The Association of British Drivers (ABD) is calling for the UK government to get their thumbs out and start building some more damn roads already, and bloody well do something to improve the safety of the ones they've already got [paraphrasing]. "Major roads like the A1 still have dangerous crossing points in the central reservation, instead of proper graded junctions. It is outrageous that people continue to be killed in these places because the British Government refuses to invest in decent roads." As I discussed with ABD's affable spokesman Paul Biggs, the government is being pulled in two directions. On one hand, environmental pressure groups are pushing The Powers That Ride in Limos to legislate against car use (or at least tax the Hell out of it). On the other, the pols need new roads to stimulate the economy (so they can collect more taxes). And the winner is… stasis. "The government have listened to frankly silly suggestions from the anti roads lobby that 'roads create traffic' which is considered a 'bad thing', and so improving the roads has become taboo. On the contrary, removing roadspace and obstructing the roads is supposed to make traffic magically disappear, with no ill effects on people's lives." Supposed?

Far be it for us to suggest that Detroit's hometown newspaper would never attack a Big 2.8 product with as much venomous vigor as Scott Burgess unleashes upon Scion's revised xD. So we won't. We'll just share some of the Detroit News' scribes's spleen venting and call it good (well, that's what our Megan Benoit did; awarding the xD four stars). So, how ugly is it? "Scion calls the flat-edged exterior 'aggressive styling,' but it comes across more Elephant Man than Man About Town." Cabin OK? "The interior materials felt like rejects from Chinese toy manufacturers. There is nothing inspiring or even interesting inside the xD." Ride quality? "Coarse and extremely loud." Steering? "The electric power steering is too sensitive, causing the xD to weave from side to side at the slightest movement, and it feels disconnected to the road." Anything nice to say? "The one area where the xD excels is parking. With its size, it's easy to move into the smallest spots. Plus, when you're parking, you know the driving experience is nearly over and you've arrived at your destination." Props to Burgess for not pulling his punches and the DTN for publishing his xD diatribe. Now, can we get Mr. Burgess’ take on the Chevrolet Aveo?

The cover of Motor Trend's (MT) November issue (written in February) featured some rendered speculation on the shape and style of the next generation Corvette [top secret]. When our resident photochopper asked what we'd like for this week's exclusive image, I set him to work on an alternative version. Mr. Avarvarii clearly agrees with MT that the new 'Vette will be like the current car, only more so. His report: "Well, I have to admit this one was tricky. Designing (or pretending to do so on) an American automotive icon at it's seventh incarnation. It's no walk in park. No wonder those guys only do it once a decade. I went for a retro-angular-chopped approach. that seems to be the tendency for the next decade. I know the result is not exactly a work of art, but if we consider the limited development time (and the fact that I'm European) it's not that bad." Not that bad at all.  

[For more Avarvarii photochopistry, click here.] 

Forbes reports that GM's joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) is spawning yet another joint venture: Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. The partners plan to offer the same range of services for OnStar's international debut that are available to North American customers. Although the Chinese government exercises iron-fisted control over technology and communications, OnStar president Chet Huber is optimistic they won't have any problems. Probably not, especially once the government finds out the OnStar can track citizens' movements and eavesdrop on their conversations. Anyway, Kevin Wale, president of GM China Group has equally high hopes: "We expect OnStar to have a similar impact in China as in the U.S." Thank goodness for that — thousands of Chinese can sleep safe in the knowledge that one day soon they'll never have to worry about locking their keys in their cars again.

There are times when you think the people running GM's Saab division are hampered by the corporate handcuffs. And there are times when you say "someone's been hitting the Glögg a bit too hard." This is one of those occasions. At the New England Auto Show, Saab has just debuted the Turbo X, with its fancy new AWD system and 280 horses (that's an extra 30). Great! If any car has been screaming for all wheel-drive, it's the Saab 9-3. And why not Boston? Saab’s remaining 11 new car customers are all Ivy League college professors seducing students deep in the snowy Northeast, and they need the AWD for their weekend ski trips. So far, so good. Now the bad news: it's $42,510. That's more money than an Audi A4 3.2 Quattro, Infiniti G35x, or BMW 335xi. At an insanely high price like that, it's no wonder they are only importing 600 of them. If you're one of the few, you can get it in any color you want, so long as it's black.

Now that's what I call a marketing! The Associated Press reports that Ford has settled a four-state class action lawsuit regarding the rollover dangers inherent in Ford Explorers sold from 1991 to 2001. As part of the deal, Ford has agreed to provide plaintiffs with a $300 voucher that can be applied to the purchase of any Ford, Lincoln or Mercury product; or a $500 voucher for a new Explorer. (Needless to say, the vouchers are transferable to anyone living in the same state as the plaintiff.) The settlement also requires Ford to distribute information about SUV rollover dangers and to limit safety claims in its advertising (our SUVs are safe-ish?). Safety campaigners are spinning the deal as a major win for consumer rights, albeit in their own special way. "The $300 or $500 vouchers should be enough to cover the cost of optional electronic stability control systems on new vehicles," pronounced consumer advocate Rosemary Shahan of California-based Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, blissfully unaware that Ford's stability control system is now standard on the Ford Explorer, SportTrac, Expedition, Edge, Escape; the Mercury Mountaineer and Mariner; and the Lincoln Navigator and MKX. 

Bloomberg reports that recreational vehicle manufacturer Winnebago is about to announce that shipments fell for the first time in six years. The downturn reflects an industry-wide slump, indicating that the U.S. economy (including the new car market) is, as predicted, headed for the doldrums. "For the past three decades, deliveries of motor homes and travel trailers have dropped before each decline in the U.S. economy, giving the $15 billion industry a reputation as a bellwether." This time 'round, Winnebago is going down fighting. The company is unveiling more fuel efficient models, including one that can get 22mph (highway, tail-wind). Meanwhile, Thor brand's Chief Operating Officer isn't about to concede defeat. "The industry is definitely not immune to macroeconomic factors," Dicky Riegel admitted. But with 11k Americans turning fifty each day, Riegel reckons "we still have the demographic wind at our back." [thanks to starlightmica for the link]

You might thing the words "holistic" and "motorsports" go together like "Segway" and "Nürburgring," but Motorsport Development UK (MDUK) claims their industry is "approaching energy efficiency and emission reduction in an holistic way." According to their self-financed study, "the UK motorsport industry is a major innovator of environmentally friendly technology, exploring all facets of fuel and performance efficiency (aerodynamics, transmission systems, lower emission fuels, super-lightweight materials, etc), rather than simply concentrating on biofuel take-up. The developing technologies will be of use not only on the race track but will help increase energy efficiency in other sectors, particularly the automotive, aerospace and transport industries." The Earth Times is happy to reprint the press release, but I'm a little confused. Does this mean that going Hell for leather in cars without emission controls that get single digit mpgs, watched by hundreds of thousands of people who accessed the race venue by car, is good for the environment? Let the wild rumpus start! Or will the EU send the wild things off to bed without their supper? Watch this space.

Selecting a performance tire is a daunting process. Over ten different tire manufacturers offer over forty different brands in a multitude of configurations for a range of road conditions. Tire prices range from less than a single Ben Franklin to nearly three times that amount. And it’s difficult to isolate objective information about any given tire because of the number of variables and the inability for any one tire to be the best in any one category (e.g. grip, wear, wet weather traction, wheel protection, comfort, etc.) Oy vey.

North Dakota has a population of 640,000. It also has the largest state-owned sheep research center in the United States. What it doesn't have, however, is easy access to a number of car brands. North Dakota, you see, is the only state in which Kia doesn't have a single dealership. North Dakota is also missing Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, BMW, Isuzu (no love lost over that, either), Volvo, Saab, Jaguar, or Hummer. We often call dealerships out on the carpet for tactics that interfere with sales, but not being there altogether is a step beyond. Naturally there is a reason why a number of luxury import brands don't have a presence in an agricultural state with a relatively tiny population. For those who are in the market for such vehicles, they're in some luck: the largest city in the Peace Garden State is Fargo, which sits right on the Minnesota border (where you can get your hands on *anything*). But hey, it means there are plenty of opportunities for you to get rich by owning your own car dealership. Where else could a BMW dealership claim an entire state as its sales territory?

For all intents and purposes, a Porsche sports car is the very definition of luxury; an indication that there's another car in the garage for the daily to and fro. By default, this significantly limits the brand’s potential audience. And no matter how lucrative it may be, no matter how pure the brand’s following, watching competitors reaping the benefit of additional markets is no easy job for an auto exec. In fact, it was only a matter of time before the German automaker bucked against its self-imposed limitations and tried something different.

The Detroit News reports that the House and Senate are close to cutting a deal on the bill that will determine what kind of cars automakers will be building for the next 15 years or so. Apparently, everybody's cool with a 35mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard and all the little details, like keeping separate standards for cars and "light trucks." Which is just as well, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants the whole thing done and dusted by next Wednesday, when members burn some jet fuel to attend the United Nations Climate Change shindig in Bali. The DTN identifies the final hurdle: ethanol mileage credits. That's the creative caveat that allows manufacturers to claim higher mileage for E85 compatible vehicles– even though a tiny fraction ever fill-up with the stuff. "Automakers contend the credits are necessary to spur increased availability of ethanol that will help reduce the country's reliance on foreign oil," the DTN dutifully reports. No word on whether the Porsche loophole– giving carmakers selling less than 60k vehicles stateside a pass on CAFE regs– remains intact. 

[Interview with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers' Charles Territo below.]

Rumors of BMW's Lexus-rivaling eight-speed automatic transmission surfaced over a year ago. Since then, the electronic grapevines have been quiet, leading some to suspect the octo-cog-swapper was merely vaporware. But rest assured, it's the real deal; it's in testing now. The blokes over at AutoExpress [UK] snagged some serious seat time in BMW's upcoming X6. The German automaker's crossover coupe thingamajig does, in fact, feature an eight gear slushbox. It's not totally clear why BMW is developing both this eight-speed auto AND a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (soon to be slotted into the new M3), especially when the DSG transmission has "wave of the future" written all over it. Still, we'll never complain about more choice in transmissions. Or gears. But it's strange to think of downshifting into seventh.

With the strong loonie, declining auto production and cheap foreign-made parts working against them, auto parts makers in Canada asked the government for CA$400M in assistance to stay afloat. The response from Federal Industry Minister Jim Prentice came in typical bureaucratese: "I'm certainly happy to sit down and discuss it, but I would point out that the items which the government can control and which ensure competitiveness in the auto sector are items we are working on." Okay, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, what do you have to say on the subject? "Had they [the Ontario and Quebec premiers] been fully briefed, they would be familiar with the $1.3-billion reduction in the capital costs, the accelerated capital costs [for manufacturers], the benefit that we brought in … the March budget, months ago … so the federal government has done a great deal and I'm looking forward to the provinces emulating the federal government." Uh… right. So will they get the assistance or not? We make that a definite maybe.

That's not exactly how Reuters spins the news that GM and its mandatory Chinese partner (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp) have announced plans to build a hybrid vehicle in China by next year's Olympics. But you gotta give Reuters credit for sensing that selling hybrids to the Chinese market is what the Brits call a "non-starter." "Demand for hybrids is negligible in China, where fuel economy figures little in consumers' purchasing decisions,' reporter Chang-Ran Kim writes. "Hybrid cars are also expensive since the government offers no incentives on their purchase. Toyota Motor Corp is currently the only carmaker that builds a hybrid car in China. It sold just 2,000 of the Prius hybrid last year." Although the scribe reckons the Chinese hybrid is a part of GM's wider greenwashing campaign, what's the bet those Chinese-made hybrid powertrains find their way into GM's other markets?