As fuel prices continue their inexorable rise, car owners should find ways to get more miles from every gallon of gas. Fortunately, there are easy ways to save up on gas money. Here are some smart driving tips from The Car Care Council.

Combine errands in one trip and get good directions before you head out to minimize driving unnecessary miles.

Lighten the load by getting stuff out of the car, including the trunk, with the exception of important emergency items such as a spare tire, flares and a first-aid kit. Items that are not needed weigh the vehicle down, causing an increase in gas usage.

Stay within the speed limit and use cruise control on the highway. Gas mileage usually decreases when going over 60 miles per hour (mph).

Avoid aggressive driving. Your driving behavior has a lot to do with fuel economy and sudden stops and starts and rapid acceleration decrease your vehicle’s miles per gallon (mpg).

Check the condition of the gas cap. Approximately 17 percent of vehicles on the road have loose, damaged or missing gas caps, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.

Don’t idle your vehicle and go inside instead of waiting in long lines at the drive-through window to avoid wasting gas.

General Motors continues to feel the pinch of a bleak automotive industry outlook as it announced plans to reduce its workforce by cutting 5,000 salaried jobs. The workforce reduction is part of a plan announced earlier this month that aims to cut costs by as $10 billion by the end of 2009. The cuts will take effect by year’s end.

Other cost-cutting plans include the ending its salaried retirement health coverage for employees over 65 starting Jan. 1. Salaried workers will also not receive pay raises through the end of 2009. GM is also offering an early retirement package to older salaried workers, taking advantage of an overfunded pension plan to reduce the workforce.

GM has reduced its salaried workforce from 44,000 in 2000 to about 32,000 today.

Toyota overtook General Motors in sales for the first six months of 2008, selling 4.82 million vehicles compared to GM’s 4.54, a gap of over 280,000 vehicles. This isn’t the first time that Toyota threatens GMs spot as the king of global car sales. Last year, the Japanese automaker also led GM in global sales at the half year mark but GM managed to ease in a slim win – fewer than 4,000 cars and trucks – to retain its top spot by year end.

However, this year, it is increasingly likely that GM will succumb to second place for the first time in the face of rising gas prices, sagging consumer confidence and over-reliance on SUVs and trucks – vehicle segments that buyers in its most important market, the US, are now shunning.
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As the population of Americans 65 years and older is projected to double in the next twenty years, General Motors responds to the need for more elderly-friendly vehicles by developing a new windshield technology that will help drivers with vision problems see more clearly. The technology is still in the research stage but is expected to be very useful in the near future.

Although it will not improve the driver’s vision, it will make objects that could otherwise go unnoticed by aging eyes stand out more. The high-tech windshield will feature a combination of lasers, infrared sensors and a camera to enhance the road view. For instance, during foggy days, a laser projects a blue line into the windshield that follows the edge of the road.

Infrared sensors will also detect objects, such as a person or an animal, in the driver’s path during night time driving; it will project an outline of the object on the windshield to highlight its location.

Other devices track the driver’s head and eye movement so that the image on the windshield isn’t skewed. Aside from GM, only Chrysler is currently working on similar windshield technology.

Honda revealed a low-emission sports car study model at the British International Motor Show in London. The new concept, dubbed the OSM (for Open Study Model) features a lightweight roadster design that highlights Honda’s core engineering values – designing stylish, exciting cars that are also environmentally responsible. The concept for this project is ‘Clean and Dynamic’.

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Riding on a high wave of demand for more fuel efficient vehicles, Toyota is planning to produce a new hybrid-only model to the tune of 100,000 units a year. The planned hybrid will be Toyota’s second dedicated hybrid model after the popular Prius. While the Prius features a 1.5 liter gasoline engine, the new hybrid model will feature a 2 to 2.5 liter engine. It will join the ranks of other hybrid models in Toyota’s lineup including the Prius, Camry Hybrid, and the Highlander Hybrid.

Toyota will also offer a rebadged version of it under the luxury brand Lexus, which is also currently producing a line of hybrid vehicles such as the LS Hybrid, GS Hybrid and the RX Hybrid.

In the face of the current shaky state of the auto industry, Chrysler could try to increase profitability and improve stability by retiring some models while adding value to existing mid-range trims. This means a possible realignment of the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring lines. In its plan dubbed ‘Fight Back’, Chrysler might cut the top trim levels of the Avenger and Sebring, while some of their features might be shifted to previously mid-range models.

Some of the key changes in the plan include eschewing the 3.5L V6 for a more efficient four-cylinder. This could improve fuel efficiency by as much as 4 mpg to 30 mpg. That’s hefty savings of up to 15%. Combining better features such as navigation, upholstery and entertainment options with a more efficient powertrain could make a more attractive package with improved value. Still, it remains to be seen whether Chrysler’s vehicle models can improve their competitiveness against other better-selling cars from the likes of Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

Just days ahead of its planned debut, the new Camaro in production trim was revealed in a series of leaked photos on the internet. The pictures showing the production car in red as well as one interior shot were posted by CarTribe, a UK car site.

The new Camaro will be available in standard US-market models LS, LT and SS with a hint at a fourth trim level. The car will be fitted with 6-speed manual and auto transmissions. To improve fuel economy, the Camaro will feature a fuel-efficient 296hp (220kW) 3.6-liter V6 and 416hp (310kW) 6.2-liter V8 engines. The Camaro will also boast of a fully independent suspension and stability control.

Check out some serious eye candy (click on image to enlarge):

Via Motor Authority

Theft of catalytic converters, an anti-pollution device, is rising rapidly across the US. Thieves usually slip under the vehicle and use battery-powered saws to hack the converter off within minutes. The motive: catalytic converters use precious metals such as platinum and palladium. And with climbing metal commodity prices, catalytic converters prove to be attractive and easy targets.

Five years ago, the price of platinum and palladium were $608 and $208 per troy ounce, respectively. Now platinum commands a $2,083 price tag per troy ounce while palladium is worth $468 per troy ounce. Thieves sell stolen converters to scrap yards for $50 to $100 but price varies among buyers. There have been reports of catalytic converter theft epidemics from Cincinnati to San Francisco.

Source: The Detroit News

If you drive a 1995 Honda Civic, you better employ better anti-theft solutions because this popular model is America’s most stolen car for 2007, according to ‘Hot Wheels’, a report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau based on information from the National Crime Information Center. The ’95 Civic is followed by another Honda model, the 1991 Honda Accord in the list.

The 1989 Toyota Camry was the third most stolen vehicle while the 1997 Ford F-150 was the highest-listed pickup truck as well as the most stolen domestic-branded vehicle. Other domestic models were the 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 and the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup, all trucks. Rounding out the top ten perennial favorites of car thieves were the Acura Integra, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Pickup and the Toyota Corolla.

According to the NICB, the types of vehicles being stolen remain consistent year to year. Thieves continue to prey on these older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts.

To protect your cars from thieves, NICB recommends a ‘layered approach’ by using simple, low-cost solutions to make vehicles less vulnerable to carjackers. These four layers are: common sense, a warning device, an immobilizing device and a tracking device. Common sense means locking the car and taking the keys with you.

Using a warning device or alarm is also an effective deterrent. The third layer encourages the use of an immobilizing device that will prevent the vehicle from being driven such as a smart key or fuel cut off. The fourth layer is the use of a tracking device that law enforcement officers can use to track and recover a stolen vehicle.