Vehicles: Page 192

Lear Leads Smart Interior Trend

Gray and tan interiors are the norm in U.S. vehicles today, but the auto industry is on the verge of a customization trend that will allow consumers to opt for more vibrant, exciting colors and designs, two Lear Corp. executives say. The Southfield, MI, interior mega-supplier, like its primary competitor Johnson Controls Inc., does exhaustive research with regard to the design and feature preferences

By Tom Murphy • June 1, 2005

Aging Buyers Dictate Trends

The aging of the U.S. population and strict SUV safety requirements will force dramatic changes in the way vehicle interiors are designed, says a panel of interior stylists at the Auto Interiors Show. Roland Sternmann, executive design director, Audi Design Center-California, says as the 18 million U.S. Baby Boomers move into the 40-60-age range this year, designers will have to look at new ways to

By Kevin Kelly • June 1, 2005

C&A Bankruptcy Chills Interiors Show

DETROIT The May 17 bankruptcy filing by Collins & Aikman Corp. served as a bleak backdrop for last week's Auto Interiors show held here at Cobo Center. Collins & Aikman, of Troy, MI, is a $3.9 billion interior supplier that specializes in cockpits, acoustic systems, fabric, trim and convertible tops. It is the latest and largest auto supplier in a long chain of parts makers turning to Chapter 11 protection

By Tom Murphy • May 25, 2005

Two Megas in Charlotte, NC, Like Certified Vehicles

Certified pre-owned vehicle sales winners for the two Ward's Megadealer 100 firms headquartered in Charlotte, NC: Hendrick Automotive and Sonic Automotive. Hendrick's sales director for new and used vehicles, Chris Little, says the group achieves 20% higher grosses on certified vehicles. “Three-fourths of our 50 dealerships handle certified pre-owneds,” Little says. “We'll average sales of 100 certifieds

By Mac Gordon • May 12, 2005

Slick Tips on Buying Oil

Because there are no official regulations citing how much must be present in an oil to classify it as synthetic blend, the quality differentiation among oils marketed under this term is vast. Performance attributes of full synthetic base oils can be found in synthetic blend motor oils. Reputable engine oil manufacturers formulate their synthetic blend motor oils with certain percentages of synthetic

By KEVIN McGEE • May 1, 2005

Fiat Aims High With Powertrain

Italy's Fiat Auto SpA, seeking to capitalize on one of its crucial advantages in the European market, is bringing its vast array of passenger- and commercial-vehicle powertrain units under one roof: Fiat Powertrain Technologies. The objective is to sell Fiat's powertrain systems to other auto makers throughout the world and build revenue (see story, p.28). Fiat says the new business unit will begin

May 1, 2005

KP Upbeat After Massive Restructuring

German supplier Kolbenschmidt Pierburg Group staged a financial recovery in North America last year, says Gerd Kleinert, chairman of the company's board of management. North American sales for the powertrain component supplier have grown steadily over the past four years, from $240 million in 2001 to $314 million in 2004, he says. Total global sales were $2.4 billion last year for the supplier, up

By Christie Schweinsberg • May 1, 2005

The Perfect Launch

Engineering the perfect new-vehicle launch takes cooperation and communication between the OEM and supplier plus a great deal of trust, agree executives from suppliers, consulting companies and an auto maker on hand for a special roundtable discussion. All emphasize the need for better upfront planning to ensure vehicle programs are launched on time and hit quality and cost targets. The Original Equipment

By David E. Zoia • May 1, 2005

IBM Unveils Automotive Diagnostic Services

DETROIT – IBM Corp. unveils its Parametric Analysis Center (PAC), an advanced automotive repair data management service, here at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress. The new on-demand service is designed to aid in the diagnosis of electronic-based problems in vehicles by analyzing and storing signal data output from in-car electronic diagnostic equipment. It is based on technologies

By Mike Sutton • April 14, 2005

Preh Releases New Technologies and North American Plans

DETROIT – Preh Automotive, the automotive controls systems division of Preh GmbH of Bad Neustadt, Germany, is hoping to gain a stronger foothold in the North American market with the introduction of several new technologies here at the Society of Automotive Engineers conference. “Our first orders in the U.S. show that Preh’s products can be very competitive in this market,” says Preh Automotive President

By Mike Sutton • April 14, 2005

GM Execs Ponder American Engineering

DETROIT - The recruitment and development of American engineers must improve if U.S.-based auto makers still want to rely on homegrown talent, General Motors Corp. executives say. “We're having a very difficult time attracting engineers,” Jim Queen, GM vice president-Global Engineering, says here at the Society of Automotive Engineers Congress and Exposition. “It's almost bordering on a crisis situation.”

By Brian Corbett • April 13, 2005

North American Powder Metal Use to Increase Slightly

DETROIT - Use of powder metal, the material that makes up an increasing number of precision components in engines and drivetrains, will grow slightly in 2005, from 42.97 lbs. (19.5 kg) per vehicle to 43.45 lbs. (19.7 kg). This, despite a somewhat uncertain light-vehicle production outlook, says Eric Boreczky, manager of automotive applications for Hoeganaes Corp., the world's largest PM producer.

By Drew Winter • April 13, 2005

Delphi Reformer May Help Diesel’s Cause

DETROIT - Delphi Corp. has a new innovation that may help diesel engines comply with the strict new emissions standards that industry experts say are hampering diesel's ability to more quickly penetrate the U.S. market. Delphi's new onboard diesel-fuel reformer, announced at the annual Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress here, combusts diesel fuel to form a “hydrogen-rich reformate.” Delphi

By Bill Visnic • April 13, 2005

Atlas Testing Accelerates Material Development

DETROIT – Atlas Weathering Services Group aims to shorten the amount of time auto makers spend testing the durability of materials used in vehicles with four new temperature-controlled, outdoor, accelerated-testing services shown here at the Society of Automotive Engineers conference. Atlas’ Equatorial Mount with Mirrors for Acceleration, with or without Water (EMMA/EMMAQUA) accelerated-weathering

By Mike Sutton • April 12, 2005

Trust a Must If Perfect Launch Is Goal

DETROIT - Engineering the perfect new-vehicle launch takes cooperation and communication between the OE and supplier - plus a great deal of trust, agree executives from suppliers, consulting companies and an auto maker on hand here for a special roundtable on the subject. All emphasize the need for better upfront planning to ensure vehicle programs are launched on time and hit quality and cost targets

By David E. Zoia • April 12, 2005

SAE Adopts New Engine-Power Test

DETROIT - The Society of Automotive Engineers announces at its annual World Congress here significant new updates to improve the accuracy of the test standard auto makers have used for more than 30 years to rate the power and torque of light-vehicle engines in North America. Equally important, the SAE also is introducing an all-new, voluntary test procedure designed to ensure the engine horsepower

By Bill Visnic • April 11, 2005

Castrol Getting Funky With It

Despite America's love affair with cars, there's a growing need for qualified people to fix those objects of adoration. That's why BP Lubricants USA kicks off the 2005 Castrol Snytech Outperformers Scholarship Program. It's a funky way to interest young car enthusiasts in careers in the automotive service and repair industry. The program includes a nationwide search for worthy winners. It targets

April 1, 2005

The Ultimate in Exclusivity: Hand-Built Engines

Customers who chip in the substantial extra cost for vehicles crafted by the various auto makers' in-house tuners want, first and foremost, enhanced performance. But they're also chasing something more elusive in this day of $30,000 Benzes and McMansions in every suburb: exclusivity. And for the horsepower-hungry, what can be more exclusive than a thundering powerplant lovingly assembled by hand just

By Bill Visnic • April 1, 2005

Refueling Ann Arbor

A year ago, it was difficult for Eaton Corp. to put a positive spin on its decision to close its fuel-vapor valve manufacturing plant in Ann Arbor, MI. The 5-story building on S. First Street downtown had employed generations of local residents. Eventually, the plant started producing vapor valves for fuel tanks, and the much larger Eaton purchased the plant from GT Products Inc. in 1998. The plant

By Tom Murphy • April 1, 2005

Diesel on Mercedes R-Class Menu

NEW YORK – Mercedes-Benz promises it eventually will add a diesel version of its forthcoming R-Class cross/utility vehicle alongside gasoline versions in the U.S. The R-Class hits the U.S. in October with a 3.5L V-6 and a 5.0L V-8, capable of 268 hp and 302 hp, respectively. A 3.2L diesel engine will be available in Europe from launch, and could be available in the U.S. as soon as 2006, Paul Halata,

By John D. Stoll • March 23, 2005

Mercedes Standardizes Diesel Particulate Filters in Europe

GENEVA – DaimlerChrysler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit delivers European consumers added environmental benefits by deciding to make particulate filters standard on every diesel-powered passenger car beginning this summer. The particulate-filter equipped diesel vehicles initially will be available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The European Union’s latest EU4 emissions standards (which

By Kevin Kelly • March 3, 2005

GM Europe Launches Massive Test Drive

GENEVA – In an effort to rebuild its tattered image in Europe, General Motors Corp. will provide its European dealers with 35,000 vehicles for consumer test drives for at least the next three months, the auto maker announces here at the Geneva auto show. Called the “Million Mile Test Drive,” the program kicks off today and involves GM’s Opel and Vauxhall brands, although additional nameplates eventually

By Brian Corbett • March 1, 2005

Rinspeed Chopster Bows at Geneva

Chopped, dropped and tuned are terms normally reserved for hot rods and sport compact cars, not cross/utility vehicles. But Rinspeed AG and EDAG Engineering & Design AG have side-stepped conventional thinking and exploited their collective custom car-building knowledge to develop what may be the world’s most extreme CUV, the Rinspeed Chopster, which makes its formal debut at this week’s 2005 Geneva

By Mike Sutton • March 1, 2005

Don’t Dismiss Consumer Reports

Motor City people often think the editors at Consumer Reports magazine are left-wing tree-hugging American-car-hating worshippers of anything made by the Japanese or Germans. And they love anything that goes really slow and uses gasoline by the dropper. I'm here to tell you that is just not true. Here's why you have to stop dismissing CR and its critiques: Detroit engineers and executives don't spend

By Jerry Flint • March 1, 2005

Visteon Settles In

The work stations are honeycomb shaped, the ceilings lofty, the hallways wide, the lighting soft and inviting, the overhead storage bins purged forever and the cafeteria deserving of at least three stars. On a stroll outdoors, the architecture is a curious blend of colonial Boston, old-world Germany and state-of-the-art college campus. Welcome to Visteon Village, the new headquarters for North America's

By Tom Murphy • Feb. 1, 2005