ON THE TABLE

January 20, 2010

 Carroll Shelby. Publisher's Note: Well, "Ol' Shel' " is at it again, this time with a modern take on the classic GT350 Mustang. Never one to miss wringing out an extra buck from a willing group of sycophant fans who think they're somehow getting a piece of the legend when all they're really doing is lining his pockets with "stupid" money, Shelby has announced a "new" GT350 Mustang based on the 2011 Mustang GT complete with modified bodywork, the obligatory white with blue racing stripes paint motif, and a list of suspension and brake modifications - along with a supercharger atop Ford's new 412HP 5.0-liter V8 - which is said to deliver around 500HP. For this you pay $33,995 to Shelby American, which is over and above the cost of your new 2011 Mustang GT, which will be $30,000+. Amy Boylan, president of Shelby American, told Chris Woodyard in USA Today that, "This car is our most radically designed. We don't take it apart and slap (new parts) on. We've done a complete body change." A complete body change? Right. No, what they've done is exactly what they've always done in the modern, "Hi, I'm Carroll Shelby and if y'all are stupid enough to keep handing me money I'm gonna keep building stuff designed to lighten your wallets" era, and that is to take apart a Mustang and slap some new parts on it and call it good. For one fleeting moment in time Shelby and his band of merry men - some of the most talented, creative and dedicated people in racing history - stood the racing world on its ear in the 60s with the famed Cobra, Cobra Daytona Coupe and the Shelby Mustang. Unfortunately ever since then, or at least since Shelby discovered that he he could double-down on his legacy - even though he turned his back on that legacy repeatedly in the years immediately following those glory days - Shelby has been a revenue generatin' caricature, a man possessed with chasing every last buck that he can get his hands on, no matter how vacuous and silly it gets. Ironically, Shelby told Woodyard, "I still have the passion to do it, but sometimes I get discouraged with interference from lawyers and accountants." Really? And this from a guy who has kept lawyers busy for decades chasing down anyone who was forward-thinking enough to understand what the Cobra was and what it meant to American racing history, when Shelby himself was slow on the uptake and late to the realization party. I will always cherish that fleeting moment in time when a bunch of California hot-rodders came together and made racing history. But the Shelby legacy since then? Not. So. Much. - PMD

 Dodge. Publisher's Note: Chrysler is going to appear on this year's Super Bowl broadcast with new work for Dodge from its new ad agency, Wieden+Kennedy, in Portland, Oregon. I applaud this move simply for the fact that Dodge has been so far off of consumer radar screens and for so long now that the Auburn Hills bunch has to do something to move the needle. I even had to defend the idea of Dodge being on the Super Bowl in a national television appearance on Monday against people who believe it's a waste of taxpayers money. No, it would be a waste of taxpayers money if Chrysler-Dodge didn't do anything to drive traffic to its dealers. As I've said repeatedly, Chrysler's survival hinges on its performance over the next 24 months, long before any of the Fiat-orchestrated models hit showrooms here. So they're going to need all the help they can get in the meantime. Is a Super Bowl ad for an automaker a crap shoot? Oh, hell yes. There is nothing worse than a car spot that blends into the woodwork on our national marketing holiday, the "Oscars" for the ad world. So if Wieden+Kennedy doesn't deliver something great on Super Bowl Sunday, I'll be the first to hammer them. But at this point, they've got to at least step up to the plate and give it a shot. - PMD

Stefan Jacoby. From "The Beautifully Delusional Dreamer" File comes word that Jacoby, the CEO of VW Group of America, said in a speech last week in Detroit that he expects VW sales to more than double after 2011 to around 450,000 units. This will happen, according to Jacoby, due to a redesigned Jetta and Touareg, a new New Beetle, and a new mid-sized sedan that will be built in its new Tennessee plant in late 2011 (hopefully). Really? For the record VW sold 213,454 vehicles in the U.S. in 2009. Jacoby also expects VW to be selling 800,000 units a year here by 2018. Huh? On the one hand there's something eminently likable about a guy who shoots for the stars. On the other hand Jacoby is teetering on the far edges of delusional thinking if he actually believes that some magic switch is going to go off and that VW sales will double in this country after 24 months. And don't even get us started on that 2018 number. Call us crazy, but we have one word for Mr. Jacoby: Notgonnahappen.com.

Ralph Gilles. Publisher's Note: The CEO of the Dodge brand and Chrysler Group's design chief said in a speech last week in Detroit that the ability to add more technology in vehicles will separate the winners from the losers in the car business going forward. Gilles even went so far as to say, "Technology is going to be the trump card -- absolutely, without question ... making the active interface the reason people buy a car in the future." He also said only 5 percent of the millennial generation cares about styling. Why is that, Ralph? Maybe it's because of the rise of the Craptastic Movement in the design field - which you contributed to on more than one occasion, by the way - that's the real problem. Design will be the Ultimate Initial Product Differentiator for the foreseeable future. I don't care how much technology and interfacing is going on in a vehicle, if it doesn't draw people in at first glance with distinctive design, it's not going to matter how much connectivity is in it. - PMD

Japan, Inc. Japan has announced that it will open its "cash for clunkers" program to the U.S. domestic automakers, its embassy said today, according to David Shephardson writing for The Detroit News. The Japanese Embassy, under intense pressure from Congress, defended its program as nondiscriminatory but agreed to allow Detroit's automakers to take part. Critics of the Japanese program suggest that while U.S. vehicles had been shut out of Japan's "clunkers" program, Japanese brands grabbed 319,300 out of a total of 677,000 in sales in the $3 billion U.S. "cash for clunkers" program last year. But in the overall scheme of things we'll just file this story under whogivesashit.com, because the government of Japan has done everything in their power to prevent the U.S. automakers from gaining a foothold in their market for decades. And this futile gesture won't make one damn bit of difference on any level anyway.

Toyota. The Wall Street Journal reports today that Toyota has moved to protect its source of lithium through its Toyota Tsusho Corp. - which Toyota Motor owns 21.8 percent of - by securing a long-term source of the alkaline metal in Argentina, edging out Chinese interests. The Japanese government - they don't call it Japan Inc. for nothin', folks - provided low-cost loans to Toyota so it could make the deal. This is only one of a series of first shots in the war for global resources as manufacturers scramble to secure their supplies of lithium to make electric car batteries, and Toyota is out to corner a large share of the market. Uh-oh.

(Maserati North America)

Maserati North America has announced a base MSRP of $135,800 in the United States for its four-seat 2010 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible. The beautiful roadster comes in nine standard exterior colors and five optional hues. There are ten shades of Poltrona Frau leather for the interior and six different soft top colors (Black, Burgundy, Blue, Dark Gray, Beige and Dark Brown). Three wood trims are available: Rosewood (standard), with Walnut and Wenge as no cost options. You also get a 433 HP, 4.7 liter V8 engine and six-speed adaptive automatic transmission with standard paddle shifters, 20” Birdcage design wheels, Skyhook active suspension system, Rear Park Sensors, Chromeline exterior trim. Dual-Twin Sport Exhaust system with chrome outlets, Bose Surround Sound System and Red Brake Calipers (with five other colors available as options). The sexy Maserati's triple insulated soft top retracts fully in 24 seconds leaving the rear seat and trunk space unchanged with the roof open or closed. Buyers can choose from a vast array of colors, materials and trim to create their own style. A tailored set of luggage by Ferragamo is even available. 56 North American Maserati dealers are accepting preliminary orders now with deliveries anticipated for late spring. Full details are available at www.maserati.us. 

Editor's Note: Speaking of Maserati, one of our favorite pastimes here at AE is to peruse the ads on Swap-a-Lease. If you're down about being upside-down in your lease, take a look at some of the ones we've found this week...how about 29 months left on a 2009 Maserati GranTurismo for $3085 per month? Or 31 months on a 2007 911 Turbo for $2002 per month? Or 22 months on a 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage for $2147 per month? Or our favorite - 27 months on a 2007 Rolls-Royce Phantom for $5787 per month. But hey, with only 5,082 miles on it, there are still nearly 120,000 miles left on the lease - so there's that anyway! -WG

(BMW)
MINI is adding a fourth model - "a genuine Crossover" as they're calling to it - called the Countryman. MINI says that the vehicle "bridges the gap between the classic concept of the MINI and a modern Sports Activity Vehicle." Really? And this is something we were all clamoring for? They also go on to say, "As the first model in the MINI range with four doors and a wide-opening rear lid, the MINI Countryman provides even greater freedom of space for truly versatile use, a slightly elevated seating position, and optimized driving comfort. Full integration of the passengers within the vehicle creates that driving experience so typical of MINI. And at the same time the MINI Countryman maintains that go-kart feeling likewise so characteristic of MINI, optional MINI ALL4 all-wheel drive offering an additional highlight for the genuine connoisseur. In a nutshell, therefore, the MINI Countryman offers all the characteristic features of the brand in terms of design, premium quality, handling, efficiency and customization in new, fascinating style." Right. And that "go-kart feeling" - ??? Uh, whatever.

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Publisher's Note: Check-out John McElroy's daily news show covering everything about the auto biz by clicking on the graphic below. Good stuff guaranteed. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" hosted by Autoline Detroit's John McElroy, with Peter De Lorenzo and friends this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

 

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