Topics for Monday, September 17, 2012. The anniversary of the signing of the final draft of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Topics for Monday, September 17, 2012. The anniversary of the signing of the final draft of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Lexus LF-CC Concept revealed
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Lexus drops photos and a few details on the new LF-CC, a compact version of the show-stopping LF-LC concept shown just a few months ago. The car shows the clear design trend that Lexus will be adopting in the near future.
This was embargoed until 12am EST, so we will be good publishing it and the gallery now. It just hit Motor Trend and others in the last hour.
Smart ForStars
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A unique Sports Utility Coupe that offers a first-ever integrated video projector
Toyota TS030 hybrid race car
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Toyota TS030 hybrid race car wins 6 Hours of Sao Paulo .. Audi R18 e-tron Quattro in second .. reverses their standings from 6 Hours of Snetterton .. Hybrids beating gas cars in races
Chevrolet Impala features new fuel saving technology
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Looking to the valves to save fuel is one more way to gain another 1 mpg.
Seee? an mpg here, an mpg
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In reply to Chevrolet Impala features new fuel saving technology by John Goreham
Seee? an mpg here, an mpg there, and by 2025 we'll be at average 54.5 MPG ... ;-)
CAFE
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In reply to Seee? an mpg here, an mpg by David Herron
And would have been whether the government mandated it or not. Of course, the Impala is a mid-sized sedan, so it's "footprint" means it doesn't have to make 54.5 (IIHS testing, not EPA, which is 6-10mpg lower) anyway. Assuming they don't completely change the rules again in 2017, which they will.
Would they have?
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In reply to CAFE by Aaron Turpen
I'm not so sure anymore. I am still a gear head, but I think Obama scared the crap out of GM, Ford and a couple other automakers. All Toyota had to do to make 54.5 average was discontinue the Seqioua, 4-runner, FJ, and a few other models. A lot of the other car makers were WAAAY behind. Even Honda. Wickid late with the 6 speeds and direct injection. I think they held off until they knew what they would have to do to comply. Of course, we all pay the price for the new content. We also pay the price with CVTs (Nissan) and horrible things like the new Acura ILX.
EXCEPT
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In reply to Would they have? by John Goreham
The 54.5mpg requirement is not the actual requirement. It's an extrapolation of what they would have to get if they were to meet the CO2 requirements purely through engine improvements. That won't be the case.
Further, the requirements are split by vehicle "footprint" (size) and the larger the car, the less it has to meet.
Ford already had EcoBoost long before the new EPA standards were proposed. GM has been fiddling with similar tech in Europe for a while, etc. There was very little resistance from Detroit over these proposed rules because, like CAFE since the beginning, they're easily gamed.
Read the short two-part series I did on how CAFE will work. The actual MPG requirement is far, far lower than 54.5. That's just the big number that the press and White House like to run with. It appears nowhere in the actual standards and is only an EPA estimation, as described above.
I'm hip to CAFE
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In reply to EXCEPT by Aaron Turpen
I know the outline and you are totally right. It is clearly a flim flam and trucks get a pass (mostly). I think what is surprising me is the little things coming out in a steady stream.
True
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In reply to I'm hip to CAFE by John Goreham
And they have been for a while. The new Ram 1500 is going to give the full-sized truck segment a much-needed kick in the pants. I drove both a fully-loaded V6 and a base model V8 Hemi 5.7L and can say that these are ground-breaking pickups. Ford, Chevy and Toyota need to step up their game to match.
The V6 is amazing. Six cylinders, 305 horsepower, 6,500 tow weight and up to 32mpg highway. Seriously. Without anything expensive added.
The compact SUV market is going the same way. The 2013 GMC Terrain pulls over 30mpg too, but accomplishes that by putting a tiny 180hp 4-cylinder in it. Still, given a GVW of about 5,000#, 180hp is not underpowered, just no fun. :)
I think you're right.
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In reply to Seee? an mpg here, an mpg by David Herron
And I am amazed. This release from Chevy is like saying "Hey we are moving to pneumatic tires next year!", but one mpg is a LOT. 5% is nothing to sneaze at. It seems like the automakers are waaay ahead in the race to 54.5. Particularly Ford. Who would have guessed? Ideally, there will still be room for gas powered fun cars.
What does a Nissan V8 racing engine have to do with GM
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The answer may surprise you
(Based on the Nissaan press release of Sept 14th.) Will compare Holden Monaro and G8
Taking the 2013 GMC Terrain and Acadia Denali models offroad
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It's good to know crossovers never expecting to do much offroading can handle an intermediate level of ruts, rocks and puddles
Treasury turns down deal to sell off gm stock
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because they will lose too much money.
New award won by the Honda Insight highlights COO of hybrids
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Cost of ownership has never been lower for hybrids. A new award given to Honda by KBB shows just how amazingly low a fuel sipper can be.
Feds expands Elantra airbag probe
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adds two model years
First Cadillac ATS to be auctioned
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for charity
Dodge Dart Aero mpg
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41 for the manual, 40 for the dual clutch
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