Heavy-Duty Auto Protection Laid By Weathertech

Interior protection for automobiles is one of the concerns that each driver or owner must consider. In every ride, the vehicle becomes susceptible to varying annoying elements and free radicals such as mud, liquids, grease, snow and grits. They do not only make the interior of the vehicle messy or an eyesore, it can also damage the auto parts, furniture and accessories incorporated in it. This fact is often overlooked by drivers and owners alike. Moreover, to create a handy solution, Weathertech upgrades its mats to bestow maximum interior vehicle protection.

Weathertech mats are made by Cannon, an original equipment provider to General Motors and other European car manufacturers. Said mats are made of up to 16 lbs. of pliable heavy-duty virgin rubber with deeply sculpted channels and an outer rim. The channels and rims are also designed to trap water, mud, road salt, sand, etc. Its ridged design, on the other hand, precludes the aforementioned annoyances to shift in the vehicle. Further, the design is also capable of trapping the dirt coming from the shoes.

Its rubber is designed so as not to crack, curl or harden when exposed to sub-zero weather. It meets FMVSS302, hence TUV approved. It is also manufactured in compliance with to ISO 9001 standards to ensure quality and protection. Weathertech mats come in three classic colors to complement the interior of various vehicles. The colors are black, grey and tan so whether the would-be purchaser has a Black BMW, Grey Range Rover or Tan Honda Accord, color is not a bother.

The mats are also designed to fit different seasons of the year. During wet season, these mats cab hold up to to 1-1/2 quarts of water without spilling. Aside from that, said mats also come with a protective, non-stick finish to make cleaning fast and easy. They offer vehicle protection and preservation at the same time wow the eyes with their catchy, effective and classy designs.

To further boost its offers, Weathertech is now also accepting custom designed mats. In addition, it has recently launched a new mat which has the bathtub feature. The latter is devised to hold more than a quart of water or snowmelt without having that ridged look.

Dodge delivers a Raging Hatchback with a Big Attitude

Dodge, envisioning a unique change, has come up with Caliber which has fresh features to replace the reviled Neon small car. Since its release, Caliber is receiving positive remarks from experts and enthusiasts alike.

2007 Dodge Caliber is a five-door hatchback similar to that of Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe. This new release from Dodge is designed to look like a petite sports utility vehicle but bigger than the Volkswagen Golf. Caliber is the first hatchback of Dodge since Shadow was discontinued in 1994. It was built in Illinois at Chryslers Belvidere plant and re-launched to serve the international market.

Experts are saying that Caliber has clever traits with most options. It has 172 rated horsepower four-cylinder engine coupled to a CVT and a choice to continuously have variable transmission. Six individual ratios are built in to offer manual-shift mode. Performance and fuel economy are the primary concerns of Caliber. It is packaged to have a bold style and crossover design with innovative features that up to now are wowing the car fanatics.

"We can completely shut off the fuel when the car decelerates not just cut back fuel flow as in cars with conventional transmissions, says Larry Lyons, Chrysler Groups vice president in charge of front-drive model. He further added, The belt drive and ever-changing ratio between those pulleys make a smooth coast-down.

Caliber is thriving with dependable Dodge auto parts and accessories carrying the companys slogan. Enthusiasts are saying that the latest from Dodge is stylish, clever and comfy. Equipped with gadgets like ceiling light that transforms into a detachable torch, MP3/iPod/mobile phone holder found in the centre console, lighted cup holders for a hot and aromatic coffee at midnight, glovebox drinks chiller and tailgate flip-down speakers plus an all-wheel drive (AWD) that has no traction control or an option to utilize front-wheel drive (FWD), power steering, defroster and rear-window wiper make Calibers system stable and trendy.

Nonetheless, the perceived foible of Caliber is its drivetrain. The car may abruptly jerk while slowing down and the driver has to hit the gas to circumvent it. However, comparing it with previous car annoyances such as coarse engines, repulsive controls as well as unaligned dashboard and center panels, Caliber has made a sweeping change to remedy them.

Ford At The 2006 Paris Motor Show

Both the mass media and car enthusiasts anticipate seeing the recent vehicle lineup which composes the cream of the crop of the automotive industry. Different automakers will be putting their best foot forward as they compete with the best vehicles in the industry. Best makes, features and innovations will be unraveled at the motor show. One of the participating auto giant is Ford Motor Co.

Paris Motor Show will start on September 30 and is expected to end on October 15. According to Ford, The Paris Motor Show is always an important event in the automotive calendar. It is the worlds most popular auto show, attracting over one-and-a-half million visitors and 10,000 of the worlds media. We are making the most of that opportunity by showcasing our strongest ever range. So far this year, we have introduced no fewer than four new models: the all-new Transit, Galaxy, S-MAX and Focus Coup-Cabriolet. Significantly, two of those models are completely new to our range. It is an unprecedented flow of new models, but Paris will show that the momentum is growing within Ford of Europe.

In preparation to this years Paris Motor Show, Ford has primed its new flagship model Ford Mondeo. Said model is a vehicle that is designed to define road presence not just in functionality, quality but to style as well. It is an embodiment of innovative styling, inside and out. The design language used is based on the iosis concept to achieve outstanding driving dynamics. Mondeo uses some of Ford Galaxie parts to boost performance and feel. Ford S-MAX and Galaxy will also be displayed in said motor show.

Ford spokesperson further noted Our message to consumers is simple but powerful. It is: feel the difference. I know that they will. Alongside the new vehicles we are displaying in Paris there is another product that I want to spotlight - Ford of Europe itself.

Focus Coup-Cabriolet Reflects Fords New Vogue

Ford earlier conducted its preview debut of its sleek, convenient and practical new vehicle by the name Focus Coup-Cabriolet. Said preview was made at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show last February.

Focus Coup-Cabriolet was developed in cooperation with Italy's Pininfarina. Said model boasts its fresh design and engineering courtesy of Ford's latest vehicle vogue. Focus Coup-Cabriolet exudes stimulating elegance and performance that serves as its wow factor.

The Italian style of Pininfarina coupled with the practicality and powerful driving qualities of Ford will certainly create an outstanding vehicle that can amaze and satisfy enthusiasts. Consequently, Ford has already started with the production of Focus Coup-Cabriolet.

Focus Coup-Cabriolet was originally called Vignale by Pininfarina during its preview at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. Ford Focus parts are also made more powerful and stylish to achieve an elegant yet sporty appeal. Critics in the auto industry said that the model can be exotic in a mainstream marque.

Ford Focus, the ancestor of Focus Coup-Cabriolet, is a small family car launched in Europe in the year 1998 and in North America in the year 2000. Focus, then became the best-selling car in the United Kingdom, same with its predecessor Escort.

Focus became the worlds best in 2001 and 2002. Subsequently, the automaker introduced a new version of the car in Europe in the year 2005. Eventually, Ford's latest Focus is a coupe-cabriolet version. Its final assembly was performed by Pininfarina.

Its arched coupe roof, which is composed of two-piece electric retractable hardtop, is specifically designed to look smooth with flowing lines. Further, its hardtop can be folded to transform a graceful coupe into a free-spirited cabriolet with just one press of the button.

The new coupe-cabriolet of Ford is a full four-seater family car with considerable luggage compartment, luxury leather seats, and a choice of engines. It is due to be launched this year. Ford is positive in selling about 20,000 units annually in Europe.

Could GM Move Mountains To Catch That Cool Factor?

Obviously, General Motors Corp. endeavors with all its might to retain its throne as the largest automaker worldwide. But in order to do it, GM must first discover the cool factor formula to attract the hip and young generation Y.

GM infiltrated YouTube with The Sweet Escape and put pop rock/singer Gwen Stefani in a taxi-yellow Chevrolet Tahoe sport utility vehicle. It also let rapper Jay-Z to create a special blue color for the Denali SUV. 50-Cent, a popular rapper, made a showing at the GM exhibit at the show to check out performance models of the Pontiac G6. Aside from those significant events, the automaker also spearheaded a star-studded event to highlight the much-concluded North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). All these and more are GMs strategies to hook that elusive cool factor to wow the new generation of drivers, which are significant to the automakers reign.

The automaker is also exerting efforts to reinvent its lineup to make it more efficient, safe, functional and appealing especially to the youth. Critics in the industry are questioning the capability of the automaker to make hip happen. Others are saying that the automaker is built on mass appeal and famed more for trend-following rather than trend-setting.

GM has been exerting efforts to put that feisty ingredient into its lineup for quite a long time now. Unfortunately, most of its efforts turned out to be futile. The efforts to add finesse and buoyancy are sometimes failing badly. However, the automaker is not losing hope and is willing to exert extra effort to finally strike the right chord.

"Everybody wants to be young and hip," said Dino Bernacchi, GM manager of branding and entertainment. "Everybody wants to be youthful and feel good and live vicariously through these celebrities. Sure, everybody criticizes it, but then we can't get our eyes off of it."

The automaker managed to yield an image turnaround when Cadillac transformed into Hollywood hip-hop brand of choice with the Escalade sport utility vehicle as its frontline. It was not expected by some critics in the auto industry. In fact, even the most astute marketing analyst could not have foreseen the transformation. Nowadays, the automaker is endeavoring to relive the milestone with other product lines.

So far, GM is successful in drawing the attention of enthusiasts the only problem now is the staying power. The recently held car and fashion show, for one, have garnered overwhelming media attention. As a fact, the GM models flaunted in said show were published by renowned American magazines like the US Weekly magazine.

"There was a day where you could manage or limit the word of mouth about what was said about your brand, but that's over," said Timothy Blett, president of the Doner advertising agency in Southfield, which created the Mazda "zoom, zoom, zoom" campaign. "If your product is considered youthful, there is going to be more press, more buzz on the Internet. Being considered hip by the youth culture creates additional PR in some of the most powerful forms of communication."

GM knows that altering public perception is one of the biggest battles that it has to overcome to gain a positive North American turnaround. Although, the automaker retains its high-quality standard when it comes to auto parts, ergonomics, safety features and more; it will also put emphasis on design and styling to create a larger customer base. GM perceives that said features are the key to win the preference of the young car fanatics. The goal is not as easy as putting together sophisticated auto parts like the upgraded EBC Greenstuff, Vortec supercharged engines and other cutting edge amenities; it has something to do with offering the best of all worlds connected to the vehicle manufacture.

GM is an institution in the industry. However, only few Americans see the image as flattering with regards styling and design. To turn the image, GM is employing both the conventional and the unconventional techniques. The use of the star power is the most apparent. Lately, it has unveiled all-new Buick Enclave with Tiger Woods, a famous golf player.

"There's just something that has people connected to celebrities and has everybody wanting more. But there has to be a balance. They can't look like they're shilling the product. You got to get hipper and trendier with the cars, and we are," Bernacchi concluded.

"You can't do all this stuff and then come out with bland products," noted Erich Merkle, auto analyst of IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids. "You've got to be able to back it up."

Let There Be Light And There Was LED

Fun, awesome, startling all that and more - those are the things that describe this years North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Celebrities move car fanatics crazy. But the lights are more glaring than these celebrities. Why? Because of the sophistication of LEDs.

LED, otherwise known as a light-emitting diode, is a unique type of semiconductor diode. It emits incoherent narrow-spectrum light when electrically biased in the forward direction. The light emitted is in a form of electroluminescence. Nowadays, most automakers including the Big 3 are using LED for their automotive lights. Volvo tail lights, for one, are now featuring this fresh innovation.

Aside from LED lights, other amazing things relating to vehicle manufacture have been unfolded in Detroit auto show. The show was indeed a big success. It was fabulous and captivating; thanks to the stars, concept cars and hot vehicles.

One of the significant obvious things in the said auto show is the more upbeat competition. The Big 3 in the auto show has to manage to stress its dominance in the global market to their mounting competition. As such, they stress relevance, reliability and responsibility. The emphasis is triggered by the rising customer loyalty in favor of Japanese automakers.

General Motors (GM)

GM surpassed enthusiasts expectations by rolling out the red carpet for a host of famous celebrities to escort its equally-wonderful lineup. The GMC Yukon was escorted by the well-known hip hop artist Jay Z who assisted in developing the elating color on the vehicle known as the "Jay-Z blue." GM coupled Mario Lopez with the Chevrolet competitor for the World Touring Car Championship, Jennifer Hudson with the Cadillac Escalade and added Nick Cannon from MTV and Vivica A. Fox to the impressive lineup.

GM emphasized stylish curves and styling to match powerful engines. One of the intriguing concept cars introduced was the Volt. Said vehicle has the technological capabilities to travel 40 miles on electricity alone. In its totality the car delivers a bold and quality statement. The automaker wants to prove that beauty and efficiency could be blended to produce a great car.

The automaker also set forth the Camaro concept car that features he retracted hard top, LED tail lights, a 21-inch front and 22-inch rear wheels are certainly bound to distinguish the topless beauty. Another GM pride is the Cadillac CTS that entertained a classy revamp of its forerunner.

Ford Motor Company

Ford intends to wow the young generation market. To materialize the goal, it has established a partnership with Microsoft, the software giant, to deliver Sync. The Sync features Bluetooth connectivity, voice activation, and MP3 player hookups, and will be fully upgradeable. Said technology is exclusive to Ford for only one year.

Toyota

Toyota, the fast-rising Japanese auto giant, introduced its improved version of the Tundra. The latter is equipped with 18-inch steel wheels and bigger brakes to cater to the needs of true truckers. The work truck is capable of towing up to 10,800 lbs with standard STAR safety systems. The Toyota Tundra Double Cab, Regular Cab and Crewmax models will be available in March this year.