Report by G.Meylemans/D. Collins

Bridgestone

Brussels–More than 90% of motorists drive on under-inflated tires which can put their safety at risk. Checking tires condition and pressure, loading carefully the vehicle and using dedicated tires for caravans are some of the key holiday tips given by Bridgestone.
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Land Rover

Land Rover enters 2008 with the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, LR3 and LR2 models. The Range Rover for 2008 features door sill plates in a ribbed-metal design and a storage slot for the rear seat entertainment system’s remote control added to the rear seat center armrest. The high-performance SUV Range Rover Sport incorporates the Land Rover’s Terrain Response™ system with a Supercharged V8 engine and Dynamic Response technology, for improved agility. The recently unveiled LR2 features a 3.2-liter inline-six engine which provides 0-60 mph acceleration in 8.4 seconds (0-100 km/h in 8.9 seconds). The engine is matched to a six-speed automatic transmission, with Land Rover’s CommandShift™ offering manual sequential gear changes when required. The LR3 new features for 2008 include enhanced ‘Noble Finish’ accents, elevated standard trim and updated option-package content.

Chevy Malibu

Following its recent announcement to shift its focus from trucks to cars, General Motors (GM) has received positive news regarding its 2008 Chevy Malibu. The car was recently ranked number one in the midsize car segment according to the J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Study. The rankings were based on feedback from more than 81,500 consumers who bought or leased new 2008 vehicles during a 90-day period.

MiTo

The MiTo is the first car to be built since the 8C Competizione and will be Alfa Romeo’s most compact sports car with dimensions of just 4.06 meters long, 1.44 meters high and 1.72 meters wide. The car will have special features available as standard such as the Alfa D.N.A. system, suspension with coilover springs, Q2 Electronic, DST as well as 7 airbags.
The name MiTo has great evocative resonance for Alfa Romeo for it was chosen to mark the deep-seated link between the past and future of the brand: between Milan, the city of design that brought to the car’s style into being, and Turin, which will be responsible for its industrial production, a decision that highlights the brand’s strong desire to consolidate its Milanese roots. The Alfa Romeo MiTo is due to be launched gradually from July in all major markets.

Tiguan HyMotion

HERNDON, Va.–Volkswagen of America, Inc. is showcasing its broad range of near-term and future fuel-efficient powertrain technologies with the all-new 2.0 liter TSI Tiguan, the upcoming 2.0 liter Jetta TDI and the North American debut of the Tiguan HyMotion Fuel Cell Concept.

Originally shown at the Shanghai Motor Show and the 2007 Michelin Challenge Bibendum, the Tiguan HyMotion highlights the current state of Volkswagen’s hydrogen fuel cell research and development. The Tiguan HyMotion features a hydrogen fuel cell system, which provides over 107 horsepower and produces zero tailpipe emissions (clean water vapor is its only bi-product). The innovative new Tiguan builds upon Volkswagen’s ongoing development of the fuel cell as previously demonstrated with the Touran HyMotion.

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Report by Dan McKay

Ferrari GT California

The Ferrari GT is out there.

Ferrari has finally and mercifully ended speculation about its new model. After weeks of blurry and badly cropped photos of camouflaged test mules, Ferrari released the first official photos of the GT California.

This new pony will apparently be a cross between the F430 and the 612 Scaglietti. It features the F430’s V8 mounted in front of the driver in a 2+2 chassis. Other points of interest are the folding hard top and 7-speed dual clutch transmission. In what is surely a sign of times, Ferrari suggests that one of the key benefits of the new transmission is reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

The price is still uncertain, yet most commenters agree that the car will probably become the new “entry level” Ferrari; competing against Porsche 911 and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

With gas prices skyrocketing at record rates, everyone and their grandma is looking for a way to make more efficient use of this expensive yet precious resource. Now more than ever, billions of dollars are being put into research and development to come up with alternatives to oil.

Abdolhadi Mirhejazi from Dubai has come up with a novel solution. Naturmobil sports a one horsepower engine, but through the use of clever engineering, it is able to reach 80Kph. Fuel can be any vegetation available. This is in contrast to Ethanol which uses up precious food resources and has caused the recent food crisis. The engine for the Naturmobil burns cleanly and efficiently and the exhaust can be used as fertilizer.

Click here to read more about Naturmobil

The purchase of an average-priced new vehicle took 23.9 weeks of median family income in the first quarter, according to the Auto Affordability Index compiled by Comerica Bank. The latest reading is down 0.6 weeks from the fourth quarter and 1.1 weeks compared to a year ago. Including finance charges, the total cost of buying an average-priced light vehicle was $28,389 in the first quarter.

“It’s a buyers market and the producers are being forced to offer bigger discounts in one form or another,” said Dana Johnson, Chief Economist at Comerica Bank. “Buyers also are holding down their driving costs by choosing smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. That is reflected in the fact that the average amount spent on a new car excluding financing costs was only $24,627, the lowest quarterly average in 2 1/2 years.”

This report incorporates the latest data on consumer spending on light vehicles and on the terms available on auto loans. The entire history of the index is available upon request from Dana Johnson (214-828-5970 or djohnson@comerica.com).

Source: Comerica Bank

2009 Ford Flex

MIAMI, May 9, 2008 – Ahoy, Ahoy, Ahoy; Attendees of the Ninth Annual Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise will find more than lounge chairs and an Olympic size swimming pool aboard the cruise’s ship. In fact, they’ll find the new 2009 Ford Flex parked in the pool deck area of this luxurious cruise ship. This marks Flex’s world debut aboard a cruise and will also be the first time that most attendees will get a chance to get intimate with Ford’s newest vehicle.

Ford, who has been a sponsor of the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage since 2005 will give away the keys to the Flex as part of an onboard giveaway before the ship docks back into Miami on May 25. This marks the second year that Ford has given away a vehicle as part of their partnership with Tom Joyner.

Joyner will present the keys to one of four lucky contestants who will take a shot at unlocking the doors to the Flex. In addition to giving away a vehicle, Ford also provided an opportunity for two lucky listeners of the Tom Joyner Morning Show to win an all-expense paid trip aboard the cruise. Carla Niedert of Pennsylvania and Danielle Tyler of North Carolina were the two on-air sweepstakes winners.

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