Episode #283 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Chris, Dan and Zach chat about the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, the Chevrolet SS, and Kia exploring diesels for the U.S. market. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #283:
Topics:
Ford Shelby GT500
Holden sending RWD Commodore Stateside
Kia mulling diesel for the U.S.
In the Autoblog Garage:
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
2012 Audi A6
2012 Honda Fit
Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman
Runtime: 01:08:54
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[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
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During a meeting of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Toyota president Akio Toyoda offered a "Chapeau!" to his fellow CEOs by listing his favorite cars from other makers. He listed just one vehicle from five makers represented on the board, in alphabetical order: the Honda NSX, Isuzu Bellett, Mazda Cosmo, Mitsubishi Pajero (our Montero) and Nissan Skyline.
Toyoda didn't give his reasons for choosing these car beyond each being "memorable." Even so, going through the list any car enthusiast knows the Honda (Acura in the States) NSX needs no introduction nor explanation. The Mitsubishi Pajero is probably as well known for it's off-road excellence as it is for its name change in Spanish-speaking lands due to the word "pajero" - all the more intriguing when it's apparently named after an Argentine cat, Leopardus pajeros. And although the "Skyline" moniker was made famous overseas by the GT-R, the Nissan Skyline that Toyoda references has a long history and is our Infiniti G.
The Mazda Cosmo (pictured) was an Italian-esque little coupe produced from 1967 to 1995, the first series production vehicle with a two-rotor rotary engine. The Isuzu Bellett was that firm's in-house replacement for the English Hillmans it was rebranding, the first Japanese car to get GT badging (it would also get a GT-R version), and it would cover just about every segment with sedan, coupe, station wagon and pickup truck variants.
Before financial Stargate opened in September of 2008 and transported us to an entirely new economic dimension, it was oh so common to read about domestic automakers hammering Tier One suppliers to lower their prices. Of course, suppliers are still asked to find efficiencies, but pre-2008, it seemed a point of honor to hold a supplier's feet to the fire. No more: in the latest Working Relations Index survey of suppliers by Detroit firm Planning Perspectives Inc., General Motors and Chrysler rocketed up the charts to bring the bunch much closer together.
Admittedly, the two companies are still in last place, with GM just ahead of Chrysler and Toyota and Honda still up top. But perspective and improvement is the issue here: in 2005, Toyota scored 415 and GM scored 114. In this year's survey, Toyota scored 296 and Chrysler scored 248. It is the first time in the 12 years of the survey that the six automakers covered have been separated by less than 50 points. Chrysler's jump was led by the efforts of the the late Dan Knott, whle GM's improvement has been led by Bob Socia.
And yes, this is also a matter of the perennial leaders, Toyota and Honda, suffering a dip: in 2010 Toyota scored 327 and Honda 309, two years later, Toyota has dropped 31 points. Every automaker, however, from top to bottom acknowledged that they still have work to do with supplier relations. The benefits of good feelings are that suppliers tend to present their newest tech to, and make better parts for, the automakers with whom they have the best relationships. Naturally, it has been found that the reverse is true as well.
Nissan and Ford make up the middle two spots, where they've been for years. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Hyundai aren't on the list yet; PPI feels it doesn't have enough data on the Germans to yet to officially include them, and it doesn't have enough data on Hyundai to rank it at all. If the data gathered on the Germans was included, though, they would sandwich the rest of the field: BMW and Mercedes at the top, Volkswagen at the bottom a point shy of Chrysler.
Carroll Shelby's passing, BMW 3 Series Wagon, Porsche sub-Boxster/Pajun, Google car in public, BMW 2 Series
Episode #282 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Chris, Dan and Zach chat about the passing of industry legend Carroll Shelby, the BMW 3 Series Wagon that's coming soon, Porsche and its rumored small five-door, Pajun (along with plans for a baby Boxster), Google's self-driving car getting the go-ahead to roam Nevada's streets, and the coming BMW 2 Series. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #282:
Topics:
Caroll Shelby passes away
BMW 3 Series wagon headed stateside
Porsche baby Boxster and Pajun
Google self-driving car in public
BMW 2 Series arrives in 2014
In the Autoblog Garage:
2012 Chrylser 300 AWD
2012 Honda Fit Sport
2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman
Runtime: 01:23:51
Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
It seems that ever since humankind grew legs and climbed out of the ocean, we've been trying to figure out ways to avoid using said appendages. While many of these efforts have been wildly successful - think Roman chariots, Pony Express, and the Ford Model T - the recent spate of personal mobility devices hasn't quite taken off.
The poster child for this failure is, of course, the Segway. Though completely awesome, its greatest success has come in comedic appearances on television (Arrested Development) and in the movies (Paul Blart: Mall Cop). But manufacturers have forged ahead, undaunted in their desire to bring human-like mobility to humans. The latest: The Honda Uni-Cub.
An evolution of Honda's U3-X motorized unicycle, the Uni-Cub marries a saddle and sturdy base with an omni-directional drive wheel. A rider controls the Uni-Cub by simply shifting their weight. Honda says it is "designed for harmony with people," as the device positions the rider at relatively the same height as pedestrians, rather than towering over them like a Segway rider.
The Uni-Cub is designed for use indoors, and is powered by a lithium-ion battery and electric drive. It can reach a top speed of 3.7 miles per hour and has a range of 3.7 miles, meaning that any reasonably fit individual should be able to both outrun and outlast the Uni-Cub.
Honda will begin demonstration testing of the device in June.
Scroll down to read the full press release and watch a video of the Uni-Cub in action, and be sure to check out all the images in our gallery.
Continue reading Honda unveils another Segway-fighter [w/video]
This week's Superior Court verdict suggests there's little to no recourse for consumers.
As Autoblog readers likely have already learned, a Superior Court judge in California has tossed out a judgment issued by a small claims court earlier this year awarding nearly $10,000 to Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters. She had taken the Japanese maker to court claiming it used misleading advertising promising the sedan would get significantly better mileage than proved true in the real world.
In overruling the lower court, Superior Court Judge Dudley W. Gray II wrote that, "Federal regulations control the fuel economy ratings posted on vehicles and advertising claims related to those fuel economy ratings."
Well, um, no. That was my understanding, too, until I had the chance to pursue the matter with the EPA a couple years back. In fact, I was told, the law simply sets an upper limit. If the tests determine a new model gets 50 mpg - as with Peters' Civic Hybrid - that's the most a maker can advertise or use on the Monroney window sticker. But should a manufacturer like Honda realize through its own tests that the vehicle's real-world mileage might be noticeably less they can mark it down to whatever they think is valid.
Of course, who would do that? With mileage now one of the top things on the consumer's shopping list, who can blame a manufacturer for wanting to put the prettiest lipstick on a gas hog. And this week's Superior Court verdict suggests there's little to no recourse for consumers who only discover that fact after they've given it a big smooch.
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
Continue reading The case of Heather Peters and the Honda Civic Hybrid sets an alarming trend
A judge has reversed a lower court ruling against Honda over the automaker's fuel economy claims. Heather Peters successfully sued Honda in small-claims court in February, claiming her 2006 Civic Hybrid didn't return the advertised 50 miles per gallon Environmental Protection Agency rating. Peters was awarded $9,867 in damages in the lawsuit, but now Judge Dudley W. Gray II of the state Superior Court in Torrence, California, has reversed the lower court's ruling.
Honda has offered owners a settlement in a larger class-action suit, paying out either $100 or $200 depending on the vehicle and as much as $1,500 toward the purchase of a new Honda. According to The Detroit News, around 1,700 Honda owners have declined to participate in the class-action suit.
Continue reading Honda wins appeal in Civic Hybrid fuel mileage case
Honda is massaging the 2013 Accord line with more modern gearboxes and trims to match its more modern design (the non-conceptual version of which still has yet to be seen). In addition to the six-speed manual replacing the five-cogger currently offered on four-cylinder models, the folks at the Temple of VTEC forum have found an order sheet indicating a CVT will be available on mid-range LX, EX and EX-L models. For the enthusiasts hoping for the manual to return to the V6 sedan, no dice - the 6AT is what you'll get.
The sheet also omits the sedan's current SE trim slotted between the LX and EX, and in its stead is a Sport trim. It can be had with either the manual or the CVT, but it's not listed with the "navi" option. The coupe's trims remain the same. When we can put these specs together with the actual 2013 car, then we'll start to guess how it will far against its archfoe, the Toyotal Camry.
Honda is looking toward the future. A new Japanese ad for the company has made its way to YouTube featuring some of the most important models in the automaker's past. From lowly bicycles and small-displacement motorcycles to the ever-sexy 1965 RA272 F1 car and perfectly proportioned S800, the ghosts of yesterday are all lined up behind the new Acura NSX Concept. The spot spends plenty of time talking about the power of dreams and determination before finally ending on the rally cry of "Let's surpass yesterday's Honda!" The simple spot is titled "We won't be beaten."
At least that's according to the subtitles. The announcer could be reading us his grocery list for all we know. If the translation is accurate, though, it sounds like Honda is tacitly acknowledging that it needs to pull itself up by its bootstraps and get back into fighting shape. Let's hope they figure it out. Scroll down to watch the video for yourself.
Continue reading Honda shows off greatest hits in new Japanese ad
Borg-Warner makes the turbos for all three IndyCar engine suppliers, Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus, but the engine makers provide two compressor shrouds of their own design for homolgation by the series. Honda's singe-turbo engine is down on power compared to Chevrolet's and Lotus' twin-turbo motors, and Chevrolet has won all every race so far and taken all pole positions this season. Honda had a new shroud ready for the Long Beach GP and IndyCar allowed the change, but Chevy protested so Honda wasn't permitted to make the switch.
A three-man panel was selected to hear Chevy's appeal, and their verdict in favor of Honda means that the Japanese automaker was permitted to swap the shroud before this weekend's São Paulo race. The new shroud is said to be worth 10 to 15 more horsepower, but in the end, Chevrolet-powered racers managed to finish in seven of the top 10 positions.
Chevy had been contesting the ability to make an engine change at this point in the season, when there are no constant-parity clauses in the regulations and IndyCar has an agreed date in mid-June for such alterations to create parity. Honda's argument was that an agreement in 2010 that was meant to prevent turbo wars does allow the change it sought to make. The panel supported Honda's interpretation of the parity argument.
Chevy has said it will not appeal the decision. Now it's up to the Honda-powered drivers fitted with the new 0.74 A/R compressor cover to show they can do better than second place.
