-
-
The Most Popular Cars Among Thieves
The popular 1995 Honda Civic continues to be the top pick among thieves, holding onto that position for the 2007 calendar year, according to the "Hot Wheels" report released in July 2008 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
And while the types of vehicles being stolen remain consistent from year to year, overall car theft in the U.S. declined almost nine percent in 2007. "The continuing national decrease in vehicle theft is a positive sign that the fight against vehicle theft by law enforcement, the insurance industry and the NICB continues to be effective," said Robert M. Bryant, NICB's president and chief executive officer.
The most recent NICB report listed the 1991 Honda Accord as the second-most-stolen vehicle, followed by the 1989 Toyota Camry. In fourth position, the 1997 Ford F-150 was the highest-listed pickup truck as well as the most stolen domestic-branded vehicle. The only other domestic brands on the list were also trucks — the 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 and the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup.
Other perennial favorites among thieves include the Acura Integra and Nissan Sentra. According to the NICB, thieves continue to target these older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts.
The NICB encourages everyone to follow what it calls a "layered approach" to auto theft protection by employing simple, low-cost suggestions to make vehicles less attractive to thieves. The four layers include common sense, a warning device, an immobilizing device, and a tracking device.
The least expensive form of defense, common sense simply means using the standard anti-theft features of a vehicle by locking the car and taking the keys. The second layer is a warning device or alarm on the vehicle.
The third layer suggests some sort of immobilizing device, such as a fuel cutoff or smart key that prevents the vehicle from being driven. The fourth layer consists of a tracking device allowing law enforcement officers to track and recover a vehicle if stolen.
The NICB study is based on information reported to the National Crime Information Center.
Here are the 10 most stolen vehicles as reported by the NICB — the number in parentheses is the model year most stolen:
1. Honda Civic (1995)
2. Honda Accord (1991)
3. Toyota Camry (1989)
4. Ford F-150 (1997)
5. Chevrolet C/K 1500 (1994)
6. Acura Integra (1994)
7. Dodge Ram Pickup (2004)
8. Nissan Sentra (1994)
9. Toyota Pickup (1988)
10. Toyota Corolla (2007) The popular 1995 Honda Civic continues to be the top pick among thieves, holding onto that position for the 2007 calendar year, accord... more -
Volkswagen's First US Assembly Plant Will Be In Chattanooga, Tennessee
VW to build plant in Chattanooga
By: Mike Pare
Volkswagen AG will build its first United States assembly plant in Chattanooga, officials said today.
Europe’s biggest automaker said it will put a nearly $1 billion investment in Chattanooga’s Enterprise South Industrial Park.
The plant is expected to create 2,000 jobs. It is expected to open in 2011.
“The U.S. market is an important part of our volume strategy, and we are now very resolutely accessing that market,” said Martin Winterkorn, chief executive of Volkswagen.
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said he is “enormously pleased” by the announcement.
Mr. Bredesen and other officials including Volkswagen of America’s chief executive, were slated to be at Hunter Museum of American Art at 11:30 a.m. for an announcement.
“I believe Volkswagen chose Tennessee because of our shared values, our commitment to innovation and our strong respect for the environment,” he said.
Matt Kisber, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, said he could not be more pleased in the partnership between the state, VW and Chattanooga and Hamilton County government.
Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey said he has worked with four different city mayors and other officials with a vision of transforming the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant site.
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield said VW and Chattanooga have a lot in common.
“Both are serious about environmental sustainability and 21st century manufacturing,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said the community has maintained its focus
Officials at the Wolfsburg-based company said the surging euro has pushed plans for a production facility forward. The 15-nation currency has hit record highs recently against the U.S. dollar, making goods exported from Germany more expensive in the United States.
Volkswagen recently moved its North American headquarters from suburban Detroit to Herndon, Va., outside Washington, to bring it closer to its East Coast customer base.
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, who landed in Chattanooga early today, said he is “enormously pleased” with the facility coming to Southeast Tennessee.
Erich Merkle, vice president of forecasting auto industry forecaster IRN Inc., said suppliers will build facilities to support the assembly plant.
Chattanooga beat out bids by Alabama and Michigan for the plant.
The announcement came Tuesday from Lower Saxony Minister President Christian Wulff, who sits on the supervisory board of Europe's largest automaker. VW to build plant in Chattanooga By: Mike Pare ... more -
US auto sales plunge in June
June auto sales plunged, according to reports from the nation's major automakers, as Americans shunned pickups and SUVs in the face of record gas prices and growing concerns about the weak economy.
Despite high gas prices, sales of many fuel efficient car models also fell sharply in the month as automakers were caught without the supply of vehicles that people suddenly wanted to buy.
General Motors reported that its U.S. sales fell 18% in June versus a year ago. Sales of GM's light trucks, which includes pickups, SUVs and so-called crossovers, tumbled 16%. But that was better than GM's car sales, which dropped 21% in the month.
"We're doing all we can to meet customer demand for our popular crossovers and cars, including increasing overtime or adding Saturday shifts," said Mark LaNeve, vice president at GM.
Still, the results were better than forecasts of an overall 25% decline in sales. And it was good enough for GM to hang onto the title of the No. 1 automaker in terms of U.S. sales. Shares of GM finished 2% higher Tuesday on the news.
June auto sales plunged, according to reports from the nation's major automakers, as Americans shunned pickups and SUVs in the face of... more -
Tata Looking At Buying Hummer
GM is looking to shed Hummer to potential buyer Tata. Could this result in GIANT TATA'S?
-
Elliott to Drive Old Spice “Prelude to the Dream” at Eldora Speedway
HARRISBURG, N.C. -- The Wood Brothers Racing no. 21 Sprint Cup Series driver, Bill Elliott, will step back to grassroots racing and join other high profile racers in the Old Spice “Prelude to the Dream” at Eldora Speedway on Wednesday, June 4th.
This will be Bill's third year participating in the event and all proceeds will go toward the Victory Junction Gang Camp. He will pilot the no. 9 Ray Cook Racing machine carrying the "Bill Elliott 50" logo on the hood and he will sport the Wood Brothers Racing U.S. Air Force fire suit.
The Bill Elliott 50 will be held on October 25th at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA in which the proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.
Bill Elliott commented on how he's looking forward to running at the Eldora Speedway again in hopes that he will make it to the feature this year after being involved in a major wreck on the last lap of the heat race that turned his race car on its roof. He said, "I'm excited about running on a dirt track again and I hope I make it to the main feature this time, It's going to be a lot of fun; I'm really looking forward to it."
The "Prelude to the Dream" will broadcast live and commercial free on HBO Pay Per View where fans can watch Bill along with other NASCAR greats such as Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon and many others as they compete with late model stock cars on the half-mile clay surfaced oval.
The Tony Stewart owned Eldora Speedway hosts an action packed evening of short track dirt racing that allows the drivers to get back to a dirt track where motorsports originated and attempt to catch the prized trophy and winner’s pride.
Racing events include hot laps, qualifying, heat races and the 30 lap features will all begin at 7pm EDT on HBO. For more information on how to order and see the event please visit www.hbo.com. HARRISBURG, N.C. -- The Wood Brothers Racing no. 21 Sprint Cup Series driver, Bill Elliott, will step back to grassroots racing and jo... more -
150 mpg car - AFS Trinity’s XH-150 mpg Hybrid water ran car!
Bellevue-based AFS Trinity Corporation, which developed this technology in the XH-150, says it has solved the battery dilemma. Batteries don't last long when asked to provide sudden bursts of power, but this one uses a specially designed capacitor to store the battery power and pack the punch.
"So by doing that, you never put the battery under stress and that makes it last a long time," said AFS Trinity CEO Edward W. Furia.
It's a lot of technical stuff developed by the biggest gang of techno-geeks you can imagine.
"We got guys from Honeywell, from NASA, Martin Marietta, from Lockheed," said Furia.
The process was a hit before it was ever built. It makes sense to engineers on paper, and when the car's electric and combustible engines are combined, it takes off.
But for some reason the 40 mile battery, the 150 mile-per-gallon equivalent and the combined 370 horsepower just won't fly with Detroit. Furia says the U.S. automaker engineers like it, but the big brass is slow to accept it.
"They run companies that are like aircraft carriers and an aircraft carrier does not turn on a dime. It takes hours and it takes miles," said Furia.
"But the marketplace and the kind of exciting technology we're seeing in Bellevue is exactly what America needs," said Dino Rossi, Republican candidate for governor.
AFS Trinity says the high cost of gas and sagging auto sales may finally convince auto makers to start producing the plug-in hybrid. Bellevue-based AFS Trinity Corporation, which developed this technology in the XH-150, says it has solved the battery dilemma. Batteri... more -
Scion Hako Coupe Concept
Scion To Reveal All-New Coupe Concept At 2008 New York International Auto Show
-
Chevy Volt | GM Closes 4 North American Plants In Shift From Trucks Toward Cars
DETROIT: Responding to a consumer shift toward more fuel-efficient vehicles, General Motors said Tuesday that it would stop making pickup trucks and big sport utility vehicles at four North American assembly plants and would consider selling its Hummer brand.
The moves, announced Tuesday by the company chairman and chief executive, Rick Wagoner, will slash 500,000 units from the automaker's overall production, and pave the way for increased investment in smaller cars and passenger vehicles.
Wagoner said that rising gasoline prices had forced a "structural shift" by U.S. consumers away from truck-based vehicles built by GM.
"These prices are changing consumer behavior and changing it rapidly," Wagoner said at a briefing before GM's annual meeting in Wilmington, Delaware. "We don't believe it's a spike or a temporary shift; we believe it is, by and large, permanent."
In what he called difficult decisions, Wagoner said that GM would close plants in Janesville, Wisconsin; Moraine, Ohio; Oshawa, Ontario; and Toluca, Mexico, by or before 2010.
The actions follow previous moves to cut shifts at two truck plants in Michigan.
Wagoner said it was unlikely that the plants would reopen at any point with new products, but declined to provide details about relocating workers to other facilities.
Detroit automakers have been hit hard by rising fuel costs, which have significantly curtailed demand for pickups and full-size sport utility vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe. The shift toward smaller and lighter vehicles with better mileage is a problem for the companies, because they offer fewer such models than Asian carmakers like Toyota and Honda.
GM was expected to slash its truck production after similar moves were announced by the Ford, which recently eliminated a shift at each of four truck plants in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario, and extended the summer shutdown at several truck plants to reduce inventories. The company also announced last week that it would build its new subcompact car, the Fiesta, at a Mexican factory that assembles full-size pickup trucks.
While GM's production cuts were deeper than anticipated by industry analysts, the decision on the Hummer brand underscored the challenge GM was facing.
Once considered a brand with global market potential, the Hummer has become a symbol of the decline of the large, gas-guzzling sport utility vehicle.
Wagoner said that GM's directors had approved a "strategic review" of Hummer that could include "a partial or complete sale of the brand."
Over all, GM will reduce its North American production to 3.7 million vehicles from 4.2 million. The moves should add $1 billion in cost cuts to the $5 billion it hopes to save by 2011. DETROIT: Responding to a consumer shift toward more fuel-efficient vehicles, General Motors said Tuesday that it would stop making pic... more -
Hypermiler | Beat High Gas Prices By Hypermiling
The average price for a gallon of a gas in the U.S. has reached $3.60 and continues to rise. Forced to pay outrageous prices at the pump, some motorists are turning to radical driving techniques to increase the mileage they get out of each tank of gas.
Called "hypermiling," the method can double a vehicle’s gas mileage and will work on even the biggest gas-guzzlers out there.
Some of the tips to improve your gas mileage are well known, such as pumping up your tires to its maximum rating on their sidewalls, changing your air filter at least once a year and not driving above the speed limit.
However, others are more radical and controversial, including the practice of drafting behind other vehicles on the highway to reduce aerodynamic drag, and turning off your engine when coasting downhill. The average price for a gallon of a gas in the U.S. has reached $3.60 and continues to rise. Forced to pay outrageous prices at the pu... more -
Hyundai Genesis - Compare to Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M, and Lexus GS
What is it? Hyundai's production version of its first rear-wheel drive luxury sedan is about to hit showrooms. The Genesis will have a choice of three powertrains: a 3.3-liter V6, a 3.8-liter V6, and a new 4.6-liter V8. Starting at under $30,000, the Hyundai hopes the Genesis will be strong competitor to $60,000 premium sedans such as the Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M, and Lexus GS.
Hyundai will offer a host of safety features on the Genesis including standard stability control, eight airbags, electronic active head restraints, and adaptive cruise control, which adjusts the vehicle speed to maintain distance from the vehicle ahead.
What is new or notable? Hyundai claims the V8, dubbed the Tau, will produce 368 hp on regular fuel. With the Tau matched with a six-speed automatic transmission, Hyundai says it will propel the Genesis from 0-60 mph in less than six seconds.
CR's Take: The Genesis is the beginning of an ambitious plan by Hyundai that reminds us of the first Lexus LS, which shocked the world in 1989. Too bad Hyundai chose not to display its logo on the nose of its flagship sedan. Our brief, early experience with the car indicates that they have nothing to be ashamed of.
When will it be available? Summer 2008. What is it? Hyundai's production version of its first rear-wheel drive luxury sedan is about to hit showrooms. The Genesis will have a... more -
With gas at $4-plus, some catch the bus and others miss the point entirely
With pump prices acting as strong a deterrent, Americans are putting the breaks on their driving habits. DOT Federal Highway Administration mileage figures released earlier this month show, "the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history."
Estimated vehicle miles on public roads in March 2008 fell 4.3% when compared to the same month last year, with Americans driving 11 billion fewer miles in total. It was the first time that March driving figure had declined since 1979.
With gas prices like daylight robbery, commuters are choosing to skip the pump and run –– to the nearest bus stop. The American Public Transportation Association reports that last year ridership reached levels not seen in 50 years, with 10.3 billion bus, trolley and train trips taken in 2007. Furthermore, they report that a staggering 35% of summer travelers say they are likely to use public transit to save on driving costs when visiting other cities.
All this is good news for the environment, but extremely bad news for car makers. New car sales dropped by 7 % in April; the seasonally adjusted sales total of 14.4 million vehicles was the worst in 13 years.
With car sales plummeting, car dealers are resorting to desperate measures to move vehicles. One Butler, MO dealer is offering a choice of $250 in gas or a free semi-automatic handgun with purchase. We're not sure why the handgun needs to be semi-automatic (how many people do Missouri drivers need to shoot in one go?), but so far it's by far the preferred option, with 80% of customers opting for a coupon which they can exchange for a gun once they've passed the require background check.
"It's a choice –– protection or gas," said Walter Moore of Max Motors. "We got high gas prices, theft, carjackings, innocent people getting hurt."
We could be wrong, but it seems like Walter’s customers aren’t the Prius-buying type. It's attitudes like these that make Walter's namesake Michael Moore so proud –– of Canadians. We're figuring Walter skipped Michael's anti-firearm flick Bowling for Columbine when it came out in theaters, but would like to think he might catch up with it on DVD since it notoriously features a bank which offered a similar bonus for new customers. Ultimately, the film showed that guns are about as bad for people as fossil fuels are for the planet. Again, we could be wrong, but we thought the end-game was to get rid of both.
http://www.dailymantra.com
With pump prices acting as strong a deterrent, Americans are putting the breaks on their driving habits. DOT Federal Highway Administr... more -
2010 Camaro Spotted on The Production Line
The 2010 Chevy Camaro is one of the most highly-anticipated new vehicles to come from GM in years. Ever since it was announced, a stream of pics and speculation have fed ever growing excitement for the reborn muscle car's return. Enthusiasts have already seen virtual road tests, camo-free spy shots, and even videos of the car in action, but now one intrepid spy has managed to take things a step further -- they may be a little blurry, but someone captured an example of the 2010 Camaro making its way down the production line. The 2010 Chevy Camaro is one of the most highly-anticipated new vehicles to come from GM in years. Ever since it was announced, a stre... more
-
Audi R8 diesel
It's a new twist on the high-performance exotic sports car - lean, mean and green, thanks to diesel power.
-
Rumors fly around an all-electric BMW
Toyota better watch it, the Germans are coming to the MPG game in a big way!
-
Exposed-2009-Toyota-Prius
I really hope they make the new Prius much more fuel efficient. With the technology available today we should be able to achieve 70 MPG+. Let face it cars in 80's were able to get 40 MPG. I really hope they make the new Prius much more fuel efficient. With the technology available today we should be able to achieve 70 MP... more
-
Le mans series crash at Monza
Stephane Ortelli really did a number on his car. After all was said and done he broke his ankle.
-
Bond car plunges into Lake Garda
A stunt man crashed the Aston Martin into a lake..... oops.
-
Model T has same fuel economy as modern cars
The 1908 Ford Model T went at 25 miles per gallon. As of 2004, the average fuel economy of cars and trucks was 24.6 miles per gallon. Despite the fact that modern cars can go faster, the Model T topped at 45 miles per hour. Is speed really worth it when work could be done to make for more fuel efficiency?
http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/miscellaneous/100-ye...
The 1908 Ford Model T went at 25 miles per gallon. As of 2004, the average fuel economy of cars and trucks was 24.6 miles per gallon.... more -
Biofuel-algae farm begins production
This is possibly the most important alternative energy source. A carbon-neutral renewable fuel that would require no change from our current infrastructure. One can still drive their car without adding to the overall CO2 content of the atmosphere. We can still use our diesel-powered trains and ships. One can still take a jet around the world.
b
This is possibly the most important alternative energy source. A carbon-neutral renewable fuel that would require no change from our c... more -
A flying car! Finally!
Weighing in at 60 kilograms (≈130 pounds), this flying car travels up to 80 km/h (≈50 mph) on land, can go airborne at 15 km/h (≈10 mph) reaching a top flying speed of 160 km/h (≈100 mph) at a height of 4000 meters (≈13,000 feet).
How freaking cool is that? Weighing in at 60 kilograms (≈130 pounds), this flying car travels up to 80 km/h (≈50 mph) on land, can go airborne at 15 km/h (≈10 mp... more
-
related topics
Autos
Contributors (153)
Autos
