Giant Honda robot to provide Pasadena with shock and awe

It must have seemed like a great idea at the time: “I know, let’s celebrate the 120th Rose Parade with a big scary robot, only we’ll cover the surface of this giant 49-foot behemoth with super fine ground white rice, then deck the float with carnations and chrysanthemums, and grind it up later for mulch.”

That might have been how the conversation at Honda went when planning for the Jan. 1 parade. Honda is one of the parade’s longest-running sponsors and, this year, the company’s float will evolve from a stage where the opening ceremony takes place into an animated replica of Honda’s ASIMO robot (it stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, but Isaac Asimov would have been proud). Only 12 times as big. And wearing a hat.

Which is a bizarre way of celebrating Honda’s 50th anniversary of operating in the USA, but each to his own.

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Honda

2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year -- the short list

Contenders have been announced for the 2009 North American Car of the Year, along with the 2009 North American Truck of the Year. To be eligible, vehicles have to be completely new or represent a redesign for the model year. This list and the final accolades are determined by a panel of automotive journalists. The winners will be announced Jan. 11 at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Let’s check out the car category hopefuls first.

Flying the home flag is the Ford Flex SUV/crossover. As its name suggests, the interior offers plenty of scope for various combinations of passengers and cargo. It’s comfortable, practical and drives well. Plus, with the Scion xB, Nissan Cube and Kia Soul coming from the East, the time of the box is nigh. The Flex is flung by a 262-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6; it comes with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive; and starts at $28,295.

Fresh from winning the 2009 Green Car of the Year is Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI with its Clean Diesel technology. If ever there was a car for the times, this could be it. This sedan (or wagon) is compact yet sturdy, thrifty yet nifty, and there are no pesky hybrid-related batteries to worry about at the end of the car’s life. Emissions-wise, it gets a clean enough bill of health to be legal in all 50 states. Fuel consumption is rated at 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, and it starts at $21,990.

More contenders after the jump...

Nelly’s phat Phord Phlex

Escalades and Navigators are soooooo Bush-era. Hip hip-hop types are turning to a newer, less thirsty machine -- the Ford Flex. Here’s rapper Nelly taking the wraps off a present from the Blue Oval as he celebrates his birthday in Las Vegas. The company’s newest crossover first caught his eye last July when it was on display at a Ford-sponsored event in Atlanta.

“When I saw it, I said, ‘Yo, that’s hot. How can I get one of those?’” Nelly said. “I thought it was a real unique vehicle.” Later that night, Nelly shared this excitement with his friend, DJ Funkmaster Flex, who has a customized Flex. “When Nelly reached out on wanting a custom Flex of his own,” said Flex (the DJ), “I knew it was going to be on and poppin’.”

“I’m a premiere stuntastic stuntman,” said the now 34-year-old Nelly. “When it comes to cars, I’m inclined to go overboard. I wanted to really turn the vehicle into mine. You can do so much with it. I think that’s the best thing about it.”

Some of the things Nelly put into the mix are the Ford/Microsoft Sync infotainment system and a CIM LIIV WiFi setup, which enables passengers to enjoy web surfing, online games, e-mail, downloaded movies, music and live television. That’s one sick whip.

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Ford

Chrysler's EVs extend their range for a short tour of SoCal

Considering that Chrysler has been in a bit of funk since splitting from Daimler, it's good to report that the company has thrown itself into its work as a way of getting over the breakup. It has developed not one but three electric vehicles with ranges of 150 to 200 miles per charge. There's a car for each of the brands under the corporate umbrella. There's the family-friendly Chrysler Town & Country EV, the off-roading Jeep Wrangler EV and a Dodge EV sports car. It's no coincidence that front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive are also represented here.

And Southern Californians get to see them. Not just at the upcoming LA Auto Show, but in more relaxed settings this weekend (Nov. 15 and 16). It all kicks off Saturday morning, from 7 to 9 a.m., at the popular classic-car gathering "Cars and Coffee" at 1 Premier Place, Irvine, 92618 (in the parking lot of the Ford Design Center). Then it's on to the Huntington Beach Dodge dealership, 1655 Beach Boulevard, Huntington Beach, 92647, from noon to 3 p.m. On Sunday, the vehicles be at Big Valley Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, 6110 Van Nuys Boulevard, Van Nuys, 91401, noon to 3 p.m.

At each venue, Chrysler EV tech types will be available to answer questions and provide more information. The company is making a special effort here because it recognizes California as an important market, especially where "green" issues are concerned. So far, these are described as "production intent" vehicles, making this weekend a chance to glimpse into the future or see what might have been.

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Chrysler

Ford Fusion hybrid leads NASCAR (kind of)

Until now, the Ford Fusion has been a perfectly pleasant sedan in that rather forgettable Camry/Accord way, but come Sunday (Nov. 16) at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, that could all change. A hybrid version of the 2010 Fusion is going to be the initial pace car at a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

This will be the first time a hybrid has received such an honor. It'll be easy to spot -- a car covered in a green leaf graphic should be enough of a giveaway.

The race is the season-ending Ford 400, and although the Fusion hybrid can travel at speeds of up to 47 mph just with its electric motor, the NASCAR rolling start will require the car's regular internal-combustion engine to kick in as well. Then again, it can go for 700 miles between pit stops (Ford is claiming 38 mpg in the city). Once the green flag has dropped, a non-hybrid 2010 Fusion Sport will take over pace car duties.

Angelenos will get a chance to see both flavors of Fusion at the L.A. Auto Show, where the hybrid version is one of five finalists being considered as 2009 Green Car of the Year. The winner will be announced at the show. The 2010 Fusion hybrid goes on sale in spring 2009.

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Ford

Modified for higher horsepower and mileage -- VW Passat CC

The Specialist Equipment Market Assn. trade show, known as SEMA, takes place about this time every year in Las Vegas. It’s an event where the after-market reigns supreme. This time around there are the usual silly creations like a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow hot rod and 30-inch wheels for Hummers, but Volkswagen has come up with a concept that embraces the changing times as well as the spirit of the show.

It’s this, the VW Performance CC, based on the company’s Passat CC. Sure it has 20-inch wheels, an after-market sport suspension, uprated brakes, a stainless steel exhaust, pinstriping, black chrome exterior accents and custom black leather seats. Under the hood is an after-market turbo system, bringing the 2.0-liter engine’s output to 311 horsepower and 313 pound-feet of torque in Full Power mode.

Nothing remarkable for SEMA. But here’s the twist -- in Eco mode, VW claims that the Performance CC returns fuel consumption figures of 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. That compares to 19/28 for a stock 2.0T CC. According to VW, even Performance Mode does better than the factory effort.

This concept was designed by the Volkswagen Design Center in Southern California, with assistance from turbo specialists APR, seat suppliers Recaro, H&R Suspension and Brembo brakes.

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Volkswagen

Twinkle, twinkle little car

Forty years of making fast cars and now doing better than General Motors. At close of business on October 31, GM’s share price was 5.79. Compare that with 15.01 for Mattel, maker of Hot Wheels. Yes, Hot Wheels started in 1968 (hasn’t the time flown by?) and has also reached another major landmark -- its four billionth car.

This is it -- a 1:64-scale die-cast model known as the Custom Otto, adorned here with $140,000-worth of diamonds, 18k gold and white gold. And in a fitting celebration of a 40th anniversary, the taillights are rubies. There are nearly 3,000 round brilliant and baguette cut diamonds with a total weight of 22.94 carats. If this wasn’t enough, there’s also a custom-built presentation case with 40 bezel-set diamonds in a “Hot Wheels 40th Anniversary” logo and a rotating base on which the car rests, plus an LED display in the case that shows images of the car’s production.

The design and setting was done by Jason of Beverly Hills. This company has a roster of high-bling clients, such as Missy Elliot, Jessica Alba, LeBron James and Princess Latifa Al Saud (who, despite her name, is not a rapper but a real princess from Saudi Arabia).

Toys are for kids, right? So the good news is that this one-off creation went under Bonhams’ hammer at a recent auction hosted by the Petersen Automotive Museum. It went for $50,000 (over twice the amount of some pre-auction estimates), the proceeds going to a children’s charity -- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. But the chances are that it won’t be zooming down an orange plastic track any time soon.

-- Colin Ryan

Photo: Mattel

Rock, rides and GAS

The auto industry is alive, well and rocking in Van Nuys. Galpin, the world’s most successful Ford dealership (according to Galpin) held a party Saturday night at its Roscoe Boulevard HQ. At least 2,000 people showed up to celebrate Galpin Auto Sports, one of the shiniest jewels in the company's crown. The bar was sponsored by Absolut, the event was catered by Wolfgang Puck, and the entertainment came from rapper Xzibit plus a rock supergroup, Camp Freddy.

This motley crew included guitar hero Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction and a spell with the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and drummer Matt Sorum (of Velvet Revolver, and formerly of Guns ’n’ Roses), with guest spots by Macy Gray, Cypress Hill, Ozzy Osbourne and Slash (pictured below with Galpin Auto Sports President Beau Boekmann).

Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) is the vehicle customization facility that capitalizes on the success of the MTV series "Pimp My Ride," in which GAS oversees all the various remodeling, personalization and, well, pimpin’. In its showroom was a relatively understated Jaguar XK convertible with baby-blue carbon fiber trim and matching oversized wheels, but there also were more outlandish creations, including some from the godfathers of the Kustom Kulture scene: Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, George Barris and Von Dutch.

Singing road's encore

As if there weren’t already enough funny noises coming from the underbelly of your car, starting today, you can again hear the "William Tell" overture when you drive over a strip of road in Lancaster.

The city’s first strip of singing pavement was constructed for a Honda ad in September. It used strategically placed grooves -- similar to rumble strips on highways -- spaced so that a series of pitches resembling Rossini's famous composition played when a car drove over the road. But neighbors complained about the strange noises and the crazy behavior of the people driving in the area. So Lancaster covered over the grooves after 18 days, rather than 18 months as originally planned.

The city vowed to construct a new road, and Mayor R. Rex Parris said that corporate sponsors were jockeying to pay for it. But the new road, on Avenue G between 30th and 40th West, doesn’t have a sponsor’s name on it. That’s because Honda didn’t want another company’s name on the road they pioneered, said Bob Green, interim director for Lancaster’s Parks, Recreation and Arts Department. Sponsors will instead pay for special events and programs having to do with the road, he said.

The new singing pavement won’t cause the same problems as it did before, he said, because it’s on a three-lane road in a less residential area. “There are no houses nearby,” he said. “And it actually sounds much better than it did previously anyway.”

-- Alana Semuels

Photo: Steve Bao

Big weekend for Southland car shows and events

If you're a car guy or gal, or just an enthusiastic wanna-be, your choices for automotive entertainment in the greater L.A. area this weekend are vast. There are major shows, including a huge custom and classic car gathering, an over-the-top alternative fuel show and a truly snobby collector's concours. There's even a special show for those who happen to be obsessed with the Wankel engine. So support your local car geeks and have a great weekend!

2008 AltCar Expo
Friday - Saturday
10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica
Free admission.

AltCar Expo will feature a prototype Chevrolet Volt, which recently made its debut in Detroit. Many other alternative-fuel cars from Honda and Ford will be featured along with hybrids; plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; hydrogen fuel cell cars; natural gas autos; scooters; electric motorcycles; bicycles and other vehicles powered by propane, biodiesel and ethanol. Several low-speed, freeway-capable vehicles will be available for public "ride-and-drives" and immediate purchase. (Full disclosure: The L.A. Times is a sponsor of the event.)

26th Annual Newport Beach Concours d'Elegance
St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point
Saturday - Sunday
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
General admission: $60, $50

On Saturday, auto enthusiasts can start the day with a private collection tour -- some collections previously on display include those of Jay Leno, Gen. William Lyon and four-time Le Mans winner Jim Busby. On Saturday night, a 1920s-themed event will take place at Signature Flight Services on the tarmac at John Wayne Airport. There will be dining, music, dancing and a live auction along with '20s-era automobiles and aircraft for viewing. On Sunday, at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, the Concours d'Elegance cars will be displayed. Proceeds benefit Hoag Hospital and Assessment and Treatment Services Center.