A new report by the Highway Loss Data Institute, an arm of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says that states that enacted bans on using cell phones while driving haven't seen any notable changes in happening reports.

"The laws aren't reducing crashes, even though we know that such laws have reduced hand-held phone use, and several studies have established that phoning while driving increases crash risk," says Adrian Lund, president of both the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and HLDI.

So take from this what you will. Anything that gets drivers to pay more attention to actually driving seems like a win in our book.

Highway Loss Data Institute

Yes, a car that retails for the equivalent of around $2,000 is the hottest car in India. Strangely enough, this applies to rich and poor alike according to a recent report in the Christian Science Monitor.

It quotes a rural farmer titled Satish Kumar who says he doesn't really need a car. "I'm mainly concentrating on using it socially – taking my whole family to weddings and other family functions," he says.

The flip side of the situation is those who already have cars said a local Tata dealer. "We were expecting people to come who were … on two-wheelers, or in lower-model cars. It was a total surprise – people were coming … who have two or three cars, but wanted the Nano just for the intoxicant of having it."

Tata says it wants to sell the Nano in the U.S. after some extensive modifications. Somehow we don't see it getting quite the same reception here.

Christian Science Monitor

GM has released a statement regarding the 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe that was recalled along with a whole bunch of Toyotas last week. GM says that based on its experience, "the Vibe is innocuous to drive," and it received no complaints of unintended acceleration prior to the recall.

Notably, GM says that after the recall it received several complains about sticking throttle pedals from customers. None of the claimed incidents caused any accidents.

Think people might be watching the news just a little too much?

GM

Tesla filed paperwork with the SEC this afternoon for an initial public offering. No date was set, but according to the AP the documents indicate that the company is looking to raise around $100M.

The report also notes some interesting information about Tesla's finances. The paperwork indicates that Tesla has lost $236M since 2003. This is not particularly surprising since Tesla is a start up company in an industry with high costs of entry.

A more curious number comes later when the AP report notes that the company lost $31.5M during the first nine months of 2009. 

That number is notable given that the company sent out a press release in August declaring that it had achieved profitability — for the month of July. Strangely, that press release is no longer listed on Tesla's website. You can read it here if you're curious. If I was a potential investor, I would be.

AP

As proof that car companies no longer make showcars just for giggles, a senior BMW dominance out of Munich has assured Inside Line that the Vision EfficientDynamics plug-in pure hybrid 2+2 concept car rolled out in September at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show is earmarked for production. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Reaction to the 356-horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque plug-in electric (one lithium-polymer battery stack + 2 electric motors) with dedicated lighter weight three-cylinder diesel range-extending engine mounted amidships has been off the charts. Now we're all inactivity for more details and, of course, that sticky price issue.

Our executive source goes on to say that total volume is being debated, but that it will start between 5,000 and 10,000 units. The prototype's powertrain and basic sub-3,000-pound assembly will remain intact, but, says the source, "there will be less of the synthetic glass and more solid structure added to the final design." Uh-oh. We know why these alterations are needed, but does this mean it's going to migrate toward being a sort of sleek Toyota Prius? Let's hope not.

When we asked if this could finally be BMW's second true production supercar after the Giugiaro M1, the response was a firm "quite probably." So maybe our Prius/Honda Insight fears are overreaching. It'd be nice to maintain that 0.22 drag coefficient and the hellacious looks.

IL also learned that the BMW future product engineers are also noodling non-stop with the hybrid drive system in order to make our test of the Vision EfficientDynamics image come this summertime in southern France a real-world high-speed thrill. It should be even quicker than the previously quoted 4.8 seconds to 62 mph.

"And that study that the marketing people forced on us," says our mole, "that's going to change for sure." – Contributor Matt Davis reporting from Portugal.

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics

When he's not telling Nico Rosberg what to do, Michael Schumacher likes to drive the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG through tunnels.

Toyota prefabricated big news when it displayed several eye-catching cars in its booth at the Tokyo Auto Salon a couple weeks ago. These cars were like nothing Toyota has shown before, slick interpretations of future and existing models, which not only looked sporty but supposedly featured significant performance enhancements. These cars wore the G's logo with the words "Toyota G Sports" written underneath.

G's is a new brand from Toyota that will gradually roll out cars in mid-2010, specializing in complete conversions of Toyota's existing products. In a word, G's will be the company's in-house tuning division, providing Toyota fans sporty cars customized to their own tastes. What will separate G's from other OEM tuner divisions like AMG, BMW's M and even the Lexus F cars is the customization angle as customers will be healthy to choose their level of tweaks. The changes to the cars will be applied to the exterior, interior and to the mechanical components, most notably the suspension.

While Toyota now has Modelista, which tunes Toyota cars with subtle body kits and slight performance upgrades, and TRD that mainly supplies performance parts, G's will focus on high-end tuning for street use. Thus, the cars that G's will create will be more expensive that the cars Modelista currently produces.

G's already showed a taste of what it has in mind with the FT-86 presented inside the Toyota booth as the Tokyo Auto Salon. The car was aggressive, captivating and the final product will have significantly more performance than stock.

Joining the FT-86 was a Mark X and Prius, which also showcased G's creativity. Reports are that G's will work closely with both Modelista and TRD to make its cars, the former supplying body kits and design advice, the latter making purely mechanical contributions. The new division will also look to Gazoo Racing, known as Toyota's GT racing division, for assistance as well, especially in the testing department. Gazoo also had a number of noteworthy models at the Tokyo Auto Salon, evidence that Toyota seems deadly serious about turning its image around into one that's sporty and exciting. — reporting by Mak Tokuyama in Japan

Here's a better look at Ken Block's new Ford Fiesta rally car going through tech inspection before the Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta Michigan yesterday. Look carefully and you can see inside the door frame that the car was once red (same thing inside the hatch). We're going to go out on a limb and say that this is the same Olsbergs-built Fiesta which Kenny Brack drove to victory over Travis Pastrana in the X Games last summer. Really, how many of them can there be? 

That video and more after the jump.

Further speculation says it's also the same car (although de-winged and detuned) that Marcus Gronholm drove up Pikes Peak last summer:

Sort of ironic that it's now in Block's hands, huh? Racing started at 2:51 Eastern time today.

It’s opening weekend of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and I’m racing against time and Mother Nature. I’m caught in a snowstorm on Interstate 80, wending my way through a blustery stretch of Utah’s Wasatch National Forest between All That I Love at the Egyptian Theater in Park City and the 6:30 p.m. showing of Hesher an hour north in Ogden.

Out the side windows the darkness is peppered by snow flurries and the halting progress of weekend traffic. Through the windshield is a sea of brakelights as ski-racked Subarus and salt-encrusted 4×4s shuffle down the steep grade of the snow-dusted interstate. A car two lanes over starts into a languid, right hand spin. The driver has locked the brakes and the semi truck a car length behind struggles to refrain contact. My girlfriend in the passenger seat gasps at both the unfolding scene and the possibility of missing a Natalie Portman premiere. My sister, seated behind her and snoring lightly, seems slightly less concerned.

Me? I’m trying to wrap my head around the prospect of seven movies in three days and this thing Honda calls a Crosstour. Does it deserve two thumbs down or a Academy Award nomination? Some thoughts scribbled on the backs of Sundance ticket stubs:

THUMBS UP

* All weather capability: The Crosstour we drove was an all-wheel-drive EX-L/Navigation model, perfect for a weekend trip in a strange city that saw everything from freezing rain on salted roads to a legit snowstorm. Not that the Crosstour knew or even cared; the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) light never came on, even during our slick, downhill descent. Nary a flicker of traction loss was felt through the wheel or seat.
* Great passenger room: I chauffeured as many as four movie nuts throughout the weekend without complaints. In fact, my rear seat passengers raved about the copious leg and hip room — when they weren’t snoring.
* Impressive cargo storage: We managed to stuff a fully loaded snow board bag, a large suitcase and duffel bag, a rollaboard, and two backpacks into the vehicle, with only the smaller side of the 60/40 rear seat folded down.
* Good fuel economy: Over a three-day weekend we managed 20.3 miles per gallon. This included mixed city and highway driving, and a couple of full throttle dashes between Salt Lake City, Park City, and the Sundance Ski resort. Not bad for a fully loaded, AWD crossover, but nowhere near as impressive as MT’s long term Subaru Outback that is averaging upwards of 25 mpg (though it does employ a 4-cylinder, CVT powertrain).

THUMBS DOWN

* Needs more power: Honda’s 3.5 liter, 271 horsepower V-6 is a wonderfully responsive, smooth-revving unit capable of turning in exhilarating performance, but only when stuffed inside the Accord. As an extension of the Accord platform, the Crosstour uses this same engine (and transmission) but in a significantly heavier application. No wonder the engine performance is underwhelming. Sure it possesses enough thrust to get the 4100-pound Crosstour merging without fuss. It even sounds great too. At high rpm it emits a free-revving whir so smooth, you’d never know it has Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management on board (which can deactivate up to three cylinders for better fuel economy). It just isn’t stunning off the line or out of corners. Why not give it the 3.7 liter used in the Acura line?
* Where is the six speed? I’ve asked for this a number of times for the Accord, but it’s even more appropriate for Crosstour. Honda’s five-speed automatic is capable, but not competitive in a world where even entry-level family sedans, SUVs and trucks are moving to six-speed autos.  This is particularly true of a crossover like the Crosstour that targets wealthy, empty nesters. Competitors like the Toyota Venza and Mazda CX-7 have it.
* How about paddle shifters or at least a true manual mode? Like the Accord, the Crosstour handles well and is surprisingly sporty, but that is not the real reason I miss a set of paddles. On that snowy downhill portion of I-80, Honda’s old transmission design had me riding the brakes instead of letting the engine do the braking (which is the safer option when driving in the snow.) Why not just toggle the shifter or pull back on a steering wheel mounted paddle to drop gears sequentially? Because Honda doesn’t offer either option.
* Cargo area covers: The only problem with the Crosstour’s impressive storage space is the plastic and mesh cargo covers that cover it. These sturdy plastic frames just happen to be nearly impossible to stash when you need to place large or unwieldy gear in the back. We managed, but only by calling forth some serious Jenga skills.

What? That’s it? No thumbs down about the styling? No, but notice I didn’t give it a thumbs up either. Here’s why:

The thing looks much better in mortal than it does in any of the press photos you might have seen. About the only good shot of Crosstour in wide circulation is the low profile shot seen on billboard advertisements all over Southern California. Vance managed to replicate it on the snowy streets of Park City — looks pretty good right?

Well, that shot (like all on this page) was taken with a 50mm lens — which is considered a “normal” lens because it replicates the appearance of the human eye. So, if you like the way the Crosstour looks in these photos, that’s good, because that is basically how it looks in person.

Still, it’s not what I’d call a beautiful car. The wide, flat, yet curiously bulbous schnoz kills it for me, though the car does have some good angles. The side view accentuates the sweeping roofline and long greenhouse, which reduces the ungainliness of the posterior. The length between the front and rear wheels offsets the long proboscis.

The rear angle is pretty good too, especially when viewed dead on. That strong shoulder line raises eyebrows and prompts turned heads and pointed fingers from the curbside. People just don’t seem to know what it is.

Overall, it has a long, lean, awkwardly predatory look about it — like a leopard seal ready to feast upon some unsuspecting penguins. I don’t love it, but I like it a lot  more having seen it in person. I give the styling a thumb sideways.

As for the rest — blockbuster or a bust?

Well, to extended the movie metaphor, the Crosstour is certainly no Avatar, but it’s no Splice either (sci-fi flick shown at Sundance that is easily the worst I have ever seen.) No, I’d peg the Crosstour as the Aliens vs Predator of the automotive world; the latest in a familiar series that few will actually experience for themselves.  As with  AvP (and the entire Alien series), fans of the Honda franchise will likely love the Crosstour for its familiar Accord themes and boundary actuation styling, even if they choose not to buy it. Critics of Honda or those who question the very existence of crossovers, won’t know (or care too much about) what they are missing. The Crosstour is pretty good, but the sequel will likely be better.

His Excellency Sheik Jassim Bin Abdulaziz Bin Jassim Al-Thani, or Al to his friends, will be joining the supervisory board of Porsche Holdings SE.

Aged a mere 31 years, the Sheik should bring some exciting new blood to the seat formerly occupied by some guy study Porsche.

WSJ