Showing posts with label while. Show all posts
Showing posts with label while. Show all posts

Saturday, February 16, 2013

VW expanded portfolio, while other manufacturers cut

Paul A. Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau - 3 days

Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne have Alfa Romeo outside put the range of the Volkswagen Group for now, but there is a good reason to believe that VW looking for a thirteenth and possibly even a 14th, brand the large and diverse stable of name badges, according to industry observers Add.

While many manufacturers - notably General Motors and Ford - back on their brand portfolios cut Chairman Ferdinand Piech has expanded aggressively by German manufacturer brand count Volkswagen AG. VW last year finally completed the takeover of the Porsche brand number 12 - and Piech has continues to say he wants Alfa, despite Marchionnes protest Geschrei.

Piech said in an interview with German monthly magazine ADAC Motorwelt, that his children will drive 10 years one of the automaker of "at least 13 brands." VW representatives declined comment.

The Wolfsburg, Germany-based automaker now enough job on his hands has leads the divisions that he already has, said CEO Martin Winterkorn in August. VW has eight car car nameplates, a light commercial vehicle unit, two heavy-truck maker and a motorbike brand Ducati a year ago have acquired.

Piech, seemed but unimpressed by such challenges if he yet to explain what other brands he wants - or how he expects to get them.

But VW Insider familiar with the operations of the company, not identified, suggested there are a couple of ways.

For starters, VW under the pressure from the Chinese authorities is to create a new brand in China. The Chinese want distinctive Western and Asian car manufacturers operating in the booming nation to establish Chinese brands should at least appeal to customers in smaller towns and rural areas.

That led General Motors the Baojun brand with its Chinese partners SAIC and Wuling Motors 2011 created, while Nissan and its Chinese allies recently introduced the Venucia brand.

VW, which dominate vies with GM on the Chinese market, supervisory authorities has so far resisted demands, but it appears to move closer to adding a new brand in China. Not only VW Chinese authorities happy to keep, that can add a second brand wants to be driven by emergency. The current brands VW and Skoda, are not in position, where they appeal to a wider section of the Chinese consumer prices can reduce.

Bring on a new brand with vehicles, at a cost of under $9,000 or $10,000 actually makes sense, as the Chinese market continues to develop, according to a knowledgeable VW officials not be identified.

There are still other possibilities that could set VW brand tally.

The German manufacturer has a longstanding relationship with protons, an independent car manufacturer based in Malaysia, which has a strong presence in future markets in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia. The Administration, which is always more expensive to develop Proton, the new vehicles, it could decide that it makes more sense to join the VW Group, which, has enough resources to pay for such programs.

In fact, if VW could acquire it Proton a 2-for-1 trade mark deal the Malaysians get as British sports car manufacturer Lotus-, the depth of some bags could use work, promote a private, sophisticated product.

Copyright 2013 the Detroit Bureau

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Feds to crack down on texting while driving

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration wants automakers to put limits on vehicle technologies that permit texting and cellphone calling when a car is moving, as part of a broader effort to stop driving behaviors that could be distracting and cause crashes.


Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed voluntary steps on Thursday that would establish new safety criteria for hands-free calling, navigation, and entertainment systems that have become common in new cars and trucks.


The guidelines are mainly an attempt to reach younger drivers, who are the most inexperienced and whose daily lives are most influenced by wireless technology.


"Distracted driving is a dangerous and deadly habit on America's roadways -- that's why I've made it a priority to encourage people to stay focused behind the wheel," LaHood said.


Distracted driving deaths totaled 3,092 in 2010, the latest available figures show. But LaHood's agency believes the total could be higher due to the unwillingness of drivers to always admit behavior, lack of witnesses to a crash in some cases, or the death of the driver.


Most U.S. motorists surveyed last year acknowledged few situations in which they would not use a cellphone or text while behind the wheel. However, they supported measures to curb both practices, the Transportation Department said.


The guidelines announced on Thursday would cover standard and optional systems not directly relevant to safe driving or that cause "undue distraction" by engaging the driver's eyes or hands for more than a brief moment.


The proposal recommends disabling in-vehicle electronic devices that the driver could use when a car is moving. This would cover text messaging, Internet browsing, and access to social media.


The proposal is a compromise for LaHood, who stopped short of ordering that General Motors, Ford Motor, Chrysler and other manufacturers restrict hands-free and other dashboard advances popular with consumers and key selling points in new vehicles.


National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman said in December that certain hands-free and other communications devices should be banned in cars.


The proposed guidelines are subject to a 60-day public comment period. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will hold hearings in March in Los Angeles, Washington and Chicago.


Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Rare Mustang found while cleaning out the garage

Make LECOMPTON, Kansas - is out of a garage cleaning and the search for something so amazing that it was to win the lottery.

It happened a Lecompton businessman.

For the last 40 years as an auctioneer, Bill fair said that he has come across some weird stuff.

He said "A skull, parts of the body,".

But fair said he was not ready for what he found recently.

What fair found was one a classic 66 Shelby Mustang of only 1,100 manufactured and sold's of Carroll Shelby personal car much.

The fastback was sitting in the middle of a huge pile of junk-e-in a storage room. It has been 26 years and was in perfect condition in the vicinity.

"In the middle of the trash was a car," he said.

Fair does not really know what had just found his company. Some research has shown that similar cars sold upwards of $2 million for have.

Fair was rented by a court appointed lawyer in working with the Texas Attorney general's to take office and clean out of the building. When he told them about the car, they had delivered it to an auction in San Antonio.

And while fair never the classic Mustang again can see, he will never forget it.

Fair said she already have an offer of $60,000 for the car. The Prosecutor General's Office expects Texas, to $ 200,000 to.