GM has already announced that it’s trying to come up with no less than $5b in savings by the end of the calendar year. To assist these efforts, GM has put Jones Lang LaSalle in charge of 200m Euros worth of sell-offs and leasebacks. Together with its attempt to sell or lease its Renaissance Center headquarters, GM’s fire sale should bring in some $750m. Property Week reports that JLL’s portion of the sell-off will include non-manufacturing sites in Europe and the UK. On their selling block will be Saab’s properties in Gothenberg and Trollhatten, while Vauxhall’s Luton headquarters, GM’s headquarters in Dublin and other Chevy, GM, and Opel sites are said to be on the sale list. Including factories, GM is estimated to own some $43b in real estate around the globe.

Infowars has a story from the Latin American Herald Tribune that suggests GM could send bailout money to Brazil. The story quotes GM Brazil-Mercosur President Jaime Ardila as saying GM plans to invest $1 billion worth of American tax dollars in Brazil to avoid the kind of problems the U.S. automaker is facing in its home market. “It wouldn’t be logical to withdraw the investment from where we’re growing, and our goal is to protect investments in emerging markets,” says Ardila. The money would be spent on a “complete the renovation of the line of products up to 2012.” This news comes on the heels of an announced $3.5b automaker stimulus by Brazil’s federal and Sao Paolo state governments. Of course, the whole plan banks on Congress approving an ammendment to the already-approved $25b retooling loan program. The Detroit CEOs have until December 2 to present congress with their plans for the $25b, and if those plans are approved Congress could remove all existing “strings” on the loan program. These strings currently require the funds to be spent on retooling American plants that are over 25 years old to build more fuel-efficient vehicles. So the question now is, will GM lie to congress and tell them that they won’t send taxpayer money to Brazil, or have they already lied to their Brazilian division? Or will congress simply look the other way? So many possibilities…

Since its heyday beginnings, Wired has suffered from what my (Japanese) wife characterizes as “yellow fever:” A fetish for Japanese women. Wired’s repeat offender “Japanese Schoolgirl Watch” is legend. Actually, Japanese schoolgirls are not much to look at, unless you are a pedophile and have a yen for plaid skirts and bobby socks. How does a lowly Lambo Gallardo get into Wired? It must look like a Manhattan subway car that was attacked by spray-can-wielding Japanese schoolgirls. This $>200K Gallardo belongs Japanese Age-Soft’s CEO Yoshida. He made the money to acquire the Lambo (and other likewise tagged wheels) with hentai videogames. “Hentai” means “pervert” in Japanese, but according to my wife (bless her heart) in Japan, that can be an honorific. Painting cars with manga characters is a new and somewhat itai (painful) Japanese fad. [Again, Autoblog gets it wrong. They write “In Japan, Otaku are the rabid fans of anime.” No true. Otaku is Japanese for geek. Ota-ku is also a ward in the south of Tokyo. Go figure.]

While steering the artist formerly known as the world’s largest automaker into career suicide, GM CEO Rick Wagoner has steadfastly maintained that “bankruptcy is not an option.” As many members of TTAC’s Best and Brightest have pointed out, that kind of stonewalling A) Is insane and B) reveals guarantees a class action lawsuit against GM’s Board of Bystanders. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Board has released a statement which illustrates their feeble-mindedness, managerial paralysis, blantant cowardice and compelling desire not to end up folding shirts at a federal prison farm. “GM said the board had discussed bankruptcy but didn’t view it as a ‘viable solution to the company’s liquidity problems.’ The board “is committed to considering all options in light of circumstances as they may develop.” In other words, NO BANKRUPTCY. Unless there is. Meanwhile, the Journal hints at disagreements between Board members and Wagoner, the company’s CEO AND Chairman.

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Even over the weekend,  TTAC never sleeps. 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.  Guarantee: Contents 100 percent car related (well, except for one.)

Opel: “We’re doing great.” GM should send Opel Chief Demant to DC. He knows when to say the right things: “All jobs are safe “(at least until 2010.) “We’ve got enough cash” (at least until next year.) “GM doesn’t owe us money” (at least not immediately.) “We don’t need a loan guarantee” (we didn’t really mean it.)  Germany’s government is now a) a bit miffed because they thought it was urgent, b) relieved because they can go Christmas shopping with the money saved.  Automobilwoche (sub) has the story.

Germany goes to the polls over Opel: Wary of wearing Opel’s new rose-colored glasses, Automobilwoche (sub) is running a poll. The question: “What should happen to Opel?” Here’s the tally so far.  “Opel goes it alone” – 50 percent. “Opel remains part of GM” – 15  percent. “Opel merges with BMW” – 15 percent. “Opel merges with Fiat” – 13 percent. “Opel merges with Daimler” – 7 percent. Don’t blame us, just reporting the news.

Just say no: Bernhard Mattes, chief of Ford Motor Co.’s German unit, would also make quick friends in DC. He says that Ford Deutschland can survive just fine, thank you, without a bailout from the German government, AP reports via Yahoo. Ford wouldn’t turn down a share of the loan package by the European Union, if offered. The consensus in Europe is the package is dead in the water, because it needs the consensus from the non auto making members. Dream on. And read on …

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Maximum Bob Lutz was not invited to grovel testify before congress this week, for all of the obvious reasons. So Lutz earned his champagne and cigars the honest way this week: driving cars and blogging about it at Fastlane. Of course, that doesn’t mean Lutz doesn’t have an opinion about the bailout. He’s just strictly forbidden from saying anything besides “I am not going to comment here about any government loans or hearings or GM’s financial situation — just like I wouldn’t engage you in conversation about it if I ran into you in the produce aisle.” Wheh. There goes one recurring nightmare. Besides, as Lutz points out “we have other places online for that conversation, such as gmfactsandfiction.com.” And if that’s not Lutzy enough for you, just wait until he starts talking about the Volt he’s been driving!

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Seeking Alpha prides itself “the premier financial website for actionable stock market opinion and analysis.” When it comes to what should happen with GM, they are on our side: “Buyout better than bailout,” writes Seeking Alpha. Roger that. We have been picking-up indications that Chinese automakers SAIC and Dongfeng may have plans to buy assets of GM (and while they are at it, maybe even of Chrysler). China would get what it badly needs for its thriving domestic car industry to become an even more thriving international car industry: accepted brands, a worldwide distribution network and know-how necessary to comply with US and worldwide standards. Apparently, private equity firms are keen to aid this “transfer.” Behind all of this (of course) stands the Chinese government. The People’s Republic owns most of automakers SAIC and Dongfeng, along with a good chunk of the private equity firm Blackstone, a good chunk of Morgan, and a good chunk of T-bills (to the tune of $585b).

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Like everyone, Honda is cutting production. The Financial Times reports that Honda’s Swindon, England plant is shutting down for the months of February and March. The Japanese company’s reputation for employee friendliness is taking a bit hit with the news that Honda’s “5,000 workers in Swindon will be laid off without pay during the shutdown.” The much lauded Japanese no layoff policy has gone by the wayside at Honda just as it has at Mazda and Isuzu. Toyota is likewise shoving people out the door of it’s Japanese factories without pay, but continues to hide behind the “contract workers” ruse which has long allowed them to in reality hire and fire to meet demand changes while claiming not to do so. Toyota “plans to reduce the number of contract workers on its Japanese payroll to about 3,000 by the first quarter of next year from more than 9,000 in the same period this year.” In simple terms, Toyota is laying off 6,000 people … without calling them layoffs. Meanwhile, “Fitch Ratings downgraded Nissan’s long-term debt rating on Friday from “A-minus” to “BBB-plus” and signaled that further cuts could follow.” Layoffs, plant shut-downs, debt rating downgrades and plunging profits. Sound familiar?

Courtesy of Ford’s Fusion microsite (MICROSITE!) and other reliable sources (Dick Cheney), we can report the pricing on Ford’s updated 2010 Fusion:

Fusion S – $19,270 – 2.5 liter 4-cylinder, 175 hp, six speed manual (6-speed auto optional)
Fusion SE – $20,545 – 2.5 liter 4-cylinder, 175 hp, six speed manual (Options: 6-speed auto, 3.0 V6, AWD only with the V6)
Fusion SEL – $23,975 – 2.5 liter 4-cylinder, 175 hp, six speed automatic (Options: 3.0 V6, AWD only with the V6)
Fusion Sport – $25,825 – 3.5 liter V6, 263 hp, six speed automatic (Options: AWD)
Fusion Hybrid – $27,270 – 2.5 liter I4, voodoo electronics

Standard Equipment:
All models include A/C, the full complement of six airbags, aluminum or painted steel wheels, tire pressure monitoring system, antilock brakes, and electronic stability control.

Option Pricing:
3.0 liter V6 (240hp, 6-speed auto transmission with manumatic feature) – $1610
AWD – $1900 (this is an educated estimate; waiting for more info from Ford)

Waiting for more info from Ford:
Cost of AWD, cost of the automatic transmission

In their best-case scenario, Ford and GM would already be waiting anxiously by the mailbox for their federal bailout checks. Instead, it’s back to the drawing board to try to come up with enough cash to survive until December 8. Plus they still have to convince Congress that they have some kind of plan to survive beyond waiting anxiously by said mailbox. Accordingly, GM and Ford are announcing another round of cut-and-shuffle. Ford will close its Chicago Taurus/TaurusX/Sable/MKS plant for the weeks of Dec. 15 and 22, and its Flat Rock, MI Mustang/Mazda6 plant for the week of Dec. 22. According to Automotive News [sub], “the only Ford assembly operations scheduled to run the week of Dec. 22 are a van plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, an F-150 pickup production line in Kansas City, Mo. and an F-150 plant in Dearborn, Mich.” Meanwhile, GM will close the Impala plant in Oshawa, Ont. and the Lordstown, OH Cobalt/G5 plant from Jan. 12 to Jan. 20. Automotive News [sub] reports that GM will also shut down its Orion Township, MI Malibu/G6 plant from Jan. 5 to Jan. 12. GM’s Kansas City, KS Aura/LaCrosse plant will be closed Dec. 23-Jan. 20, and a planned week of downtime there has been moved up to Jan. 12 from Jan. 26. The permanent closure of GM’s Oshawa, Ont. truck plant has also been moved up, from July to May 14.