El Safwa

Wagoner now driving Volt mule to Congress

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:12:45 +0000

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, Earnings/Financials

Click above for our high-res 2011 Chevrolet Volt gallery

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner will be taking advantage of the media circus surrounding his drive from Detroit to Washington D.C. tomorrow. As it seems every press outlet will be covering the roadtrip adventures of the three Detroit leaders as they travel via wheeled transportation to the capitol to beg for billions (remember, no corporate jets this time), Wagoner has wisely dumped the ho-hum hybrid Chevrolet Malibu in favor of a Chevy Volt mule in a Chevy Cruze body during at least the last few highly-visible miles of his journey. Wagoner will still trek part of the route to Washington in the hybrid Malibu, but just not all the way. To take full advantage of the public display, GM will also bring a show version of the highly-anticipated 2011 Chevy Volt to the capitol and put it on display when Wagoner arrives at the Russell Senate Building around 9:30 AM. If you are in the neighborhood (Delaware Ave. and C Street), Wagoner will be briefly talking to the public before he opens his heart to Congress. Thanks, TKTK.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Wagoner now driving Volt mule to Congress originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DuPont chief calls on Detroit to make ‘Car of the Future’… that uses his fuel

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:12:38 +0000

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, GM

It’s debatable whether or not now is the right time to make changes in the way our cars are made, with some believing that Detroit should follow the path it’s already on and others claiming there couldn’t be a better time to make major sweeping changes. Count DuPont head Chad Holliday among the latter. Holliday’s so-called “Detroit Project” would challenge American automakers to introduce a new “Car of the Future” that would achieve 75 miles per gallon and run on butanol - an alcohol fuel that DuPont just so happens to market itself.

Regardless of whether DuPont stands to benefit from this project, there are a few major hurdles to overcome, not the least of which is an initial $5 billion investment at a time when the Detroit 3 are asking for many times that from the government just to stay in business. We also see problems getting proposed collaborators such as Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Boeing and Google all working on the same page. Schools such as MIT, the Georgia Tech, and the University of Michigan could also be involved, according to Holliday. No problem, right?

Getting an automobile to run on butanol isn’t a problem, it’s been done over and over again. Yes, it is a cleaner fuel that may be a better choice overall than ethanol, but coming from the head of a company with a vested interest comes off as a bit disingenuous. It also reminds us of something we heard the other day…

[Source: Detroit News]

DuPont chief calls on Detroit to make ‘Car of the Future’… that uses his fuel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pakistan says it has been expelling suspected foreign terrorists

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:12:48 +0000

Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abdullah Hussain Haroon has told the US television network CBS that Pakistan has been handing over foreigners caught in Pakistan, who have been suspected of carrying out terrorist activity.

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From Cow to Crankcase: Synthetic oil from animal fat

admin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:12:16 +0000

Filed under: Aftermarket, Maintenance, Green, Tech

We already fuel and lubricate our cars with animal byproducts, it just takes millions of years for the process to happen. Connecticut-based Green Earth Technologies has been marketing its G-Oil product for small engines at retailers like Home Depot, and the company is waiting on approval from the American Petroleum Institute new automotive applications. G-Oil is biodegradable (no word about the nasties that used oil holds in suspension, though) and made from animal fat that would typically be discarded by slaughterhouses. It’s ironic that animal-derived oil is an alternative to petroleum, which shifted the world away from whale oil over a century ago.

Mobil 1 and other synthetic oils have been around for decades, and do offer an alternative to straight dino juice, but Green Earth’s technology guru Mat Zuckerman touts G-Oil as “better than anything out there.” As the whaling industry discovered back in the day, there’s not enough animal byproduct out there to satisfy the demand for oil or supplant petroleum’s primacy, but every little bit helps. GET’s Oklahoma facility is capable of producing 5 million bottles per month, and we wonder if it makes your engine’s innards smell like meatloaf.

[Source: Detroit News via TCC]

From Cow to Crankcase: Synthetic oil from animal fat originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lebanon’s Aoun in Damascus visit

admin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:12:05 +0000

Lebanese Christian leader Michel Aoun, who fought a “war of liberation” against Syrian troops, meets Syria’s president.

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Zimbabwe: Do Soldiers’ Protests Herald Coup?

admin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:12:04 +0000

Zimbabwe is facing widespread protests by discontented soldiers feeling the heat of the country’s collapsing economy. Some analysts are forecasting that continuing army revolts and economic instability could force President Robert Mugabe to share power with the opposition, putting the country’s shattered economy on the road to recovery. The rising groundswell of anger within the army over poor salaries and cash shortages poses a serious threat to Mugabe, who has traditionally relied on the loyalty of the army to keep the opposition in check. Dozens of soldiers have been taking to the streets of Harare since November 27, clashing with anti-riot and military police deployed in the city centre to counter the protests. There have been sporadic exchanges of gunfire in the capital as dissident soldiers and military police clash. Army protests hit a crescendo on December 1 when over 100 soldiers, dressed in full military fatigues, emerged from banking halls in the city centre empty-handed after cash had run out due to rationing. They first attacked the Market Square bus terminus in downtown Harare, which is notorious for illegal foreign currency dealings, assaulting foreign currency dealers and seizing cash from them to demand “our money”. Then they swept across the city, looting and vandalising shops. The detachment of troops was from Cranborne Barracks and accused the street foreign currency dealers of consorting with the central bank to vandalise the economy. Zimbabwe’s bankrupt central bank regularly raises foreign currency from the black market and relies on an informal network of street traders. The riots on December 1 were repulsed by the military police, resulting in the death of “two miscreants”, according to the army. Security sources say Zimbabwe’s army is seriously considering a curfew and has maintained a heavy deployment of military police in the city centre. “We need to take appropriate measures to counter their actions effectively,” said a military spokesman. A pact signed by the military and Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono in November set up a scheme where soldiers could access cash weekly from army barracks. However, soldiers say the facility is being abused by top generals, who are making hefty withdrawals daily, leaving the rank-and-file in the army with nothing. Government regulations only permit withdrawals from banks of 500,000 Zimbabwe dollars a day, hardly enough for a single fare on public transport. Military experts are warning the riots are a precursor to mutiny, while pro-government analysts say the disturbances were just a simple case of indiscipline within the ranks. Army sources said the military courts are currently overwhelmed with cases related to indiscipline in the rank-and-file of the army as rebellious troops protest against mounting hardships. The troops on December 1 were also objecting to appalling conditions in the army barracks, where they complain of being forced to subsist on a diet of the staple sadza (a maize meal mush) and beans only. Dozens of anti-riot and military police have taken up positions around the city centre after fresh threats by labour leaders to march to the central bank to demand the complete removal of withdrawal limits, imposed to ration scarce cash supplies. Tensions are mounting as civilians supporting the soldiers’ demands join the demonstrations; many hurled rocks at anti-riot and military police troops during the December 1 protests. The scene then was reminiscent of acts of civil disobedience in 1999 in Zimbabwe’s capital sparked by food shortages that spread like wildfire through this impoverished nation of 11.8 million people. Zimbabwe, once a breadbasket of southern Africa, is now among the poorest countries in the region, and has been struggling to establish democracy since disputed elections held in March. The bloody rebellion of soldiers could lead to Mugabe’s ousting, warned Harare-based political commentator Ronald Shumba. “It’s a situation becoming rapidly explosive,” he said. “This is a sign of a deep-seated problem in the army – in Mugabe’s regime, in fact.” An official police spokesman tried to downplay the near mutiny, claiming it was a simple case of “theft and robbery”. Some analysts said the protests herald the beginning of the end for Mugabe, 84, who is beginning to lose the support of powerful factions in his own party and the increasingly disaffected army, police and security forces. Mugabe, who has been in power for 28 years, has ruled with fear and patronage. But now a combination of an unprecedented economic collapse and growing opposition within his security forces and the ruling ZANU-PF party present the clearest threats to his rule. There is palpable anger in the police and army over low salaries and the fast-track promotions of ZANU-PF loyalists and veterans of the guerrilla war that ended white rule in 1980, according to a private in the army. “Morale in the army has hit rock bottom,” he said. “Everyone is complaining about the increasing hardships. It would seem the majority are blaming President Mugabe himself for causing the hardships. “They think it’s better for him to share power with the opposition to rescue the economy.” He was unwilling to be identified for fear of reprisal.

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Banking on Alonso: Santander ditches McLaren for Ferrari

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:12:07 +0000

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Marketing/Advertising

Back in the day, Marlboro sponsored both McLaren and Ferrari. The former wore the sponsor’s colors, while the latter stayed all red until Philip Morris decided to stop hedging its bets and went all Italian. McLaren was scorned, but got even… eventually. Several years, championships and sponsors down the road, McLaren poached European telecom giant Vodafone away from Ferrari to be its title sponsor. Right above Vodafone’s logo on Hamilton’s racing suit, however, is that of Santander, the Spanish financial concern that has been rolling out serious bucks for F1 presence the past couple of years. So Ferrari has gotten even by stealing them away.

The switch for Santander, which seems to be taking an aggressive approach to the financial crisis, was confirmed by its president Emilio Botin, to take place starting in 2010. But that’s not all. Botin added fuel to longstanding rumors of Fernando Alonso’s possible move to the Scuderia by stating that the Spanish bank hopes to work with “the best driver in the world” again soon. The plot thickens.

[Source: F1-Live, Photo by Clive Mason/Getty]

Banking on Alonso: Santander ditches McLaren for Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maserati unveils MC Sport Line customization program on GranTurismo S

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:12:24 +0000

Filed under: Coupes, Supercars, Maserati, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res image gallery of Maserati’s MC Sport Line

Ferrari has the One To One Personalisation Programme, so it makes since that its sister brand, Maserati, would get one too. The Italian automaker unveiled its own customization program called the MC Sport Line today at the Bologna Motor Show, and this one is meant to amp up the sporting nature of its cars. Since the GranTurismo S is the model in Maserati’s line-up, it was chosen to stand on display at the show wearing the functional bits and pieces from the MC Sport Line. GranTuriso S owners will be able to start ordering parts in early 2009 from the new line, which includes front and rear carbon fiber spoilers, side skirts, carbon fiber mirror housings, CF door handles and gloss black 20-inch wheels. Interior options include door sills monogramed with “MC Sport Line” that are made out of - you guessed it - carbon fiber, which is also the material of choice for the new steering wheel rim and panels that cover the doors, dashboard and central tunnel.

Aside from additional aerodynamic aid provided by the new spoilers and the fact that all these parts weigh less than their non-CF parts they’re replacing, the only other functional hardware available from the factory is a new suspension setup that stiffens the springs and lowers the GranTurismo S by 10mm.

The Maserati GranTurismo S outfitted with the entire MC Sport Line catalogue seems like a no-brainer for someone with enough coin to be shopping in this segment, though Maserati has not yet revealed how much these new parts will balloon the car’s substantial price tag.

Gallery: Maserati GranTurismo S MC Sport Line

[Source: Maserati]

Continue reading Maserati unveils MC Sport Line customization program on GranTurismo S

Maserati unveils MC Sport Line customization program on GranTurismo S originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US agencies say Pakistan agency helped Indian terrorists

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:12:23 +0000

American intelligence agencies have determined that former officers from Pakistan's Army and its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency helped train the Mumbai attackers.

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Nigeria: Anxiety Over 2009 Budget As Naira Plummets

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:12:29 +0000

Nearly every one is jittery over the 2009 budget, a feeling stoked by the fall of the Naira, and the global price of oil, against the backdrop of admission by the government that it has failed to implement the 2008 budget in full.