Variance

Pricing: 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander October 9, 2006 -- CYPRESS, Calif., -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has announced pricing for its all-new, second-generation Outlander compact sport-utility vehicle. The larger, more powerful 2007 Outlander will start at a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $21,370 for a well-equipped ES front-wheel drive model. Early buyers will receive a Mitsubishi 25th Anniversary discount of $1,380 for a starting MSRP of $19,990. All 2007 Outlander models are powered exclusively by a new all-aluminum MIVEC V-6 engine teamed to a six-speed Sportronic® automatic transmission, achieving 220-hp (Federal emissions.) A segment-first Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (P-ZEV) V6 engine achieves 213-hp. Each of the three trim lines offered for the 2007 Outlander -- the value-minded ES, the well equipped LS and the sport/luxury XLS -- come standard with front-wheel drive. The LS and XLS models also are available with an electronically controlled 4-wheel drive system. The Outlander LS model has an MSRP of $22,410 with front-wheel drive and $23,770 with 4-wheel drive. The Outlander XLS, which features standard 18-inch alloy wheels, an underfloor-stowable compact third row seat and additional amenities, has an MSRP of $23,650 with front-wheel drive and $25,010 with 4-wheel drive. All Outlander models are equipped as standard with the Active Skid and Traction Control (ASTC) system. Standard safety features for all 2007 Outlander models include an advanced dual front air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) with occupant sensors; front seat-mounted side-impact air bags and side curtain air bags (front and second row); an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), and a tire pressure monitoring system. Outlander ES Comes Generously Equipped A standard 220-hp V-6 engine gives Outlander ES a significant performance advantage over similarly priced four-cylinder compact SUVs while still offering an EPA-rated 27 miles per gallon in highway driving. Standard equipment in Outlander ES includes: air conditioning and cabin air filter; ambient lighting monitor; cruise control; power windows, locks and mirrors; engine immobilizer and anti-theft alarm system; keyless entry, and an AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3 playback capability and six speakers. Excellent Value at Every Level The Outlander LS models add a number of exterior and interior enhancements, including: color-keyed folding power side view mirrors; roof rails; rear privacy glass; 16-inch alloy wheels; steering wheel remote audio switches; leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob; a driver's seatback pocket; two additional 12-volt accessory outlets (one in cockpit, one in cargo area); and floor mats. The LS also includes the Bluetooth® cell phone-ready pre-wire switch. Outlander XLS models offer a step up in handling response, user technology and comfort, adding: 18-inch alloy wheels; Sportronic magnesium steering wheel shifter paddles (a segment first); underfloor-stowable compact third row seat; automatic climate control system; hands-free Bluetooth cellular phone interface system with voice recognition; fog lights, and cargo area utility bars. The standard FAST (Freehand Advanced Security Transmitter) Key entry system allows passive vehicle unlocking and engine start/stop simply by carrying the remote control. Premium Technology Options with Value Pricing Outlander LS and XLS models offer an optional Navigation Package ($1,800 MSRP) that uses a seven-inch touch screen and hard disc drive with a digital music server. This package includes a versatile drive computer and an interface to customize operation of many vehicle features. The Entertainment Package available for Outlander LS models ($1,150 MSRP) includes a rear seat DVD player with nine-inch LCD screen, remote control, wireless headphone, auxiliary video input jack and a 115-volt accessory power outlet. The Sun & Sound Package ($1,740 MSRP for LS, $1,580 MSRP for XLS) combines a power glass sunroof with sunshade with the 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate® Premium Audio system with nine speakers including subwoofer and SIRIUS® Satellite Radio with six month pre-paid subscription. Exclusively in the XLS models, the Sun & Sound Package can also be combined with the Luxury Package ($1,600 MSRP) that adds leather seating surfaces (first and second rows), heated front seats, a power driver's seat and Xenon HID headlamps with auto-leveling. [source: Mitsubishi Motors North America]

"Twisted Transistor" by Korn.

Take a look at GMI's in-depth numbers: http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_...minsidenews.com They're in falling traffic rank and reach while we are gaining good ground and we are rising at a faster rate than them in page views. It looks like GMI is slipping to me. :AH-HA_wink:

Two red '79 Cadillac Coupe DeVilles with cream landau tops within minutes of each other. One on the road and the other parked in someone's front yard. They looked exactly the same. Freaky.

No New Corolla Until 2008 CY Toyota Motor Corp. will push back the North American launch of its new Corolla from 2007 to 2008 in order to maintain quality, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported on Saturday. Toyota, Japan's top auto maker, has been plagued this year by a rising number of vehicle recalls. In July, it recalled some 400,000 SUVs in the United States, its single-biggest market. Read "Toyota delays N.America launch of new Corolla" @ Yahoo

Well, haughtiness certainly isn't to get anyone on your side. "The voice..."? Do you realize just how pompous that sounds?

Lessening the likelihood of having to stop in enemy territory for fuel?

Pricing: 2007 Lexus LS460/L October 6, 2006 – Torrance, CA - Lexus today announced pricing for the all-new 2007 LS 460 and the company’s first-ever long-wheelbase model, the LS 460 L. The fourth-generation LS blends new levels of performance, sophistication, contemporary styling, and luxury refinements while redefining the full-size luxury-sedan segment. With a base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $61,000 for the LS 460 and $71,000 for the LS 460 L, Lexus’ new flagship luxury sedans will represent a compelling value in their segments. "The new LS continues the heritage set by our original flagship luxury sedan by setting new standards in its class," said Bob Carter, Lexus Division group vice president and general manager. "This sedan has moved the Lexus brand beyond previous achievements in the areas of craftsmanship, styling, performance, and production innovation." The new LS achieves a segment-leading combination of acceleration performance and excellent fuel consumption with an all-new 4.6-liter V8 engine mated to the world’s first eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine, Lexus’ first all-new V8 since the brand’s launch, produces an impressive 380 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque. It features Variable Valve Timing with intelligence and the world's first Electronically controlled intake cam (VVT-iE). The dual VVT-iE combination of electrically controlled intake and hydraulically controlled exhaust achieves superior engine-startup operation and high-output performance. The LS 460 will travel from zero to 60 miles per hour in approximately 5.4 seconds while achieving an estimated 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, 18 city/27 highway for the LS 460 L, by the EPA testing method. The LS sedans also achieve an Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle II (ULEV II) rating. In an effort to create a more intelligent vehicle, Lexus has combined advanced active and passive safety technology into a consolidated system. Among the new active features on the LS is the next-generation Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) stability system, which integrates and manages a new Electronically Controlled Brake (ECB) system, Electronic Power Steering (EPS), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), and engine torque via the electronically controlled throttle. The driver can also choose to completely disable the VSC system via a console-mounted button. In addition to the active safety features, the new LS has eight standard airbags, including a twin-chamber front passenger airbag with both driver and passenger knee airbags, and a potential of ten airbags with option packages. Both LS models include a number of standard luxury features including SmartAccess keyless entry with push-button start/stop, an electronic parking brake, a 10-speaker Lexus Premium Audio system, 18-inch nine-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, and seven new exterior colors. The paint is applied by a new proprietary paint process that includes double hand sanding. Optional comfort and convenience attributes on the LS include a pre-collision system with dynamic radar cruise control, Lexus Link®, and Intuitive Park Assist. The long-wheelbase LS 460 L brings with it 4.8 inches of additional space and a long list of outstanding standard conveniences, including fifth-generation Lexus Navigation with factory-installed XM Satellite Radio with NavTraffic, climate-controlled front seats, heated rear seats, a new heated steering wheel, power rear sunshade, a new one-touch open/close power trunk, power door closers, headlamp washers, and laminated side glass, which is exclusive to the long wheelbase. The new navigation system includes a hard disk drive (HDD) for faster calculations. The HDD can also store as many as 2,000 digital songs when partnered with the optional Mark Levinson® Reference Surround Sound system. The specially developed 19-speaker, 450-watt discrete 5.1 Mark Levinson® audio system creates a new benchmark for automotive sound with its theater-level entertainment experience. The Executive Class Seating Package offered on the LS 460 L includes a rear-seat entertainment system featuring the world’s first ceiling-mounted 3.0 VGA high-quality display with a nine-inch screen that operates with an electronic-motor open/close function. It also incorporates a right rear-seat recliner with multifunction massage and an ottoman leg rest, a four-zone independent front and rear air conditioning system with air purification and the world’s first ceiling climate diffusers, rear-door power sunshades, and a fixed rear console with foldout table. The all-new LS sedans offer the Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS) as an option to assist with parallel and back-in parking. With this optional technology, once the driver has correctly positioned the car and identified the desired parking spot via the nav screen, APGS utilizes the back-up camera, parking sonar sensors and electric power steering system to automatically guide the car into the spot, while the driver controls speed via braking. The all-new LS 460 and LS 460 L both come with a standard 48-month/50,000-mile basic limited warranty with roadside assistance for 48-months/unlimited miles and a special 6-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty unique to both Lexus and the luxury segment. The 2007 Lexus LS 460 and LS 460 L, which go on sale on October 20, will represent a strong value in their segments with dynamic styling, advanced technologies, increased size, and improved performance and craftsmanship. [source: Toyota Motor Company]

Nessun Vada: No Retro Lambos Lamborghini will not build any retro-themed vehicles in the foreseeable future, according to CEO Stephan Winkelmann. "Retro design is not what we are here for. So we won’t do the Miura, even as a limited edition," Mr. Winkelmann told the U.K. Car magazine. And old designs aren't the only thing the Italian automaker will be leaving in the past. The company also won't resurrect retired nameplates, according to Winkelmann. He said spiritual successors to the the Espada or LM002 could be built, but they would go by new names. Read "Lamborghini won't build Miura or other retro cars" @ Leftlane News

Military Wants a More Conservative Hummer ...in the fuel economy sense, that is. The Defense Department wants a new Humvee. One of its complaints: The Humvee eats too much fuel. The vehicle, an icon of the military for about two decades since it replaced the World War II-era Jeep, gets as few as 4 miles per gallon in city driving and 8 miles per gallon on the highway. The Pentagon wants a Humvee replacement that weighs 30 percent to 40 percent less and uses proportionately less fuel. Read "Miltary wants refined Humvee" @ The Detroit News

Citroen Could Come to Canada Automobiles Citroen may use Canada as its beachhead into North America. “If we can homologate our cars in Canada, it’s a potential,” says Frederic Banzet, vice-president-international sales. “We’re looking at it.” Read "Citroen Considers Selling Cars in Canada" @ Ward's --- Is it safe to assume that they would be great sellers in Quebec?

Flat Tire: Goodyear Workers Go on Strike Some 15,000 members of the United Steelworkers went on strike at 16 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plants in the United States and Canada Thursday after the union rejected the company's latest contract proposal. The union terminated its contract at 1 p.m. ET Thursday, saying that it could not allow additional plant closures after it helped keep the company afloat through cost-saving measures three years ago. "The company left us with no option," Steelworkers union executive vice president Ron Hoover said in a prepared statement. "We cannot allow additional plant closures after the sacrifices we made three years ago to help this company survive." Read "Union calls a strike at Goodyear" @ CNNMoney

H2 Plant Goes on a Two Week Shutdown An AM General plant that makes the Hummer H2 will shut down for two weeks this month as sales of the trucks have slowed. Dealer lots have excess H2 inventory, so the production line in Mishawaka, just east of South Bend, will not run the weeks of Oct. 16 and Oct. 23, the company said. General Motors Corp. markets the H2 consumer truck. Read "Plant that makes Hummer H2 to shut down for 2 weeks" @ Detriot Free press

Nissan Launches "7 Days in a Sentra" Ad Campaign NASHVILLE, TENN. (October 6, 2006) -- Inspired by the research photos taken inside the cars of hundreds of 20-30 year olds, the all-new 2007 Nissan Sentra will debut this month in an unprecedented marketing campaign. The research demonstrated that young people use their car as if it were another room in their home – filled with gym clothes, sports equipment, music (in all delivery forms), food and ways to communicate with the outside world. “7 Days in a Sentra” is the simple but ingenious notion that will be translated into television commercials, webisodes, online executions and a special 2-minute piece – take one man, the 2007 Nissan Sentra and a challenge to actually live in the car for seven full days and be filmed doing it. Tapping into a number of pop culture trends (episodic story-telling, real life adventures, blogging and vlogging), Nissan casts the campaign in a whole new light. “With this approach, we’re moving away from ‘interrupting’ our consumers and toward creating opportunities to interact with them. I think we also transition from story telling to conversation,” said Jan Thompson, Nissan’s vice president of marketing. “The integrated marketing campaign will showcase the all-new Sentra in an innovative way across many communication channels.” Thompson noted that all 168 hours of film shot over the real seven day experiment (shot in and around Los Angeles) were designed to showcase the Nissan Sentra’s new features including: · Roomy, high quality interior with long list of available amenities, including a 60/40 split double-fold rear seat, available hidden trunk storage compartment and available integrated overhead compact disc holder. · Multiple AM/FM/CD audio systems available, including RDS, mp3 playback, satellite radio and auxiliary input capability (variations by model) · Available Intelligent Key keyless entry system and available Bluetooth™ Hands-Free Phone System “We also showcase Sentra’s smooth ride and fuel efficiency in vignettes that are both funny and surprising,” Thompson added. “And no stunt drivers were employed!” Nissan selected Marc Horowitz, a photographer’s assistant and San Francisco native, to be the central character of the campaign. While the storyline depicts a young man living out of his new Sentra for seven consecutive days as an experiment to see if the Sentra lives up to its promises, Marc’s experience was anything but fictional. In addition to living out of the Sentra, Marc had to adhere to a challenging list of ‘rules’ that created the framework for the experiment, including: · Must live 7 straight days out of the Sentra. I am free to come and go from the Sentra. · Must not return to his apartment at any point during the 7 days. · Must assume his normal day-to-day responsibilities, including work and scheduled meetings. · Must personally prepare at least 4 meals within the immediate vicinity of the Sentra. · Must go on at least one date. Hopefully more. · Must not let anyone else drive his car during the 7 days. · Must sleep in a different location each night. Once the location is chosen he must not move. · Must not set foot outside of the car for any reason from 12am – 5am. · Must host at least one “social function” in the Sentra. · Must maintain the highest standards of personal hygiene. “This was an amazing experience for me,” said Horowitz. “I got to meet really amazing people, and I got to drive the Sentra, which really is a great car. And who knew there were so many places in LA where you can get a good shower for free?” The “7 Days in a Sentra” campaign includes the following components: · Seven (7) traditional :30 national TV spots - one for each day Marc lives in the car · A “NissanUSA.com/7days” website will allow visitors to see the campaign, including long-form pieces · A blog written by Marc which will document his experience during his 7 days in the Sentra. The blog will include Marc’s journal entries from the week, photos, a long form piece and many viral, short-form films · A personalized MySpace page by Marc · Street teams with interactive AdVans in 7 key markets centered around the 7 days concept · A short documentary film which will be cut to be shown both on the web as well as part of TiVo’s Showcase lineup Along with the 2007 Nissan Altima and Versa, the Sentra is being launched under the Next Generation Shift_2.0 campaign. Creative is handled by Nissan’s agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day, based in Playa del Rey, California. Other agencies involved in the campaign include OMD, TEQUILA, The Vidal Partnership, Edelman and The Designory. [source: Nissan North America] --- I took a look at the website earlier and the premise looks interesting. I think this will be a pretty successful campaign.

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That may have been one of the best posts in the history of this forum.

11 Lucernes to be Unveiled at SEMA Thinking about the $3 billion-and-rising auto aftermarket industry—all fast flash and youthful exuberance—surely doesn’t conjure up images of your dad’s Buick. But this year, for the first time in the 43-year history of the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s annual convention, Buick will feature 11 custom-designed Lucernes on display. Read "That Tricked-Out Car is a Buick?" @ Brandweek

Speaking of bumper stickers, I saw a new Acura RL with bumper stickers on every panel of the body. Proof that money doesn't buy taste.

Not even water wants to touch it.

Guess nobody wanted it. Can't say I blame them.

Works fine for me... Nice purchase, lonewolf.

8 3 2

New pics and new info: http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/secret_new_ca...?sid=205&page=1

Spied: New Dodge Sprinter Meet the newest competitor in the always exciting fullsize van market: the new Dodge Sprinter. This particular version has some new and thrilling features like two rear windshield wipers and a sporty angled crease on the side. Take a look for yourself. Read "Dodge Sprinter pasenger-van spy shots" @ Allpar

Toyota Hybrid Trim Down (in more ways than one) The Japanese automaker said its new target would trim the cost premium for hybrids to about $1,900. The new hybrid technology, which will be used in the next-generation Prius sedan, will be about half the size and weight of the current system. Read "Slim Fast: Toyota Aims To Take Size and Weight out of Its Hybrid System" @ Edmunds