The first time we posted the video for They Might Be Giants’ song “Electric Car,” TTAC commentator rollosrevenge noted:
I love EVs and am pretty fond of They Might be Giants, but that was the one of the most annoying songs accompanied by the one of the stupidest music videos ever. It belongs as the theme song/video for the Volt.
And guess what? If Bob “Chrome” Lutz had his way, it could have been.
My gig is to wander the streets of Eugene and hopefully stumble onto something worthy of your attention. Sometimes, my wildest expectations are exceeded, and then exceeded again. Walking down Willamette Street, I see the distinctive rear hatch of what I take to be a Pinto. Nice enough. But no, this is a Mercury Bobcat; quite a find in this day and age. I start snapping away. And then the owner shows up and tops it all: he’s converted this Bobcat to a steam injection system of his own invention, and it’s going to pull twelves in the quarter mile and get 75 mpg. Incredible! (Read More…)
GM announced today that Buick-GMC sales manager Brian Sweeney has been promoted to the top spot at Buick-GMC after his predecessor Michael Richards left the position after nine days on the job. According to the Detroit News, Sweeney began his GM career at GMC in 1990 and has served as vice president of sales at Saab Cars USA and sales manager of GM’s north-central region.
The auto industry is a brutally competitive game. GM’s Bob Lutz may have just discovered that Chrome window surrounds are the key to perceived quality, but Audi has already gone one better, cladding the entire C-pillar of its new A1 with chrome. And if that doesn’t scream “upscale” loud enough, they have a former boy-band member on hand to amplify the message. Anspruchsvoll!
The Freep reports that creditors in Visteon’s bankruptcy are investigating Ford’s relationship with its spun-off supplier, implying that the Blue Oval could be responsible for its financial downfall. The creditors have requested the release of documents relating to Ford’s 2000 spin-off of its parts maker, and financial transactions between the two firms since then. They’re hoping to show that Ford forced losses onto the supplier, possibly securing better claims for creditors. The creditor committee motion explains:
Since the spin-off transaction, there has been no semblance of arm’s length bargaining between Visteon and Ford. Ford appears to have utilized its insider status to control Visteon to Visteon’s detriment.
Remember when Japan’s Nikkei said: “The latest round of partnerships is widely seen as just the beginning of a major shakeup of the auto making industry?” A kind of Japanese company, Renault (partner of Nissan) is engaged in heavy petting with yet another partner.
Reuters says French carmaker Renault is in talks with Daimler and others about partnerships. Areas covered include engines, transmission platforms, and access to new technologies, Renault COO Patrick Pelata confirmed today. He added: “We are discussing serious matters with Daimler.”
(Read More…)
Having wandered with GM through the deserts of poor perceived quality, Bob “The Lizard King” Lutz has broken on through to the other side… of the perception gap. No longer will GM be accused of skimping on quality. No longer will GM struggle to realize its upmarket ambitions. Whence this mystical power? Lutz shares the keys to the the doors of perception with Automotive News [sub]:
Nothing adds perceived value to a car faster than that chrome surround around the side glass because it is a hallmark of German and Japanese luxury products. If you skimp on $50 of chrome, you are reducing the customer’s perceived value of the car by $500 of $600.
Like, wow. Where do these ideas come from?
What is the future of Opel? Here is the version of GM Europe’s interim-turned-permanent chief Nick Reilly. He gave an interview to Germany’s auto motor und sport magazine. (Interview in the print edition, not available on-line.)
Of course, Opel according to Reilly will aggressively gain market share: “We are confident that we can not only maintain but also expand our market share in Europe.”
Opel currently holds a 6.5 percent share of Europe. Reilly wants to see that to “rise to 10 percent and beyond in the medium range.” And how will that come to pass?
(Read More…)
China’s Chery will be the first ever Chinese brand to enter the venerable Dakar Rally.
After the Paris-Dakar Rally had been canceled in 2008 for fear of terrorist attacks, the world’s roughest race moved to South America in 2009. For good, as it seems. The 2010 edition will start on New Year’s Day in Buenos Aires, to return (with a considerably thinned-out field) to Buenos Aires on January 16. The route is some 9,000km/5600m long. Four of the 14 legs of the race will be spent in the Atacama Desert. The Andes will be crossed two times at altitudes of about 4,700m. Team Chery will send 4 cars:
(Read More…)
When I came to China for the first time in 2004, after-work congregations of foreign executives who worked for Chinese auto joint ventures usually went like this: Someone muttered into his Tsingtao beer, or something stronger: “The Chinese will want us out within eight years.” Upon hearing this, all others around him nodded gravely, and another round was ordered. Over the years, more and more expats were sent home to Detroit, Wolfsburg, and Aichi. The silly “twin” system (a foreigner and a Chinese on the same job) stopped. Of course, the open secret was never officially discussed, but the outcome appeared to be inevitable: The days of the foreigners are numbered.
It will be 2010 within a few weeks, and the foreign (U.S., European; Japanese) joint ventures are still seemingly safely ensconced in China. As reported umpteen times at TTAC, China has become a strategically important market for most auto manufacturers. Nobody thinks anymore that come 2012, China will kick all joint venture partners out.
Yet, here is the first step in that general direction:
(Read More…)
Lets get back to some grilling. Here’s a nice set of bars, but are they actually metal? Tuesday’s Datsun 510 was picked up by ktm; congratulations. I know that at least one of you faithful CCCluers noticed tha the Datsun I used in the story didn’t jive to the Clue. Just another way to throw you off the scent. Wait a minute; that doesn’t make sense. It’s been a long day. Happy Cluing!
It’s getting late in the game today and we’re down a couple of points, so its time to go for a double. Thanks to an easy pitch from the UK government and AutoBlogGreen, I’m going to swing. The Nanny State Incarnate is encouraging local UK governments to introduce blanket 20 mph speed limits in all residential area. And ABG picks up the story from Autocar and adds its own little brilliant addition to the story: its going to save fuel. Now how is it that a writer for the biggest little green blog in the land doesn’t know that cars are way less efficient at 20 mph than at their peak efficient speed of somewhere between 35 and 50? And there’s more; in fact this might well be a triple: (Read More…)
Earlier today in my Celica Supra Mark II CC, I lamented about not buying a Supra instead of the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe I impulsively bought in 1983. How about you? With the benefit of hindsight, which one specific car purchase would you do over? What did you buy, and what should you have bought instead?
TTAC Commentator dastanley writes:
I saw an ad in a magazine for G Oil a biodegradable motor oil. Green Earth Technologies (GET) makes and sells this biodegradable motor oil from American sourced beef tallow (or so they claim). GET claims that the API has certified this oil with an “SM” rating. They also sell a full line of other automotive and lawn and garden products that they say are earth friendly.
Do you have any info on this? Is this the real thing or just beef tallow bullshit?
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