Well, it has finally happened. General Motors has taken home the Golden Calipers as Motor Trend Magazine’s coveted Car of the Year for the first time since the Chevrolet Corvette won back in 1998. According to Motor Trend, “GM has leapt…into the inner sanctum marked ‘The World’s Finest Cars’. For that remarkable achievement, and for making us grin like lottery winners every time we drove it, the Cadillac CTS is our enthusiastic choice for 2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year. Not since Neil and Buzz spiked Old Glory into the lunar dust in 1969, have red, white, and blue ambition and technological prowess looked so good.”
Motor Trend Continues: “The CTS’s winning ways go far beyond its fetching façade. Not only is the CTS the star of a new GM revival, (including such standouts as the 2008 Chevy Malibu and Buick Enclave just to name two) it is a true world car, tested from the Nurburgring in Germany to China, and sold across the globe. Base price is just $32,990, including a 263 horsepower VVT V6, (a 304 horse direct injection version is optional), 8 speaker Bose Audio, 17 inch wheels, and dual zone climate control. By comparison you’ll pay over $33,000 for a base BMW 3 series sedan with just 230 horses, and north of $45,000 for the more comparably sized BMW 528i. GM’s naturally aspirated direct injection V6 enables more power than the twin turbo BMW 535i.”
Cadillac’s new CTS has a lot of things that make it stand out. A 40 Gigabyte hard drive that will play thousands of songs you have stored on it, is available. Or you could record programming directly from your Bose sound system. Ambient lighting offers the ultimate in interior lighting, making it easy to read gauges and find the controls you are looking for, while not compromising your view of the road. Adaptive forward lighting will provide the best possible view of the road ahead at night, giving you a visual lead into turns. An optional pop-up eight-inch, full screen VGA rises out of the center stack. There is also a two row, ultra view sun roof system, available infotainment system on par with the best in the world, and optional “pipe lights”, positioning lamps that deliver distinctive nighttime aesthetics. As well there is OnStar, which can save your life by calling emergency personnel and dispatching them to your location in case of an accident.
As the commercial says, “When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?” The CTS definitely does. I believe Motor Trend put it best when they said, “News flash to automakers in Germany and Japan: The Eagle has landed.”
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
GM’s Green Tech Is Better Than Toyota’s
GM’s Green Tech Is Better Than Toyota’s
At least that is what Mercedes, Chrysler, and BMW think. I am admittedly proud of GM and, for obvious reasons, a bit more than prejudice in favor of the company that manufacturers most of what I sell. In this case I am quoting from an article published by Business Week. The following is some of what they had to say:
That’s right, GM , once a laggard in fuel efficiency technology, is making its nemesis Toyota, the undisputed image leader in fuel efficient transportation, take notice by starting a new and legitimate rivalry for the next generation of hybrid trucks, SUV’s, as well as plug in vehicles. Mercedes Benz, Chrysler and BMW all opted in 2005 to adopt GM’s hybrid technology in a four company venture, rather than to license Toyota’s hybrid hardware.
It may surprise many consumers that companies historically as finicky and image-conscious as Mercedes Benz and BMW would opt for GM’s hybrid technology over Toyota’s. After all, internal studies by GM showed that over 70% of consumers viewed GM as part of the problem when it come to climate change and the impact of automobiles on the environment, while Toyota was viewed as part of the solution.
GM began its hybrid technology program in the shadow of Toyota. The Japanese automaker introduced the Prius in 1998. All the while GM worked on diesel electric hybrid city buses with plans to leverage the technology in full size pick up trucks and SUV’s. Toyota was clearly successful in tapping into consumer desires and in developing a green halo that serves it well today. GM clearly underestimated the marketing power of technology.
Toyota’s hybrid system does not work well for towing or carrying heavy loads. That is why Toyota has not introduced a hybrid version of its full size Tundra pickup. The advantage the GM system has is that the engine speed remains constant while the gears are changing. This is extremely important to a truck or SUV when it is carrying a load or going up hill.
GM may not be known yet for “green” vehicles, but it is on a mission to change that. It was GM, after all that developed the EV-1 electric vehicle. According to David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, “In a few years GM will probably be earning over half a billion dollars a year from other manufacturers in licensing technology, a big portion of which will be related to hybrids and plug-ins.”
This entire story can be read by going to this link. Your comments are welcome.
At least that is what Mercedes, Chrysler, and BMW think. I am admittedly proud of GM and, for obvious reasons, a bit more than prejudice in favor of the company that manufacturers most of what I sell. In this case I am quoting from an article published by Business Week. The following is some of what they had to say:
That’s right, GM , once a laggard in fuel efficiency technology, is making its nemesis Toyota, the undisputed image leader in fuel efficient transportation, take notice by starting a new and legitimate rivalry for the next generation of hybrid trucks, SUV’s, as well as plug in vehicles. Mercedes Benz, Chrysler and BMW all opted in 2005 to adopt GM’s hybrid technology in a four company venture, rather than to license Toyota’s hybrid hardware.
It may surprise many consumers that companies historically as finicky and image-conscious as Mercedes Benz and BMW would opt for GM’s hybrid technology over Toyota’s. After all, internal studies by GM showed that over 70% of consumers viewed GM as part of the problem when it come to climate change and the impact of automobiles on the environment, while Toyota was viewed as part of the solution.
GM began its hybrid technology program in the shadow of Toyota. The Japanese automaker introduced the Prius in 1998. All the while GM worked on diesel electric hybrid city buses with plans to leverage the technology in full size pick up trucks and SUV’s. Toyota was clearly successful in tapping into consumer desires and in developing a green halo that serves it well today. GM clearly underestimated the marketing power of technology.
Toyota’s hybrid system does not work well for towing or carrying heavy loads. That is why Toyota has not introduced a hybrid version of its full size Tundra pickup. The advantage the GM system has is that the engine speed remains constant while the gears are changing. This is extremely important to a truck or SUV when it is carrying a load or going up hill.
GM may not be known yet for “green” vehicles, but it is on a mission to change that. It was GM, after all that developed the EV-1 electric vehicle. According to David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, “In a few years GM will probably be earning over half a billion dollars a year from other manufacturers in licensing technology, a big portion of which will be related to hybrids and plug-ins.”
This entire story can be read by going to this link. Your comments are welcome.
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