ON THE TABLE
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 09:14AM June 16, 2010
Dodge. The latest TV spot for the Dodge Challenger debuted during the World Cup match between the U.S. and England last weekend. The spot takes us back to the Revolutionary War as we see British troops preparing for an onslaught, while slow, soulful battle music plays. But instead of U.S. troops, a fleet of Dodge Challengers comes storming over the hills, U.S. flags flying proudly, with a George Washington-esque figure at the wheel of one of them. The spot ends with the voiceover, "Here's a couple of things America got right - cars and freedom." It's a mildly entertaining spot, at best, perfect for the U.S./U.K. World Cup battle but that's about all. It is not, however, as the ever-so-pretentious Wieden+Kennedy ad agency explains on their website "...a new American folktale about how American freedom was created." Give us a break.
NewPage Corp. From the "Uh-oh" File comes word that "Minimum Bob" Nardelli has been named non-executive chairman of Ohio-based NewPage Corp., a former unit of MeadWestvaco Corp. The company makes coated paper products. Cerberus acquired NewPage back in 2005 for $2.3 billion, according to the Dayton Daily News and Automotive News. Nardelli assumed the reins today (June 15) while the former CEO, Chairman and vice president of human resources left NewPage for parts unknown. How long before Nardelli makes a pronouncement about orchestrating "the reinvention of the paper industry" - ? And how long before he runs this company into the ground too?
VW. The German automaker announced its 2011 Jetta sedan due here in the fall and it's noticeably longer - with 3.5" more rear legroom than the current car - and has a base price that's around $2,000 cheaper. Bigger and cheaper? No wonder they're advertising $200/month blow-out leases around here for 2010 Jettas still in stock.
GM. The RenCen bunch tells the German government to skip the aid request for $2.2 billion to shore up its Opel and Vauxhall subsidiaries and will now go it alone. Good move, as they weren't getting anywhere with those discussions anyway.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: EyesOn Design and the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO) will host its annual EyesOn Design Car Show on Father's Day, June 20, 2010, at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. This year's theme is The Evolution of Automobile Design. The annual event is a celebration of world-class design in areas such as automotive, aviation and furniture and is one of the "must sees" for car enthusiasts in the area. Proceeds from the event support the DIO's research initiatives. The show starts at 10:30AM and concludes at 4:00PM. Earlier this year, the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology announced that Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Design and Brand Management, Nissan Motor Company Ltd, has been elected as the 2010 Lifetime Design Achievement Award winner for the EyesOn Design Automotive Exhibit. The DIO also announced that Bill Warner, Founder and Co-Chairman of The Amelia Island Concours d' Elegance, will be the Honorary Chair. - PMD
(BMW)
BMW of North America has announced a production run of thirty identically-equipped 2011 Frozen Gray M3 Coupes for the United States in honor of the 25th anniversary of the original BMW M3. The 2011 Frozen Gray M3 Coupe features a special matte-gray paint and unique Fox Red / Black bi-color Novillo leather interior. According to BMW, "Compared to conventional exterior colors with gloss finish, the sculpture-like character of Frozen Gray paint highlights the athletic contours of the M3." To achieve this luster, a special BMW ColorSystem silk matte clear coat is applied over the Space Gray Metallic base coat. This will be the first and only opportunity to obtain Frozen Gray Metallic exterior paint on the M3 for the 2011 model year in the United States. Each of these special M3 Coupes will be powered by the 4.0-liter, 414-horsepower M V8 and equipped with BMW’s M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT). Also included is the new M3 Competition Package, which adds an exclusive set of 19-inch wheels and other upgrades. BMW M enthusiasts will be able to reserve a 2011 Frozen Gray M3 Coupe by dialing 1-800-245-4269 no earlier than 11:30AM Eastern Time (8:30AM Pacific) on Monday, June 21, 2010. The price? It will have a MSRP of $77,600 and it will be available for delivery in late June 2010 through Authorized BMW Centers. The production run will be completed by the end of July. Additionally, each purchase of the 2011 Frozen Gray M3 Coupe will include a one-day enrollment at the BMW Performance Driving School in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "quick take" this week covers the 2010 Mazda3 i Touring 4-Door . This is another one of those smaller cars that just fits and feels right. No, it's not a VW GTI by any means - nor does it pretend to be - but I found the Mazda3 to be an excellent all-around urban cut-and-thruster with all of the necessary enthusiast ingredients such as communicative steering, an excellent shifting 5-speed gearbox, responsive handling and a remarkably competent overall "feel." The interior is well thought out and laid out, the fit and finish of the materials used were pleasing to the eye and to the touch, and I found the Mazda3 to be very pleasant to drive and live with day-to-day. (btw, I'm not a fan of "pearl" finishes on white cars, but at least the finish on the 3 was tastefully done and not garish.) Dislikes? The front end styling is beyond tedious. I'm sorry, but Mazda's "open-mouth" school of design borders on the ridiculous. This car is all the way there in terms of design appeal, drivability, livability and overall goodness and then you stumble around to the front of the car and it just comes apart. The 3 makes you want to wipe the smile off of its face every time you walk up to it. Yeah, design is subjective, blah-blah-blah, but really? Is this the best you guys and gals can do? I think not, or let's say I hope not anyway. Every manufacturer struggles to capture a design language all its own. Some are extraordinarily successful at it and some just plain suck at it. And Mazda definitely fits into the latter category. If there was ever a car company that needs a design revolution and a whole boatload of new visual ideas, Mazda is definitely it. - PMD
2010 Mazda3 i Touring 4-Door: $20,975 ($17,875 base price, Crystal White Pearl Mica, Black interior, 2.0L DOHC 16-Valve VVT 4-cylinder, 5-speed manual, Front-Wheel-Drive, 16" Alloy Wheels, etc.; Fog Lights, $325; Pearl Paint, $200; Sirius Satellite Radio, $430; Moonroof/6CD/Bose Package - includes Moonroof with one-touch open, Bose Centerpoint 10-speaker surround sound system, In-dash 6-disc CD changer and MP3 compatible - $1,395; Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee, $750)
WE'RE OPENING THE VAULT!
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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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