What Are The Least Attractive Stock Wheels? [Question Of The Day]

Yesterday, you all teed-off on the greatest in quantity attractive stock wheels and introduced us to some fine wheels. But what in an opposite direction the opposite? What are the minutest attractive stock wheels?

The first generation Viper has a curvaceous and powerful visage that remains attractive in greater numbers than 15 years later. In many ways, the original Viper is after that the most attractive of the short-lived nameplate. Yet, as impressive and timeless as the car was, the wheels were dated the force they debuted. It’s rare a carriage be able to pull the three-spoke look off (we’re looking at you Saab) and the sharp angles of the wheels, rather than contrast by the round shape, merely draw your eyes away. Another car to carry a similar design is the mid-90s Pontiac Grand Am and, honestly, they look better without ceasing the Pontiac.

(QOTD is your chance to answer the day’s most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you’ve got a suggestion on the side of a good “Question Of The Day” send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)

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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.”

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Saab Turbo X is a limited edition special version of the 9-3 revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show. It is made to celebrate SAAB's 30 years of turbocharging. All Turbo X are offered in metallic jet black with matte grey trim. The Turbo X is SAAB's first production car with the XWD all-wheel drive system from Haldex Traction and eLSD. It is powered by a 2.8 litre V6 producing 280 PS (210 kW) mated to a six speed manual or automatic gearbox. It also has larger brakes as well as stiffer springs and shocks. The dash, shift lever and door panels have carbon fibre look and the turbo boost gauge draws its inspiration from the Saab 900
Saab Turbo X

Saab Turbo X

Saab Turbo X

Saab Turbo X

Saab Turbo X

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Cadillac SRX Pictures and Full Info

For the 2010 model year, Cadillac will introduce an all new SRX based on the Provoq concept vehicle. The production car will share the front-wheel drive GM Theta Premium platform with Saab which will get its own CUV, the 9-4X; the same platform will also produce the GMC Terrain and second-generation Chevrolet Equinox. The V8 is largely dropped on this model. Expected competitors include the Acura MDX, Lexus RX and Lincoln MKX.

The first official pictures of the production vehicle were released on August 15, 2008. The car was officially unveiled in January 2009. It comes with either a 3.0 liter V6 with direct injection derived from the 3.6 liter unit in the Cadillac CTS, or a 2.8 liter turbocharged V6.

The base 3.0 liter V6 produces 250 hp (190 kW) and 221 lb·ft (300 N·m) of torque while the 2.8 liter turbocharged V6 has 300 hp (220 kW) and 295 lb·ft (400 N·m) of torque. Both engines are paired with 6 speed automatics.
Cadillac SRX Pictures

Cadillac SRX Pictures

Cadillac SRX Pictures

Cadillac SRX Pictures

Cadillac SRX Pictures

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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.

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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

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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?

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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

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2010 Saab 9-5 Spotted Tuning, Testing On The ‘Ring [Spy Photos]

The 2010 Saab 9-5 hit the Nordschleife Nürburgring as antidote to some tuning, which expedient new photos to sate your need for Swede. The car looks much bigger, and what’s that we experience? A hatch?

The nearest generation 9-5 will be putting more space between it and the minute 9-3, with a considerably longer wheelbase, more powerful engines and (Saab saints be praised!) an honest-to-God hatchback. It seems a proper 9-5 will come to fruition despite Saab being on GM’s auction block. [WCF]

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2010 Jaguar XJ Spotted Taking The ‘Ring [Spy Photos]

The 2010 Saab 9-5 wasn’t the only car on the Nurburgring. Shooters spotted the highly-anticipated all-new 2010 Jaguar XJ taking a spin in military-grade camouflage. We can’t wait for the July 9th reveal.

Okay, let’session exist real frank for a moment, we love the Jaguar XJ line. Loved it since the original 1968 archetype with its goofy grille, loved the XJ Coupe, loved it during the dark times of square lights and reliability hell, and in fact loved it when Ford brought it into the modern age. The 2002 XJ-R is high on our list of must-have cars judgment death. So it’s with mixed emotions we await the all-new, traditional-shape-abandoning XJ. Is it exciting to have something which forges a unaccustomed path, sets new paradigms, takes pot shots at convention? You bet. But a little party of us last will and testament sorrow over the passing of the old-world Jaguar.

We’ll miss the beautifully proportioned shape which defined Jaguar for over four decades. The long, low, lithe silhouette is simultaneously elegant and yet influential, delicate yet commanding, masculine and feminine. Did it be delivered of a helluva lot of faults? You bet, nevertheless faults give character, and British cars have always worn their faults as badges of honor. The next XJ will be a unstained sheet, and it’s admittedly time to take a different direction, if it were not that on July 9th, when the car is formally unveiled at a especial event in London, a little gun of a great motoring after will die, but if we’re lucky, an exciting new future will replace it. [MotorAuthority]

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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

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Saab 9-5 spy

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2010 Cadillac SRX takes a swing at Lexus' RX

By: Sam Abuelsamid

Cadillac invited a handful of local media to its Milford, MI proving grounds for an early "preview" drive of the second-generation SRX crossover. The first official media launch won't happen until late May, just ahead of the mid-summer on-sale date, but GM wanted to provide a sneak peak at the chassis and hardware underpinning the new SRX. Contrary to popular opinion, the SRX and the Saab 9-4X aren't built atop the Theta platform used for the Saturn Vue and Chevy Equinox. Both vehicles uses a mix of Theta pieces, bits from the Epsilon II platform and a host of new components to create a new premium crossover architecture.

Unfortunately, Michigan weather just didn't want to cooperate with the SRX. After an early event was cancelled due to unseasonably warm weather in February, GM decided to let us loose on a 50-mile local road loop to show off the SRX's new chassis control and vehicle dynamic systems. Read on to find out how it fared.

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2010 Saab 9-3X Geneva Motorshow 2009

Saab's headed to court on Monday, where the ailing automaker hopes to get further permission to continue trying to find new ownership or investors. General Motors will be booting the brand from its corporate nest by 2010, and the Swedish courts will decide if the brand Born from Jets will die from apathy.

Saab wants to launch four new models (like the 9-3X seen above) by 2011 to bolster sales to an ambitious 150,000 – quite a bit more than its perpetually down numbers of late – and officials will let potential investors have a peek at the plans. There are reported to be nearly 20 interested parties looking into what Saab has to offer after the company filed for protection in February. Saab's looking to extend its protection, and believes it will be allowed to do so based on the strength of its plan. The court will allow Saab to extend its protection up to three times, until February of 2010, provided the business plan is deemed workable.

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Ecological no-claims bonus / loaded premium: the flexfuel returns in favour

Since January 1st, 2009, models flexfuel are not any more subjected to loaded premium. On the occasion of the Week of the sustainable development, return on this new breath for the course of study of biofuels, considerably penalised in 2008.

The device of the ecological no-claims bonus-loaded premium came into force on the January 1st, 2008. Cars working in E85 (mixture composed in 85 % of bio-ethanol of agricultural origin) were subjected in the same capacity as models petrol or diesel there. And yet if difference between CO2's programmes of a flexfuel vehicle and those of one without - lead remains negligible in equal power, the rejections of E85 are assumed have been compensated by the photosynthesis of the cultures which produced it, what loaded premium initially did not take into account.

Finance act 2009 amends the device by applying from now on a depression of 40 % to CO2's programmes of vehicles flexfuel, provided that these do not exceed 250 g / km. In practice, the huge majority of these models are therefore exempted from now on from loaded premium. So supported, the flexfuel becomes therefore particularly favourable and settles in appealing alternative in the diesel, the additional cost of which in the purchase will be amortised only in very long-term (100 000 km, or about 10 years on average) by a lesser consumption. Besides, tax favours which use E85 guarantee him a stable price (more or less 0,85/l) when that some diesel fuel threatens any time to leave again in.

The only flat, the network of distribution of E85 remains embryonic in France. On 13 000 stations service of the national territory, barely more than 300 are equipped at present. Cars flexfuel remain however capable of working in without - pure lead, and are then always competitive facing models petrol thanks to the absence of loaded premium. Always misread, E85 is not however so marginal any more on the market; he should logically use to a great extent this state nudge in the right direction in 2009. This last comes at called point for Saab, always in the vanguard on the sector of biofuels but dropped in February by the headquarters in death throes. Renault, Dacia, Ford and Volvo also developed a range of models E85 which deserve the detour for which thought a priori of the diesel. If the contribution of biofuels in the sustainable development remains subject to deposit, wallet and amenity find their count today widely in this new alternative.

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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

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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

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Turbo punjaci i kompresori - treci deo

Problemi koji se javljaju kod turbo punjaca

1.Previše pritiska

Kada se vazduh sabija u cilindre pod pritiskom koji pravi turbo punjac koje zatim klip dodatno sabija postoji povecana opasnost od samozapaljivanja smeše. Samozapaljivanje smeše se pojavljuje kada se smeša vazduha i goriva kompresuje preko kriticne tacke cime dolazi do detonacije u cilindru iako svecica nije zapalila smešu što može oštetiti motor. Automobili sa turbo punjacima obicno koriste visoko oktanska goriva (koja imaju vecu otpornost ka samozapaljivanju) da bi izbegli ovaj problem. Problem se takodje može rešiti smanjenjem kompresije motora što naravno dovodi i do smanjenja snage motora.

2. Turbo Lag

Jedan od najlakše uocivih problema turbo punjaca je da oni rade istog tretnutka kada pritisnete pedalu gasa, vec je potrebno da motor obezbedi odgovarajucu kolicinu gasova, a onda je potrebno još nekoliko trenutaka da se turbina zavrti da bi pocela sa radom što ima za rezultat da automobil naglo dobije snagu tek nekoliko trenutaka po pritiskanju pedale gasa. Jedan od nacina za smanjenje ovog efekta (lag = zadrška prim.prev.) je da se smanji intertnost pokretnih delova, tj. umanjenje njihove težine. Ovo omogucava turbini i kompresoru vazduha da se brzo zavrte i pocnu ranije sa povecanjem snage motora.

3. Mali ili veliki turbo punjac?

Siguran nacin za smanjenje inertnosti turbine i kompresora vazduha je da se turbo punjac nacini što manjim. Mali turbo punjac ce daleko brže obezbediti pritisak i na manjem broju obrtaja motora, ali nece biti sposoban da obezbedi dovoljno pritiska kada se motor zavrti i kada su mu potrebne velike kolicine vazduha da bi zadržao potreban pritisak. Dodatna opasnost je da se mala turbina na visokom broju obrtaja motora može vrteti prebrzo što može dovesti do njenog oštecenja.

Veliki turbo punjac može da obezbedi veliki pritisak na visokom broju obrtaja motora, ali je on težak i inertan te mu je potrebno više vremena da ubrza svoju tešku turbinu i kompresor vazduha.

… i njihova rešenja

Ventil za ispuštanje viška vazduha (vejst gejt – eng. wastegate)

Vecina automobilskih turbo punjaca imaju ventil za ispuštanje viška vazduha koji omogucava manjim turbo punjacima da se ne vrte previše brzo na visokom broju obrtaja, a istovremeno time što su mali umanjuju lag. Ventil za ispuštanje viška vazduha omogucava izduvnim gasovima da ne prelaze preko lopatica turbine. Ventil „oseca“ promenu pritiska i ako pritisak predje odredjenu granicu to je indikator da se turbina okrece prebrzo i tada ventil ispušta deo izduvnih gasova tako da ne prelaze preko turbine i time omogucava turbini da uspori.

Wastegate ventili - desno se nalazi fabrcki, levo je visoko performansni

Lageri

Neki turbo punjaci koriste bolje lagere umesto umesto lagera u tecnosti kao oslanjanje osovine turbine. To, naravno, nisu obicni lageri – to super precizno napravljeni lageri, a materijali od kojih se prave su posebne legure koje mogu da izdrže velike brzine i temperature koje proizvodi turbina. Oni omogucavaju da se osovine turbine zavrte sa manje otpora nego uz pomoc korišcenja tecnosti umesto lagera koji se koriste u vecini turbo punjaca. Oni takodje omogucavaju korišcenje manjih i lakših osovina što opet pomaže turbo punjacu da se brže pokrene i time dodatno smanji turbo lag.

Lageri

Keramicke lopatice na turbinama

Keramicke lopatice na turbinama su lakše nego one od celika koje se najcešce koriste na turbo punjacima. Naravno ovo opet omogucava brži start turbine što opet umanjuje lag. Lopatice od keramike se recimo koriste kod IHI turbine na Mitcubishi Lanceru EVO.

Interkuleri

Kada je vazduh kompresovan (po zakonima termodinamike) on se greje, a kada se vazduh greje on se širi. Tako jedan deo od povecanja pritiska turbo pujnaca je rezultat zagrevanja vazduha pre nego on udje u motor. Da bi se povecala snaga motora, cilj je povecati broj molekula vazduha u motor, a ne neophodno povecati pritisak vazduha. Interkuler je dodatna komponenta sistema koja lici na hladnjak, samo što vazduh prolazi kako kroz interkuler tako i oko njega. Vazduh koji treba da udje u motor prolazi kroz interkuler i time se hladi, dok se spoljašnji vazduh pomocu ventilatora duva preko interkulera. Interkuler povecava snagu automobila tako što hladi vazduh pod pritiskom koji izlazi iz turbine pre nego što udje u motor. To znaci da turbo punjac koji radi na 0,5 bar pritiska uz pomoc interkulera ubacuje hladan vazduh na 0,5 koji sadrži daleko više molekula vazduha obzirom da hladniji vazduh je gušci nego topliji.

Interkuler

Dvostruki (Twin) Turbo – Paralelni ili sekvencijalni?

Korišcenje duplih turbo punjaca je pitanje željene efikasnosti i mogucnosti da se oni negde fizicki i postave. Za vece motore, recimo preko 2,5l, je bolje koristiti 2 manja turbo punjaca umesto jednog velikog – kao što je to Porše radio na ranim modelima 911 Turbo. Kada su u pitanju V ili bokser konstrukcija motora takodje je poželjno koristiti dupli turbo zato što jedan turbo opslužuje jednu stranu motora i time se skracuje dužina creva turbo punjaca što umanjuje lag. Neki motori koji imaju dupli turbo imaju takav sistem koji izduvne gasove sa jedne turbine vode ka drugoj turbini i to je takozvani koncept “povratne sprege” koja obezbedjuje balansirani dovod snage u obe strane motora. Motori koji imaju paralelni dupli turbo su motori koji imaju po jednu turbinu za svaku stranu motora. S druge strane sekvencijalni dupli turbo je dizajniran da ubrza odgovor turbine i dodatno umanji lag. Takav sistem radi kako mu ime kaže sekvencijalno tj. na malom broju obrtaja radi mala turbina, a veca nije aktivna i time se postiže brz odgovor na srednjem broju obrtaja. Kada se kolicina izduvnih gasova dovoljno poveca ukljucuje se i druga turbina koja na dodatno povecava pritisak. Ono što je mana kod sekvencijalnih duplih turboa je velika kolicina creva koja je potrebna da bi sistem radio (izduvni gasovi moraju da dopru do obe turbine posebno kao i izlazi iz obe turbine moraju doci do usisnih grana motora) i samim tim je u poslednje vreme napuštena tehnika od strane proizvodjaca. Auotomobili koji koriste ovakav sistem turbina su Porše 959, Mazda RX7 trece generacije, Tojota Supra i Subaru Legasi.

Sekvencijalni twin turbo - motor Mazde RX7

Paralelni twin turbo - motor Toyote Supre

Turbo niskog pritiska (Light Pressure Turbo - LPT)

Poslednjih nekoliko godina je ovo veoma popularan nacin korišcenja turbina. Saab kao pionir u ovoj oblasti je prvi put iskoristio LPT u masovnoj proizvodnji 1992. godine kada je prikazao, tada, novi model Saab 9000 2,3l Turbo Ecopower. Taj motor je imao samo 170KS, tj. 20KS više u odnosu na identiacan motor bez turbo punjaca, a 30KS manje od standardnog 2,3l Turbo motora. Dok su ostali proizvodjaci želeli što vecu cifru snage ili obrtnog momenta, Saab je pametno zakljucio da iako je takav motor slabiji od konkurentskih, uz pomoc malog turba motor ima solidan obrtni momenat što omogucava dobro ubrzanje, ali je daleko lakši za vožnju obzirom da je turbo lag prakticno nepostojeci, a odogovor na komandu gasa kao i kod atmosferskih motora. Saab je zbog bolje krive obrtnog momenta produžio odnos menjaca pa je time dodatno uspeo i da umanji potrošnju i svede je na manje od atmosferskog motora iste velicine.

U prošlosti, loše vozne osobine i visoka potrošnja goriva su sprecavale da se turbo punjaci koriste u automobilima koji su namenjeni širokom krugu ljudi. Proteklih godina taj trend je potpuno drugaciji zbog potražnje za vecim prostorom i komforom što je dovelo do povecanja težine automobila pa da bi se perfromanse zadržale na prethodnom nivou potrebno je više snage, a za to se ili ugradjuje veci motor ili se dodaje turbo punjac. Kada u igru udje i cena tj. želja za što manjim troškovima svakog proizvodjaca turbo ima nesumnjivu prednost i to je svakako tendencija koja ce u narednim godinama biti sve više izražena. Masovno korišcenje turbina na dizel motorima u proteklih 15 godina je donelo veliki broj inovacija ut istovremeno smanjenje cene turbina, pa se proizvodjaci u poslednje vreme sve cešce okrecu turbo motorima. Na primer novi Opel ima 2.0 Turbo motor, a u najavi je i 1,6l Turbo. Alfa Romeo u najavi ima nekoliko motora koji koriste Turbo i Twin Turbo. VW koncern je pored 1,8 Turbo motora u gamu uvrstio i 2,0 Turbo, itd.

Takodje, dužni smo i da nabrojimo nekoliko vecih proizvodjaca turbo punjaca: Garett, KKK i IHI.

Izvor: Nacionalna Klasa

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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]

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