MINI Roadster Concept: Frankfurt Auto Show 2009

We reported in August that BMW were to show off its new roadster, the Coupe Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. The new vehicle is aimed squarely at the Mazda MX-5 roadster, which we all know is a great car. So does this Coupe Concept have what it takes to take on the best Roadster? Read more

Most Cash for Clunkers Cars Are Foreign Brands

According to an article shown on USAToday, it seems that the recent Cash for Clunkers program has seen a majority of the vehicles that have been sold are from foreign manufacturers. The most popular cars have been the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Dodge Caliber and the Toyota Prius hybrid. Read more

Cash For Clunkers: Trade in after 270000 miles

Following on from all of the confusing rules and regulations regarding the Cash for Clunkers stories, we thought you might like to read a more lighthearted article, DriveOn are reporting on what they are calling their Clunker of the Day. Read more

Mazda sub-Miata MX-2: rumor

There is no denying that one of the most popular convertible small sports cars is the Mazda MX-5, but this is often too expensive. Mazda understand that people’s budgets are much tighter now but they have a solution, the MX-2. Read more

2009 Mazda3 Recall

Mazda have had to recall 7,100 Mazda3 vehicles, those that are affected by the recall are the models with Dynamic Stability Control. It seems that the system has failed to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 129. Read more

Mazda’s diesel commitment

Not so long ago, a number of German automakers said that they will be pushing diesels instead of hybrids, but that has not been the case. Porsche already has hybrids, and BMW are about to push their hybrids when they are launched, and Mercedes are also falling in love with the hybrid drivetrain. Read more

2010 Mazda 3 at LA Auto Show 2008

There have certainly been some nice cars at the LA Auto Show 2008; one car that stands out is the redesigned 2010 Mazda 3. The old sedan had plenty of charm, so it is nice to see that the new model has still kept that. Read more

Ford’s Operating Loss at $3 Billion

It is no secret that the Ford Motor Co. is in a spot of financial difficulty, the auto giants latest quarter figures are in and they have an operating loss of $3 billion. Ford has since announced that they will have to reduce staff and spending, in an effort to preserve what cash they have left. Read more

Mazda shares fall on Ford pullout speculation

Mazda Motor Corp have seen their shares drop to lowest they have been in eight years. This is a direct result of the speculation that Ford is to sell their stake in the Japanese automaker. Mazda shares fell by 37 yen or 13 percent, shares closed at 247 yen. Read more

2008 LA Design Challenge: field shows far out concepts

The 2008 LA Design Challenge chose its theme as Motorsports 2025, and we had already seen a couple of the entrant’s concept design, one of which was the MMR25 Rally Racer from Audi. We can now tell you that the rest of the field has finally revealed themselves, and the concepts certainly look far out. Read more

Mazda not to open new U.S. factory: Ford to blame

Mazda are now scrapping their plan to open a new factory in the U.S., saying that poor sales and trouble with Ford were to blame. In a Reuters report, Mazda did state that they were not planning to expand the output in the U.S. in the first place. Read more

2009 Mazda 6: Giving you a lot more

Now we all know that Mazda produce pretty impressive cars and that the first-generation Mazda 6 was produced some 6-years ago. A few models we can talk about briefly may turn some heads.

First up is the 4-cylinder engine 2.5-litre which produces 170 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque which is slightly different to that of the 2.3-liter motor producing just 156 horses and 154 pound-feet.

There is a more powerful model with a 3.7-liter V-6 engine with 272HP with 269 pound-feet of torque, five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission seems pretty ordinary but still exciting.

The one we like has to be the 6 Sport which costs $20,920 or you can have the V-6 for $24,800. The top-line model from Mazda is the Grand Touring, for more information in detail please read more here.

Mazda Kazamai concept unveiled at Moscow 2008

Mazda have unveiled their Kazamai concept at Moscow 2008, the unveiling was certainly a strange affair with four dancers along with guys in neon-pink shorts on roller skates all dancing around the new concept. Oh sorry I almost forgot about the 40 Russian singers all dressed in Soviet-style clothing.

If you were to read this article before hand, you would have thought that I was feeding you false information, but I have it on good authority from Autoblog that yhis really did happen.

Autoblog wanted to kick of their coverage of the 2008 Moscow International Auto Salon, so thought they would start with the Mazda Kazamai. There have been a number of concept cars over the past few months, but you have to admit that the Kazamai has to be one of the better ones.

The new concept is a two-door crossover, but has a more aerodynamic body than most CUV’s on the market today. What Mazda will finally call the production Kazamai is anyone’s guess, but Autoblog feel that it could be the new CX-7.

For more images of the unveiling click here

New DiamondBack-X Truck Cover Reinforced with LINE-X

This is the new DiamondBack-X Truck Cover that’s reinforced with LINE-X, and the product has been made possible thanks to a partnership between DiamondBack Truck Covers and the industry leader in truck bed protection (LINE-X). Read the press release below for the full details Read more

Ford Flex options list loved by customers

The Ford Flex has an amazing list of available options –everything from SYNC to a fridge. So how have customers ordered their vehicles? Well-specified, as you might imagine.

In fact, Flex is better specified than any previous Ford-branded vehicle with order rates for the Vista Roof running at an incredible 66 percent – even higher than the Edge, which runs at approximately 50 percent. Read more

2009 MAZDA Details: CX-9, MAZDA6, CX-7, MAZDA5, RX-8 & More

MAZDA6 Sports Sedan - The 2009 MAZDA6 is all new, and built specifically for the North American market. Lessons learned from the first MAZDA6 and Mazda’s newer successful vehicles - especially the Mazda CX-7 and award-winning CX-9 - encouraged a clean-sheet approach to building the best mid-size sports sedan the US market has ever experienced.

All efforts have been focused on a single four-door sedan bodystyle offered in two basic series: the MAZDA6 i powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and the MAZDA6 s powered by a 3.7-liter V-6. The lineup also includes a comprehensive choice of equipment levels, interior colors and distinct interior trims Read more

10 examples of Ford successes already achieved

Ford continues to make great strides toward achieving its goal of best-in-class quality. The following ten examples show some of the successes already achieved along the way.

1. Now shoulder-to-shoulder with industry leaders in initial quality - The quality of Ford brand vehicles soared to the top of the charts equaling that of Toyota and Honda, according to the second quarter 2008 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study conducted by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. The study showed Ford brand improved 6.5 percent versus last year with a combined average of 1343 things-gone-wrong (TGW) per 1,000 vehicles during the first three months of ownership. This performance is statistically equivalent at the 95% confidence level to the TGW levels of Honda and Toyota Read more

Ford 2009 Escape and Mercury Mariner get advanced 6-speed automatic transmission

Ford Motor Company is fitting the 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner with the automaker’s newest, advanced 6-speed automatic transmission, further demonstrating its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy for customers.

The new 6F35 front-wheel-drive transmission offers a 4 to 6 percent improvement in fuel economy versus conventional 4- and 5-speed automatics, in addition to improved acceleration.

“With a greater gear span, the 6F35 allows the engine to operate at more optimum combinations of speed and load to meet certain driving conditions,” said Craig Renneker, chief engineer for new automatic transmissions, Ford Powertrain Operations. “The new transmission also enables the engine to run at lower speeds on the highway, which aids fuel economy.”

The 6F35 will be mated to a new 2.5L I-4 engine and a power-improved 3.0L V-6 in the 2009 Escape and Mariner. The engine offers horsepower increases of 17hp for the I-4 and by 40hp for the V-6, while also boosting fuel economy by 1 mpg when mated to the new six-speed transmission. The 2009 Mazda Tribute also will feature the 6F35, as will two other vehicles early next year.

The new 6-speed offers numerous technologies and design features that increase durability, performance and quietness. Ford’s patented one-way rocker clutches allow for smoother, quieter, more precise shifts. Working like a socket wrench, the rocker clutches spin freely one way, but securely lock in the other direction. As result, gears are engaged and disengaged more quickly.

Other notable features include:

• Chain-driven secondary gearset – Specifically designed with random-size links, the unique chain reduces noise, vibration and harshness when driving the transmission’s secondary gearset.
• Unique pump-filter interface – Virtually eliminates pump whine, contributing to projected best-in-class noise, vibration and harshness characteristics.
• Flat-tow capability – Vehicles equipped with the 6F35 can be flat towed (all four wheels on the road) behind other vehicles without damaging the transmission. When flat towed, the transmission is in neutral, but internal parts rotate, causing heat. With the engine turned off during towing, the pump cannot create pressure to move oil around in the transmission and cool parts. To address this, internal baffling was added to the 6F35 to capture and direct oil to key areas.
• Fluid fill for life – A special blend of transmission fluid is maintenance free for the life of the gearbox.
• Transmission System Characterization – A process that utilizes software to ensure proper transmission operation before a vehicle leaves the assembly plant. During final testing, the functioning of several common shift cycles are matched against established parameters. Variability is then corrected by software in the Powertrain Control Module. The process helps deliver a high-quality, correctly operating transmission to customers from the very first day they drive their new vehicle.

Quality Tested for Durability
Ford automatic transmissions are subjected to hundreds of hours of durability, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) testing. A series of accelerated durability trials equate to 150,000 miles of the most abusive customer usage under extreme conditions.

“One test for the 2009 Escape was to run in fourth gear with maximum trailer load at 100 mph for 15 miles. And that was repeated about 500 times,” explained Rich Rej, 6F35 systems engineer, Ford Powertrain Operations. “We determine what the most abusive driver would do to our transmissions and then we do more to it to make sure that we are delivering a high-quality, durable gearbox for our customers.”

Ford also utilizes a state-of-the-art Transmission NVH Hemi Anechoic Chamber that allows engineers to develop hardware to meet noise and vibration targets that will result in a quiet, interior cabin, and yield higher customer satisfaction levels for transmission quietness.

The new 6F35 6-speed automatic transmission is assembled at Ford’s Van Dyke Transmission Plant, which also produces the 6F50 6-speed automatic in 2008 models of the Ford Taurus, Taurus X, Edge, Mercury Sable, Lincoln MKX and 2009 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS.

Ford is the first automaker to join The Climate Registry

Ford is taking an industry-leading move by becoming the first automaker to join The Climate Registry (TCR), building upon Ford’s leadership in facility greenhouse gas (GHG) initiatives globally. Ford supports the global harmonization of GHG monitoring and reporting practices. TCR represents a significant step toward that goal.

TCR is a non-profit organization established to measure and publicly report GHG emissions using a single reporting standard across industry sectors. TCR represents a linking of several state-sponsored GHG emissions reporting efforts, including the California Climate Action Registry and the Eastern Climate Registry. TCR’s reporting protocol is based on the internationally recognized GHG emissions measurement standards of the World Resources Institute and World Business Council on Sustainability (WRI/WBCSD) - an approach Ford has voluntarily supported since 2001.

Nearly all U.S. states, many Canadian provinces and some Mexican states have adopted TCR’s program, thereby eliminating a patchwork of reporting standards that could lead to unnecessary and time consuming complexity in the system.

“We endorse the TCR’s reporting process because it has adopted the WRI/WBCSD reporting structure, which will ultimately lead to a common, single reporting standard worldwide,” said Larry Merritt, manager, Global Environmental Policy, Ford Motor Company. “A single reporting standard is easier for its members and administrators to manage and more cost effective than developing new tools on a state-by-state basis.”

Following TCR’s reporting process will allow Ford to focus its resources on finding and implementing GHG emissions reduction projects rather than comprehending and implementing complex, disparate reporting requirements around the world. In the U.S. alone, without TCR, each state could have developed its own unique GHG reporting requirements

To become a TCR member, Ford must demonstrate environmental stewardship in several areas by voluntarily committing to measure, independently verify and publicly report GHG emissions on an annual basis utilizing TCR’s General Reporting Protocol. Ford will leverage its emissions monitoring and reporting experience with the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) to support its commitment to TCR.

“Ford has demonstrated exemplary environmental leadership by courageously stepping forward to support TCR in its preliminary stages,” said Gina McCarthy, Chair of the Climate Registry. “We are deeply grateful for their integral support in helping to address the challenges of climate change.”

Ford is an industry leader in global facility GHG initiatives including voluntary reporting, emissions trading and carbon offset programs. The company has achieved many GHG reporting firsts, most recently as the first automaker to submit a voluntary GHG report to the Chinese government for its Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. facility in Chongqing, China. Ford’s Chinese report follows the same principles as TCR and other country-specific GHG initiatives Ford has supported.

Ford also was the only automaker to join CCX and the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (predecessor to the current EU Emissions Trading Scheme) by voluntarily accepting emissions reduction targets and undergoing third-party verification of GHG emissions data. Ford was the first automaker to voluntarily report facility emissions to the Mexican GHG Program and the Philippine GHG Accounting and Reporting Program.

Ford was also the first to publish an auto industry report dedicated to addressing the business implications of climate change, carbon dioxide emissions and energy security concerns.

“Through these early, voluntary actions, Ford’s manufacturing operations have gained first-hand experience with emerging policy tools,” said Merritt. “Our global, centralized approach has supported our participation in CO2 initiatives in a more cost-effective and operationally-efficient manner. Ford’s early action has also developed internal expertise which enables us to share our lessons learned with others.”

Official: New Opel Vauxhall Insignia to hit UK showroom this October

Last month we showed you a teaser image of the new Opel Insignia, ok we did not give you much to go on but thankfully we have a few more great shots of this new sedan. This new vehicle will be aimed at the Ford Mondeo and Mazda6 market and is to replace the old Vectra; there are also rumors that the new Opel Insignia could replace the Saturn in the U.S.

The new Insignia really does put the old Vectra to shame; while the new Insignia will be badged as an Opel in Europe in the UK it will be badged as a Vauxhall. The new car is not only sleeker than the old Vectra but also has a more muscular stance; I think I could actually be looking at the best car that Opel/Vauxhall has ever built.

The old V-Bar that we are used to seeing on Vauxhall’s has now gone, in its place is a wider grille that has a couple of air intake ducts which shows of Vauxhall’s new logo. This new car is 21cm longer and 5cm wider than the old vectra and as the new Insignia has 35mm on its wheelbase there is more legroom for passengers.

The Vauxhall Insignia comes in three variations, Sedan, Hatchback and an estate (wagon). There will be a choice of four gasoline engines and three diesels. Expect to see the new Insignia in UK showroom this October.

Source - AutoBlog

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