This all happened on 9/11, a fact left unsaid but tactfully implied in the commercial. Veteran New York Daily News reporter Michael Daly knows Monahan and tells the truck's full story in an excellent piece that ran in Tuesday's Daily News. Frankly, you need to go there and just read the whole thing, because Daly's account is first-rate. Reading it also underscores the level of restraint GM exercised in how it used the truck in the commercial. It's a great TV spot, but the story behind that one particular 14-second segment is more remarkable and inspirational than you'd ever guess. Firefighter Monahan agreed to let his truck be used because he felt it was important for people see it and get a feel for what it represents. Monahan was compensated by GM for his participation, but he donated that money to another FDNY family, showing that even now, that burned and battered Chevy still helps him help others. We salute him, and we hope he keeps that truck forever.
blog.niot.net
tags :
auction , auto auction , autoauction , banks , carsumer advocacy , carsumeradvocacy , lawsuit , lenders , lifestyle , loan term , loan terms , loanterm , loanterms , psa , repo , reposess , repossession
Just because your car has been repossessed doesn't mean you don't still owe the bank money on it. If that vehicle gets sold at auction for less than the bank is owed on it, the difference is called the "deficiency." And as MSNBC informs, banks are increasingly suing to get that deficiency amount back, plus applicable attorney's fees. With the increasing cost of vehicles, smaller down payments, and longer loan terms, it is easier than ever to get upside-down on your car loan. Furthermore, banks don't send a repossessed car to auction and work to get the highest price for it. They farm it out to third parties who need to move cars, not hold out for the absolute best deal. Take depressed auction prices into account as well, and it's not hard to end up with a deficiency in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Banks who win deficiency judgments can sometimes garnish wages and force the sale of property, but again, that's only in certain cases. The best ways to ward off a deficiency lawsuit are to get the shortest car loan term you can afford, which will help avoid getting upside-down in the first place. If you still can't manage, try and sell the car yourself, since you'll likely get a much better price than the bank will at auction (and you'll avoid a repo on your credit history). Failing that, bankruptcy should clear the debt as an unsecured loan.
posted : 1/1/2009 @8:25:28 PM
Lately, our monthly By the Numbers post has resembled a blood bath, with just about every automaker's sales lower than they were the same month in 2007. Audi is no different, but has experienced far less blood-letting than its competitors. In fact, Audi's luxury market share in the US has risen from 6.2% to 8.4% so far this year. On a global basis, Audi sales are up 7.2%, and the German automaker plans to sell one million vehicles in a year for the first time. Audi is keeping the heat on the competition, too, with more new products and a one-minute ad during the first quarter of the 2009 Super Bowl. Last year, Audi aired a Super Bowl commercial for the first time in 20 years, and its Godfather-themed spot resulted in Audi.com's best-ever site traffic.
posted : 12/22/2008 @6:41:51 PM
tags :
panamera , pics , pictures , porsche panamera , porsche panamera diesel , porsche panamera gran turismo , porsche panamera hyb... , porsche panamera hybrid , porsche panamera targa , porschepanamera , porschepanameradiesel , porschepanameragranturismo , porschepanamerahyb... , porschepanamerahybrid , porschepanameratarga , spy shots , spyshots
Nearly two dozen more photos of the Porsche Panamera have emerged following the first official pics that arrived late last week. The latest images show a rear-wheel-drive, 400-hp 4.8-liter Panamera S (in graphite), an all-wheel-drive Panamera 4S with optional PCCB ceramic brakes (in blue) and the 500-hp Panamera Turbo (in silver). We'll assume the Panamera Turbo, like the current 911 Turbo, will also be fitted with permanent AWD. The adaptive HID headlights, LED tail lamps and four bucket seats are also clearly visible in the photography. We are also catching glimpses of an optional roof rack, fitted luggage and the Turbo's trick rear spoiler.
posted : 11/28/2008 @5:13:40 PM
tags :
diesel panamera , dieselpanamera , hybrid panamera , hybridpanamera , panamera targa , panameratarga , porsche , porsche panamera , porsche panamera diesel , porsche panamera hybrid , porsche panamera targa , porschepanamera , porschepanameradiesel , porschepanamerahybrid , porschepanameratarga
Regardless of what you think of Porsche's upcoming Panamera (we're currently on the fence), it is going to be an extremely important launch for the company. Despite the fact that purists panned the Cayenne, it has sold like hotcakes and has made an extremely tidy profit for the German automaker, now in the midst of a major takeover of Volkswagen, the most valuable automaker in the world. Obviously, Porsche is hoping for similar successes from its very expensive four door. As we've heard countless times, a hybrid option is currently in the works and a diesel engine is also on the drawing board. We're not entirely sure how the crazy German engineers will do it, but a targa-style top is also being developed. No matter, we'll have all the details soon enough as Porsche brings its production Panamera to the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March.
posted : 10/15/2008 @7:39:44 PM
tags :
ebay silverado , ebaysilverado , million mile pickup , million mile silverado ebay , million mile truck , million mile truck for sale , millionmilepickup , millionmilesilveradoebay , millionmiletruck , millionmiletruckforsale
You've got thirty grand and you want a pickup truck, do you A) buy new, or B) hit eBay for a million-mile Silverado. Frank, who had a mild brush with celebrity when the odometer on his truck hit seven-figures recently, would like you to buy his truck. The 1991 Chevy Silverado 1500 is still on its original 350 small-block, though it's chewed up 5 trannies. Frank raves on and on about its remarkable engine and wants it to go to a collector who will appreciate it, but still go out for a ride from time to time. It is an impressive mileage total, but really, who's going to question that a small block V8 is one of the best engines ever? Maintenance has apparently been rather thorough, which is a help keeping any car alive, though we're surprised it hasn't been ravaged by the tinworm. Frank's auction ends in three days and so far hasn't moved beyond its starting bid of $29,999.99. With Employee Pricing back, however, you can get a brand new Chevy Silverado Regular Cab with a short box and zero miles for just $19,899.
posted : 9/2/2008 @1:54:18 PM
tags :
911 , craig monahan , craigmonahan , ladder 5 , ladder5 , olympics , silverado , tv spot , tvspot
posted : 8/30/2008 @4:59:43 PM
tags :
chevy silverado xfe , chevy tahoe xfe , chevysilveradoxfe , chevytahoexfe , general motors , generalmotors , gm , gm xfe , gmc sierra xfe , gmc yukon xfe , gmcsierraxfe , gmcyukonxfe , gmxfe , xfe
Remember earlier in the year when Chevy quietly added the 36-mpg XFE model to its Cobalt lineup? XFE stands for "Xtra Fuel Economy" (should we tell them they spelled "Extra" wrong?) and means these vehicles have been equipped with some easy fuel-saving technologies to eek out as many miles per gallon as possible. GM announced today that the Cobalt XFE will be joined by XFE versions of the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon for the 2009 model year.
The General already offers hybrid versions of its full-size SUVs, which are also joined by hybrid versions of its half-ton trucks for 2009, but the XFE models will continue to be powered by a flex-fuel version of the company's 5.3L gasser V8. It produces 320 hp/340lb-ft in the Tahoe and Yukon, and 315 hp/338 lb-ft in the Tahoe and Yukon. All are rear-wheel-drive only and mated to GM's 6L80 six-speed auto with a fuel-saving 3.08 ratio rear axle. In order to maximize fuel economy, all four of these new XFE models get low rolling resistance tires, aluminum wheels, an aluminum spare wheel, aluminum lower control arms and a lowered suspension with revised tuning. In addition, the Silverado and Sierra also get a new front lower air dam and soft tonneau cover that improve their aerodynamics.
What does it all add up to? 1 mpg. All four standard vehicles were rated at 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway, while their XFE counterparts bump those numbers to 15 city/21 highway. The gains are certainly minimal and we're not sure yet what sort of price premium XFE models will demand, but we give GM credit for at least reacting to the current shift in consumer tastes so quickly. We would have preferred, however, that it had just made these fuel-saving changes standard equipment rather than a separate model.
posted : 8/30/2008 @4:18:29 PM
Land Rover's luxury mud-plugging image isn't fairing well in an era of high gas prices and eco concerns, so its rolled out two new technologies at the London Motor Show to prove that the automaker has its eye on a sustainable future.
Two LR2 prototypes are on hand featuring a parallel hybrid system mated to a turbo diesel engine. Testing is currently underway and so far, LR has seen a reduction in CO2 emissions by up to 20 percent. The Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD), originally shown on the LRX concept, can deliver power to all four wheels through a 288-volt electric motor producing around 150 lb.-ft. of torque. When complete, the system is expected to proliferate across the Land Rover line-up, along with a new lightweight architecture and a refined start-stop system, under the banner of e_Terrain Technologies.
The second development is the Crankshaft Integrated Starter Generator (CISG), which incorporates an electric motor into a dual clutch transmission, giving a boost in torque and starting the diesel mill.
Both systems aren't going to be ready for primetime for a few more years, but Land Rover's start-stop technology should find its way to production sometime next year.
posted : 8/7/2008 @6:13:34 PM
tags :
2010 silverado , 2010silverado , chevrolet pickup , chevrolet silverado hd , chevrolet truck , chevroletpickup , chevroletsilveradohd , chevrolettruck , chevy pickup , chevy silverado , chevy truck , chevypickup , chevysilverado , chevytruck , silverado hd , silveradohd
Look quickly, and you'll miss the changes, but GM's got some subtle exterior tweaks in store for its Heavy Duty trucks in 2010. Development doesn't stop even though the practice of using a pickup truck as a commuter car is no longer popular, so GM is plugging away at a new Silverado to avoid being passed up by its competitors.
Competition aside, there's also the issue of federal regulations to comply with, so changes were necessary no matter what. Most noticeably, the bumper changes, gaining a strip of trim that extends across the top, doing away with the overemphasized corner look of the current cow catcher. Looking more closely at the bumper, the air intake in the middle appears to have grown in size. That opening feeds the transmission cooler, so the speculation is that the Allison transmission has picked up extra ratios. Of course, it could just be bigger to gain an edge on thermal management underhood, but we're going to jump on the bandwagon of being excited for more cogs spun by the heavily revised 6.6-liter Duramax diesel with urea injection. That'd be just the thing to tow the Alero.
posted : 7/3/2008 @5:12:54 PM
tags :
panamera , porsche , porsche panamera , porsche panamera diesel , porsche panamera targa , porschepanamera , porschepanameradiesel , porschepanameratarga
According to a source that recently attended a Porsche focus group in California, the crew from Stuttgart is considering offering the new Panamera sedan with an optional "targa" top and making a diesel engine available.
Autoweek's insider saw a rendering of a three-panel "targa" roof that could conceivably make up another trim level of the Panamera when it goes on sale next year. The sources also said that two mules were on hand, a base and a turbocharged variant, sporting front fender vents that "were reminiscent of [the] Ford Focus." Uh oh.
Although details weren't given on the specifics of the diesel engine, Porsche is apparently considering offering an oilburner along with gasoline and hybrid drivetrains, and if approved for production, Autoweek speculates that Porsche could utilize one of Audi's diesels. That could include a 3.0-liter V6, but more likely Porsche would opt for either the 4.2-liter V8 or 6.0-liter V12 that powered the R8 TDI Le Mans concept.
posted : 6/30/2008 @7:09:57 PM
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