If you've been pondering getting on the list for a Rolls-Royce Ghost but you're hesitant because of the negative environmental impact (and social standing) of the big, beautiful boat's V12 engine, we've got good news for you. British site Autocar is reporting that a hybrid version of the Ghost is in the works. It's rumored to be based off the mild hybrid system of the BMW ActiveHybrid 7, which makes sense considering that the two luxury sleds utilize the same platform. The nearly 18-foot long Ghost will likely still sport a 6.2-liter V12, but the brutish powerplant will be aided and abetted by a 20kW electric motor capable of an extra 15 hp and 155 lb-ft fitted into the baby Rolls' eight speed ZF auto transmission.

Battery power will reportedly come courtesy of a .6 W/h lithium-ion battery pack fitted to the Ghost's substantial trunk. The reported hybrid Ghost won't have the ability to run on battery power alone, but the luxury barge will employ start/stop tech and due to the battery's presence it won't need an alternator, either. The net result of the of the (relative) greenification of the Ghost will reportedly be a 15% bump in fuel economy.

A 15% efficiency bump probably won't do much to improve the Ghost's likely miserable fuel economy figures, but the added twist from the Ghost's electric motor may help it hit 60 mph more quickly than the gasoline-only 4.8 seconds (U.S. spec).

Sure, if this hybrid Rolls ever sees the light of day it'd make the already massive Ghost even heavier and more costly, but the negatives pale in comparison to the gratification of telling other rich people that your chauffeur drives a hybrid.



[Source: Autocar]

Remember Toyota's massive 3.8 million unit unintended acceleration recall that was attributed to pesky floor mats? It appears defective floor mats doesn't tell the whole story, as the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared in a statement that "this (unintended acceleration) matter is not closed," adding "removal of the floor mats is simply an interim measure, not a remedy of the underlying defect in the vehicles."

Up to 2,000 Toyota customers claim to have experienced a sudden surge of acceleration, and some reportedly told ABC News that they didn't even have the recalled floor mats in their vehicles. Even more disturbing are the results of an ABC News investigation that reportedly found "hundreds" of accidents and up to 16 deaths as a result of unintended acceleration.

Four of those deaths occurred in August when an off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer, traveling with his wife, daughter and brother in-law, were killed after their Lexus accelerated uncontrollably. The driver's brother in-law called 911 and said that the brakes didn't work before the vehicle reached an intersection, struck another car, went into a ditch and caught fire. Some Toyota owners feel there is an electronic glitch in the system that controls the throttle and the ABC report shows that there is some anecdotal evidence which illustrates that incidents rose after the system was put into place in 2002, but so far, NHTSA has found no evidence to support those claims after six investigations.

ABC News caught up with Toyota Vice President Yukitoshi Funo (pictured second from left) and asked him if Toyota was covering anything up. Funo replied "It is not part of the Toyota culture and Toyota way to cover up anything," adding that the Japanese automaker is working with NHTSA to come up with an agreement on how to proceed going forward.

If you own a Toyota or Lexus and you are concerned about this issue, it appears that there is little that will be done in the short term other than tie down or remove the floor mats. If you do experience the acceleration issue, Consumer Reports suggests shifting your vehicle into neutral, pressing the brake and holding it down in an effort to bring your vehicle to a stop. This post and video from CR demonstrates how to effectively resolve the situation, and the risks of pumping the brakes. Turning off your vehicle could be a bad idea, as turning off the engine will also result in the loss of power steering and power brakes.

[Source: ABC News | Image: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty]

About a dozen years ago, this blogger drove his father's Buick Regal Gran Sport Coupe to a Pink Floyd concert at the 80,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome. After the concert was over, said blogger spent two hours trying to find his old man's ride in a sea of tie dye shirts and strange-smelling smoke. We've all misplaced our cars in mall parking lots, at airport garages or sporting venues before, but iPhone 3GS owners now have a device that can stop it from ever happening again.

Car Finder uses the newest iPhone's GPS hardware to keep track of your vehicle's locale, and when it comes time to get back to your car or truck, the app points you toward its location. Car Finder seems easy enough to use. Whenever you park your vehicle, open the application and mark your position. The 99-cent app will then tell you if you've got an accurate GPS position along with the margin of error. You can also name the spot or provide a parking spot number or letter to help you find your car later.

When it comes time to find your car, simply open Car Finder and your iPhone camera will be activated and an arrow will appear to point you in the right direction. The app will tell you how close you are to your car by giving you a meter readout that will let you know if you're getting hotter or colder.

Since the jammed packed parking lots of the holiday shopping season are right around the corner, we're thinking Car Finder may be worth a try. Few things suck more than losing your car in the parking lot when it's 25 degrees outside and you're holding four shopping bags.

[Source: TUAW]

We liked our time behind the wheel of the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi. It drives like a little sports sedan and doesn't look half bad, and now Suzuki's newest sedan has another attractive quality: it's priced to sell. The Kizashi will start at $18,999. The base Kizashi isn't exactly a stripper model either, as power windows, doors and mirrors are standard along with a nine-speaker stereo, eight airbags, stability control and ABS.

Move up to the SE model that ranges in price from $21,499 to $22,749 and enjoy 17-inch alloys, a power driver's seat, leather steering wheel and cruise control. The next model is our personal favorite, the GTS. The sportiest of Kizashi models comes with a six-speed manual or a performance-tuned CVT (get the manual) for $22,499 to $24,849. Among its standard features are an up-level 425-watt Rockford Fosgate sound system with ten speakers, Bluetooth audio capability, hands free calling and voice command. Also standard are 18-inch wheels and a power moon roof. The top-shelf SLS model ranges from $24,399 to $26,749 and includes luxury amenities like heated leather seats, a universal garage door opener, auto head lamps, proximity sensors and rain sensing wipers.

All of the aforementioned prices are subject to Suzuki's $735 destination and shipping charge.



[Source: Suzuki]

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The Tata Nano has been in production since July, and during that time, Tata Motors has reportedly sold over 7,500 copies of its $2,500 car. The Indian automaker has plenty of potential customers for its inexpensive little econo-gem, but production capacity is another matter altogether. Tata is producing the Nano with existing plant floor capacity until its new, 250,000-unit/year factory comes online at the end of March 2010.

But Tata is thinking of ways to get more Nanos to market – and it's not just limiting its options to models emblazoned with a circle T emblem. Reuters reports that Tata is considering licensing the Nano to other automakers, with or without Tata badging. Tata Vice Chairman Ravi Kant reportedly mentioned at an awards function that the company would allow micro-assembly sites to build their own Nano within India, adding, "We call it Nano, they don't have to."

Tata hasn't announced whether it actually has any partners for its vehicle sharing proposition, but if demand for the inexpensive car continues to hold strong, we suspect there will be some takers. This plan makes perfect sense for Tata because the automaker should be able to amortize some of the car's development costs by sharing its design with others. And when you're dealing with a $2,500 MSRP, every penny counts.



[Source: Reuters]

Close your eyes and try to envision the typical 2010 Chevrolet Camaro owner. We're guessing there weren't many of you imagined a cane-touting Centenarian, but that didn't stop Virgil Coffman from picking up a 400 horsepower Transformers Edition Camaro SS as his new joy ride. Coffman purchased his bright yellow pony car from Miles Chevrolet in Decatur, Illinois, but only after talking to dealer management. The dealership wanted to make sure Coffman was sharp enough to operate the modern muscle car, and management went away feeling that their elder was still "bright eyed and bushy tailed."

We're thinking that it would be pretty unlikely that any dealership is going to pass up on a $35,000 sale given the state of the industry, but after watching the video recreating his trip to the dealership, Virgil sure seems to be on top of things. Hit the jump to hear why Coffman purchased his hot new Camaro. We're thinking we need to eat what this guy is eating.



[Source: General Motors via YouTube]

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BMW has substantially cut the price of its Sirius Satellite Radio factory option from $595 to $350 on select 2010 vehicles (excludes 5 Series, 6 Series and X3) while also adding functionality. Customers who choose Sirius will continue to receive "The Sirius Everything" package for one year, along with some of the most popular XM channels available including Oprah Radio, XM Public Radio and several sports channels.

Beyond cheaper hardware and expanded channels, BMW and Sirius have also made the satellite radio more user friendly. Users can now view the channel list as a channel name, artist and a new "Instant Replay" function allows you to replay a favorite song or program. You can also choose favorite songs and receive an alert when one of your favorites is being played, which is one of those good ideas somebody should have thought of long ago.

Anyone who has ever priced out a Bimmer knows that options can be a pricey endeavor, so lower satellite radio prices is sure to be welcome news to BMW buyers. We're wondering if other automakers will soon follow suit and also drop the price of their satellite hardware. Subscriptions to the now combined Sirius/XM service aren't exactly flying off the shelves, and a lower cost of entry to the hardware in cars can only help.

[Source: BMW]

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General Motors may have shed itself of much of its pre-bankruptcy problems, but the automaker still has to tend to its warranty and recall duties. As such, GM is recalling 53,000 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5 and Saturn Ion models for a potential fuel leak problem that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says could lead to a fire. The problem involves 2006 Cobalt and Ion model models sold or registered in Arizona and Nevada and 2007 Cobalt, G5 and Ion models sold or registered in Arizona, California, Texas, Florida and Nevada.

NHTSA says the plastic supply or return port on the cars' modular reservoir assembly may crack, potentially leading to a fuel leak that could cause cause decreased efficiency and performance. Worse, if that leaking gasoline comes into contact with an ignition source of any kind, you could be looking at a Delta platform car-b-que.

To fix the fuel leak problem, company dealers will replace the fuel pump module of affected vehicles free of charge. GM is also providing a special coverage for 2006 and 2007 Cobalt, G5 and Ion models in other warm weather states, and you can hit the jump to read over the NHTSA press release to see if you live in a participating location. GM hasn't yet provided a time frame for owner notification, but if you have questions you can read the official press release after the jump or call 1-800-630-2438 (Cobalt), 1-800-972-8876 (Ion) or 1-800-620-7668 (G5).

[Source: NHTSA]

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The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Chrysler is again offering early retirement packages in an effort to entice some of its 23,000 hourly employees to hit the road. The buyout packages are the first offered by post-bankruptcy Chrysler, though the terms of the buyouts are very similar to earlier offerings. The Freep is reporting that all workers with at least one year of service can walk away from their current job and receive $75,000 plus a $25,000 voucher. Those who wish to participate in this program will also continue to receive health benefits for an additional six months with the option to purchase coverage for a year after that.

Retirement-eligible workers age 55-59 with a combined 85 years of service or workers age 60 or older with at least 10 years of service can receive $50,000 plus a $25,000 voucher. A third package for workers between the ages of 55 and 62 with at least 10 years of service can receive immediate full retirement benefits. The workers have two weeks to decide whether or not to take the buyout/retirement packages, as the offer will be pulled from the table November 13.

Chrysler's newest buyout program comes as many facilities across the country are either closing or have already closed. Without a jobs bank to keep paychecks coming, we're guessing the take rate could be substantial in affected areas.

[Source: Detroit Free Press | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

Guess what boys and girls, the auto show season is ramping up and that means the constant flow of Car of the Year awards is upon us. The biggest auto show award in our quaint little hemisphere is likely the North American COTY award, which, we would have thought included Canada, Mexico and our United States. Well, not so much. The Canadians have their own international show and their own COTY, complete with car and utility honors from among 12 categories and 52 award-eligible vehicles of all shapes and sizes.

After pouring over vehicles ranging from the Mazda3 to the Porsche Panamera and everything in between, the Canadians have narrowed their focus to one vehicle in each of the 12 categories. Volkswagen is the best-represented automaker in the final 12, with three VW models, two Audis and the Panamera. The Mazda3 wins in two different categories and the Ford Taurus is the only finalist among Detroit automakers.

Also shut out – somewhat surprisingly we may add – are the Honda and Toyota brands, although the Lexus Lexus RX450h was voted the top crossover/SUV over $60,000. The 2010 Canadian International Auto Show begins February 12. Hit the jump to view the rest of the winners.

[Source: AJAC via Auto North]

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