All eyes are on General Motors today, as the nation’s biggest car manufacturer stands on the brink of filing for bankruptcy. This weekend, news on GM, filing a petition at 8 am today has surfaced from a source that is said to have direct knowledge of the proceedings.
Though this is a really sad time in the history of the company, many are hopeful, calling this de facto government take over a new beginning for General Motors. The President is slated to address the nation before noon to discuss the rationale for the filing.
Chapter 11
GM is said to file for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy which aims to keep only aspects of the operation which are profitable while leaving all else behind. This means that many of the company’s models, plants and dealerships which are not making as much will have to be left behind. Many people are already familiar with this type of bankruptcy as Chrysler filed for the same at the end of April.
Totaled- An insurance term that describes the condition of a damaged car when the cost to repair the damage exceeds the actual appraised value of the vehicle.
Urban Dictionary
For many buyers having a car “totaled†may be good as it will provide for them a replacement vehicle. Overall, however, this occurrence in vehicles results to higher insurance rates for drivers. Because of this, car manufacturers and insurance companies are working hard to try and reduce the chances that cars will be “totaled”. A look into the recent developments and innovations that car companies are coming out with, are just amazing. Presently, these developments have successfully lowered the cost of various auto parts and components and may further offer cost savings in the coming years.
This week, Tata Motors from India just released what a lot are saying is a breakthrough in motoring. Priced at just $2000, the Tata Nano is now considered to be the world’s cheapest car. For this reason, the Tata is now also dubbed as the People’s car. The car currently has three variants with the basic not having air-conditioner, power steering, passenger side mirror nor an extra windscreen wiper.
The Nano has already won the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in the Transportation category in a ceremony last October with the judges falling in love with its design. According to Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata Motors,, this car hopes to “revolutionize the lives of millions of Indians, most of whom live in rural areas many miles from the nearest bus stop. Even with its low price, the Nano is built to meet safety requirement, is fuel efficient and is low on emissions. So far the car is compared to the Volkswagen Beetle which also was an icon in the German Motoring industry.
Looks like the next few months is still looking bleak for the auto industry as US auto sales plunged 41% last month. Each of the nation’s biggest car manufacturer experienced around a 10% drop in their sales compared with their numbers last year. According to the statistics gathered by experts, last month’s figure went way below last year’s which makes it the lowest since December of 1981. The sad thing is that people are saying there is more bad news coming in the months ahead.
I have seen this video getting popular on YouTube and not being a fan of graphic videos of people people doing face plants and getting hurt on pranks, I never looked at it until now. The first angle did not elicit any reaction from me. I guess I got so used to bigger explosions and collisions from Hollywood that it usually takes something with more bang to engage me.
The second angle in itself however tells a different story. I was really shocked when I saw the man vanish when he was hit by the semi going sideways. It seems unlikely that someone could survive something like this.
With today’s economy showing no signs of immediate improvement any time soon, there exists an increased need for us to save money in any way we can. One of the things that we can do to accomplish this is to give more attention to maintaining our vehicles. With the auto industry being hit by the global recession and auto sales is still on the decline, more and more people are learning how important it is to get to know ones vehicle.
At Auto Parts Place, we get the unique opportunity to speak with a lot of people who are either looking to do minor repairs on their cars or are into performing some preventive maintenance. Though, a lot of these are indeed commendable in their interest in keeping their cars in top condition, we have seen how a handful still has not taken the opportunity to know their cars well.
This post is to assist the enthusiast and even the normal car owner to get to know ones car better. This will not only be useful when the time comes when you need a repair or a part replaced but also in caring for your vehicle.
With the LA Auto Show just around the corner, car enthusiasts from all over the US are getting excited. Aside from the excitement for the event, this is mostly because this year, a few cars for the coming year will be unveiled.
One of the sure scene stealers in next week’s show will be the Nissan show area where they will reveal for the first time in the US, the “evolutionary” redesign of the Z. Called 370 Z, fans everywhere are waiting to see the car in person and maybe have the chance to tinker in the driver’s seat or to take a peak at what’s under its hood. The design of the Z is not something of a secret with a computer generated version playable on the game Need for Speed Underground and with a lot of leaked photos online. Promised to have considerably more performance and a visual stimulus beyond today’s Z, this car is something a lot of drivers are waiting for.
I am not really crazy about clothes or fashion as I am with gadgets and cars. Still, I think I have a sense of style, though that is highly subjective. Someone told me once that the gadgets men have and the cars we drive are equivalent to the clothes and jewelry that women wear. Honestly, we would rather drive a Shelby Cobra in our shorts and worn out shirts over cruising with an Armani in a compact Kia or Toyota. To us, cars and not clothes make a man.
A few weeks ago, I came accidentally to an awesome concept of recycling auto parts for various purposes. I found amusement as I browsed ashtrays, paper weights and wall clocks made from used auto parts. I think it is really an awesome idea to recycle these to products to other useful items after they have been used. Nothing can describe my surprise , however, when I ran over two episodes of the franchise Project Runway during my research. It looks like this season, sponsors Fiat and Saturn, for the Australian and American editions respectively, wanted to push the designer’s boundaries by having them make couture creations from auto parts. Talk about fusion. The contestants of the show were made to literally make the Saturn or Fiat wearable.
It is basic procedure to have your car checked on a scheduled basis, i.e., weekly, monthly, or even annually. However, it is also essential to create a habit of checking your car on a daily basis. Aside from giving you peace of mind throughout the day, it also lets you know at once if there is any basic repair that needs to be made.
Most Chinese say that the numbers 8-8-8 make for a very LUCKY day. And it only happens once! This is why there are so many couples who are going to get married today. Moreover, pregnant women for Caesarian delivery have chosen this day to give birth to their “lucky†babies.
Well, if you are not going to get married nor give birth, then how do you plan to spend this lucky lucky day? How about… by buying a car? Read the rest of this entry »
I am not really crazy about clothes or fashion as I am with gadgets and cars. Still, I think I have a sense of style, though that is highly subjective. Someone told me once that the gadgets men have and the cars we drive are equivalent to the clothes and jewelry that women wear. Honestly, we would rather drive a Shelby Cobra in our shorts and worn out shirts over cruising with an Armani in a compact Kia or Toyota. To us, cars and not clothes make a man.
