In what's shaping up to be a trend in the alternate-fuel startup world, Fisker has just announced layoffs of 26 employees from the brand's Delaware factory. Those let go were made up, in part, of employees set to help make Project Nina -- the company's second vehicle -- a reality.
"It's temporary," Roger Ormisher, Fisker Spokesman, said. "We're being prudent and sensible as a company."
Fisker, the recipient of $193 million in government funding, has delivered between 250 and 300 Fisker Karmas thus far and has managed to raise over $650 million in private-sector funding. The DoE isn't worried about their (our) investment, though, "Our loan guarantees have strict conditions in place to protect taxpayers...As Fisker works through those issues and incorporates lessons learned from the production of the Karma, the Department is working with Fisker to review a revised business plan and determine the best path forward so the company can meet its benchmarks, produce cars and employ workers here in America," said DOE spokesman Damien LaVera. Fisker has asked the DOE to revise its targets.
Fisker doesn't have the funding (read: uber-rich CEO) that Tesla does, will we ever see Project Nina?
Categories: Auto Industry,Fisker,Hybrids
Honda's Ferris Bueller themed Super Bowl ad was one of the most talked about ads that nobody can remember the actual point of. (It's for the CR-V.) Half of those talking about it say it's an abomination to a movie they hold dear. The other half think it's pretty fun (especially when he's in the parade).
How close is this new Honda spot to the original? The folks at AkooTV (???) have answered that by stitching together the Honda ad and Ferris Bueller's Day off for a scene-by-scene comparison.
While this video is in good fun, it's possible it'll set of the alarms at YouTube's copyright protection department and get taken down. Watch it while it's here.
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Categories: Honda,Miscellaneous,Videos
Back in December, a bunch of supercars in Japan decided to play demolition derby on a public highway. Well, not exactly, but that would have been a more fun explanation. In reality, the leader of the supercar convoy lost it and caused a chain-reaction crash that claimed 8 Ferraris, a Lamborghini and a few other less important cars.
We don't have a new cost estimate (reports said $4 mil, our math said $2) but we do have some footage of the cars off of the road and in a lot waiting to be repaired or scrapped or lovingly buried in a field or whatever it is you do with a totaled Ferrari.
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Categories: Ferrari,Miscellaneous,Videos
Red Bull Racing is coming off of a VERY good 2011 Formula One season. Their RB7 racing car took home 12 wins and 27 podiums with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Weber behind the wheel.
Unfortunately, time doesn't stand still in F1 and rule changes -- as well as competition from other makers -- meant that they would have to redesign the RB7. This is the car they're replacing it with, the RB8. Red Bull isn't going into detail about the new car, but we see that it has the same stepped wing design we're seeing from everyone this season. They pull it off better than Ferrari does, though. It doesn't have to be pretty and it isn't. Time will tell if it's as fast as the RB7.
Red Bull will continue to have Vettel and Weber as drivers next year.
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Categories: Motorsports,Videos
Did you think that just because the Super Bowl is over (I'm going to pretend it didn't happen at all) you weren't going to see any more Super Bowl Ad content? No such luck.
Do you want to see some behind-the-scenes footage of the new Lexus GS? No? Well how about a big dog in a fat suit? Thought so.
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Categories: Lexus,Miscellaneous,Videos,Volkswagen
For your $21,460 ($20,695 + destination) you get a Sport trim CX-5 which, unfortunately, is the only one available with the 6-speed manual transmission. Besides the shift-it-yourself gearbox you get 17-inch alloys, DRLs, power mirrors, automatic headlight shutoff, cloth interior, cruise control, a four-speaker stereo with AUX and USB inputs (take that, Mazda 3) and the 2.0-liter, 155-horsepower Skyactive four-cylinder motor powering the front wheels.
This package seems like a good deal, but then things get unfortunate (for enthusiasts)...
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Categories: Mazda,SUVs
At some point during the 2012 Chicago Auto Show ( 10:25am Wednesday) Kia will show off a Soul concept described as being "the ultimate Soul." Kia's U.S. design team will be on hand (as will Peter Schreyer) to discuss the new design language.
Unfortunately, there are no plans to ever produce this ultimate three-door Soul. Too bad, 247-horsepower, a de-cubed design and a stance like this could really help us get behind the Soul.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Concept Vehicles,Hatchbacks,Kia
Showing their "commitment to the compact car segment," Nissan will be showing an all-new B-segment car concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show: the Nissan Invitation.
This Fit lookalike would slide in with the Micra and the Juke in Europe. Nissan says "Invitation is an energetic design, bringing fresh style, innovation and excitement to the mainstream market."
We say "It's a Nissan Fit...which is a good thing."
Look for more of this car as we get closer to Geneva.
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Categories: Hatchbacks,Nissan
Recently, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed to USA today that Chrysler was seriously considering a new five-door hatchback for the U.S. market. Here in the states the car would be known as the Chrysler 100 while in Europe it will be sold as a Lancia.
This is an important distinction as Lancia is a luxury brand in Europe. Chrysler could easily have gone low-budget and went Dodge/Fiat, but Marchionne and others clearly see a market for a high-end, A3-like hatch. This car is built on the same platform that underpins the Dart and the Giulietta, but this car has a Chrysler grille, different exhaust and different rear bumper that foreshadows a longer car with more cargo space. This mule also has a higher hood than the five-door Dart mules we've seen.
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Categories: Chrysler,Future Vehicles,Hatchbacks,Spy Photos
The 4th quarter of the 2012 Super Bowl was uncomfortably close and those people not throwing chowder all over the room were likely looking up the Cadillac ATS.
We've covered the first three quarters, here's how tonight's Super Bowl commercials impacted activity to Edmunds.com in the 4th.
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Categories: Auto Industry,Miscellaneous
Halftime saw one of the most anticipated ads of the 2012 Super Bow: Chrysler's two-minute, Clint Eastwood-narrated "Halftime in America" commercial. The spot aired at the end of the halftime activities and gave Chrysler a 13% activity increase.
The third quarter had one break-out star.
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Categories: Auto Industry,Miscellaneous,Videos
As we told you previously, we're following the real-time impact that 2012 Super Bowl car advertisements are having on Edmunds.com. See what happened in the 1st quarter and the pregame show here, and follow the jump to see how the second quarter stacked up.
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Categories: Auto Industry,Miscellaneous
The band OK Go is known mostly for its crazy music videos and not necessarily the music behind them. Remember the video with the treadmills? Yeah you do. Remember the song behind it? Probably not.
They've ditched the gym equipment for a 2012 Chevy Sonic this time. Says the description, "Ok Go set up over 1,000 instruments over two miles of desert outside Los Angeles. A Chevy Sonic was outfitted with retractable pneumatic arms designed to play the instruments, and the band recorded this version of Needing/Getting, singing as they played the instrument array with the car."
This video took four months of prep and four days of shooting. I'm surprised it didn't take longer.
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Categories: Chevrolet,Hatchbacks,Videos
You know who's cooler than Eminem? Clint Eastwood. Hear the gravel-voiced tough guy talk about Chrysler's second-half after the jump.
(Also, kudos to Chrysler for leaving this one a mystery until the Super Bowl.)
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Categories: Chrysler,Miscellaneous,Videos
We all know how much time and money manufacturers have put into advertising for the Super Bowl. As fun as they are, the goal here isn't to entertain us, it's to sell cars.
To try and monitor the effectiveness (as opposed to the entertainment value) of the ads, Edmunds is tracking in real time the impact the ads are causing our site.
Details after the jump.
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Categories: Auto Industry,Miscellaneous
It must be a bummer, being underappreciated. You shine and excel, and still you remain hidden in the shadows.
Just ask any of the six models listed after the jump. It's a story they know all too well.
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Categories: Audi,Ford,Hyundai,Nissan,Suzuki,Volkswagen
Perhaps there is hope for car culture after all. Citing consumer demand (and not just internet bickering), Ford will be offering a five-speed manual transmission option for the 2012 Ford Focus Titanium. "Buyers migrating from higher-priced import brands frequently prefer manual transmission," Ford said in a statement. Nearly 40 percent of trade-ins on Focus are imports.
Previously the manual transmission was only available in the S and SE version of the Focus with a six-speed automated manual being the only option on the top-trim Focus Titanium. Too bad, too, because the Titanium is the one that goes best with a manual. It gets 18-inch alloy wheels and a sport-tuned suspension. The only thing missing was a transmission that reacted as well as the chassis did.
Ford says that this decision was based on a manual take rate of 7 percent. That figure is 50% higher than Ford expected and surely has something to do with the complaints Ford is getting about the automated manual. You'll remember that Consumer Reports downgraded Ford's reliability rating due to complaints revolving around the automated manual transmission and MyFord Touch.
Related: 2012 Ford Focus Titanium vs. 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited
Categories: Ford,Hatchbacks,Sedans
We decided to switch things up this week and present Week in Review as stop motion animation featuring a Jean-Luc Picard action figure. I mean, works for Robot Chicken, right?
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Categories: Videos
If you're this new driver, approximately 4:44. In her defense, the spot is ENORMOUS, it must be difficult deciding exactly where, and at what angle, to park that tiny car.
(*video contains grown-up language. Headphones or mute*)
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Categories: Miscellaneous,SMART,Wagons
At this year's Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti will be showing off an all-new range-extended sports car concept they've now named EMERG-E.
The press release is thin with information saying only, "The INFINITI EMERG-E will be the first car from the brand to have not only a range-extender drivetrain offering vivid performance with zero emissions capability but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling."
The market for a mid-engined range-extended Infiniti seems small to me. I could be wrong, but let's just go ahead and assume that the EMERG-E will not make it out of the concept stage. We'll bring you more next month from Geneva.
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Categories: Geneva Motor Show,Hybrids,Infiniti,Sports Cars
