Car tech blog

Or just honest care for less money? The Detroit News reports: Toyota’s health cost cure: A clinic at the plant site. How screwed up are we that have to doubt absolutely everything that happens? Everywhere. All the time.

Detroit’s automakers are not the only ones grappling with soaring health-care costs. They are becoming an issue for Toyota Motor Corp., as well, as the Japanese giant expands its U.S. manufacturing operations and work force.

“Our health care costs have doubled over the past five years,” to more than $11,000 a year per U.S. plant worker, said Ford Brewer, assistant general manager for health and wellness at Toyota’s North American manufacturing headquarters.

In designing its newest plant, in San Antonio, Toyota is trying to tackle the problem by building a clinic at the factory to provide a wider array of treatments and services than a typical factory medical office.

We have to admit, it sounds pretty sweet. Doctors will be given ample time to talk to patients rather than the HMO-shuffle that most of us are currently left with.

So, is Toyota doing this with its employees’ good health in mind or are they only doing it for the bottom line?

Detroit Free Press reports: Chrysler halts work on Pacifica replacement. Looks like the Pacifica has been sent to the great spiral. We were big fans of the idea of the Pacifica (an adult minivan which has been labeled the Crossover), but never big fans of the execution. We are big fans of the Mercedes-Benz execution, the R-Class. But we’re not too sure buyers are into the idea.

While the Pacifica was huge, it was near impossible for someone of our, uh, stature, to make it into the third row. We found…

Web dude: What?
Mr. Peterson: Why don’t you just say you’re fat?
Web: What?
Mr. Peterson: Stature. No one uses that word.
Web: So?
Mr. Peterson: You’re a fatty and can’t get into the back seat of the Pacifica and it’s Chrysler’s fault?
Web: We can get into R-Class without much effort.
Mr. Peterson: Whatever. And you are dressed funny today.
Web: Hey! Hey! We’re dressed today. Thankyouverymuch.

Anyway, it seems that consumers are now Chrysler were never really fond of the Pacifica so its replacement has been canned.

That’s a snap of the 2007 Chrysler Pacifica. We bet you can pick up a 2006 model for cheap now that Chrysler has a crap load of them on the lots.

• What’s this whole Democratic “Clampett” invasion mean for US automakers? Chancellor Dan thinks he knows. Waking up in a pool of cheap champagne bottles on the floor of a room at the RenCen hotel, we found out the husband of GM’s governmental affairs director’s about to chair a committee in the US House. It truly is morning in America. [Detroit News]
• Yeah, the CT’s dead. Long live the Pacifica. [Freep]
• I could say ToMoCo has a fever for lower health care costs, but with those on-site clinics, they actually don’t. [Detroit News]
• Ah, hydrogen mio! [AutoBlogGreen]

• Mmm…Szechwan and burning rubber. Yummy SEMA. [NYT]

Man, cleaning house in the, uh, House and cleaning house in the… this isn’t working. So:

Automotive News reports: PSA/Peugeot-Citroen names former Airbus chief as CEO

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen’s supervisory board has named Christian Streiff, the former CEO of European airplane maker Airbus, as the successor to departing CEO Jean-Martin Folz.

Streiff, 52, will succeed Folz on Feb. 6, PSA said in a statement. But he will join PSA/Peugeot-Citroen on Wednesday, Nov. 8, to get acquainted with the company.

Meanwhile, The NY Times (registration required) reports: After Power Struggle, Volkswagen Ousts Its Chief.

In a sharp reversal, Volkswagen today ousted its chief executive, Bernd Pischetsrieder, six months after he appeared to win an internal power struggle by signing a new contract.

Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, gave no reason for the decision by a select committee of its supervisory board, which voted to replace Mr. Pischetsrieder with Martin Winterkorn, the head of Volkswagen’s Audi division. The change will take effect at the end of the year.

Also, what’s up with having air dudes running car companies? Think they’ll kick some arse?

AutoWeek reports: Smart Sharing. Take a look at that list of cars. Those are the ones that share pieces. What’s that you say? The Focus? Oh, ho! No, no parts sharing of the U.S. version of the Focus. And Europe digs the Focus unlike the U.S. where Focuseseses are lit on fire to keep Republicans away. Did you know the Focus comes in a convertible over in Europe? And it’s great!

“If you look at C1, it’s almost a microcosm of what we’re trying to do in the enterprise as a whole,” says [Fancy engineer boy Derrick] Kuzak, who has just finished his first year as Ford’s North American product chief. “Having a very strong and capable platform — and on top of that you put very unique products that are unique not just in how they look but are very consistent with the individual brand DNA.”

The soft-spoken Kuzak has a big role in putting Ford’s money-losing North American business on track. But transforming the U.S. product portfolio will take time and money in an environment where time is short and money is tight. The first vehicles fully developed under Kuzak won’t reach showrooms until 2008.

We really hope Ford wises up and uses the C1 (read the article) architecture on Ford-branded products that are sold in the U.S. It would really, really help its reputation here in the states.

That’s a snap of the 2007 Volvo V50. That should be the Ford Focus wagon ’cause then we’d be able to afford it. $38K?! That’s without AWD. And the fancy engine. Man, we gotta get a job.

One look at that outsized hood scoop and sparsely clad hoochie tomato and you know what’s coming? Or do you really? – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Fake Hoon of the Day: Bicyclist v. Cops [internal]

No, the “Sinister Six” wasn’t built by Dr. Octopus to mess with Spiderman’s sensibilities. The modded BMW 6-Series convertible is this year’s showcase vehicle by car-stereo empire, Alpine. More than 3500 labor-hours (and enough clearcoat to drown the Borax mule team) have given way to a radical-custom rebody and such features as a swiveling banquet in lieu of seats, five monitors built into the dash, 11 amplifiers (for 10,000 watts of power), and taillights created from LCD monitors that show a range of movie clips. Plus, there’s no steering wheel, just a chrome knob with which to change direction. The car’s builders (real cut-ups, them) offer a video tour of their creation. Don’t worry, their day jobs are safe. – Mike Spinelli

[via Carscoop]

Related:
Alpine’s Latest A/V Show Car: the F#1 Status BMW X5 [internal]

A new rear window rake, swage lines and a panoramic glass roof (like its big brother S-Class) distinguish the next-gen Mercedes C-Class, caught by spies in some sort of processing facility in Europe. Despite the diesel badging, says Edmunds Straightline Blog, we can expect the US-bound C-Class to be powered by the corporate 3.5-liter V6, hooked to Merc’s 7G-Tronic autobox. We’ll see the new C at the Geneva show next year, possibly alongside new GLK mini ute with which it shares architectural components. Flying buttresses sold separately. – Mike Spinelli

FV Report: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class [Edmunds Straightline Blog]

Related:
Spy Photos: More on the W204 Mercedes C-Class [internal]

Former pro wrestler Bill Goldberg, who did time playing for the Sacramento Surge when we were in high school, has signed up to host the new Bullrun reality show on Spike. We know Goldberg’s a car freak, but given our experience on the rally, he seems like he would sort of stick out like a sore thumb among the reedy Brits, crazy Southerners and Cali dorks that made up the majority of the people we met on the rally.

Then again, this is a made-for-TV version with the participants picked from audition videos, and if it’s stacked with bro-hams and hamettes with a few rich dudes thrown in, Goldberg just might do all right. – Davey G. Johnson

Spike likes Goldberg as “Bullrun” host [Reuters]

Related:
You’re Living in Your Own Public Bullrun: Get on the Televizzle [Internal]

Paukert sent this to us as he was without words. We are without words as well. And what in the name of Ganesh is that odder-than-a-Copen Indian-market tunerized droptop? Click and watch. Nothing more we can say will contribute to the radness. Not even a Hüsker Dü reference.

Related:
Music Videos Make Anyone Look Fast: Danica Patrick Shows Jay-Z and Dale Jr. What She’s Got [Internal]