ON THE TABLE

August 29, 2012

 Cadillac. GM's luxury car division plans on doubling its presence in the U.S. luxury market over the next few years with new models like a revamped CTS, more versions of the ATS, the XTS, a next-gen Escalade and the ELR plug-in electric coupe unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show a few years ago. The division is counting on this aggressively expanded portfolio to recapture the No. 1 spot in the U.S. luxury market. It's important to have goals, yes it is. But, how about we label this a giant "We'll see" for now?

 Lincoln. Ford is taking its luxury brand to China by the second quarter of 2014. No surprise here, it's part of the reason they're working on rejuvenating the brand in the first place.

 Avis. After 50 years the car rental company is dropping its iconic "We Try Harder" tagline in favor of a more business travel-oriented "It's Your Space." And this is better because... why?

Dueling Perspectives:

1. The Obama administration: Final approval was given yesterday to landmark 2017-25 fuel economy rules that will allegedly double the efficiency of the nation's cars and trucks over the next 13 years, to a fleet-wide average of 54.5 miles per gallon. President Barack Obama said in a statement Tuesday that the fuel standards "represent the single most important step we've ever taken to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," according to The Detroit News. "This historic agreement builds on the progress we've already made to save families money at the pump and cut our oil consumption," he said. "By the middle of the next decade, our cars will get nearly 55 miles per gallon, almost double what they get today. It'll strengthen our nation's energy security, it's good for middle-class families and it will help create an economy built to last."

2. The Romney Response: "Gov. Romney opposes the extreme standards that President Obama has imposed, which will limit the choices available to American families," said spokeswoman Andrea Saul. "The president tells voters that his regulations will save them thousands of dollars at the pump, but always forgets to mention that the savings will be wiped out by having to pay thousands of dollars more upfront for unproven technology that they may not even want."

3. The Autoextremist: Tone-deaf politicians in Northern California and Washington are eminently ill-qualified to create fuel economy standards. CAFE has been a recurring joke since Day One, and forcing automakers to build vehicles that consumers have repeatedly demonstrated that they don't want is a monumental waste of time. The crumbling infrastructure of our national highways and byways requires a re-think of how we pay for our roads, which will inevitably require a reappraisal of the price we pay for fuel. The new fuel economy standard will prove to be meaningless if people can't afford or don't want the vehicles and the roads and bridges are no longer fit for travel. There needs to be a new idea, and the 54.5 mpg standard isn't it. - PMD

 Sergio Marchionne. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Fiat-Chrysler CEO blasted the U.S. electric vehicle mandates while speaking to members of the North American Car of The Year jury here in Detroit. “I’m guaranteed to lose money on every-zero emission vehicle,” Marchionne said. And while referring to the electric version of the Fiat 500 that Fiat-Chrysler is going to come out with, Marchionne added, “I’ll be the proud owner of an economic lemon.” Sergio has this one right. - PMD

(Ford)
Joe Hinrichs, president, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa; Alan Mulally, president and CEO, Ford Motor Company; Jim Farley, group vice president, Global Marketing Sales and Service of Ford; Dave Schoch, chairman and CEO, Ford Motor China at the Lincoln to China announcement in Beijing.

(Buick)
The 2013 Buick Encore luxury crossover is rated at an EPA-estimated 25 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and a combined 28 mpg fuel economy with a standard six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. That makes Encore’s combined fuel economy the best for any crossover offered by a U.S.-based automaker. The new Buick will arrive at dealers early next year.

(Images courtesy of Porsche)

The new Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (above) and 911 Carrera 4S (below) unite the performance and efficiency of the new, seventh-generation 911 Carrera with the dynamic benefits of the latest version of the active all-wheel-drive system PTM (Porsche Traction Management), according to Porsche. The new all-wheel-drive 911 is being launched in four versions: the 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Carrera 4S, each as Coupe and Cabriolet. The key identifying feature of the 911 with all-wheel drive is the wider rear section. Compared to the two-wheel drive 911 Carrera models, the rear wheel housings each extend further outward by 22 mm for a total of 44 millimeters, and the rear tires are each ten millimeters wider. The traditional red light band that connects the two taillights on the 911 Carrera C4 has also taken on a new form. The new Porsche 911 Carrera with all-wheel-drive will make its first public appearance at the 2012 Paris International Motor Show on September 29th. The 2013 911 Carrera 4 will have a base MSRP of $91,030, and the 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet base MSRP will be $102,930. The 911 Carrera 4S will have a base MSRP of $105,630 and the Cabriolet will have a base MSRP of $117,530. The new 911 models will launch in the U.S. market in early 2013.

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