Variance

Well! I shall say good day to you, sir!

You know there's a problem when Mercedes calls something unreliable.

-Variance August 3, 2007 Due to there being nothing new to write about, this month there won't be a Registry Rundown. This tends to happen as we gathered from the last edition. Hopefully, there will be something for the September edition. Thanks for understanding.

Ninety-Eight, sorry to hear about your horrible experience and thanks for your concern/warning. Don't worry though, I'm not considering this just to get a casual piece of ass. I want something much more meaningful than that. I wish I was one of those guys that can be just out an about and all of a sudden meet their dream girl sitting at a coffee shop or something.

Short of it: Bored, pining for significant other, little luck finding someone myself, thinking of trying online personal sites. Any experience?

-Variance July 5, 2007 Welcome to C&G’s Registry Rundown, a monthly (at least it’s supposed to be...) Feature Article rife with information and speculation. Here, yours truly will be reporting on the goings on within the records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, bringing you the newest trademark applications made by auto manufacturers. Newly filed applications, ones published for opposition, finalized/fully registered and killed trademarks will all be covered. Here’s a quick explanation of each level of trademark registry, from the least to most likely to be seen used on a production product or concept car: Dead: This is the official USPTO term for a trademark that will not go through (or any further through) the registration process. Trademarks can die because an automaker gives up and/or just decides not to use it or because the trademark is opposed by another party. It is unlikely these will see use on any final product. Filed: These are applications that have just been filed with the USPTO and have otherwise not been published for opposition (the next step in the registry process). Most filed trademarks stay at this level and are sometimes made just so other companies cannot use them. What this means is just because an automaker has filed a trademark does not mean they will necessarily use it. Published for Opposition: This is the next step in the registry process in which the applicant makes the trademark available for other companies to object to or, oppose. There is a published of opposition date given (the date I’ll be providing). If no one opposes within 30 days or opposition of the trademark fails, the application goes to the final stage of the registration process. Publishing an application for opposition speaks well to an applicant’s intent of using the name or symbol. Registered: Applications/names here have been finalized and approved for a manufacturer to do with as they will. These are the trademarks you will most likely see publicly used. This month I’ll be doing a spring rewind for the things I missed in previous months along with the new entries for the current month. April: There’s only one filing for what would’ve been part of the RR for April and that’s the Ford E-100 (3/22). Maybe changing the name of the European Ford Transit being bought stateside? May: Nothing. June: DaimlerChrysler (back when it still was DaimlerChrysler) filed Eco-Start (5/11) with the PTO. Must be something to make starting the engine of their coming hybrid cars sound more “green”. Ford seems to have a whole bunch of “Grabber” (5/8) stuff in the works since they filed that name for a numerous amount of vehicle accessories. Honda seems interested in bringing one of their overseas offerings to America: the HR-V (5/1). The HR-V is the name of a now discontinued mini-SUV sold in Japan. It has now been replaced by the Crossroad which you may recall as being the Autoblog mystery vehicle spotted in America some months back. July: Toyota, continuing their tradition of using European-style names as possible future vehicle names has filed Vaquero (6/25) which is Spanish for ‘Cowboy”. All I have to say is if Toyota ever comes out with a truck with a name that means “cowboy” attached to it, they will officially be trying way too hard. Lincoln, Lincoln, I’ve been thinking: what the hell have you been drinking? What the f*** guys, MKTouring (6/21)? Out your ears are your brains pouring? Korean automaker Hyundai is apparently going to take some versatile steps with its Entourage minivan with the seating nomenclature “Flexclass” (6/19) in the files. Three guesses who is considering naming one of their future vehicles “Liberator” (6/28). Oh, Chrysler...you and your lust for testosterone-filled, macho-sounding, hyper-patriotic names. The whole of spring was a complete dud for this section. BMW had the only two publishings for opposition for the past four months. The first was F3 (6/19). The “F” prefix denotes BMW’s upcoming series of luxury people-carriers (think Mercedes R-Class). The second PO is “Reperfection”, which if I had to guess, is a tagline for CPO BMWs. Totally lacking obnoxiousness, isn’t it? As it turns out, the automakers didn’t become any less lazy than they were four months ago when it comes to this section. Nothing new to report. Looking back, it doesn’t seem like we missed much, Nevertheless, I’ll do my damnedest to make time to bring you the next installment of the Registry Rundown in a timely manner. Thanks for reading.

I'm sorry, what?

Official Pics: VW Tiguan After teasing a few weeks ago with photos of the new Tiguan undergoing final testing in Africa, sans badges, Volkswagen has now given us official photos of the production model. The world at large will get to see the new crossover in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but in the meantime you can enjoy a high-res gallery right here. Autoblog

If you seriously think calling someone any of those is as bad as referring to anyone using an ethnic/racial slur, you have serious problems. And that's all I'm going to say about this because subjects like this always piss me off. Just a suggestion: To keep threads from degenerating like this use the "report" button or PM a mod to let them handle it. [End of tangent.]

The iPhone is ridiculously overpriced, IMO.

Motor Trend: Infiniti G37 vs. BMW 335i The king is dead. NICO Forums

Toyota slows delevopment process to preserve reputation Worried about slipping quality, Toyota is slowing down its product development. Toyota Motor Corp. will build more prototype vehicles, hire more engineers and spend more money in an effort to ensure that quality doesn't slip. The company also will take more time between project approval and production of the first salable vehicle. For several years, Toyota has taken pride in reducing vehicle development time and adopting time-saving innovations such as virtual prototypes. But those measures have lowered the quality of Toyota vehicles, engineers and executives acknowledge. "We were missing our internal targets," said Bob Carter, Toyota Division general manager. "We need to push that quality envelope." Autoweek

Spied: 2009 Honda Ridgeline Honda's Ridgeline pickup truck is due for an update, and spy photos prove that an overhaul is on the way. A new front-end design consists of a new grille and a revised front bumper, which looks similar to an early prototype of the next-generation Honda Pilot. Edmunds

Spied: 2008 Porsche Boxster MCE More images of the 2008 Porsche Boxster have turned up, this time with the car undergoing performance testing at Germany’s Nurburgring track. Like the facelifted 911, which is due to hit the market by the end of the year, Porsche’s new Boxster is only expected to get a few minor changes to its exterior. New additions to the ’08 model include a revised front bumper with LED daytime running lights and more circular air intakes. The headlights too, which feature some camouflaging tape, are also likely to come in for a change, as will the rear bumper. The final change is the new taillights, which also gets the LED treatment. Click ahead to see more images of the new Boxster from our friends at AutoGespot. No word on any power upgrades for the new model, but expect a minor jump in power and possibly some revisions to the transmission lineup. Next in line for an update is the hard-top Cayman, which will most likely receive the same styling enhancements as the new Boxster. Motor Authority

Reviews: 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe Combining speed, handling prowess and a well-appointed luxury interior, the 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe is likely to win even more fans than it already has. Edmunds --- In the end, the G37 is still a fun-to-drive coupe with some attitude: it’s just that what’s there has been toned down quite a bit from the last model. While that’s bad for us hard-core enthusiasts, the extra refinement is a big improvement for those who have to live with the car everyday, whether sitting in traffic or cruising on the freeway. It’s not the quirky, jittery, manic machine the G35 was, but the Force is definitely with the G37. Car and Driver

Review: 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid The 2008 Highlander Hybrid is an exceptionally versatile package that allows you to haul the kids and their lanky pals in happy comfort without experiencing unnecessary gas pump trauma. It's always quiet and hassle-free, just like the neighbor's kid (not your own), and its green-friendly powertrain takes some of the guilt out of the constant motorized errands that are part of raising a young family. It's comfortable and useful without being so precious that you're afraid of parking it somewhere a rogue supermarket cart might find you. You might even be able to cancel that summer math tutor if you can get the kids involved in running fuel-economy calculations. Maybe things would have turned out differently for schizophrenic Sybil if her mother had driven a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Edmunds

Don't act like you don't love it, S-10 man.

Just picked it up today. Vital stats: *2001 Nissan Maxima SE *222hp VQ30DE-K *Automatic *Icelandic Pearl/Frost *50,868 miles

You people would still be grasping at Chevy straws if it weren't for me.

Spied: 2008 BMW 6-Series Looks like the 2008 BMW 6 Series is getting some exterior updates. Well, actually it doesn't look like it's getting some updates, but when you examine these pictures very closely there are some subtle changes to this 6 Series test mule that indicate a midcycle refresh. The front air dam has a slightly different shape around the fog lights while the rear end is sporting a slightly revised fascia as well. We didn’t catch any interior shots, but we're guessing the 6 Series will get the same shifter first introduced in the X5 along with some minor trim changes. Look for the 2008 BMW 6 Series in dealers by the end of this year. Edmunds

Scion Contemplates New Segments Scion will step up its efforts to attract young customers, with products in additional segments and a streamlined purchasing process, reports Scion Corporate Manager Steve Haag. Haag refused to name which segments Scion is considering, but he acknowledged the company's intentions to expand its product range. "It is the only thing that makes sense," he said. "Youth want lots of different products." But considering young buyers' price sensitivity, segments such as high-performance sports cars are off-limits, Haag added. Scion is also examining Toyota's line of Daihatsu-developed home-market microcars for possible importation to the U.S. "Daihatsu has a lot of products that could fit," he said. Such small cars appeal to young buyers, but have great difficulty passing U.S. crash tests, so it may not be practical to bring one of those models here, he continued. A hybrid would also be ideal for Scion customers. "Youth love hybrids," Haag said. "It would be a natural for us to consider those things." But for the foreseeable future, the added cost of having both gas and electric drivetrains makes the notion of a hybrid Scion unlikely. "At some point when Toyota can get the cost in line, we would do that," Haag said. Among affordable, compact segments, a compact SUV or pickup are other possibilities. Young buyers love pickups and the FJ Cruiser, Haag said, but Toyota already has those customers and doesn't need Scion to reach out to them. "Our job is to appeal to a buyer who wouldn't buy the Toyota brand," he explained. Scion can improve its pitch to customers with its current products by improving the buying process. The company already has simplified pricing, which appeals to young buyers, but once they arrive at the dealer the process can become time-consuming and contentious in the financing and insurance (F&I) part of the deal, which is where many dealers make much of their profit. "Customers have said that they would like for us to make the buying process a lot quicker," Haag said. "Anything you can do to make the F&I process faster is good. That is where we see some dissatisfaction from buyers." What this means to you: Scion knows young buyers have little brand loyalty, so the company is continuing to develop new products and improve its relationship with buyers to keep fickle shoppers happy. Edmunds

1996 Buick LeSabre Custom.

May 2007 Sales: Audi of America AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Audi of America, Inc. announced today record sales for the month of May. Audi sold 8,788 vehicles during the month, a 23.4% increase over last year’s figures. It was the highest-selling month so far in 2007 and the luxury brand's seventh straight month of year-over-year gains. To date, Audi has sold 37,922 vehicles in 2007, a 17.0% increase over the previous year. Dealers reported strong response to the newly-launched Audi TT models and sales increases for the A4/S4 Cabriolet and Avant models. The Audi Q7 also continued its strong sales performance selling 1,958 units. “The recent introduction of the all-new 2008 TT Coupe and Roadster, along with our new marketing campaign, has put Audi on more customers’ lists,” said Johan de Nysschen, Executive Vice President of Audi of America, Inc. “The high-profile nature of our 2008 R8 sports car, A5 and S5 coupes, and TT models have brought a lot of attention to the brand. We intend to capitalize on this to make 2007 our best sales year ever in America.” Dealers reported strong consumer response across the country, but notable floor traffic and sales increases were in the East and Midwest regions. Several key markets saw drastic increases in sales in May. Boston (+37.3%), New York (+35.6%), Philadelphia (+28.9%), Cleveland (+57.8%), Cincinnati (+38.5%), and Chicago (+20.8%) had some of the largest increases for the month. Audi also set a new Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) sales record in May. CPO sales were up 15.9% with 2,356 vehicles delivered. CPO sales for the year are also up 7.0% over last year’s total with 10,611 sales. Audi’s history in America dates to 1969, when the brand was first introduced to the U.S. market. Today, a network of over 260 Audi dealers currently offers a line of premium vehicles that include the Audi A3 compact; the sporty A4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models; the high performance S4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models; the high-revving RS 4 sports sedan; the design-leading A6 sedan and Avant; the all-new Audi Q7 performance SUV; the all-aluminum Audi A8; the new V10-powered S6 and S8 performance sedans; and the all-new 2008 TT Coupe and Roadster models. AUDI OF AMERICA, INC. MAY 2007 SALES AUDI US SNAPSHOT --------YEAR TO DATE------ May-07 May-06 Yr/Yr % May-07 May-06 Yr/Yr % Actual Actual change YTD YTD change actual actual A3 770 809 -4.8 % 2,920 3,902 -25.2 % TT 473 81 584.0 % 1,157 436 165.4 % A4/S4/RS 4 3,274 3,582 -8.6 % 14,208 15,025 -5.4 % A4/S4 Cabriolet 785 707 11.0 % 3,779 3,206 17.9 % A6/S6 1,189 1,597 -25.5 % 4,919 7,639 -35.6 % A8/S8 339 344 -1.5 % 1,626 2,208 26.4 % Q7 1,958 - - 9,313 - - Total 8,788 7,120 23.4 % 37,922 32,416 17.0 % [source: Audi of America]

May 2007 Sales: Volkswagen of America AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced May 2007 sales of 22,325 vehicles, an increase of one percent over May 2006 unit sales of 22,100. May 2007 reflects the best sales month ever for the retractable hardtop convertible Eos, and the best Rabbit sales month since re-launch in June 2006. For the Volkswagen brand overall, May 2007 represents the highest monthly sales volume since September 2006. Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com Link w/sales data: http://media.vw.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=10152 [source: Volkswagen of America]

May 2007 Sales: BMW Group WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The BMW Group in the U. S. (BMW and MINI brands combined) reports strong demand for its vehicles in May, with sales of 30,819 vehicles, up 8.7 percent over the 28,360 vehicles sold in the same month of 2006. The BMW Group also reports an increase of 4.2 percent in year-to-date sales, for 134,944 vehicles over the 129,511 vehicles reported in May 2006. BMW Brand Sales Increase in May Sales of BMW brand vehicles rose 8.1 percent in May for a total of 26,689 compared to 24,688 reported in the same month a year ago. BMW brand sales are up 5.6 percent year-to-date, as the company reports sales of 119,359 vehicles compared to 113,041 vehicles sold in first five months of 2006. BMW Automobile Sales BMW's automobile sales are up 9 percent in May to 21,421 versus 19,645 in the same month a year ago. Year-to-date sales also are up 6.1 percent, to 93,328 automobiles compared to 87,956 in the same period of 2006. BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Sales Sales of BMW Sports Activity Vehicles are up 4.5 percent in May to 5,268 vehicles over the 5,043 sold last May. Year-to-date, sales of BMW Sports Activity Vehicles also increased by 3.8 percent, to 26,031 vehicles compared to the 25,085 sold in the same period of 2006. Certified Pre-Owned BMW Certified Pre-Owned reports its best sales month ever in May 2007 with 8,468 CPO vehicles sold versus 8,259 vehicles reported last May, an increase of 2.5 percent. Year-to-date, CPO sales are down 5.5 percent, to 34,844 over the 36,889 reported in the same period in 2006. MINI Brand MINI Automobiles MINI USA reports May sales of 4,130 automobiles, up 12.5 percent from the 3,672 cars sold in May 2006. Year-to-date, the division reports sales of 15,585 automobiles, down 5.4 percent, compared to the 16,470 cars reported in the first five months of 2006. BMW Group In America BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 models and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 81 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. BMW Car Sales Report for May 2007 2007 2006 May 21,421 19,645 Year-to-Date 93,328 87,956 Model Year-to- Year-to- May Date May Date 2007 2007 2006 2006 325i (E90 & E46) 269 1,066 4,376 21,290 325Ci (E46) 3 29 285 1,447 325Ci Convertible (E46) 5 36 533 2,064 325i Sports Wagon (E91) 0 0 0 4 325xi (E90 & E46) 16 55 1,220 7,005 325xi Sports Wagon (E90 & E46) 15 36 217 1,037 328i (E90) 4,296 21,017 0 0 328i Coupe (E92) 775 4,547 0 0 328i Convertible (E93) 1,789 4,042 0 0 328i Sports Wagon (E91) 116 670 0 0 328xi (E90) 1,842 9,569 0 0 328xi Coupe (E92) 464 2,544 0 0 328xi Sports Wagon (E91) 163 782 0 0 330i (E90 & E46) 64 259 2,061 7,632 330Ci (E46) 1 5 144 840 330Ci Convertible (E46) 6 23 517 2,150 330xi (E90 & E46) 2 20 1,042 4,546 335i (E90) 1,587 7,627 0 0 335i Coupe (E92) 934 4,420 0 0 335i Convertible (E93) 1,084 2,642 0 0 335xi (E90) 493 853 0 0 M3 (E46) 3 6 316 1,133 M3 Convertible (E46) 3 15 154 647 3 Series 13,930 60,263 10,865 49,795 Z4 2.5i Roadster (E85) - US 5 60 41 262 Z4 3.0i Roadster (E85) - US 465 1,847 692 1,811 Z4 Roadster 3.0si (E85) - US 272 1,004 393 934 Z4 M Roadster (E85) - US 46 189 126 425 Z4 Coupe 3.0si (E86) - US 71 336 1 1 Z4 M Coupe (E86) - US 66 306 6 6 Z4 925 3,742 1,259 3,439 525i (E60) 56 3,236 1,157 5,317 525xi (E60) 124 1,657 425 2,386 528i (E60) 1,136 1,677 0 0 528xi (E60) 460 731 0 0 530i (E60) 79 3,429 1,290 5,189 530xi (E60) 299 2,759 846 3,853 530xi Sports Wagon (E60) 38 394 178 1,178 535i (E60) 837 1,308 0 0 535xi (E60) 577 977 0 0 535xi Sports Wagon (E60) 99 147 0 0 545i (E60) 0 0 0 6 550i (E60) 531 2,150 670 3,011 M5 (E60) 195 685 272 1,696 5 Series 4,431 19,150 4,838 22,636 645Ci (E63) 0 0 0 21 650i Coupe (E63) 187 779 261 1,217 645Ci Convertible (E64) 0 0 0 16 650i Convertible (E64) 521 1,779 623 2,486 M6 (E63) 90 451 200 258 M6 Convertible (E64) 160 672 0 0 6 Series 958 3,681 1,084 3,998 ALPINA B7 31 146 0 0 745Li (E65) 0 0 0 0 750i (E65) 242 1,445 416 1,881 750Li (E66) 892 4,827 1,155 6,021 760i (E66) 0 0 2 23 760Li (E65) 12 74 25 161 7 Series 1,177 6,492 1,598 8,086 Z8 0 0 1 2 Z8 Alpina 0 0 0 0 Z8 0 0 1 2 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle (light trucks) Sales Report for May 2007 2007 2006 May 5,268 5,043 Year-to-Date 26,031 25,085 Model Year-to- Year-to- May Date May Date 2007 2007 2006 2006 X3 2.5i (E83) 1 3 13 169 X3 3.0i (E83) 55 277 2,868 13,351 X3 3.0si (E83) 2,354 11,111 0 0 X3 2,410 11,391 2,881 13,520 X5 3.0i (E53) - US 40 133 1,554 8,577 X5 3.0si (E70) - US 1,764 9,460 0 0 X5 4.4i (E53) - US 31 101 539 2,553 X5 4.8i (E70) - US 1,023 4,938 0 0 X5 4.8is (E53) - US 0 8 69 435 X5 2,858 14,640 2,162 11,565 MINI Sales Report for May 2007 2007 2006 May 4,130 3,672 Year-to-Date 15,585 16,470 Model Year-to- Year-to- May Date May Date 2007 2007 2006 2006 MINI Cooper (R50) 18 1,778 1,073 4,746 MINI Cooper (R56) 1,542 4,447 0 0 MINI Cooper S (R53) 14 1,567 1,393 7,031 MINI Cooper S (R56) 1,690 4,726 0 0 MINI Cooper Convertible 392 1,290 388 1,474 MINI Cooper S Convertible 474 1,749 818 3,219 MINI Cooper S JCW GP 0 28 0 0 Total MINI 4,130 15,585 3,672 16,470 [source: BMW Group]