WRAP-UP OF THE PAST FEW WEEKS OF AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
(JUST THE IMPORTANT STUFF)
GM / RENAULT: LET'S CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF
First of all, GM and Renault/Nissan called-off their merger talks after GM asked Renault for an 
unannounced amount of money, probably amounting to hundreds of millions, for the ‘privilege’ of merging with what is still, but probably not for much longer, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer. Ford is next in line to talk with Renault. My predictions remain: By this time next year, The General and Toyota will be hooked-up, and Ford and Renault will be sharing bedrooms. (Photo: Renault's Carlos Ghosn).
Deal with it.
BBC'S TOP GEAR SHOW AND PRESENTER BOTH FIXED AND READY TO GO
The BBC’s TOP GEAR show, probably the best and most popular automotive TV hour on the planet (our own show, CAR NUT TV, holds that title for ½ hour programs), has resumed production after the near-fatal crash of a jet-powered car carrying the show’s Richard Hammond (aka The Hamster). There had been a lot of blogging claiming that the BBC was looking for a reason to cancel TOP GEAR, and Hamster’s wreck was just the thing they’d been waiting for. But in the TV industry and within the auto media business itself, there had been next-to-nothing written or reported or whispered or even rumored about TOP GEAR’s imminent demise. So a lot of people perusing the Internet the past few weeks looking for the latest on TOP GEAR were being misled. And Hamster?
He’s doing “better than expected”, though he may not be in-shape for driving a jet car to some sort of Land Speed Record anytime soon. He was awake and conversing and walking himself to the ‘loo’ just one night after the accident (much to the surprise, thrill and chagrin of his friends, doctors and family members) but it will take some time (months, perhaps longer) for Hamster to be up and hitting on all 8 (or, as he might prefer, all 12 or even 16). So it’s all good news for TOP GEAR as they roar into a new season. Watch TOP GEAR FROM BBC on THE DISCOVERY channel. (Photo: TOP GEAR crew, Hamster on the right).
However, DISCOVERY is very much in the process of creating their own USA version of TOP GEAR.
Episodes have already run --- But strangely, there has been little if any media coverage of the USA-made TOP GEAR shows.
BEST-LOOKING MASS-PRODUCED CAR YET? AUDI DOES IT AGAIN!
They’ve just won every major endurance road race in the world with diesel-powered race cars. They created all-wheel drive race cars in IMSA road racing in the ?70s and ?80s which did so well they were outlawed from various series. And now, Audi’s all-new R8, intro’d for all the world at last week’s (9-28) Paris Auto Show --- is simply wonderful. And remember to click on the thumbnail photos to see more!
What more can or needs to be said? Viewing the exhibited R8 for the first time in production form, on its stand at the Paris Auto Show (l), was like seeing the TT for the first time in concept form at the Los Angeles Auto Show many years ago. "WOW! They are finally building something which looks like a car really should," was our take on it. Looking like the steroidal version of that company’s fabulous TT, R8 not only has the looks but the power right from the git-go. "i4u.com" reports (with our own comments and genius added): The Audi R8 is the commercial version of the Le Mans concept car Audi showed in 2003 at the Tokyo Motor Show (and seen on this blog). Some of the R8 look is also from the Audi RSQ, that Will Smith drove in the Sci-Fi movie I, Robot. Besides the ultra cool design the Audi R8 packs a 420hp V8 engine. The R8 can take one from 0-62mph (100 kph) in 4.6s. The chassis is made from a special aluminum and magnesium metal and the motor is placed in the middle of this all-wheel-drive (quattro) sports car. Audi put all kinds of new and innovative features into the R8.
For instance, 'magnetic ride' is a new damper system that uses special fluid whose viscosity is controlled by electromagnetic fields, a system which VW/Audi pioneered in VW’s Syncro system which used fluids that got thicker as they got hotter. A LED light system on the front and rear of the Audi R8 enhance its futuristic look and is one of the world’s first uses of LEDs front and rear on a production vehicle. (Photo: Audi R8's "Basket of Snakes" engine headers).
The Audi R8 comes on the market in Europe first half of 2007 and the new Porsche killer will be available in the United States in fall of 2007. The price in Europe is supposed to be 104,000 Euro ($132,000).
DARPA "GRAND CHALLENGE" TAKES TO THE STREETS FOR 2007 --- BUT WHERE’S OUR TWO MIL?!?!?
Now that the US government finally found a vehicle which could make its way from Barstow, CA to lovely Primm, NV, without a driver on-board, and awarded a cool $2 million to the winner, the Defense Department (they are the sponsors --- probably best to closely follow the rules --- you don’t want to be tortured, do you?) is staging another wacky run to enhance our nation’s defense, focusing on vehicles which do similar things on tarmac. But this year, there’s plenty of R&D money available from the Pentagon, but no cash prize at the end --- Just a trophy, but the possibility of a contract which would make the $2 million award from 2005 look like chopped liver. (Photo left: DARPA Challenge VW Touareg).
The first Grand Challenge took place on March 13, 2004 on a desert course stretching from Barstow, California to Primm, Nevada, but did not produce a finisher. At the second DARPA Grand Challenge(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), held on October 8, 2005, the Stanford Racing Team completed the 132-mile course in just under 7 hours to win a $2 million prize.
Eleven "Track A" teams selected this month for the 2007 Urban Challenge (sounds like a new SUV from Ford, or maybe a video game) will each receive up to $1 million from DARPA in technology development funding, in addition to the support of whatever corporate sponsorships they can put together (How about Pantex as a series sponsor? They make nuclear bombs in that facility you can see way in the distance as you drive through Amarillo, TX, in the normal mad dash to get the hell out of that never-ending Panhandle). The A-teams include last year's winner Stanford University and perennial contenders Carnegie-Mellon University, as well as big-time defense contractors Raytheon and Honeywell. (Photo below: DARPA Challenge HumVee).
"Track B" teams, which receive no funding from DARPA, can still earn their way into the final 
competition for the DARPA mugs by successfully completing qualifying events. The Urban Challenge final event requires competitors to safely complete a 60-mile simulated urban area course (in traffic) in under six hours.
“In traffic”??!?! I, for one, want to observe and maybe even participate in THIS one!
NEW HYBRID FROM NISSAN, UH, TOYOTA, UH, NISSAN, HUH?
Nissan introduced their first hybrid for the North American (or any) market yesterday (10-4-06) at the, get this, ahem, ORANGE COUNTY AUTO SHOW. Yep, that OC. The one with the convention center literally right across the street from Disneyland.
Just one problem. Well, two really. OK, three. Maybe more ---
PROBLEM ONE: Nissan chieftain, Carlos ?Le Cost-Cutter? Ghosn, head of Renault, which controls Nissan (and he’s a Brazilian, at that) has been quoted too many times in the worldwide media as saying he doesn’t think hybrids are good for anyone --- His company, his customers, his factories, his dealerships. So why should consumers put any credence in the car at all? (By the way, it’s a new Altima, built in Nissan’s all-new mid-size platform). Ghosn evidently wants to jump directly into fuel-cell electric vehicles using hydrogen as a fuel. Good for him - Now all that needs to happen is someone has to build the delivery system for all that hydrogen.
PROBLEM TWO: The hybrid system being used in the all-new Altima is, like the hybrid system in the Ford Escape, licensed from Toyota. Is the Altima that much better a car than a Prius or Camry, or a Civic or Accord (which uses Honda’s proprietary hybrid system). Ghosn did a smart thing in buying the technology from the world-leader, Toyota, rather then spend BILLIONS to build Renault/Nissan’s own. So, again, is the Altima that much better a car than any of the competitors? We have some news for Ghosn: While there are generations of American vehicle-buyers now known (and rightly so) as ‘Honda-only’ or ‘Toyota-only’, you’ll find about as many ‘Nissan-only’ buyers in the USA as you’d find 'Oldsmobile-only'.
PROBLEM THREE: Nissan will sell the Altima only in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, New Jersey and emissions-clean California. This means many Americans will find out about the car through national magazines and the Internet, then will go to their Nissan dealers to, in most cases, be thoroughly disappointed and probably soured altogether on Nissan when they find out they can’t buy the car. Or even test-drive one.
Sounds like a real winner, huh?
ALFA-ROMEO’S GORGEOUS 8C CONCEPT COMES TO PRODUCTION 'LIFE' AT THE PARIS AUTO SHOW
If you were at the Paris Auto Show, you saw the production version of the 8C, first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show as a concept. We saw that concept a few weeks later at that year's TOKYO MOTOR SHOW (see elsewhere on this BLOG for those pictures). (Photos: Alfa's 8C production version).
Pricing information has not yet been released. Alfa Romeo plans to produce only 500 of these beauties.
Unlike the concept, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione will be equipped with a 4.7 liter V-8 engine 
capable of generating easily over 400 horsepower. With its carbon fiber body and that large engine, the 8C Competizione should be able to go from 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds.
CHEVY BEATS CHRYSLER WITH A 'HHR' PANEL TRUCK VERSION
The Chevy HHR ("High Heritage Roof" ... Don't ask us ...) was such a calculated rip-off of the Chrysler PT Cruiser that it was instantly dubbed the "PT Isn't" by some of us smarter auto scribes (well, by me, to be specific). Then came the turbocharged Cruiser, then the convertible ... Yet still, Chrysler was missing what most analysts, including this one, considered a 'sure thing': A panel truck version.
So GM (which still has plenty of muscle to put behind a product when they want to do so) has brought out a HHR Panel for the 2007 model year. And it looks just as good as we thought a DCX PT Cruiser panel would have, if Chrysler had one first.
Here's the official PR release from Chevy (so forgive the hype):
The 2007 HHR Panel, designed for a myriad commercial and private uses, adds a new dimension of functionality to the popular HHR's lineup of stylish, efficient vehicles.
PRESS RELEASE:
Chevy HHR Panel Delivers Style, Function And Fun In A New, Segment-Exclusive Configuration
The HHR Panel features windowless side panels and rear cargo doors in place of conventional rear doors. A flat load floor provides more than 57 cubic feet (1,614 L) of cargo space, along with approximately 6 cubic feet (170 L) of additional covered, under-floor storage.
HHR Panel production is expected to start late in the first quarter of 2007. It will be offered in LS and 
LT trims, with 2.2L and 2.4L engines - both of which help the HHR deliver 30 mpg in highway driving.
Exterior and interior details
HHR's styling draws upon inspiration from the original 1949 Chevy Suburban, which was built on a platform that also offered panel models - vehicles that became essential tools for urban and small businesses. Over the years, vintage panel vehicles have become prized by collectors and street rodders. The HHR marks the next chapter in Chevy's panel heritage.
The body of the HHR Panel features steel inserts in place of side windows and cargo doors in place of conventional rear doors. The cargo doors open wide to enable cargo access from both sides of the vehicle, as well as from the rear liftgate. The cargo doors don't have external handles; they are opened via a dashboard release button. The continuous "canvas" created by the windowless cargo doors and rear panels provides a large area for business logos, advertising or personalization.
An auxiliary power outlet is available in the rear of the cargo area, with available 40-amp service for a variety of specialty equipment needs. This also answers the call of upfitters, who have asked for an additional power source to suit their specialty vehicles.
Inside, the HHR Panel has seating for two and a large, flat cargo floor. Tie-down points are located strategically on the floor and the available, robust floor mats enable easier movement of cargo. Two large storage compartments are located under the cargo floor - in the approximate place of the rear seats of passenger models. When ordered with the optional lockable doors, the compartments are secure and large enough to hold small computer equipment, flashlights, service manuals and other valuable equipment that is more secure when hidden.
Standard and available features
HHR Panel is available in LS and LT trim. Both models come with a fuel-efficient 2.2L engine rated at 
149 horsepower (111 kW). The LT model offers a 2.4L engine rated at 175 horsepower (130 kW). With either engine, the HHR is rated at 30 mph in highway driving and can provide up to 450 miles of cruising range on a tank of gas.
Power front seats, a family of radios with MP3 capability, XM Satellite Radio and OnStar are available on both LS and LT models. LT models also offer 17-inch wheels and leather-appointed seating.
Standard safety features include dual-stage frontal air bags with GM's Passenger Sensing System. This system works with the front passenger seat and differentiates between adults - 5 th percentile females and larger - and small children or child seats to adjust air bag deployment. Head curtain side-impact air bags are available.
OnStar with Turn-by-Turn Navigation is available on the HHR Panel, enhancing its value as a courier or delivery-type vehicle. OnStar Turn-by-Turn provides verbal instructions to assist the driver with right- and left-hand turn directions; and it establishes a new route if the driver needs to get back on track, for example, if a freeway exit is missed.
Since its launch, HHR has received five-star crash ratings - the highest rating awarded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program. The five-star ratings were awarded for the driver and right-front passenger in a frontal crash, as well as five-star side-impact crash ratings for front seat and rear seat passengers. The HHR also was the highest-rated SUV for the 2006 model year in NHTSA rollover testing.
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