Cars and Golden Retrievers

OK, how could I do a blog post on cats and forget about my two favorite grand-dogs, Ralph and Ed. Especially Ralph, who is one of the only living things on the planet that loves me! He will sit in my lap, stay by the door of the bedroom when I sleep at Lisa's house in Escondido, CA, and follow me endlessly. He and Ed have such big hearts (as well as big bodies), and I do miss them.  So here, for Ralph and Ed, are a few golden retriever and car photos!

Cats and Cars

Hi folks -- enjoying our cat "Blackie" the other day got me thinking about cats and cars. There was the time we took our evil black cat Dixie for a ride and trip to a waterfall where she promptly clawed the hell out of  Kaye. Then there was our cat Yellowbole who pissed on the floor of my 1969 Karmann Ghia repeatedly because I left the window open at night, undoubtedly causing the floorboard to rot out, which I found out while driving through a rain storm on I-10 in New Orleans. In New Orleans we had a litter of kittens that went by the name Eeny, Meeney, Moe, Jack and Bingo. One of the black ones- we'll call him Moe -- hid in the wheel well of our Ford Pinto, traveled with Kaye across the Mississippi River Bridge to Tulane Med School, waited for her all day, then was run over after she left. A few years ago my prize cat Bonnie sneaked into grandma's garage and crapped in the seat of my Porsche!  Here are a few cat photos for your enjoyment.

Hybrid Cars -- recent news reflects a mixed message right now

Hi folks -- Right before exams I received an interesting forwarded article from one of my students.  Written by Paul A. Eisenstein from NBC's Detroit Bureau, a number of important issues emerged.

For example:
1) there is an issue of consumer loyalty related to hybrid vehicles.  Only about 1 in 3 hybrid owners by another gas electric model when they trade in.

2) "Pricing and range limitations remain critical factors."  Expectations are high, demand is far lower.

3) Manufacturer's claims do not match what owners are actually getting! The EPA is now getting involved in revising rating processes.

For those interested, consumers who financed these cars purchased them in the following order:

1. Toyota prius -- 37.2%
2. Toyota Camry -- 8.9%
3. Toyota Prius V -- 8.6%
4. Toyota Prius C -- 8.1 %
5. Chevy Volt -- 6.3%
6. Hyundai Sonata -- 4.8%
7. Lexus CT 200h -- 4.2%
8. Kia Optima -- 2.7%
9. Nissan Leaf -- 2.7%
Lexus RX450h -- 2.3 %

So far the Asians are leading the race, it seems.

Cars that are the focus of films: "Iron Man 3," "The Wolverine," and "Fast and Furious 6."

 Audi R8 spyder

Ducati Diavel

When Tony Stark isn't suited up in metal saving the world, the self-described genius billionaire playboy philanthropist zips around town in the all-electric Audi e-tron.

At least he does on screen, in "Iron Man 3," in an early kickoff to a summer blockbuster season that will see hundreds of speeding, squealing, exploding, airborne, rolling and smoking vehicles in dozens of high-adrenaline films.

Chloe Moretz's Hit-Girl won't just don a purple cape in "Kick-Ass 2," she'll do so on a color-matched Ducati Panigale. When Hugh Jackman's Wolverine travels to Japan for some superhero soul searching, he's whisked through the streets of Tokyo in an Audi A8 Spyder. Then there's Roman, played by Tyrese Gibson, who jumps from a Ford Mustang moments before it's crushed by the tracks of a tank in the sixth installment of the supercharged franchise "Fast & Furious."

"Every one of these movies, the action gets bigger, the story gets better and we wreck a lot more stuff," said Dennis McCarthy, car coordinator for "Fast & Furious 6," which alone features more than 300 vehicles.

Yes, that's a three with two zeros � including 10 Dodge Charger SRT8s, nine Ford Mustangs and a smattering of Aston Martin DB9s and Range Rovers, few of which survived filming.

Most of the vintage muscle cars favored by Dom (Vin Diesel) were sourced "like everyone else," McCarthy said, through Craigslist, eBay, AutoTrader and swap meets. The Dodge SRT8s and Ram trucks were provided courtesy of the manufacturer, as was the Ducati Monster 1100 ridden by Gisele (Gal Gadot) and the Harley-Davidson XR1200X that was customized into a flat tracker and flogged by Han (Sung Kang) on camera. The Harley now sits in director Justin Lin's office.

As summer films become more explosive and action-oriented, so too are the cars and bikes that are featured. But as much as vehicles add a level of excitement and engagement to filmgoers' experience, viewers are increasingly sophisticated. It's no longer acceptable just to place the most current or desirable product. The cars have to be true to character.

"For me, the biggest focus with putting vehicles in the movie is to make them work for the movie and not seem like product placement," said James Mangold, director of the upcoming Marvel film "The Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman and, briefly, a Ducati Diavel and Audi R8 Spyder.

Most of the riding and driving is done by a female character named Yukio who nicks vehicles from her wealthy boss and uses them to perform "hard stops, hard pull-ins, and pulling in to tiny spaces at high speed," said Mangold. "But we're the movie about a guy with claws, so the real action in our film is more hand-to-hand and physical."

Despite the limited screen time, the Ducati Diavel and "The Wolverine" are a "perfect fit," said Stefano Sbettega, marketing and communications director for Ducati North America in Cupertino, Calif. "It's a fantastic combination of what the motorcycle represents and the Wolverine, who is somehow devilish and has a huge following all over the world."

The devil, or Diavel, has been on the market two years but is getting the film treatment for the first time through "The Wolverine," in which it will be ridden by Hugh Jackman (a motorcyclist in real life) as well as the Yukio character, Sbettega said. The other two films in which Ducati bikes will race across the big screen this summer also feature women riders � in "Fast & Furious 6" and "Kick-Ass 2."

"It's not something we planned," Sbettega said. "But we're certainly happy it's coming up. It's good to let the female audience see and understand that motorcycles are not just toys for boys."

Just as the films are fantasies, so too is the idea of ownership. Placing vehicles in a high-profile movie promotes a fantasy that marketers hope will translate into sales.

"Three percent of the population has a license to motorcycle in this country, so the upside is significant to put motorcycling on the map," said Dino Bernacchi, current marketing director of Harley-Davidson Motor Co. in Milwaukee, Wis., and former branded entertainment director for General Motors. "When you see a cool scene with a cool person riding a motorcycle, it starts to seed that desire."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130505/AUTO01/305050304#ixzz2SQ2CHNLK

Friday Night Cruise-In I: Beavercreek, Ohio, May 2, 2013

 I got there early and didn't stay long. First one I have gone to this year and it seemed sort of dead. Plenty of old men wearing baseball caps around, and a number of shrivel-faced wives.  The occasional nice looking younger chick, but not many of them. A number of small groups sitting around in lawn chairs, but little energy. I drove the 380Sl and parked behind a 560 SL that Larry Dobbins had recently purchased sight unseen from the internet and a buyer in Dallas. He got a great deal, but we will see how it turns out in the longer run. Just before I left some old guy and his pudgy wife parked next to me in a brand new Mercedes biturbo AMG. Why bring that car to this gathering?

 Maybe the best car at the cruise-in, but tucked away around a corner of th old Eastgate Ford.

 A 1967 Corvette -- nice, but there are so many of these cars.

A Ford rod in flat black.

Selling Hybrid Secrets to China

An example of the competitiveness within the auto industry global auto industry.  A story that gets little press outside of Detroit.

Detroit � An ex-General Motors Co. engineer was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and her husband was given a three-year term after being convicted of stealing hybrid vehicle technology from the automaker for potential use in China.

Shanshan Du, 54, and husband Yu Qin, 52, were sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Marianne Battani.

"This crime, though not a crime of physical harm � is a crime in which our whole community and whole economic system is a victim," Battani said.

Prosecutors said GM trade secrets were found on computers owned by the Troy couple. The government didn't believe the information made it to China.

The couple, prosecutors said, intended to provide the technology trade secrets to China's Chery Automobile.

Qin cried as he described the "great pain" he caused his family.

"That shame and guilt will stay with me for the rest of my life," he said.

Du, shaking, said she was sorry. "I have made poor decisions," she said, crying.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathleen Corken said the technology was worth at least $40 million.

Qin's attorney, Frank Eaman, sought probation. GM, however, had asked the court for the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

"Protecting trade secrets from improper disclosure and use is important to GM and directly impacts the nation's economic well-being," GM said in a statement Wednesday. "GM is pleased that the Court sent a message that such theft will be punished."

The couple was found guilty in November by a federal jury after a weeks-long trial. The pair conspired to steal GM trade secrets from December 2003 to May 2006, according to the indictment.

mmartinez@detroitnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130502/AUTO0103/305020320#ixzz2SE7IUILE

A guest post on the new automatic transmissions -- Madoline Hatter

American Auto Transmissions Improvements on Typical Manual Transmissions.

American transmissions have come a long way since their inception back in 1937.
In terms of safety, reliability and performance, American transmissions in new automobiles have performed in terms of leaps and bounds above standard tests of the past.
In terms of reliability:

1.) CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) Found in models such as the Nissan Sentra, typically get 40 miles per gallon; a technology that requires gas, but seems to get further MPG than popular electric or hydro-electric fuel cell technology currently available on the market. CVT transmission vehicles are also currently less expensive than current hydro-fuel cell technological vehicles.

2.) CVT Transmissions are now typically equipped with a timing chain, as opposed to a timing belt, which breaks more frequently. A timing belt is construct of US mined steel and aluminum alloy that withstands the test of time!

3,) A CVT timing belt creates a minimum highway travel mpg (miles per gallon) speed of roughly 40 miles per gallon. This is calculated through multiple facilitated tested automotive techniques which have stood a barrage of tests.

4.) CVT transmissions contained in most American transmission technology will stand the test of time. This is through a use of timing chain technology as opposed to originally produced timing belts. The timing chain technology typically utilizes the use of steel aluminum alloy metallurgy which combines the best of both components in tandem with the latest technology to create a seamless, and stable system of transmission hydraulics.

5.) The controls for a CVT transmission vehicle are the exact same as an automatic vehicle. With the advent of CVT technology in today's market, an individual may ask themselves whether or not this new technology is solvent in terms of usage in today's market. The answer to this question is an undeniable yes! If a member of current society in any corner of the world is able to utilize the advent of a manual transmission in today's society's brand of vehicle, than one can most definitely handle the CVT transmission technology in today's current automotive stability transmission.

In conclusion, today's newest models of not only America's greatest and latest transmissions, but the answer to gas viable transmissions versus hybrids, the CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) automobile is the latest and greatest in American manufacturing in terms of the conventional automobile. This advent in technology will sustain a driver's needs up to and including 40 miles per gallon on conventional fossil fuels, and is comparable to the latest and greatest hybrid automobile technology. Nissan automotive vehicles are one of the front runners of this technology (ever since 1937), however, many vehicle chains are using this very same technology or derivatives of this technology. CVT transmissions are the way of the future independent of new wave of hydro-electric fuel cell technology. If one is adamant on saving money but is not willing to make the change to hydro-fuel cell technology, a vehicle equipped with a function CVT transmission will be certainly within their necessary means if they wish to travel a verifiable range of 40 miles per gallon.

This is article is contributed by Madoline Hatter. Madoline is a freelance writer and blog junkie from ChangeOfAddressForm.com. You can reach her at: m.hatter12 @ gmail. com.