The Automotive Misfit news

Rumors abound, Saturn to divorce

2009-02-19T14:34:00.001-05:00

Ok so I seem to have a penchant for surpassing my ability for cheesy headlines, it looks like I may have a future working for a tabloid.

While devoid of details it looks like GM may be planning on spinning off the Saturn division,the how and why is still unexplained but considering that GM seems intent on everything short of a fire sale this doesn't seem improbable.

Saturn which was originally created to compete with the Japanese imports and was supposed to be a different way for GM to do things. Unfortunately things haven't faired as well, the division seemed to languish as the top brass at GM showed a lack of commitment on what they wanted to do with the brand. Now with the economy and bankruptcy a real possibility the General wants to unload Saturn to reduce costs and overhead.

This ongoing soap opera shows no sign of letting up.

Fiat plans for Chrysler

2009-01-27T17:31:00.001-05:00

While the new Chrysler,FIAT relationship is only a few days old, it seems as though the bloom is wearing of the deal.

Questions are already being asked as to how Fiat will utilize Chrysler to enter the north American market and how will a pairing up with Fiat Benefit the company that Walter Chrysler built.

Dire times always make it easier for these kind of deals to get at least initial approval and with Chrysler bleeding money it’s no wonder that their quite happy to have a suitor who's interested in merging with the company.

As with everything in business mergers, synergy between the two is critical to making such a large transaction work. but there are bigger questions that should be asked here, no doubt that combining the two companies would give each the kind of scale needed to compete in such a hotly contested market.

But another question that hasn’t been asked is should there be any effort made to help Chrysler, obviously with the economy still trending downwards the last thing needed is more unemployed workers and the ramifications that would come from this occurring but…

Lets face it.. the market in north America is saturated with too many players and the weak ones are being weeded out, would there be such an effort in better times or would the government let fate take its course.

Probably the latter.

Fiat and Chrysler are Dating

2009-01-25T15:24:00.001-05:00

Sure is sounds kind of tacky but it seems that the two are together making a sort of automotive odd couple. The Italian Auto giant has decided that it wants a piece of Chrysler even after Daimler Benz realized that it couldn't make the relationship work.

What makes the Italian auto giant think it can do what the industrious Germans couldn't, only Fiat and Chrysler know.

Fusion Hybrid claims fuel crown

2009-01-22T09:35:00.001-05:00

Fords fusion seems to be the jewel in the lineup that gets the respect it needs form the automotive press but gets no love from the public when it comes to comparisons against the Asian manufacturers.

Inside Line put the fusion through its paces and found the car quite capable but lacking in some of its mileage claims, otherwise the car pleased in the driving feel and fit and finish inspections.

Hybrids today seem to have the same level of appeal that SUVs had several years ago, with a certain segment of the population wanting the car bad enough and ignoring the fact that they won’t recoup the additional expense in the car for many years.

The Fusion Hybrid will bring Ford lots of good press and positive image in the eyes of the auto neophyte , but like every other Hybrid, its not the real answer to reducing or eliminating the reliance on fossil fuels.

In the end this car will help Ford and put some cash in the coffers and that's always a good thing.

Link

GM’s Stock Worthless

2008-11-13T17:05:00.001-05:00

From Inside line

DETROIT — General Motors stock tanked precipitously by 30 percent on Monday on news that Deutsche Bank analysts called the stock worthless — and predicted the company could be out of cash as soon as December. GM stock is at its lowest level in six decades, hitting a new low of $3.08 on Tuesday morning

How the mighty have fallen, GM… once the 800 pound gorilla of the business world is now on life support and begging for a handout from the government.

Ironically with all the bad news about the auto industry and GM and Ford/Chrysler in particular, all these companies have vastly better products for sale now and in the pipeline than they’ve ever had in the

past.

Unfortunately all three are the victims of a perfect storm of lingering bad public perception, a meltdown in the economy and the distaste left in the minds of the truck buying consumer after gas prices reached stratospheric levels earlier in the year.

The help cant come soon enough.

GM & Ford and India

2008-08-01T21:42:00.001-04:00

This posted from Insideline…

DETROIT — Chrysler and General Motors appear to be following Ford's lead in cultivating closer ties with India's automakers. GM is discussing the sale of its Hummer brand to Indian SUV specialist Mahindra & Mahindra, while Chrysler is negotiating a possible alliance with Tata, the Indian company that last month acquired Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford.

It would have seemed like a bad joke to even consider selling any premium mark to a foreign government much less India..Insert crude Joke here…

India is now one of the worlds fastest growing economies, and with its share of Billionaire entrepreneurs, and a possible perfect fit for an ailing domestic auto maker to sell or strike up an alliance.

You can’t blame ford or GM for trying to stake territory in a country with the kind of potential that India shows,my only guess is that both automakers would probably come to the negotiating table in a position of weakness and may not be able to strike the most lucrative deal.

Otherwise it looks like GM may be stuck with Hummer for a while and Ford

is still looking for answers to it’s financial predicaments.

Link

Chrysler to stop leasing programs

2008-07-28T22:50:00.001-04:00

In what must be one of the unbelievable moves to come in a long time, Chrysler has made it’s intention to stop offering leasing programs for the their dealerships known.

While this is certainly causing reverberations in Chryslers dealer body its really not surprising to anyone watching the the worsening financial pictures for the automakers, and with resale values of large trucks and SUV's plummeting. it was only a matter of time until the leasing programs where reduced or pulled all together.

While leasing can be seen as one of the smarter moves of the Auto makers to improve sales and the various programs did. It was for the most part seen as a sign of the bigger problems facing the industry in general.

Over the last 15 years as cars have become increasingly more expensive and and the average salary hasn't kept pace new more creative ways where devised to increase the sales for the various manufacturers.

In other words, leasing is a way for people to Rent a vehicle that they would otherwise not be able to afford, but with many cars now costing the average consumer 20 to 30 or forty thousand dollars, there’s only so many ways to package money and make it work.

This isn’t just a problem for Chrysler,when other companies such as BMW need to increase sales and market share, finding ways for people to buy increasingly expensive cars and Sporty SUV's.

What's really needed is some lessons on better financial common sense and that may be a bigger mountain to climb then the unaffordable price of cars.

The good old and care free days of free spending and eternal optimism may seem like a long time ago, buts its generally these environments that make for creative thinking.

Now's the time.

General Motors latest Powertrain center

2008-07-27T21:26:00.001-04:00

GM let the press get a good look at it’s new powertrain center on Friday July 28th, with out getting into all the details I’ll just provide a Link

Autoweek…

GM unveiled the center in Pontiac, Mich., on Friday, July 25. It consolidates 1,200 workers from four other sites under one roof. It has 120 flexible dynamometer test cells--which test engines and transmissions, more than 100 stands to test components and will use 68 new calibration techniques. They will help GM chop an average of 10 weeks off its powertrain development process. GM expects to save $200 million this year from the streamlining.

While the economy and high gas priced continues to drag down GM’s profits, the company continues to streamline and reorganize.

It’s unfortunate that this kind of thing doesn’t make the local and national news, whenever one of the domestic automakers runs in to trouble, the media always considers that news worthy, but something like this which can only have a very positive long term impact on the company goes unmentioned.

Doom and gloom is always the first order of the day.

Jump to the story

Podcast coming soon

2008-07-27T21:00:00.001-04:00

Well it seems that yours truly is a glutton for punishment, and though I don’t have enough time to do all the things that I need to do I haven't been able to get past the burning desire to do my own Podcast.

Be forewarned, it will raw and unprofessional as I’m in unfamiliar territory and have yet to become acclimated to this kind of media.

While I’m somewhat late to the party, some people have already been doing this for quite some time and have already recorded hundreds of Podcast's, hey Sam Walton never considered the fact that Sears had been doing it for many decades before he opened his first store and I have my own style and way of expressing my self.

While dawn and Drew may have made it to the big leagues, I hope to just find that I enjoy this or this little project will be short lived.

Here we go.

Ford to rehash line in face of massive loss

2008-07-24T23:27:00.001-04:00

Well it seems that after an 8.7 billion dollar loss Ford is going to bring more of it’s European line over to these shores, no big surprise here, Europe is a different world than the U.S. with gas prices that have been astronomical for years.

The big question here is what took you so long Ford? with cars like the Mondeo getting good press and the line up in Europe much better matched

to cope with the realities of an OPEC at the height of its powers it would seem like a natural thing for some exec in Dearborn to look at the situation over there and think, this is where we have to be.

From Autoweek….

Ford is turning to its highly praised European product lineup to bolster its car lineup in the United States quickly, as sales of pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles continue to fall.
The automaker detailed some of its product plans on Thursday as it reported a record $8.7 billion loss for the second quarter.
The product moves also breathed new life into the Mercury brand--which industry watchers had figured was likely to die. Ford had even warned Lincoln Mercury dealers that the Lincoln brand was being positioned to become the bigger-selling brand in their stores.

This just seems like putting lipstick on a pig at this point, normally I would say that this is a good move because in essence it is, but it’s reactionary and not proactive.

I think Mullaly’s a smart guy and his years of maneuvering thru the hallways of Boeings aircraft division and the world wide politics that go with it still makes him the most qualified to deal with the tuff love that Ford has needed for so long.

Once again the big problem here is the economy, its putting the clamps on everybody, even mighty Toyota is feeling the heat.

The only difference here is that Toyota has a product line and mountains of money to ride out anything short of a nuclear war. One comes to a point where the head scratching begins, why does this take so long to happen, why doesn't some of these MBAs running the company that Henry built come to the realization that these changes needed to be made years ago to put Ford Motor in a competitive position.

In the end it seems that the domestics have an addiction, the addiction of short term profits and the need to ignore the long term, which brings us to where we are today.

Even though it would have seemed the impossible, today Ford is on the precipice and in danger of falling in.

Could they become the next company to join the names of American Motors and Packard, great marks that didn’t survive against tuff competition and changing market dynamics.

It’s starting to feel like it is.

Ford has more good news

2008-07-23T12:52:00.001-04:00

If you recently purchased a new Ford Edge or Lincoln MKX, The good people in Dearborn have have some good news for you.

Hey your 2008 Edge may have a secret feature that Ford didn’t charge you extra for, it may be able to catch fire thanks to a small defect in the gas tank.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Ford Motor Co. is recalling 142 of its 2008 Edge and Lincoln MKX all-wheel-drive vehicles to fix a fuel tank weld problem which could result in a fire. The recall is small but noteworthy, since it comes at a critical juncture for the Dearborn automaker as it struggles to maintain its footing and quality standards in trying financial times.

We have to be understanding here, after all it’s not as though Ford has been building gas tanks for its cars before, they were all peddle powered until now right?

Yeah nobody likes a smart ass, but they sure make it easy for me.

Full story

GM goes on the offensive

2008-07-22T23:27:00.001-04:00

While GM maybe bleeding money faster than it can make it top Exec Rick Wagoner went on the offensive with the press.

I still think that GM is in the best position to survive of any of the domestic auto makers, Ford seems to be weakest and Chrysler is close behind.

There’s no doubt that the economy has made the road to recovery rocky for all the automakers and practically impossible for the domestics.

And yet for all the doomsday predictions and bad news, the best thing that GM can do is fight back with good product, and that seems to be the message that Rick Wagoner wants to get out.

Link

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T22:31:00.001-04:00

Nothing to really post Auto news wise,just wanted to wish every one a safe

4th of July to celebrate the country's birthday.

see you next week.

Joe

Tesla sedan on the way

2008-07-01T12:34:00.001-04:00

Tesla Motors has announced plans to introduce a 4 door sedan based on its electric motor technology.

I loathe to link to Endgadget but will try to hold down my food this one time….

Our favorite Terminator (and Governor of California) Arnold Schwarzenegger has just helped Tesla Motors make an announcement that's probably sending chills through traditional automaker's boardrooms. The company has just introduced a fully-electric, five passenger sports sedan dubbed the Model S, which will be selling for $60,000, and will manage 225 miles on a full charge. The carmaker says it will produce the vehicles in a brand new manufacturing plant it's opening in Northern California. We're on the ground at the announcement right now -- no pictures or release date have surfaced yet, but you'll know more as soon as we do.

There’s not much more than this in the Link, but go ahead and hop over if you want to see it first hand.

Read

Chevy Traverse now available

2008-07-01T10:07:00.001-04:00

The Chevy Traverse isn’t anything new when compared to its cousins in the GM stable, but what it does share is the excellent interior room and utility with its cousins in the generals line up.

The big question here is the same being presented to the other big crossovers in the market, with gas prices at record levels, the public has reacted by flocking to smaller compact and subcompact cars.

There’s always a need for a roomy and well executed vehicle, it’s just a matter of finding a balance between utility and good gas mileage.

Link

FIA prepares to Battle Bernie

2008-06-30T14:18:00.001-04:00

From Autoweek.....

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has started a review of the way Formula One is governed. It also announced a projected revival of Formula Two next season as a new, low-cost F1 feeder series.
Both moves are seen as direct challenges to Bernie Ecclestone’s F1 group, which holds the commercial rights to Grand Prix racing through 2110, and acquired the GP2 Series in August last year.
Ecclestone’s attempts to put a new commercial agreement in place with the FIA and the teams are being thwarted by Max Mosley. The Concorde Agreement expired in December 2007, but the FIA president has declined to sign a new one and has accused Ecclestone of using the previous agreements to exercise control over the sport.
As for F2, insiders wonder how the FIA can possibly create a new category within a few short months, and how it can possibly achieve its objective of operational costs of $310,000 per car.

This is just what Formula 1 needs, the FIA deciding that it needs to exercise more control over the worlds most successful racing series.

This stinks of a power struggle, the FIA seems to exercise too much power and influence over F1 as it is, there can be an argument made that Bernie Ecclestone has hurt as much as helped F1, but the last thing needed is Max Mosley playing God with the F1 circus.

Ford Delays 09 F-150

2008-06-21T10:52:00.001-04:00

It looks like Ford will hold back by a few months on the 2009 intro of the next Gen F series workhorse.

Nothing surprising here, Ford dealers are awash in the present truck and are in no position to take on the new model.

This is just not good news for Ford and the other Auto makers that relied on trucks for their profits. Things are bad here, in the past a delay in a new generation truck from Ford would be greeted with Dismay and complaints.

Today it's greeted with Crickets chirping, Ford is still far from out of the woods, the product line up is still woefully short of what is needed today.

There's still a real possibility that Ford might not make it, GM is now freefalling towards the same situation.

Times are bad.

ZR1 specs

2008-06-18T10:22:00.001-04:00

It looks like Chevy has finally released the official specs and pricing of the ZR1.

DETROIT — Chevrolet announced official performance results and pricing information on Tuesday for the 2009 Corvette ZR1, the fastest Corvette ever built. Pricing will start at $105,000 for the ZR1, including an $850 destination charge and a $1,700 gas-guzzler tax, the automaker said. The price tag for the ZR1 is nearly $33,000 more than that of the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. In comparison, a base 2008 Chevrolet Corvette coupe starts at $46,950, including destination.

Source...Autoweek

CTS-V at The Ring

2008-05-09T15:33:00.001-04:00

The Cadillac CTS, like the upcoming ZR1 Corvette seems to be breaking records regardless of the fact that there are no production versions in the hands of the media.

A preproduction V-series with what is described as production parts hit the legendary Nurburgring,

The CTS-V lapped the 12.9-mile track in 7 minutes, 59.32 seconds, which General Motors says appears to be the fastest time ever for a production sedan. John Heinricy, head of GM's performance division and race-car driver, piloted the car....Autoweek

While it's too early to go after bragging rites, I'm sure that BMW and Mercedes Benz are watching this closely, they can't have their premium priced barn burners being out done by a relatively affordable Cadillac.

Jump to the page

The ZR1 and Fuel Economy

2008-05-06T14:10:00.001-04:00

If there was ever to opposite in the Auto world it's usually High performance and Fuel economy, and lets face it, if the cost of a barrel of oil wasn't so high nobody would even bring up fuel economy in this kind of car.

Tadge Juechter an engineer involved in the development of the ZR1 was kind enough to attend an online Q&A session.

One thing that becomes fairly obvious, anyone with the means to buy a

100.000 dollar plus car isn't really concerned with gas mileage.

Read

The 2009 Flex

2008-04-30T10:42:00.001-04:00

As expected Fords upcoming Jumbo SUV Flex is starting to make impressions, some of them good and some bad.

At an estimated curb weight of 4,650 pounds, Ford says the Flex will accelerate to 60 mph in about 9 seconds. The company also claims that this is quicker than the Flex's competitors. It's not. In our testing, the GMC Acadia does the deed in 8.0 seconds. The 2008 Honda Pilot does it in 8.6.

Autoweek.

This is another porker crossover, where are the advantages of a unibody chassis?

And we're not yet sure what to make of the company's claim that the Flex has the same amount of body roll as a BMW 335i. It's clear that the company is presenting the Flex as a response to the image of the wallowing minivan. We'll wait until we actually get to drive one to make any remarks on that front....Autoweek

How is this going to convince the target market to buy the this thing?

Boes estimates that the Flex will get a class-competitive 23 mpg highway. It can tow up to 4,500 pounds....Autoweek

Not too good a showing for MPG, especially with gas approaching Four dollars per gallon, and what about city mileage?

But introducing a crazy, slab-sided non-minivan that shares its proportions with a coffin and is called the Flex? Now that is brash. And, all right, even bold. After spending a couple of days crawling around the Flex and considering it from all angles, we must say that we hope the thing pays off for the usually hide-bound crew from the Blue Oval...Autoweek

I hope it pays off as well, The Flex may not be the prettiest, but if it's well executed and serves it's target market well, it could still sell in the numbers that Ford is looking for,and needs badly.

Ford can't be blamed for really trying to stand out, with the company trying to reinvigorate itself, you have to aim high and loud so that you can be seen and heard.

As I've posted earlier, the Flex will absolutely polarize most who come across it, Dearborn seems to be determined not to make the same mistakes that it did with the 500 and the Freestyle.

Appearance is really subjective thing, and the Flex may be just what a lot of people are looking for Stylistically speaking, but gas mileage is something that most people are in agreement on.

One thing that could help Ford drive sales is a vehicle line up with outstanding gas mileage, throw in good looks and great utility and this is something that never goes away no matter what the economic environment.

Article

G.M. Posts Loss....Very Big Loss

2008-04-30T09:49:00.001-04:00

Yep read it and weep, the General Posted some big losses thanks to charges and some hits from the UAW strike a while back.

What's to say that can't be better served by taking you to the Article it self.

Autoweek

Ford looking into RWD options

2008-04-22T19:35:00.001-04:00

This is an older post at Inside line, but it basically covers Ford of Australia efforts to bring a good rear wheel drive sedan back into the blue oval fold in north America.

Anything to bring the desire and excitement quotient up but.... really Ford?

have you guys heard of the Pontiac G8? what about the upcoming Camaro?

I know that Alan Mulally can only do so much in such a short time and the line up should look significantly better next year. But one has to wonder what Bill Ford Jr and company had been thinking while G.M. and company have the product out and available now.

Link

Buick teases with Invicta

2008-04-19T10:23:00.001-04:00

Auto shows are great, you get to see what's available in the show room and what may be coming down the road, and Buick is the one doing the teasing this year while bringing back an old name Invicta.

The Invicta show car is a thinly disguised replacement for the Buick lacrosse. And a replacement can't come soon enough, the LaCrosse has been a disappointment to put it mildly.

Buick seems trapped in the image of its past, it's the traditional senior citizen transportation module, but now really desires the lucrative baby boomer with money to spend that can't quite swing it for a Lexus.

In all fairness, the Buick Enclave is really the beginning of Buick's image make over but the rest of the model line still screams AARP.

Read Up

New Taurus Spy shots

2008-04-11T15:15:00.001-04:00

Well it looks as if the cat may have gotten out of the bag sooner than Ford has liked. Some shots have been circulating the the Internet of the up coming 2010 Ford Taurus.

It looks like Ford will lean heavily on the styling the European Mondeo, and that's not a bad thing, If anyone happened to catch Casino Royal the James Bond flick form a couple of years ago, you got a brief shot of the car.

No.. Ford hasn't commented on the whole thing but has asked some sites to take down the picture which is usually a very good sign that they may be onto something.

The best I can do here is to post a Link and hope that Ford legal hasn't taken it down. Otherwise take a peek and decide if Ford is on the right track.

Ford improving quality

2008-04-07T15:52:00.001-04:00

Ford is preparing to promote the fact that its quality ratings are improving and are quite competitive with the competition.

Ford Motor Co. says its quality has improved in the last year, pointing to results of a recent study it commissioned that finds Ford's vehicles are in a dead heat with import rivals Toyota and Honda.

Good news indeed, but the damage is done and Ford will have to preach high and low for years to come to regain the sheen that it once had and Toyota and Honda now own.

Fords engineers can design a product as good as anyone,the real work is to change their image to a public that has been conditioned to years of programing, some of right and some of it off base.

F1s Future

2008-04-07T15:29:00.001-04:00

Formula 1, what's not to love, the cars, the international circuits, the exotic technology and unrivaled professionalism.

There's no doubt that Formula1 is the pinnacle of motor sports and to win in F1 is to to win it all. But in my opinion, everything that F1 is and has become started in Europe and especially Britain.

F1s never ending hunger for the highest bidder seems to be at the top of the list for what qualifies you to a race with Bernie Ecclestones circus.

The prospect of a 20-race Formula One calendar, with three events in the Gulf region, received broad support during the Motor Sport Business Forum Middle East during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
McLaren boss Ron Dennis praised F1's expansion into new markets and said that 20 races would be the teams' logistical limit. Honda Racing's Nick Fry, Force India's Colin Kolles and Red Bull's Christian Horner echoed his remarks.
The 2008 championship is made up of 18 races, after 17 last year and a record 19 in 2005. With several new events in the pipeline, even 20 might not be enough to save all of the traditional venues. The Middle East's races would be in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Qatar (still questionable), and those in Asia would be in Fuji/Suzuka, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore. The Formula One group also wants to include Indianapolis, Montreal, Melbourne and Sao Paulo. The Australian Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix and the possible Qatar Grand Prix are the events most likely to be dropped.....Autoweek

You can't fault the show, and the racing has become closer and even more exciting, but with all the money that's being made, you'd think that they could allow Silverstone to squeeze by without having to cough up truck loads of money to stay on the schedule.

G8 Powers Pontiac

2008-04-07T14:48:00.001-04:00

This little snippet in Autoweek online touches base with the Pontiac G8 and the mostly good impression that it leaves on Cranky Automotive journalists.

Here's one for you, the G8 seems to be what Pontiac needs because it's based on a and tried and true formula, rear wheel drive, great balance and handling, very good looks and lots of value for the money

Some of this formula has worked well for the likes of BMW and Mercedes, and was pretty much the status quo for the American Auto makers for decades.

Then came the gas crunch and the Japanese, then the not ready for prime time response on the American side with badly executed front wheel drive cars, reliability and styling, and before you know it, here we are today.

GM seems to be finding it's way out of the darkness with these kinds of cars and shows that there's still people at the top who know what the public wants.

Read

Ford shares the Love

2008-04-05T11:21:00.001-04:00

It looks like Ford is willing to pay and pay well for its top brass and it looks like CEO Allan Mulally has been given the biggest piece of that.

From Automotive news

-- Mulally was paid a base salary of $2 million and incentive bonus awards of $7 million. The $21.7 million total included salary, bonuses, company-recognized expense for stock options and other stock awards, plus other compensation such as vehicle and travel expenses.
Mulally collected $28.2 million in 2006, which included $11 million to compensate him for compensation forfeited when he left his previous employer, Boeing Co.

Amazingly I have no qualms with this as long a he delivers and Ford returns to profitability,otherwise this is just an example of how the compensation plan at the top doesn't seem to reflect what the rest of the world considers a reasonable salary .

Read

The next volley in the never ending saga

2008-04-05T11:09:00.001-04:00

Well there's not much I could say that wouldn't be better served with a link.

Now according to the latest dirt, Former Toyota exec Jim Press may be softening his stance, read the following Link and decide for yourself.

Take a look

Name calling at Toyota?

2008-04-03T14:42:00.001-04:00

It seems that there's a bit of name calling going on at Toyota after former Toyota exec Jim Press made accusations that the Japanese government subsidized all of the development costs of the hybrid technology in Toyotas little Prius.

It's hard to believe that Jim Press would just make this all up so that he could get a little attention for himself and one has to believe that he would have been in the position to know.

The bigger question here is that if this turned out to be true then Toyota would have a distinct advantage over it's competitors. After all if someone else pays for a great deal of your development costs than your profit margins should be rather generous and you could sell your product at a price that would under cut your competitors if you wanted .

Another point to make, Toyota is no longer the under dog, it's amazing that the Japanese government is still willing to go that extra mile for a company that now has more money than some small countries and has surpassed its American competitors in size and revenue.

Ford Finalizing Flex marketing strategy

2008-03-31T19:42:00.001-04:00

With Fords upcoming Flex maxi sized crossover getting ready to debut at dealers soon, Ford marketing mavens are putting the final touches on the cars marketing strategy.

Love or hate the Flex it will certainly be different from everything that's presently out there, I'm not so sure that this is the kind of different that Ford needs especially in this segment where safe and competent is what people are looking for.

The Flex has the kind of styling that polarizes most people in one way or the other, and right now what Ford needs is something that straddles the line between being attractive and practical.

This beast may do well or wallow in the showroom,and with gasoline edging toward 4 dollars per gallon the one thing that could sway people in the direction of this crossover is markedly better miles per gallon than what the Expedition, the Flex's cubic foot competitor can deliver .

Lets hope that this one will go right out of the ball park.

V-Dub Pick up in the flesh

2008-03-12T10:44:00.001-04:00

Now anybody who understands the car business will tell you that your average new car intro is planed a few years in advance, so that anything you see today was conceptualized and engineered over two or three years before it even makes it to the market.

Granted that this thing is being introduced in the European market and may not see the light of day here, but if they do decide to bring this here, I hope that it will have one of Volkswagens excellent Diesel options, otherwise why bother.

The market for this sort of thing is contracting and the last thing that people are calling for is a another truck with poor fuel mileage.

Autoweek

Toyota grabs first place in NASCAR Sprint Cup

2008-03-11T15:53:00.001-04:00

This from Inside Line...

Busch and teammate Tony Stewart finished 1st and 2nd in the fourth race of the 36-race schedule. It was the first victory in NASCAR's top series for a foreign brand since Al Keller won in a Jaguar in 1954.

Hate to say it but this may be the first but it won't be the last for Toyota in the Sprint Nextel cup, while Toyota seems to have trouble finding it's way to a victory in Formula one even with a mountain of money to spend, Nascar is a different animal with a much easier learning curve.

Once again the hollowed ground of the domestic auto industry has been invaded, what comfort Chevy and the like could have taken in Toyotas lack of a first place victory in the racing series has now gone up with the tire smoke in Kyle Busch's Victory burn out.

What's a practical car

2008-03-11T15:27:00.001-04:00

Inside line has a great article comparing three vehicles in slightly different classes, A Toyota Sequoia, a GMC Acadia and a Honda Odyssey.the real question here is which one is the best all around vehicle to own.

I'll save the guess work and tell you that the Honda won,this isn't surprising when you really look at it,any minivan could have still finished out on top, the Toyota Sequoia comes in at the bottom and the GMC Acadia finishes in second place.

When you take space utilization and driving dynamics any full size SUV will usually fare poorly,the Acadia does better because of the lighter curb weight and lower center of gravity, but the minivan in this test went the furthest and was the obvious choice.

Read the whole article at Inside line

Ford recall

2008-03-11T13:40:00.001-04:00

If there's a good way to spin a recall I haven't figured out how to do it, it looks like ford had to recall 87,515 of their light duty trucks for improper seat welds.

what comes to mind for this one, especially so soon after some earlier recalls a few week ago, I really can't say here, but come on guys get it together, seat belts aren't exactly a new item are they?

Link

A Value priced Prius in China

2008-03-07T15:31:00.001-05:00

Toyotas Prius which has gathered it's share of attention in the U.S. after the rise in Gas prices hasn't seemed to have the same desired results in China.

China whose economy which has grown by leaps and bounds seems to have no effect on Toyotas green aspiration Asia, Chinese consumers seems more interested in status cars and Buicks , then again a Buick is a status car in China.

Toyota Slashes Prius stickers

New Cobalt SS

2008-03-07T15:17:00.001-05:00

The Chevy Cobalt which replaced the Chevy Cavalier and seems to have also fallen between the cracks in the minds of the the kids and younger adults who normally shop in this segment.

It's hard to say why the Cobalt takes a back seat in the mind share department, maybe the fact that it resembles the cavalier could be one reason, otherwise this is a very nice car that deserves more attention than it's been given.

VW gives Scirocco the green light

2008-03-04T10:04:00.001-05:00

As if this would surprise anybody, Volkswagen has decided that it will go ahead with production of the Scirocco in Europe with an eye towards bringing it stateside.

With the Camaro making its debut in a few months and with more competition to follow, now is the time for VW to bring their sporty coupe to the party, the only caveat here is that the car needs to be competitive on price or this one will sit on the sales floor waiting for someone to pony up the money.

Link

Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel

2008-03-04T07:31:00.001-05:00

There's not much to say here that hasn't been said,a diesel engine in this Jeep is a step in the right direction, the only problem is that the rest of the package is out of step with what people want today.

If you want serious towing capacity then go for something in the full size segment, otherwise your needs are better served with a roomier vehicle that can utilize interior space more inefficiently.

GM probably has a better answer to your quest for a Big crossover, and Ford my be able to meet your needs with it's upcoming Flex, otherwise most people would be better off steering clear of this throwback.

Consumers Report lists top ten autos

2008-03-03T15:53:00.001-05:00

Here it comes and here it is, the latest Consumers Report list of the top Autos sold in the U.S., as usual the list is mostly dominated but the Asian makers with the list changing to reflect the growing popularity of the Korean brands.

While there is no denying that Lexus has a product that's hard to beat, one can't help but wonder if the product and enthusiasm of the owner can have as big impact and difference in perception, lets face it, the person who buys something like an LS 460 is more apt to show interest and have a favorable opinion on the car vs the person who just scratched together enough money to buy a Chevy Aveo.

This of course is a mostly subscription based site so Check it out if you'd like.

Scion stalls

2008-03-03T14:22:00.002-05:00

From Autoweek

The first-generation Scions were hits right out of the box in 2003 and 2004. But generation two has struggled. All of which begs the question: Is this a brand built to last?
The changeover of two of Scion's three models--the boxy xB and the xD hatchback--dragged on for months and helped depress sales 24.8 percent in 2007 to 130,181 units. But even with new vehicles, Scion can't seem to pull out of its slump.
"We seem to be having more sales peaks and valleys than previously," said Farlon Smith, general manager of Beechmont Toyota-Scion in Cincinnati.
In the past, Scion routinely notched 15,000 to 20,000 sales per month. But January sales were 7,782 units. In January 2006, Scion sold 10,701 vehicles with about 60 fewer dealers than it has now. The average sales per outlet during that period dropped from 11.9 to 8.1.
Scion had 856 dealers as of Jan 1, 2005. But as sales soared in 2005 and 2006, more dealers piled on, even if they weren't in hip, urban neighborhoods.
Currently, 963 of 1,224 Toyota dealers carry the brand. As sales per dealer decline faster than overall volume, one Toyota insider questions whether dealers will give Scion the same share of mind as when vehicles were flying out the door.
Toyota executives insist the soft market is hurting all players and that Scion's grass-roots marketing strategy requires time for the new vehicles to gain sales momentum.

While there seems to be a good deal of explaining going on for why things seemed to have stalled for the second generation of Toyotas supposedly hip Scion brand nobody seems to have a good explanation.

It seemed to have been a good move on Toyotas part, my argument here is that the second generation of Scion may not be quirky enough for the crowd that the brand was originally launched to appeal to, then factor in the addition of many new models from Scions competitors and this may have brought the unexpected slow down in sales.

The tricky part about selling in this niche is that this a traditionally trendy market where potential buyers may flock from one brand to another to get in on the latest thing.

Selling to this market is markedly different than the traditional passenger car market , the average Camry buyer may stick to one brand or model, but this is different group all together.

Paul Tracy out of a job

2008-02-29T12:30:00.001-05:00

It looks like after more years than most drivers will ever get to be at the top, Forsythe championship racing is out of business and Paul Tracy, the number one driver there finds himself out of a job and is scrambling to secure another seat.

This is a strange time for everyone that was a fan or followed the Champcar/IRL rift over the years.

Without much warning, Champcar hit the skids and finally gave into Tony George and the IRL,a more accurate description would be... rolled over and begged for mercy from George and his organization.

It's a sad day indeed and I for many years considered myself on the CART/Champcar side of the equation and find all of this quite surreal.

In the end even this diehard admits that it's time to bring the split to an end and restore open wheel racing to it's former glory in this country and give NASCAR some competition for sponsor dollars .

Now that the day has arrived that Tony George will dictate what open wheel racing looks like, he will hopefully have a balanced schedule that give fans a proper balance of road courses and ovals.

Just maybe this new merged series will resemble the cart of the 1990's.

Autoweek

New Volkswagen Scirocco

2008-02-29T09:40:00.001-05:00

Volkswagen looks back to it past with a new Scirocco set to debut at this years Geneva auto show. As expected the car will be based on the modern Golf platform.

You can expect the usual variants of this car, and It wouldn't surprise me to se an all wheel drive and some limited production model down the road.

When this car hit our shores it will cost around $32.000 U.S. and change not counting options.

My memory of this car going back 16 years isn't a fond one, I feel that the little V-dubs from back in the day where under powered and over priced and this seem to be one of the issues that Volkswagen has today in the north American market.

It will be interesting to see how the car stacks up against the likes of the new Camaro,Dodge Charger and a reinvigorated mustang.

Read

No money for big Bill

2008-02-28T14:32:00.001-05:00

I promise that this is the last Ford related post for the day, but apparently Bill Ford refuses to accept any money for services rendered to the company that shares his last name.

According to this latest post on the Autoweek web site, the former CEO will not accept any money until the family business starts to generate some positive cash flow.

From the looks of it, he will be waiting for quite a while and my guess is that present CEO Allan Mulally will be getting the lions share of the money for now.

Link

New Mazda 6 spy shots

2008-02-28T14:22:00.001-05:00

As any automotive engineer eventually learns,the chances of having one of your secret test mules discovered by a photographer gets higher the more you go about your business in public.

This latest shot is brought to you complements of the always incredibly efficient Brenda Priddy and company.

These shots show what appears like a significant update to the Mazda 6 chassis that is shared with the latest Ford Fusion.

it's surprising that Fords ongoing problems haven't affected Mazda's fortunes and the company continues to cement it's market share even under the relentless competition in the north American Automobile market.

Autoweek

Ford Simplifies models

2008-02-21T06:42:00.001-05:00

Ford continues to move in the direction of profitability, and another way to do that is to emulate their Japanese competitors options packaging.

Instead of what seems like 500 different options combinations you will only get a half dozen or so, the less confused the customer is the better.

Now get the model mix right and work toward the same goals on the truck side of the equation and you'll be on your way .

The New TSX hits middle age

2008-02-14T21:46:00.002-05:00

Acura's latest refresh of the TSX seems to follow the typical formula of making it bigger and giving customers more.

Like any middle aged person the cars seems to have gained a little bit of weight and it's now bigger than it's previous dimensions.

Sporting the corporate front end that you'll either love or hate the car will grow in options and power and overall polish,(just like me).

Click on the link below and take a closer look

Read

Some consumers trash pilot

2008-01-28T21:26:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe this could be true, but it seems that early consumer reaction to the upcoming 2009 Honda pilot has been Luke warm at best with some clinic attendees disliking the car altogether.

Now Honda is many things, thrifty maker of affordable cars ,highly focused success story of how a small car company can show the big guys how to do it right.

But one thing Honda has shown inconsistency in is the ability to make elegantly styled cars in the same vain as its competition.

While beauty is subjective end even I think Honda will probably have a winner here, somebody in Honda must be having a few sleepless nights after hearing the news on this one.

Inside line

Dodge Challenger breaks cover

2008-01-25T06:36:00.001-05:00

As expected pictures of the New Dodge challenger is popping up all over the web, the car looks great and Chrysler designers have done a great job of integrating all the retro touches into a new car.

The car is thoroughly modern and should hit a nice niche of people who where either to young to afford one, or someone who just likes the retro throw back styling.

This is really a great time to be a car nut and especially a muscle car fan, it's amazing how classic styling never really gets old.

Ford to pair down product life

2008-01-24T06:40:00.002-05:00

As Ford continues to struggle and rebuild its brand and image in the eyes of the public, the company continues to reorganize internally and seems to be making progress towards its goal of becoming profitable.

The latest bit of news comes from Derrick Kuzak Ford’s group vice president of global product development,

Ford will update its vehicles with major face-lifts, technical improvements and other changes in three-year cycles, Kuzak said. The changes will be ones that customers notice, he said. They will be aimed at keeping vehicles fresh and drawing consumers into Ford and Lincoln Mercury showrooms.
By 2009, the average age of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles will be reduced 35 percent, bringing the average age of the automaker’s vehicles in line with the best in the industry.

This is good news, it can be argued that long product life cycles was one of the contributing factors in Fords market decline and financial problems.

While Toyota and Honda have closely followed four year product cycles to stay competitive and give it's dealer body fresh product to sell, Ford has generally followed a product refresh rate of up to or over 5 years in many of its models.

This has Ford and their dealer body at a disadvantage, it becomes increasingly difficult to sell against updated competition which in some cases would be a generation ahead of some Ford products, this leads to a vicious cycle of price reductions in the hopes that customers will buy the car based on price and not the Value of the vehicle.

The clock is ticking for Ford, and while it seems that GM will be the first of the three domestic makers to return to health,things are moving quickly within the company and it seems determined to return to health.

Dodge Caravan RT

2008-01-23T08:45:00.001-05:00

Minivans are practical and the Logical thing to have when one has a family, but the last thing that could ever be said is that a minivan is exciting until now.

Dodge had this beast on parade at this years North American auto Show, and reaction to it was favorable.

While this presently is a design exercise , it's not too far a reach or based on any type of one off platform that would be too hard to put into production.

This could be a first in the segment and may not be much of a surprise considering that Chrysler was the one to start the whole Minivan craze to begin with.

inside line

New Taurus in 09

2008-01-23T08:42:00.001-05:00

In what has to be one of the shortest product cycles in Ford history, CEO Allan Mulally revealed that Ford was in the process of redesigning the Taurus and would introduce the car in 2009 as a 2010 model.

"It's what we should have had originally," Mulally said of the redesigned Taurus during a speech at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit. "It's just fabulous."

This is stunning to say the least, when one considers that the 500 and Taurus launched only three years ago and with the reintroduction of the Taurus name last year and numerous changes to the car that where introduced with the changes.

This is a very short product cycle in Detroit terms, the original Taurus was around in its last form for more years than it should have been, and guaranteed that the Japanese would cement their lead in the family car wars.

Refreshing though expensive news, with the present Taurus receiving a lukewarm reception and with Chevy and Honda introducing exceptionally well done products this year, a new Taurus couldn't come soon enough.

All Corvettes are Green

2008-01-22T13:27:00.001-05:00

Well at least in the future according to Vehicle line executive Tom Wallace who sees the next Gen Corvette as smaller and greener or more eco friendly.

"I don't think we're going to design a 700-hp Corvette," Tom Wallace, vehicle line executive for the Corvette, said at the Detroit auto show. "What's going to be more important is fuel economy, carbon footprint and green. We have already paid a lot of attention to those areas. Where we can pay more attention is pounds per horsepower."

Ok that's a great way to get out of giving any information to the hungry Corvette enthusiast, but really how many Corvettes are really out there polluting the planet, the car is already very emissions friendly and doesn't even qualify for a gas guzzler tax.

Just keep the course and focus on a lighter more space and weight efficient car and keep chipping away at the weight of the truck and sedan market, that should go a long way towards helping the environment.

New NSX up in the air

2008-01-22T13:14:00.001-05:00

File this under it will never make it to market,it seems that designers at Acura can't come to an agreement as to what the final styling of the for ever under development next Gen NSX, according to an executive at the company.

"All of the designers are working together on the NSX, but they can't agree on the styling," Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., said at the Detroit auto show.

Considering that the last NSX came to market over ten years ago and even company founder Soichiro Honda was still alive to actually drive it should say a lot about how long Honda has had to come out with a new version of the car.

No doubt Honda will find the motivation when Toyota introduces their high end car, until then I would encourage Honda to find a way to come to a decision and bring the car to market.

How about just flipping a coin?

Jeep to upgrade some interiors

2008-01-22T06:38:00.001-05:00

In what must be considered a moment of clarity for someone at the recently privatized Chrysler corporation....

The Jeep Compass and Patriot, widely criticized for their interiors, will get new ones this fall, according to Ralph Gilles, Chrysler LLC designer.

The interior redesign comes well ahead of what would be the normal schedule, he said at the Detroit auto show. The Dodge Caliber car, built on the same platform as its Jeep siblings, will get a new interior slightly later than the Jeeps, Gilles said.

Why do these moments come after the interior has been approved for production and the vehicles are out in the wild? wouldn't it have struck someone as obvious that the interiors are not up to par and have to be upgraded?

It's wonderful that the New Chrysler corporation can move so quickly to change what seems to have been a repetitive mistake thats plagued

the domestic auto industry for years, lets just start catching these mistakes before they get into the hands of the buyer.

Autoweek

Malibu wins top honors

2008-01-21T07:28:00.001-05:00

In what has to be another sign that Chevy and GM are making all the right decisions lately,the Malibu was named the north American car of the year by a panel of distinguished automotive journalists.

Considering the depth of talent in the field every year, this is quite a accomplishment and should be taken as such.

Read

Hamilton Signs thru 2012

2008-01-19T06:04:00.001-05:00

It looks like the biggest surprise of the F1 grid in 2007 will remain at Mclaren thru 2012, not too surprising considering that Hamilton has been with the Mclaren organization since childhood and has about as tight a relationship with team boss Ron Dennis as you can have and not be biologically related.

This kid will be a world champion soon enough and has the kind of deep seated arrogance that seems to be almost a prerequisite in a cut throat business that is as competitive as F1,

F1 Weekly

Cadillac CTC

2008-01-19T05:43:00.001-05:00

Well it looks like Cadillac is doing the obvious and admitting that it will put it's sexy CTS coupe concept into production sometime next year...Good

Ed Welburn, GM's vice president of Global Design, told reporters at the CTS coupe's press conference "this vehicle really wasn't supposed to exist," the new luxury coupe has been part of GM's plan since at least the middle of 2006. Code-named GMX226, the 2010 Cadillac coupe will start rolling down the assembly line at the Lansing Grand River plant in early June of 2009. Annual production is expected to be in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 units

This car is sexy over and over and gives Cadillac a powerful competitor to the likes of the BMW 3 series and Infinity and Mercedes coupes as well.

Link

Autoweek Picks their favorites

2008-01-18T06:07:00.000-05:00

Autoweek writes picked the most what they felt were the most significant cars at this years North American Auto show.

--Most Fun: Audi R8 V12 TDI concept. "The R8 is already one of the sexiest supercars on the road," said Mandel. "But Audi upped the game considerably with a turbocharged V12 diesel."
--Best Concept: Cadillac CTS Coupe. "We can't wait to see this on the road," said Mandel. "You can even see fins in the taillights."
--Most Significant: 2009 Ford F-150. "This is the bread-and-butter vehicle for Ford. If Ford is going to bounce back, it will do so on the back of this new F-150."
--Best of Show: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. "This is an iconic car and an iconic Corvette. A carbon-fiber body and 620 hp under the hood--we love it."
The awards were handed out on Wednesday during the AutoWeek Design Forum in Detroit.

It's certainly bodes well to see a few American cars on the list,the ZR1 Corvette seemed to have captured the hearts and minds of the press which is especially interesting when you consider that that no one has had a chance to drive one, and The 2009 Ford F150 made the list which hopefully bodes well for this storied Brand, Ford needs all the help it can get.

Audi made the List with its latest concept which is sure to please the discerning consumer with deep enough pockets.

Cadillac made the list as well with its' upcoming CTS coupe concept which shows that Cadillac is on the right path.

Read the rest

Edge to party in Brazil

2008-01-17T06:48:00.001-05:00

DEARBORN, Mich. — American cars are still popular in South America. Ford's Fusion sedan, which went on sale in Brazil, is the midsize segment leader. Now, Dearborn hopes to capitalize on that success by exporting the midsize Edge crossover vehicle to Brazil later this year.

Ford still gets a warm fuzzy feeling from Brazilians and wants to capitalize on the sales of some of its other products, it amazing that the Japanese haven't replicated the incredible image building that they have in North America.

Mazda to refresh RX8

2008-01-16T23:14:00.001-05:00

Five years seems like an awfully long time to wait for an update to its long in the tooth flagship sports car, but if one is even a mild observer of Mazda this isn't the first time that the RX series sports car have been allowed to fester and die.

Mazda seems to copy Chevy's product cycle with the Corvette with the exception, that the Corvette goes thru numerous yearly updates and refinements not to mention the addition of new models to keep the product line fresh and to keep the public interested . Is it also possible that parent company Fords financial woes are effecting the Mazda product mix?

Link

2009 Dodge Challenger

2008-01-16T22:45:00.001-05:00

Spy shots are always a good way of bringing reality into focus and with these shots it becomes obvious that the Ford mustang is at the end of its rein as the only modern muscle car that is presently in production..

Withe a new and modern iteration of the Camaro about to become reality the buying public will get to experience what a lot of nostalgia and modern engineering application can do .

This no doubt puts pressure on Ford to refresh the Mustang which has seen sales slow down thanks high Gas prices and the short term memory of the average buyer in this segment, which tends to view cars like the Mustang and it competitors as a fashion statement.

Ford will now need to update the Mustang to meet the new versions of its old nemesis head on, and with companies like Hyundai getting ready to enter the market with updated version of the Triburon, Ford may have to throw some cash on the hood to get it pony cars to move off the show room floor.

Inside Line

CTS Coupe concept

2008-01-15T22:01:00.001-05:00

Will Christmas never end? Cadillac released it's CTS coupe concept

and the design hits on all the strong points that had made the latest CTS sedan such a critical hit with the press and the public.

To call this car gorgeous is an understatement, you would think that Cadillac would take a breather and coast on the good reviews of the latest CTS, but it seems they have grander plans and a quest for world domination. Is it possible that Cadillac is serious about once again being considered the standard of the world?

Can you say MKT?

2008-01-15T06:07:00.001-05:00

Lincoln joins the rest of Ford and the industry in introducing future concepts to the world to gage reactions from the public and the Automotive press. My reaction to this one is that it has potential and could drive traffic to Lincoln store show rooms, but this is another one of those examples where it has to be out soon.

Its handsome in the latest Ford design think sort of way, the market has shifted to this kind of product and it's good to see the kids in Dearborn thinking ahead.

2010 Explorer

2008-01-14T22:47:00.001-05:00

One of the great things about major auto show such as the Detroit show, is that you can generally get a sneak peak at what the major manufacturers are planing for the future.

Ford is no different and considering the the companys need to show the world that it's thinking ahead Ford has released what it calls the Explorer America. This thing looks handsome to say the least,but one can't help but wish that this one was only a few months away form being available at your local Ford store and not a least a couple of years away.

Read the Autoweek review

Ford F150

2008-01-14T22:31:00.001-05:00

Ford is taking the 2008 Detroit auto show to introduce it's latest F150 to the rest of the world, as expected there is the usual amount of expected improvement in torsion rigidity and upgrades in options and about a gazillion different model variations.

Stylistically the truck doesn't stray to far from the current model and for good reason,the present breed of Ford truck has been a big seller for Ford and adds lot to the bottom line to Dearborn coffers even in the present economic climate.

Read the inside line review

Corvette ZR1

2007-12-22T21:39:00.001-05:00

The return of the Corvette ZR1 completes the line up the the latest corvette line and finally completes the circle of the present corvette model line. The ZR1s last appearance during production of the C4 Corvette line was marked by lot of fanfare and great press but and by sales that would eventually wane.

The latest Super vette seems to have a better chance thanks to a much more significant difference between the ZR1 and the standard C6 AND Z06 models. Starting with a price tag of around 100.000 dollars and only two thousand first year production run, Chevy seems determined to make the car a rare beast in the eyes of the public and the rabid Corvette fan.

With over 620 horsepower and a rumored top speed of over 200 Mph, the latest ZR1 seems ready to add another great chapter in the over 50 year history of the Corvette.

Alonzo to Renault

2007-12-18T07:27:00.001-05:00

Double world champion Fernando Alonzo has announced what many had already expected, that he would return the team that brought him two world championships and more importantly the number one driver status. Alonzo would end up returning to Mclaren after only a year when then new rookie driver Louis Hamilton began to display driving skills and lap times that rivaled or beat Alonzos best.

With his return to Renault, Alonzo should be granted number 1 driver status and most likely will be able to structure the team around himself in the same fashion as multiple and retired world champion Michael Schumacher did.

Joe

Future Aston Martin

2007-12-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here's a shot of the latest show piece from Aston Martin, called the Vantage RS this one is rumored to go up against the Ferrari 599 GTB and no doubt will have a price to match. Now how do I get my name on the waiting list.

Joe

CTS-V Spy Photos

2007-12-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

As Cadillac continues to reassert itself as a premier builder of desirable luxury cars,and build a lead over struggling Lincoln, the latest info and accompanying shots of the upcoming CTS-V series only confirms that the crest and wreath is back on track.

With more a more subdued and tasteful appearance, this new V will do the talking under the hood and body, the only ones who are sure to dislike this latest effort from Cadillac will be the competition and the over seventy customer base that still believes that a proper Cadillac has a landau top and wire wheels.

Sorry

The Malibu in the wild

2007-11-29T08:52:00.001-05:00

With the 2008 Chevy Malibu now making its way into the hands of the automotive press,the overall impression seems to be that the car has made a dramatic leap forward in quality and execution while still remaining one of the better values in the crowded and competitive family sedan market.

As before, this puts the bottom line of the Malibu a couple of thousand under the competition, yet the surprise is that the Malibu no longer feels a couple of thousand less good than its rivals. As it stands, the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu deserves a place alongside the class leaders on the shopping list for mainstream sedans. And real greatness is within reach if Chevy puts just a few dollars more into refining one or two specific areas, like the steering.
We'll know the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu is a hit when it starts to be a common sight in, er, Malibu.

While the Chevy matches its competitors in overall refinement and features,it leaps ahead in design and takes a comfortable middle of the road stance on ride and handling. Chevy seems to have found an ideal balance of virtues with its latest Malibu and this is no longer a formula that's exclusive to Honda and Toyota.

Joe

Corvette ZR 1 Specs

2007-11-28T20:50:00.001-05:00

More information continues to leak out about the upcoming corvette ZR1, the latest revolves around the engine specs, with over six hundred horsepower and a mountain of torque to match the ZR1 Will have what it takes to be considered a legitimate super car and challenge the likes of the Dodge Viper for horsepower supremacy.

With a rumored price tag of one hundred grand it will be just as rare compared to the rest of the corvette line.

The only question that remains is with so much information getting out about the ZR1, will there be any surprises left when the car make its official debut?

Joe

Read

Pontiac and Original Thinking

2007-11-20T06:56:00.001-05:00

Autoweek has some great coverage on Pontiacs plans to introduce some fresh ideas into it's product line and the north American Market.

General Motors plans a new family of rear-wheel-drive vehicles for Pontiac. The G8 line will include a sedan followed by a wagon and sport truck.

While there's the usual caveat about the dollars exchange rate possibly killing the project overall this is the kind of product concept that will invigorate the company, it's this kind of thinking that will build the company's fortunes, the me too unoriginal form of thinking that's plagued the domestic auto industry seems to be fading.

Read

Lincoln debuts new MKS

2007-11-14T08:15:00.001-05:00

This years LA Auto show Lincoln availed it's MKS concept car,Inside line was there to cover it and this was their thoughts to date.

The car as a whole is more convincing as a luxury-brand ride than the Mazda6/Ford Fusion-based MKZ that preceded it. Like the smaller MKZ, the MKS is derived from proletarian hardware. In the case of the MKS, it's the Taurus that donates its innards. This so-called D-platform makes the MKS one of the few front-drivers in its class. We're not entirely sure what the MKS's class is anyway, although Horbury says that the car is designed to compete with the Cadillac CTS and not the European and Japanese. But like the Acura RL and Lexus ES 350, the MKS offers neither a V8 nor rear-wheel drive.

Lincoln seems to have nailed a lot of the basics such as esthetics and content, But they will have to cover a lot of ground in the areas of quality and drive line feel and static quality, otherwise this car will resemble an updated version of the Lincoln continental..and will be received as just that.

More at Inside line

G.M. writes off Billions

2007-11-10T07:54:00.001-05:00

General Motors wrote off over 30 billion in paper yesterday as it continues along the path to it's own rocky recovery.

While this is sure to scare the short term emotional investors, this is still a logical move on the Generals part, with all the positive reviews that GM is getting over it's newest models, things are starting to look up.

If G.M. still is in this position a year from now, then would be the time to worry.

Joe

Leopard and it's spots

2007-11-06T22:04:00.001-05:00

Well, now that Leopard is out and the red hot sheen that the tech media seems to blindly follow when ever Apple releases an update to it's OS is warring off and it looks like Apples latest has some bugs and UI issues.

Overall it's a solid update and will make most users and especially Apple fans happy, the rest of you can stay with Windows in the knowledge that your not really missing anything.

This isn't really meant as a dig at leopard, it's polished and shiny, but not the earth shattering release that the Apple faithful where hoping for.

Joe

Leopard Debuts

2007-10-25T16:15:00.000-04:00

It's no Big Secret, even if you pay a small amount of attention to the web Apple's latest OS Leopard is about to pounce. Yeah there will be the usual references to Microsoft's Vista which is a pretty solid OS in it's own right.
Ether way you can't go wrong with Leopard, it's really more of an evolutionary than revolutionary change, but one that in my opinion is worth making if your a fan of such things.

I feel that Apple is at the top of it's game when it comes to the integration of hardware and software, no other manufacturer comes close, yes Dell shows some signs of brilliance in it's newer XPS lines, and Sony can never be counted out but... this is Apples game to lose.

And right now that doesn't seem likely.

Apple to offer SDk

2007-10-17T14:08:00.000-04:00

After many fits and starts, Apple El Supremo Steve Jobs has admitted that Apple will offer an SDK, for developers of the iPhone, this is great news and maybe a little frustrating considering how fast things move in the industry.

For starters, Apple should have had this available from the first day of the iPhones availability, better late than never, but I can't help but feel that this is more about Apple making money than anything else and no doubt that the biggest reason for a lack of an SDK is because Apple had no intentions of offering one, most likely there would have been additional apps offered(by Apple) for a price.

This about face is really Apple bowing to pressure and saving face by offering an SDK on it's own terms.

Joe

Joe

New Nissan Skyline

2007-10-17T06:48:00.001-04:00

After months of rumors and conjecture, and even more years of fantasizing by the video game set, Nissan is set to release a real Skyline for the North American Market, this link will fill you in the details, But it looks like Nissan will have a serious competitor to the Corvette Z06 as well as competing cars from Porsche and Toyota.

The sports car scene is getting very interesting .

Read up

Ford Hires Toyota pro

2007-10-12T08:35:00.001-04:00

This is a quick one, unfortunately this is a paid Subscription, but Ford has stolen away Toyota marketing chief Jim Farley, this can only be a good thing and if you've ever watched a Toyota commercial, half the battle is getting the message out.

Toyota and Honda have become very adept at their gospel with a nice level of polish that's been missing from the domestic pulpits, I'm happy to see this as ford continues on its mission of becoming relevant again.

link

New Malibu

2007-10-09T22:30:00.001-04:00

Scene, A shopping mall parking lot in any town USA, a lone consumer walks on his or her way to their store of choice, they walk oblivious to all the world around them, with only the reflections of the sun off of gleaming automotive metal to pull them out of their self absorbed comas, then suddenly the shape and unique glean of a particular car get their attention, it a car, not just any car but a new Chevy Malibu, they love the color and the shape.

The unique details of the metal and the paint work to entice the consumer, this is more than a reaction, it's a litmus test, the Kind of test that BMW and Mercedes and Toyota have learned to master and evoke out of their respective clientele

Ok, maybe this seems all a bit cheesy; believe me I'm good at cheesy, but I'm also good at seeing what looks like the right amount of styling and detail that spells a potential good seller, The new Malibu looks like it may just hit the sweet spot, the right amount of attractive looks and detailing and quality to entice the jaded buyer who have had plenty of Japanese juju over the years and are looking for something different.

Different meaning, something a bit more attractive that stirs the soul and gets the blood pumping for the family car buyer, the reliability aspect is something that has to stay the same or better. There's a lot of ground that has to be covered here and Chevy has to execute at 100 percent efficiency.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Inside line

Joe

Baby RWD Caddy on the way

2007-10-08T22:37:00.001-04:00

These hot off the presses (servers?)at Autoweek, It looks like caddy is adding another reason that I have to grow found of what they've been doing lately, after they stated several years ago that they would switch their entire line up to rear wheel drive they've done it again, Cadillac had announced that they will introduce a small rear wheel drive car to the brand by 2009 bellow their CTS line.

It's ironic that GMs Luxury division seems to be making all the moves that makes the Lincoln division come across like Pissarro to Superman.

Link

Ford intros new Focus

2007-10-04T09:14:00.001-04:00

Autoweek does a quick go over of the new Ford Focus and walks away with Mixed feelings, I can see their point of view, in the an age where Fords survival isn't guaranteed, Ford Motor has to be aiming for Best in class in everything they do, and the Focus seems to be coming up a little short.

But there is two sides to every story, and I can see where Ford is really trying to nail the basics here as hard as they can, and it seems they've done this, as much as most Automotive journalists would like to think they understand what people always value in a car, the great majority of small car buyers are looking for a balance between affordability, quality, comfort and of course these days, gas mileage.

If the new Focus can deliver on these fronts, then it will in all likelihood do well and help Ford along to its continuing recovery, if it comes up disappointing people, it will just reinforce the opinion that Ford doesn't make a quality product line.

And we all know that they can't afford that.

Joe

Why Windows Users don’t switch

2007-10-04T08:34:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite tech journalists Paul Thurrott links to a post on a apple based Website that take a hard look at why most people stay windows users,

He makes some pretty good points that I'll link to here and ad my own thoughts to the mix. I've had a very long love hate relationship with the Mac in its various incarnations. but I've never swayed from the opinion that the legion of Mac zealots have done nothing more than hurt the image of Apple and its products, by continuously attacking anybody that would even shed a less than favorable light on anything to do with Jobs or the company he helped start.

As someone who spent quite a few years doing various different roles in sales, I've learned that you never trash your competition; it puts the person that you're trying to convert into a defensive position and they generally will close their eyes and ears to anything you're trying to say.

Joe

Internet Nexus

And their off!

2007-10-03T20:50:00.001-04:00

Well after the better part of a year on the market and the fact that the Zune team and Microsoft took a lot of heat for not executing properly the first time around, the next generation of Zunes have been officially introduced to the world if not yet in person for the rest of us.

As expected the initial reaction seems to hover somewhere around positive to The Zune team didn't do enough scale, my first and admittedly limited impressions are that the Zune has become an even more solid competitor for Apple and is off to a good start, thanks to a solid upgrade and expansion of the product line. Even better news to hear is that Microsoft did a complete redesign of the Zune market place, it now has podcast support (thank you) and it looks like video and more features are on board or on its way,

The next few days should paint a clearer picture about the Zune.

Joe

New Zunes coming

2007-10-02T21:34:00.001-04:00

I you haven't been keeping an eye or ear to the interweb, Microsoft's on the verge of introducing some updated Zunes just in time for the Holidays.

While there will be the normal amount of sarcasm and attacks form the Mac fan boy base, this new batch of players couldn't arrive soon enough, there may be even an opportunity here for the Zune team to exploit, namely the fact that Apple has left a large hole in its lineup, that being a hard drive based player with a large screen and large (80 gigs) and combination $249.99 price tag, the iPod touch Is certainly nice, but pricey with an underwhelming amount of storage space with a premium asking price, $399.99.

Apple has certainly raised the bar when it comes to overall flash of the screen, but the touch needs more gigs to handle my music collection, all this aside, the bigger test will most likely be to see how the Zune team handles the software and feature set of the new players, it's no secret that the Zune needs more features and it needs it'sWi-Fi capabilities reworked, and now that Apple has joined in and raised the Bar(after MSFT gave them a year to catch up) the Zune will really have to prove that it's up to the task and that the Zune team has learned some important lessons.

We shall soon see.

Joe

Enzo’s latest Baby

2007-10-01T08:38:00.001-04:00

This latest article on Autoweek about the newest from the Scuderia shows that Ferrari is on its game, this car proves that the lessons learned in Formula 1 run deep at Ferrari, this latest creation sports a perfect balance between the advanced tech and the elemental feel that Maranello has honed to perfection over Fifty years.

Read and drool

A Desirable Dell?

2007-06-05T09:46:00.001-04:00

There's no secret to the facts that Dell is in trouble these days, with tumbling market share and profits, Dell is no longer the darling on Wall Street or in the hearts if information technology professionals, how this came about may be a shock to Dell, but it's hardly a surprise to the buying public and CIO's who have grown weary of Dells falling customer service ratings and consumers who bought their Dell machines because of price and not visual or dare I say sex appeal.

Well this would be an oversimplification, but one could say that when you buy something on price and not desire it's always easy to go onto something else, and this seems to have dawned on Dell as well as other things.

If you want Apple levels of fanatical devotion, you have to try harder than just giving a great price and nothing else, and now it seems if rumors prove to be correct, Dell may be ready to deliver, these are admittedly blurry at best shots of an upcoming revision to Dells premium line of XPS notebooks.

It's best to reserve judgment until one can fondle and hold in one's hands...But if this notebook looks anywhere near as good as appears in these pictures?

There may be light at the end of the tunnel for Dell.

engadget

NASCAR Founder Dies

2007-06-05T08:37:00.001-04:00

This from Autoweek

William C. (Bill) France, whose firm hand and visionary approach built stock-car racing into one of America's most successful sports and business enterprises, died June 4 at his home in Daytona Beach. He was 74 and had been in failing health for several years.

France was the eldest son of NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation founder, the late William Henry Getty (Big Bill) France and his wife, Anne. Even though he wasn't technically a junior, William C. France often was spoken of as Bill Jr., Little Bill or Billy. He took over from his larger-than-life father as president of NASCAR in January 1972 and spent almost 28 years building the Daytona Beach-based sanctioning body into a billion-dollar industry. He gave that position to Mike Helton in 2000 but remained as chairman of the board and CEO until October 2003, when he stepped aside in favor of his son, Brian Z. France.

Bill France will have to go down in history as one of the giants and geniuses of auto racing; he took a small and regional collection of racing events and turned into one of the most successful forms of motor sport in the world, he stuck deals for television contracts and promotional events that would become the envy of other forms of racing in the United States and the world.

France ranks up there with the likes of Roger Penske and Formula one Boss Bernie Ecclestone for having vision and the testicular fortitude to see it thru and make it a reality. While this writer was never a fan of NASCAR I always admired and respected the way they've been able to take NASCAR form strength to strength and continue to lay a solid foundation for the sport.

It will be interesting to see how the present challenges of declining TV ratings and a possible maturing of the growth of the sport will be addressed by the present generation of the Frances that run the series, will they be able to rise to the challenge with the same sort of determination and creativity that was needed to bring the sport to the heights and popularity that it has reached today?

Only Big Bill knows for sure.

Read the rest of the story

What’s up with the iPhone?

2007-06-04T17:12:00.001-04:00

Well it seems that the end is near, not the end of the world mind you, but the end of the waiting and rumor mongering about what the iPhone is and what people hope it will be, there seems to be two types of iPhone people, even among the Mac faithful, some can't wait and preach the brilliance of Steve Jobs and his vision, and then other don't really care and have no plans to abandon their Pam Treos

I'm of the wait and see mindset; I think there's more to the iPhone than meets even the jaded eye, I can honestly say that I have no plans to purchase one regardless of the hype, but it will be interesting to see the reaction from both camps once it hits the AT&T Stores.

Let the bickering begin.

Super duty F-150 is a Hit?

2007-06-04T10:51:00.001-04:00

According to Ford, it newest F-150 super duty is selling better than expected and is showing signs of being a good seller within it market segment, what this all means will probably take a little more time, but this also goes back to the rule about making a desirable product and they'll come to you with their wallets open.

In this case Ford hasn't lost focus (no pun intended) on this product segment and it reflects initial take up after introduction of the vehicle.

Link

Ford to kill the ranger

2007-06-04T09:41:00.001-04:00

It seem that today latest Autoweek online seem to imply that Ford is considering putting its ancient ranger entry level compact truck out to pasture, I don't have issues with this, the ranger has been around a long time and ford seems to have been undecided almost just as long about with to do with the little beastie.

No the market has shifted and the ranger no longer seems to make sense, I would probably let the present vehicle pass and keep the name for something new and fresh, (though it seems Ford is incapable of thinking about new and fresh) this would be a good way of using a name with still a lot of brand recognition and value.

Then again this is another area where I've seen Ford drop the ball, they wait until a certain model no longer sells well and has lost its appeal to the public(think Taurus) and then introduce a model with no existing recognition what so ever (think Ford 500) and hope that the name will appeal to the buying masses .

Either way, it time for some fresh thinking in this market segment, how about the return of the Ranchero, don't laugh, if Toyota can make a car like the scion appealing and God knows that the car is so ugly that it's cute, Ford could do worse.

Please Read

Creativity and domain hording

2007-06-02T11:05:00.001-04:00

This is an interesting article that I've run across on CNNS' website, this guy's name is Kevin Ham, and he seems to have become one of the leading domain squatters in the world, when I was done reading the article I was amazed at the guys' entrepreneurial creativity and just a little appalled at what he's done since then.

Compared to some in this world I'm a web neophyte and I don't pretend to be anything but, I'm amazed at some of these people and how they're able to take advantage of these situations, in the end though I feel that you should always give back to those that have made you what you are, and this guy seem to be heading In the other direction.

Oh well.

Read the Full article

Toyota the efficiency leaders

2007-06-01T09:18:00.001-04:00

It looks like Toyota continues to be the leader in efficiency and will hold on to its number one position for this year, overall the Japanese continue to be the leader while the domestic auto makers continue to catch up and close the gap.

GM continues to make the biggest gains while Ford continues to close the gap as well, this only good news with the consumer being the big winner here.

I still feel that a lot of the domestics' problems are perception, and they have to put plenty of energy into changing this, great and innovative product matched with reliability and class leading execution will go a long way towards changing this.

The Japanese have deservedly built up an almost unassailable image with a combination of admittedly great product and fantastic marketing, GM looks to be the leader here, with Ford and Chrysler following.

Things are changing …albeit slowly.

Apple Updates Mac books

2007-05-16T08:46:00.001-04:00

Apple has updated its popular Mac book line with faster processors and bigger hard drives; it's nice to see Apple keeping up with the rest of the market and delivering timely updates and more quality and value to its user base.

I've always had a love hate relationship with Apple, sometimes I'm amazed at what they do with their product line and at other times their arrogance just turns me off, it seems that lately they seem to be trying harder to please their customers and that's always a good thing.

Chrysler Sold

2007-05-14T07:08:00.001-04:00

After much ballyhoo Chrysler has been official sold to a private Investment Group, that will hopefully do more for Chrysler than Daimler did.

Tea and Crumpets and a new Bentley

2007-04-10T21:36:00.000-04:00

Autoweek has a humorous look at the latest Bentley Arnage, this is the car for the person that has everything but good taste,the Bentley has features that would make a Mercedes owner jealous,but overall this car doesn't reach too far beyond a good Benz,Lexus or BMW technically or dynamically.

But there's no denying that this car makes a statement and ultimately is what sets this car apart from other makes. When you drive this beast it says that you didn't buy this car because you need to..... but because you can.

http://http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=120213

1 million Minis

2007-04-09T18:36:00.000-04:00

It looks like the reborn Mini Cooper has Been produced and shipped to a happy owner, I don't have numbers to support this but just looking at the wave of little cars that I see on a day to day basis tells me that this car has been a much bigger success than the original Mini ever was.

The Automotive Misfit news

Rumors abound, Saturn to divorce

Fiat plans for Chrysler

Fiat and Chrysler are Dating

Fusion Hybrid claims fuel crown

GM’s Stock Worthless

GM & Ford and India

Chrysler to stop leasing programs

General Motors latest Powertrain center

Podcast coming soon

Ford to rehash line in face of massive loss

Ford has more good news

GM goes on the offensive

Happy 4th!

Tesla sedan on the way

Chevy Traverse now available

FIA prepares to Battle Bernie

Ford Delays 09 F-150

ZR1 specs

CTS-V at The Ring

The ZR1 and Fuel Economy

The 2009 Flex

G.M. Posts Loss....Very Big Loss

Ford looking into RWD options

Buick teases with Invicta

New Taurus Spy shots

Ford improving quality

F1s Future

G8 Powers Pontiac

Ford shares the Love

The next volley in the never ending saga

Name calling at Toyota?

Ford Finalizing Flex marketing strategy

V-Dub Pick up in the flesh

Toyota grabs first place in NASCAR Sprint Cup

What's a practical car

Ford recall

A Value priced Prius in China

New Cobalt SS

VW gives Scirocco the green light

Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel

Consumers Report lists top ten autos

Scion stalls

Paul Tracy out of a job

New Volkswagen Scirocco

No money for big Bill

New Mazda 6 spy shots

More problems for Ford

Ford Simplifies models

The New TSX hits middle age

Some consumers trash pilot

Dodge Challenger breaks cover

Ford to pair down product life

Dodge Caravan RT

New Taurus in 09

All Corvettes are Green

New NSX up in the air

Jeep to upgrade some interiors

Malibu wins top honors

Hamilton Signs thru 2012

Cadillac CTC

Autoweek Picks their favorites

Edge to party in Brazil

Mazda to refresh RX8

2009 Dodge Challenger

CTS Coupe concept

Can you say MKT?

2010 Explorer

Ford F150

Corvette ZR1

Alonzo to Renault

Future Aston Martin

CTS-V Spy Photos

The Malibu in the wild

Corvette ZR 1 Specs

Pontiac and Original Thinking

Lincoln debuts new MKS

G.M. writes off Billions

Leopard and it's spots

Leopard Debuts