Volvo S60 Concept Car Unveiled

Volvo has unveils the Volvo S60 Concept Car that will be premiered at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January. Powered by a four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol engine that features GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) technology, Volvo S60 Concept may develops 180 hp and emits 119 g/km of CO2, with a fuel economy of 5.0 l/100 km.

Volvo S60 Concept which will hit the market in 2010, features Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and pedestrian detection.

Alongside with the premiere of Volvo S60 Concept Car at the NAIAS next year, the company also introduces the latest generation of preventive safety technology.

Read the rest entry of this news?

2008 Peugeot Design Competition

Peugeot has announced the 2008 Peugeot Design Competition at the Beijing Motor Show. The 2008 Peugeot Design Competition called imagine a Peugeot for the megalopolis of tomorrow.

The 2008 Peugeot Design Competition began with the design phase which was launched on April 20, and it will continue with the designs submission process (between 30 May 2008 and 20 July 2008). However, the competition will be ended when 10 finalists will be announced on 16 September.

Announcement for the winner of the 2008 Peugeot Design Competition will be held on October 2 at the Paris International Motor Show.

Read the rest entry of this news?

Dallas Commercial Real Estate Market Does A Rebound

Dallas City in Texas continues to experience steady growth in its real estate industry notably on the commercial side. This is not really a wonder as Dallas is a large city which accommodates several huge industries consisting of the petroleum, transportation, banking, information technology and telecommunications sectors. But despite the growing economy, Dallas remains to be among the most affordable cities in the U.S., according to Forbes.

The Dallas Texas real estate industry has also maintained its momentum since it began experiencing its booming days back in the 1980s. The Dallas commercial real estate including the big buildings and skyscrapers was a major growth factor. In addition, the Dallas metroplex accommodates numerous high-end shopping centers more than that of any other city or state in the U.S.

Experts reveal that the commercial real estate market in Dallas is in great condition compared to the residential properties. In terms of foreclosure, the percentage of Dallas office space, apartment, industrial and retail buildings is very small. This is due to the fact that commercial companies almost always have the financial resources to carry out their expansion and construction projects.

Dallas is seen to continue being a commercial real estate hub in the many years to come. Currently, new construction projects of condos and townhouses are widespread around this booming city. The other good news is that many of the office spaces previously available in Dallas have already been occupied or pre-leased. The central business district of the city has reduced its office vacancy rate to 24 percent as of end of September 2007.

The year 2007 has proved to be favorable for the Dallas commercial real estate sector. Latest reports from Cushman & Wakefield say office tenants that have been expanding and relocating have leased 1.5 million square feet more of office space in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the first half of the year. The third quarter net leasing has also soared nearly 90 percent from totals in mid-2007. A recent report by Delta Associates showed that Dallas-Fort Worth is seen to accommodate an average of 4.8 million square feet of office space each year until 2010.

As for construction, an estimated 6.9 million square feet of office space is now being built in Dallas-Fort Worth as of the middle of 2007 and this is bigger than in 2006. Of the estimated office space being constructed, more than 40 percent is already pre-leased. Rents have also risen to seven percent from the 2006 rates. Third quarter figures show that office rents averaged $19.42 per square foot while rents for medical office space rose 12 percent to $24.4 percent.

With all these positive developments going on, the future of Dallas commercial real estate is indeed looking bright. Many real estate investment firms are seeing a low vacancy rate and substantial rent gains this 2007. Developers are also projected to provide 2.6 million square feet of office space by the end of the year while building owners are expected to ask for higher rents as a result of lower vacancy. The reduction in vacancies is being attributed to the surge in employment by 3.2 percent covering more than 900,000 jobs by year end.