Go Paintless

ExxonMobil gave $16 million to 43 ideological groups between 1998 and 2005 to mislead the public about global warming, says the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Its tactics were based on those used by tobacco companies, spreading uncertainty by misrepresenting peer-reviewed scientific studies or emphasizing only selected facts, according to UCS strategy and policy director, Alden Meyer.

Despite all the hype, small cars still represent a small portion of the U. S. car market. The segment dominated by Japanese compacts and subcompacts will see few new entries for the new model year. As gasoline prices moderate, so has consumer interest in these vehicles.

As contract negotiations near, Ford CEO Alan Mulally is meeting weekly with UAW president Ron Gettelfinger. Mulally said "painful negotiations" will be needed from the UAW, and Ford must become competitive in wages, benefits, work rules, flexible manufacturing and plant capacity to compete against foreign rivals.

The primary purpose of portable navigation systems is to provide driving directions, but manufacturers are adding other features such as audio, video, photography and language guides. Most of the enhancements are for entertainment, supplementing AM/FM radios and CD players.

The IIHS, an influential nonprofit group funded by insurance companies, wants to reduce the cost of claims and is a potent force in motivating manufacturers to build safer cars. After test crashes at their Video Research Center, the Institute airs slow-motion crash videos on national news and uses their web site to publish crash test ratings.

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is trying to abate fears of a GM takeover by saying there is no plan to buy a stake in GM as a condition of the alliance proposal. Talk of a possible 30% control of GM stock that would allow Mr. Ghosn and Kirk Kerkorian to effectively take control of the company had raised concerns in the Detroit automotive world.

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