CarsDampers and tuning

Riding on a high wave of demand for more fuel efficient vehicles, Toyota is planning to produce a new hybrid-only model to the tune of 100,000 units a year. The planned hybrid will be Toyota’s second dedicated hybrid model after the popular Prius. While the Prius features a 1.5 liter gasoline engine, the new hybrid model will feature a 2 to 2.5 liter engine. It will join the ranks of other hybrid models in Toyota’s lineup including the Prius, Camry Hybrid, and the Highlander Hybrid.

Toyota will also offer a rebadged version of it under the luxury brand Lexus, which is also currently producing a line of hybrid vehicles such as the LS Hybrid, GS Hybrid and the RX Hybrid.

In the face of the current shaky state of the auto industry, Chrysler could try to increase profitability and improve stability by retiring some models while adding value to existing mid-range trims. This means a possible realignment of the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring lines. In its plan dubbed ‘Fight Back’, Chrysler might cut the top trim levels of the Avenger and Sebring, while some of their features might be shifted to previously mid-range models.

Some of the key changes in the plan include eschewing the 3.5L V6 for a more efficient four-cylinder. This could improve fuel efficiency by as much as 4 mpg to 30 mpg. That’s hefty savings of up to 15%. Combining better features such as navigation, upholstery and entertainment options with a more efficient powertrain could make a more attractive package with improved value. Still, it remains to be seen whether Chrysler’s vehicle models can improve their competitiveness against other better-selling cars from the likes of Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

Just days ahead of its planned debut, the new Camaro in production trim was revealed in a series of leaked photos on the internet. The pictures showing the production car in red as well as one interior shot were posted by CarTribe, a UK car site.

The new Camaro will be available in standard US-market models LS, LT and SS with a hint at a fourth trim level. The car will be fitted with 6-speed manual and auto transmissions. To improve fuel economy, the Camaro will feature a fuel-efficient 296hp (220kW) 3.6-liter V6 and 416hp (310kW) 6.2-liter V8 engines. The Camaro will also boast of a fully independent suspension and stability control.

Check out some serious eye candy (click on image to enlarge):

Via Motor Authority

Theft of catalytic converters, an anti-pollution device, is rising rapidly across the US. Thieves usually slip under the vehicle and use battery-powered saws to hack the converter off within minutes. The motive: catalytic converters use precious metals such as platinum and palladium. And with climbing metal commodity prices, catalytic converters prove to be attractive and easy targets.

Five years ago, the price of platinum and palladium were $608 and $208 per troy ounce, respectively. Now platinum commands a $2,083 price tag per troy ounce while palladium is worth $468 per troy ounce. Thieves sell stolen converters to scrap yards for $50 to $100 but price varies among buyers. There have been reports of catalytic converter theft epidemics from Cincinnati to San Francisco.

Source: The Detroit News

If you drive a 1995 Honda Civic, you better employ better anti-theft solutions because this popular model is America’s most stolen car for 2007, according to ‘Hot Wheels’, a report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau based on information from the National Crime Information Center. The ’95 Civic is followed by another Honda model, the 1991 Honda Accord in the list.

The 1989 Toyota Camry was the third most stolen vehicle while the 1997 Ford F-150 was the highest-listed pickup truck as well as the most stolen domestic-branded vehicle. Other domestic models were the 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 and the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup, all trucks. Rounding out the top ten perennial favorites of car thieves were the Acura Integra, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Pickup and the Toyota Corolla.

According to the NICB, the types of vehicles being stolen remain consistent year to year. Thieves continue to prey on these older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts.

To protect your cars from thieves, NICB recommends a ‘layered approach’ by using simple, low-cost solutions to make vehicles less vulnerable to carjackers. These four layers are: common sense, a warning device, an immobilizing device and a tracking device. Common sense means locking the car and taking the keys with you.

Using a warning device or alarm is also an effective deterrent. The third layer encourages the use of an immobilizing device that will prevent the vehicle from being driven such as a smart key or fuel cut off. The fourth layer is the use of a tracking device that law enforcement officers can use to track and recover a stolen vehicle.

Another victim of high fuel prices, the next-generation Lexus SC has been canceled by Toyota while plans for the replacement Toyota Avalon Sedan might also be shelved. The SC is having a very low sales record, moving only 1,230 SC 430 units in the first six months of this year, down more than 40% from a year ago. A new version of the Lexus SC had been in the drawing boards and was supposedly slated for production in early 2009 but was pushed back to mid-2011; now it has been canceled according to Toyota insiders.

Meanwhile, Toyota is also mulling whether to cancel the planned replacement of the Camry-based Avalon which is slated for production in early 2010 in the automaker’s Kentucky plant.

American Honda bucked the downward trend of automobile sales when it posted record sales for the month of June. Total sales in June reached 142,539, an increase of 13.8% on daily selling rate basis. The Honda division was up by 17.9% over last year’s sales while the Acura division slumped by 16.4%. Honda benefited from the consumer shift towards fuel-efficient and eco-friendly vehicles, with the Honda Fit (pictured) posting record monthly sales of 10,003 units.

Meanwhile, the Honda Civic moved 39,967 units to post a new June record. Sales for the Honda Accord also rose 54%. Reflecting current industry trends, the Honda’s light truck segment suffered a 14.2% slump. Year to date, American Honda’s sales grew by 4.8%.

Source: Honda

The Concept-cX SUV, which drew raves at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, is confirmed for production by Mitsubishi. The Concept-cX will feature a new 1.85 liter, Euro-5 compliant Clean Diesel four-cylinder turbo engine. It will also have Mitsubishi’s Twin Clutch SST gearbox and a custom AWD system, which are already fitted into the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

The new compact crossover model is expected to become the showcase model of Mitsubishi’s upcoming environmental awareness technologies which will include a family of Euro-5 clean diesel engines. These new engines will feature highly efficient turbochargers and excellent combustion characteristics that will provide class-leading power as well as low emissions. The production Concept-cX will be sold primarily in the European market. Further details have yet to be released, though.

Via Car Central

As the population of Americans 65 years and older is projected to double in the next twenty years, General Motors responds to the need for more elderly-friendly vehicles by developing a new windshield technology that will help drivers with vision problems see more clearly. The technology is still in the research stage but is expected to be very useful in the near future.

Although it will not improve the driver’s vision, it will make objects that could otherwise go unnoticed by aging eyes stand out more. The high-tech windshield will feature a combination of lasers, infrared sensors and a camera to enhance the road view. For instance, during foggy days, a laser projects a blue line into the windshield that follows the edge of the road.

Infrared sensors will also detect objects, such as a person or an animal, in the driver’s path during night time driving; it will project an outline of the object on the windshield to highlight its location.

Other devices track the driver’s head and eye movement so that the image on the windshield isn’t skewed. Aside from GM, only Chrysler is currently working on similar windshield technology.

Honda revealed a low-emission sports car study model at the British International Motor Show in London. The new concept, dubbed the OSM (for Open Study Model) features a lightweight roadster design that highlights Honda’s core engineering values – designing stylish, exciting cars that are also environmentally responsible. The concept for this project is ‘Clean and Dynamic’.

The exterior design is a balance of smooth, rounded curves and sharp lines to provide definition in key areas. The headlights are cleverly integrated into the front end, stretching from the nose to the top of the wheel arches to look more like a part of the original body.
Inside, this uninterrupted, fluid approach is continued, with long sweeping curves extending from both door panels to form a frame for the instrument display. The concept for the dashboard was to avoid creating the traditional block of ‘heavy’ colour and material in front of the driver; in keeping with the clean and lightweight theme. For that reason, the dash is broken into sections, with the most important instruments in direct line-of-sight of the driver.

Key information is displayed in a rounded, enclosed central binnacle, with levels and figures in bright blue on a black background. This matches the trim inside the car, with the seats and door furniture trimmed in a new, gloss-effect blue leather, accompanied by white leather sections, in line with the exterior body colour, a one-off paint called Mystic Pearl.

The driver’s main controls and functions are distributed in an intuitive layout, close at hand on a panel that curves downwards to the right of the driver. A centrally-mounted semi-sequential gear-shift points towards a fun-to-drive transmission, along with paddle shifts either side of the steering wheel. Integrated into the gearshifter itself is a red ignition ‘start’ button, which reinforces the sporty direction of the car.

The Honda OSM was designed by Honda’s R&D facility in Offenbach, Germany. It is a design study model, and there are no plans yet for it to enter production.

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