Future Scion?

 Scion would be the best choice for introducing Toyota's new citycar, the Aygo. It's got a 67bhp three cylinder motor, weighs 1740 lbs, and gets 51mpg in the european test cycle. Of course, 0-60 takes a little while, 14.9 seconds, but in a city car when are you going to get up to 60mph anyways? If mileage is what you're after, along with a sense of style, a Scion Aygo would be perfect.



 Scion has the hip, urban image among Toyota's marques, and I believe this would compliment the curent line up. If there's one thing that Scion has accomplished, it (along with Mini) has made a small car be seen as more than just basic transportation. There's been the Subaru Justy, the Ford Festiva, Geo Metro, Dodge Colt, Toyota Tercel, up to Chevrolet's current Aveo, and they have all been produced and marketed as basic, low-cost transportation. Scion has changed that, making entry-level cars into objects of desire, not something you bought because it was the cheapest thing on the lot.



 The current cost of fuel just makes it even more compelling to bring this car over. There's not a lot of fuel misers for sale, most having died out as the SUV craze took hold. It's time to bring them back.

9-11

Timing Is Everything

 There's only one major Japanese car manufacturer not represented in the United States, and that's little Daihatsu.

 Focused solely on compact vehicles, they tried entering the US market in the late eighties (1988-1992), but were unsuccessful. The Charade was an unremarkable machine, although the Rocky SUV garnered some attention before the brand faded away. With the recent upsurge in the price of a gallon of the go-go juice, might not now be the time to re-enter the largest automobile market in the world?

 If gas stays above the $3.00 mark, it just might be. With Toyota holding a 51.2% stake in Daihatsu could there be some future Scions based off Daihatsu models? Chances are nothing will happen, especially since it was recently announced that Daihatsu would be pulling out of Australia due to dismal sales, but I kinda miss little Daihatsu. They make some funky little cars, especially the Copen.

Bold? More Like Bland

 Here's the Fusion, Ford's supposed next big thing.



 According to Ford, this is bold, passionate design. Sorry, three vertical bars making up the grill does not make people want a car on an emotional level. What's really sad is that the basis for the Fusion does have passion, the Mazda 6.



 The Fusion is not going to be the equivalent of the 1986 Taurus in terms of style impact, anf that's what Ford really needs right now. Back in the eighties Ford led in styling while Chrysler cars were all formal and frumpy. It's reversed now, something Ford should never have let happen. Hell, even Volvo's have a dash of passion in their design, who could have predicted that? C'mon Ford, you're better than this.

Picture Worth A Thousand Words

 In response to Aaron's comment, it's always mystifying when one misses the point of a post entirely. Here's Aaron's comment...

Place the blame where it actually belongs? How about Bush slashing the budget for repairing levee breaches year after year, and $45M this year alone. Yes, the local government has known about this for years. That's why they've been telling the feds, for years, that they needed help fixing the levees. That's why the Army Corps of Engineers agreed with him. Bush stuck his head in the sand and now claims "no one could have know" the levees would be breached by a major hurricane. I place the blame squarely on his administration and party.

 Levees breaching is part of the worst case scenario, something the local government knew would happen, so they called for a mandatory evacuation. Over 10,000 people showed up at the Superdome to use it as a "shelter of last resort", while just a mile away were sitting these.



 Would it not have made sense to evacuate people with these, considering it was a mandatory evacuation? The estimates were over 10,000 people showing up at the 'dome, why weren't the busses lined up and taking people out of New Orleans then, instead of making them suffer. For that matter, if you didn't plan on bussing people out, why wasn't there a supply of food at the 'dome? Surely there was a supermarket they could use to get a bunch of canned goods and bottled water. I don't care what you feel for Bush, the local government failed in their job, to the point of being criminally negligent. We deserve better from our local elected officials.

Katrina Planning

 With all the blame games going on about the disaster in New Orleans, it's important to realize that this event should not have been a suprise for the local government. They have known since hurricane Georges in 1998 what the results of a worst-case scenario would be, but apparently no one planned on what to do once it happened.

 If you've ever had to go fix something that someone else messed up, you know how much harder it is than if you could have done it right from the start. That's what the federal government is now facing, fixing the situation after the local government dropped the ball. If you want to lay the blame, put it where it actually belongs, or evevn better, stop worrying about blame and just get busy helping out fixing the problem.

Washing Away, special report from the Times-Picayune, 5-part series published June 23-27,2002

What Ford Used To Be

 The Ford Iosis, it's everything the 500 should be, but isn't.


 This would have been a worthy successor to the Taurus styling legacy, instead we get the plain Jane 500. Ford really needs to stop dropping the ball and start leading the way again.

Ten Commandments Of The Renault Owner

These are so applicable for almost any car...


I Thou shalt have no other cars before me.

II Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven images of Chevys, nor of Pontiacs nor of Oldsmobiles, nor of anything that is made by GM; Thou shalt not bow down to them or serve them, for the Renault is a jealous car.

III Thou shalt not take the name of the Renault in vain, even though they forsake thee and send thee no parts.

IV Remember thy oil changes, and keep them faithfully. 3000 Miles shalt thou drive and do all thy errands, but then shalt thy Renault rest and have its oil changed.

V Honor thy 13mm wrench and thy Phillips screwdriver that thy Renault's days may be long in the land of the living.

VI Thou shalt not kill Renaults by driving them in the salt.

VII Thou shalt not commit adultery in the back seat, lest thou hurt thyself, for it is far too cramped back there. And remember ye the benefits of reclining bucket seats.

VIII Thou shalt not steal engines from Chevys for use in Renaults, for this is an abomination.

IX Thou shalt not bear false witness about thy 0-60 time.

X Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's Miata, nor his Del Sol, nor his BMW Z3, nor his Mercedes SLK, nor his Volkswagen Cabriolet, nor any Renault that is thy neighbors. Thou shalt fix up thine own instead, and make thy neighbor covet it.

Pray For New Orleans

 Here is the National Weather Service warning for hurricane Katrina. This is going to be a major disaster.

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA

DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL... LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED.

Pinto Bashing?

 It has a nice logo. After more than a week that's the only nice thing I can think of about the Ford Pinto. I've searched the web, gone through my mental databank, and talked to other enthusiasts, all to no avail. It's the first car that's stumped me. Sorry Big Ford Fan, maybe if someone out there owns a Pinto and wants to take me for a ride I can come up with something!



Related Sites

Ford Pinto.com

Ford Truck World's April Fools Pinto Page

We Hardly Got To Renault You!

 The French are not very popular in the US today, and they make some quirky little automobiles that most Americans just don't understand. If you're feeling like some French motoring, but don't want to support the surrender monkeys, I've got the car for you!



 It's the Renault GTA, designed by the French but built by UAW members in Wisconsin, it's French pastry baked by Yankees. Only made for one model year, 1987, it's a truly rare vehicle. It's 2.0 liter engine puts 95 horses to the ground, not exactly awe inspiring, but from all accounts the car's a hoot to drive.

 If you actually consider purchasing a GTA, there's some things you'll need to know. Reliability, or lack of it, haunted the Renault Alliance, the basis for the GTA, which means you'll probably be doing repairs, often. Just getting the parts can be a challenge also. Are you up to it?

Related Links

AMX Files info on the GTA

AMX Files info on the Renault/AMC alliance

Cartography, Part 2 : Alpha

 The first one is always special. It matters not what kind of car it is, the fact that it's yours is what makes it significant. Ideally, it should be something that you've worked for, sweat and tears, scrimping and saving every penny until the day of attainment arrives. If your parents outright buy it for you, it's just not the same and your appreciation is diminished as a result.


Good ole' American Iron

 Powder blue was her color. The engine bay housed a 302 cubic inch V8 mated to a four speed automatic transmission. Not a Ford Mustang, my first baby was a 1977 Ford Granada 2-door coupe, a vehicle that ford touted as a domestic equivalent of a Mercedes-Benz. Ad agency hyperbole aside, she was a sweet ride to this once 16 year old driver.


Click for larger view

 A decade had passed under her tires by the time she resided in my driveway, which in northeast Ohio meant rust. It wasn't too bad, but it did irk the hell out of me. I purchased chrome polish to try and remove the surface corrosion from the bumpers, and it polished so well it removed the chrome itself. It was your typical blue-haired old lady car, never venturing far from the Cleveland area. Never abused, she was broken in gently and thus balked at the heavier right foot of it's new owner. Full throttle produced a plume of black smoke from the exhaust, but damn did that V8 sound sweet.


If only mine looked this good

 I can still remember sweltering summer days spent detailing my precious, caressing the sheetmetal. The vinyl bench seat was splitting in a couple of areas, so my first "mod" was a set of seat covers. My next mod was much more radical, the quintessential late 80's accessory, a suction cup Garfield on the driver's side opera window. I was cruising in style!


Vinyl was king in those days

 Two years of my life were spent with that car, taking me through high school and my formtive driving years. I learned what hydroplaning was, how to get unstuck in snow by using the floormats, the unadulterated joy of donuts on an empty parking lot in winter, and that E really does stand for empty. Never once did she fail me, a miracle for a late 70's domestic model.



 One day I'm going to buy another Granada and restore her to her original glory, reunited once again with my first car.

Cartography, Part 1 : Genesis

 It all has to start somewhere. The spark that ignites a lifelong passion. For me it was my parent's 1981 Toyota Celica. They also owned an inferno orange Ford Pinto, and it was these two cars that shaped the foundation of my automotive enthusiasm.


Mercury Bobcat, sister to the Ford Pinto

 The Pinto was a perfect example of everything that was wrong with Detroit in the late 70's. Being twelve years old meant a lot of backseat time, and the Pinto was as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. It was cheap, bargain basement cheap, apparently the designers believed that no one would actually ride in the back, that, or someone at the factory forget to install a lot of trim pieces.


Bobcat cockpit, more luxurious than the Pinto

 The occasions where my father let me "drive" while sitting on his lap only highlighted the dreary cockpit. Somehow my dad had purchased this abomination, and I never understood why.


Toyota Celica (It's a 1978, not a 1981, but close enough)

 The Celica was always the preferred method of transportation. The interior was trimmed in black, just like the Pinto, but here the materials and design communicated an attention to detail that the Ford lacked. Thought and regard for the passengers had guided the creation of the cockpit, and even a twleve year old kid could tell. The instrument cluster even contained a tachometer and a clock!


This is more like it

 Riding in the Pinto always came with a dose of shame, the feeling that somehow my parents were duped into the acquisition, whereas the Celica was always a source of pride. That little car was the beginning, an introduction to he world of the automobile and the joys it can bring to life. I owe that car a lot.


Gone but not forgotten

Damned If You Do...

 Showing once again that enviromentalists really don't get it, they're vowing to continue to fight the dual fuel vehicles program. Dual fuel vehicles can run on gasoline and another fuel, usualy ethanol, giving consumers the ability to use gasoline in case they can't find the alternative fuel. Problem is, apparently 99% of the time these cars are using gasoline "due to the lack of availability of other fuels."

 Somehow this is the fault of the automakers. They get a credit for CAFE for every dual fuel vehicle they sell, so they must be oppressing the availability of alternative fuels! The fault, as always happens in a free economy, lies with consumers. If there was a demand for alternative fuels, there would be more places to get the stuff. Logically wouldn't these groups efforts be better spent on educating consumers about the availability of dual fuel vehicles to create a demand for alternative fuels? Nah, it's easier to blame someone else and bitch about it than to actually do something about the problem.

Whatever Happened To... Off-Center Hood Bulges?

 In 1989 The Ford Probe debuted, and in the minds of many there was a blemish on an otherwise sleek design. On the hood were two small bulges, giving clearance for the shock towers , apparently the design team wanted a lower hood than was possible and decided it was easier to fit the bulges rather than redesign the suspension.

 The next year the trio from Normal, Illinois arrived, the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, and PLymouth Laser. If you opted for a turbocharged version, you received a car with a prominent bulge on the driver's side of the hood, again a measure to allow clearance, this time for the turbo. Strangely, this "Power Bulge" ended up being a standar feature on every model of the Diamond Star coupes, with or without the turbo. The blemish had become a performance statement. Was the bulge here to stay? Not quite.

 It was used on a few more cars, like the Chrsyler P-Bodies, but was soon to fade. Probably viewed as the automotive eqivalent of acne by designers, the bulge quickly died away, a shame too. People really seemed to like 'em.

P Is For Possibilities

 V-6, an alphanumeric combination that promises speed an smoothness, especially compared to the lowly I-4 (inline four). In the automotive kingdom, V-6 is almost never associated with economy models, but Chrysler did exactly that with the Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance Duster, the P-Bodies.



 For the enthusiast there's only two models that need to be considered, the SHadow ES and Sundance Duster. Equipped with Mitsubishi's 3.0 Liter V-6, and a stiffer suspension with upgraded tires, they're not the most stylish sedans available, but make very good pocket rockets.



 The Duster usually came in darker colors, making it Plymouth's version of the Stealth fighter, a sneaky package that can keep up with Mustangs and Camaro's if handled correctly, all without the go-go graphics and looks that cause a policeman's hand to reflexively go for his ticketbook. P is definitely for possibilities when it comes to the P-Bodies.

Related Links

Allpar's Page on The Shadow/Sundance

P-Body Enthusiast Page

Obscure Ford Marques

 You would think that Canada would have the same brands as the United States when it comes to cars, but that's not been the case. Ford had three marques that were not available in the US, the Meteor, the Monarch, and the Frontenac. They were all dead by the 1970's, and you never hear about them today. Weird, eh?

SIze Does Matter

 Here at RIDE we believe cars should be fun. Our version of fun follows the less is more theory. The Mazda Miata is the classic example, fun because it handles well, not because it uses brute force to overcome inertia.

 It's not a very popular theme in America, where no replacement for displacement seems to be the 11th commandment. Being a student at NADC (Nashville Auto Diesel College), I run into this all the time. My classmates and I were talking about cars, and I mentioned the Mada MX-3 with the 1.8 liter V6. Lithe and light, it's a car that lives for the corners. The reaction I received was that the car sucked, when you hit the gas pedal it didn't push you back into your seat. They're the type of car nuts who would stuff a domestic V8 into a Mazda RX7, destroying the near 50/50 weight distribution in favor of horsepower.

 They have no idea what fun is to be had by taking a car near it's handling limits. Fast in a straight line is fun, for a little while, but like life itelf, there's always a curve up ahead. A two ton muscle car is subject to the same laws of physics that a Mazda Miata is, no matter how many ponies are under the hood.

Si Habla Scion?

 In a move to counter Toyota's Scion division, Nissan announced two new models coming in 2007. A hatchback based off the Sport Concept concept car, and a sedan. Two Japanese models were considered, the Cube and the Tiida, but were rejected. The new models will be built in Mexico.

 The Tiida was rejected as being too Japanese, but it's more likely it's too boring. Looks like a melted Toyota Matrix.



 The Cube is the model they should bring over. Even funkier than the Scion xB, I think it would sell well, but apparently Nissan thinks it's too small.



 I think it would be a winner!

Going Where No Satellite Has Gone Before

 Harley-Davidson announced it's new Sreamin' Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide (that's a mouthful!) model will come standard with XM satellite radio. Owner's get three months of service free. No more listening to the local AM stations while you're cruising in the middle of nowhere.

The Future's So Bright, Again

 Hella, the light manufacturer, has won an award for it's LED headlamp. Expect to see this on cars before the decade is out. Due to the durability of LED's, you may never have to change your headlight again!

2 Swift, 2 Furious

 Brought to you by the guys at RedlineGTI.com comes a parody of 2 Fast 2 Furious, called 2 Swift, 2 Furious, something to give you a little chuckle on a Sunday.

Enthusiast

 The '71-'74 Toyota Corolla, lovingly known as the mango body because of it's shape, is the subject of Tom Carter's website. This is probably one of the cleanest examples on the road.



 Tom has plenty of information on what he's done to his Corollas, with links to sites for parts, a handy reference. I also love the section on Performance Driving and Safety On The Road.



 Now that's a clean engine bay!

Stylish SUV

  Fiat is introducing an SUV, developed with help from Suzuki. Based on the new Swift, which has received good reviews, it's a shame we won't see it here in the USA.

Dennis Deferrals

  Ford and Mazda credit are offering customers in eleven counties declared as federal disaster areas due to hurricane Dennis two month deferrals. It's not much if your house has been blown away, but it will definitely help.

New Models

  Buell announced two new models for 2006, the Ulysses and the Lightning Long. The Ulysses is an adventure style bike along the lines of the Triumph Tiger, new territory for Buell. The Lightning Long is an extended version of the Lightning, stretched to improve comfort. This brings Buell up to eight models for 2006. After all the bad news about the domestic auto industry, it's nice to see one of the home team being successful.

Sales Figures

 The effect of the Employee Discount programs is turning out to be increased market share for the Big 3, with sales for the month of July up dramatically, but this is a silver cloud with a dark lining. GM is up 42%, Ford 27%, and Chrysler up 11%, but instead of hurting the sales of the Japanese Big 3, their sales are also up, Toyota at 17%, Nissan at 16%, and Honda at 22%.

 What thi means is that people who were originally going to buy a domestic model anyways bought their car earlier than they originally planned, but conquest sales didn't happen. Look for a big drop in August sales when the discount programs end. As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"

Glass Menagerie

 The Volkwagen Phaeton may not be the most successful vehicleever, but the factory where it is assembled has to be seen to be believed.



Click for large view

 There's an article about it in the latest issue of Autospeed, a weekly web publication ($34.26 for 50 Issues), so you have to pay to read the full article, but I find it a good magazine worth the subscription.



 The building is mostly glass, the floors ar wooden, and the cars are individually hand assembled.



 The bins that you see in the pictures are automated, moving to different stations around the car, guided by magnetic sensors under the floor. The factory is located in Dresden, Germany, though the article doesn't state if you have to be purchasing a Phaeton to take a tour. Let's hope not.

Pulse In Volts

 Your turn the key in the ignition, but nothing happens. No click, no idiots lights are illuminated, nothing. Chances are it's a dead battery. Of course, you get out, flip open the hood, and fiddle with some stuff. Maybe it will magically start working again, but you know better. If you're lucky, it's only the battery that's dead, and not a failed alternator that's caused the problem.

 As you return to the driver's seat, you run your hand along the front fender. The steel (or maybe plastic, depending on your car) feels strangely cold, lifeless. The spark of life is missing, and that's closer to the truth than is often realized.

 On most cars the frame and sometimes the sheetmetal itself acts as a wire, completing the circuit for the electronics. With your battery dead, billions of tiny little electrons have stopped travelling through the frame and sheetmetal. Like a terminal patient in the hospital, there is no pulse.

 Fortunately for us car nuts, all it takes is a new battery to bring our baby back to life.

The Future's So LED Bright

 LED tail-lights are showing up on more cars and motorcycles, and there's a simple reason why, but probably not the reason you think.



 It's not cost,as they are more expensive than regular lights, although they do last a great deal longer than conventional lights. It's because of the plethora of electronic devices showing up in our vehicles. Navigation systems, tracton control, stability control, ABS brakes, all of this plus the more sophisticated computers runnig cars are taxing the electrical systems of modern vehicles. Today vehicles operate on 12 volt electrical systems, which are rated at 800 to 1500 watts, but it's estimated that future cars will require 3,00 to 7,000 watts, something a 12 V system just can't handle.

 The next step up will be 42 Volts, which is the equivalent of three 12V (12*3=36) batteries, since todays batteries are actually 14V (14*3=42), even though it's stated as 12V. Bigger batteries are on he way, and during the transition you might see cars with two batteries, one to provide power to the systems that require 42V (power steering, traction control,brake, and engine cooling systems) and a regular 14V battery to provide the spark to power low-load systems (lights, power door locks, radios).

 Imagins trying to jump-start a car with two batteries!

The Forgotten Mustang

 It was only made for a few years, and is the antithesis of what a muscle car should be, but the Mustang SVO showed that Ford could think differently.



 My Ford Dreams has a link to a story about the SVO. It's worth a read, and check out the saga of the Wankel rotary powered Stang, too!!

Umm, Wow

 Volkswagen has updated the new Beetle. Ta da...



 Wow, look at all the differences from the old new Beetle...



 If you can't really tell, why do it?

New Additions

 There's been several additions to the link list lately, and it seems almost every month I find a new automotive or motorcycle related blog. When I started RIDE on September 1st, 2002, most blogs were of the "geek" variety. The bloggong avalanche was just starting, and I blogged about cars and motorcycles alone. There was only 14 websites that I linked to that were even remotely associated with motor vehicles.

 It's nice not to be alone anymore!

Sobering Numbers

 Read an article that sums up GM's problems quite nicely. This part puts it all in a nutshell...

 GM execs doled out $7 billion for capital spending and research and development last year, vs. $15.3 billion for Toyota. The portion of that spent in North America gets spread over GM's 89 auto models and eight divisions, compared with Toyota's 26 nameplates in three divisions. Toyota models average sales of 80,000 units a year in the U.S., whereas GM squeezes out just 52,000 sales per model on average. And Toyota models stay on the market for an average of three years before their next redesign, compared with nearly four for GM's cars.

 The basic point is that GM is just too big, and needs to shrink. I've seen reports that killing off Oldsmobile has not helped GM, but looking at the numbers it now seems that the death of Oldsmobile was just a drop in the bucket, and keeping the division around would have only diluted the R&D dollars even thinner. To truly reach parity it looks like GM would have to kill off several divisions, not just one or two.

 Every month the news about GM seems to grimmer and grimmer. It's looking more likely that the automotive industry in America is going to be changing, massively, and that's without considering the impact of a Chinese invasion of cheap cars.

Car Wars

 With the release of the final Star Wars just around the corner, here's a bit of car related Star Wars memorabilia, the Star Wars Celica.



 Created by a Southern California dealership as the grand prize for a "Space Fantasy Sweepstakes", current whereabouts are unknown. There's now legions of wannabe Jedi's who are going to search all over for this thing.