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Ford commits largest auto investment ever in Mexico

May 31, 2008

Ford Motor Co.’s $3 billion investment in three manufacturing projects is the largest ever made in the Mexican automotive industry, Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon said Friday.

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Pollsters reveal the 2010 Cadillac CTS Wagon

May 31, 2008

Filed under: Spy Photos, Wagons/Estates, Cadillac
Click above to enlarge
A Jalopnik reader purportedly got hold of a Harris Opinion Survey about the upcoming CTS wagon, and assuming it’s on the level, it brings forth a treasure trove of information. For example, as you can see above, it seems we now have a first look at official imagery of the CTS in 2-box guise. We like what we see…perhaps even more than we like the CTS Coupe. We especially digthe way those super-tall taillamps look from behind. We’ll reserve final judgement for whenever Cadillac officially unveils the car, but things appear to be proceeding very nicely.
Underhood, the doc tells us that it’s going to be direct-injected engines only. A 3.0L V6 producing 260 horses replaces the current, non-DI 3.6 as the base mill, with the now-familiar 304-horse 3.6L again assuming the top spot. Both will be connected to 6-speed automatics, and highway [...]

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Stink Fast! - Porsche Design cologne

May 31, 2008

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Porsche, Lifestyle

One thing some luxury-goods makers are missing out on are male-centric fragrances. Yankee Candle should come out with an entire “Garage Line” of scents like “Winter Ether,” “Hydrocarbon Bliss,” or the more subtle “Mustang Interior,” and “Exhaust.” There’s a veritable treasure trove of olfactory delight just waiting to be mined by a master nose. Porsche Design isn’t waiting for someone else to cash in on this brilliant plan, and the company is releasing its own line of products called “The Essence.” Porsche Design is a separate unit from our friends who screw together conveyances, and the firm focuses on industrial design when not fiddling with esters and bergamot. The scents are described as having a combination of cold metallic and warm organic tones, and will be available in aftershave, hair gel, body wash, and deodorant. Now, you can get all dolled up in your Porsche [...]

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Belgium: Dodge wants you to steam up the windows in the Journey

May 31, 2008

Filed under: Euro, Marketing/Advertising, Crossovers/CUVs, Dodge
Click above for a gallery of the Baby Made on Board promo materials
var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/autos/Chrysler_promo_tells_Belgians_to_get_laid_in_Dodge_Journey’; When we read the tip from reader Thijs B. telling us that in Belgium, Dodge is planning a Journey launch promo centered around backseat baby-making, we thought it was a big joke. So we started flexing our Google powers to see what else we could dig up. And guess what? It’s legit.
If you go to babymadeonboard.be, you’ll be greeted by the screen above, which features a play on those annoying “Baby On Board” window signs that were ubiquitous during the 80s. It’s paired with a countdown timer that will zero out on the weekend of June 14, which is when the Dodge Journey officially launches in Belgium. A quick WHOIS lookup on DNS.be reveals that the site’s domain name is registered to someone at the Brussels [...]

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Belgium: Dodge wants guys to steam up the windows in the Journey

May 31, 2008

Filed under: Euro, Marketing/Advertising, Crossovers/CUVs, Dodge
Click above for a gallery of the Baby Made on Board promo materials
When we read the tip from reader Thijs B. telling us that in Belgium, Dodge is planning a Journey launch promo centered around backseat baby-making, we thought it was a big joke. So we started flexing our Google powers to see what else we could dig up. And guess what? It’s legit.
If you go to babymadeonboard.be, you’ll be greeted by the screen above, which features a play on those annoying “Baby On Board” window signs that were ubiquitous during the 80s. It’s paired with a countdown timer that will zero out on the weekend of June 14, which is when the Dodge Journey officially launches in Belgium. A quick WHOIS lookup on DNS.be reveals that the site’s domain name is registered to someone at the Brussels office of Proximity BBDO, a BBDO partner. [...]

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those Knucklehead Strohls

May 31, 2008

A friend of mine from Delaware, Ohio - not too far from where I grew up - recently sent me this clipping from the May 8, 2008, Delaware Gazette that comes close to inclusion in the family album:
Strohls to celebrate 60th anniversary today
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph (Joan Breece) Strohl of Delaware will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary today. The couple were married Sunday, May 8, 1948 in Greenup, Ky. They have four children and five grandchildren.

Belated congratulations, then, Joe and Joan. Coincidentally, my brother, also named Joe, also lives in Delaware. As far as I know, though, the chances of us being related are slim.
As for the bike, O’Clair, our resident Harley expert, said it’s a Knucklehead, from about 1936 to 1938.

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TTAC Called It: GM Restructuring Plan on Same Day as Sales Drop

May 31, 2008

If you're one of those people who believes GM has a coherent turnaround plan, or in fact believe in this unspecified, entirely elastic strategy for a return to profitability, you might want to take note of the fact that General Motors is locked in the PR version of Groundhog Day. As we've pointed-out many times, GM PR always saves its bad news for a Friday and/or makes major announcement on the same day it gets hit with disastrous numbers. This coming Tuesday (June 3) will be no exception. Automotive News [AN, sub] reports that GM CEO Rick Wagoner will reveal his new new turnaround plan (cut!) on the same day the company's May sales figures hit the wires. And they will be epic– and I don't mean that in a good sense. Amidst a predicted 10 percent overal sales drop, "analysts expect sales to drop 22 to 25 percent [...]

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“The $75 [gas] limit ensures merchants and customers are protected from fraud”

May 31, 2008

Filling-up the Odyssey the other day, I was surprised when the wallet-drainage started slowing down at $48. Of course, I knew what wasn't coming: anything more than $50 worth of gas. As an a tax paying member of the world's most pampered people, I found it incredibly annoying that I had to restart the entire sales process for an additional $8. As a free marketeer, I found it bizarre that a large corporation (Shell) would make it hard for me to spend MORE money. Turns out it's the credit card companies– Visa and Mastercard– who are limiting millions of gas purchases to $50 in some states, $75 in others. As USA Today points out, even $75 won't do it for many fuel hungry behemoths. "At $4 a gallon, $75 buys 183/4 gallons. A 2008 Toyota Sequoia SUV's tank holds more than 26 gallons, a Chevy Avalanche sport pickup [...]

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CARNIVAL OF CARS: A Drive Around the Auto Blog Block for Saturday, May 30, 2008

May 31, 2008

Hope springs eternal in the breast of every serious driver, now that the Texas legislature has banned speed cameras. Which state will be next?
Apparently, only Gov. Rick Perry’s signature is needed to make the Texas speed camera ban law. Neither Perry’s official web site nor the Austin or Dallas papers web sites say whether he has acted. It would be a major surprise - on a par with Barack Obama withdrawing from the Democratic presidential race to support Republican Tom Coburn - for Perry to veto the measure.
More details on the above at TheNewspaper.com.
Do you know about the Automotive X prize? They know in Finland where, WorldCarFans.com tells us, the Electric Raceabout is being prepared as an entry.
The GMSource.com notes a Japanese newspaper report that Toyota and GM are in talks about producing the Prius at the NUMMI plant in California. If true, is this a good or [...]

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CARNIVAL OF CARS: A Drive Around the Auto Blob Block for Saturday, May 30, 2008

May 31, 2008

Hope springs eternal in the breast of every serious driver, now that the Texas legislature has banned speed cameras. Which state will be next?
Apparently, only Gov. Rick Perry’s signature is needed to make the Texas speed camera ban law. Neither Perry’s official web site nor the Austin or Dallas papers web sites say whether he has acted. It would be a major surprise - on a par with Barack Obama withdrawing from the Democratic presidential race to support Republican Tom Coburn - for Perry to veto the measure.
The GMSource.com notes a Japanese newspaper report that Toyota and GM are in talks about producing the Prius at the NUMMI plant in California. If true, is this a good or bad sign for the Chevy Volt?
Over at Amazon’s Car Lust blog, editor Chris Hafner admits his affection for the Prius. Sees it as an “Americanized Citreon.” Maybe that’s why the Toyota [...]

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