Prius C - game changer?

It may be premature to call the 2012 Toyota Prius C the best thing since pre-sliced bagels, but it may just be The Little Car That Could.

For starters, priced at about $20,000.00, it’s the lowest-priced and first truly affordable gas-electric hybrid. Its official mileage in the city is 2.8L/100 K, or 53 mpg to those who still don’t get metric. Since the Honda Civic hybrid lawsuit in the U.S., we’re skittish on official mileage figures, but this seems promising.

Is Toyota the only car-maker who has figured out something that others are missing? There’s a whole generation of car buyers out there who are not exactly in love with the traditional internal combustion engine – they’re not romantically attached to muscle cars or overpowered Italian designer buggies. The charmingly named Generation Y cut their teeth on the three “R’s” – reduce, reuse, recycle. To a lot of them, the internal combustion engine is a planet killer.

For the first time in generations, rites of manhood do not include a driver’s license – but rather, an iPhone. According to a Deloitte LLP survey “the smartphone has replaced the car as the ultimate mobile device.” So Gen Y wants 1. an affordable car 2. that doesn’t pollute and 3. they can plug their phone into.

Enter the Prius C. The base model comes standard with a 3.5 inch information screen, Bluetooth, automatic climate control plus USB and iPod connectivity, features that you don’t usually find in a $20,000 car.

Sold in Japan as the Aqua, Toyota allegedly received about 120,000 orders for it between the December 26 release date and January 31, or about 10 times its monthly sales target.

Not everyone is impressed with the Prius C. It’s been derisively referred to as a hybrid Yaris, underpowered and sluggish, and plasticky inside. Some kvetch that the base model doesn’t come with heated seats. Others complain that it doesn’t look enough like a Prius!

The fact is, the same Deloitte LLP study found that 57 percent of Gen Y prefer a hybrid-gasoline car. There are currently 80 million Gen Y in the U.S. – the biggest consumer group since the Baby Boomers. The Boomers fell in love with horsepower happy cars like Mustangs, Hummers and exotic rocketcars. If the auto industry wants to survive, they better start pandering to Gen Y – they’re going to be the game-changers.

I drive like a tour bus driver

Boston is 60 per cent landfill, and its 50-acre green space, the Boston Common, was the first park in the United States. The hallowed ground of Fenway Park, its baseball stadium, is the oldest Major League baseball stadium still in use. And the term "hooker" originated in Boston, after a general who liked to make sure his soldiers were really looked after.

This and other fascinating facts about Boston are relayed on a daily basis by Ed, the Boston tour bus driver, while he is simultaneously driving and dodging Boston traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians as well as carrying on conversations with the passengers. Boston is not exactly the easiest town for driving, let alone driving a honking big bus, conducting a tour, chatting with passengers and occasionally filling out tour tickets.

There are 21 stops on this tour that traverse Boston’s famously tangled streets, where intersections have no right angles, and traffic lights operate with whimsy. It is a glorious city for walking, as the scenery is picturesque and peppered with quaint buildings. Walkers can take in the country’s first walking tour, the Freedom Trail, and discover 16 historical sites over two or three hours, covering about 150 years of American history. Of course, this is best done in the spring and not in February, when cold and snow can hamper your enjoyment of Americana.

But traffic could be worse. Before the aptly named “Big Dig”, which cost about $22 billion, there was an elevated central artery that was hastily constructed as a way to ease congestion. After all, when Boston was built in the 1700s, the roads were designed for livestock, not four-wheeled vehicles. In the 1960s, plans began for an underground expressway to be built under the elevated highway – while the highway was still in business. Traffic now moves over a bridge and through four underground lanes. It only took four decades.

But back to Ed. He stops the bus abruptly for a jaywalker, and shares his theories on pesky pedestrians. He doesn't think that Boston's one dollar fine for jaywalking is enough, and believes that instead of being ticketed, police should confiscate jaywalkers' shoes for at least an hour. While in police custody, the shoes would be coded – so that at the next offence, police would know to hang on to the shoes for TWO hours.

That’s almost as delicious as the clam chowder at Legal Seafoods.

Just in time for Valentine's Day

Starting this month, Cupid himself is livening up the commute on Boston’s T subway system. That’s right - if a sexy straphanger catches the eye of a lovelorn passenger, they can just snap a pic with their smartphone and post it to the BostonTcrush website. And maybe eventually connect with the object of their affection for future adventures.

Brought to Boston by the folks behind London’s TubeCrush and New York’s SubwayCrush, the pics are shared on the website complete with date, name of the route, and a snappy write-up.

Naturally this one was dreamed up by the Brits, who always seem to have the good ideas first. Once you start surfing the site, it’s hard to stop. We like this entry:

  

"Every inch of this guy is hot – look at him!  Tall, dark, and handsome is personified in its best form before our very eyes. From his preppy, fluffy hair down to his penny loafers, this guy is perfection."

Anyone can go in and rate the dreamboats with a thumbs up or thumbs down. It started when a bunch of friends were watching a British TV show where women rated men based on their looks. One of the women whipped out her smartphone with a pic of a hottie she’d spied on the London tube – and TubeCrush was born.

So far, only men are being targeted with Cupid’s smartphone, which is fine by us. If anyone wants to have their photo removed, they just need to ask. There are very strict rules on privacy included in the FAQ . The next steps are to eventually post women’s photos and also develop a means for the photographers and the photographees to connect.

Folks can interact with the site using Twitter or Facebook -- which just goes to show there are all kinds of ways transit and social media can co-exist in a happy partnership.

This is just a marvelous way of making commuting a little more fun and upping the happy quotient for taking the subway. People might even want to take the subterranean way, regardless of how crowded and noisy it is. We just hope this concept doesn't fall into the hands of that devillish Mayor Ford, who might use it to push his own questionable subway agenda. But then - wouldn’t it be lovely if this came to Toronto? Can you imagine?

It takes a woman ...

A cold hard rain pounded Mary Anderson (pictured, left) and a blustery gale whipped her skirt as she boarded a New York streetcar on a bitter, sleety day in November, 1903. She shook her overcoat and settled into her seat, but an icy breeze wrapped itself around her ankles. Mary looked to the front of the car and saw the shivering driver had his window open. In fact, he was looking out the window as he drove, since the pelting rain had completely obscured his windshield.

It only took Mary a couple of months to invent a contraption that consisted of a lever with a rubber blade, that could move across the windshield to clean it. And that was the forerunner of today’s windshield wiper.

But women weren’t just finding solutions to dirty windshields. In 1923, the U.S. Women’s Bureau Bulletin No. 28 listed 345 inventions by women – and half were related to automobiles. Another 25 related to traffic signals, turn indicators, a carburetor, clutch mechanism, electric engine starter and starting mechanism.

So how did the car industry develop a reputation for being male-dominated? In the early 1900s, women seemed to be all over it. In 1917, Charlotte Bridgwood refined the windshield wiper into an electrically driven system that used rollers instead of blades. This eventually evolved into the automatic windshield wipers that are standard equipment on cars all over the world.

Charlotte’s daughter, Florence Lawrence went on to become a film star and an auto enthusiast who once said, “A car to me is something that is almost human, something that responds to kindness, understanding and care, just as people do.”

Florence carried on her mother’s work, since the automobile could stand some improvements. She placed an arm on the rear fender which could be activated to ascend or descend by push-buttons located by the driver’s seat – so drivers could signal their intention to turn right or left. Florence also created a mechanism that indicated a full stop, activated by stepping on the footbrake.

As early as 1916, the Girl Scouts had an “automobiling badge” for which girls had to demonstrate driving skill, auto mechanics and first aid skills.

Have we been going backwards? Helene Rother was a French jewellery designer who fled the Nazis in 1942 and came to America. She was the first woman to work as an automotive designer, as a staff member of the interior styling team of General Motors in Detroit. In 1947, Helene opened her own design studio, specializing in design for automotive interiors.

So when were the terms “chick car” and “lady driver” coined, and how did they come by their derogatory meaning? Why are women deemed to be outsiders in the car world? Even Henry Ford – although he did not approve of married women working outside the home – considered his female employees on a par with their male counterparts, and made a point of paying them the same as men. How rare is that these days?

Sadly, these days, woman auto mechanics are still a novelty. And that would not be welcome knowledge to Wilma Russey, who in 1915, became the first woman to work as a taxi driver in New York – and was known to be an expert mechanic.

Let's play "Car Dealer"!

Cue music – theme from Jaws
Fade in to scene:


A large and airy car showroom. The floors and walls are blindingly white. Brightly coloured, shiny cars are scattered around like gleaming candy. Seth Rogen, complete with geeky spectacles, stumbles in and looks around him in wonder.

On the side, a shadow fills a doorway and Charlie Sheen steps into view. He is wearing a loud checkered suit and has slicked back hair.

Sheen (in a booming voice): Can I help you!

Rogen (timidly): I’d like to buy a car? I need something practical – my wife just told me she’s pregnant.

Sheen wraps his arm around Rogen’s shoulders.

Sheen: It’s your lucky day! Just got in a brand new Ferrari – you can drive it away for only $100,000!

Yes, we exaggerate, but this is the picture painted by many car consumers. Dealers are portrayed as “sharks”, who want to make a quick sale – and will do anything to sell a car. Car buyers say it’s like stepping into a boxing ring. But what do the car dealers have to say about it? After all, there are two sides to every story.

Cue music – theme from Psycho
Fade in to scene:


A small and tidy car showroom. The floors and walls are clean but could use a little paint.  Cars in all colours of the rainbow are neatly arranged by size and shape to make best use of the space.

At the front entrance, a shadow fills the doorway. John Malkovich strides in, looking at his watch.

Malkovich (impatiently): Hey! Anyone home? I’m looking for some service.

Ryan Reynolds runs in, wearing a shabby shirt and tie, and towelling off his hands.

Reynolds: Yes, sir. I was just cleaning up the garage. How can I help you?

Malkovich: I want a car. It has to be sexy and reliable. I have three kids and they all have to sit separately. Plus a dog and a mother-in-law. And it has to be good on gas with new tires and a set of snows. Oh, and I can only spend $1,500.

Far-fetched? Well, car consumers can be guilty of expecting the impossible – and they don’t do their homework. Before anyone sets foot in a dealership, they should do a reality check on their budget and research some viable options.

Really, there’s no need for the car buying process to be adversarial. Ontario (and other provinces) has a Motor Vehicle Dealer Act that sets out the rules for car dealers. The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC)  administers the Act and ensures compliance. Car buyers can find protection, assistance and information through resources like Car Help Canada as well as Consumer Reports, the Lemon-Aid books, and a host of weekly car sections in all of Canada’s major media.

And you might even be able to find a Ferrari for under $20,000 if you look around the internet. It’s the car consumer’s best friend. Both Sir Frances Bacon and the official Google blog say, “Knowledge is power.” Use it … wisely.

Hitler's Jewish car connections

This adorable little Jewish girl unknowingly lent her moniker to a car prized by one of history’s most despicable despots – Adolf Hitler.

Yes, that little girl’s name was Mercedes, and her grandfather was ironically also named Adolf - Jellinek. However, grandfather Adolf/Aaron Jellinek was a highly respected Austrian rabbi and scholar. Mercedes’ father, Emil Jellinek, must have caused his father some grief in the early days – he dropped out of several schools, was a practical joker, and got booted from a railway job for wrangling train races at night.

All of which would make him a seemingly perfect candidate for the car industry. These days, Emil would likely be driving a Koenigsegg and dating Kim Kardashian. Back then, he became a diplomat and dallied in the insurance business and stock market, where he made a lot of money and picked up a penchant for fast cars. By then Emil had married and his darling Mercedes had been born. Since he was partying with the rich and famous, it was only natural for Emil to start selling cars to his wealthy bon vivants. Stationed in France, on the Riviera, the only stumbling block to Emil’s burgeoning car sales was the distaste his French clientele had for the Germanic name Daimler. And so he anointed the car with his beloved daughter’s name – and the rest is history.

One can’t help but wonder if Hitler would have saluted quite so proudly in his 770K Mercedes parade car if he knew the provenance of its name?

He might have felt as he did about the Jew behind the Volkswagen Beetle – a fellow by the name of Josef Ganz. In the 1920s and 1930s, Ganz was a respected engineer who worked for Mercedes and BMW, and schmoozed with the likes of Ferdinand Porsche and Hans Ledwinka, both of whom have been credited with inventing Hitler’s little “people’s car”. Ganz was the editor of a motoring magazine and wrote about the need for an affordable car which could be accessible to everyone. He even called it a “volkswagen”!

A few car companies took interest in Ganz’ ideas and designs and some prototypes were produced. In 1933, a company called Standard Fabrik produced and sold the Standard Superior Volkswagen, debuted at the 1933 Berlin auto show. And that’s where Adolf Hitler saw it. He was a fan of the car - but not of the Jewish Ganz. Once Hitler set the Gestapo on Ganz, it took only a year for poor Josef to flee the country in fear for his life. He spent the rest of his life fighting to get the record straight – it’s a fantastic story, documented in a book recently translated into English “The Thrilling Life of Josef Ganz”.

People’s car, indeed ...

New Year's resolutions for the King 504 streetcar

While it was most thoughtful and kind of the TTC to provide free service on New Year’s Eve, within a few scant hours the Better Way was back to business – and riders were slapped with a ten cent fare hike. 

  

What’s the extra dime for? Apparently, just to maintain the status quo.  We interpret this as meaning some semblance of service. And so here are a few New Year’s resolutions for my good friend, the King 504 streetcar:

I will at least TRY to arrive on time.

I will not arrive in bunches of two or three or more, like a gang of chicks going to the can.

I will not short-turn at the last minute at Gerrard or York Street, especially in the freezing rain or sweltering heat.

I will not pull away from a panicky passenger who has just risked their life by sprinting across a busy intersection. No, I will wait for ALL my passengers to board before I shut my doors – just as many of them wait for moi.

I will avoid being on the road, yet curiously “Not In Service”. That’s just mean.

I will co-operate and play nice with apps such as Rocket Radar and TTC Navigator and not make them look like idiots.

When potential users get sick of waiting for me and decide to walk or take a cab, I will not finally glide by with a smirk on my headlights.

If riders are waiting for a delayed eastbound 504, the westbound 504 will not tease them by arriving just across the street … over and over and over again. And vice versa.

As difficult as it is to admit, I am NOT Harry Potter’s Knight Bus. Muggles can ride, and don’t need to wave a magic wand. Obstacles will not jump out of my way.

If I break any of these resolutions, I will remember that I can be replaced by a ridiculous gondola.