Scion Hako Coupe – East meets West
Looking for the next big thing, Scion unveiled its Hako Coupe concept at the New York International Auto Show last week. Taking its name from the Japanese word for box, the Hako recasts the xB with a blend of Japanese aesthetic and vintage American car design. It seems that just as American youths covet all things JDM (Japanese domestic market), a rising trend in the East is to emulate classic American cars. Put it all in a blender, flick on a CAD workstation, and out comes the Hako.
From the side, the chopped top and long hood the Hako looks like it escaped central casting for “Japanese Graffitti.” For now, the Hako is all about the appearance and seeking consumer feedback on whether the brand pursue a model in this direction. Presumably, it would be developed off the xB platform, sharing the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine.
Inside, the Hako makes interesting use of video monitors, with two on the front passenger dash for mobile entertainment controlled with a large roller ball. Screens located on each door and on each side of the rear seating area project images from cameras mounted beneath the A-pillars for viewing, saving, and editing. Think of it as a replay mode for a road trip.
The flat, panorama roof features a random, barcode-like pattern that can be seen on the exterior and from the interior.
Scion sales are down significantly, despite fresh models (xB and xD) and a market shift toward small cars. The young brand needs more fire in the line up, and officials say they’d like to expand the range to five or six vehicles. They are open to different vehicle types, mentioning a roadster and pickup truck as possibilities during the press conference.
What do you think of this concept? Should Scion build it, and if they did, would you buy one? Post your comments below.
Research Scion in the buyer’s guide. See our 2008 Scion xB review.
2009 Hummers to run on E85
General Motors will green up the dirt-loving Hummer brand starting with 2009 H2 and H2 SUT, which will become its first flex-fuel models. The announcement was made at Classic Chevrolet/Hummer in Dallas, Texas, the dealership who sold the most Chevrolet Trucks in 2008 and who has spent $500,000 to install nine pumps dedicated to E85, E10 and biodiesel. This grand-opening event marked the first public biofuel pumps in the nation owned by a new car and truck dealership.
Given the partnership GM has with Coskata, an innovative firm that is striving to commercialize its unique process for turning biomass into ethanol, this may be just the beginning. Fewer than one percent of filling stations nationwide offer E85 fuel. If GM wants to increase flex-fuel vehicle sales, providing E85 at the dealers could spur sales and potentially create another revenue stream.
Elevated gas prices have increased consumer interest in reducing our national dependency on imported oil, helping make E85 a household name. However, many car buyers do not realize that E85 has about 25 percent less fuel economy than gasoline. In other words, a truck that normally gets 20 mpg on gasoline would return 15 mpg on E85. Of course, the real appeal is that E85 is created from renewable resources, such as corn, switch grass, and even waste materials.
GM has more than three million flex-fuel vehicles on the road in the United States. Plus, it has pledged to double flex-fuel production by 2010 and make half its portfolio E85-capable by 2012. Part of the encouragement for this expansion is a clause in national fuel-economy regulations that provides for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) credits for E85 vehicles than can help offset poor performance by other models, sparing an automaker from costly gas-guzzler penalties. This rule was intended to encourage the building of E85-compatible vehicles ahead of the infrastructure, and through GM’s efforts, there may be an increase in both the number of vehicles and pumps.
“We’ll offer a biofuel powertrain in every model we build by the end of 2010,” Hummer General Manager Martin Walsh said. “A Hummer’s off-road capability and care for the environment are in no way mutually exclusive. This is simply one more step in our effort to promote responsible adventure.”
Research the Hummer in the buyer’s guide, complete with pricing, specifications, and photo galleries. Also see our 2007 Hummer H3 review.
AMD Delivers HDTV Experience for Mac®
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — November 14, 2007 — AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the new ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB for Mac® a new HDTV experience for Mac users. ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB for Mac integrates two TV tuners to receive off-the-air ATSC/HDTV broadcasts as well as analog television programming. This new TV tuner solution joins AMDs six TV Wonder offerings for the PC platform.
LeBron James scored 21 points on another off-shooting night, but Delonte West scored 21, Joe Smith had 17 and the Cavaliers raced to a large, early lead in Game 3 in a 108-84 victory Saturday night over the road-challenged Boston Celtics to pull within 2-1 in their playoff series.
For the typical road warrior, who spends about $1,045 on airfare, hotel accommodations and car rental per trip, the cost of business travel is a necessary expense. After all, a global economy requires traveling far to pitch clients and deliver presentations. But the cost of representing a company off-site is expected to increase.