The Car Connection - Blogs and News

2009 Nissan Cube: The First Specs and Official Photo

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:18:58 -0500

Nissan's global Web site just released this information on the 2009 Nissan Cube, which bows tomorrow at the Los Angeles auto show. We have more photos and some more info for TheCarConnection.com's readers -- not to mention live shots and Los Angeles show news -- coming tomorrow, but the latest from Nissan is that the Cube is ..

PickupTrucks.com Rates F-150 Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:32:26 -0500

Over at PickupTrucks.com, they take trucks pretty seriously. Far from mall-crawling and tarmac-only duty, they put trucks through the paces, off-road and on, fully-loaded, and basically through every imaginable test that potential owners might put their pickups through. They just concluded their evaluation and ratings of 2009 ..

Mercedes-Benz Invests $30 Million In Flagship NYC Store

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:14:15 -0500

While other companies struggle for their existence, fat cats like Mercedes are expanding their premiere dealerships in halo markets like New York City. Mercedes announced Sunday a new Manhattan store, to be located on 53rd street, will replace the current 41st street location and will come online in 2011. The automaker will be ..

Nissan GT-R Clinches Motor Trend 2009 Car Of The Year

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:42:38 -0500

Continuing its penchant for pithy one-liners, Motor Trend doles out a parade of them while gushing over its winner of the 2009 Car of The Year contest, the 2009 Nissan GT-R. Here's a brief sampling from Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief: "no 2009 contender crushes our criteria like the GT-R...the Nissan GT-R rewrites the ..

Ford NVH: "Feels Right, Sounds Tight" in 2010 Mustang

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:41:12 -0500

Apart from dabbling in some weak-kneed four cylinders in the late 70s/early 80s, Ford Mustangs have always throbbed with a thrilling V-8 soundtrack to accompany the prodigious thrust from their V-8 engines. From the original 60s 289 V-8 through the iconic 5.0 of the 80s and 90s up to the modern-day 4.6-liter OHC V-8, Ford has ..

Volvo Introduces S80L For Chinese Market

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:48:31 -0500

What is it with mid-size luxury sedans with extended wheelbases for the Chinese market? Just yesterday, we reported that Audi is introducing the A4L for the Chinese market only. Volvo follows suit today, with its slightly larger S80L. Like the Audi, the Volvo will be tailored to Chinese tastes, sold only in that country, and ..

GM Enhances Pontiac G6 For 2009

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:24:40 -0500

GM makes significant tweaks to its mid-size G6 lineup going into a rather bleak 2009 model year. Actually, GM says these changes are for the "2009.5" Pontiac G6, set to arrive at dealerships in January. Visual and powertrain enhancements are meant to bring the G6 more solidly into Pontiac's performance fold. Alas, remaining are ..

Domestic Dealers Hit Hard As Consumer Confidence Falls

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:13:55 -0500

Not only do domestic auto dealers have to deal with reduced availability of credit to consumers wishing to purchase, but the increasingly public struggle of the suppliers of the vehicles they sell has taken its toll on a reticent buying public. "Selling a car isn't as simple as touting its merits," claims Detroit News; ..

Ford Sells Majority Of Mazda Stake To Raise Capital

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:36:34 -0500

Today Mazda announced that it and several of its strategic partners will acquire more than 2/3s of Ford's shares in Mazda. This on the heels of GM's sale of it's stake in Suzuki. Ford's ownership will drop from its current 33.4 percent to around 13 percent as a result of the move, but Mazda states that the two automakers "will ..

2010 Ford Mustang: It's On

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:05:24 -0500

You've read it here: GM held back their new LaCrosse and the CTS Coupe from their planned debuts at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. You may have also heard that Chrysler pulled corporate backing from the event, leaving Southern California dealers to pay for the Chrysler display that will be filled with current models (betcha ..

GM Finds Extra $230 Million in Sale of Suzuki

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:47:45 -0500

Scrambling through the couch cushions for enough loose change to keep it solvent for the time being, GM offloaded its 3 percent stake in Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation to the tune of $230 million, said Automotive News. Having burned through nearly $7 billion in the last quarter alone, $230 million seems a trifling amount of ..

Congressman Supports Chapter 11: Honda Gives "No Comment"

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:21:12 -0500

At a recent Honda plant dedication, U.S. Representative Mike Pence (R-Indiana) claimed he felt that Chapter 11 is preferable for the struggling Detroit Big Three. Quoted in Automotive News, Pence claimed that "reorganization in Federal bankruptcy court happens all the time. Companies utilize it all the time and come out ..

Chrysler/Getrag Transmission Joint Venture Ends in Chapter 11

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:52:38 -0500

Chapter 11 seems to be the theme these days in the automotive world, and Chrysler can only hope that its failed venture with German transmission builder Getrag isn't a harbinger for its own futures. Getrag's GTM (Getrag Transmission Manufacturing) LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for its Tipton, Indiana, ..

Suppliers Weigh In on Gov't Bailout: Help! (Please!)

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:22:53 -0500

Underscoring the ripple effects that plant shutdowns, lagging vehicle sales, and threats of Chapter 11/Chapter 7 have on suppliers to automotive manufacturers, today 98 automotive supplier CEOs sent letters to every members of the U.S. Senate and House listing the dire need for access to capital to protect jobs. Predictably, ..

Can You Smell Me Now? Verizon Announces More Hybrids for Fleet

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:33:01 -0500

Joining the growing list of companies purchasing hybrid and other green vehicles for fleet duty, Verizon Wireless today announces the addition of nine Toyota Prius gas/electric hybrid vehicles to its fleet of over 100 hybrid vehicles that cover seven states and the District of Columbia. Since the end of 2007, the phone service ..