Auto sales in the U.S. show early signs of a rebound as Ford Motor Company posted a sales percentage loss for the month of June of just 10.7 percent. This is the automaker's smallest sales decline in 16 months, prompting an unusual amount of optimism in the auto industry.
Many automakers still suffered significant decline, however, with Toyota posting a 31.9 percent loss. Surprisingly, General Motors fared only slightly worse, despite the company's bankruptcy filing, with a 33.4 percent loss. Recently emerged from bankruptcy, Chrysler sales dropped 41.9 percent for the month. Honda also had less than positive numbers with a 29.5 percent loss, but in context that isn't so bad as Honda was also the only one of the top six automakers to post a gain during the same period a year ago.
Nissan lost just 23.1 percent, it's smallest decrease since last August.
In total, June sales losses average out to 28.4 percent, dipping below the 30 percent mark for the first time in months.
The rebound is prompting some automakers to raise their forecast of annual U.S. auto sales to the 10 million mark - something which seemed impossible just a few months ago.
Other automakers reporting less than terrible numbers include BMW and Subaru. The German luxury automaker dropped just 20.3 percent, its smallest loss since January and Subaru actually posted an increase of 3.4 percent.
While the North American auto industry might not have reached a turnaround yet, the future is looking brighter for one U.S. automaker - Ford. The Ford Motor Company has announced that it is expecting that sales for the month of June (due in today) will be anywhere from 10 to 20 percent lower than the same month a year ago.
That might not sound like great news, but when the industry average is still in the negative 30 percent range, Ford certainly seems to be bucking a trend.
"The underlying economic indicators, meaning fewer jobless claims, another month of somewhat higher levels of consumer confidence, suggest to us that the worst is behind us in terms of not only the economy … but also that we may have seen the low point of auto sales," said George Pipas a sales analyst for Ford.
This news also means that Ford is continuing to gain market share in the U.S. In May the automaker posted a total share of the U.S. market at 17.4 percent, up from 15.5 percent a year earlier.
In response to a mild turnaround and increased demand in Ford product, the company will increase production during the third quarter by 25,000 vehicles to 485,000 vehicles. This amounts to a 16 percent increase over the same period a year ago.
Ford is seeking to stabilize its inventory supply at 60 days, up from the current 58 day period. The current industry average is 67 days.
While Ford posted a record loss of $14.7 billion in 2008, company executives are still forecasting a return to profitability by 2011 - and this latest news seems to confirm it is on the right track.
At a recent engineering conference Ford representatives gave a presentation on secret new engine the company is developing. Code named "Bobcat" the new twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 engine is seen more as an alternative truck engine, although as it is similar to Ford's EcoBoost engine, passenger car applications are possible.
The Bobcat engine is a twin-fuel engine, using both conventional gasoline and E85 ethanol. Both fuel systems even have their own tanks and fuel injectors. Here's how it works:
Turbochargers work to compress the air, while conventional port-injection of gasoline is used to get fuel into the cylinders. Then ethanol is sent into the combustion chambers through direct-injection, eliminating knock by cooling the air/fuel mixture. Ethanol is only added under high-load conditions, otherwise the engine operates like a conventional gasoline engine. By injecting ethanol, it also raises the fuel octane rating from 87-91 to 150 - allowing for extremely high compression. As a result, an engine the size of the 5.0-liter one can make 500hp and 750 ft-lbs of torque, while getting 25 to 30 percent better fuel-economy than a conventional gasoline engine.
Ford developed the technology alongside Ethanol Boosting Systems of Cambridge, Mass., which calls its trademarked process DI Octane Boost. The Bobcat engine would be comparable to Ford's 6.4-liter Power Stroke diesel, which makes 350hp and 650 ft-lbs of torque, but would cost one third the price to make as no exhaust treatment systems would be necessary.
The system is also 5 to 10 percent more fuel-efficient than Ford’s new EcoBoost engine.
The down-side is that as there are two fuel-tanks, both would need to be filled up separately. No worry says Ford, the 5.0-liter Bobcat V8 would get 528 miles on a 26-gallon tank, while a 10-gallon tank of E85 would last anywhere from 100 miles to 20,000 miles depending on how much heavy-load conditions the truck is driven under. And if no E85 is available, the engine can still run on just gasoline, albeit at reduced power.
The Bobcat engine may just be Ford's answer to recent increase in the fleet fuel-economy rating for light trucks and SUVs, which will go from the current 23.1 mpg to 30 mpg by... [Read More]
The Geneva Auto Show prides itself on having the world's most important and prestigious premieres and 2009 is shaping up to be no different. Several manufacturers have already given plenty of hints at their Geneva world premieres with full specifications and photos released prior to the show.
To date, Geneva will play host to the 2010 Porsche GT3, the baby Rolls-Royce, a FlexFuel Bentley Supercar, the Audi TT RS and many other vehicles. We'll be sure to bring you info on the latest developments, including expected supercars from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Koenigsegg, as well as info on concept cars, like the Hyundai ix3, which will shape the next Tucson.
Follow the latest new car premieres from the Geneva Auto Show 2009 on AutoGuide.com.
Old TopGear.com is dead. Long live the new TopGear.com. Sort of.
This morning (Tuesday 7th October) Top Gear has switched on the first parts of their all new website. The new site features nearly 300 new car videos in a new player that allows you to share or embed them on your own site; a whole raft of new blogs with regular contributions from Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. There is also a superlative index of every car on sale in the UK with some extremely cute tools that will actively help you choose your next car, or, if you're just having fun, will tell you whether you're better suited to a Ferrari or a Lamborghini.
'The Cupholder' is pure trivia, car videos, links and general car info from all over the world wide web.
'Sunday Afternoon Club' remains their F1 blog and they have big plans for that when the BBC takes over the F1 coverage next year.
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