Steve Parker Motoring / The Car Nut

EXCLUSIVE! CHEVY VOLT FIRST DRIVE!

It was the opportunity to drive yet another futuristic car, Chevrolet’s Volt, this effort by General Motors a magnificent piece of work, especially its gas/electric powertrain.

Smooth as silk, so quiet Rolls-Royce has competition for their Ghost models, Volt could be a remarkable car which captures the attention of the American public; but getting people into Chevrolet showrooms is the real trick, isn’t it? If they don’t visit the dealer, they can’t buy the car.

Volt won’t go on-sale until November, 2010, but Sunday morning I drove the pre-production version of the car and spent well over an hour with Volt’s Chief Engineer, Andrew Farah. Farah’s been with the Volt almost since its inception.
Near production-ready 2010 (it might ultimately get a 2011 model year designation) Chevrolet Volt

We didn’t learn too much more about the Volt that we didn’t already know, but the chance to drive the real thing spoke much about the car.

So let’s take a drive in a Chevy Volt.

Outside, it’s a fairly conventional looking five-door hatchback. GM doesn’t want to scare any potential buyers away by depending on only the wind tunnel for all the design touches. Design being purely subjective, and although the car expectedly doesn’t look much like (or half as interesting as) the Volt concept, GM has hit what many might think a happy medium between too conservative and too far-out.
Volt's 240-volt receptacle; there are also a 110-volt plug and a gasoline filler

There are three filler doors on Volt: one is for gasoline, one the receptacle for its 240-volt electric line (GM expects Volt buyers to install the charger at home) and there’s a plug for a conventional 110 outlet.

The grille is mostly covered by plastic strips, and the engine/motor get their cooling air, like most modern cars, from under the car. Farah pointed out there are several “heat exchangers” (radiators) in the front of the engine compartment, including one each for the gasoline engine and electric motor, one for the air conditioning system, and more.
Volt's rear 3/4 view

OUR AUTO RADIO SHOWS THIS WEEKEND!

Join us LIVE Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern (NEW TIME!) and Sunday at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern on www.TalkRadioOne.com for our exclusive LIVE motoring and motorsports talk shows!

Steve Parker's The Car Nut Show
NEW TIME! Join us LIVE every Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern

Some major car news this week: Toyota has admitted a major mechanical problem with its 3.8 million recalled Toyota and Lexus vehicles, after denying it just a week ago. And the "acceleration incidents" are not because of the wrong-sized floor mats; it's the gas pedals and maybe the ECUs in all the vehicles, too. And this week Toyota also announced a 110,000 unit recall of their Tundra pickup. Also, the Euro company which was negotiating with GM to buy Saab has backed out of the deal ... and there was plenty more, too. Let's discuss! The call-in number is: 213-341-4353.
Toyota's Camry, America's best-selling car, may have deep-seated throttle problems

Steve Parker's World Racing Roundup
Sunday starting at 5pm

This morning I had my first drive in the Chevrolet Volt extended-range hybrid and I'll have my first report on this critical car for GM. Thanksgiving night I went to the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale Speedway and we'll have a full report on the great competition there. This week is NASCAR's "Champion's Week" and for the first time ever it's being held in Las Vegas ... and fans can pay to attend and see their favorite drivers reap their rewards. Plus plenty from racing's 'silly season'. The call-in number is: 213-341-4353. Join in!
Jeff Gordon finished third in NASCAR point standings this season

Podcasts of both shows are available one hour after the live shows conclude. That's our NEW TIME this Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm eastern and Sunday at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern time every week on www.TalkRadioOne.com!

Follow Steve Parker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/autojourno

JIMMIE JOHNSON --- BY THE NUMBERS

Sunday was a big day for record-making and –breaking in NASCAR. Jimmie Johnson placed fifth in the race, but he’s Number One --- again --- in America’s favorite motorsport.

Johnson has won his fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup title --- the first driver ever in NASCAR’s 61-year history to accomplish this truly remarkable feat.

Also Sunday, 50-year old Mark Martin, the oldest full-time driver in Sprint Cup, took second place in Sprint Cup points for a record fifth time. Martin, a tough little piece of gristle, is one of the smartest and certainly most-technically skilled drivers to ever sit behind the wheel of any race car.
Johnson's near-perfect pit crew in action this season at Pocono

But has a fault from which Jimmie Johnson and Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knauss, don’t seem to suffer: Martin has emotions and he shows them; they don’t call Johnson and Knauss “the Icemen” for nothing.

Martin, the best driver to never win a series title, will be back next season. Like the Cubs’ fans say, “Just wait’ll next year!”

At the same time, drivers from the Rick Hendrick Motorsports stable set yet another record by finishing their Chevy Impalas in the top three places for the Sprint Cup season; Johnson first, Martin second and Jeff Gordon third.

And there’s more for the stat-crazy racing fan: In 2009, Ford drivers won a total of only three Sprint Cup races. Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray were the Ford drivers with the victories. And in spite of Jack Roush owning no less than five factory-supported Ford teams, most his drivers, including Carl Edwards, never went to victory circle this season. A quick look through the record book shows that even Toyota teams won nearly ten Sprint Cup races in their Camrys, about 30% of the year’s events.

WEEKEND AUTO RADIO SHOW LINE-UPS

Join us LIVE Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern (NEW TIME!) and Sunday at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern on www.TalkRadioOne.com for our exclusive LIVE motoring and motorsports talk shows!

Steve Parker's The Car Nut Show
NEW TIME! Join us LIVE every Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern

Part One of a two part interview with JC Agajanian, Jr., one of the American automotive world's best-known stars. JC talks about Southern California and if it doesn't get enough respect in the racing world, hits on this week's upcoming 69th Turkey Night Grand Prix the family has been promoting for 54 years and plenty of auto insider stories you probably never heard before. Also, MOTOR TREND Magazine has named the entire Ford Fusion family of cars as their 2010 Car of the Year; let's discuss! The call-in number is: 213-341-4353.
JC Agajanian, Jr. (left) presents an award in 2003 to legendary racer Parnelli Jones

Steve Parker's World Racing Roundup
Sunday starting at 5pm

Part Two of our exclusive interview with JC Agajanian, Jr., and he discusses this Thursday night's Turkey Night Grand in Los Angeles where four champions in USAC will be named. It's the 69th running of the event, making it the second-oldest annual auto race in America, and possibly the world, next only to the Indy 500. Plus --- Did Jimmie Johnson win his fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup title today? Tune-in, join in and find out! and Plus all the latest on the "silly seasons" in all the racing series in the world. The call-in number is: 213-341-4353. Join in!
Did Jimmie Johnson make even more racing history today?

Podcasts of both shows are available one hour after the live shows conclude. That's our NEW TIME this Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm eastern and Sunday at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern time every week on www.TalkRadioOne.com!

Follow Steve Parker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/autojourno

2010 FORD FUSION "MOTOR TREND CAR OF THE YEAR"

Ford's family of Fusion cars has been named "Motor Trend 2010 Car of the Year," awarding the car probably the best-known (and trusted) prize in the automotive consumer world.

The Fusion was chosen best of 23 new or significantly upgraded vehicles that were eligible for the award after a week of testing, Motor Trend said.

In 1964, Motor Trend's Car of the Year award went to the entire Ford lineup, recognizing its combination of design, engineering excellence, and performance. In 1970, Motor Trend gave the nod to the Ford Torino, which could be ordered in a wide variety of configurations. Forty years ago, buyers could choose from economical, six-cylinder-powered sedans to the dragstrip-ready 429 Super Cobra Jet fastback. These legendary winners had one thing in common: bandwidth. In the 1960s and '70s, this term wasn't yet part of popular lexicon. Today, the 2010 Ford Fusion's impressive bandwidth as a model range was one of the many factors that helped it earn the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year award.
Fusion family portrait

Want an economical midsize sedan that doesn't cost much, yet won't bore you to tears? Need to please your greener side with a high-tech hybrid? Fancy a near-sport sedan with AWD, 18-inch rolling stock, and the latest infotainment and electronics? Depending on which model you choose and how many option boxes you tick, the Fusion can be any of the above. Motor Trend's Art St. Antoine calls the Fusion "a compelling sweep across one of the market's most hotly contested segments."

The Fusion, which has become one of the top 10 selling vehicles in the United States and was redesigned for 2010, exceeded its previous annual sales peak earlier in November. The car was launched initially by Ford in 2006.

NISSAN LAUNCHES LEAF EV IN USA

In 1947, Tokyo Electric Cars Company built a lead-acid battery powered EV delivery truck called the Tama which it sold through 1950, when oil supplies and prices stabilized after WWII (cars and trucks were also powered by flammable gasses captured from on-board wood-burning stoves in Europe and Japan in those post-War years). Tokyo Electric Cars eventually became part of Prince Motor, one of the precursor companies of Datsun, now called Nissan.

Now, a new Nissan-produced EV has officially arrived in America.
Latest production version of Nissan Leaf on display in Santa Monica, CA, Friday night (All photos by www.SteveParker.com)

Friday, Nissan showed-off their five-passenger Leaf electric car for the first time to the American media and we were there getting the latest info on what will most-likely be the first mass-produced EV family car sold in the US.

A media event Friday morning at Dodger Stadium and an official "Leaf launch party" that night in Santa Monica for about 200 local movers and shakers brought out Nissan/Renault chief Carlos Ghosn, numerous company PR people, various engineering-types and even Vice-President of Nissan Design America, Bruce Campbell, who had a hand in styling the car, inside and out.

Nissan's huge worldwide PR campaign for Leaf, based around a nationwide tour of the car which starts this weekend, is becoming a model of non-news news which, because the car is so unique, almost guarantees media coverage of anything Leaf-related.

For instance, few if any of the Leaf's specifications have changed since first announced months ago. The company still says Leaf will have a 100-mile range, will be recharged through 110-volt home power in eight hours, while using an optional 220-volt "fast charger" can refill the lithium-ion batteries to 80% of their capacity in ½-hour, and that a 10-minute charge at a public charging facility can add about 31 miles to the car's range.
Carlos Ghosn at the Leaf launch

The 300-pounds of battery packs are installed under the Leaf's floor, allowing designers to make the most of interior space. There's an electric motor driving the front wheels using half-shafts. Though Nissan says it's a five-passenger hatchback, the rear seat seems large enough for two full-sized adults at most. The instrument panel is futuristic, as expected, and Nissan says the LED headlights and rear lamps use only ½-half the energy of conventional auto lighting.

No pricing announcement has been officially made, but near-$27,000 sounds about right. Ghosn told me last night that the car will be "priced competitively" with cars of similar size, but in reality there is currently no comparable car sold anywhere in the world.

In a bit of irony, the Leaf launch was held in Bergamot Station in sometimes tragically hip Santa Monica, CA, where a check of streets has the Prius looking like the city's "official car". The locals are very green. The Bergamot facility dates back to 1875 when it was built as a stop for the Pacific Electric Red Line trolley running from Los Angeles to the Santa Monica Pier.
LED lights dominate rear end of Leaf; small wing on top contains solar cells

THIS WEEKEND'S RADIO SHOWS!

Join us LIVE Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern (NEW TIME!) and Sunday at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern on www.TalkRadioOne.com for our exclusive LIVE motoring and motorsports talk shows!

 

Steve Parker’s The Car Nut Show

NEW TIME! Join us LIVE every Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern

 

Nissan’s all-new 2011 Leaf “pure EV” was officially launched in the US last night in oh-so-hip Santa Monica, CA, and Steve Parker was there for all the hoopla, food and booze, interviewing Carlos Ghosn, Nissan/Renault CEO and Bruce Campbell, Leaf lead designer from Nissan North America, among others. Plus Steve’s 60-second road tests and your phone calls! Join two-time Emmy Award-winner Steve Parker, also automotive writer for the Huffington Post, NBC-TV auto show Whipnotic and the Santa Monica Daily Press newspaper. Be sure to join-in the conversation: The call-in number is: 213-341-4353.

  Nissan Leaf 2011 production model / Steve Parker photo

 

Steve Parker’s World Racing Roundup

Sunday starting at 5pm

 

Last week it seemed a given that NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson was headed for an unprecedented fourth straight Sprint Cup championship, but his spin on the third lap of last Sunday’s race in Texas shook-up all the leaders’ standings. Now Mark Martin has a real shot at his first title! Ron Hornaday has tied-up his fourth Camping World Truck Series title while the Nationwide Series is still up in the air. Plus all the latest on the “silly seasons” in all the racing series in the world. The call-in number is: 213-341-4353. Join in!

  Mark Martin

 

Podcasts of both shows are available one hour after the live shows conclude. That’s our NEW TIME this Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm eastern and Sunday at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern time every week on www.TalkRadioOne.com!

 

 

 

Friday is LA's EV day - Nissan's Leaf hits Dodger Stadium, Santa Monica

For its first public showings outside Japan, Nissan's all-new Leaf "pure EV" plug-in electric sedan, due on-sale worldwide as a 2012 model, will see the first light of an American day at a press-only event this Friday morning at Dodger Stadium featuring Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, and later that day, in front of the public, at Pier 59 Studios, 2415 Michigan Avenue in Santa Monica.
Nissan Leaf at its first public display at last month's Tokyo Motor Show; Los Angeles gets it next!

"Get an up-close look at the 100 percent electric Nissan LEAF", say Nissan's marketers, "and the opportunity to learn more about its industry-leading technology. Top Nissan people will be on-hand to answer questions and share Nissan's vision for Zero Emissions."

Nissan estimates the four-door EV will cost around $27,000 and achieve about 100 miles per charge. It can be charged overnight on a standard 110-volt household plug or much faster using an optional 'quickcharge' service.

The Leaf stop in LA kicks-off a nationwide tour of the car which will hit all major American cities between now and February. Production of the cars will be in Japan, the UK and in Tennessee, where Nissan's manufacturing facilities for the US are located.Those factories are already been prepared for Leaf manufacture.

 

Follow Steve Parker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/autojourno

GM CANCELS OPEL SALE -- BUT WHY?

On Monday of this week, German Prime Minister Angela Merkel met with President Obama in Washington and then addressed the US Congress, where she was warmly greeted, and made an impassioned address concerning the environment and global warming.

She was on top of the world when, just minutes later, she heard the news that General Motors had decided call off the sale of their European division headquartered in Germany, Opel.

And GM being GM, the company announced Wednesday that it will cut 10,000 jobs at Opel and their British division, Vauxhall, un-employing about 20% of the company’s 50,000 workers.
Opel's GT was one of the first Opel vehicles sold in America; some compared it to a "mini-Corvette"

And boy, is Merkel pissed. She might not be making more warm and fuzzy speeches to Congress anytime soon. And European Union members share her feelings. Unions are all-powerful in Europe, and GM dropping the sale and the resultant job losses could wind up looking like a huge defeat for Germany and the entire EU at the hands of a recently bankrupt worldwide corporation.

EXCLUSIVE! SEMA SHOW CARS (THE SHOW STARTS TUESDAY)

The SEMA Show, the annual automotive bacchanal and extravaganza staged by the Specialty Equipment Market Association, world's largest lobbying group for aftermarket and performance car parts, and thought by many to be the best car show in the world, especially if you're a gearhead (like us) opens in Las Vegas this Tuesday, 11-3, and runs through Friday, 11-6.

If you don't already have credentials for the show, which has some 2,000 exhibitors and 9 miles of aisles showcasing everything from roll cages to run flats, from turbos to independent suspensions, from 600-horsepower crate motors to anything you might need to build that IndyCar in your garage, don't bother going. The show is closed to the public, open only 'to the trade' and is still the single-largest trade show held annually in Vegas, drawing over 100,000 exhibitors, buyers and media.
Ford introduced their now-popular race-car-for-the-masses at the 2007 SEMA Show (Steve Parker photo)

Because of the Obama Administration's recent tariff on Chinese-made tires, we don't expect to see as many of the approximately 50 Chinese tire-makers which had displays there last year. The tire world is in turmoil; Japanese giant Bridgestone (which also owns Firestone) announced yesterday, right after the Abu Dhabi F1 season-closing race, that after 2010 they won't supply tires to F1 anymore, leaving it to either Michelin (world's biggest tire company) and/or Goodyear to fill the gap. Bridgestone has been the sole F1 tire supplier since 2007.

Not surprisingly, there are a lot of custom 2010 Camaros at this year's SEMA Show. Let's take a look, courtesy of the top-notch PR folks at SEMA, at some of what they call "don't miss" car debuts coming up at this year's show (with booth number info if you are hitting the show):

Ford Fiesta
From November 3-6, a team representing Ford's Fiesta Movement will be located at the Motor Trend Proving Grounds during the SEMA Show, offering test drives of a European-spec Ford Fiesta. Information about other drive stops, including monthly calendars, is available on www.fiestamovement.com under the "Ride & Drive" section. Visitors to the site can also sign up to receive test drive updates as they become available.

Lexus to Debut LF-A
The Lexus LF-A supercar made its world debut last week at the Tokyo Motor Show, but will make its first North American display at the SEMA Show. Lexus will make only 500 of the hand-assembled, made-to-customer-order flagship, making the SEMA Show a rare opportunity to see this machine up close. Featuring a 4.8L, V10 engine producing 552 hp and 354 lb.-ft. torque, a six-speed sequential gearbox, the extensive use of carbon fiber in the chassis and bodywork, and a 48:52 weight distribution, the LF-A is capable of a top speed of 202 mph, according to Lexus. See it at Lexus Booth #22699.