The Car of the Future

 

I could not help but share this article with everyone. After opening up my mind and realizing this is actually where we are headed. Welcome to smaller car world!

The linked article that I have chosen for today comes from Newsweek where they talk about the car of the future. Surprisingly we will not see many hydrogen powered cars on the road in the near future. Instead, we will all be downsizing utilizing new hybrid technologies such as found in the current Toyota Prius and the upcoming Chevy Volt. The Chevy Volt is a new and improved idea of the hybrid car where it does run just off of electricity but it has a very small engine that burns gas to charge the battery that powers the electric motor. Other developments will include simply making “better” hybrid vehicles and more economical “smaller” cars and cross-over SUV’s (CUV’s).

I encourage you to read the linked article below at Newsweek.com.

Newsweek Article: “The Car of the Future”

More Offshore Oil Drilling – Is It The Answer To Americas Thirst for Gas And High Prices?

Today I am a bit off of the direct automotive topics but this does indirectly affect the automotive world because 99% of the cars, trucks, and SUV’s on the road today in America use some type of Gas fuel that comes from oil. I won’t bore you with restating the fact that some people propose that they lift the ban on offshore drilling (for oil)… you can read about that on cnn.com. The big question I have for you is do you really think they should lift this ban and will it really “help” us? Some say that this will not even affect the gas prices until 5 years later if the ban was eliminated NOW. That means they start drilling today and then maybe 5 years from today you may see the price of gas come down from $10 a gallon… yea, I am thinking in 5 years the price will be around $10 to $15 a gallon at the rate we are going now. If you don’t think this is an answer then let us know what should be done. If you think this is an answer then let us know why.

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$200K-Plus Lexus: Lexus LF-A Will Cost over $200K

Insideline has somewhat confirmed that the new Lexus LF-A will cost a bit over $200,000. Lexus officials stated that the new LF-A will have a number “two” in the beginning of the price tag. We know for sure it aint $20,000 so that only leaves $200,000. This will make the new Lexus LF-A the most expensive Lexus (or Toyota) ever.

 

Many of us have seen spyshots of the new Lexus “Supercar” on the Nurburgring race circuit sporting a possible sub 7 minute run just about on par with the infamous Nissan GT-R. But at $200,000 shouldn’t this be the car to defy laws of physics. Many will argue that the Nissan GT-R defys some of the laws of physics by just being a big bully in the super-car world that’s half the price. But really, are we comparing a Nissan to a Lexus? How dare us.

At $200,000 this new Lexus LF-A better do some amazing tricks like the one in the movie “Transporter 2” where the Audi does a 360 degree barrel roll and lands back on all fours. Yes, it better be that good. Look at some of the Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s, that cost upwards of $200K, they all can do that right?

My Ford Is Just As Good As Your Toyota

Many of you have seen the recent Ford commercials where they boast that Ford’s quality is just as good as Toyotas. Well, I have two questions. Is Fords quality just as good as Toyotas and is Toyota a benchmark setter in the world of “quality” of an automobile? You cannot deny the fact that Toyota has set a high mark for quality especially with their Lexus brand which comes in near the top of the list of J.D. Power Associates Initial Quality Survey each year. So who really said that Ford was on par with Toyota’s quality? It was actually a 3rd party that is not associated with J.D. Power & Associates that performed a so-called initial quality survey.

Toyota is not too happy with the claims that are plastered all over homes of America in one of Ford’s newest commercials. Even though Toyota has a justified right to defend their claim but as other automakers focus in and catch up to Toyota in the Initial Quality Survey Toyota does not feel this survey should be labeled as significant.

So is Ford REALLY on par with Toyota. We don’t want to bash either of the automakers, they both have excellent vehicles in all competitive automotive markets. We think only time will tell if Ford is all that and a bag of chips. Toyota has an excellent history when it comes to quality and it may take some time for others to prove that type of status. Will your Ford F-150 last longer than Jim’s Toyota Tundra? You may have to wait this one out.

Commercial Clip

Scion Broadband Lifestyle Show Takes Viewers on a Cultural Journey Around the World

As Toyota’s Scion brand makes its way deep into the urban society, it is starting make a big direct hit in the urban areas of the big cities of America. Below and deep into this post are a few videos of “The Skinny” which features a lifestyle show called “Slick’s Picks” where, Slick Rick Rivera, a native New Yorker with a unique sense of style, tours the world in search of the latest trends in music, fashion, dining, and much more. Scion will soon announce its most exciting Slick’s Picks segments yet, featuring exclusive interviews straight out of Tokyo, London, Seattle, and Atlanta.

“The Skinny” is the premier destination on Scion’s next generation streaming audio and video website www.scion.com/broadband. Here you can find video clips from exclusive artist and musician interviews, Scion’s various events, auto show highlights and footage from “Scion Live Metro” concerts.

Click the “Read the rest of this entry” link to view all of the videos.

Enjoy!
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3rd Generation Toyota Prius and Hybrid-Only Lexus Coming Soon

It’s a little early to start up the 2009 Detroit Auto Show predictions BUT, here goes anyway.

Toyota has plans to debut the new 3rd generation Toyota Prius along side of a new Hybrid-Only Lexus. According to Toyota Motor Corporation president Katsuaki Watanabe, by this time next year, Lexus will be welcoming its first hybrid-only model. The new 3rd generation Toyota Prius will resemble closely to the Hybrid X concept (teal colored vehicle image) which was at last years Geneva Auto Show. Toyota plans to accelerate its global PHEV research and development program “by 2010,” delivering a fleet of plug-in cars to commercial customers for on-road testing. The new Hybrid-Only Lexus will resemble along the lines of the Toyota FT-HS concept from the 2006 Detroit Show. The FT-HS concept has the same hardware from the current Lexus GS450h which we all know is no slouch. We should see something “sports car” related from Toyota very soon.

We are pretty sure the gas prices will be around $5 to $6 a gallon by time the 2009 International Auto Show gets here…. By then we ALL will have placed the 3rd generation Toyota Prius on back-order!  WOOT WOOT!

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2009 Toyota Venza: Toyota Flash Mini Site

2009 Toyota Venza: Toyota Flash Mini Site

Automakers are developing more and more mini sites with flash presentations of new upcoming models. Toyota has join the rankings with the new 2009 Toyota Venza Flash Mini Site. This is a very nice representation of an ocean/beach house scene over a cliff. Automotive marketing at its best comes from all angles. The flash site is complete with video, car features, and walk-around images.

About the 2009 Toyota Venza:

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The results are in: Toyota beat out GM in 2007 Sales!

 

It has been a long 2007 with several changes in our economy happening, layoffs at big American plants and the introduction of some pretty cool looking cars. Whatever GM did might have been good, but it didn’t beat Toyota.

DETROIT — General Motors had a solid year in 2007, with global sales up 1.9 percent from 2006. But it is now the world’s second-largest automaker.
GM slipped well behind Toyota Motor Corp. in global sales. GM sold 8,885,599 total vehicles in 2007, while Toyota says it sold an estimated 9,370,000. Toyota will issue an official total in about a month.
It was widely reported this week that the two automakers finished in a dead heat for the No. 1 spot. Here is why: GM includes in its total 516,435 vehicles of the Wuling brand in China.
But GM owns only 34 percent of the Chinese company that produces Wuling vehicles, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co.
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., a major automaker in China, owns 50.1 percent of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co.

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