All Cars, All the Time

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Ping Pong Balls and a Chevrolet Equinox?

Not exactly the "Smoke Monster" from Lost, but GM engineers ensure a quiet ride by filling a pressurized 2010 Chevrolet Equinox with smoke to test for leaks. That sure is a lot of ping pong balls!

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Government to Owners: Don't Drive Recalled Toyota's

Well this is going to end well. Nothing like showboating in front of Congress. Full story is available here.

Prius Brakes In Question?

No 'brakes' for Toyota! Now the Prius is being investigated. For more on this story, click here.

Monday, February 01, 2010

Over the weekend I recorded a brief video clip on the Toyota accelerator issue. At that time, the official repair method for fixing cars already in customer's hands was not yet official, so I referred to the part as a "shim." We now know that it is not a shim but a "precision-cut steel reinforcement bar." Heh, heh I wonder how long it took them to come up with that language?

At any rate, this is supposed to prevent the pedal from sticking. However, as I mention in the video, I am dubious that this is really that much of a problem. Drivers who have experienced sudden acceleration do not describe a situation where the car surges forward and then slowly returns to regular speed, as you might expect with a sticky pedal that slowly returns to its default position. Also, the drivers make no mention of noticing that the car had been exhibiting odd pedal feel prior to the event. What is described is much more consistent with a sensor malfunction or software bug: Something that happens once and then does not reoccur.

What bothers me further is that if 2.3 million cars are going to get a ~~shim~~, sorry, precision-cut steel reinforcement bar, what are the chances that we are going to see some botched repairs causing accidents? Toyota is going to push hard on dealers to get the repairs done and dealers will in turn have their mechanics working extra hours or hire additional workers who will not have as much experience to take up the slack. Sounds like a recipe for trouble to me. All this in the name of a repair that I sincerely doubt does much good and could potentially do some harm.

While I do not suspect some massive conspiracy, I do not believe that all of these cases can be attributed to floor mats and sticky pedals. Well, that is my two cents on the issue.

Friday, January 29, 2010

2010 Acura RDX SH-AWD review: Part one

2010 Acura RDX (Courtesy: MSheena)

Since the Acura RDX has been on the market for a few years, the brand decided that it was time for a slight refresh of the 2010 edition of the compact crossover.

In this link is a gallery of pictures I took of the RDX. Be sure to check them out!

The first order of business was grafting on the new corporate nose. To say that the shield grille has caused its fair share of controversy is an understatement, but in this application it looks just fine. Click the read more link below to continue on...

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Give 'em Hell: Whitacre made permanent General Motors CEO

Edward E. Whitacre, Jr (Courtesy: General Motors)

In a move that surprised few, General Motors announced that Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., has agreed to continue as chairman and CEO of the company.

Whitacre is certainly no shrinking violet and has been very vocal since joining the company, becoming the star of commercials that helped to relaunch the company after bankruptcy and stacking the General's management ranks with his own appointees.

This isn't General Motors' first encounter with a strong willed Texan, many might recall the company's infamous showdown with Ross Perot back in the 1980s.

In a statement to the press, Whitacre stated,

The board of directors asked if I would be willing to stay on at GM and help continue the company's road back to success. Having spent the past few months learning the business, meeting with our employees, customers and dealers, and working with the GM leadership team, I was both honored and pleased to accept this role. This is a great company with an even greater future, and I want to be part of it.

Although General Motors had retained an executive search firm to help find a permanent CEO, it is unclear how much consideration was truly given to anyone other than Whitacre with the New York Times reporting that the search firm never presented a list of candidates to the board.

The "Given 'em Hell" phrase used in the title of this article was rumored to be have been said by Whitacre to his hand picked replacement, Randall Stephenson, as CEO of AT&T.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

General Motors engineer gives us the lowdown on Ecotec 2.4

Chris Meagher, chief engineer for the Ecotec 2.4, was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me to discuss the engine.

For those who don't know, GMs Ecotec 2.4L I-4 has been awarded Wards Auto World magazines 2010 10 Best Engines for North America. The direct injected engine with variable valve timing helps deliver segment-best highway fuel economy in GM's new crossovers, the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. The engine also debuts in the all-new Buick LaCrosse and Regal sedans this year.

Chris was also able to give me a brief overview of the 1.4 Turbo Ecotec, you'll see this baby in the Chevrolet Cruze. The 1.4T was also fitted into the Aveo RS concept at the Detroit auto show.

General Motors covered my expenses so that I could attend the 2010 North American International Auto Show

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Buick Regal pricing revealed: Starts at $27,000

2011 Buick Regal (Courtesy: General Motors)

Buick has just announced today the retail pricing for the 2011 Buick Regal.

You can view the 2011 Buick Regal up close and personal in this linked slideshow and this gallery of official General Motors imagery.

The initial model run, which will be built in Germany, will be higher end models. Therefore the "starting" price will be $26,995 (which includes $750 destination charge) for a premium CXL model. For comparison's sake, the LaCrosse CXL costs $30,395 and the Acura TSX runs $30,120 (with $810 destination). For those opting for the turbo model, and why wouldn't you, the starting price is $29,495 with destination.

The 2011 Buick Regal was revealed in Hollywood and I was there to cover the action. You can read all about it in Part One: 2011 Buick Regal live in Hollywood: Up close and personal and Part Two: 2011 Buick Regal going rogue? From the Autobahn with love.

For those reading through to the end of this story, I have a tasty little morsel. In chatting with a certain GM employee at the Detroit Auto Show, it was hinted that the Buick Regal GS concept will not be the only Regal variant that we will see. What does that mean? Could there be even more powerful models on tap? I suggested that a station wagon model was being hinted at, but in fact while a wagon may be considered, that was not what this particular employee was suggesting. I could not pry any more details from Buick staffers at the show, but stay tuned!

Buick press release is shown after the "read more" link below: