Category: Cars

The $33K 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid

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Dan Nell takes a drive in the new Toyota Camry Hybrid:

Like a Trojan horse, Camry sneaks gas-saving radicalism into a trusted American staple.

By certain lights, the 2007 Camry Hybrid is not particularly revolutionary. Here we have a nicely equipped, 3,637-pound, five-passenger sedan with 192 horsepower, costing about $30,000 (final pricing has yet to be confirmed). Styling reminds me of the old Merle Travis song: So round, so firm, so fully packed. The ride and handling are straight-up Pink Floyd: comfortably numb.

Turbocharging

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Don Sherman:

The turbocharger recently turned 100 and the supercharger is even older. And despite their long histories, neither seems a clear winner.

Which is best suited to a vehicle depends on the intended use. With both alternatives at their disposal, engineers consider cost, driving characteristics and the space available under the hood to determine which system belongs where. Even on the same basic engine, the choice may change depending on the vehicle in which it will be used.

General Motors Death Watch

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Robert Farago:

It’s increasingly obvious that this necessary (not to say inevitable) “restructuring” will have to wait until GM goes under. The General’s generals made that clear when they reacted to Turnaround King Jerry York’s suggestion that GM should deep-six or sell their Saab and Hummer brands. GM execs dismissed the idea with the PR equivalent of a derisive snort. Marketing Maven Monster Mark LaNeve, a man whose comments about GM’s pricing strategy sound a lot like a snake-handler speaking in tongues, assured the press that “all GM’s brands will eventually be profitable.” Bet your bottom dollar? Done. GM has mortgaged its future on baseless brand optimism.

Harsh. We’ll see how it plays out.

Detroit International Auto Show Coverage

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There’s an extraordinary amount of coverage online. I find the styling exercises interesting – sort of a look into the soul of these companies, or, at the very least their views on what the public wants:

Joe White looks at the challenges facing Ford and GM. Interestingly, Ford is showing a very large truck concept, the Super Chief that can run on traditional gas, ethanol or hydrogen.

The Road Ahead: Safer, Snazzier, Smarter Cars

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Bill Vlasic:

The pace of change isn’t limited to the vehicle itself, but also how it is designed, engineered, manufactured and sold.

With automakers fighting fiercely for new customers in the U.S. market, innovation can mean the difference between success and failure.

“The ability of the industry to create variety at a low cost is greater than it ever has been,” said David Cole, director of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. “The cost of risk is decreasing.”

Boomers Impact on Car Design

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Chris Paukert:

But to the rapidly aging Baby Boomer population, a plunging windowline and promises of 120hp/liter aren’t what matters: strong door hinges and louder warning chimes are. So says Automotive Body Repair News (ABRN), which examines (and predicts) the effect of a growing senior populace on the face of car design.
Advances in active and passive safety top the list of retiree-friendly developments, along with primary and secondary controls that are easier to operate for those with decreasing motor and visual skills. Among the ideas already gaining traction are: