March 3, 2010
Toyota. After all the recalls, the subsequent hand-wringing, the public floggings, the mea culpas, the relentlessly negative news onslaught, the "I'm sorrys," and a PR nightmare of monumental proportions, Toyota sales were off only 9 percent in February. And now, the Japanese automaker is cranking up a batch of spring sales incentives that threaten to turn the market upside down again. Now we'll see just how deep, talented and committed the Toyota dealer body really is. We won't be surprised if Toyota were to post double-digit sales gains for March, April and May.
Toyota. It has become public that Toyota execs didn't heed a clearcut warning about the growing safety recalls involving the company's cars from its former head of U.S. operations, Jim Press, back in 2006. Seems that the Japanese executives weren't real big on that whole listening thing back then, were they?
Mark Reuss. The good news is that GM finally has a real leader at the helm again, and no Big Ed, it's not you. GM North America President Mark Reuss separates sales from the marketing function, and rearranges the key players. He will now have sales and "Customer Care and Aftersales" (formerly the Service and Parts Organization) reporting directly to him, while Susan Docherty will retain her lead role in the marketing function, reporting to Reuss. The old-style divisional brand manager function has been eliminated, replaced by divisional marketing vice presidents. The bad news, at least for the players down there? There's another big change coming down the road.
Bryan Nesbitt. His "grand experiment" is over at Cadillac, and now Nesbitt will get back, get back, get back to where he once belonged at GM Design.
Alan Beaty. Batey is the freshly-minted vice president of sales and service for Chevrolet. Batey was most recently president and managing director of GM's Holden operations in Australia (he had replaced Mark Reuss, who ran Holden for two years before coming back to the states). Batey is definitely a guy to watch, trust us on this one.
Chris Preuss. The former vice president, communications for GM reporting to Ed Whitacre, Preuss will become the vice president (and also president) of OnStar. A replacement for Chris will be named at a later date, but it will be interesting to watch who becomes the Chief PR Wrangler for Big Ed. Publisher's Note: Well, that didn't take long. Selim Bingol, a senior vice president and senior partner at Fleishman-Hillard - and croney of "Big Ed" - who previously worked with Whitacre as senior vice president of corporate communications at AT&T, will be GM's new communications guru, replacing Chris Preuss. - PMD
(All photos courtesy of Porsche)
Publisher's Note: Just when you think the money "pirates" have warped Porsche's collective corporate brain and destroyed its soul for good, Porsche unveils something so totally Porsche - the good Porsche - that it makes your knees buckle. On the eve of the Geneva Motor Show, Porsche unveiled - in their words - "an ultra-efficient, low-emission, mid-engine super sports car featuring hybrid and electric drive technology." The mid-engine Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid concept combines "Porsche’s Intelligent Performance philosophy with the high-technology from motorsport, with classic but modern design to make a truly convincing statement." Said to deliver an emission level of just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometer on fuel consumption of only three liters/100 kilometers (equal to approximately 78 mpg U.S.), the 918 is intended to offer the performance of a super sports car with numbers that will make you sit up and take notice: 0 to 100 km/h in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph), and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring in less than 7 minutes 30 seconds, faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT, according to Porsche. The 918 Spyder is powered by a high-revving 500HP+ V8 with a maximum engine speed of 9,200 rpm – as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 horsepower (160 kW). The V8 is an evolution of the 3.4-liter engine featured in the RS Spyder racing car. A seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission feeds the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a fixed transmission ratio. The energy reservoir is a fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. The battery can be charged on a regular electrical network, and the car’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy fed into the battery when applying the brakes, thus providing additional energy for acceleration. A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among four different running modes: The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 25 km or 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode, the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving conditions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel-efficient all the way to extra-powerful. The Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance. Most of the drive power goes to the rear wheels, with Torque Vectoring serving to additionally improve the car’s driving dynamics. In the Race Hybrid mode the drive systems are focused on pure performance with the highest standard of driving dynamics on the track, running at the limit to their power and dynamic output. With the battery sufficiently charged, a "push-to-pass" button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), when overtaking or for even better performance. "With the hybrid drive system offering this wide range of individual modes and applications, the 918 Spyder is able either to achieve lap times comparable to those of a thoroughbred racing car, or the extremely low emissions and high fuel economy figures of a plug-in hybrid, " Porsche says. Porsche concludes by saying, "Offering a unique combination of extremely low fuel consumption, supreme performance and long electric range, the Porsche 918 Spyder concept represents an essential milestone in Porsche’s strategy on the way to genuine electric-mobility." I could go on (and on) about the 918 Spyder but suffice to say, if this is the future of high performance - and Porsche - me likey very much. - PMD
(BMW)
The weekend of April 23-25, 2010, will see the breathtaking grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and Villa Erba in Cernobbio once again offering an exquisite stage for the most dramatic classics of the past and the most visionary concept cars of the present. The first Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este was held here on the banks of Lake Como in 1929, and today no other event of its kind can match its heritage and tradition. The Concorso begins on Saturday with a program for invited guests. On Sunday, all car fans will then have the chance to admire these automotive masterpieces at close quarters in the adjacent parkland of Villa Erba. Admission to Villa Erba in Cernobbio is 14 euros (concessions 8 euros).
WE'RE OPENING THE VAULT!
The AE wearables are back - and only in extremely limited quantities and sizes, we might add - and once they're gone, they're gone! We're starting with our most popular items, the classic AE Sweatshirt and AE Hat. Click on a PayPal button below to order yours now! (If you prefer to pay by check, please send us an email with AE STORE in the subject line, and we'll reserve your item.)
AE Sweatshirt - Crewneck, sturdy 80/20 cotton/poly, in black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. Size XL only. 40 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.
AE Hat - Black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. 25 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.
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. By the way, if you'd like to subscribe to the Autoline After Hours podcasts, click on the following links: Subscribe via iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=311421319 http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/podcasts/feeds/afterhours-audio.xml
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