Representatives from the company show up at places where large minority groups congregate and then let people look around and go for a spin at their leisure.  In some cases, GM is even offering incentives to take the cars out for a test drive.

The ride-and-drive events are so far being met with success.  A recent event had GM reps attend one of Detroit’s largest churches, the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, after a Sunday service.  Parishioners were invited to test drive several Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles.  GM even went so far as to offer free inspections of child car seats by their own safety experts.

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Pastor Charles Adams explained that the event demonstrated GM’s commitment to minority causes.  He added, “We are encouraging our church members to take care of their community by buying locally. This is an ethical purpose that is beyond profit.”

At a similar event held in Los Angeles, the automaker reached out to the Korean-American community by showcasing the new Chevrolet Camaro, which was penned by Korean-born designer,  Sangyup Lee.  GM served up tasty Korean bar-b-que from a well known local food truck while patrons chatted with company representatives.

GM spokeswoman, Carolyn Normandin explained that the Ride and Drive events are, “helping to change the public’s perception of our brands,” and are giving people the chance to experience vehicles, “firsthand, on their own terms.”  Last week, Normandin hosted another event at a Detroit coffee shop where patrons were offered a $5 coffee card in exchange for spending a few minutes to sit inside the new Buick Lacrosse and learn about its key features and options.

GM’s Ride-and-Drive events are so far proving to be a great way to gain exposure to markets that are often difficult to reach through traditional advertisements.

Normandin notes, “We know some people have never been in GM products before, particularly for a division like Buick/GMC. We know one way to help people fall in love with our products is to get them into our products and get them exposed to it.”

The Honk search tool was built to handle situations exactly like this so I fired up my browser to sort through family-oriented crossover vehicles with high safety ratings, ample seating, and great fuel economy:

2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Matt and Natalie have their own organic farm, complete with fresh vegetables, chickens, and a cow (yes, really – they own a cow).  It goes without saying that ‘green’ is at the top of their list.

The Toyota Highlander is one of the few family-friendly hybrids out there and I think that my brother and his family will appreciate both the great mileage and the roomy cabin.

2011 Kia Sorento

Matt and Natalie have already told me that third-row seats are a must-have.

The great-looking Kia Sorento just arrived and it’s got an optional third row of seats that will be great for the occasional carpool or visit from Uncle Josh.  It’s also easy on the wallet and it gets great fuel economy (up to 29 mpg on the highway).

2010 Toyota RAV4

In addition to two adults and two kids, this family also has two canines – Rio and Bella – to cart around.  The Toyota RAV4 scored well with people who own pets and I discovered that there’s a wide range of aftermarket pet accessories (cages, harnesses, etc) built especially for the RAV4.

2010 Mitsubishi Outlander

Matt and Natalie live in snowy Pennsylvania and they’re going to need all-wheel drive and plenty of ground clearance to handle the next Snowpocalypse.  The Mitsubishi Outlander has the most ground clearance of all the vehicles on this list and it can be had with the all-important third row.  Winter, you’ve met your match.

How now brown cow?

So what car should you drive if you’ve got two kids, two dogs, and a cow?  My vote goes to the Toyota Highlander Hybrid but we’ll have to see what Matt and Natalie pick for their family… Rumor has it that my 3-year old niece is in love with the sock monkey from the Kia Sorento TV commercial.

You know what I mean.  Her red carpet commentary was as over-the-top as her plastic surgery but she said what we were all thinking and she was totally hilarious about it.

That got me to thinking about all those horrible fashion label special editions that we’ve seen over the years, so I pulled together three automobiles that I think would top Joan’s list of the worst-dressed cars in the industry:

THE WORST DRESSED

2000 PT Cruiser by Louis Vuitton

I can’t figure this one out either, but I’m pretty sure that someone at Louis Vuitton got FIRED after this one-off car was commissioned for a special event in 2000.  The PT Cruiser was a fun, low-priced car for the masses.  Louis Vuitton, a high-end fashion boutique for the elite.

The two brands have virtually nothing in common and the end result was about as classy as a knockoff handbag from a Shanghai street vendor.  The exterior was painted in a bizarre aquamarine and there were gaudy chrome wheels and a nauseating monogram stripe around the beltline.  Even worse was the car’s interior, which featured drab gray leather upholstery with monogram print inserts and mismatched tobacco door pulls.

This car hasn’t been seen since the Louis Vuitton Classic in 2000 and I’m hoping that the Fashion Police have already locked it away for a life sentence with no chance of parole.

1972 AMC Gremlin, Levi’s Edition

In 1972, this match-up made sense on paper.  The AMC and Levi’s brands both spoke to middle class America and the rugged denim seemed like it could stand up to years of abuse in an automobile.  What no one realized at the time is that brass jean rivets get really, really hot when the car is parked in the sun for a few hours.

The Levi’s Gremlin was the equivalent of a dress that looked great in the fitting room but that turned awkwardly transparent when a photographer’s flash went off on the red carpet.  The only thing hotter than those rivets would be Joan’s scornful comments.

1979 Cadillac Seville, Gucci Edition

Even by modern standards, this Caddy’s fashion sense is questionable.  The Gucci Seville commanded a hefty $7,000 premium over the standard $15,000 Seville and only 200 were ever built.  That’s probably a good thing.

The interior featured a garish Gucci monogram print in canvas over caramel leather.  Outside, the car rode on special “GG” wheels and flaunted a custom hood ornament.  Unique gold keys and a full set of custom Gucci luggage completed the ensemble.

Even in 1979, I think that Joan Rivers would kick this Caddy to the curb.

THE BEST DRESSED

2006 Lamborghini Murcielago by Versace

Joan gives credit where credit is due and I wanted to give a shout-out to one vehicle ensemble that actually works.

Who is this Lamborghini Murcielago wearing?  Versace, of course!

What could be better than the pairing of these two dramatic Italian powerhouses?  Lamborghini and Versace are both icons in their respective industries, representing wealth and outrageous style.  The car featured a beautiful white exterior with matching two-tone interior.  Tasteful Versace logos completed the look and, as expected, the car wore an outrageously expensive price tag.

I think Joan would approve.

Colors can serve as an expression of who we are, broadcasting aspects of our personality and our sense of style.  Buyers today have access to an endless array of color options from Wooden Nickel (medium dark gray) to Simple Chaos (blue) to Authentic Replica (dark red).  We’ve come a long way since the automobile was first introduced and Henry Ford famously remarked that Model T customers could have their cars painted in, “any color they want, so long as it’s black.”

So what’s up with all the black, white, and silver cars?

I ran across Dupont’s report on the World’s Most Popular Car Colors and was surprised to find that almost half of the world’s driving population gets into a black or silver vehicle every morning.  Another third of the world’s cars are a shade of gray or white.  Only the final 25% are “real” colors.

Even more interesting than the top 10 global results were the regional differences.  Europeans chose black as their top color.  North Americans and the Japanese chose white.  The booming populations of China and India enjoy silver.  What do you think these color choices say about the cultures they spring from?

The regional data also highlighted some other interesting differences.  In China, for instance, silver and black make up almost 60 percent of all new cars.  In North America, the top two colors (white and black) make up less than 35 percent.

Have the Chinese been taking their inspiration from Henry Ford or is there another reason they’re avoiding brighter hues?

The one thing the data consistently shows is that most people don’t stray far from the traditional colors of our automotive forefathers.  I think it’s a shame that when people have options like Light Intensity Orange, Crystal Crème Beige and Serious Fun Green, they more often than not choose Plain Old Gray.

Next time you’re given that choice, I’d encourage you to step out of the box and go for Running Start Yellow!

We’re still not exactly sure where the idea for this collaboration came from, but Chrysler has teamed up with the once-famous pop singer, Christina Aguilera to design a unique eco-friendly car for charity.  The vehicle will be auctioned off to benefit victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

To Ms. Aguilera’s credit, she and Chrysler did a superb job of transforming a Chrysler 300C into a green(er) vehicle.

The one-off car is dubbed “Eco Style by Christian Aguilera” and features a custom grille, special wheels, recycled materials throughout the interior, and the pop star’s autograph.  The use of recycled materials is extensive and incorporates cork, bamboo, recycled suede, and jute plant fiber.

And while the Eco Style is powered by a not-so-green 5.7-liter V8 engine, Chrysler is quick to point out the standard Multi Displacement System (MDS) which increases fuel efficiency in certain conditions.

Does the “Eco Style by Christina Aguilera” make you green with envy?

[Source: hollywoodscoop]

The Mustang isn’t the only Ford to benefit from great fuel efficiency, either.  The Blue Oval unveiled a super-efficient 41-mpg Ford Fusion hybrid for 2010 and the upcoming 2011 Fiesta is expected to be the most fuel-efficient vehicle in it’s class, with 40 highway miles per gallon.

How is Ford achieving these ground-breaking improvements in fuel efficiency?  Their engineers claim to be rethinking every aspect of a car’s design, from aerodynamics to engines and transmissions.  For the new Mustang, Ford went so far as to redesign the power steering system, fit new 6-speed transmissions, and lighten several key engine components.

The 2011 Mustang is the latest vehicle to prove that eyebrow-raising horsepower and exceptional fuel economy are not mutually exclusive.  Our hats are off to the engineers who made this possible.  We’re looking forward to our first drive!

Did they succeed?  Judge for yourself: this Rover features custom leather upholstery and breathtaking woodwork hand-selected to match the owner’s gun collection.  Customers can choose from seven exclusive exterior paint colors, four different types of wood, and a seemingly endless number of leather options.

While there is something to be said for lavish trim and an opulent exterior, there are two amazing and never-before-seen amenities (limos excluded) that make this Range Rover stand out:

First, there’s a custom console with functioning refrigerator and an amply-stocked liquor cabinet.  The cabinet includes a one year supply of top-shelf whiskey, gin, vodka, and champagne – as well as custom crystal ware.

To the rear, there is a trunk-mounted gun cabinet replete with custom woodwork.  Yes, a luxury gun cabinet… in the back of a Range Rover.  And it’s functional, too, with enough space to fit guns, ammunition, and hunting accessories.

If a vehicle’s worth can be measured by the labor put into it; the H & H Overfinch is the gold standard.  Over 150 hours are spent customizing and fitting the interior trim and more than 130 hours are spent painting and hand polishing the exterior.

This luxury off-roader is old-world luxury on wheels.  Make that fast wheels (the 503-hp supercharged V8 does 0-60 mph in less than 7 seconds and has a governed top speed of 140 mph).

So what’s keeping us all from buying this amazing vehicle?  Production is limited to 100 vehicles and they cost a cool £139,650 in the UK and about $182,597 for export.  At that price, this Range Rover will have to stay on our already long list of dream cars.

For those of you who can afford a Range Rover with expensive rifles and a never-ending supply of alcohol, please do be careful about how you mix those three ingredients.

Figures just published on Automotive News show that both Ford and GM are out performing Toyota and expanding their market share.  

Ford is showing unprecedented growth with a 43% boost in year-over-year sales while GM is moving in the right direction with 12% increase from last year.  For the first time in almost a decade Toyota is showing a decline (9%) in year-over-year sales volume.

Although these most recent sales figures suggest and Ford and GM are moving in the right direction, the future is still very unclear.  Toyota has temporarily stopped selling approximately 57% of its US models, but as soon as the current recall gets cleared up, they will undoubtedly be back on track and working hard to reprove their worth.

So how do Ford and GM take full advantage of their current upturn in fate?  Industry analysts charge that domestic automakers need to beat Toyota (and Honda) at their own game: by building forward-looking cars with high mileage, attractive features, and outstanding quality.

Do you think that Ford and GM have what it takes to continue growing after Toyota completes this historic recall?

Source: [HBS Working Knowledge]

All this recall news got me a little worried: are recalls always this prevalent?  Is this surge a result of the ongoing Toyota media coverage, or is something going terribly wrong across the auto industry?

After combing through data from NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I found that safety recalls are more common than I expected.  Despite clever computer-aided design tools and modern manufacturing techniques, the total number of automobiles being recalled has been on the rise for the past several decades.

Part of the reason for this rise is because so many components are shared across multiple vehicles these days.  If one of those components has a problem; the recall is likely to affect all of the other vehicles that shared that part.

The good news is that automakers have created robust quality checks in their engineering and manufacturing processes and that modern automobiles have advanced diagnostic systems that can record problems in detail.  These combined efforts make it much easier for automakers to track, isolate, and react to problems quickly.

CNN Money reports that the Chrysler recall mentioned above affects some of the 2009 and/or 2010 Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Nitro, Dodge Ram, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Jeep Commander.  The problem could result in a sudden failure of the braking system but it was fortunately caught early by two Chrysler employees.  As a result, only 24,000 vehicles are affected by the recall and Chrysler claims not to be aware of any related injuries or accidents.  (Kudos to Chrysler for taking such swift action!)

Safety recalls are inevitable and it is important to be aware that recalls can happen at any time, no matter how young or old the car is.  The best defense is to know whether or not your vehicle has been recalled.  You can do this by checking with the manufacturer, your local dealership, or at SaferCar.gov.  Additionally, we recommend calling the manufacturer of your vehicle and making sure that your contact information is up to date so that they are able to send you notification in the event of a recall.

Be safe out there!



Land Rover’s parent company, Tata Motors, has officially sanctioned the new Defender project.  The 2014 Defender will be the company’s flagship model and should help to reemphasize Land Rover’s dedication to the adventure-seeking off-road space.  Aside from being an incredible performer off-road, the 2014 Defender may also boast Land Rover’s patented Electric Rear Axle Drive technology, which will vastly improve fuel economy and serve to lower emissions.

The Defender was sold for only a short time in the US and if you’re not familiar; I highly recommend you read up on this iconic beast of burden.  This is the SUV that teenage boys dream about.  It’s what you take on safari in Africa and what you drive through the jungles of  South America and Asia.  It’s the off-road capability of a Hummer with the classic style of a Jaguar.  It’s rugged, yet sophisticated.  Simple, yet luxurious.

Ladies and gentlemen of the luxury safari set, start the countdown for the new and improved Defender!