Smart Bows New Model on the Beach

It's a strange way to give the world a first glimpse of a new car, but then smart has always been a bit different. Carved out of sand at a German beach volleyball tournament, this is the next generation smart fortwo. It's the work of Pavel Zasanyok, the three-time world sculpting champion. It clearly shows the revised front end of the car, and the slightly more pronounced hood that's designed to meet U.S. crash safety regulations.

Zasanyok used special sand to build the smart, and completed it in less than a week. The two-seater will make its debut in the metal on 9 November in Europe, and is due on sale there early in 2007. It will hit American showrooms the following year.-Richard Yarrow

Find out more on smart's U.S. debut

Peugeot Epure Concept Now, 207 Later

This is a thinly disguised version of Peugeot's 207 CC and it will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show later this month.

The car is officially called the 207 Epure concept, and is also a demonstrator for Peugeot Citroen Group's new experimental hydrogen fuel cell. Producing 20kW of power and with a lithium ion battery, the 2+2 machine has a range of more than 200 miles, can hit 60 mph in 15 seconds and go on to a top speed of 81 mph. The hydrogen cylinders are stored under the trunk floor, allowing space for the folding metal hard top and some cargo.

While no one is expecting a hydrogen-powered 207 CC when the production version arrives in European showrooms next summer, it does hint at where Peugeot's eco-future lies. A range of gasoline and diesel engines will be offered, though the concept's interior - finished entirely in white leather - is unlikely to become a reality.-Richard Yarrow

UAW Nixes DC Healthcare Cuts

The United Auto Workers has decided against make making any healthcare concessions to DaimlerChrysler AG. DaimlerChrysler had asked the UAW for concessions similar to that its members had ratified last year at Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. The concessions would have required active Chrysler workers to give up a pay raise due this month while retirees would have had to pay a larger portion of their annual healthcare costs. Initially, the UAW, despite opposition from Chrysler employees and local union leaders, agreed to study the proposal and brought in the same group of advisers that had studied the healthcare problems at General Motors and Ford.

Local union leaders had told TheCarConnection they had more than enough support to block any concessions.
"I'm sure (DaimlerChrysler's management) would like anything they can get but I think they also recognize theirs is a different situation at DaimlerChrysler than at Ford and General Motors," UAW president Ron Gettelfinger said.

The Chrysler Group disclosed in July that it expects to lose $300 million during the third quarter.-Joe Szczesny

Clinton Gets Mariner Hybrid

The next time you see an SUV passing by the local gas pumps and making a beeline for McDonald's, you might be right to assume that it's former president Bill Clinton's Secret Service detail on the move. On Thursday, Ford showed off Clinton's staff's new wheels-a new Mercury Mariner hybrid the company is donating to his protection detail. Clinton apparently has a nonprofit called the Clinton Climate Initiative which focuses "on American cities' energy use and greenhouse gas emissions." Clinton will accept the gift formally on Sept. 20 in New York at a global conference for his nonprofit.

From TCConfidential

Good News in No News?

We've watched the "mainstream media"-that's not us, folks-go nutso over rising gas prices, but do they ever report falling prices? No, that would be good news.

Anecdote in point: today my wife paid $2.39 in a Detroit suburb to fill her tank. One month ago, I was paying $3.19 on a trip through Indiana to Kentucky. That's a drop of 80 cents, or 25 percent-a huge amount however you figure it. Yeah, it's not quite apples and oranges because it isn't at the same stations. And of course, not too long ago, a gas gallon price of $2.39 would have caused heart attacks.

But that's beside the point. Gas prices have plummeted, maybe not everywhere, but one has to think this is the end of summer madness. Will it breathe new life into the SUV market? Doubtful, because of the "once burned" theory.

Just thought you'd like to know that you can count on TheCarConnection to bring you the news, good or bad, affecting the automobile.-Mike Davis

FROM THE SOURCE headlines from the latest press releases

How Many Miles to the US Open? For Lexus and Tennis Stars: 101,730

Hemi.com Gets More Power

Name	Symbol	Last	Change
Autobytel, Inc.	ABTL	2.55	-0.09 (-3.41%)
Autoliv Inc.	ALV	55.29	-1.32 (-2.33%)
AutoNation Inc.	AN	19.27	-0.03 (-0.16%)
ArvinMeritor Inc.	ARM	14.52	-0.14 (-0.95%)
American Axle & Mfr. Holdings Inc.	AXL	16.25	+0.08 (+0.49%)
Ballard Power Systems Inc.	BLDP	5.94	-0.07 (-1.16%)
BorgWarner Inc.	BWA	54.99	-1.07 (-1.91%)
Cummins Inc.	CMI	113.78	-0.82 (-0.72%)
DaimlerChrysler AG (ADR)	DCX	51.27	-0.66 (-1.27%)
Dura Automotive Systems	DRRA	0.43	+0.01 (+1.65%)
Eaton Corporation	ETN	65.90	-0.99 (-1.48%)
Ford Motor Company	F	8.58	+0.03 (+0.35%)
General Motors Corporation	GM	31.49	+0.32 (+1.03%)
Gentex Corporation	GNTX	14.28	-0.38 (-2.59%)
Goodyear Tire & Rubber	GT	13.97	+0.02 (+0.14%)
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR)	HMC	33.30	-0.62 (-1.83%)
Johnson Controls Inc.	JCI	69.37	-0.42 (-0.60%)
Lear Corporation	LEA	20.29	-0.01 (-0.05%)
Magna International Inc.	MGA	70.71	-0.56 (-0.79%)
Motorola Inc.	MOT	23.04	+0.33 (+1.45%)
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR)	NSANY	22.50	-0.30 (-1.32%)
Sonic Automotive Inc.	SAH	21.73	-0.01 (-0.05%)
Siemens AG	SI	83.86	-0.75 (-0.89%)
Sirius Satellite Radio	SIRI	4.03	-0.05 (-1.23%)
Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR)	TM	106.16	-1.18 (-1.10%)
TRW Automotive Holdings	TRW	23.40	-0.57 (-2.38%)
Tower Automotive Inc.	TWRAQ.PK	0.0735	-0.0005 (-0.68%)
United Auto Group Inc.	UAG	21.55	+0.34 (+1.60%)
Visteon Corporation	VC	8.99	-0.04 (-0.44%)
XM Satellite Radio Hold.	XMSR	11.95	-0.37 (-3.00%)