More auto show
*Ford used a different approach to draw attention to the Taurus sedan at the New York Auto Show, displaying one that had run into a wall in a 35-m.p.h. crash test. Show visitors were able to climb in the Taurus with the bashed-in front end to watch a video of the test. Taurus received five stars, the highest rating, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for front and side crashes and rollover resistance and was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
*Ford’s V-8-powered Crown Victoria sedan is a favorite among taxicab companies, but Ford could soon offer a 4-cylinder alternative: the tall, compact Transit Connect delivery vehicle. At the New York Auto Show, Ford unveiled a taxi concept of the Transit Connect that seats three passengers and has 75 cubic feet of cargo space. The delivery vehicle bowed at the Chicago Auto Show in February, when Ford displayed commercial versions that could be used by florists, caterers and other small businesses. The Transit Connect is 179 inches long, has sliding doors on both sides and rear doors that swing out. Ford expects the Transit’s 2-liter 4-cylinder to get 19 m.p.g. in the city, a significant improvement over the Crown Victoria’s 15.
Autos
*Production of the Tesla Roadster, a $98,000 electric sports car, began March 17 at a Lotus plant in England. California-based Tesla plans to build up to 600 this year and to make 100 per month by early 2009. The 2008 production is sold out, and Tesla says it has more than 400 orders for 2009 models. The zero-emission two-seater runs entirely on electric power, has a range of 220 miles and can reach 60 m.p.h. in around four seconds. The lithium-ion batteries recharge in 3 1/2 hours.
Recall
*General Motors is recalling 207,542 1997-03 Buick Regal GS and Pontiac Grand Prix GTP sedans with 3.8-liter supercharged V-6 engines because oil can leak from the engine onto the exhaust manifold during braking and fires can start. GM is warning owners of these cars not to park them in their garages.
Air
*The first passenger flight in nearly a year has departed Gary/Chicago International Airport, and officials hope it’s a sign of business to come. Skybus Airlines began daily flights to Greensboro, N.C., this month. Airport director Chris Curry says another airline, Viva Aerobus, plans to start flights between Gary and Monterrey, Mexico, in August or September.
FYI
*Indiana’s newest license plate commemorates the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth by recalling the time the president spent in Indiana. The plate features a logo of Lincoln holding an ax, with the words “Lincoln’s Boyhood Home” written under the license number. Lincoln, born in Kentucky in 1809, moved with his family to what would become Spencer County in southern Indiana at 7. He moved with his family to Illinois when he was 21. The plate is available at Indiana’s usual rates for 2008 and 2009 and can be displayed through 2013.
People
*Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing Mark McNabb is leaving Nissan North American for personal reasons. He will be replaced by Brian Carolin, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Nissan Europe. Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, president of Nissan Technical Center North America, will be returning to Nissan’s global headquarters in Tokyo. Motohiro Matsumura, general manager at Nissan’s Technical Center based in Japan, will succeed Yamaguchi.
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Quick Trips are compiled from the notebook of Rick Popely and from Tribune news services.
