BMW Releases Teaser Film on Mystery New X6 M Model

Those Bavarians are always coming up with something to grab our attention. Their latest mystery film is about a new edition or model of the X6 with the famed M logo.

The only official information we get from BMW is that the vehicle seen in the teaser clip will establish "a new category of automobiles" and that it represents "a new chapter powered by M".
The vehicle itself or rather certain parts of the crossover like the lights, hood and, of course, the moniker on the tailgate, are craftily blurred out.
However, it appears that there are added vents on the hood which along with BMW's insinuations suggest that it may be the long-rumored diesel-powered version of the X6 M.
You can take a look at the video below and tell us what you think in the comments area.

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GM will have Four World Premieres in Detroit Including the 2013 Cadillac ATS

With the press days over at the Tokyo Motor Show, automakers are now turning their focus on the next big automotive event, which is the 2012 North International Auto Show that takes place in Detroit from January 10 to 23.

Today, we learned that General Motors is planning four world premieres but for now, the company will only tell us about one of the vehicles it will bring to Detroit, the 2013 Cadillac ATS, which is aimed squarely at the entry-level premium sedan segment rivaling the likes of the new BMW 3-Series and the Lexus IS.
“ATS is a crucial part of Cadillac's expansion,” GM Senior Vice President of Global Product Development Mary Barra told the Automotive Press Association on Friday. “ATS enters the biggest market segment in the global luxury car industry, both in terms of volume and importance."
“It’s a segment dominated by German cars, including the BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4, so we’ve developed a compelling and convincing new challenger,” she added.
As for the other models GM will show in Detroit, the company said that they include both concept and production vehicles, but we're pretty sure that we'll learn more about them before the end of the month.

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Mid-Size Cars Sales Fall as U.S. Buyers Downsize to the Smaller Cars

For decades, mid-size sedans like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Ford Taurus have been best-sellers and the most common sight on American roads.

But the trend is starting to change. According to J.D Power and associates, an increasingly large number of buyers are downsizing and choose small cars such as the Chevrolet Cruze or even the Honda Fit.
In fact, J.D. Power forecasts that, for the first time in two decades, compact cars will outsell mid-size models by the end of the year. Moreover, it projects that by 2015, compact and sub-compact cars will have a 20% share in the U.S. market, while mid-size models’ share will shrink down to 14%.
For example, Hyundai’s Elantra sales increased by 46% in the first 10 months of the year, while America’s long-time favorite car, the Toyota Camry, has recorded a 9 percent drop over the same period.
Rising gas prices and uncertainty over the current economic climate are not the only reasons for this surprising turnaround. In fact, the new Camry sells for less than the previous model, and its average fuel economy is 40 mpg compared to the Elantra’s 35 mpg.
 
Still, the Camry sticker price is US$5,000 more than the Elantra. Moreover, today’s compact cars are no longer a cheap, low-tech choice for those who couldn’t afford, or weren’t willing to shell out more money for mid-size models. Now they are equal, or sometimes even superior in some respects to larger models.
For example Mara Landers, an assistant professor of mathematics at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California, used to drive a 1998 Civic that was so poorly equipped it didn’t have a radio. The 2009 Civic she traded her old car for came with power windows, keyless entry and a digital dashboard display, making Landers feel that “the new Civic really feels like a luxury update of the old one.”
Even interior space is no longer an issue. The 1992 Toyota Corolla was 17 inches (43 cm) shorter than the 1992 Camry. But today’s Corolla has increased in size, narrowing the gap to its larger sibling to just 10 inches (25 cm).
It all adds up: smaller cars offer all the amenities of larger models, comparable space, better fuel economy – and they are cheaper. So why pay more for the same thing, except for a few inches in length and perhaps more power that you may never use?
Story References: Lake County Sun / J.D. Power

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UAW Protests outside Hyundai's U.S. Dealerships to Support Illegally Fired Korean Subcontractor

Members of the UAW (International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America), one of the biggest worker unions in the U.S., protested on Wednesday outside more than 75 Hyundai dealerships across the country, from NYC to LA.

Hyundai itself was not the target, as one would have thought upon hearing the news. Rather, the union members who held "Stop Sex Discrimination at Hyundai" and "Reinstate Ms. Park" banners were showing their support for Ms. Park.
 
And who is Ms. Park, we hear you ask? Well, she was a temporary worker for a subcontractor at Hyundai’s Asan factory in South Korea and was fired after filing a sexual harassment complaint to the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea in 2010.
The subcontractor terminated Ms. Park’s contract stating that it “harmed the company’s reputation”. Moreover, even though the commission found that the discharge was illegal and ruled in favor of Ms. Park, ordering the company to pay damages and hold the offender responsible, the subcontractor failed to comply. Since June 22, 2011, Ms. Park began a demonstration in the capital.
UAW responded to the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU) call on all autoworkers and their unions to stand in front of their local Hyundai dealerships and demand that the company makes its subcontractor reinstate Ms. Park and comply with the commission’s ruling.
"Though we may work for different companies and in different countries, as workers, we support each other's struggles and know that one of the best ways to hold our employers accountable is through consumer action at dealerships", said Mike O'Rourke, an 33-year employee and president of UAW Local 1853 at General Motors' Manufacturing Facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

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Traxxas X0-1 Toy Car goes 0-60mph in 2.3" and can Reach 100mph!

In the word of the street, there are "toys" and there are "toys". Like the new Traxxas X0-1 radio controlled car which is one of those toys intended only for adults. And for a very good reason as this little devil comes with a top speed in excess of 100mph (160km/h) right out of the box!

Still not impressed? Then how about a zero to 60mph (96 km/h) sprint time of just 2.3 seconds and 0 to 100mph (160 km/h) in a mere 4.92 seconds in stock form? Traxxas says that it's the world's fastest ready-to-race radio controlled supercar and with these kinds of performance numbers, we have no reason to doubt its claim.
The X0-1 also comes with a 2.4GHz radio system with a docking base that can turn your Apple iPhone or iPod touch into a device providing you with complete control over the operation and tuning of the RC model.
Aside from having to be at least 16 years old to use it, the X0-1 carries a very spicy price tag at $1,099.99 [sic…]. You can watch it in action in the video below.
Stroy References: Traxxas via Engadge

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