TTAC has a longstanding policy of exposing the sordid connection between mainstream automotive manufacturers and the mainstream automotive press. We feel compelled– compelled I tell you– to do so. A car is the average consumer’s second largest purchase. Propagating the myth that “there’s no such thing as a bad car,” or simply spinning spin on the spinmeisters’ behalf, is against the interests of the audience these publications pretend to serve. We’ve taken AutoWeek to task for their pro-everyone bias many times. But it’s a nuanced sort of deal, easily defensible by those who make their living riding on the carmakers’ gravy train. Except when it isn’t. The September 29 issue [print] has a full page, cardboard tear-out for the Danbury Mint’s ALL NEW! 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible model. Pages 24 and 24 of Autoweek are headlined “Newly Minted,” cataloguing (literally) four new Danbury unlimited edition replicas, Shouldn’t that be freshly minted? Anyway… “While we usually offer a glimpse of scale models from a variety of manufacturers,” the subhead announces. “this time, we’re focusing on the latest offering from the Danbury Mint.” Storm in a teacup? Obviously. Indicative of a wider journalistic malaise? Absolutely.
Posts By: Robert Farago
GM has been heavily advertising its bailout bait (a.k.a. Chevrolet Volt) since the concept car was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show on January 7, 2007. Strangely, I haven’t seen a single TV or print ad featuring the new, less chop-topped bodywork. Where was I? Oh yes… From a PR perspective, GM’s electric – gas “extended range EV” has been a singular success (literally). So it’s no surprise that a Canadian power company looking to greenwash its image is jumping into bed with The General to get a Jolt from their Volt™. Ontario Power’s press release reveals that they’ve launched a two-month ad campaign that “features a 30-second TV commerical showcasing the environmental benefits of plug-in electric vehicles. The TV ads are supplemented by print, billboard and internet advertising that feature the upcoming Chevy Volt Extended Range Electric Vehicle.” In case you were wondering, that’s an EV with a “range extending power source– a small gasoline engine– that will engage seamlessly to recharge its batteries.” Only, uh, it doesn’t. Anyway, look for this “let THEM pay for it” ad deal to be replicated at a power company near you. [thanks to emro for the link]
Jim Dollinger (a.k.a. Buickman) never met a windmill he couldn’t tilt at. Our kinda guy really. We’ve already chronicled the dealer’s battle with GMInside News (GMI). When the site’s administrators grew tired of Jim’s front line reporting and corporate criticism, they banned him from posting (later rescinded as a “technical problem”). The recently GMI-re-enabled Buickman has just informed us that he used his access to post Ken Elias’ General Motors Death Watch 201 over on the website’s forum (careful with that copyright, Jimbo). It was immediately deleted. We here at TTAC don’t mind fan boy sites, but just like the corporation it covers, GMI needs to step up and take it like a man.
It find it more than a little ironic that the animation on GM’s Volt media website offers an embed code that doesn’t work. Thankfully, GM is web enough to give the average car nerd access to its propaganda, so you can click on over and see what all the fuss is about (hit the little higher res button under the image). The cartoon in question– complete with the kind of background music you’d find at a Lebanese restaurant– clearly indicates the Volt will not recharge its batteries until its owner plugs it in. So, are we to assume that once Chevy’s hybrid depletes its battery to about 30 percent of charge, after a [maximum] of 40 miles (downhill, wind at your back), the Hail Mary’s 1.4-liter ICE mini-mill will sustain the generator sufficiently to maintain something other than really crap performance? Good luck with that.
TTAC has previously reported deep concerns about the GT-R’s ‘Ring recond. Australian Herald Sun automotive journalist Paul Gover reports that Porsche was sehr unglücklich with Nissan’s claims that its GT-R is faster around The Green Hell than Stuttgart’s mean machines. To test its suspicions, Porsche bought a GT-R in the U.S., flew it to the ‘Ring and ran its own back-to-back tests with the Japanese supercar. Porsche’s expert ‘Ring runner couldn’t get within 25 seconds of Nissan’s claimed record. Porsche also “discovered” that its 911 Turbo and GT2 were both faster around the legendary German circuit than the bonkers Nissan. “This [GT-R] wonder car with 7:29 could not have been a regular series production car,” proclaims August Achleitner, the 911 product chief for Porsche. “For us, it’s not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tyres.” Achleitner’s mob clocked the GT-R at 7 minutes 54 seconds; the 911 Turbo managed 7:38 and the GT2 lapped the track in 7:34. “The Nissan is a good car. I don’t want to make anything bad with my words,” he says. “It’s a very consistent car. But this car is about 20 kilos heavier than the Turbo… This technical puzzle now fits together. With the other numbers we had problems to understand it.”
“The film ‘Flash of Genius’ chronicles the life story of Bob Kearns, who asserted that he invented the intermittent windshield wiper and sued Ford, Chrysler and other automakers for patent infringement. While films like ‘Flash of Genius’ are made for entertainment purposes, the facts are often less dramatic.
Bob Kearns as well as hundreds of engineers from many companies, including Ford, helped develop the intermittent wiper as part of an evolution of existing automotive and electronic components.
While there are inaccuracies in the film, Ford sees no value in re-hashing the history of a legal case that was resolved in court almost 20 years ago, when a jury ruled that Ford did not willfully violate Mr. Kearns’ patent.
Today, Ford continues to make engineering and design breakthroughs in areas such as fuel efficiency, safety and smart technology, and is proud of its 100-year legacy of innovation in automotive technology.”
Before Congress rejected the $700b Wall Street bailout bill, TTAC warned that its failure would send a spear through the heart of the domestic car industry. Unless Uncle Sam made good on The Big 2.8’s blizzard of bad paperand re-started the car loan snow machine, car buyers would crawl off into a deep, dark and cave and enter a period of extended hibernation (or something like that). And lo, it has come not to pass. The symbolic snow machine has become a plain old fan, with excrement heading towards it. “Absent intervention from Congress, the ability of manufacturers to finance motor vehicle sales may come to a halt,” affirms Chris Stinebert, president and CEO of the American Financial Services Association. (That’s the cash-dispensing machine trade group representing Detroit’s Big Three automakers’ finance arms, as well as major foreign auto finance companies.) The Democrat for Dearborn, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee John Dingell, also knows the score (F-R-E-E, that spells free): “If access to credit continues to dry up, the automobile financing companies will be unable to keep vehicles on dealership lots and help customers obtain financing.” And then what? TTAC’s Ken Elias has his take on the prospects, and the Street has theirs. After the bailout bill vote, GM’s stock price plummeted 12.8 percent to $8.50, its lowest closing price since June 1954. Ford stock fell 13.3 percent to $4.17, its lowest level since February 1986. Chrysler is privately held. For now.
As you’ve no doubt read, your duly elected representatives have rejected the proposed $700b Wall Street bailout plan. What happens next is anyone’s guess. Congress will undoubtably go back to the drawing board and try again. The stock market will either recover, tank some more or stay the same. The U.S. economy will either recess, depress or re-decompress. However this plays out, one thing is for sure: the days of “Zero Percent Financing for Anyone With a Pulse” are done. Dead. Finished. Over and out. Credit’s tighter than a superglued lug nut. At the same time, the market’s awash with used vehicles that no one wants. Millions of “average” people are backwards on their car loans– and scared. Even if residuals rebounded and zero percent abounded, the manufacturers can’t lure them into more debt. So they will do the right (only?) thing:nothing. They will simply pay down their existing car loans and run what they got. Meanwhile, the domestic automakers will deflate, dehydrate and die. The U.S. car market will eventually recover, but it won’t look anything like it does today. And TTAC will be there to chart the changes.
I know we’ve already done a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot blog this morning. And last time I looked, TTAC wasn’t Jalopnik. But I reckon this video raises an interesting question for all you fathers with sons out there. Is hooning a permissable male bonding experience? I’ve been blessed with [four] daughters. I’m teaching them to drive on a private road. Have done since they were five. And I’m planning on giving them track time, so they can handle high-speed evasive maneuvers and learn accident avoidance. But if one my daughters ever pulled a stunt like this when I was riding shotgun, there would be MAJOR consequences. I’m not saying they should all drive like driving instructors (when students are on board). Nor could I look them in the eye and say “buy a slow car” (assuming please God they’re using their own money). But I would never, ever accept high-speed driving on a public road (AT NIGHT?) while I was in the car. Veteran readers will know that former Car and Driver editor Stephan Wilkinson proudly relates his daughter’s driving chops on TTAC’s e-pages. So, as Bill O’Reilly asks (even though he’s just setting-up a nominal interviewee for an extended brow-beating), am I wrong?
Chrysler, Ford and GM await the President’s signature on the bill authorizing $25b in low-interest federal loans to retool old factories to produce new fuel misers. And then face an uphill political battle to get the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to loosen its loan requirements and give them the goddam money. Meanwhile, a Toyota press release reveals that the transplant’s just landed a share of $15m in DOE grants to “speed the adoption of energy-saving building and facility technologies” at ToMoCo’s U.S. dealerships. “Being named part of this program is a tribute to those dealers with the vision and commitment to develop environmentally sensitive buildings in conjunction with Toyota’s Image II Eco design program,” said Toyota Prez Jim Lentz. “We will continue to work with dealers and the DOE to develop energy efficient facilities and guidelines that will benefit the entire industry.” Talk about rubbing it in… And what’s the bet Toyota gets the money before 2010? TTAC’s investigating.
Even before it charts the changes, The Detroit News is ready with the excuses. In fact, the spin starts with the headline: “Soft economy drags on car sales; Analysts expect consumer jitters, effects of Hurricane Ike to stunt automakers’ numbers by 22 percent over last year.” Yes, yes; the whole market sucks. But which automakers are going to get hammered? (No prizes for correct answers.) Scribe Bryce G. Hoffman saves the money shot for paragraph 16. “GM, Ford and Chrysler LLC are expected to show continued erosion in U.S. market share compared to a year ago and sharper sales declines compared to their Asian rivals.” At least Hoffman reminds readers that GM CEO Rick Wagoner said September sales would be no worse than August’s. And earlier in the piece, Ford analyst Georgie Pipas pipes-up with “It will be one of the largest declines that we’ve seen for some time.” And just in case you thought Ford’s returned to its founder’s faith in plain speaking and hard decisions… “Pipas said it is too soon to tell how much the drama on Wall Street is affecting sales. ‘They can potentially shake consumer confidence,’ he said. ‘It definitely deserves close attention.'” Ya think?
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