Nissan Tests Technology That Will Warn You If You Go The Wrong Way

by Tim Joseph

In my oppinion the funniest car scene in television came in the classic John Candy and Steve Martin movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles". The two were trying to get home for the holidays after their flight was canceled. John Candy was driving and Steve Martin was in the passenger seat sleeping (is my memory correct?). John Candy ended driving the wrong way on the highway. Another motorist in the correct lane was trying to warn him of this fact but he thought they were the crazy ones driving on the wrong side of the road. Long story short, they both survived but the whole thing was a disaster.

Nissan has developed technology that would have helped the late great John Candy. The system uses GPS technology and detailed map information to warn drivers if they get on the wrong ramp. My grandma on my dad's side actually did this on a number of occasions in her later years. The system will be tested in Japan this year and if it proves successful will work its way into the rental car industry first.

Unfortunately John Candy and my grandma are no longer with us but I'm sure there is a whole generation of bad drivers out there who will indeed make this a very useful technology.

Yes We Can Sale - Australia

The president of the United States is often referred to as the most powerful man in the free world. It is amazing how much other countries pay attention to what happens here. I cannot tell you who the president of Australia is but the Aussies have come up with an advertising campaign that tells me they know who our president is and obviously he is very popular there.

Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR

by Tim Joseph

The year was 1992. There were riots in Los Angeles, the Olympics in France, the Toronto Blue Jays became the first Canadian baseball team to win the World Series, Bill Clinton became the 42nd president and the first Dodge Viper rolled off the line at Chrysler's Mack Avenue plant. Since then 25,000 Vipers have been built and the plant operates to its 1,200 vehicle per year capacity.

Pictured above is the 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR which we all drooled over at this years North American International Auto Show. It is powered by a monstrous 8.4-liter V-10 engine and puts out 600 horsepower. Currently it holds the top time at the Nurburgring with a time of 7:22.1 beating out even the Nissan GT-R. This is definitely an amazing machine.

The story probably will not end here. Chrysler announced they will sell off the Viper brand and it sounds as if there is a lot of serious interest. The problem is that Chrysler's business model doesn't support a hand built, limited production vehicle. There will no doubt be someone out there who will be able to produce the Viper and be profitable doing so. The story is yet to be written.

Nissan Versa For $9,990 - What do you get?

I thought I'd share this great review of the base model Nissan Versa.

Nissan has been building a Nissan Versa equipped with a smaller engine (1.6L as opposed to 1.8L) and lacking certain things like power windows and locks for a couple months now. The base price? $9,990! The low cost model has been selling so well, in fact, we can't even keep them on the lot. This review will tell you why. The good and the bad (if you can even find any bad for that price).

http://www.examiner.com/x-1017-DC-Car-Examiner~y2009m1d25-Review-2009-Nissan-Versa-16-how-much-car-do-you-get-for-under-10000

Nissan Announces Advanced Hybrid Batteries

by Tim Joseph

A little more than two years ago I was at Nissan's Tech Center in Farmington Hills, MI. The new Altima was being delivered to dealers and Nissan had us come in for a presentation. During the presentation someone asked when we could expect to get the Hybrid Altima in Michigan. We were told Nissan planned to have it in all 50 states sometime in 2010. They told us that hybrids at that point had not been profitable and that Nissan wanted to do things right before they were going to sell it. Fair enough I thought. Dozens of people since then have asked me about the Hyrid Altima and I have always told them probably 2010.

Today I was reading that Nissan is planning to roll out some hybrids in 2010. They sound like they're right on track to meet the promised goal. They have committed to bringing a completely electric vehicle to the market by 2010 so why not a couple of hybrids? Nissan has stated that they will debut a completely unique hybrid vehicle in 2010. The new vehicle will feature advanced laminated compact lithium-ion batteries which will be mounted under the floor.

It looks as if Nissan will be able to do things right now and get the hybrids out there.

I will follow this story and keep you posted on any updates that come about in the next year.

Chrysler Announces Rebates, Discounts and 0%

by Tim Joseph

It has been a busy couple of weeks for Chrysler. They unveiled two electric cars at the auto show (1 2). Town & Country won the Readers' Choice Award. This was followed by the big announcement that they were merging with Fiat. Chrysler has now been rolling out some new incentives. They announced 0% financing earlier this week and are adding to that by announcing they will be offering employee pricing along with 0% and rebates starting Monday! They have not given us complete details yet so stay tuned!

Dick Scott Dodge
Dick Scott Motormall

Fiat and Chrysler Agree To Partnership Terms

by Tim Joseph

Chrysler, LLC and Fiat have agreed on terms that will give the Italian automaker 35% stake in Chrysler and will, in exchange, share technology with Chrysler. Fiat will not imediately put cash into Chrysler but will, however, supply Chrysler with their fuel efficient vehicle platform and other assets, as well as expand Chrysler's reach in Europe.

Details are still emerging and I'll keep you posted as I hear things.

Live Webcam Of Nuerburgring Race Track

by Tim Joseph

You are looking at a live picture of Germany's famed Nueburgring race track. Many consider this race track to be the world's greatest track. Automotive manufacturers consider this track to be the ultimate test ground for new vehicles. It was this track that the Nissan GT-R set it's record time on, thus becoming the envy of the auto industry. Bookmark this page and come back often. Chances are you'll get a spy shot of a prototype vehicle being tested.

for more information on the track please visit Wikipedia

2009 Dodge Challenger R/T Classic

by Tim Joseph

Dodge is taking the retro styling of the new Challenger to an all new level with a new trim option. Feeling nostalgic? Get ready to relive your younger years with this model. The new Challenger R/T Classic hits showrooms in February but now is the time to put in your order. It is equipped with a performance-tuned exhaust, B5 Blue paint R/T racing stripes, the classic "Challenger" fender badging, body-colored rear spoiler, chrome fuel door, 20-inch polished chome wheels and is powered by a 376-HP 5.7-liter V8 with 410 foot pounds of torque. Comes in handy when you absolutely must leave tire marks behind you.

Starting price is $33,280. To order your 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T Classic please call Dick Scott Dodge at (734) 451-2110 or Dick Scott Motormall at (517) 223-3721 today!

2009 Chrysler Town & Country Awarded Detroit News Readers' Choice

by Tim Joseph

Congratulations to Chrysler Town & Country for winning the 2009 Detroit News News Readers' Choice award for best 'Family Hauler'. This is the fourth year in a row that Town & Country has won this award. "With more than 25 years as the leader in the minivan segment, we are honored to once again receive the Detroit News Readers' Choice Award for Best Family Hauler," said Mike Accavitti, Director -- Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Brand Marketing, Chrysler LLC. "The 2009 Chrysler Town & Country continues to be the best vehicle to transport people and things, perfecting its award-winning formula with the addition of 40 new or improved features over the previous generation."

Chrysler invented the minivan 25 years ago and has since perfected their formula with 65 minivan-first features. Since it's inception, Chrysler has sold more than 12 million minivans - more than any other manufacturer in the world.

Have a closer look at the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan at DickScott.com.

To set up your test drive today call:
Dick Scott Dodge at (734) 451-2110
Dick Scott Motormall at (517) 223-3721

Chrysler 200C EV Concept

Chrysler unveiled another electric vehicle this weekend. This time a family sedan there aren't a lot of details but here is a picture.

Chrysler Unveils Dodge Circuit EV

by Tim Joseph

What an exciting weekend. The biggest event of the year is upon us at the North American International Auto Show. Chrysler unveiled their all new electric vehicle, the Dodge Circuit. This is the reason we will go to the auto show this year. The Dodge Circuit is similar to Chrysler's previous offering back in September but, as promised, looks more Dodge than Lotus.

The Dodge Circuit is a big step in electric vehicles. It is able to go from 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds and has a top speed of 120 miles per hour. It features a 268-horsepower electric motor, an advanced lithium-ion battery system and a controller that manages energy flow. Owner's of the Circuit will be able to travel 150-200 miles between charges and plugs in to a standard 110-Volt outlet.

While the 2 seat sports car may not be ideal for everyone, it certainly is a large step in the right direction. In September we saw three electric models. Chrysler could lead the electric vehicle charge and change the face of Detroit with this technology. For you environmentally conscious, the Dodge Circuit does not use any gasoline and leaves virtually no impact on the environment.

Dick Scott Online

Dodge ENVI Electric Car

by Tim Joseph

Well now we finally have a reason to go to the North American International Autoshow and it is a really good reason. Chrysler has announced that it will unveil a new addition to its small lineup of electric cars. This time, instead of slapping a Lotus body on it (something we didn't mind too much anyway) they will have a design that looks more Dodge..ish. Although Chrysler hasn't given us any teasers yet, we can only speculate that this may be another concept looking vehicle. Chrysler's goal is to have an electric vehicle on the road in 2010.

Dick Scott Dodge
Your Best Shot Dealer

Dick Scott Automotive Group 2008 Recap

by Tim Joseph

I moved from our Nissan store to the Dodge store at the end of April. My first blog article was written on May 7th to announce the Refuel America Program. Gas was close to $4 per gallon and sales were down. Chrysler offered customers the chance to lock in to $2.99 per gallon for three years. That wasn't the only big announcement in May. We also announce the "Dick Scott Difference." This is a list of reasons why we're better. Things like our rewards program for example. May was also the month Field Elementary School's PTA President, Ann Marie Rockov and Principal, Pete Kudlak stopped by to pick up their $880 check for participating in our PTA program. The Motor City Viper Owners had their annual Spring Tech Day as well. I had so much fun that month.

In June we went Green when little recycle boxes showed up on all of our desks. Now we were to recycle all of our paper. We were also collecting cell phones for recycling. Proceeds would benefit the Plymouth YMCA. This year I plan to run in their Father's day 5k. With summer in full swing, gas prices topped $4/gallon and people were nearly in a panic. That is when I wrote my Fuel Economy Series (part 1, 2, 3, 3 1/2, 4). The posts were extremely popular. That is also the month we gave away four Detroit Tiger tickets to Shigeo Kato for signing up for Service Scheduling on our website.

Yes there were a lot of high points but some points were not so high. In July Chrysler announced they would be ending their leasing program the following week. Sure, we leased a ton of cars that week but the following week was not that great. Since then things have bounced back to normal. August was a month of vacations for some of us. The blog wasn't as active but Nissan showed off their electric vehicle for a small audience in Japan! Then in September Chrysler 1 upped them by unveiling THREE electric cars!

One of the highlights of Mr. Scott's year was playing a round of golf with PGA pro Ken Duke. The two hit it off so well that Ken added Dick Scott Automotive Group to his golf bag! Since then Ken has started wearing a shirt with our logo on it.

It's hard to believe but it was way back in October that we announce the coming of Indian Motorcycle Detroit. That is the post that sparked the most response. I have Indian Motorcycle owners emailing me almost daily in anticipation of the coming bike shop. My favorite blog post to date came soon after titled A Brief History of Indian Motorcycle Part 1. Indian Motorcycle riders finally have a place in Detroit to hang their.. uh... Chaps? October was also a fun month because of Halloween. Dick Scott Dodge hosted a pumpkin carving contest and the winner received a $500 gas card. The winner, Derek Baer, was in Japan for three weeks and him and his wife, Sara, didn't come in to pick up his prize until November.

Finally in December we hosted a Toys For Tots toy drive. It was amazing to see the community come together to donate so many toys. We filled four pickup trucks and one mini van full of toys. Thank you again to everyone who donated, customers, employees and people who had never been in our stores before! We ended the year with our double rewards points promotion. Very simple. Buy a car, get twice as many rewards points.

As you can see, we are very busy here at Dick Scott Automotive group. This is just a short recap and I haven't even mentioned all the Best Shot Deals, Employee Spotlights, Service Specials and, of course my favorite, Tim's Travel Tips.

Thank you for making 2008 a great year for us and we look forward to seeing you in 2009!