Chrysler Readies To Launch New Vehicles With Marketing Campaign

Chrysler Readies To Launch New Vehicles With Marketing Campaign

 

 

 

Chrysler Readies To Launch New Vehicles With Marketing Campaign   

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   Chrysler dealers upset that Fiat SpA parent company hasn’t launched a large advertising campaign

   
   


2. 
   

   Fiat says they’re waiting to launch a marketing campaign to coincide with redesigned vehicles

   
   


3. 
   

   Look for the new campaign – plus the new vehicles – to come out later this year
   
   

   
   

Remember Chrysler? You know, the number three in the “Big Three”? Many of Chrysler’s few remaining dealers have grown weary over the last several months frustrated with Chrysler’s slow attempt to jump back into the marketing game.

These dealers have watched General Motors (GM) come back from the same brink of bankruptcy by watching advertisement after advertisement on television. Chrysler’s dealers are left to ask what’s going on with their company’s strategy?

Help may be coming soon in the form of a new, multi-million dollar advertising blitz.

Although the company was close to shuttering its doors until the owner of Fiat SpA bought Chrysler Group LLC last year, demand for Chrysler vehicles has remaining steady on car Lease Specials website LeaseTrader.com. The company has even reported brisk sales at the retail level.

But dealers have grown frustrated with Chrysler’s lack of advertising and now feel the company isn’t helping with critical foot traffic into the showroom.

For its part, Chrysler Group LLC’s new CEO, Sergio Marchionne, has previously stated an unwillingness to roll out an expensive marketing campaign until the launch of several redesigned vehicle models.

But all that seems to be changing.

 

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  Scheduled to launch later this year, the new Chrysler ads will feature the updated versions of the Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300 and other sedans.

  
  


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  A newly redesigned Dodge Durango sport utility vehicle will also make an appearance, as well as the 2011 Chrysler Town & Country minivan.

  
  


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  Sergio Marchionne has said it is useless to spend lots of money on an advertising campaign that simply says “We are back.” He feels people already know the company is back.

  
  


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  Because Chrysler is now part of the Fiat SpA group, the television ads will also feature the Fiat 500 subcompact sports car. Remember one key element that attracted Fiat to buy Chrysler was the ability to gain entry into the U.S. market for its Fiat lineup, which didn’t leave a lasting impression back in the 1980s.

  
  
  
  



Chrysler vehicle leases are widely available on LeaseTrader.com, the car leasing website that matches a person wanting out of a Lease Specials with an individual looking to take it over.

 

 

5 Ways To Ruin A Date With Your Car

5 Ways To Ruin A Date With Your Car

She gave you her number. She returns your texts. She added you as an online friend and always comments on your status updates. Best of all, she wants to go on date with you. After so much careful progress, the last thing you need is to ruin a date with your car.

It doesn’t even have to be a first date. There are a lot of ways to ruin a date with your car even if you’re exclusive -- or engaged or married.

5 Ways To Ruin A Date With Your Car

• Road Rage – You might be taking a sweet cruise with the top down on Venice Blvd and in a twist of fate, some guy driving a Mini Cooper Cooper cuts you off. Don’t think getting out and having some friendly words with the driver only to realize he’s twice your size. Be smart, don’t start!
  
  


• Dirty Car – You don’t stand a chance of exploring proclivities, assorted fluids and breakfast with her if the dirtiness is literal and involves your car. It doesn’t mean you need it professionally detailed before every date, but at least give it good once-over outside and in. Don’t forget to hide the protein bars laying around in your car. That’s just tacky.
  
  


• Your Car Is Too Clean – Yes! There is a fine line between OCD clean and a debris free car. But overdoing it is also one of the ways to ruin a date with your car. It’s when your leather seats are like a Slip ‘n Slide. A car that’s too clean might also be an indication that you’re a perfectionist and complete OCD freak.
  
  


• Refusing To Pay For Parking – Driving around half the night looking for metered parking or buying condoms from a club bathroom is borderline crossing the line into “I’m frugal zone.” If you want to get past the first stop for the evening take this advice, VALET!!!
  
  


• Changing A Tire With A Phone – Got a flat? Figure it out. Using Google or calling roadside assistance for help drops your “man card” below an acceptable level. Show her you can handle simple tasks even if it means getting a little dirty.

May 2010 Auto Sales by the Numbers

May 2010 Auto Sales by the Numbers

 

 

U.S. CAR AND LIGHT-TRUCK SALES, MAY 2010

All manufacturers have reported

Automaker ▾	May-10	May-09	Pct. chng.	5 Months 2009	5 Months 2010	Pct. chng.
BMW Group*	22,118	23,020	-4%	98,384	93,734	5%
Chrysler Group LLC	104,819	79,010	33%	434,731	402,900	8%
Daimler AG**	19,882	16,317	22%	90,797	77,454	17%
Ford Motor Co.***	196,671	161,197	22%	805,662	618,369	30%
General Motors****	223,410	190,881	17%	882,885	772,733	14%
Honda (American)†	117,173	98,344	19%	487,282	430,358	13%
Hyundai Group††	80,476	62,997	28%	342,740	287,302	19%
Isuzu	-	-	-%	-	165	-100%
Jaguar Land Rover	3,671	3,391	8%	16,407	15,311	7%
Maserati	152	128	19%	732	481	52%
Mazda	22,605	16,718	35%	97,481	86,652	13%
Mitsubishi	4,737	4352	9%	22,292	22,105	1%
Nissan†††	83,764	67,489	24%	375,762	289,446	30%
Other (estimate)	294	306	-4%	1,470	1,530	-4%
Porsche	1,873	1,979	-5%	8,842	8,757	1%
Saab Spyker Automobile‡	174	-	-	522	-	-
Subaru	23,667	17,505	35%	104,359	74,686	40%
Suzuki	1,903	2,585	-26%	9,514	20,259	-53%
Toyota‡‡	162,813	152,583	7%	705,938	638,794	11%
VW‡‡‡	32,882	27,230	21%	145,372	108,836	34%
TOTAL	1,103,084	926,032	19%	4,631,172	3,949,872	17%

 

Numbers in this table are calculated by Automotive News based on actual monthly sales reported by the manufacturers and may differ from numbers reported elsewhere.

Source: Automotive News Data Center

Note: Other includes estimates for Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Lotus

*Includes Mini Cooper and Rolls-Royce

**Includes Maybach, Mercedes-Benz and Smart

***Includes Volvo

****Includes Saab through February 2010

†Includes Honda Division and Acura

††Includes Hyundai and Kia

†††Includes Nissan Division and Infiniti

‡The sale of Saab was final on February 23, 2010

‡‡Includes Toyota Division, Lexus and Scion

‡‡‡Includes VW, Audi and Bentley

 

Ford up 22%; GM up 17%, Chrysler up 33%; Toyota up 7%

 

DETROIT -- All major automakers except Toyota reported double-digit U.S. sales gains in May, as the light-vehicle sales rate hit its highest level since December.

Sales rose 19 percent from May 2009, marking the eighth-straight monthly increase, the longest such streak since June 2000, according to Bloomberg Data. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate hit 11.8 million, beating analysts' predictions for demand in the low-11-million-unit range.

Ford Motor Co., one of the leaders in the Memorial Day weekend incentive spree, gained 22 percent for the month. General Motors Co. -- which yesterday marked the anniversary of its 2009 bankruptcy filing -- saw overall sales rise 17 percent.

Chrysler Group climbed 33 percent compared with May 2009, a month the automaker spent in bankruptcy.

All three Detroit automakers beat analysts' average forecasts by at least 6 percentage points.

Despite continuing a string of incentives it started in March, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. increased only 7 percent, its worst sales performance since posting declines in January and February during recall problems. Toyota is still trying to fix its image after its recent global recalls of more than 8 million vehicles to address unintended acceleration and braking problems, said Jeff Schuster, lead forecaster for tracking firm J.D. Power and Associates.

Also, “there's likely some payback from the incentives that they put in place in March,” Schuster said. “They lost their effectiveness.”

Nissan North America and American Honda took advantage of Memorial Day discounts -- Nissan grew 24 percent and American Honda grew 19 percent. Hyundai-Kia was up 28 percent for its 11th-straight monthly gain.

Slow recovery

The recovery in U.S. auto sales remains slow, as uncertainty persists in the housing and job markets. And the European debt crisis could further hamper consumer confidence, analysts said.

Still, GM stuck with its 2010 forecast of 11.3 million to 11.8 million U.S. light-vehicle sales for the industry.

“We've all witnessed significant volatility in the financial markets,” Steve Carlisle, GM's vice president of U.S. sales operations, said of the European debt crisis. “We don't think it signals another collapse in the global economy or in the vehicle industry.”

Carlisle predicted that the U.S. light-vehicle sales rate, which had averaged 11 million units through April, would stay mostly flat through July and start to pick up in August and September.

Efraim Levy, an equity analyst with Standard and Poor's, said sales recovery from last year's 10.4-million-unit total so far tracks with his expectations for 11.65 million sales this year.

“People are still concerned about their jobs, and now we have some more stock market volatility,” he said. Next year, “we'll put more distance behind us from the recession.”

He predicts sales of 13.5 million in 2011, about even with 2008's 13.2 million units.

Death of Mercury?

Ford rode the momentum of its F-series pickups, which the company said gained 49 percent for their highest sales total in more than two years. Lincoln fell 10 percent, and sales dropped 11 percent at Mercury, which Ford is expected to kill.

Ford said today it would end Mercury production in the fourth quarter and would invest more in Lincoln as a result. Product plans include Lincoln’s first C-segment compact car.

Also today, Ford increased its second-quarter production forecast by 15,000 vehicles, to 640,000. It said third-quarter production would total 570,000, up 16 percent from 2009.

May sales were tracking lower until Ford, Nissan and Honda announced incentives timed for the Memorial Day weekend.

Over the past three years, sales during the holiday weekend ran about 40 percent higher than the typical May weekend. But sales on the last day of the month this year were more than double the average day, according to Edmunds.com, a consumer auto site.

The industry spent slightly less on incentives in May than in April as inventories declined, Edmunds.com said. The average of $2,603 per vehicle was down 1 percent from the month before and $340 or 12 percent from May 2009.

Fleet and ‘a blockbuster'

May sales finished stronger than J.D. Power had forecast, despite weak second and third weeks, analyst Schuster said. May's sales rate is the highest since December's 11.9 million, according to the Automotive News Data Center.

“Either fleet mix was really big, or the [Memorial Day] weekend was a blockbuster,” Schuster said.

Both Ford and GM reported strong fleet sales to commercial buyers, which both Schuster and Levy pointed to as a sign of economic recovery. Schuster also said an increase in daily rental sales doesn't concern him right now, as rental companies are replenishing fleets that aged during the recession.

Subaru of America posted a 35 percent increase last month. The Japanese brand joined Hyundai and Kia as the only brands to post U.S. sales gains last year.

BMW Group's sales fell 4 percent, the first decline for the German automaker since November. Suzuki's sales slid 26 percent; it last gained in July 2008.

 

Source: [ Automotive News ]

Survey says New Yorkers Don’t Know Much About Driving

 

 

Survey says New Yorkers Don’t Know Much About Driving

If you had to retake the test for your driver’s license, do you think you would pass? The results from the Sixth annual 2010 GMAC Insurance National Drivers test found that nearly one in five U.S. drivers would not pass a written driver’s test if taken today (roughly 38 million licensed drivers). A pool of 5,202 drivers participated in 20 questions from state written exams that was taken from actual written Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) tests.

Kansas drivers ranked No.1 with an average of 82.3% correct, followed closely by Oregon 82.1%, South Dakota 81.2%, Minnesota 81.1%, and Iowa 80.8%. The worst drivers from New York 70.0%, New Jersey 70.5%, D.C. 71.9%, California 73.3% also were at the bottom.



Take the test here: http://tinyurl.com/62kfkl

Results Of The Survey

Key Findings

• If taken today, 18.4 percent of drivers on the road - amounting to roughly 38 million licensed Americans - would not pass a written drivers test exam.
  
  


• The national average score was 76.2 percent; a score below 70 percent is considered failing.
  
  


• Average test scores in 2010 continue to show a slight trending downward, from 76.6 percent in 2009 to 76.2 percent this year and a drop of almost 2 percent from the national average in 2008 (78.1 percent).
  
  


• With Age Comes Wisdom: The older the driver, the higher the test score. Males over 45 earned the highest average score.
  
  


• Factoring in margin for error, the average test score was significantly higher among males than females (78.1 percent male versus 74.4 percent female). Females also had a higher failure rate than males (24 percent female versus 18.1 percent male).

Regional Rankings

• After dropping to 4th place last year, Kansas regained its 2008 number 1 ranking this year (average score of 82.3 percent); New York drivers ranked last for the third time in the survey's six year history (average score of 70.0 percent).
  
  


• Kansas, Oregon, South Dakota and Minnesota are the top four ranked states with highest scores; Washington, D.C., California, New York and New Jersey ranked in the bottom four this year.
  
  


• Both New York and New Jersey have ranked in the bottom four for the last five years.
  
  


• New Jersey claims the top failure ranking in 2010 with virtually 4 of 10 New Jersey Drivers (39.9 percent) having a failing score below 70 percent, followed by New York, DC, and Louisiana all with failing scores of 31 percent or higher.
  
  


• Wisconsin, which tied with Idaho for the best score last year, dropped to number 12 this year, although its average test score fell just a little over one percent from 80.6 percent down to 79.4 percent.
  
  


• South Dakota and Oregon rank 1st and 2nd with the highest percentage of passing scores (92 percent and 91 percent, respectively).
  
  


• The Northeast had the lowest average test scores (74.9 percent) and had the highest failure rate (25.1 percent).
  
  


• The Midwest region had the highest average test scores (77.5 percent) and the lowest failure rates (11.9 percent).
  
  


• Nine states in 2010 had average test scores that were 80 percent correct or higher compared with only six states in 2009, but down from a high of 14 states in 2008.
  
  

Trouble Spots: Questions that Confused Drivers

• Seventy-three percent of drivers could not properly identify a typical safe following distance from the car in front of them.
  
  


• Eighty-five percent of drivers did not know the correct answer of what to do at a traffic light displaying a steady yellow signal (stop if it is safe to do so).
  
  


• Fortunately, similar to last year, nearly all respondents (97 percent) know what to do when an emergency vehicle with flashing lights approaches, what to do when hydroplaning and the meaning of a solid yellow line.
  
  

Survey Says: Drivers are Distracted

• In addition to the 20-question DMV exam, GMAC Insurance posed questions exploring distracting habits such as texting while driving. These findings reveal:


• Conversation with other passengers is the leading distraction while driving, with more than half of all drivers engaged in this activity (52 percent).
  
  


• Approximately, a quarter of drivers admitted to talking on a cell phone, selecting songs on an iPod or CD, adjusting the radio or eating while driving their vehicle.
  
  


• Only five percent of participants reported they text while driving.
  
  


• The following actions were reported significantly higher among females than males: engaging in conversation with passengers, selecting songs on an iPod or CD, adjusting the radio, talking on a cell phone, eating, applying make-up and reading.

 

 

 

A cry for help in consumer leasing

A cry for help in consumer leasing

 

BY LINDSAY CHAPPELL

For an industry that hangs on being able to analyze numbers and trends, the auto business is overlooking one big area of competitive data: consumer vehicle leasing.

Individual automakers and financial institutions track their own activity, of course. But there is no central authoritative voice on consumer leasing and the companies that operate in it, John Sternal complained the other day.

Sternal is vice president of marketing at LeaseTrader, a business that arranges Lease Specials swaps for consumers who want to get out of one vehicle and into another. He needs to know essentially everything about the market -- retail volumes, factory incentives, inventory levels, lending rates, used-vehicle market conditions... There are people involved in tracking different parts of it, he acknowledges. The National Vehicle Leasing Association looks after the interests of the fleet leasing business, for example.

"But we keep asking, 'Why can't we get one-stop, industry-wide data on consumer leasing,'" Sternal asks. "Why isn't there a voice to represent us? Considering the number of people in the business, from dealers on up, you'd think there would be an association monitoring every move the market made."

Sternal says LeaseTrader has thought about taking on the role of consumer leasing association and data center itself. But no one has the time, he says.

It would be a task for somebody -- or maybe an opportunity.

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, USA Bound

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, USA Bound

The brand new 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage is finally coming to America, If you want one of these 510 horse power Thoroughbreds you have to be put on a waiting list, the starting price of the 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage range from $179,995 for just the base model and $194.995 for the Carbon Black Edition .

Although the V12 Vantage has been out for a while in Europe, Aston Martin just announced the release of the supercar for the United States version

The heart and soul of the DB9 is in its impressive V12 engine producing  510 horse power 420 pound-feet of torque. The DB9 travels 0 - 60 in just under 4.1 seconds with a top speed of 190 mph peaking at 6500 rpm.

Making it a quiet powerhouse compared to the Ferrari 612 or BMW M5 .

The 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage only comes with one transmission, a six-speed manual No automatic transmission will be available for the Vantage.

The Vantage is equipped with front and rear independent suspension with anti-roll bars and monotube dampers.

If the base V12 Vantage is a little too plain for your taste, Aston Martin offer a Carbon Black Edition.

An exclusive for the United States this trim package offers more carbon fiber, black metallic paint, a reworked grille, 10-spoke black wheels and many interior upgrades.

Scroll down to view additional photos and vehicle specifications

Check out LeaseTrader.com for Lease Specials deals on all Aston Martin vehicles

 

 

 

 

  

 

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Specifications

 

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Body

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  Two door, two seat coupe body

  
  


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  Bonded aluminium structure

  
  


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  Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body

  
  


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  Extruded aluminium door side impact beams

  
  


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  High Intensity Discharge Headlamps (dipped beam)

  
  


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  Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)

  
  


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  LED rear lamps

  
  

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Engine

• All alloy quad overhead camshaft 48 valve 5935cc V12


• Compression ratio 10.9:1


• Front mid-mounted engine, rear wheel drive


• Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves


• Maximum Power


• 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS) at 6500 rpm


• Maximum Torque


• 570 Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750 rpm


• Acceleration


• 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds


• 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds


• Maximum Speed


• 190 mph (305 km/h)


• Fuel Economy


• Urban: 11.64 mpg 24.26 l/100km


• Extra Urban: 24.05 mpg 11.74 l/100km


• Combined: 17.28 mpg 16.35 l/100km


• CO2: 388g/km

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Transmission

• Rear mid-mounted six speed manual gearbox. Alloy torque tube with carbon fiber propeller shaft.


• Limited slip differential.


• Final Drive Ratio 3.71:1


• Steering


• Rack and pinion


• Column tilt and reach adjustment.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Suspension

• Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers


• Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti- squat and anti-lift geometry, dual-rate coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers


• Wheels


• Front: 9” x 19”


• Rear: 11” x 19”

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Tires

• Front: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 255/35 ZR19


• Rear: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30 ZR19

Aston Martin V12 VantageBrakes

• Front: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic discs 398mm diameter with six piston calipers.


• Rear: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic discs 360mm diameter with four piston calipers.


• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode.


• Anti-lock braking system (ABS)


• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)


• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)


• Traction Control

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Dimensions

• Length: 4380 mm (172.5”)


• Width: 1865 mm (73.5”) (excluding door mirrors)


• 2025 mm (80”) (including door mirrors)


• Height: 1241 mm (49“)


• Wheelbase: 2600 mm. (102.5”)


• Fuel tank capacity: 80 liters (17.6 Imp. Gal. / 21.1 US Gal)


• Weight: 1680 kg (3704 lb)

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Interior

• Carbon fiber door pulls


• Memory seats (3 positions)


• Sports seats with 10 way electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar adjustment.


• Dual Stage Driver and Passenger Front Airbags


• Side Airbags (Sports seats only)


• Heated rear screen


• Automatic temperature control


• Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays


• Trip computer


• Cruise control


• Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system*


• Bluetooth telephone preparation*


• Powerfold exterior mirrors


• Rear parking sensors


• Auto dimming interior rear view mirror


• Tyre pressure monitoring*


• Alarm and immobiliser


• Remote-control central door locking and boot release


• Battery disconnect switch


• Tracking device (UK only)


• In Car Entertainment


• 160W Aston Martin Audio System


• MP3 player connectivity

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Options

• Bright finish grille


• Lightweight seats with 6 way adjustment, including front and rear height adjust. (Does not include side airbags or passenger airbag cut-off switch)*


• Piano Black facia trim


• Graphite Alloy facia trim


• Personalised sill plaques


• Garage door opener (Europe only)


• Tracking device**


• First aid kit


• Smokers' Pack


• Boot mounted umbrella


• Front parking sensors


• Heated seats (Sports seats only)


• ISOFIX and fixed-height passenger seat (Sports seat only)


• Battery conditioner


• 700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®


• 1000W Bang & Olufsen Beosound Audio System

How to Negotiate a Great Deal on a Toyota Lease

Negotiating a Toyota Lease Specials can be as simple as these steps:

• Research your favorite car


• Use the Internet to find a good deal


• Be patient and watch the price fall

 

So you want to take advantage of some of the amazing car deals out there today. You’ve seen some of your friends get a pretty nice set of wheels at a nice, low price. You want in on this action so you can get a nice, new ride yourself. What you need, though, is to find out how to negotiate a great deal on a Toyota Lease Specials.

But how? There’s lots of confusion involved with shopping around for a great deal on a Toyota car Lease Specials. Making matters worse, many people get nervous at the mere thought of dealing with a car salesman because they think the numbers won’t end up in their favor. Car dealers work their negotiation skills every day while the average car shopper has to negotiate a car deal every four years.

Here are a few tips to help you get started in how to negotiate a great deal on a Toyota Camry lease:

1. Do your homework: Research as much information on your desired car. You can use the Internet to figure out the best price that you should be negotiating.
   
   


2. Shop around: You can do this physically and over the Internet. Go take a few test drives at your local dealer, which will accomplish two things – a) you’ll confirm your love for the car; and b) you’ll get the car salesman interested in a starting point for negotiations. On the Internet you can find amazing deals on a Toyota Corolla Lease Specials.
   
   


3. Use the Internet: Once you confirm the car of your desire (and possibly even have a quote from the salesman you worked with at the dealership), you can start calling around to other dealers in the area to get a quote over the phone. You can even call dealers in different parts of your state. This data is very helpful when deciding how low the price can get. Search the Internet to find Toyota dealers that will offer some amazing deals.
   
   
   
   
   
   --Here’s a tip: don’t tell other car dealers what kind of prices you’ve been getting. Most of the time the price you’ll get in this case will be lower simply as a way to get you to come into the showroom.
   
   
   
   


4. Be patient: Get ready to play the waiting game because the best way to get that price to drop is to make them chase after you, not the other way around. Call the same salesman several times and tell him/her you’re still interested but you’ve been delayed because you think there may be a different car that’s caught your eye and you want to check it out. Find a way to get the salesman to get desperate.

One final note on how to negotiate a great deal on a Toyota lease: Don’t forget about car Insurance! Use the Internet to also get a competitive and inexpensive car Insurance quote for your new Lease Specials!