Checkered Blog by Checkered Flag is the automotive play place in Hampton Roads Virginia

VW & Apple? Bloggers are Buzzing ...

The blogosphere is crackling with word that Apple and VW might team up on a vehicle that incorporates some Apple technology ... the buzz started from a recent article in a German magazine ... blogger Lorenzo writes about it on VWGazette ...

More Scoop on the 2008 Honda Accord

We reported about a week ago that one of America's most popular cars, the Honda Accord, is getting a makeover for the 2008 model year ... and we've received the press kit for it.  There's A LOT of interest in this car and we thought you might like to see the press materials ... so here they are.  Download 2008_accord_press_release.pdf  Download 2008_Accord_Body.pdf Download 2008_Accord_Chassis.pdf Download 2008_Accord_Powertrain.pdf Download 2008_accord_sedan_specs.pdf Download 2008_Accord_Coupe_Specs.pdf Download 2008_Accord_Interior.pdf Download 2008_Accord_Safety.pdf  BTW, Checkered Flag Honda new car sales manager Paul Sudo says the new Accord should arrive at the dealership in mid-September ... if you're interested in one, please call Checkered Flag Honda at (757) 490-1111.

Checkered Blog Interview

Last Friday, at the smart event, the ever intrepid CheckeredChick snagged an interview with Checkered Flag Senior Vice President Steve Snyder. They talked about why Checkered Flag is so excited to team with smart usa to bring the fortwo to Hampton Roads.

New "Green Driving" Site has Interesting Info

Flag Raiser sent me an interesting link the other day ... there's a new site, earthcars.com, aimed at making it easy to drive "earth-friendly transportation."   

I haven't had a lot of time yet to fully study the site, but I've already found things I like about it ... in particular, it has some good articles that address the sometimes confusing issues surrounding "green driving" ... for example, a discussion of hybrid versus diesel technology.

There's also a "trip simulator" for calculating how far certain cars will go on a tank of gas.  It will be interesting to keep an eye on this site as it evolves ...

smart Wows Crowds in First Hampton Roads Appearance

Win'sGal and I had so much fun this weekend ... smart USA brought six of its smart fortwo microcars to Hampton Roads so people could see them up close and take them for a spin ... on Saturday and Sunday, they were at La Promenade in Virginia Beach and it was packed.  On Friday, Win'sGal and I got to help out at a preview event co-hosted by smart USA and Checkered Flag, smart's regional dealer candidate, for people who have made reservations for the car, which becomes available early next year (BTW, reservations are still being taken on smart's web site.)  The Friday event was also in Virginia Beach, in the parking lot of the former Hill's department store on Virginia Beach Boulevard, and besides the reservation-holders, hundreds of people who were passing by and saw what was going on stopped off.

Things got underway for Win'sGal at around 9:15 Friday morning ... that's when she got down there to help the smart team set up.  There were five smarts that would be used for test-drives by attendees, one smart that was a static display for people to look at up close, a tridion cell, which is the vehicle's safety structure, and a 54-foot exhibit trailer.

I joined her there at about 11 ... even though the event didn't officially get underway until 1 p.m., a lot  of people were already milling around ... you could see the smart fortwos from Virginia Beach Boulevard and it was hard to resist pulling in to look at them up close.  At noon, media arrived and so did people from Checkered Flag ... HamptonRoads.tv did an on-camera interview with Checkered Flag senior vice president Steve Snyder ... they produced a really good segment on the event. 

It was really, really hot ... but Checkered Flag had a hospitality tent with smoothies, water, and ice, and smart's display trailer was air conditioned.  Still, Win'sGal and I wished we had worn shorts (we were wearing black pants ... not really the greatest choice when the heat index is about 200 degrees.) 

Test drives actually started around 12:20.  The first test drive was by a lady who became interested in smart when she saw the microcars while traveling in Europe.  She showed me pictures she'd had taken of herself next to smart cars in Italy.  Being the first to test-drive it in Hampton Roads was really exciting, she said, and we congratulated her.

The event went all day and into the evening.  Mid-afternoon, I noticed that Win'sGal was getting sunburned.  She uses sunblock every day, but she had forgotten that morning.  Yikes ... but there was no time to think about it, because attendees kept arriving ... and arriving ... and arriving ...

A lot of the guys that came said the same thing:  "I'm over six feet tall ... can I really fit in that car?"  And, guess what ... they did.  We heard a lot of comments about how roomy the smart fortwo is ... that it is, in fact, roomier than many much larger cars.

Things wound down on Friday at around 8 p.m.  If you didn't have the chance to see the smarts while they were here this weekend, visit smartusa.com ... you can learn more about the car and make a reservation for it if you'd like.

We took a lot of pictures and I've posted some here ... they are: 1. HamptonRoads.tv interviewing Steve Snyder, Checkered Flag's senior vice president ... 2. smarts lined up for the test drives ... 3. the static display car ... 4. the smart tridion safety cell ... 5. the display trailer.

Test-Drive a smart This Weekend

My friend Karen was really excited when I told her that the smart microcar would be making its first Hampton Roads appearance this weekend ... she saw one on a ferry in the Virgin Islands and has been really interested in buying a smart ever since. So, she and I will be among those taking a test drive to check out the 8.8-foot-long smart fortwo ... and if you want to drive it, go to La Promenade at 1860 Laskin Road in Virginia Beach between noon and 7:30 p.m. this Saturday or Sunday, August 25 and 26.  smart USA will be there with five smart fortwos and a 54-foot trailer with informational displays on the car.  If you think you'd like to buy one when it becomes available early next year, the thing to do is put down a $99 refundable deposit through smart USA's web site.  There's a big article about smart in the Virginian-Pilot today ... pick up the print edition to see it ... and there's also an article in the Daily Press.  Have a great Friday and a great weekend!

How to Add $$$ to Your Car's Resale Value

Buying a house and buying a car have something in common -- they're both among our biggest purchases.  And if you want to get the most out of selling your car, whether it's as a trade-in at a dealership or selling it on your own, the advice Realtors offer people putting their homes on the market holds true -- clean that car up.  That's what I learned from Tim Rayfield and Mike Allen at Drivers World, the used-vehicle dealership that will buy your car even if you don't buy a car from them.  I visited there yesterday and we chatted about this.

"Get the clutter out of it and wash it," is what Mike told me.  He's general sales manager there.  "If you can, have it professionally detailed."  Mike says even those who appraise used vehicles for a living, like him, can't help but be influenced negatively when "I get in a car and it's dirty."

Tim, who is vice president, says if your car has dings and dents, "have paintless dent removal done.  It isn't expensive and it makes a big difference." He also recommends taking an honest look at the tires and if they are really worn, replace them.  "Appearance matters," Tim says.  "The truth is, you will likely get back what you invested in this dollar-for-dollar when you sell the car, and you are likely to sell it much faster."

Something else: It really helps if you can show the vehicle's maintenance records. Tim and Mike say most people don't keep them, but if you've been having the vehicle serviced at a dealership, even infrequently, you can call there and ask for a print out, "which they will be more than happy to give you." Driver's World, BTW, is located at 3700 Sentara Way in Virginia Beach.  You can see it from I-264 at Rosemont Road; take Rosemont Road south to get there.  The phone number is (757) 497-7777.

2008 Honda Accord Revealed

Honda unveiled the new 2008 Accord sedan and coupe yesterday at their plant in Marysville, Ohio. The Accord was introduced to the U.S. in 1976 (Jimmy Carter was president!) and has long been one of the best selling vehicles in North America. Honda is hoping that the changes in the 2008 model will ensure that it remains so. The new models are available with a 190 hp, 2.4L 16 valve, 4 cylinder engine or a 268 hp 3.5L 24 valve V-6. Honda puts gas mileage on the 4 cylinder at 22 mpg/city and 31 mpg/highway. The 8^th generation Accord is slightly bigger everywhere (length, width, wheelbase), has some more standard tech features and is engineered with a new Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) system that Honda claims makes it safer in collisions with vehicles of various sizes. Honda would like to see 400,000 new Accords sold in the first year. Paul Sudo, Checkered Flag Honda’s New Car Sales Manager, expects the new Accord to hit the Checkered Flag showroom floor in mid-September. If you’re interested, call Checkered Flag Honda at (877)205-8539.

Westie Leads Way in Canine Car Safety

My next-door dog has been setting a safety example for other canines to follow for nearly a decade.  Actually, Miko is my next-next-door dog (he lives two doors down), and for the past eight years, he's been wearing a seat belt every time he rides in the car with his people, Kathy and Brad Jublou. Miko is a 12-year-old West Highland Terrier who was born in the Gloucester area and has lived in Norfolk his whole life.

Canine safety belts have become more common recently and  I've been intrigued by the fact that Miko was such an "early adopter" of them.  I asked Kathy about it the other day and she said she got the seat belt when Caesar's Select Dinners offered them as a promotion.  Until then, Miko had been riding in a special crate that Kathy had rigged up with a sort of hammock; using the seat belt instead allowed him to get a better view of things.

Miko and Kathy put on a special demonstration and photo session for me to show how the belt works (as you can see, it attaches to a regular seat belt.)  Miko doesn't mind wearing it; in fact, Kathy says he seems to like the feeling of security it gives him.

All dogs and their people should take a cue from Miko ... let's all wear seat belts.  There are a lot of places online to get the canine variety ... Petsmart is just one of many.

smart Feature in Virginian Pilot's Friday Drive Section

Check out Larry Printz's feature about the smart fortwo in Friday's print edition of The Virginian Pilot!  The article has a ton of detail about the history of smart and it's impending arrival in the U.S.A.  It also includes details on specs and pricing as well as the location and time of the test drive events that are coming up this weekend.  If you would like more information about smart, please contact Checkered Flag's Business Development Team at (757) 687-3447.  And, don't forget to visit the Checkered Blog often for the most up to the minute information on smart's Hampton Roads arrival!

Download Drive-smart-8-17-070001.pdf