Auto Tuning: Irmscher Astra at 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show
Manufacturers are not the only ones who present their designs at auto shows: German tuner, Irmscher Automobilau is going to the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show with the upgrade package for the 2010 Opel Astra. The trim is done so well, that it seems all the details belonged to the model from the very beginning. In fact, Irmscher really has advantage over other tuners: since it is a semi-official in-house Opel tuner, many components for the upgrades are closely integrated with the new vehicles. The same goes to...

Clunkers' ripple effect creates winners, losers | detnews.com | The Detroit News
"Cash for clunkers" gave the struggling auto business a big lift in August, but the federal rebate program touched many other industries as well -- helping some and hurting others. Consumers who traded in gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient models got as much as $4,500 cash back, leading to the first year-over-year gain in monthly auto sales in nearly two years. The impact of the program, which ended Aug. 24 when government funding ran out, continues to be felt across other parts of the economy. Scrap...

FJ Cruiser: Only for serious off-roaders | detnews.com | The Detroit News
The M1A2 Abrams tank has better visibility than the 2009 FJ Cruiser. It's not really a fair comparison -- the tank includes high-tech optics to operate its 120 mm smooth bore gun and the FJ Cruiser has a windshield slightly larger than a basement window. Having had the opportunity to ride in the tank recently, I can tell you that it can spin its turret in a few seconds, providing 360 degrees of vision, and that it would never be parallel parked. The FJ Cruiser, meanwhile, now comes with a backup camera...

Auto czar to take manufacturing helm | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- President Barack Obama will announce today that he's tapping his chief auto adviser to try to revitalize the struggling U.S. manufacturing sector. Ron Bloom will assume the title of senior counselor for manufacturing policy, in addition to his role as senior adviser on the President's Task Force on the Automotive Industry. Obama said in a statement Sunday that the manufacturing sector expanded in August for the first time in 18 months and had the highest monthly output in two years. "It's a sign that...

Building a classic cruiser from the frame up | detnews.com | The Detroit News
So you want to drive your own classic car in next year's Woodward Dream Cruise, but you can't find a mid-'50s Chevy or early-'30s hot-rod ready to be restored. Don't worry, you can buy all of the components and build your own brand-new classic. Since the late 1950s, Experi-Metal Inc. of Sterling Heights has been supplying automakers with stamped metal components -- body panels and trim -- used in the construction of prototype vehicles. Because automakers have yet to produce the tools needed to stamp out...

Keeping up sales after 'clunkers' | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Now that the "cash for clunkers" program is over, the big question is whether American consumers will slump back into unconsciousness as the adrenaline jolt of the government incentive wears off. Last month the annualized U.S. sales rate topped 13 million units, as buyers flocked to showrooms to take advantage of up to $4,500 in discounts under the program. That sales rate looks pretty impressive considering it had dipped to below 10 million earlier this year. The problem is that the auto industry had...

FJ Cruiser: Only for serious off-roaders | detnews.com | The Detroit News
The M1A2 Abrams tank has better visibility than the 2009 FJ Cruiser. It's not really a fair comparison -- the tank includes high-tech optics to operate its 120 mm smooth bore gun and the FJ Cruiser has a windshield slightly larger than a basement window. Having had the opportunity to ride in the tank recently, I can tell you that it can spin its turret in a few seconds, providing 360 degrees of vision, and that it would never be parallel parked. The FJ Cruiser, meanwhile, now comes with a backup camera...

NHTSA: Automatic reversing windows unnecessary | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has tentatively decided not to require automatic reversing windows, the agency said Friday. In 2008, Congress required NHTSA to study whether to require power windows to reverse direction when they detect an obstruction, to prevent children from being trapped, injured, or killed. But NHTSA says another regulation in place since last fall makes automatic reversing windows unnecessary. "The agency has tentatively determined that the scope of the power...

Mercedes Is Going to Assemble F-CELL Vehicles
Mercedes-Benz has announced that it plans to launch the production of B-Class F-CELL vehicles in the end of this year. The German manufacturer is joining efforts with Honda in the work on this new project. The production will be limited: Mercedes wants to make only 200 cars as a first try and ship them to American and European customers in the beginning of 2010. Previously there was a plan to sell compact B-Class to the U.S., but it had to be postponed. F-CELL or hydrogen-powered electric autos have...

Automaker Think emerges from bankruptcy | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Plans to sell the Think electric car in the U.S., and possibly build them in Michigan, are being revived with the Norwegian company's imminent emergence from bankruptcy protection. Production of a two-seat, all-electric car in Norway was halted when Think sought bankruptcy protection in December. On Thursday, courts there approved the debt settlement plan of the carmaker, enabling it to exit court protection. "Effectively, this puts Think back in business and in a position to resume normal operations in...