Jaguar XF at bottom of US reliability survey
I hope this doesn’t mean that Jaguar has gone back to its old ways as a US survey puts the Toyota Prius at the top of its reliability list, and the Jaguar XF (left) at the bottom. Both cars have been nominees in Lucire’s Car to Be Seen in awards: the Toyota in 2004–5, the […]
I have a feeling that tomorrow, we will hear that the Ford Ka, as driven by Olga Kurylenko in Quantum of Solace, will be European Car of the Year. It has a good chassis, it’s a subcompact car that ?ts modern European sensibilities, and it has cross-Europe appeal. Our second pick would be the Alfa […]
European Car of the Year to be announced Nov. 17
Final voting is under way for the European Car of the Year 2009 and the result will be announced on the 17th inst. at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London at the Autocar Awards. Interestingly, the shortlist is not too dissimilar from the Car to Be Seen in finalists that Lucire announces next month. […]
Kevin Rudd’s stimulus package could be great for green
I congratulate Australian PM Kevin Rudd for announcing a A$6·2 billion stimulus package for the Australian car industry. And before you think I am going to go off talking cars again, this is about the environment—something that many Lucire readers care about with our UNEP connection. Australia has long innovated in the automotive industry […]
H&M opens in Harajuku, shows Comme des Garçons collaboration
With the Japanese economy at risk of deflation, it’s probably not a bad time to open a retail store that specializes in low prices. H&M’s new store in Harajuku, Tokyo, opened yesterday and was one of two that showed the Swedish brand’s latest designer collaboration—this time, with one of Japan’s own: Rei Kawakubo of Comme […]
CitizenM’s win suggests the Dutch do it better
Normally we’re against those tiny hotel rooms that put style and design over space and comfort, but with CitizenM’s win of the European Hotel Design Award, we wonder if the Dutch do it better. Apparently they haven’t skimped on the comfort stakes and the group took home several awards beyond the Hotel of the Year […]
Payless collaborates with Summer Rayne Oakes on green footwear line
Payless ShoeSource has announced plans to launch the first affordable green footwear line due in stores early next year and that it has signed an agreement with Summer Rayne Oakes, Discovery Network’s Planet Green fashion and beauty expert, author of Style, Naturally: the Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty (Chronicle Books, February 2009) […]
Merger, divestiture won’t rescue Detroit’s automakers
[Cross-posted] It looks like the American Big Three are doing pretty much what I warned them against in my ‘Saving Detroit’ piece presented to the Medinge Group in August. GM and Chrysler have had exploratory merger talks, while Ford may sell its controlling stake in Mazda. They have cited dropping sales, caused in […]
From Marisa Miller and Harleys, to James Bond and Astons
Two motoring-related snippets this time—and I’ll keep it short given that this isn’t why some of you come to Lucire. The first item relates to our most popular item this week: Harley–Davidson has released images of the photo shoot that model Marisa Miller appears in for its V-Rod Muscle model. A video on […]
Heidi Klum jewellery copying case settled
A US federal judge has dismissed the case between Van Cleef & Arpel, and Mouawad USA Inc. and Heidi Klum GmbH, over a line of jewellery bearing Klum’s name. Late last year, Lucire reported that Van Cleef & Arpel sought damages of US$25,000 against the defendants for allegedly copying its Alhambra clover design. […]
