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So, Best and Brightest, what’s the best car an enthusiast can buy—NEW—for under $30k? All in (discounts count). I’m asking because I just hooked-up (in the non-sexual sense) with a new[ish] website called Bestcovery.com. They’ve offering major linkage in exchange for Automotive “best” lists. So I wrote a “Best Porsche” list slamming the Cayenne to see if they were made of the write stuff. Yup. So, after that, I offered your services. Here’s my evil plan: I ask you, The Best and Brightest, to name the best fill-in-the-blank. At some point, I put up a poll of your most convincing nominations (chosen by me). You vote for the best whatever, I write it up and submit it to Bestcovery. What’s in for you? C’mon you love this stuff. And I’m looking into providing contributors with goods and services to test. So, let’s get stuck in, again, shall we? If you had 30Gs to spend on a new car, and you wanted to enjoy driving that car, what would it be? [NB: TTAC has no personal or commercial interest in any of the products or services presented for your consideration. And, yes, I deleted all the comments to the previous versions of this post.]
Efforts of folks like Willie Nelson notwithstanding, the alt-fuel scene used to be pretty uncool. Just picture guys who spend their evenings filtering used grease they get for free from french-fry factories, or travelling salesmen who’ll drive a detour of 20 miles to fill up with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). But the supply of pretty good alt-fuel cars is increasing—at least on the right side of the Atlantic, where VW and Opel have recently introduced sexier Euro-CNG-mobiles. VW is now selling a technologically-interesting Passat version that utilizes both a turbocharger and a compressor.
As GM gets out its begging bowl and approaches the federal bailout buffet for seconds, it’s got to tell Congress something positive about its bloated brand portfolio. The scuttlebutt: GM will declare its intention to kill Saturn—despite the enormous expense and legal hassles (i.e., more expense). Oh, and let the taxpayer pick up the tab (gee, thanks). BUT, one day in the not too distant future, the artist once known as the world’s largest automaker will file for Chapter 11. And on that fateful day, it will be free to kill brands. So I asked branding guru Al Reis about the maybe decision to deep six Saturn, what GM brands should survive the automaker’s impending C11 and what dangers lie ahead in that regard. The answers may surprise you. Or they may not. But you’re going to have to make the jump to find out.
According to a Winnipeg, Canada court ruling issued last month, “work zone” speed camera tickets are invalid if they are issued in an empty work zone. Judicial Justice of the Peace Norman Sundstrom tossed citations issued to nine defendants who traveled through workerless work zones without exceeding the normal speed limit for the road they were on. The decision was based on a nuanced reading of the interplay between the provincial photo radar law and the law governing construction zone warning signs.
Fitch Ratings is the world’s bankruptcy alert agency. If you want to know whether someone (say a large company or small country) will be able to pay his/its bills, talk to Fitch. Currently, Fitch doesn’t think it a good idea to extend credit to anyone in the automotive industry. Fitch Ratings [sub] describes the global outlook for the automotive industry in 2009 as negative. “Weak GDP growth and the effects of the international financial crisis will continue to have a significant impact on the global auto industry, creating downwards pressure on carmakers’ credit profiles in the short to medium term,” says Emmanuel Bulle, Senior Director in Fitch’s Automotive team. “In addition, the length and severity of the current crisis are still unknown, whilst manufacturers’ responses to the crisis are still evolving.” Translation: Nobody knows how long this will be going on, and nobody knows what they are doing. Time for triage . . .
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The rest of the automotive industry might be watching in horror As the World Downturns, but Ferrari had a bit of a giggle all the way to the bank last year. The FIAT division ended 2008 some $437.7m ahead, on sales of 6587 vehicles (up two percent). While sales in Ferrari’s biggest market (that’s US) remained flat, they swelled in Eastern European (+23 percent), China (+20 percent), the Middle East and South Africa (+12 percent). With the feds capping salaries, and austerity chic sweeping Spago’s (“I’ll just have the lettuce leaf”), it’s entirely possible that that Ferrari’s ’08 sales surge represents a dead cat bounce. And there’s a seguire il denaro story behind the story . . .
A word to the wise (or The Detroit News): if you’re a cheerleader, stay away from irony. Irony is the discrepancy between expectation and reality. It’s a rapier specifically forged for cynical nasty bastards like . . . us. If you’re pro anything, it’s a blunderbuss for blundering buffoons. For example, The DetN’s automotive editor has penned a tongue-in-cheek essay on why he should be car czar. The result is earnest and scary, rather than droll and pointed. Our take: a federal car czar is a crazy cherry nesting in a gloppy pile of whipped insanity sitting atop a huge slice of death by delusion cake. Manny’s take:
I’m paraphrasing of course, in the grand TTAC style. But what are we to make of GM’s pre-bailout beg-a-thon announcement that Chevy’s electric/gas plug-in hybrid Volt will be easier to upgrade than a “conventional” car? Automotive News reckons Frank Weber’s assertion means “GM eyes fast gains with future Volt models.” But then we’re Garth to their Michael, and they still illustrate their Volt stories with the slammed concept car. Oh, hell, you be the judge. “This is almost like getting software updates into your car,” asserts the Volt’s global vehicle line executive. “This is not a mechanical world. So, even within a vehicle lifecycle you will see updates that are very significant.” How vague is that? Predictably so, given “GM expects to begin production of the Volt in 2010. The company has not said when it expects to roll out the second generation of the vehicle, but plans to focus on cutting the size and cost of the battery are a top priority. GM has not said how long it will take to produce an offshoot of the Volt.” Nor how much it will cost, if it really will go 40 miles on battery power alone, how long it will take to recharge, etc. But we do know one VERY important fact: GM will not make money on the Volt v1. AN programs the reminder . . .
An overview of what happened in other parts of the world while you were in bed. TTAC provides round-the-clock coverage of everything that has wheels. Or has its wheels coming off. WAS is being filed from Beijing until further notice.
Japanese bondage: Toyota plans to procure 100 billion yen or so by issuing about 50 billion yen each in five- and 10-year straight bonds as early as this month, the Nikkei [sub]. The issuance of straight bonds will be the automaker’s first since September 2002. The rating on Toyota’s long-term debt has been downgraded by both Moody’s Investors Service Inc. and Standard & Poor’s, each by one notch from the highest grade. This sets Toyota apart from other automakers who are treated by banks like lepers.
Nissan going for greener pastures: Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn talked up plans for mass-producing electric cars in the U.S., Europe and China, the Nikkei [sub] reports. Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga admits that he would like to see Nissan’s electric cars made in Japan. But with the financial crisis crimping Nissan’s ability to raise capital, the US and Europe, which have introduced subsidies for environmentally friendly cars, are more attractive venues. Nissan would be the first Japanese automaker to apply for the US government’s 25 billion dollar program of low-interest loans to develop green cars.
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Here’s my problem: the Taurus SHO’s 365hp EcoBoost (born TwinForce) V6 only offers ten more horses than a Lincoln MKT or MKS with the same unit. Quick! Which one of those is based on the Ford Flex? Doesn’t matter, ’cause the Flex is getting this engine too. Unlike the MKT (market?) and MKS (Mark Kay Sucks?), SHO actually stands for something: Super High Output. The Taurus SHO’s ten more ponies does not a legend make, IMHO. Thankfully, FoMoCo’s got some of the best chassis tuners in the world (most of whom spent the last twenty years or so tweaking cookin’ Euro Fords to greatness) to ply their dark arts on this big, bad boy. And when I say big, I also mean heavy. When you’re torquing that much power, the Taurus (born Taurus) needs all of its all wheel-drive to get the twist to where the rubber meets the road (hihowareya?). And now… the magic number is… $37,995. Plus the not quite so optional if you’re at all serious about this Performance Package (price unknown). Forty-grand for a fast Ford Taurus? This thing better SMOKE around corners. We shall see…
Nissan’s Cube goes on sale this May, and a Nissan Press Release states that a base 6-speed version (what, you wanted the CVT?) will start at $13,999. And even though only 122 hp are on offer fom the Cube’s 1.8 liter four, even a loaded CVT version will weigh less than 2,900 lbs. There’s also something about an expensive special Krõm (Krôm? Kröm? Krøm?) edition. Specifically, “for those consumers that love the cube but are looking for a little something extra, the cube Kr?m (sic) offers that and then some.” Duly noted. But the nausea-inducing corporate enthusiasm doesn’t stop there. “It’s unique, it’s fun, it’s functional, and it makes being “square” hip again,” bubbles Nissan’s Al Castignetti of the cubist wonder. Translation: the Cd rating is 0.35. More pricing, model info and well-compensated enthusiasm to come.
We all knew it would happen. The Lutz does not die with a whimper. In a farewell interview, GM’s lame duck car czar gave The New York Times‘ Bill Vlasic the most maximum farewell quotes yet. “We are a country that hates its own industry,” roars Lutz in our general direction. What’s that again, Bob? “The auto industry may be partly at fault for its situation, but not entirely.” Oh. Good. How’s the retirement plan? But Maximum Bob did a maximum job. Given what Curly might call the coicumstances. “If this is just the beginning of a very catastrophic economic situation, then all bets are off for everybody, and that includes our most esteemed Japanese competitors,” quips Lutz. Yes, if. On the other hand, if things do get worse, it won’t be the esteemed Japanese competition that will be elbowing GM in the stimulus line. Or out of the stimulus line. Hint hint. But don’t worry. Everything is going to be just maximum. Specifically, Lutz is “convinced that when everyone is staring at the reality of the situation, and also staring at the alternative, that they will make the right decisions.” Yes, but how long do they have to stare?
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