Green-off: Hybrid models put to the test | detnews.com | The Detroit News
"I want a hybrid." I've heard that from more than one reader, and I have come to realize that most people don't really know a thing about hybrids. Not all hybrids are created equal and not every hybrid will fit into every garage the same. First, let's define "hybrid." These are cars that run on gas and electric drivetrains. Some carmakers don't like the idea of hybrids because they have to create two powertrains for a single vehicle. Consumers, however, don't seem to mind. These cars are not the final...

Mercedes C-Class might Be Built in the U.S.
While American auto manufacturers are moving their production to Mexico and China, the foreign companies come to the U.S. to assemble cars in the country where they are going to be sold. It appears to be cheaper to move the production to the U.S. than to import the assembled vehicles from other countries. Mercedes-Benz has just announced that it also wants to expand production of C-Class vehicles to the North American country. The plan is in the consideration right now, but if it is approved, the...

Drivers Give Names to Cars
According to the survey held by Swinton, the British leading high street retailer of car insurance, 80% of drivers give some kind of pet name to their vehicle. The majority of cars with “names” belong to women: 88% ladies tend to make up a name for their autos. Mainly the choice is based on the color of the vehicle, but some prefer to call it after a favorite celebrity 13% or after the driver’s lover 4%. It is also interesting, since English language does not give genders to nouns, people can make...

Magna Is Building Parts for Mercedes SLS
Magna Steyr is a big company, known for building parts for such vehicles as BMW X3, Saab 9-3 convertible, Chrysler 300C and Jeep Grand Cherokee. It also gained popularity in headlines after having teamed up with Russian VAZ and purchased Opel from General Motors. Now the company is growing more and plans to start partnership with other auto manufacturers. The Canadian-Austrian auto parts giant has settled an agreement with Mercedes-Benz which gives it permission to build aluminum bodies for...

Automakers are using more recycled materials | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Detroit's automakers are finding new uses for worn-out jeans, discarded plastic bottles and manufacturing rubbish -- they're recycling them for use in new vehicle parts. With the rage over going green hitting the marketplace, auto companies are looking for ways to make their vehicles more sustainable, not just under the hood but behind the wheel. They're incorporating more recycled materials into interiors, upholstery and moldings, and partnering with suppliers to develop new bio-based products to...

Mayor Bing's SUV lease criticized | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- Mayor Dave Bing is now being chauffeured in a $59,205 Yukon XL Denali delivered to the city on Wednesday, a move that is drawing criticism from unions and his rival in the Nov. 3 election. The mayor's staffers say the decision to lease the SUV with heated-leather seats, a Bose stereo system and satellite radio is out of his hands because Police Department officials say they need it to do their job. "It is the Police Department's decision. This is their requirement," said Karen Dumas, the mayor's...

Detroit conference to focus on plug-in electric vehicles | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders looking for ways to plug into the emerging electric vehicle market will find an outlet this week. Starting Monday, more than 600 people will descend on the MotorCity Casino in Detroit for a three-day conference dedicated to the making, marketing and deployment of plug-in electric vehicles. The inaugural event, called "The Business of Plugging In," brings together leaders from the automotive and utility industries, as well as researchers, policymakers...

Road rage's causes and prevalence debatable | detnews.com | The Detroit News
After watching yet another car whiz past me, while I -- and hundreds of other well-behaved Detroiters -- waited patiently in a construction zone on I-696 near Van Dyke, I was proud of the general politeness of the other drivers. There were narcissists, for sure, but none of us who were passed dished out vigilante justice by shooting out the tires of the offending drivers. This reality presented a sharp contrast to a recent survey I came across. In the annual AutoVantage Road Rage Survey, Detroit ranked...

Subtext of a driving hazard | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- To boss: "u will hv story in 5 mins" To husband: "u pickd up m yet? u r l8 4 class!" Phone rings: "Hello? Hi, Mom. Yes, yes, we're fine. The boys are fine. No, the weather is good. If you saw it on the Weather Channel, why are you calling me to ask? Yes, I'll make sure the boys wear jackets. Gotta go, Mom, I'll call you back." To boss: "ok gimme 10 mins" From husband: "whats 4 dinner 2nite?" OK, not responding to that one. So here it is -- my multitasking confessional. Driving, talking, texting. Oh...

Small cars need work to outdo '90s model | detnews.com | The Detroit News
I have this hot car fantasy that just won't go away. Oddly, it doesn't involve a Porsche 911 and an autobahn. Nor an Audi TT on the Pacific Coast Highway. Not even -- in what will come as a shock to many who know my "Mad Men" fixation -- Don Draper and a 1963 Cadillac Eldorado. No, I daydream about downshifting off Ford Road and wheeling my own 1997 Escort to the apex of the crescent-shaped drive at Ford Motor Co.'s Dearborn headquarters, eagerly awaited by a huddle of senior managers and designers. In...