“She wears her nursing bra like a bullet-proof vest and swapped her sexy handbag for a snot-stained sack”- British Mom Spits the Rhymes for Fiat 500L

December 18, 2012 at 1:26 pm

Blame it on Toyota for starting the fad of mommys and daddys rapping to sell an automotive (remember, Swagger Wagon?).  Now, Fiat has taken it to the next level and added a bit of British Swag  to make it sexy. Yeah! What is there to not love  a Fiat driving, British mother of rap who brags about wearing her nursing bra like a bullet-proof vest and swapping her sexy handbag for a snot-stained sack. Oh, and she proudly declares that her crew also includes her bitches (two cute little dogs) and her hose (of the garden variety). Refreshing, right? Fiat is awesomely rolling in the deep lately with creative advertising. It all started with its commercial for the 2012 Super Bowl titled Seduction and it has progressively gotten better from there. Can’t wait to see the next evolution of this creative binge.  Check it out!

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNVde5HPhYo&hd=1′]

(via Mashable)

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“Now you see it. Now you don’t.” — Brilliant drunk-driving advisory poster by Fiat in Brazil

May 11, 2012 at 3:21 pm

Brilliant stuff.. FIAT is getting super creative lately with their messaging.. (Correction: The title wrongly noted the origin as Portugal but actually it is from Brazil, where they speak Portuguese).

Image Courtesy: via Reddit

Cartooning the Pay Day in Washington, DC! Chrysler Repays Bailout Debt

May 25, 2011 at 12:08 pm

(Source: Detroit Free Press)

Mike Thompson of Detroit Free Press (Freep.com) has nicely captured the sentiments of the American public (at least, the sensible ones) about Chrysler repaying the $5.9 billion bailout money.  God knows how much bickering will happen when the political leadership decides to spend it on other programs.

Image courtesy: Free.com - Mike Thompson: Taxpayers get their money back from Chrysler

Note: For what it is worth, I’d also add this: It is nice to see the taxpayer $$ safely return to the government’s coffers, unlike what happened with some of the Wall Street beneficiaries.  This timely intervention from the U.S. Government not only prevented an American icon from vanishing without a trace, but it also saved thousands of jobs in a city that is already reeling from some really bad economic decisions.

New Chrysler Takes Shape As Fiat Alliance Formalized; New CEO Marchionne starts to spin his magic immediately

June 10, 2009 at 5:09 pm

(Source: Dow Jones via Wall Street Journal & LeftLane News.com, WTOP)

Italy’s Fiat is the new owner of most of Chrysler’s assets, closing a deal Wednesday that saves the troubled U.S. automaker from liquidation and places a new company in the hands of Fiat’s CEO.  The deal creates a leaner company known as Chrysler Group LLC, which is not in bankruptcy protection and is free of billions in debt, 789 underperforming dealerships and burdensome labor costs that hobbled the old Chrysler LLC.   The future of Chrysler Group LLC began to take shape Wednesday as its new leadership announced sweeping management and organizational changes.

The announcements came as Chrysler merged its assets with Fiat SpA (FIATY), following a six-week bankruptcy process for the U.S. auto maker. The last hurdle to the sale of Chrysler assets to Fiat was cleared late Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected creditors’ objections to the deal.

The completion of the Chrysler deal bolsters President Barack Obama’s administration, which guided Chrysler through bankruptcy and hopes that a concurrent restructuring at General Motors Corp. (GM), which filed for Chapter 11 on June 1, will also be completed quickly.

Chrysler confirmed that its new Chief Executive is Sergio Marchionne, who also serves as Fiat’s CEO. Marchionne replaces Robert Nardelli, who served as Chrysler’s chief for the past 20 months. As reported, Robert Kidder, the lead independent director at Morgan Stanley, will become chairman of Chrysler’s new board of directors. Current Vice Chairman Jim Press will be appointed deputy CEO and special advisor, the company said.

Marchionne said in a letter to Chrysler employees that the company will be more focused and nimble, benefiting significantly from its global alliance with the Italian auto maker.   The new Chrysler Group LLC noted that it would soon reopen Chrysler factories that were idled during the bankruptcy process, costing the automaker $100 million per day.

Under the old Chrysler, the automaker’s three brands – Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep – were all vertically integrated. However, Fiat has now separate all parts of Chrysler—including its Mopar parts division – with executives heading up each division. The new setup largely mirrors Fiat’s management style with its Fiat, Alfa Romeoand Lancia brands.

“The new company moves forward with significant strategic advantages, including a healthy balance sheet, a competitive cost structure, a leaner and more efficient dealer network, sound supplier agreements and significantly improved product quality and operational efficiency,” he said in the letter.

Chrysler, the smallest of the three U.S. auto makers, sought emergency government aid and was forced to file for bankruptcy in recent months owing to a steep decline in sales that drained the company’s cash. Chrysler enters this new chapter of its storied history at a time when the outlook for the auto industry remains bleak, amid continued economic weakness and tight credit conditions. Jim Press – Chrysler’s former co-president – might have been questioning his decision to move from Toyota to Chrysler in 2007 in recent weeks, but the automotive exec’s career is safe as Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has named Press the deputy CEO of the reborn Chrysler.

Michael Manley, Michale Accavitti and Peter Fong, all of whom were previously with Chrysler, will run Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler, respectively. Pietro Gorlier, who joins Chrysler from Fiat, will head Mopar.

Chrysler’s swift passage through about six weeks of bankruptcy proceedings was helped by the involvement of the Obama administration’s auto task force, which provided billions in financing and helped negotiate a deal with the company’s stakeholders.

As part of the reorganization plan, the new Chrysler will be 20% owned by Fiat, while more than 55% will be controlled by the United Auto Workers union. Fiat’s stake could increase to 35% if the new company meets benchmarks intended to insure the development of fuel-efficient vehicles in the U.S., and it has the option to become the majority stakeholder once U.S. loans have been repaid. The U.S. and Canadian governments also have minority stakes.

The sale to Fiat SpA marks a victory for the Obama administration, which shepherded Chrysler LLC into Chapter 11 protection on April 30 with the hope that the company would emerge in a matter of months with a new partner.

“This morning’s closing represents a proud moment in Chrysler’s storied history,” said the Treasury Department in a written statement. “The Chrysler-Fiat Alliance has now exited the bankruptcy process and is poised to emerge as a competitive, viable automaker.”

The government will loan the new company $4.7 billion, to be repaid within eight years along with interest and $288 million in fees.

The Treasury had given Chrysler LLC $3.3 billion in debtor-in-possession financing to support the company throughout the bankruptcy process. Chrysler LLC remains in bankruptcy court, as it winds down operations, selling plants it doesn’t want, dispersing payments to debtholders and settling any other claims that were not transferred to the new company. Those actions could linger until next year, if not longer.

As part of the alliance, Fiat will contribute to Chrysler technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-sized cars.

Supreme Court clears the way for Chrysler-Fiat deal

June 9, 2009 at 8:45 pm

(Source:  AP via Yahoo)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for Chrysler LLC’s sale to Fiat, turning down a last-ditch appeal by opponents that included consumer groups and three Indiana pension plans.

The court rejected a plea to block the sale of most of Chrysler’s assets to the Italian automaker. Chrysler, Fiat and the Obama administration had warned that the high court’s intervention could have scuttled the sale.

federal appeals court in New York had earlier approved the sale, but gave opponents until Monday afternoon to try to get the Supreme Court to intervene.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ordered a temporary delay just before a 4 p.m. deadline on Monday. A little more than 24 hours later, the court freed the automakers to complete their deal.

The opponents include a trio of Indiana pension plans, consumer groups and individuals with product-related lawsuits.

The court issued a brief, unsigned opinion explaining its action. To obtain a delay, or stay, someone must show that at least four of the nine justices find that the issue raised is serious enough to warrant hearing a full appeal and that a majority of the court will conclude the lower court decision was wrong.

“The applicants have not carried that burden,” the court said.

Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock expressed disappointment with the decision and said options seem limited for opponents of the sale. “Obviously the supreme court of the land is the supreme court of the land,” Mourdock said. “The United States government has, I continue to believe, acted egregiously by taking away the traditional rights held by secured creditors.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Meet Mr. Brian Deese, The 31-Year-Old in Charge of Reshaping G.M.

June 4, 2009 at 2:05 pm

(Source: New York Times & Fox News)

It is not every 31-year-old who, in a first government job, finds himself dismantling General Motors and rewriting the rules of American capitalism.  

Image Courtesy: New York Times

But that, in short, is the job description for Brian Deese, a not-quite graduate of Yale Law School who had never set foot in an automotive assembly plant until he took on his nearly unseen role in remaking the American automotive industry.  

Nor, for that matter, had he given much thought to what ailed an industry that had been in decline ever since he was born. A bit laconic and looking every bit the just-out-of-graduate-school student adjusting to life in the West Wing — “he’s got this beard that appears and disappears,” says Steven Rattner, one of the leaders ofPresident Obama’s automotive task force — Mr. Deese was thrown into the auto industry’s maelstrom as soon the election-night parties ended.  

“There was a time between Nov. 4 and mid-February when I was the only full-time member of the auto task force,” Mr. Deese, a special assistant to the president for economic policy, acknowledged recently as he hurried between his desk at the White House and the Treasury building next door. “It was a little scary.”

But now, according to those who joined him in the middle of his crash course about the automakers’ downward spiral, he has emerged as one of the most influential voices in what may become President Obama’s biggest experiment yet in federal economic intervention.  So what does Mr.Deese’s resume look like? It should be impressive, considering he’s managing America’s $458,000 per dayinvoluntary investment.

Deese grew up in a Boston suburb, the son of a political science professor at Boston College. He moved to Vermont and attended Middlebury College, where he studied political science and also took time to host a campus radio show called “Bedknobs and Beatniks,” described in one write-up as “a format of music, news, discussion and banter.”

While far more prominent members of the administration are making the big decisions about Detroit, it is Mr. Deese who is often narrowing their options.

A month ago, when the administration was divided over whether to support Fiat’s bid to take over much of Chrysler, it was Mr. Deese who spoke out strongly against simply letting the company go into liquidation, according to several people who were present for the debate.

“Brian grasps both the economics and the politics about as quickly as I’ve seen anyone do this,” said Lawrence H. Summers, the head of the National Economic Council who is not known for being patient whenever he believes an analysis is sub-par — or disagrees with his own. “And there he was in the Roosevelt Room, speaking up vigorously to make the point that the costs we were going to incur giving Fiat a chance were no greater than some of the hidden costs of liquidation.”

Mr. Deese was not the only one favoring the Fiat deal, but his lengthy memorandum on how liquidation would increase Medicaid costs, unemployment insurance and municipal bankruptcies ended the debate. The administration supported the deal, and it seems likely to become a reality on Monday, if a federal judge handling the high-speed bankruptcy proceeding approves the sale of Chrysler’s best assets to the Italian carmaker.

Click here to read the entire article.

Fiat pulls out of Opel talks with German government over funding

May 29, 2009 at 1:01 pm

(Source: Times Online, UK)

Fiat has pulled out of talks with the German Government about Opel, blaming “unreasonable” funding demands, but emphasised that it was not withdrawing its bid for General Motors’ European unit, which owns Opel and Vauxhall.

Sergio Marchionne, Fiat’s chief executive, said that Germany had asked his car group to provide emergency funds for Opel, which would expose it to “extravagant risks”.

Mr Marchionne said “The last round of requests which would require Fiat, among other things, to fund Opel on an emergency basis while the German Government determines the exact timing and conditions of interim financing, would expose Fiat to unnecessary and unwarranted risks.”

Mr Marchionne said that he had not been granted full access to Opel’s financial records and so it was unreasonable to ask Fiat to provide emergency funds. Because today’s meeting will focus specifically on Opel, Fiat would not be attending, he said. However, he said that Fiat remained interested in a potential deal with GM.

“We remain committed to finding ways to bridge the expectations of both General Motors and the German Government, but the emergency nature of the situation cannot put Fiat in a position to take extravagant risks,” he said.

Gareth Thomas, the Trade Minister, will attend the emergency talks in Brussels today. A Commission spokeswoman said: “The aim of the meeting is to exchange information and ensure a level playing field for co-ordination.”

GM is heading for what would be the biggest bankruptcy by an American industrial company after bondholders owning about 20 per cent of its $27.2 billion (£17 billion) unsecured debt agreed to accept a 10 per cent stake in a restructured company and warrants to buy a further 15 per cent in return for forgiving its debt.

A news report from Reuters indicates that top ministers from the German government will meet in Berlin to discuss the future of the Opel unit of General Motors (GM.N) on Friday but no U.S. government officials or representatives from GM will join in, a German government official said on Friday.

Potential bidders Magna and Fiat will not participate in the meeting either, said the official who requested anonymity.

Scoopful of GM and Chrysler News – May 12, 2009

May 12, 2009 at 7:03 pm

REPORT: GAZ confirms interest in OpelGM is said to prefer a single bidder, in the guise of Fiat, while Germany was recently said to prefer Magna’s proposal because of promises to keep production in Germany. If, however, GAZ’s real desire is to increase its Russian production abilities, if it were to take a larger stake in Opel than Magna, there will undoubtedly be conflicts to reso…

GM, LifestyleSinger, songwriter and actress Sarah Spiegel, who apparently worked as a national spokesperson for General Motors last summer, has taken the time amidst all the doom and gloom surrounding America’s largest automaker to write and record what could best be described as either a very short song or an oddly long jingle for Chevy’s upcom…

 

GM: First-gen Volts won’t communicate with grid, future versions will
…According to GM‘s Britta Gross, future versions of the Chevy Volt are expected to have this capability.There are a few possibilities presented by Gross that GM could use to allow the Volt to communicate with utility companies, including its own OnStar technology and, in the future, embedded chips using the Zigbee protocol that could wirelessly c…
2010 Opel Astra: Cruze, Volt Get A German Brother [New Cars]
…According to GM, the smaller 1.4-liter turbo engine is capable of an 8 percent gain in fuel economy over the replaced 1.6- and 1.8-liter engines from the current Astra. Also available at launch is a range of diesel engines delivering added fuel efficiency through an optional 1.3-, 1.7 or 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. Expect to also see an ecoFl…
GM recalls Camaro, Traverse, SUVs/pickups for various issues
GM, GMCGeneral Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have announced a suite of recalls for the Chevrolet Camaro, Traverse and various body-on-frame SUVs and pickups (Cadillac’s Escalade, Chevrolet’s Avalanche, Colorado, Suburban and Tahoe, along with GMC’s Canyon and Yukon). The Camaro recall has been discussed before, bu…
Electric Entertainment: Sarah Spiegel records Chevy Volt Jingle
GM-Volt.com | Image: SarahSpiegel.com]Continue reading Electric Entertainment: Sarah Spiegel records Chevy Volt JingleFiled under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, Green DailyElectric Entertainment: Sarah Spiegel records Chevy Volt Jingle originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 12 May 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of fe…
Tom Hanks Writes a Letter to the New Yorker About his Electric Car
…had a GM EV1 and “watched the emission-free car be wrested from my garage, towed away, and busted up into pieces of metal, glass, and rubber smaller than razor blades.” Well, that’s not the case. Hanks had, and still has, a Toyota RAV4 EV. More details below….
Last drive, indeed. I hope this car finds … [From Comments]
…back into GM‘s portfolio, and soon… it was one of the best cars they had.
GM Shares Drop To Lowest Level Since Great Depression [Carpocalypse]
GM shares trading at a 76-year low. Basically, the lowest level since the last Depression.
Fight for Hydrogen Funding
Hydrogen fuel-cell development was delivered a blow when Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently cut government funds to support it.
Will GM consider moving its headquarters out of Detroit? [w/POLL]
GM, Earnings/FinancialsYesterday’s media question-and-answer session with General Motors’ CEO Fritz Henderson didn’t reveal much in the way of actual news, but at least one question raised a few eyebrows: “Is GM considering moving its corporate headquarters?”While that’s an unlikely scenario, Henderson stopped short of denying the possibility, s…
GM May Consider Move From Detroit, Leave City Motor-Less [Carpocalypse]
GM CEO Fritz Henderson acknowledged Monday the automaker’s open to moving from its RenCen world headquarters along the Detroit River to save millions in taxes. Can Detroit still be called the “Motor City” without automakers? The automaker is under pressure to cut costs by June 1st or face bankruptcy. To that end, GM‘s being courted by Warren May…
Pontiac G8 GXP: Last Drive, Part One [Jalopnik Reviews]
…company like GM could overcome their considerable shortcomings and come out with a reasonably priced world-beating sports sedan like the Pontiac G8 GXP. Whatever their recent successes, the company has history of taking careful aim at a performance target and hitting themselves squarely in the foot, so some skepticism is only natural. Yet there’…
Hey, Chevy Volt — Why So Angry?
GM is hanging its corporate future on the Chevy Volt. That’s a great honor for a vehicle. So why does the eco-friendly would-be savior car look so incredibly pissed off? When the Volt’s fiercely peeved appearance was noted by commenter over at Jalopnik a few days ago, a fellow commenter pointed …
Leaked GM document shows automaker plans to sell China-built cars to U.S. consumers
GM, UAW/UnionsA planning document given to lawmakers by General Motors reportedly shows that the Detroit-based automaker plans to ship 17,335 autos from China for sale in the U.S. in 2011. If GM succeeds in importing vehicles to the U.S. from China, it could be the first automaker to do so.The document doesn’t show which vehicle would be brought…
Six Top GM Executives Liquidate Stock Holdings [Carpocalypse]
…Six GM executives, including outgoing product czar “Maximum” Bob Lutz, disclosed Monday they sold almost $315,000 in stock and liquidated their remaining direct holdings in the automaker ahead of a probable stock-value-rendered-worthless bankruptcy. The five other executives, including Lutz’s successor, Thomas Stephens, GM North America Presiden…
REPORT: Execs including Bob Lutz, Troy Clarke dump GM stock
GM, Earnings/FinancialsAs General Motors teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, several major executives have just taken advantage of an opportunity to sell their stock shares just after the company’s quarterly earnings report came out in May. Among them, Bob Lutz, Troy Clarke, Thomas Stephens and several others decided that it was better to cash o…
Henderson: Buyer for Opel picked by end of month
GM, Opel, FIATThe Opel brand may be churning out some solid-looking products of late, but the European brand isn’t long for theGM world. That isn’t news, but the fact that a buyer will be chosen before the end of May is. GM CEO Fritz Henderson promised the quick turnaround of Opel during a Monday news conference, saying “several bidders” are in…
VIDEO: Elon Musk misrepresents Chevy Volt performance, Tesla getting few new orders for Roadster
GM, Tesla MotorsVIDEO: Elon Musk misrepresents Chevy Volt performance, Tesla getting few new orders for Roadster originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 11 May 2009 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds
Buying GM Stock Is NOT Like Gambling At A Casino [Carpocalypse]
…distinction between GM stock and casino gambling is at a casino, if the player loses, the dealer still wins. Nobody wins with GMstock.
REPORT: Homologation of Fiat products for U.S. to take 18 months
Chrysler, LLC., FIATAccording to Automotive News, twenty Fiat engineers have visited Chrysler headquarters to begin merging the companies’ product planning departments. The current Fiat cars that will soon go on sale as Chrysler models, though, will still need some 18 months in order to be homologated according to U.S. federal regulations. Inclu…
Obama Knows… How Much Chrysler Should Spend On Advertising [Carpocalypse]
…Force cut Chrysler‘s planned bankruptcy marketing budget, $134 million for nine weeks of advertisements, in half. Apparently the Obama Administration’s like Bo Jackson from those old Nike “Bo knows” commercials. The overwhelmingly desperate state the automakers are in, essentially living on the dole, has put them into a position where they’re su…
GE to Open Sodium-Metal Halide Battery Plant in New York
…with Chrysler for plug-in vehicles under a DOE-funded project. (Earlier post.) Of the dual-battery concept, Glen Merfeld, lab manager for the Chemical Energy Systems Lab at GE Global Research wrote: Lithium-ion batteries, which are most often discussed for passenger cars, deliver a lot of power for acceleration but are less optimized in prov…
GM May Consider Move From Detroit, Leave City Motor-Less [Carpocalypse]
…home to Chrysler, GM was the lone holdout still located within the boundaries of the city of Detroit. Without GM, do we still call Detroit the “Motor City?” Yes, it’s still the “Motor City” but the fact that GM’s even looking to leave the city is just another example of how this once-proud industrial icon-of-a-city has gone from heroic “Arsenal …
AEV J8 MILSPEC: Offroading Jeep’s Forbidden Fruit [Jalopnik Reviews]
Chrysler doesn’t offer it to US civilian buyers. American Expedition Vehicles saw this opportunity and contracted with Chrysler to obtain up to 120 vehicle kits a year, which they assemble and sell as a rolling chassis to rabid Wrangler fans who will supply their own motivation, installed at an approved dealer. We just had to know what it could …
REPORT: Obama administration slashes Chrysler ad budget by 50%
Chrysler, LLC.Chrysler is nearly two weeks into its bankruptcy, and the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker is already getting an idea of just how engaged the Obama administration plans to be in the process. Chrysler planned to spend $134 million dollars on advertising during its supposed nine weeks of bankruptcy, but the Auto Task Force has …
Driving the Dodge Circuit, now with video
…time with Chrysler‘s EV while getting the run-through on the Circuit’s technology from John Myers, the EV’s project lead and ENVI employee. The bumpy roads weren’t quite long and straight enough for our liking, but we did get the chance to learn a bit more aboutChrysler‘s EV strategy and why the automaker thinks its ENVI battery program is bett…
Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky could live on… with different parents
…would ape Chrysler‘s plan for the Dodge Viper’s production facilities, allowing another automaker to take control and continue building the niche model.The Delaware plant also produces the Opel GT, a rebadged variant of the U.S. market Solstice and Sky, for GM’s German arm, and it’s obvious that as the General rushes to restructure before its Ju…

Scoopful of GM and Chrysler News – May 11, 2009

May 11, 2009 at 4:24 pm

Elon Musk, Tesla Motors’ CEO: Once The Electric Charge Dies, The Chevy Volt Is Like A Lawnmower…

GM Hires Search Firm for New Board GM has hired a search firm to help find replacements for at least half of its 12 directors, reflecting Obama’s increasing influence over the auto maker

Sakti3 Seeking $15 million DOE grant, Strikes GM Partnership…Engineers from GM and Sakti3 will collaborate to design new materials integral to future battery technologies. GM is not providing funding, and Sakti3 remains an independent company. Sakti3 is also becoming a client of Ricardo Inc. to further develop the battery technology.
 
Opel does a fan-dance with 2010 Astra teasers…with the GM global empire on the verge of disintegration, it’s hard to say at this point where the Astra might end up. We’ll have to wait for more over the course of the summer, but in the meantime, feast your eyes on the teasers in the gallery below.Gallery: 2010 Opel Astra teasers[Source: Opel via CarScoop]Opel does a fan-dance with 2010 Astra…

Transportation Headlines for Monday May 11, 2009GM Stick to Fuel-Cell Plans as Obama Guts Hydrogen FundsBloombergImagine If People Really Drove the Speed LimitLA StreetsBlogI still believe in public transportationOC MetblogsPort proposed expansion expected to draw a crowd to the Long Beach councilPress TelegramSan Jose and LA Use Technology to Ease Downtown Parking CongestionPublic CEOSan Mar..

Experts call GM bankruptcy ‘almost inevitable’ [w/POLL]GM, Earnings/FinancialsTo stave off bankruptcy, General Motors must rework its union contracts, drastically cut its capacity, workforce and dealer networks – and convince creditors to take 10 cents on the dollar on $27 billion in unsecured debt. In two months. That’s a herculean task for any company, much less for a monolith the size of The Gene…

Review: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 goes to Hell and back…just as GM reached the pinnacle of high performance cars, the world economy imploded. The global financial bubble got pierced from multiple sides and sales of cars at every price and performance level vaporized. Fortunately for us, GM is still hanging in there and Chevrolet let us have a few days of quality time with a ZR1 while the opportunity …

GM: Mascoma ethanol process works as promised in laboratory testingGM: Mascoma ethanol process works as promised in laboratory testing originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 11 May 2009 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

2010 Opel Astra Gets “Full Lutz” Skirt-Lift [Spy Photos]…on the GM‘s Delta II architecture, the same as the Chevy Volt. But don’t expect the Astra to come as a plug-in or standard hybrid, at least, not at first. Do expect to see a new 1.4-liter, turbocharged gasoline/petrol engine with various power outputs. Opel will likely be reserving its 2.0-liter engine for an OPC version (or the Astra VRX for Va…

Latest findings says cars more affordable now than they have been since study began in 1979…GMWhile tanking auto sales are bad for automakers, the customers buying cars and trucks are paying less for them than any time in the past 30 years. Comerica Bank’s Auto Affordability Index shows that a vehicle with a $26,000 MSRP takes the average family 21.5 weeks of median income to buy. That’s 1.3 weeks less than in December of 2008, as ince…

 Rumormill: Suzuki to join Marchionne’s Fiat/Chrysler/Opel super-group…forces with Chrysler, Opel, Saab and General Motors Latin America, the Italian auto group is expanding its home base to the United States, Germany, Sweden and South America. So what’s it missing? Japan. The latest rumors out of Automotive News Europe could go a long way towards addressing that omission, as the trade organ is reporting that Fiat …

Fiat’s partnership with Chrysler could bring the Ford Ka to America…partnership with Chrysler could actually allow Ford to bring its small and super efficient Ka city car to the U.S. market. How so?The latest version of Ford’s diminutive Ka shares its basic underpinnings with the Fiat 500, which is one of the first small cars Fiat hopes to sell in the United States through Chrysler‘s under-utilized dealer networ…

Driving the Dodge Circuit, now with video…works for Chrysler‘s ENVI and was project lead on the Dodge Circuit EV, talk about the car. The bumpy roads weren’t quite long and straight enough for our liking, but at least we got to learn a little bit more about Chrysler‘s EV strategy and why the automaker thinks it’s ENVI battery strategy is better than Tesla’s. Having driven both the Circu…

LOOK: The Motorless City…or Chrysler’s; they move instead on Schwinns, BMX’s, and behind some of the 600 horses that pull the town’s quaint Victorian carriages. It’s a place that looks, in some respects, frozen in time. But…

Rumormill: Could the Fiat-Chrysler deal yield a North American Ford Ka?Chrysler, LLC., Ford, FIAT, Rumormill The 2009 Ford Ka – Click above for a high-res gallery It’s a long shot, but according to The Detroit Free Press, Chrysler‘s deal with Fiat could result in Ford offering the cutesy Ka for sale in North America. As you may recall, Ford co-developed the Ka’s platform with Fiat (it shares its chassis with the 5…

2011 Chrysler 300C Reveals Previously Unseen Clay Rump [Spy Photos]Chrysler‘s Viability Plan earlier this year revealed the design direction for the 2011 Chrysler 300C. Now, thanks to Chrysler PR, we’ve got a partial view of the new Detroit gangsta-mobile’s rump. Also depicted is a quarter scale clay model just above the head oChrysler‘s Senior VP of Design Ralph Gilles. Seeing as it’s in quarter scale, it doe…

Dodge Pulls Plug On Circuit EV Electric Sports Car? [Over The Back Fence]…month after Chrysler ran a full page ad in our national newspapers and also finalizing a deal with A123 Systems to supply the battery packs, a heavy-handed rumor is coming down the stream that the whole project might be dead in the water causing at least one question to be raised: Was the Dodge Circuit EV ever intended for production or was it j…

Cummins not ready to give up on light duty diesel regardless of Chrysler‘s fate…standing was Chrysler, and even that company pushed back its new Cummins-developed light duty diesel until at least 2011. Mike Levine from PickupTrucks.com spoke with Mark Land, director of public relations at Cummins, about the new light-duty diesel engine. Apparently, the diesel engine maker is very confident that its new engine will get adopt…

Chrysler’s sorry state revealed Bankruptcy court filings reveal the complications the auto business – and just how much trouble Chrysler is in.

GM, Chrysler Polish Dealer Cut List Thousands of GM and Chrysler dealerships could learn their fate within the next few days as auto makers choose which they will cut.

Chrysler Hedges on Dealer Cuts Chrysler has “no active plan” to drop any of its dealers in the U.S., although it is working on “contingencies” to do so as part of its restructuring in bankruptcy court, Vice Chairman Jim Press said.

Nascar Feels Chrysler’s Pain The fall of Chrysler is just the latest setback for Nascar, a once red-hot sports phenomenon.

Scoopful of GM and Chrysler News – May 8, 2009

May 8, 2009 at 3:55 pm

White House Sees U.S. Holding GM Stake for At Least 2 Years The Obama administration is planning for the U.S. government to hold an ownership stake in a revamped General Motors for “at least two years,” a person briefed by the administration on its plans said Friday.

 Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says GM in ‘good hands’ – The Detroit News…LaHood says GM in ‘good hands’The Detroit News, MIWashington — US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Friday endorsed General Motors Corp.’s new CEO as the right man to lead the Detroit automaker, saying, “GM is in very good hands.” Fritz Henderson took over as CEO on March 30 after the Obama …California in running for h…

More GM Cuts: Cadillac STS-V and Pontiac G6 GXP both gone for 2010GM, Pontiac 2009 Pontiac G6 GXP Sedan – Click above for high-res image gallery Pluto, the Roman god of Hades, is currently on a tour of the General Motors product garage and he’s taking a few cars with him from the land of the living. After sending the Impala SS and the Cobalt SS to the underworld, he has just added to his collection the Cadilla…

Toyota hammered with $7.7B loss in Q1 …than even GM‘s just-reported loss of $6 billion. Toyota now expects to lose $5.5 billion for the year ending March 2010, surpassing the $4.4 billion it lost in the just-concluded year.The reasons for Toyota’s reversal of fortune is well documented. Global sales were down 21.9% last year, with the most stark losses occurring in the U.S. and Europ…

Song remains the same: GM loses billions, Volt still on track…res gallery GM‘s announced yesterday that it lost $6 billion in the first quarter of 2009. That’s par for the course for the General these days. What’s also pretty standard was the immediate confirmation that work on the Chevy Volt is going A-OK and that, as GM‘s product development chief Tom Stephens said, “At this point in time, I know of no r…

Toyota First Quarter Losses Higher Than GM [Carpocalypse]…more than GM lost! That’s some pretty big news — especially considering GM dropped $6 billion during the first quarter. Jeez, if only Toyota were building some fuel-efficient, dependable appliance-type vehicles, right? [Reuters, WSJ]

GM and U of M create new institute for research …GMGeneral Motors and the University of Michigan have been working together on vehicle technology for 50 years, and a new institute will take the long-standing relationship to the next level. GM researchers will work with U of M faculty and students to develop new battery, engine, manufacturing, and smart materials technology to expedite the adva…

Sandia Successfully Completes Hydrogen Storage System for GM…designed for GM. To the right is the “SmartBed,” featuring a thermal management system with individual control of four identical modules, each of which is a shell and tube heat exchanger. The sodium alanate material used to store the hydrogen resides within the tubes. (Photo by Randy Wong) Click to enlarge.Researchers at Sandia National Laborato…

Nissan skipping SEMA this year, Mazda limiting presence Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA, Tuners, Mazda, Nissan, Holden Troy Lee Designs Mazda6 from SEMA 2008 – Click above for a high-res image gallery Participation at last year’s SEMA show was notable for its absences, with the event’s organizers struggling at the last minute to fill vacated floor space with companies that would have normally been shunne…

Booo! GM also canceling Cobalt SS Sedan for 2010 GM also canceling Cobalt SS Sedan for 2010

G.M. Suffers Big Loss. Is Bankruptcy Next?General Motors could be one step closer to bankruptcy, after posting a $6 billion loss for the first quarter. The Obama administration’s auto task force has given G.M. until June 1 to come up with a plan to prove its viability. After reporting a 40 percent loss in worldwide sales, G.M. doesn’t seem likely to do […]

Save the Cheerleader? GM creates Hero Edition Corvette ZR1 to benefit Kids Wish NetworkGM‘s team of Corvette designers and engineers equipped this particular ‘Vette with a bespoke graphics package with red accents in lieu of the normal blue. Other special bits include “additional carbon fiber components,” though we’re left wondering what those composite pieces may be.You can’t actually go to your nearest Chevy dealership and order…

 The Chrysler Building: Biggest Mopar Ever [Carpocalypse]…all know Chrysler‘s facing some rough times, but let’s turn back the clock to 1930 and talk about the biggest Chrysler ever built.Chrysler Corporation was growing and in desperate need for — something — to represent its achievements. What better place to shine than New York City. Designed by architect, William Van Alen, the Chrysler Building wa..

Rendered Speculation: Alfa Romeo Milano, the next 147…the next Chrysler Sebring. The versatile building block will offer various lengths and widths in FWD and 4-wheel-drive versions, and propulsion will be courtesy of MultiAir engines. Unveiling of the 5-door hatchback is expected at either Frankfurt later this year, or Geneva in 2010.[Source: Car]Rendered Speculation: Alfa Romeo Milano, the next 1…

Chrysler reveals more facets of “We Build” campaignChrysler, LLC. Click above to watch all five commercials after the jump Chrysler sales have been abysmal throughout 2009, and with the uncertainty of bankruptcy, the short-term sales outlook is decidedly bad. To get the word out to its customers that the Pentastar is alive and well (except for its idled plants), Chrysler is launching a new campa…

Classic Ad: Chrysler’s Promise of a Small CarChrysler‘s former chairman, Lee A. Iacocca, makes some lofty promises in this 1984 commercial, including the introduction of a small car. Will we hear the same from Fiat’s chief executive, Sergio Marchionne?

Greenlings: Can we build a better battery with lithium?Chrysler ENVI battery packsGallery: Tesla smart mule and batteryContinue reading Greenlings: Can we build a better battery with lithium?Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, GreenlingsGreenlings: Can we build a better battery with lithium? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 07 May 2009 19:52:00 EST. Please see …

Nissan skipping SEMA this year, Mazda limiting presence…out on Chrysler, and Honda is currently evaluating their presence, although it may be reduced compared to previous years. No matter what automakers pull-out of this year’s show, expect less products on tables, fewer vendors on the floor and even fewer attendees as the aftermarket continues to struggle to keep its head above water.Gallery: SEMA 2…

Misery loves company: Throwing our wig into the ring at Reno-Fernley LeMons…onto any Chrysler product “competing” in Reno to honor the automaker’s latest union.Registration ended on March 14, so those of you who missed the deadline narrowly avoiding our cold steel scythe of justice. But if you want to come out and enjoy the madness, spectator tickets are available for either a single day or the entire wretched weekend. …

The 2011 Jeep Phoenix… why not?…gallery With Chrysler‘s proposed alliance with Fiat all but a done deal, people have begun turning their attention towards the Italian automaker’s vehicle line up and creating a wish list of which ones they’d like to see for sale over here in the U.S. Thing is, those people should keep in mind that any Fiat making the long trek overseas may not …

Chrysler Plan’s Foes Step BackA group of Chrysler lenders who opposed the government’s restructuring plan for the auto maker is disbanding after two of its five members backed out.