What Ever Happened To?

Robert Farago Left TTAC

By Bertel Schmitt
November 24, 2008 -

He’s had it coming. Our Dear Leader finally received what he deserved: A vacation. With wife and kids, Farago goes to Disney World. Or Disney Land. Anyway, one of those Mickey Mouse metros. While our Dear Leader is away, our beloved Edward Niedermeyer is running the show at TTAC. 16 timezones away in Beijing, Ed is being assisted by yours truly. Which works out just fine: BS has the morning shift, then, Mr. Ed takes over and runs two shifts. Keep in mind, Ed is an Oregonian (sounds kinky.) Please indulge him, and grant him the extra three hours of sleep the Westcoasties deserve. If there’s a little less of the usual morning barrage of posts, do not despair. Ed will make up for it during the day and night.

Also of note: Our web servers are still acting up, sick from the China Syndrome. View counters won’t be back until “after Thanksgiving,” our resident Otaku promised. The site sometimes can be slow to react to your comments. Don’t worry, don’t double post: The comments will show up - after a (sometime excruciatingly long) wait. Same goes for Farago: He’ll be back. Then, there will be hell to pay.

Posted in News Blog | What Ever Happened To? | 25 comments

Bob Lutz’s Nine Greatest Hits

By Justin Berkowitz
October 29, 2008 -

Being Bob Lutz has a fantastic job. He’s rich as sin (thank you, Daimler, for buying Chrysler), and he has Czar in his unofficial title with GM. He can say whatever he feels like, whether it’s about global warming (”a crock of shit,” in his words) or random price projections for meeting the next round of EPA standards. During Maximum Bob’s epic career, he’s “championed” some very interesting though chronically unsuccessful products. Some of these were on sale twenty years ago, others are on sale today. And still others will likely never see the light of day. While so many cars have been touched by Lutz’s magic hands, we present to you his big nine.

Posted in Marketing | Media | New York Auto Show | News Blog | What Ever Happened To? | 32 comments

Buy A Piece of Another Failed Merger: The Renault AMC Alliance Coupe

By Justin Berkowitz
October 29, 2008 -

The fine folks at Quinn Automotive in Worcester, Massachusetts (that’s pronounced Woostuh) are offering a nearly new 1986 Renault Alliance Coupe 1.7 for a song - only $2500 (cough, cough, choke). For your money you get the finest in French engineering circa 1986, a 1.7 liter 8-valve engine, 78 raging horsepower routed to the front wheels, and a 3-speed automatic transmission. This particular example has only 39,322 miles on it, and it’ll look great parked next to your Chrysler Cobalt and HumJeep.

Craigslist »

Posted in News Blog | What Ever Happened To? | 17 comments

Whatever Happened To… The Gas Turbine Engine

By Frank Williams
June 26, 2008 -

Forty or fifty years ago, every manufacturer built concept cars with alternative– and sometimes pretty outlandish– power plants (small nuclear reactor, anyone?). The gas turbine was a popular choice. GM, Ford and Chrysler were all deeply involved in gas turbine research, stretching back to the late '40s and early '50s. In 1963, Chrysler built a fleet of 50 distinctively-styled turbine-powered cars and gave them to consumers to generate real-world feedback. Turbine engines were the wave of the future– a technologically-advanced powerplant that could run on anything combustible that would flow through a pipe, from kerosene to perfume. Chrysler's test program racked-up over 1.1m miles. They continued turbine engine research until the mid 70s, when they actually planned to put a turbine into production. Then, suddenly, nothing. Chrysler's financial problems led to government loan guarantees that included stipulations that they abandon plans to produce turbines (too risky). GM and Ford had long-since been distracted by other shiny objects like rotary engines and winning LeMans. So turbine engine research halted. With all the emphasis now on alternative fuels, perhaps it's time to revive an engine that can run on hydrogen, biofuels, petroleum distillates or even coal dust. Combined with modern engine-control technology, it could be worth a second look. Or not.

Posted in Bio-fuels | Diesel | E85 | Hydrogen | News Blog | What Ever Happened To? | 37 comments