Fifty billion dollars. That’s how much money the United States taxpayer has plowed into General Motors. Back when this terrifying teat-sucking started, Michigan Representative Debbie Stabenow told the country that the bridge loans (as they were called at the time) were about “jobs, jobs, jobs.” To say the rhetoric justifying/sustaining GM’s giga-suckle has shifted would be like saying Pontiac’s prospects have dimmed. Now it’s all about “returning the taxpayer’s investment.” If that means withdrawing a contract from Stillwater Mining (a Montana outfit that provides New GM with platinum and palladium for catalytic converters) and endangering 1300 American jobs, to paraphrase the GM spokesman on this NPR report, tough shit. Nice thought, but does GM risk a serious consumer/taxpayer backlash as the federally-supported automaker turns its back on the US economy? Apparently not. (Witness the lack of interest in our story about federal stimulus money going to Mexican car factories.) Not yet, anyway. Meanwhile, what’s your take? Does America’s nationalized automaker have any obligation to support US jobs?
I’m working on a piece entitled “Five Reasons Why Car Buyers Will Avoid the Cash for Clunkers Program Like the Plague.” Sneak peak: people trust car dealers about as far as they can throw an M1 Abrams tank. I know that several of our Best and Brightest are living la vida locomota by selling cars to suspecting punters. But I can honestly say that I have never met an honest car salesman face-to-face. Charming? Yes. Knowledgeable? Absolutely. But every last man Jack of them oozed obfuscation. The best of the breed, who shall remain nameless, avoids issuing outright lies with a simple yet effective technique: he ignores any question that requires a negative reply. Seriously. He says nothing. Unlike Mr. Piven, whose latest cinematic effort seems carefully designed to lower public opinion of a profession that couldn’t go any lower (both the opinion and the profession itself). But truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. Have you ever met an honest car salesman? And if you have, are you sure he wasn’t playing you for a fool?
Should Hollywood decide to remake of Bullitt, who would play Frank Bullitt, and should they still still use a Mustang? A Bullitt Mustang? And would the bad guys still drive a black Dodge Charger?
Our good friends at Wooden Horse (a magazine writers’ website) tell us that Lexus is launching a lifestyle magazine called . . . Lexus. Below is the official description of the new buff book. Knowing TTAC’s Best and Brightest as I do, I’m sure you can provide Lexus’ editors with a more appropriate list of departments and articles to entertain and amuse [both of] the marque’s non-narcoleptic owners/enthusiasts.
It is a loyalty and brand-building publication and is mailed for free to anyone who owns or leases a Lexus vehicle. The editorial covers lifestyle, the arts, fine dining and travel, as well as vehicle reviews and test drives of the newest Lexus models. Departments include:
Lexus News – The latest on Lexus’s products, services, owner benefits, and partnerships.
Lexus Sense – Information on timely products and events that will help Lexus owners indulge their senses.
Spotlight – A feature profile on Lexus owners.
LEXicon Culture Pages – A magazine-within-the-magazine dedicated to categories of interest to readers, including Travel, Active Pursuits, Design, Products for Good Living, Cuisine and Philanthropy.
Sensibility – A back-page essay highlighting a notable innovator.
I just had to put the page break in there, somewhere.
I purchased a 2006 Honda Civic and loved the vehicle right up until I went over a speed bump now the car is NOT the same and I am so frustrated and heartbroken. I went over a speed bump this month and as soon as I went over it there was a horrible grinding noise that appeared to be coming from the sterring rack. Then to my horror, the car was NOT in Drive but somehow, having gone over the bump caused the vehicle to go into Neutral. When I tried to steer, the wheel did NOT have the tightness but rather was very loose! The steering would not go in the direction that I wanted it to. Immediately, I put the car in Park turned the ignition off and just sat in shock. My car is only 3 years old and it only has 18,400.00 klm on it. I thought to myself, how can this be happening? I haven’t had a problem before! The very next day, I took it in to the Honda dealership. They had it on the rack and also took it out for a test drive. The service person who took all my information looked into the computer and said I have the extended warranty for 5 years and this should be covered. It was a relieve to have the 5 years. However, the service guy told me that they can’t find anything wrong with my vehicle. I can’t believe that! I again was in shock! I know I am NOT loosing my mind! The car slipped into Neutral from Drive and a horrible loud griding noise from the sterring wheel could be heard OVER MY MUSIC! The steering wheel would not turn in the direction I wanted it too. I explained to the service guy what I had experienced from the car and that there is something terribly wrong and what I went through with this car is NOT NORMAL! The serviceman said there is nothing more that they can do for me! I asked what was done to the car. He said the mechanic looked at the brake line and all underneath the vehicle and that they went on a test drive with it and it appears to be FINE! At this point, I did’nt know what to do. In shock, frustrated and very upset, I drove home. The steering was way off! I had to oversteer just to do a basic right and left turn. Before the speed bump incident that was NOT THE CASE! I can differentiate between tight steering and a loose steering wheel. The steering wheel does not sit in center nor does it go back smoothing. Instead, it goes back in increments as if something is caught, broken, holding it. I have to bring the wheel back myself. Yet, I am NOT a MECHANIC and the mechanic and staff can’t see the problem. I can’t help but ask myself if I didn’t have the extended warranty would they be able to find the problem, fix it and how much $$$$ would I be out of pocket?
TTAC commentator cc-rider needs some help with his sister’s choice of whips:
Two-and-a-half years ago, my sister bought a 2003 Certified Pre-Owned Volvo XC 70 wagon for $22K, with 55,000 miles on the clock. She now owns the car, out of warranty, knocking on the big rollover (100k). The XC’s dash lights in the gauges and half the instruments don’t work. After charging her $275 for a useless computer reflash, the stealership says it’s the DIM module: a $1200 dash off repair. Oh, and the car needs new lower control arm bushings and sway bar end links. Roughly $2000 all in. Last month, sis spent about $2600 on all new tires, replacing the steering rack and fixing some other front end parts. She has two kids and a large dog, and likes to separate the three (i.e. three rows). She figures she can get $7k for the XC and put another $7k towards her next ride. She’s close to pulling the trigger on a new Acadia out of sheer anger with this Volvo. Should she get in touch with her inner Lang (bring the XC to a local Volvo mechanic and sort it out), buy a New GM appliance or look for a Professional Grade upgrade?
Bloomberg has a piece that is chock full of analysts imploring Mitsu and Suzy to pack it up and leave the American market. Both firms rage, rage against the dying of the light, but the numbers are not pretty. Mitsubishi sales are down over 50 percent in the first half-year, continuing a slump that has gone uninterrupted since 2003. Suzuki is down a whopping 6o percent in the first half of 2009, and neither firm seems to have the products to turn the bad news around. Rumors of Suzuki’s Swift coming stateside, the Kizashi and an FWD version of the SX4 hatchback don’t seem to be the “consistent, sustained effort” that analysts say Suzuki needs. Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko says “we will never give up the U.S. market,” but there’s little indication of what’s coming down the pipe, besides a $40k EV. Should these two stay and fight? Merge? Leave? What say you?
If you didn’t get the memo, this website gets a lot of grief for its negative outlook on American cars. We cannot change the harsh reality of the situation, but we will lead a (bankrupt) horse to water. And make it take that all important first sip. That’s the plan: TTAC is campaigning for a Real American Car.
Although there’s nothing routine about him, John Wolfe is a stand up guy. A regular here at TTAC. A shining example of our Best and Brightest. While I’m trying to keep the word “fire” as far away from this sentence as possible, I think we can all admit that even the most insightful commentator hereabouts occasionally draws a blank. So it’s no surprise that this appeal to his fellow carmudgeons across the e-transom, of which I share with you.
My radio show is fixing to morph into a three-hour Saturday morning program on CBS radio in Dallas. We’re still keeping the small town affiliate network, but big D is the obvious focal point considering the entire listenership population of my current 6 affiliates totals 10% of the population of the new affiliate. I have the concept down pat in my mind, but I need a name. Something punchy, cocky, demands attention. Currently there are two Saturday morning talkers in the DFW market “Wheels with Ed Wallace” and “The Car Guy” (Jerry Reynolds auto advise show). [Being a modest, low-key kinda guy] I really like the name “King of Cars.” However, that idea came from a popular show on A&E TV [about a scumbag four-square wielding Chrysler dealer]. Any ideas?
My wife and I currently have a 2006 Acura TSX, auto. We need another car, but our budget is $5000, tops, as we don’t want a payment. We’ve never considered a used car for any purchase, and although I know the various means we could use to go about checking it out, I develop neverending lists of queries about every aspect of the car in question to the point that some sellers stop answering. After all, the depreciation’s been factored in, but what about maintenance, treatment, and care? I know not all the questions can be answered, but we still want something bred from reliable, if not “amazing to drive”, roots. In the Boston area, it seems our best options are 1998-2002 Civics, maybe some older Accords, and a few Mazdas, all with 125,000+ miles. Does this appear to be in the right ballpark? Reliability is important, as is fun, though we realize the latter might need to be sacrificed in this price range. (Recent example: 2000 Civic EX coupe, standard, 155k miles, timing belt at 100k, brakes at 130k, probably needs rear tires, original clutch: $3800, local.)
This isn’t just me whingeing [Ed.: That’s “whining” for our non-Brit English speakers] about another Italian stallion that’s inherently qualified for Wrecked Exotics’ Lamborghini section. The “normal” Gallardo is a fairly benign beast. This one . . . maybe not so much. What say you? Meanwhile, here’s a “methinks they doth protest too much” spot-the-euphemisms excerpt from the $219,800 whip’s official press release:
Light-footed yet extremely safe
With this latest version of the Gallardo, Lamborghini is honouring its long-standing test driver in a very special way. The LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni was conceived in line with his own thinking, and it meets many customers’ requests for a model with a unique character, which offers a very special kind of active driving fun. The Balboni model is the only current Lamborghini that delivers its power to the road via its rear wheels alone.
Rear wheel drive has a special appeal to those sports car drivers who enjoy a particular driving style. Thanks to the eminently powerful V10 driveline, controlled oversteer is no problem – naturally always to the extent defined by the driver – because refined road manners and perfectly tuned assistance systems mean that the Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni is an exceptionally safe sports car to drive.
So, GM is walking away from its half-share in the Fremont, CA, NUMMI plant. That much is clear. But what happens next? The Prius rebadge rumor lives on, but the signs are beginning to point towards a Tacoma rebadge. After all, GM has announced its intention to shut down its Shreveport, LA, plants by 2012. Which means an end to Colorado production there, and a giant sucking sound where GM’s small truck offering used to be. Will GM rebadge the Taco? And if so, why not keep the 50 percent stake in NUMMI? Make some sense of this, please.
Ever since Porsche debuted the Cayenne, Porschephiles have heatedly debated where it fits into Porsche’s branding strategy—or if it should even exist. When SPEEDtv.com Editor in Chief Tom Jensen reviewed the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, he declared that the four-wheel-drive trucklet is a “true Porsche.” He states that “the Cayenne Turbo is absolutely faithful to Porsche’s core values of performance, quality and competency” and is therefore worthy of Porsche-hood. Despite its ungainly exterior, early reviews of the heavyweight four-door Porsche Panamera make the same claim. (Autoblog: “Not only is it painstakingly engineered and truly enjoyable to drive… most importantly, the all-new Panamera has earned the right to wear the Porsche badge.”) So what say you? What makes a Porsche a Porsche? With the “independent” sports car maker on the brink of losing its independence, has the fabled Porsche brand finally lost the plot?
Trying to find somewhere to voice my opinion about the fact that gm lost the lawsuit we had about our 07 Equinox. They are supposed to give us a replacement or 25,000 dollars but they know that they can get out of it with their bankruptcy. They want to try to buy us off with 6,500. This is not right. We had so many problems with the cobalt right before this but never held it against them. This is what we get for being loyal customers. I have had gm for the last 15 years and this is what I get. We just want the thing to run but even after 22 service visits and them having the vehicle for 63 days and it still doesn’t run. So we are in for 476 a month for 5 and a half years for a lawn ornament.
Als der Sauerkrautfresser der TTAC Mannschaft (der ausgerechnet in Peking wohnt) wurde ich gebeten, den Gewinner des Wasistdasverteufeltstedeutscheautowort-Wettbewerbs zu wählen. Ach, Entschuldigung, die Macht der Gewohnheit. Nun denn . . .
As the resident Kraut at TTAC (who resides in Beijing) I was asked to pick the winner of the German phrase contest, in which the most deserving contestant would walk away with his very own copy of the Taschenwörterbuch der Kraftfahrzeugtechnik.
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