There have been countless reports regarding global warming and its relation to greenhouse gases, but one recent British study in particular is getting more notoriety than most. The basic premise of the report isn't necessarily groundbreaking. It says that at our current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, climate change will have a severe impact on the global economy. It concludes that the cost for not only governments but also businesses and consumers would be significantly less if we were to take measures now to curb global warming rather than deal with the impending consequences.

The study's actual title is The Economics of Climate Change, but from most articles I've seen, it's more commonly referred to as the Stern Report. Nicholas Stern, the report's author, is not known as an environmentalist with an agenda. Instead, he's a former chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank and a widely respected economic adviser to the British government.

Even though this is a British report and has received most of its heralded attention and support from European institutions, The Car Connection notes that this could still have a large impact on American automakers because more so than ever before, we're in "an era of global platforms and integrated product development."

If you're interested in reading more about the Stern Report, Reuters printed a short summary of costs in the study, or you can download the entire report in a PDF format here.

[Source: The Car Connection]

If we had an exact launch date for the official state-side introduction of the Smart ForTwo in 2008, you can be sure we'd be counting down the days one by one with a big fat, red marker. Needless to say, we're pretty excited, so any tidbits of new information immediately get flagged for discussion.

Two new items on today's Smart front. First of all, the picture you see above, taken by Auto Express, is the best we've seen yet of the new model that's scheduled to make its official debut on November 9 in Stuttgart. There's still a smattering of black tape, but you get a pretty clear idea of what the soon-to-be Smart will look like.

Secondly, The Car Connection's Paul A. Eisenstein got a chance to sit with Smart USA's president Dave Schembri to get a few questions answered. During the Q&A, Schembri revealed that the introductory ForTwos should get around 40 miles per gallon with a starting price of $15,000. He confirmed that American consumers will initially be getting three models (a base, a well-equipped coupe and a top-of-the-line cabrio) and when asked about a hybrid version he did not discount the possibility. He also said that a diesel could be an option down the road, so those of you who were praying we'd get DaimlerChrysler's 800cc, three-cylinder diesel (as we were), you're in for an indefinite wait. And lastly, Schembri added that the ForTwo may very well become the lowest-cost-of-ownership vehicle in America.

Despite the lack of a diesel offering, we're still eagerly awaiting the diminutive commuter's arrival.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Lots of eyes are turning to Toyota these days as word gets around that they're poised to take the top automaker slot from GM over the next few years. With that specifically in mind, Paul Eisenstein from The Car Connection sat with Jim Lentz, executive vice president for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A., Inc., and chatted at the media presentation of the new Tundra.

Of particular interest is Lentz' forecast for full-size truck sales. He says he believes the market will drop by 10 percent by the end of 2006, but will rebound next year when the new Tundra, Chevy Silverado and Ford F-250 are made available.

When asked about high gas prices and its relation to the full-size truck market, Lentz doesn't feel that per gallon charges at the pump necessarily had the largest impact on sales. He believes it had more to do with either the pick-up market hitting its natural level, or simply a "payback" from the employee discount sales of 2005. His reasoning is that gas prices have doubled over the last 4 years and yet this was the only year that sales didn't grow.

I wouldn't necessarily doubt Lentz' overall reasoning, however, I also wouldn't discount the historical impact of high gas prices. The fact that sales figures fell for just 2006 over a 4 year period of rising pump charges could instead mean that gas prices finally reaching a tipping point with the American consumer.

[Source: The Car Connection]

A nice shopping guide of currently available hybrid vehicles can be found at TheCarConnection. While a few of the cars listed do promise (and deliver) fuel savings, the majority either promise and don’t deliver, or don’t even promise significantly improved fuel economy. The fuel economy of the Lexus RX400h barely exceeds the RX330’s, but the hybrid performs better. Does a performance-minded consumer really want a Lexus RX, and does he feel like paying an extra $7,500 for it? The majority of hybrid car buyers are probably well-informed, Internet savvy individuals, and after reading reviews based on real-world usage of some of these hybrids, sales might slow down even more than they already have. Maybe a fuel saving, modern clean diesel engine in one of these SUV’s might be the answer.

[Source: TheCarConnection]