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Buick

Volvo Aims At Younger Crowd With Twilight Tie-In

Although the effectiveness of product placement in modern movies has been debated ad nauseam, there is no question that the publicity blitz surrounding a motion picture event like the Twilight saga can only be a boon to any company directly involved. Not only has Volvo been able to insert two of their products into the series so far – the Volvo C30 coupe and a new Volvo XC60 crossover – but they have also expanded their online presence to further draw the attentions of teenage vampire fans.

The crux of their web effort is a game called “What Drives Edward?” in reference to the film’s main undead character. By mobilizing the film’s fanbase, Volvo has seen a huge spike in the number of people who access the company’s primary website, primarily the section where visitors can configure the Volvo XC60 online. Given that the vehicle in the film is a modified version of the standard SUV, Volvo is pleased to see that their web traffic has swelled more than 50 percent as fans attempt to build their own edition of the XC60 in the same image as what they have seen on screen. Interestingly, Volvo has not had to pay to have their cars and trucks used by the Twilight filmmakers, as they were already an integral part of the book series written by Stephanie Meyer that the movies are based on.

Ferrari Pushes Ahead With Theme Park

Economic troubles haven’t thrown too much of a monkey wrench into Ferrari’s plans to open a massive theme park in Abu Dhabi. Construction has been completed and all that remains now are for the opening festivities to get underway. Abu Dhabi, which recently hosted their first ever Formula 1 racing event, has situated the park on Yas Island which is located kiddy corner to the area’s Yas Marina race track.

Dubbed Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the venue is chock full of the standard thrill rides that can be found at most major theme parks, such as roller coasters and other mechanical wonders. However, it does boast a few unique offerings such as an enormous Ferrari 599 engine replica, and a Ferrari-style coaster which can hit speeds of up to 125 miles per hour. Inside the 1 million square foot enclosed space – said to be the largest covered park in the world – fans of the prancing horse can try their hand at a racing school as well as sample Italian foods native to the brand’s home country. The enormous stylized red roof bears an equally plus-sized Ferrari logo, which is said to be the most expansive Ferrari emblem ever erected.

Buick Makes Small Car Push

In their ongoing effort to repaint the brand in the minds of consumers, Buick has revealed that the upcoming Buick Regal will be powered exclusively by small displacement, four-cylinder engines. The Buick Regal is in essence a rebadged Opel Insignia, a vehicle which General Motors sells in Europe, although from a design perspective it has been revamped to fall in line with Buick’s styling language. Smaller than any other car in either the Buick or Cadillac lineup – two of GM’s premium car marques – the 2011 Buick Regal will assume a role previously unoccupied in Buick showrooms.

The base engine for the 2011 Buick Regal will take the form of a 2.4 liter unit that provides in the neighborhood of 182 horsepower, while a sportier edition will feature a turbocharged 2.0 liter that boosts production by as many as 40 ponies. Six-speed automatic transmissions will be the order of the day. This small car initiative points the way for General Motors to improve upon their Corporate Overall Fuel Economy (CAFE) rating, as each version of the Buick Regal is expected to return around 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

Ford Unveils Inflatable Seatbelts

Airbags have undoubtedly saved millions of lives since they became commonly available in the 1990s, but new seatbelt development has largely been restricted to the implementation of pretensioning systems. Ford has gone a step beyond the standard three point harness with their work on belts which actually include an inflatable component meant to reduce the strain placed upon the body during an impact or sudden deceleration.

Chief amongst the concerns of Ford engineers was the safety of rear passengers, who don’t get the benefit of the front airbags afforded to forward occupants. Their solution was to incorporate an airbag which fills with cold compressed gas into the diagonal belt which fits across the chest of a passenger. By inflating this bag, the forces involved in a crash are more evenly distributed, which reduces the chance of a cracked rib or tissue damage – especially in the very old and the very young, whose bodies are often more susceptible to injury from these types of stress. The new equipment is as comfortable or even more so than existing restraint systems, and Ford plans to introduce the inflatable seatbelts on production vehicles starting in the 2011 model year.

Toyota To Remain In NASCAR Despite Ditching Formula 1

Toyota’s decision to cut Formula 1 racing out of their yearly budget was for many across the world a warning sign that the automaker had plans to reduce their motorsports involvement across the board. Almost every competitive series around the world has felt the pinch of the recent recession, an economic squeeze which has caused even giants such as Toyota to reevaluate their financial priorities.

Fortunately for NASCAR fans, Toyota has stated that they have no intention of abandoning their efforts in either the Sprint Cup, Nationwide or Truck racing levels of the sport. While Toyota has yet to achieve a high level of success in NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup series, they have been impressive competitors in the other two series. This is contrasted with nine years of participation and no wins whatsoever in the much more costly Formula 1 world. The inexpensive – by comparison – nature of NASCAR makes it likely that Toyota’s involvement in it will continue regardless of their withdrawal from other areas of racing.

Last month when General Motors announced that it was going to add the Regal to Buick’s lineup next year, it released no details about the car and only a single teaser image. While many correlations were made between the North American Buick Regal and its counterparts in China (Buick Regal) and Europe (Opel Insignia), GM has finally released official details of the new entry-level Buick including powertrain, production and dimensions. Looking to change how it is perceived by the buying public, the 2011 Buick Regal will not only help expand Buick’s lineup to four models, but it will also help Buick compete against solid luxury sport sedans such as the Acura TSX, Volkswagen Passat and the all-new Volvo S60.

The popularity of the European-designed Opel Insignia eventually gave way to the Buick Regal in China, but there are subtle changes that help differentiate the Chinese Regal and the upcoming North American Regal. While the signature chrome waterfall grille is present on both Regal models, the North American version will receive a new front fascia that has revised lower air intakes and fog lamp bezels to give it a sportier look. Sharper eyes will also notice the lack of fender vents and side mirror turn signal indicators as these are both replaced by redundant turn signal indicators on the front fenders. From every other angle, the two models are identical including the sculpted side body lines, sleek roofline and the short, duck-tailed decklid. One of the more stylish aspects of the 2011 Buick Regal is the L-shaped LED running lights incorporated into the headlamps.

Inside, the new Regal boasts a luxurious design and atmosphere that is shared with its larger siblings like the Buick Enclave and Buick LaCrosse. Upon introduction, the Buick Regal will only be offered in the CXL trim level, but Buick said that additional trim levels will be available for the 2012 model year. Standard equipment inside the 2011 Regal include leather seating and heated front seats, 12-way power driver’s seat, Bluetooth connectivity, XM satellite radio and GM’s OnStar. Optional cabin features include a navigation system, an upgraded Harmon Kardon audio system and an infotainment system with a 10 gigabyte hard drive and a USB port.

As far as the interior design goes, other than the different steering wheel, the Buick Regal’s cabin is just as stylish as its European counterpart continuing Buick’s progression of becoming a more luxurious marque. In the picture GM released, the all-black interior is accented by bright chrome and aluminum trim on the steering wheel, center console and door panels, but it is likely that wood grain inserts will also be available. The detail and quality of the new Regal both look abundant as the cabin features intricate design elements with an attractive layout. Building off the successful Enclave and 2010 LaCrosse, the new Regal looks to offer more of a sporty feeling rather than a large, smooth ride some people might associate with past Buicks.

“[The 2011 Buick Regal] really is more of a personal vehicle than say a larger family vehicle,” said Dave Lyon, Buick’s Executive Director Global Design, in a virtual walk-around video. “This is a driver-eccentric vehicle both inside and out.”

To help back up the new Regal’s sport sedan label, it will launch with 182-horsepower, 2.4-liter direct-injected Ecotec inline-4, but by next summer the sedan will offer the optional 220-horsepower, 2.0-liter Ecotec turbocharged and direct-injected inline-4 making it the first turbocharged Buick since the legendary 1987 Buick Grand National. Both engines will engines will come with six-speed automatic transmissions and a front-wheel drive layout which will help give the 3,600-pound Regal impressive fuel economy estimates. GM claims that the base engine will give the Regal EPA fuel economy estimates of 20 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, while the turbocharged engine will return 28 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

To help give the car handling deserving of a sport sedan, the new Buick Regal will use four-wheel independent suspension with MacPherson struts up front and a four-link setup in the rear. For models equipped with the turbocharged engine, the Regal will also come standard with Buick’s Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS). Taking a page right out of the Audi A4, the new Buick Regal’s IDCS will allow the drive to choose between a variety of suspension tuning modes that include Normal, Tour and Sport. For added safety, the Regal will come standard with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and brake assist, StabiliTrak stability control, traction control and six airbags.

As for production of the new Regal, it will be built in Russelsheim, Germany rather than GM’s Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas or at the Oshawa Car Assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario as we previously suspected. The fact that the 2011 Regal is built in Germany will make it the first vehicle imported to North America and sold through Buick dealers since the Opel Manta from the early 1970s.

The 2011 Buick Regal will get its official debut tonight in Los Angeles, and the public will get their first glimpse of the entry-level Buick at the 2009 Los Angeles International Auto Show that runs from December 4-13.