Archive for June, 2009
21st June 2009
Filed under: Time Warp, Misc. Auto Shows
2009 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, Day 1 – Click above for a high-res gallery
The web is all about immediacy, and by that token, you should have seen these Greenwich Concours d’Elegance photos right after the event happened. Your humble correspondent, however, was juggling the Concours with his own family vacation preparations, and couldn’t deliver in a timely fashion. However, like Dick Nixon, I’m now tanned, rested and ready, so follow the jump for several themed photo galleries and the annual rundown on what you missed if you weren’t able to make the stop in Greenwich,
All photos Copyright (C)2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading 2009 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance
2009 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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21st June 2009
Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Aston Martin
A Car magazine reader has photographed the Aston Martin Rapide looking like it could have come off a dealer lot. The snapper also peeped the inside, which he said has a full-length console a la the Mercedes CLS to create four distinct seating positions. Aston has, however, said that those rear seats are for “children or two adults on shorter journeys.” The slinky black number also sports a serious set of pipes out back that we expect to put out a beautiful soundtrack. And thank goodness the car has a hatch like the Vantage, which means — in a first for current Aston Martins — it could have a proper trunk. Like the kind you can actually put things in.
[Source: Car]
Spy Shots: This is your Aston Martin Rapide originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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21st June 2009
Filed under: Tuners, Hatchbacks, Honda
Mugen Honda Civic Type-R hatch – Click above for high-res image gallery
Honda’s Euro-market Civic Type R hatchback has been called out for being a successor that hasn’t exactly succeeded. Seems a bit of the thrill is gone from the new car compared to the old one. Enter tuning firm Mugen, whose modifications to the Type R hatch should make it even better than it once was.
Not much is known about the changes in store. However, based on changes made for Mugen’s Japan-spec Civic Type RR 4-door sedan, these pictures, and the fact that this car might take on the Renault R26.R, you can expect much: upgraded suspension and 18-inch wheels, giant front splitter and rear wing, huge exhaust, and a powerplant putting out 237 bhp and 160 lb-ft.
If the pictures don’t lie, however, it looks like the bigger Brembo brakes might not appear, and the back seats will remain in place. You can check out the details for yourself in the high-res gallery below.
[Source: 4 Wheels News]
Mugen Civic Type R hatchback restores former glory originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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21st June 2009
Filed under: Time Warp, Dodge, Police/Emergency
Over at Clunkbucket, Mike Bumbeck has an “odd rod” feature highlighting one of the more interesting law-enforcement vehicles we’ve ever come across. Back in the early 70s, the Bay Area Pollution Control District decided to form a Vehicle Patrol section to issue citations to emissions scofflaws. Officers used a chart that told them what color color smoke was “good” or “bad” to determine whether the exhaust spewing from cars’ tailpipes was in compliance. Nowadays, this sort of endeavor would likely be carried out by humorless glorified metermaids in politically-correct Toyota Priuses. Back then, however, jauntily-dressed pollution-enforcement agents cruised the streets of San Francisco in specially-liveried Dodge Polara pursuit specials. Because, you know, when you think “clean air” you think “Dodge Polara.” Head over to Clunkbucket for plenty more photos, some additional program history, and details on the excellent replica you see above.
[Source: Clunkbucket | Photo: Mike Bumbeck]
Irony Police: ‘73 Dodge Polara Air Pollution Control replica originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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21st June 2009
Filed under: Government/Legal, GM
As Yogi Berra once said, “This is like deja-vu all over again.” Yesterday was the deadline for parties to file objections to the General Motors asset sale, and several were indeed filed. If some of this sounds familiar, it’s because similar objections were filed during Chrysler’s bankruptcy proceedings. For instance, on Friday, attorneys general from 10 states jointly-filed an objection, saying that the so-called New GM’s “purchase of substantially all of the operating assets of the debtors should not include an impenetrable shield which insulates (the new GM) from all future product liability claims.” The AGs are upset because under the current plans, New GM basically won’t be held responsible for existing or future product liability claims related to vehicles sold before the formation of the new company. This echoes similar objections raised during the Chrysler proceedings, and if you use that as a measuring stick, things don’t look good for the AGs or the injured parties (present or future) on whose behalf they’re raising the objections. When the Supreme Court cleared the way for Chrysler’s sale to Fiat, similar claims filed by consumer groups were essentially denied. Fiat-owned “New Chrysler” is not responsible for prior liability claims, leaving injured parties with little to no recourse.
Joining the AGs were attorneys representing over 50,000 retired union steelworkers and engineers who stand to lose out on over B USD in retirement and health insurance benefits they were guaranteed under the Old GM, a company that will have little to no value once the asset sale to the new company is completed. As things stand, the retirees’ claim against Old GM is unsecured. Similarly, lawyers representing 1,500 other unsecured bondholders filed an objection saying that “Many of these family and noninstitutional bondholders are facing the prospect of significant losses of their retirement and life savings by the proposed GM restructuring, while simultaneously watching other unsecured creditors who by law are similarly situated receive disproportionately larger payments.” Translation: some unsecured bondholders are more equal than others.
Once again, these objections are similar to ones raised — and ultimately dismissed — during the Chrysler bankruptcy. While the GM bankruptcy is indeed a new and entirely separate process, the federal government — which will become the majority stakeholder in the New GM once it exits bankruptcy — would obviously like to see the GM proceedings move along and conclude in a manner similar to Chrysler’s.
With the objections officially filed, it’s all in the court’s hands. So now we wait to see what happens.
[Source: The Detroit News]
Attorneys file objections to General Motors asset sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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