You’ll find Pioneer sound systems in vehicles of all shapes and sizes, but this is something entirely different. To garner some attention and demonstrate its latest multimedia equipment, Pioneer has created a one-of-a-kind MINI pick-up in pure Cooper-mino style.

The vehicle, as you can see, is all decked out in chocolate brown and white. Pioneer started with a MINI Cabrio and fitted a unique, miniscule, covered cargo bed to house all the electronics and blend in with the custom white roof – because what would a custom MINI be without a white roof – with a surfboard mounted atop. 18″ powder-coated white wheels complement the accents, held on with a Spax sport suspension that drops the ride height by 60mm. MS Design helped round out the look with an aero kit, and there’s a Remus center-exit exhaust out back. Inside, Pioneer has fitted all its latest equipment, including two optical drives, 3 subwoofers, four amplifiers and a whole mess of speakers we couldn’t even count. Of course it’s iPod-compatible, and the show car has a Nano mounted front and center atop the white center stack. Brown and white Recaro racing buckets and steering wheel round out the interior of this very unique MINI with an assuredly mega sound, which Pioneer will be demonstrating in a few days at the Paris Tuning Show.

Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler has revealed it is relying on demand from China, India and Russia to offset North America’s ailing car and truck market this year.

The luxury car maker said the North American market for cars and light trucks is likely to continue to suffer from the impact of falling house prices in the wake of the sub-prime crisis.

	Daimler is relying on China, India and Russia to drive sales

The group also expects the market in western Europe to remain flat, with sales of 14.8m units.

The news came as the group beat analysts expectations, reporting profits of 1.7bn euros (£1.3bn) for the fourth quarter.

Driven to despair, and to a loss, by its merger with Chrysler, Daimler finally offloaded the US car maker to private equity firm Cerberus Capital for £3.74bn last May, after a decade of miserable results.

Cost-cutting initiatives over the period included 9,700 job losses at Mercedes-Benz.

Still together this time last year, the merged group reported a loss of 12m euros. Minus Chrysler, which is best-known for the Jeep, Daimler beat analysts’ profits expectations of 1.31bn euros for the quarter.

The group’s shares rose almost 4pc to 55.85 euros in response today - their highest level in nearly a month. Daimler’s shares have tumbled 18pc this year, reducing its market cap to 55.1bn euros, amid growing concerns for the auto industry.

In a statement today, Daimler said: “Global growth in 2008 is once again expected to be primarily driven by the high growth rates of the major emerging markets, especially China, India and Russia.”

Commercial vehicles are likely to fare better, with Daimler expecting the North American truck market to recover in the second half of the year. The Stuttgart-based company said it expects a “moderate increase in revenue” from the division.

It added: “From today’s perspective, all operations should contribute to growth. (But) the regional focus of expansion is likely to be mainly in Asia and Eastern Europe.”

The group reported a net profit of 4bn euros for the year, despite a 2.2bn euro hit related to the sale of Chrysler.

Australia’s Mark Webber says Formula One should provide a better spectacle this year with the removal of electronic aids from cars.

The Red Bull driver said drivers would now have to use their own skills more, leading to subtle mistakes on track which could at last provide overtaking opportunities.

The removal of traction control is set to make the cars less predictable and with less grip, Webber has predicted more mistakes and more pressure.

“It’s certainly more challenging for the drivers, there’s more work for us to do,” Webber said.

“Guys are going to have a few more shunts,” Webber said.

“There will be a little bit more of an opportunity to create pressure because there could be some slight, very subtle errors.

“The uneducated eye probably won’t see them but to educated and obviously fellow drivers out on the track there could be some mistakes which could create more pressure and opportunities to make overtaking a little bit more viable.

“It will be the usual suspects in the pecking order but in terms of the actual racing it can only help us,” he said.

Webber, a skilled qualifier, has been pinpointed as a driver more able to handle a car without computer controls, but he said he would be wary of suggesting it would benefit anybody in particular.

“I think most of the guys at this level are reasonably handy so it would be very foolish to say that one’s got an advantage because of the new regulations.

“Some people have a few opinions out there that it’s going to benefit some drivers more than others.

“We’ll see once we get into the race weekend as such to see how people adapt to different venues.

“We don’t have much time, when we go to grand prix tracks we’ve got to get into it pretty quick when qualifying comes around and the race we’ve really got to step up to the plate and deliver,” he said.

“Testing is reasonably straightforward for most guys because you just drive around the same sort of tracks but when we go to more challenging circuits with different conditions.

“That’s something we’re very excited about to see how we go with new regulations.”

Webber recently topped the test sheets at official trials in Barcelona, outrunning the two McLarens, but said “not much” should be read into the lap times.

He said different teams were running different programs and he was a little surprised that a Red Bull finished with the quickest lap time.

But he said the outfit appeared to have taken a major step forward in terms of solving the reliability issues which plagued it last season.

Webber said the only issues which had hampered the cars in testing had been some issues with the Renault power plant.

Nissan Promises Clean Diesel Option for Maxima in 2010

“Nissan is fully engaged in reducing emissions and improving fuel economy and efficiency. Launching a clean diesel engine in the U.S. will offer customers the benefits of fuel economy, CO2 reduction and a satisfying, fun-to-drive performance that is a hallmark of the Nissan brand,” said Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations. “You can expect to see more diesel engines in our product lineup in Europe, Japan, North America and China by fiscal year 2010.”

Nissan already has clean diesel engines in Europe offering significant fuel efficiency and the ability to run on biodiesel fuel blends.  Together, this combination reduces CO2 emissions and dependence on pure petroleum-based fuels.  During the first half of fiscal year 2007, Nissan will introduce the new Euro 4-compliant, two-liter-class diesel engine in Europe.  By fiscal year 2010, Nissan will launch vehicles with clean diesel engines in Japan, the United States and China.

This initiative is part of Nissan’s plan to reduce CO2 emissions for the future as outlined in Nissan Green Program 2010, the company’s mid-term environmental strategy.  Nissan will be investing in a variety of technologies including fuel cell cars, hybrid cars, biofuel-based cars, electric vehicles, improvement in gasoline engines and clean diesels.  The company is committed to bringing the right technology to the right market at the right time with the right value to the customer.

Diesel Power’s Take: Finally, a non-German OE taking a decisive stand on the future of clean diesels in passenger cars. Diesels have long been popular in France, the headquarters of Nissan’s parent company, Renault. Expect Renault to play a major role in the research and development of this new engine.

General Motors Corp. said Wednesday it sold 9,369,524 vehicles worldwide last year, up 3 percent from 2006 and making the global sales race with Toyota Motor Corp. too close to call.

Earlier this month, Toyota reported global sales of 9.37 million vehicles, but the Japanese automaker did not release a number down to the last vehicle sold.

“Great products and value drive a volatile market and put the consumer in the driver’s seat,” said Toyota Motor Sales President Jim Lentz. “Toyota, Lexus and Scion deliver on both.”

Detroit-based GM has held the title of world’s largest automaker for 76 years, but Toyota’s strong U.S. growth and GM’s U.S. sales decline helped Toyota move closer to the top spot in recent years.

“We set a record in China with more than a million vehicles sold. We nearly doubled our sales in Russia to an all-time record of more than 258,000 vehicles delivered. And we set a record in Brazil with nearly a half-million vehicles sold,” said John Middlebrook, GM vice president for Global Sales, Service and Marketing Operations. “This is the kind of emerging market growth that fuels our global performance. Customers are responding to our fuel-efficient and dynamically-designed product lineup around the world.”

The 2007 tally was the second-best global sales total in the GM’s 100-year history and marked the third consecutive and fourth time ever that GM sold more than 9 million vehicles in a calendar year.

North American Car, Truck Of Year Awards Given

The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu and 2008 Mazda CX-9 were voted as the 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The winners were chosen by 45 automotive journalists who represent newspapers, magazines, television, radio and Internet outlets in the United State and Canada.

“This award is the result of our intensive efforts to put a renewed emphasis on design, execution and craftsmanship into our cars and trucks,” said Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman. “We’re honored that both automotive journalists and consumers are recognizing our efforts.”

The Malibu picked up 190 votes, edging out the Cadillac CTS (165 votes) and the Honda Accord’s 95 votes to win top car honors.

The CX-9 had 201 votes, outdistancing the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid’s 140 vortes and the Buick Enclave, with 108 votes.

“This truly is an honor,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO of Mazda North American Operations, upon receiving the award. “Since we brought CX-9 to market, its been a hit with media, customers and dealers alike. Today’s award is proof that says we just might be on to something special.”

The awards recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year based on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value.

“Our goal with the 2008 Malibu was to give customers a stylish, uncompromising package that can challenge even the most formidable competitors in the midsize segment,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. “Customers are getting that message, because the new Malibus are selling faster than we can put them on dealers’ lots.”

The jurors narrowed the field down to 15 cars and 13 trucks, which were voted on in December. The three finalists in each category were voted on last month.

Last year’s top car was the Saturn Aura, and the truck of the year was the Chevrolet Silverado. The Malibu, which is made by General Motors, is built on the same platfrom as the Aura.

Domestic automakers have won the Car of the Year honors eight times, Japanese automakers three and European automakers four times.

Japanese automakers have won truck of the year four times, compared to nine times for American automakers and twice for European automakers. Hybrids have also won three times.

A new survey said the price of gas has dropped nearly a dime and dipped below the $3 mark over the last two weeks.

Oil industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said the average price of a gallon of regular was $2.98.

The cheapest place to fill up, according to the survey, was Tulsa, Okla., where a gallon cost $2.70 on average.

The most expensive gas was in Honolulu, where prices average $3.35 a gallon.

Used Cars for sale at Volcars.com

Ford Motor Co. said it will offer buyout and early retirement packages to 54,000 U.S. hourly workers in an effort to cut more jobs and replace workers with those making a lower wage.

The new round of buyouts was negotiated with the United Auto Workers union, CEO Alan Mulally said Thursday. The first round will be offered immediately to workers who had been employed at already closed plants in Atlanta, St. Louis, Edison, N.J., and Norfolk, Va.

Ford reported Thursday that it is narrowing its losses in the fourth quarter and for all of last year, but the outlook for sales in the U.S. remains grim.

Ford lost $2.8 billion, or $1.30 per share, in the fourth quarter, narrower than a $5.6 loss in 2006. The full-year loss of $2.7 billion, or $1.35 per share, was also significantly better than in the previous year.

Excluding special items, Ford lost 20 cents per share for the quarter and 19 cents per share for the year, in line with Wall Street’s expectations.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had predicted a loss of 19 cents per share for the quarter and 17 cents per share for the year.

Classic cars were the true winners in a series of automobile auctions that took place in Arizona Friday and Saturday.

RM Auctions Managing Director Ian Kelleher said the sale of a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT long-wheelbase California Spider for $3.3 million dominated the trio of auctions where many cars sold for more than $1 million, The Arizona Republic reported.

“The classics are stronger than ever,” Kelleher said.

The Ferrari commanded the top price among all the vehicles sold at the auctions and newcomer Gooding & Co. took home the bragging rights for the profitable sale.

The company also parted with a 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spider for more than $1.5 million and a 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe for more than $1.3 million.

“We were thrilled by the exceptional turnout and results,” the auction site’s president, David Gooding, said.

The Republic said classic cars also were on the block at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event, where a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette concept car, called the Rondine, sold for $1.6 million.

AUTOMOTIVE giant General Motors Corp (GM) will launch its new Chevrolet Aveo Notchback and improved Chevrolet Optra by year-end to capitalise on the good demand for compact cars in the country. 

General Motors South-East Asia operations president Stephen Carlisle said the local small and compact car segment offered promising growth potential for GM. 

“It is a high volume segment and the success of the Myvi is a good reflection of that market,” Carlisle told reporters at a media conference in Chiangmai last week. “The small and compact car segment in Malaysia also provides the best opportunity for non-national carmakers to grow,” he added. 

The Chevrolet cars would be distributed through Hicom-Chevrolet Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between GM unit General Motors Asia Pacific LLC and DRB-Hicom Bhd, which holds a 49% stake. Hicom-Chevrolet Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Yukontorn Wisadkosin said the success and popularity of the previous models of Aveo and Optra was one reason to re-launch the cars. 

“We already have these products which were popular and well received when we first launched them in Malaysia,” Wisadkosin said. 

She added that with the Chevrolet models being assembled in Thailand, GM could further take advantage of the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA), which under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff would see a reduction in import duties. 

On GM’s sales target for the models, Wisadkosin said: “Of course, we would like to sell as many models as possible, but our ultimate goal is to sell 4,000 to 5,000 units a year.” 

GM’s latest product in Malaysia, the 7-seater Chevrolet Captiva SUV, has already had about 50 gistered purchasers and over 100 bookings since its launch in November last year. 

Wisadkosin also said that having the proper distribution channels would be the key for GM to achieve its annual sales target. 

“We need to have the right distribution network as well (to achieve our targets). We need to ensure that our dealers are up and ready,” she said, adding that GM was targeting to have 15 dealers nationwide by year-end.  

GM currently has four dealerships in Malaysia. Wisadkosin said it planned to have 20 to 25 dealers locally by 2009. 

Apart from the small and compact car range, GM is looking to establish its presence in a different segment as well. 

“It is inevitable for us to have a luxury brand in a market like Malaysia. It is just a matter of when the circumstances are right,” Carlisle said. 

Regardless of segment, Carlisle said, GM would endeavour to add value to its products with a prime emphasis on technology. 

“One of the confidence factors that people have in a brand is technology. If you can bring technology to the market, it is an indication that you are very capable and going to be around (for a long time),” he said.