Sadly, footage of an SLS mule skittering and gargling around the Nürburgring has been taken down, but back in those early tests the AMG gullwing really did sound like “death on a stick,” as Robert put it. Now, in final production form, the SLS sounds a lot more . . . refined. Which makes sense for a Merc, but part of us still wishes that some of the mule’s TVR-esque hairyness were still evident. A small taste of that early-mule insanity can be found here at about 55 seconds in.
Find News by Subject:
Category: News Blog
UPI reports on recently-released documents which detail the extent to which states went to secure GM’s recent compact car manufacturing contract. Wisconsin had committed “$213.14 million in concessions from United Auto Workers Local 95, $100 million in Enterprise Zone tax credits and $24 million in discounts from health insurers and providers,” according to the report. Another $100M was added to the incentive package after Wisconsin officials learned that it was falling behind in the bidding, bringing the total package to $409M. Which wasn’t even close to enough to beat out Michigan’s winning bid, which totaled $1B.
Distracted driving is fast becoming the bête noir du jour for hysterical “safety-first” types. Following the standard blueprint for these kinds of panics, the New York Times got pulses racing first with a series of articles aimed at making a general problem (most drivers suck) seem like a specific, solvable “crisis.” Then Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called for a “distracted driving summit,” and the campaign to get America to stop texting and start paying attention to the damn road before you kill us all was well underway. But these things never really take off until a major corporation smells a chance to make money, and signs on. Which Ford has apparently now done, by officially endorsing HR 3535 at its “The Ford Story” blog. But why?
Jonny Lieberman, your carbon fiber-clad chariot awaits!
The Treasury has placed new rules on TARP recipients like Chrysler and GM requiring the bailed-out firms to disclose policies on “luxury expenditures” after several banks were found to be spending exorbitant amounts of money on aircraft and offices. The Detroit News reports that firms have until Monday to disclose their spending policies, except for GM which has been granted an undisclosed extension to the policy due to the relative lateness of its emergence from bankruptcy protection. And the decision to take private jets to a bailout request keeps biting GM and Chrysler from beyond the news cycle.
The Chinese aren’t messing around with this one. On Friday, Obama slapped a 35 percent punitive tariff on Chinese tires. On Monday, a soon as the WTO was open for business, China filed a formal complaint against the United States of America with the World Trade Association in Geneva, China Daily reports.
Bugatti’s newest concept, the Galibier, has hit the autoblogopshere, revealing a long, low, shapely . . . hatchback. Luckily it’s a really extra special opulent hatchback with eight exhaust pipes and a name jacked from an Alpine pass (and the Bugatti history books). Otherwise one might be tempted to call it rude things . . . like the grandchild of a Bentley Continental, the Chrysler 200C concept, a Rhodesian Ridgeback and a church organ. Start saving those millions!
Our man Bertel Schmitt sees President Obama’s decision to place a 35 percent import tax on Chinese-made tires as counterproductive political pandering. Unless the Prez decides to please his friends in The United Steel Workers (ex-employer of the current chief of the Presidential Task Force on Automobiles, Ron Bloom) by slapping a tax ALL imported tires, 
production of said rubber will simply shift to another low-wage country. As the Wall Street Journal points out, US tire sizes mean that could take a while. The WSJ counts the cost to consumers.
A 2005 Maserati Quattroporte to be exact. 35,000 showing on the odometer and no warranty whatsoever. The auctioneer drew down the bid in freefall fashion from $40K to $32K in the hopes that somebody—anybody—would bid on the garage queen. Finally, a dealer went for broke at $30K. Another joined in. The two duked it out to the exact tune of ‘hundred, hundred, half’ until the 67th bid came in. Of course by this time everyone was sick of looking at the exterior which can only be described as ‘Aqua Velva’ blue. The hammer fell and the four door Ferrari went to one of the nicest drug dealers in Atlanta (just kidding, Frank!). Seriously. It was a good buy—except for the fact that Maserati apparently won’t give extended warranties anymore. Now all Frank has to do is find a spare junk car at a salvage sale, a freelance Maserati mechanic (I’m sure we can all find one on Craigslist these days), and a Virgin Mary for the dashboard. Hmmmm . . . he had better make that a plastic Jesus.
A Member of Congress proposes to use taxpayer money to fund the development of technology to track motorists as part of a new form of taxation. US Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) introduced H.R. 3311 earlier this year to appropriate $154,500,000 for research and study into the transition to a per-mile vehicle tax system. The “Road User Fee Pilot Project” would be administered by the US Treasury Department. This agency in turn would issue millions in taxpayer-backed grants to well-connected commercial manufacturers of tolling equipment to help develop the required technology. Within eighteen months of the measure’s passage, the department would file an initial report outlining the best methods for adopting the new federal transportation tax.
This post was supposed to be a report about the Volvo Union turning a cold shoulder towards Geely, seeking to avoid Chinese ownership of their beloved Volvo PV, fearing the same fate as England’s Rover under SAIC. But then news surfaced this morning that the Swedish-led Consortium Jacob AB, who wanted to buy Volvo PV, won’t. According to sources cited by Industry Daily (DI), the Swedes don’t have the financial wherewithal to buy Volvo PV, now that they’ve lost frontman former Volvo Prez Roger Holtback. DI says Roger Holtback switched horses mid-stream, taking a new role as a paid adviser to US venture capitalists eyeing Ford’s sloppy seconds. Holtback will now try to get support from the Swedish unions for a US takeover bid, which includes several other former Ford executives as “advisers.” [ED: that’s supposed to help?]
TTAC Commentator AKM writes:
I own a 2002 VW Golf with 115,000 miles and want to sell it since we’re moving overseas (probably will buy another VW there). Belt changed at 100,000 miles, brakes at 110,000, tires at 100,000. The car is in great overall condition.
However, the engine light is on, simply because the catalytic converter is running below efficiency. According to the mechanic, the only solution is to replace it with an OEM part (i.e. VW-branded) as others might be below the specs required and thus activate the engine light immediately. It’s a $700 part, plus labor.
Do you think it’s worth repairing it before selling it, or selling it as is while explaining the problem? Edmunds gives me an approximate value of $4500, more likely $4000 with the issue not fixed. But what really matters is what buyers will think.
I have another option, which is to buy the part online. The only converter I find for my car is the “Eastern” model, generally at $275. Do you know if it’s the same converter as the original, and can I install it myself, or would it mess up the oxygen sensor?
According to The Brisbane Times, Holland is fed up with drug-related tourism. Moves are afoot to restrict dope and hash-peddling coffee shops to domestic clientele. You can understand the local’s frustration, what with non-Dutch automobiles clogging their roads in their occupants’ efforts to spend billions of Euros in-country.
Roosendaal and Bergen-op-Zoom, two other southern border councils, announced last year that their eight coffee shops would be interdicted from selling cannabis from next Wednesday in a bid to push back some 25,000 drug tourists per week.
This should make an end, the mayors explained, to the long lines of foreign cars on their roads, hundreds of youths hovering outside coffee shops on weekends, and illegal drug dealers attracted by their presence.
No surprise there. Any automotive analyst worth their salt could have told you—did tell you—that Uncle Sam’s $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program was going to suck the oxygen right out of the showroom. Really, this is one for Johnny Carson. HOW BAD ARE THEY? They’re so bad that salesmen who boast, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!,” know they’re being ironic. Pause. The Associated Press doesn’t “do” irony. (Nor, apparently, sales stats.) Still, their article on September’s new car sales drought is not without merit, suffused as it is with Glengarry Glen Ross-type quotes from starving dealers, caught in the no-man’s land between no inventory and no customers. Here’s the stripper version . . .
I’ve been prowling the autoblogosphere today re: the Saab SAIC deal. Besides the obvious concerns about fear of production and technology moving out of Sweden, comments and speculations are mainly positive. The unions are happy, says Chairman of the United Metalworkers, Paul Åkerlund. “Lovely to be done with this discussion, now its time to look forward.” The Chairman of the union, Annette Hellgren, is similarly copacetic. “There are always question around Chinese owners, as with our neighbor in Gothenburg (Volvo), but with this deal, we don’t have to worry – that feels good.” In their opinion, we’re talking Chinese money, access to the Chinese Market, and no Chinese interference with management or product development. (Minor stake in Koenigsegg Group, remember?) As the old Swedish aphorism says, “Döm ej allt du ser, Tro ej allt du hör, Gör ej allt du kan, Säg ej allt du vet, Förtär ej allt du har, Låt ingen veta vad du har i hjärtat eller pungen.” Make the jump for the translation and more news . . .
Recent Comments