August 2010

Talk show host first Corvette engine builder

(August 27, 2010) DETROIT — Todd Schnitt’s fifth Corvette will be unlike any he has had before because he will personally help build the 638-horsepower supercharged small block engine for his ZR1 supercar  at the General Motors Performance Build Center.

Schnitt, host of a Tampa-based syndicated radio show, purchased the recently announced optional Corvette Engine Build Experience. He will be on the line at the PBC in Wixom, Mich., on Monday, Aug. 30.

Rare reptile stowaway in auto parts shipment

(August 26, 2010) ROYAL OAK, Mich. — A rare reptile, believed to be a stowaway in a shipment of auto parts from Mexico, has found a new home at the Detroit Zoo.  A Yucatan spiny-tailed iguana was spotted scurrying across the loading dock at the Ford Motor Company’s Van Dyke Transmission Plant on July 29.  The reptile can only be found in a 1,200-square-mile range of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Garmin recalls nüvi brand of navigation devices

(August 26, 2010) AOL’s Daily Finance reported that Garmin is recalling 1.25 million personal navigation units because of the potential for fires caused by overheated batteries, the company said Wednesday.

Nearly 800,000 of the affected devices were sold in the U.S., it said.

 David Schepp who authored the story notes that Garmin is the U.S.'s largest maker of such navigation products.

Chrysler enters the police vehicle sweepstakes

(August 26, 2010) America’s high-performance police vehicle — the all-new 2011 Dodge Charger Pursuit — has arrived.

The all-new Dodge Charger Pursuit’s performance suspension tuning, heavy-duty anti-lock vented-disc brakes, front- and rear-stabilizer bars, 18-inch performance tires on steel wheels and two-mode police-specific Electronic Stability Control ) calibration make it hot-pursuit ready.

Toyota wants to reach 5 million hybrid sales by mid decade

(August 25, 2010) Toyota said today it wants to reach cumulative sales of 5 million hybrid vehicles in the early part of this decade, Reuters has reported.

Toyota said earlier this month it had sold more than 2.68 million hybrid vehicles globally since it launched the first model in 1997.

Investigation opened into Jeep Grand Cherokee fuel tanks

(August 25, 2010) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation to determine if fuel tanks in more than 3 million Jeep Grand Cherokees pose a fire hazard.

The probe covers 1993-2004 Grand Cherokees and is in response to a petition filed in October by the Center for Auto Safety.

Auto sales to dip slightly, J.D. Power forecasts

(August 24, 2010) J.D. Power and Associates predicts August will see auto sales dip slightly from July, but remain above the selling rate from the first half of 2010.

The California research and marketing firm predicts August new-vehicle retail sales will be 857,000 units, which represents a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 8.9 million units, down from July's selling rate of 9.2 million units.

GM, Chinese partner deveveloping new small engine

(August 24, 2010) SHANGHAI, China – General Motors and SAIC Motor Corp. (SAIC Motor) are expanding their partnership to develop a new small-displacement gasoline engine family and an advanced transmission.

The agreement, signed Aug. 17 in Shanghai by GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Operations Tom Stephens and SAIC President Chen Hong, represents a significant milestone that expands GM and SAIC’s relationship into powertrain development. 

GM to invest $20 million in Bay City powertrain facility

(August 24, 2010) BAY CITY, Mich. — General Motors has announced a $20 million investment in its Bay City powertrain operations to produce camshafts for the next generation Ecotec engine, bringing new investment at the plant to $62.5 million this year.

Mitsubishi launches Outlander Facebook contest

(August 24, 2010) One contestant may be a mouse click away from winning a free trip for two to Mitsubishi's homeland of Japan.

To mark the launch of the all-new 2011 Outlander Sport compact crossover, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is launching "Win a Trip to Japan and Preview the All-New Outlander Sport Sweepstakes."