ON THE TABLE

July 21, 2010

 Electrification of the Automobile. David Shepardson, reporting for The Detroit News Washington bureau, says that the heads of trade associations representing automakers, utility companies and battery companies sent President Obama a letter urging him to establish a task force to help make it easier for thousands of electric vehicles that will begin hitting the streets starting late this year. "We believe that the critical, immediate next step for the administration is to provide the necessary coordination of the growing federal, regional and private efforts," said the letter, signed by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the trade group representing GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota and seven others. In other words, unless steps are taken - and in a hurry - the American car-buying consumer isn't going to bite at these new electric vehicles, not without huge incentives, that is.

Honda. The short story? Honda plans on building more "green" cars, including a plug-in hybrid and an all-electric car. All fine and dandy, but when are they going to get their soul and mojo back?

VW. The German auto conglomerate is going "all-in" with hybrids and electrification too as part of their growth strategy here and around the world. Yeah, but if their dealers aren't up to fixing what they've got now, how are they going to do when it gets really complicated. We're just sayin' is all.

GM. It was announced that the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture will introduce a new brand in China - Baojun - in order to market its future lineup of passenger cars. You guys just can't help yourselves, can you? Was the whole "we need to reduce our brands" thing just a show for Washington?  Or doesn't it count in China? Editor-in-Chief's Note: Ed Welburn - GM's Design Chief - called me this afternoon to say that though GM did need to reduce its brands here in the U.S., in China it's quite a different situation. The Baojun brand will be targeted at entry-level consumers - a couple tiers below even the least expensive Chevrolet - and it's desperately needed in the Chinese cities where consumers are just now starting to buy automobiles. - PMD

Fiat. Reports a second-quarter profit on sales of its trucks and agricultural machines. Uh-oh, does that mean Sergio is gonna go after John Deere in this market too?

U.S. Auto Dealer Retail Groups. Pssst, don't tell anyone, but this reduced dealer count thing is going to result in the biggest dealer profits in two years at the mega dealer groups. No wonder we don't hear them complaining about the dealers that got axed.

Toyota. Just when Toyota thought it might be getting out of the woods they get subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in New York to provide documents related to flaws in steering relay rods. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also opened an investigation into the issue. Memo to Toyota execs: Thought the worst was over? Guess again.

Meadow Brook Concours. Now called the Concours d'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook (and the name was changed - why exactly? - Ed.), this year's event is being dubbed "Not Your Father's Concours." More than 230 cars and motorcycles will be on display on the grounds of famed Meadow Brook Hall, at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Highlights will include two 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalantes, a 1934 Voisin C27 Aerosport, 14 famous drag racers from the early days of the sport, and four cars from the Joe Bortz Motorama Collection, including a newly restored and much anticipated 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne concept car. The Concours takes place this Sunday, July 25. Visit www.meadowbrookconcours.org for more info.

(Digital Art by Casey Shain)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our good friend and talented artist Casey Shain "artandcolour" weighs-in with some more of his provocative "chopped" illustrations this week, including three Lincolns, a Bentley "Greenbrier" and a 4-door Accord Coupe. Here's what he had to say: "The Lincoln CrossStar is a small awd hatch, maybe for the 'premium' European market, like a Lancia or Audi or Mercedes A/B class. Chopped from a Citroen concept. The Lincoln MK-Zephyr, would be a rear-wheel-drive sport sedan, marking the return of names, but with the MK prefix, just to hedge every bet possible, lol. Chopped from the Infiniti M. The white Lincoln Town Car was chopped almost as a caricature of the current Lincoln design language, but seeing how low I could go with it. I added the slim C-pillar vertical windows from the 80s-90s Town Car and was pleasantly surprised how well they worked overall. Chopped from the MKT. And the Bentley Greenbrier is a shorter, taller luxury crossover sedan. Giugiaro's MegaGamma from the late '70s accurately predicted the future, but I think it might still be 10 years ahead of us. Chopped from the Flying Star shooting brake concept. You mentioned today Honda should find it's mojo again. I couldn't agree more. I chopped this 4-door Accord from the Coupe and it's at least a million times better looking, and more appropriate, than their current 4 door. Maybe not as roomy, but hey, when did the Accord NEED to be a new LeSabre? Remember the first Accord? It could fit in the trunk of the current one. And it was better for it." Great stuff from Casey, and we know our readers will enjoy it! - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "quick take" this week covers the 2010 VW CC Sport. Our Candy White tester with its Cornsilk Beige & Black interior was handsome bordering on elegant looking, which seems to fit with the CC's notable presence on the road. And with interior and exterior detailing well-executed throughout - keeping with contemporary VW Group standards - the CC is very pleasing aesthetically inside and out. Though the car would seem to be too hefty for its 2.0 TFSI drivetrain, the 6-speed gearbox makes the CC feel livelier than it should. And although some might prefer the alternative CC persona (with V6 and 6-speed automatic), this drivetrain combination worked fairly well, and it certainly delivered decent mileage (the CC has a 21 City, 31 highway EPA mileage rating), especially on the highway. Even though it could be argued that the CC is pricey (not us, by the way), the substantive look and feel of the package exudes quality, and combined with its excellent overall driving dynamics makes for a compelling choice. Does it creep into Audi territory? In a sense, yes. But this has been the perennial conundrum for the VW Group in this market. If a VW model gets too good, it bumps-up against the lower-end of the Audi product lineup, which causes headaches internally for VW and Audi. And make no mistake, the CC is pretty damn good. So is the CC a pricey offering from VW or an excellent value-priced alternative to Audi? Yes. And therein lies the peculiar limbo in which top-line VW models are forced to exist.  - PMD

2010 VW CC Sport: $33,058 ($27,760 base price, 2.0L TFSI Turbocharged, Direct-Injected, 200HP 4-cylinder, 6-speed manual,  front-wheel-drive, Electro-mechanical power steering with speed variable assist, Multi-link fully independent sport rear suspension, Electronic Stabilization Program, Anti-Slip Regulation, Electronic Differential Lock, etc., etc.; 19" Sagitta Alloy Wheels with all-season tires, $2,499; CC Ground Effects Kit - front valance, side sill extensions, lip spoiler & exhaust tips - $1,999; Destination charge, $800)

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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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