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Smart Cars Are Ugly

post from The Auto Prophet on 07 August 2008 05:59:00 PM. © The Auto Prophet

The other day, I parked next to a Smart, and had a chance to look it over up close. One thing that stood out to me is that the thing didn't look well put together. In the front, the plastic panels didn't fit together tightly. Body gaps were large, and various seams and lines were not well aligned. Maybe it was a pre-production unit? Or a Canadian on a visit? I'm not sure. But it was no Mercedes-Benz.

When Saturn used plastic body panels as a trademark feature, many reviewers commented that they had large gaps. For some reason, Smart seems to get away with it.

The Smart ForOne

I guess I'm just not a fan of Smart's design overall. The small wheels and shapeless body don't generate any desire in me at all. Small cars don't have to be ugly, look at the interesting shapes of the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, and Scion xD.

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http://theautoprophet.blogspot.com/2008/08/smart-cars-are-ugly.html

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The 2009 Mercedes-Benz MLS 450 Hybrid: Because
You Vaguely Remember Your Houseboy Mumbling Something About Global Warming

post from Ride Lust - Motion + Mobility on 07 August 2008 05:15:59 PM. © Ride Lust - Motion + Mobility

Not scheduled to make its grand entrance until 2009, the much-anticipated Mercedes-Benz ML 450 2-Mode Hybrid is at the top of almost every upper class Greenie?s wish list. Co-designed with BMW and GM, the Mercedes ML 450 Hybrid will mark the German luxury symbol?s first foray into the eco-friendly world ["Thad, remind our driver [...]

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http://www.ridelust.com/the-2009-mercedes-benz-mls-450-hybrid-because-you-vaguely
-remember-your-houseboy-mumbling-something-about-global-warming/

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Question of the Day: Have You Ever Looked At
Your Owners Manual

post from The Truth About Cars on 07 August 2008 05:06:47 PM. © The Truth About Cars

RF just shot me a press release that claims a Peugeot survey discovered that drivers use their owner's manuals now more than ever. According to their findings, 79 percent of customers have consulted their handbook and learned about features on their cars that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Some 93 percent of drivers [...]

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http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/question-of-the-day-have-you-ever-looked-at-your
-owners-manual/

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Suspend The Regs Not That Easy

post from The Auto Prophet on 07 August 2008 04:56:00 PM. © The Auto Prophet

In a recent article, the automotive industry journalist John McElroy wrote that what the U.S. government should do is suspend its regulations on automobiles so that carmakers could bring their fuel efficient European stuff over here instantly.

In his article, McElroy made it sound like it would just be a matter of Congress passing a bill that suspends regulations. In reality, it wouldn't be that easy, and may not even be desirable. Here are a few reasons:

First, emissions politics. The EPA has set tough emissions standards for cars based on legislation such as the Clean Air Act, as it has been required to do by Congress. In order to suspend the emissions regulations, Congress would have to pass a law that effectively repeals many other laws. California is permitted to set its own more stringent clean air rules because of the curse of the geology of the Los Angeles area, which acts like a smog trapping bowl. European governments, unlike the U.S., have long regulated more for fuel economy than emissions, and as a result, they have lots of diesel vehicles--which won't pass NOX regulations unless complicated and expensive aftertreatment systems (like urea injection) are added.

The environmental lobby will howl that the atmosphere will be dirtied, and it will be a political brawl which will make the ANWR drilling fracas look tiny.

Second, economics. European cars, pound for pound, are quite a bit more expensive than American cars. Partly this is due to Value Added Tax and other levies, but because Europeans are used to paying quite a bit more for their cars, they tend to have more content than their U.S. counterparts. Consider the Honda Civic: in Europe, the Civic comes with standard goodies like ESC, active head restraints, and automatic climate control.

To bring European designs here, carmakers will either have to charge more than people are used to paying, or saveagely decontent vehicles to keep the price down. Already, many people are looking at Smart cars and snickering, because you don't get much for your money compared to domestically produced small cars.

Third, competition. Allowing carmakers to bring European designs here will open the gates for even more brutal competition for the reeling domestic carmakers, and even the well established foreign car makers. Brands like Fiat, Peugot, Citroen, Seat, and Renault, which were long ago defeated could come rushing back like a tidal wave.

Yes, consumers would have many more vehicles to choose from, but our already fragmented marketplace would become even more fragmented, and it would be difficult for anyone to make money.

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http://theautoprophet.blogspot.com/2008/08/suspend-regs-not-that-easy.html

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Cars of the Candidates: Who Drives What

post from Ride Lust - Motion + Mobility on 07 August 2008 03:33:03 PM. © Ride Lust - Motion + Mobility

With the most important election of our lives closing in quickly, we have to take time to reflect on the facts, to set aside the emotions and rhetoric, and get to the very core of the issues. The most important issue of all, obviously, being what cars these men of power choose to [...]

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http://www.ridelust.com/cars-of-the-candidates-who-drives-what/

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Cars of the Candidates: Who Drives What

post from Ride Lust - Motion + Mobility on 07 August 2008 03:20:38 PM. © Ride Lust - Motion + Mobility

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Is anyone dumber than a GM Executive

post from The Truth About Cars on 07 August 2008 03:06:37 PM. © The Truth About Cars

Even though Autosavant's J.S. Smith is "hardly a snarky, cheer-as-the-Titanic-sinks sneerful spectator," he's more than willing to lay into GM hard when they deserve it. And the decision that prompted Smith to assert that "trained monkeys could do better than the crumb-bums in the RenCen," is certainly worth the vitriol. Smith [...]

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http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/is-anyone-dumber-than-a-gm-executive/

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FasTrak/EZ-Pass eToll Transponders Hacked

CNet News reports a FasTrak/EZPass exploit from the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. Millions of older transponders in use have unencrypted RFID chips, allowing a malicious individual to steal ID's and use those accounts to get free tolls using a "cloned" transponder. Transponders can also be reprogrammed on [...]

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http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/fastrakez-pass-etoll-transponders-hacked/

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Another Look At The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

post from eMercedesBenz | The Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog on 07 August 2008 02:30:00 PM. © eMercedesBenz | The Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog

Spy photos of the forthcoming 2010 Mercedes E-Class continue to emerge, with Auto Bild today publishing a fresh look at the 2010 Mercedes E63 AMG. Like prior spy shots, both the headlights and taillights of the next E-Class remain heavily disguised, while the side contours are again relatively distinguishable despite the heavier camouflage over both the front and rear wheel arches. As for the technical details of the 2010 Mercedes E63 AMG, power is expected to be supplied courtesy of the 6.2-Liter AMG V8 featured in the current variant, while 0-62 mph time should remain consistent with the outgoing model (4.5 seconds). Completing the package will most likely be the usual array of AMG-tuned goodness, including a high performance braking system, sport suspension system, etc.

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http://www.emercedesbenz.com/Aug08/07_001325_Another_Look_At_The_2010_Mercedes_Be
nz_E_Class.html

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Dana Wants Out Of Chrysler

After 70 years of doing business together, Chrysler and driveline supplier Dana appear headed for a nasty breakup. Automotive News [sub] reports that Dana has asked a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York to allow it to end its business with Chrysler by the end of this year. Dana, which recently emerged [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/dana-wants-out-of-chrysler/

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