Car Blog

Jaguar  announced the introduction of the 2010 Jaguar XF Supercharged, the fourth and newest member of its acclaimed XF lineup. The vehicle, a mid-year release, is powered by a 470 hp version of the 5.0-liter supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III engine that debuted at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. The XF Supercharged will go on sale in October 2009, and will be priced starting at $68,000 MSRP.

“The Jaguar XF Supercharged will offer consumers a compelling luxury sedan choice with benchmark handling ability and truly memorable performance,” says Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars. “This new luxury performance XF Supercharged sedan builds on the tremendous momentum Jaguar has achieved by introducing beautiful fast cars such as the XK sports car, the XF and the XKR and XFR models.”

At-A-Glance Highlights

• 5.0-liter Supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III engine with 470hp (a 12% increase over the 4.2-liter 2009MY supercharged XF) and 424 lb/ft of torque

• 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds

• Adaptive Dynamics (the latest in computer controlled continuously variable damping) and Active Differential Control (electronically controlled rear differential) are standard

• Upgraded ventilated disc brakes

• Interior features include: contrast color twin needle stitching on the instrument panel and door top rolls, Jaguar Suedecloth Premium headlining, Rich Oak veneer (unique to XF Supercharged only), 440W Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system, HD radio, and heated steering wheel

• Exterior features include: unique 20″ five triple-spoke Selena-style alloy wheels, “Supercharged” badging on rear trunk lid, quad polished exhaust tailpipes, and silver-gray painted brake calipers

Globally launched at Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007, the XF line has set new standards for the next generation of luxury sports cars. The XF Supercharged expands the already highly acclaimed model line that includes:

• 4.2-liter naturally aspirated XF (300 hp) with a $52,000 MSRP

• 5.0-liter naturally aspirated XF Premium (385 hp) with a $57,000 MSRP

• 5.0-liter supercharged XF Supercharged (470 hp) with a $68,000 MSRP

• 5.0-liter supercharged XFR (510 hp) with a $80,000 MSRP

Source: Jaguar

A new breed of Do-It-Yourself motorists are changing the way their vehicles are being serviced: BIY (Buy-It-Yourself) consumers are saving money on auto repairs and maintenance by purchasing the necessary parts themselves and having their local mechanics do the installations. Using the Internet to find the best prices for the parts and accessories they need, these astute BIY drivers are keeping their cars and trucks running safely and efficiently, extending the life of their vehicles, and saving considerable money.

“It’s a trend that’s really picking up speed,” said Tom West, CEO & President of JC Whitney, the largest direct marketer of name-brand automotive parts and accessories. “It’s no different than a bride buying a diamond online and having her local jeweler set it.”

JCWhitney.com offers over six million easily searchable automotive parts and accessories, including a full range of high quality replacement, performance, and restoration parts for nearly every car, truck, and motorcycle. JC Whitney guarantees the lowest prices, provides extensive customer support, and delivers merchandise to a customer’s doorstep or directly to their mechanic. Shipping is free for most orders over $99.

The savings can be dramatic. The owner of a 2001 Ford Mustang saved almost $70 on a new radiator. A national auto parts store quoted the part at $186.99. JC Whitney offered the exact same part, including shipping, for only $117.04. A Front Oxygen Sensor for a 2002 Chevy Malibu was priced at $139.99 by a national service chain, and JCWhitney.com’s price for the identical name-brand part, delivered to the customer’s doorstep, was only $80.98 – a savings of over 40%.

“For 95 years JC Whitney has been known for its great selection and tremendous value,” added West. “For the BIY customer, we deliver the satisfaction that you’re getting the right part at the best price.”

Source: Whitney Automotive Group

With the Cash for Clunkers bill having been signed into law, Cars.com has launched a guide to help consumers understand how they can take advantage of the new legislation and get a credit for trading in their old car and upgrading to a new, fuel-efficient model.

“Cars.com has all the information shoppers need to determine how they can best take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers bill when making a new-car purchase,” Cars.com Editor in Chief Patrick Olsen said. “We’ve outlined the rules and regulations and provided a number of scenarios to help shoppers through the process.

“Say your 1999 Ford Crown Victoria gets a combined 18 mpg. You have your eye on a new 2009 Ford Taurus, but it only gets 21 mpg, according to EPA ratings. You aren’t eligible for a credit, because if you’re buying a new car (not SUV, truck or minivan), it must get at least 22 mpg,” Olsen said. “However, if you opt for the 2010 Ford Fusion with a four-cylinder engine instead, you’ll get a combined 25 mpg and a $3,500 credit. If you want a $4,500 credit but want to stick with Ford, you could get a manual 2009 Ford Focus (28 mpg combined) or a 2009 Ford Escape (24 mpg) or Escape Hybrid with either four-wheel drive (28 mpg) or front-wheel drive (32 mpg).”

In addition to information about the new Cash for Clunkers law, Cars.com can help shoppers navigate their new-car-purchasing process with tools that make it easy to identify vehicles that meet their needs. Shoppers can take advantage of the site’s Vehicle Recommender, expert and consumer reviews, and new-car inventory search to find the right car and a dealer who has it. Features such as Best Gas Mileage by Vehicle Class make it easy to identify fuel-efficient cars, trucks and SUVs that are ideal for shoppers looking to take advantage of Cash for Clunkers.

Recycled airbag modules are safe alternative when installed properly

A recent review conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of 1,446 fatal accidents from 2001 and 2006 found that in an alarming 255 instances – almost 18 percent – airbags that should have been replaced following deployment in a previous crash were missing. This data points to a significant issue of ensuring that individuals who complete vehicle collision repairs and insurance total loss vehicle rebuilds restore critical safety components as part of the repair and rebuilding process. Airbag omission (the practice of repairing vehicles without replacing deployed or missing airbags) is a serious problem with real negative consequences for the safety of American car owners, and this practice must be stopped.

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), the leading international trade association of professional automotive recyclers, strongly supports the reuse of non-deployed airbags which have met specific industry standards and that those evaluated recycled airbag components are a safe, economically-smart repair alternative to restore vehicles to their pre-accident condition. “The use of these evaluated components is a cost-effective option for a consumer,” said Michael E. Wilson, Executive Vice President of ARA, “but, more importantly, extensive research and years of experience have proven them as a safe alternative as well.”

Lacking any statistical information, some industry groups continue to push naive arguments regarding the use of recycled airbag modules. These groups continue to rely essentially on personal opinions rather than on any specific technical analysis. A look at comprehensive safety tests on non-deployed OEM air bags conducted by Garwood Laboratories, Inc., Pico River, California (in accordance with SAE Inflator Restraints Standard SAE J1630 and Manufacturers Deployment Standards) reveals that recycled airbag use is indeed a solid alternative that protects the American consumer.

Based on this scientific data combined with years of real world experience, the ARA stands by the use of non-deployed, recycled OEM airbags as viable, economical, and safe alternatives to the use of new, more costly OEM airbags. In fact, recycled airbag modules are currently being used in insurance collision repairs in parts of Canada. Both the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and Saskatchewan General Insurance (SGI) have been successfully using recycled airbags in repairs for many years. The test conducted by ICBC compared recycled and new air bags. The mix consisted of recycled airbags from domestic and Japanese manufacturers. New Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and Honda airbags of the same application as recycled ones were purchased from local dealerships for comparison to the recycled ones. The results of the test were that effective April 2001, ICBC and body shops began utilizing recycled previously undeployed airbags supplied by ICBC/ARA “Certified” Automotive Recyclers.

As a proactive measure to ensure safety standards are met, ARA launched ARAPro(TM) in 2006. The ARA’s Airbag Protocol was developed as a national standard to ensure best practices are applied to the process of extracting, handling, inspecting, and storing recycled airbags from salvaged vehicles. Using the Vehicle Identification Number as well as other interchange reference sources, ARAPro(TM) enables the repairer to accurately match the make, model, and year of the replacement component to the vehicle under repair.

ARAPro(TM) Airbags, the brand name that applies to recycled airbags complying with the Airbag Protocol, are supplied with a certificate that can ultimately be used by a state DMV’s to verify that a Protocol compliant airbag has been used in the repair. Returning vehicles to the roads without airbags is a serious problem as the NHTSA study underlines. ARAPro(TM) Airbags are an integral part of the solution to stop potential, unnecessary, tragedy on the roads.

Source: Automotive Recyclers Association

Road Test Comparing Driver Reaction Times Indicates Potential Deadly Scenario

Text messaging is on the rise, and undoubtedly, some “texters” or “tweeters” are sending and receiving messages while driving. In December 2008, more than 110 billion messages were being sent each month, up from less than 10 billion just three years ago. To gauge the effect of these road messagers, Car and Driver magazine decided to conduct a road test to determine just how dangerous texting and driving can be. The results were eye-opening.

Previous academic studies have shown texting while driving using simulators impairs a driver’s abilities. But as far as we know, no study has been conducted in a real vehicle that is being driven. In addition, Car and Driver also compared the results of texting to the effects of drunk driving, on the same day and under the exact same conditions.

The focus of the test was solely on the driver’s reaction time. All of the driving was done in a straight line on an 11,800-foot runway. Given the prevalence of the BlackBerry, the iPhone, and other text-friendly mobile phones, the test subjects would have devices with full QWERTY keypads and would be familiar with text messaging. A web intern 22, armed with an iPhone, would represent the younger crowd. The older demographic would be covered by Editor-in-Chief, Eddie Alterman, 37.

After conducting the texting tests on both drivers at 35 mph and 70 mph, the test subjects then drank alcoholic cocktails until they reached the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content. They then went back behind the wheel and ran the identical test without any texting distractions.

The results showed even using a straight road without any traffic, road signals, or pedestrians, and looking just at reaction times, the texting results were even worse than the negative impaired driving results.

Both socially and legally, drunk driving is completely unacceptable. Texting, on the other hand, is still in its formative period with respect to laws and opinion. A few jurisdictions have passed ordinances against texting while driving. But even if sweeping legislation were passed today to outlaw any typing behind the wheel, it would still be very difficult to enforce the law.

As summarized by Alterman, “In our test, neither of us had any idea texting would slow down our reaction time so much. Like most folks, we believe we are good drivers, but the real key to driving safely is keeping your eyes and your mind on the road. Text messaging distracts any driver from those primary tasks.”

Full test results can be read in this month’s Car and Driver magazine, hitting newsstands today, or available online at CarandDriver.com.

Audi launches Facebook Cause campaign to benefit The Nature Conservancy’s Tensas River Basin project to reduce carbon emissions

Up to $25,000 will be donated to the voluntary carbon offset program, $1 for every Facebook user who joins at www.causes.com/natureconservancy

The Audi TDI clean diesel engine reduces carbon emissions by 20% over gasoline and is 30% more fuel-efficient

Audi has committed to supporting The Nature Conservancy to help reduce carbon emissions as part of its public awareness campaign for Audi TDI clean diesel engines, which reduce carbon emissions by 20% over gasoline. Audi will donate $1 to The Nature Conservancy’s voluntary carbon offset program for every Facebook user who joins the cause at www.causes.com/natureconservancy, up to $25,000.

The donation will directly benefit The Nature Conservancy voluntary carbon offset program, which features the Tensas River Basin as its first project. The Tensas River Basin Project counterbalances carbon emissions by reforesting private lands to capture and store carbon, as well as to restore critical habitats to native species. Located in the Lower Mississippi Valley, the project will help to buy land, plant trees and to monitor the carbon benefits of these actions. Currently focused in the United States, The Nature Conservancy voluntary carbon offset program may soon expand to more places globally.

“Reducing carbon emissions through protecting and restoring forests plays a critical role in fighting climate change,” said Zoe Kant of The Nature Conservancy. “Audi’s contribution will provide necessary support to our voluntary carbon offset program’s reforestation and forest protection projects, but it will also help us to bring the benefits of the project to a new audience of supporters.”

The Nature Conservancy’s goal of reducing carbon emissions aligns with broader Audi broader objectives. The recently introduced Audi TDI clean diesel engine reduces carbon emissions by 20% over gasoline and is 30% more fuel-efficient. The Audi donation to The Nature Conservancy augments a broad public awareness campaign in the U.S. to highlight the ways in which TDI clean diesel can help America reduce carbon emissions and achieve energy independence.

“Our engineers are always innovating to reduce our vehicles’ carbon emissions, and we’ve taken a giant leap forward with the introduction of the Audi Q7 TDI clean diesel this year,” said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. “But our commitment doesn’t stop with our products; we want to promote reduced emissions through support of organizations like The Nature Conservancy, and also to spread the word about the benefits of reduced emissions.”

To join the Cause and trigger a $1 donation to The Nature Conservancy, courtesy of Audi, visit www.causes.com/natureconservancy.

To learn more about the broader TDI clean diesel campaign, check out audiusa.com/tdi to learn the truths about diesel and watch the TV spot. Also check out our “Truth in Diesel” video at www.youtube.com/audiofamerica.

Source: Audi of America Inc.