ON THE TABLE
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 08:42AM August 4, 2010
Bob King. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The new UAW President - aka "The Enlightened One" - had his "Mr. Cooperative" hat on at the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, saying that “The UAW of the 21st Century is a force for innovation. We are committed to the success of our employers of our partners.” That's a load of crap, Bob, and you know it. Do you actually think you can get up in front of a bunch of industry leaders, make nice, and have people buy it, hook, line and sinker, while forgetting all of the incendiary rhetoric you spewed just a few months ago? Some might have been swayed, but talk is cheap, Bob, and I'm not buying any of it. You are still a giant "we'll see" - at best - for this industry, and I predict you'll be able to quell your loose cannon tendencies for only so long. - PMD
Chevrolet Volt Dealers. Rumors are rampant that some Chevrolet Volt dealers plan on charging huge mark-ups over sticker for the extended-range electric vehicle. Uh, we're shocked. Not. What? You mean there are dealers out there (or should we call them Cutting Edge Electric Propulsion Purveyors) who are going to charge over sticker to the first-on-the-block types who just gotta have one right out of the gate? Who knew?
Ford vs. Chevy. From the "Old-Time Horsepower Wars" File comes word that Chevrolet and Ford are locked into a heated battle for Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck horsepower supremacy. GM fired the first shot by upgrading its Duramax diesel, which now cranks out 397 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque, topping - temporarily - Ford’s 2011 Super Duty diesel. But the Detroit Free Press is now reporting that Ford is turning up the wick on its Power Stroke diesel by another 10 horsepower and 65 pound-feet of torque, bringing the totals to 400 and 800 respectively. That’s enough to put Ford's Super Duty back at the top of the mountain, No. 1 in payload, towing and power. Somehow we don't think we've heard the last of this ongoing battle, but still, we hope it doesn't get out of hand and escalate into something like this, as "Otter" waxed so eloquently in Animal House: "We gotta take these bastards. Now, we could do it with conventional weapons but that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture to be done on somebody's part."
Joe DeMatio. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Joe is one of the best in the business of writing about automobiles and one of our favorites, but his "My Father's Footsteps" story in the September issue of Automobile - where he retraces the footsteps of his father, Warrant Officer Robert J. DeMatio, as his 118th Field Artillery Battalion, 30th Infantry Division, XIX Corps, United States 1st Army, hits Omaha Beach two weeks after D-Day and then makes its way through Europe right up until VE-Day, with Officer DeMatio keeping a detailed, typewritten journal every step of the way - is simply outstanding. The fact that Joe is reporting on the new Cadillac CTS-V Coupe as well and how American power - at least automotive power, anyway - is still embraced on the Continent just adds to the piece. But the heart of the story - about a different time and a different, more noble and purposeful era, and the indelible connection between fathers and sons - is why it's superb, and a must read. - PMD
(BMW Group)
The 2011 BMW 5 Series (on sale this fall) will have an M Sports Package designed specifically for each model, meaning the new BMW 5 Series Sedan (shown) and the new BMW 5 Series Touring will feature tuned packages that will differ, albeit only slightly.The M sports suspension, the M aerodynamics package and 18-inch M light alloys featuring a double spoke design are present and accounted for on both models. 19-inch M light alloys are also available as an option. Both light alloy versions come with different size tires at the front and rear on the 5 Series Sedan. And the "M" version of the BMW 5 Series Sedan also gets a specific M rear spoiler developed specifically for it.. Other features include sport seats with Alcantara/fabric upholstery - with high-grade materials, contrast seams and the M emblem on the seat - developed exclusively for the M Sports Package, as well as an M leather-clad steering wheel, M gear shift knob, M footrest, an anthracite BMW Individual roof lining and Aluminium Hexagon interior trim strips. Bring lots of money.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "quick takes" this week cover the 2011 Lincoln MKT and the 2010 Infiniti G37 Convertible Sport (below). Our Kona Blue Metallic Lincoln MKT tester with its Charcoal Black premium leather seating was stunning. We get that people either love or hate the MKT styling, but we fall heavily on the side of liking it, a lot. And once behind the wheel, the big Lincoln is a luxury vehicle all the way. Composed, confident, luxurious and tastefully-executed at every turn, the MKT is an excellent driver that continues to impress mile after mile. Everything about this big Lincoln exudes luxury and quality, and even though we loved the MKT with AWD and the EcoBoost V6 that we drove earlier, this FWD version is certainly plenty good enough for most situations. This Lincoln - as equipped - nailed Lincoln's luxury-technology positioning to, ahem, a "T." We never felt that it was gadget-laden with crap we didn't want or need, but rather it was technology rationally applied and intelligently envisioned, stuff that really worked as advertised, which in this day and age of "technology for technology's sake" was a bit of a revelation. Yet another iteration of Ford's large car platform, the MKT remains our favorite of them all. As Ford defines Lincoln over the next 30 months, it will be interesting to watch how they mold the "new" Lincoln image, but with vehicles like the MKT, they're starting from a very good place. - PMD
2011 Lincoln MKT: $52,375 ($44,200 base price, 3.7L V6, Front-Wheel-Drive, 6-speed automatic, Adaptive HID Headlamps, 19" Premium Painted Wheels, P235/55R19 All Season Radials, Power Liftgate, Heated Power Mirrors with Memory and Security Approach Lamps, etc., etc.; Rapid Spec 101A-FWD - Elite Package, Voice Activated NAV System, THX II with 5.1 Surround Sound, Blind Spot Monitoring System, Power Panoramic Vista Roof, Power Fold 3rd Row Seat - $4,000; 2nd Row Bucket Seats with Console, $995; Woven Metal Appearance Package, $195; 2nd Row Refrigerator Console, $895; Adaptive Cruise Control/Collision Warning System, $1,295; Destination & Delivery, $795)
Editor’s Note: I was more than happy to spend a few days last week with the 2010 Infiniti G37 Convertible. Our tester arrived in Vibrant Red with a Stone interior. I’m not a ‘red’ person, but I must admit, the car looked great. And it definitely attracted attention (people seem to really like red convertibles – go figure). The power retractable hardtop is activated at the touch of a button on the center console. Just press and hold while the system works its magic, and a beep sounds when the process is complete. Of course this renders the trunk totally useless, but it’s basically useless to begin with. Let’s face it – you don’t buy the G37 Convertible if you need to haul stuff. You buy it because you want to spend your days with the top down, while enjoying a fair amount of luxury and performance. Our G was the Sport 6MT version, which means it came equipped with a 6-speed manual, aluminum 4-piston front and 2-piston rear sport brake calipers, 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a unique front fascia and sport seats. Summer. Convertible. What’s not to like, right? With its good looks, abundance of features and respectable performance (although the car feels heavy – and it is), it’s easy to see why the G37 is so popular. And make no mistake, the G37 has all the right stuff – on paper – but something is missing. It’s perfectly executed, but it’s sterile somehow, soulless, if you will. This obviously doesn’t matter to a lot of people, and that’s cool – the G is perfectly respectable in many ways (and a whole lot of fun on a summer afternoon). But if it’s my $50k, I need something more.
2010 Infiniti G37 Convertible $50,035 ($46,950 base price, 3.7-liter DOHC 24-valve V6, 6-speed manual; navigation package, $1,850; R-Spec high-friction brake pads, $370; destination charge, $865)
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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