TTAC’s MontanaVista sent us the heads-up: Volkswagen has released pricing and official information for its new Golf. The commentator whose name reminds me of the station wagons of my youth alerted us that VeeDub’s U.S. website has finally been updated, and the death of the Rabbit nomenclature is now officially official. Not that anyone will notice save marketing mavens, who may also wonder if the combination of “Germany’s most loved hatchback” and “It’s what the people want” is a tag-line too far—given that U.S. buyers are notoriously hatchback aversive. The rest of us will delight in the build and price widget. My ideal all-new (to us anyway) GTI includes a $2795 Autobahn seating package (goodness gracious me!), an $1100 DSG gearbox (holy frijoles!), and $224 worth of mats (OCD takes it toll). That’s $28,358. Which is a lot of money for Rabbit.
Translated as ‘dark’ from Italian, the name ‘Scura’ reflects the stealth character of this already fierce looking Lotus and its stunning soft-feel matt black paint finish. Limited to just 35 cars globally, this Exige evokes a desire to ‘indulge your dark side’. This is a serious looking car and enhancements to performance and a reduction in weight from the production level Exige S means that the Exige Scura demands to be driven by a serious driver.
The Wall Street Journal reports that GM is developing a plan B, should the European Union decide that the German government subsidies upon which the Opel deal depends are a violation of some rule or another. “[EU competition commissioner Neelie] Kroes pointed to ‘significant indications’ that Germany had made €4.5 billion ($6.72 billion) in state aid for Opel contingent on Magna winning the bid, therefore violating EU state aid and market rules.” GM now has a window of opportunity to reconsider the whole schmeer—as does the German government, Magna and their Russian sponsors. GM’s backup plan? Keep control of Opel and implement “deeper restructuring actions than Magna is planning . . . GM would fund the restructuring, which includes far more drastic headcount reductions, by soliciting government support or putting Opel into insolvency.” Which should be popular with about-to-strike Opel workers. Oh, and which government was that? Our government? No, of course not. Still, he/she who owns the gold . . .
Another day, another meticulously-crafted yet completely bastardized retro-mod, conceived but not realized by a designer working for a major car company, finished via the patronage of California collector Ron Kellogg. This time ’round, Big Ron’s looking to de-acquisition an Aerodyne Streamliner Coupe penned by Nissan Design’s California model shop manager John Toom. The quote marks denote deconstruction. Toom’s fantasy whip sits on a 1956 Jaguar XK140 frame, powered by a rebuilt 3.8-liter XKE engine. Et voila! A Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantique knock-off! Whatever it isn’t, the Jag-based whip’s got bespoke door handles, gauges, dashboard, the works. Unlike Kellogg’s cod-Bug, the sales bumph for the made-up Jag doesn’t include a list of concours events which have welcomed the car. Take that as you will. Referring to Kellogg’s car photo website, we can speculate that the collector’s willingness to do the wild thang with a Jag connects to his first car: a XK120 coupe. More than this, I do not know, and the Internets will not reveal. Suffice it to say, if I were a mainstream manufacturer’s car designer with a hankering to reinvent a classic car, I’d think twice before risking the Curse of The RestoMod Motors.
Back in the day, GM really pissed me off. As the American automaker continued its inexorable slide into bankruptcy, executives, analysts, journalists, loyalists and camp followers scoffed at the prospect of disaster. Their scorn fueled my anger or, as Angus Mackenzie would have it, pompous indignation. When the feds bailed-out and then nationalized GM, the company’s refusal to overhaul (keelhaul?) its executive “talent” kept my ire alive. A few months and $50b-plus dollars later and I’m rapidly approaching the point where I couldn’t give a NSFW. How many times can you sing the chorus of “Where have all the flowers gone?” without saying FTS and cranking-up the MC5? Before I abandon this pursuit entirely, one last gasp . .
Nope. Not a bear. Although I bet this 400 lbs. bear would have liked the opportunity to take out a few cars from a chopper before Tim Lorey’s marksmanship made him take The Big Sleep (and I don’t mean hibernation). Write your answer below. THEN click here for the (an?) answer.
A California appellate court on Wednesday declined to publish a decision overturning a ticket issued by an unlawful red light camera operation (view ruling). California Superior Court, San Mateo County Appellate Judge Mark R. Forcum turned down attorney Frank Iwama’s request that he explain his reasoning more fully in a published decision. Unpublished cases cannot be cited as precedent in California, and motorists interested in challenging citations will have to repeat from scratch all arguments about the program’s illegality.
1. The Cadillac V16 Concept – If GM had dared take the brand way up market, where it belongs, things would have been different for the “standard of the world.” But the nettle was not grasped, and the brand continued—and continues—its long march downmarket, into extinction.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car CEO must have some German politician in him somewhere (not literally, of course). Speaking with Bloomberg, Andrew Taylor’s message comes through loud and clear: Ve must have order! How can you dumkopfs expect our nationalized manufacturers to build cars that save the planet without high gas prices! And so the reporter asks the obvious question (it’s what reporters do best): should we raise the gas tax? Check out Taylor’s eyebrow work at 1:23, and his subsequent journey into the bowels of Wiggles World. The CEO didn’t see that one coming? It gets better. When asked if American cars are any good (2:18), Taylor lauds Ford, Chrysler and “even” GM. With friends like that . . . Or is it a good thing that Enterprise fancies itself Detroit’s “petri dish,” looking to put the Volt into immediate rental service? We report, you deride.
I especially appreciate the satellite dish on the roof . . .
Easyrod Kits are pre-engineered to be assembled inhoursnot years. Bolt, screw and glue the high quality hand laid fiberglass ’57 components to your ’93-’02 Camaro and be driving a cool, radical stylized hot rod. Simply remove the original hood, bumpers and front fenders. The fiberglass replacement hood bolts onto the stock hinges, struts, hood latch and safety catch and use the stock interior hood release. Front fenders bolt on using the stock factory bolt holes. Our trunk lid is an overlay. Door skin overlays, rear quarters and bumper cover snap on and are glued in place using 3M 8115 Panel Bonding adhesive. [thanks to FW for the link]
Yesterday’s New York Times published an article dissing Detroit in the Breakingviews.com bit of their Business Section. In a stunning if perhaps singular piece of journalism, the Gray Lady affirms TTAC’s nine-year rant record of castigating Chrysler, Ford and GM for refusing to remove their rose-colored glasses. In fact, Anthony Currie calls Motown’s mavens a bunch of deluded, delusional and/or deluding dunces—albeit in that gently chiding, hugely condescending, entirely arch way that typifies the Times. To wit: “It did not take long for Detroit’s carmakers to return to one of their favorite pastimes. As General Motors approaches 100 days since emerging from bankruptcy, each of the Big Three’s bosses has been indulging in painting rosy scenarios for their firms. But like pronouncements past, they’re a tad premature.” I used to play tennis with Tad Premature. Smashing fellow. A bit too cocky. Anywho, Currie starts his diatribe by taking Ford’s semi-canonized CEO to task for predicting a phantom sales revival for the end of 2009 (who saw that one not coming?). Followed by the usual FoMoCo fellating. Still, point taken. As for Chrysler and GM . . .
Our friends at JamesList present a 1937 Bugatti Type 57/59 Roadster Supersport. GM’s ex-Director of Design penned the restomod’s basic shape and details in 1982, imagining a sports car that Jean Bugatti might have offered to the American market. You know; if he had. Clicking over to Deansgarage.com reveals that the realization of Dave Holls’ alternative universe owes its existence to deep-pocketed California collector Ron Kellogg. Aside from a slightly widened replica T59 frame, Palmer Coachworks built l’homage de Bug‘s major bits using genuine GM— I mean Bugatti parts, including a T57 powerplant (with an added blower and dry sump) and a 73C gearbox (no.6) with synchromesh. Even so, one wonders if Bugatti purists would be amused. That’s not an original thought. “The Kellogg project required climbing special challenges,” Deansgarage reports, using the adjective favored by people for whom “handicapped” is too pointed. “Not the least of which was getting the approval of the Bugatti Trust for permission to go ahead with the program. So the Kellogg Bugatti has a legitimate historical production chassis number. This is no small accomplishment. [It was] assigned the number #128, year 1937.” Needless to say, the new seller agrees: provenance is no biggie. Well they would say that, wouldn’t they . . .
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