2009 North American Car Of The Year Nominees

2009 Car of the Year Nominee: Dodge Challenger

In January of next year the North American Car and Truck of the Year winners will be announced during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.  The process that leads to that decision began last week with the release of the first round of 26 finalists.  Not suprisingly, vehicles from the crossover segment of the industry dominate this year’s list.

Since its inception in 1994, the winners of this prestigious award are chosen by a jury of 47 automotive journalists.  The path to the finals begins with a listing of all eligible vehicles, which in terms of this award means new or substantial modified existing models.  Earlier this month, jurors reviewed the entire list and picked the vehicles they thought deserved additional consideration on the next ballot. They were asked to limit their list to 10 cars and 10 trucks but are told to give the benefit of the doubt to vehicles they have not yet driven, which means their list may exceed 10 each.  Prior to the December 3rd deadline jurors send that ballot in to be tallied and the top three that emerge from that vote from each category are again voted on.  Finally, the winners are announced in January in Detroit.

In contrast to the long list of crossovers on both the truck and car lists, the only true pickups to make the cut this year are the Dodge Ram and Ford F-150.  A single SUV, the Kia Borrego is also a finalist.  Because the very nature of a “crossover” is a vehicle that has at least partial characteristics of both a car and a truck the process is a bit more complicated for this year.

A few of the more performance oriented front-runners for the award this year include the twin-turbo BMW 1-series, Nissan’s GT-R, the Dodge Challenger and the supercharged Cadillac CTS-V.  Whether the current economic and environmental climates have an impact on the voting will be interesting to see.  The full list of nominees is listed below.

2009 North American Car of the Year candidates

• Audi A4
• BMW 1-series
• Cadillac CTS-V
• Dodge Challenger
• Ford Flex
• Honda Fit
• Hyundai Genesis
• Jaguar XF
• Lincoln MKS
• Mazda6
• Nissan GT-R
• Pontiac G8
• Toyota Venza
• Volkswagen Jetta TDI

2009 North American Truck of the Year Candidates

• BMW X6
• Chevrolet Traverse
• Dodge Ram
• Ford F-150
• Honda Pilot
• Infiniti FX35/50
• Kia Borrego
• Mercedes ML320 BlueTEC
• Nissan Murano
• Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid
• Subaru Forester
• Volkswagen Tiguan

Last year’s winners of the Car and Truck of the year were the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu and the 2008 Mazda CX-9.

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2009 Honda Insight Prepares For Parisian Debut

Today, Honda has confirmed that a bigger, updated model of their hybrid vehicle, the Honda Insight, will make its green entrance at the Paris auto show in October. Introduced in 1999, the Honda Insight is technically billed as the first mass produced hybrid vehicle and, in theory, should’ve beat the Toyota Prius at it’s own game. Unfortunately, in addition to being the leaders in hybrid technology, Honda was also the leader in aesthetically revolting exterior design. The latter distinction ultimately cost them big time; from 1999 to 2006, the Honda Insight only sold a total of 17,001 units. Expected to hit dealer showrooms in April, the 2009 Honda Insight will ditch the 2-passenger, covered rear wheel layout in favor of a five-passenger hatchback and will look absolutely nothing like its rival, the Toyota Prius. We jest, of course.

‘See The 09 Insight After The Jump

2009 Honda Insight

After licking their wounds, Honda sent the Insight back to the drawing board and for 2009, will reveal a fresh design shaded heavily with Prius-brand colored pencils. With a completely new platform, the 2009 Honda Insight adds room for three more passengers and loses those gross first generation rear panels. Although the Insight’s gasoline engine will be its primary power source, the electric motor will generate energy for the car’s auxiliary functions as well as provide additional power for accelerating, starting, and stopping. Surprisingly, the Insight’s upgrade does not spell price inflation - quite the opposite, in fact. Specifics have yet to be released, but Honda has confirmed that the Insight will retail for less than the both the $22,660 Civic Hybrid and the $21,500 Toyota Prius.

We say: We sympathize with Honda because they did it first, Toyota just did it better. We’re sincerely rooting for the Honda Insight, and if we manage to get our hands on a Prius and an Insight, we just might have to schedule a drag race shootout.

[Photo & News Source: Auto News]

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The 2010 Fuel-Efficient Jeep Grand Cherokee: We Need A Stiff Drink

Pushing us ever closer to the brink of buying the biggest environmental nightmare we can get our rebellious little hands on, Chrysler LLC has announced their current development of a lighter, smaller, greener Jeep Grand Cherokee for 2010 [our anguish is too great to describe right now]. The hybrid Grand Cherokee will feature a new uni-body frame, designed in part by Mercedes-Benz, and a new, more fuel-efficient V6 engine currently being developed under the code name “Phoenix.” Although the 2010 Hybrid Jeep Grand Cherokee will be Jeep’s first hybrid model, Jeep has also announced that several, as-yet unreleased vehicles will follow suit.

Jeep Trailhawk Concept

Jeep Renegade Concept

As a testament to their new commitment to the same environment that they were previously known for four-wheeling over, Jeep has also announced that their new hybrid models will be manufactured in their re-outfitted Jefferson plant in Northern Detroit. To prepare for the green maelstrom, Jeep has begun the process of giving the Jefferson plant an environmental overhaul - to the tune of $1.8 billion dollars. Currently, the plant is responsible for the production of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Jeep Commander [Aw Jeep c'mon - please, please, PLEASE do not release a Hybrid Commander, just let the thing die with some dignity] but after it completes its 285,000 square foot expansion, an upgraded assembly line and redesigned body shop will be ready to begin producing Jeep’s new hybrid models. In keeping with Jeep’s new Devotion to Green, the plant will also include several “green initiatives”, including:

• Energy-efficient fluorescent lighting fixtures
• Cleaner air-filtration systems
• Waste-reducing decanting technology
• Quieter electro-servo weld guns
• Replacing unused parking-asphalt areas with grass to reduce heat generation
• Utilizing reusable paint clips that hold doors in place during the paint process and reusing parts racks, resulting in a reduced raw material consumption
• Trailer cubing and rack density improvements to reduce fuel consumption and transportation costs

So how serious is Jeep about their new-found faith? Serious enough to prompt Chrysler LLC to sell its Tritec engine manufacturing plant in Brazil, and put the proceeds towards the Jefferson reconstruction. Normally, we would be lamenting the fact that Jeep has apparently drunk [drank?] the “herbal” kool-aid, but we’re temporarily abandoning our seal-clubbing idealogy to applaud Jeep for refusing to allow an American cornerstone to be phased out. To Jeep personally: Although we feel a little betrayed right now, the anger and hurt will eventually subside and we just want you to know that, no matter what, we’re ultimately behind you all the way.

[Source: Automotive News]

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The IFR Aspid Super Sport: It’s What’s On The Inside That Counts, Really

Photo Courtesy of AutoExpress

Making its international debut at the British International Auto Show on July 22, the brand new IFR Aspid Super Sport stole the show. A super car by definition, the IFR Aspid Super Sport is a front engine, rear-wheel drive, luxury two-seater sportscar. Although its interesting (read: really acquired taste) exterior design suggests Lotus lineage, the IFR Aspid is in a league all its own.

Ground breaking technology, an unbelievable 50mpg, and the impressive power that usually comes standard with $100,000 sports car ($107,000; if you want to split hairs), does much to quickly set the Aspid Super Sport apart from would-be competitors. Unquestionably a car made to flex its specs on the asphalt (legally too, with its FIA endorsement), the IFR Aspid Super Sport boasts a 4-cylinder Supercharged engine capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 mph in 5.9 seconds, and from 0 to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds. In addition, the Aspid Super Sport also features a curb weight of 1,543 and a 402-horsepower engine, which clocks it in with a power-to-weight ratio of 570-horsepower-per-ton. According to egineering genuis and company founder, Ignacio Fernandez Rodriquez, “The whole point of the Aspid is that it is small and lightning fast, just like its namesake.”

The Aspid Super Sport’s performance stats certainly appear to spell “track car”, but the Aspid Super Sport is not the bare-essentials F-1 you would expect. Featuring both Bluetooth and WiFi capability, the Aspid Super Sport’s instrument panel and driver controls have all been integrated into one, user-friendly touch screen located in the center of the steering wheel. Offering a surprising amount of legroom given the Aspid Super Sport’s compact styling, the interior is a leather-clad, carbon-fiber, La-Z-Boy – our at least as close as you’re going to get to one barrelling down the freeway ( er, I mean – “closed professional driving course”) at 150 mph.

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