Mercedes-Benz CL-Class AMG Convertible Conversion

With every passing year, there seems to be more convertibles on the market. But if you live in a sunny clime like California's, enough sunshine is never enough. That's where convertible chop-shops like Newport Convertible Engineering step in. The folks at NCE will take just about any automobile and turn it into a custom cabrio to a buyer's specifications. The company's portfolio includes recent conversions of a Dodge Challenger, Toyota Prius, Cadillac CTS, Hummer H2, Toyota FJ Cruiser, and this Mercedes-Benz CL AMG. Unfortunately, from the photos seen here, the soft top doesn't seem to collapse quite flush with the rear deck, leaving something to be desired in terms of aesthetics – to say nothing of rearward visibility. Here's hoping there's a snug-fitting cover lurking in whatever trunkspace remains.

More Pics ---> Auto Blog

readmore...

Man Hand-Building Hummer H1 From Ford Scraps [Custom Cars]

A insane person Ford nut is hand-building an incredible Hummer H1 replica on the bones of a junker Ford F-150. The full scope of this construction fest can only be appreciated in the huge gallery below.

We’ve only ever seen this level of insane skill before in the basement-built Lamborghini Countach of Ken Imhoff, mete craftsmanship and the mid-level dementia of the builders is all these vehicles share. This H1 isn’t some surplus rebuild or fiberglass small pail, it’session all-steel, hand fabricated to a near-military spec aim of quality. The frame comes from a rough 1987 F150 4×4, the rear axle was pulled out of a E250 van, the engine is a fiend 7.3 liter Powerstroke diesel from a shuttle van, and pretty much everything else is the outcome of a press-brake and and whole lot of welding. The product has been dubbed the Hummer H150.

We were a small degree worried, about half-way through the 48 pages of tribunal details on FullSizeBronco.com where he admitted his wife would be given the choice of paint scheme and she picked out a two tone white and grey through a tribal line in the middle. Thankfully she came to her senses and a lovely orange was chosen in lieu. Though the traffic isn’t quite done yet, a whole lot of the major work is through. The body electronics just got the experiment and transmission has been sourced, so after buttoning up the powertrain it’ll be ready for a maiden run. This build has taken some five years thus far, but considering for what reason far this guy has come the last few steps are practically babe’s play.

There aren’t many vehicles manlier than the original Hummer H1, but building your own from mark with a scratch puts you in rare company on the testosterone scale. We can’t wait to see how the Hummer H150 turns out. Hat tip to Mike! [Full Size Bronco Forums]

readmore...

The Ten Coolest American Military Land Vehicles [Memorial Day Metal]

Is there a better way to honor those who served than honoring the vehicles they served in? Probably. But there’s no besides Jalopnik way of doing it than with a list of fierce olive American metal.

Deuce-And-A-Half
Capable of towing over 7,000 pounds while simultaneously transporting a twelve NATO troops, the M35 “deuce-and-a-half” is one mean machine. There are made up of many varieties of this vehicle, unless they typically contain a small cab, large covered bed and some form of turbocharged multi-fuel means. And by multi-fuel we mean you can put straightforward on the point anything in the tank and it’ll run, including yet not limited to: diesel, gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel and vodka.
Photo Credit: B&B

Sherman Tank
The most successful American tank of WWII, the M4 Sherman was a powerful, quick, and reliable military machine efficient of going toe-to-toe with most German armaments. Fitted with a variety of guns and engines, the M4 wasn’t always the with most propriety tank, but the ability to give rise to and field them cheaply and quickly was good enough to overwhelm the enemy. USA! USA! USA!
Photo Credit: FourFold

DPV Fast Attack Vehicle
Like it sounds, the DPV Fast Attack Vehicle is capable of speeds over 80 MPH on desert terrain, launching a grenade, and traveling over 1,000 miles. Powered by dint of. a 200 HP VW engine, the vehicles have found use primarily by special forces and were a major part of the Desert Storm operations.

Bradley Fighting Vehicle
The M2 Bradley is a fast armored private carrier quick enough to keep up with the M1 Abrams tank and, equipped with a 25 mm chain fire-arm and a pair of TOW missles, surprisingly deadly for an APC. The platform is for a like reason capable and easy-to-produce it’session been modified into an amphibious vehicle, fire support vehicle, and air defense vehicle.
Photo Credit: LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images

HUMVEE
Despite being developed in the late 1970s, the Humvee is the go-to vehicle on the side of nearly each job the military has. Humvee is inadequate for HMMWV which stands for high-mobility multipurpose wheeled conveyance. With four-wheel drive, disc brakes, and an independent suspension the Hummer is worlds better than the Jeep. More than any other vehicle, it’s the mechanical representation of the new U.S. martial. Photo Credit: OCINE ZAOURAR/AFP/Getty Images

Willys MB Jeep
With WWII around the corner, and the U.S. lacking anything taker of odds than a Model T or a bunch of horses, a vehicle was needed for European warfare. There were three versions of the original Jeep produced by different companies, but the Willys MB variant would prove to be the most enduring. The distinctive slotted-steel grille with embedded headlights is a invention still used on Jeeps today.

M1 Abrams
Powered by a 1,500 HP gas-turbine engine and pure ascendency, the M1 Abrams is more than 60 tons of badass rolling up to 45 MPH through wherever it wants. Equipped with composite defensive clothing and a 120 mm gun that can fire multiple seasons at the same time that in motion, the Abrams is a fearsome weapon in any theater.
Photo Credit: LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images

DUKW
Though relegated primarily to tourist boat what one ought to do, the DUKW or “duck,” amphibious six-wheel truck was part GMC truck and part yacht, capable of speeds up to 55 MPH on land and 7 MPH in the water. The story of its commissioning involves being considered too risky for soldier-like service before saving a group of stranded Coast Guardsman. Both because of its practicality and its strange look, we cupid the “truck that can swim.”

Dodge M37 Power Wagon
The Dodge Power Wagon, a four-wheel drive 3/4-ton truck, is the basis for the modern four-wheel drive pickup. But before it found its way into the hearts of civilian traffic owners, the Power Wagon was the marine truck of choice because most jobs during the Korean War. Whether carrying troops, wounded, or weapons, the M37 was a rock solid truck for Americans fighting in succession less-than-solid turf.

M60A1 Armored Vehicle Launched BridgeThe M60A1 armored conveyance launched build a bridge over (ALVB) is exactly what it sounds like: a mobile, armored bridge. There’s not always time to wait around for engineers to erect a crossing, so the AVLB carries on its back a 60-foot bridge strong enough and large enough to support just about every land vehicle in the arsenal — including itself.

readmore...

1124 GM Dealers Served Termination Notices

Thousands of General Motors dealers have been wondering if they were to be among the group of dealerships to be terminated by the automaker, with 1124 receiving confirmation from GM today that they were getting the ax. FEDEX and U.S. Mail notices were sent out to each of the affected dealers who learned that their franchise agreements wouldn’t be extended beyond October 2010.

This news follows on the heels of yesterday’s announcement by Chrysler that 789 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships would be shuttered. Unlike Chrysler, which plans to have most of these dealerships closed out by June 9th, GM is giving their dealers nearly eighteen months to wind down operations. They can also appeal the automaker’s decision.

Automotive News reported that GM’s Mark LaNeve, who is North American sales vice president, said that the impacted dealers only accounted for 7% of the automaker’s sales totals in 2008 and currently hold just 8% of the company’s unsold inventory.

An Immediate Wind Down Of Operations Expected

Though an appeals process is available LaNeve indicated that only if a mistake was made, one based on bad data, they aren’t anticipating that many of these decisions will be reversed. In addition, GM wants these dealerships to begin winding down their operations by selling off their current inventory.

LaNeve expects that some of the 65,000 vehicles sitting on the lots of affected dealers may end up being taken back. However, he stressed that the automaker wants as much inventory sold as possible to avoid holding costly auctions.

Saab, Saturn and Hummer Spared…For Now

GM’s move doesn’t include 470 Saab, Saturn and Hummer dealerships who will also lose their franchises unless a buyer steps forth for one or more of those brands. In addition, GM identified 35 Pontiac-only dealerships who are also getting the ax, franchises who aren’t fortunate to be part of the current Buick-Pontiac-GMC sales channel and are poor performers. GM had said earlier this month that they would shut down Pontiac by the end of 2010.

Once the smoke clears, there will still be 4300 dealerships remaining who will then have to compete for the 3600 dealership slots GM says will be adequate to sell its product line going forward.

Decision Day Looms

June 1st looms as an important day for GM as that date is when the automaker must convince the Obama administration that they have the tools in place to reorganize. If not, President Obama can order GM to declare bankruptcy, a move that current GM CEO Fritz Henderson says looks “probable.”

readmore...

Roger Penske To Buy Saturn?

Well, it’s the month of may, and to me and every other racing fan on the planet, that means the Monaco Grand Prix, the Nurburgring 24 hours, and of course, the Indy 500. And right on cue, and no doubt much to the dismay of his competitors, Roger Penske, The Captain as he is known, puts his two cars at one and two on the grid.

Penske will be going for an unprecedented FIFTEENTH win at the speedway, but while poking around for info on the upcoming race, I came across this odd little rumor that seems to be gaining traction: Roger Penske might buy Saturn from General motors.

I’ve met Roger on several occasions, and have known about him my whole life. At it’s pretty obvious now, as it was since he was an up and coming driver (this was before he moved into team ownership), that you underestimated The Captain at your own peril.

Not only is Penske one of the best team managers in the history of racing, with successes and domination up there with the likes of Enzo Ferrari and Colin Chapman, but he is a startlingly effective businessman; a real “balls to the wall” type as Waring Hudsucker would say. Back in the 1980s Penske bought the ailing Detroit Diesel engine manufacturing concern and turned it around, and later sold it for a considerable profit. And when I say “ailing” that’s a polite, corporate speak way of saying, “They were at death’s door, within months if not weeks of folding.”

Penske is, in addition to being a racer, a businessman. Consider this, he was one of the first racing team managers that was able to turn racing into a money MAKING proposition. Before Roger came along, most people, and most auto manufacturers, looked at racing as a loss leader. It was something you’d do for R & D or promotional purposes. You went racing to spend money. Roger Penske went racing and MADE money.

So, along comes GM, limping from pillar to post, beset by problems that the Chevrolet Bros. could barely conceive of. Bleeding red ink like a hemophiliac after falling down a flight of stairs, GM is selling off divisions left right and center. Pontiac is gone. Hummer will be gone as soon as possible, Saab is on the block, and word comes that they’ve axed over a thousand dealerships from their once massive roasters of sales locations.

Also on the sales roster is Saturn, one the darling of the (former) “World’s Largest Automaker” is now up for grabs … and in walks Roger Penske.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the CEO of Penske Automotive Group (Roger’s car dealership business) is a possible bidder for Saturn. The WSJ didn’t cite anyone beyond “people familiar with the situation.”

“We look at things all the time. We have been offered an opportunity to look at Saturn. It’s very premature to assume anything will be done. I can confirm to you that we are looking at it,” said Tony Pordon, a spokesman for Penske Automotive Group, to the Detroit News.

Sounds like Roger is in the hunt.

Source: LeftLaneNews

Photo from Flickr user cmakin

© Gearhead Media - Please visit Automoblog.net for more great content.

readmore...

Peugeot CinqZeroBajaCamino [Down On The Junkyard]

Can’t find a Dangel Peugeot truck in the States? No prob- just build a 505/Subaru mashup! That’s what happened here, but some tragic series of events put this cartruck on the road to The Crusher.

Cameron found this fine machine in a Southern California junkyard:

The unbelieveably long-lived XN6 lump. This machine, properly maintained, will run forever.
Drivetrain: BA10/5 transmission. Rear axle is whatever Peugeot put there in the body of factors. There’s a driveshaft, also.
Notes: Found it in a junkyard in Sun Valley, CA and had to get pictures. I mean, it’s a 505 wagon that’sitting been hacked into a Subaru Baja - good, sort of. Unfortunately, I was unable to rescue it from the crusher, but at least I can prove that *someone* really did do this to a 505. It’s indeed kinda cool, in a backwoods-tech sort of march.
Hummer SUT? Screw that, this baby purely rocks!
I found this car a hardly any years agone in a particularly notorious Sun Valley, CA junkyard (no, not the one with Fiat 500, Renault 5, and Citroen SM on the walls, but it’s about a mile gone from there) and got the photos on their grounds while heart yelled at by the employees, Have tp concede, I confer miss that place, and, as a past 505 possessor… I do lust after this vehicle’s remains. The 505 was France’s Dodge Dart, and this seems like an oddly fitting end for one of its finest cars. “She’s the last of the rear-drive Peugeots, Max…”

readmore...

Auto Sales: Looking For Signs of Recovery

April 2009 new car sales in the U.S. market were down once again, a drop of 34.4% over April 2008. Moreover, nearly 40,000 fewer new vehicles were sold in April compared to March 2009, even with one more selling day for April.

Finding Good News Amongst The Carnage

Reading some of the news releases from the manufacturers and you would think that April was a good month. Not surprising, since PR folks are looking for every possible ray of light and when they find one are eager to reflect the good news.

Take Ford: As the Blue Oval continues to map out its future, one where they’ll likely pass its chief rival, General Motors, sometime this year or next, the company was quick to emphasize the acceptance of their all-new mid-size sedans — the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ and the hybrid variants offered with the first two models. According to Autodata, Ford sales were off 31.5%, but the company sold more midsize vehicles than expected while also picking up market share. Best news of all, Ford passed Toyota in sales for the month.

Chrysler continues to struggle as its current bankruptcy state and pending relationship with Fiat unfolds. Although Mitsubishi posted the worst month over month loss of any full line manufacturer at 55.9%, Chrysler showed the biggest drop amongst the Big Six, falling 48.1% for the month. That bad news hasn’t stopped Chrysler from touting its good news which included both the Dodge Challenger and Chrysler Town & Country seeing a sales increase over the previous month while the Jeep Wrangler saw its sales increase by 7% over April 2008. Chrysler was also one of the most vocal in claiming that the market may have finally stabilized.

More Good News To Report

Among the other manufacturers offering their reports the following good news could be found:

• Kia says that its all-new Soul, the Scion-like urban utility vehicle sold 3,228 units for April.

• The Audi A5 increased 40% in sales over April 2008.

• Sales for the luxury Hyundai Genesis continue to climb, reaching 2,076 units for the month.

• Honda had the best performance of all Big Six automakers, dropping 25.3% for the month, its best month so far in 2009.  Sales of the redesigned Acura TSX are up for the year by nearly 6% over 2008.

• Wounded GM continues to lead all manufacturers maintaining a 38,000 vehicle cushion over its closest competitor which for April was Ford. Monthly sales for April were actually up 11% over March. With Pontiac winding down and with Saab, Saturn and Hummer all expecting to be sold or closed down before the year ends, GM’s hold on the top position looks precarious at best.

Looking Forward to the Coming Months

The months ahead are a big question mark for all manufacturers as future sales hinge on two events: an economic recovery as well as a “cash for clunkers” program now being considered by the U.S. Congress.  An improvement in the former and the implementation of the latter could go far to stimulate sales, perhaps bringing about a sustained recovery.

Related Reading — Sales Data Shows Promise Amid The Gloom

readmore...

Checking In On The GM Bazaar

Day by day we are learning a little bit more about the direction that General Motors is taking, moves being made to return the company to profitability at some future date. Already, Pontiac has been given the ax as soon will Saturn, Saab and Hummer, the latter three likely to be sold off or shut down.

But, these brands aren’t the only ones in the news nor do they tell a whole lot about which models may go away regardless of the fate of a particular brand. Rumors, speculations, and hints being made by GM itself are revealing what few people have come to accept: when all is said and done, GM will be a much smaller company, likely trailing Toyota and Ford in US sales and finding itself much further down the global pecking order.

Among the “other” GM stories of note include the following:

• GM’s business relationship with Toyota — NUMMI or New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. — will continue although it does mean the end of the line for the Pontiac Vibe.  GM says that the Vibe will be discontinued when Pontiac closes up at the end of 2010, but a new, not yet disclosed model will be sold by one of GM’s surviving divisions which are Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Chevrolet. Read more….

• Holden, which is GM’s Australian brand, will suffer hundreds of millions of dollars in losses with the demise of the Pontiac G8 sedan. Earlier this year, Holden learned that GM would not import the Holden Ute to the United States a car truck that was to be sold as the Pontiac G8 ST. With Holden facing steep losses and likely layoffs, will GM decide that Chevrolet would be the next beneficiary of the Holden Commodore based G8 or will GM simply continue with the Chevy Impala as its flagship sedan? Read more….

• Opel will probably continue to operate as GM’s top European brand, selling Opels and Vauxhalls throughout its many markets. However, there is a distinct possibility that a significant interest in Opel may go to the highest bidder as Magna International and Fiat seek to get a share of the German automaker. Read more….

• Asia rising? One of the few bright spots for GM is its Asian operations thanks mostly to continued strong demand for its Buick models in China. In addition, the automaker has several partnerships in China which means the company is able to sell more than one million cars annually in the world’s most populace nation. No word yet on GM Daewoo, the automaker’s financially troubled Korean arm. With the Pontiac G3 coming to a quick end, Daewoo will still have the Chevy Aveo to fall back on. Read more….

Of course, additional GM subsidiaries could also find themselves being sold off, especially if cash flush buyers step forward to acquire control or at least a significant investment in that business. AC Delco remains an attractive unit for any company, the aftermarket and replacement parts arm of GM.  OnStar provides navigation and communications technology for more than six million GM drivers while GMAC could eventually be offloaded completely to Cerberus who bought controlling stake in GM’s financing unit in 2006.

So if you have the money to invest (or burn) and are so inclined to shop at the GM bazaar, then why not submit your bid while the bidding is in your favor?

readmore...

Playing Hardball, GM Dealers Strike Out

Pity the poor GM dealer who may just now be coming to terms with how weak their relationship is with the once might automaker. Healthy dealerships, particularly those operating in areas of the country where competition between dealers selling the same GM brand isn’t so tough aren’t affected, but smaller dealerships, particularly those located in markets where there are too many dealers to justify the numbers will soon be left out in the cold.

Rolling Out Government Union Motors

Now that GM is effectively being transformed into Government Union Motors (GUM) — owned by the U.S. government with secondary ownership in the hands of the United Auto Workers, lots of dealers will be given walking papers and ordered to shut down between now and the end of 2010.

In a bid to shrink its bulging dealer network from over 6200 dealers to around 3600 dealerships over the coming twenty months, GM says that they’ll terminate their relationship with low performing dealers and do that without compensation. The automaker says that they’ll buy back new car inventory, car parts, special tooling and some signage, but if the dealerships are looking for compensation ala Oldsmobile, it won’t be coming.

Abandoned Brands Will Lose Out Too

Quite a number of dealerships have been vulnerable anyway, particularly those selling Saab, Saturn and Hummer vehicles. Stand alone Pontiac dealers will also go away, but for those fortunate to have a combined Buick Pontiac GMC dealership, they’ll manage to soldier on with one less brand.

Next month, GM will send notices out to as many as 1200 dealerships that they will not be part of the reinvented GM.  500 dealers will be closing due to normal attrition, 500 more will go away when Saab, Saturn and Hummer finally disappear while the automaker will seek to close or combine an additional 500 dealerships in overcrowded markets.

Dealers Not Leaving Without A Fight

Lest the Obama Administration, General Motors and even Chrysler think that dealerships can be shut down without compensation, The Wall Street Journal ran a story on Wednesday suggesting otherwise. In, “GM, Chrysler Dealer Groups Retain Law Firms,” the newspaper reported that large dealer networks have retained the services of several law firms to help them fight back.

The lawyers have been retained to make sure that the dealers receive payments owed to them, especially if either automaker files for bankruptcy. Regarding the work of one law firm, the WSJ reported, “The firm will participate in negotiations with GM on dealers’ behalf and work with lawyers retained by individual dealers. Dealers operate under contracts with auto makers that require the company to cover obligations, ties to warranty repairs, inventory buy downs and floorplan assistance payments.”

The road to remake GM as well as Chrysler isn’t as simple as some might believe that it’ll be. Contracts cannot be automatically dimissed and litigating parties are allowed their day in court. No matter what happens, GM will be slicing and dicing its dealer network, but perhaps they’ll have to put some money on the hood to compensate aggrieved dealer franchise holders.

Related Reading — Checking In On The GM Bazaar

readmore...

New For Earth Day 2009, It’s The Hummer Hybrid!!

No, it’s no joke, and no, I’m not kidding, someone is really making a Hummer Hybrid. And seriously, my first thought was, “I bet Schwarzenegger just LOVES this.” See, the Governator has a penchant for big SUVs, but he’s also more than a little bit green. For example, he has FOUR Mercedes G-wagens, but he’s converted them to run on bio-D. So when a hybrid Hummer started popping up on the web, my first thought was that Ahnuld would buy one. My second thought was a bit more bloody-minded. More along the lines of, “Great, tell the American public we can have our cake and eat it too, and we’re well on the road to ending up like the people on Wall-E.”

So what gives? Are they serious about this, or is it just some shade tree project.

No, they’re serious. This is no BS EV conversion of a clapped out 914 that some dude did in the back shed. Check out the video:

See? They’re serious.

Anyway, the Hummer hybrid has been called a “Chevy Volt on Steroids”, and I’m not really going to argue with that moniker. It’s not one of the big Hummers, it’s a retrofit into an H3, which I think is a Hummer-esque body on a GM Envoy platform, so this isn’t totally over the top. The H3 hybrid runs on a Raser electrical engine that gets the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon, which is about twice the efficiency of a Toyota Prius in the city. The all up range is around 400 miles, and the green Hummer will run for about 40 miles on electricity alone. The electric Hummer (which sounds like something you’d pay extra for in Vegas, doesn’t it?) is also quicker than you’d expect, accelerating from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds.

Look, I’ve got nothing against a car like this overall. The whole point, or at least the thing car manufacturers and gearheads should be focusing on, is making cars as eco-friendly as we can make them, and STILL have them be fun to drive. No, a Hummer is not a car that I’d ever see needing. And no, I think that 9 out of 10 SUVs out there are bought and used by people for all the wrong reasons. But that said, if (and that’s a big if) you need something like a Hummer H3, then why not use one that’s as mellow on the planet as we can make it?

Source: GeeksAreSexy.net

© Gearhead Media - Please visit Automoblog.net for more great content.

readmore...

Camo Cameo: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti ready for desert storming

By: Noah Joseph

Try playing hide-and-go-seek with a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and you're bound to lose. At over sixteen feet in length, the two-door GT is longer than a Hummer H3 and nearly as long as a Mercedes S-Class. But one owner may have found the key. This desert-camo Prancing Horse was spotted by Ferrari Chat board member "elipinsk" in the wilds of Germany.

Speculation was that it was yet another creation of Bathing Ape founder Nigo, along the same lines as his camouflaged Rolls-Royce Phantom, Bugatti Veyron and classic Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. We might have placed it among Saddam Hussein's corral of high-end automobiles, but indications are that it actually belongs to a local real estate developer. And not in the Persian Gulf, either, but in Wiesbaden, Germany. The "intriguing" treatment appears to have been done with a vinyl wrap, so at least it can be reversed fairly painlessly, which is more than we can say for its application.

readmore...

A Buyer For Saturn? Maybe.

One of the worst franchises to own in 2009 is a Saturn dealership, thanks to GM’s stated plan to no longer build vehicles for the brand after 2011.  That move plus GM’s likely bankruptcy restructuring has put Saturn dealers in a terrible position of trying to sell cars that not many buyers want. Indeed, as word continues to spread that Saturn is on a short leash, buyers are shopping elsewhere for new cars.

Now word has surfaced that a buyer for the Saturn brand may be stepping forward, an entity known as Telesto Ventures. Made up of private equity investors including people associated with Black Oak Partners LLC, based in Oklahoma City, Telesto is interested in acquiring Saturn from GM perhaps including current dealers among its investors.

Selling Multiple Brands Under One Roof

According to Automotive News which is running the story, Saturn dealers would continue to sell GM products through 2011 and then sell a number of different overseas models thereafter.  The publication suggested that a “Best Buy” model of selling several different brands under one roof would be the goal of Saturn who would likely no longer have Saturn branded cars of its own to sell.

Of course, this move leads to all kinds of speculation as to who might have cars for Saturn. A number of foreign makes would love to set up shop here including vehicles currently built by Chinese firms.  However, any vehicle sold in the US would have to conform to American safety and emission requirements which would make it difficult for a low volume budget brand to make a profit. Currently, nothing from China’s major producers would be roadworthy in the US, but that could change.

Bringing Additional Brands Stateside

Other brands who might be a good fit for Saturn could include Renault and Peugeot (plus Citroen) from France, Skoda from central Europe, India’s Tata Motors and perhaps even Malaysia’s Proton Motors. Should the Fiat-Chrysler deal fail, then Fiat’s brands could also be a candidate for Saturn dealerships. Finally, GM could still be a participant in the new Saturn by importing Opels and/or Vauxhalls from Europe.

Should Telesto Ventures succeed in acquiring Saturn, it would free GM from its dealer obligations and allow it to concentrate on dumping Hummer and Saab next. The Telesto model is a big gamble, but it could pay off especially if the product mix is the right one for Saturn dealers.

Related Reading — Taking Saturn Private Is One Option

readmore...

“100 MPG” Electric Hummer H3 Doesn’t Actually Get 100 MPG [2009 Sae]

We’re here at the 2009 SAE World Congress in Detroit, where California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up for the “100 MPG” Raser Electric Hummer H3 unveiling. Which, incidentally, does not actually get 100 MPG.

As we expected, the Raser Electric Hummer H3 is a plug-in, extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) utilizing a 200 kW motor to drive the wheels and a turbocharged Ecotec four-cylinder to power a 100 kW generator to charge the batteries and run the e-motor.

If you’re good at math you immediately see the problem here. For the first sixty miles the Raser Hummer runs in all EV accident and from in that place it determination run on a constantly operating generator, resulting in an asymptotic be impaired in average fuel economy. It does get the dramatic 100 MPG fuel economy the company claims — similar to long while you don’t go further than 60 miles in a day. The actual, long-range economy is a less headline-grabbing 33 MPG. Much better than a standard H3 for sure, but Raser has not completely yet managed to contemn the laws of science of nature.

We’remains have more details for you, but Arnie strode into the middle of the press conference with his phalanx of security guards and turned it into a media feeding frenzy.

readmore...

Hummer H3 V8 Kompressor Photos

2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500


2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

readmore...

GM: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

These are extraordinarily difficult times for the global automotive industry as the we’re on the cusp of ushering in major change, the likes we haven’t seen before. By this time next year we’ll see the first mass produced electric vehicles hit the market and by 2012, the number of pure electric and hybrid models will skyrocket.

At the same time, the industry is going through a deep cleansing, one that will rid it of excess capacity, inefficient operations and see several brands disappear. I believe that Ford will replace GM as the largest producer of cars in the US followed by Toyota. Hyundai and Kia will continue to gain market share while Chrysler’s future is hinged on its relationship with Fiat, a very precarious one at that.

GM Faces A Deep Challenge

Looking closer at General Motors, I now see its US operations pared to the point where only three brands will survive. Despite President Obama’s optimism, it’ll take years to settle GM’s debt as both bondholders and union members hold firm. Now that the president has signaled that he won’t let GM die, what do these parties have to lose? A lot if they don’t hold their ground.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

In keeping with the tradition of Sergio Leone, I offer to you the following categories to define GM’s future, particularly as it relates to its critical North American base:

The Good — Chevrolet comprises a full 60% of GM sales, therefore the Chevy brand is the face of the new GM. If this brand isn’t healthy enough to compete against Ford, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen then the company will die.

Cadillac is the premium bookend for GM, a luxury division that needs additional assets. The CTS franchise is a success, the SRX a worthy model, but the replacement for the STS/DTS is a mystery. As for the Escalade, it will probably soldier on as a car based crossover at some point. Lincoln wasn’t much of a threat for the past decade, but now Ford’s luxury division is fighting back, positioning itself to leapfrog Cadillac.

The lifespan of Buick depends on how well the company emerges from restructuring, bankruptcy or not. Its Chinese base is upholding the brand, but in order to be a good middleground brand for GM, it needs some product loving. And quick.

The Bad — The Pontiac G8 is a knock out car, but not enough to keep the brand alive.  Cash strapped GM cannot afford to keep Pontiac alive, so may it rest in peace. The G8 could find its way over to Chevrolet…let’s hope so!

The GMC brand can now die, allowing GM to consolidate Chevrolet trucks with GMC. They’ll be a big battle with Buick-Pontiac-GMC franchised dealers, with some likely to gain a Chevy Trucks franchise in their settlement.

The Ugly — No longer relevant and a big embarrassment, Hummer will probably cease to exist unless a foreign, niche manufacturer buys the brand, its dies and assembles Hummer elsewhere.

There isn’t much that can be said about Saab unless the pending new owner of Volvo makes a pitch for the brand to create Scandinavian Motors. Nope, I don’t see that happening at all.

Pity, poor Saturn — it was once a decent idea that should have been dismissed long before a plant in Spring Hill, TN was built for “a different kind of car company.” Okay, I’m biased: I leased a 2001 Saturn L-Series and actually liked the car, body panel gaps and all.  But, Saturn held Chevrolet back and was always a tremendous financial drain on the automaker. I would hate to see it become a supply house for a Chinese or Indian automaker. Peugeot? Maybe.

Ups & Downs With GM

Life at GM will never be the same, a company whose heritage is a mixture of lousy production methods (pre-1980s), cool technology (OnStar) and stiff competition (Toyota, et al).

If the company does survive, it may eventually have to hook up with another automaker to stay in business. Perhaps Carlos Ghosn would be interested in an automotive troika provided that GM comes to the party without financial baggage.

Related Reading –Brain Drain: GM Whacks Engineers

readmore...

Saab Given 5 Year Reprieve By GM

GM has announced that its Swedish entity, Saab, will be given a five year reprieve. This means that the ailing auto giant will continue to work with Saab during that time to keep its new product pipeline open and share technology beneficial to both companies.

The turn of events signals that GM isn’t ready to consign Saab to the same fate that they are planning for Hummer and Saturn, at least just yet: sell off or shut down the brands.

Saab Lives…For Now

Apparently, GM is satisfied that Saab is well on its way to operating as a separate company as per the February 20, 2009 announcement by the Saab Board that Saab would file for reorganization. The self-managed Swedish court process is designed to create a fully independent business entity that would be sustainable and suitable for investment.

In other words, GM still controls Saab but they are looking for outside investors to shoulder some of that burden.

Three New Products Set To Launch

The news comes at a critical time as Saab is in the midst of a major product line overhaul, one that will yield three all-new models by the end of 2010. Getting ready to launch is the 9-3X which will later be joined by the next generation 9-5 and by a spanking new crossover, the 9-4X.

To ensure Saab customers in the U.S. that the brand will still be around, GM plans to continue covering new vehicles under Saab’s 4 year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. In addition, Saab dealerships remain open for sales and service.

More Money For GM

This latest bit of information which is being shared on Automotive News is showing that GM expects to be around for awhile. Despite claims by some that the company’s collapse is imminent, the Obama administration is sending signals that additional funding for GM (and Chrysler) is on its way, although those details haven’t been announced as of yet.

The Saab announcement may help spark sales for the brand which have plunged of late as consumers avoid a brand that they think is ready to die. Indeed, in February 2009 just 712 Saab vehicles were sold in the US, confirming customer sentiments about the brand.

Related Reading: Sweden Spurns Saab, Embraces Volvo

readmore...

Cadillac Pull Back Yet Another GM Setback

The European only Cadillac BLS is an entry level luxury car for America's top selling luxury brand. The BLS along with the CTS are among the many models Cadillac sells in 25 continental markets. However, the recent collapse of a Dutch distributor has GM scrambling to find a new home for the brand.

This one has got to hurt.

General Motors, struggling to survive, has lost a significant chunk of its European market for its Cadillac luxury brand. Though not a big seller across much of Europe, GM has been seeing the brand gain a toehold in several markets including Russia, the UK and Switzerland.

European Supplier Takes A Beating

Yesterday, Automotive News reported that Cadillac’s chief supplier — Kroymans Corp. — has received court approval to suspend debt payments for four of its business units including Kroymans Import Europe, a distributor of Cadillac, Corvette and Hummer vehicles across much of Europe.

Kroymans, which is based in the Netherlands, says that it has an acute liquidity shortage due to a collapse in new- and used-car sales.

Small, But Growing Sales

Cadillac sales across the continent were under five thousand units for all of 2008, falling short of the 7500 vehicles GM had hoped to sell for 2008 before the market collapsed. Along with its homegrown brands, Opel and Vauxhall (UK), GM markets Corvette, Chevrolet and Hummer in Europe. Having a presence in Europe strengthens Cadillac’s global appeal especially for the compact BLS and the popular CTS line.

In some markets, including the UK, Cadillac sales will continue because GM distributes these cars directly along with Hummer and Corvette. The automaker is working on a new arrangement with Kroymans whereby GM Europe will sell Cadillac through its existing dealer network.

The setback for Cadillac comes as GM awaits to hear from the U.S. federal government whether they’ll continue to receive financial assistance to stay in business. Just this week GM announced that it was canceling an important diesel engine for its European market, a 2.9L powerplant for select Cadillac models.

Related reading: Can We Hope For The Cadillac BLS?

readmore...

Hummer Launches H2 Limited Dark Chrome Edition

Several months after its introduction in the States, GM has introduced the Hummer H2 Limited Black Chrome Edition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The new special edition H2 that will be available to 1,300 customers globally features an array of black chrome details including the 20-inch alloys, front grille, hood latches and handles, fuel filler door, door handles, mirror caps, "H2" badges, side air vents and spare tire cover.

The Limited Dark Chrome Edition H2 is available on both SUV and SUT models with buyers offered the choice of three exterior colors including the new-for-2009 Silver Ice Metallic and the existing Sedona Metallic and Carbon Black Metallic.

Inside the special edition model gets new seats and a leather trim along with additional comfort and convenience features. Power is provided from GM's 'small-block' 6.2-litre V8 engine producing 441 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 454 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm.

readmore...

Mass. governor pondering so-called "Hummer Tax"

The Governor of Massachusetts is backing a new state proposal to tax larger gas-guzzling vehicles each year when drivers register them. The so-called “Hummer Tax” would be the first in the nation, and it is designed to directly discourage ownership of SUVs and pickups. To further chill ownership of larger and more inefficient vehicles and steer buyers towards the small cars, the plan includes provisions to discount fees for owners with lighter and more miserly cars.

“It’s a penalty for driving an SUV, which currently is not the popular choice. Or you’re being penalized for a lifestyle choice, or maybe the fact that you have a large family and you need that size vehicle to put them in and it just doesn’t seem fair,” said Tim Lerchenfeldt, general manager of Cadillac Hummer Saab Village in Norwwood. He argues that now is not the time for additional fees, especially when the industry is struggling and sales across the board are down.

The transportation system in Massachusetts is suffering from more than a decade of neglect, according to Democratic Governor Deval Patrick, and the tax would be just one of the ways to raise the funds to foot the repair bill (the plan also includes a controversial 19 cent increase in the state’s gas tax). While the “Hummer Tax” benefits from a lightning rod of a nickname, the premise of hitting select consumers who already pay more at the pump with yet another fee doesn’t exactly sound universally welcomed.

Gallery: 2008 HUMMER H2

[Source: Foxnews]

readmore...

CostToDrive estimates Car Fuel Costs

Easy web 2.0 site Cost To Drive estimates to what extent much gas you’ll have to corrupt to make a given trip in your car. Enter your starting point and destination, then the year of your car, and model, and Cost to propel uses your car’s MPG, the mean proportion price of gas, and the degree of remoteness to estimate the fuel costs on account of the trip. Unlike previously mentioned carry on a Pricing, Cost To Drive does the MPG lookup the sake of your car for you. Cost To propel’s results include a Google draw of your trip, and the song it uses to calculate its compute, as well as “fun facts” similar how much it would cost according to a Hummer to drive from LA to NY ($678) against a Prius ($219).

Cost To prosecute lets you select from a tardy list of automobile makes and models dating remote to 1999. Just select your car from the edge, plug in the locations for the disturb and end of your trip, and the tissue site will spit out an appraise of how much gas money you’ll calcine through. The figure is obtained means of looking at the mpg for your car and the medium price of gas in various spots beside your route.

Calculate Cost To Drive

readmore...