| Volkswagen Profit Falls on Job Cuts; Raises MAN Stake (Update8) | | Posted Tuesday, October 31, 2006 2:46:21 AM by Blog57 Team | | Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Volkswagen AG, Europe's largest carmaker, said profit fell for the first time in five quarters on costs to cut jobs in Germany and a one-time pension payment. Third-quarter net income fell 92 percent to 23 million euros ($29 million), or 6 cents a share, from 273 million euros, or 71 cents, a year earlier, Chief Financial Officer Hans Dieter Poetsch said today. Sales rose 7.1 percent to 25.1 billion euros. ``They have created a solid basis for further growth with the restructuring,'' said Pia Hellbach, an analyst at Kepler Equities in Frankfurt, who has a ``hold'' recommendation on the stock. Chief Executive Officer Bernd Pischetsrieder said in February he would cut as many as 20,000 jobs, and last month won an agreement to extend the workweek for no extra pay in return for investment guarantees and the pension contribution.... | |
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| | | Audi R10 TDI Also Wins 'Petit Le Mans' | | Posted Sunday, October 08, 2006 2:46:08 AM by Blog57 Team | | For the first time, a diesel- powered sportscar has won the American Endurance classic "Petit Le Mans". With their victory at Road Atlanta, Audi prematurely clinched the Manufacturers' Championship in the LM P1 "top class" of the American Le Mans Series having already won the Drivers' and Teams' titles. The new Audi R10 TDI remains unbeaten in the seventh race of its debut season, having now won the third most important Endurance race of the year after the 12 Hours of Sebring in March and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Audi triumphed at Road Atlanta despite its gasoline-powered LM P1 prototype competitors being allowed to race with 143 pounds less weight making them faster than the two R10 TDI prototypes. The key to success was the reliability of the revolutionary diesel sportscar which ran throughout the 1000 miles without the slightest technical problem.... | |
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| | | The Racer s (and Registrar s) Best Friend | | Posted Thursday, September 14, 2006 10:46:08 PM by Blog57 Team | | We take for granted the role technology plays in our normal lives these days. In racing, the bastion for all things new, pioneering, and brutally efficient, we expect the pinnacle of technology to be developed, used, and cast aside for the next wave of innovations. Or at least thats how we hope it would be. At the pro racing level, and more so at the club racing level, gaps in the rollout of technological or software aides for competitors have been filled by a variety of companies and products, but at Infineon Raceway last weekend, one of the most simplistic but hey, why didnt I think of that tools was deployed for the first time. Partnering with www.Motorsportreg.com for free event registration for their members, the San Francisco Region of the SCCA, the largest SCCA region in the country at nearly 5000 members, took the bold step by embracing something new, but that something new is a no-brainer.... | |
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| | | Audi RS 4: Awesome run, not great for leisure trips | | Posted Saturday, September 09, 2006 12:46:12 PM by Blog57 Team | | Note to self: Do not take the Audi RS 4 on leisure trips. Take the other car, and you -- or your significant other -- should have an ''other'' car. The bugger stranded me in Orlando when one of its sleek, 19-inch low-profile tires blew. So, change the tire, right? Wrongo. No spare -- that's too heavy, I suppose. Or maybe it hampers the front-to-rear weight ratio for the RS 4's precision handling. Oh, but you do get a repair kit -- not much of a solution on a major highway, at midnight, with monster rigs roaring past. Couple of other traveling thoughts: Expect to keep conversation to a minimum -- or loud -- while blazing the highway. Plenty of wind and road noise on this little racer. And, watch that power-window button, strangely situated smack on the armrest so down comes the window when you plop your arm down.... | |
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| | | An Early-90's MTV VJ Gracelessly Transitions Into Life as a ... | | Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 12:46:01 PM by Blog57 Team | | Word up, boy-eee! Was that a funky-fresh jam by my girl Celine D., or what? And she's looking foiyyyne lately. Man, do I wanna sex her up. Ay-ight! We're taking requests for all your straight-up wicked-dope adult-contemporary songs. Jane from Wilmington, you're on "The Morning Glory Show." Turn down your radio, Jane, I'm hearing some wiggidy-wack feedback. That's better, cool beans. Whassup, chica? Sure, "Lonely No More" always gives me the warm fuzzies, too. In fact, we're giving away a couple of sweet tix for Rob Thomas's concert on Saturday to the 69th caller. You know, Johnny, I think it's really immature of us to choose the number 69. Not! Is that gonna be a kickin' RT concert or what? Hit the phones, 'cuz you'd be straight trippin' to pass this up.... | |
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| | | Cruising for trouble | | Posted Monday, August 14, 2006 2:46:36 AM by Blog57 Team | | Maggie Sanchez learned to her dismay that state troopers are going after "license cheaters," those Clark County residents who license their cars in other states, costing Washington millions in lost tax and fee revenues. The price of failing to register her car in her new home state: $1,639 in fines if she strikes out in her hearing to contest the charge. Michael McDermott's lesson was even more painful. He ended up owing about $4,000 dollars in back taxes and fees after leasing a silver 2004 Audi in Oregon and using his former Portland address on the paperwork even though he was living in Camas. He also got a criminal record, convicted on a guilty plea of vehicle license fraud, a gross misdemeanor, according to District Court documents. For the past two years, a pair of Washington State Patrol troopers and a handful of unpaid volunteers have achieved some successes fighting an uphill battle against license cheaters.... | |
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| | | Brazil's Varig to Fire 9,500 Workers, Re-Hire 1,680 (Update3) | | Posted Sunday, July 23, 2006 12:45:42 PM by Blog57 Team | | July 21 (Bloomberg) -- Varig, the Brazilian airline emerging from bankruptcy protection, plans to fire 9,500 workers and immediately re-hire 1,680 of them as part of its reorganization plan, the carrier's unions said. Gelson Fochesato, vice president of Brazil's Federation of Airline workers, said the unions struck an agreement with Varig's new owner, its former air cargo unit Varig Logistica SA, that would help preserve jobs after the carrier's assets were bought from bankruptcy yesterday. Jose Carlos Mattos, a Varig Log spokesman, declined to comment its workforce plans. ``The idea is to immediately re-hire some workers for the new company that's being formed, and gradually re-hire others as the company expands its services over the next months,'' Fochesato said in a telephone interview from Sao Paulo.... | |
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| | | Under the consumer radar | | Posted Saturday, July 22, 2006 2:46:02 AM by Blog57 Team | | With more than 350 models available, most of us purchase a car based on driving needs, price, recommendations and image. With so many options out there, its easy to pass over a few models. Often auto manufacturers decide not to advertise one model and promote other more popular models. Most Tahoe-Truckee locals are looking for vehicles that vary from national market trends. In the last year, Ive had opportunity to either drive or research more than 50 new AWD cars. There are a few excellent models cruising under the local radar screen. All of these cars are worth taking considering before you consider purchasing your next vehicle. Volkswagen Touareg The VW Touareg might be the most misunderstood vehicle of the group mostly because of the name. Sales would be double if the car was called a VW Sierra, Alpine, or XR 90.... | |
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| | | Audi dominates early running. | | Posted Friday, June 30, 2006 4:46:12 PM by Blog57 Team | | Henri Pescarolo's dreams of taking the fight to Audi in the early laps of the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours disappeared in a silver cloud as Allan McNish and Frank Biela asserted their dominance. After successfully defending their front row lockout on the opening tour of the 8.45-mile Le Mans circuit McNish and Biela set about pulling away from the two French Pescarolo-Judd's at a rate of more than one second per lap with not even the early intervention of the safety car enough to peg them in. With Emmanuel Collard choosing to pit the #16 Pescarolo just as the race returned to green flag running following the safety car intervention it was left to Frank Montagny to chase the two Audis, which were busy putting on a great show at the head of the field. Biela passed McNish coming out of Arnage at the three-quarter hour mark only to have the Scotsman re-pass him on their in-lap before their first scheduled pitstops.... | |
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