KARL Chevrolet HUMMER

I have to chime in here.  The public flocking of the domestic auto companies has been a healthy exercise for all.  And today’s announcement by President Bush was the absolute right thing to do for the auto industry and the country - and history will prove it correct.

Let’s face it; our free and open political system in the USA has caused much of the current dysfunction in the auto industry.  Have you ever asked yourself why Toyota, Honda, BMW, etc chose to build assembly plants here in the USA?  The country with higher labor costs than virtually any other country on the face of the earth?  TAXES and INCENTIVES.  Yes, our own government (mostly state government) set out in a bidding war over the past decade to attract these foreign companies to build assembly plants in their states to attract new jobs.  They gave away property tax abatements, job creation incentives, enterprise zone grants and more. 

The money granted today to GM and Chrysler amounts to an interest expense of about $16,000 per U.S. job at these companies.  That is serious taxpayer money.  However, last year VW got $288,000 per job created at their new plant in taxpayer subsidies.  And Toyota got over $150,000 per job created at their plant in Texas.  It’s time to wake up and recognize we have a problem here in the U.S. when individual states can create such inequities in our national economy. Read more »

HEADLINES YOU WON’T SEE:
U.S. TAXPAYERS GIVE VW $288,000 PER NEW JOB CREATED.
U.S. SENATE TURNS DOWN SUPPORT FOR DOMESTIC AUTO COMPANIES AT A POTENTIAL COST OF $16,000 PER JOB SAVED.
U.S. TAXPAYERS GIVE TOYOTA $150,000 PER NEW JOB CREATED.

Don’t believe it? Read on….

There is no question that the Automotive industry in the United States is going through some challenging times in the current economic climate. And there is also no denying that the CEO’s of the Domestic Automakers could have done a better job dealing with the political and media spotlight on them over the past few weeks. But what is not so apparent in the general main-stream media, is how much the facts are being twisted.

At the core, I take issue with the term “Bailout”. The auto manufacturers are not asking for a ‘bailout’, they are asking for a reasonable loan that is not available in our nation’s financial system today due to the meltdown of our credit markets. The automakers, particularly General Motors, are well on the road to significantly re-inventing their businesses. One look at the vehicles being offered by GM today versus just five or six years ago will confirm it. However, their efforts have been threaten by the collapse of the credit markets, and they have turned to the U.S. Government and U.S. taxpayers for help. Read more »

Sometimes it takes some sobering facts to wake you up. Today I read the following press release from the CDC and it validates why KARL Chevrolet’s support of Fairfield County Safe Kids and the National Safe Kids Organization is so vital to our community. There is no question that our 20+ year relationship with Safe Kids has Saved Lives and made tangible impacts in thousands of kids’ lives.

New CDC Report Finds Motor Vehicles and Falls are Causes of Most Child and Teen Injuries and Deaths in the United States

For Immediate Release: December 10, 2008
Contact: CDC Injury Center Media Relations
(770) 488-4902

An estimated 55 million children and teens from birth to age 19 were treated in emergency departments for unintentional injuries from 2001 to 2006, according to a new report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .

The report also notes that between 2000 and 2005, unintentional injuries resulted in 73,052 deaths among children and teens. Falls caused most non-fatal injuries (about 2.8 million each year), while most deaths were transportation-related (about 8,000 deaths each year involved a motor vehicle occupant, pedestrian or pedal cyclist). Read more »

This is a great time of year to pause and say ‘thanks’. Even though we are all feeling the effects of the current global economic reality, we have much to be thankful for locally.

New Canaan is so fortunate to have a literal army of volunteers who help support countless worthy local organizations that provide vital services to those in need. There are so many that I could never do them justice here, but you know who they are. Speaking of worthy organizations, it is so very important, now more than ever, to remember to financially support our area non-profit organizations. When the economy weakens, the needs grow greater and the financial support becomes more critical.

On a business note, I want to extend a huge Thank You to Jack Trifero and the other leaders of the New Canaan Village Association who once again organized a very successful Holiday Stroll. Also, kudos to the Chamber of Commerce for the latest edition of one of our very best local traditions; the annual tree lighting. Our local merchants are often the first group approached when local organizations need support. Now, during the holiday season, it is important that you stop and consider keeping your gift spending local. There are so many hidden benefits, not the least of which is convenience!

Every time you spend a dollar locally, you are supporting a local business, which in turn supports our schools, sports teams, and non-profit organizations throughout the year. Read more »

An all-new station line-up has been unveiled by XM Radio that combines the best of XM and Sirius - so you, the listener, don’t need to do anything other than tune into your favorite station.  No new hardware is required - and no new subscription is required.

Effective November 12, 2008, XM subscribers will have a new channel lineup that includes more than 170 channels of the premier music, sports, news and entertainment from both XM and Sirius. The merged company has announced that XM listeners will experience programming changes on three dimensions: 1) 27 new channel names, 2) 19 channel number changes and 3) 15 retired channels that will no longer be broadcast. While these changes are significant, the overall impact to customers should be minimal as much of the programming content will remain the same even if the channel name or channel number changes. Additionally, alternative channels have been recommended to guide listeners if their favorite channel has been retired. Read more »

Battered By Critics, Gas Prices, These SUV Owners Have No Plan To Surrender

PINE GROVE, Pa. - They rumble in on treads called Super Swampers, wearing their hearts on their license plates.

“PLAYDRTY,” declares one behemoth from New York. “HUM THIS,” dares another, from Ohio.

The digital board fronting the Shell station at Exit 100 winks back: “Welcome Hummers!”

In the fading light, though, it’s impossible to ignore the sign at the Sunoco across the road: Diesel, $4.97 9/10 a gallon.

You’ve got to be tough to love a Hummer.

The soaring cost of feeding a vehicle that swallows a gallon every dozen miles is only part of it. Environmentalists, who’ve always had it in for owners, are winning mainstream converts. General Motors, which presided over Hummer’s transition from a badge of military bravado into a symbol of driveway excess, is looking to sell.

But tonight there’s no apologizing or self-pity in the ranks of Hummer die-hards. They’re here to goad machines that can top 5 tons over boulders the size of Smart cars, through stewpots of mud obscuring who-knows-what and across obstacle courses of stumps, logs and stones — it’s “like riding a slow-motion rollercoaster,” one says. Read more »

This IS the automotive bargain of the century! Let the markup/speculator games begin as collectors scramble to find and acquire a Corvette ZR-1 before CAFE rules and energy prices kill the product.

Mark my words, with competition costing TWICE as much, this car will be trading at $200k+! How much do you think it’s worth? Leave us a comment with your guess!

DETROIT - The official Corvette ZR-1 numbers are in and they’re good. Very good:* $103,300 MSRP (including $850 destination charge)
* EPA-estimated fuel economy of 14 city and 20 highway
* 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds
* 0-100 mph in 7.0 seconds
* Quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.3 seconds at 131 mph

The Corvette ZR1 also has a top speed of 205 mph (330 km/h), making it the fastest Corvette ever produced and ranking it among the global super cars of commensurate performance. None of those other super cars, however, equals the ZR1’s performance-per-dollar ratio.

“The ZR1 is an incredible machine by any measure,” said Ed Peper, North American Vice President, Chevrolet. “There’s simply no other vehicle in the world that does a better job of balancing performance, price and fuel economy.” Read more »

By Martin Walsh
General Manager, HUMMER

In preparing for the announcement about General Motors’ putting HUMMER up for strategic review this week, we anticipated that subsequent rumors and speculation about the brand’s fate would soon begin. They have, and we can expect these things to swirl while we examine possible outcomes. But I want you to know that in the end I believe the HUMMER name, and its line-up of iconic vehicles, will still be purchased and enjoyed by customers around the world.

Globally, in eight short years, the HUMMER name has become one of the strongest brand names in the automotive industry. Today HUMMER vehicles are sold in 37 different countries around the globe. And outside the US, where the world has been living with high fuel prices for the past decade, 2008 sales through April were up 34.8% compared to 2007. It is a high-end product that holds inherent profit potential and already has a loyal and vibrant customer base. And, with nearly 60 % of HUMMER customers coming from outside GM product lines, it has highest conquest rate of any brand in the GM portfolio and HUMMER buyers are among GM’s youngest and most affluent.

HUMMER’s products are unlike anything else on the market. In addition to unmistakable, distinctive bold design, the trucks boast unparalleled off-road capabilities and fuel economy that is comparable to, or better than, most of their competitors in the market. The newly introduced 2008 H3 Alpha has won numerous awards, including Four Wheeler Magazine’s 2008 Four Wheeler of the Year and Truck Trend’s Best-in-Class: Hardcore 4×4. Read more »

Exactly what is ethanol? And what’s the buzz about?It seems there are many ‘rumors’ but few current facts floating around about Ethanol and more specifically about e85 Ethanol. So let’s discuss the basics:

E85 Ethanol is a renewable fuel made up of 85% man-made renewable Ethanol fuel and 15% Petroleum. With only 15% petroleum, you would naturally expect Ethanol to cost less than gasoline.  Eventually, you will be correct.  But first, we need to get e85 Ethanol distribution available to the public.  Ethanol can be produced from many different sources; among which are corn and sugar cane. Here in the U.S. there is a widespread myth that Ethanol is only made from corn - and when folks talk about corn they think of the yellowish corn kernels we eat. FALSE.

Ethanol is made from the stalks and husks of corn - not the food stock that we would eat. Thus, ethanol is NOT responsible for the rise in food prices. If you stop and think for a moment, it is pretty easy to understand why our food prices continue to rise. How much has it been costing you to fill up your car’s tank these days? More each week, right? Well consider the truckers who must deliver food, particularly perishable food items, from farm to super market. The cost of diesel fuel that truckers use has risen faster than even the unleaded gasoline your car uses. That increased cost has to be recouped someplace, and that is in higher food prices. Read more »

HERTZ DOES IT AGAIN; COMPANY ROLLS OUT CORVETTE ZHZ, AN EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED-EDITION, PERFORMANCE CAR FOR CUSTOMERS SEEKING TO ADD MORE FUN AND EXCITEMENT TO THEIR TRIPS
 
PARK RIDGE, NJ - June 9, 2008 - Get ready to start your engines! The Hertz Corporation (NYSE: HTZ) has teamed up with General Motors to launch the Corvette ZHZ, a special limited-edition, high-performance super-car now available for rental exclusively through Hertz. Equipped with a 436-horsepower, V-8 engine, the Corvette ZHZ is the newest showcase car in the Hertz Fun Collection, which features a series of sporty vehicles designed to make the drive a key part of the journey.

Recognizing the special appeal of Corvettes to owners and would-be owners, Hertz is adding 500 Corvette ZHZ models to its airport locations in 24 major metropolitan cities across 14 states and Washington, D.C. through June 16, 2008, so this summer you can take to the road in style, wherever your trip takes you. The first Corvette ZHZs debuts this month at Hertz airport locations in major cities including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Read more »