Sunday, April 20, 2014

Europe car sales rise as recovery "is more widely"

Europe car sales rise as recovery
The recovery in the European Union led automotive industry until March, the latest figures show, with rapidly rising sales in Spain and Great Britain and a recovery in the mass market provide some need much acclaim for the region of car manufacturers.

Car sales in the European Union posting an increase of 10.6 percent over the same period increased for a seventh month in a row in March in the year 2013, registrations of passenger growth bringing new car in the quarter to 8.4 percent, the monthly survey the European automobile manufacturer's Association reported.

However, it was with almost 1.5 million vehicles registered, it began the second lowest result figure for March since the ACEA the creation of data for the enlarged EU in 2003. Fort he quarter, new car registrations rose 8.4 percent.

All major markets contributed to the March 10.6 percent rise, with Britain and Spain, or recording of 17.7 percent and 10 percent growth with sales growth for the quarter is 13.7 per cent in the UK.

France sales increased by 8.5 percent, Germany saw growth of 5.4 per cent and Italian car sales rose by 5 percent in March compared to the previous year.

Mike Tyndall, auto analyst at Barclays Capital, said that it was wrong to focus on the negative in today's figures.

"" If you want to be bearish, you can: it is the weakest March in a long time and the base will be harder, "CNBC, he said in a telephone interview."I think we have a more constructive point of view. We can see if we out to compensate for seasonal changes, which sees this as a pretty good result. We would also argue that mass market premium surpasses, is indicative of the recovery, which is still widely used."

Carlos da Silva, the head of the European vehicle sales at IHS automotive, agreed with Tyndall, in a note stating: "there are here and there some variants, although the basis for growth is widespread and as such limit the risk of a sudden reversal."

Tyndall said that UK sales growth in the car by "people seem be paid their credit card debt, real estate prices are rising, unemployment coming down." "All of this makes people a little happier about the prospects feel and that is the strength of the U.K.. underlying sales."

Marques on your

When it comes to car brands, Renault saw 19.6 percent growth between January and March of this year compared to the same period in the year 2013, with Ford group witnesses 12.8 percent growth and VW Group 8.4 percent. French PSA group experienced growth of 7.7 percent between January and March 2014 compared to the same period of last year.

Hyundai and Honda were the only car brand to see negative growth compared to the first quarter of 2013.

The automaker's results, Tyndall commented: "Renault, this is a highlight. You have done particularly well. You've got a few new products out there, but it is surprisingly strong.

"Peugeot is mixed. "Citroen is OK, but Peugeot brand is below par, is the entire market somewhat disappointing, as the Peugeot 308 European car of the year appointed."

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Jon Hamm debuts the new Mercedes at the New York Auto Show

Jon Hamm debuts the new Mercedes at the New York Auto Show
Too bad for Don Draper that he would long be withdrawn.

He had stuck to would the fictitious advertising Executive in the popular TV series "Mad Men" were ponying have paycheck to buy of one of the new Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4MATIC-Coupés, which makes for the first time at the New York International Auto show.

Or so said Jon Hamm, the actor who portrays the handsome and worldly Draper - but who is also accompanying comments to the German manufacturer. Initially hidden behind the scenes, while Mercedes car map - Press Conference, Hamm came on stage to help to reveal the new luxury Coupé Mercedes-Benz United States President Steve Cannon.

"I promise you if we did 'Mad Men' today, I would put it in my contract, that Don Draper would drive this car," Hamm said.

It would be probably someone in his position as a high ranking on a Madison Avenue advertising agency take to such a purchase. To reveal the price of the car, while Mercedes, replaced the model launched $154.600 - plus shipping.

Friday, April 18, 2014

GM overshadowed new models at NY auto show

GM overshadowed new models at NY auto show
Walk through New York Auto show is ground at the Javits Center during the press days, and there is no shortage of auto executives, journalists, and industry consultants around.

But walking the North Hall, where General Motors the new Z06 Corvette convertible and the Chevrolet Trax SUV shown is, and it's a far different story. The area is a virtual ghost town with a few GM employees, talking to a few journalists, made their way into the room.

Welcome to the world of General Motors in the spring of 2014, where the unveiling of new models of car manufacturers through the ignition switch recall crisis has cast a pall.

Try as she does, GM CEO Mary Barra are able to shift focus away from the scandal and mounting questions in four investigations such as the automakers over faulty ignition switches in vehicles more than 1.6 million decisions bound.

She also admits the focus is now the recall investigation.

"But in the meantime, we will maintain the momentum," Barra said. "We will continue the acceleration around the world of what we do. Great products, strong business results; "and we have to do the team."

Outside the auto show, sales have shown some resilience despite the recall crisis last month.

"Traffic," said Mark Reuss, the head of product development at General Motors. "That wasn't easy, but we stay focused."

Last month GM sales by 4.3 per cent, not far away rose of the industry sales pace of 5.7 percent.

Traders say their loyal, repeat-GM buyers are looking at the current wave of Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC models, and see vehicles that are quite different than the Chevy Cobalt and Saturn Ion at the center of the investigation.

The new Corvette Z06 convertible on display at the fair, is another example of a new vehicle from GM that a sharper look and better performance than the cost-oriented economic models built from 2003 to 2007.

It remains to be seen, check how many are on the new Corvette at the auto show, when it opens Friday to the public.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

The most expensive cars to insure in 2014

The most expensive cars to insure in 2014
Auto News | By Jeffrey Steele, Insure.com

We know that fast, sporty, high-performance vehicles cost more to insure, but we often buy them anyway.

No one buys an expensive sports car for a leisurely Sunday drive after church. They're built to travel in a blur, which is often the precursor to crumpling sheet metal. Their awe-inspiring speed is matched only by their gasp-inducing insurance rates.

Insure.com's annual rankings of the most expensive vehicles for insurance are always powered by offerings from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar. (See the 2014 rankings for the least expensive cars to insure and car insurance rates by state.)

This year's list is topped by a beast whose nickname derives from a 1950s-era horror flick, "Godzilla." What could be more blood-curdling than owning a car with the most expensive insurance rates in the 2014 model year? It may be that shelling out well in excess of $100,000 for a car blinds many to the insurance premiums.

This year's rankings have "a lot of vehicles that are just the opposite of a family car," says Mark Takahashi, auto editor for Santa Monica, Calif.-based Edmunds.com. "They're for wealthy people who like to go fast. They're aspirational and firmly rooted in entertainment. And all of them are insanely fun."

The problem with insane fun is that many drivers get into trouble fast, says Takahashi.

For instance, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, at No. 4, "is a tricky car to drive. It comes with a lot of electronic driving aids, such as electronic stability control and traction control. But if the driver is overconfident and turns off those features, bad things can happen very quickly and significantly. That's because the car is very fast, and performance cars on the whole are designed to be a little twitchy and very responsive."

Edmunds had a Mercedes SLS AMG in its fleet for months and Takahashi drove it many times. A veteran of racing school, he never felt confident enough to turn off the safety features. "It's very rewarding, and made me feel like a million bucks," he says. "But I didn't want to be the one to bend that car."

The No. 1 most costly vehicle to insure is so flat-out over the top that its nickname is Godzilla. The $115,000 Nissan GT-R Track Edition has all-wheel-drive, twin turbochargers that help its V-6 engine develop 545 horsepower, massive brakes, a trick dual-clutch automated manual transmission and an array of electronics to customize steering, suspension and brake settings.

Takahashi calls the Nissan GT-R "an affordable supercar." The GT-R was developed for people who desire an exceptionally high level of performance, and who might be taking it out on the race track now and again. "It was developed for the race track," Takahashi says. "And while it's not as tricky as the Mercedes SLS, because it has so many features working constantly to keep it on the road, it is blindingly fast."

The most expensive cars to insure in 20143. Mercedes-Benz CL550 4Matic AWD
Try 190 to 200 mph. At those speeds, drivers without racing school experience are in over their heads, he says.

John Pearley Huffman, who writes on autos for Car & Driver and the New York Times, has also driven Godzilla. "It's an extremely specialized car," he says, that's "sold in extremely small numbers and goes to a dedicated cadre of enthusiasts."

Huffman also says "it's flat-out brilliant to drive."

Ron Henderson is a GT-R owner in Texas. He says because Godzilla is "very easy to drive" it can inspire confidence as a driver pushes the car to its limits, which may be why so many are wrecked.

"The GT-R is a very quick car, even without any modifications, and despite the electronic aids and all-wheel drive, any car can be pushed too far."

"I believe that given the combination of a novice driver and the ease with which the GT-R can be pushed hard, you can end up with a novice driver who has no idea how to recover from what was an inevitable mistake," Henderson says.

Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book in Irvine, Calif., says sales of high-performance cars are heavily weighted toward a male demographic that savors aggressive driving on the street, racetrack and often both. Cars like the GT-R Track Edition represent the ultimate in mechanical capability.

"Because these vehicles are equipped with advanced drive trains and exotic exterior shapes, they cost much more to repair after things go wrong," he says.

That is, if they can be repaired.

Takahashi notes that carbon fiber is used in some of the car's body panels. The components are "lightweight and strong for their intended purpose, but they're designed to shatter on impact," he reports. "You can't repair them; you just have to replace them."

Henderson agrees the GT-R is a complex, costly car with exotic materials and compact packaging throughout. Combine carbon fiber undertrays and subframe components, low front-mounted intercoolers and aluminum body panels, and "fender-benders" don't exist in a GT-R.

"Even a minor accident could easily cost tens of thousands to repair," Henderson says. "If it is repairable at all."

Don't forget the GT-R's speed, Huffman says. This is a car that goes from zero to 60 in three seconds.

"It's a fantastic car and I believe it to be an easy-to-handle car," Huffman says. "But the consequences of screwing up at 150 mph are radically different than screwing up at 50 mph."

Maybe the GT-R is still an insurance bargain at No. 1.

Takahashi, for instance, feels if a buyer has the money to buy a GT-R or other cars on the "most costly" rankings, they shouldn't have a problem with $4,000 to $6,000 for insurance.

"Sports cars and exotics are bought because they're raucous and fun," he observes. "It takes a level of affluence and skill to own and drive one of these. But as for their insurance being too expensive, I don't think it is, based on the expense of the cars themselves."

Methodology: Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to provide average auto insurance rates for 2014 models. Averages were calculated using data from six large carriers (Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive and State Farm) in 10 ZIP codes per state. Not all models were available, especially exotic cars. More than 850 models are included in the 2014 study. Averages are based on full coverage for a single 40-year-old male who commutes 12 miles to work each day, with policy limits of 100/300/50 ($100,000 for injury liability for one person, $300,000 for all injuries and $50,000 for property damage in an accident) and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage. This hypothetical driver has a clean record and good credit. The rate includes uninsured motorist coverage. Average rates are for comparative purposes. Your own rate will depend on personal factors.