An earlier report, stating that Bob Lutz would be returning to GM as a consultant was true… but so was the news that Treasury opposed GM’s plans to pay its longtime executive, who retired a little over a year ago. Speaking to the press at the New York Auto Show, Maximum Bob confirms that he is on the board of Lotus, and revealed that he is doing “pro-bono” work as a consultant for GM’s new product development boss, Mary Barra. According to Automotive News [sub], the prospect of Lutz returning as a GM consultant (ala Fritz Henderson) caused such a stir at Treasury, that he decided to work informally at GM, without pay. Given that Lutz’s heavily-hyped products have yet to return GM to steady retail market share growth, perhaps GM is finally paying him what he’s worth?
Recently, our man in Brazil has been confessing his love for Citroen’s “anti-retro” DS series, sparking a debate over what qualifies as “retro” and what qualifies as “anti-retro.” Here, to help draw the distinction are two separate interpretations of an iconic vehicle. On the left is Geely’s EnglonSC7-RV concept, which gives a tackily Chinese take on the classic British taxi. On the right is VW’s Up! London Taxi concept, which takes the same inspiration and packages it in a far more sleek, modern style. As a result, the Englon looks like a doughy, anglophile PT Cruiser, while the VW looks sharp, crisp and yet classic. When it comes to interpreting modern classics, its seems that capturing the spirit of a car is more important than faithfully recreating its cues.
The slide above shows Chrysler’s product plan for the 2010-2014 timeframe, and as it shows, after the new 300 and “refreshed” 200 and T&C, the next Chrysler was supposed to be a C-segment compact sedan. But, reports C&D’s Justin Berkowitz, the subcompact car (essentially a rebadged Lancia Ypsilon) has already been canceled for being positioned too close to the Fiat 500. Meanwhile, it seems that now only one of Chrysler Group’s brands will get a forthcoming compact sedan, and since Dodge has confirmed that it will get a Fiat-based Caliber replacement next year, it seems Chrysler won’t be getting any help in one of the most important segments in the market. So, without a subcompact or compact car coming down the pipe, what does Chrysler have to look forward to? Another crack at the D-segment, come 2013, and a crossover based on the same platform. Apparently the Chrysler brand, which is supposed to be a Lancia-style luxury brand in the Fiat empire, doesn’t need more than four products.
I’m on my third LeMons race in as many weekends— New Jersey to Michigan to Texas— and the regional differences that make one region of the country stand out from another have become quite clear: East Coast racers like BMW E30s and VW Golfs and Midwestern racers are partial to Neons and Camaros. The Texans? They like Ford Taurus SHOs. (Read More…)
Hyundai updated its web-only “save the asterisks” video for the New York Auto Show, as it continues to highlight fuel economy as a key brand value. And the brand didn’t miss the opportunity to talk about future fuel-efficient products either, as InsideLine reports that Hyundai is promising two more vehicles rated at 40 MPG highway or above in the “next couple of years.” One is the Prius competitor, which was previewed with the Blue Will concept, and which appears to now be a dedicated hybrid-only model, after having been initially tipped as a plug-in hybrid. The other? Hyundai won’t say, but an exec does tell the Edmunds blog that
The strategy of further developing the internal-combustion engine, with significant increases in fuel economy, is where we see the market going
Speaking from Shanghai, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland tells Bloomberg that “a number” of Chinese automakers have expressed interest in selling their products in the US, to which the auto safety regulator says:
When they offer their vehicle for sale, we will treat them like we will treat any company whether it is a Detroit company or a Japanese company or a Chinese company.
Strickland identified GM’s partner SAIC as one company that was interested in US sales, although the automaker says it’s waiting until it has “more suitable product” for the market. Chinese auto exports currently make up only 3 percent of production, a number the Chinese government wants to increase to 20 percent by 2012-2015. Separately, SAIC announced this week that it plans to invest some $1.85b into its hybrid, electric and fuel-cell technologies.
Detroit has a long, sad history of self-delusion when comparing its cars to premium imports. Could you tell the difference between the Ford Granada and the Mercedes-Benz 280SE? Murilee’s take: people on ‘ludes should not drive. But what choice does Buick have? The Regal Turbo I reviewed a few weeks ago lists for $35,185. So […]
Mitsubishi has announced the 3rd major-OEM plug-in vehicle for the US market (available in November), and it’s taken the opportunity to bring down the price of entry for (barely) freeway-capable EVs. With 66 HP and 145 lb-ft of torque, the Mitsubishi i will take you to “approximately 80 MPH” for the low, low price of $27,990 before a $7,500 federal tax break. For $29,990, Mitsu will sell you an SE version, with an upgraded interior, premium sound system, and more. At those prices, the Mitsubishi i costs thousands less than the $32,780 base-MSRP Nissan Leaf, the previous budget EV king. But the i is only rated at 85 miles of range per charge based on the same test that said the Leaf would get 100 miles per charge, and the Leaf’s ultimate EPA rating is 73 miles so expect less from the i. But hey, it’s the first pure EV crash-tested by NCAP (it got four stars, thankyouverymuch), and its cheap. You get what you pay for…
President Obama’s goal of putting one million plug-in vehicles on the road by 2015 has faced serious challenges from day one, with several studies pointing out that the goal probably isn’t achievable without more government action.But up till now, President Obama has forwarded only one actual policy change aimed at achieving his goal, namely turning an existing $7,500 federal plug-in tax credit into a rebate, redeemable at the point of purchase (an idea first forwarded by Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow). This plan should help drive a Cash-for-Clunker-style EV buying frenzy, as the rebate would not be dependent on the buyer’s tax burden. But Automotive News [sub] reports that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)
is very concerned [about the credit-to-rebate scheme] from an effectiveness standpoint.
Baucus doesn’t make a regular habit of opposing the President, but apparently his concerns about the Obama/Stabenow credit-to-rebate plan are serious enough for him to put politics aside.
Aren’t iPads supposed to be in short supply, affected by the parts paralysis? The visitor of the Shanghai Auto Show wouldn’t know. Actually, if everybody would stop using the flat gizmos, just supplying car shows with them would be a great business. They are everywhere.At most large automakers, someone said: “I have a great idea: We will give all our booth ba …. I mean, productspecialists one of these iPads with a multimedia presentation.” “Super! It’s cool, and it’s green. Think about all the paper we save!” (Read More…)
28.3 miles per gallon. That’s what it said on the Lincoln’s trip computer. Was it real? I hated to think that some electronic glitch had made this Lincoln an eternal optimist. But one thing certainly helped it’s cause. A great owner. An awesome owner. The type of owner you want to thank years later for keeping the car in such great shape. Yes, this Lincoln was a creme puff. So now I can…
Mazda has joined the party at the 40 MPG beach, rolling out its new SkyActive engine technology in order to give its Mazda3 refresh a 40 MPG EPA highway rating (with autobox, 39 MPG with manual). Power is up as well with the new engines, generating 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 148 lb-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm. But possibly the biggest Mazda news: as part of its goal to become “the Japanese Alfa Romeo,” Mazda’s stylists have toned down the 3’s goofy grin, giving it a slightly more grave countenance. Again, by addressing the 3’s traditional weaknesses, namely weak fuel economy and overwrought styling, Mazda has helped make the NYIAS a banner year for well-executed mid-cycle refreshes.
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