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For Sale: Fourth-generation Honda Civic hatchback. Slight pest problem.
For sale: One fourth-generation Honda Civic hatchback. Slightly faded red exterior paint with lots of squiggly black lines. Includes protective tent-like cover for no additional charge. Located in the Dutch city of Rotterdam in West Holland. Price: cheap. Pests Pets included.
It seems that some rare and unsightly caterpillars have taken up residence in and on this particular Honda Civic hatchback. According to RTV Rijnmond, these pests make an appearance every year in The Netherlands, stripping local trees of their foliage and generally making a nuisance of themselves, though this particular infestation seems particularly severe.
The best part (or worst, depending on your point of view) of this whole story is that the local authorities refuse to do anything about the problem, saying that they'll all just disappear in about four weeks when they turn into moths anyway. Somehow, we bet that's little consolation in the meantime.
Dodge reportedly has one lowball bidder for Viper franchise… but is it enough?
According to court documents filed by Chrysler, there is but one lone official offer for the firm’s Dodge Viper automotive business, and it is well under the $10 million asking price that the bankrupt automaker has been seeking. If a suitable buyer isn’t found, it’s likely that the Connor Avenue Assembly plant where the Viper is manufactured will be closed down this December.
The sole $5.5 million bid came from Devon Motor Works, a small boutique coachbuilder based in Grand Rapids, Michigan that has plans to launch a new supercar of its own called the Devon GTX, which we presume is based on the underpinnings of the Dodge Viper. The GTX is scheduled to make a run at the N?rburgring lap record for a car currently in production… Read the rest of this entry
REPORT: GM bondholders give go-ahead to revamped deal, bankruptcy still expected
Yesterday, General Motors and its bondholders had officially called it quits, and GM was headed for a certain and certain-to-be-rocky bankruptcy. Today, according to a company filing, The General and the necessary chunk of its bondholders have come to an agreement, and the company looks to be headed to a slightly less rocky bankruptcy.
CNN explains that GM's bondholders with $27 billion in GM debt had been offered 10% of the company in exchange for their paper. A major group of bondholders with 20% of that debt, roughly $5.5 billion, is said to have preliminarily approved the deal. One of the sweeteners that finally got them to swallow the medicine was offering all bondholders the chance to buy another 15% of the new, post-bankruptcy company “at a… Read the rest of this entry
Study: 20% of all vehicles sold in U.S. to be hybrids by 2020 [w/POLL]
According to a recent study conducted by JPMorgan, hybrid sales are about to take off. Last year, there were some 480,000 total hybrid vehicles sold around the world, which represents less than 1% of global sales. By 2020, though, JPMorgan predicts that 11.28 million hybrids will be sold annually, representing over 13% of all vehicles sold.
Much of that increase in sales will be attributed to the United States, as the report suggests that hybrids will capture nearly 20% of total market share in this country. The study suggests that the increase in hybrid vehicle sales will be influenced by such factors such as increased pressure from government agencies to reduce fuel consumption and overall vehicle emissions, as well as a drastic reduction in the cost of hybrid technology.
Of course, it stands to reason that hybrid-producing automakers will benefit from this uptick in hybrid vehicle sales, but JPMorgan's… Read the rest of this entry
GRID Iron: Honda S2000 successor independently rendered
Late yesterday, we showed you the handiwork of 3D rendering guru Lars Martensson (a.k.a. 'GRID'), who had applied his skills to a future vision of a new Subaru WRX STI. Today, we bring you the skilled Swede's take on what a next-generation Honda S2000 roadster might look like.
While this concept has no basis in reality (and rumors of an S200 successor have thus far amounted to nothing), as with the Subie, we find a lot of merit in what we see. Click on the gallery below to see if you don't agree.
Gallery:Martensson Honda S2000 Concept
[Source: 3DLuvr]
First Ride: BMW F 800 GS takes on the RawHyde Adventure Rider Challenge
Since its introduction back in 2004, the R 1200 GS has been BMW's best selling motorcycle, and for good reason. Time and again, the big bike has proven itself surprisingly capable of traversing the gnarliest of terrain in the hands of riders all around the world. The German motorcycle maker invented the adventure touring category when it introduced the R 80 G/S way back in 1980, and since then, almost all of BMW's GS series of bikes have featured the brand's signature twin-cylinder horizontally-opposed boxer engine.
Lately, though, a new contender from BMW's own paddocks has entered the fray using the brand's more recent 800cc parallel-twin engine design, and we wanted to see how it compared to the R 1200 GS that we reviewed back in February. To that end, we jumped at the chance to ride the new F 800 GS at the RawHyde Adventures Rider Challenge… Read the rest of this entry
More details on the 500-hp Ariel Atom 500 V8
When it comes to power and lightweight, enough is never enough. And so, Ariel (finally) gives us the Atom 500 V8, an 1,102-pound roadster boasting the highest power-to-weight ratio (1,000 hp-per-ton) of any production car to date. How does Ariel do it? It starts with the engine and gets more insane from there.
The heart of the Atom 500 is a Russell Savory (RS Developments) 2.4-liter V8 equipped with five valves per cylinder, a dry sump and a supercharger (no supercharger in the U.S.) 500 hp is available at a screaming 10,000 rpm, with power being delivered to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential Sadev gearbox.
At each corner, Alcon four-pot brakes are nestled within Dymag magnesium wheels, with carbon fiber used liberally on the wheel arches, underbody tray, rear wing and formula-style front aerofoil.
All told, the Ariel Atom 500 V8 will hit 60 in under… Read the rest of this entry
AP says General Motors to announce 14 plant closures on Monday
According to a source at The Associated Press, General Motors will announce the closure of 14 factories on Monday morning. The shutterings will reportedly occur by the end of 2010, and are being viewed as part of GM's widely anticipated plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The move would not be completely unexpected, as GM had previously announced that it expects to have to close 16 plans by the end of next year, resulting in some 21,000 pink slipped workers. As GM has already announced that an engine plant in Massena, New York and a stamping plant in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area will be shutting down, this would bring the full tally to 16.
According to the AP report, factory-level union leaders are unaware of which plants will be axed, but the plan is said to include four assembly facilities, along with stamping, engine, and transmission operations. … Read the rest of this entry
Nissan small car March to be China made in First Half 2010
(Gasgoo.com) Nissan Motor will launch its fourth-generation March small car in early 2010 and will introduce the five-door model to its Chinese venture Dongfeng Nissan for production. The China-made Nissan March small car is likely to be rolled out in the first half of next year.
Nissan launched its first-generation March in 1982 as a classical small car. The current March model on the global markets measures 3,695mm x 1,660mm x 1,525mm, with a 2,430mm-long wheelbase. The new model is reportedly based on a revamped B-platform with a new engine of 1.2 liters – 1.3 liters and also retaining the HR15DE.(Actually will be used A-platform Not B-Platform)
An executive of Dongfeng Nissan recently said that the Nissan March will be introduced in the original to the joint venture for Chinese production, but it is also possible to modify or revamp some parts of the small car to meet the… Read the rest of this entry
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