Improve Vehicle PErformance, with out Raising the Pump Costs

New market research has shown that new high performance spark plugs (duh) may be the key to increasing vehicle performance with out compromising fuel efficiency.

"From copper to platinum and iridium - modern spark plugs help motorists get a lot closer to experiencing the highest level of performance and fuel economy their vehicle is capable of producing," said Reid Smith, product manager for spark plugs for Robert Bosch LLC. Bosch is a leading supplier of premium spark plugs to vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket and a pioneer in the development of spark plug technology.

"Fresh premium spark plugs help extract more energy from the same amount of gas," said Smith.

Two Ethanol Facilities Win Energy Star Awards

Two ethanol facilities in the Midwest are being recognized for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions equaling the amount of pollution from almost 6,000 cars annually. Still trying to find ways to reduce costs and utilize their budgeting software efficientlly these companies have at least figured out how to decrease their energy use and hope that eventuallly it will be cost-effective enough to work for you and I.

Energy Star awards will be given to these facilities at the 23rd Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo in St. Louis, Mo.

Macon Municipal Utilities reduced their energy use by 25 percent. Macon Municipal Utilities installed a 10 megawatt (MW) natural gas-fired combustion turbine CHP system at its 45 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Northeast Missouri. The CHP system will likely reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 28,000 tons per year, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 4,500 cars.

At its 40 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Illinois, Adkins Energy LLC, decreased their energy use by 15 percent with a 5 MW natural gas-fired combustion turbine CHP system. The CHP system reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 8,700 tons per year, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of 1,400 cars.

Top Dropping Women Triple in a Decade

No, this isn't about fashers, or even the open tip bras available now a days. This is talking about convertibles obviously. Over the last 10 years, studies show that the amount of convertibles driven by women in the UK have tripled.

Looking back over the years, the Mazda MX-5 led the way as the most popular choice from 1999 but had its convertible crown taken away in 2005 by the Peugeot 206cc which has ruled the roost ever since.

Diamond managing director, Sian Lewis, commented, "The 206cc was the car that started the craze for affordable folding hard top roofs, and its popularity has no doubt had an effect on the increase we've seen. Many manufacturers have followed with their versions which has also buoyed the market."

She continued, "Now the battle seems to be which car has the fastest automatic folding roof and on that measure, the new MX-5 Roadster's 12 seconds wipes the floor with the 206cc's 20 seconds. In fact, the 206's replacement, the 207cc manages only a leisurely 25 seconds."

ExxonMobil Introduces Next Generation Natural Gas Engine Oil

Mobil Pegasus 1005 was introduced today as their new next generation high performance lubricants. The writing pens are out to push this press release into the fold. The new fuel is formulated with the highest quality basestocks and advanced additive technology, Mobil Pegasus 1005 is designed to provide today’s high output, low-emissions four cycle gas engines with exceptional levels of protection while also delivering superior performance for older model engines.

“To stay ahead of the competition in today’s global industrial marketplace, companies need to invest in products that are designed specifically to help enhance the productivity and durability of their most critical equipment,” said Jeff Biamonte, ExxonMobil's global industrial advisor. “Mobil Pegasus 1005 was developed through extensive laboratory and engine bench testing, as well as comprehensive field tests with major OEMs around the world, to ensure its exceptional performance capabilities over the long haul.”

“This testing showed that Mobil Pegasus 1005 can provide double the oil life, compared with previous mineral oil based Mobil Pegasus formulations, thus helping companies reduce their oil consumption, oil disposal and maintenance costs.”

July 4th Weekend says 1.2 Million Michiganians will travel

It's Michiganders actually, but I am willing to work both angles with it. Michigan is one of the major golf course states in the northern U.S. so i'm sure that many are heading to those with their Big Bertha Callaway golf clubs.

An estimated 1.2 million Michiganians will travel during the 2007 Fourth of July holiday, according to a recent AAA survey of 1,950 U.S. residents. Of this number, 92 percent will travel by car and 8 percent will travel by air.

"This Fourth of July holiday is somewhat unique, in that it falls in the middle of the week," said Claire Lockley, vice president Travel for The Auto Club Group. "Interestingly, we're finding that Americans aren't willing to give up their traditional Fourth of July celebrations with friends and family, and many are choosing to take a few more days off of work to do so." Read full story

Cheap Cars Seen As Way to Stimulate Slumping Indian Car Market

India's Tata Motors, a Chinese owned Global Automobiles, and Nissan-Renault are working on plans to be able to offer new car models at $3,000 or less in order to attract a whole new strata of car buyers. $3,0001? That's pretty damned amazing really. Wonder if the cars will be made out of styrofoam. I've been using Hoodia to cut down on my food costs just so i could get a new car. $3000 means I can get 10.

According to Ashutosh Goel, an auto analyst with brokerage Edelweiss Capital, "Tata's small car is likely to be the first one to roll out. They have a firmed up model design and on-going plant construction." This model could be priced between 100,000 to 125,000 rupees ($2,457 to $3,017; USD equivalent). It would be manufactured in the communist-run state of West Bengal and be available for sale in 2008. Read more

Ford and GM To Offer Month End Discounts

Reuters reported that General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. plan to introduce discount programs intended to boost sales during the last weekend of June, people familiar with the sales plans said on Friday. Another way would be to look into school loan consolidation.

Jess Toprak, analyst at industry tracking service Edmunds, said he expected the discount programs from GM and Ford to target sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks.

He said that would represent a kind of "retaliation" to Toyota Motor Corp.'s announcement last week that it had begun offering rebates of up to $3,500 on its Tundra pickup truck.

"NOT AWFUL"

"Historically, you do tend to see a ramp-up (of discounts) at the end of June through the end of summer," Toprak said. full story

New Company in China to Produce Diesel Common Rail Systems

DENSO Corporation today announced that on June 1 it established a wholly owned company, DENSO (Changzhou) Fuel Injection System Co., Ltd., to produce common rail systems for diesel vehicles in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China. The investment will total approximately four billion yen. Guess you'd need on hell of a coin sorter to work with that kind of scratch.

Full story

Top 10 Driving Mistakes Teenagers Make

Cars.com and DriversEd.com Announce Top 10 Driving Mistakes Teenagers Make. Apparently they don't like list form so I broke into a Top 10. You can read their write ups on each one at the link under the list. This list is just some Premium dog food for the soul I suppose. Kind of common sense and you wonder why the study was made. Something to read for those that are bored out of their mind.

1. Being distracted behind the wheel
2. Taking too many risks
3. Speeding...duh
4. Overcrowding the car
5. Driving under the influence
6. Following too closely
7. Driving unbuckled
8. Not being able to handle emergencies...ummm not really a "mistake"
9. Driving drowsy
10. Choosing the wrong car and not maintaining it

Read results

GM Prepares Fuel Cell Technology for Future Production

Not sure what to think about this. You hear that this is possible and worth a look, but at the same time you hear that it is too costly and will never work. At this point I don't think it is anything we are going to see in the next 5 years so it is nothing more than news really. News to me is that my battery is holding up, but I had to get a new alternator this week.

"Eight years ago we said that hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle technology could make a major contribution to solving the energy and environmental challenges facing the automobile industry," said Larry Burns, GM Vice President, Research and Development. "Today's announcement signals another important milestone as we move fuel cell vehicles closer to future production."

Read more...

Consumers Plan to Employ Gas-Saving Tips to Achieve Greater Fuel Economy

Even though gas prices have gone down considerably in the last couple weeks there is still a lot of news about how people are trying to save money on their fuel. Some of the ideas are so out there that many think they can save enough money to buy Las Vegas Luxury Condos, or even a great vacation cottage. HEre's an article about some of those ideas.

With gas prices on the rise this summer, there is no shortage of fuel economy advice available to consumers who want to save a few dollars at the pump. Drivers are often encouraged to improve their vehicle's fuel economy by reducing air conditioning use, changing filters regularly, checking tire pressure, having fuel injectors cleaned and using a fuel additive to increase engine performance. But how likely are consumers to actually use any of these gas-saving tips to help save money?

According to a recent Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research study on fuel economy, nearly six out of 10 consumers say they would be likely to change their filters at scheduled intervals and/or check their tire pressure regularly to achieve greater fuel economy or save money. In addition, nearly seven out of 10 consumers (68 percent) believe that by performing some or all of the recommended gas-saving maintenance to their car, they would save up to $200 annually. read more...

2007 Eyes on Design Auto Show Fathers Day Weekend

Detroit is the King of auto shows and no other holiday is better to get father and son together than Father's Day. The Eyes On Design car show is a Father's Day event and has been for the last 20 years. Various folding tables and booths set in front of some sick looking vehicles and this year should be no different. Perfect Father's Day present to bond the father and son this year if you have a chance to go.

“Aerodynamics and Streamlining – By Design” is the theme for the 20th Eyes On Design car show, a Father’s Day tradition for this reporter. The family functions always have to go on without me until I get back home in early afternoon after I spend the day with one of the best, most eclectic car shows of the summer season here in Southeast Michigan. I always get there in the early light as they bring the great cars onto the huge front lawn of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford mansion on Jefferson Avenue just south of 9-Mile Road on the shore of Lake St. Clair. full article

Flexcar Top ''Eco-marketer''

Business who are environmentally conscious sometimes get awards. This time it is one of the marketing companies that was awarded by Advertising Age Magazine recently for their integration of Eco-friendly marketing and awareness. Automakers, home furniture, and many others try to be environmentally aware in their marketing, but Flexcar was awarded as one of the best.

Flexcar today was honored by Advertising Age magazine as a top “Eco-marketer” at its first ever Green Conference in New York City. Flexcar was one of only six companies across the U.S. to receive the honor; the other honorees were Ben & Jerry’s, Toyota, HP, Timberland and Aspen Skiing Company.

The Green Conference was created to celebrate marketers who are doing the best job of integrating environmental sustainability into their brand DNA. The awards were given to the people and companies making those measurable changes in an effort to better the environment. These "Eco-marketing Honorees" and other top marketers participated in discussions and case studies. full story

Toyota Surpassed GM as Top Carmaker in 2006

This news is based on 2006, but released today and isn't really unexpected. Well...I guess how it was achieved was according to the article below. While looking at articles on California mortgage refinance I saw this and decided to post it as it is sort of an interesting development in the automaker industry.

Reuters reported that the milestone that the global auto industry has been holding its collective breath for -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s unseating General Motors Corp. as the world's biggest carmaker -- came last year instead of in 2007 as many had expected, according to a leading industry journal.

Detroit-based weekly Automotive News, whose data centre publishes a widely quoted ranking of the world's automakers around this time every year, said Japan's top carmaker outsold GM by about 128,000 units last year based on a technicality that excludes sales of vehicles at minority-held subsidiaries.

"A little-known Chinese microvan played a role in Toyota's victory," the magazine, published by Crain Communications, said on its website. link

Automotive Online Coupons

Online coupons are the best way to save a buck on whatever you want to buy online. Be it auto supplies, electronics, or video games, Coupon Chief has the coupons you will need in their coupon directory for over 1,000 stores. One that would make sense to post here would be the CarDomain.com Coupon Deals page. They offer many discounts of 10%, free shipping, etc. to save you some serious cash on various auto supplies and automotive equipment. Check out those deals, but you will likely want to bookmark the home page so that you can take advantage of all their offers when you want to make a purchase at one of the many stores they have deals for.

Former NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. Dies

This is a very long article and I really couldn't do it much justice if I were to rehash it. The AP reported that Bill France Jr., who transformed NASCAR from a small Southern sport into a billion-dollar conglomerate during his 31 years as chairman, died Monday at the age of 74. Heard about this ont he radio when I was looking at some Las Vegas Real Estate so i wanted to get it up here.

He died at his Daytona Beach, Fla., home, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said.

France had been in poor health for much of the last decade -- he was diagnosed with cancer in 1999. Although he was in remission, the extensive treatments took a toll. He never regained his full strength, often had difficulty breathing and had taken to using a motorized scooter to get around. read more...