Tag Archives: autoinformed

Ford V8 in Shelby GT350 Exceeds 100 Horsepower per Liter

Posted on 2 June 2015 by Ken Zino

Unknown at this time is whether the notorious weaknesses of a flat plane engine – vibration and an odd exhaust sound – are acceptable to drivers in a street rod as opposed to a racing engine where they are common. Continue reading →

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May Sales Keep on Trucking with 0% Interest Helping

Posted on 2 June 2015 by Ken Zino

U.S. May sales came in at an exceptionally high SAAR (seasonally adjusted annualized rate) of 17.79 million light vehicles with light trucks and 0% interest rate Memorial Day promotions help to beat analysts’ projections of 17.3 million. Continue reading →

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Chevy Beats Honda at Rainy IndyCar Racing “Rubber” Match

Posted on 31 May 2015 by Ken Zino

The winning run was made possible – but by no means assured – when a red flag halted the race on Lap 65 of the scheduled 70-lap contest as an IRL safety crew cleaned up debris from an a race ending incident between Team Penske teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves, who made crashed in Turn 2 of the difficult 14-turn, 2.35-mile street circuit on a restart. Continue reading →

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Wild, Wet Drivers’ Duels in Detroit Sees Honda Edge Chevy

Posted on 30 May 2015 by Ken Zino

The Detroit Grand Prix was a great IRL race because it was wet – leading to wild drivers duels. Continue reading →

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Chevrolet Expands Android and Apple Smartphone Connectivity to Broadest Lineup in Industry

Posted on 27 May 2015 by Ken Zino

With more than 2.3 billion smartphones in use globally, GM appears to be well ahead of other automakers in mining the connectivity gold rush underway. In 2014, the 14 models included in this expansion accounted for more than 2.4 million vehicle sales, or 51% of Chevrolet’s total global sales. Continue reading →

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Shanghai-Volkswagen Open a New Plant in Changsha China

Posted on 26 May 2015 by Ken Zino

The Volkswagen Group dedicated today a new vehicle plant of Shanghai-Volkswagen (SVW) in Changsha, southern China. This plant is the Group’s 119th global facility and its 20th in China. Volkswagen has been a force in the Chinese market for more … Continue reading →

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GM to Invest $1.2 Billion in Fort Wayne Pickup Plant

Posted on 26 May 2015 by Ken Zino

Trucks are among GM’s most profitable vehicles. Less expensive fuel prices, low interest rates, and a modest recovery in the U.S. economy have caused a resurgence in truck sales among the Detroit Three after they plummeted in 2008 as the Great Recession took hold. Continue reading →

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Infotainment Wars – Mitsubishi Electric’s FlexConnect

Posted on 22 May 2015 by Ken Zino

There is an ongoing automotive infotainment war escalating that has electronics companies vying with automakers over who gets lucrative consumer dollars. Continue reading →

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Takata Takedown – NHTSA to Direct Airbag Inflator Recall

Posted on 21 May 2015 by Ken Zino

The Takata inflators were made with a propellant that can degrade over time and has led to ruptures that have been blamed for at least six deaths worldwide. This expands the number of vehicles to be recalled for defective Takata inflators to nearly 34 million. Continue reading →

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Honda, Toyota, Nissan Expand Takata Airbag Recalls Yet Again

Posted on 14 May 2015 by Ken Zino

NHTSA is fining Takata $14,000 a day for what it says is Takata’s slow response to the deadly problem. Former NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly is now serving as project manager for ten automakers that have hired Orbital ATK to conduct independent testing on Takata airbag inflators. Continue reading →

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GM Investing $1 Billion in Warren Technical Center

Posted on 14 May 2015 by Ken Zino

General Motors said today that it would invest $1 billion in its Warren Technical Center. Continue reading →

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New Toyota and Mazda Collaboration – Takeover or Merger?

Posted on 14 May 2015 by Ken Zino

The reasons for failure are many – a bias toward old architectures, single or limited joint ventures, different operating philosophies and systems, no true mergers, lack of trust and inequality. However, the potential savings are just too large to ignore, especially for CEOs, but not necessarily for middle managers and workers. Continue reading →

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Rising Auto Insurance Rates have People Shopping, but Not Necessarily Switching

Posted on 13 May 2015 by Ken Zino

Increases in Auto Insurance rates by an average of 2.1% nationwide in 2014, following an increase of 2.5% in 2013 have many customers shopping for a new insurer, but few are actually switching insurers. Continue reading →

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Road Rage – Texters Scorned the Most by other Drivers

Posted on 12 May 2015 by Ken Zino

According to a new survey just released the “Texter” generated the most fury of fellow drivers, earning the scorn of 26% of Americans contributing to the Road Rage problem. Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls its Best Selling 2015 F-150 Pickup Truck

Posted on 12 May 2015 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company has announced a safety recall for 12,300 2015-model Ford F-150 pickup trucks in North America because an upper I-shaft may have been riveted improperly, potentially causing it to separate. Continue reading →

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