OIL PRICES Up again....
CNN MONEY BREAKING NEWS - - Oil prices jump after weekly energy report shows big decline in crude stockpiles. Gasoline inventory rises more than expected.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
New Zealand news 2006-12-27
| Racing series | WOO |
| Date | 2006-12-26 |
Craig Dollansky knew he had his work cut out for him on Tuesday night at Western Springs Speedway in his final start race of a four race stint in New Zealand.
Driving the Salter Cartage #7USA, the native of Elk River, Minnesota who finished a career best second in the World of Outlaws Championship point standings in 2006, lined up in the third row for the 20-lap Feature race on the tight quarter-mile. Having won three races on quarter-mile tracks during the Outlaws season, including at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway, Silver Dollar (Calif.), and Tri-State (Ind.) Speedway, Dollansky was more than ready for the challenge.
In preliminary action, Dollansky finished fifth in a tough second heat race, after lining up seventh. He followed that up with a commanding wire-to-wire win in the third heat of the night. By virtue of the points accumulated in these events, he started sixth in the finale.
In the feature, he passed Dean Brindle for the fifth spot on the third lap. He was up to third on the fifth lap, as he set his sights Allan Wakeling, an eight-time champion in New Zealand, as well as American Ricky Logan who started on the pole and led the first half of the race.
Dollansky got around Wakeling on the sixth circuit to move into second, as he chased down Logan. The pass for the lead and the win came on the 13th lap as Dollansky would hold off Logan and Wakeling, for his second win in New Zealand, in an event that took just over 7 ½ minutes to complete.
Dollansky, who has finished in the Top-five in World of Outlaws points three-straight seasons and five times in his career, also won at Western Springs Speedway on December 2. He backed that up with a third-place finish at the quarter-mile on December 10, and he also scored a fifth on December 17 at Powerbuilt Speedway in Christchurch.
Dollansky will now return home to prepare for a run at the World of Outlaws title in 2007. In 2006, he racked up an impressive six A-Feature wins, along with two preliminary feature triumphs, to go along with 33 Top-Five finishes in A-Feature competition.
The 2007 World of Outlaws season opens on February 9 at Volusia Speedway Park with the DIRTcar Nationals presented by Mopar Speed Shop.
-credit: woo
Car club president keeps AMCs revving
By Bill McCleery | bill.mccleery@indystar.com
Joe Fougerousse became interested in cars at an early age.
"I was mechanically inclined when I was young," said the 47-year-old Geist-area resident. "I used to take things apart all the time."
Fougerousse is president of the Hoosier AMC Club, a statewide club of car hobbyists. Members are loyal to cars made by American Motors Corp.
Fougerousse, a 1977 Mount Vernon High School graduate, started out driving Chevrolets but said he gradually converted to AMC products.
American Motors Corp. formed in 1954 as a merger between Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson car companies. During the 1960s, many of the company's cars were produced under the Rambler nameplate. In the 1970s and '80s, the company dropped the Rambler name as it produced such models as Gremlins, Hornets and Eagles.
The company went out of business in 1987. One of its brands, Jeep, survives as part of DaimlerChrysler Corp.
"I like AMCs because they're different," Fougerousse said. "Not everybody owns one. If I go to a car show, I'm usually the only one in an AMC."
Fougerousse is a muscle-car guy. His most prized cars are a green 1968 Rebel convertible, a yellow 1968 AMX and a red 1971 Javelin -- all with V8 power.
His wife, Debi, claims the Javelin as hers. "She comes out here and polishes on it all the time," Fougerousse said.
Debi Fougerousse serves on the board of directors of the AMC Club.
The Fougerousses have two daughters -- Dana McConnell, 23, and Deann Simmons, 21. Every year, they accompany their dad to a Father's Day car show in Noblesville.
A fellow club member said Fougerousse's role is important.
"He dedicates a lot of time to it," said Pete Vaughn, 41, rural Boone County. "(We all want) to see the cars get preserved. Plus it's like having another family. . . . It's a good hobby, and it's a good bunch of people."
For more information about the Hoosier AMC Club, visit the national AMC Web sites: the American Motors Owners Association at www.amonational.com or the National AMC Rambler Car Club at www.amcrc.com
Mercedes-Benz caught foul of Clean Air Act
Failing to notify the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about defects in the air pollution controls installed on numerous 1998 to 2006 Mercedes model vehicles has resulted in Mercedes-Benz USA and DaimlerChrysler AG having to pay $1.2 million in civil penalties. This was a violation of the Clean Air Act as auto manufacturers are required to promptly inform the EPA of defects in emission-related components so that the government can consider whether the defect will cause emission standards to be exceeded and whether a recall is necessary.
Since the EPA's investigation into the allegations commenced, Mercedes began voluntary recalls for two of the defects at issue and notified owners that it would extend the warranty coverage to address a third defect, at an estimated cost of about $59 million. The vehicles subject to the voluntary recalls and extended warranties have defective catalytic converters or defective air pumps. The voluntary recalls and extended warranty are expected to reduce the emissions of harmful pollutants, including nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), by over 500 tons cumulatively.
[Source: DaimlerChrysler]
Detroit Auto Show Embargo-Uh-Oh! The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10, Courtesy Of Road & Track
JALOPNICK AUTO NEWS - - With its press embargo popping 13 days premature by Road & Track, we can reveal that Dodge's new devil whip is in receipt of an extra 90 horses. With 600 hp, this ram-snake hybrid will slither around the 2007 model year and straight into 2008. The upward revision in horsepower is via a displacement increase of the V10 (from 8.3 to 8.4 liters), higher compression, variable valve timing and a slightly larger air intake (check out those hood gills). The old-school T56 manual's been upgraded to a new six-speed Tremec TR6060 gearbox, which can withstand greater amounts of torque than its predecessor, according to Chrysler. Feel free to peruse the gallery and press release, courtesy of R&T's gun-jumping ways. We'll be listening for the sweet notes of the Viper's truckish powerplant and waiting for an answer from Chevy.
Even More Venom: Dodge Unleashes New 600-horsepower 2008 Viper SRT10Related:-Additional 90 horsepower on tap from new 8.4-liter Viper SRT10 V-10 engine
-Dramatic new hood features restyled, functional air extractors
-0-60 mph in under four seconds, 0-100-0 mph in just over 12 seconds, braking in under 100 feet
-New exterior, interior colors provide customers with increased customization optionsThe new 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 boasts more of what performance aficionados crave: kick-in-the-pants, throw-back-in-the-seat power, combined with benchmark braking, world-class ride and handling, a race-inspired interior and bold exterior styling.
While every SRT vehicle offers balanced, overall performance, the heart and soul of the new 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 is its standout powertrain. For 2008, SRT ups the ante with a new, 8.4-liter aluminum V-10 engine that produces an astounding 600 horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. of torque.
"A legendary big-game hunter once said, 'Bring enough gun!' - and with the new 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10, we've created some very powerful artillery for sports-car enthusiasts," said Kipp Owen, Director - Street and Racing Technology (SRT) Engineering, Chrysler Group. "With 600 horsepower - 90 more than before - and 0-to-60 performance in less than four seconds, the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 sets a new benchmark for the ultimate American sports car."
The new 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 will arrive in Dodge showrooms in North America this summer with a new level of customization options, including five new exterior colors, four new interior color combinations and a new wheel design.
Standout Powertrain
When SRT powertrain engineers set out to get more venom from the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10's powerplant, their objectives included not only increasing performance, but also complying with stringent regulatory requirements, such as federal Tier 2, Bin 5 and California's Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) 2 mandates.Working with specialists from McLaren Performance Technologies and Ricardo, Inc., SRT engineers began by following the racer's basic formula for more power: bigger displacement, more efficient breathing and higher engine speed.
The new Dodge Viper SRT10's deep-skirted V-10 aluminum engine block was revised for a 1-millimeter larger bore, raising the displacement to 8.4 liters from 8.3 liters. With strengthened bulkheads and improved water jackets for better cooling, the block includes pressed-in iron cylinder liners and cross-bolted main bearing caps for strength and durability.
The Viper SRT10's 8.4-liter engine breathes through new cylinder heads equipped with Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC)-shaped combustion chambers, larger valves and Variable Valve Timing (VVT). VVT electronically adjusts when the exhaust valves are open and closed according to engine speed and load, allowing the engine to "breathe" cleaner and more efficiently.
The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 V-10's two-piece intake manifold combines a cast aluminum lower with smooth runners for better air flow, bolted to a die-cast aluminum upper plenum. A revised air-cleaner box with a low-restriction filter sends air through a dual electronic throttle control into the intake module.
The air-fuel mixture in the cylinders is ignited by platinum-tip spark plugs fired by new individual plug coils mounted on the cylinder-head covers.
Within the cylinders, pistons are equipped with larger-diameter floating pins with bronze bushings for high-load capability. Forged powder-metal connecting rods are secured with aircraft-quality fasteners for increased fatigue strength.
Engine lubrication is managed by a larger oil pump and a swinging oil pickup adapted from Viper competition engines, to improve oil pressure in high-rpm and hard-cornering conditions.
Spent gases exit through tubular air-gap headers, which not only improve exhaust flow, but also ensure quick catalyst light-off for improved emission control. The headers' stamped stainless-steel outer shell acts as a thermal heat shield for the individual stainless-steel runners that contribute to better flow separation and exhaust tuning.
SRT engineers didn't stop there. Upgrades were developed to handle the 8.4-liter V-10's increased horsepower and torque levels, while improving traction, driveability - and durability.
The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10's V-10 channels its power through a new, smaller-diameter, twin-disc clutch (a change from the previous larger-diameter, single-disc setup). The new clutch reduces rotating inertia by 18 percent, resulting in reduced clutch-pedal effort and improved engagement feel.
The transmission is the latest evolution of the Tremec T56 six-speed manual, known as the TR6060. It features 10 percent wider gears for higher torque capacity and a new synchronizer package. A new shifter system results in reduced shifter travel. Club racers will applaud a new provision for adding an external transmission cooler.
Benchmark Braking
Stopping power is another key attribute of the Dodge Viper SRT10 formula, with 14-inch brake rotors gripped by Brembo 44/40 dual opposing piston calipers in the front and Brembo 42/38 dual opposing calipers in the rear. An anti-lock braking system (ABS) prevents lockup during hard braking. This system results in a benchmark braking performance of 60-to-0 mph in less than 100 feet.World-class Ride and Handling
The ride and handling of the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 is defined by a race-bred, fully independent, four-wheel suspension featuring lightweight, high-performance aluminum control arms and knuckles, damped by lightweight coil-over shock absorbers.Where the power goes right to the road, SRT engineers retained the tried-and-true Dana M44-4 rear axle and outfitted it with a new GKN Visco-Lok speed-sensing limited-slip differential for improved traction.
The Dodge Viper SRT10 rides on polished, forged aluminum, 18 x 10-inch front and 19 x 13-inch rear wheels now available in three styles: the five-spoke, the H-spoke and the all-new Razor wheel with five U-shaped spokes. The wheels are clad in Michelin® Pilot® Sport PS2 tires. The four-groove tread-design tires provide maximum grip, reduced road noise and superior handling in both wet and dry conditions.
Bold Exterior Styling
The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 remains available in two body styles - Roadster and Coupe. Both feature a dramatic new hood with a larger, more efficient hood scoop for air induction and larger, functional hood louvers to facilitate a greater cooling effect for the more powerful 8.4-liter, 600-horsepower V-10 engine underneath.Eight exterior colors will be introduced throughout the model year - five of which are all-new including Venom Red, Snakeskin Green, Viper Violet, Viper Orange and Bright Blue. Racing stripes continue to be an option with six dual painted stripe colors available: white, black, silver, graphite, blue and red.
Several exterior differences exist between the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Roadster and Coupe. In fact, the only body panels they share are front fascia and fenders, hood and doors. However, all of the iconic Viper SRT10 design cues have been maintained including the signature crosshair grille, deep-cut side scallops, swept-back fenders and lowered hood lines.
The Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe's hard top with its "double bubble" styling makes it even more torsionally stiff than the Roadster. The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe offers increased downforce and high-speed stability with its sloping roofline and deck-lid spoiler. Plus, the Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe has an additional 6.25 cubic feet of trunk space than the Viper SRT10 Roadster, for a total of 14.65 cubic feet. The roof and headliner structure offer more room to accommodate a safety cage, while maintaining as much headroom as possible.
Race-inspired Interior Design
The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Roadster and Coupe cockpit retains its characteristic red push-button starter and performance-oriented, highly functional instrument panel with center-mounted tachometer and 220-mph speedometer.Five interior colors will be available in 2008: black, and four new color combinations in black/red, black/blue, black/slate or black/natural tan. A choice of bezel finishes on the center instrument panel and console adds to the increased level of customization.
"The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 delivers die-hard performance enthusiasts a perfect combination of outrageous power, exceptional performance and stunning good looks," said Mike Accavitti, Director - Dodge Motorsports and SRT Marketing and Product Planning. "And now with a whole new range of interior and exterior colors and options to choose from, the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 redefines how a customer can personalize their Viper."
2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Safety and Security
The following safety and security technologies are featured on the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10:
Adjustable Pedals: Allow brake and accelerator pedals to move toward or away from the driver to help driver achieve a safe and comfortable seating position for improved controlAdvanced Multistage Front Air Bags with Occupant Classification System (OCS): Inflates with a force appropriate to the severity of the impact. The OCS measures the conditions for activation or deactivation of the passenger side front air bag based upon the weight of the occupant
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS): Senses and prevents wheel lockup, offering improved steering control under extreme braking or slippery conditions
BeltAlert: Periodically activates a chime and illuminates an icon in the instrument cluster to remind the driver and front passenger to buckle up if a vehicle is driven without the driver being properly belted
Center High-mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL): The shelf-mounted center high mounted stop lamp uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) for longer lifeConstant Force Retractors (CFR): Distribute force or load exerted on a seat belt, and then gradually release the seat belt webbing in a controlled manner
Crumple Zones: Designed to compress during an accident to absorb energy, decreasing transfer of that energy to the occupants
Energy-absorbing Steering Column: The manual-adjust steering column uses two hydroformed coaxial tubes that can move relative to each other to allow the column to move forward for enhanced energy absorption during a crash. The power-adjust steering column employs a calibrated bending element that deforms during column stroke for optimal energy management
Interior Head-impact Protection: Interior pillars above the beltline and instrument panel - including areas around windshield and rear window headers, roof and side rail structures, and shoulder-belt turning loops - specifically designed to limit head-impact force
Knee Bolsters: The lower instrument panel and the glove-box door are designed to properly position the occupant, enabling the air bags to work effectively
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE): System enhances personal security by locking and unlocking doors and turning on interior lamps. The system also arms and disarms the Vehicle Theft Security Alarm
Three-point Seat Belts with Pretensioners: Three-point lap and shoulder belt retractors incorporate a pretensioning feature to enhance occupant protection in an impact by managing occupant energy
Tire-pressure Monitoring (TPM): Pressure-sensor modules within the valve stems of all four wheels send continuous radio-frequency signals to a receiver, and the system informs occupants when the pressure is too lowManufacturing
The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 will be hand-built at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit.Street and Racing Technology
SRT creates some of the Chrysler Group's boldest, most distinctive products by single-mindedly following its core vision: Deliver benchmark performance at the lowest price, and deliver it with absolute integrity and credibility.Every SRT vehicle showcases five key aspects: Exterior styling that resonates with the brand image; race-inspired interiors; world-class ride and handling characteristics across a dynamic range; benchmark braking; and standout powertrain.
Dodge Barrage Continues
With 1.4 million vehicles sold globally in 2006, Dodge, the Chrysler Group's best-selling brand, continues its product offensive for the 2008 model year with the all-new Dodge Avenger, and the new Dodge Viper SRT10, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Magnum SRT8.Dodge is the No. 5 nameplate in the U. S. automotive market. Overall, Dodge has a 7 percent market share in the United States. In the minivan market, Dodge has a 19 percent market share; in the truck market, 16 percent; and 4 percent of the car market.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Part 1
I recently went shopping for jeans with a friend. She dragged me to a little boutique on Melrose in Los Angeles, where I stood bored while she searched intently for the ideal pair (i.e., those that made her butt look the best). Seeing how most women I know do not even own a pair of sensible shoes, her criteria made sense. Pair after pair, brand after brand -- more than a dozen in all -- she tried them on, before deciding a $225 number with no back pockets.
As jeans go, my requirements are different. The more pockets, the more useful. The denim must not only be tough, but also be able to hide mustard stains. And, because preventing a "There's Something About Mary" moment is a priority, no zipper to speak of. As such, I've been rocking shrink-to-fit Levis 501s since the sixth grade. I mention this because, like jeans, there are dozens of other SUVs to be had, but there is only one Jeep. Hell, even among Jeeps there is only one Jeep, and it's called the Wrangler.
Like the functionality inherent to my Levis, the Wrangler Rubicon is dripping with promise. It can go anywhere. If it gets stuck, there's an entire Bat Belt of off-road goodies with which to come unstuck. The top comes off, the doors come off and the windshield (still) folds down. Sure, there are more capable SUVs for sale, like the Porsche Cayenne. But you'd no sooner thrash the Cayenne in the rough stuff than my ba-donka-donk friend would do yard work in her fancy pants. And while the Cayenne gets 'er done via prissy air-suspension and a bank of computers to calculate yaw, pitch, traction and wheel slippage. The Wrangler just plain goes over stuff.
Cayenne aside, the Wrangler is the king of the hill, or mud pile, as it were. Unless it's aimed at a brick wall, no earthly substance short of molten lava will hinder the Rubicon's forward progress. Dirt becomes like blacktop, rocks became pebbles, sand is a cinch and even over a foot of water was a walk in the park, albeit off-highway vehicle park, Azuza Canyon OHV. And that's in two-wheel drive. Only double-fun muddy slopes required a switch to four-wheel low for accompanying superpowers.
An editor of Trailer Life magazine once schooled me in the off-roading arts, which I'll relate vis-à-vis the Wrangler. Rather than engaging every bell and whistle as the asphalt gives way to trail, it's best to stay put and let high ground clearance, wheel articulation and approach/departure angles handle the bulk of operations. If you can't go anymore, shift into four high. If you still can't move, engage four low, which makes a large portion of obstacles completely beatable.
For the steep, messy, goopy final one-percent, the Wrangler comes massively equipped. Dash buttons electronically lock either the rear axle by itself, or both axles together; the latter transforming the Wrangler into a tank. Torque is now evenly split between front and rear, and no wheel can turn without the other three going along for the ride. Just as mighty are the Brake Lock Differentials (BLDs), which stop airborne wheels from spinning to preserve precious torque (just like the Cayenne). Even better, the BLDs are now integrated into the Jeep's stability control algorithms, so there's no manual fumbling. Still not enough? There's one final trick, that is, electronically disengaging the front sway bar, which increases wheel travel by 28%. It's only slightly hyperbolic to say only dynamite could outperform this combination of electromechanical trickery.
On road, the 2007 Wrangler is more carlike than any convertible Jeep in history. While a bit childish, what with chubby tweeters poking from the top of the dash, the spartan interior is a fine place to while away the miles. Quickness is not an option; even with the most potent mill ever offered in a Wrangler (202 hp / 237 lb-ft of torque) -- you're nonetheless driving a brick with 32" tires. But despite such leadenness, it's impossible not to smile. After all, the Wrangler, like all Wranglers before it, is fun above everything else.
Spied: 2008-2009 Chrysler 300 facelift
LEFT LANE NEWS - - Spy photographers have snapped some photos of a facelifted Chrysler 300 prototype. The car's headlights are unchanged — so far — but it appears to have a new set of taillights. From the five test cars that have been spotted to date, only the tail-ends have been covered in camouflage, suggesting the changes to the rear might be the focus of this update.
Some of the most extensive changes might come to the interior, where a complete overhaul is said to be planned. Speaking to the Automotive Press Association in May, Ralph Gilles, vice president of design at the Chrysler Group said, "we need an update […] you're going to see a significant improvement in the interior of that car."
2008 Dodve Viper with 600HP revealed on cover of Road and Track
Posted Dec 27th 2006 4:02PM by John Neff
It's like the buff books aren't even trying to keep embargoed information a secret anymore. The cover of Road and Track's February issue has recently been loaded onto the dead-tree journo's website as a small thumbnail. Though super tiny and pixelated, a picture of what appears to be the 2008 Dodge Viper is located in the lower left-hand corner. From what we can make out, above the pic in bold white lettering it reads, "Supercar: 600-BHP, Dodge Viper SRT-10". We can't tell you where the Viper will find that extra 90 horsepower under its hood, but it appears the 2008 Dodge Viper will significantly raise the bar for domestic supercars.
If you look really, really close at the Viper, you'll also notice some dark pixels on the hood, which are likely the hood vents we've been seeing in recent spy shots of the 2008 Viper SRT-10. Hmm... Don't you think a 600-hp Viper pratically guarantees that a real Blue Devil Corvette is a done deal?
The embargo on information and photos relating to the 2008 Dodge Viper is technically in effect until 12AM EST on January 9th, the day the vehicle debuts at the 2007 NAIAS. Of course, with the way things have been going we should expect the February issue of Road and Track to be in our mailbox as we speak. Regardless, we'll have more concrete info about the car for you later, as well as verification that we've translated this pixelated cover correctly.
[Source: Road and Track]
DaimlerChrysler warns of N. American layoffs
Kevin Krolicki | DETROIT (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler AG (DCXGn.DE) (DCX.N) could lay off up to 16 percent of the workers in its North American truck operations next year due to an expected downturn in demand, the head of the automaker's truck operations said on Monday.
Andreas Renschler, a member of DaimlerChrysler's board of management, also said Chrysler Group's Chief Executive Tom LaSorda has the board's backing, as the company's U.S. unit readies a turnaround plan intended to address swollen inventories and a drop in sales of almost 8 percent this year.
Renschler said the potential for up to 4,000 job cuts in the truck operations would include 800 layoffs that have already been announced and that will take effect in March.
DaimlerChrysler, the world's largest commercial truck maker, employs a total of about 25,300 in its truck operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Despite a projected drop of almost 40 percent in industry-wide demand for heavy trucks next year in North America, Renschler also said he expects the company's U.S.-based Freightliner truck division to remain profitable.
"Our challenge is to manage the cycles and to come through the down cycles while preserving profitability," Renschler told reporters.
DaimlerChrysler's already announced 800 truck division layoffs will take place at Freightliner's St. Thomas, Ontario assembly plant, which had almost 2,200 workers as of end 2005.
Any workers laid off next by the truck operations would be eligible for recall when production volumes return, Renschler said.
The company's truck operations, which include Portland, Oregon-based Freightliner, turned a record profit of $705 million in the third quarter, up from $449 million a year earlier.
Those earnings gains were driven in part by stronger demand ahead of U.S. environmental regulations that take effect next year, which are meant to reduce pollutants from diesel engines.
Renschler said industry-wide truck sales are expected to fall in 2007 but then rise again ahead of the introduction of even tighter U.S. emissions standards scheduled to take effect in 2010.
Those new Environmental Protection Agency standards represent a significant additional cost to fleet operators and the schedule of their introduction has been credited with sparking a boom-and-bust cycle for truck sales.
Renschler said he expects demand for heavy-duty trucks in the United States, Canada and Mexico to fall 39 percent in 2007. Demand for medium-duty trucks will likely slip 25 percent, with Daimler-Chrysler's sales closely tracking the broad market, he said.
But Renschler said Freightliner was better positioned for the coming downturn after taking steps to improve the flexibility and efficiency of its operations.
The automaker's Detroit Diesel engine unit will begin producing a new heavy-duty truck engine in 2007, which will represent the company's cost-saving move to a single-engine platform for its biggest trucks.
The new engine will provide a 5 to 8 percent increase in fuel economy based on current environmental standards, Renschler said. "If you look to our customers, fuel costs are one of the biggest costs they have to pay," he said.
CHRYSLER RESTRUCTURING PLAN
Although growing ranks of shareholders in DaimlerChrysler have called for a spinoff of loss-making Chrysler, Renschler said the board still believes the company is better off retaining the unit as part of a more diversified portfolio.
"I think it's always good to have different kinds of things," he said.
Chrysler's deepening problems this year have hurt management's credibility and made some analysts question how committed the group was to Chrysler and its current management structure.
Chrysler, which posted a $1.5 billion loss in the third quarter, has tapped executives from its German parent's Mercedes division to work on a restructuring plan, including cutting $1,000 from the cost of each vehicle it makes.
Chrysler started its cost-cutting review in late July with teams of experts reporting to LaSorda and Chief Operating Officer Eric Ridenour. The restructuring plan is expected in the first quarter of next year.
"We are working at the moment on a plan," Renschler said. "We think there is a big chance to go back to a better situation."
When asked if DaimlerChrysler's board has confidence in LaSorda, Renschler replied, "Absolutely."
Platform sharing: Your cars’ tangled family tree
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- You will often hear people, especially car writers, say that one car is "based on" another or that two vehicles "share a platform." For example, they might say that the Ford Fusion is based on the Mazda6 or that the Toyota Highlander is based on the Toyota Camry.
What isn't clear is just what that statement means. By itself, it tells you a little, but very little, about what a car is probably like.
Most people assume that one car is simply a "badge engineered" version of the other. That means that the differences between the two vehicles are almost entirely cosmetic.
Photos: Your car's family tree
In some cases, that's absolutely correct.
For example, the Mercury Milan is a "badge engineered" version of the Ford Fusion. Park the two cars side by side and you'll see right away that they are, for all practical purposes, the same car with different paint jobs, grilles and lights. The Milan is a Fusion dressed in slick European-looking duds and with a few added features.
But the Ford Fusion, itself, is based on the "platform" of another vehicle, the Mazda6 sedan. (Ford owns a controlling interest in Mazda.) If you park a Fusion and a Mazda6 next to each other, though, there would be nothing to indicate that these cars are related. They aren't even the same size. The Ford is slightly larger than the Mazda.
If you were to drive the two, they don't seem terribly similar, either. The Ford has a smoother ride and feels nice, but it's a little less responsive than the quick-feeling Mazda6.
So you might wonder how these two vehicles are related. What they share is all stuff you can't see. Some of it's important - like a V-6 engine - but most of the shared parts you probably couldn't care less about. (Even though some of it - like electronics and wiring - is actually very important.)
The core
Because vehicles are spoken of as being built "on" a certain platform, there's a tendency to think of the platform as, literally, the vehicle's floorpan, the bottom of its body structure.
But, really, that's getting things a bit turned around. There are other things that must be decided first. The rest of the vehicle is engineered around those basic decisions.
When product planners and engineers talk about a "platform" or "architecture," they're generally talking about a basic type of vehicle that can be made from a few combinations of suspension, engine and transmission choices.
For starters a company might have an "architecture" for small front-wheel drive cars, another for larger front-wheel-drive cars, another for rear-wheel-drive cars and another for trucks and truck-based SUVs.
While all this might all sound terribly confining, limiting the number of basic "platforms" and sharing parts, combined with more versatile modern factories, actually allows auto manufacturers to offer more different models today than ever.
In years past, a car model was considered successful only if it sold in the hundreds of thousands. Today, cars can be profitable when fewer than a hundred thousand are sold.
That's because modern car factories are flexible enough to make several different models at the same time, assuming there are enough similarities in their basic construction. They don't have to be identical.
"The consumer is getting a little more discerning and wants a more customized solution," said Michael Robinet, vice president for global vehicle forecasting at CSM Automotive.
The key is creating platforms with enough "bandwidth," said Jon Lauckner, General Motors' vice president for global program management. Each fundamental platform has to be engineered, from the very beginning, to be flexible enough to build different, distinct vehicles.
For example, DaimlerChrysler can build the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Magnum in one factory and will soon add the two-door Dodge Challenger to that.
Parts to make the vehicles can be purchased in larger numbers, which decreases costs, as well. And vehicle development costs are far less when designers and engineers don't have to start from the ground up with each new model.
"The [manufacturer] that understands this is going to do well," said Robinet.
The problems comes when vehicles are too similar, so that consumers feel they could just as well buy one as the other. Then all the carmaker is succeeded in creating more competition for itself
The secret lies in using engineeing and design to create different personalities. Relatively minor changes can often be enough. For example, the Mercury Milan is worth a few thousand extra to those who just want a more fashionable car than the Ford Fusion.
Even without changing any working parts, though, engineers can change the deeper character of an automobile.
"You can share many major mechanical components but give yourself a lot of flexibility in the tunable components," said Paul Mascarenas, Ford Motor Co.'s vice president of product development for the Americas.
"Tunable components" are things like steering and suspension can be made to behave slightly different without using different parts.
For example, GM's redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, to be introduced soon at the Detroit Auto Show, is identical to the Saturn Aura under its skin.
But the Malibu will look nothing like the Aura and, just as important, it won't drive like the Aura. While the Saturn is tuned for drivers who prefer responsive European cars the Chevy will be tuned more for those who like American-style cruising.
So, by creating uniformity a car company can, ultimately, create greater variety for consumers. If they do it right.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
A Look Into The Future: Auto Bild's Vision Of Mercedes' Upcoming Models
| Posted December 22nd, 2006 At 3:00 PM CST |
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More BLUETEC Models On The Way
GERMAN CAR SCENE | Warren M - - DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen have announced that their Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, VW and Audi brands are developing almost half a dozen vehicles powered by the cleaner-running BLUETEC diesel engines.
Oil burners currently make up 50 percent of all car sales in Europe, where as in the States, just 2 percent of new cars sold, are diesel powered.
California’s strict emission laws currently forbid the sale of diesel vehicles, however, the BLUETEC unit’s would be clean enough to pass the test, and with California being responsible for 10 percent of all American car sales, it makes sense to create a cleaner diesel for that market.
Volkswagen intend to use a four-cylinder diesel in its Jetta saloon aswell as the forthcoming Tiguan SUV in 2008. America can also expect diesel versions of its Touareg SUV and Passat by 2009. Audi plan to release a diesel vehicle by 2008.
[Source: NewsDay]
2008 Mercedes C-class AMG
TOPSPEED.COM | Blas Nicusor - -The car from the video is the 2008 high-performance 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.This is Mercedes’ answer to the 2007 Audi RS4, which is already on sale, and the V8-powered 2008 BMW M3, which is still in the development.
Under the hood Mercedes has fited its new 507-horsepower 6.2-liter V8. After the CLK63, the E63, the S63, the CLS63, the R63 and the ML63 the smallest sedan in the company’s lineup will get the 6,208cc four-valve DOHC V8 with an output of 507 hp at 6,800 rpm and 465 pound-feet of torque at 5,200 rpm.
The 2008 C-class AMG will use a 7-speed automatic transmission to sent the power to the rear wheels.The 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will make its debut at the Paris auto show in September with U.S. sales starting next spring, and the C63 AMG should be on sale a year latter.
Dodge dealers: Blow up Nitro ads
 | Selling the Dodge Nitro: Details or chemistry? | |
TV explosions are catchy, but they don't show the features
Bradford Wernle | | Automotive News / December 25, 2006 - 1:00 am DETROIT -- Dodge dealers love the new Nitro SUV's looks and price. But many complain about the edgy Nitro ads created by the agency BBDO.
One TV ad shows a Nitro jump-starting another car. The Nitro driver guns his engine, and the other car blows sky-high. Another ad shows a Nitro falling through the center of the earth and through hell to emerge on a street in an Asian country.
Arresting as they are, the ads don't say anything about the Nitro's features. Therein lies the dealers' beef.
"We need to be telling people why they should be buying a Nitro," says Doug Alley, owner of Alley Dodge in Kingsport, Tenn., and a member of the Dodge Southeast regional dealer advertising association. The Nitro ads were a big topic of discussion at a recent association meeting, he says.
Chrysler group CEO Tom LaSorda promised dealers he would review the group's advertising from top to bottom after the resignation this month of global sales and marketing chief Joe Eberhardt. He acknowledged the complaints with the Nitro ads at a meeting with Detroit dealers.
LaSorda's dilemma is that while dealers may not like the ads, many people find them funny and memorable. If Dodge wants to win new customers, it needs to get their attention first.
Carrie McElwee, a Chrysler spokeswoman, says the Nitro ads have done their job.
"Overall, the ads have done what we expected them to do," McElwee says. "The Web traffic is up about 30 percent above our expectations. We're getting positive recall on the likability of ads."
After the initial ads raise brand awareness, Chrysler plans "to go more into content and features," she says.
George Kang, a senior analyst for Edmunds.com, has another take. He thinks the ads and the Nitro itself are geared to win new customers for Dodge.
"You need to bring incremental business - incremental business being defined as a new generation of people who might not have thought of Dodge," Kang says.
"That new generation is not necessarily interested in all the bells and whistles but more interested in how the car is going to define the person who's driving it."
Kang cited an ad in which young people pull into a parking lot in a Nitro and find a space half occupied by a sloppily parked BMW. They crank up the Nitro's MP3 stereo, and the bass vibrations move the BMW aside, creating a space.
The Nitro ads take "more of an entertainment perspective. It's trying to establish itself as more of a cool, hip brand."
Chrysler to ease dealer quotas
Unpopular sales targets will be lowered, not halted
Bradford Wernle | | Automotive News / December 25, 2006 - 1:00 am DETROIT -- The Chrysler group will lower its monthly sales quotas for dealers in 2007 but will not do away with the unpopular incentive program.
Chrysler spokeswoman Lori McTavish confirmed last week that the automaker will ease its controversial "volume-based performance award," or VPA.
"Overall, the average dealer (sales quota) will be lower in 2007," McTavish said on Thursday, Dec. 21.
Chrysler offers dealers up to $700 in cash per vehicle if they hit a monthly sales target set by the company.
But unlike other automakers' "stair-step" sales incentives, Chrysler's program is almost an all-or-nothing incentive with few intermediate awards. That makes it risky for dealers to chase sales targets because they often trim their margins to boost sales.
Dealers have complained that the sales targets are unrealistic and force them into price wars with other Chrysler group dealers.
A dealer who asked not to be identified said the current monthly sales goals aren't based on market demand but "on the amount of cars Chrysler has jammed down the regional business center's throat."
In recent weeks, Chrysler has taken steps to mollify dealers who are upset about the company's aggressive efforts to boost sales. The chief target of their ire - global sales chief Joe Eberhardt - resigned Dec. 5.
Meanwhile, Chrysler group CEO Tom LaSorda has been meeting with dealers in an effort to ease tensions.
Chrysler enlists workers for help
CEO LaSorda urges creative thinking to assist automaker; Zetsche of DCX says stay focused.
Josee Valcourt / The Detroit NewAUBURN HILLS -- At the end of a brutal year for Chrysler that fed speculation about its future, top company executives sent messages to workers last week that called for a renewed effort to fix the automaker in 2007.
DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group lost $1.5 billion in the third quarter and struggled all year with a major inventory glut that contributed to the departure of its top marketing and sales executive.
With some German analysts calling for DaimlerChrysler to dump its American division, the pressure is intensifying. Chrysler is working on a major restructuring to be unveiled in mid-February that's expected to include job cuts, plant closures and revamped product plans.
"It's been said that success means getting up one more time than you've been knocked down," Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda told workers in a note. "During 2006, we encountered some painful reminders that the automotive business is ultra-competitive and requires constant adaptation to rapid changes. We are rising to the challenge and are in the process of creating a new business model to achieve sustainable growth."
LaSorda also called on workers to do their part.
"Take a step or two back and think objectively and creatively about how you approach our challenges," he said. "Think outside of the box. Let's use all of the tools at our disposal, and knock down the roadblocks. Bring that same passion that first brought you into this business to your day-to-day business."
A separate message to employees from LaSorda's boss, DaimlerChrysler CEO and former Chrysler chief Dieter Zetsche, also exhorted workers to stay focused.
"We are working flat out to ensure that the Chrysler Group returns to sustainable profitability," Zetsche said in an e-mail.
Zetsche, who became DaimlerChrysler CEO last year, encouraged workers to embrace a new culture at the global automaker.
"To assure the successful future of DaimlerChrysler, we concluded that we must adhere to four basic values: passion, respect, integrity and discipline," Zetsche wrote.
He said the new value system needs to be become part of day-to-day operations and employees will be evaluated on those terms.
Zetsche also gave an update on DaimlerChrysler's new management model to streamline the company's structure. The plan, launched in January and now complete in Germany, also calls for an average 15 percent reduction in management at Chrysler that will be achieved mainly through attrition by 2008.
DCX probe spans globe
Internal probe reveals bribes; ex-FBI chief hired as monitor
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
Bennett See full image
Bribery probe
People familiar with a two-year internal DCX probe into bribery by company officials say:Related Articles and Links
Freeh See full image
WASHINGTON -- DaimlerChrysler AG has hired former FBI director Louis Freeh to serve as an outside monitor as it nears the end of a two-year internal investigation that has uncovered multiple instances of bribery by company employees, according to people familiar with the situation.
The massive internal investigation found employees at the automaker's Mercedes division bribed officials in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, the people said.
The bribery allegations, brought to light in 2004 by company whistle-blowers, also are the focus of a civil investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and a criminal probe by the Justice Department.
Company officials would not comment on the findings of the internal probe.
"The company is very determined to operate our business with the highest ethical standards. We take these matters very seriously," DaimlerChrysler spokesman Han Tjan said. "We're still conducting our investigation."
At its height, the internal investigation led by prominent Washington, D.C., attorney Robert Bennett involved 85 lawyers and nearly as many accountants reviewing millions of documents and conducting hundreds of interviews. The company's legal, accounting and consulting bills connected to the probe have topped tens of millions of dollars, a person familiar with the matter said.
Investigators traveled to 25 countries and interviewed dozens of people, including former DaimlerChrysler Chairman Juergen Schrempp and other executives, the people said. Investigators also uncovered evidence of secret bank accounts.
This fall, DaimlerChrysler hired Freeh as a consultant to monitor the company's compliance with anti-bribery regulations and to review its internal investigation. Freeh's hiring hasn't been announced publicly.
Efforts by The News to reach Freeh, who works as a consultant to companies facing legal issues, were unsuccessful.
DaimlerChrysler has been regularly debriefing the SEC and Justice Department on the findings of its investigation and has turned over interview summaries and documents.
The bribes were seen by some company officials as an accepted way of doing business in many countries, according to people familiar with the investigation. In some cases, the amount of bribes was based on how many Mercedes vehicles were sold in a given market, the people said. In certain instances, investigators struggled to follow the money trail because intermediaries were used.
While DaimlerChrysler's internal probe is nearing completion, federal officials aren't expected to complete their investigations until 2007. Serious settlement discussions aren't expected until early next year.
Aiming to minimize penalties
DaimlerChrysler is clearly aiming to minimize any fines or sanctions by hiring Freeh as an internal monitor and providing federal investigators with the findings of the exhaustive internal investigation.
DaimlerChrysler, which is based in Stuttgart, Germany, and controls the Auburn Hills-based Chrysler Group, could face charges under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a 1977 law designed to prevent U.S. companies from acting unethically abroad, because its stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
German companies could deduct certain types of bribes on their taxes until the late 1990s.
German prosecutors in Stuttgart also are investigating whether the company violated anti-bribery and disclosure laws.
In March, DaimlerChrysler revealed in its annual report that an undisclosed number of executives have been disciplined or fired as a result of the investigation and admitted that "improper payments" were made in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.
The company reduced 2005 net income by $84.5 million and 2005 operating profit by $21 million to account for the improper payments. It also faces the prospect of having to pay back taxes. Still unclear is how much senior executives knew of the arrangements.
No U.S.-based employees are believed to be involved.
Whistle-blower cases settled
On Dec. 6, the company settled the last of two 2004 whistle-blower suits filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit that prompted the probe. Christine Holtzmann had alleged the company ignored reports of accounting fraud and mishandled audits. She said she was fired in December 2003 after an 18-year career with the automaker after speaking up about the fraud.
In July 2005, DaimlerChrysler settled a 2004 wrongful-firing suit filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit by former Chrysler accountant David Bazzetta.
Bazzetta claimed he was fired in January 2004 in part because he talked to superiors about as many as 40 secret bank accounts maintained by the Mercedes unit to bribe foreign government officials.
He said in his lawsuit he learned of the bank accounts during a corporate audit committee meeting in July 2001 in Stuttgart. According to court filings, Bazzetta claimed a vice president of corporate audit, Hubertus Buderath, told a group "a common practice of Daimler Benz was the use of secret bank accounts to bribe government officials." Buderath allegedly told then-chairman Schrempp that 40 of those accounts still existed and "were buried deep in (the company's) balance sheet." Schrempp denied knowledge of any accounts.
SEC lawyers interviewed Bazzetta and Holtzmann.
Point man is powerful lawyer
The point man for DaimlerChrysler in the internal investigation is Bennett, a high-powered attorney who has represented Enron and KPMG in corporate scandals. He was President Clinton's personal attorney in the Paula Jones civil case and is a partner in Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
Bennett declined to comment.
Skadden partner Colleen Mahoney, a former deputy director of enforcement at the SEC, who is also involved in the DaimlerChrysler internal investigation, could not be reached. Two other Skadden Arps partners, former assistant U.S. attorney Gary DiBianco and Mitchell Ettinger, a former chief prosecutor for the Air Force, also have been involved in the probe.
Mark F. Mendelsohn, deputy chief of the Justice Department's fraud section, and Frederic D. Firestone, an SEC associate director of enforcement, who are overseeing the government's investigations into DaimlerChrysler, also declined to comment.
Numerous German companies have faced bribery investigations -- Volkswagen AG for allegedly bribing union officials and most recently engineering giant Siemens AG for allegedly bribing customers using secret bank accounts.
Experts said the government's focus on DaimlerChrysler may be to send a message to the world's third-largest economy to take bribery more seriously.
"The U.S. government really wants to encourage the Germans to crack down," said Peter Henning, a Wayne State University law professor and former SEC attorney. "It's the principle here. The amounts are usually never that large. It's surprisingly cheap to bribe public officials in the Third World."
The SEC has ramped up enforcement of its anti-bribery laws recently, filing more than 100 cases in 2006.