mulls engine facility in India  
TALEGAON: General Motors, the world's largest car maker, on Tuesday said it is considering setting up an engine and power-train facility in India that could require an investment of up to 400 million dollars.

"We aim to grow big in India. The power-train facility is an objective. We will take a call on the matter in the next six months," D Nick Reilly, company's Group Vice President told reporters here.

Reilly declined to divulge the actual investment figure for the proposed plant and said it would be made according to the requirement. However, he added that typically such a unit required USD 300 million to USD 400 million.

Asked whether the plant would come up near the Talegaon plant, foundation stone of which was laid today, he said, "not necessarily in Talegaon". He however, declined to reveal the location where it intends to put up the plant.

The Talegaon facility, set up at an investment of USD 300 million, would manufacture a Chevrolet mini-car, primarily for the domestic market, from the last quarter of 2008, he said.

The proposed engine and power-train facility, including manufacturing and assembling, is aimed at increasing local content as much as possible, he added.

GM currently manufactures 65,000 cars of mid-size segments at its Halol facility in Gujarat and is expanding the plant to make 85,000 cars a year.

Talegaon facility would have an initial annual production capacity of 1.4 lakh vehicles, "Chevrolet Spark", per year. However, the company intended to increase the capacity later on depending on requirements, he indicated.

Bullish on the Indian market, Reilly said India was a key component of the company's global strategy.

GM currently has 2.3 per cent of the Indian car market and has plans to jack it up to 10 per cent by 2010, he said.

"We don't expect any single market to grow faster than India in the next decade," he added.

Source : Economic Times (11/21/2006)

200,000th Boxster rolls off the line  
The 200,000th Boxster has just rolled off the production line at Porsche partner factory Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki in Finland.

To celebrate this production milestone a landmark vehicle, a meteor grey metallic Boxster S, is being delivered to a customer in the US.

Michael Macht, Executive Vice President Production and Logistics, said: "Ten years ago, no one would have believed what a huge success this Porsche mid-range roadster has become. Thanks to our flexible production system, we can manufacture the Boxster model series at both our main plant in Zuffenhausen and at Valmet. Today's milestone will especially inspire employees at both plants to continue the success story that is the Boxster."

At the roadster's launch in 1996, Porsche had assumed an annual production of 15,000 units. In the past fiscal year 2005/06, total sales of this model series, since extended to include the mid-range Cayman coupé, amounted to 27,906.

The most important market for the Boxster is North America, which has a share of sales of around 40%, followed by Germany with up to 20%.

For the current model year, which began on August 1, 2006, both Boxster models have been upgraded again.

The power of the 2.7-litre component in the basic model has now been increased by five HP to 245 HP.

The boxer engine in the latest Boxster S, which has grown in size from 3.2 to 3.4 litres, can unleash 295 HP, 15 HP more than its predecessor.

Source : http://www.newcarnet.co.uk (11/21/2006)

HR Owen not to be taken private  
Nick Lancaster, chief executive of HR Owen, will not take the company private. Lancaster announced his intention to put forward an offer for HR Owen and take it off the stock market in September. However, the HR Owen board confirmed today that discussions about a possible offer have been terminated.

The board also stated that it reserved the right to reconsider an offer for the company from a third party.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Renault-Nissan drops plans for US alliance  
Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of Nissan and Renault, said on Thursday that he was no longer interested in adding a North American partner, at least until earnings improved at the two automakers that he oversees. Renault is in the midst of a turnaround plan, and Nissan is introducing a line of new models in the hopes of reversing a decline in sales and profit margins.

Although it was G.M. that abruptly pulled out of last summer’s alliance talks, Mr. Ghosn emphasized that Nissan and Renault were not actively seeking a partner at the time. He also said Nissan and Renault shareholders seemed resistant to the proposal, suggesting a deal may not have happened even if G.M. were open to it.

The proposal was made by G.M.’s largest individual shareholder, the billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, and the three automakers participated in more than two months of discussions before G.M.’s board voted to end them. Mr. Ghosn said he was not talking to other automakers about working together and did not plan to do so. During the summer, the chief executive of the Ford Motor Company, William Clay Ford Jr., reportedly called Mr. Ghosn and asked him to consider a partnership if discussions with G.M. did not work out.

Analysts say a partnership with a Detroit automaker would help Nissan, the third-largest Japanese carmaker, gain on Toyota and Honda, whose sales are surging. Toyota is in line to surpass G.M., possibly as early as next year, as the world’s largest automaker.

Nissan could look to G.M. or Ford as it plans to increase production in North America in anticipation of higher sales in the United States. Nissan projects that demand will be higher than its capacity in the coming years, and Mr. Ghosn left open the possibility that, rather than building a factory, he would seek to use a plant closed by a Detroit automaker.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

NextEnergy Launches Global Fleet Processing Tool  
DETROIT, PRNewswire/ -- NextEnergy, Michigan's alternative energy accelerator, has launched an interactive fleet processing tool accessible by fleet managers worldwide. The free, web-based tool allows fleet managers the ability to accurately and efficiently predict fuel costs and emissions for a wide variety of commercial passenger vehicles. Using these measurements, fleet managers can calculate and compare advantages of E85, B20 biodiesel and hybrid electric use within their fleets, enabling them to make the most beneficial purchasing decisions respective to their economic and energy- related needs.

"Providing fleets with the resources they need to determine anticipated fuel expenditures and emissions from advanced powertrains and alternative fuels online is a step in furthering the support and development of the alternative energy industry locally, nationally and globally," said NextEnergy CEO Jim Croce. "New resources like the fleet processing tool enable the market to compare, validate and justify use of alternative powertrains and fuels."

The global fleet processing tool also aids fleet managers in evaluating emissions from various types of new powertrain technologies, engine sizes, and alternative fuel vehicles. It is easily accessed through a Web site hosted and maintained by NextEnergy. The core of the Web site is a proven vehicular modeling and simulation program developed by Southwest Research Institute(R) and used on projects for the United States government, U.S. Army and automotive manufacturers and suppliers.

Once accessed via the Web, the global fleet processing tool has a self- prompting, easy to use graphical interface through which users input fleet drive cycles (patterns) on a percentage basis of city and highway driving. Using this information, the program calculates and projects the baseline fuel costs and emissions produced. For side-by-side comparison, the host Web page also contains information on new, alternative fuel and advanced powertrain technologies. Users are able to select from these different technologies to determine the fuel costs and emissions produced.

Fleet managers can take advantage of the global fleet processing tool by accessing www.nextenergy.org/industryservices/Fleet_Processing_Tool.asp on the NextEnergy Web site. NextEnergy's global fleet processing tool was funded by a grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission's Low-Income Energy and Efficiency Fund.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

IIHS Recommends More Subaru Models Than Any Other Automotive Brand  
CHERRY HILL, N.J., /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru was a big winner with this year's Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awards, the 2007 Subaru Legacy, Forester and Tribeca all earned the TOP SAFETY PICK designation. These three Subaru models, with available Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), were among only 10 other 2007 TOP SAFETY PICKS in the industry, but Subaru had the most IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK designations of any single automotive brand.

"We are very pleased that the IIHS has recommended the Subaru Legacy, Forester and Tribeca models in their recent tests. Uncompromising active and passive safety is a long-time hallmark of the Subaru brand," said Tim Mahoney, senior vice president, and CMO, Subaru of America, Inc. "Our research indicates that customers strongly associate the Subaru brand with safety and the recent recommendation from the IIHS validates this positioning in the mind of our customers."

The IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on ratings in Institute tests. The Institute rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. The first requirement for a vehicle to become a TOP SAFETY PICK is to earn good ratings in all three Institute tests. Vehicles that were eligible to win included current small, midsize, and large car models plus minivans and small and midsize SUVs. Winners also had to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC). Subaru calls its electronic stability control Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control or VDC.

Subaru VDC monitors vehicle stability by continually measuring inputs including steering angle, lateral-g, yaw rate, and individual wheel speed. Using this data, VDC can compare the driver's intended path to the vehicle's actual path. Working with Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and ABS, VDC can correct understeer, oversteer, drift conditions and wheel slip.

Subaru designed VDC to increase stability on slippery surfaces and to also enhance cornering performance on dry roads. The system can improve high-speed stability and help prevent oversteer from occurring when the throttle is quickly lifted while cornering. Using various sensor inputs, VDC can sense impending loss of control at either the front or rear of the vehicle. If VDC detects instability, it will produce a counteracting force by adjusting power distribution between the front and rear wheels and momentarily applying (or releasing) brake force on one or more wheels.

Subaru Making Safety Standard

To Subaru, safety means far more than protecting a car's occupants in the event of a collision. Ideally, a passenger vehicle should provide the driver with the means to help avoid hazardous situations. Subaru calls the concept Active Driving/Active Safety. Designing a vehicle for active safety gives a driver a strong sense of control, maneuverability and security.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

2007 Acura RDX Earns an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety TOP SAFETY PICK Award  
The all-new 2007 Acura RDX was one of only three luxury SUVs (out of 13 total vehicles) to earn a 2007 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety TOP SAFETY PICK Award. The annual award, given to SUVs for the first time this year, recognizes vehicles that perform best in protecting passengers in front, rear and side crashes based on their ratings in the Institute's tests.

"We are very pleased that the RDX is being recognized for its outstanding safety ratings by the IIHS," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president, sales. "It is our goal to continue to offer Acura customers peace of mind by providing safety through advanced technology."

The Acura RDX went on sale in August and is equipped with the latest safety technologies. Like the entire Acura lineup, it features the application of front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), side curtain airbags for front and rear outboard seats and Vehicle Stability Assist(TM) (VSA(R)) as standard equipment. In addition, RDX utilizes Advanced Compatibility Engineering(TM) (ACE(TM)) body structure which helps to disperse collision forces over a larger frontal area.

In addition to safety technologies, the RDX features engineering breakthroughs for Acura, including the luxury division's first turbocharged and intercooled engine, and the first adaptation of the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive(TM) (SH-AWD(TM)) system to an SUV.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Goodyear Announces Closing of $1 Billion of Senior Notes  
AKRON, Ohio, -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today announced that it has closed its offering of $1 billion aggregate principal amount of three-year and five-year senior notes. The notes are senior unsecured obligations of the company.

The $500 million of three-year notes were sold at 99% of the principal amount and will bear interest at the six-month London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, plus 375 basis points. The $500 million of five-year notes were sold at par and will bear interest at a rate of 8 5/8%.

Goodyear intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to repay at maturity $515 million principal amount of its existing notes due December 1, 2006, and March 1, 2007. The company will use the remaining cash for general corporate purposes, which may include addressing the continuing strike by the United Steelworkers union.

The notes were offered in a private placement under Rule 144A, have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Carey England Limited Adopts Environmental Policy  
LONDON, /PRNewswire/ -- Carey England Ltd. has today announced the adoption of a formal Environmental Policy for the company and has signed an agreement with The CarbonNeutral Company to invest in projects that will offset the carbon emissions of its fleet of chauffeur-driven Mercedes.

"The directors and senior managers of Carey England Limited are committed to the implementation of its Environmental Policy," said Devin J. Murphy, President and CEO of Carey International, Inc., of which Carey England Ltd. is a subsidiary. "In the pursuit of our mission to provide world class chauffeured services, Carey England Ltd. also recognises the responsibility to manage the environmental impact of our day to day operations. Carey England Ltd. is committed to continuous improvements in its environmental performance."

Specifically, Carey England has adopted the following environmental initiatives:

* Maintaining Carey England's vehicle fleet at maximum utilisation to achieve optimum efficiency.

* Researching new developments and products relating to fuel efficiency.

* Eliminating the carbon footprint of its vehicle fleet. In partnership with The CarbonNeutral Company (recipient of the Travel + Leisure magazine's 2006 Global Vision Award for Innovation), Carey England is participating in the Scolel Te Forestry Project in Chiapas, Mexico and The Methane Capture Project in Texas, along with other initiatives around the world that help offset the effect of the Carey England fleet on the environment in both the short-term and long-term.

* Providing One water in all vehicles as the chosen complimentary water. One donates all its profits to the building of roundabout powered PlayPumps(TM) in African villages that have no easy access to clean drinking water. In September 2006 PlayPumps(TM) International was pledged support at the Clinton Global Initiative by the US government, The Case Foundation and The MCJ Foundation.

* Recycling office consumables such as paper, plastic and tins by providing recycling facilities through membership with PaperRound -- London's leading recycling organisation.

"The CarbonNeutral Company is pleased to welcome Carey England Ltd. to our global effort to tackle climate change impacts by helping offset emissions through renewable energy and/or sustainable forestry projects," said Jonathan Shopley, CEO of The CarbonNeutral Company.

"Carey England considers environmental regulations, laws and codes of practice as our minimum standards of environmental performance," said Greg Mendoza, General Manager of Carey England Ltd. "We will promote further efforts through training, communications and a constant reappraisal of our working methods and techniques."

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Decorated Veteran and St. Louis Police Officer To Be Honored by Toyota at November...  
ST. LOUIS, /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Kevin Androff is a sports fanatic. Since his return a month ago from serving a year-and-a-half in Iraq and Kuwait, the decorated veteran has been treated to the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series and the University of Missouri Tigers off to their best start in football since 1969.

The unbelievable welcome home will continue for the 37-year old Androff, who will be the first of four honorees in the Toyota Truck Salute to the Military. Toyota will honor a different military veteran at each of the final five remaining Rams home games.

Androff, who was born and raised in south St. Louis, joined the Navy Reserves following high school and, for the past 11 years, has been a St. Louis police officer. He met his wife, Julie, while both worked at the stadiums during Cardinals and Rams games. The two decided to get married in a small ceremony in late 2005, but as plans were underway, the call for mobilization to Iraq came.

"We began to move up the date to June 23 and the next thing you knew, we were getting married on top of the St. Louis Cardinals dugout before one of their games," Androff said. Eighteen days later, Androff left for training in Virginia and then duty in Iraq.

During his training in Virginia, Julie's father, Robert, became ill and just four days before Kevin was to leave for Iraq his father-in-law unexpectedly passed away. "It was very stressful at first having to be away at such a crucial time," he said.

Androff was carrying on his family tradition of serving their country. His father, Robert, was in the Navy, his brother Mickey is in the Reserves, his brother Mark has retired from the military, and his Uncle Jim is still considered missing in action from World War II.

Androff's military service was very unique. The Petty Officer served back-to-back tours in Iraq and Kuwait with no break in between. But what makes his story different is that the Navy assigned Androff to the Army.

"The Navy has taken on a new role and typically hadn't assigned soldiers to the Army," he explained. "The Navy typically also doesn't send Sailors to the desert, where we were known as 'Dirt Sailors.'"

Everything worked out well for Androff, who was decorated with several medals to include: two Navy Achievement Medals, one Army Achievement Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Iraqi Campaign Medal.

During his tour, Androff was a Customs Border Clearing Agent and helped with security for troops returning home. In Kuwait, there were as many as 2,000 troops returning over a 24-hour period and Androff helped clear them for Customs upon their return to the United States. His role in Iraq was similar, as he was stationed at the Balad Air Force Base in the northern part of the country.

"Looking back to my tours, I made some great friends and the camaraderie was fantastic," Androff said. He added that he also vividly remembers watching the Cardinals play the Houston Astros live in the 2005 playoffs on the Armed Forces Network. "I kept up with how the teams were doing, but never got to watch a game live until that playoff game which aired at three in the morning."

Androff returned home September 30, and the next morning received a call from a friend who had two extra seats to the Rams-Detroit Lions game. "It was a great way to come back home and do something I enjoy," he said.

According to Androff, he missed his family the most while oversees but came to better appreciate his freedom as an American. "In addition to missing my family, I missed a lot of things about St. Louis like the great pizza we have here," he said. "But I also missed the freedom to move about. I traveled a lot in Kuwait but to even leave the base took two hours. Being a street policeman, I wasn't used to feeling locked down, and other policemen I met there felt the same way. Getting in your car and being able to go where I want is something I really appreciate now.

"There are things we all take for granted, from going to the grocery store, eating what you want, watching cable television and just calling someone on the phone," he added. "But I won't take any of that for granted again."

Toyota will give Androff, his wife and his father the VIP treatment prior to the November 26th game against San Francisco. The Androff family will be guests of Toyota and receive complete hospitality at the Toyota VIP tent, which will also showcase the all-new 2007 Toyota Tundra.

The full-size Toyota Tundra will be the largest, most powerful pickup truck ever offered by Toyota when it goes on sale in February 2007. It was designed and engineered in the U.S. and will be built at Toyota plants in Gibson County, Indiana and San Antonio, Texas. Tundra's all-new platform will feature a significantly expanded wheelbase, an increase of 10 inches in overall length, nearly five inches in height and four inches in width. The new Tundra will come in three cab configurations and offer a choice of three engines, including a new 5.7-liter V8 capable of towing over 10,000 pounds.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Vote for South Carolina's Greatest Hometown Heroes  
IRVINE, Calif., /PRNewswire/ -- Who would you give a Volvo to? How about Charleston's Anne Lee, who started a program to educate society on the steps needed to stop sexual abuse? Or Sumpter's Luis Rodriguez, who has improved living conditions for more than 5,000 low-income individuals? Or Orangeburg's Cheri Thompson, who started an organization to help children create peace within their lives?

These are just three of the five extraordinary South Carolina heroes named as semi-finalists in the 5th Anniversary Volvo for life Awards -- Volvo's annual search for hometown heroes across America. This year, in honor of the Awards' 5th anniversary, Volvo selected the top five heroes from every state in America and is asking the American public to visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com to vote for their favorites now through February 4, 2007.

Who in South Carolina would you give a Volvo to? Representing South Carolina in this year's Volvo for life Awards are:

* Anne Lee, of Charleston, has dedicated her life to addressing, awakening and educating society to take steps to stop sexual child abuse. In January of 2000, Lee created Darkness to Light, a program that today spans 32 states and two other countries.

* Jack B. McConnell, of Hilton Head Island, ended his retirement from medicine 10 years ago to serve the unmet medical needs of his community. McConnell started the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic (VIM), a free clinic which relies entirely on retired medical personnel to provide care. VIM has helped tens of thousands of underserved and uninsured patients get the health care they need.

* Luis Rodriguez, of Sumpter, has devoted the past 11 years to improving the quality of life for low-income individuals in rural South Carolina. During this time, Rodriguez built a shopping center in an impoverished empowerment zone community. He also developed eight apartment complexes catering to low-income families and elderly individuals and has set aside housing units for homeless individuals. In addition to his many efforts, Rodriguez takes time to develop an annual Christmas basketball tournament to give kids something constructive to do during their long holiday break.

* Cheri Thompson, of Orangeburg, has devoted her time, energy, heart and money to her mission of giving children a chance to create peace within their hearts. Thompson's program, The Healing Species, is a violence prevention and compassion outreach program that uses animals to teach children the value of life, empathy, conflict resolution and critical thinking. With the help of five full-time employees, Thompson's 12-week program has helped more than 4,000 children.

* Adam Weiner, of Hartsville, helps troubled youngsters through his unique, non-profit organization, Puck's Theater. Puck's Theater encourages kids to use the dramatic arts to explain their frustrations, torments and dreams through words. The kids Weiner helps are either referred to him through the legal system, attend the local alternative school or are kids from special programs in regular schools. So far, Weiner has helped more than 4,000 kids find words to express themselves.

Once the public vote concludes, the top three vote getters in the categories of safety, quality of life and environment will be named finalists. Then, a panel of distinguished judges -- including Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Caroline Kennedy, Maya Lin, Paul Newman, Dr. Sally Ride, Val Kilmer, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and previous Volvo for life Awards top winners -- will select winners in each category. Winners receive a $50,000 charitable contribution from Volvo; remaining finalists receive a $25,000 contribution.

On April 4, 2007, Volvo will fly the winning heroes to New York, where Volvo and members of the celebrity-judging panel will honor them at the 5th Annual Volvo for life Awards Ceremony. At the climax of the ceremony, Volvo will reveal which of the three top heroes is also the Grand Award winner of a Volvo vehicle every three years for the rest of his or her life.

"Over the past five years the Volvo for life Awards initiative has received more than 15,000 hero nominations," said Anne Belec, president and chief executive officer of Volvo Cars of North America. "All of these heroes demonstrate incredible conscience, care and character. Having the public help us select the winning heroes is a truly exciting -- and democratic -- addition to this year's program."

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Family-Friendly Atlas From Rand McNally Eases Travel Planning, Helps Entertain and...  
SKOKIE, Ill., /PRNewswire/ -- Every parent dreams of a fun, relaxing, road trip with kids who are engaged and excited to explore the land they're navigating. That dream will come one step closer to reality with Rand McNally's new Family Adventure Guide & Interstate Atlas, a road atlas in every way designed to help families plan stress-free vacations and keep children entertained along the way.

The Family Adventure Guide features 85 pages of easy-to-read interstate maps dotted with family-friendly locations, as well as engaging car games to occupy kids. The Guide also includes atlas activities -- such as its "Road Maps for Rug Rats" and "Travel Unplugged" sections -- that make learning about maps and geography fun for children and parents alike.

"More and more families are opting for road travel because it's cheaper and more flexible, but keeping kids occupied in the car can be a challenge," said Laurie Borman, editorial director of Rand McNally. "The Family Adventure Guide lets everyone get involved in the trip, so they can enjoy the journey as much as the destination."

Sweepstakes Offers Chance to Win a Disney Family Vacation

According to Rand McNally's Great American Road Trip Survey, conducted this year in honor of the company's 150th anniversary, Disney Parks are the No. 1 destination choice for family vacations. So, as an added bonus, families who pick up a Family Adventure Guide have a chance to win a magical vacation for four to Walt Disney World(R) Resort or Disneyland(R) Resort. Each Guide comes with a magic code that lets the purchaser enter to win Rand McNally's Magical Family Vacation Sweepstakes. Participants simply enter their magic code online and wave the magic wand to see how many sweepstakes entries they get .

Every entrant will be in luck, because bound inside each Rand McNally Family Adventure Guide is a free Pocket Guide to Disney Parks. This pocket guide contains a wealth of information for visitors to the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, including 50 must-see attractions, insider tips, bargains and recommended splurges, and useful facts such as park hours, ticket information and Disney phone numbers.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Away in a Ranger  
Transporting extra luggage on the car this Christmas could have just become easier.

Thule, the worlds largest manufacturer of vehicle roof systems, roof boxes and accessories, has an answer with their newly launched roof box, The Ranger.

The Thule Ranger is a new generation of roof box, which not only offers a large storage space, but can also be collapsed and stored away.

Development of the Ranger has involved extensive consumer testing, and the result is a strong, water resistant, soft box that is as easy to mount as it is to remove.

When placed on the roof, the Ranger offers 340 litres of load space, but when not in use, it folds down into a special bag - just 120 cm in length, so can easily be stored away in a cupboard, wardrobe or wherever there is a little free space.

Peter Barker, Marketing Manager at Thule said "The Ranger's design makes it the perfect solution for people who need the extra luggage capacity that a roof box provides, but have nowhere to store a box when it is not on the roof of the car. The Ranger is perfect for those trips away at Christmas time as it can be folded neatly into a narrow bag, which can be stowed away during the rest of the year when it's not needed."

As with all Thule products, The Ranger has been tested according to European quality standards and has a five year warranty.

Source : http://www.newcarnet.co.uk (11/21/2006)

IMI campaign to recognise ‘ethical competence’  
A campaign by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), to encourage skilled individuals has been joined by the Engineering Council UK (ECUK), of which the IMI is a licensed member.One thousand members of the IMI have now gained the internationally recognised title of Engineering Technician (EngTech), their names being added to the ECUK Register of Engineers.

The Institute’s “Proud to be professional” campaign, launched at this year’s Motor Show, aimed to raise awareness of the importance of ‘ethical competence’ in delivering long term business success. The Engineering Council (ECUK) regulates the engineering profession in the UK and represents the interests of UK engineers internationally. Its mission is to set and maintain standards of professional competence and ethics for engineers, technologists and technicians and license institutions deemed competent to promote and uphold these standards.

Commented Sarah Sillars, IMI chief executive: “Achieving pride through the recognition of individual professionalism is at the heart of our campaign to raise standards and improve public perceptions. The IMI’s association with ECUK gives power to our elbow and we are delighted at the response from our technical members who have sought this additional status.”

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Pontiac has introduced musical talent search  
DETROIT — Pontiac has what it calls its "biggest music promotion ever": a nationwide musical talent search called "Countdown to 1."

The winning artist or band will play in the Pontiac Garage in New York's Times Square during the annual New Year's Eve celebration.

"This is a great opportunity for musicians to be seen on television without having to be insulted by a British guy in a tight shirt," said Jimmy Kimmel in a thinly veiled reference to Simon Cowell, the caustic judge on American Idol.

Unsigned bands will be able to upload an MP3 track to the "Countdown to 1" Web site. A short essay must also be submitted on why the band should be selected. Bands can also submit a video, although Pontiac says the video will not be used in the judges' final decision. Pontiac personnel and Jimmy Kimmel staff will do the judging.

Those who just want a shot at the seats on New Year's Eve can also participate in the contest. From now until December 15, fans can visit the Web site to enter a contest to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to the Big Apple on New Year's Eve.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/21/2006)

Tuner Special: Brabus Rocket Blasts CLS to 730 HP  
BOTTROP, Germany — We see the term "world's fastest" bandied about with increasing frequency. But when the press release comes from Mercedes tuning specialist Brabus, we tend to sit up and read a little more closely.

Brabus most recently is claiming the title of "world's fastest street-legal sedan" for its Rocket, based on the Mercedes CLS. Earlier this year, the Brabus team set the mark at 362.4 km/h (225.2 mph), then eclipsed their own record in mid-October at the Nardò high-speed test track in Southern Italy, nudging the bar to 365.7 km/h (227.2 mph).

To refresh your memory, the Rocket boasts a twin-turbocharged Brabus SV12 6.3-liter engine under the hood, refitted with new cams, crank and forged pistons, as well as a high-performance stainless-steel exhaust system with low-back-pressure metal catalytic converters.

The SV12 churns out 730 horsepower, while torque is electronically limited to 811 pound-feet.

If you choose to buy the street-legal Rocket, Brabus has also governed the top speed to a mere 350 km/h (217.5 mph), although owners can take some comfort in knowing that zero to 60 mph is achieved in less than 4.0 seconds.

For more information, see the Brabus Web site.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/21/2006)

Daihatsu Exhibits New Vehicles at Auto China 2006  
DAIHATSU MOTOR CO., LTD. (Daihatsu) is exhibiting the D-01 prototype, which is scheduled to go on sale in mid-2007, and other vehicles at Auto China 2006 (Beijing Motor Show). The motor show will continue to November 27th at the China International Exhibition Center and the National Agricultural Exhibition Center.

Daihatsu concluded a technology licensing agreement with China FAW Group Corporation in October of last year and will start production of a new compact multi-purpose passenger car in Jilin City, Jilin Province in mid-2007. Full-scale sales of the new vehicle will be conducted in partnership with China FAW Group under the Daihatsu brand name.

In addition to the D-01 new compact multi-purpose passenger car prototype, the HVS hybrid sports car, the Be-go SUV, and the Copen roadster is also on display at the motor show.

Daihatsu will emphasize the appeal and fun of compact cars as well as their environmental performance and advanced technologies.

D-01 Prototype The D-01 is a new compact multi-purpose passenger car designed to meet the diversifying needs and expectations towards compact vehicles of users in the Chinese market in a wide range of applications from day-to-day use to leisure. Daihatsu will display two versions of the D-01 at the Beijing Motor Show-a unique cross-over version (photo) and a stylish sporty version.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Car cos want to keep 'defects' secret  
For almost three years, the major automakers have shipped voluminous data to US federal traffic-safety regulators: 8m consumer complaints, 138m warranty claims and 5m field reports on product malfunctions. Its part of an “early warning reporting” program Congress set up to prevent a new Firestone tire-failure scandal.

General Motors, Ford Motor, DaimlerChrysler and other German and Japanese manufacturers have argued this information should be kept strictly confidential. And officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have agreed, despite protests and court challenges from public safety groups saying it should be made public.

Late last month, the highway-safety administration proposed the latest in a series of rulemakings over the confidentiality of those millions of documents. It did so on the orders of a federal judge, who accused the agency earlier this year of pulling a “switcheroo” by deleting from an earlier draft a presumption that the data would be available to the public.

The tug-of-war over disclosure is intense because millions of dollars, and many lives, may be at stake. In the Firestone debacle, the company said it would recall 10m tires as tread separations and other failures were linked to at least 271 deaths.

Many of the accidents came after rollovers by Firestone, equipped Ford Explorers. Ford ended up doing a substantial redesign of the popular sport-utility vehicle. Both companies faced massive legal bills from resulting lawsuits, and their reputations took a beating.

“What manufacturers are afraid of is not cases already filed, but people mining for trends to file class-action suits” if the data are made public, said Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, which has worked for plaintiff lawyers.

Automakers have campaigned through their trade group in Washington, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, to keep the quarterly reports classified as “confidential business information”. “This is all information that is unsubstantiated and submitted to the manufacturer,” said Robert Strassburger, vice-president of vehicle safety for the alliance. He argued the data are “competitively sensitive”.

The alliance told the federal agency in ’02 that it would cost auto manufacturers $52.5m to set up the early warning system and $10m a year to maintain it. The traffic-safety agency says the new information is worth collecting, even if only its investigators see it.

“It is serving the purpose Congress intended — putting vital information in the hands of our defects investigators,” said Rae Tyson, a spokesman. Still, the agency said it has opened about the same number of defect investigations in the five years since Congress passed the early warning system than it did in the five previous years. That suggests the new data haven’t had an extraordinary impact.

Businesses filing information with public safety agencies often ask for exemptions from disclosure under terms of the Freedom of Information Act and agencies have different policies on granting them. In the case of the traffic-safety administration, some of this sensitive information would become public when the agency reaches a certain stage in a defect investigation.

In originally agreeing in ’03 to keep the data secret, the agency said it worried that if it were made public, companies might stop collecting the information, or they might avoid making repairs to keep claim numbers down. In other words, the agency said it weighed the importance of public disclosure against the agency’s need for the information in conducting investigations and serving consumers.

That conclusion caused uproar among auto-safety advocates, who said public access to the database would result in problems being spotted earlier and less dependence on the traffic-safety administration.

Public Citizen sued in ’04. The Washington-based public interest group, headed by former NHTSA director Joan Claybrook, complained the agency didn’t allow enough time for proper notice and comment on the rule deciding the data be kept from the public.

The group also claimed the final rule was markedly different from the earlier proposal. It said the draft led Public Citizen to believe that the information would be presumed to be public unless the traffic-safety agency kept it secret. Instead, the agency granted whole classes of information confidentiality.

In March, US District Judge Richard Leon ruled the agency would have to try again because there was no “logical outgrowth” between its proposal and what it finally decided to do. “The final rule was not only the direct opposite of the proposed rule but the agency pulled a ‘switcheroo’ in completely removing the presumption label as to early warning reporting data,” the court’s opinion said.

The latest version, proposed October 31, is essentially a repeat of its initial final rule. In addition, it said the agency had tentatively concluded that the last six digits of a 17-digit vehicle identification number on death and injury reports should be withheld to protect the privacy of consumers.

The agency repeated its argument that public release of the four classes of information “will cause substantial competitive harm and will impair the government’s ability to obtain this information in the future”. “This secrecy makes no sense,” said Claybrook, who added Congress intended that the information be made public.

“NHTSA has dragged this out for years. It may take a hearing in the Democratic Congress to probe the delays and force some disclosure.” In the meantime, the Rubber Manufacturers Association, a trade group that represents Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Michelin North America, Bridgestone Americas Holding, the successor to Firestone, and other major tire makers, is taking an even more absolute position on disclosure in another court case.

The group argues that even reports of deaths and injuries and property damage, all now in the public domain, be kept confidential.

Source : Economic Times (11/22/2006)

Ultra Motors plans electric 3-wheeler venture  
New Delhi: UK-based Ultra Motors, which is all set to roll out electric bikes in India in a tie-up with the Hero Group starting January, now plans to enter the electric three-wheelers and higher-powered two-wheelers category as well.

"We will be investing towards entering these new categories and would be looking to tap this segment by the middle of next year," Deba Ghoshal, Director - Marketing, Ultra Motors said.

The company plans similar alliances for these categories as the one it has with Hero Motors for the electric bikes.

In the meantime, the Ultra Motors-Hero Group alliance has charted out aggressive plans for its foray into the electric bikes segment.

Ultra Motors is providing the electric kits to Hero, which will assemble the bikes at its manufacturing plant after adding the necessary mechanicals and plastics.

"We will be setting up about 100 outlets for sales, with 46-47 outlets in the first six months. We will start with North India and aim to be present in 16-17 towns across the country by the end of the year," Ghoshal said.

The company hopes to sell about one lakh bikes, priced between Rs 13,000 and Rs 24,000, in the first year itself.

Interestingly, Ultra expects a bulk of its sales to come from the institutional segment, especially courier services and office complexes.

It is also looking at roping in electric battery manufacturers to set up charging stations for consumers.

Currently about 10 electric bike brands are available in the country, with Electrotherm in Gujarat and Ace Motors in Pune being the major manufacturers. Both firms have launched electric two-wheelers in their respective markets by importing the battery kits and assembling the final product.

The electric vehicle technology has already found acceptance in the three-wheeler space in India with a number of players announcing their entry. Internationally, while electric cars have found a higher degree of acceptance, in India the only player present in the category is the Bangalore-based Reva.

Source : sify.com (11/22/2006)

Tyre Giant Ready for Production  
Continental AG, an automotive components maker and supplier, said it is entering the endgame of a 200 million euro (US$256 million) investment to start making high performance tyres in China.

"We are making the final decision of the destination between two Chinese cities for passenger- and light-duty truck-use tyres production," said Manfred Wennemer, chief executive officer and chairman of the executive board of Continental during his visit to Auto China 2006 in Beijing.

The CEO refused to disclose the names of the cities.

Wennemer also said after manufacturing tyres here, his company plans to open 100 retail stores in the country by 2007.

"The distribution of our tyres will be combined with franchised and wholly owned stores," Wennemer said.

China has been the world's biggest rubber consumer for the past two years, with annual consumption exceeding 3.1 million tons. The strongest demand for rubber resulted from strong domestic tyre consumption.

Statistics from the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association show domestic tyre production volume hit 300 million units last year, 19 percent higher than in 2004. Sales revenues hit over 79 billion yuan (US$10 billion), the best performance in the past 10 years, and a 29 percent increase from 2004.

Since entering the China market in 2002, Continental has had a very slim market share in the tyre market through its dealerships in 10 coastal provinces.

In China, "we only provide tyres for replacement for high-end imported vehicles which come from our global OEM (original equipment manufacture) partners like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche," Wennemer said.

He added that the company is dealing with its latecomer status in the market. "We are ready to invest here to establish the Continental brand in the China tyre market," Wennemer said.

The Hanover-based company achieved a growth rate of 20 percent last year in China through its automotive system and non-tyre rubber business ContiTech. "We are confident we can continue this figure, excluding the added 200 million euros (US$256 million) investment," Wennemer said.

Among the world's top three tyre manufacturers, Japan's Bridgestone established its first China foothold in 1999, France's Michelin in 1989 and the US's Goodyear in 1994.

Since 2002, Continental has invested 25 million euros (US$32 million) in China, establishing 13 facilities in nine provinces and regions.

Through the acquisition of Motorola's global auto electronics business last year, Continental raised its investments in China from 3.5 million euros (US$4.49 million) in 2004 to 16.9 million euros (US$21.66 million).

According to Wennemer, due to these acquisitions, from 2000 to 2005, Continental has "no money to invest in China. However, due to the profitable turnover, now we attach importance to China."

Source : http://www.china.org.cn (11/21/2006)

Mazda's BT-50: Stout looking new truck goes 'zoom-zoom' everywhere but here  
The Mazda BT-50, first seen earlier this year at the Bangkok Auto Show, is Mazda's latest offering for the global truck market. Although the Japanese 'zoom-zoom' purveyor is better known for roadsters and rotary engines, it has been running a successful truck business on the side for quite a few years. Since production first began in the mid-60s, Mazda has sold over 3 million B-Series trucks worldwide.

For 2007, the global B-Series makes way for the all-new BT-50, which is just launching in Europe. The BT moniker stands for B-Series Truck, which is designed to pay homage to the truck's heritage while foregoing the old style of naming the truck after the engine's displacement.

BT-50 is a midsize truck slightly smaller than the Nissan Frontier. The European model is powered by a new 2.5-liter common-rail diesel engine that puts out 141 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. The engine's output is supplied to either the rear or all four wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. 2WD/4WD switching is handled by a robust transfer case.

The BT-50's wheelbase remains the same as the outgoing model at 118 inches for a 4WD model, with the overall length increasing by about three inches to nearly 200 inches total. Width of 2WD models goes up about three-quarters of an inch to 67.5 inches, while 4WD models grow four inches to 71.1 inches.

The BT-50's interior all new and similar to those found in its cars. An MP3-capable stereo system is standard. The Freedom, which features four center-opening doors, and the full four door Double cab models get optional front side airbags. A regular cab, two-door model is also available.

The BT-50 will be going on sale across the world in 2007. Prices will vary by market and country, but comparable North American trucks like the Frontier or Toyota Tacoma sell in a price range that starts in the high-teens and reaches the high-20s. No plans exist to sell the BT-50 in North America, but considering the automaker's floundering, Ranger-based B-Series truck it sells here, it would be a welcome addition to the Mazda lineup. Of course, a gas engine would have to be developed for the BT-50 to make it stateside.

While it's not sure how much zoom this truck would have in the U.S., it certainly seems to have more than enough oomph for Mazda's European and Asian customers.

Source : http://www.motortrend.com (11/21/2006)

Hybrid sales poor in China  
Pollution is a big problem in China's biggest cities and the government is increasing taxes on less economical cars. However, sales of hybrid engine vehicles have been extremely disappointing. Prius sales are currently running at around 100 a month, or less than half the rate required to meet the annual goal. The poor showing suggests that energy conservation is not a priority among China's newly rich consumers. The difficulties in China also may reflect the contradictions between the government's goals regarding fuel-efficiency and some of its policies.

"There's no incentive, monetary or social," said Yoshimi Inaba, an executive vice president of Toyota and its top executive in China, during an interview at the Beijing auto show. "We think it's a long-term investment."

Despite the weak demand, Toyota plans to bring more hybrids to China as part of its overall plan to sell a million hybrids annually in the next decade. Other automakers such as General Motors Corp. also want to offer hybrids in China. GM expects to start producing a hybrid model with its Shanghai-based venture partner SAIC Motor in 2008. Toyota is in talks with Chinese government officials about establishing incentives to encourage consumers to buy cars with fuel-saving technologies.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Beijing Wrap: China Shows Its Take on Performance  
BEIJING — Chinese automakers are no longer solely relying on foreign partners for inspiration and technology as they develop increasingly more sophisticated performance and sport models for production.

Of course, some Chinese firms don't have foreign partners — and some Chinese designs aren't so sophisticated. But a clear step in that direction emerged at the latest Beijing auto show.

Dongfeng Motor (DFM, formerly Second Auto Works) has five different foreign affiliates but is only now beginning to develop some passenger cars under its own auspices. Its initial effort is a near clone of the previous-generation Hyundai Tiburon, painted a striking yellow and bearing the rather unglamorous designation EQ7240BP.

The DFM coupe is powered by an SOHC 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 134 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. DFM claims a top speed of 118 mph.

Perhaps its most distinguishing characteristic lies under the rear hatch: a strange bellows-like device that inflates when the hatch is lifted. Its technical purpose is not clear, but its aesthetic appeal is minimal. No production plans have been specified.

BYD, the neophyte automaker and offspring of the giant cell-phone-battery maker of the same name, turned out a retractable-hardtop model dubbed the F8 with a face that is a shameless rip-off of Mercedes-Benz.

The two-plus-two coupe/convertible features a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 130 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque. Manual and automatic transmission versions are to be produced. BYD projects a top speed of 112 mph and 0-60-mph acceleration in less than 14 seconds.

BYD wants to begin selling the F8 next year, with prices starting at around $25,000.

Not to get BMW enthusiasts too excited, but the new M3 made its debut at the Beijing show — that is, the new Zhonghua M3 from Brilliance Auto, which just happens to be partnered with the German automaker in China but also builds cars under its own brand.

In fact, the production version of the M3 is likely to carry a Chinese name, much like its earlier counterparts, the M1 and M2 sedans, did when they reached production. The M3 reportedly boasts a 1.8-liter turbo under the hood and is said to have a top speed of 137 mph.

Brilliance hopes to put the M3 into dealerships by 2008. No price has been mentioned.

Chery wowed show-goers in Shanghai last year with its Pininfarina-designed coupe/convertible, the M14. This year in Beijing, the automaker followed up with a sleek coupe from Torino Design, the Fulwin II. Rumored for production in 2008-'09 in both hardtop and convertible variants, the Fulwin II has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 107 hp and 106 lb-ft of torque.

One of the more appealing sports concepts at the show was the S1, a coupe crafted by the Shanghai office of FAW Haima, a joint venture between one of China's largest automakers and Mazda. FAW would not own up to using Mazda mechanicals under the skin, but the car looks virtually production-ready.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/20/2006)

Experts Choose The Best Cars In Canada  
It is to the car industry what the Oscars are to films.

But instead of best picture, the top awards are courtesy of the best pickers.

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada has come out with its annual choices of the best cars in this country for the coming year.

How important are their decisions? Consider how much influence a good review has on the box office success of a movie and you'll get some idea the weight a thumbs up from these so-called ink (or in this case oil) stained wretches can carry.

So what do the people who cover the car industry pick as the best autos in 13 separate categories?

If you're looking to buy a new model, you might want to pay attention. Because good words from these guys can lead to more interest from consumers and longer waits for delivery of that shiny new vehicle.

Source : http://www.citynews.ca (11/21/2006)

IIHS 2007 Top Safety Pick Award Winners  
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announces 13 vehicles that earn TOP SAFETY PICK awards for 2007. Winners include 4 cars, 7 SUVs, and 2 minivans. This award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on ratings in Institute tests. Winners also have to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC).

Vehicles eligible to win are current small, midsize, and large car models plus minivans and small and midsize SUVs. Pickups aren't included in this round of awards because the Institute hasn't begun to evaluate their side crashworthiness.

"Our crash tests cover the most common kinds of real-world collisions," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "Designating TOP SAFETY PICK winners based on the tests makes it easier for consumers to identify vehicles that afford the best overall protection without sifting through multiple sets of comparative test results."

Tougher criteria to win: The Institute rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. The first requirement for a vehicle to become a TOP SAFETY PICK is to earn good ratings in all three Institute tests.

A new requirement for 2007 is that the winning vehicles must offer ESC. This addition is based on Institute research indicating that ESC significantly reduces crash risk, especially the risk of fatal single-vehicle crashes, by helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles during emergency maneuvers.

"The idea of tightening the criteria for the award is to encourage more vehicle safety improvements," Lund says. "Last year a car could win with an acceptable rating in the rear test instead of the highest rating of good, and ESC wasn't considered. Now it's tougher to win, and some of the 2006 winners don't meet the criteria for this year's award because the manufacturers haven't improved the head restraints from acceptable to good or don't offer ESC."

In particular, the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego, large family cars, are good crash test performers but don't have ESC, even optional. The midsize Chevrolet Malibu doesn't have ESC either, and its seat/head restraints aren't rated good. These cars won in 2006 but not 2007.

No small cars won this year's award. The four-door Honda Civic won last year, but most 2007 Civics don't have ESC. Those that do don't have seat/head restraints rated good for rear crash protection.

Each year the Institute offers to test early the vehicles that manufacturers think will be candidates to win TOP SAFETY PICK. All current car and minivan models plus small and midsize SUVs are eligible. Three of the 13 winning vehicles for 2007 are from Honda, including an Acura SUV. Three winners are Subarus.

Vehicle size and type are factored in: TOP SAFETY PICK is awarded by vehicle size because size and weight are closely related, and both influence how well occupants will be protected in serious crashes. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford better protection in crashes than smaller, lighter ones.

"The awards recognize the cream of the crop for safety in the vehicle size classes, but they don't mean a smaller vehicle that's an award winner affords better protection than a larger vehicle that didn't win TOP SAFETY PICK," Lund points out.

Automakers heed ratings and make changes to win: Crash tests have driven major improvements in the designs of all kinds and sizes of passenger vehicles. The Institute began frontal crash tests for consumer information in 1995. Side tests were added in 2003, and the following year a dynamic test to evaluate rear crash protection was introduced. Most vehicles now earn good ratings in the Institute's frontal test, but significant differences still are apparent in the performances of vehicles in side and rear crashes.

Some manufacturers improved their vehicles specifically to earn TOP SAFETY PICK awards. Audi redesigned the seat/head restraints in the A4 and A6 to improve performance in the Institute's rear test. Subaru accelerated plans to offer ESC on some versions of the Forester and Legacy.

"But ESC isn't on every version of these two Subarus. Initially it's only on the sporty or pricier models. It's disappointing that Subaru didn't add ESC across the board," Lund says. The company plans to expand ESC availability later.

Other vehicles are in the process of being changed to earn TOP SAFETY PICK status. For example, Ford will add ESC to 2008 Freestyles, so when this SUV is introduced next year it will qualify. Automakers also have been adding standard side airbags with head protection, even though government regulations don't require them. All 2007 TOP SAFETY PICK winners have standard side airbags.

Seventeen other vehicles would have won 2007 awards if they had good seat/head restraint designs. Toyota could have claimed nine TOP SAFETY PICK awards, including three Lexus winners. Honda could have picked up four additional awards, including one for an Acura.

"Protection in rear crashes is an area where many vehicles lag behind in safety," Lund notes. "As manufacturers continue to improve seat/head restraints, we expect to see more winners."

SUVs qualify for 2007: SUVs weren't eligible to win in 2006 because the Institute hadn't evaluated the side crashworthiness of many of them. Now more SUVs have been rated, and 2007 winners reflect the safety improvements manufacturers have been making to these vehicles.

"In the past SUVs, especially the smaller ones, weren't good safety choices compared with cars," Lund explains. "Many SUVs didn't earn good ratings in our crash tests, and on the road they were more likely than cars to get in serious single-vehicle crashes, including rollovers, because of their higher centers of gravity. Newer SUVs perform better in crash tests and, when equipped with ESC, are much less likely to roll over. All but one of the seven SUVs that win our 2007 TOP SAFETY PICK have ESC as standard equipment."

Recent Institute research found that ESC reduces the risk of serious crashes involving both SUVs and cars. The largest effect is in single-vehicle crashes, which were reduced 40 percent with the addition of ESC. Fatal single-vehicle crashes went down 56 percent, and fatal rollovers of cars and SUVs were reduced by about 80 percent.

How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of frontal offset crash tests at 40 mph. Each vehicle's overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures from a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Each vehicle's overall side evaluation is based on performance in a crash test in which the side of the vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph that represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the impact. Injury measures obtained from the two dummies, one in the driver seat and the other in the back seat behind the driver, are used to determine the likelihood that a driver and/or passenger in a real-world crash would have sustained serious injury. The movements and contacts of the dummies' heads during the crash also are evaluated. Structural performance is based on measurements indicating the amount of B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry - the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seats with good or acceptable restraint geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can't be positioned to protect many people.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Horses To Spare: H&R Creates Audi HS650 Nardo  
ESSEN, Germany — German suspension specialist H&R Springs is hosting a special guest on its stand at the annual fall show here: the Hohenester HS650 Nardo.

The Gaimersheim-based tuning house works on various Volkswagen Group marques but has a special affinity for Audis. It shows in the HS650 Nardo, which is being billed as the world's fastest A4. (Of course, it's fitted with H&R coil-over shocks.)

Alfons Hohenester has blowtorched the 3.0-liter V6 with the addition of twin turbochargers, jacking output to 650 horsepower and torque to 531 pound-feet. The HS650 Nardo bursts from zero to 60 mph in less than 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 214 mph.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/20/2006)

GlobalAutoIndustry.com and KOWIN/Chery Automotive Sign Agreement at Beijing Auto  
GlobalAutoIndustry.com, the leading worldwide portal and intelligence source for the automotive industry, and Shanghai KOWIN Automotive Components Co., Ltd, the global sourcing division of Chery Automotive Co., signed an agreement to create the world's largest B2B automotive sourcing portal. The portal will allow automotive industry buyers and sellers worldwide to interact and do commercial transactions online.

The companies signed the formal working agreement at an official signing ceremony and press conference today, during the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing, China. The companies also announced the name of the portal, "GlobalAutoSourcing." The portal can be visited at www.GlobalAutoSourcing.com. Representatives from all three companies were present at the signing.

"Partnering with KOWIN/Chery puts us in a unique position in the automotive world today. Through this portal, we will be able to put global buyers in contact with the high-quality, OEM grade Chinese suppliers they are looking for," states Michael DaMour, Sr. VP Global Business Development of GlobalAutoIndustry.com. "Working with KOWIN and their parent company, Chery Automotive, will not only guarantee access to top quality suppliers in China but also provide a high amount of support and value in China's booming automotive industry. And through the value-added activities, we will also be attracting and helping those Chinese suppliers to invest in the United States as well as other parts of the world."

The B2B automotive sourcing portal will initially give global automotive buyers access to thousands of qualified Chinese suppliers and will soon expand to include more Chinese suppliers as well as suppliers from several other low cost countries.

"The automotive industry globally is undergoing a profound revolution. Sourcing from emerging markets, especially China, has become imperative for most players in mature automotive markets. But the reality is, there are tens of thousands suppliers in China, with big differences in terms of quality and service capability, which creates big challenges for those global buyers to find the appropriate suppliers in China," states Mr. Kevin Chen, CEO of Shanghai KOWIN Automotive Components Co., Ltd. "Since KOWIN/Chery has a deep understanding of the Chinese automotive supply market and auto sourcing in China, the portal will accelerate the sourcing process from China."

The portal will allow global buyers and sellers to interact and do commercial transactions online and post the information they need to do these transactions (RFQ's, specs, drawings, parts catalogues, etc.). Among the many features, it will also provide information management and emailing capabilities, web meeting capability, security, 24-hour help desk, buyer and seller database, and automotive related information. The portal will also offer numerous value-added activities and "offline" activities such as training, certification, and purchasing events. It will also promote business between China/US and around the world.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Auto Glass Technicians Volley for Title of 'World's Best' Auto Glass Technician in National Competition  
Twenty-nine of the best auto glass technicians gathered for the second annual Auto Glass Technician Contest (the "Olympics" of Auto Glass Replacement), held November 1-3, 2006 in Las Vegas and three emerged victorious. Robert (Rob) Grace of Cindy Rowe Auto Glass, Harrisburg, PA., has won the gold medal first place, Carl Sorrels of Northwest Windshield in Walla Walla, WA placed second and Jason Horne of Cindy Rowe Auto Glass took third.

Grace was awarded a $5,000 cash prize, gold medal, large trophy and the coveted title of "World's Best Auto Glass Technician." Sorrels and Horne received cash prizes as well as silver and bronze medals respectively. The event is co-sponsored by Auto Glass Repair and Replacement (AGRR) magazine, the largest auto glass magazine in the world and the Independent Glass Association.

The Auto Glass Technician Olympics is a highly competitive, three-day competition that requires contestants to compete against other regional champions from around the nation. During the event, each competitor installs a windshield on a car in accordance with the industry's Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards Council (AGRSS) Standard 002-2002. Competitors demonstrate their skills 'live' in front of an audience and the scrutiny of the four event judges. After completing a full windshield replacement in the preliminary round, four finalists went on to remove and reinstall a backlite.

Scoring was based on the AGRSS Standard and comprised of 10 sections. Those sections provided in-depth detail into each step a technician would take in a standard replacement installation. Each technician started with a perfect score of 110 points. Judges then deducted points when technicians missed steps, safety items or techniques.

"We were so pleased to see the professionalism of the winners," stated Holly Biller event director of the Auto Glass Technician Competition. "The entire competition is about education and having the technicians learn from one another as well as educate the common consumer. Rob was a prime example of how utilizing the AGRSS Standard will ensure a safe and top-quality installation," said Biller.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Monaco Coach Corporation to Receive Prestigious RVDA Quality Circle Award for Deale...  
COBURG, Ore., /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Monaco Coach Corporation , one of the nation's leading manufacturers of recreational vehicles, will receive the prestigious and highly coveted 2006 Quality Circle Award from the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), in a special ceremony at the 44th Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky., on November 27, 2006.

Monaco Coach Corporation is one of only four manufacturers to be awarded this honor that recognizes top performing manufacturers according to RVDA's annual Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey.

"These RV manufacturers demonstrate consistently high performance in the opinion of their dealers," said RVDA Chairman of the Board Jim Shields of Pan-Pacific RV Centers in French Camp, Calif.

RV dealers use the DSI to confidentially rate their manufacturers' performance in four major categories: sales support, product competitiveness, service/warranty/support and management.

"We are extremely pleased to receive this honor, as it comes directly from our dealer partners over a wide spectrum of performance categories," said Monaco Coach Corporation CEO and Chairman Kay Toolson. "We are very proud of all our employees for making this recognition possible. Looking ahead to 2007, we will continue to strive to deliver this outstanding level of service and quality products, and strengthen the partnership with our dealers through continued improvement in all areas of the Company."

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

TRW Engineered Fasteners & Components Opens New Plant in Langfang, China  
LANGFANG, China, -- TRW Automotive's Engineered Fasteners & Components business today officially opened a new plant in Langfang, China. TRW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. , will manufacture interior components such as air registers and center bezels.

Located 60 kilometers from Beijing, the new facility joins TRW's well- established operations of braking products and engine components in the area. The 6,900 square meters of operating space will initially be equipped with up to 20 injection molding machines, with the potential to increase this number to 50 by mid-2008. The plant is expected to employ up to 100 people by the end of 2007.

Edwin Schulze, general manager, TRW Engineered Fasteners & Components, China, commented: "This is a key step in developing our presence in China to support domestic and international vehicle manufacturers in this market."

Since the establishment of a fastening system plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province in 1998, the Engineered Fasteners business has developed a diverse customer base and steadily increased its market share. The Langfang plant reflects TRW's long-term expansion strategy in the growing Chinese market, and is intent on serving more customers in a greater geographic area.

Schulze added: "We are delighted to host our costumer base in China and the Langfang government officials who supported the project to celebrate the opening of this facility. They are not only TRW customers, but also partners in our relentless pursuit of superior quality and value. This plant, as with all TRW manufacturing facilities around the world, will be dedicated to excellence, innovation and growth."

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/20/2006)

H-racer Named a 'Best Invention of 2006' By TIME Magazine  
The H-racer, the world's smallest hydrogen fuel cell car developed by Horizon Fuel Cell, was named as one of the best inventions of the year by TIME magazine, in recognition of the company's innovative approach to taking hydrogen fuel cells into the mass market.

"It may be years before you can buy a Chevy powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Tired of waiting, Shanghai-based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies decided to design and market the H-racer, a 6-in.-long toy car that does what Detroit still can't," TIME wrote in its review of the H-racer. The H-racer was selected from the hundreds of inventions from around the world reviewed by TIME.

Horizon Fuel Cell is expected to announce the delivery of fuel cell solutions to several other industries in the coming months, and will continue to launch more innovations into the market.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Drive Safer Sunday Garners Support from Senators Chambliss, Isakson and Governor Perdue  
Road Safe America and the brothers of Sigma Chi will host U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, a University of Georgia and Sigma Chi alumnus, as they campaign to raise awareness for Drive Safer Sunday. Road Safe America will bring its Annual Drive Safer Sunday message "Buckle-Up • Slow Down • Stay Alert" to the University of Georgia campus on Saturday, November 25th.

Road Safe America promotes Drive Safer Sunday as a reminder to drivers returning from the holiday break to take extra precautions on the busiest travel day of the year - the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

On November 25, from noon to kick-off of the University of Georgia vs. Georgia Tech football game, Road Safe America will partner with the brothers of the Sigma Chi Fraternity in Athens, Georgia to distribute Drive Safer Sunday information and giveaways to fans from the front yard of the Sigma Chi house located at 590 S. Lumpkin.

U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. introduced and passed a Senate resolution on November 16 to designate Sunday, November 26, 2006, as "Drive Safer Sunday." Governor Sonny Perdue also issued a statewide proclamation designating the same day as "Drive Safer Sunday" in Georgia.

Road Safe America will air public service announcements on Georgia radio stations throughout the week leading up to Drive Safer Sunday. Senators Chambliss and Isakson also produced a Drive Safer Sunday public service announcement, which was distributed to television stations and cable networks throughout Georgia.

Road Safe America was co-founded by Steve and Susan Owings after they lost their 22-year-old son, Cullum, in a crash on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. In 2002, Cullum and his brother Pierce were returning to Washington and Lee University after a visit home for the holidays. A few miles from campus, the boys were struck from behind by a tractor-trailer speeding on cruise control - on the busiest traffic day of the year. Pierce survived; Cullum died before rescuers could free him from the wreckage.

In addition, Road Safe America has joined with trucking industry executives to petition the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to require speed governors set at 68 miles per hour for tractor-trailers. Road Safe America also works to promote safe driving habits for passenger and truck drivers.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

MicroTRAKgps Passes Stringent Standards of Jaguar and Landrover  
DALLAS--MicroTRAKgps, a division of The Tracking Corporation, a provider of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology solutions, today announces that Jaguar and Landrover has approved a Parts Submission Warrant (PSW) submitted on the MicroTRAKgps theft recovery system. This was the final step in the consent process to facilitate the launching of a new GPS theft recovery product line that will bear the prestigious name of the automotive manufacturer, which will be on sales soon.

The Parts Submission Warrant provided thorough documentation on the MicroTRAKgps system and included the certification tests, process flow diagrams, general assembly technical specifications and requirements, bill of materials, production quality plan, design verification plans, warranty agreements, and product samples. Because of the thoroughness of the PSW and the quality of the MicroTRAKgps theft recovery system, approval for the PSW was granted in less than a week. The automotive manufacturer's Accessory Manager commented on the excellence of the submission and the superior quality of the product which expedited the Product Approval. The launch of the new accessory theft recovery and tracking product will happen within the next two weeks.

"This has been a long, laborious process that has been met with enthusiasm from our dedicated staff. I am proud of our team of specialists and the amount of effort that has been put forth to present an exceptional product that the automotive manufacturer feels comfortable in attaching their name to. The introduction of this new product line will happen upon receipt of the purchase order. At that time we will be able to announce the manufacturer's name - a name that is synonymous with quality performance. MicroTRAKgps is proud to have been endorsed by such a reputable manufacturer," says Jerry Grisaffi, CEO of The Tracking Corporation.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Winter's Right Around the Corner ... Are You Prepared?  
NORTHBROOK, Ill., / -- A recent survey commissioned by the Car Care Council found 70 percent of people admitted to not winterizing their vehicle. In fact, AAA estimates vehicle breakdowns top 5 million during the winter holiday season alone. Winter is right around the corner which may mean snow, ice and dangerous driving conditions are on their way as well.

"I learned how to drive in the Midwest, famous for some of the most extreme winter weather conditions," said Danica Patrick, IndyCar(R) Series sensation. "This taught me that harsh weather can be very hard on a car. You're risking a breakdown if you don't take the time to prepare your vehicle for the winter, even if you don't have your own pit crew."

Basic guidelines to follow for keeping your car running smoothly during winter include:

1. Check your antifreeze. Without adequate antifreeze, your car's engine, radiator and hoses are not suitably protected from freezing.

2. Prepare an emergency kit. Pack a flashlight, jumper cables, tire chains and tool kit. Also, throw a heavy bag of sand in the trunk. In the event that the road is too icy, the extra weight will help you get better traction.

3. Check your battery! Harsh weather can cut a battery's life in half so make sure to check it before the weather hits.

4. Change your wipers. Check for signs of cracking or tearing and replace if there is evidence of streaking or smearing. If you live in an area with severe weather conditions, consider specialized winter wiper blades made to withstand the harshest of conditions.

5. Keep tires at the proper pressure. Having a tire gauge is very inexpensive and easy to keep in your glove box. This is just like checking the tires on your bike, except you don't have to do the pumping. Also consider specialized winter tires if you live in an area that suffers from extreme winter weather.

6. Keep the gas tank at least half full. This is important to prevent gas lines from freezing.

Most people mistakenly believe they need their local mechanic to prepare their car for the changing season. It can be done at home easily by choosing the right products. And, it can help save time and money.

"For nearly 60 years, the PEAK(R) brand has been trusted by millions of consumers worldwide to deliver maximum performance at reasonable prices. We are constantly talking with our consumers to develop products that meet their needs," said Josh Russell, PEAK Antifreeze, Brand Manager. "Our research shows that consumers are time-starved and looking for products that offer them convenience, vehicle flexibility and long-lasting protection and performance."

PEAK offers a variety of antifreeze options to meet different needs. PEAK Global(R) LifeTime(R) is the first and only antifreeze backed by a LifeTime Guarantee that's good for as long as you own the vehicle -- when installed with a complete flush and fill. PEAK Long Life(R) provides 150,000 Mile/5 Year extended life protection, and can be used for all makes and models -- regardless of make, model, age, or original antifreeze color. And PEAK Ready Use(R), still the nation's number one selling pre-diluted conventional green coolant, provides 24,000 mile/2 Year protection -- packaged in a 50/50 blend that's ready-to-use for easy top off.

Additional versatile products include Mr. Clean(TM) Premium Windshield Wash, which conveniently de-bugs and de-ices so it can be used during all seasons. Adding de-icing fluid is so easy, you can fill your washer fluid year-round in a garage, parking lot, or just about anywhere. The advanced rubber technology of Mr. Clean(TM) Premium Wiper Blades delivers super-clean, super-quiet wiping in all types of weather conditions. By taking these simple steps, you can keep your car on the road and out of the garage this winter season.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Los Angeles Auto Show Celebrates Centennial With a Record 35 World and North.  
LOS ANGELES, -- Since its inception in 1907, the Los Angeles Auto Show has grown from 99 cars inside a skating rink into a major international event showcasing 1,000 of the newest vehicles from manufacturers. A record 35 vehicles will make their World or North American debut on press days Nov. 29 and 30, the most ever in the 100-year history of the show. And of that number, 21 are World debuts, with seven being concept cars. When the show opens to the public Dec. 1-10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, it will be the first major show of the North American season.

The show is being held one month earlier than in previous years to avoid perennially conflicting with the Detroit auto show. This enables automakers to stage more debuts and to increase their participation, thereby elevating the importance of the LA show within the automobile industry, particularly to journalists, and provide consumers with a better overall experience.

"This will be the best LA Auto Show ever," states Andy Fuzesi, general manager of the LA Auto Show. "This is a new beginning with our new dates and increased commitment from manufacturers and everyone is anticipating even better things in the future."

Cutting-edge design has been a growing emphasis at the LA Auto Show and with 15 manufacturer design studios, the LA region is a world design center. This year a record seven concept vehicles will make their World debut at the show. Four of them -- Acura, Honda, Hyundai and Mazda -- were designed by their LA-based advanced design studios. In addition to these four, exciting concepts from Ford, Volkswagen and a second one from Honda, are all expected to be forward-thinking expressions of new design directions for their brands.

The show presents a broad variety of production makes and models from 47 manufacturers. Visitors can view everything from subcompacts to full-size cars, pickups to crossovers and sports cars to minivans. There's something to suit every need, dream and budget.

Two- and four-door passenger cars come in such a diversity of designs, features and technological advances, that narrowing the choice to just one is difficult. The Lexus 460L is so advanced that it parallel parks itself while the Chrysler Sebring has a multimedia hard drive capable of storing music, movies and photos. Volvo tosses tradition aside and comes to Los Angeles with its nimble new C30 three-door hatchback.

Sporty, edgy and powerful are the mantra of many automakers. And this being LA, there is no shortage of sports cars making their debut, like the new Audi R8 premium performance coupe and the stylish and sophisticated V8 Vantage roadster from Aston Martin. For the truly exotic, there are the powerful Ferrari 599, lightweight Lotus Exige S and the new Murcielago LP640 Roadster from Lamborghini.

Individuals searching for vehicles with more space will discover the range of SUVs, pickups and crossovers to their liking. BMW unveils its redesigned luxurious X5, Buick enters the luxury crossover category with the all-new Enclave and Ford introduces its completely redesigned Escape. From across the pond, Land Rover rolls out its rugged LR2 SUV that strikes a balance between luxury and off-road capability.

Hybrids continue to grow in popularity and the technology is increasingly being adapted into full-size vehicles to help lower emissions while increasing fuel efficiency. For example, General Motors will introduce the GMC Yukon Hybrid and Ford weighs in with a hybrid version of its Escape. Alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ethanol are also gaining momentum. BMW is one such company at the fore of hydrogen technology and will debut its Hydrogen 7 at the show.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/20/2006)

Chevron's Lubricants University Introduces "Automotive Grease" and "Industrial Grease" courses  
Chevron's Lubricants University, an educational website, is introducing two new courses, "Automotive Grease" and "Industrial Grease," as part of its course catalog. The two modules are self-study, web-based programs designed for maintenance professionals and industrial end users interested in expanding their knowledge of proper grease use and formulations.

The "Automotive Grease" course provides information on how grease products differ in terms of performance, base oil, additives and thickener types. In addition, the module offers an overview of automotive grease, examines lubrication performance specifications and looks at automotive grease products currently in use. The course increases awareness of the specialized automotive greases designed to meet the requirements of highway automobiles and trucks, as well as off-road wheel and track vehicles.

The "Industrial Grease" course covers the appropriate quantity, re-greasing intervals, and product selection for proper lubrication in industrial applications. The course also describes how to successfully implement industrial greasing programs in such applications as electric motors, pumps and conveyors, and pins and bushings found in cranes and other manufacturing equipment. "Industrial Greases" addresses these issues and also provides an understanding of what grease is, performance specifications, industrial grease products and the correct application of industrial lubrication.

"Significant financial loss due to equipment failure and associated downtime is a major consequence of improper greasing," said John Geyer, Grease Marketing Manager, Chevron Products Company. "Because of this, it is critical to understand the importance of proper grease-related lubrication and maintenance practices. Knowledge is the key to both minimizing grease problems and maximizing grease efficiency. These two new Lubricants University courses are a prime example of cost and time effective training that can result in noticeable improvements in maintenance practices and equipment reliability."

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/21/2006)

Sneak Peek: Porsche Teases '08 Cayenne  
ZUFFENHAUSEN, Germany — Amid all the hoopla surrounding Porsche's purported takeover of Volkswagen, the sports-car maker has quietly sent out a teaser photo of its face-lifted 2008 Cayenne, due to hit the streets next spring.

Cayenne sales have cooled considerably in the past year, so the company elected to pull the launch of the '08 model ahead in an attempt to rekindle the ardor of performance SUV buyers — if, in fact, there are many left out there.

Good thing, since a full ground-up overhaul isn't slated before 2010 at the earliest.

The official teaser shot was taken at night, but with a little Photoshop work, we've managed to tease out a few more details of our own, including revamped grilles and headlamps.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/21/2006)

Fine wine, classic cars... and Captain Slow  
If you've been getting James May withdrawal symptoms with Top Gear off the air (who hasn't?), you'll be glad to hear that the shaggy-haired one is making a typically leisurely return to your screens.

Tomorrow night sees the start of Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure on BBC2. In one of his toughest journalistic assignments yet, our very own Captain Slow has been meandering around France with shiny-pated wine guru Oz Clarke, sampling reds, whites and everything in between on his way.

If that all sounds a bit slow-fermenting for a petrolhead like yourself, fear not: James somehow laid his hands on a 1989 Jaguar XJ-S convertible for the journey.

As he explains in his exclusive Top Gear column, he'd always wanted one - and what better excuse than a gentle potter around la campagne?

But, inevitably, things didn't quite go to plan for James. You'll have to read his blow-by-blow account of it to get the full story, but suffice to say that the chop-top Jag didn't make it back across the Channel at the end of the series.

Anyhow, we'll be watching closely as James sniffs, snorts and swills grape juice - mainly so we can nous moquer de lui next time we see him. If you want to join us, Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure starts tomorrow night at 8pm on BBC2.

Source : http://www.topgear.com (11/21/2006)

GKN in talks with Visteon on buying Swansea and other plants  
GKN plc announced on 17 November that it has entered into exclusive discussions with Visteon Corporation to explore the possible acquisition of certain Visteon assets and liabilities in its European and South American businesses. These relate exclusively to Visteon's driveline business which is conducted at the plants in Düren, Germany, Praszka, Poland, and Swansea, Wales. Driveline assets at Visteon’s Arbor plant, Sao Paulo, Brazil are also included. Total revenue of these businesses is approximately £200 million.

GKN said “a further announcement will be made regarding this possible transaction when appropriate”. The local South Wales press reported that Welsh National Assembly Enterprise Minster Andrew Davies said a purchase could be completed by early December. Visteon’s plant at Jersey Marine, a former washing machine factory, employs 570 staff.

Visteon announced last week it was putting the Swansea plant up for sale.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Shivam Auto debuts at Rs 171.10  
The shares of Shivam Autotech made its debut at Rs 171.10 on the BSE. The share price touched an intra-day high of Rs 281 and low of Rs 161. The shares ended at Rs 257.10. The shares got listed in the B1 category on the BSE. The company was incorporated after the demerger of the Binola Unit of Munjal Auto Industries Ltd (MAIL), which is engaged in manufacturing gearbox components involving forging and machining. Post the demerger, the company had allotted one equity share of Rs 10 each for every 2 equity shares of Rs 10 each, held in MAIL.

Source : Business Line (Online Edition) (11/21/2006)

Lotus awarded far east contract  
Lotus Engineering will become the lead development consultant for Jinhua Youngman Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Youngman)

Lotus Engineering will work with Youngman to launch a new range of cars under a new brand name over the next five years.

Youngman is a leading domestic commercial vehicle manufacturer and recently secured a licence from the Chinese authorities to produce passenger vehicles.

Youngman's senior management has plans for their new brand in the domestic and export market and plans to have a full four-strong range of models in place within five years of the first launch.

Lotus Engineering is one of only a few global engineering businesses that have the skills and expertise to manage turnkey, full vehicle engineering programmes from concept to production and is one of only two consultancy companies that also design, develop, manufacture and sell their own cars to a global customer base.

Development work on the first model for the new car producer, a four-door saloon, is due to start early in 2007 and will be carried out at Lotus Engineering's Hethel headquarters and at its other engineering centres around the world. It is expected that the development of further new models will lead to a range of cars.

Lotus Engineering is working with a number of clients in the fast-expanding Chinese and Indian markets. It opened a dedicated Chinese office three years ago and is planning on opening a similar office to serve clients in India in the next six months.

As well as establishing an engineering centre in China, Lotus Engineering has a major European Technical Centre at its Hethel, UK headquarters dedicated to the Chinese automotive industry.

Source : http://www.newcarnet.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Maruti eyes markets in Africa, South Asia  
Maruti is now looking at a number of markets in Africa and South Asia which have traditionally been used-car strongholds for Japanese opponents, reports Economic Times.

The list includes markets like Algeria, Sri Lanka, Chile, Sudan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Nepal.

Maruti`s aggressive drive to convert these used-car markets into new car export destinations has resulted in completely changing its export mix from the earlier all-European profile.

Maruti`s estimated 40,000 unit exports this fiscal will be entirely to non-European markets which are used-car strongholds for Toyota and Honda. Top of the list is Algeria which is likely to hit 9,850 units this year, up from 6,638 units last year and a mere 782 units in FY02.

As regards Chile and Morocco, the first moved from 697 units in `01-02 to 3,115 units last year and will hit nearly 6,000 units this year. The second has gone from 101 units last year to 2,273 units this fiscal. It is the same for fellow African markets, Sudan and Egypt.

Europe, which contributed 32,740 units out of 48,899 in `04-05, is now down to zero. Non-European countries on the other hand have grown from 4,857 units in `01-02 to 23,696 last year and nearly 40,000 units this fiscal.

Algeria, Egypt, Nepal and Bhutan have banned used-car imports. Others like Kenya, Mauritius and Chile have imposed age and location restrictions on used-car imports. All that has helped the company`s new car exports, sources said.

Source : myiris.com (11/22/2006)

Sales of Foreign Luxury Cars Run at Full Throttle in China  
Sales of luxury cars are booming in China and the world's top luxury automakers see China as an increasingly important market.

At the ongoing Beijing Auto Show, organizers set aside 4,000 square meter of space for luxury cars, where top brands, including Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Spyker, are showcasing their new models.

On the second day of the show, a Rolls-Royce Phantom on display was bought for 6.6 million yuan (825,000 U.S. dollars) and a Bentley Arnage Mulliner sold for 6.48 million yuan, the Beijing Morning Post reported Tuesday.

Last year Bentley sold 64 cars on Chinese mainland market, 30 of which were Bentley Arnage models, with the minimum price 3.88 million yuan.

Statistics show that Land Rover, Jaguar and BMW also experienced surging sales in China in 2005. Jaguar said that sales in China rose by 220 percent in 2005 over the previous year. Land Rover sold 1,415 vehicles in the Chinese market, up 107 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, China has become the fastest growing market for BMW, which sold 23,595 cars in the country, up 52.4 percent.

China imports more than 100,000 cars every year, most of which are cost more than US$40,000, according to customs figures.

Imports reached 147,000 cars, valued at US$4.84 billion, for the first eight months this year, up 56.1 percent and 71.8 percent respectively from the same period of 2005. The rise in unit price shows that luxury cars are now a key import sector.

Analysts say every year top brands, like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, sell 20 percent of their output in Asia, with China being the most buoyant market.

Some luxury automakers, including Daimler Chrysler, BMW, Audi and Volvo, have set up assembly lines in the country in order to take advantage of lower production costs.

Volvo CEO Fredrik Arp predicts that five years from now the Chinese market for luxury cars will develop to the point that sales will be growing at an annual average rate of 60 percent.

Sales of luxury sports cars are booming in China and the country is expected to be Ferrari's fifth or sixth largest market within three to five years, said Mirko Pietro Bordiga, general manager of Ferrari China.

It is estimated that only five percent of the Chinese can currently afford private cars, but that translates into 65 million people given the huge population.

Vehicle sales are expected to reach seven million in 2006, including four million sedans and 320,000 luxury vehicles.

Source : http://www.china.org.cn (11/21/2006)

Increased European powertrain modularisation predicted  
According to Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Vijayendra Rao, the European market for powertrain modules and systems will experience considerable growth by 2012 as vehicle manufacturers shift their sourcing strategy from the component level to subsystems and complete systems. The primary reasons for this are considered to be reduction in costs of labour, assembly, inventory and the common development of new technologies with suppliers.

Almost 65 percent of vehicles in Europe have exhaust systems being outsourced as subsystems or complete systems to suppliers. In the future, a shift in preference from subsystems to complete exhaust systems is expected. Accordingly, the market size, pegged at 11.6 million units in 2005, is expected to rise to over 20.5 million units by 2012.

About 77 percent of diesel vehicles in Europe are equipped with outsourced complete injection systems and this percentage is likely to surge to about 98 per cent by 2012, with a market size of approximately 10.6 million units. Meanwhile, complete injection systems outsourcing for gasoline engines is likely to rise towards 2009/2010 with the increased penetration of gasoline direct injection systems.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

TVR special edition  
TVR is set to celebrate its 60th birthday with a limited run of 60 cars with a 600bhp engine. Based on the Tuscan, the new supercar is expected to be called Typhoon. The car is set to be unveiled at next March's Geneva Motor Show and will use a supercharged version of the company's own 4.0-litre six-cylinder Speed Six engine. The Typhoon will also come with lightweight body panels made from carbon fibre to further its performance potential. It is thought that the car will be capable of more than 200mph and 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds.

The Typhoon is the first TVR to have been designed by computer to refine its chassis and aerodynamics. The Typhoon is also set to be one of the first TVRs built at the company's new European factory with engines supplied from its Blackpool base. TVR is yet to confirm where its new factory will be.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

THINK safety campaign wins award  
The Department for Transport's THINK! road safety campaign has won a National Business Award for its work on teen road safety. It took the Marketing Strategy of the Year award for use of insight, innovation and effectiveness in developing its shocking camera-phone ads focused on under-20s.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Nissan signs deal with Microsoft  
Nissan has signed a comprehensive relationship with Microsoft, through the software company's Digital Advertising Solutions program. The deal gives Nissan a broad presence in Microsoft portals and platforms, and access to Microsoft brain trust to develop unique programs for the automaker.

The expanded advertising deal also gives Nissan access to Microsoft content developers, strategists and subject matters experts to aide in Nissan's ability to reach its target consumers. According to Microsoft, the MSN network alone reaches some 465 million consumers worldwide monthly. It will also get access to targeted marketing channels like search advertising on Microsoft adCenter, behavioral targeting, and pilot advertising programs within Windows Mobile and Office Live. Finally, Nissan and Infiniti dealerships will be highlighted in Windows Live Local maps.

However, Nissan isn't entirely abandoning traditional media. Nissan marketing chief Jan Thompson reportedly said, at an Automotive News marketing seminar in LA this summer, that TV would get less media dollars. Nissan, which spent over a billion dollars in measured media last year between its two auto brands, has also created similar strategic relationships with Yahoo and Google.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

GM lays foundation stone for Talegaon plant  
General Motors Corporation on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for its second plant in the country at Talegaon near Pune to manufacture mini car Chevrolet Spark and said the plant would also manufacture several other cars in the segment from its global portfolio of small cars.

The company is also looking at the possibility of establishing a power train facility for its vehicles for which it is looking at several options, the GM group Vice-President and President, Asia Pacific, Mr Nick Reilly, told reporters here indicating that investments for the facility would be in the range of $300-400 million.

Establishing presence

Giving a clear indication of the country's growing importance in the group's global game plan, Mr Reilly said, "The facility at Talegaon represents a key component of GM's global strategy of establishing a strong presence in high-growth emerging markets around the world. We believe that to remain a global industry leader tomorrow just as we are today we must be a leader in places like Russia, South Africa, China and of course India.

With the exception of China, where GM has built a major presence in a few years, we don't expect any single market anywhere in the world to grow faster over the coming decade than India. That is why we have invested about $750 million in this country," he said.

The $300-million Talegaon facility is expected to go into production in the first quarter of 2008 and will manufacture 1,40,000 minis beginning mid-2002, and will more than double the company's capacity in India to 2,20,000 .

"We are serious about being a strong competitor in the Indian automobile market and want to get at least a 10 per cent share by 2010," Mr Reilly said. "The Chevrolet mini-car and other products we build in Talegaon will be among our latest products offered anywhere in the world," he added.

Mini-car segment

The group, meanwhile, is also focusing globally on increasing its presence in the mini-car segment in other emerging markets, according to Mr Reilly, who said that market shares in Asia are currently at 7 per cent without participating in the Japanese market where it has only offerings such as the Cadillac and Saab.

"We intend to grow our offerings in the Japanese market slowly," Mr Reilly said, adding that the mini-car segment is a rapidly-growing market in places like East Europe, Latin America and Africa.

Meanwhile, General Motors India is in the process of a Rs 100-crore expansion project to take up capacities from the current 65,000 units annually to 85,000 units, according to its President and Managing Director, Mr Rajeev Chaba. "We have been hampered in growth due to the absence of a mini car in our portfolio and with the Spark we can compete for increased market shares," Mr Chaba said.

Power train facility

"Even at very conservative estimates, 70 per cent of the market for cars in India is in this segment and it represents a million cars," he pointed out. "The mini-car segment in India can be broken up into at least three sub-segments beginning with entry segment, and our priority will be to focus on all of these once the Spark rolls out," he said, adding that it will roll out in the under 1.2 litre category. GM India hopes to sell 50,000 cars in 2006, he added.

Meanwhile, the company's power train facility plans seems to be picking up speed with a decision likely to be made on the project within six months, said Mr Reilly. "We would like to be developing power trains for our vehicles in petrol and diesel, and are looking for a local source for the same," he said, adding that the company has several options in mind for locating the facility.

Mr Reilly also said that the Pune region and India could prove to be a strategic location for sourcing components for the group's Asia Pacific requirements. The group already sources approximately $1 billion components from Korea and China, where it has manufacturing facilities, he pointed out, saying that India also has a similar strength in its large component manufacturing community.

Source : Business Line (Online Edition) (11/21/2006)

H-racer Named a 'Best Invention of 2006' By TIME Magazine  
SHANGHAI, -- The H-racer, the world's smallest hydrogen fuel cell car developed by Horizon Fuel Cell, was named as one of the best inventions of the year by TIME magazine, in recognition of the company's innovative approach to taking hydrogen fuel cells into the mass market.

"It may be years before you can buy a Chevy powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Tired of waiting, Shanghai-based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies decided to design and market the H-racer, a 6-in.-long toy car that does what Detroit still can't," TIME wrote in its review of the H-racer. The H-racer was selected from the hundreds of inventions from around the world reviewed by TIME.

Horizon Fuel Cell is expected to announce the delivery of fuel cell solutions to several other industries in the coming months, and will continue to launch more innovations into the market.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Tiff in the clear  
Tiff Needell fought the law and Tiff won.

The ex-racing driver and presenter of some obscure telly programme was in court in Wales on a speeding offence.

However, the Pontypridd magistrates said the case would be dismissed because Tiff, who failed to make any impact in his brief Formula One stint, had given 'consistent and truthful' evidence.

Tiff was represented by Nick Freeman, better known as Mr Loophole because of his ability to get celebrities off driving charges.

Best known for a crash involving F1 champion Nigel Mansell, Tiff denied he ever received the original notice of intended prosecution from the police for the alleged speeding offence.

Afterwards, Tiff said: "I find it insulting to my character to suggest I didn't deal with the letter when it arrived."

It's not yet clear whether Tiff will be appearing in panto this Christmas.

Source : http://www.topgear.com (11/21/2006)

The 214mph Audi A4  
Why does everyone want to turn the poor Audi A4 supersonic?

Audi already offers the slightly unhinged S iteration, boasting a 4.2-litre V8 that puts out 339bhp and propels the A4 to 60mph in just under six seconds.

And if you need to go even quicker, there's always the frankly deranged RS4, which develops a massive 414bhp from the same engine and hits 60 in under five seconds.

More? You want more? You'll have to go to Germany then. Audi tuning specialist Alfons Hohenester has rustled up this: the Hohenester HS650 Nardo.

OK, so the name makes it sound like an electro-pop synthesiser, but there's nothing cheesy about the performance.

This modified A4 is fitted with a three-litre twin-turbo V6, which will see it to 62mph in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 214mph. It'll also develop 650bhp when it's spinning at 7,200rpm.

The A4 has race-tuned suspension and modified aerodynamics to keep it on the road at such silly speeds, but we like the fact that - if you took the gaudy stickers off at least - it looks more or less stock.

Rock up to the lights in it and you'd barely get a second glance. At least not until you hit a speed bump and landed in France...

Source : http://www.topgear.com (11/21/2006)

Lotus Engineering is awarded key contract in China  
UK automotive engineering specialists, Lotus Engineering, will become the lead engineering and development consultant for Jinhua Youngman Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Youngman) which is launching a new range of cars under a new brand name over the next five years.

Youngman is a leading domestic commercial vehicle manufacturer and recently secured a licence from the Chinese authorities to produce passenger vehicles. Youngman's senior management has plans for their new brand in the domestic and export market and plans to have a full four-strong range of models in place within five years of the first launch.

Lotus Engineering is one of only a few global engineering businesses that have the skills and expertise to manage turnkey, full vehicle engineering programmes from concept to production and is one of only two consultancy companies that also design, develop, manufacture and sell their own cars to a global customer base.

Development work on the first model for the new car producer, a four-door saloon, is due to start early in 2007 and will be carried out at Lotus Engineering's Hethel headquarters and at its other engineering centres around the world. It is expected that the development of further new models will lead to a range of cars.

Lotus Engineering is working with a number of clients in the fast-expanding Chinese and Indian markets. It opened a dedicated Chinese office three years ago and is planning on opening a similar office to serve clients in India in the next six months. As well as establishing an engineering centre in China, Lotus Engineering has a major European Technical Centre at its Hethel, UK headquarters dedicated to the Chinese automotive industry.

Source : http://www.autoindustry.co.uk (11/21/2006)

Report: Bricklin Drops Chinese Import Plan  
NEW YORK — After nearly two years of hype — and apparently hyperbole — American auto entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin says his Visionary Vehicles won't import Chinese Chery cars to the U.S. after all.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Bricklin had claimed he was ready to import about 250,000 Chery-made cars to the U.S. in 2007, in a lineup that would eventually swell to 20 models. But the timetable was postponed twice, and most recently he said the first vehicles wouldn't hit U.S. shores until 2008.

Bricklin, who was previously known as the man who brought the problem-plagued Yugo to America, now says his company will come up with its own vehicles and find a Chinese automaker to build them. Apparently Chery is in the running for that task, along with FAW Group and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC).

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/20/2006)

Sir Richard Branson is putting his lease payment where his mouth is.  
In October he pledged to invest $3 billion over 10 years to fight global warming, and as part of that effort, he took the keys to a Saab 9-5 BioPower on Friday.

"I am convinced that biofuels are the way forward, both for the car and aviation industries, which is a vision we share with Saab," he said.

The Saab flex-fuel car runs on bioethanol E85, a renewable fuel source which actually gives the 9-5 a performance benefit. The car's 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes 310 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque when it runs on E85, compared with 260 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque when it runs on gasoline.

Branson's Virgin Fuels has already invested in bioethanol production and will conduct research and development into alternative fuels. Sir Richard's new car will carry the Virgin Fuels and Saab BioPower logos.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/20/2006)

IIHS: Foreign Brands Move to Top of '07 Safety List  
ARLINGTON, Va. — Thirteen cars and trucks from foreign manufacturers — including the Kia Sedona and Hyundai Entourage — won Top Safety Pick honors for 2007 models from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Some of the 2006 winners didn't meet the criteria "because the manufacturers haven't improved the head restraints from acceptable to good or don't offer ESC (electronic stability control)," said Adrian Lund, institute president. Among the vehicles that won in 2006 but were shut out this year are the Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego and Chevrolet Malibu.

The winners included models of the Audi A6 built in December 2006 and later, Audi A4, Saab 9-3, Subaru Legacy with optional ESC, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Volvo XC90, Acura RDX, Honda Pilot, Subaru B9 Tribeca, Honda CR-V and the Subaru Forester equipped with optional ESC.

No small cars won this year's award. The four-door Honda Civic won last year, but most 2007 Civics don't have ESC, the institute noted. And foreign brands dominated the list, but so did cheaper ones; the insurers gave the highest rating to seven vehicles under $30,000, including the Kia Sedona and the Hyundai Entourage.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/21/2006)

Supermarket Speedster: Kleemann Revs Up With R50K  
FARUM, Denmark — Kleemann, the Danish tuner that specializes in Mercedes-Benz products, has good news for fans of the big-bodied R-Class.

Kleemann knows all about how to tease more performance from Mercedes vehicles, even Stuttgart's rather pedestrian people mover. The company offers an engine boost for the R500's V8, to 455 horsepower and 431 pound-feet of torque; similar enhancements for the six-cylinder R350 are forthcoming.

Kleemann wheels in sizes up to 20 inches are available for the R-Class, along with high-performance brakes with vented, cross-drilled discs and monoblock calipers. An electronic body-lowering kit is offered on vehicles equipped with the Airmatic suspension.

For more information, see the Kleemann Web site.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com (11/21/2006)

Skoda Auto at the International Automobile Salon Skoda in Beijing  
Skoda Auto is officially presenting the Octavia model designed for the Chinese market at the International Automobile Salon in Beijing. In addition to the current range of products, visitors to the Automobile Salon will also have the opportunity to discover the Skoda history and traditions of over one hundred years.

In addition to the Octavia, Skoda Auto will also be presenting further models from the current production program including the Roomster, Octavia vRS, Octavia Scout, and Superb L&K. The Yeti design study will be on display to demonstrate Skoda’s future development plans, as will the classic Skoda Superb 3000 as part of Skoda’s heritage.

The cooperation contract between Skoda Auto and Shanghai Volkswagen was signed on 11th April 2005. Work commenced in March 2006 with the official development of the sales and service organisation of SVW Skoda. The start of production of the Octavia is the next step to establish the Skoda brand on the growing Chinese market and will commence in early 2007 in Shanghai followed at a later date by the production of the Fabia and Superb model ranges.

Three model ranges of the Skoda brand (Fabia, Octavia, and Superb) will be produced in the factories of Shanghai Volkswagen for the local markets. The sales, service and customer care will be provided through the exclusive Skoda dealer network which is currently being developed.

Detlef Wittig, Chairman of the Board of Skoda Auto, said “We regard China as being one of the strategic markets fro the future development of the Skoda brand. With the official presentation of the Octavia model and with the pending production start, a new position for the Skoda brand in China is being created.”

The licensed production in China is a component of Skoda’s ongoing growth strategy, complementing existing assembly projects in the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India and, in the near future, Russia. The implementation of this growth strategy, including vehicle production in China, is an important step on the path towards establishing Skoda as a high volume international manufacturer.

In 2006 Skoda plans to supply more than 530,000 vehicles to customers in over 90 markets worldwide, continuing the brand’s impressive growth trend seen during the past year. This result means Skoda will once again set new standards for the brand by exceeding existing company sales records.

Source : http://www.easier.com (11/21/2006)

Pollution-ridden Beijing unveils auto show  
Pollution levels in Beijing may have reached hazardous levels, but China's love of the car continues as the popularity of the Beijing auto show proves.

Under pressure to clear the skies before the 2008 Olympics, China has pledged to cut emissions which are currently running at the highest level that can be recorded.

But with one of the world's fastest growing car markets, the pledge looks set to be a tough battle.

This year alone more than 7 million cars have been sold in China. Before long, the Chinese car market will rank second after the US, putting Japan in third place.

And at the Beijing auto show, where up to 500,000 visitors are expected, China's new middle class seek to leave their communist past behind and embrace the trappings of modern life - even if the consequences for the planet are dire.

Jason Li from the China Automobile Association explains the lure of the car: "It symbolises freedom, it symbolises success, it symbolises the growing development of China," he says.

"It symbolises China taking its rightful place in the world."

One of the visitors to the auto show, 27-year-old Zhang Lin, said: "It means we are getting closer to these luxury cars and it opens our eyes. We common people normally don't have the chance to see these cars, but now we may have a try."

Source : http://www.channel4.com (11/21/2006)

Iran eyes China's auto expertise  
LONDON, - Iranian ambassador to Beijing, Javad Mansouri, expressed his country's readiness to cooperate with Chinese officials in the field of automobile production. Mansouri was speaking to foreign reporters at Iran Khodro's pavilion at the Ninth China International Auto Exhibition, IRNA reported.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to boost industrial cooperation with China, particularly in the auto manufacturing industry," he said. Noting the deep-rooted ties between Tehran and Beijing and their vast experience in the car manufacturing business, he said that "auto manufacturers of Iran and China, with their considerable experience, can pave the way for expansion of mutual relations through exchange of expertise".

The ambassador also expressed Iran's readiness to hold an exhibition of Chinese cars in Tehran and pave the way for participation of Chinese car producers in Iran's auto manufacturing sector.

He praised Iran Khodro's efforts to design and produce a national car, Samand, and hoped it would reach greater heights of achievement by attending international auto exhibitions.

Meanwhile, the managing director of Iran Khodro Industrial Group, Manouchehr Manteqi, said that the credit of designing and producing the national car (Samand) belonged to officials of Iran's auto manufacturing industry.

"Samand, which is currently on display at the Beijing exhibition, is an outcome of the wisdom and capability of the Iranian nation in the field of car production," he said. He hoped Iran and China would be able to boost their bilateral cooperation in the auto manufacturing industry.

The exhibition opened in Beijing on Saturday and runs until November 27.

Source : http://www.iranmania.com (11/21/2006)

SORL Auto Parts Upgrade to NASDAQ Global Market  
ZHEJIANG, China, /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- SORL Auto Parts, Inc. , a leading manufacturer and distributor of commercial vehicle air brake valves as well as other auto parts in China, today announced that the NASDAQ Stock Market has approved the transfer of the Company's Common Stock listing from the NASDAQ Capital Market to the NASDAQ Global Market. The Company's common stock will commence trading on the NASDAQ Global Market at market open on November 21, 2006. The Company's trading symbol, "SORL" will not be affected by the transfer to the Global Market.

SORL Auto Parts' Chairman and CEO, Mr. Xiaoping Zhang, stated, "Our improved NASDAQ listing is in line with our objectives to continue to improve our fiscal performance while increasing our visibility as an industry leader in China. This significant upgrade in our listing, in light of having only been a NASDAQ-listed company since April of this year, is an accomplishment of which we are very proud."

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

Auto Glass Technicians Volley for Title of 'World's Best' Auto Glass Technician in...  
LAS VEGAS, PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-nine of the best auto glass technicians gathered for the second annual Auto Glass Technician Contest (the "Olympics" of Auto Glass Replacement), held November 1-3, 2006 in Las Vegas and three emerged victorious. Robert (Rob) Grace of Cindy Rowe Auto Glass, Harrisburg, PA., has won the gold medal first place, Carl Sorrels of Northwest Windshield in Walla Walla, WA placed second and Jason Horne of Cindy Rowe Auto Glass took third.

Grace was awarded a $5,000 cash prize, gold medal, large trophy and the coveted title of "World's Best Auto Glass Technician." Sorrels and Horne received cash prizes as well as silver and bronze medals respectively. The event is co-sponsored by Auto Glass Repair and Replacement (AGRR) magazine, the largest auto glass magazine in the world and the Independent Glass Association.

The Auto Glass Technician Olympics is a highly competitive, three-day competition that requires contestants to compete against other regional champions from around the nation. During the event, each competitor installs a windshield on a car in accordance with the industry's Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards Council (AGRSS) Standard 002-2002. Competitors demonstrate their skills 'live' in front of an audience and the scrutiny of the four event judges. After completing a full windshield replacement in the preliminary round, four finalists went on to remove and reinstall a backlite.

Scoring was based on the AGRSS Standard and comprised of 10 sections. Those sections provided in-depth detail into each step a technician would take in a standard replacement installation. Each technician started with a perfect score of 110 points. Judges then deducted points when technicians missed steps, safety items or techniques.

"We were so pleased to see the professionalism of the winners," stated Holly Biller event director of the Auto Glass Technician Competition. "The entire competition is about education and having the technicians learn from one another as well as educate the common consumer. Rob was a prime example of how utilizing the AGRSS Standard will ensure a safe and top-quality installation," said Biller.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

How to... drive in winter - Introduction  
You can cut the risks of driving in winter by reading our guide The nights are longer and it's getting colder. The great British weather will do its best to dump rain, sleet, hail and snow on the roads, making your trips longer and more dangerous.

On average, nine people die on UK roads every day, with roughly 50% of all reported road traffic accidents at night occurring in wet conditions. Take both those facts into account and it might appear that the best advice for winter motoring is to go out only if you have to, and stay put if the conditions get dangerous.

However, driving in less-than-perfect weather is part of everyday life for the UK motorist, so here's the What Car? guide to help keep you safe this winter - and what to do if the worst happens.

Source : http://www.whatcar.co.uk (11/21/2006)

2007 Honda CR-V and Pilot Earn Insurance Institute for Highway Safety TOP SAFETY...  
TORRANCE, Calif., /PRNewswire/ -- The all-new 2007 Honda CR-V, along with the 2007 Honda Pilot, were among seven SUVs to earn 2007 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK Awards. The annual award, given to SUVs for the first time this year, recognizes vehicles that perform best in protecting passengers in front, side and rear crashes, based on their ratings in the Institute's tests.

"Honda is honored that IIHS awarded their highest safety rating of 'TOP SAFETY PICK' to both the Pilot and the all-new CR-V, recognizing the advances Honda continues to make through our 'Safety for Everyone' commitment," said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Having both the CR-V and Pilot earn IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK awards demonstrates that mainstream and affordable Honda SUVs can achieve the highest levels of crash protection in these types of tests."

As part of Honda's "Safety for Everyone" initiative, all trim levels of the 2007 Honda CR-V and the 2007 Honda Pilot include side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor as standard equipment. These airbags further complement the vehicles' existing standard driver's and front passenger's airbags (SRS), front-side air bags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System and Vehicle Stability Assist(TM) (VSA(R)). In addition, the CR-V utilizes Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering(TM) (ACE(TM)) body structure.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/21/2006)

GEICO Consumer Alert: Be Watchful of Auto Theft and Accident Scams During the...  
WASHINGTON, / -- With the holiday season right around the corner, GEICO advises vehicle owners across the country to take precautions while driving and shopping to keep themselves and their autos safe.

"Auto theft and fraud perpetrators don't take time off during the holidays," said Seth Ingall, GEICO's vice president of claims. "People are more rushed and pre-occupied than ever, which is an ideal time for auto thieves and fraud artists to get busy, too."

With that in mind, GEICO recommends these steps to help reduce the chances your car will be targeted:

1) Never leave your car running or leave your keys in the car. In some states you can be ticketed for leaving your vehicle running while parked on the street. This also makes your car an easy target for thieves.

2) Beware of the parking lot scams. Some drivers will wave you out when backing out of a parking spot, only to run into your car as you do so. This is an easy way for them to falsify a claim.

3) Avoid leaving valuables and gifts inside your vehicle where passersby can see them. Thieves know that valuable presents will most likely be in you car around the holidays. So, keep your vehicle locked at all times, even while driving. Keep you shopping items in the trunk and out of sight if possible.

4) Be prepared for the winter weather. If you think the road conditions might be bad, allow extra time for your trip. You won't have to rush and you can concentrate on getting there safely.

5) If you need a tow. If you do get stuck in winter weather, and need to call your insurer for a tow truck, make sure the tow truck company is the one that your auto insurer sent for you.

Source : http://www.automotive.com (11/20/2006)