Tuner Special: Loder1899 Ford Focus

ODELZHAUSEN, Germany — Bavarian car conceptualist Loder1899 has been tuning cars since the turn of the 19th century, and lately has specialized in the Ford lineup. This includes cars in the extended family, including the modest Loder1899 version of the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the menacing Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Loder's latest styling kit includes a sporty ground effects package for the recently redesigned 165-horsepower Ford Focus. It is available on all of the three- and five-door versions except the ST and gives the ride a meaner stance with the addition of a front spoiler, rear diffuser, rear hatch spoiler and side skirts as well as a lowering kit. Five-spoke wheels complete the look and are offered in 17-20-inch variants. An upgraded chip and sport exhaust system are available for the 2.0 diesel version, which ups the output of this compact machine by 30 hp.


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Portable Global Positioning Systems are among the fastest selling car accessories today. They also happen to make you a target. GPS theft continues to rise.

Because these often-expensive portable devices are impossible to trace, they've become popular among thieves, who can easily sell them on the street. GPS devices have been stolen from ambulances and FBI cars, so don't think for a minute yours is safe.

Here are a few tips that can help keep your GPS in your possession,

Hide the goods Most reported thefts are from people who left their GPS mount and system in plain sight, so it's important to hide both pieces in your trunk or glove compartment when you get out of the car. You might also want to keep other gadgets, like iPods, out of sight to keep thieves at bay.



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'Green' Cars Boost Thai Auto Industry

April 2, 2008 -- Incentives from the Thai government to encourage automakers to produce fuel-efficient "eco-cars" have yielded a raft of major investments and started to change how Thais drive, experts say. Tax breaks for automakers and car buyers were unveiled last year, as the government worried that Thailand's position as the world's biggest maker of light pickups might not be enough to guarantee the future of its auto industry. The kingdom churns out 900,000 one-ton trucks every year -- about three-fourths of global output.

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Car firms suffer double-digit falls in US sales

Workers in the US car industry are facing a summer of factory shutdowns, overtime restrictions and additional lay-offs as the worsening economy sends vehicle sales into a sharp decline.

Figures from all the major car makers yesterday showed sales in March were down in double-digit percentages compared with a year ago, and industry executives said 2008 is on course to be the US's worst year for sales in 15 years.

"I'd like to be able to tell you the worst is behind us but I can't really say that," Ford's marketing chief, Jim Farley, told investors, as the company revealed a 14 per cent slide in sales of cars and light trucks. General Motors said its monthly sales had collapsed by 19 per cent, while Toyota revealed a 10 per cent decline.

Worse for the industry, the most expensive – and therefore the most profitable – vehicles, such as SUVs, are being deserted by customers in favour of cheaper, more fuel-efficient models.


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Wilson Electronics is introducing at the CTIA Wireless 2008 show in Las Vegas the latest in its industry-leading line of cellular signal improvement products: the SignalBoost(TM) Mini-Amp Kit. Designed for use in cars, trucks, RVs, and other vehicles, this plug-and-play kit reduces dropped calls, extends signal range, and increases data rates for all Cellular and PCS carriers. It supports multiple cell phones and cellular data cards simultaneously, installs in minutes and can be moved easily between vehicles.

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Stanley pins hopes on eco-car project

Thai Stanley Electric Plc has pinned its hopes on the eco-car project, which will involve total production of 700,000 units per year. The listed Thai-Japanese manufacturer of automotive bulbs, lighting equipment and moulds and dies, currently supplies products to many vehicle and motorcycle producers. They include Honda, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Ford and Mazda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Cagiva.

''So far, we have not yet started talking with the seven eco-car makers even though some of them are our existing customers,'' said executive vice-president Apichart Lee-issaranukul.

However, the factory in Pathum Thani has ample capacity to support new car production of 200,000 units per year.

The Board of Investment has approved eco-car promotional privileges for six global manufacturers: Honda, Nissan, Suzuki Mitsubishi, Toyota and Tata.


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Hertz Rent a Car Completes Acquisition of Franchise Locations in Czech Republic and Slovakia

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HTZ - News) announced that its Hertz Rent a Car (RAC) brand in Europe has acquired the vehicle rental businesses of its franchise partner Rentex Autopujcovna a.s. in the Czech Republic and of Rentex's subsidiary Car Solutions s.r.o. in Slovakia. The move provides Hertz, the leading general use car rental brand, with a strong corporate foothold in Central and Eastern Europe.

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