Pistonheads reports that the UK's anti-speeding Holy War continues apace. Actually, it continues to gather force. "The [above] figures were released by the Government in response to a parliamentary question and showed that in some areas speeding fines had increased tenfold." In general, the '05 stats represent a doubling of the number of speeding camera tickets issued from 1997, and slightly more than a fourfold increase in ticket revenues over the same time period. Ostensibly, that's not the point. Supposedly, the cameras are designed to improve road safety (as if you didn't know). On that score, The Department for Transport clings to its pro-camera rationale like an eighteenth century English bureaucrat defending America's tea tax. "The best safety camera is the one which takes no fines at all, but succeeds in making everyone slow down. Independent research shows a 42 per cent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured at camera sites – that means more than 100 fewer deaths each year." To which Paul Smith of the SafeSpeed anti-camera pressure group says bollocks [paraphrasing]. "We have only seen a seven percent improvement in [road deaths in] the last eight years. This is absolutely terrible performance and it is perfectly clear to me that 'bad road safety policy' is responsible."

The New York Times reports that GM's November sales fell 10.9 percent compared to last year, with every one of their eight U.S. brands reporting diminished turnover. Chrysler and Ford fared better– a 2.1 percent drop and a 1.3 percent gain respectively– but it's highly likely that both companies turned to low-profit fleet and commercial sales to prop-up their American business. Worse still, U.S. new car sales in general only dipped by three percent, indicating that the domestic automakers continue to lose market share to their transplant rivals. "All three major Japanese automakers not only increased sales during November, but all reported their highest sales ever for the month… For the second time this year, Detroit accounted for less than half of the United States market." Both GM and Ford attempted to calm camp followers by announcing more production cuts. The General said it will build 950k vehicles from January through March, representing an 11 percent drop from last year's total. Ford will build 685k vehicles in the first financial quarter, reflecting a seven percent decline. Privately held Chrysler remained shtum, but analysts expect it to follow suit. The cut backs are as we predicted: a tail-chasing exercise that spirals Detroit towards disaster. Only better product can save Detroit, and it may already be too late. 

Inventorspot reports that a California hi-tech start-up named Eureka Aerospace is developing a microwave gun to zap an automobile's Electronic Control Unit (ECU), disabling the car. The prototype's pulse lasts 50 nanoseconds– enough to overload wires and/or damage the car's central microprocessor. The radiation energy unleashed by the 300 megahertz burst (compared to 2.45 gigahertz in a microwave) doesn't interfere with common radio frequencies and won't turn a human's internal organs into goulash. Speaking to TTAC (podcast below), CEO James Tatoian said the U.S. Marine Corps are helping sponsor the research in their search for ways to protect themselves against car bombers. The LA Sheriff's office is also in on the deal, loaning Eureka vehicles for their ECU frying tests, hoping they can put "World's Wildest Police Chase Videos" out of business. Tatoian says his company hopes to have a field tested working gun within two years. [You can watch a news report on the microwave by clicking on the avi file here .]

In its unstoppable quest for pistonhead patronage, TTAC is boldly going where all our competition has gone before: the North American International Auto Show (a.k.a. The Detroit Auto Show). And when I say TTAC, I don't mean me. I need to hold down the fort here in my garret, editing the info as it flies off the show floor. And I don't mean Justin. Our diurnal podcaster will be in the Middle East, for reasons that I've forgotten but probably having something to do with a falafal and a Sabra (and I don't mean the defunct Israeli carmaker whose product is pictured here). I'm sending my four best operatives– writers being the operative word. Frank Williams, Sajeev Mehta, William C. Monthgomery and Adrian Imoni will be asking the tough questions that those pantywaist professional journos always seems to forget after they've been stuffed like a fatted French duck bound for a foie gras factory. I sincerely hope we'll be able to inject a measure of animus into the annual automotive lovefest. If not, it won't be for lack of trying. If you could give your pistonhead pals a heads-up as and when, we'd all be most appreciative. And a special shout-out to Sajeev's travel agent Mum for booking the tickets. We'll do our best to make you proud Mrs. M, guaranteed.  

What was that song? I think I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so. Well, apparently not. As an upscale buyer, Volvo wants me to embrace my inner Swede. Only I shouldn't get to feeling special. According to the chairman of Volvo Cars and president of Ford's European division, "We're looking to take customers from everybody." The Detroit News reports that Lewis Booth's immodest (not to say foolhardy) statement comes as part of Ford's decision to take the Swedish brand waaaaaay upmarket, to battle with the likes of Lexus, BMW and Mercedes [NB: no mention of Cadillac]. Booth reckons the move makes sense 'cause car buyers are catching up with Swedish values: "Care for the family, concern for the environment and a design aesthetic that values simplicity over all else." Needless to say, Peter Horbury, the British designer who penned Volvo's new look (and identified the average American Ford customer as "Dave"), agrees. Horbury issued the headline above, as well as declaring "Volvo is bought by somebody who is self-confident enough to make their own decision." So if Volvo is Ford's new upscale brand, where does that leave Lincoln? Perhaps their execs are busy asking each other talar du Ikea? 

Automotive News [AN, sub] reports that Chrysler and GM are piling on the incentives in the hopes of clearing out lingering '07's and maintaining '08 sales and market share in the run up to the New Year. Dodge buyers signing-up for the 2008 Ram scoop $5k off sticker. The Dodge Ram 2500, Ram 3500, Durango, Charger and Magnum; Chrysler 300C, and Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee carry incentives ranging from $3k to $3500. GM dealers may not have as much cash on the hood, but thirty-one models– including 20 trucks– tempt seasonal buyers with $500 to $2k off msrp. Caddy hopes to clear out its '07's by offering [both] XLR buyers $7,500, stumping-up $5k for DTS intenders, deflossing the Escalade's price tag by $4,500 and tempting aspiring CTS and STS drivers with $4k. GM biggest losers are the "classic" (i.e. '06) Silverado and Sierras, clocking-in with a $5k discount. Elsewhere, Subaru's '07 B9 Tribeca sheds $3500k, Suzuki's '07 XL7 trims $2500 and Volvo's XC90 can be had for $5k off. Meanwhile, Toyota has dialed back on Tundra incentives, offering just $1500 off the new Texas-built pickup. But its old Tundra and its SUVs all get $4k off. Although most of these incentives are scheduled to expire in January, what's the bet they wont'?

Dutch Transport Minister Camiel Urlings has announced his government's intention to introduce satellite-based road pricing for all vehicles plying the Netherlands' roadways. Radio Netherlands reports that trucks will be the first to get the mandatory GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) monitoring devices in 2011, with cars gearing-up the year after. Drivers will be charged a per-mile fee depending on any number of variables: type of vehicle (to penalize larger cars and SUVs), location (i.e. congestion charging for cities), time of day, etc. Eurlings says the road pricing system will be countrywide by 2016. To soften the blow, the Dutch government will eliminate road tax and BMP (new car purchase tax). Eurlings claims that means the road pricing will be fairer, with more than half of road users paying less under the new system. The article makes no mention of personal privacy implications– which is scary enough. But it gets really scary when you consider the fact that the other European Union (EU) member nations are sure to monitor Holland's scheme in the hopes of implementing it in their home countries or, indeed, throughout the EU.

Since 1994, some twenty U.S. police officers have burned to death after their Crown Victoria police car was rear-ended. According to Safetyforum, that's because the Panther-platformed police car's gas tank is flawed in two critical ways. "(1) it is located in the crush zone behind the rear axle, where it is most likely to be rammed into the axle, suspension system or other components and ruptured in a crash; and (2) it lacks protective shielding." Ford continues to defend itself against fire-related Crown Vic police cruiser lawsuits and refuses to pay for fire suppression systems for the estimated 400k Crown Vics patrolling American highways and byways. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Ohio Department of Public Safety is joining those police forces using public funds to address the weakness. The agency plans on spending $643,850 on FIRE Panels to protect its 1630 Crown Vics. Wrapped around the gas tank, the FIRE Panel shatters in a collision and releases a cloud of fire suppression powder. One problem: "Capt. Brigette Charles, chairwoman of a committee that has studied cruiser safety in Ohio since 2003, called the FIRE panel devices 'junk.'" Ford has a more active fire suppression system, but it's pricier still. 

And there you have it: Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi's rationale for switching Samoa's cars from left to right hand drive. The Prime Minister's unilateral decision has unleashed unprecedented public dissent, especially from car owners who don't care to see their vehicle's value tank overnight. Radio New Zealand reports that over a thousand motorists are set to march (not drive?) in protest at the plan. Meanwhile, as the Prime Minister's "common sense" defense didn't seem to convince his skeptical electorate, Malielegaoi recently argued that the switch to right-hand drive will help the archipelago's populace cope with global warming. The New Zealand Herald reports the spin: the switch will spur rural residents to import cheap right hand drive cars from their New Zealand relatives, making it easier for Samoa's coastal citizenry to move inland, away from rising sea levels. Needless to say, the real reason behind the move is undoubtedly financial. Samoa currently imports vehicles from America and Japan. New Zealand and Australia figure the nearby island is a natural market for their right hand drive automobiles. What's the bet Samoa's neighbors have been working behind the scenes to "open" the Samoan car market to their products? 

2020. That’s the year by which all automakers selling vehicles in the United States must [now] achieve a Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) of 35mpg. The symbolism is strictly ironic. The politicians who crafted the new Energy Bill hardly displayed 20-20 vision. They singularly failed to see that their well-meaning efforts to force Americans to conserve fuel by forcing manufacturers to produce fuel efficient vehicles evokes the law of unintended consequences. While it’s impossible to see the future with perfect clarity, there are obvious “unforeseen” pitfalls.

“Roger Smith led GM during a period of tremendous innovation in the industry. He was a leader who knew that we have to accept change, understand change and learn to make it work for us. Roger was truly a pioneer in the fast-moving global industry that we now take for granted.” You can't expect GM CEO Rick Wagoner to speak ill of the dead, but the truth is that Smith was an utter disaster for GM. In GM Death Watch 116, our own Eric Stephans wrote: "After a massive reorganization in 1984, Smith dismissed thousands of workers and began a buying spree of epic proportions. GM’s CEO spent an estimated $40b on a laundry list of fashionable solutions and distractions: NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.), EDS (Electronic Data Systems Corporation), Hughes Aircraft and more. GM’s culture ignored the benefits of these innovations. The Toyota-style production techniques learned at NUMMI and the union-friendly ideas implemented at Saturn’s Spring Hill plant never made it outside the factory gates. GM management remained impervious to EDS’ can-do culture. Saturn devolved into another badge-engineered GM platform brand." Today's GM owes Roger Smith a debt, but it's not one of gratitude. 

On the very day that congressional leaders (in some sense of the word) are squabbling over the next gen Corporate Average Fuel Economy ethanol loopholes, USA Today repeats a study's declaration that "Anything's better than ethanol blend E85, even ordinary gasoline." The Pardee Rand Graduate School's analysis of alternative fuels calculated the individual and societal costs and benefits of gasoline-powered vehicles, gas-electric hybrids, high-tech diesels and flex-fuel vehicles (running on E85). "Unless gasoline prices, averaging $3.10 a gallon now, rise above $4 and average $3.50 or more the next few years, or ethanol prices drop a lot, diesel's the best overall solution; E85's the worst." Pardee Rand reckons a (theoretical) E85 driver could spend as much as $1,600 more than a gas-powered comrade, while a diesel driver could save as much as $2,300. Hey, guess who helped fund the research? General Motors and Ford Motor. "They aren't crazy about the results," researcher John Graham admitted. Neither are we, until we hear what the researchers meant by "societal costs."

The Sun reports that most German of British brands– I mean British of German brands– is set to build cars outside The Land of Hope and Glory. The paper reckons BMW will manufactur its MINI SUV in Graz, now that the plant's X3 production is headed stateside. A spokesperson for the propeller people said the MINI brand's geographical locus will remain in Oxford, as both the fast-selling standard car and the sure-to-be-a-hit Clubman greet the world from Southeast England. In fact, the factory is maxxed-out at 260k units per annum. Hence the move to the Fatherland. In a related story, Motortrader reports that most Kuwaiti of English car brands, Aston Martin, is also looking to craft vehicles abroad, beginning with the four-door Rapide. Bidders for the work read like a who's who of outsourcing: Italy's Pininfarina, Germany's Karmann, Austria/Canada's Magna and Finland's Valmet. 

As Canada struggles to hammer out a trade agreement with South Korea, the automotive trade imbalance has taken center stage. And no wonder. According to the Canadian Auto Workers, South Korea imported fewer than 500 Canada-made vehicles last year– as compared to the 200k Korean cars sold in Canada during the same period. In total, South Korean only welcomed 43,492 imported autos in '06. And for "good" reason. Although that meager total accounts for just four percent of South Korea's total new car sales, Chosun reports that it also represents a 32 percent increase over the previous year. And that's got South Korea worried. "Considering that Hyundai Motor's growth rate for the same period was 9.6 percent and Kia's was just 2.5 percent, the imported car sector's growth is alarming." At the same time, the types of cars entering the Republic has changed, from the early imported luxobarges to today's wider range of mass market motors. Honda, in particular, is kicking ass, doubling its sales. And here's the kicker: Toyota ain't even in the game yet. Meanwhile, one wonders what GM's take is on all this, as it has a large manufacturing bases in both Canada AND South Korea. GM's Daewoo brand currently owns about 30 percent of its domestic market. [thanks to starlightmica for the link]

I can't get that friggin' song out of my head. Even my trusty pop hook removal methodology– humming Elvis' Rock A Hula Baby– won't exorcise the tune from my neurological pathways. I'm not sure what the Hell Electric Light Orchestra's hit has to do with driving an Accord, but whatever Honda paid for the rights, it was too little. If only they'd used the French chorus as well; a nation of American children would know what "accroches-toi a ton reve" means. Or not. I once met a beautiful young girl in Spain who could sing every single word of every single Yes song ever written with perfect inflection– without knowing what any of it meant. Come to think of it, I'm still trying to figure out how you send an instant karma to someone. Anyway, do people really dream of owning an Accord? Someday Pearl, when my ship comes in, I'm gonna buy me one of them Honda Accords. Why not? Those of us in the biz tend to forget how loopy people get over cars. Oh sure, we pistonheads go all loopy over Skyline GT-Rs and Maserati Quattroportes  and suchlike. But if you've never seen someone ooh and ah over an automotive appliance, you really should. It teaches you the power of dreams. Oh, hang on. That's it, isn't it? Right. Gotcha.