Canadian Car News

Auto News

November 19, 2008 – 3:53 pm

BMW To Mass Produce Electric Mini
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world’s largest maker of luxury vehicles, plans to start mass producing an electric vehicle as early as 2010, with hundreds test-driving the Mini E starting next spring.

German Firm To Run Chrysler Axle Plant
Chrysler LLC announced a deal Tuesday with ZF Friedrichshafen AG to have the German company run day-to-day operations at the automaker’s new axle plant.

Chrysler Is On Life Support
Chrysler LLC will soon be operating on life support without a loan from the U.S. government. Based on revelations by CEO Robert Nardelli today in a Senate Banking Committee hearing, the automaker may fall below the amount of cash it needs to operate before the end of this year.

Mulally: Bankruptcy Process Would Devastate Sales
Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally said today that there is no effective way for one of the Detroit 3 to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection without crippling the domestic auto industry.

Ford Is Rolling Out A Risky Strategy
The U.S. auto industry might be in crisis and Big Three executives might be appealing to Congress for a $25-billion bailout, but judging by Ford Motor Co.’s plans for this week’s L.A. Auto Show, Detroit’s No. 2 carmaker seems to be feeling just swell.

Mazda Deal To Give Ford More Cash
Ford Motor Co., reeling from plunging U.S. car sales and a sinking share price, will raise about $540 million selling part of its stake in Japanese affiliate Mazda Motor Corp. to ease cash concerns.

2010 Mercury Milan Revealed
Like the Ford Fusion, Mercury’s Milan has received a complete overhaul for the 2010 model year.

Hot For Fusion Hybrid
The big news for Ford Motor Co. is not the stylishly restyled sedan triplets the company will unveil this morning at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

2010 Mazda3 Unveiled
Following the release of some teaser photos in October, Mazda today full revealed its 2010 Mazda3 sedan, which has been completely redesigned for the coming model year.

Ford Offering Big Deals
Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it will offer employee pricing, zero percent financing and cash incentives on a variety of its vehicles in a move to boost interest in its vehicles amid one of the worst sales downturns in the industry’s history.

GM Canada Beset By Pension Crisis
The General Motors of Canada Ltd. pension funds had a shortfall of $4.5-billion as of last November - before the stock market collapse - creating a massive financial headache for the Ontario government and pension cuts for retired employees if the company falls into bankruptcy protection.

Solarworld Offers To Buy GM’s German Unit
Solarworld AG, Germany’s third- largest solar company, will offer to buy the German operations of General Motors Corp.’s Opel division and transform it into a green carmaker.

GM Revises Volt Interior
General Motors today released a single photo depicting the 2011 Chevrolet Volt’s revised interior.

Nissan’s New Box Arrives Next Spring
Thanks to notoriety gained through the press and internet, Nissan is finally bringing its take on the box to the United States with the debut of the new third-generation Cube

Motor Trend Names GT-R As Car Of The Year
Motor Trend Magazine on Tuesday named the Nissan GT-R as its 2009 car of the year, saying that it delivers a world class level of performance at a much more affordable price.

Ghosn Says Auto Industry Consolidation Likely
Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday that he expects the current crisis in the auto industry will soon lead some carmakers to consolidate.

Toyota Will Layoff Temporaries
With its vehicle sales sagging along with the rest of the auto industry, Toyota said yesterday its Georgetown, Ky., plant will lay off most of its 500 temporary workers early next year.

Toyota Shows Natural-Gas Camry
There are fuel sippers, and then there are fuel shunners. The Toyota Camry hybrid concept unveiled Wednesday at the Los Angeles auto show that runs on compressed natural gas falls into the second category.

US Carmakers Fail To Improve Resale Values
Detroit’s auto makers continue to lag behind Asian and European competitors in car resale value, an important consumer gauge.

Brands Put Through Workouts For A Pickup Showdown
Pickups are like elections, they bring out the best and worst in people. No other vehicle draws the loyalty and fierce competitiveness that a pickup does

What’s Really Killing Detroit
It’s easy to point fingers but hard to pin down a single cause. Here are six big issues - and what they really mean for the future of the Big Three automakers.

NADA: Cutting Dealers Isn’t ‘Restructuring’
Congressional demands for auto industry restructuring that include eliminating dealerships could do more harm than good, says the head of the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Jaguar Dealers Regain Customer Satisfaction Title
Jaguar dealers returned to their place atop customer satisfaction rankings released today by the market research company J.D. Power and Associates, while Asian brands continued to be at the bottom.

Keeping A Foot In The Car Door
The governments of Canada and Ontario need to stay in lockstep with the negotiations in the United States on the parlous condition of the North American automobile industry, lest Canada be left out and lose much of its auto sector.

The Big Question For Carmakers
Yesterday, federal Industry Minister Tony Clement and Ontario Economic Development Minister Michael Bryant announced they would be teaming up, superhero-style, on a mission to represent Canadian interests in Detroit and Washington as the United States considers a bailout of the Big Three automakers.

Ontario Auto Sector To Shrink
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is warning that the province will end up with a smaller auto sector, even if there’s a bailout for struggling automakers.

Ministers Head To U.S.
A delegation of federal and provincial officials is headed to the U.S. Wednesday to investigate how a proposed U.S. bailout of automakers could affect Canada.

Canadian Carmakers Seek Proportional Aid
General Motors, Chrysler and Ford are seeking aid from the Canadian government that is “proportional” to what the U.S. will offer, a top executive at GM’s Canadian unit says.

Auto Execs Plea For Lifeline
The Detroit Three auto makers are warning of a “catastrophic collapse” of the entire U.S. economy if Washington fails to throw the industry an emergency $25-billion lifeline.

Surprise: Japanese, Korean Carmakers Want Detroit Bailout
Considering the home states of some of the Republican Senators opposed to a $25 billion bailout of Detroit, a cynic might concede that they are doing Asian automakers’ work for them. After all, Republicans who have criticized the planned aid package for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler include those from states where Japanese and Korean automakers have factories.

Let Detroit Go Bankrupt
IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won’t go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed.

The Silent Elephants In The Room
Inside the hearing room on Tuesday where the CEOs of GM, Ford and Chrysler asked for government loans to help them bridge the Recession, there were two elephants in the room that got no time for testimony. And I don’t mean missing Republicans.

Democrats Seek To Lower Expectations
Top Senate Democrats suggested Wednesday that a bill to rescue Detroit’s Big Three automakers was stalled and challenged the Bush administration to take steps to save the industry if congressional efforts falter.

Auto Execs In The Hot Seat
Chief executives of the three U.S. automakers tried to persuade key members of the Senate that they deserve at least $25 billion in government loans to help the industry survive the current economic recession, and that the taxpayers can expect to be repaid in the future.

US Should Guide GM In A Chapter 11
Tony Cervone, a spokesman for General Motors, has a warm and friendly way to summarize his ailing company’s ongoing dance with disaster.

Detroit Chiefs Back On Hill For A Second Day
The chief executives of Detroit’s Big Three automakers will press their case again for emergency government aid to a House committee, even as the chances of getting assistance appears slim.

Automakers Look To Dazzle China
Smoke and flashing lights, female dancers in white go-go boots — the world’s top automakers put on dazzling shows Tuesday as they wooed Chinese buyers with their latest models.

Report: Chinese Eyeing GM, Chrysler
Chinese automakers SAIC and Dongfeng are said to be considering acquiring the assets of General Motors and Chrysler, according to a report by China’s 21st Century Business Herald.

China’s Auto Industry Presses For A Bailout
Do Chinese automakers need a bailout? China’s car industry is quietly pressing Beijing for government help as it copes with a jarring slowdown, top Chinese auto executives said in interviews here on Tuesday.

Serbia Bids Farewell To Yugo
Why does a Yugo have a defroster on the rear window? To keep your hands warm while you push it. That’s just one of the “Yugo jokes” about the cheap and much-maligned subcompact that won notoriety for being one of the worst cars ever exported to the United States.

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Auto News

November 18, 2008 – 3:30 pm

BMW Plugs Into New Market For Mini
As members of Congress debate a bail-out for the beleaguered Detroit-based car industry this week, a very different scene will unfold across the continent tomorrow at the Los Angeles auto show.

Dodge Challenger Gets Viperized
With all of the doom and gloom surrounding the auto industry today, it’s heartening for enthusiasts to know that there are still talented people in the business who are not working on hybrids or electric vehicles.

EDC Shies Away From Chrysler
Export Development Canada is no longer taking requests from auto-parts makers for insurance against receivables due from Chrysler LLC, the government agency said yesterday, signalling growing fears the automaker may go bankrupt.

Should Chrysler LLC Become Jeep Corp?
A new study by Oregon-based CNW Marketing Research indicates Jeep has considerably more brand equity than Chrysler or Dodge.

Chrysler Teams With German Company On Axle Plant
Chrysler LLC says it has reached an agreement with Germany’s ZF Friedrichschafen AG to run a new axle factory north of Detroit.

Mercedes Investigates Employees
Mercedes-Benz’ sterling reputation for quality has been tarnished over the past few years, but, as it turns out, all the blame may not lie with the German automaker.

Fisker Announces Contract To Build Karma
It’s always easy to dismiss an independent automaker’s ambitious plans as vaporware, but it appears Fisker is very serious about bringing its Karma hybrid sports car to market.

Mulally Defends Ford’s Actions
The head of Ford Motor Co. said today the company is working hard to “transform our business” into a more profitable one that meets 21st century demands for fuel-efficient vehicles.

Ford To Cut Mazda Stake
Motor Co. is slashing its stake in Japan’s Mazda Motor Corp. by nearly two-thirds, joining other struggling U.S. automakers in a fire-sale of prized assets to stay afloat.

Mazda Appoints New CEO, Replaces US Execs
Here’s an update on the speculation surrounding Ford and Mazda. Mazda held a press conference this evening in Hiroshima, which confirmed that Ford will sell a 20% stake in the Japanese company in the morning.

Ford To Unveil New Mustang
How do you mess with an icon? In redesigning the Mustang, Ford Motor tried to build on success by making the sporty car look more powerful and menacing and giving it a throatier exhaust.

Ford Tallies Potential Losses
The debate over the job loss attached to the potential failure of Detroit’s Big Three auto makers took another turn as an internal document from Ford Motor Co. showed thousands of workers in every state could be at risk.

Ford Launches Employee Pricing
Ford Motor Co. said today it is bringing back employee pricing for its year-end clearance sale beginning tomorrow.

GM Shows Three New Models
General Motors Corp. put three new models for China on show today, maneuvering to keep its edge in a market vital to its future as it struggles for survival back home.

GM Reveals Pricing
Today General Motors released pricing for its all-new Pontiac G3 compact hatchback and the GMC Sierra Hybrid pickup truck.

Chief Fights For GM’s Future And His Reputation
Rick Wagoner cannot afford to leave Washington this week without at least $10 billion in federal aid to keep General Motors in business.

Berlin Set To Give Opel Guarantee
Berlin is ready to give Opel a €1bn credit guarantee after the German arm of General Motors said it could run out of cash.

GM To Sell Stake In Suzuki
General Motors Corp. will sell its entire stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. for 22.37 billion yen ($230 million), the automaker’s latest move to stay afloat while awaiting a decision on government aid for the industry.

GM: The Case Against A Bailout
How about this instead: The boards of Chrysler and General Motors put their companies into bankruptcy with the clear intent of reorganization and merger. As radical as that sounds, it’s the best road we can see to a viable future for the industry.

GM Solution: Life Boats, Not Life Support
General Motors is the Titanic of Corporate America—it has been sinking in an agonizing, slow-motion suicide since its mid-century golden age. A century, GM was the solution to the problems faced by America’s fledgling auto industry.

GM To Postpone Dealer Payments
General Motors Corp., seeking U.S. financial aid because it’s running out of money, will delay incentive reimbursements to its 6,468 U.S. dealers by about two weeks to preserve cash.

Honda Opens New US Plant
The rest of the country may have been debating the possible bankruptcy of America’s iconic automakers on Monday, but in southeast Indiana more than 1,000 U.S. workers were cheering the opening of Honda’s newest assembly plant.

Honda To Make Natural Gas Civic
In dedicating its new Indiana plant this week, Honda Motor Co Ltd. officials also announced the facility will begin producing a compressed natural gas-powered car next year.

LA Car Show Promises Extreme Debuts
There’s nothing in the middle at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Supercars, super deals and dire economic straits will be the top conversation pieces Wednesday when the press days for the L.A. show kick off.

GM, Chrysler Pass On LA Auto Show
Detroit’s foreign competitors are busy launching new vehicles, opening new plants and hitting the Los Angeles Auto Show, a showcase of growing importance for green technologies, with a slate of environmentally friendly vehicles.

Why Bryant Wants Tough Concessions
The indignities keep on coming. As if it weren’t enough that Ontario has been relegated to have-not status, news arrives that Newfoundland is planning a provincewide party next March to celebrate that it has stopped receiving equalization payments.

Ottawa, Ontario Share Bailout Concerns
Ontario will team up with Ottawa on a visit to Washington to get the “lay of the land” regarding a U.S. bailout of the auto industry.

Fighting To Help Detroit 3
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Tuesday it is possible that one of the Detroit-based auto companies may go under but that he is working hard to prevent it.

Congress Considers Stricter Demands
House and Senate Democrats unveiled competing versions Monday of a plan to start funneling $25 billion to U.S. automakers before the end of the year, but lawmakers from both parties and the Bush administration withheld support, demanding tough conditions as part of any rescue.

Political Titans Clash In Auto Loan War
Detroit’s bailout battle in Washington, shifting this week into high gear, is about more than the survival of three automakers. It’s a multifront war between warring factions in Congress, titanic political egos, union versus nonunion companies and competitive business models within a single industry.

CAW: Bankruptcy Would ‘Devastate’ Economy
The head of the Canadian Auto Workers is calling on Canada and the U.S. to step in and save the Big 3 automakers, saying a failure would be “devastating” to the nation’s economy.

Clout Has Plunged For Automakers And Union, Too
When the leaders of the three Detroit auto companies and the United Automobile Workers union travel to Washington to make their case for a federal bailout, they will be flying into stiff headwinds of public opinion.

Gettelfinger: No Wage Or Benefit Cuts
United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger will tell a Senate panel today that Detroit’s Big Three automakers face liquidation if forced into bankruptcy and warned that taxpayers would have to pay at least $3 billion a year if the companies stopped paying for retiree health care.

Don’t Blame Detroit’s Problems Only On Labor
Any day now, the country and its decision-makers will decide whether to extend a massive financial lifeline to sustain Detroit’s suddenly cash-anemic automakers.

Auto Suppliers Join Hearings
Auto supplier leaders will join the Detroit 3 chiefs in Washington, D.C., this week to push for emergency federal aid to the automotive industry.

Seize This Moment To End Oil Addiction
Amid all the finger-pointing at executives, labor and Wall Street accompanying the Detroit automakers’ request for a government rescue, let’s not lose sight of an important question: What’s the plan?

A British Lesson On Auto Bailouts
A faltering auto giant whose brands are synonymous with the open road. Hundreds of thousands of unionized workers with powerful political backers. An urgent plea for the government to write a virtual blank check.

2009 Green Car Of The Year Finalists
Green Car Journal, a magazine and website whose publisher, Ron Cogan, made waves at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show by awarding the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, left, its influential Green Car of the Year award, has announced this year’s finalists.

Proposed Young Driver Law Already Sees Backlash
Proposed Ontario legislation to limit the driving privileges of people under age 22 is experiencing backlash from young drivers before the bill is even tabled.

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Test Drives And Previews

November 18, 2008 – 12:24 pm

2009 Chevrolet Traverse
An all-new model for 2009, the Chevrolet Traverse SUV is from the same family as the Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia.

2009 Ford F-150
The newest Ford F-Series pickup is 61 years removed from the original 1948 F1, but carries many of the innovative features that first model offered: a larger cab, improved suspension, better payload and extra driver comforts.

2009 Honda Fit
If there was an award for the “Cleverest car of 2009″, it would probably go to the redesigned 2009 Honda Fit.

2009 Honda Pilot
Honda has given its Pilot new direction for 2009, including a brand new top-of-the-line Touring edition.

2009 Jeep Wrangler
Chrysler used to run an ad with the tag line, “There’s only one Jeep.” Today, it’s more than just advertising hype.

2009 Kia Magentis
Well, I don’t have much of a funny anecdote to throw out there today — writer’s block, perhaps. Last week I was in the all-new Kia Borrego; this week, once again, I’m in a Kia, but this time, it is the Magentis.

2009 Nissan Versa
For the cost-conscious and fuel-conscious drivers in Canada, Nissan has something to satisfy both needs in a big way.

2009 Pontiac G8
Pontiac’s sedan line-up receives a performance and image boost with the introduction of the G8, a big rear-drive sedan that drives like a sports car.

2009 Saab 9-3
For 2009, the Saab 9-3 line-up receives a few changes, most notably the addition of “cross-wheel drive” (XWD) to the base 2.0T sedan and SportCombi models.

2008 Subaru Impreza WRX
I quite like a hatchback, but tend to think of them as fly-weight urban runabouts, rather than rally-inspired heavy-hitters, so when the vehicle became five-door hatchback only last year, I was disappointed.

2009 VW Rabbit
With very few changes for the 2009 model year, the Volkswagen Rabbit still sits near or at the top of the list of vehicles in its segment.

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Auto News

November 17, 2008 – 5:57 pm

Eco-Bimmer - The M1 Lives
BMW is exploring plans for placing what one high-ranking insider describes as “a breakthrough green supercar” into limited production by the end of 2012.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
HYBRID versions of the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango seem likely to secure a spot in automotive history: the two vehicles fell under the executioner’s ax in the same month they went on sale.

Mercedes To Include BLK SUV In Upcoming B-Class
Earlier this year it was revealed that Mercedes-Benz was halting production of the current A-Class and B-Class after the current cycle and replacing the two aging models with a new family of small vehicles ranging from cabrios to sports coupes.

Mercedes Expands Web Presence
Mercedes-Benz USA, six months after launching a new password-protected Web site for interacting with Generation Y consumers, is planning a second site next year to reach an older group of Mercedes owners.

Pricing, Options Leak On 2010 Mustang
The 2010 Ford Mustang is just hours away from its official debut at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, but pricing and options have leaked out on the GT Premium model.

Ford To Kick Off Employee Pricing Sale
In a bid to boost sales and clear out excessive inventory, Ford will kick off an employee pricing campaign on November 19th.

GM To Sell Stake In Suzuki
General Motors Corp will sell back its 3% stake in Suzuki Motor Corp for US$232-million as part of the struggling U.S. automaker’s efforts to raise cash.

GM’s Prodcut Delays In Detail
On Friday, November 7, GM dropped the bombshell that they could run out of cash in only a few months. This sparked a wildfire of stories about the General delaying many future products in order to save cash.

Why Bankruptcy Is Best Option For GM
General Motors is a once-great company caught in a web of relationships designed for another era. It should not be fed while still caught, because that will leave it trapped until we get tired of feeding it. Then it will die. The only possibility of saving it is to take the risk of cutting it free.

GM Cuts Extravagance, Office Supplies
General Motors’ Cadillacs and Hummers may be icons of extravagance, but a cash crunch is forcing frugality on the automaker, from paper clips to auto shows.

Cranking The Volt To 100 MPG
WHEN Robert A. Lutz, vice chairman of General Motors, introduced a new wrinkle in hybrid electric cars to the automotive press at the 2007 Detroit auto show, he deftly offered a fuel-economy rating sure to grab headlines: 150 miles to the gallon, or at least its equivalent, based on a mix of driving conditions.

Honda Production Under Way
Two years ago, Japanese automaker Honda bought 1,700 acres in southeastern Indiana for a plant site, fueling talk the new factory might be expanded as soon as it was built to handle the rising demand for small cars.

Kia Borrego FCEV
Kia is taking Hyundai’s lead in a bid to move the brand up-level, and will continue that ascension at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

Nissan Halves Amount Of Precious Metals
Nissan Motor Co Ltd commercialized the “ultra-low precious metal catalyst,” which purifies exhaust gas using only half the amount of precious metals required by the existing catalysts, for the first time in the world.

New Information On ‘Series II’ Nissan GT-R
The Nissan GT-R has finally filtered its way into the retail channels of most global markets, with a fair number of customer cars on the streets.

Nissan’s Electric Vehicle Strategy Includes Separately Leased Batteries
Nissan is one of a handful of automakers that plans to have an electric vehicle to market by early next decade, but the buying experience of purchasing a Nissan EV will be slightly different from that of an internal combustion model.

Sales Slump Puts Buyers In Driver’s Seat
John Bruno, president of a car dealership in midtown Manhattan, said he would do anything to sell a car, including slashing prices by at least 10 percent on various models.

Detroit’s Small Car Discount
The Detroit Three auto makers are in financial trouble for a wide array of reasons, but not because they don’t make fuel efficient cars. They do. Consumers just don’t want to pay that much for them.

Japanese To Cut Car Production
Japan’s automakers are scaling back their vehicle output to keep pace with sliding sales in their biggest markets.

White House: Auto Aid Should Not Come From $700 Billion Bailout
With Congress returning today to deal with an auto industry in dire financial straits, the Bush White House stressed that it supports help, but not at the expense of the $700-billion Wall Street rescue program.

UAW Faces Prospect Of More Concessions
The United Auto Workers is holding the line against wage and benefit cuts, but it may not be able to escape further concessions if it hopes to get the government to bail out Detroit.

American Automakers Turning To Canada
As North American auto manufacturers plead with governments for even a fraction of the help they’ve given the foundering financial sector, industry players and analysts are divided over what form any potential aid should take.

Auto Shakeup: Start At The Top?
With Congress poised to rescue General Motors Corp. from collapse and aid the rest of the U.S. auto industry, backers suggested Sunday that Detroit’s automakers would have to consider massive changes to win approval — including some at the top.

Ontario, Ottawa Going To Washington
An Ontario cabinet minister says he’ll join federal Industry Minister Tony Clement in Washington this week to gather information about a possible U.S. aid package for struggling automakers.

Time To Feed The Dinosaurs
The federal government is facing a daunting decision as the Big Three auto makers demand help to survive the current economic downturn. While there are ample reasons for Ottawa to tell car makers they don’t deserve taxpayer bailouts, there are also compelling reasons to provide help for weathering the current storm.

If Detroit Falls, Foreign Makers Could Be Buffer
The failure of one or more of Detroit’s Big Three automakers would put a huge initial dent in American manufacturing, but in time foreign car companies would pick up the slack by stepping up production in their plants here, many industry experts and economists say.

How Sweet Is The Auto Business In Alabama? Not Very
Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, took to the airwaves over the weekend as the chief opponent of loans to Detroit automakers. His premise: this is a Detroit problem not a national problem and taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize these poorly managed dinosaurs.

Buzz Kills, Clown Cars And Bailouts
Is it just me or has our world morphed into Groundhog Day? We wake up over and over again to the downer prospect of another market crash, a dip in the dollar and the latest sooty-faced demand for corporate welfare.

Six Myths About The Detroit 3
The debate over aid to the Detroit-based automakers is awash with half-truths and misrepresentations that are endlessly repeated by everyone from members of Congress to journalists.

Dealers Try To Hold On As Detroit 3 Drama Plays Out
General Motors Corp. dealer Bill Shotwell tried something new last month at the North Carolina State Fair. Just past the vendors selling deep-fried Snickers bars, wedged between the Kiddieland Fun Park and the livestock exhibit, he created a mini-showroom with a full line of Saturn models.

Extend Aid To Auto Parts Industry
If the U.S. and Canadian governments don’t provide financial assistance to the North American automotive industry, the fallout will be enormous, rippling out to hundreds of auto parts suppliers and costing millions of jobs, according to an industry analyst.

European Companies Launch Supply Chain Rescue
Some of Europe’s largest companies are taking extraordinary measures to help out suppliers stricken by the credit crisis by offering cash to prop them up.

Shelby Auctions ‘Black Hornet’ Mustang
Carroll Shelby is dipping into his personal collection to auction off a 1968 Mustang, dubbed the “Black Hornet,” for charity in December.

Tougher Rules Ahead For Young Drivers
The Ontario government is expected to introduce tough new legislation tomorrow that will further restrict the privileges of young drivers.

Pols Can’t Save Montreal Grand Prix
The financial demands by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone proved too steep for the three levels of government fighting to keep the Grand Prix in Montreal.

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Auto News

November 14, 2008 – 4:53 pm

Chrysler Leaders Get Millions
As Detroit’s crumbling auto industry asks Congress for a bailout, Chrysler is in the awkward position of paying about $30 million in retention bonuses to keep top executives while the company cuts thousands of jobs.

Cerberus Would Cede Profit
Cerberus Capital Management LP, wading into the politics of a U.S. auto-industry bailout, would give up any profit on a future sale of Chrysler LLC should the company receive federal financial aid.

Mercedes To Reduce Alabama Operations
Mercedes-Benz will scale back operations on one of the assembly lines at its Vance plant next year as part of a major reorganization aimed at bringing inventory in line with sluggish demand.

Spy Photos: 2010 Mercedes E-Class
Mercedes-Benz is planning a name change for its next CLK coupe — which was previewed by the Fascination concept car — with the new model to be called the E-Class Coupe.

Source: Ford Planning Employee Pricing Offer
Ford Motor Co. is preparing to offer car buyers employee pricing, plus cash rebates, on most 2008 and 2009 models as part of a year-end clearance sale starting next week.

Holiday Shutdown Extended
The annual holiday shut-down at the Ford St. Thomas Assembly plant will be boosted to four weeks because of slow sales.

GM’s Situation Beyond A Bailout
My first car was a red ’73 Chevy Vega. It had an aluminum block, which meant it burned oil. The roof had a hole from a CB antenna poorly installed by the previous owner that caused the dome light to fill up with rainwater

Tough Times Delay Camaro Convertible … Again
General Motors isn’t in the greatest of financial situations right now, which has forced the Detroit automaker to push back some of its new car introductions.

GM’s Opel Sees German Government Aid
General Motors’ Adam Opel unit has asked the German federal and state governments for guarantees to help it weather tough times for the automotive industry, an Opel spokesman said today.

Image May Cost Wagoner His Job
Rick Wagoner’s 31-year career may fall victim to the mistakes of the industry and his own, even if General Motors Corp. survives. The GM chief executive officer unleashed scrutiny of his record after asking for a government bailout to keep the Detroit automaker in business.

GM Names First Black Female Director
General Motors Corp. named its first African-American female director of North American passenger car design Thursday. Crystal Windham, 35, a lead designer of the award-winning Chevrolet Malibu, will oversee interior design of GM’s global midsize, compact and small cars.

The Cost Of GM’s Death
If Congress thinks a bailout of General Motors is expensive, it should consider the cost of a GM failure. Let’s be clear. The alternative to government cash for GM is not a dreamy Chapter 11 filing, a reorganization that puts dealers and the UAW in their place, ensuring future success.

How The Civic Became Canada’s Top-Selling Vehicle
When the final sales numbers are tallied up at the end of this year, the compact Honda Civic will have knocked the venerable Ford F-150 from its perch as Canada’s best-selling new vehicle – a title the full-size pickup has held for the past five years.

Hyundai Offers Luxury For Less, May Help Image, Sales
Ron Olsen could have bought a Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus or another Cadillac. Instead, the Boeing retiree decided to part with $40,000 for the new kid in the luxury sedan market — a Hyundai Genesis

Nissan To Cut Production In Japan
Nissan Motor Co., facing a sharp slowdown in global demand, said Friday it would cut production for the second time in two weeks.

Toyota Says No Change To Mississippi Plant Opening
Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday that for now it is sticking with plans to open its new Mississippi plant in 2010 despite media reports that Japan’s top automaker is mulling a delay.

Car Sales Up In September
Dealerships sold 141,574 new motor vehicles in September, 2.5 per cent more than in August and the first increase after three months of declines. Statistics Canada reports passenger car sales rose 2.3 per cent in September to 75,398, partially offsetting declines in July and August as sales of both North American-built and overseas-built passenger cars rose.

Two Dollar Gasoline Won’t Help Auto Sales
Automaker and supplier-industry executives and engineers speaking at the Automotive News Green Car Conference here said the recent retreat of fuel prices to around $2 per gallon has provided consumers’ finances a little breathing room - but isn’t going to do much for the embattled auto industry.

McGuinty Expects To Hear Pleas For Cash
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty will be going into a meeting with five major automakers Friday afternoon looking for assurances on job protection and the sector’s long-term prospects.

Don’t Expect Bailout
As the struggling Detroit automakers await a potential multi-billion dollar bailout package from Washington, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Thursday that Canada’s ailing auto sector shouldn’t expect a similar plan from Ottawa.

Taxpayer Group Decries Bailout
Despite the economic fallout that could result if General Motors is forced to declare bankruptcy, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation on Thursday called on the government to stop supporting “mismanaged companies that expect perpetual handouts in good and bad times.”

Flaherty: Canada, US Talking On Auto Bailout
Canada has held informal talks with the United States that may lead to a coordinated aid package for the sputtering auto industry as a worsening economy saps car sales, Canada’s finance minister said yesterday.

Auto Aid Proposal Hits GOP Roadblock
A plan to provide $25 billion in emergency loans to Detroit’s Big Three automakers ran into stiffening resistance from Republicans on Thursday, putting the prospects of quick passage next week in doubt.

GOP To Detroit: Drop Dead
Democrats may have been the big victors on Election Day. But the Republicans still in charge in the White House and representing a possibly immovable minority in the Senate may keep the U.S. auto industry from getting the help it needs before Barack Obama is inaugurated as President in January.

Senate Will Take Up $25 Billion Auto Bill
A bill to rescue the troubled auto industry with $25 billion in emergency loans inched forward today when Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Senate will begin debate Monday and hold a test vote two days later.

Strict Conditions Almost Certain
With pressure rising for the government to save U.S. automakers from the financial junkyard, the question is fast becoming: Should General Motors, Ford and Chrysler simply get infusions of tax dollars? Or, in exchange for the billions, should they be forced to accept sweeping changes that critics say are necessary for their competitiveness and survival?

Automakers Must Spend Money To Make Money
If investment drives innovation, and innovation is the key to profitable and sustainable growth in this tough world, then why is the auto industry in so much trouble?

Insurers Pull Cover From Ford And GM Suppliers
Troubled US carmakers General Motors and Ford Motor have been given a potentially devastating vote of no confidence by three big European credit insurers, which have removed cover from their suppliers.

Carmaker Crises Hits Suppliers
The fallout from the financial crisis in the auto industry is reverberating down the parts supply chain of Detroit’s Big Three, with more cost cutting, job losses, bankruptcies and liquidations expected.

City’s Green Ranking Middle Of Pack
London is running in the middle of the pack of Canada’s largest cities in green transportation, a new survey shows.

Plan For The Cellphone-Driving Ban
Cellphone bans make a hands-free Bluetooth device a must for anyone who lives or drives in a province where such bans exist. I spend a lot of time in Quebec: The fine for talking on a cellphone there is $100 and three points.

OPEC To Hold Yet Another Meeting
If you meet enough times, maybe the sky —or in this case the oil price—will stop falling. That seems to be the principle on which OPEC is operating.

iRace, Do You?
The Motorsports Simulator from iRacing is the latest in high-tech racing simulations meant to give drivers practice time when other options are unavailable.

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Test Drives And Previews

November 14, 2008 – 1:07 pm

2009 Audi TTS
It’s getting awfully difficult to criticize Audis these days. Take the TTS I’m driving this week.

2009 Hyundai Sonata
OFTEN TIMES things enter our lives that stick around just long enough for us to become attached and then, sadly, they leave.

2009 Kia Borrego
Fuel economy is becoming a huge priority for drivers as gas prices soar. But some buyers will always need big power and space.

2009 Lincoln MKS
Lincoln’s just set a new contender off into the luxury market to compete with the likes of BMW, Audi, Cadillac and Lexus for your posh-sedan dollar.

2009 Mazda6
When Mazda introduced its Mazda6 intermediate sedan way back in 2003, it was an instant success, so much so that it was voted best New Family Vehicle by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.

2009 Mercedes CLS550
Incomprehensible as it may be, I have actually heard people express the opinion that the Mercedes’ CLS is not one of the most striking four-doors around.

2009 Pontiac G8
Lexus-owning friends out for a neighbourhood stroll thought it was a BMW rolling down the street toward them when I pulled up to chat in Pontiac’s new 2009 G8 sedan.

2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara
There was no black and white rodent involved and nobody offered to introduce me to a buddy who runs a skunk farm.

2008 Suzuki Sx4
The cost of operating an automobile has risen dramatically of late. Filling the tank of the family jalopy used to cost around $50 or less; it now takes $75 and counting.

2009 Toyota Corolla
Better than any other four-door sedan, the Toyota Corolla exemplifies the automobile as utilitarian appliance.

2009 Toyota Venza
With the hulking SUV falling out of favour faster than Stephane Dion, the market for vehicles that blend the utility of the breed with better fuel economy and car-like handling is growing — big time.

2009 Volvo C30
Same map, different roads. There in four words you have the sum of the Volvo C30, Mini Cooper S and Volkswagen Golf GTI.

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Auto News

November 13, 2008 – 2:48 pm

Chrysler Survival Hard Without Government Aid
Chrysler Chief Executive Bob Nardelli said on Thursday that it would be “very difficult” for the struggling No. 3 U.S. automaker to survive without government support.

Ford’s Plan For Survival
For the last six weeks, Ford Motor Co.’s top executives met almost daily to craft a plan to keep the company solvent in the face of the worst financial crisis in decades.

Mazda Implementing Rear-Facing Radar For 2009
Safety technology is going increasingly high-tech as companies and governments get into the business of making cars ever safer.

Ford Plants Face Shutdowns
Ford Motor Co.’s Louisville Assembly Plant faces a five-week production shutdown beginning the week of Dec. 1, and its Kentucky Truck Plant will likely be idled from mid-December into early February, according to company and union notices.

GM’s Troubles Stir Questions Of Bankruptcy Vs Bailout
Momentum is building in Washington for a rescue package for the auto industry to head off a possible bankruptcy filing by General Motors, which is rapidly running low on cash.

GM Unit Sales Hampered
General Motors Corp., seeking a U.S. federal bailout to stay in business, is having a harder time selling $4 billion in assets after saying it may run out of cash, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

GM Asks Dealers To Help Lobby
General Motors has been crying “The sky is falling!” for some weeks now, but it doesn’t appear that anyone in Washington is taking the General seriously.

GM Asks Employees To Beg Congress For Money
General Motors, teetering on the brink of insolvency, has taken the extraordinary step of calling on employees and dealers to personally urge lawmakers to approve another loan package that might keep the beleaguered automaker from going under.

GM: Are You Out There?
I had a couple of conversations and e-mail exchanges with people inside General Motors and with those doing business with GM about the fact that the company is getting its hide ripped off.

GM Picks Design Leader
General Motors has appointed Crystal Windham its first African-American female leader of design.

Kia To Bring Latest FCEV To LA Auto Show
Kia will debut the next generation of its fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) system at the L.A. auto show next week. Previous FCEV powertrains were built into the small Sportage sport ute, but Kia has chosen the larger Borrego to showcase its newest setup.

Is Nissan Building A Car That Charges Itself?
Can you charge an electric car without plugging it in? Nissan is looking into it.

Nissan Targets Safety And Fuel Savings
During an “advanced technology briefing” in Japan, Nissan scientists and engineers showed off a number of concepts and developments that range from near-production to still “pie-in-the-sky.”

Nissan Planning New Naming Scheme For Pickups?
Nissan recently teased us with a sketch of its upcoming NV2500 Concept, but the cargo van may have hinted at more than just the future face of Nissan’s commercial lineup.

‘Series II’ Nissan GT-R In The Works For 2009
The Nissan GT-R has finally filtered its way into the retail channels of most global markets, with a fair number of customer cars on the streets. But just as those owners are getting familiar with their cars, Nissan appears to be working on a slightly revised and upgraded version for sale in 2009, tentatively dubbed the Series II.

Ford, Chevy Stick With NASCAR
The idea of NASCAR racing without Chevrolets and Fords on the track once would have been unthinkable. But that possibility is no longer farfetched as the economic meltdown puts the already struggling automakers in even greater jeopardy.

If Bailout We Must …
Adam Smith, the famous economist and philosopher, once cautioned that whenever people from one industry get together to talk, “the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public or in some contrivance to raise prices.”

Premier Fears Obama Will Force Jobs Out Of Ontario
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says he is worried that U.S. president-elect Barack Obama will force the Detroit Three auto makers to repatriate jobs by pulling production out of Canada and Mexico in return for financial aid.

Don’t Bailout The Car Companies
With the Obama government-elect getting ready to bail out the U. S. auto industry, it looks like Ottawa will have to bite the bullet and do its bit for the Canadian industry by buying every one of us a new car for Christmas.

Dems Push $25 Billion For Detroit 3
Executives from Detroit’s Big Three automakers and the president of the United Auto Workers are scheduled to testify Wednesday before a House committee in a dramatic show of support for $25 billion in emergency loans to help the ailing automakers.

Obama May Name Auto Czar
President-elect Barack Obama has raised the idea of appointing a so-called “auto czar” to oversee emergency federal aid to automakers, exact tough corporate reforms and ensure taxpayers earn a return on any investment in the auto industry.

Automakers Believe Electric Cars Have A Future
Some 100 years ago, when the auto industry was in its infancy, Thomas Edison promised his friend Henry Ford a battery for his electric car. Mr. Ford died waiting. And the gasoline internal combustion engine took hold and reigns supreme today.

Green Cars Can Be Profitable
Green vehicles and technologies can be profitable if engineers use innovation to drive out weight and cost, says Michael Brylawski of the Rocky Mountain Institute.

It Comes Down To The Batteries
The race to produce a mass-market electric car will most likely be decided by battery suppliers. And that’s why one estimate pins venture-capital investment in battery-related companies at $1.15-billion (U.S.) last year, up from $153-million (U.S.) in 2003

Sao Paulo Auto Show Hosts Debuts
The global economic slowdown hasn’t stopped automakers from introducing vehicles, all of which were in the works well before the meltdown.

Wi-Fi On Wheels Is Steady, But Has Speed Bump
Wi-Fi wireless Internet connectivity has become nearly ubiquitous. Whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or even on some commercial airliners, you can get online with a Wi-Fi-equipped laptop, smart phone or portable game machine. Now, Wi-Fi is making its way into your car.

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Auto News

November 12, 2008 – 4:48 pm

BMW Business Model Crunches Gears As Models Expand, Profit Falls
American car manufacturers might be teetering on the cliff edge, but they aren’t the only ones with big problems. Even a hugely successful European company like German luxury carmaker BMW is suddenly faced with a perfect storm threatening to undermine its traditional business case.

BMW 3-Series Diesel To Get 36 MPG
BMW on Tuesday released fuel-economy and pricing details for its upcoming diesel versions of the 3-series and X5.

BMW: Plump Price Premium For Diesels, But Tax Break, Too
Sure, BMW North America Inc. is going to charge more for the diesel-engine versions of the 2009 3 Series sedan and X5 crossover when they show up in U.S. dealerships late this year.

Jeeps Rock(Or How Chrysler Might Crumble)
Does the name “Chrysler” get your juices flowing? Make you crave the open road? Conjure visions of yourself in your dream car? Compel you to open your wallet?

Ford Says Nine Plants To Be Idled
Ford Motor Co. plans temporary shutdowns at 9 North American plants this quarter as it slashes production after an 18 percent drop in U.S. sales this year.

Report: GM May Increase Stake In Chinese JV
General Motors Corp. plans to increase its stake in its thriving joint venture with Chinese automakers SAIC and Wuling Automobile, media reports said Wednesday, citing a senior SAIC executive.

Saab Rolls Out Special-Edition 9-3
Twenty-five years after Saab made a splash at the 1983 Frankfurt motor show by introducing a four-seat, “four-season” convertible, the company plans to do it again.

GM Plant In Mexico Will Export To Canada
General Motors plans to ship vehicles from its San Luis Potosi assembly plant in central Mexico to Canada by year end, the factory’s managing director said yesterday.

GM Scraps Plans To Unveil New Cars In LA
General Motors is scaling back its presence at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week. Spokesman Scott Fosgard says GM planned to unveil a new Buick model, and Vice Chairman Bob Lutz was going to attend the show’s media previews Nov. 19 and 20.

Skeptics Present Another Obstacle For GM
The effort by General Motors Corp. to secure a federal bailout faces an overlooked hurdle: skeptical politicians, policy makers and industry analysts who don’t think the world’s largest auto maker is capable of turning itself around.

Reasons To Bailout GM
Why bail out GM? I can think of quite a few reasons:

GM: The Threat Of Bankruptcy
Over the past several days, while General Motors Chairman and Chief Executive G. Richard Wagoner Jr. has repeated his mantra that “bankruptcy is not an option,” the specter of a Chapter 11 reorganization is circling GM’s downtown Detroit headquarters like vultures.

GM Pleads For Bailout
Just two months after celebrating its 100th birthday, General Motors is facing the grim prognosis that it may not survive to see another year unless it is rescued by a bailout from the federal government.

Hyundai: ‘We Have No Interest’ In Chrysler
Hyundai Motor Co. says it has no interest in acquiring Chrysler LCC. “Our hands are full” with various expansion plans around the world, says Hyundai spokesman Jake Jang.

Hyundai Partners With Prada
Hyundai isn’t synonymous with luxury just yet, but the Korean automaker is working hard shake its econo-box roots in favor of a more premium brand image.

Nissan To Unveil ‘Collision Free Cars’
Nissan Motor Co Ltd announced that it will exhibit prototypes of two “collision-free” vehicles at the 15th World Congress on ITS, which will take place in New York.

Toyota/Subaru Coupe Could Surface In U.S. As Next Scion tC
The rumor mill has been spitting out bits and pieces about the upcoming sports coupe currently being co-developed between Toyota and Subaru, but details about the car’s U.S. availability have been relatively scattered.

Audi Set To Expand R Lineup
Audi’s R8 has proven to be a smart decision for the German automaker, so much so that several other variants of the R-nameplate are on the way.

Auto Affordability Worsens
Auto affordability, which has become better and better for consumers in the past couple years, worsened in the third quarter, according to the Auto Affordability Index compiled by Dallas-based Comerica Bank.

Flaherty: People Oppose Auto Bailout
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said some people in his own Ontario riding – a key centre of automobile assembly – do not want the car companies to be bailed out.

Lewenza Blames ‘Imports’ For Auto Industry Troubles
What’s the root cause of the crisis unfolding in Detroit, as the former Big Three collapse before our very eyes? Two Canadians with an inside perspective on the industry put the blame on very different targets this week during interviews about the impending bailout of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford.

Automakers To Meet With McGuinty
Senior executives from the five largest auto manufacturers in Canada will meet with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on Friday to press their case for financial assistance amid the credit crunch and the slump in U.S. sales that has led to production cuts and job losses at auto plants in the province.

Congress Takes Up Auto Rescue
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi committed Tuesday to pushing aid for ailing U.S. automakers next week, saying a special session of Congress would consider broadening the $700-billion financial industry bailout to include Detroit’s automakers — with several strings attached.

Activists Attack Auto Aid
Environmental activists smell blood in the water. And why not? Last year they were successful at getting Congress to act on their behalf and increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy guidelines, despite those regulations having done nothing in 30 years to save fuel.

Democrats Seek Help For Carmakers
Democratic Congressional leaders said Tuesday that they were ready to push emergency legislation to aid the imperiled auto industry when lawmakers return to Washington next week, setting the stage for one last showdown with President Bush.

Detroit 3 Woes Imperil Japanese
Japan’s leading automakers are beating Detroit’s Big Three in the plunging U.S. auto market, but they would sustain enormous damage if one of the domestic carmakers collapsed.

Taking On Friedman’s Indictment Of Detroit
I am a huge admirer of The New York Times Tom Friedman. His books and the vast majority of his columns on the paper’s Op-Ed pages are insightful, and provocative. But once in a while, he ventures into writing about the auto industry, and the wheels that always seem so solidly bolted on to his Lexus hybrid get very wobbly very fast.

Carmakers’ Slowdown Takes Shine Off Auto Show
Facing their worst sales in decades, carmakers are cutting spending on auto shows, the industry’s traditional customer-courtship event. General Motors Corp. has scrapped plans to debut its Buick LaCrosse and the Cadillac CTS Coupe at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week, and said Tuesday that it was canceling its only news conference planned for the event.

Ferrari, Land Rover, Rolls Royce And Suzuki Pull Out Of Detroit Show
After General Motors’ announcement yesterday that it is canceling its annual Los Angeles Auto Show press conference, the news that Ferrari, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce and Suzuki are skipping the Detroit show comes as less of a surprise than it could have.

Rideshare Website Ruled Illegal
Rideshare service PickupPal.com will begin warning its Ontario customers today that they’re likely breaking the law by co-ordinating car rides through the popular website.

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Auto News

November 11, 2008 – 3:52 pm

Chrysler Relieved After GM Backs Out
Much as Chrysler needs a saviour, few are disappointed that the Detroit carmaker’s rescuer will not be General Motors.

Ford Fusion Hybrid To Be First Hybrid NASCAR Pace Car
At the end of October, Ford revealed a preview of the 2010 Ford Fusion, and with it came details on the next-generation hybrid system that would be available in the car.

Ford Updates Lincoln MKS As Sales Sputter
Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln premium division can’t seem to catch a break. The historic brand has struggled for years to justify its continuing existence within its own family while Ford went shopping overseas for more “relevant” premium brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.

Why GM Stalled
These are strange and horrible times for Detroit, even by the standards we’ve become accustomed to, as the Detroit Three (formerly Big Three) automakers continue to waste away. In the latest twist, General Motors, one of the Three, had been saying privately that Detroit would collapse unless Washington gave it billions of dollars to help it buy Chrysler, the smallest of the Three.

Imagining A GM Bankruptcy
As General Motors struggles to avoid running out of cash next year, the once-unthinkable prospect of a G.M. bankruptcy filing is looking a lot more, well, thinkable.

GM Cancels LA Auto Show Events
General Motors Corp., cutting costs as it burns through cash, canceled press events at the Los Angeles Auto Show scheduled for next week and won’t send Vice Chairman Bob Lutz.

Popular Cars Fail To Halt GM’s Sales Slide
If General Motors’ Buick Enclave was called the Toyota Enclave, or the Chevrolet Malibu was sold as the Honda Malibu, Detroit’s biggest carmaker might not be teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Nissan’s New Idea
Nissan Motor Co. released this photo Monday of its NV2500 concept, a study for a light commercial truck that it will display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

Nissan’s Mississippi Plant Set To Retool
Nissan soon will begin a $118 million expansion and retooling of its plant in Canton, Miss., to prepare for the production of a light commercial vehicle.

LA Show’s Website Leaks Nissan 370Z Details
Nissan has released a few images of its upcoming 370Z – set to make its debut at this month’s Los Angeles Auto Show – but the Japanese automaker has been tight lipped about the details of its second-generation modern Z.

Renault To Have Three Electric Cars To Market By 2012
Nissan has vowed to be at the forefront of electric vehicle technology but Nissan’s parent company, Renault, won’t be far behind.

Land Rover Announces 2009 Updates
Land Rover has announced some changes to its 2009 lineup for the North American market, including several new upgrades to the interior and exterior of all Range Rover models.

Tata: Yes To XF Derivative, No To SUV
Tata Motors Ltd. is solidifying its product strategy for Jaguar: A sports car is high on the list, but Tata is giving a firm “no” to an SUV.

Toyota Rolls First Venza Off Factory Floor
Toyota rolled its first Venza wagon off the factory floor in Georgetown, Ky., yesterday as the automaker tries to push further into the small-vehicle market.

Toyota Moving Forward With Prius Brand
Leftlane broke the news earlier this year that Toyota had given the green light a new Prius brand, and it looks as though the Japanese automaker is determined to grow the brand into a full model lineup.

VW Recalls 2009 Passat CC
Volkswagen has announced the recall of 130 Passat sedans, Passat wagons and CCs for the 2009 model year.

Audi To Extend Christmas Break
Volkswagen’s Audi brand is a rarity in today’s slumping auto market, posting sales gains when most other automakers are experiencing huge sales declines.

VW Shifts Roadster Debut To Detroit
Volkswagen will unveil its midengine roadster concept at the Detroit auto show in January, not the Los Angeles auto show later this month.

Maine Car Dealers Seek New Third-Party Lenders
Maine car dealers are turning to credit unions and other sources for third-party loans for their customers as bank financing becomes tighter.

Canada Open To Auto Bailout
Ottawa is willing to go to the aid of teetering auto companies, but will consider help only for plants that are thought to be “sustainable,” Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said yesterday.

Auto Subsidies Pouring Fuel Into Leaky Gas Tank
The Canadian Auto Workers’ new president, Ken Lewenza, used the f-word when General Motors last week issued 500 more layoff notices at its car plant in Oshawa, Ont. No, not that word. This one: “failing.”

PM Hints At Auto Bailout
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is dangling the possibility of a government bail-out package to help Ontario’s battered automotive sector.

America’s Two Auto Industries
Can you imagine life without General Motors Corp.? That’s now an urgent question facing America’s political leaders. GM survived for 100 years, steering through two world wars, the Great Depression, and all the booms and busts in between.

Running Out Of Options
With all three Detroit-based automakers in dire straits and seeking a Washington bailout, the moment finally has arrived for a radical reinvention of America’s domestically owned auto industry.

Obama Suggested More Help For Auto Industry
The struggling auto industry was thrust into the middle of a political standoff between the White House and Democrats on Monday as President-elect Barack Obama urged President Bush in a meeting at the White House to support immediate emergency aid.

Poll Shows Lukewarm Support For Bailout
While the auto industry’s push for government aid is gaining steam in Washington, a lot of Americans don’t think bailing out the industry should be one of President-elect Barack Obama’s economic priorities.

In Search Of A Less Insane U.S. Auto Industry
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. — Attributed to physicist Albert Einstein. The WSJ Monday had two incisive analyses of the insanity of the Big Three bailout being discussed by some Congressional leaders.

EU Says ‘Not A Cent’
European Union Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said car manufacturers will get “not a cent” beyond existing help for research and development projects, dashing automakers’ hopes of loans to counter the credit crisis.

Australia To Prop Up Car Makers
Australia’s government is to inject an extra $2.3 billion (U.S.) into the ailing car industry to offset tariff cuts and a global economic slowdown, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Monday.

Hybrids’ Payoff Recedes
Despite the steep drop in gasoline prices, hybrid vehicles remain a bright spot in a dismal car market. But when it comes to reaching the promised land of optimal fuel efficiency, some hybrid owners are wondering, “Are we there yet?”

Exhibition For Red Hot Performance Takes A Green Turn
UNBRIDLED horsepower has been a center-ring attraction of the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show for 40 years.

Sacramento Suburb’s E-Car Lanes
Kids at Lincoln’s Foskett Ranch Elementary know Will Honeywell as the third-grader whose parents drive a funny-looking car. “He gets a lot of attention,” said his father, David, who, with his wife, Seana, owns a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle.

Three Hundred Laid Off At Windsor Supplier
Layoff notices have gone out to 300 workers at the Nemak Essex Aluminum Plant in Windsor, Ont.

Fisker Opening Engineering Facility
Niche automaker Fisker seems to have secured a bright spot in Detroit’s increasingly bleak automotive landscape.

German Unions Holds Talks To Prevent Strike
Germany’s biggest industrial union began a new round of talks with employer representatives on Tuesday to reach a wage deal and stave off a full-fledged strike.

Word Of The Year: Hypermiling
This was the summer of $4 a gallon gas - and its impact on Americans is reflected in our lexicon. The New Oxford American Dictionary crowned “hypermiling” as its word of the year for 2008.

Oil Falls To $60
Oil prices fell to near a 20-month low of $60 a barrel Tuesday as hopes waned that a huge Chinese spending plan will do much to avert a prolonged slowdown in the global economy.

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Auto News

November 7, 2008 – 2:23 pm

BMW Offers 0.9% Financing
BMW surprised many in August when it offered low-rate financing deals on its 2008 models. Now, the automaker has expanded its deal to many 2009 models as well.

Sources: Chrysler Cash Drains Away
Chrysler LLC is rapidly burning through cash and being driven to prepare for a possible break-up if it can’t clinch a merger with General Motors or get government funding needed to ride out the economic crisis, people with knowledge of the situation said.

Chrysler Downsizing Reaches Ad Agency
As the buyouts continue at Chrysler LLC, the company’s advertising agency is taking a hit, too. BBDO North America on Thursday announced the immediate elimination of the equivalent of 145 positions, including full- and part-time workers, at its Troy office.

Ford To Idle Mexican Sedan Plant
It’s very rare that an automaker will shut down a factory just a month after the launch of an all-new product line, but that is exactly what Ford intends to do in order to keep supply in line with demand.

Ford Reports Loss
The Ford Motor Company, battered by the weak economy and a shift in consumer preferences, said on Friday that its automotive business lost $2.9 billion in the third quarter and announced more cuts to conserve cash, including another 10 percent reduction in salaried payroll costs and lower capital spending.

GM Rolls Out Red Tag Sale
GM’s Red Tag Sale has become a bit of a holiday tradition, usually starting in December. However, the abysmal economy has forced the company to roll out the sale a month early this year.

GM Delays CTS, 9-5, 9-4x, Cruze To 2011
Buried among its other massive news announced earlier today in Detroit, General Motors confirmed the long-speculated and rumored delays of a handful of its key products.

GM Opens First Russian Plant
U.S. automotive giant General Motors will launch its first wholly owned Russian factory on Friday, as foreign car makers hope for rapid growth despite the financial crisis slashing demand.

GM Reports $2.5 Billion Loss
General Motors Corp. faces a liquidity crunch in the fourth quarter unless the economy improves, the giant auto maker said Friday in releasing dismal third-quarter financial results.

John Heinricy Retires
John Heinricy, the man behing General Motors Performance Division, has announced that he will be retiring from GM.

Hyundai To Introduce Eight-Speed Transmission
Hyundai announced plans to introduce a fuel-smart eight-speed automatic transmission for a yet-to-be-determined 2010 model.

Hyundai Offers $4,000 Off Veracruz, Entourage
If your family has more than two kids, chances are you’re shopping for three-row vehicles like the Hyundai Veracruz crossover and Entourage minivan.

U.S. Spec Kia Soul Pictures Leaked
The exhibitionist Kia Soul, seen in various concept car forms as far back as the Geneva Auto Show in March, will come to U.S. showrooms in April of 2009, but the Korean automaker has kept the U.S.-spec car under some tight wraps.

Largest Lamborghini Dealer Closes
The world’s largest Lamborghini dealer, Lamborghini Orange County, has closed and owners aren’t saying why.

GM-Chrysler Moves Frees Ghosn To Focus On Nissan, Renault
Carlos Ghosn should focus on managing Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. through the worst auto-market slump in years as merger talks between General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC hamper his quest for a U.S. partner, investors say.

Toyota U.S. Share ‘Cold Comfort’
Toyota Motor Corp., rocked by a sales slump that led it to project the biggest annual earnings drop in at least 18 years, may win market share with its ability to fund car loans as cash-strapped U.S. competitors seek government aid.

Automakers Plead For ‘Survival’ Loans
The Canadian units of the Detroit Three auto makers have stepped up their campaign to win government financial help, warning Ottawa and Ontario that the industry “is struggling for survival.”

Ontario Jabs Truck Giant
The province came out swinging at International Truck yesterday, warning the truck giant “will pay” if it violates terms of a government bailout package it signed five years ago.

Detroit 3 Face An Uphill Fight
The humbling could be worse: Detroit’s automakers could be asking their Japanese rivals for a bailout. Instead, the Big Three brass worked Washington on Thursday in a bid for speedy, multi-billion-dollar help from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Automakers To Washington: It’s Crunch Time
A day before General Motors was expected to report a nearly $4 billion loss for its latest quarter, top executives of GM, Ford, Chrysler, and the United Auto Workers union came to Washington to press their case for at least $25 billion in federal loans.

Want The $25 Billion? Here Are The Hoops To Jump Through
The U.S. Department of Energy Thursday issued the draft rules for automakers seeking the long-ballyhooed $25 billion in loans Congress recently approved for automakers (and suppliers) to retool factories to produce a new generation of more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Auto Industry Aid Requests Exceed $50 Billion
The U.S. automobile industry’s requests for federal assistance now exceed $50 billion.

Detroit 3 Ally Fights To Keep Post
Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the Detroit 3’s chief ally in Congress, went on the offensive today to keep his job as chairman of the powerful House committee that handles much industry-related legislation.

Paparazzi Accident Logger
Stopping your car because you’ve witnessed an accident is a good deed, but who’s to say you’ll have a witness when you get hit? A Japan-based company called Paparazzi has created a device that will always be your witness, sort of.

Tire Change House Calls
Your life is hectic, your time valuable. You dread the thought of a lengthy wait in a tire shop lineup for the annual winter changeover.

Slide show: Presidential Cars Then And Now
It’s been well-documented that Democratic candidate for president Barack Obama drives a Ford Escape Hybrid while his opponent, Republican nominee John McCain cruises in a Cadillac CTS sedan.

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