The Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races presented by Toyota will
celebrate its 35th anniversary this year by celebrating highlights from
the event’s illustrious past. The event will take place August 15-17
at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and will salute the Alfa Romeo, the first marque to be featured at the Historics in 1975.
As if rumors of
General Motors’ demise to the selling longstanding brands like Jaguar
to Land Rover to international manufacturers isn’t enough turbulence
for the U.S. auto industry, there’s more bad news. Ford Motor Co. has announced its worst quarterly
performance in ihistory, a loss of $8.67 billion in the second quarter
of this year.
Another auto manufacturer seemingly joins the green automotive world each week. This time, it’s Chrysler and its new Envi division. Chrysler has announced it’s planning to launch all-electric vehicles within five years. The new line created last September. Its vehicles are slated to operate on battery power alone for about 40 miles.
Like soccer and
cycling, motorcycle racing is more popular on the international sports
scene than it is in the United States. But slowly and steadily, that’s
changing.
For the fifth straight time, Ford's F-150
has claimed the top spot on The Cars.com American-Made Index. The index
is a semiannual ranking of vehicles deemed most American based on
American production, percentage of domestic parts and American sales
volume.
Volkswagen has begun testing a new electric-engined car and predicts it will be avaialable to consumers by 2010, according to the German manufacturer.
General Motors’ woes continue,
but the automaker has announced a quantum new incentive program as well
as other financial measures to reverse its suffering sales. The
carmaker (GM, Fortune 500) will offer a brief zero percent finance
program for up to six years on 2008 models ranging from the large SUV,
Chevrolet Suburban, to two-seat sports cars like the Pontiac Soltice.
The Pontiac G8 is the first full-size, rear-wheel drive sedan from Pontiac since the 1986 Bonneville. The G8 replaces the Bonneville, which ended production with its 2005 model and the Grand Prix, which will cease its tenure with the 2008 model. Pontiac also has a hopeful third market share responsibility for the G8, since it also replaces the V8-powered GTO coupe, which was discontinued in 2006. Videographer Bruce Aldrich and I take a look at the new power broker from Pontiac.
A strong position at the forefront of the
automotive industry is nothing new for Honda. But the Japanese
manufacturer added to has added to its innovative legacy with the debut
of its zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car. The FCX Clarity runs on
hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the gases
believed to induce global warming. Honda unload the first supply of the
vehicle Jun 16 from Takanezawa en route to Los Angeles.