Another German Car Museum!The announcement that Porsche is about to open a new museum is hardly surprising news, but it does complete the roster of German auto musuems. VW has one in Wolfsburg, BMW has one in Munich, Mercedes-Benz has one in Stuttgart, Audi has its Forum in Ingolstadt, and now Porsche has one in Zuffenhausen. (And Ferrari has its own new collection of designer buildings in Maranello, Italy; the NYTimes just published a piece on them.)What they all have in common, of course, is that they were conceived with the intent of being architecturally significant. These are not just warehouse buildings with a stuffy collection of company memorabilia and vehicles; they are supposed to be testaments to their respective owners’ technological superiority and cultural dominance. Therefore, the automakers commissioned big-name architects and spent money freely to build temples to their brands. These are the German auto industry’s equivalents to Bilbao, intended to be destinations not just for marque enthusiasts but also architecture fans and cultural critics. It’s also a way for these old-line European companies to emphasize their heritage, something that upstarts from Japan for the most part cannot do.Now that the dollar-euro relationship is a bit more comfortable for Americans, spring/summer 2009 seems like the perfect time for American car enthusiasts to wrap a European vacation around visits to these automotive shrines. Mercedes and Porsche can easily be knocked off in a couple of days or less, since Zuffenhausen is a suburb of Stuttgart. From there, it’s only a couple of hours to Munich to immerse yourself in all things BMW. Take in a beer garden or two and some of Munich’s other historical sites, and then it’s less than an hour’s drive north to the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt. From Ingolstadt, you’ll need about four or five hours to make the trek up to Wolfsburg, where Audi’s parent, Volkswagen, is ready to receive visitors at its Automuseum. In Wolfsburg, though, VW makes its stunning architectural statement not in its museum but rather in its new-car delivery center, the Autostadt. VW buyers can choose to take delivery of their new cars from one of the Autostadt’s twin 20-story cylindrical glass towers. The other German automakers, of course, offer similar delivery programs, all intended to make owners more dedicated to their chosen brands.Read More | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
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Wednesday, December 3, 2008
2010 Ford Mustang priced cheaper than Challenger, Camaro
Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Ford
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That old saying once again proves true as some early pricing information for the new 2010 Ford Mustang has leaked out, with the latest 'Stang continuing its tradition of offering an excellent value proposition when compared to its new peers. Base price for a standard V6-powered 2010 Mustang is reportedly $21,845, including delivery charge. For comparison, its biggest competitor will surely be the Camaro, which starts at $22,995. The other revived pony car is the Dodge Challenger, which in base SE form begins with a $22,545 sticker price. Each of these entry-level models comes equipped with a standard V6 engine, though the Challenger comes only with a four-speed automatic while its competitors offer a stick. Anyone wanting an open-air experience has no choice but to opt for the Ford, as the Blue Oval's offering is the only modern musclecar with an optional drop-top.
Stepping up to a V8-powered Mustang will reportedly run you $27,995 - quite a bit cheaper than the V8-powered Camaro's $30,995 sticker. Dodge's entry runs $30,545 for the base R/T model and its HEMI V8. It's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, of course, as the Mustang GT is down a bit on horsepower compared to its rivals, but we think the GT's cut-rate pricing should be more than enough to keep Ford's pony at the top of the sales charts. For more options information (bereft of pricing), download Ford's .pdf here.
[Source: Ford, Inside Line]
2010 Ford Mustang priced cheaper than Challenger, Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�Comments Read more ...Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
Lots of self-reflection in Detroit these days, what with GM ditching private jets and all the CEO drives to DC in an Escape hybrid and/or Malibu Hybrid. Speaking of Detroit, that's where we'll see the production version of the Fisker Karma come January.
- Wagoner to visit Congress in Malibu Hybrid
- No more private jets for GM
- Mulally first to announce that he's driving to Congress, will take Escape hybrid
- First TH!NK City's will go to the most 'EV Friendly' cities in Europe
- Ford's business plan for Congress includes electric van in 2010, sedan in 2011
- Detroit Preview: Fisker Karma coming in production form
- GM and Chrysler's future business plans include EVs and hybrids
- Electric car conversion business still going strong
- BREAKING: Tesla SVP Darryl Siry resigns
- Volvo launches flex fuel S80 and C30 in Thailand to go with new E85 stations
- Michelin teams up with CITIC Guoan Mengguli Corp. for EVs
- Aptera grows management team with racing, production veterans
- Without Getrag DCT, Chrysler will stick with conventional 6 speed automatic
- 2011 Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger expected to exceed CAFE standards
- Prize time: Opel Flextreme wins red dot design award
AutoblogGreen for 12.03.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�Comments Read more ...Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Honda
Click above for high-res version
Today we've given another glimpse of the production Honda Insight before it debuts next month at the Detroit Auto Show. Aside from the minor details (e.g., door handles and exterior mirrors) that go from concept stylized to production practical, the official photo reveals an Insight that looks nearly identical to the concept that was shown at the Paris Motor Show in October, and the Los Angeles Show two weeks ago. Honda is expecting to sell about 100,000 copies of the Priu... err, Insight in North America once it goes on sale in the spring of 2009 with a base price expected to come in below $20,000.
[Source:Honda]
Continue reading Production Honda Insight shown in new official image
Production Honda Insight shown in new official image originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It's debatable whether or not now is the right time to make changes in the way our cars are made, with some believing that Detroit should follow the path it's already on and others claiming there couldn't be a better time to make major sweeping changes. Count DuPont head Chad Holliday among the latter. Holliday's so-called "Detroit Project" would challenge American automakers to introduce a new "Car of the Future" that would achieve 75 miles per gallon and run on butanol - an alcohol fuel that DuPont just so happens to market itself.
Regardless of whether DuPont stands to benefit from this project, there are a few major hurdles to overcome, not the least of which is an initial $5 billion investment at a time when the Detroit 3 are asking for many times that from the government just to stay in business. We also see problems getting proposed collaborators such as Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Boeing and Google all working on the same page. Schools such as MIT, the Georgia Tech, and the University of Michigan could also be involved, according to Holliday. No problem, right?
Getting an automobile to run on butanol isn't a problem, it's been done over and over again. Yes, it is a cleaner fuel that may be a better choice overall than ethanol, but coming from the head of a company with a vested interest comes off as a bit disingenuous. It also reminds us of something we heard the other day...
[Source: Detroit News]
DuPont chief calls on Detroit to make 'Car of the Future'... that uses his fuel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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