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BMW’s fight to protect its X5 SUV from being cloned and sold at retail by Chinese manufacturer Shuanghuan has taken a strong step forward. A decision in Munich regional court today banned the sale of the copycat car, vindicating BMW’s long-standing belief that it has a legal right to protect the design of its vehicles from such imitation.

The model in question, which Shuanghuan calls the CEO, is clearly modelled after the BMW X5, though there are some styling differences. Despite the legal battle, however, Shuanghuan had been selling the CEO throughout Europe, including Germany. That is now done with, though an appeal of the decision is likely.

Copying others all in a day’s work in China
While the adage may hold that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, copying the iconic design of a vehicle that has required investment of several billion dollars in research and development will only end in heartache and legal troubles. Nevertheless, many of China’s automakers engage in the practice on a daily basis. BYD, Shuanghuan and Lifan are just three of the more notorious imitators, copying the Mercedes CLK, Toyota Rav-4 (in addition to the X5) and Mini Cooper respectively.

Shuanghuan also sells the Toyota Rav-4 copy throughout Europe, but unlike BMW, Toyota has decided to let the market sort the matter out. The Japanese car giant thinks its product is so much better that despite the similar appearance, no consumers will mistake one for the other nor purchase the Chinese clone as an alternative.

Cloning not always so straightforward
Stealing the design of some of the world’s most successful cars does ensure the basic appearance of the many clones will be generally acceptable, though the Chinese often attempt to combine different cars, resulting in a blend of looks that is often jarring when taken from different angles.

Take, for example, the BYD F8. At the front, the car is almost pure Mercedes CLK. From the rear, however, the car strongly resembles the Renault Megane. While each car is quite attractive in its own right, the elements of their styling are designed as part of a whole package. BYD’s Frankenstein creation lacks both the fluidity and consistency of design of either of the originals, finding a way to become less than the sum of its parts.

Low prices, legal repercussions drive the fear of substitution
With the low quality, blatant copying and often counterproductive attempts at minor adjustments to the cars’ styling, pricing well below their originals is often the only way the clones can hope to sell. The Shuanghuan CEO, for instance, sells at roughly half the price of the BMW X5 in Germany, starting at €25,900 ($41,900) compared to the BMW’s entry level X5, which starts at €52,500 ($86,100). Such a substantial savings for a similar-appearing product could conceivable persuade some consumers to purchase the CEO.

This severe undercutting on price may not be the only thing worrying carmakers like BMW about the cloning practice. Because the companies are global, and their actions in one car market can affect their legal rights in another, the actions against the copying carmakers could merely be a prophylactic  measure to preserve their rights to the design in the event of a more complete and accurate copy.

Failure to prosecute a known infringement, such as the CEO, could amount to a waiver of rights to protest other infringements of the design or its elements in some countries. That could lead to a nightmare scenario of third-party companies creating unlicensed conversions, body kits and other products that could seriously impact BMWs image. Preventing that from happening - as far-fetched as it may seem - is likely at the root of the German carmaker’s vigorous pursuit of the poorly-made clones.

Scientists who are dedicated to finding better ways to increase fuel efficiency might have undergone several brainstorming sessions to find the ways to add on to the fuel efficiency. The latest technique which we have come across is hypermiling, which is a method of improving gas mileage and fuel efficiency by altering driving habits.

Hypermiling is mostly applied to hybrid vehicle drivers who apply some techniques. These methods include maintenance of your car which includes oil changes and check on the tire pressure. Another technique includes using cruise control or overdrive whenever you can. You can also keep a check on the fuel efficiency by keeping your speed down and your windows closed.

That was the general methods used by the hybrid vehicle drivers. Now let us come to the special technique of hypermiling which is known as the “pulse and glide” technique. It is a trick that can be used with hybrids to minimize ICE waste. The whole idea is to optimize the acceleration as to reach the optimal threshold of the hybrid engine. At this instance, some vehicles will glide in electric only mode.

To enjoy the gliding experience, first you need to accelerate up to 40. While accelerating, make sure that you don’t accelerate too quickly nor you should use energy from the battery. Then start the gliding, which is the point where you are not taking any energy from the engine at all!

A word of caution for the drivers trying the pulse and glide trick. This techniques is strictly prohibited in high traffic or high speed areas. Not only is it dangerous, but it will be infuriating to your fellow drivers. So don’t do it. Also, if you are in a rush, this may be frustrating.

Just as it appeared that winter was finally drawing to close here in Michigan, one of the definitive summertime cars turned up on our doorstep — the Mazda MX-5 Miata . Somewhere back in the middle part of the last century, small, lightweight, roadsters flourished with a variety of models available from mostly British manufacturers. Names like MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey and Lotus defined the genre. Unfortunately, a number of factors such as random intermittent windshield wipers, intermittent headlights, intermittent ignition, persistent oil leaks and predisposition for the bodies to convert to iron oxide soured the reputation of these and other car builders. This was followed by the consolidation of the most of the British car industry into British Leyland and then the onset of safety and emissions regulations. By 1980, the classic British sports car had become all but extinct.

Then a strange thing happened. Mazda, always had a reputation as being slightly offbeat (witness its dedication to the Wankel rotary, which exists to this day) introduced a new model dubbed the MX-5 Miata . This compact, rear-drive two-seat roadster bore a strong resemblance to a ’60s vintage Lotus Elan. However, unlike the Elan and its compatriots, the Miata started every time you turned the key, didn’t leave you drenched when it rained, and didn’t leave puddles of oil on your garage floor. In other words, it was a classic British sports car that worked like a modern Japanese car. Read on after the jump to find out how the latest incarnation fares.

In another new advance for the Crown Hybrid, Toyota will be equipping the car with three noise canceling speakers in an effort to ensure maximum quietness in its cabins.

Called the “active noise control” system, it detects noise via three microphones and generates anti-phase signals to counter it. The system can reduce noise by 5 to 8dB, according to the company.

The Crown Hybrid uses the same hybrid engine system as Toyota’s high-end Lexus GS but generates more noise due to the tuning for better milage. The noise cancellation system is Toyota’s high-tech solution to achieve a similar level of quiet as its luxurious cousin.

The system is in constant operation, sending out its anti-phase signals through two speakers on the front doors plus a woofer in the rear. It even continues to function while music is playing.

TTAC’s Deep Throat and I have been talking about GM’s decline and fall for well over two years. My man’s mantra: “follow the cash burn.” And so we have, through foreign misadventures, asset fire sales, union payoffs, supplier bailouts and more. We’ve watched GM CEO Rick Wagoner mortgage the American automaker’s future to conflate the company’s bottom line— to little avail. Throughout this firestorm, we’ve wondered how the automotive and financial press could miss the simple fact that GM’s been taking in less than it spends for a long, long time. And now, suddenly, they’ve noticed. And now the end is near. Here’s how DT sees it going down…In February 2006, The General halved its dividend to .25 a share. At the time, GM claimed it made the move “to support its ongoing turnaround plan, particularly in its North American business, to reduce costs and business risks, and to further enhance its financial flexibility.” Two years later, GM’s spending $3b a year on interest payments, burning through a reported $1b per month and contemplating borrowing $10b to bolster its liquidity. In short, the dividend is doomed.

Today’s GM’s stock price: $13.79. According to DT, when the dividend disappears, the share price will fall through the floor. The elimination of GM’s dividend will have an enormous psychological impact— none of it good. Talk of a GM bankruptcy will erupt once again, driving institutional investors away from GM stock and scaring-off potential customers.

Meanwhile, ResCap, the mortgage arm of GMAC Financial, is headed for bankruptcy. GM will not have enough financial muscle (i.e. money) to rescue the lender. Co-owners Cerberus have already declared their refusal to throw good money after bad. What with all the bad news– June sales are going to be nothing less than horrific– the banks will refuse lend GM cash within their existing credit facilities. There won’t even be ten-foot pole marks on additional large-scale loan applications.

DT surmises that when ResCap goes Tango Uniform, GMAC will follow. Without GMAC as a lender of choice for GM dealerships, the automaker’s stores will find it nearly impossible to offer accessible, low-interest loans. GM’s sales will spiral even lower, even faster. And then…

DT reckons GM will file for bankruptcy protections well before it runs out of cash in North America. When I pressed him on a time line, he estimated it could be within the next three months if sales don’t recover from June. GM’s highly-touted, Hail Mary overseas operations won’t be included in the Chapter 11. Like Delphi, the filing will only cover U.S. ops (GM corporate and GMNA).

The day GM files for Chapter 11, they’ll unleash an extensive advertising and PR assault. The huge (and hugely expensive) campaign will assure customers, dealers and suppliers that the automaker’s business will continue. The offensive (in all senses of the word) will blame GM’s collapse—sorry, “restructuring” on rising gas prices, the general economy malaise, imports, etc. Customers will thrill to the revelation that all GM warranties will still be in force on existing and new cars.

DT says GM will immediately seek– and receive– Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) financing. How many billions they’ll Hoover-up to keep the lights on is anybody’s guess. Congressional hearings? Of course. Federal loan guarantees? You betcha. Strings attached? Plenty.

After six to nine months, GM as we know it will be dead. Under new leadership (one can only hope), the company will carry-out the brand restructuring that was due even before GM went nuts and bought Saab and HUMMER. Buick, Pontiac, Saab (in North America), Saturn and GMC will all be axed. DT has no doubts about what will happen on the sharp end: “dealers get fucked without recourse.” Only Chevrolet and Cadillac will remain in business.

Meanwhile, despite their political influence, the United Auto Workers will not be happy; the Mother of All Health Care VEBAs will not be funded. Period. The union will have to make do with what they have. DT figures the rest of the OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) also face a grim, under-funded future.

DT and I have discussed GM’s post-C11 prospects at length. We both agree that bankruptcy will not stop General Motors from selling plenty of cars. Everything sells at a price, and the deals will be nothing less than astounding. But bankruptcy will definitely cut into GM’s volume. That’s the multi-billion dollar question: how much will Chapter 11 hurt GM’s sales from a “normalized” level?

Make no mistake: GM’s bankruptcy is going to hurt a LOT of people. But not, DT says, one smart cookie: Kirk Kerkorian. Captain Kirk will lend Ford the money it needs to stay solvent. FoMoCo’s stock price will soar on news of a GM C11. To the victor belongs the spoils. The rest is, as always, collateral damage.

Conversion of water into gas is one of the most possible solutions to reduce the fuel costs. Thanks to Internet in which numerous websites provide methods to cut the fuel costs.Visit some of the popular websites such as You Tube which have a large stock of videos. Search for the water gas conversion methods by typing the key words “water for fuel” or “water gas”. The site will then enlist a number of videos illustrating step by step the methods of water gas conversion.

In the videos, you could see how many people have actually invented hydrogen engines, or engines that produce hydroxy. The end result is a cleaner and more powerful source of energy which can produce 3 times more power than petroleum. They also have a cleaner waste product, that is, water. Well, this technique seems to be an effective solution to the world’s global energy crisis.

The backing reason why we appreciate water gas conversion kits for cars is the mere abundance of water in Earth and the fact that they are easily recyclable. On the contrary, day by day the amount of fossil fuels in Earth is declining because of their alarming use. Not to mention that they are non-renewable sources of energy.

The most common forms of hydrogen fueled solutions that have been found out till date. One is the fuel cell which completely burns up the hydrogen with
There are 3 known forms of hydrogen fueled solutions today. First there is the fuel cell that oxygen from the atmosphere in the Fuel Cells. The end product is oxygen and water vapor. Both which are not green house gases.

Another solution is Brown’s gas, which is made from water and produced through electrolysis. It is a perfect fuel for running these vehicles as it produces more energy than petroleum and the end results in water.

If the water gas conversion methods come to practice effectively, this may even diminish the automotive business and may also reduce a huge part of the market share of the oil companies.

Hot on the tail of the Honda CR-Z Hybrid, Nissan is preparing their own hybrid coupe to go head-to-head with its rival. The front-wheel-drive, hybrid sports car will be built on a modified “B” platform and will offer an aggressive coupe appearance with a wide stance — a look popular in Europe, its primary market. To keep weight at a minimum, Nissan will likely utilize aluminum body panels. For improved aerodynamics, the new coupe may be fitted with flat bottom panels (a trick used on the Nissan GT-R). With engine details sketchy, most anticipate the powerplant to be a four-cylinder 1.5-liter HR15DE, coupled to an electric motor and power would be sent to the front wheels through a six-speed DSG transmission. We don’t expect to see the new Nissan, or the Honda for that matter, in showrooms before early 2010.

[Source: 7tune]