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How nice of them - EU lets Britain keep the mile

What Car is reporting that the European Parliament has graciously agreed to allow Britain to continue using the mile a bit longer. How nice of them. The EU has just passed a broad measure that allows shops to continue to display imperial and metric measures, thus keeping Britain from having to switch their speedometers and road signs to kilometers. The governing body had previously asked for firm dates from Britain and Ireland to make the switch and stop using Imperial measures, and though their neighbors in Ireland have already made the change, Britain remains noncommittal. We sympathize with our British brethren. If the EU could just walk 1.609344 km in our shoes, they'd know that switching to the metric system would wreak havoc on poetry and songwriting as we know it. Smiles would no longer be the longest word. There would be no more Mile High Club. Denver would lose its Mile High Stadium. Eminem would be crushed upon losing 8 Mile Road. Miles Davis would have to change his name to Kilometers Davis. It would be the end of the world as we know it.
posted : 12/22/2008 @8:29:14 PM

Carlos Ghosn named president of European Automobile Manufacturers' AssociationCarlos Ghosn for President! Well, President of The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, or ACEA. The head man at the Nissan/Renault has been elected by the ACEA to act as its very own Knight in Shining Armor starting on January 1, 2009.

Ghosn will replace Christian Streiff, CEO of PSA Peugeot Citroën, and will begin his duties at a rather difficult time for the industry. Not only are the automakers smack dab in the midst of a major fuel-saving model makeover, but the global economy is tanking at the same time. Because the ACEA sets the standards that the European automakers will be expected to adhere to, Ghosn will work hand-in-hand with the European Union on future laws, especially on such issues as carbon emissions and for national financial incentives to help the struggling automakers.

posted : 12/21/2008 @12:15:12 AM
Lexus to launch compact in Europe, targeting 1 Series and A3Europeans will get another premium compact car not bound for U.S. shores and this time it comes courtesy of Lexus. The automaker is targeting the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3, vehicles that its rivals have offered in the United States market. Lexus, though, only plans the vehicle for markets outside the U.S. where sales of smaller cars outpace their larger siblings. Apparently, Lexus has set a goal to sell 150,000 vehicles in Europe by 2015 and believes the new model is necessary to meet that number. At this point, we have no idea what platform the compact car would be based on, but Toyota certainly has a number of options, most notably the Auris, which is offered in the European market in hatchback form. There is also the possibility that the new entry-level Lexus could be based on an upcoming small hybrid model from Toyota that would slot beneath the Prius, a version of which the automaker plans to debut in the Lexus line.
posted : 10/21/2008 @7:51:00 PM
Paris 2008: Ford Kuga Individual

When we put the production Ford Kuga next to its progenitor, the Iosis X show car, on our test drive in Belgium, we couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The Kuga is a fine looking cute-ute, but lacks the aggressive styling that made the Iosis X such a show stopper. Ford promised to close the gap a little with the Individual version of the Kuga, launched here in Paris. The Kuga joins Individual versions of the Ford Mondeo, Fiesta, S-Max and Galaxy, offering overseas buyers a host of luxury options you'd normally find on higher-end automobiles. The interior trim in particular goes a long way towards addressing some of the incoherence we mentioned in our review as well. Along with the leather and stuff, the Kuga Individual gets a revised exterior package that evokes some of the touches from the concept car, like aluminum intake fascias, 20" wheels and ground effects. The latter gives the Kuga a more road-skimming look as opposed to the Iosis X's jacked-up stature, but it's a nice touch all the same. The best part, however, could be the new engine option: the same Volvo-sourced turbo five from the hot Focus ST, albeit detuned to 200hp.
posted : 10/13/2008 @4:57:01 PM
Euro carmakers want billions in loans, tooThis week, Detroit got its $25B bailout loan approved by Washington, and according to The Wall Street Journal, European carmakers are making like this is a game of "Simon Says." The Journal reports that Fiat has proposed the idea of hitting up the European Commission for €40 billion ($55B USD) to help the European auto industry make the move to cleaner, greener cars ahead of the strict new emissions regulations currently being bandied about. Like we said, this rationale is very similar to the one Motown used to get its money. Fiat's grand idea was presented to other automakers at the ACEA meeting on Friday, and according to a spokesman for the automaker, "All European carmakers agree on the [€40 billion] demand." What a shocker. Said demand hasn't been formally made to EC bigwigs yet, but the lobbying is obviously well underway.
posted : 10/13/2008 @4:50:54 PM
Paris 2008: Toyota's new Avensis arrives

The Euro-only Toyota Avensis is reminiscent of the Lexus IS350 in the same way that you'd tell someone, "You kind of look like someone I know, but not really." It's the rising linear sideline, somewhat high and compact profile, and squared-off rear that do it. But that's from a full-on side profile and around the back. Move around the front and it really just looks like a Toyota. The raked grille and molded lips in the front bumper are unexpected, as is the subtle sexiness of the wagon. Designed in France, the new Avensis grows a little over its predecessor by 5 cm in length and width. Under the hood, possibilities include three new Valvematic gasoline engines, and two diesels, while cogs can be swapped with a 6-speed manual or the dual-mode, Multidrive S automatic.
posted : 10/13/2008 @4:37:48 PM
First Drive: Ford Kuga (Euro-spec)

The grass, they say, is always greener on the other side of the fence. Though that often appears to be the case, most of the time it isn't. Dearborn's new "One Ford" initiative promises that we'll soon be able to stop gazing longingly across the ocean at what the company offers overseas buyers, as Ford endeavors to integrate its global product line-up into one cohesive range for every market around the world. In the case of the new Fiesta, that's a good thing. Less so with regards to the Kuga.
posted : 9/26/2008 @7:19:52 AM
Audi wins everything... add European Le Mans Series to the list

If Audi was a greater beneficiary of the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" adage, they would have trounced Mercedes and BMW in sales long ago. The house of the four rings took the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then they claimed the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), and now Audi extends its arms once again to grab the European Le Mans Series championship (LMS) trophy. In fact, by finishing first and fourth at Silverstone with two Audi R10s, Audi takes the driver's title (Alex Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller), the manufacturer's title, and the team title. It's only real competition was Peugeot, which walks away empty handed even though it won four of the five LMS races, had two cars on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and had pole position for every race. Next year's battle for Franco-German supremacy should be even better.
posted : 9/24/2008 @10:20:13 PM
Ain't No Mountune High Enough: dealer-installed performance kit for Ford Focus ST

After driving the hot Focus ST at Ford's Lommel Proving Grounds, we returned with a big smile on our faces... and an eager anticipation for the upcoming Focus RS. British customers are also anxiously awaiting the even hotter hatch, and Ford's Team RS knows it. That's why they've teamed up with ROUSH's British subsidiary Mountune again to offer a dealer-installed package to pump up the existing ST, JUST like the one they rolled out earlier this year for the smaller Fiesta ST, and also while the orders roll in for the full-fat Focus RS. The package includes a bigger intercooler, high-flow air filter and recalibrated ECU, all good for an additional 34 hp to boost output from 225 PS (222 hp) to 260 PS (256 hp). The extra power promises to drop the 0-60 sprint down to a scant 5.9 seconds and on to 100 in just 14.1 seconds. The best part for British enthusiasts is that the £1,120 package can be installed to any new or used Focus ST at a range of dealerships across the Isles. Ford and Mountune promise an accompanying suspension package in the near future and further mods for additional Ford models before the year's through.
posted : 9/24/2008 @10:13:00 PM

First Drive: 2008 Ford Focus ST

Save the hot hatch for last. That's what we kept telling ourselves as we wandered the Belgian countryside looking for Ford's Lommel Proving Ground. As it turns out, the facility, located next to an air force base – restricted airspace, you know – is so secret, our hosts at Ford could hardly find it. So we had a little extra time to repeat the mantra: save the hot hatch for last. On our way to Italy to drive the new Fiesta, we took a detour to Lommel to sample some of Ford's European C-segment offerings. A variety of vehicles, including one with the new dual-clutch gearbox, a Kuga crossover and the fire-breathing Focus ST, would be on hand for us to drive around the track. But we knew that if we gave into temptation and drove the ST first, the rest would seem sluggish by comparison, even though the vehicles aren't comparable. So did we resist the urge, or give into the little demon that's always whispering in our ears to go faster?

posted : 9/23/2008 @11:00:50 PM
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