General Motors realizes it has a nagging little marketing problem as it prepares for an initial public stock offering. The analysts, portfolio managers and potential investors that they are hoping will like their stock aren’t big customers of the company’s cars. So GM is mulling over a plan to open up a GM salon in Manhattan, say three people who know about the discussions. The company would rent or buy a building, outfit it with imagery for its four brands and showcase the latest cars. The idea is to get GM’s best models in a place where high-fashion New Yorkers, tourists and high-rolling investors might walk by. GM does poorly in the New York metro area. GM’s market share in the New York area was just 9.6% in the first quarter, compared with 18.7% in the U.S. GM’s share in the New York area was 10% last year, down from 13% in 2008, according to Experian Automotive, which tracks vehicle registrations.

GM thinks that the salon would show investors and car buyers that the company’s newest models are competitive. Audi has a similar display called the Audi Forum at the corner of 47th Street and Park Avenue. Audi keeps five cars on hand, including a vintage Le Mans series race car. Audi has events at the Forum. They even kept it open so Audiphiles could watch the entire 24 Hours at Le Mans race last year.

For GM, this does create a bit of a dilemma. GM wants to get in front of the hip and the well-heeled. But is this the right way to do it? The Forum works for Audi because it’s a house for just one brand. There is nary a Volkswagen in sight. GM would have four brands together at a time when the company is trying to give Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC some individuality.

That isn’t what’s stopping GM. Executives say they like the idea of a company showroom in the Big Apple. But Manhattan real estate is really pricey. For a company perceived by some to be on the dole–and that took some heat for giving a Corvette to near-perfect Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga–a Manhattan marketing scheme could draw heat. GM should pay no mind. The bigger question is whether GM could differentiate its brands with this, and any other companywide marketing strategy.

Filed under: SUV, Safety, Technology, Crossover, Ford

When the new 2011 Explorer goes on sale later this year, Ford plans to highlight the new unibody ‘ute’s safety and fuel efficiency. The Explorer will be exclusively powered by four- and six-cylinder EcoBoost engines, which are expected to increase efficiency by 20-25 percent, while delivering the power consumers crave. Expect more drivetrain details to be forthcoming, but before then, Ford invited us out to its Dearborn proving grounds to see what it has in store on the safety front.

Ford confirmed last fall that the Explorer would be the first vehicle to get its new inflatable rear seat-belts, but the latest – and arguably more interesting – feature on the Explorer is dubbed “Curve Control.” The system is a software enhancement built on top of the existing roll stability control (RSC) and electronic stability control (ESC) systems, and we had a chance to experience it first hand. Make the jump to find out more.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Deep Dive: Curve Control on the 2011 Ford Explorer [w/video]

Deep Dive: Curve Control on the 2011 Ford Explorer [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not even two months into the job, General Motors Co. marketing Vice President Joel Ewanick is already shaking things up. Adweek reported that he has replaced Bartle, Bogle and Hegarty as Cadillac’s advertising agency after six months with the account, handing the estimated $250 million in business to Fallon.
It’s not a big surprise. Ewanick is known for moving quickly and any new marketing chief will want to bring in his own people and favored agencies. Last month, he brought in San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein and Partners for the Chevrolet account, replacing Paris-based Publicis after just a few weeks. Publicis had been hired by GM before Ewanick arrived to replace Campbell Ewald, which did Chevy’s advertising for decades.
Even before Ewanick arrived, GM wasn’t blown away by some of the Cadillac work done by BBH. The company asked for changes several times, says one person with direct knowledge of Cadillac’s advertising. Cadillac wants ads that focus more on the cars and have less emphasis on sizzle and sophisticated graphics, the source said.
Expect more changes to come. Two people close to GM’s marketing operations say Ewanick wants to bring in some outside marketing talent to add some brain power to GM’s ranks. Given the company’s woeful marketing efforts in recent years and its brand-image challenges, it could be just what the company needs. The company’s brands have lurched from one marketing message to another for a decade, with a revolving door of marketing bosses to keep the churn going. Cadillac, for example, has had three marketing heads in a year.
And make no mistake, Cadillac is a big marketing challenge. Last year’s sales were the worst since 1953, albeit in a woeful car market. The brand ranked eighth among 12 luxury car brands in the Luxury Institute’s 2009 survey of people making more than $150,000 a year. Only one-third of respondents said the brand is worth paying a premium to buy, compared with 57% for BMW and 62% for Mercedes. At 62 years old, the average buyer is 13 years older than a BMW buyer. That’s a long way of saying that the brand isn’t hip. Cadillac has some strong models with the CTS sedan and new SRX SUV. But GM needs to get the core of the luxury consumers to check out the new, aggressively-styled and sporty models that are the antithesis of the brand’s old geezer image. Now it’s up to Ewanick and Fallon to get luxury buyers to give those cars a look.

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chevrolet, Specialty

The top seller in Barrett-Jackson’s first Orange County auction on Saturday was a very special Chevy Chevelle. Built by Route 66 Motorsports and chronicled by Super Chevy Magazine, it’s known as the Project American Heroes Chevelle, and it brought a cool quarter of a million bucks for the Armed Forces Foundation. This Chevelle is the third in a series of souped-up muscle cars built for this particular charity, which supports the families of injured veterans.

The car itself is a 1970 Chevelle, with an intercooled, supercharged GM Performance Parts LSA engine where you might expect to see an LS5 or LS6 big block. Detroit Speed & Engineering did the suspension, the binders are Baer’s new “6P” brake system, power is routed through a TCI Automotive 6x 6-speed 4L80E transmission, and the end result of these and about 30 other component contributors is one badass Chevelle that sold for $250,000 on Saturday afternoon. Take a look at the gallery below to see some shots of this very special Chevy, the color guard that escorted it onstage, and the cheerleaders that helped keep the crowd revved up during the auction.

Barrett-Jackson OC ‘10: Project American Heroes Chevelle brings $250,000 for charity originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buying a used car can be a slightly daunting task. You never really know how good the vehicle is going to be until you’ve run it for a few months and got to know it well. However, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of buying a wreck. The most important thing to do is to do your homework, and always approach a viewing with your logical head on; don’t get carried away or feel pressured into parting with your money. Remember, when you’re buying a car it’s your hard earned cash you’re spending so it’s you in the driving seat…not the seller. This article goes through five aspects that should help you when making your decision.

Paper Work

Always, always, always check the paper work. Unless you are paying hardly anything for the car it should be being sold with at least a minimal amount of documentation. The first thing you should look at is the service history. This will give you a really good idea as to how well the car has been maintained. Also worth checking is the user manual, to see if anything will need doing in the not too distant future; check the last MOT certificate; and make sure the log book is OK. If any of this is missing, or raises some questions then ask yourself why, and try to get to the bottom of it.

Mileage vs History

Checking the mileage of the car vs the history and maintenance schedule is something that a lot of people forget to do. First of all, the numbers should add up. For example if the car has only 40,000 miles on the clock yet there is a service stamp in at 60,000 miles you’ll know something is wrong! Try to look at the maintenance schedule to find out when major works are scheduled to take place. If some major work is due soon, check for receipts to see if it has been done already, and if not try to negotiate on the price to make up some of the difference.

Exterior

The quality and condition of the exterior of the car doesn’t necessarily matter if it’s just cosmetic, but it will give you an idea of how well the car has been looked after. The main things you should be checking for are rusty sills, rusty wheel arches, accident damage and worn out tyres. All these things will cost you money if they aren’t sorted out so either ask the seller to fix them or negotiated money of the purchase price to cover the work needed.

Interior

Again, this won’t always effect the reliability of the car you are about to buy, but it will give you an idea of it’s past and how much it has been loved. Try to look for things that may irritate you; windows not working, broken plastic, faulty seat rails etc. These are things that may end up costing you money so it’s best you check for them now. Having a good test drive will certainly help you identify potential issues.

Under the Bonnet

This really is a crucial check. open up the bonnet and have a good look around the engine bay. Spend your time looking for evidence of oil leaks. Look for old stains or patches of oil. This could indicate that the head gasket is about to go or there is an oil leak somewhere. both problems will leave your wallet severly dented. Also take a look at all the fluid levels and make sure they are ok. Looking under the car for signs of fluid is also a good idea, if you see a big puddle on the pavement underneath the sump or radiator then it might be best to walk away.

About the Author

To get more information from used car specialists, please visit Ian Allan Ford

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Mazda, First Drive

Mazda says there’s a little bit of Miata in everything it does. While it’s easy to chalk that up as marketing frippery, when the automaker launched the Little Roadster That Could back in 1989, it proved that great things can come from a machine developed to be simple, reliable and driver-focused. Even now, none of Mazda’s wares offer class-leading fuel economy or practicality, but they’ve proven to be some of the best drivers in their segments. And as enthusiasts, it’s easy to exchange a bit of functionality for a larger helping of fun.

Now, Mazda hopes to achieve this same sort of positioning within the B-car segment – a class that’s grown substantially in America and is projected to double in size within the next few years. The 2011 Mazda2 comes to town right on the heels of its sister car, the Ford Fiesta, but as we found out after a lengthy drive through the city of Montréal and the countryside of Canada’s Québec province, it’s a wholly different machine. And while the Fiesta is sure to provide some serious competition for the 2, there are plenty of other well-to-do B cars in the U.S. that are ready to be sized up against the minuscule Mazda.

If you only look at the stats, you wouldn’t think Mazda has positioned the 2 to be anything overly special. Not only is it the least powerful car in its segment, but it doesn’t offer some of the clever technology or unique packaging to make it stand out from its kin. But Mazda is immensely proud of the new 2, and though we looked on with skeptical faces, the people in charge simply told us that the little hatch’s story is best told on the road. So let’s get to it.

Photos by Stephen J. Ewing / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Mazda2 puts fun before frugality

First Drive: 2011 Mazda2 puts fun before frugality originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, Europe, Lotus, Luxury

Yesterday Lotus did something rather… odd. The Malasian-owned British sports car maker sent the entire automotive world a high-res picture of Stonehenge and announced it represented the, “Dawn of a new era.” We initially interpreted this to mean that the new Lotus Esprit would show up in Paris. We still think we’re right about that part, but Lotus might have been letting a little bit more cat out of bag than they intended.

According to a report from Malaysia, Lotus owner Proton has hired a plethora of ex-Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin employees (including Frank Tuch, the former Director of Quality Management at Porsche) in hopes of transforming the brand away from Toyota-engined track day novelties (hello, Exige!) into a full-fledged Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin fighting luxury, high-performance brand. Of course that entails abandoning Colin Chapman’s maxim, “Simplify, then add lightness,” in favor of the German mandate to, “Complexify, then add steel.” If you think the Italians are any better, realize that every new Ferrari ships with eighteen miles of wiring. But look on the bright side, the new cars (which will have some sort of hybrid-ness cooked in) could draw power from Chapman spinning his grave.

As we speculated yesterday, the new Esprit will need something resembling a V8 engine (at least) to not only fill the shoes of the old, long-loved Esprit, but also to compete with the world’s best luxury/performance machers. Luckily for both Lotus and Lotus fans, engine-supplier Toyota has just such a motor in the form of the IS F’s 416 horsepower, 371 pound-feet or torque 5.0-liter V8. Of course, if you want to play in the stratosphere with the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and/or Aston Martin these days, you’re going to need at least 500 horsepower. But where would Lotus get an engine like that?

According to the report, the Lexus LFA’s 552 hp, 9,000 rpm 4.8-liter V10 could be made available for Esprit duty, though it might be slightly detuned. Still, an aluminum and composite V10 is an aluminum and composite V10. While that might sound odd at first blush, Toyota (no doubt) spent a sick amount of yen coming up with the LFA’s V10, but they’re only building 500 (or so) LFAs. So why not recoup the pricey development costs elsewhere? Like say in a Lotus range-topper? The question then becomes: Does the world want a 500+ horsepower Lotus dolled up with enough electronic whizbangery to compete with Europe’s finest? Only time and the marketplace will tell.

[Source: Paul Tan]

Report: Lotus to target Europe’s best, evolve from lightweight to luxury originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The internal combustion gasoline powered engine which powers most vehicles on America’s highways today works basically on the principle of “burning inside”. Burning the air/fuel mixture in the engine creates a tremendous amount of heat ‘ more than enough heat to melt a 200 pound engine block in less than twenty minutes. In a motorist’s normal driving temperatures inside the cylinders may be as high as 4500 degrees Fahrenheit. Indeed pistons may run 600 degrees F at the crown ‘ that is the top of the piston block.

As soon as you see the temperature gauge begin to rise into the “warning zone” (or if you have ‘idiot lights rather than gauges – that your hot temp or high temperature warning light lights up red), immediately turn off the air conditioning to decrease the load on your engine. Neglecting the cooling system of an auto can result in leaks from connections to the engine block – be it cast iron or aluminum. Overheating and possible irreversible damage to your engine may be the result in the final tally. Who need this – If you are not stalled in traffic , and still in motion on the roadway, put your transmission in first gear as you drive. The way your engine will turn faster and thus work to dissipate excess engine heat, thus doing its job of cooling your powerplant and even powertrain. Let your radiator, engine cooling system and hot water pump all do their jobs of dissipating and eliminating this extra heat that your engine, engine block and cooling system are currently carrying and retaining.

With proper care , the cooling system of a power plant can last for many many years with only minor auto service – such as replacement of hoses , belts and possibly a radiator pressure cap or thermostat. It is mainly a matter of keeping the coolant in the system clean with all components working properly.
A word of note. If you have an older , well used vehicle. Replacing a radiator cap that is leaking will put the entire cooling system under pressure – more than it bear and take – resulting in a cascade of engine problems and repair costs.

Newer modern vehicles for the last number of years usually use electric fans to draw air via the radiator not the older type which ran directly off the engine. At idle and slow operation , the fan draws air from the outside through the radiator core to cool the coolant as it passes through the radiator. As well you will charge your battery, if the battery is run down from sitting in stalled traffic.

The radiator is a honeycomb of small tubes and fins. The hot coolant flows through the tubes and is cooled by air passing around the tubes and fins. If anything , the modern auto cooling system with permanent glycol year round antifreeze works too well. Not being the wheel that squeaks , it usually and often receives little attention for regular and ongoing maintenance and care. However no antifreeze is really “permanent” or forever. the additives do wear out with time and miles. The cooling system uses several hoses to carry hot coolant under pressure from one place to another. They include upper and lower radiator hoses, inlet and outlet heater hoses and on some vehicles a radiator bypass hose. Hoses may have to perform in atmospheres and settings where one day it may be a frigid Manitoba or Northern BC winter freeze and a baking oven the next – even overheating due to low as well as inadequate levels of antifreeze fluids. Most importantly resist the temptation to open the hood and examine the engine, even if smoke (really steam) is escaping from under the hood. Coolant recovery systems are part of most cooling systems of most current and late model cars , trucks, buses , SUVs and vans. A coolant recovery system uses a reservoir to hold the overflow of coolant as it is heated and expands. After the engine has been stopped and “cools down”, a partial vacuum exists that draws the coolant back into the radiator – you run the greatest chance of being burned severely by hot scalding liquid and boiling hot steam. If you have to wait a minimum of half an hour or so until lifting up the engine hood. Again to stress and emphasize a major point – do not open the radiator cap under any circumstances while the engine is hot. As a motorist you risk scalds and burns from escaping and bubbling engine coolant and boiling steam.

About the Author

Terry Z. VostornVancouver Auto Dealers Weekly Specials OnlinenBritish Columbia Pre-Owned Automobiles

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Filed under: Coupe, Cadillac, First Drive, Luxury

There was a time when General Motors was a design leader. Before the Aztek, before the Catera, before the Sunfire and before the Citation, GM was synonymous with bold, strong, emotional automotive design. The General was so good at it that in the 1950s it was able to flood dealerships and stress factories just by tweaking a given model’s sheetmetal a few shades. Imagine anyone caring about a new rear end on a 2011 Chevy Malibu. Yet the revised bodywork of the 1956 Bel Air was a major cultural phenomenon.

The name Harley Earl – the legendary head of GM design from 1927 until 1958 – still strikes reverence into the hearts of many. One glance at his famed Buick Y-Job, a 1949 Cadillac or the original Corvette is enough to see why. Earl’s parting shot was the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado – the one with the tail fins that could nearly touch the moon. Then you have Earl’s successor, Bill Mitchell, the man responsible for the third generation Corvette, the 1966 Toronado and the magnificent boattail Buick Riviera.

For a variety of reasons, in the 1970s General Motors and striking design parted ways. GM’s styling wandered through the desert, swapping glitz, purpose and chrome for tighter profit margins, increased badge engineering and a large patina of plain ol’ dull. All you need to do is take a gander at the third-generation B-bodies to see how far GM went in the wrong direction. Let’s not even mention cladding.

For the last decade or so there have been signs of hope. Vehicles like the Chevrolet SSR, Pontiac Solstice, C6 Corvette and the new Camaro were proof that GM and great design are on the road to reconciliation. As a division, Cadillac has made the biggest strides with their Art and Science design motif, showing great signs of life. The front end of the second generation CTS is fantastic. From a pure design point of view, and with the possible exception of the now dead Pontiac Solstice, no General Motors product has been world class since Mitchell retired in 1977.

That changes now. Meet the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe.

Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe is audacity in motion

First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe is audacity in motion originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can’t hide from quality problems. Witness the results of the Initial Quality Study released today by J.D. Power. Toyota’s sudden-acceleration crisis–which forced the once-heralded carmaker to recall more than 8 million vehicles over the past year–resulted in its worst-ever performance in the survey. Toyota dropped from sixth place last year to 21st. Consumers complained in the survey about brake and floormat problems, which is what the recalls were mostly about. Last year, Toyota brand vehicles had 101 problems per 100 vehicles. This year, it rose to 117. No big surprise given the massive number of cars recalled.

What was more surprising is how poorly General Motors did. Cadillac tumbled from third place with 91 problems to a tie for 12th place with 111 problems. Chevrolet went from ninth to 12th, falling below the industry average. GMC went from 18th to 25th. Of GM’s four brands, only Buick improved. The survey tracks complaints during the first 90 days that a consumer owned the car. The problems can be anything from a mechanical breakdown to, say, too much wind noise to mundane things like the driver griping about the size of the cupholders.

What’s worrisome for GM is that the culprit happens to be the company’s newest models. Dave Sargent, J.D. Power’s vice president of global vehicle research, said new models are often weaker in quality than cars that have been on the market for a few years. Carmakers have time to find glitches and work them out. Sargent says GM can easily improve its quality performance by patching up new models like the Cadillac SRX and Chevrolet Camaro. But this is terrible news for a GM management team that is trying to convince buyers that the company is new, improved and doing things differently. Some of GM’s new models are selling well; the Cadillac SRX, Chevy Equinox SUV and Camaro in particular are red hot. What better way to wow those new owners than sell them cars that they think are cool, and which end up being problem-free. The fact is that GM has been making quality strides. But until the company can follow rival Ford, which finished fifth and ahead of all other mass-market brands, GM will have something to prove instead of something to boast.

J.D. Power pointed out that as a group, Detroit’s Big Three carmakers did better than the foreign brands for the first time in the survey’s 24-year history. That is largely due to the fact that Ford made big gains and Toyota tumbled so far. The disappointing results at GM and Chrysler, whose Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands all scored below the industry average–say that much more work needs to be done before consumers will view American cars as equal or better than the imported brands.