Chrysler and Ford Teamed Up for the Enact National Climate Change Legislation

This news is more dazzling than your Mercedes Benz taillights so you better listen to this because this is significant. The Chrysler Group and the Ford Motor Company have teamed up as the newest addition to the second expansion of the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP). In les than six months, the group enlisted 23 of the world’s largest companies and six of the most respected and prominent non-government organizations to their line-up of members. The broad cross-section division embodied by USCAP is being praised by the newest members. It is also a strengthened call for the federal government to promptly act out legislations that comprises of the mandatory decrease of greenhouse gas emissions.

"We are pleased to join USCAP at a critical stage in the conversation on climate change, energy consumption and environmental protection. We all recognize it is time for action. Ford has long supported the six major principles of USCAP, including recognizing the importance of technology and the need to be environmentally effective. We have been actively developing a range of advanced technology vehicles to address the climate change issue," said Alan Mulally, the President and CEO of the Ford Motor Company.

"Now is the time for advancing a national approach to climate change where all of us - individuals, industry and government - take action toward reducing emissions of greenhouse gases," added Tom LaSorda, the President and CEO for the Chrysler Group. "We are proud to be an active member with USCAP in the development of climate policy that addresses energy use and emissions from all sectors of the U.S. economy, and ultimately drives increased energy efficiency. And we look forward to working with the USCAP members in formulating a system to control greenhouse gas emissions in a way that not just addresses the supply of energy-efficient products and commodities, but also spurs demand for them."

Last January, the USCAP issued its solutions-based report. A blueprint for an economy-wide has been laid-out titled “A Call for Action” and this is a market driven cap-and- trade program. The recommendations represented in the report are based on the following six key principles:

  • Account for the global dimensions of climate change;
  • Recognize the importance of technology;
  • Be environmentally effective;
  • Create economic opportunity and advantage;
  • Be fair to sectors disproportionately impacted; and,
  • Recognize and encourage early action.

Ford/AAA National Auto Repair Crown Won by California Students

It was a battle to the very end as 50 two-person teams fought it out to be the winner of the 2007 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Finals at the Ford World Headquarters yesterday. The California students rose to the occasion led by two fresh graduates of San Luis Obispo High School of San Luis Obispo, California - Austin Castro and Daniel Lehmkuhl. The two managed to accurately diagnose and repair their Ford Fusion in a span of forty-nine minutes and six seconds.

Before executing a job well-done, Castro and Lehmkuhl underwent months of preparation before mastering the task. They were assisted by Daniel Lehmkuhl’s father, Jeff Lehmkuhl. The hard work was all worth it as the two young men took home thousands of dollars in prizes and a privilege to study at the nation’s top auto technology schools for free. Ford and AAA gave out more than $6 million in prizes to all the participants who attended the said event.

"Daniel and Austin today proved to be the best of the best high school automotive technicians in the United States," said Allan Stanley, the manager of Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills. "These auto-savvy teens typify the determination and work ethic of all 100 finalists. It's essential to the motoring public that the automotive industry attract such driven and dedicated young men and women to keep America's vehicles operating safely and trouble free."

The top ten teams in the 2007 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition:

  • 1st Place - California, Austin Castro and Daniel Lehmkuhl. Instructor: Jeff Lehmkuhl. San Luis Obispo High School, San Luis Obispo.
  • 2nd Place - Michigan, Alex Dobroy and Zachary Hastings. Instructor: Tim Timoszyk. Saline High School, Saline.
  • 3rd Place - Colorado, Eric Hess and Christopher Wu. Instructor: Brad Wheaton. Doherty High School, Colorado Springs.
  • 4th Place - North Carolina. Evan Martin and Kyle Wishlinski. Instructor: Martin Page. Lake Norman High School, Mooresville.
  • 5th Place - Virginia. Douglas Dunn and Gaetano Guiffre. Instructor: Scott Freeman. Fauquier High School, Warrenton.
  • 6th Place - Ohio. Michael George and William Hrabowy. Instructor: Dave Gillies. Trumbull Career & Technical Center, Warren.
  • 7th Place - Oklahoma. Jesse Cobb and Christopher Johnson. Instructor: Randy Henderson. Mid America Technology Center, Wayne.
  • 8th Place - Massachusetts. Daniel Svizzero and Nicholas Wood. Instructor David Haskins. South Shore Vocational Technical High School, Hanover.
  • 9th Place - Oregon. Levi Tolman and Chase Williams. Instructor Merle Saunders. Vale High School, Vale.
  • 10th Place - Hawaii. Brandon Sato and Dustin Texeira. Instructor: Neill Nakamura. Maui High School, Kahului.

2007 Top Summer Vehicles: Fuel Efficient and Affordable

With the ever increasing gas prices, don’t ask if you’ve noticed most car buyers searching online. What they are doing is they are trying to look for vehicles that are fuel-efficient and at the same affordable and within their means.

It is their philosophy that an individual shouldn't take safety, pleasure, and, of course, comfort for granted to be able to save fuel. Since I was able to research information on this issue from NADAguides.com (which I did along with my research about Volvo OEM parts), I’m going to share it with you. Present on that article are a list of vehicle that attributes two important qualities - fuel efficient and affordable. The following cars were named:

Latest Hybrid - 2007 Toyota Prius
MSRP: $22,175
The 2007 Toyota Prius is a four-door five-passenger gas/electric hybrid car power-driven by a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder 110 horsepower gasoline engine attached with a battery-powered electric motor. The Prius attains 60 MPG for city and 51 MPG for highway as based from EPA estimation. The Prius offers bigger passenger and cargo room and boosts safety features.

Latest Convertible - 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata
MSRP: $20,585
Aside from the stylish design, the fast-revving engine and its unbelievable handling, the Mazda MX-5 has what it takes to be included on the list. It also has a reasonably priced price tag and has great fuel economy. It is accessible with a retractable hardtop and features 166 horsepower with the automatic transmission, side airbags and ABS brakes.

Latest Truck - 2007 Ford Ranger
MSRP: $13,970
Brand, excellent style, reasonable price, and fuel efficient. What more can you ask for?

Latest SUV - 2007 Jeep Compass
MSRP: $20,175
The 2007 Jeep Compass completes its status for its outstanding fuel economy rating (24 city/27 highway). Plus, it also comes with a long list of standard equipment and safety features, a 172 horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, ABS brakes and traction/antiskid control. No wonder it is considered as one of the best in the SUV segment.

Latest Minivan - 2007 Honda Odyssey
MSRP: $25,645
The 2007 Honda Odyssey features a 244 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine and ample comfort and convenience features like cruise control, keyless entry and a variety of power controls. It also has front, side-body and side-head airbags, ABS brakes and traction control.

Hmmm… seems that with my extra money I’ll be able to buy a new Volvo car cover and maybe even one of these special ones sometime soon! To know more about those aforementioned fuel-efficient and affordable cars, just log onto http://www.nadaguides.com.

Top 10 Driving Mistakes Teenagers Make

After I placed my order for some of the Saturn accessories for my sister’s newly purchased car, I decided to work on with my newest articles that I will be submitting tomorrow morning to my boss to one of the publications I used to contribute on.

Since people are used to surf on the net rather than reading publications, I decided to post it here also on this blog. This article has something to do with the top ten driving mistakes committed by teenagers and the best new cars for teenage drivers as according to Cars.com in collaboration with DriversEd.com.

Cars.com is considered to be the most wide-ranging source for those who are looking to buy or sell a new or used car. It offers consumers the finest varieties of the latest and used cars online, as well as the content, tools and recommendations. DriversEd.com, on the other hand, is America's leading online driver education resource and solution site. They offer abundant interactive, comprehensive courses -all online.

Back to the main topic of the article, according to Gary Tsifrin, the DriversEd.com founder, "There are a number of factors that lead to an increase in accidents for teen drivers, including inexperience, dealing with emergency situations, distracted driving and the inclination to show off for friends. By recognizing these common mistakes, we hope that teenagers will be able to avoid the risks associated with being a teenager behind the wheel."

Here are the most common mistakes stated by Cars.com and DriversEd.com which are committed by teenagers:
1. Being distracted behind the wheel
2. Taking too many risks
3. Speeding
4. Overcrowding the car
5. Driving under the influence
6. Following too closely
7. Driving unbuckled
8. Not being able to handle emergencies
9. Driving drowsy
10. Choosing the wrong car and not maintaining it

Oh my God, it seems that I have to check all my car parts including the Saturn engine mount then. That way, I could perhaps do away with unexpected circumstances, although I don’t consider myself a teenager anymore.

Anyway, to you teenagers out there, don’t worry because Cars.com has something for you. They’ve given a number of new car recommendations for teen drivers which have been categorized using safety, price, size, and reliability as points.

Top new-car picks for teens:
Cars:
Chevrolet Impala
Honda Civic
Honda Fit
Mazda3
Mazda MX-5 (Miata) convertible
Mini Cooper
Scion tC
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Corolla
Volvo S40

SUVs:
Hyundai Tucson
Toyota RAV4
Subaru Forester

Pickups:
Nissan Frontier Crew Cab
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab

Two Awards for Service Parts Distribution Excellence Given to Volvo Cars North America

Volvo Cars North America or the VCNA has been recognized as the number one automotive parts distribution network in the United States recently. Over 14,000 parts managers were surveyed by Carlisle and Company that embodies nineteen automotive brands across America to verify the companies that displayed great performance.

"Being selected as top performer has been one of our long term objectives, actually since 1992. We started with a rather good system and have systematically improved it over the years. Today our total service parts network is focused on delivering the right part, at the right time, every time... we strive for perfection," according to Robert Deutsch, the North American Parts Manager for VCNA.

The award title is Service Parts Supply Chain Fulfillment which is a part of VCNA’s representation of a long standing objective to satisfy customers in all aspects of vehicle ownership knowledge.

"Today, the new car sales experience is just the first touch for customers visiting Volvo retailers. Ownership expectations, and of course meeting those demands, are key to having repeated new car sales," states Deutsch. "Our whole parts organization should take credit for this achievement. Without a collective effort and holding to our long standing objective of end service to the customer, this award would not have been possible."

"Volvo was the only automotive manufacturer to be recognized for superior total Parts distribution processes," Deutsch furthermore expresses. "Our global approach is based on Volvo Cars, Sweden's unique approach of handling functions that best done centrally and of allowing in-country markets to be a local extension of the total logistics system. We have an extremely good supply structure that is both global and local at the same time.”

The Volvo Car Corporation of Gothenburg, Sweden has been recognized as one of the top three Best Practice Leaders for Global Supply Chain Fulfillment. Carlisle and Company has evaluated each business’s global approach to supply chain management.

For 80 long years, Volvo has built cars with the most efficient and reliable safety system. The latest 2007 model lineup of Volvo cars includes: the award-winning new S40 and its wagon counterpart the V50; the award-winning XC90; the sporty S60 sedan - including the award-winning performance sedan - S60 R and the performance wagon version - V70 R; the versatile V70 wagon and rugged XC70 (Cross Country); the new Volvo C70 - the convertible with the innovative retractable hardtop, and the all-new Volvo S80.

Lewis Hamilton Won Canadian GP for McLaren

The Canadian Grand Prix! What can I say - it was the best earth-trembling event after the Monaco GP. Everyone was surprised when the race ended in a dramatic fashion. Well, I nearly forgot to purchase a Mercedes alternator because of too much concentration on the race. Man! It was really exciting!

It wasn’t exactly a surprise when Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 Racing team won at the Canadian GP - it was Lewis Hamilton who shocked the world by leading team McLaren to victory! Hamilton was the first black F1 race driver to notch the top spot in a major event such as the Canadian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton was victorious with 4.3 seconds ahead of Nick Heidfield and Alexander Wuz.

Here are the thoughts shared by Lewis Hamilton after he won his first ever F1 Racing victory in the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal, Canada: "I'm on another planet after this - I simply can't find the words to describe what it feels like to win my first Formula 1 race. The team has done a fantastic job and I'm so happy to be part of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes family. I made an OK start off the line - nothing spectacular but managed to get a good exit out of the first corner and whilst mayhem was happening around me I was able to keep my cool and focus. Obviously I'm pleased that my good friend Robert is OK after his accident. It seemed like every time I opened up a bit of a gap the Safety Car came out and I had to start all over again. It was only a few laps from the end I realized that victory was within my grasp and I started noticing things like the fans cheering and when I crossed the finishing line it was amazing. I now have to stay focused and keep up the good work. It's been an incredible start to my Formula 1 career so far but I know there is a tough season ahead of us. Finally thanks to the entire team at McLaren and Mercedes-Benz for all the hard work they have put into the car - it's an absolute pleasure to drive and be part of such a winning combination."

What Makes Up the Porsche Cayenne Turbo

I have been looking the parts like an OEM Porsche oil filter for my old Porsche car. It’s been with me for like 11 years now. The old car has been malfunctioning since it was old so I guess it does not need a car part replacement. I guess I need a new car for myself. Of course, I will buy a Porsche car.

I was a little curious about the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. I’ve seen it several times on the net. And I guess the car is the exact auto that I need. According to the car maker, they have filled the new vehicle with amazing features that will definitely give its users that 100% comfort and driving performance. Well, of course, for Porsche, comfort and entertainment is a must. It has the BOSE sound system, PCM and rear seats entertainment that will not bore your passengers. The seats are all covered with leather so you’ll feel the comfort while driving (or riding). It is also equipped with safety standard features like airbags, seat belts and the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) for the kid’s safety.

I had the chance to visit Porsche.com this morning and I found this standard features list from the official site of Porsche. Here, take a closer look at the standard features of that beautiful automobile.

Standard features of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo:

Exterior

  • Underbody paneling
  • Enlarged rear spoiler integrated into the tailgate.
  • Black, high gloss tailgate trim.
  • Rear window of tailgate may be opened separately and via remote control.
  • Exterior trim covers in brushed aluminum.
  • Brushed aluminum roof rails.
  • Exhaust system with 4 matte silver finished tailpipes integrated in lower tail section.
  • Nose section with enlarged air inlets and black louvered grill.
  • Tail section with diffuser appearance and integrated dual tailpipes.
  • Dark tinted glass on rear window and rear side windows.


Body
  • Length 188.8 inches (4,795 mm)
  • Width 76 inches (1,928 mm)
  • Height 66.7 inches (1,694 mm) at Normal level
  • Wheelbase 112.4 inches (2,855 mm)
  • Drag Coefficient (Cd) 0.35
  • Curb Weight 5,192 lbs. (2,355 kg)


Capacities
  • Luggage Compartment Volume 19 cubic feet (540 liters); 63 cubic feet (1,770 liters) with the rear seats folded
  • Fuel Tank 26.4 gallons (100 l)


I guess in need to start saving up more bucks starting today so next months I’ll have the car in my garage. And ask me about my old Porsche car? I will not junk it – I’ll keep it as a collector’s item. I still have a huge space in my garage for it.

2007 Kia Sportage: Comfort and Versatility in One Compact SUV

2007 Kia Sportage

Surprise, surprise! Kia presents their new compact SUV! Built with style, comfort, and an awesome performance. But the best of all is that it is one versatile vehicle! The Sportage will absolutely fit the lifestyle you really love.

The Sportage comes with a 4-cylinder engine with a 28 mpg fuel efficiency and a more powerful V6 unit is available. The 2007 Kia Sportage provides the comfort and fun-drive experience without sacrificing the capability of an off-road vehicle. Now that’s versatility!

The 2007 Sportage has earned a 5-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA). Thanks to the safety features of this vehicle, this ride is considered as one of the safest vehicles today.

Here are some of the best features from the 2007 Kia Sportage which I got from their site www.kia.com while trying to search for Volvo S70 parts and Volvo park lights.

Exterior & interior features

  • 16” tires w/alloy wheels
  • 4-speed automatic transmission
  • Power tilt/sliding sunroof
  • Dual power mirrors (black)
  • Dual power heated mirrors (body color)
  • Multi-reflector headlights
  • Integrated roof rails
  • Body-color side cladding/fender flares
  • Rear privacy glass
  • Rear split-hatch liftgate w/flip-open glass
  • Front-end/fuel-tank skid plates
  • AM/FM/CD Stereo w/6 speakers
  • AM/FM/Cassette/MP3/CD stereo w/6 speakers
  • Power windows w/one-touch driver’s express down
  • Power door locks w/two-turn entry system
  • Remote keyless entry w/panic alarm


  • Safety and security features
    • Dual front advanced airbags
    • Dual front seat-mounted side airbags
    • Full-length side curtain airbags
    • Front & rear 3-point seat belts
    • Front seat-belt pretensioners w/force limiters
    • Height-adjustable front seat-belt anchors
    • 4-wheel disc brakes
    • 4-wheel ABS brakes
    • Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
    • Traction Control System (TCS)
    • Side-impact door beams
    • Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
    • Lower Anchors & Tethers for Children (LATCH)
    • Rear child-safety door locks

The Fiat Multipla MY

Cars, cars and cars! We’ll never run out of topics because everyday, we are getting a lot of feed from the auto industry - and it’s raining cars! We are so astonished by all the cars built this year and we can’t help ourselves but to crave for these cars. From one of my newly discovered cool cars, I want to share something about a vehicle from Fiat. It’s the Fiat Multipla! I spent some time last night studying this car before I went on with my usual routine which is cleaning my Nissan grille and Nissan car covers.

Actually, I don’t have any idea what Multipla means. All I know is that the root word is multi which I think means “many”. Anyway, one name or another, Fiat cars are cuter than ever! The Multipla was built with creativity, originality and with self confidence. I know you’re wondering why - just take a look at this vehicle and you’ll know what they’re trying to say. If you’re going to ask me, the Fiat Multipla is a total head turner! It seems to be a small car but when you get inside, you’ll feel the enormous space provided with six identical seats assembled in two rows. The Multipla is the first ever 3+3 car on its array of models.

A fresh and a brand new look was conferred to the new Multipla MY, expressing an amiable and friendly personality! Built with its very own extraordinary style and a 3+3 seat solution, this vehicle is probably the most unique in its section.

The chrome-shadow radiator grille makes the Multipla distinctive from any other car. The transparent bottom part of the front headlights is the main highlight of its details with an impressive technological aspect of all the genuine design objects. The Multipla promises to give new car buyers a unique driving experience with the comfort provided by its awesome features. “Go and Multipla!”

Followers

Pageviews Last 7 Days