Sam's Thoughts » cars http://sam.abuelsamid.com Random thoughts from a random mind Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:37:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 2000 Volkswagen Passat Wagon – $5500 (Ypsilanti, MI) http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/11/08/2000-volkswagen-passat-wagon-5500-ypsilanti-mi/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/11/08/2000-volkswagen-passat-wagon-5500-ypsilanti-mi/#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:50:25 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/?p=714 2000 Volkswagen Passat wagon, 73,300 miles. 1.8-liter turbo four cylinder 150 hp, 155 lb-ft at 1,750 rpm. 5-speed automatic transmission with tiptronic manual shifting. This silver station wagon still shines and has no rust. We are the original owners and the car has been kept in a garage since new. The engine and transmission [...]]]> 2000 Volkswagen Passat wagon, 73,300 miles. 1.8-liter turbo four cylinder 150 hp, 155 lb-ft at 1,750 rpm. 5-speed automatic transmission with tiptronic manual shifting. This silver station wagon still shines and has no rust. We are the original owners and the car has been kept in a garage since new. The engine and transmission run well and it still averages 25 mpg in around town driving and closer to 30 mpg on highway runs.

The car is equipped with the cold weather package so it has heated front seats. Other options include the premium package with a power moon-roof, alloy wheels and Monsoon audio system. There is an auxiliary input connected to the stereo so you can plug in an ipod or other mp3 player to listen through the stereo. There is 39 cubic feet of luggage space in the back with the seats up and the rear seats fold flat for carrying larger items. Anti-lock brakes and traction control were standard equipment and are fully functional.

$5,500 or best offer.
734-961-4473

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/11/08/2000-volkswagen-passat-wagon-5500-ypsilanti-mi/feed/ 0 Review: 2010 Chevy Camaro RS V6 http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/09/04/review-2010-chevy-camaro-rs-v6/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/09/04/review-2010-chevy-camaro-rs-v6/#comments Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:30:59 +0000 Sam http://1235334059

In the realm of pony-cars, there are mainly two kinds of people, Mustang fans and Camaro fans. The Mustang was the original pony and provided the name to the segment. It was three years after the Mustang’s 1964 debut before Chevrolet responded with the original Camaro. While the Mustang has been in continuous [...]]]>

In the realm of pony-cars, there are mainly two kinds of people, Mustang fans and Camaro fans. The Mustang was the original pony and provided the name to the segment. It was three years after the Mustang’s 1964 debut before Chevrolet responded with the original Camaro. While the Mustang has been in continuous production for 45 years, falling sales of the last generation Camaro caused GM to discontinue it in 2003. Meanwhile Ford gave the Mustang a new lease on life in 2005 with a full ground up redesign that saw sales surge. Needless to say GM took notice and 2006 brought a new Camaro concept that was a thoroughly modern design that still paid tribute to the 1967 original. The response was overwhelmingly positive and three years later the production fifth generation Camaro hit the streets.

I recently got the chance to spend a week with the 2010 Camaro V6 with the RS package. Remember those fans I mentioned, well I definitely fall into the Mustang camp. I’ve owned two of them including the 2005 model that is my garage right now. I’ve never been a Camaro fan. However, when the new fifth generation Camaro arrived I was struck by its looks. This is a fantastic looking car with the perfect proportions for a sporty car. The hood is long long and rear deck is short with prominent rear haunches that give it an athletic stance.

Thankfully the beauty isn’t just skin deep. There’s a lot of good hardware in the new Camaro. Most of the engineering on the car was done in Australia by GM’s Holden division alongside the Pontiac G8 and Holden Commodore which share the Camaro’s platform. The base engine is a direct injected version of GM’s 3.6-liter twin cam V6 and with 304 hp this is a great engine.

One of the big complaints of people who don’t like the Mustang is the solid rear axle. In older generations of the Mustang, this has caused a problem with wheel-hop especially when hitting bumps while cornering. By using the its Zeta platform for the Camaro, GM was able to give it an independent rear suspension which the Mustang lacks. While independent rear suspension provides theoretical benefits to ride and handling, as always it comes down to execution and integration. Ford has done a remarkable job of refining the Mustangs suspension to minimize understeer and keep the rear wheels under control on rough surfaces and during acceleration and cornering.

Unfortunately IRS adds a lot of weight (typically 150-200 lbs) and the larger Camaro is typically anywhere from 300-400 lbs heavier than a comparable Mustang. The Camaro, especially with the 20 inch wheels from the RS package provides outstanding overall grip, but it seems to be lacking mechanical grip at the front. When you start pushing the Camaro hard it understeers unless you really punch the gas with the stability control off to get the rear end out. It also feels heavy when changing direction and doesn’t seem as responive as the Mustang.

My test car had the 6-speed automatic transmission which provides switches on the back of the steering wheel spokes for manual shifting. Most automatic transmission cars with steering wheel shifting have paddles that allow some flexibility in where you place your hands. The switches are really too small to be particularly useful. The transmission shifts smoothly, but tends to sap some of the joy of the wonderful V6.

My other main problem with the Camaro is the interior. While the 2010 Mustang got an all new interior that feels vastly more refined and upscale, the Camaro is all hard plastics and vast expanses of nothing. Frankly it looks kind of cheap. It’s also hard to see out of the Camaro thanks to a high belt-line and low roof that leaves narrow slits for windows. While the Camaro is fabulous to look at, it frankly isn’t all that impressive to drive. It’s a very good first effort and if it had arrived at the same time as the new generation Mustang in 2004 it would have been an excellent challenger. As it is, it seems a day late and a dollar short. For now at least, even though the Mustang is less powerful than the Camaro, it remains more fun to drive and frankly I remain a Mustang fan.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/09/04/review-2010-chevy-camaro-rs-v6/feed/ 6 Driving the Chevy Volt powertrain prototype http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/04/29/driving-the-chevy-volt-powertrain-prototype/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/04/29/driving-the-chevy-volt-powertrain-prototype/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:21:59 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/?p=671

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]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2009/04/29/driving-the-chevy-volt-powertrain-prototype/feed/ 0 Will the environment fall victim to the economy? http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/12/27/will-the-environment-fall-victim-to-the-economy/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/12/27/will-the-environment-fall-victim-to-the-economy/#comments Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:34:28 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/?p=646 My friend Darryl who recently left his job as the SVP of marketing at Tesla Motors has been doing a lot of blogging in recent weeks, and I find myself strongly agreeing with much of what he says.  I’ve expressed many of the same ideas in my posts on AutoblogGreen and Autoblog, drawing a [...]]]> darryl-and-the-teslaMy friend Darryl who recently left his job as the SVP of marketing at Tesla Motors has been doing a lot of blogging in recent weeks, and I find myself strongly agreeing with much of what he says.  I’ve expressed many of the same ideas in my posts on AutoblogGreen and Autoblog, drawing a great deal of derision from some very earnest but in my opinion extremely naive readers.

I’m all for vastly more efficient and cleaner transportation for a number of reasons. I think burning fossil fuels is unsustainable from both an environmental and political/strategic perspective.  Unfortunately for every person who happily rides to work on their bicycle in 10 degree weather, there are hundreds whose focus is much more self-centered.  The reality is people buy the most car they can afford on the day they buy, without regard to future consequences.  In his latest blog post Darryl explains some of the economic theories behind all of this.

When gas is cheap they buy more powerful vehicles and only when fuel prices go up do they buy more efficient vehicles.  People have now become accustomed to better equipped cars and they expect a certain feature level for their dollar. If gas is cheap they will buy a thirstier better equipped vehicle over a more efficient model with fewer features.  The current economic climate will only make things far worse as increasing unemployment makes people reluctant to buy anything.

As much as people want electric vehicles to be mainstream, batteries are simply far too expensive and heavy to be widely used yet.  In light of this in order to make any progress on reducing fossil fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions, we need to take the most cost effective approaches as well as provide incentives and disincentives.

First up for disincentives we must let go of the idea of cheap gas forever.  Gas needs to taxed up to at least $4-5 per gallon. Since this will disproportionately affect lower income people the tax system needs adjustments to compensate. The upper cap on the incredibly regressive payroll taxes needs to be increased  and the first $10-15,000 needs to be exempted.  As long as gas is cheap increasing fuel economy mandates on manufacturers will only kill those companies because no one will want to buy the cars they are forced to build. We must created demand for efficiency through increased fuel prices. The idea of increased fuel taxes is finally gaining some steam at least online including over at Mark’s blog, although politicians still don’t seem too hot on the idea.

Because of the sluggish state of the general economy not much of anything is selling right now anyway. To compensate for that more positive incentives are needed to stimulate demand.  The extra revenue from the fuel tax could be used to fund rebates for more efficient vehicles as well as public transportation.

We also need to acknowledge the work being done by companies like Ford and Honda. A year ago Ford recognized that in order to make any real dent in fuel use and emissions it was critically important to find the most cost effective solutions. While electric vehicles reduce direct emissions to zero, there are still emissions from the power sources if coal or natural gas is the fuel.  The high cost also means that the numbers of such vehicles will remain for low for the foreseeable future meaning the overall effect on emissions will be negligible.

Ford developed turbocharged direct injection engines that they are labeling as EcoBoost. These engines reduce fuel consumption by 15-20 percent and Ford expects to be selling half a million of these engines annually within a couple of years. The extra cost will be far lower in the near term and have more overall impact in the near term while the cost and capacity of batteries is driven down.  Similarly Honda has developed a cost reduced version of its hybrid system for the new Insight that will debut next year.

Ford already has a full hybrid system in the Escape and Fusion, but those vehicles will only sell 50,000 units a year because of the cost.

Even efforts such as Honda’s hybrid and Ford’s EcoBoost won’t make a difference if no one can afford to buy. With the economy in the dumper, people will simply vote with their wallets and keep driving their existing vehicles and use the cheapest energy available. That means concerns about the environment will evaporate just as fast as SUV sales in the past year.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/12/27/will-the-environment-fall-victim-to-the-economy/feed/ 4 My latest plaything http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/05/24/my-latest-plaything/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/05/24/my-latest-plaything/#comments Sat, 24 May 2008 18:07:07 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/?p=568 Here’s what I’ve been driving this week. It’s an Audi R8 and boy is it fun most of the time!  Unfortunately this particular example is fitted with semi automatic transmission that seems to try it’s hardest to make the driver look like someone who can’t drive a stick.  The car itself is drop dead [...]]]> Here’s what I’ve been driving this week. It’s an Audi R8 and boy is it fun most of the time!  Unfortunately this particular example is fitted with semi automatic transmission that seems to try it’s hardest to make the driver look like someone who can’t drive a stick.  The car itself is drop dead gorgeous and fast when the gearbox cooperates.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/05/24/my-latest-plaything/feed/ 4 Maximum Max at the TDI Cup http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/04/27/maximum-max-at-the-tdi-cup/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/04/27/maximum-max-at-the-tdi-cup/#comments Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:59:21 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/?p=562 Max and I are in Virginia this weekend for the inaugural race of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. You can read all about that at Diesel Forecast and AutoblogGreen. If you’ve been watching TV in recent weeks you might have seen Volkswagen’s new brand campaign featuring a series of interviews between some pseudo celebrities [...]]]> Max and I are in Virginia this weekend for the inaugural race of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. You can read all about that at Diesel Forecast and AutoblogGreen. If you’ve been watching TV in recent weeks you might have seen Volkswagen’s new brand campaign featuring a series of interviews between some pseudo celebrities and “Max”. Max is the star of the ads and he/it is here this weekend for the race. Max and Max met face to face for the first time this morning. The TV Max is the one on the right in the commercials.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/04/27/maximum-max-at-the-tdi-cup/feed/ 0 Driving the Tesla Roadster http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/28/559/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/28/559/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:52:42 +0000 Sam http://318667776 Last week I finally got my chance to get behind the wheel of the amazing Tesla Roadster. The Roadster is an all electric sports car with some amazing performance. I was lucky enough to be the only online auto writer to get invited to drive the car in it’s near production spec. Check out [...]]]> Last week I finally got my chance to get behind the wheel of the amazing Tesla Roadster. The Roadster is an all electric sports car with some amazing performance. I was lucky enough to be the only online auto writer to get invited to drive the car in it’s near production spec. Check out the whole story at ABG. I also have an alternative telling of the story at my day job at GreenFuelsForecast. Let me know which version you prefer. I love my job!

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/28/559/feed/ 2 Busy start to the year, from Detroit to Vegas and back again http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/18/busy-start-to-the-year-from-detroit-to-vegas-and-back-again/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/18/busy-start-to-the-year-from-detroit-to-vegas-and-back-again/#comments Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:54:40 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/18/busy-start-to-the-year-from-detroit-to-vegas-and-back-again/ The first two weeks of 2008 have been pretty hectic. I had a ton of stories to write about all the cars debuting at the Detroit Auto Show which is opening to the public this weekend. In the middle of all that I flew out to Las Vegas for a couple of days to [...]]]> The first two weeks of 2008 have been pretty hectic. I had a ton of stories to write about all the cars debuting at the Detroit Auto Show which is opening to the public this weekend. In the middle of all that I flew out to Las Vegas for a couple of days to cover the unveiling of the Cadillac Provoq concept at CES and interview several GM executives. Once I got back it was into three solid days of covering the show. Lots of photos, words and espresso. Now you to can partake in some of this fun too. If you’ve got a way with words, and an interest in the future of transportation, you can now earn some extra money sharing your thoughts with the rest of the world. AutoblogGreen is looking for some extra contributors. Check out the requirements here and if you’re interested, submit some samples to Sebastian.  If you can write and you’re more interested in gadgets, the crew over at Engadget is looking too.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/18/busy-start-to-the-year-from-detroit-to-vegas-and-back-again/feed/ 0 Please do not be alarmed http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/02/554/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/02/554/#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:50:52 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/02/554/ If you happen to drive by our place in the next few days and you see what appears to be a black and white police cruiser in the driveway, don’t be concerned. It’s just a press car I’m driving for a review this week. Chrylser loaned me one of their police car demonstrators for [...]]]> charger cop carIf you happen to drive by our place in the next few days and you see what appears to be a black and white police cruiser in the driveway, don’t be concerned. It’s just a press car I’m driving for a review this week. Chrylser loaned me one of their police car demonstrators for an evaluation. It’s not the most subtle car I’ve ever driven but it will be fun for a few days.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/02/554/feed/ 2 Now I finally understand http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/01/now-i-finally-understand/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/01/now-i-finally-understand/#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:54:08 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/01/now-i-finally-understand/ For years I’ve been wondering how so many people can afford to such expensive cars, with 40, 50, $60,000 SUVs running around.  Now I know.  They can’t.  It’s hard to believe but there is something even more idiotic than the real estate bubble.  I wrote an Autoblog post that went up today about people [...]]]> For years I’ve been wondering how so many people can afford to such expensive cars, with 40, 50, $60,000 SUVs running around.  Now I know.  They can’t.  It’s hard to believe but there is something even more idiotic than the real estate bubble.  I wrote an Autoblog post that went up today about people who frequently buy new vehicles and rollover debt to the new car loan.  Imagine buying a $30,000 car that’s worth at most $20K two years later. But you still owe $23K on the loan.  Take that $3,000 and tack it on to the loan on a new $35,000 vehicle that you put no down payment on .  Rinse and repeat a couple of times.  Now all of a sudden, after 6 or 7 years, you’ve made tens of thousands of dollars in car payments, your vehicle has a trade-in value of $27,000 and you have a $40,000 loan balance.  Hard as it might be to believe, a lot of people and banks apparently are this stupid.  I’ve never bought a new car when I still owed money on the previous one so the thought of doing anything so ridiculous never even occurred to me.  It’s mind boggling how stupid this capitalist system has made us.  Just wait until India and China catch up!

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2008/01/01/now-i-finally-understand/feed/ 0 More clarity http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/30/more-clarity/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/30/more-clarity/#comments Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:03:14 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/30/more-clarity/ It’s come to my attention that my previous post on opportunity left some readers confused as to what I was talking about.  So let me make this perfectly clear.  I got a new job and today was my last day at the old place.  After 16 years the time has come to move on.  [...]]]> It’s come to my attention that my previous post on opportunity left some readers confused as to what I was talking about.  So let me make this perfectly clear.  I got a new job and today was my last day at the old place.  After 16 years the time has come to move on.  Not being one to torch bridges, I’ll just say that I worked with a lot of great people over my years at Kelsey-Hayes and it’s subsequent corporate incarnations.  As for the company itself, well enough has been said about that.

On Monday I begin my tenure at ICON Creative Technologies and I’m looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship.   I’m shifting from engineering to being a full-time automotive journalist, a role in which I hope to inform and educate readers on the latest automotive technologies and advancements.  And I’ll be doing it from an office in downtown Ann Arbor!

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/30/more-clarity/feed/ 0 Opportunity knocks… http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/19/opportunity-knocks/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/19/opportunity-knocks/#comments Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:05:50 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/19/opportunity-knocks/ There’s a tap on the door, the phone rings, a message in your in-box, you bump into someone you haven’t seen for a while. Who knows how it will happen, it just does. For whatever reason sometimes you don’t feel like getting out your comfy chair, other times you respond. Sometimes you’re looking for [...]]]> There’s a tap on the door, the phone rings, a message in your in-box, you bump into someone you haven’t seen for a while. Who knows how it will happen, it just does. For whatever reason sometimes you don’t feel like getting out your comfy chair, other times you respond. Sometimes you’re looking for it, other times it looks for you. In the fall of 1991, I called about a job that I wasn’t sure I really wanted, sixteen years later I’m still there, but not for much longer. In the fall of 1993 I responded to a message and ended up meeting the love of my life.

Over the years I’ve gotten many, many calls from recruiters and none ever felt right. When the company that I worked for decided to unilaterally cut the pay and benefits of many of their best people while at the same time continually increasing the compensation of those at the top, I began to express my thoughts here on this forum. This place became my soap-box, a place to just spout off on whatever I felt like, the good, the bad, the obscene. This little corner that I carved out for myself allowed me to find another part of myself, to use the knowledge I had gathered over the years and to find my voice.

As it happens it also allowed others who otherwise wouldn’t to hear that same voice. Some liked what they heard, others carried on about their lives. After the incident that prompted my set up corner here, another opportunity arose that I meant to pursue, but my response to the message somehow fell through the cracks. A few months later it thankfully popped up again in a slightly different form and I went after it with a vengeance. It worked and my name began to appear on another nascent site related to cars. I began to make some contacts and not long after that opportunity presented itself yet again. My colleague Alex was busy and I was on vacation from the day job. A quick day trip to New York and back introduced me to a remarkable new car and a lot of very interesting people. That quickly ballooned as I talked to those people on a regular basis.

During one of those events I encountered a pair of gentlemen who would soon reappear. In the fall of 2007, barely a year after I stumbled into automotive journalism, the message appeared in my in-box. I called back. We talked and eventually the deal was struck. A new phase of my life and career would begin. I wish to express my gratitude to the clumsy, ham-handed HR department without whose bumbling, this may not have happened. Thanks to Sebastian and John for plugging in the amplifier that allowed my voice to spread to a wider audience. I look forward to continuing to work with you guys for a long time to come. To John, Rob and Scott for giving me a chance to make a left turn against the prevailing traffic. And most of all to Jules, Sofia and Max for supporting me so much as I make this momentous non-trivial change. Sometimes when opportunity knocks you need to respond in the affirmative.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/19/opportunity-knocks/feed/ 4 Jewish and/or Gay and meeting Brenda Priddy http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/16/jewish-andor-gay-and-meeting-brenda-priddy/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/16/jewish-andor-gay-and-meeting-brenda-priddy/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:41:40 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/16/jewish-andor-gay-and-meeting-brenda-priddy/ As we were leaving the media center the other day, I had the opportunity to finally meet the legendary Brenda Priddy in person.  For those unfamiliar with her work, many of the photographs that appear in automotive magazines and newspapers of cars where bizzaro tape jobs or big clumps of black camouflage are the [...]]]> As we were leaving the media center the other day, I had the opportunity to finally meet the legendary Brenda Priddy in person.  For those unfamiliar with her work, many of the photographs that appear in automotive magazines and newspapers of cars where bizzaro tape jobs or big clumps of black camouflage are the work of Brenda and her colleagues at KGP photography.  They have an uncanny knack for being in places where engineers are testing future cars.  These days in the business of automotive journalism Brenda is held in the same high regard as Jim Dunne and Hans Lehman.

At any rate Brenda made a remark in jest that after all her years in the business, she had come to the conclusion that all automotive journalists were either Jewish, gay or both.  Unfortunately my mental energy level at that point was at  low ebb at that moment and I found myself unable to respond with the same degree of eloquence and wit that I am told I exhibited during a verbal joust with our colleague Ray the preceding day.  For the record Ray (even though I doubt you will ever read this) Nothing personal, I’ve been stuck at the corner table many times myself over the years.  It just wasn’t your turn.

Anyway, back to my belated response to Brenda.  Keep in mind that printed word lacks much of the nuance of the spoken word, especially in person and none of the following is meant to offend, insult or denigrate anyone (except perhaps hypocrites like Larry Craig).  I have friends and colleagues are fall into either or both categories and many others and I appreciate and respect all of them.  Disclaimers aside, henceforth is what I might said to Brenda (who herself is Jewish, although I cannot attest to her other preferences) had I been more quick witted during our encounter.

Being at least partially of Middle Eastern descent, I’m certain that following my lineage back far enough would yield ancestors who were members of the tribes of Israel.  However, in recent decades, to my knowledge none of the members of my family have partaken in Yom Kippur, Passover or hanukkah as an active member of the faith.  I myself having been raised Catholic and becoming persuaded early on as to the futility of all religion am an unrepentant athiest.  As to the other half of the generalization, I am not nor have I ever been gay, although I’m sure when it comes time choose what color to paint the walls my wife would likely appreciate me a little more if I did have some tendencies in that general direction.

Alas these words did not emerge from my sometimes scattered mind until some hours after the fact.  Fortunately I have this little corner in which to record them anyway and perhaps she will someday see them.  Pleasure to finally meet you Brenda!

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/11/16/jewish-andor-gay-and-meeting-brenda-priddy/feed/ 2 The return of the Detroit Grand Prix http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/09/03/the-return-of-the-detroit-grand-prix/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/09/03/the-return-of-the-detroit-grand-prix/#comments Mon, 03 Sep 2007 13:27:47 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/09/03/the-return-of-the-detroit-grand-prix/

The Detroit Grand Prix returned to Belle Isle this week and Max and I were able to go as guests of Acura. The weather was perfect and Roger Penske did an awesome job of improving the facility. For next year though, they really need to do a better job of organizing the [...]]]>

The Detroit Grand Prix returned to Belle Isle this week and Max and I were able to go as guests of Acura. The weather was perfect and Roger Penske did an awesome job of improving the facility. For next year though, they really need to do a better job of organizing the lines for the buses to get off the island at the end. Check out Autoblog.com for my posts from the event with lots of galleries.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/09/03/the-return-of-the-detroit-grand-prix/feed/ 0 I guess bureaucrats don’t understand sarcasm http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/19/i-guess-bureaucrats-dont-understand-sarcasm/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/19/i-guess-bureaucrats-dont-understand-sarcasm/#comments Sun, 19 Aug 2007 22:33:07 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/19/i-guess-bureaucrats-dont-understand-sarcasm/ I happened catch site of a Cadillac XLR-V the other wearing a light bar and the livery of the Bloomfield Hills police department. I of course snapped a few shots of it and wrote a post on Autoblog that proved to be fairly popular. A Bloomfield Hills city official who shall remain nameless in [...]]]> bh xlrvI happened catch site of a Cadillac XLR-V the other wearing a light bar and the livery of the Bloomfield Hills police department. I of course snapped a few shots of it and wrote a post on Autoblog that proved to be fairly popular. A Bloomfield Hills city official who shall remain nameless in order to protect the humorless apparently heard about it and sent off the following comment to the site:

Subject: Cadillac XLR-V Cop Car

The vehicle you saw on this blog site is loaned to our Public Safety Department by a local Cadillac dealer for a special event held up in the Detroit metropolitan area called the Woodward Dream Cruise. This event drew 1.2 million people this weekend to our area featuring vintage and muscle cars cruising down 16 miles of Woodward Avenue. I’m sure you remember cruising down a particular road in your hometown. You might want to check out our local newspapers online to see what this event is all about. The blogger who posted the Cadillac obviously needs to get his facts straight and a life!

 

Evidently this individual never actually checked out the site and was thus unaware of our extensive coverage of their little event. Perhaps this person is just stressed out from being stuck in traffic all day Saturday on Woodward but he/she might want to learn a little about sarcasm. Oh and get a life.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/19/i-guess-bureaucrats-dont-understand-sarcasm/feed/ 0 It definitely wasn’t a Dream for me http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/19/it-definitely-wasnt-a-dream-for-me/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/19/it-definitely-wasnt-a-dream-for-me/#comments Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:34:12 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/19/it-definitely-wasnt-a-dream-for-me/ After all these years of living in southeast Michigan, I’d never actually made the trek over to Oakland County to check out the Woodward Dream Cruise.  Yesterday I finally did in role as a pro blogger and I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t missing anything.  As someone who hates both crowds and [...]]]> dream_cruiseAfter all these years of living in southeast Michigan, I’d never actually made the trek over to Oakland County to check out the Woodward Dream Cruise.  Yesterday I finally did in role as a pro blogger and I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t missing anything.  As someone who hates both crowds and traffic jams, this was definitely not the event for me.  I’m into cars and I like them two ways.  When they are static I can stop and check them out and appreciate the details.  As devices of mobility, I also like to see cars at speed.  Slow speed crawls like the Dream Cruise hold no appeal for me.

The problem we had yesterday was that most of the manufacturers display areas were at the north end of Woodward around 15 mile road.  We had our base of operations (including a live video stream) at Royal Oak Ford near 11 mile.   Getting from our base to where carmakers were took forty minutes and the crowds made photography tough.  Max went along with me and in spite of the crowds and periods of tedium he did great.  He took some awesome photos and was never complained.   If we do this next year we’ll definitely have to find a base of operations closer to Birmingham.  As for those million plus spectators I’m at a loss as to what draws them to set up chairs all along Woodward every year.   Plus it’s hard to find anything to eat south of 13 mile.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/19/it-definitely-wasnt-a-dream-for-me/feed/ 0 Here’s what I want my next new car to be http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/12/heres-what-i-want-my-next-new-car-to-be/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/12/heres-what-i-want-my-next-new-car-to-be/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2007 01:34:46 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/12/heres-what-i-want-my-next-new-car-to-be/ I’ve photographed and written extensively about the Chevy Volt since last January. But until a few days ago I hadn’t actually sat in it. With all that I know about this car and what it will hopefully become, this is what I want my next new car to be. It’s cool looking, environmentally friendly [...]]]> sam’s voltI’ve photographed and written extensively about the Chevy Volt since last January. But until a few days ago I hadn’t actually sat in it. With all that I know about this car and what it will hopefully become, this is what I want my next new car to be. It’s cool looking, environmentally friendly and could represent the way cars will be powered for some time to come.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/08/12/heres-what-i-want-my-next-new-car-to-be/feed/ 0 http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/07/11/523/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/07/11/523/#comments Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:53:54 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/07/11/523/ It’s that time of year again, the Art Fairs are back! The action kicks off this weekend at the Corner Brewery with the Shadow Art Fair. From noon to midnight on Saturday July 14 over forty artists will be hawking their wares amidst live music from Patrick Elkins, Black jake and the Carnies and [...]]]> smart fortwoIt’s that time of year again, the Art Fairs are back! The action kicks off this weekend at the Corner Brewery with the Shadow Art Fair. From noon to midnight on Saturday July 14 over forty artists will be hawking their wares amidst live music from Patrick Elkins, Black jake and the Carnies and more. Once the fun is over at the brewery if you have any cash left over you can over to A2 for some other fair. Actually their is a reason why some of you might want to head down to South University between Wednesday and Saturday to check out the Smart USA road show. The tiny Smart ForTwo is coming to the US market early next year and they are touring the country this Summer to let people check out the cars. If you’re interested you can even get a test drive in a Smart.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/07/11/523/feed/ 0 Positive attention for Ypsi events http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/06/04/positive-attention-for-ypsi-events/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/06/04/positive-attention-for-ypsi-events/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:39:33 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/06/04/positive-attention-for-ypsi-events/ For those who haven’t been paying attention to my activity over on Autoblog.com I’ve been giving car related events in Ypsi some national blog love of late.  I’ve done features on the Show and Shine, Vintage VW and Orphan Car shows in recent weeks.  If you didn’t get a chance to get down to [...]]]> corvairFor those who haven’t been paying attention to my activity over on Autoblog.com I’ve been giving car related events in Ypsi some national blog love of late.  I’ve done features on the Show and Shine, Vintage VW and Orphan Car shows in recent weeks.  If you didn’t get a chance to get down to Riverside Park you can still see some of the vehicles that were on display.  It was nice to see a big turnout for each of the events both from participants and spectators.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/06/04/positive-attention-for-ypsi-events/feed/ 0 Ypsi RCTC project car http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/05/24/ypsi-rctc-project-car/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/05/24/ypsi-rctc-project-car/#comments Fri, 25 May 2007 01:03:43 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/05/24/ypsi-rctc-project-car/ A couple of weeks ago I got to see and photograph the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado that the RCTC collision repair students rebuilt and I today I put up a post on Autoblog.com about it.  You can check out the post and photo gallery here.

Bookmark It Hide Sites $$('div.d512').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:0.5}) [...]]]> rctc eldoradoA couple of weeks ago I got to see and photograph the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado that the RCTC collision repair students rebuilt and I today I put up a post on Autoblog.com about it.  You can check out the post and photo gallery here.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/05/24/ypsi-rctc-project-car/feed/ 0 Manhattan http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/04/08/manhattan/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/04/08/manhattan/#comments Sun, 08 Apr 2007 18:05:25 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/04/08/manhattan/ I spent a couple of days in Manhattan this week for the New York Auto Show some interesting stuff.  For a city that claims to be as progressive as Ann Arbor they sure have missed the boat when it comes to parking.  As everyone in the area knows downtown parking is at premium.  Unfortunately [...]]]> stackable parking in ManhattanI spent a couple of days in Manhattan this week for the New York Auto Show some interesting stuff.  For a city that claims to be as progressive as Ann Arbor they sure have missed the boat when it comes to parking.  As everyone in the area knows downtown parking is at premium.  Unfortunately the choice to build parking structures on small footprints of land like the one at Fourth and Washington is somewhat counterproductive.  The space taken up by ramps so that cars can get in and out as well as stairs, elevators and the supporting structure itself, leaves too too few parking spaces per level.  Overall it’s a very inefficient design and leaves drivers often trolling up and down the levels looking for a parking space.  If you are going to build a structure, it needs to have a large-enough footprint that the ramps don’t take up such disproportionate amount of the potential parking area.

Manhattan on the other hand seems to have the solution.  Rack mount parking that provides the maximum density of parked cars per area available.  There is little wasted space and it’s probably cheaper to install than a parking structure.  I saw all kinds of these structures during my cab rides between the hotel and Javits Center and the airport.

With my limited time in the city, I didn’t get to really do any sight-seeing.  Manhattan is a very densely populated city with stuff going on everywhere you look and all kinds of noises.  The city is very much alive and an interesting place to visit, but the kind of place I’d want to live.  It seems like the majority of actual moving cars on the streets of Manhattan are yellow cabs, with most of the private vehicles sitting in those racks.  Given the traffic in the city, that’s probably just as well.

Getting out of New York was a real pain in the ass.  The Javits Center is on the western edge of Manhattan island while JFK airport was east of Manhattan in Queens.  Judging from my several cab rides over 48 hours in town plus my previous visit in December, going north-south in Manhattan is pretty straight-forward.  Going east-west on the other hand is anything but.  My ride to the airport involved the cabbie continuously turning norht or south trying to find an east-west route that wasn’t backed up.  The 17 mile ride took about an hour and a half.  It’s a good thing I left with plenty of time.  more later…

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/04/08/manhattan/feed/ 0 AutoblogGreen Podcast http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/03/12/autobloggreen-podcast/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/03/12/autobloggreen-podcast/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:49:59 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/03/12/autobloggreen-podcast/ The very first AutoblogGreen podcast went live this morning.  My editor Sebastian Blanco and I will be doing these every couple of weeks and in the first one, we talk about some of the new green cars that debuted at last weeks Geneva Motor show and then run I interview I recorded with Martin [...]]]> tesla roadsterThe very first AutoblogGreen podcast went live this morning.  My editor Sebastian Blanco and I will be doing these every couple of weeks and in the first one, we talk about some of the new green cars that debuted at last weeks Geneva Motor show and then run I interview I recorded with Martin Eberhard.  Martin is the CEO of Tesla Motors, maker of the new Tesla Roadster electric sports car.  You can find the podcast at this page.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/03/12/autobloggreen-podcast/feed/ 2 Article on delays in bringing out new battery technology http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/02/26/article-on-delays-in-bringing-out-new-battery-technology/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/02/26/article-on-delays-in-bringing-out-new-battery-technology/#comments Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:27:01 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/02/26/article-on-delays-in-bringing-out-new-battery-technology/ The big car-makers take a lot of grief from electric vehicle fans over why they seem to be so slow to use new battery technology. I wrote a fairly long article drawing on my two decades in the industry trying to explain why they seem to want to move so slowly, and you can [...]]]> The big car-makers take a lot of grief from electric vehicle fans over why they seem to be so slow to use new battery technology. I wrote a fairly long article drawing on my two decades in the industry trying to explain why they seem to want to move so slowly, and you can find it over at Autobloggreen.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/02/26/article-on-delays-in-bringing-out-new-battery-technology/feed/ 0 Something about Detroit that doesn’t suck! http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/02/10/something-about-detroit-that-doesnt-suck/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/02/10/something-about-detroit-that-doesnt-suck/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:06:27 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/02/10/something-about-detroit-that-doesnt-suck/ I spent a couple of days in Chicago this week with the Autoblog team covering the Auto Show there, and between this trip and my December trip to Manhattan, I came to the realization that there is at least one thing that Detroit can be proud of, the MacNamara Terminal at Metro Airport.  After [...]]]> I spent a couple of days in Chicago this week with the Autoblog team covering the Auto Show there, and between this trip and my December trip to Manhattan, I came to the realization that there is at least one thing that Detroit can be proud of, the MacNamara Terminal at Metro Airport.  After flying into LaGuardia and O’Hare’s terminal 2, I was reminded in both cases of the nasty old terminal that Northwest flew out of.  They are both crowded, narrow and kind of dark.  Leaving O’Hare in particular was awful.  The entrance to the security screening area was in the middle of the terminal and the lines spread from there in both directions to the entire length of the terminal.  Once we got to the security check point, there was a grand total of TWO lanes for the whole terminal.  Metro on the other hand, is open and bright and easy to get around.  Of course, all is not perfect, all airports need far more electrical outlets for travellers to plug into.  With so many people travelling with laptops, dvd players and all manner of other electronics, people need to charge their devices, especially when they are stuck between flights.

Now having said something something positive about Detroit, I must say that Cobo Hall must be demolished immediately if not sooner and replaced with a new convention center.   Cobo as everyone who has ever been in there knows how dark and unpleasant it is, not to mention not that big.  McCormick Place by comparison is huge, bright and just generally a much more pleasant place to be.  If we had a facility like this in Detroit, we might actually atract a lot of national scale events besides the Auto Show and the SAE World Congress.  As it is, the only reason the Detroit Auto Show gets any attention at all is because it’s home to Ford, GM, and Chrysler.  Otherwise, the Chicago show would probably get all the big introductions.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/02/10/something-about-detroit-that-doesnt-suck/feed/ 1 Would you buy a Chevy Volt, and how much would you pay? http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/17/would-you-buy-a-chevy-volt-and-how-much-would-you-pay/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/17/would-you-buy-a-chevy-volt-and-how-much-would-you-pay/#comments Wed, 17 Jan 2007 14:28:41 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/17/would-you-buy-a-chevy-volt-and-how-much-would-you-pay/ I’ve put a new poll in the right sidebar about the Chevy Volt. I’ve written a lot about the Volt recently which if you haven’t checked out AutoBlogGreen is an electric car with an on-board gasoline powered battery charger. The articles on ABG have generated a lot of comments, and I’m curious about how [...]]]> volt revealI’ve put a new poll in the right sidebar about the Chevy Volt. I’ve written a lot about the Volt recently which if you haven’t checked out AutoBlogGreen is an electric car with an on-board gasoline powered battery charger. The articles on ABG have generated a lot of comments, and I’m curious about how much people might be willing to pay for such a car. Such a car has the potential to dramatically reduce fuel use and carbon emissions. None of the EVs built up until now have appealed to me personally, but this is definitely one that I’d buy.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/17/would-you-buy-a-chevy-volt-and-how-much-would-you-pay/feed/ 0 To busy to write here lately http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/13/to-busy-to-write-here-lately/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/13/to-busy-to-write-here-lately/#comments Sun, 14 Jan 2007 01:03:33 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/13/to-busy-to-write-here-lately/ I haven’t posted much here lately because I’ve been pretty busy writing over on AutoBlogGreen and now also AutoBlog. Last week I covered the Detroit Auto Show and we got some unbelievable traffic. There were seven of us writing up all the stories from all over the show, and posting hundreds of photos. It [...]]]> I haven’t posted much here lately because I’ve been pretty busy writing over on AutoBlogGreen and now also AutoBlog. Last week I covered the Detroit Auto Show and we got some unbelievable traffic. There were seven of us writing up all the stories from all over the show, and posting hundreds of photos. It was interesting getting such a close up look at how car makers deal with the media. GM really took a shine to the blogosphere this year, even inviting about twenty bloggers from various web sites to attend the show on their dime. They did encourage everyone to provide full disclosure that GM was paying for the trips, and given that most wouldn’t have the financial resources to cover something like this on their own, I can see why they would accept the offer. Fortunately, WeblogsInc (parent company of AutoBlog and ABG) covers our expenses and we have a policy of not accepting any paid junkets.

All in all the money and time that GM spent on bloggers this year was peanuts compared to what they and all the other companies spent on their displays in Cobo Hall, their hospitality areas and the parties they held all over town. There were over 6600 registered media at the show and all were welcome at the Firehouse after the show hours. The Firehouse is a bar across the street from Cobo, where for several years Chrysler has been hosting a party for media with free food and drinks served up by the likes of Dieter Zetsche and Emmitt Smith.

I got to meet and talk to a lot of interesting people and it was clear that in spite of all the problems of the domestic auto industry, there is still a hell of a lot of talent and enthusiasm, especially at GM. I’ve never been know as a fan of GM, but they really seem to be on the upswing right now. The production cars they unveiled here, the Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS are truly impressive, and the Volt concept is something truly special. When this car goes into production, it will be hugely important.

Ford showed some interesting cars but they don’t seem to be committed to actually building them. They still seem to be kind overwhelmed by the financial problems they’re having. Hopefully within the next few months Alan Mullaly will give the company some real direction and put the emphasis on creating great products. Chrysler, has some interesting stuff technically, but they seem to have lost their way lately with their styling. I think that next year will actually have some more interesting introductions from Chrysler.

Overall, it was a really good time and I’m glad I had the chance to do it. I did a lot of writing and photography and I have great hope for the future. From an environmental standpoint, there are some great developments coming. If you’re interested in reading more of the stuff I wrote at the show, just click on the AutoBlogGreen link on the sidebar.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/13/to-busy-to-write-here-lately/feed/ 0 My story on GM’s new electric car, the Chevy Volt http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/07/my-story-on-gms-new-electric-car-the-chevy-volt/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/07/my-story-on-gms-new-electric-car-the-chevy-volt/#comments Sun, 07 Jan 2007 18:24:55 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/07/my-story-on-gms-new-electric-car-the-chevy-volt/ I wrote a series of stories that went live today on the new GM electric car, the Chevy Volt and it actually made it to the front page of Digg this morning. Go check out the articles here, here and here and their’s more coming later today. Don’t forget to hit the Digg this [...]]]> Chevy VoltI wrote a series of stories that went live today on the new GM electric car, the Chevy Volt and it actually made it to the front page of Digg this morning. Go check out the articles here, here and here and their’s more coming later today. Don’t forget to hit the Digg this button on the story. This is a very cool car and a great example of what’s coming to the road in the next few years.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2007/01/07/my-story-on-gms-new-electric-car-the-chevy-volt/feed/ 0 Essay on the end of the fossil fuel monoculture http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/12/28/essay-on-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-monoculture/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/12/28/essay-on-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-monoculture/#comments Thu, 28 Dec 2006 23:38:39 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/12/28/essay-on-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-monoculture/ I published an essay over on AutoBlogGreen today about the end of the fossil fuel monoculture. I talk about what a monoculture is and the much more diverse energy future we are moving in to. Go check it out here. If you think it’s any good, please go digg the article.

Bookmark It Hide [...]]]> I published an essay over on AutoBlogGreen today about the end of the fossil fuel monoculture. I talk about what a monoculture is and the much more diverse energy future we are moving in to. Go check it out here. If you think it’s any good, please go digg the article.oil well

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/12/28/essay-on-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-monoculture/feed/ 0 Video of the hydrogen Focus http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/31/video-of-the-hydrogen-focus/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/31/video-of-the-hydrogen-focus/#comments Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:43:42 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/31/video-of-the-hydrogen-focus/ Here’s the video of the hydrogen powered Focus I tested last week.

Bookmark It Hide Sites $$('div.d420').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:0.5}) }); ]]> Here’s the video of the hydrogen powered Focus I tested last week.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/31/video-of-the-hydrogen-focus/feed/ 0 My evaluation report on the hydrogen powered Focus is up now. http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/30/my-evaluation-report-on-the-hydrogen-powered-focus-is-up-now/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/30/my-evaluation-report-on-the-hydrogen-powered-focus-is-up-now/#comments Mon, 30 Oct 2006 20:01:17 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/30/my-evaluation-report-on-the-hydrogen-powered-focus-is-up-now/ The first part of my report on the overnight evaluation I did last week on the hydrogen powered Ford Focus is up on AutoBlogGreen right now. There will be three more parts coming out in the next few days along with a video. You can also vote for the article on Digg. This million [...]]]> Ford Focus FCVThe first part of my report on the overnight evaluation I did last week on the hydrogen powered Ford Focus is up on AutoBlogGreen right now. There will be three more parts coming out in the next few days along with a video. You can also vote for the article on Digg. This million dollar Focus was definitely the most expensive car ever in my garage. Next up will be my opportunity to drive the Honda FCX fuel car.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/30/my-evaluation-report-on-the-hydrogen-powered-focus-is-up-now/feed/ 0 Help Digg my new article on the hydrogen powered Ford Focus http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/17/help-digg-my-new-article-on-the-hydrogen-powered-ford-focus/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/17/help-digg-my-new-article-on-the-hydrogen-powered-ford-focus/#comments Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:49 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/17/help-digg-my-new-article-on-the-hydrogen-powered-ford-focus/ I wrote a post over on AutoblogGreen about the new hydrogen filling station that opened in Taylor, MI today and my opportunity to drive the hydrogen fuel cell powered Ford Focus. Ford has a fleet of these zero emissions running around the country right now. I’d really appreciate if you could go over to [...]]]> fuel cell focusI wrote a post over on AutoblogGreen about the new hydrogen filling station that opened in Taylor, MI today and my opportunity to drive the hydrogen fuel cell powered Ford Focus. Ford has a fleet of these zero emissions running around the country right now. I’d really appreciate if you could go over to Digg.com and vote for the story. If enough people digg the post it might be able to get to the front page. Even if you don’t digg it, go check out the story! This car is the future of transportation. The only thing that comes out the tail pipe is water!

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/10/17/help-digg-my-new-article-on-the-hydrogen-powered-ford-focus/feed/ 13 My first interview http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/29/my-first-interview/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/29/my-first-interview/#comments Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:41:58 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/29/my-first-interview/ I had a chance to interview former Rocketboom host Amanda Congdon a couple of days ago. Amanda has a new project going now. She and three of her friends are driving across America in a Ford Escape hybrid and talking to people involved in citizen journalism and environmental causes along the way. They are [...]]]> I had a chance to interview former Rocketboom host Amanda Congdon a couple of days ago. Amanda has a new project going now. She and three of her friends are driving across America in a Ford Escape hybrid and talking to people involved in citizen journalism and environmental causes along the way. They are doing a daily video blog that you can find at AmandaAcrossAmerica.com. I spoke to Amanda as they driving from Greensboro NC to Knoxville TN and the interview will be up on AutoBlogGreen in the morning. You can find the interview here. In the process of preparing I had to figure out a way to record a phone call. If you have a Palm Treo phone and need to record calls, I definitely recommend a program called CallRec. It’s really easy to use and the quality was quite good.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/29/my-first-interview/feed/ 0 I’ve started my new gig http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/21/ive-started-my-new-gig/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/21/ive-started-my-new-gig/#comments Fri, 22 Sep 2006 02:32:03 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/21/ive-started-my-new-gig/ The other day I started my new writing gig. I’m now a regular blogger on AutoblogGreen.com. The site is a car blog that focuses on news and issues relating to the environment, alternative fuels, mass transit and other related stuff. If you have any interest in any of these issues stop by and check [...]]]> autoblog greenThe other day I started my new writing gig. I’m now a regular blogger on AutoblogGreen.com. The site is a car blog that focuses on news and issues relating to the environment, alternative fuels, mass transit and other related stuff. If you have any interest in any of these issues stop by and check it out. I’ll keep writing here though on all the other stuff I like to vent about.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/21/ive-started-my-new-gig/feed/ 0 Looking for suggestions http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/14/looking-for-suggestions/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/14/looking-for-suggestions/#comments Thu, 14 Sep 2006 17:06:52 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/14/looking-for-suggestions/ In about a week I’m going to be starting a new part-time gig. I’m going to be doing some writing for car blog that focuses on issues concerning cars, the auto industry and the environment. I know I’ll have lots of stuff to write about, since there are no shortage of issues with global [...]]]> In about a week I’m going to be starting a new part-time gig. I’m going to be doing some writing for car blog that focuses on issues concerning cars, the auto industry and the environment. I know I’ll have lots of stuff to write about, since there are no shortage of issues with global warming and rising fuel prices. If there are any topics that you would like to see me write about, please leave a comment here or send me an e-mail.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/09/14/looking-for-suggestions/feed/ 4 Big Wheels http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/08/03/big-wheels/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/08/03/big-wheels/#comments Thu, 03 Aug 2006 20:14:19 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/08/03/big-wheels/ For the last couple of years, one of the bigger aftermarket trends in cars has been putting on over-sized wheels and tires.You’ve seen them, big suv’s with 20, 22, 24 inch and larger rims. Later people began putting them on cars too. Chrysler 300s and Dodge Magnums are prime candidates for the so-called “Dub” [...]]]> For the last couple of years, one of the bigger aftermarket trends in cars has been putting on over-sized wheels and tires.You’ve seen them, big suv’s with 20, 22, 24 inch and larger rims. Later people began putting them on cars too. Chrysler 300s and Dodge Magnums are prime candidates for the so-called “Dub” treatment. It was almost always newer cars, at least until recently. In the past year I have been seeing more and more old cars with ridiculous wheels. If you look around I’m sure you will see some of these things. Most newer vehicles have been designed to accommodate larger wheels like 16-18″ rims anyway, so the bigger wheels can usually fit into the wheels with relatively little modification. They usually do restrict the steering angle which increases the turning radius, but this seems to be a price people are willing to pay. However older cars were typically designed for only a 14-15″ wheel. This means that a 24″ wheel won’t fit in the wheel well, no how, no way. The cars I’m talking about hear are typically mid-70s to early 80s American cars especially mid-size gm coupes like Monte Carlos and Grand Prixs or sedans like the Chevy Caprice. So that means that in order to install such a large wheel on such a car the body must be raised up to provide sufficient clearance. So that means the car will need new springs and shocks to jack it up. Then the owner can mount 22′+ diameter rims and tires on this thing. If you have never shopped for such wheels and tires, keep in mind that a set of 4 wheels and tires of this size is going to cost at least a couple of thousand dollars.big wheels
So you mount a set of wheels and tires that are worth more than the car, and seriously degrade the handling and ride of the car at the same time. These big wheels and tires are much heavier than the stock sized wheels, usually 40-60 lbs more per wheel. The way a vehicle suspension works, the worst place to add weight is at the wheels. This adds what is known as unsprung mass. This adds inertia for to parts that are supposed to move up and down over bumps and potholes. And given the nature of most Michigan roads I would not want to risk really expensive wheels and tires on one big pothole. Also the increased ride height would result in some pretty scary cornering behavior. It’s just my opinion (and of course that is what is blog is ultimately about anyway) but I think these cars just look stupid, and the functionality is very definitely degraded.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/08/03/big-wheels/feed/ 0 Fast Trucks? http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/07/10/fast-trucks/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/07/10/fast-trucks/#comments Mon, 10 Jul 2006 13:32:17 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/?p=300 Will they ever get the hint? Over the last 20 years the Detroit based automakers have repeatedly tried to build “sport trucks”. Anyone who really cares about cars and likes something with decent performance that is fun to drive, would never seriously consider a truck. Don’t get me wrong trucks have there place. There [...]]]> Will they ever get the hint? Over the last 20 years the Detroit based automakers have repeatedly tried to build “sport trucks”. Anyone who really cares about cars and likes something with decent performance that is fun to drive, would never seriously consider a truck. Don’t get me wrong trucks have there place. There have been many times over the years when I have made good use of trucks for hauling loads of materials for a project, or top soil or mulch for the garden or some other large dirty object. But these occasions are not frequent enough to justify actually own a truck. The same goes for the majority of people. This of course has not stopped most of those people from buying trucks and SUVs. However, even if they do own a truck people generally at least want the option of being able to tow or haul stuff. They also like to sit up high so they at least have some possibility to see around all the other trucks. So basically people want trucks for two reasons, hauling stuff and a commanding presence on the road. They don’t buy them for their good looks or performance or handling. This is good because trucks generally posses none of these qualities in any appreciable amount.

Dodge Ram SRT-10Nonetheless Ford, GM and Chrysler have persisted in creating these sport trucks. They take a pickup truck or less frequently an SUV (which of course of derived from the pickups, but I digress as usual) platform, and then put the biggest most powerful engine that fits into it. Of course in order to try and “complete” the illusion of sport they have to make other changes. Since an unloaded pickup truck tends to have very little of its weight distributed over the rear axle (which is also the drive axle in these vehicles) Getting all the excess power to road requires really wide sticky high performance tires. To be able to get some semblance of handling (and prevent persistent rollovers) in a vehicle with as high a center of gravity as a truck and sticky tires, they have to shorten and stiffen the springs. This has the benefit of making the truck look a little sportier but has the cost of virtually eliminating the load hauling and towing capabilities of these trucks. It also means that they have a really stiff ride that is very uncomfortable. So let me summarize. You now have a large, heavy, unattractive vehicle that has had all of its utility stripped out of it. It gets lousy fuel economy, a rough ride and a high price. It tends to accelerate really fast in a straight line and resist changing direction or stopping (Newton’s first law of motion having not yet been repealed by the republicans in congress).

Needless to say the vast majority of car buyers have had no problem at all resisting the urge to buy one of these things. Every one of these models from the 1991 GMC Syclone through two generations of Ford F150 Lightnings, various other GM trucks, to the current Dodge Ram SRT-10 has had similar characteristics, and similar levels of sales success (or lack of it). The Ram SRT-10 is probably the fasted of all (featuring the 500hp engine from the Viper). However, for all the cost of development and certification they have only managed to sell about 2000 copies a year. So now Chrysler is going to discontinue the Ram SRT-10. With all the problems the Detroit based car makers have they need to forget about these trucks now and focus on building cars people actually want that can earn a profit. If they want to build something sporty, then they should build real sports cars like the Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, the Mustang and other smaller sports machines. Rumor has it that Ford is working on another edition of the Lightning. I say that Ford, GM and Chrysler need to take a hint, forget sport trucks. They don’t work, and no one wants them.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/07/10/fast-trucks/feed/ 0 More from the annals of dumb ideas http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/06/02/more-from-the-annals-of-dumb-ideas/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/06/02/more-from-the-annals-of-dumb-ideas/#comments Fri, 02 Jun 2006 17:18:58 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/?p=268 Back the late 1970′s the US Army began looking for a replacement for Jeep utility vehicles that they had been using since world war 2. Out of this was born the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (aka HMMWV or Humvee). In the late 80′s Humvee builder AM General developed a civilian version dubbed the [...]]]> Back the late 1970′s the US Army began looking for a replacement for Jeep utility vehicles that they had been using since world war 2. Out of this was born the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (aka HMMWV or Humvee). In the late 80′s Humvee builder AM General developed a civilian version dubbed the Hummer for those with more money than brains. As it turned out, not that many people actually needed or wanted a really large, heavy, fuel hungry vehicle with only 4 seats, and a four foot wide tunnel between the seats. In the 90′s General Motors decided they wanted an off-road brand to compete with Jeep (owned by Chrysler). AM General was apparently more than happy to sell them the rights to market the Hummer brand. The original Hummer became known as the H1 and GM proceeded to develop somewhat smaller, cheaper Hummer. They took a Chevy Tahoe chassis and put a on new body with H1 styling cues (if you can call it styling). Thus was born the H2. They sold like hot-cakes. For about 6 months anyway until all the poseurs had one. at which point the sales of H2s went into a steady decline that continues to this day.

So GM went back to the parts bin and took the Chevy Colorado compact pickup truck platform and added a Hummer-like body. The result is the Hummer H3, perfect for the wannabe poseur (you know the guys who don’t quite come up to the level of poseur). Rumor has it that an even smaller H4 is currently in development. Back to the H3, this vehicle is a little bigger on the outside and smaller on the inside than a Ford Escape or Jeep Liberty. If you know these vehicles, you will understand that the H3 is not a particularly large vehicle.

I drive past a place that rents limos on my way to work every day. Typically stretch limousines are built up from larger vehicles as the base such as big Lincolns, Cadillacs or Suburbans. Imagine my surprise a couple of weeks ago when I saw the latest addition to their fleet. A stretched Hummer H3! Here are a couple of pics I found on-line. h3 limoh3 limoThe H3 is not particularly wide so it doesn’t really seem like it would be very suitable as a limo. Check out the interior shot to see how narrow the seat cushions are. Sign me up for one of these!

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/06/02/more-from-the-annals-of-dumb-ideas/feed/ 0 SAE Congress http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/04/06/sae-congress/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/04/06/sae-congress/#comments Fri, 07 Apr 2006 01:36:18 +0000 Sam http://sam.abuelsamid.com/?p=219 Yesterday I attended the 2006 SAE World Congress in Detroit. SAE is the Society of Automotive Engineers of which I have been a member for 17 years. The congress is basically the annual convention of the organization. The gathering includes dozens of technical sessions on all kinds of automotive engineering related topics. There is [...]]]> Yesterday I attended the 2006 SAE World Congress in Detroit. SAE is the Society of Automotive Engineers of which I have been a member for 17 years. The congress is basically the annual convention of the organization. The gathering includes dozens of technical sessions on all kinds of automotive engineering related topics. There is also an expo for car makers, suppliers, tool providers and other vendors. The big theme this year definitely seemed to be hybrids. There were hybrid vehicles and power-trains on display at many of the car-maker booths and hybrid components and systems on display at various supplier booths. GM had their hybrid power-train that is coming next year on their full size SUVs. Honda had their new Civic hybrid. Ford had the Escape hybrid. Toyota of course had the Prius and the new GS450H hybrid. Aisin showed a new automatic transmission with 2 motors built in that is designed for rear wheel drive applications.

Probably the most interesting thing I saw was from a company called Ovonic. Ovonic started in the early 90s developing advanced batteries for all-electric cars. They made the batteries for the GM EV1 electric car. Unfortunately for GM and Ovonic they didn’t really make much real progress in improving the energy storage capacity of batteries. Chemical batteries in general continue to be a very poor means of storing energy. In terms of energy storage capacity per volume and and weight batteries remain at the bottom of the list by a long distance. Just try picking up the battery in your car and see how heavy that is and all it can do start your engine. Compare that to a gallon of gas which depending on your vehicle can move it anywhere from 10-50 miles.

Ovonic has a new subsidiary that has been developing hydrogen storage systems. Hydrogen is great for use as a fuel because the only combustion byproduct is water vapor. One of the problems with hydrogen besides producing it is storage. Hydrogen gas needs to be stored at extremely high pressures. Ovonic and other companies have been working on methods of storing hydrogen in solid form, which is much safer. They showed a Prius that had been modified to run on hydrogen and used their metal hydride storage system. The hydrogen powered Prius gets the same mileage as the gas powered version and has a range of about 200 miles. Thats more than 3 times the range of the EV1 ( which went about 60 miles under ideal conditions). The fueling system they have developed can fill up the car in about 8 minutes right now. So Ovonic has pretty reasonable hydrogen powered car that unlike the EV1 is actually a practical mid-sized car that can carry four people in comfort and get decent range and doesn’t need to be plugged in when it’s not being used.

Now we just need a hydrogen fuel infrastructure. Hydrogen cars aren’t much use if you have nowhere it fuel it up. We need to develop a cost effective means of producing hydrogen and distributing it. In the coming days and weeks I plan to write some more stuff on hybrids. Hybrid vehicles as we know them now have some very good points but they really are not all they could be.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/04/06/sae-congress/feed/ 0 What the hell is a Geely? http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/24/what-the-hell-is-a-geely/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/24/what-the-hell-is-a-geely/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2006 02:11:08 +0000 Sam http://abuelsamid.com/blogs/sam/wordpress/?p=158 During the Detroit Auto Show that just concluded, a Chinese made car was displayed for the first time in North America. Geely “showed off” their 7151 CK. Now there is a name that just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it? Autoblog has an item about it and also some more pictures. Now I haven’t [...]]]> During the Detroit Auto Show that just concluded, a Chinese made car was displayed for the first time in North America. Geely “showed off” their 7151 CK. Geely 7151 CKNow there is a name that just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it? Autoblog has an item about it and also some more pictures. Now I haven’t personally seen the Geely, but from the photos I’ve seen, it looks to be about on a par with the products from another Chinese manufacturer that I have seen. When my friends and I saw the vehicles in question we were not terribly impressed, which is putting it charitably. After taking a look around these vehicles I came up with a potential business model for selling Chinese cars in the US. They could just use the modern consumer electronics model.

First a little background information. One of the factors leading to the increase in steel prices in the last few years has been the Chinese buying up all the scrap metal they can get to melt down to make steel. Many of the huge cargo ships bringing cheap stuff to America go back to China carrying scrap metal.

As you may know upwards of 80% of the products sold by Wal-Mart know are sourced from China. Wal-mart specializes in selling cheap crap made in China to people who think they are getting a good deal. Who would provide a better sales outlet for Chinese cars than the home of the $29 dvd player? Now for these kinds of cheap products you generally don’t get much if anything in the way of service. When you buy a cheap piece of consumer electronics and it fails during the warranty period, you take it back to the store where you bought it. Now when you take something back to wal-mart (or target or best-buy or anywhere else) they don’t have a service department like a car dealer where they fix stuff. If the product is defective and still under warranty they take back the bad one and give you another one. You go home with a new device and the bad one gets shipped off to a refurbishment facility. They check it and if it can be easily fixed they do it, and then repackage and sell it as a refurbished unit. If they can’t fix it, they strip out any useful parts and ship it back to the factory for re-cycling and re-use.

So if wal-mart sells Chinese cars, they don’t have build up a service facility like a traditional car dealer. If you have a problem with the car, you take it back, they give you another one and load the broken one on a trailer out back. When the trailer is full it is hauled off to a refurb center. If they can fix it easily, they do, if not they strip it down crush it and ship back to China to make into another car. Wal-mart would make a hefty profit, people would get cheap, marginally reliable cars and the last high paying manufacturing jobs in this country would be gone forever. Of course the flaw in this plan is that once the good paying manufacturing jobs are gone no one hear will be able to afford even these cheap cars.

Besides the issue of contributing to the continued decline of the US manufacturing base, there is also the issue of the “quality” of Chinese made cars. My exposure to Chinese cars has shown them so far to be very poorly made and not very durable. From what I have seen, many of these cars would have a very hard time making it through one winter on Michigan roads. The potholes on our roads would eat these cars alive. However, I wouldn’t expect that situation to last for long. There was a time when Korean made cars were similarly shoddy and Hyundai now regularly tops the quality surveys. So we had better be wary about what we buy and from whom. We need a government that is serious about ensuring that we have fair trade, not just free trade. As a population we also need to pay attention to the real price that we pay for all the cheap stuff that we always seem to want to accumulate. Pay now or pay a lot more later. Be afraid, be very afraid.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/24/what-the-hell-is-a-geely/feed/ 0 Brilliant new Honda ad from the UK http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/22/brilliant-new-honda-ad-from-the-uk/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/22/brilliant-new-honda-ad-from-the-uk/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2006 01:38:06 +0000 Sam http://abuelsamid.com/blogs/sam/wordpress/?p=157 Watching TV ads in the US is generally tedious at best if not downright annoying. Half of the time you can’t even figure out what the hell they are trying to sell. On the other hand ads from other parts of the world are often brilliant. A couple of years ago Honda UK [...]]]> Watching TV ads in the US is generally tedious at best if not downright annoying. Half of the time you can’t even figure out what the hell they are trying to sell. On the other hand ads from other parts of the world are often brilliant. A couple of years ago Honda UK did an amazing ad for the European version of the Accord. I’ve got it archived somewhere and I will put it up when I find it. In the meantime check out this ad for the new Civic.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/22/brilliant-new-honda-ad-from-the-uk/feed/ 0 Best and worst of the auto show http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/14/best-and-worst-of-the-auto-show/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/14/best-and-worst-of-the-auto-show/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2006 03:33:34 +0000 Sam http://1430866851 I’m not going to the Detroit auto show this year, because it’s just to bloody expensive. But I have seen what is on display there. Chrysler which has over the last 15 years consistently come up with some of the most amazing concepts ever shown here has come up with a real stinker this [...]]]> I’m not going to the Detroit auto show this year, because it’s just to bloody expensive. But I have seen what is on display there. Chrysler which has over the last 15 years consistently come up with some of the most amazing concepts ever shown here has come up with a real stinker this year. The new Chrysler Imperial
Chrysler Imperial concept is one of the biggest automotive turds I have seen in a long time. The proportions of this thing suck. The design is derivative, looking too much like the current Rolls-Royce Phantom, but much shorter and taller. What where they thinking?

The Dodge Challenger concept looks ok when seen in isolation, but when you put the thing next to a Mustang you realize that it is huge. It is over a foot longer than the Mustang. and is totally wrong for the type of car it is supposed to be. This type of sporty car is supposed to be compact and fun to drive.

Now having mentioned the mustang I must admit that I have a 2005 Mustang. I have been a Mustang fan ever since I was a kid and family friend of ours had a 1969 Mach 1. I have never been a big fan of Camaros but GM really nailed it with their new Camaro concept.
Camaro concept The proportions are just right. There is just enough of the first generation Camaro that you can see the natural evolution from 1969 to now, but it stool looks modern and muscular. It is everything a modern pony car should be. That being said, I love my Mustang. It is a blast to drive and I love the way it looks.

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/14/best-and-worst-of-the-auto-show/feed/ 0 The Detroit Auto Show http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/09/the-detroit-auto-show/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/09/the-detroit-auto-show/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2006 20:22:00 +0000 Sam http://abuelsamid.com/blogs/sam/wordpress/?p=146 Yesterday, the media previews began for the 2006 North American International Auto Show (aka the Detroit Auto Show). All the car makers are doing a series of splashy intros for their new production models and concepts. Traditionally Chrysler has always had some biggest shows for the media, such as in 1993 when Bob [...]]]> Yesterday, the media previews began for the 2006 North American International Auto Show (aka the Detroit Auto Show). All the car makers are doing a series of splashy intros for their new production models and concepts. Traditionally Chrysler has always had some biggest shows for the media, such as in 1993 when Bob Lutz drove the then new Jeep Grand Cherokee through the glass front doors of Cobo Hall, and a couple years ago when Wolfgang Bernhardt roared onto the stage on a motorcycle powered by an 8L Dodge Viper V-10. This show used to be just a local dealer show until the carmakers got involved and renamed it the North American International Auto Show in an attempt to get it onto the world stage along with the likes of the Geneva, Frankfurt, Paris and Tokyo shows. The only problem is that Cobo Hall was and is a dump. For a show of this size it is small, dark and hard to move around in. But it is all we have for now, and every January the world’s car media come to Detroit for the big show. Unfortunately, this year for the first time in several years I won’t be going to the industry preview days, due to personal budget constraints. $75 is just too much to spend. My company used to buy a bunch of passes every year, but the last couple of years they have stopped. I like going to the preview to avoid the crowds. You can actually get into most of the cars and get a close look at what is new. During the public days it is just too crowded and no fun. So this year I will just do the virtual visit through sites like autoblog and the car connection

]]> http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2006/01/09/the-detroit-auto-show/feed/ 0 10 Autoblog posts http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2005/09/19/10_autoblog_posts/ http://sam.abuelsamid.com/2005/09/19/10_autoblog_posts/#comments Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Sam /?p=72 Here are links to 10 great recent autoblog posts. I read autoblog everyday because I am in the auto industry and this site has by far the most complete and up to date car news. These guys have more news any other automotive site I have found and the news keeps coming seemingly real [...]]]> Here are links to 10 great recent autoblog posts. I read autoblog everyday because I am in the auto industry and this site has by far the most complete and up to date car news. These guys have more news any other automotive site I have found and the news keeps coming seemingly real time as it happens.

1. From the 2005 Frankfurt auto show some pics of the new car bodies from former Aston Martin chief designer Henrik Fisker . These designs are classy and have some elements of previous Fisker designs.

2. An interesting article on aerodynamics in Formula 1. This gives you an idea of where some of the insane sums of money spent on F1 go.

3. Volvo is a company long renowned for the safety of their cars. Are they covering up some serious safety problems right now?

4. As more and more technology is being added to our vehicles the ability to monitor what you do and where you go and how fast you get there is increasing. Is this what you really want?

5. Pretty much all of our clothes, toys and consumer electronics are made in china now. Are you ready for cars? The auto industry is one of the few remaining sources of high paying manufacturing jobs left in North America, but not for long.

6. From Opel comes the next generation of the Saturn Vue, easily one of the more uninspired designs on the road today.

7. Hyundai wants to cut their product development time down to 18 months. I have seen many of these initiatives over the years. What they generally amount to is rederining the time when you start counting. Designing a car is a very time consuming process because of the need to coordinate all the different suppliers, and systems and the car makers insistence on tweaking all kinds of things just the way they want instead of following standards, especially for communications.

8. An excellent post on a Pew poll on american consumers attitudes and I agree completely that most americans are hypocrites!

9. A post about Wilbur Ross’s plan to buy Delphi and Collins and Aikmen. I am highly dubious of his chances for success on this one.

10. As a longtime lotus fan I am glad to see that lotus is finally have some comercial success with the Elise. The elise is a wonderful little sports car and I just wish I could afford one. I did have a chance to spend a significant ammount of the time with the Esprit and early nineties Elan when I worked on the ABS for those vehicles on a previous job. I had one particularly memorable high speed drive in an Esprit from Milford to Sault Ste Marie that I will always cherish.

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