“Tax payers can’t be expected to pony up more money for an auto industry that is resistant to change.” Doesn’t want to be kicking the can further down the road either.

Sure, it was 1925. But do you ever see even slightly similar ads anymore?

Might be growing on me. How scary. It’s still “sacrilege,” and overpriced, and I still think the 300 horsepower 3.6 liter V6 is inappropriate, and I’d still contend it weighs too much for a Porsche, whatever that’s supposed to be. Anyway, more pictures for your enjoyment.

Also, we now know that AWD will be optional on all models, that there are at least three engine options (the V6, a V8, and a turbocharged V8), and that a six speed stick or seven speed dual-clutch auto will be available.

And Lieberman is right, brown is the new black.

The “bank with a subsidiary that makes cars,” a.k.a. Porsche, had to stop production in their car subsidiary Zuffenhausen for a day. There is less demand for the 911s. The hedge funds strike back and go on buyer strike. Until end of January, 7 additional no-work days are planned, Das Autohaus learned.

2,500  workers are affected. 1,280 fewer 911s will be built. Tomorrow, at the press conference, Porsche will most likely announce that in their 2008/2009 fiscal, they will not reach the 98,652 cars built in the previous fiscal year.

WRCB has the first image of what its contracted photographer calls the “test mule” for the new mid-size sedan (NMS) that Volkwagen will produce at its new plant in Chattanooga. Volkswagen tells the local news outlet that “unfortunately, this is not the NMS. This vehicle is built on the Jetta chassis which may also include some components of a new midsize sedan (NMS) being tested.” Still, this is as close to the long-rumored NMS as we’ll be seeing for a while.

Automotive News [sub] is reporting that GM managers are worried enough about their chances for a bailout to write up a “Plan B” in case the funds don’t come through. Of course this plan has nothing to do with restructuring, returning to profitability, or facing reality, it’s simply a plan to “keep the company running until President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.” At which point… um… nope, it doesn’t say anything. Nationalization? Chapter 11? The Rapture? Who freaking knows. Anyway, the “Plan B” is pretty much a bunch more of the same, as it calls for GM to delay payments to suppliers, slash white-collar jobs and salaries and gut its marketing campaigns. So, y’know, the usual, only a little worse. AN even suggests that “the cuts could even seep into r&d — the vital core activity crucial to GM’s long-term success.” Which is how necrosis works. One minute you’re cutting off toes and telling yourself things will be fine. Before you know it, you’re out of limbs to sever and the stuff is up to your neck. If (more) R&D goes on hold, GM will have no future to fight for. And if suppliers start demanding payment on delivery? Game over. Sources are saying GM will make “a massive communication to the world” of its plans after Thanksgiving.

While the Mazda3 hatch will officially debut in Bologna in about a week, they’ve released some oddly-angled and useless shots of the car already. Like the current generation Mazda3 sedan and hatch, the 2010 5-door Mazda3 looks quite a lot like the 2010 Mazda3 sedan that we saw in LA. Which is fine. Hey, we all appreciate more hatches, right? No word yet from Mazda if the 5-door car will have both the 2.0 and 2.5 liter engines available in the U.S., or if like the present Mazda3 5-door only the bigger engine will be offered.

[UPDATE: Gallery fixed. Darn computermajigs]

Inside Line recently got a friendly call from a Tesla spokesperson who was positively bursting with the good news: Porsche had purchased a Tesla Roadster. And though its always nice to make a sale, the Tesla flack was clearly more interested in the PR benefits of Porsche engineers studying the $120k roadster. “A Porsche senior engineer actually came over a few weeks back, and he was seriously analyzing the car in every detail,” dishes the Tesla source. Separately, a “German source” tells Inside Line that Porsche is “none too pleased” with the recently-released eRuf, a lithium-ion-powered electric Carrera. So what does this all add up to? Porsche’s building a lithium-ion sportscar. After all, they’re not buying a Tesla to study their customer service. According to the Tesla spokesperson, Porsche’s order is “pretty far down on the list of current orders.” Chances are we’ll see an EV Porsche on the Nordschleife before Tesla makes its way down that notoriously interminable waiting list.

The planned cavalcade of chrome fuel-efficient American vehicles from Detroit to DC is “a great idea,” according to GM spokesfolks, but neither the General nor Ford will officially participate in the stunt. Suppliers, dealers and the UAW will make up the bulk of the spectacle, although there’s still a chance that Chrysler’s Bob Nardelli could join in the fun. “The whole grassroots caravan to Washington, D.C., effort we think is a great idea,” said GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson. “It’s just not something we are in a position to sponsor or manage.” You know, like everything else. “As for our mode of transport, it can be safely assumed it will not be by company plane,” Wilkinson said. “For security reasons, we don’t normally comment on transportation of our senior executives. As the date for the hearings gets close, we may provide more details.” And we’ll be waiting with bated breath. The march on Washington is being organized by Dura CEO and Chairman Tim Leuliette, although the Freep gives a hat tip to Automotive News [sub] scribe Jason Vines for kinda, sorta coming up with the idea in a column published last Friday. PR man Vines’ advice? Organize the event on the internet and “arm everyone with a short list of facts so they can speak intelligently on camera, as too-often-lazy TV journalists like to find the fattest, dumbest protesters and get them to say something stupid or offensive on camera.” Is this why Red Ink Rick is being kept away?

Good morning! While America Slept (WAS) is a daily round-up of the news that happened in other continents and time-zones. TTAC provides round-the-clock coverage of everything that has wheels. Or that has its wheels coming off. This is Odd-Tuesday: All quiet internationally on the GM front. What’s going on? Stop press: We take it back.

Porsche meets the press: Tomorrow, Wednesday, Über-Porsche Wendelin Wiedeking will present Porsche’s annual report to the press (an annual ritual followed by all important German companies, and usually an excess of euphemisms.) Apart from reporting about Porsche (“we’re doing great!”) “information about future plans regarding the take-over of Volkswagen” will be offered, says Automobilwoche (sub.) We’ll keep you posted.

BMW axes 8600 jobs: Sad faces at the Beemer plants. BMW has cut more jobs than planned in their austerity program dubbed “Number One” (probably in reference to the P.O. workers.) 8600 jobs axed. Only one shift running in their Leipzig plant, all “temporary workers” gone. Automobilwoche (sub) has more.

GM goes begging, even in Poland. GM is on a begging tour through Europe. “Informal approaches” are being made to governments in Poland, Belgium, Spain and the UK, Automotive News Europe (sub) has learned. Before, GM approached Germany, for €40b, was called names in Berlin, reduced their request to less, got something in Hessen, then said they don’t mean it. Germany is a state of confusion as far as GM goes. There have been contacts between GM and the UK government, even the government of Sweden, former home of Saab was approached. But begging Poland? A land with a GDP of $552b, less than the $700b tarp? There are places in Poland where they don’t have the money to put lights on the Christmas tree. Bad taste, GM, bad taste. Or just plain old ignorance?

Pocket Roller for pocket change: In 2006, UK’s Manganese Bronze Holdings struck a $100m deal with Chinese Geely to continue producing the renowned London taxi TX4. They did. And now, Geely wants to use the platform for what Gasgoo calls “a small Rolls-Royce.” Positioned at lesser-heeled people who eye the premium BMW / Mercedes-Benz models, the luxury Geely sedan is expected to sell in the neighborhood of $44k when it comes to market by 2011. There is …

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When Ferrari, Porsche, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Rolls Royce and Land Rover withdrew from the Detroit Auto Show, well, who cares? Niche manufacturers all. But now that Nissan has announced that it’s pulled the plug on the North American International Auto Show, it’s the middle of the beginning of the end for the show. MSNBC carries the story, reporting that the Japanese automaker’s official statement on the non-matter. “Based on the fact that we have no major new products to show at the 2009 Detroit and Chicago auto shows, as well as the current economic conditions which will impact the shows’ marketing effectiveness, we have decided to cancel our involvement and participation.” Wow! Both their involvement AND their participation? That’s some serious you-know-what. MSNBC rubs salt into the wound, bringing-up the inconvenient truth that Nissan unveiled the Cube at the LA Auto Show.(forgetting to mention the 370Z U.S. debut). The bigger picture: Detroit is no longer the center of the automotive universe.

In a post I wrote today for Autofiends, I mentioned that I am so tired of hearing a car described as “handling like it’s on rails.” In part, it’s often because the people that use this term have no idea what they’re talking about, or in other cases are just wrong. Very, very few cars are level in turns and have enough grip to have no under or oversteer in moderate-speed driving. Still, the term is out there, and I’ve heard it (ab)used to describe everything from a Dodge Challenger to an E39 BMW 528i to the Mitsubishi Lancer.  My runners up include: dubs, bling, concerns about a regular street car’s top speed, and “car guys.” When it comes to automotive journalism – or just chatting with people that really swear they are “gearheads” – what gives you the red ass?

“In the coming weeks we will begin to implement a relatively new cost savings initiative at the Warren Tech Center. This initiative deals with the personal waste baskets that are present in most all of the office work stations and conference rooms. Our plan is to eliminate these waste baskets and transition to a modified method of personal office waste disposal.

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As thing stand now, All three automakers will present plans for reorganization to the congress by December second. Five days later, Detroit’s caravan of love will kick off its pilgrimage to Washington, where the three CEOs will hold an encore performance of their famed congressional testimony. The reception that awaits them in our nation’s capitol will depend largely on how candid the second round of testimony is, and how viable the new reorganization plans are. Now that everyone is well aware of the fact that they are screwed, Rick, Bob and Alan must convince congress that they can dig their way out. Since GM claims to already have “a plan,” lets take a moment today to speculate on what that plan is… or should be. My feeling is that Wagoner’s credibility is so weak that he has to open with a structured bankruptcy offer to avoid being laughed out of the hearing room. If he agrees that brand and dealer cuts are necessary, GM just might get the bailout. Given his pathological performance thus far though, I’d guess Wagoner’s pride (wait, that’s not the right word) won’t let him. He’ll probably talk up the cuts to truck manufacturing, hype the Cruze and Volt and suggest that maybe the union might give some ground soon. And he’ll jet home empty-handed to start Chapter 11 proceedings. Your thoughts?