Bajaj Auto unveils new bike  
Bajaj Auto Ltd on Saturday launched its new motorcycle XCD 135 DTS-Si. This is part of the company’s initiative to increase its market share to 35 per cent from the current 20 per cent in Tamil Nadu. Announcing the launch the Regional Manager (Tamil Nadu & Puducherry), Mr S. Manoj Kumar, said in the 135 cc to 150 cc segment the company’s current market share in the State is 5 per cent. In addition to XCD 135, the company will introduce two more bikes in Apr il and July, which will together help notch 35 per cent market share target in less than a year. The company hopes to sell 4,000 units of the new bike in the remaining two months of this fiscal. Market share for the company dropped primarily due to economic slowdown and poor availability of finance. As part of its revival programme, the company is aggressively promoting its finance arm Bajaj Auto Finance Ltd.


Source : Business Line (Online Edition) (2/8/2009)

Slowdown signs - Vietnamese auto makers hesitant about investment plans  
Vietnam News Agency reported that domestic automobile manufacturers have been wavering between pushing up investment or stopping investment amid unclear market prospects and policies.

As per report, Toyota Vietnam, which always leads the market in car sales, has had to lower its business goals in 2009 by 20% to 50% compared to 2008.

At the meeting with the Ministry of Industry & Trade last week, Mr Murakami general director of Toyota Vietnam, once again, proposed joining forces with the government to build an automobile industry with sustainable development, while suggesting that tax policies be stable to encourage investment plans.

In the first eight months of 2008, member companies of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association sold 10,000 cars a month. However, in the period from September to November 2008, they only sold some 5,000 cars a month.

Mr Murakami said that "The decrease should be attributed not only to the economic recession, but also to the government’s policies, implying the ownership registration tax increase from 2% to 10%."

Moreover, other new tax policies effective as of early 2009, including the VAT increase from 5% to 10%, ownership registration tax increase from 10% to 12% in Hanoi, all will have negative impacts on automobile production and sales, due to which enterprises cannot be optimistic about their business plans in 2009.

Mr Bui Ngoc Huyen general director of Vinaxuki "The state encourages enterprises to localize automobile production, which has prompted us to make investment in localization. The amount of capital invested in the localization plan now accounts for 15% of our total investment. However, if our products remain unsalable, which means our money is buried, we will suffer."

Under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme, from 2008-2018, Vietnam will have to slash tax rates from 83% to 0%, which means that automobile manufacturers will have to gear up to become stronger. Meanwhile, the economic recession has been putting big difficulties on Vietnamese enterprises.

Meanwhile, automobile manufacturers have asked for a delay of the implementation of the plan to raise the VAT to July 2009, and other taxes, including the luxury tax, ownership registration tax, and personal income tax. The automobile industry will be twice burdened if the government still raises taxes in the context of the economic recession.


Source : steelguru.com (2/8/2009)

Red Bull Racing Team Daytona International Speedway  
SHOT DOWN IN THE SHOOTOUT Brian Vickers was on target for the best Shootout finish of his career Saturday night when a chaotic final lap left his Red Bull Toyota limping home with an 11th- place finish.

Driver No. 83 drafted at the front all night - even leading two laps -after starting seventh. He mentioned the track was "loosening up," and the team opted to give up track position in favor of one last stop for four tires on lap 67.

He held the ninth position during the eighth caution that set up a green-white- checkered finish. "We have a good car," he said, "but no one is as good as us so it is hard to find help."

On the final lap, Vickers became a victim of circumstance in a four-wide pack that crashed entering turn three. He crept to the start-finish line as one of only 13 drivers to complete all 78 laps in the wild race.

"We were making a run back up to the front and the 18 (Kyle Busch) went low," Vickers said. "He came back up on the race track and everybody just kind of got jammed up four wide and started beating on each other and then in turn three the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) wrecked. I don't know how - if he got spun or what happened and I tried to avoid him but there was really nowhere to go."

Teammate Scott Speed started fourth in his first Sprint Cup race at Daytona. And like Vickers, the rookie had nowhere to go when a multi-car accident erupted on lap four. Speed drove his No. 82 Red Bull Toyota back to the garage, but the front-end damage was too severe to return to the track. His night lasted a little more than three minutes as he finished 25th.

FREE QUOTES Brian Vickers, driver, No. 83: "I'm disappointed, that is for sure. We had a good handling car all day and had a run going there at the end. When the pack goes four wide it is never good. Unfortunately the car is pretty tore up. We learned a few things that will hopefully help us in the 500, though." Scott Speed, driver, No. 82: "Wrong place, wrong time. The thing is, with these things when someone wrecks in front of you, you're pretty much committed. If you're on the top these cars are so heavy they're going so fast you can't exactly just say, 'Okay, I want to be on the bottom now.' You're pretty committed."


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Orbital and Sygma Alternative Fuel Initiatives - Brazil  
PERTH, Australia, PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Orbital Corporation Limited and Sygma Motors - Engenharia, Industria E Comercio de Motores Ltda of Brazil ("Sygma") are pleased to announce that agreement has been reached on two significant engineering programs, with Vale Solutions in Energy ("VSE") as the end customer.

Senior representatives of Orbital and Sygma, including Directors of Sygma Group and Sygma Motors, and the Chief Executive Officer of Orbital, have met for discussions regarding joint business initiatives in Brazil. The discussions were supported by the President of VSE, Sygma's exclusive partner for engine development.

Orbital's FlexDI(TM) has been selected as the most promising technology for a new family of high efficiency heavy duty Flex Fuel engines currently being developed by Sygma for VSE. The application will commence with an engine test and development program supported by Orbital with a total value of $A1.6m; also included in the scope is co-development of a spark ignited ethanol combustion system to be used in a demonstration program, and targeted for retrofit of existing diesel engine applications.

Applications include ethanol and CNG flex-fuelled internal combustion engines; initially, but not limited to the 80 to 1500 hp power generation class in Brazil, and subsequently in other markets and sectors. VSE intends to utilize these engines, primarily in the resources sector, in support of a clean energy strategy.

The companies will also cooperate on possible flex-fuel OE and retrofit applications for transportation, either with spark ignition FlexDI(TM) or diesel pilot ignition, for Ethanol and CNG fuelling of heavy duty engines, and for the light duty commercial vehicle sector.

The Companies recognize the primary market drivers for uptake of flex-fuel ethanol-CNG engines will include environmental benefits for local air quality together with greenhouse gas abatement, operational cost savings, and the market appeal of clean energy solutions.

Terry Stinson, Orbital's Chief Executive Officer, commented "Our new alliance with Sygma Motors is in line with Orbital's strategy to expand into alternative fuels. We are very pleased to continue our initiatives with Sygma Motors in Brazil. Brazil is recognized as the leading country in the use of renewable fuels and provides an excellent foundation for the expansion of FlexDI(TM) ethanol - CNG engine applications".

Sygma Motors co-founder and Managing Director, Marcos Langeani, added "The Orbital FlexDI(TM) system provides a series of potential solutions that we will be busy developing in the months to come. We believe that we will be able to achieve spark ignited operation with ethanol that matches or exceeds that obtained with advanced high efficiency natural gas reciprocating engines of equivalent size".


Source : www.automotive.com (2/8/2009)

Along came a Spyder: Maserati to roll out GranTurismo GTS, convertible  
For an automaker with only two model lines, Maserati is certainly keeping busy. One of a handful of luxury carmakers to improve its sales figures in 2008, the Trident marque is undoubtedly looking to build upon its growth with an eye towards setting yet another sales record. Fortunately that push is product-driven, prompting Modena to improve upon its already-mouthwatering offerings and give us something new to drool over, too.

First up is the Quattroporte GTS, the sportiest version yet of Maserati's performance luxury sedan, which debuted at the Detroit show and goes on sale next month. That will reportedly be followed by a similarly-equipped version of its two-door counterpart. Called the GranTurismo GTS, we can't help but wonder if it was named by someone with a stutter... or maybe by former UN sec-gen Boutros Boutros-Ghali. Naming aside, the high-spec GranTurismo is expected to ditch the robotized manual in favor of the performance-tuned automatic coupled to the 433-hp, 4.8-liter V8 from the Quattroporte GTS. Other changes will include a tighter suspension and sporty touches all around.

The bigger news, however, will be the debut of the new Spyder. While a smaller sports car has been speculated, sources expect this Spyder to be GranTurismo-based, retaining its four proper seats under the open sky. The new Maserati Spyder could make its public debut as soon as Frankfurt later this year, so stay tuned.


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

Smashing idea: Hyundai giving away Superbowl ads soundtrack  
How did you like Hyundai's Genesis Coupe ads during the Super Bowl? They rocked, right? With that hard-driving soundtrack from The Smashing Pumpkins, of course they rocked. The song is called "FOL," and it isn't available for purchase anywhere. But you can get it for free just by giving Hyundai your e-mail address. Click here to fill out the two-question (name and e-email) form, then click on download. Hit play, close your eyes and you'll be lapping the track with Billy Corgan any time you wish. We're not sure how long the offer is available, so if you're interested, click here. Don't want to give up personal info to Hyundai?


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

Mr. Clean moving into sudsy world of car washing  
A very large, very happy and very bald man with a single earring would like to wash your car. In case that description wasn't sufficient, that man is none other than Mr. Clean, the iconic trademark and popular squeaky-clean brand name from Proctor and Gamble. P&G is best known for its line of consumer goods, including a home car-wash kit, but the company is now branching out to include franchised bricks-and-mortar car washes.

Currently, the P&G is operating two Mr. Clean Car Washes in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the company is based, and to expedite the process of opening more, P&G recently purchased the franchise assets of Carnett's Car Wash. It may not seem like the best time to launch a new franchise operation, but P&G believes that its well-known brand and marketing scheme will make its offering an attractive option for those looking to become franchisees. Thanks for the tip, Ekow!


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

M&M's Team Finishes 10th After Leading Twice for Six Laps  
Daytona, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), started 10th and finished 10th in Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

The Budweiser Shootout is an exhibition race featuring the top-six cars from each of the four manufacturers – Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge and Toyota – along with a wild card entry from each manufacturer that goes to a past champion. If no past champion, the manufacturer’s seventh-highest placing car in 2008 car owner points earns a starting berth. This year’s field included an event-record 28 drivers.

Despite running near the front virtually the entire night and leading twice for six laps, Busch got shuffled back to 10th after getting run into from behind by another car while an accident developed just in front of him on the final lap of the 78-lap race, which was extended three laps due to a green-white-checkered finish.

“I was on the bottom going into (turn) three and they started wrecking in front of me,” said Busch of the last lap accident. “I turned low to try to get away from it and got hit in the back by the ‘9’ (Kasey Kahne). I halfway spun out, but saved it and didn’t hit anything. So we didn’t tear the M&M’s Toyota up too bad.”

Early in the event, Busch, crew chief Steve Addington and the entire M&M’s team knew they had a race car that could contend for the win. But Busch, along with several other drivers, had to battle ill-handling cars, which contributed to a record eight cautions for 23 laps.

“It was probably one of the best driving cars out there and it still handled terrible,” Busch said. “The biggest thing is they are just bouncing all over the place and nobody can hold their own lane. A guy on the bottom either slides up because he’s tight or because he’s loose and it’s just so difficult to race out there.”

Busch’s JGR teammates – Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano – finished 13th and 28th, respectively. Hamlin was a victim of the last lap accident, while Logano was collected in the first accident of the day on just the fourth lap.

Kevin Harvick won the Budweiser Shootout to score his first victory since the 2007 Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte. Jamie McMurray finished second, while Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top-five. Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

Next up for the M&M’s team is Daytona 500 qualifying, where Busch will be among 56 drivers going for the pole for the 51st annual Daytona 500. Qualifying is set to get underway at 1:10 p.m. EST on Sunday with live coverage provided by FOX. The Gatorade Duel – twin 150-lap races which will set the field for the Daytona 500 – takes place at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12 with live coverage on SPEED. Speedweeks then culminates with the Daytona 500 at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, which can also be seen live on FOX.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Medical Update On Patrick Sheltra  
DAYTONA BEACH, FloridaPatrick Sheltra, a Indiantown, Florida native was involved in a lap 74 incident in Saturday’s running of the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona for the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

Following the incident, Sheltra was transported to a local hospital where he remains conscious and alert. The 22-year old driver will remain at the local medical facility overnight for observation.

Further updates will be released when available.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Toyota NSCS Daytona Shootout Notes and Quotes  
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M's Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finished: 10th How was your car in the race? "It was probably one of the best driving cars and it still drove terrible. They're not built for this race track really."

What is the problem with these cars at this race track? "The biggest thing is they are just bouncing all over the place and nobody can hold their own lane. A guy on the bottom either slides up because he's tight or cause he's loose and it's just so difficult to race out there. Especially racing like three-wide or something like that and bump-drafting each other, the cars are tipping back and forth and all over the place. They're very hard to handle and we look like ARCA drivers."

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Finished: 11th What happened to cause the wreck at the end of the race? "I don't know what happened. We were making a run back up to the front and the 18 (Kyle Busch) went low. I don't know what happened or if he was just out of control or what. He came back up on the race track and everybody just kind of got jammed up four-wide and started beating on each other and then in turn three the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) wrecked. I don't know how -- if he got spun or what happened and I tried to avoid him but there was really nowhere to go."

What happened during the caution? "We came in to get tires and we lost track position and it was really hard to get back after that."

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finished: 13th Do you think you had a shot at the win on the last lap tonight? "We were good. We were fine. We were in position and then we got turned. I thought we were going to have a great run coming off turn four. We just didn't get the opportunity."

How do you think your car will be for the Daytona 500? "We're good. Our car is going to be good. Our FedEx car handled great. We gave (Kevin) Harvick that shot right there off turn two, and I knew that we were going to get a good run on him off four, but the 07 (Casey Mears) got into Jimmie (Johnson) I think."

SCOTT SPEED, No. 82 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Finished: 25th What happened to take you out of the race? "The guys in front of me wrecked and the rest is just history. Kind of a thing that happens around here -- it's racing."

What is your reaction time when you have an accident in front of you? "The cars are so heavy and they're going so fast it's not actually a lot of reacting that you can do. You're pretty much committed. If you're on the top you're pretty much committed there. Sometimes it works out and you go through there looking like a hero and sometimes it doesn't."

Does it hurt you to be out of the race so early? "I've got to say that we definitely weren't the best out there. We definitely have to improve on what we had and the run out there tonight is going to affect us a lot. Even in the short amount of time I had out there I learned so much. This was critical but then again saying that we probably shouldn't even have this opportunity. Yeah, it didn't work out the best but still it's better than nothing."

SCOTT SPEED, No. 82 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team (continued) Can you talk about yesterday's accident in practice? "I want to clarify -- yesterday I thought we had to change the front clip. I was just lost in translation. That's part of the whole NASCAR terms I don't got. All that damage, that's still not the front clip, evidently. I'm learning that today. Hey, I'm all right. I got to say I learned a little, and yeah, I'm looking forward to, obviously, the (Daytona) 500."

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finished: 28th What is it like to start your NSCS career like this? "It's tough -- you start in the back and that's kind of what happens. Just saw one get loose, checked up and then saw he was coming down so I floored ahead to the apron and just clipped me enough to send me back head-on into the wall. Its tough for the whole Home Depot bunch -- they try hard. I felt like we had a decent car for the first couple laps. I was just trying to get a feel for it before we went up there and mixed it up with everyone. It sucks -- it's too early."

What does this do for your preparation for the Daytona 500? "It don't help it any -- that's for sure. What are you supposed to do? Nowhere to go in that situation -- I didn't get to learn much at all with only five or six laps into it. We tried hard and I just have to thank everyone at Home Depot."


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Update 1-Press Digest  
BEIJING/SHANGHAI, (Reuters) - Chinese newspapers available in Beijing and Shanghai carried the following stories on Monday. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

PEOPLE'S DAILY

-- China's most developed region, Guangdong province, will invest 2.37 trillion yuan ($346.8 billion) in 222 projects covering transport, energy security, resource stockpiling and social development. The export-oriented province will also encourage more exports to new markets of Southeast Asia, Africa and Russia to help stimulate the economy and employment.

-- Premier Wen Jiabao has asked Cambridge University to forgive the student who threw a shoe at him during his speech there this month, saying education is best for a young student.

-- China has started construction of the eastern segment of China's second West-East gas line. The $13 billion pipeline, crossing 14 provinces, will carry 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas every year from Turkmenistan and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to areas such as Zhejiang, Shanghai and Guangdong.


Source : uk.reuters.com (2/8/2009)

Automobile manufacturer Toyota triples annual loss prediction  
The Japanese car making company Toyota has announced that their predicted profit loss for 2008 has tripled from their previous estimate. The company reports the loss after demand for its vehicles dropped. In December 2008, Toyota estimated its full year operating loss to be 150 billion yen (US$1.65 billion). Now the company has tripled that number, forecasting a 450 billion yen (US$4.95 billion) loss. This would be the first yearly loss at Toyota in 70 years.

The firm also said that it predicts its global sales to fall by 17.87% to 7.32 million vehicles sold, compared to last year's 8.91 million vehicles sold. Overall for 2008, Toyota's car sales in the United States were down 15.4%, but that number was down from 2007 in which sales dropped 18%. For the month of January alone, Toyota's sales fell 31.7% compared to the overall U.S. sales loss of 37.1%.

As a result of the loss, 17 of the company's 75 production lines worldwide, will be reduced to only a single shift of workers. The company also announced a full closure of all their Japanese plants for a total of 14 days between January and March 2009.

Toyota's boss Katsuaki Watanabe described the loss as happening only "once in a hundred years".

In January, the Japanese Nikkei newspaper said that Toyota was thinking of firing 1,000 Northern American and British workers, all of whom hold full-time positions in the company. The paper quoted Toyota's Executive Vice President Mitsuo Kinoshita as saying that "outside of Japan, we intend to make every possible effort to protect the jobs of our employees."


Source : en.wikinews.org (2/8/2009)

Saleen's new owners in the running for Viper acquisition?  
Saleen's future has been in upheaval the last few years. First, company founder Steve Saleen left, then the company's assets were sold off to private investors. Its new owners plan to continue making superchargers and bolt-on parts, but Saleen's turnkey Racecraft and S lines could face the axe, while the company's former keepers retain ownership of its supercar manufacturing business while they figure out what they can do with it.

Meanwhile, Chrysler has been looking to sell of its Viper operation, but while Saleen could have been a contender in years past, in its current condition few expect it to make such a large acquisition. That may be a false assumption, however, as silence is speaking louder than words. Understandably, Chrysler's management is not disclosing the identities of the three potential buyers with which it is discussing the future of the Viper enterprise, but Saleen's new owners are likewise refusing to comment. That kind of silence can be as deafening as a Saleen exhaust note, leaving us to wonder if the company's new owners could turn the broken shards of a once-great American company into a new powerhouse with the Viper packing the punch.


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

Old Spice/Office Depot Driver Leads Laps, Finishes Third in Budweiser Shootout  
Daytona, It took Tony Stewart just 13 laps to lead for the first time as a driver/owner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), led laps 13-16 en route to a solid third-place finish in Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

The Budweiser Shootout is an exhibition race featuring the top-six cars from each of the four manufacturers – Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge and Toyota – along with a wild card entry from each manufacturer that goes to a past champion. If no past champion, the manufacturer’s seventh-highest placing car in 2008 car owner points earns a starting berth. This year’s field included an event-record 28 drivers, with Stewart nailing down his starting spot thanks to his 2005 Sprint Cup championship.

“I’ll take that for a debut night,” said Stewart, a three-time winner of the non-point Budweiser Shootout. “It wasn’t the prettiest third-place, but we were in the right spot at the right time. We know what we need to work on for the Daytona 500, and now we have a good start on it.”

Stewart’s third-place finish was his fourth consecutive top-three finish in the Budweiser Shootout and his eighth top-five in 10 Shootout appearances.

“I had fun all night,” Stewart said. “I was real comfortable with the car. I’m excited because I know our 500 car is better than this one. I think we know what areas we need to work on Wednesday and what we will concentrate on Thursday. That will give us a really big gauge for what want to do on Friday and Saturday. I’m excited about it. We have a direction and we got the first one out of the way. Everybody has the cobwebs knocked out of them. It was an awesome debut for Old Spice and Office Depot.”

Stewart managed to dodge seven accidents throughout the 78-lap race, which was extended three laps past its scheduled distance due to a green-white-checkered finish, and made a stirring drive during the final green flag run. After David Stremme and Greg Biffle were involved in an accident on lap 74, Stewart, who was outside the top-10, pitted for four fresh tires and restarted the race in 15th-place.

NASCAR officials announced the race would conclude via a green-white-checkered finish, so when the green flag came out for the final time on lap 76, Stewart knew he had only two laps to get to the front. During the two-lap sprint around the 2.5-mile oval, he managed to pick up 12 spots and dodge a final lap accident on the backstretch that involved four cars.

“We restarted there in the back on that last run and got near the front in a couple of laps,” Stewart said. “We got that run and we were able to pick which line we wanted. We got the one out of three lines that moved, so it worked out for us.”

Despite coming up two spots short of victory in his first race as a driver/owner, Stewart was still pleased to lead laps and work with his new team.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited,” Stewart said. “I guess it wasn’t really until the caution came out and we were already back to ninth or 10th. It was like, ‘We just led the first race we were in.’ That is a big moment for anybody. Anybody that takes on a big undertaking like this, the first time you lead a race – especially the first race out of the box and lead it in the first 20 laps – that is something to really be proud of.

“I was really happy with our Hendrick engine, and I was very, very impressed with Darian Grubb (crew chief) and the crew tonight. It doesn’t even feel like it was our first race together. It was like we carried on from something else. It was a great night for Old Spice and Office Depot.”

Stewart’s SHR teammate – Ryan Newman – was forced to look on from the No. 14 team’s pit box, as his switch from Dodge to Chevrolet for 2009 precluded him from this year’s race.

Kevin Harvick won the Budweiser Shootout to score his first victory since the 2007 Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte. Jamie McMurray finished second, while Stewart, Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top-five. Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

Next up for SHR is Daytona 500 qualifying, where Stewart and Newman, driver of the team’s No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS, will be among 56 drivers going for the pole for the 51st annual Daytona 500. Qualifying is set to get underway at 1:10 p.m. EST on Sunday with live coverage provided by FOX. The Gatorade Duel – twin 150-lap races which will set the field for the Daytona 500 – takes place at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12 with live coverage on SPEED. Speedweeks then culminates with the Daytona 500 at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, which can also be seen live on FOX.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

A Gathering of Corvettes  
WASHINGTON: Corvette fans from across the country are focused on the town of Puyallup, Washington, where the annual Corvette and High Performance meet is winding up its 35th gathering today.

Some 10,000 fans of the American sports car are expected to stroll through a swap meet of a thousand booths, featuring new and used parts, automobilia, and cars for sale. Many will be looking for just the one part needed to finish a restoration that has taken years to complete.

The first Corvette was assembled in 1953. Car shows are popular in all parts of the nation and more than 17 million people enjoy them each year.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Corp Bank pact with Maruti Suzuki  
Corporation Bank has announced a strategic tie up with Maruti Suzuki India Ltd for financing Maruti Suzuki vehicles on an all-India basis. According to the agreement, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has nominated Corporation Bank as its preferred financier for financing Maruti vehicles. A bank release said here that Corporation Bank will offer financing facilities to the eligible customers for purchasing Maruti Suzuki vehicles through its branches. The combination of the expertise and the reach brought to the table by the two institutions will provide the customer much easier and quicker credit facilities, it added.


Source : Business Line (Online Edition) (2/8/2009)

Tasca To Start Fifth In Sunday's Kragen O'reilly Nhra Winternationals - This Marks Tasca's Best Career Start  
Pomona, CA., From the last run of 2008, Motorcraft/Quick Lane driver Bob Tasca could hardly wait to get back to racing. That’s why he spent the last four months preparing for the 2009 season.

Two days of rain delayed the start of the 2009 season, but the skies cleared enough on Saturday afternoon for the Nitro Funny Car class drivers to make a single qualifying run to launch the season.

Piloting the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang, Tasca’s lone qualifying run produced a 4.14 qualifying time, to earn his career best starting position. Tasca is the fifth seed and will face John Force Racing’s Mike Neff in the first round on Sunday.

“We figured we would only have one shot to qualify for the race this weekend. And for us to qualify No. 5 with one shot at the race track is fantastic,” said Tasca. “It’s great to see four Fords in the top five tomorrow.”

“Our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang did exactly what crew chief Chris Cunningham and I wanted it to do in our run. We know where we need to go tomorrow to run quicker. Tomorrow morning, this hot rod needs to run a 4.05 or 4.06 to win this race against Mike Neff. I’m so proud of my Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew. They’ve worked so hard these last few months and we’re ready to race. ”
Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Vehicle Suppliers Association, MEMA / OESA, Engages Ducker Worldwide as Advisor  
TROY, Mich., PRNewswire/ -- As a result of the ongoing credit crisis and resulting reductions in automobile production, the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) are exploring options to address the immediate cash needs and longer term viability of the motor vehicle parts supplier industry. To assist in development of proposals for alternative government backed credit facilities, OESA has engaged Ducker Worldwide as an advisor to the team. The Ducker effort is lead by Scott Merlis, Managing Director, Ducker Worldwide www.ducker.com.

Ducker's advisory practice serves the automotive industry by providing current market information and independent advice as suppliers work with lenders and OEM customers in the areas of strategy, balance sheet recapitalization and mergers & acquisitions. Ducker Worldwide, is based in Troy, Michigan and has provided market research and strategic growth planning services for over 40 years.


Source : www.automotive.com (2/8/2009)

Rendered Speculation: Ford's next Euro Focus to spawn Scirocco-fighting coupe  
Having driven the current European Focus in sporty ST trim and with the even hotter RS version rolling off the assembly line, we can tell you that our friends across the Atlantic have one fine-handling hatchback on their hands. And for the next generation, Ford is planning to give the Focus the styling and rakish profile its chassis deserves.

The next Focus, which we hope will replace the American version as well, will spawn several body-styles. First up to bat will be the C-Max minivan, but while the standard five-door will continue as the mainstay model, a new coupe variant is also in the works. Following the lead of Volkswagen, whose Scirocco cuts a sleeker profile than the Golf/Rabbit on which it's based, and Renault, whose new Megane looks startlingly different in coupe and five-door guises, the Focus coupe will feature a sportier shape while retaining usability. You can bet the design for the new Focus range will follow the cues set down by the Fiesta (which we also drove in Europe), with the coupe adopting more pronounced wheel arches, a higher beltline, angled C-pillars, a sloping tail and sporty aero bits. Inside, the cabin will benefit from a complete redesign, with a central controller that we hope works better than BMW's iDrive. Bank on a lineup of gasoline and diesel engines ranging from 89 horsepower all the way up to 197 ponies. The next-generation ST and RS should up the ante even further. Expect to see the Focus coupe debut later next year, with other variants to follow. We hope and pray Dearborn follows the One Ford plan and brings its best hatchbacks home. Thanks for the tip, Colin!


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

Bought the Farm: barn-find Bugatti Atalante sells for $4.4M  
Bugatti Atalantes don't come up for sale very often, so when one unused example was unearthed from the garage of the reclusive late Dr. Harold Carr, enthusiasts and collectors alike stood up and took notice. The rare barn find 1937 Type 57S rolled across the Bonhams "Retromobile" auction block in Paris this weekend as scheduled, where it sold to a European collector for the equivalent of $4.4 million. While that may sound like a chunk of change – and certainly is by most standards, especially in this economy – it's only half of the highest estimates placed on the Bugatti's value upon discovery. You can bet that, after decades of neglect, its new owner will put in another hefty sum to have it restored to pristine quality before it starts hitting the concours circuit around the world. Thanks to Zack for the tip.


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

Delphi seeking court's permission to end retiree health care  
If you thought things were looking bleak at General Motors, perhaps you should take a peek at Delphi, the parts supplier that spun off from The General in 1997. It declared bankruptcy in 2005 after the revelation that its poor financial position was being masked by irregular accounting practices. Delphi has yet to emerge from bankruptcy and now says that its value has fallen to the point where it may be unable to pay back the debts it has amassed since filing for Chapter 11.

Sounds pretty bad, no? It gets worse. The supplier has filed paperwork with the court asking for permission to end health care benefits for retirees that had been salaried employees. This move could be made as early as April, after which current Delphi employees would no longer be eligible for health care benefits after retiring. If approved, Delphi says this move would save $70 million per year and free up over a billion dollars in liabilities.


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

Humvee with Boeing Laser Avenger blasts UAVs  
Remember those Saturday morning cartoons from when you were a kid, where futuristic soldiers battled with laser guns? Well if you were wondering what ever happened to that future we were promised, it's here. Boeing's Direct Energy Systems project recently concluded a test in the New Mexico desert where the Humvee-mounted Laser Avenger system successfully shot down three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a demonstration for U.S. Army officers.

The Laser Avenger was initially created to dispose of unexploded ordinance (bombs that didn't detonate) lying on the ground, but given the proliferation of UAVs for both surveillance and weapons deployment, Boeing adapted the lasers to shoot the UAVs out of the sky. The benefit over shooting down the drones with guns or missiles – in startling contradiction to the red lines depicted in the old G.I. Joe cartoons – is that the enemy can't see where the laser beam is coming from, thereby keeping the ground troops' position secure. Pretty awesome, unless you're a UAV. Fortunately UAVs are unmanned by definition, so what we're looking at here is lasers shooting down flying robots. You can check out the details in the press release after the jump if you'd like, but we're going to sit right here in our pajamas until the next commercial.


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

Miss the 2009 Detroit Auto Show? We Didn't. Experience it all Right Here  
If you've missed any of last month's Media Days at the 2009 North American International Auto Show, or you just wanted to re-visit what took place, then TheAutoChannel.com is for you. Only The Auto Channel gives you complete unabridged videos of every OEM press conference, plus additional bonus videos that feature on-road and behind-the-scenes looks at the latest automobiles.

In addition to three dozen videos in all, TACH has dozens of text stories from the show and TheAutoChannel's New Car Buyers Guide provides all the pricing and specifications for every car sold in North America.

Best of All...IT'S ALL FREE!

And on TheAutoChannel.com you can go back and watch the complete videos from both the Detroit and Los Angeles Auto Shows for the past several years.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Vehicle Suppliers Association, MEMA / OESA, Engages Ducker Worldwide as Advisor  
TROY, Mich., As a result of the ongoing credit crisis and resulting reductions in automobile production, the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) are exploring options to address the immediate cash needs and longer term viability of the motor vehicle parts supplier industry. To assist in development of proposals for alternative government backed credit facilities, OESA has engaged Ducker Worldwide as an advisor to the team.

Ducker's advisory practice serves the automotive industry by providing current market information and independent advice as suppliers work with lenders and OEM customers in the areas of strategy, balance sheet recapitalization and mergers & acquisitions. Ducker Worldwide, is based in Troy, Michigan and has provided market research and strategic growth planning services for over 40 years.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

21 Team on Top of Speed Charts after 1st Day of Practices  
Daytona : If experience translated into victories, the Wood Brothers and Bill Elliott could begin chilling their champagne and preparing their victory speeches. The Wood Brothers bring four Daytona victories to this year’s 500 (1963, 1968, 1972 and 1976) while Bill Elliott has two Daytona 500 victories under his belt (1985 and 1987). However, racing, particularly in today’s NASCAR’s top racing series, is an ultra-competitive endeavor where even the smallest mistake can mean the difference between making the race or watching it on T.V.

The #21 team, led by Crew Chief David Hyder, has worked smarter this off-season in an attempt to limit those mistakes. This year’s theme is “attention to detail.” Just as the Wood Brothers reaped the success of running a limited schedule in earlier days, team owners Len and Eddie Wood hope to bring that philosophy and those same results to this year’s team.

If today is any indication of how the year will go, the Wood’s have a lot to look forward to. This afternoon, the #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion took to the track for the first time this year. Because of the unique qualifying requirements for Daytona, teams spent much of the day running qualifying laps. During each of the two practice sessions, Bill was on top of the speed charts having run the fastest laps in each session.

Eddie Wood commented on today’s effort. “Hyder, the guys at the shop and the Ford engineers spent the off-season working their tails off. We did more off-track testing than ever before and went over every inch of this car at least 100 times. So far so good. I hope we can bring home some good results this week for our sponsors (Ford and Motorcraft). During these difficult economic times, Ford and Motorcraft have stuck with us. Nothing would mean more than to deliver a good performance with good marketing results for them.”

The teams qualify tomorrow – Sunday, February 8, 2009. You can watch qualifying on FOX - coverage begins at 1:00pm.

On a more personal note, today is Bernece and Glen Wood’s 58th wedding anniversary. Glen and Bernece left this morning for Daytona. This will be Glen Wood’s 61st straight year of going to Daytona.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Automobile sales flat in January  
THE LOCAL automotive industry sold roughly the same number of cars in seasonally low January compared to the same month last year, industry data show.

AN INTERNATIONAL motor show in Manila: buyers observed now to be ‘more stringent’ in their purchases. — Jonathan L. Cellona

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association said in a joint report released yesterday that 8,791 units were sold last month, down by 0.2% from the same period in 2008.

"This shows continued consumer confidence in the market, though buyers are more stringent in their purchases, taking into consideration fuel efficiency, purchase price, and value for money" CAMPI Pres. Elizabeth H. Lee said in a statement.

"Sales are expected to be sustained in the coming months, although an increase in prices may be seen, should the Yen continue to remain strong against the greenback."

She had said late last week that January is traditionally a slow month for sales. CAMPI had earlier said that it expects to end the year with a 2%-4% sales growth, or flat at worst.

Commercial vehicles (CV) like Asian utility vehicles, light commercial vehicles, truck and buses continued to dominate market share, accounting for 3,384 units or 38.5% of total sales. CV sales, however, fell by 7.5% versus the same month in 2008.

Passenger cars (PC) grew 14.2% year-on-year. "Growth of the PC is seen to continue in the coming months. The new models introduced are seeing more positive results translated to sales in the first month of the year," Ms. Lee said.

Toyota Motors Philippines, Corp. remained the top seller in January, cornering more than a third of total sales. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. and Honda Cars Philippines Corp. followed with 17.5% and 17%, respectively.


Source : www.bworldonline.com (2/8/2009)

GM may cut more than 5,000 additional white-collar jobs  
GM is is putting the finishing touches on its viability plan ahead of the federal government's February 17 deadline, and more job losses could be part of the package. Bloomberg reports that the General plans to cut as many as 5,000 salaried workers as part of a broader restructuring plan. The anonymous sources told Bloomberg that the workers could be "fired," which likely means that GM isn't likely to try to achieve their target through layoffs. In late 2008, GM was able to score 5,100 retirement and separation packages to trip its workforce, which now sits at about 29,000 in North America.

GM also offered packages to its entire union workforce with aim of convincing 10,000 or more take a walk. The offer to leave the General includes $20,000 in cash and a $25,000 vehicle voucher. GM's larger goal is to shrink its union and salary workforce in North America from 95,000 to as few as 65,000 men and women by the year 2012. We're not sure how much of GM's February 17 plan will be made public, but with the date just over a week away, we're sure to know about the job cuts sooner than later.


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

Rain Aside, Defending Champ Coughlin Solidly In Pomona Field  
POMONA, Calif. Like the rest of NHRA's top pros, back-to-back series champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. suffered through two and a half days of sitting around and watching it rain before finally getting his chance at Auto Club Raceway. That's when the 54-time national event winner coolly posted a 6.629 at 208.23 mph to qualify in the top half of the NHRA Winternationals' field in the No. 6 position.

Relentless rain shortened qualifying for the season-opening race to just one session. The draw had Coughlin in the right-hand lane, which most drivers consider to be less than desirable. Nevertheless, he took his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt through a great pass and will open eliminations against fellow Ohioan Larry Morgan, who went 6.662 at 207.69 mph.

"We were second-quickest in that right lane and you have to be happy with that," Coughlin said. "We actually had the car setup to just casually get down the track but it turned out to be very aggressive. I know that every little suspect spot on that green racing surface put me into tire spin. The car was trying to come around me the whole way down.

"I feel for the fans that have stuck it out here in Pomona for the last three days. We can't do much about the rain and we were all anxious to get out there and race and put on a show. At least we got a session in and now we'll go into race day and try to win this deal.

"Larry's going to be a tough customer in the first round. He lost his mom earlier this week so our hearts go out to him and his family. I'm sure he's got a lot of emotions right now."

Having lost three rounds to rain, Coughlin is happy he tested a few days ago in Las Vegas, where he raced to the final round of the preseason Pro Stock Showdown.

"Only having one run here is probably throwing a curve ball at some of these teams out here that didn't get to test very much," Coughlin said. "It's not a concern for our group. There's a lot of experience in this pit and it might just make us stronger as the day goes along tomorrow.

"I firmly believe we're better than sixth-best at this race. We'll see how it turns out Sunday."


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Bajaj to roll out KTM bike by May  
PUNE: The country’s second-largest two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto is expected to roll out the first of its KTM bikes in India to coincide with the festive season this year, reports Our Bureau.

According to company officials, KTM bikes, initially launched as completely knocked down (CKD) kits , will happen by the second half of the next fiscal. However, for Bajaj Auto, excitement with the niche high-end bikes will begin in mid-May, when the Kawasaki Ninja 250R is expected to hit the roads.

Its price tag is expected to be in the range of Rs 2.5-3 lakh, company officials said. Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj has been quoted as saying that the Kawasaki Ninja 250R would come in as a CBU product, priced at over Rs 2 lakh. Meanwhile, the automotive major is rolling out its latest offering, the XCD 135 cc DTS-Si bike, which is available with drum brakes.

Vikalp Kapoor, regional manager, two-wheeler sales, Maharashtra, said the bike, fitted with disc brakes, will come into the market by the weekend. It is priced at Rs 47,000, ex showroom Pune. The entry-level XCD 135cc bike is priced just Rs 2,000 more than the XCD 125 cc, at Rs 43,000.

Bajaj Auto’s move to strengthen its position in the value segment will see the launch of two bikes over the next 4-5 months, starting with a 125 cc bike by March-April and another by May-June.


Source : Economic Times (2/8/2009)

Stuck in traffic? You're no ant, my friend  
Have you ever sat for a couple of hours and just watched ants work? Unless you have a government grant or just no life at all, probably not. They're actually quite fascinating according to The Discovery Channel. They (the ants, not TDC) can carry 10-50 times their own weight, get more done before dawn than you do in a month, can fill out 1040-EZ forms without the worksheets and never, ever get caught in traffic jams.

That last ant fact is from the research of one of those grant-funded ant watchers who spent the last 8 years watching the tiny insects' behavior. Audrey Dussutour of the University of Sydney, observed that even on a path as slim as a tree branch, leafcutter ants optimized their going and coming traffic with no entomological pileups.

And how is this supposed to help you during gridlock Monday morning? For starters, slow down. Apparently, not being in such a hurry to get somewhere could actually speed up the flow of human traffic. Dussutour observed that when faster-moving ants not carrying a load got behind slower, load-bearing ants, they chose patience instead of passing the pokey ant, which actually allowed the overall colony to move faster.

Which leads to the part that interests us most. Researchers are using algorythms developed from the ant behaviors to develop a multi-car navigation system that could one day lead to those driverless cars we've been hearing about for 50 years. Let's just hope that whatever they come up with, our robocars come equipped with anti-magnifying glass beam protection, otherwise we're all fried.


Source : www.autoblog.com (2/8/2009)

A Gathering of Corvettes  
WASHINGTON: Corvette fans from across the country are focused on the town of Puyallup, Washington, where the annual Corvette and High Performance meet is winding up its 35th gathering today.

Some 10,000 fans of the American sports car are expected to stroll through a swap meet of a thousand booths, featuring new and used parts, automobilia, and cars for sale. Many will be looking for just the one part needed to finish a restoration that has taken years to complete.

The first Corvette was assembled in 1953. Car shows are popular in all parts of the nation and more than 17 million people enjoy them each year.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Bloomberg Reports GM May Cut Salaried Workers  
CHICAGO; Mark Weinraub writing for Reuters reported that General Motors Corp. is developing a plan to fire up to 5,000 salaried employees as it tries to cut costs by a March 31 deadline to keep $13.4 billion in U.S. government aid, according to a Bloomberg report.

The total could match the number of salaried positions GM slashed in 2008, the report said, citing people familiar with the plan. The company will include the plan in a February 17 progress report to the U.S. government.

A spokesman for GM was not immediately available to comment on the report.

GM, which saw its sales drop 49 percent in January, told policymakers in December that it faced possible near-term collapse without government aid. The company has received $9.4 billion in emergency funding as part of a rescue plan the U.S. government approved in December.

The company has until March 31 to demonstrate to the government that it can be commercially viable.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

Commercial Vehicle Group Announces Quarterly Conference Call  
NEW ALBANY, Ohio, Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. will hold its quarterly conference call on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The Company will issue a press release prior to the conference call.

To participate, dial (888) 713-4217 using access code 27887420. You can pre-register for the conference call and receive your pin number at: THE CONFERENCING SERVICE

This call is being webcast by Thomson/CCBN and can be accessed at Commercial Vehicle Group's Web site at CVGRP where it will be archived for one year.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)

U.S. Chrome Joins Boris Said's Sponsorship Team for Daytona  
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. The Carter/Simo Racing team with driver Boris Said has added U.S. Chrome Corporation as a sponsor. Said's No. 08 ScottsMiracle-Gro/U.S. Chrome Ford Fusion is vying for a qualifying berth for the Daytona 500.

Based in Stratford, Conn. U.S. Chrome has specialized in functional wear, corrosion and friction resistant coatings since 1946. The company has six plant locations -- in Connecticut, upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin.

U.S. Chrome features new environmentally friendly electrocomposite coatings for the aerospace, agricultural, solar, automotive, firearms, machining, FAA aircraft repair, oil, gas, powersports and motorsports industries.

"We feel fortunate to have another outstanding company join our race team," offered Said. "We have a New England bonding -- U.S. Chrome is headquartered in Stratford, Conn., I'm a native of Stamford, Conn. and our crew chief Frank Stoddard is from New Hampshire. If we qualify for the 500, I think we'll all get together and have a lobster feast."

U.S. Chrome has a history in motorsports. The company owned Busch East and Busch South teams in the 1980s. The crew chief on those teams was Stoddard.

"U.S. Chrome is thrilled to partner with Boris and Frankie and the entire Carter/Simo Racing team," said Bob Reath, owner of U.S. Chrome. "Our customers are motorsports fans and this is a good fit for our company."

Stoddard, a 15-time Cup winner as crew chief, said it's a special feeling to be reunited with U.S. Chrome.

"Having U.S. Chrome as a sponsor brings back many pleasant memories," noted Stoddard. "It's a great company, which is led by Bob Reath. We want nothing more than to give them, and all of our sponsors, a solid performance in Daytona."

In their short time together, the Said/Stoddard combination has enjoyed success at Daytona, qualifying in the top 10 three times, including winning the pole in the 2006 summer race. Said's best finish at the famed 2.5-mile tri-oval was fourth in July 2006 and his best finish in the 500 was 14th in 2007.


Source : www.theautochannel.com (2/8/2009)