In January, GM Car Czar Bob Lutz stated that all of GM's new models "are getting a lot more non-GM and non-domestic conquests." As usual, the former marine aviator was flying by the seat of his pants. The numbers tell a different story. Automotive News [sub] compared fourth quarter '07 conquests to fourth quarter '05 for the redesigned Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS. In the last quarter '05, former Chevy owners accounted for 43.9 percent of Malibu sales. In the last quarter '07, the number rose to… 45.8 percent. The CTS sales stats also reveal that import buyers are lined-up none deep. In the fourth quarter of 2005, 30.1 percent of CTS buyers traded another Cadillac. In 2007, the number rose to… 42.2 percent. More specifically, Mercedes owners jumping ship for the midsized Caddy sedan ascended from 2.1 percent to 2.7 percent in 2007, and ex-Lexus owners increased from 1.2 percent to 2.3 percent. BMW owners stayed away. In 2005, 2.4 percent were BMW conquests; in 2007 that dropped to 2.3 percent.

The days of "anyone with a pulse" financing are long gone. Or they could just be getting started. As more and more people with "indirect" loans (loans not made through a "captive" firm owned by an automaker) default, banks and credit unions are tightening the reins on auto loan applications. According to The Detroit News, in the third quarter of '07, the delinquency rate for indirect loans hit a 16-year high of 2.86 percent. With '08 not looking so great, beleaguered automakers may not wish to turn away customers simply because the banks won't loan them the money to buy a car they can't afford. So, do the carmakers assume the credit risk to move the metal? The question is especially vexing now that Cerberus now owns 80 percent of Chrysler, 100 percent of Chrysler financial and majority control of GM's GMAC finance unit. If GM tanks, Chrysler wins; but would Cerberus manipulate Chrysler Financial and GMAC to save Chrysler? And Ford's finance company is still a cash cow. Would FoMoCo maintain fiscal discipline at the expense of the corporate mothership? As the perfect storm continues to gather, the stakes– and the finance rates– have never been higher.

A number of media outlets are carrying the story that Tesla chairman Elon Musk's personal Roadster has finally made it across the Atlantic and into his waiting arms. Everyone is proclaiming this as the first delivery of a production Roadster. Yet Petrol Head reports that as Musk got his, he indicated "the first deliveries" would start in mid-March. In the meantime, the second car will go to Tesla founder Martin Eberhard. So what about it gang? Would you consider this transfer of a hand-massaged example with a temporary transmission to the head honcho as the official start of Tesla Roadster production? Should we end the Tesla Birth Watch series with this installment? Or should we wait until we actually see the cars getting into the hands of a paying customer?

You may recall that GM sold its stake in Subaru to… Toyota. Last spring's union between the two Japanese automakers is about to bear fruit. Motor Trend reveals that one of the first toys out of the Tubaru toy box will be a latter day reincarnation of the Toyota Celica. The new sports coupe will arrive both as a lower-priced rear-wheel-drive base model and a full-bore AWD model, complete with the Impreza STi's 300hp engine. The new Toybaru will be offered in two flavors: two-door coupe or three-door hatch. To keep the price duo-brand-compliant, the Soyota will be a high-volume model; you can expect to see it in a number of markets including the U.S. GM may rue the day it through Subie's shares into its cash conflagration. 

Who killed the electric car? That's easy: GM. What killed the electric car? Also a no-brainer: an operational range of 55 to 95 miles. From the moment Tesla Motors announced its all-electric Roadster, we've called for independent verification of their official range claims, which started at 250 miles, slunk to 220, and ended up in a real-world figure of 93 (still unofficial). Despite a rear-guard defense on the issue, Tesla's new CEO Ze'ev Drori ain't no dope. At a press conference to announce the historic fact that Elon Musk's personal Tesla Roadster had arrived from Europe, Drori pulled a GM: talking about the next next Big Thing. And here's the thing: Tesla will offer the formerly (theoretically) all-electric WhitesStar sedan as a hybrid, with a small gas engine powering an on-board generator a la Volt. Tesla says itheir sedan will hit the streets by 2009, stickering in the $50 to $70k range. After that, they'll focus their attention on an economy car. First things second, eh?

Tesla better watch it… the joint venture between ZAP and China Youngman Automotive Group is nipping at their heels with the Alias. Wired reports the three-wheeled electric sports car is supposed to go into production by midyear 2009. The unusual drive system will use two in-wheel motors producing 320hp. They're claiming 0-60 in 5.7 seconds, a 120mph top speed and "at least" a 150-mile cruising range. Oh, and it'll sell for $30k. Interestingly, ZAP designed the car with help from Lotus– which also helped develop the Tesla Roadster. They're taking reservations now so better hurry if you want to be the first in your neighborhood with one of the electric trikes.

In 2002, Leon County (Florida) commissioners passed an ordinance earmarking three dollars from every traffic ticket for driver-education programs. This year, educators got $230k to spend on teaching the next generation how to navigate our roadways. They spent the money on salaries for one full-time and one part-time teacher and cars for the county's five high schools. But Tallahassee.com reports they didn't buy just any cars– they bought a fleet of Toyota Priora. You have to wonder how the students will react going from one of those with its video game dashboard and engine cut-off back to the family chariot where they actually have to learn to read an instrument cluster and listen to the engine idle.

Once again GM shows its right hand doesn't know what the Lutz hand is doing. Last week, Car Czar to the Stars Bob Lutz spoke about their plans for the Volt's eventual introduction: "In the first year… we'll do about 10,000 units, and keep them fairly close to home so we can deal with any issues before we really crank up for high volumes." But Reuters reported yesterday that GM's VP for global program management has a different idea. Jon Lauckner told a forum at the Competitive Enterprise Institute that GM's  planning a "healthy roll-out" for their plug-in electric – gas hybrid  In fact, Lauckner said "we're talking about large numbers — in the tens of thousands." However, Lauckner didn't seem to share Lutz' confidence that the Volt would be a smash hit; he urged Congress to "approve tax incentives to help spark demand." Your tax money hard at work.

Filming yourself speeding has become an problem of pandemic proportions in Great Britain. Or at least that's what it would seem, based on the way the constabulary in England and Wales are reacting to the videos of highway hoonage on YouTube and other sites. Equating the videos to slasher flicks and pornography, the Old Bill wants the government to pass laws banning them. Apparently, the home-made vids "encourage more young people to speed and in turn, more young people to get killed." In Fife, Scotland, Chief Inspector Alex Duncan actually spends time scouring YouTube looking for the videos. He says if he can identify anyone in the footage, they'll persecute prosecute them. Even more Big Brotherish, Duncan hints at a wider probe. "What really scares me is how many people are doing this and not putting it on websites where we can find it." YouTube says it won't ban the videos, but if police think a post is evidence of a crime, they should "get in touch with them." While TTAC doesn't condone lawbreaking, and we accept the police's right to investigate criminal matters, we defend freedom of speech and personal privacy in all its permutations. And the video here was shot on a derestricted section of the German autobahn. In case you were wondering.

The China Banking Regulatory Commission wants to make it easier for you… yes YOU… to get into a new car. Gasgoo reports they've released new regulations on auto leasing companies that will allow them to lease cars to Chinese consumers. The new regulations allow finance companies to lease cars to individuals or fleets; previously they were only allowed to loan money for purchases to individual buyers or auto companies. With the vast majority of Chinese auto purchasers paying cash for their new cars and buying only what they can afford, it's going to be interesting to see if the new regulations will entice consumers to lease a more expensive vehicle than they could buy. It leaves one to wonder, though, what the penalty for going over the mileage limit will be in The People's Republic.

Financial Times reports that Johnson Controls and Saft have joined forces to build a factory to produce lithium-ion batteries for automotive applications. The factory in Nersac, France will supply batteries to GM, Chrysler and Mecedes, amongst others. Initially, the new venture will be turning out about 5k battery packs per year, increasing production from then on as demand increases. The partnership also plans to produce batteries in Asia and other locations. Meanwhile, Toyota is making preparations with Panasonic to produce Li-Ion batteries for the Prius, while GM works with Continental and LG Chemical to develop batteries for the Volt, and Nissan partners with NEC for their electric car project in Israel. Anyone want to place a bet on how long it'll be before we're fretting over the lithium supply like we do crude oil?

Isuzu once had one of the most recognizable ad campaigns on the planet (you have my word on it!). Their Giugiaro-designed Impulse was considered one of the best-looking cars on the road. Honda thought their SUVs were good enough to rebadge, to get Honda and Acura into the growing SUV market. And now, after they've struggled along for the past five years with nothing more to offer than rebadged Chevy TrailBlazers and Colorados, Mobile Magazine reports they're officially abandoning the American market.  It'll cost them about $37m to pull out, but they probably spend that much each year just keeping their American operation limping along. They'll still provide replacement parts for their existing models, but it's very doubtful you'll ever see a passenger vehicle with the Isuzu brand on it. If I’m lying, may lightning hit my mother.

Attention residents of The Green Mountain State! Has your legislature got a deal for you! In return for your vital organs, you could drive free for the rest of your life! While a lot of states have organ donor boxes on their driver's licenses (which we at TTAC encourage you to tick), Vermont wants to sweeten the pot. So the pols have ponied-up a bill that would waive the cost of the driver's license fee for anyone agreeing to part with their parts once they depart. The Burlington Free Press does the math. By participating in the program in your mid-30's, you could save up to $400, provided you live to your late 70's. Of course, finding any organs still fit to be transplanted in a 78-year old donor isn't their problem. That's why the transplant surgeons get paid the big bucks. [thanks to Gord Mack for the link]

BusinessWeek describes the experience: When you arrive at the dealership, you're checked in at the gate. You're escorted into the showroom, where you're greeted by name. Gentle tunes waft from a baby grand piano in the corner. In the service department, you find leather couches, coffee, snacks and internet access. When your new car is delivered, it's wrapped in a red ribbon and presented in a ceremony with friends and family present. Rolls? Bentley? Maybach? Nope. Toyota. In China, the Toyota Camry is a high-end car, and the dealerships treat customers accordingly. The salesmen don't pressure the customers because that'll make them think there's something wrong with the car, and they're available to take care of customers' needs 24/7. The down side? Even the top salesmen make only about $14 commission per car, and that's only if they manage to sell extras like GPS and backup sensors; otherwise they clear about $7. Perhaps they could make a bit more money running seminars on how to treat customers like customers instead of victims for their American counterparts. 

Some people think TTAC has been/is being overly critical of the Tesla Roadster, particularly when it comes to their claims for driving range and recharge time. We're not the only ones expressing concern. Autobloggreen's ace scribe Sam Abuelsamid reports their experience with the range while test driving the roadster:

Driven sedately, the Tesla Roadster very likely could achieve somewhere around 220 miles or more. Perhaps even as much 250 miles in city driving with lots of regenerative braking. The problem is that this little demon doesn't really want to be driven in that manner… [Based on the readings on the charge indicator gauge] the range with the driving I did [is] somewhere between 105 and 120 miles…. According to some of the print magazine reviews, they got significantly less. Autoweek only managed 93 miles… For now, drivers of the Roadster will have to choose, exceptional performance or exceptional range, but probably not both.

So there you have it. It's a sports car you can drive like a sports car for about 100 miles, or a sports car you can drive like a Prius for about 200 miles. Either way, it's a sports car that no one will be driving until after March 17. That is, if they can get it to the airport on time.

Correction:  Under the headline "Tesla Roadster Misses Production Date," TTAC stated that the date when the first production Tesla Roadster was scheduled to be released to a customer had changed to March 26. Our report was based on information posted on another site. Darryl Siry from Tesla contacted us and insisted that the production date has not changed; it's still March 17. We look forward to seeing a California-registered, fully-functional Tesla Roadster in a private customer's hands on that date. As stated previously, if so, we will discontinue the Tesla Birth Watch.