Hot Cars

2007 Honda Fit Gets “5-Star” Safety Rating From NHTSA

The 2007 Honda Fit has earned a “5-Star” safety rating for frontal crash performance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A “5-Star” rating is the highest government safety rating.

Already a leader in vehicle safety as demonstrated by Honda’s “Safety for Everyone” initiative, Honda continues to implement leading airbag technology in all vehicles regardless of size or price. Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, dual front side airbags and side-curtain airbags are standard equipment on all Fit models.

In addition to its six airbags, Fit incorporates 3-point seat belts at all seating positions, as well as two Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) positions in the rear seats. Fit also utilizes active safety systems that include an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake distribution (EBD).

Honda’s commitment to safety extends to pedestrians as well. To help reduce pedestrian injuries in the event of a collision, the Fit’s hood and fender areas are designed to help absorb energy if contacted by an adult pedestrian.

Honda will complete the first phase of its “Safety for Everyone” initiative this year by voluntarily putting extensive levels of standard safety equipment on all its vehicles, with the exception of two small volume models (S2000 and Insight).

Additionally, Honda is the first and only auto manufacturer to list the NHTSA crash test “star” ratings on all new vehicle window stickers. This is the same information available to consumers on the NHTSA safercar.gov Web site.

Lotus Europa S

The Europa S is a light weight car of 995 kg (2194 lb) with a 149 kW (200 hp) 2.0 L engine. It uses an extruded and bonded aluminium chassis with composite body panels and front crash structure.

The car will be fully equipped, including driver and passenger airbag, air conditioning, satellite navigation and full leather interior. The mid-engined two seat coupe will sport a 2.0 L turbocharged engine producing 149 kW (200 hp/203 PS) at 5400 rpm. The torquey 263 N·m (194 ft·lbf) engine allows the car to reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in around 5.5 seconds, and 100 mph (161 km/h) in around 14 seconds. Maximum speed should be 140 mph (225 km/h).

Production of the Europa S is scheduled to begin in July 2006 in the Lotus factory at Hethel, Norfolk, UK. The car is not expected to be offered for sale in the United States or Canada at first, as the Opel/Vauxhall built turbo is not currently certified to meet emissions requirements for those nations. MSRP is projected at approximately £33,000 (€49,000).

GM And Ford Improving Relationships

Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. have improved their relationships with U.S. auto parts suppliers but still lag the ties between Japanese car makers and parts makers, an annual survey of parts makers released on Monday has found.

Efforts by Ford and GM to improve communications and pass on information more quickly may be taking hold, especially among larger companies, the survey by the Birmingham, Michigan, consulting firm Planning Perspectives Inc. found.

Planning Perspectives President and Chief Executive John Henke Jr. said in statement: “The improved communication leads to greater trust, both of which are important components of strong working relations,”

Planning Perspectives surveys suppliers on their dealings with Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group, Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. U.S. suppliers still by far prefer to work with Toyota and Honda over U.S. automakers, the survey found.

The survey factors in trust, openness, timeliness, assistance and other factors, such as whether suppliers are given means to recover costs on canceled or delayed programs or to make acceptable long-term returns.

2007 Alfa Romeo Spider

Developed by Pininfarina in conjunction with the Alfa Romeo style centre, the 2007 Alfa Romeo Spider features a combination of standard Alfa design cues with new elements not seen before from the automaker.

The car is offered in a choice of two outfits, and the customer can also choose between two JTS petrol engines (2.2 delivering 185 bhp and 3.2 V6 Q4 delivering 260 bhp), combined with a sporty, mechanical, 6-speed gearbox. The new car guarantees the temperament of an Alfa and excellent dynamic performance thanks to high double wishbone suspension at the front and a Multilink system at the rear.

The Alfa Spider combines superb comfort with a sporty trim and an evolved ‘Alfa Romeo Q4’ four-wheel drive system (on the 260 bhp 3.2 V6 Q4 version). And in the safety field, the new Alfa Romeo is fitted with the most sophisticated electronic devices to control the car’s dynamic behaviour: from braking to traction.

The Alfa Spider’s quality is also expressed in the choice of opulent interior materials; in the tuning of its Alfa Romeo engines to achieve top-level performance, engine note and driving comfort – and in the optimisation of the sophisticated suspension systems.

GM To Limit Production Of Solstice, G6 Convertible In Effort To Strengthen Residuals, Avoid Incentives

Pontiac will limit production of the Solstice and new G6 convertible to strengthen their residual values and avoid offering incentives, officials say.

“That’s part of the positioning - to keep the car where people want it,” John Larson, Buick-Pontiac-GMC general manager, said at a press event here last week.

The Solstice roadster debuted during the 2006 model year. It has a backlog of 6,000 sold orders, Larson told Automotive News. A G6 convertible typically stays on a dealership lot for five days before it sells, he said.

General Motors has said it plans to build 17,000 Solstices for the 2006 model year and produce 20,000 Solstice and high-performance Solstice GXP units in the 2007 model year. As of June 1, the Solstice had 1,500 units in inventory and a 21-day supply.
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Ferrari 612 Scaglietti - Cornes 30th Anniversary Edition

In celebration of their 30th Anniversary, the Italian automaker has created an ultra-limited run of twenty 612 Scagliettis. To be sold in Japan only, the cars are all painted an exclusive color called Blu Cornes.

This deep blue finish also decorates the brake calipers and center caps on the 19″ polished wheels. (The flashy rims are part of the factory’s HGTC package, which is featured on all 20 cars.) Rounding out the exterior mods are mesh grille inserts that grace the front and rear fascias and a carbon fiber fuel-filler cap.

Inside, on surfaces not made of carbon fiber, the blue theme continues. Blu Cornes finds its way onto tach and speedo faces. The leather adorning the dashboard, steering wheel, and parking brake is tinted to match.

The rest of the interior, including the seats, is finished in a two tone scheme that compliments the exclusive blue with a rich tan color. Surfaces are either leather or alacantra depending on where you look. White stitching adds additional contrast. The result is one of the most opulent cabins you’ll see in any Ferrari.

Exclusive badging on the dashboard and between the rear seats announce that the car is a 30th CORNES model. Finally, the kick plates in each doorframe are fitted with plaques bearing the signature of Ferrari chariman Luca di Montezemolo.
Delivery begins in November 2006.
The price? 33,980,000 Yen, which translates to around $304,000 USD.