Why is Interactivity stressed? What did Toyota and Scion ever do to it?Personally, I’m stressed by Autoblog’s ability to jump on the latest manufacturer press release like a miniature Schnauzer on a peanut butter covered Kong. Still, I don’t think the 800-pound gorilla on the net will stoop low enough to sample– or indeed, republish– Toyota’s official description of its exhibition stands at the don’t call it the Detroit Auto Show. Even though ToMoCo PR-fest will be greener than insert metaphor here. But, as the genie intones in John Papadiuk’s Tales of the Arabian Nights, this amuses me. “These displays include: a ‘Safety and Technology’ kiosk that explains Toyota technology in everyday language; and a series of “Hybrid Synergy Drive® Regenerate Campaign Pods,” which educates consumers on Toyota’s hybrid technology, the benefits and drawbacks of various alternative fuels, and Toyota’s leadership in environmental sustainability.” Pod people unite! Your new Prius is at hand! Toyota hears your cries! “Back by popular demand is ‘Toyota Live,’ a stylized talk show, featuring hosts and guest seating. Introduced last year, ‘Toyota Live’ hosts lead audiences through the latest Toyota news stories as well as engage in a prize-laden Toyota trivia game show.” Of course, Sciontologists will not be neglected.

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I know what you’re thinking. If Ford’s dedicating itself to building automobiles without A-pillars the size of redwood trees and blind spots that could hide a girl scout chapter, then huzzah! The Blue Oval Boyz get it! Uh, no. The only thing FoMoCo wants to “get” is more money for backup cameras. “Ford Motor Company is answering consumer requests for more visibility around their vehicles. Ford plans to continue its aggressive technology onslaught by doubling the number of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models that offer its innovative and affordable Rear View Camera System by the end of 2009. Approximately 75 percent of Ford vehicles will offer the feature by the end of next year, including the new 2010 Ford Mustang – the only sports car to offer the feature when it arrives in spring 2009 – and the recently introduced 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid.” Don’t get me wrong: my minivan’s backup camera is much appreciated (by my neighbors if no one else). But if “our research shows that visibility is one of the biggest customer concerns today,” why not design for it? Oh right, the Ford Taurus. OK, carry on then.

Previously, on “We Can Confabulate the Managerial Incompetence Behind Motown’s Meltdown and Federal Cash Grab by Raising Issues About Race, Regionality, Class and (it’s coming) Religion,” Washington Post Carmudgeon Warren Brown argued for Motown bailout bucks as a “thank you” for the auto industry’s help to African Americans. The Detroit News said “amen” and added a little ditty about how black workers are more exposed to the Detroit “downturn” than their Caucasian union brothers. And now The New York Times is adding the official seal of approval of the “minorities need the bailout” meme, with “As Detroit Suffers, Black Workers Hurt.” Not surprisingly, Gray Lady scribe Mary M. Chapman follows DetN wordsmith Louis Aguilar’s template to the point of plagiarism– and beyond! Do these stats seem familiar? “By last month, nearly 20,000 African-American auto workers had lost jobs, a 13.9 percent decline in employment, since the recession began last December, according to government jobs data analyzed by the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal Washington research firm. That compares with a 4.4 percent decline for all workers in manufacturing.” First of all, define “lost jobs.” Does that include workers who took a buyout? Jobs bank? Second, let’s compare apples to apples; what’s the differential between black workers auto industry layoff rate and that of white workers with the same jobs? The Times offers more misleading stats and insinuations, but my work here is done.

Car haters love it. Car lovers hate it. The Geo Metro has come to represent the uncomplicated wet dreams of piss poor eco-weenies, and a bare bones deathtrap on wheels for the SUV faithful. It’s surprising that this car has elicited such strong reactions over the years given that it never rang up the sales charts in the first place. However, thanks to cheap gas and the return of the “tax gas out of the ass” brigade, I decided to drive one for a full week. And not just any one. A rare, non-optioned, rust free version that is as common in rural Georgia as an unsubsidized peanut farmer. To be perfectly honest folks, the Geo Metro wasn’t that good and it wasn’t that bad. It was… well…

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Wendelin Wiedeking, chief of a bank with attached sheet-metal fabrication named Porsche, used the quiet time between the holidays to sit down and pen a letter to all employees. He had to get it off his chest. Usually, this is the time for well wishes and brave forecasts. This time, it’s different. At least at Porsche. Even the most dopamine-saturated Porsche employee will be deeply depressed after reading Wiedekings new year letter. Sales of Valium and harder drugs, such as Schnapps, probably went through the roof in Zuffenhausen after the letter was opened. Automobilwoche (sub) obtained a copy of the inspirational message.

“Don’t let the high profitability of our company fool you. Dark clouds cover the skies. Due to the crisis in the financial markets, we are in a recession which we had not seen for many decades.” So far, so bad. Everybody who can read or watch TV knows that by now.

The missive continues with the usual yadda yadda of all auto makers being in a deep sales slump. Aber Achtung! Even Porsche, the company that could make more profits than sales, suddenly is not immune: “Despite being better prepared than most of the competition, we will not remain unscathed by the drops in demand.” Uh-oh.  “Reduction in demand” usually is a precursor for “reduction in jobs.” As Wiedeking is looking ahead, the wisdom of building a Cayenne becomes as clear as it possibly can get:

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In their never-ending quest for excellence, the U.S. auto industry is number one again. The auto sector has been voted “the most financially troubled industry in the United States next year,” writes Reuters.

Last year’s top dog was homebuilding, which was bestowed the coveted title of “Most troubled industry for 2008.” For 2009, that crown goes to the autos.

The auto industry received top honors as the result of a survey by the Turnaround Management Association, taken during the first two weeks of December.

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Bankrupt United States car parts maker Delphi has decided to temporarily close a plant in China’s Suzhou, the Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (sub) reports. The factory west of Shanghai makes compressors for General Motors Corp. Delphi had been spun off from GM, as Visteon was from Ford, and Denso from Toyota. All with the (at least official) idea to supply other automakers of the world as well.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way for the Suzhou plant: “The sudden and unprecedented decline in car sales globally has resulted in our only customer, General Motors North America, announcing plant closures and plant stoppages,” the South China Morning Post quoted from a statement by Delphi. “Unfortunately our only customer in 2009 is GMNA, and this has placed the Suzhou compressor plant in a very dangerous position,” the document continues.
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A short overview of what happened in other parts of the world while you were in bed. TTAC provides round-the-clock coverage of everything that has wheels. Or has its wheels coming off. For the next two weeks, WAS will be filed from Tokyo

Doh! Several automakers in China reduced or suspended the production of some vehicles. They already regret it, reports Gasgoo. Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen halted the Citroen production line. Now, dealers are out of stock on the C-Elysee. Many editions of the C-Quatre model are also nearly sold out. FAW started a two-week overhaul of its equipment. As a result the supply of its Besturn model is affected. Gasgoo: “Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Auto, FAW VW and other automakers have decided to speed up the overhaul of the idled production lines and resume their operation for more output to meet the market demands.” Spending a lot of time writing production plans, and the customers simply ignore them.

Honda up. In China: Honda sold 45,090 vehicles in China during November, up 8.7 percent from the same month last year. Sales from January to November rose 18% to 421,060 vehicles from 356,730 in the same period last year, the Nikkei (sub) writes.

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CNNMoney is reporting that the U.S. Treasury will “invest” $5b in formerly bankruptcy-bound lender GMAC. In return, “GMAC will issue warrants to Treasury in the form of additional preferred equity in an amount equal to 5% of the preferred stock purchase that will pay a 9% dividend if exercised.” Presumably, the treasury provided your tax money after GMAC failed to convince enough of its bondholders to swap debt-for-equity to qualify for bank status (under the Fed’s “emergency powers”). Now that the Treasury has stepped in, GMAC can make the morph and hoover $6b plus from the Troubled Asset Relief Program and $17.5b in federally guaranteed debt. Folks, that little package right there comes to $28.8b. Oh wait; the Treasury has decided to “lend an additional $1 billion to GM so it could invest in GMAC as the financing company reorganizes.” So if you add GM’s $14.4b, Chrysler’s $4b, GMAC’s $28.8 and the Department of Energy’s $25b retooling loans, you end up with a $72.2b Detroit bailout “plan.” Way hey! GMAC press release after the jump.

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Automotive News [sub] reports that Uncle Sam is set to transfer $4b worth of taxpayer funds to GM and Chrysler. Each. The e-checks were due to be signed by close of play today, but got hung-up on “technical issues.” So, tomorrow then. This is, of course, only the first installment. GM scarfs another $9.4b early next year, $4b of which will require  congressional approval.  “The automakers must file plans by Feb. 17 describing how they will restructure to become viable for the long term. Unless the agreement is changed by the Obama administration, a president’s designee, or car czar, is to decide by March 31 if an automaker’s restructuring plan is sufficient. If not, the first loans will be called in, possibly forcing the company into bankruptcy.” Possibly? Anyway, I am disgusted that this deal went down without public scrutiny of GM or Chrysler’s books– or a call for the MSM for same. While our duly elected representatives supposedly saw the “real” books– but couldn’t reveal the information for “commercial reasons”– last week’s Wall Street Journal story on Cerberus’ ownership of ChryCo’s HQ indicates that there’s ample reason to believe there’s something rotten in the fortress of Detroit. You know, other than President’s Bush bald-faced usurpation of Congressional power and federal funds to prop-up two dying commercial (non-banking) enterprises. The Bailout Watch continues.

According to Automotive News [sub], investor Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corp sold off its 133.5m share position in the Ford Motor Company. Tracinda first revealed that it would divest its Ford holdings in regulatory documents filed in October. It has now confirmed the complete sale. Tracinda spent over $1b on Ford stake beginning in April, paying an average of $7.10 per share. At the time of writing, Ford is selling at $2.22 per share and falling. Kerkorian’s losses in Ford are estimated at over $660m. Still, the ninety-year-old money man can take the hit. Not only because he’s close enough to the end of his life to not give a dman, but also because Forbes rates “the Lion of Las Vegas'” current net worth at a $16b. Ford was the third Detroit automaker to attract Kerkorian’s attention; the sale marks the end of his tortured involvement the major domestic auto OEMs. Of course, when they file, Kirk or his minions might go bargain hunting…

Auto Motor und Sport hears that Mazda will debut a gas/hydrogen powertrain on its 2012 rotary-sportster, the RX-9. This got the German lads so excited they comissioned Mark Stehrenberg to sketch up this rendering of a potential next-gen RX. Keep in mind that all Stehrenberg had to go on was the Taiki showcar and news that the wankel engine would power the rear wheels only. As for the dual-fuel hydrogen system (think BMW Hydrogen 7), Mazda is already testing the powertrain on RX-8 mules. Although Mazda will probably improve on the BMW system’s many shortcomings by 2012, it will be interesting to see what Lithium-Ion batteries will be capable of by then. Or if there will even be hydrogen refueling stations outside of LA. Elsewhere in 2012, I’ll be stalking the used CRZ market for my slice of eco-friendly fun.

KBB/Carmax

1. Honda Civic /Honda Accord
2. Honda Accord/Honda Civic
3. Toyota Camry/Toyota Camry
4. Toyota Corolla/Ford Mustang
5. Nissan Altima/Nissan Altima
6. Honda CR-V/ Chevrolet Tahoe
7. Toyota Prius/Ford F-150
8. Toyota Highlander/Toyota Corolla
9. Toyota RAV4/Toyota Tacoma
10. Mazda3/Nissan Maxima
11. Toyota Yaris
12. Ford Escape
13. Honda Odyssey
14. Honda Pilot
15. Honda Fit
16. Ford Mustang
17. Chevrolet Malibu
18. Toyota Sienna
19. MINI Cooper
20. Volkswagen Jetta

…You know you’re in some trouble. The AP reports that local governments are adopting the kaizen principles that launched Toyota to the production efficiency monster it is today. And the bureaucratic nightmares which once defined government inefficiency are being massively reduced. For those who are not familiar with “the five whys,” the AP describes kaizen as “a way of thinking that diagrams a job step by step, puts workers at the center, gives them a sense of the total process they’re involved in, and then frees them to think of ways to best do their jobs.” Or, as the quality services director at the Ohio Department of Administrative Services puts it,”You cannot filibuster, you cannot stall. You look at this thing and say ‘OK, justify that.'” The concept has become the hot thing in local government the nation over. As one strangely-picked example goes, the average time to process death certificates in Maine recently dropped from 95 days to five after the state introduced kaizen principles. “We got calls from people saying they want to die in Maine now because they can get the death records so quickly,” claims a Maine HHS honcho. Any of those calls come from Detroit?

Jalopnik has spy images from a currently-testing Ford Taurus, and they’ve spotted a SHO badge on the interior of one. So does this mark the return of a budget performance legend, or is it just a cruel, cruel tease?  Los Jalops figure a 350hp Ecoboost V6 from the Lincoln MKS AWD would be just the ticket for a torque-steery good time. In other, more surprising news, the Taurus interior looks surprisingly decent. Let’s just hope the faux-carbon fiber is limited to models that require the driver to focus on keeping their bucking steed in the same lane.