Catching Up to Speed: Monday, Aug. 4, 2008

Chrysler's 40%-off sale
Get ready for a retail advertising blitz from Chrysler. Just after the announcement that it will no longer offer leases, Chrysler (which includes the Dodge and Jeep brands) announced an unprecedented 40%-off sale on most 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups. The promotion is called Shop 'til You Drive, and it's Chrysler's big idea of the week -- to have a sale that sounds more "retail" to the average consumer and "make buying as affordable as renting." Other offers under this promotion's umbrella are zero percent financing on 72-month loans, 25% off the Chrysler Aspen, 24% off Town & Country minivans and 28% off Grand Cherokees.

2010 Prius spy shots
The next iteration of the Prius will be a 2010 model and no doubt the hoopla will be endless. Toyota plans to formally announce the car at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and the car will probably be available in the fall of 2009. Worth the wait? The industry's spy folk and privileged insiders say it will increase by 40 horsepower, sport a redesigned front end and include a solar panel above the window to run all the electrical components. What won't be upgraded is its battery. The company plans to launch with nickel-metal hydride battery packs and move to lithium ion packs later.

Scion showing its age
Toyota's Scion brand is finding itself in a sales slump along with many other car companies. Since last summer's product change to a not-as-boxy xB and more utilitarian xD (which sort of replaced the xA), baby boomers looking for cheaper cars that use less gas are finding the less-funky xD appealing for price, size and utility. Alas, not so many of the brand's target 18- to 34-year-olds are shopping for the current model year. Online shopping traffic from this age group is half the size it was two years ago.

Car events in the Southland
This week on the Automotive Calendar of Events:

Aug. 6:
Pomona -- Twilight Cruise, National Hot Rod Assn. museum

Aug. 8-10:
Big Bear -- 19th annual Fun Run, Big Bear Lake Antique Car Club; (909) 866-3938

Aug. 9:
Burbank -- 8 to 10 a.m., original Autobooks-Aerobooks Cruise-In, 3525 W. Magnolia Blvd.; (818) 845-0707

Santa Clarita -- 5 to 9 p.m., Route 66 Classic Car Show, 18730 Soledad Canyon Road; (661) 298-1494

Aug. 9-10:
Fontana -- California Speedway-S/ST-SCEDA-S/C-S/E Drag Races

Oxnard -- Cool August Days Oxnard Cruise-In

Aug. 10:
Long Beach - Hi-Performance Swap Meet & Car Show

-- Joni Gray

Image: Chrysler; Photo: Toyota
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