Different automakers have been putting their best endeavors to introduce some really impressive and effective topless vehicles since automobile advent. It was in late 1970s when it became almost impossible to get a real classy convertible in the US mainly due to the set safety standards. At that time most of automakers began to show off some alternatives like T-top and targa.

But in 1980s convertible began to get their rightful place once again and soon they were part of almost every automaker line-ups that was carrying its business in the US. There was an array of such drop-top vehicles available in the market after that resurgence. Autos like Mazda Miata and Chrysler LeBaron convertibles proved quite staggering and changed the whole scene.

But there were many that couldn’t get loads of success those days and soon disappeared in the mist of time without making any mark. Here are top three of these Convertibles that disappeared in the mist of time quite quickly.

Buick Reatta

The Buick Reatta had to face a serious identity crisis and Buick’s Chicago zone manager, Jim Krause had to say about it that you wouldn’t find it a hot rod, nor a door buster and you can’t say it a car for family use. It was available with a 165hp 3800 V6 engine with four speed automatic transmissions along with front-wheel drive spot and the vehicle was being offered as convertible in 1990-91 and only 2437 of its droptops were sold.

Dodge Dakota

It was in 1989 when Dodge showed off what was reckoned the first convertible pickup truck after the revelation of the Ford Model T.  In this vehicle ASC performed. The Dodge Dakota came up with a 125-hp 3.9-liter V6 along with the option of three speed automatic transmission or five-speed manual.

Infiniti M30

The Q45 luxury sedan was the main attention grabber at the time when the Infiniti brand was first introduced by Nissan in 1990. Just like some other competitors as Lexus LS400 and Acura Legend, this rear wheel drive seemed to compete awesomely with some established players of that time and even with its considerably lower price.

Source: AutoBlog

So far, it has been confirmed by fiat that they have put a bid for Opel acquisition and the final bids for the company are due on Wednesday evening.

The US government has issued a June 1st deadline to the GM to restructuring of its business and gets some concessions from the holders as well as for getting more loans however, according to GM it’s not seeing that they are going to complete the deadline. A considerable number of observes believe that GM will soon file a bankruptcy protection on this date.

In the deal with Opel, the German government is also involved and it is being considered that they will provide billions in loans to Opel’s new owner.

Despite the sales issues, Opel is still being linked with GM and most of the current and future larger and midsized automakers are still using Opel developed platforms as well as European engineering corps of the GM.

Fiat that has also been looking to acquire Chrysler if it doesn’t succeed to emerge and declare bankruptcy and they have a strategy to combine Opel, Fiat and Chrysler to develop a company that would be of Toyota size.  Many of the union leaders at Opel have joined Fiat.

Source: AutoWeek

Even the final nail wasn’t put in the coffin of Pontiac and lo!  GM didn’t have any intention at all to develop the newest Camaro based Trans-Am.

But if not GM, someone else would certainly do it and now ASC comes to accomplish that. ASC or American Specialty Cars is a subcontractor that is quite popular for its different convertibles that can be seen on the road these days like Toyota Camry, Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder and Solara Convertible.

These guys have been developing specialty cars for different automakers and for things like GMC Syclone, SSR, and Buick GNX. And now as DUB says that American Specialty Cars is going to transform the 2010 Camaro into the latest and hottest Tran-Am.

Complete details haven’t been rendered yet and all we know is that it looks great to watch the ification of the Pontiac in Camaro looks and you would definitely need to dig the tail spoiler of the duck.

ASC has been requested for more details of this recreation, and we have to wait for a while to find out all about this nice transformation. So, let see what it really houses under this transformation.

Source: DUB

The Detroit-based GM have been looking towards the US Government for a bailout to avoid a possible bankruptcy and this is because of these very fears and slowdown in worldwide sales that the giant automaker had to undergo $6 billion loss in the first quarter of the current financial year.

The company’s revenue cut nearly 50% as most of the buyers had shown concerned that the company would soon announced a bankruptcy and wouldn’t be able to honor its various warranties.

According to GM, it has spent nearly 10b more cash than it got in the month of January and March and it was the basic reason behind this considerable drop in the company’s revenue.

Ray Young, GM Chief Financial Officer, says in this connection: “Most of our consumers seemed quite scared due to bankruptcy fears and this kept them away from buying our vehicles. These concerns deeply impact our sales and we had to bear $6b loss in the first quarter of the current financial year.”

The US government has issued a June 1 deadline to GM to complete its restructuring plan or get into bankruptcy protection.

“The Obama administration didn’t reveal a US Govt. guarantee of Chrysler and GM warranties by the end of March,” Young added.

Related Source

GM Posts $6 Billion Loss for First Quarter

During the past few decades a large number of sports cars have been produced by various automakers in almost every part of the world and it is, indeed, somewhat tough to decide what are the best sports cars of all time. Here is a list of 15 best sports cars of all the time. The list has been developed considering the power, innovative design and fastness of these cars. Let’s have a look what my 15 best ever picks have in them.

1. Ferrari 250 GTO

Many are of the view that the 250GTO was the best Ferrari ever produced; this exceptional sporty was launched in 1962. Design-wise it was a compact berlinetta and Giotto Bizzarrini was behind its concept. When it comes to performance, with its V12 3-liter engine it could produce 302hp and covered 0-60mph in just 6.1seconds.

Photo by Alex Windust

2. AC Cobra 427

It was Carroll Shelby who dreamed that car and AC, the British automaker was brought this dream into concrete form, but he was Shelby who named it Cobra. One interesting fact about the car was that it got its parts and accessories from different cars. The 427 was available with a 7-liter engine and could produce 425hp with 0-60mph acceleration of 4.2seconds.

Photo by Lalogo.fr

3. Subaru Impreza STi

It was in 1993 when Subaru launched its Impreza that was a nice compact car indeed and got tremendous success in rally championship. In 1994 these guys came up with STi version with loads of improvements. The car had somewhat an immortal design of blue frame and gold colored wheels.

Photo by Stuart Axe

4. Porsche 911 GT3

The Porsche 911 got fifth position in a poll voted for the car of the century. The car was launched in 1963. Its GT3 version has been developed with light materials and it was available with 3.6-liter engine capable of 381 bhp and it could cover 0-60mph in just 4.0 seconds.

Photo by marknauta.nl

5. Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.3

It was in 1999 when Italian car maker Pagani started the production of their Zonda, only 10 units of this car are shipped each year. Carbon fiber is widely used material in various body parts of the Zonda and its C12 S version houses a 7.3-liter powerhouse.

Photo by ducthinhngo

6. Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33)

In Japan the Nissan Skyline is a well-known name for motor racing as well as street cars, because of its exceptional dominance, the vehicle was named as Godzilla. It’s GT-R version houses different racing accessories that became widely popular after its appearance in Gran Turismo. It housed the same 2.6liter engine that could be seen in the R32.

Photo by God_speed

7. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII

This exceptional Mitsubishi has several titles under her belt in the World Rally Championship. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII carries the same look that we have seen in its first generation and it features a 2-liter engine that is capable of producing 400hp and it accelerates 0-60mph in 3.5 second.

Photo by eplusm

8. Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

Back in 1960, the DB4 GT was introduced by Aston Martin, a great overhauling was done of the Zagato model that featured a rounded long hood and it could accelerate 0-60mph in 6.1 sec.

Photo by jane_sanders

9. BMW M3 GTR

A racing prototype of BMW M3 GTR was created during 2001, it qualified as Gran Turismo car, but BMW also preferred to develop its street version. It has a clean design and features a 4-liter V 8cylinder engine that can produce 444bhp.

Photo by roberto_blank

10. Jaguar E-type Series 1

This was the vehicle that really revolutionized the development of sports cars with its flat floors, two seats and external hood.

Photo by The Electrician

11. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

This is quite well-known as the fastest transmission car in the world and it has a nice crash structure, carbon fiber and impressive body panels. Mercedes SLR McLaren houses a SOHC V8 5.4-liter supercharged engine that is capable to produce 616bhp.

Photo wikimedia.org

12. Lamborghini Diablo

An Italian automaker introduced this car in 1990, and many celebrities played an important role in its popularity as they acquired that vehicle. It houses a 5.7-liter engine that is capable to produce 492 bhp.

Photo by Stephen Hayes

13. Dodge Viper GTS

There are a considerable number of people who have been dreaming about this nice car, its two white stripes serve as its trademark and it covers 0-60mph in 4.0 seconds.

Photo by TGIGreeny

14. Bugatti Veyron

The other included in the list are classic, Bugatti Veyron has exception, but somewhat more than a classic that houses an 8-liter 16 cylinder engine and that can produce 987hp. It covers 0-60mph in 2.46 seconds.

Photo by █ αĹ7ãŶèŖ █

15. Chevrolet Corvette 1968 L88

1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 has a nice aggressive and robust look. This great beast can consume 7-liter and produces 460 hp in return.  With its impressive looks and exceptional, It’s indeed, a ruler in the world of sports car today.

Photo by Martin Thornhill

]]> http://www.autoscraze.com/15-ever-best-sports-cars.html/feed 15 http://www.autoscraze.com/top-seven-environmental-friendly-and-fuel-efficient-vehicles.html http://www.autoscraze.com/top-seven-environmental-friendly-and-fuel-efficient-vehicles.html#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:14:53 +0000 admin http://www.autoscraze.com/?p=1083 Environmental-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles

Considering the higher fuel prices and increasing rates of environmental pollution, most of automakers are leaving no stone unturned to produce some really fuel efficient vehicles that may serve as the best alternative to better fight when gas prices are on rise again.

Almost all big automakers like Honda, Nissan, Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, Lexus and GMC are introducing more and more energy efficient vehicles with every passing day and  doing really worthwhile to protect environment from pollution and save considerable amounts of energy resources.

Let’s find out some top available fuel-efficient and environmental-friendly vehicles that have earned quite good name in this connection.

1) The Toyota Prius

It’s quite well-known as the most fuel efficient and environmental friendly vehicle available these days. Toyota Prius, with its reasonable price range and stable handling, was the first electric hybrid car that was put on mass production. It has an impressive mileage of 44m miles per gallon.

2) Toyota Highlander hybrid

It was in 2006 when Toyota first released its Highlander hybrid as the first Sun-urban hybrid vehicle. It was not only a nice addition in Toyota’s fuel efficient vehicles, but also reckoned as the first hybrid that could carry 7 passengers.  The model took a new look and design in 2008 that has a totally different chassis with an advance synergy driving system.

3) The Toyota Camry hybrid model

Toyota also produced its Toyota Camry as a hybrid model, it comes under luxury line of autos and it has been one of the highest selling vehicles in the US for the past 10 years aside from Toyota Corolla.

4) Honda Accord hybrid

The new Honda Accord that was introduced in North America in 2008 was quite significant from three aspects aside from its comely styling and better functionality, and these aspects are: new variable cylinder management system, dual chambered airbags for driver as well as for passengers and an interface dial controller. Now its new hybrid model has all those fuel efficient features and specs that can be very handy to attain maximum fuel efficiency and boost the surrounding environment in a friendlier way.

5) The Honda Civic

The Honda Civic was quite efficient not only price-wise, but also in its fuel efficiency when it was first introduced in 1972, during the past few years, it has been becoming more and more fuel efficient with the passage of time. Its first hybrid version was introduced back in 2003, and it was a real pleasure to a large number of hybrid auto fans. It has been made a lot more fuel efficient in the past few years.

6) The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid

One of the most popular SUVs in the US markets these days is the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet is quite satisfied with its own production of hybrid engines and the company has also introduced a hybrid pickup truck in the recent years as well. They have introduced their own hybrid pickup as the Silverado.

7) GMC Yukon Hybrid

The Yukon Hybrid has an hybrid engine that is a lot more fuel efficient than the Silverado or Tahoe, and it seems quite amazingly efficient to protect surrounding environment and save considerable greenbacks that you have to spend on fuels.

Dodge Durango, Ford Escape Hybrid, Nissan Altima and Mercury Mariner are some other vehicles that have been gaining good grounds in their fuel efficiency and environmental-friendliness for quite some time.

As Hybrid is being hyped as the future of auto industry, so we can soon expect a lot more fuel efficient and eco-friendly vehicles in the coming days.

It has been especially for the crossways engine functions in SUVs and passenger cars. With the advent of its 6-speed automatic transaxle, Hyundai has become the member of the high-class automakers family that have their own 6-speed automatic transaxle.

Hong-Min, who is the project manager at Hyundai, says in this connection: “ The unique and exclusive layout of our 6-speed is its real strength and because of this it is lighter, smaller and a lot more compact than other available six-speed. And almost 300 patents regarding this technology have been applied by Hyundai and it is because of its unique and advance design.

The Hyundai Grandeur will be the first vehicle to come up with the transaxle and a 3.3-litre V6 engine. It will provide 12.2% fuel efficiency with 7.8 sec acceleration time and 2.5% increased in speed.

The new 6-speed transaxle has many technical advantages and it took four years for development. It has extra gear but still almost 12kg lighter in weight than the 5-five speed it substitutes.

Detroit auto crisis now has began to affect global auto industry, as week demands of auto-parts are being observed in many European countries including Czech Republic where auto industry serves as the backbone of the economy.

According to the figures presented by the Czech government, there was a 7.6 percent drop in production during October 08, while it saw 8.9% expansion in September.

Similarly, there was a 15% drop in the auto exports of the country and it became the cause of deficit in the external trade balance of the country.

In October, the current-account deficit of the country increased to $1.14b that was $1.05b in September and it was mainly due to drop in vehicle exports.

In Czech Republic, the auto industry began to flourish soon after the decline of communist rule in 1989 and after that many Western automakers revitalized country’s old auto industry with significant investments. Since that time, it began to serve as the backbone in the country’s economy.

Whether the loan will lead the big three to a lasting feasibility and competitiveness or not it was discussed by Republicans in the Senate and the House throughout the day.

Richard Shelby, a Senate Republican and the one of the top GOP member of the Banking Committee, has suspected to delay the legislation with filibuster.

Aside from many other things, according to that new bill, a ‘car czar’ would be created for the industry and it will be chosen by the white house. It will hold the big three to develop plans for long-term viability. If the companies fail to make proper progress by mid February, the car czar would ask for immediate repayment of that loan.

Under the new legislation, shareholders dividends, and executives bonuses would also be nullify.

Steny Hoyer, who is House Majority Leader, says in this connection: “It’s really a time to do something for auto industry and if we don’t do something now, may a time come that prove drastic for the US auto industry.”

On the other hand, Shelby said, “The so-called big three have become weak, competitive and innovative and this rescue would prove nothing, but sometime to delay their funeral.”

Obama said in an interview that the industry needed to be helped for producing more efficient vehicles.

“If I am elected, I will be immediately meeting with heads of the Big Three automakers and with the United Auto Workers as well,” he said. “I would like sit down with them and craft a strategy that can put auto industry on a path to compete with anybody in the world.”

Obama didn’t speak to the possibility of a GM-Chrysler merger. He has said that he supports doubling a $25-billion loan program that congress has approved last month to retool plants and many automakers and parts suppliers are looking for it to survive in a massive cash crunch.

On the other hand, Obama’s rival John McCain says that he favors moving the first $25 billion in loan to the industry before giving further. McCain has been criticized and Obama has been endorsed by the UAW for their stances towards the auto industry.

Ford Motor Co. says in a statement that “To put the United States on the right track for economic recovery and fixing the credit markets would be the highest priority for the next administration.

Greg Martin, a GM spokesman, says that “We welcome the recognition from the senator that the industry is facing difficulties. We are looking forward to work with any administration to make this pillar of U.S economy stronger.”