Welcome to the CAR NEWS Page from Stingraysstudios.com, Your #1 Source for No BS News on All the TRUE FACTS from the Auto World ...TRUST THESE FACTS :

FORD POSTS $1 BILLION PROFIT FOR 2009 OPERATIONS, Ford Fusion wins Car of the Year !!
(story below)

TOYOTA LOSSES AT $9 BILLION FOR 2009 - STORY ON ALL THIS IS BELOW :

ELECTRIC CARS ARE COMING !!
THE CHEVY VOLT SET TO DEBUT;
& TRABANT CONCEPT EV CAR :

ALL NEW SPORTS CARS FROM ACROSS THE POND ARE HERE :
 

THE PENSKE / GM SATURN DEAL WAS DONE IN BY RENAULT !!!....

^ The real losers here are the Dealers, So what will become of them without GM or Saturn ?
(Go  read the full story below )

FORD POSTS $1 BILLION PROFIT FOR 2009 OPERATIONS, TOYOTA LOSSES AT $9 BILLION FOR 2009 - STORY ON ALL THIS IS BELOW :


^ GM eats Toyota sales all up !!!
( Go read the full story below )

CHRYSLER / FIAT presents their "GOOD MIX" Of products !!...

Can DODGE & CHRYSLER pull out a "hat trick" from the Fiat deal ? LOOK AT THIS LIST, You Decide ;

STINGRAYSSTUDIOS.COM IS A VERIFIED SOURCE OF CAR NEWS FROM WITHIN THE INDUSTRY & WE HAVE SOME REAL SERIOUS "BOMBSHELLS" IN THE SECTION BELOW...GO READ THEM NOW !!.

Auto Sales Report : Get the Real Facts, A month by month sales total :

February 2010 Sales

• Ford Motor Company - 142,285
• General Motors - 141,951
• Toyota Motor Sales of America - 100,027
• Chrysler Group LLC - 84,449
• American Honda - 80,671
• Nissan Motor - 70,189
• Hyundai Motor America - 34,004
• Subaru of America - 33,710
• Kia North America - 24,052
• [Volkswagen of America - 18,116
• Mazda North America - 17,054
• Daimler AG - 15,385
• Audi - 6,216
• Mitsubishi Motors - 4,019

FORD & GM OUTSELL TOYOTA PROVING THAT USA CARS CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY IN AUTO SALES, AND GAINING MORE MARKET SHARE IN THE PROCESS...LEAVING ALL OTHERS BEHIND IN THE DUST !

WITH GM'S NEW 60 DAY RETURN GUARANTEE THEY HAVE JUST ROLLED OVER ALL THE COMPETITION.

FORD KEEPS GAINING MORE & MORE SALES, WITH AWARDS AND MORE NEW FRESH DESIGNS.

FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS EVEN WHILE GM WAS IN THE REORGANIZATION, GM HAS LEAD THE SALES CHARTS CONTINUOUSLY !!



STAY TUNED IN HERE FOR MONTHLY TOTALS EVERY 30 DAYS...THE REAL NUMBERS !

THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHAT THE FACTS REALLY WERE ?

WELL, .... NOW YOU DO !!!

READ DETROIT'S NEXT 100 DAYS ARTICLE BELOW FOR MORE ON WHAT'S UP NOW !


^ THE 2010 CHEVY VOLT...
ALREADY HAS SOLD 50,000
TO BUYERS WAITING FOR A NEW ELECTRIC CAR !!!

FORD TO DEBUT A NEW HIGH PERFORMANCE FOCUS FOR WORLDWIDE MARKETS NOW.
READ THE STORY BELOW.....

TRUST STINGRAYSSTUDIOS TO DELIVER THE NO BS FACT ON ALL OF THE INDUSTRY "GOSSIP".
...REGARDLESS OF WHO GETS OFFENDED, WE WILL SAY IT LIKE IT IS, COUNT ON THAT.
WE JUST DGAF...TRUE UP !!!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT FROM ALL THE AUTOMAKERS NEXT ?...WELL CLICK BELOW FOR THE NEW CONCEPT CARS PAGE & GET AN EYEBALL FULL OF THE NEW CARS !


^ CHEVY Z-24 SPORT COUPE CONCEPT BY STINGRAYSSTUDIOS !

DETROIT -- General Motors Co. will spend $202 million to renovate its Flint Engine South factory to build 1.4-liter four-cylinder engines for the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt--and for a small car that likely will be even more crucial to Chevy's future success, the Cruze.

The automaker also will spend about $28 million on three other plants in the Flint, Mich., area to help build the 2011 Cruze compact and the Volt.

GM is scheduled to launch the Cruze next spring. Production of the Volt, a plug-in hybrid sedan, is scheduled to start in November 2010.

The Flint engine plant will produce 40 engines per day when production starts late next year. Output will rise to 800 engines a day by fall 2011, GM officials said.

The engine for the Cruze will be turbocharged. The Volt's engine, which will power a generator to create electricity for the motor that propels the car, will not be turbocharged.

The initial batch of engines for the Chevy Volt will be imported from a GM plant in Aspern, Austria, until the revamped Flint plant begins production.

The other GM plants that will be updated and retooled are the Flint Metal Center, Flint Tool and Die and Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center.

GM says the key functions at the plants will include development of automated equipment and tooling for the Cruze and Volt assembly plants. The Cruze will be assembled at Lordstown, Ohio, and the Volt at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

The operations will develop dies and stamp body panels and components for Lordstown and Detroit-Hamtramck.

GM is spending about $30 million on the Grand Blanc plant to build robotic weld tool cells that will assemble the Volt body at Detroit-Hamtramck.

Marketer of the Year: Hyundai

The Carmaker Won Handily in Our Reader Poll, Besting Walmart, McDonald's, Lego and Amazon

By Jean Halliday
Published: November 09, 2009

DETROIT (AdAge.com) -- Consider the state of affairs when viewers tuned into the Super Bowl in February: Banks had failed, a stimulus package still hadn't been announced, and unemployment was surging toward 8%, up from 4.8% the year before. Escapism was the order of the day, and most advertisers played right along, with brands like Coke and Pepsi offering saccharine happy-happy joy-joy visions that jarred with the bleak reality.

There was one advertiser, however, that didn't. In the third quarter, in an otherwise standard-issue cars-rolling-through-landscape spot, a voice-over brought into the light of day something that ranks up there with death and erectile dysfunction as something people don't want to talk about. "Now finance or lease any new Hyundai, and if you lose your income in the next year, you can return it with no impact on your credit."

40% of readers selected the carmarker as the top marketer in 2009 in a vote on AdAge.com.

With that bold stroke, Hyundai -- yes, Hyundai -- an automaker not historically known for fearless marketing, began in earnest a frontal assault on a recession that was not dampening consumer enthusiasm but drowning it. But while its Assurance Program received heavy support, it wasn't the sole route of advance. Hyundai also took an upmarket route, with its very successful efforts to push the Genesis, its entry into the premium-car market that was also pushed during the Super Bowl as well as during the game's female-skewing equivalent, the Academy Awards, where the carmaker bought an eye-popping nine spots.

Engaging with both the broken dreams and the intact ones through high-profile ad buys that garnered plenty of positive press was in sharp contrast to the tail-between-the-legs mode of Hyundai's rivals, many of whom had slashed budgets and retreated into retail-focused advertising. An example of the opportunism: Those nine Oscar spots -- purchased when GM, then on the verge of bankruptcy, bailed out of the show. For Hyundai, the overall results were clear: Sales and market share were up, and its brand image overhauled.

Hyundai's market share jumped to 4.3% in the first ten months of 2009 from 3.1% in the same year-ago period. In September, while the industry overall suffered a 22% sales drop in a post-Cash for Clunkers hangover, Hyundai managed to increase its new-vehicle tally by 27% to 31,511 units.

Scott Fink, chairman of Hyundai's national dealer council, said he has more showroom traffic today than two years ago. And while his New Port Ritchie, Fla., dealership used to get mostly Detroit model trade-ins, he's now seeing mostly Japanese nameplates. Mr. Fink said he's getting "a lot of Acuras" traded in, along with BMWs and Mercedes Benz cars, for the new Genesis. "We're really eroding other brands."

Before the recession, "these same people [that] never would have been caught dead in a Hyundai" might have worried about what their neighbors would think, said Mr. Fink. "Now people are very comfortable because the brand has been elevated. We used to be a price player, but now we're a mainstream player."

Searching for stability
A lot has been done to change a very ingrained image of Hyundai in a very short time. Hyundai entered the U.S. market in 1986 with small, affordable, entry-level models that were often the butt of jokes by late-night TV hosts. After early success with these cars, Hyundai hit a speed bump with quality. The automaker started building momentum in late 1998 after introducing the industry's first 100,000-mile warranty, repricing its lineup closer to transaction prices and slashing build combinations. In the middle part of this decade, Hyundai management ranks had a revolving door, and there was a great deal of instability at the company. Ex-Chief Operating Officer Steve Wilhite disbanded all regional dealer ad groups shortly after he signed on in 2006. That angered many dealers and slowed momentum, as the move eliminated some $300 million in regional ad spending for uniform messages, though most groups have re-formed now.

In early 2007, things began to stabilize when Joel Ewanick, Hyundai's VP-marketing, arrived from Richards Group, then Hyundai's creative and media agency, where he had been director-brand planning. In Chris Perry, the director-marketing communications who had been at Hyundai since 2000, Mr. Ewanick found an ally who thought along the same lines he did.

Mr. Ewanick said the two men "share the same mindset" when it comes to marketing, so they don't need to be at all the same meetings. That's why Mr. Perry has autonomy in many cases to make decisions for fast-track online ad deals, and "he doesn't have to wait for me," Mr. Ewanick said.

One major move came quickly. In April of that year, Mr. Ewanick ditched his old shop and hired Omnicom Group's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to handle advertising duties after a two-month review.

One of the team's most important challenges was helping Hyundai to get into the driveways of more affluent drivers, something auto pundits were skeptical of. The then-new Genesis sedan started in the $30,000 range and was the automaker's most ambitious and priciest product ever. (It was the two-door coupe version that Hyundai launched during the Super Bowl this year.)

Nevertheless, Hyundai Motor America was in a funk at the end of 2008. With the U.S. auto industry in a tailspin due to the economy, the credit crunch and plummeting consumer confidence, the marketer's fourth-quarter sales dropped by 41% -- more than the total industry's 34.7%. And the company's 2008 vehicle sales slid 14% from the prior year's tally of 467,009 units -- the highest since the American arm of the South Korean carmaker started selling here in 1986. The Genesis launch, too, wasn't exactly a huge hit, as early sales targets were missed and dealers became disenchanted with Goodby's "Think About It" campaign. By fall, there were reports that the Hyundai-Goodby relationship was about to fall apart.

The genesis of Assurance
This year, however, was a different story. The automaker announced in the first week of January it was launching the Hyundai Assurance program to let buyers or lessees return their new vehicles for up to a year if they lost their jobs. The program was launched with Goodby's high-profile commercial in the Super Bowl and another in-game spot dubbed "Bosses" that touted the Genesis win as North American car of the year at the Detroit Auto Show. Hyundai scooped up sponsorship of the pre-game show, and a trio of 30-second commercials there.

"This is a recession of fear," Mr. Ewanick told Advertising Age back in February. "We realized that the elephant in the room was the fear of losing your job. I feel the same way. We all do. The idea of giving people the option to give the car back if they were struggling . . . seemed a great way to make customers comfortable and increase our market share in an economy like this."

In a recent interview, Mr. Ewanick said the Assurance program came together in 37 days from concept to ads on the air. A relatively lean, flat organization has been one of the automaker's core strengths, he said. "One of the things that have served us well is our ability to adapt quickly to the changing economy and competitive marketplace."

Hyundai's U.S. sales over the years

Nielsen's online post-game survey found 43% of participants said Hyundai's Super Bowl ads improved their opinion of the brand. Rebecca Lindland, research director of consultant IHS Global Insight's automotive group, said the Assurance plan "made people feel Hyundai cared about their situation -- that they were sympathetic, and there's a lot of human emotion sort of selling there." She said Hyundai is "certainly outpacing the market this year, gaining significant share."

Americans were apparently so wowed by the ads and press exposure of the Assurance program that consideration for new Hyundai vehicles jumped to 59% in the first two months of the year, CNW Marketing Research found.

Filling a void
Hyundai followed up its Super Bowl gambit with an ad blitz in ABC's Academy Awards broadcast, its first national play with the Oscars. The automaker's new media agency, Initiative, Irvine, Calif., had alerted Hyundai to the void left by financially ailing GM as exclusive auto sponsor of the program, a vacuum Hyundai will be filling for three years after inking a deal less than two months before the broadcast. Hyundai also signed a deal with Fox to place its vehicles in "24" and advertise during the show after Ford pulled out.

In April, the marketer dropped Goodby and moved its national creative account, including digital, without a review, to Innocean Worldwide Americas, a subsidiary of Korean parent's Hyundai Motor Group. Innocean also provides media oversight, promotion and events planning for both Hyundai and affiliate Kia Motors America. Jim Sanfilippo, exec VP and CEO of Innocean's Irvine, Calif., office, said Goodby was "a tough act to follow." After reviewing all the metrics, which Innocean had as media coordinator, Innocean opted to stick with the "Think About It" theme.

"We love the brand voice that Joel [Ewanick] has achieved, and that's rare in automotive these days," said Mr. Sanfilippo. Hyundai is "no longer an alternative, we're a rival."

At the end of the half-year mark, Hyundai posted an all-time high U.S. market share of 4.2% compared to 3.1% at the end of June 2008. Not only that, even though Hyundai's monthly June sales slid by 24% from the prior June, it outsold Chrysler Group's volume Dodge brand for the first time, boosting the brand to the sixth biggest by sales in the U.S. in the industry's worst climate in decades. June 2009 marked Hyundai's best monthly sales tally ever, even with decreased sales. June brought another accolade to the brand. Hyundai ranked fourth behind Lexus, Porsche and Cadillac, respectively, in consultant J.D. Power and Associates' annual Initial Quality Survey. In 2008, Hyundai ranked thirteenth in that survey, in which consumers rate their new vehicles at 90 days of ownership.

The Fountain Valley, Calif., automaker kept the pressure on competitors in July. Rather than advertise vehicle incentives that can damage brand image, Hyundai introduced Assurance Gas Lock, which guaranteed summer-month buyers $1.49-per-gallon for a year. The feisty marketer then jumped the gun in early July, weeks ahead of the Cash for Clunkers' program, with an ad campaign saying it was already offering the tax credits ahead of Uncle Sam's July 24 start date.

Good marks
"We saw the [clunkers] program coming, and we understood the [government's] rules, so we mobilized the program and had ads running July Fourth weekend," said Mr. Ewanick. Hyundai's messages of the early clunker rebates, along with Assurance and the Gas Lock programs, gave the marketer "a better and richer story to tell," he said.

In early October, the marketer started advertising the new HyundaiMomentum.com microsite, a place for people to see what third parties are writing about the brand's cars and trucks. Ads from Innocean will run online and during NFL TV broadcasts through November.

"We have been receiving a lot of accolades, awards and positive reinforcement from the press and consumers, and shoppers are noticing this," said Mr. Perry. "We needed to find a way to harness this momentum and offer it up in a way that is easy for the consumer to access and understand."

"Hyundai is really ahead of the game," said CNW Marketing Research President Art Spinella, and the brand has managed to capture a lot of shoppers who had Toyota on their lists. He said Hyundai is building its brand and consideration the same way Toyota did decades ago -- "with a good car at a good price and a lot of exposure with a lot of ads."

The marketer said 60% of Americans today are now aware of Hyundai and willing to buy the brand, compared to just 40% two years ago. Mr. Ewanick credited better products backed by the "Think about it" campaign. "It's a proof campaign, and we are giving people evidence about our cars and our quality and our styling, and we keep shoveling on the facts and information."

Different buyers
Mr. Ewanick admitted his budgets have been flat and will stay that way in 2010, give or take a few percentage points. This year he shifted dollars from print to online, buying more on newspaper and magazine sites. The automaker spent nearly $115 million in U.S. measured media in the first half of 2009 vs. $107 million in the same six-month period of 2008, according to TNS Media Intelligence. Both figures are without internet spending. The marketer spent $348 million last year, including internet, TNS reported.

"Hyundai has been very successful with their new-product launches," especially the Genesis line, said Alexander Edwards, president of consultant Strategic Vision's auto group. The sedan and coupe models attract buyers with median annual household incomes of $120,000 vs. $75,000 across the rest of Hyundai, Strategic Vision data show. "Clearly the Genesis has brought in a new kind of buyer to Hyundai," Mr. Edwards said.

As for what rivals make of Hyundai's innovation streak, he said the "Bosses" Super Bowl spot showing German and Japanese-speaking car execs screaming at underlings because of Genesis' car-of-the-year win, isn't so farfetched. Competitors he wouldn't name, including mass and premium makers, are asking Mr. Edwards, "What do we have to worry about with Hyundai?"

"Everybody wants to find out what Hyundai will do next," he said.

    BUICK BRINGS BACK THE "REGAL" NAME AS A 2010 MODEL ;

^ FOR MORE NEWS ON THIS NEW GM CAR & OTHERS CLICK ABOVE

   FILE THIS UNDER "DUMB ASS STUNTS"....:

Texan accused of disabling 100 cars over Internet

Austin police arrested Omar Ramos-Lopez, 20, on Wednesday, charging him with felony breach of computer security.

Ramos-Lopez used a former colleague's password to deactivate starters and set off car horns, police said. Several car owners said they had to call tow trucks and were left stranded at work or home.

"He caused these customers, now victims, to miss work," Austin police spokeswoman Veneza Aguinaga said. "They didn't get paid. They had to get tow trucks. They didn't know what was going on with their vehicles."

Ramos-Lopez was in the Travis County Jail on Wednesday with bond set at $3,000. The Associated Press could not find a working phone number for his family.

The Texas Auto Center dealership in Austin installs GPS devices that can prevent cars from starting. The system is used to repossess cars when buyers are overdue on payments, said Jeremy Norton, a controller at the dealership where Ramos-Lopez worked. Car horns can be activated when repo agents go to collect vehicles and believe the owners are hiding them.

"We are taking extra measures to make sure this never happens again," Norton said.

Starting in mid-February, dealership employees noticed unusual changes to their business records. Someone was going into the system and changing customers' names, such as having dead rapper Tupac Shakur buying a 2009 vehicle, Norton said.

Soon, customers began calling saying their cars wouldn't start, or that their horns were going off incessantly, forcing them to disengage the battery. Norton said the dealership originally thought the cars had mechanical problems.

Then employees noticed someone had ordered $130,000 in parts and equipment from the company that makes the GPS devices.

Police said they were able to trace the sabotage to Ramos-Lopez's computer, leading to his arrest.

Norton said Ramos-Lopez didn't seem unusually upset about being fired.

"I think he thought what he was doing was a harmless prank," Norton said. "He didn't see the ramifications of it."

   BREAKING NEWS ....GM DECIDES TO KEEP OPEL :



                          



General Motors’ board of directors said today that it will keep Opel and restructure it, putting an end to plans to sell the brand to Magna International. GM said that it expects the restructuring of Opel to cost 3 million euros ($4.42 billion USD), which it says lowers the costs associated with outside bids for the brand.

“Given an improving business environment for GM over the past few months, and the importance of Opel/Vauxhall to GM’s global strategy, the GM Board of Directors has decided to retain Opel and will initiate a restructuring of its European operations in earnest,” GM said in a statement.

“We understand the complexity and length of this issue has been draining for all involved,” CEO Fritz Henderson said. “However, from the outset, our goal has been to secure the best long-term solution for our customers, employee, suppliers, and dealers, which is reflected in the decision reached today. This was deemed to be the most stable and least costly approach for securing Opel/Vauxhall’s long-term future.”


FROM PREVIOUS STATEMENTS :

"Given the significance of the Opel transaction, GM's board will soon meet in its regularly monthly meeting to consider Minister zu Guttenberg's letter and changes to the Magna/Sberbank proposal that have occurred since its last review on September 9," Smith said in the blog.

He was referring to German Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg's request to GM -- prompted by European Union concerns about promises of German state aid -- to confirm that the carmaker chose Magna for business and not political reasons.

In the meantime, the company would work to resolve remaining open points with the Magna/Sberbank proposal, including labor cost reductions and a plan to obtain 4.5 billion euros ($6.8 billion) in aid sought from states with Opel plants, Smith said.

Reduced number of job cuts

Opel's workers -- who face about 10,000 job cuts under the new owners from 50,000 now -- are supposed to get a 10 percent stake in the new company in return for labor cost concessions, while GM will keep a 35 percent stake.

GM decided last month to sell a majority stake to Magna and its Russian partner Sberbank.

Opel's buyers originally intended to eliminate about 10,500 jobs in Europe, including about 4,000 in Germany, but talks with labor have resulted in promises to cut fewer jobs.

Workers in Spain are due to vote on a preliminary deal that would keep a plant there open at the cost of 900 jobs -- instead of up to 1,650.

U.K.-based union Unite has already reached an agreement with Magna that would preserve two Vauxhall production plants and rescue 600 of the jobs that were slated to go. Vauxhall employs about 5,500 people.

Magna and the Russian bank have vowed to inject 500 million euros into Opel, aiming to use it to make an aggressive push into the Russian market.

The European Commission is keeping a close eye on the transaction to ensure state aid is not misused for political purposes.

It has pressured Berlin into making assurances that the state aid it envisages was available to any buyer, not just its preferred buyer, Magna. The supplier has proposed keeping all four Opel plants in Germany open.

UPDATE COMMENTARY :



AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE
NOVEMBER 4, 2009 13:39 CET

Turn back the clock to a year ago and this is what Automotive News Europe was reporting on Opel's future:

• General Motors Europe is reaching out beyond Germany in search of government help to avoid a liquidity crisis at its European subsidiary Opel.

• Informal approaches are being made to governments in Poland, Belgium, Spain and the UK.

GM's decision yesterday to turn down an offer from Magna International Inc. and keep Opel means the U.S. automaker must secure 3 billion euros in European funding to turn around its European operations. But some key things have changed in the last 12 months for GM, Opel and its UK-based sister brand Vauxhall.

1) Back then, GM North America was looking for U.S. aid to avoid bankruptcy. Despite having to file for Chapter 11 this summer, a new GM quickly emerged with a much better balance sheet and a pile of government cash (none of which can be used for its business outside the United States).

2) New-car sales in western Europe were expected to drop to roughly 11.5 million units in 2009 compared with about 13.6 million in 2008. The forecast sales total for 2010 was then 10.9 million. Now it looks like western Europe's 2009 sales will drop fractionally to 13.2 million units and will reach 12 million next year.

3) Last November, Opel had just launched the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia and the Opel/Vauxhall Astra was more than a year away. Since then the Insignia has been named 2009 European Car of the Year and unit sales are expected to top 150,000, which is 30,000 more than planned. The new Astra is about to arrive in showrooms and has the potential to give Opel another winner.

The bottom line is that GM is alive and kicking; the European market did not collapse; and Opel's product lineup is even stronger than anyone could have predicted.

Time for diplomacy

The problem is that none of this will help GM repair its badly damaged relationships with the German government and the country's powerful IG Metall union.

Germany and the union wanted Magna to control Opel. It was key to getting Germany to provide billions in loan guarantees. Now if GM wants German aid its negotiators will have to share a table with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Opel union boss Klaus Franz, both of whom had their credibility crushed by GM's abrupt change of course.

Perhaps the threat of German plant closures and massive job cuts will push the sides back together. Regardless, GM will need a lot of diplomacy to regain the confidence of Germany and the unions because without their help Opel will find it tough to survive.

       FORD POSTS A $1 BILLION DOLLAR PROFIT !!..:

Surprising news comes courtesy of Ford this morning in the form of an unexpectedly good third quarter report. The Blue Oval posted $997 million in positive net income over the third quarter, which represents its first operating profit in over a year. Even better news is that Ford's success was driven in part by actual product sales, with market share increasing in North America, South America and Europe.

Ford finished the third quarter with $23.8 billion in Automotive gross cash, which is $2.8 billion better than how it finished the previous quarter. Ford Credit, the financial arm of the automaker's operations, also posted relatively good numbers in the third quarter of 2009 with an after-tax profit of $427 million. Though Ford is selling fewer vehicles overall from the heyday of the early 2000s, its off-lease models aren't depreciating as rapidly as before and are selling for higher transaction prices at auction.

While making nearly a billion dollars in the third quarter of 2009 is welcome news, the automaker still has a tough road ahead in the coming years. In recognition of this fact, Ford isn't predicting solid profitability and consistently positive operating cash flow until 2011.

Ford Announces a New "Global" High-Performance Focus

Ford announced today in Geneva that it will build a "global high-performance" version of the new Focus.

This won't come as any surprise to Europeans who have been treated to a steady stream of hot Focus ST and hotter RS models over the life of the model. To Americans, who have watched a once-promising little hatchback turn into a cheaped-down Chevy Cavalier competitor, the announcement of a new hot-hatch Focus is something to celebrate.

Ford isn't confirming that the new high-performance model will come to the United States. But it will. Don't expect that the new high-performance model will be a clone of the glowing-green, 301-horsepower killer that is the current European Focus RS. In fact, we expect that Ford will put the SVT badge on the vehicle when it arrives here. And don't start holding your breathe just yet. The regular Focus 5-door hatch and 4-door sedan won't even go on sale here before the end of the year. So you've got some time to wait before this thing hits.

Oh, and that photo above? We simply tweaked a picture of the 5-door Focus so we'd have something pretty for the top of this story. Ford has not released any photographs or sketches of the new high-performance model.

When it does, likely wearing the 5-door bodywork, it will be powered by a turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder motor, known to Ford as EcoBoost. That leaves two options: Either Ford could use a hot version of the 1.6-liter EcoBoost that will be part of the European-market regular Focus line-up or Ford might use the 2.0-liter EcoBoost that will also be offered in the Ford Edge. With the 263-horsepower Mazdaspeed3 out there tearing up the pavement, it's hard to imagine Ford would come with less than 250 hp. 

And if that kind of power is to be routed solely through the front wheels, then we hope Ford uses a version of the "RevoKnuckle" front suspension it pioneered on the current Focus RS, which significantly reduces torque steer.

           McLAREN MP4 - 12 C




The MP4-12C was designed over a five year period almost exclusively on McLaren's world class computers, which are also used for the manufacturer's Formula 1 cars. This enabled the engineers to completely develop and even test each element of the car before a single part was constructed. The key word in the MP4-12C's design is packaging. The designers achieved a fine balance between performance, functionality and driver comfort through superb packaging. The radiators are for example mounted longitudinally alongside the engine to free up space in the nose for luggage and yet also keep the car narrow enough to remain practical. The tight packaging also required every component of the MP4-12C to be bespoke; from the engine and gearbox to the knobs in the interior.

In 1981 McLaren pioneered carbon fibre composite tubs in Formula 1 and with the F1 supercar brought the aerospace derived material to the road. For the MP4-12C a new, cost-effective construction method was devised that allows McLaren to construct the entire tub in a single piece instead of having to bond different parts together. Known internally as the 'MonoCell', the hollow monocoque chassis is extremely rigid yet only weighs 80 kg. In early crash-testing the same tub was used for a front and side impacts. The MonoCell survived both crashes completely unscathed and could be used again without a problem. A chassis can be produced in just 4 hours, which is a fraction of the time needed to build a conventional multi-piece carbon fibre tub. This cut in production time and costs is what enabled McLaren to use a carbon fibre tub in a market dominated by aluminium and steel constructions.





Squeezed into the very tight engine bay is McLaren's very first 'own' engine. Dubbed the M838T, it is twin-turbocharged V8 with a displacement of 3.8 litre. Although no exact performance figures are known yet, it is expected to produce around 600 bhp and 600 Nm of torque, 80% of which is available as low down as 2000 rpm. The V8 is also incredibly efficient as it emits less CO2 per bhp produced than any other internal combustion engines available today, including the ones used in 'green' hybrids. The engine is mated to a dual-clutch, seven-speed gearbox. Although it may disappoint purists, there will be no optional manual gearbox; the footwell is optimised to house just two pedals. The paddles that operate the gearbox are mounted behind the steering wheel and move with it. Much like the shutter button on a camera can be partly pressed to enable autofocus, they can be partly squeezed to 'pre-cog' a gear and speed up shifts.

The lightweight, rigid chassis and the compact, powerful engine are backed up by a highly advanced suspension system. Double wishbones and coil springs are used all around but that's where the convention stops. The dampers fitted on each corner are active and completely adaptable to the road surface and conditions. They give the driver the best of both worlds; on the straights they will soften up for comfort and in corners stiffen up for superb road holding and control. The driver can also pick three suspension modes on the 'Active Dynamics Panel'. The biggest trick up the MP4-12C's sleeve is 'brake steer', which was first seen on the 1997 MP4/12 Formula 1 car. This system helps cornering by squeezing the brakes slightly on the inside rear wheel. The same trick also works on acceleration out of a corner when the inside rear wheel can start to spin.




Performance, functionality and comfort were also key for the exterior design. Aerodynamics played a vital role in the very pure design. As with all of today's sports car designs, a balance between low drag and high downforce had to be found. The MP4-12C's very smooth lines ensure the former while an active rear wing provides plenty of the latter. With no radiators to clear, the nose is very low, which lowers the frontal area and also gives the driver a very good view of the road. The air-intakes behind the doors for the radiators feature turning vanes that resemble the McLaren logo. Needless to say they are also very functional as they direct the cooling air to the longitudinally mounted radiators. The rear-end has the most character with prominent exhausts surrounded by a big grille and black horizontal bars that also house the LED lights. The engine compartment is visible through a large window in the rear deck. Large glass surfaces all around provide the driver with unparalleled levels of visibility.

Access to the comfortable interior is through large 'dihedral' doors that are opened by swiping a hand underneath the broad shoulder running across the top of the door. The dihedral design uses just one hinge and allows for full access even in the tightest of spaces. Functionality is also prevalent throughout the interior. All switches and buttons are mounted within reach of the driver and are grouped according to application. The most important information is presented to the driver in the binnacle behind the steering wheel, which features a very prominent, tachometer. Additional info is presented in a screen mounted on the floating centre console. The grip of the steering wheel is modelled after grips of the wheels used by McLaren's World Championship winning Formula 1 drivers.




Functionality even played a role in the deciding the name of the new McLaren. Except for the F1, MP4 has been used for all McLaren built since the company was acquired by Ron Dennis' Project 4 in 1980. It originally referred to 'Marlboro Project 4' but more recently it is short for 'McLaren Project 4'. The '12' represents a level of performance as determined on McLaren's internal 'Vehicle Performance Index'. Future models with different performance characteristics will receive a number according their their position on the Index. Easiest to explain is the 'C', which indicates that that MP4-12C uses a carbon fibre chassis.

McLaren revealed the first details of the MP4-12C in the fall of 2009 even though production is not expected to commence in earnest in 2011. This gives McLaren ample of time to test the car in all conditions and set up a dealer network. A fleet of 20 test cars has already been constructed, which has already taught invaluable lessons that will be used for the full scale production. They have been dispatched around the world for round the clock testing duties. In the first year McLaren plans to build around 1,000 examples in a new, purpose-built factory. Over the following years McLaren plans to add one new model to the line-up every year. The example pictured above is one of the pre-production prototypes; the final version may differ in details.

The McLaren MP4-12C looks set to seriously shake up the segment dominated by Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. Unlike any of its rivals, the MP4-12C sports a carbon fibre chassis and the level of quality boasted by the new McLaren should also be class leading. Whether it will work as well on the road as it looks on paper remains to be seen but there is no reason to doubt that. While the Italians may still have it cornered for pure passion, the MP4-12C will above all represent the most logical choice. It is a McLaren after all.


                        MERCEDES AMG SLS


Automotive fascination and high tech of the highest order: These are the traits embodied by the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which is making its world premiere at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt on 15 September 2009. The super sports car boasts a purist design, the systematic incorporation of lightweight engineering and superior handling dynamics. At the same time, the SLS delivers the high everyday utility and exemplary safety that typifies Mercedes-Benz, making the new gullwing the ideal synthesis of the strengths of Mercedes-Benz and AMG.

The new super sports car from Mercedes-Benz and AMG dazzles with its unparalleled technology package which includes: an aluminium space frame body with gullwing doors; an AMG 6.3-litre, front-mid V8 engine with a top power of 571 hp, 650 Nm of torque, and dry sump lubrication; seven-speed dual-clutch in a transaxle configuration; a sports chassis with aluminium double-wishbone suspension; and a kerb weight of 1,620 kilograms. It's a combination that guarantees supreme handling dynamics. The car's ideal weight distribution between the front and rear axles (47 to 53 per cent respectively) and its low centre of gravity emphasize the concept's pronounced sports car nature. The gullwing accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 197 mph (electronically limited). The fuel consumption of 21.4 mpg (combined) is best-in-class (all figures are provisional).

The distinctive design of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG dazzles with its passionate sportiness and reinterprets the breathtaking design of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, one of the most recognised design icons of the Mercedes-Benz brand. With its purist design, the new SLS AMG reflects the teachings of modern sports car design: The nearly two-metre long-bonnet, the low, far back positioned cabin, and the short rear with the extendable rear spoiler symbolize dynamism, as do the long wheelbase, the wide track, and the large wheels. The proportions are determined by the short overhangs and the design of the super sports car, with a low-slung, front-mid engine mounted well back and a dual-clutch transmission in a transaxle configuration. The stylistic highlight is without a doubt the gullwing doors, which impart the SLS AMG with incomparable charisma and make a unique statement in this vehicle segment.





It is not just the gullwing doors that awaken reminiscences of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. The characteristic wide radiator grille with the large Mercedes-Benz star and the wing-like fin are also reminiscent of the face of the legendary sports car. The three-dimensional, sculptured front with the low, v-shaped front skirt with lateral indentations gives the gullwing a powerful stance on the road. The car's dominance is underscored by six large air intakes and the wideset, vertical headlamps with intriguing internals: The central bixenon low-beam headlamps with metallic wing element are framed by two LED indicators above and two LED daytime running lights below.

Drivers who raise the gullwing doors of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and sit down in the sports seats will experience a very special interior. In its conception, the Mercedes-Benz designers took their cue from aircraft construction to create an ambience that immediately evokes associations with plane cockpits. The defining stylistic element is the dashboard, whose powerfully extended wing-like profile creates the impression of great width. The dashboard incorporates "silver shadow" electroplated air vents with adjustable nozzles, which simulate the look of jet engines. The instrument cluster with its shift-up LED display and two white illuminated circular instruments also appears very sporty in the metallic silver shadow look. The silver dials have red pointers and a 225 mph scale. The main feature between the dashboard's two centre air vents is the COMAND multi-media system with its 7-inch screen.

Despite the low seating position typical of sports cars, which means the seats are located only 369 millimetres above the road surface, the wide opening gullwing doors ensure easy entry and exit. The designers made sure that the doors had as large an opening angle as possible, which is why they swing up by 70 degrees. Another consideration that was just as important was that the distance between the opened doors and the road surface is an ample 1.50 metres, while the size of the passage between the opened doors and the upper edge of the side skirts is a generous 1.08 metres. By contrast, the entry height (the distance between the road surface and the upper edge of the side skirts) is a low 45 centimetres. Another important criterion for ensuring an elegant entry and exit is that the opening and closing of the doors requires little effort even when it's very cold, because of two gas-dampers next to the door hinges.

The gullwing doors require less room to open than conventional coupe doors and can be completely opened in standard sized garages. The gullwing doors can be opened from the interior by means of a "silver shadow" opening handle. Thanks to the linkage system in the door's armrest, the door is easy to handle when closing. The buttons for the power windows, the central locking system and the exterior mirror adjustment are also easily accessible in the interior trim. The interior has a spacious feeling, due primarily to the large shoulder room of 1483 millimetres and the wide elbow width of 1606 millimetres. In conjunction with the generous headroom of 990 millimetres and the driver's effective legroom of 1058 millimetres, the deep seating position is also relaxing. The passengers benefit from a relatively steep windscreen that provides a good view.

The SLS is also taking a new approach in its body concept. For the first time ever, Mercedes-Benz and AMG are presenting an automobile, where both chassis and body are made of aluminium. This leads to significant weight savings compared to the traditional steel construction, as shown by the car's kerb weight of just 1,620 kilograms.

The vehicle's all-new body consists of an aluminium space frame, which combines intelligent, lightweight design with the highest strength and thus further boosts the SLS' excellent handling properties. Light aluminium profiles combine the force nodes to create a stable structure. The large, low-lying cross-sections of these aluminium profiles exhibit high resistance torques, thereby ensuring the desired direct transfer of drive, braking and chassis forces. Undesired flexibility is reduced by the structure; the vehicle responds rigidly, directly and as if it was almost free of torsion.




The intelligent aluminium space frame, which has been optimized in terms of weight, is 45 per cent aluminium profiles, 31 per cent aluminium panelling, 20 per cent cast aluminium and four per cent steel. Ultra high-tensile, hot-rolled steel is used in the A-pillars to further improve occupant protection. The body-in-white weight is 241 kilograms - and given that the maximum power is 571 hp, represents a top value in the super sports car segment.

The heart of the new SLS is a high-powered eight-cylinder engine manufactured by Mercedes-AMG. The advanced 6.3-litre V-8 engine, which has an output of 571 hp at 6,800 rpm, makes the gullwing vehicle one of the most powerful sports cars in its segment. In conjunction with the low vehicle weight, this results in a weight-power ratio of 2.84 kg/hp. The naturally aspirated engine provides its maximum torque of 650 Nm at 4,750 rpm. The gullwing vehicle accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 197 mph (all figures are preliminary). The high-torque V8 engine, which is called the M159 within the company, has a displacement of 6,208 cc. It has been completely restructured compared to the basic M156 engine, and it displays the typical characteristics of high-performance racing engines.

The most important measures taken to boost its performance were the development of a completely new intake manifold system, the restructuring of the valve gear and the camshaft, the use of streamlined steel-pipe fan-type exhaust pipes and a dethrottling of the exhaust system. As a result, the designers have achieved significantly improved cylinder charging that boosts performance by almost nine per cent. The eight-cylinder engine reacts nimbly to movements of the accelerator pedal and in general responds extremely well. Thanks to the change to dry sump lubrication, it has been possible to achieve a much lower installation position for the engine. The consequent lowering of the vehicle's centre of gravity enables high transverse acceleration, which results in handling dynamics that drivers love.




The solution that was chosen, a front-mid engine plus transaxle configuration, ensures an ideal weight distribution of 47 per cent in the front and 53 per cent in the rear. Mounting the engine behind the front axle provided optimal conditions for perfect handling dynamics with precise steering behaviour, top class agility, low inertia during sudden changes of direction and outstanding traction. The aim of Mercedes-Benz and AMG - to build a desirable super sports car and combine flawless race circuit performance with the long distance comfort typical of Mercedes-Benz - led to this sophisticated chassis layout. All four wheels are guided on dual A-arms with track rod, a technique that has proven itself in motor racing up to Formula 1 level. In a double wishbone suspension, the wheel location and suspension function are separated from each other, and the spring struts/damper struts are supported on the lower transverse link. With its high shatter strength and directional stability, the double wishbone concept decisively controls the wheel, with minimal springy movements, and gives the driver optimal contact with the road surface even in extreme situations.

The A-arms, steering knuckles and hub carriers at the front and rear axles are made entirely of forged aluminium - which helps to substantially reduce the unsprung masses; and this in turn improves the responsiveness of the suspension. At 2,680 millimetres, the long wheelbase results in not only a stable straight-line stability, but also a low dynamic wheel load shift which significantly reduces the vehicle's tendency to roll during acceleration and deceleration. The wide tread - 1,682 millimetres in the front, and 1,653 millimetres in the rear - ensures a lower dynamic wheel load transfer from the inside wheel to the outside wheel on bends, which gives the tyres more grip. When driving around bends, the big castor angle of 11.5 degrees results in a large increase in the negative camber, in addition to improving the tyres' grip - and lending high stability when braking suddenly in bends.

 
TOYOTA IS SET TO GO BANKRUPT...
CLICK BELOW FOR MORE ON THIS :
 


LIKE THE PROVERBIAL "BURN OUT"...TOYODA THE COMPANY, WHICH STARTED OUT AS A SEWING MACHINE MANUFACTURER, THEN TURNED "CAR COMPANY" DURING JAPAN'S WAR WITH CHINA BY GOVERNMENT DECREE & FUNDING.....IS ABOUT TO RUN IT'S COURSE INTO A DISMAL & FITTING END.  NOW TOYOTA THE SUPPOSED  WORLD'S SECOND LARGEST CAR COMPANY IS FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR HAVING BUILT DEFECTIVE CARS & TRUCKS FROM AS EARLY AS 1998 TO THE PRESENT DAY AND KNOWINGLY SELLING THEM TO THE CONSUMER...LEADING TO DEATHS & INJURY OF THE PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THEIR PRODUCTS.


Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100304/CARNEWS/100309960#ixzz0hMWFWght

Toyota CEO Says Brand is "Grasping for Salvation"; Offers Apologies For Recall

October 2 2009 11:08 AM by Nate Martinez

Executives have mentioned that much of the company's financial turmoil still has to do with a weak U.S. economy, as well as a poor dollar-to-yen exchange rate. At one point earlier this year, analysts expected sales of 10 million units for the 2009 calendar year, but have now revised the estimate down to 7.34 million. Last year, the company sold 8.97 million units worldwide.

Given a stable exchange rate of $1 to 92 yen, a loss of $8.4 billion is said to occur for the financial year ending next March.

"When you get to this level, it makes it difficult to return to profit on sales growth alone," Akio said to reporters.

Toyoda also offered his apologies to those who have been affected by the recent Toyota/Lexus mass recall. Four people were said to be killed as a result of driver side floor mats sticking to the accelerator pedal.

“We would like to pay our deepest condolences for the loss of four precious lives,” Toyoda announced. “Customers who chose Toyota and Lexus cars because those brands are safe and secure are now beset with anxiety. I regret and apologize for this development."

Source: Reuters, Automotive News (Subscription required)

UNABLE TO COMPETE WITH GENERAL MOTORS OR FORD IN THE USA ANY LONGER & LOSING SALES EVERY DAY TO THOSE DETROIT AUTO MAKERS, THE "TOYOTA" CAR COMPANY IS BLEEDING RED !!!

The company is expecting its first full-year operating loss since 1937 — 350 billion yen ($3.9 billion) — more than double its previous forecast.

The company’s 2008 fiscal year ends on March 31.

It widened its forecast for an operating loss on its main automotive business to 450 billion yen, or $5 billion, attributing the larger loss to both steep declines in global auto sales and strong gains by the Japanese currency, the yen, which lowers the yen-denominated value of overseas earnings.

The global downturn has pummeled global auto sales, but Toyota had appeared somewhat resistant. No longer.

The last time Toyota posted a net loss was 59 years ago, when it operated under different accounting rules. Then, Toyota was in a financial crisis that led to the departure of its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. ( New York Times)


AS GM'S BOB LUTZ HAS COMMENTATED & WE PARAPHRASE HERE : "TOYOTA IS LOSING MORE MONEY EVERY DAY THAN WE DID BEFORE OUR CHAPTER 11 FILING, THEY JUST STARTED WITH A BIGGER PILE OF CASH, BUT THIS CAN'T WORK FOR THEM AT ALL... AS THEY ARE LOSING MORE THAN ANYONE "

TOYOTA HAS IN OUR OPINION EARNED THIS DISGRACE, BY OFFERING PRODUCTS THAT ARE INFERIOR & DERIVATIVE IN NATURE. THE CAMRY HAS EARNED THE DUBIOUS REPUTATION AS NOT ONLY THE CAR THAT CONSUMER REPORTS HAD TO "APOLOGIZE" FOR RECOMMENDING AFTER A SERIES OF RECALLS, BUT NOW OWNS THE SINGLE LARGEST RECALL IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY, FOR "FLOOR MATS" THAT CAUSE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK ON FULL THROTTLE !!!...EVERY CAMRY MADE RECENTLY HAS BEEN RECALLED TO FIX THIS DEADLY CONDITION, FOLLOWING SEVERAL DEATHS ALREADY ATTRIBUTED TO THIS FLAW IN THE CAR'S DESIGN !!!...and NOW TOYOTA HAS A FULL RECALL ON THE TRUCK LINE AS WELL FOR RUSTED OUT FRAMES :


^ CLICK ABOVE FOR MORE TRUE STORIES ON TOYOTA CARS, TRUCKS & THE TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY.

The disclosure comes a week after Toyota announced it will recall 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to replace a floor mat that could cause the accelerator to stick. The recall prompted a public apology from Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda.

Frame Rust

Toyota faced a similar frame-rust problem last year involving about 750,000 Tacoma pickups.

In March 2008, the company agreed to buy back 1995 to 2000 model year Tacomas at 150 percent of the high Kelly Blue Book value.

Then in November 2008, the company issued a recall on 2001 to 2004 model year Tacomas. If there was no rust, Toyota automatically extended the warranty to 15 years with unlimited mileage. If there was rust, the frames were replaced at no cost to the consumer.

Lyons did not say why the company did not issue a recall for the Tundra at the same time as the Tacoma.

“The two trucks did not share the same frame, but there were similarities,” he said. Lyons said both trucks had the same supplier.

“But it's our responsibility, not the supplier's responsibility,” Lyons said. - (autoweek.com)

IT IS "HIGH TIME" THAT TOYOTA PAYS THE PRICE FOR CRAPPY CARS SOLD TO UNAWARE BUYERS.

IF YOU OWN A TOYOTA, ...DON'T SELL IT, ....DO THE WORLD A FAVOR....PLEASE JUST SEND IT TO THE JUNKYARD SCRAP PILE, WHERE IT BELONGS. IT WILL COME BACK AS A .......NEW SEWING MACHINE !

 
THE GM / PENSKE / RENAULT DEAL FOR SATURN :



WELL, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE OUR WORD ON THIS ONE AS IT IS THE SAD BUT TRUE FACT THAT RENAULT (OR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WITHIN ) MADE THE DECISION TO KILL THE SATURN DEAL, INTENTIONALLY IN OUR OPINION AS THEIR "LOYALTY" WAS PLACED WITH NISSAN, NOT GM OR PENSKE :

Renault Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn didn’t recommend approval of an agreement with Penske at yesterday’s board meeting, Pelata said after a news conference in Paris. Ending the talks “was not a board decision,” he added.

“The deal probably made a lot of sense to Renault at first glance,” Mike Tyndall, a London-based European autos specialist with Nomura Securities, said in a telephone interview. The proposal may have drawn objections from Nissan Motor Co., Renault’s 44 percent-owned Japanese affiliate, he said.

“When they looked into the details they probably realized it would do the Renault-Nissan alliance more harm than good,” Tyndall said. “They’d be using potentially cheaper versions of alliance products to compete with Nissan in its most important market.”  (BLOOMBERG NEWS)

WELL IT IS SAID THAT LOSERS HANG TOGETHER...& THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT AXIOM AS NISSAN IS LOSING MORE SALES & MARKET SHARE WHILE RENAULT IS HARDLY ON THE CHARTS !!. THE REALLY SAD PART OF THIS IS THAT THE SATURN DEALERS ARE DONE FOR. THEY WILL BE "BOUGHT OUT" BY TOYOTA OR EVEN NISSAN IF THOSE COMPANIES CAN SUSTAIN THE LOSSES & CONTINUE EXPANSION IN THE USA, WHICH IS QUITE UNLIKELY. MORE LIKELY IS THAT SOME OF THESE DEALERS WILL JUST GO OUT OF BUSINESS PERMANENTLY, OR A FEW MAY "SWITCH" COMPANIES, & EVEN FEWER MAY BE "PICKED UP" BY THE NEW CHINESE CAR COMPANIES WHO ARE WAITING TO GET A FOOTHOLD IN THE USA MARKETS.

THE OTHER BAD RAMIFICATION HERE IS THAT OPEL, WHO ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED QUITE A FEW SATURN MODELS, & WAS JUST BOUGHT BY MAGNA, IS IN FOR A SHOCK AS THEIR FACTORY WORKERS, WHO ARE ALREADY "UP IN ARMS" TO PREVENT FACTORY CLOSINGS IN EUROPE, WILL NOW HAVE LESS CARS TO BUILD THAN THEY ANTICIPATED. SO YOU SEE, THE TRUTH HERE IS THAT RENAULT GOT A "HIT" ON TWO COMPETITORS, BOTH EX-GM COMPANIES BY KILLING THE SATURN DEAL, BY ALIGNING WITH THE JAPANESE MANUFACTURERS.

THIS WAS A BIG MISTAKE IN OUR OPINION, AS SATURN WOULD HAVE OUTSOLD ALL THE JAPANESE CARS, BOTH IN EUROPE & THE USA, & GIVEN RENAULT A LARGER SHARE OF PRODUCT THAN NAISSAN WILL EVER DELIVER TO THEM.

ROGER PENSKE HAS TO BE REALLY "PISSED OFF" RIGHT ABOUT NOW !!!...AND WITH DAMN GOOD REASON.

THE CHRYSLER / FIAT DEAL MAY NOT WORK FOR THE USA AUTO MAKER !
...the New Chrysler Has Arrived with a full line of Models & a New Logo :

IN THE "RUSH" TO SAVE CHRYSLER FROM EXTINCTION, THE COMPANY PUSHED THROUGH A DEAL WITH THE ITALIAN AUTO MAKER FIAT, WHO HAS A FULL LINE OF SMALL CARS & COULD BENEFIT FROM THE SALES OF CHRYSLER'S LARGE CARS & MORE SO THE TRUCKS LIKE THE RAM & CARAVAN MINIVANS IN EUROPE.

THERE WAS NO CASH FROM FIAT COMING TO CHRYSLER IN THAT DEAL HOWEVER, AS THEY WERE RELAYING UPON THE US GOVERNMENT "BAIL OUT" TO FUND THE COMPANY. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT CHRYSLER HAS A FEW VERY GOOD MODELS, LIKE THE MINIVANS WHICH VW NOW SELLS A VERSION OF AS THEIR OWN VW MODEL, & NISSAN IS HANDING OVER THEIR "TRUCK MODELS" TO CHRYSLER TO SELL RE-BADGED VERSIONS OF THE DODGE RAM TRUCKS AS NISSAN TRUCKS, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT CHRYSLER OR DODGE HAS NEW CARS THAT CAN INDEED CAPTURE A INCREASED MARKET SHARE FOR THE COMPANY.

The company claims that Fiat's innovative small-car technology will fill a gaping hole in Chrysler's product lineup and turn Detroit's No. 3 automaker into a winner. Chrysler desperately needs that kind of help, and Fiat does have some appealing vehicles, like the 500 and Panda, each of which has earned honors as European car of the year. If the Fiat deal flies, such models could be imported to the United States and even built here.

[See why Chrysler still might not survive.]

But it's a stretch to believe that a few snazzy little imports are enough to salvage Chrysler. It's not as if American roads are devoid of thrifty runabouts. The Detroit Three clearly have a small-car deficit, but by the time Fiats begin to land on U.S. shores in a couple of years, General Motors and Ford will both be rolling out new misermobiles largely patterned after vehicles that have been popular and profitable overseas.

Meanwhile, foreign-based automakers like Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, and Mazda have been successfully selling small cars in the United States for decades. They're not about to step aside just because the Italians are coming to town. Besides, clever novelties from overseas often land with a splash but struggle to penetrate a crowded market. The Suzuki SX-4, for example, gets good marks for fun, style, and affordability, yet more than a dozen compacts outsell it. Chrysler might want to pay close attention to that mediocre performance—since the SX-4 is a joint venture with Fiat, which sells its own version in Europe as the Sedici. ( European Auto)

ALL THAT BEING SAID, CHRYSLER DOSE HAVE A FEW "ACES" UP IT'S SLEEVE, THE DODGE CHARGER & THE NEW CHALLENGER BOTH ARE SELLING QUITE WELL, IN SPITE OF THE LESS THAN "ECONOMICAL" STATUS OF THOSE PERFORMANCE STYLED MODELS. A NEW VERSION UPDATE OF THE CHARGER IS EXPECTED IN 2010.

^ THEN AGAIN, THIS NEW CHRYSLER 200 C HAS ALL THE MAKINGS OF A REAL TOP SELLING CAR FOR THEM ! THE MUCH MALINGERED "DODGE AVENGER" CAN ALSO BENEFIT FROM THIS NEW DESIGN, WHICH IS QUITE A LOOKER & HAS THE STUFF TO DELIVER REAL VALUE TO AUTO CUSTOMERS FOR CHRYSLER.

CAN THEY PULL IT OFF ?....ONLY TIME WILL TELL. DON'T BET ON FIAT HELPING THEM OUT TOO MUCH THO.

Detroit's Next 100 Days

Jerry Flint, 09.23.09, 12:15 PM EDT

Watch the Big Three's market shares in coming months. They could determine their future.

Chrysler Group LLC’s new CEO, Sergio Marchionne, is scheduled to reveal his 5-year business and product plan to the media and analysts on November 4. However, The Wall Street Journal today released most of what Marchionne has will talk about next week.

According to the report, the plan relies heavily on vehicles from Fiat SpA, especially Alfa Romeo models, while dropping most of Chrysler’s original models. The report also said that Fiat and Chrysler are working on several new vehicles with Fiat technology for the U.S., including.

The folks at Kicking Tires have put together a nice list which you can check out after the jump. We’ll have full details from Chrysler next week.

Chrysler

* PT Cruiser – Dead
* Sebring – Dead
* Town and Country
* 300: Redesign in 2011
* Fiat 500: 2011

Dodge

* Caliber – Dead
* Nitro – Dead
* Avenger – Dead
* Grand Caravan – Dead
* Charger: Redesign in 2011
* Challenger
* Journey
* Ram trucks

Jeep

* Commander – Dead
* Compass – Dead
* Patriot – Dead
* Wrangler
* Grand Cherokee: Redesign in 2010

Alfa Romeo

* MiTo
* Milano (replacing 147)
* Unknown Mid-Size Sedan

^^^ NOW YOU DECIDE IF THIS IS FOR REAL ?
                                            .....OR "IF" THIS LINEUP WILL SELL ???..... :

WILMINGTON, Del. – Luxury automaker Fisker Automotive is buying a shuttered General Motors assembly plant in Delaware to produce plug-in hybrid electric cars, officials said Tuesday.

The California-based company has signed a letter of intent with Motors Liquidation Co. (MLC), formerly known as General Motors Corp., to purchase the Wilmington plant for $18 million after a four-month evaluation period.

Fisker, which recently won approval for $528.7 million in government loans to develop plug-ins, expects to spend another $175 million to refurbish the facility before production of next-generation hybrids begins in 2012.

Fisker expects Project NINA will create or support 2,000 factory jobs and more than 3,000 vendor and supplier jobs by 2014, with full production capacity of between 75,000 and 100,000 vehicles per year. More than half the cars will be exported, the largest percentage of any domestic manufacturer.

"This is a major step toward establishing America as a leader of advanced vehicle technology," said CEO Henrik Fisker, who described the production of electric hybrids as part of "the most dramatic change in the car industry ever."

Vice President Joe Biden was among those on hand to announce the resurrection of the GM plant, which produced the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice roadsters, as well as an Opel version that was exported to Europe, before closing this summer.

"I refuse to believe that we will not once again lead the entire world in the manufacturing of automobiles," Biden told a crowd of more than 1,000, including scores of union workers. "This factory in Delaware, and the industry, are going to get back up off the mat."

The vehicles to be built in Delaware under Fisker's Project NINA will cost about $40,000 after federal tax credits. They will be able to run mainly on electricity for short trips and a combination of electricity and gasoline for longer ones.

The Wilmington assembly plant, built in 1947, churned out more than 8.5 million cars. It employed more than 5,000 workers in the mid-1980s but ended production with a work force of only about 450 hourly workers.

"This is a great day for three reasons: job, jobs, jobs," said U.S. Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., who replaced Biden in the U.S. Senate.

Fisker officials said the Wilmington site was selected for its size, production capacity, modern paint facilities, access to ports and rail lines and skilled work force.

Mike Hicks, 51, who worked for 32 years in the plant's paint department, was heartened by the news that cars will be built there once again.

"We have a good work force here, and it's always been a top quality plant in General Motors," Hicks said. "I'm glad they're giving us another chance to show what we can do."

It was not immediately clear whether former GM workers would be given priority status when Fisker begins hiring. Fisker spokesman Russell Datz said that decision likely will be made by union leaders.

"It's being negotiated," said Sam Lathem, president of the Delaware AFL-CIO.

"I'm sure they're going to want a skilled work force, and part of that will be workers who have been there," he added.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said persuading Fisker to locate in Delaware was "a true team effort."

"There was a lot of hard work involved, and it's going to pay off with manufacturing jobs that will be a great asset in Wilmington and in communities around the country, Gettelfinger said in a prepared statement.

U.S. Sens. Benjamin Cardin and Barbara Mikulski, both Maryland Democrats, said the reopening of the plant will preserve 500 jobs for Maryland residents who worked at the facility.

Jim Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, welcomed the reopening of the auto plant.

"By rehiring laid-off workers, the White House and the company are showing a commitment to reinvesting in our national infrastructure," he said in a prepared statement.

Fisker told reporters that his company will demonstrate to consumers in the U.S. and overseas that electric cars can be powerful and sexy, and needn't be defined by dull styling and "range anxiety," about limited mileage between charges.

But energy efficiency is likely to remain a key selling point. Fisker noted that owners of Project NINA cars who drive 50 miles or less each day could rely almost entirely on electricity and might have to fill up the gasoline tank only once a year, an idea that could hit home with European drivers paying the equivalent of $6 to $8 for a gallon of gas.

"We're designing our cars for the world market," he said.

FORD FUSION WINS CAR OF THE YEAR AWARD !

Well FORD is kicking ass, posting a $1 Billion dollar profit & snagging the Motor Trend COTY award to boot :

2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Ford Fusion

The Comeback Kid: Do-it-All Sedan is Reborn for 2010 and is Better, Smarter, Nicer, Prettier, Comfier, Leaner, Meaner, and Greener in Every Way

November 17, 2009

 / By Matt Stone

 / Photography by Wesley Allison

 Click to view Gallery

In 1964, Motor Trend's Car of the Year award went to the entire Ford lineup, recognizing its combination of design, engineering excellence, and performance. In 1970, we gave the nod to the Ford Torino, which could be ordered in a wide variety of configurations. Forty years ago, buyers could choose from economical, six-cylinder-powered sedans to the dragstrip-ready 429 Super Cobra Jet fastback. These legendary winners had one thing in common: bandwidth. In the 1960s and '70s, this term wasn't yet part of popular lexicon. Today, the 2010 Ford Fusion's impressive bandwidth as a model range was one of the many factors that helped it earn the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year award.

Want an economical midsize sedan that doesn't cost much, yet won't bore you to tears? Need to please your greener side with a high-tech hybrid? Fancy a near-sport sedan with AWD, 18-inch rolling stock, and the latest infotainment and electronics? Depending on which model you choose and how many option boxes you tick, the Fusion can be any of the above. Arthur St. Antoine calls the Fusion "a compelling sweep across one of the market's most hotly contested segments."

The original Ford Fusion came to market for the 2006 model year. The basics were there, but the car wasn't fully baked. For 2010, Ford's product teams gave the lineup a soup-to-nuts redevelopment so thorough, it's as if the first-generation car never existed. Only the passenger-shell sheetmetal and other basic architectural elements escaped being redesigned, upgraded, or replaced. Although a four-door sedan is the only body style offered, powertrain choices expand from two to four, and each is new or substantially revised. There are several trim levels offered as well: base S, upmarket SE, luxurious SEL, a separate Sport model, and a Hybrid. Early in this year's COTY program, there were quiet whispers, while heads nodded, about how the Fusion looked, felt, and drove like an entirely new machine.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/112_1001_2010_motor_trend_car_of_the_year_ford_fusion/index.html#ixzz0XE7xEU98

Brand	Vol %	January 2010	January 2009	DSR* %	DSR 1/10	DSR 1/09
Mercedes-Benz	45.29	15,158	10,433	57.40	632	401
Buick	44.37	10,061	6,969	56.40	419	268
Volvo	41.86	4,128	2,910	53.68	172	112
Volkswagen	41.39	18,019	12,744	53.17	751	490
Audi	37.87	6,510	4,722	49.35	271	182
Chevrolet	36.42	105,294	77,186	47.78	4,387	2,969
Subaru	28.02	15,611	12,194	38.69	650	469
Ford	25.93	99,888	79,322	36.42	4,162	3,051
Hyundai	24.44	30,503	24,512	34.81	1,271	943
Nissan	19.44	55,861	46,769	29.39	2,328	1,799
Lincoln	15.51	7,036	6,091	25.14	293	234
GMC	11.42	21,303	19,120	20.70	888	735
Mini	7.93	2,247	2,082	16.92	94	80
Porsche	7.72	1,786	1,658	16.70	74	64
BMW	7.61	13,163	12,232	16.58	548	470
Mercury	5.77	5,482	5,183	14.58	228	199
Lexus	5.40	15,517	14,722	14.18	647	566
Land Rover	4.37	1,958	1,876	13.07	82	72
Mazda	1.78	15,694	15,420	10.26	654	593
Dodge	0.50	19,953	19,853	8.88	831	764
Kia	0.12	22,123	22,096	8.47	922	850
Cadillac	-0.69	8,440	8,499	7.58	352	327
Chrysler	-2.26	10,443	10,685	5.88	435	411
Honda	-4.48	60,347	63,175	3.48	2,514	2,430
Infiniti	-5.68	6,711	7,115	2.18	280	274
Jeep	-6.65	15,715	16,834	1.13	655	647
Acura	-9.22	7,132	7,856	-1.65	297	302
Mitsubishi	-11.84	4,170	4,730	-4.49	174	182
Toyota	-18.80	83,279	102,565	-12.04	3,470	3,945
Jaguar	-19.21	631	781	-12.47	26	30
Ram	-25.38	11,032	14,785	-19.17	460	569
Suzuki	-44.19	2,040	3,655	-39.53	85	141
Saab	-46.49	511	955	-42.03	21	37
Hummer	-78.31	265	1,222	-76.51	11	47
Smart	-84.35	278	1,776	-83.04	12	68
Saturn	-90.89	562	6,172	-90.14	23	237
Pontiac	-95.73	389	9,104	-95.37	16	350
Companies
Ford Motor Company	24.63	116,534	93,506	35.01	4,856	3,596
Nissan NA	16.12	62,572	53,884	25.80	2,607	2,072
General Motors	13.62	146,825	129,227	23.09	6,118	4,970
BMW Group	5.77	15,140	14,314	14.58	631	551
Jaguar Land Rover	-2.56	2,589	2,657	5.56	108	102
American Honda	-5.00	67,479	71,031	2.92	2,812	2,732
Chrysler Group	-8.07	57,143	62,157	-0.41	2,381	2,391
Toyota Mo Co	-15.77	98,796	117,287	-8.75	4,117	4,511

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in January 2010 and 26 selling days in January 2009, so the change in monthly sales volume will be less than the change in the average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company.