The New Big

Let’s assume for a moment that the run up in gasoline prices is nothing but a function of speculators causing there to be artificial shortages.  That this is simply a bubble that, as all do, will burst.  That there will be a correction in the market, and that gas prices will fall in the not-too-distant future to more-reasonable levels.  You know, like $3.50 a gallon or thereabouts.

Does this mean that things will get back to “normal,” that people will return to dealerships, looking for a deal, but looking for a deal on big SUVs and pickup trucks?  After all, isn’t it a “necessity” to have things that can haul 10,000 pounds or more, even for those who don’t own a trailer or a boat?  Isn’t there an abundance of children in all households who must be transported in luxurious space, complete with DVDs to keep that several hundred mile trip Up North tolerable to them?  Isn’t there the right to be able to climb over multiple parking blocks with nary a sensation of things going “bump”?

I’m guessing that the answer to the first question is a simple ...Read More...

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Driven Archives

It’s Not the Al Franken Decade?
In 1979, Saturday Night Live "reporter" Al Franken declared the 1980s would be the Al Franken Decade in which everyone would think about nothing but him, Al Franken. It was a funny bit that skewered the excesses of the "Me Decade" of the 1970s by placing the writer and comedian at the center of everyone’s attention. – View More

To Live and Drive in L.A.
Cannonball Run World Events’ Second Annual Great American Run starts in L.A. on September 7, and finishes six days and 3,000 miles later in the same city. It is open to any pre-qualified vehicle and team who pays the $20,000 entry fee. For their part, the organizers promise, "A Week Without Limits." - View More

Right Before Their Eyes
Not only is 27-year-old Sarah Fisher the first female team owner/driver in Indy 500 history, she’s been a TAG Heuer brand ambassador since 2002 when she became the first woman to take an IndyCar pole at Kentucky Motor Speedway, a place where she had finished third two years before. Who knew? - View More

Oops! Sorry Wilkins!
The UK’s Royal Artillery Motorcycle Display Team, a.k.a. “The Flying Gunners,” is once again being sponsored by Chevrolet for the 2008 season. Chevy is providing the team with two Captiva SUVs, a Lacetti station wagon, and an Epica sedan to transport the riders to their various shows around the country. - View More

And Then It Was...Gone.
Ferrari has dedicated a new web site that counts down to the official introduction of the Italian sport car maker’s new GT at the Paris Auto Show in October. The site is sold as a sensory experience that, fittingly, starts with the sense of sound as it lets viewers listen to the sound of the new car’s engine. - View More

Upcoming Industry Events:
AUTOMATICA 2008 – June 10-13
Quality Expo – June 11-12
REACH Symposium – June 26
The Management Briefing Seminars – Aug. 11-15
COMPOSITESWORLD Expo – Sept. 3-5

The Little Battery that Can
Oftentimes, we receive press releases that are presented with all the attendant fanfare and flourishes that would make you almost believe that the issue is not some new car or factory or tool but The Most Astonishing Thing To Happen In Our Times. I suppose that the people involved either ...Read More...