ON THE TABLE - DECEMBER 18, 2013
Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 12:20PM HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Enjoy our year-end issue, and we'll see you back here
on January 8, 2014!
BloombergBusinessWeek. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The December 12th cover story - "Exclusive: The Inside Story of GM's Comeback and Mary Barra's Rise" credited to Tim Higgins and Bryant Urstadt that hit the streets last week was, how shall I say it, a momentous work of fiction. Clearly orchestrated by GM PR down to the very last word, BloombergBusinessWeek was granted what amounts to journalistic gold in terms of access. As a matter of fact, the two Bloomberg reporters had been on the story for what looks to be at least a month, if not more. For that, they were granted extraordinary up-close-and-personal face time with GM's soon-to-be-former CEO, even accompanying Captain Queeg to a Navy football game, just so readers might get the impression that he's a regular guy. Wow. Earth-shattering stuff. (Oh, and this just in: Akerson's still an Unctuous Prick, even at a football game.) It's also clear that Bloomberg knew Akerson was orchestrating Barra's promotion at the time the discussions about the story first took place. And let's go over what else they got for that access, shall we? They had to produce copy that went according to Selim Bingol's (GM's loathsome PR Chief) playbook. And that playbook demanded the following: 1. That Dan Akerson was to be portrayed as the brilliant, nay, genius, visionary who pulled the pitiful, moribund company up by its bootstraps and willed it to greatness. But that wasn't enough, oh no. Akerson also had to be canonized as The Great Promoter of Women in corporate America, and - wait for it - The Greatest GM CEO Of All Time. And, 2. Mary Barra had to be portrayed as the humble "car girl" who had greatness bestowed upon her from a young age, and that it took the brilliant foresight of Captain Queeg to identify that greatness and make sure she got her due as his last grand gesture before leaving the company. Congratulations, Boys of Bloomberg, you've just produced one of the most blatant journalistic blowjobs that we've seen in years. I'd like to say you should be ashamed of yourselves, but who am I kidding? This passes for standard operating procedure in journalistic circles these days. Integrity? Please. It's about the insatiable need for content fueled by editors trying to keep up with the Internet, especially those saddled to print publications. And it really stinks. Good night and good luck. - PMD
Selim Bingol. Editor-in-Chief's Note: You gotta hand it to GM's Chief PR Practitioner, he had orders to send his boss off on a giant gold platter, and, for all intents and purposes, he delivered. Mission accomplished. In piece after pathetic piece Akerson is being canonized and Barra is being promoted as The Logical - and inspired - Choice, thanks to the benevolent brilliance of one Captain Queeg. And, since Ms. Barra knows nothing about the image-wrangling nightmare that just fell on her head, it will be up to Herr Bingol to guide her through The Labyrinth of Shit. If he decides to stay on, that is. But then again, he's not ready to retire to Hack'em Hills, the Country Club for retired PR mumblers, so he will be guiding The Queen Mary through the swells and troughs that are sure to come at her hard. And so it goes. - PMD
Joe Eberhardt. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Just when you thought the business was safe for awhile, what with the Chief Unctuous Prick leaving town, the news that Joe Eberhardt has emerged from obscurity - and a cushy gig at Boston Consulting Group - to be named president of Jaguar Land Rover North America gives us all pause, as in, Holy Shit, here we go again. Eberhardt, the blunderbuss know-it-all who was one of the principal architects of the "Mercedes-Benz needs to be more approachable" marketing strategy when he was at Daimler at the height of the DaimlerChrysler mess, was almost run out of town on a rail by Chrysler dealers for being maliciously incompetent and an arrogant asshole to boot, and for shoving an egregious level of over-production down their throats. The company release said this: "Joe Eberhardt is an outstanding executive addition to Jaguar Land Rover's global market leadership team heading up the critical U.S. and Canada operations at a time of tremendous growth and opportunity," said Andy Goss, the company's group sales operation director. Eberhardt will report to Goss. What a bunch of unmitigated bullshit. And here I thought Goss was allegedly a bright guy. Memo to Jaguar Land Rover dealers: Don't believe the hype and the glowing credential regurgitation about this guy. Your company has just signed one of the biggest known hacks in the business to tell you what to do. I pity you all. Then again, having this blowhard to write about is like being handed a gift. Nope, you just can't make this shit up, folks. Oh what a world, what a world. - PMD
(Ford)
Ford and EA have teamed up to provide a free in-game download of the all-new Mustang. Players of the new “Need for Speed Rivals” video game can choose from five fan-customized designs for their game car – four of which are highest-voted designs created on popular Mustang Customizer site. Watch a sample here.
(Images courtesy of Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz says its all-new C-Class "sets new standards in the premium mid-range class." The reality? The C-Class is being pushed upmarket in terms of size and price to separate it from the CLA. The new C-Class boasts weight savings of up to 220 lbs, excellent aerodynamics and new, economical engines, establishing new benchmarks in its class, according to the Mercedes PR minions. In all, the perceived quality of the new C-Class feels like an "upgrade to a higher class of travel." We'll see, won't we?
The new C-Class has a three-inch increase in wheelbase (112 inches), is 3.7 inches longer (184 inches) and 1.6 inches wider (71 inches). The additional space specifically benefits rear passenger room. The new C-Class also increases its trunk capacity to 17 cubic feet. The interior design demonstrates "a bold new approach," according to Mercedes-Benz. Designers inject some style influence from Mercedes- Benz sports cars into the new C-Class interior with a totally new center console featuring flowing lines. A centrally positioned free-standing central display stands out with a screen diagonal of 7 inches or 8.4 inches if the Multimedia Package is selected.
A newly designed 4-link front axle is part of the all-new C-Class. The front independent suspension is fully decoupled from the spring strut. The resultant favorable axle kinematics allow more grip and higher lateral stability, according to Mercedes. An optimized multi-link independent rear suspension with 5-link design completes the package. The new C-Class Sedan is fitted as standard with a steel suspension. Two suspensions with selective damping systems are available: "a comfortable yet sporty" base suspension and a sports suspension lowered by .6 inches as part of the optional Sport Package. Additionally the new C-Class is the first vehicle in its segment that can be fitted with an air suspension (AIRMATIC) on the front and rear axles. The U.S. market launch features two C-Class models: the C300 4MATIC with a 2.0L turbocharged, direct-injection, in-line four-cylinder engine with preliminary power figures of 235 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque and a C400 4MATIC with a 3.0L turbocharged, direct-injection V6 with 329 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque.
(Kia Motors America)
SWINGING DICK-ISM, PROSCIUTTO-ENCRUSTED T-BONES, RAINBOWS AND BUNNY RABBITS, AND WORK HARD AND BE LUCKY? WTF? THIS JUST IN: THE PRESIDENT ASKED US TO DO IT. YES, IT’S THE BEST OF “ON THE TABLE” 2013!!!
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Dan Akerson, GM's "Accidental Tourist" CEO was interviewed in GM PR's house organ - aka The Wall Street Journal - today and I found particular interest in one exchange (my comments in parentheses). WSJ: What are a few things you want to accomplish during your tenure? Akerson: I would like to see Cadillac become a global brand. (The likelihood of that happening? Slim. And none.) I would like to see Opel cut its losses this year by anywhere from one-third to one-half. (Throwing good money after bad, now there's a strategy.) I would like to see Chevrolet become a true global brand. It is number four in the world today. I think it has to move up. I am not satisfied with fourth place. (I would like to see the Lions win a Super Bowl too.) I would like to get to investment grade rating this year. I would like to purchase the remaining shares, or have the government exit in one form or another. (So you can cash out in a year, right, Cap'n?) – PMD (1/9/2013)
Other options include audibly voiced suggestions like: "Walk much?" "What in the hell is the matter with you?" "Seriously?" "Don't even think about it." And "Nice shorts." Hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturers would have to equip their "quiet' vehicles to make sounds under proposed regulations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in order to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. The rules were ordered by Congress three years ago. NHTSA suggests that designing the vehicles to make noise at speeds below 18 mph would prevent about 2,800 injuries over the life of each model year of vehicles. How the hell they came up with that number is anyone's guess. Current working suggestions for these sounds for hybrid and electric vehicles are not limited to electronic tones, interestingly enough. (1/9)
Memo to Nissan: When you start worrying about the smells projected at your auto show display you have clearly lost your way. Here's another clue: Firing people is still an acceptable way to get an organization's attention. And, finally, just off the top of our heads: What in the hell is going on down there? From the 'You Gotta Be Frickin' Kidding Me" File comes word that Nissan will debut the release of a new show "fragrance" in Detroit that the brand hopes will become its trademark smell, according to Automotive News. Nissan will also unveil a flashy new display by George P. Johnson Co. The specially crafted aroma is labeled thé vert oriental in French, and it is said to evoke the smell of green tea "during Chinese spring harvest." It gets worse. Nissan is hoping that the "brand smell" will be such a hit with auto show visitors around the country that its U.S. dealers will agree to use the fragrance in their showrooms. "We're hoping our dealers will embrace it," Erich Marx, the brand's director for interactive and social-media marketing, says. "We'll be measuring the reception." (1/9)
A dick-ish move. There's just no other way of putting it. Telling the assembled media how great the new Alfa Romeo will be - now officially the unicorn brand of the auto industry, by the way - Sergio Marchionne said, "I cannot come up with a schlock product, I just won't. I won't put an American engine into that car. With all due respect to my American friends, it needs to be a wop engine. There are some things that are well-done in Italy." Really, Sergio? Have you secretly attended the Dan Akerson school of insulting your own product development troops? And wait a minute, aren't you and your marketing boy, Olivier "I'm a genius just ask me" Francois, the guys who spend half the time in your commercials lecturing us Americans on how to be Americans? Wow. What a monumentally stupid statement. – PMD (1/16)
At least the zoomy new display looked real nice. Well, the new show "fragrance" - labeled thé vert oriental in French - unveiled in Detroit that Nissan hoped would become its trademark smell was a nonstarter. (1/16)
A slight whiff of burnt wires could be discerned. In a frantic rush to answer Nissan's show fragrance, GM operatives came up with a smell of their own that would be comforting to Captain Queeg and his Telecomie minions in the GM display at the Detroit show. (1/16)
Thanks for straightening that out, Bob, because for a second there we thought an Amway meeting was about to break out. Bob Ferguson, GM's newly anointed head of global Cadillac was all shiny and happy at the unveiling of the ELR. He spent most of his time telling us how great Cadillac was going to be, and that he would lead the brand to the automotive Promised Land. "That's why I'm here," he said, cheerfully. (1/16)
We don't call him the "Accidental Tourist" of a CEO for nothin’. The fact that Captain Queeg felt compelled to comment about product was one of his most annoying traits. Just one example? He called the new Corvette "one of the most beautiful cars" the company has ever made. And that is a true - and safe - statement, but does he have even half a clue as to what the other "most beautiful cars" in GM history might be? No, of course not, but he just can't let the True Believers in the Corvette program and at GM Design have their day in the sun without weighing in, can he? Not even for one minute. (1/16)
Sergio throws you a promise of a dog bone and you treat it like a prosciutto-encrusted T-bone? What the hell is the matter with you guys? Editor-in-Chief’s Note: "The Great Sergio" Marchionne let fly that the Alfa Romeo 4C sports car (price estimates hover around $75,000 in case you forgot) would be here at the end of this year. That probably means that one will roll off the boat at 11:58 p.m. next New Year's Eve, but hey, that's 2013 in Sergio-speak. And the resulting cheers could be heard around the land from Fiat-Chrysler dealers desperate for some sign that Alfa really is going to happen. Except let's not forget that Marchionne also said five minutes ago that Alfa would barely register in 2014, so what's exactly going on here? The reality is that Sergio is going to push for the high-priced 4C to arrive in this country before the calendar year ends so he can tell everyone he brought Alfa in earlier than expected, in order to polish his Golden Wop status even further in the eyes of his acolytes and sycophants. And just once we'd like to hear a Fiat-Chrysler dealer say, "Yeah, right, I'll believe it when I see it" and move on with their lives. Just once. – PMD (1/23)
Why? Word filtered out that CEO Dieter Zetsche expects to get his contract renewed and stay on at Daimler for another stint. (1/23)
Repeat that to yourselves very s-l-o-w-l-y. Yeah, that's what we thought too. From the "Fools And Their Money" File comes word that some guy in Arizona paid $4.2 million (plus 10 percent commission, but who's counting?) at the Barrett-Jackson auction Saturday night for the original George Barris-designed Batmobile from the famed 60s TV show Batman. (1/23)
"Dan, Dan, he's our man, tone deaf and classless to the end!" "Captain Queeg" trashed the Detroit Lions in a speech at an event announcing a $600-million investment in GM’s Fairfax, Kan., assembly and stamping plant, saying, “I hope you don’t feel too bad about the (Kansas City) Chiefs’ recent performance,” Akerson said. “It’s not like you’re Lions fans.” He didn't stop there. “The Detroit Lions have never been to a Super Bowl, and the last time they won an NFL championship (1957), GM was building the Pontiac Catalina here, and Elvis was topping the charts with ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘All Shook Up,’ ” Akerson continued. Then again, it was predictable. In case anyone needs to be reminded, the Detroit Lions are owned by the Ford family and in Dan's world, Ford is the enemy. Despite his protestations to the contrary and his charitable contributions, Akerson has zero invested in this community. When his tour of duty is done, he will be out of here so fast it will make the media's head spin. (1/30)
Speaking of dicks. From a glass ranch in Texas came a double-barrel shotgun blast last week. GM's former short-timing CEO Ed Whitacre - yes, the guy who fired Fritz Henderson and took the top job at the Silver Silos for less than a year - took to the pages of Fortune to pimp his book on how he supposedly saved the company. In his ego-driven blast, he throws Henderson under a double-decker bus by painting him as a clueless CEO who cannot grasp even basic principles of corporate management.
This is one of those Telecomie moments that is so misguided and hypocritical that it defies description. But let's dispense with one thing first. Was Fritz the guy to lead GM after bankruptcy? No. He's whip smart and by all accounts a first-rate guy. But he was always GM's fix-it guy. In summer of 2009, the Treasury Department had already done the mother of all fix-its by taking GM through bankruptcy. At that point, GM needed a transformational leader a la Alan Mulally or a marketing genius like Lee Iacocca. Fritz had the wrong resume.
But that wasn't Whitacre's reason for canning Fritz. Nope, Big Ed wanted the job for himself. And in his Fortune missive, he goes through Fritz's transgressions. Sin No. 1. He didn't have an organizational chart for Ed to read. This was a "red flag" for Whitacre. Really? An org chart? This is actually hilarious. Say what you want about Fritz, but he was apparently smart enough to keep track of who worked for him. Sin No. 2. He had a herd of 15 to 20 people reporting to him. Gee, Ed, Sergio Marchionne has more than that and Treasury officials fell over themselves to hand Chrysler to him.
Another transgression, in Whitacre's squinty eyes, was Fritz's delivery of detailed reports to the board. He bored the board. Yes, I'm sure all of that dull Motown car talk went right over the heads of that crew, whose auto industry knowledge could fit in a thimble.
And here is the best gem of all. Fritz allowed Bob Lutz into board meetings and let him opine on anything he liked. Ed couldn't understand this. In his own words, Lutz had "been brought back by former CEO Rick Wagoner as vice chairman to oversee the 'creative elements' of products and customer relationships. What that meant, I had no idea." Of course you didn't. Those creative element are little attributes like styling, performance, craftsmanship and all of those silly things auto companies do to juice the adrenaline of the car-buying public. Since Ed spent his career selling minutes on a telephone--and if early adopters of the iPhone are any indicator, not very reliable minutes--of course he wouldn't get that.
On top of it, Whitacre's blast is just one big steaming bowl of hypocrisy and sleazy opportunism. Fritz took over GM knowing that keeping the job would be a long shot. He took it anyway rather than desert the company during the darkest hours in its history.
What did Whitacre do at GM? He deserted the company at one of the most important moments in its history. Months before GM was about to go public, Whitacre surprised his board and quit. And make no mistake, the board was stunned. By Whitacre's own account, they had no CEO search going on, no internal candidates, nada. Since Whitacre is so obsessed with org charts, you'd think he would be smart enough to groom the next person to sit on top of one. Think again. That's why we have Capt. Queeg running the place now. One of a CEO's most important jobs is selecting a successor. Steve Jobs groomed Tim Cook at Apple. Mulally has Mark Fields. Ed had no one. Great job, Ed.
On top of all of that, Whitacre had the nerve to take credit for saving GM. Umm, Treasury fixed a century of financial problems with Fritz telling them where everything was buried. Lutz's cars kept sales going. Ed came in, looked around for barely a year and left the company in the lurch. Some savior. (1/30)
I grew up with the Sting Ray. I rode in the original Sting Ray in period (with Bill Mitchell at the wheel). I know what the Sting Ray represents. And I can safely say that the new Corvette is no Stingray, no matter how it's spelled. Editor-in-Chief's Note: I understand that some of the people assigned to Corvette marketing are royally pissed off at me for my assessment (running over the last month) of the Corvette and its place in the world. They should go back and really read what I said about the car, as in, there's no question that dynamically it will be the best Corvette ever. And they should also go back and read how complimentary I was to the True Believers who worked on the car, because they did and do outstanding work. But I won't back off the fact that the design of the new car, after the initial swooning has passed, isn't as good as it could and should be. And I also won't back off the fact that GM has done a piss-poor job of marketing Corvette over the decades. It has always been an afterthought instead of being the tip of the company's technological spear and a showpiece for the corporation as a whole, and that borders on the criminal. It's only recently - thanks to dismissed CMO Joel Ewanick - that Corvette has received more marketing attention. And it has been welcomed, but still far, far less than what it deserves. And for the record, I've probably forgotten more about the Corvette then most of the so-called marketers assigned to the car will accumulate in their lifetime (I said, most, not all). In case they're questioning my credentials in the area, which they are. Oh, and one more thing. The new Corvette shouldn't have the "Stingray" moniker attached to it. – PMD (2/6)
Cue the theme from "Jaws." Toyota is reporting a 23.4 percent increase in quarterly net profit due to hot sales in the U.S. (and a weaker yen). And it raised its annual profit forecast as well. Uh-oh. (2/6)
(Images courtesy of Porsche North America)
The Porsche 911 has been the heart of the Porsche brand for five decades and for many, the 911 is the quintessential sports car. Since its debut as the Type 901 at the IAA International Automotive Show in September 1963 (renamed the 911 for its market launch in 1964), the 911 represents the soul of the company. Today, Porsche insists that the 911 is also the central point of reference for all other Porsche series and that each Porsche - from the Cayenne to the Panamera - carries a piece of the 911 philosophy. For Porsche, the 50th anniversary of this iconic sports car was the central theme of 2013. 
More than 820,000 Porsche 911s have been built, making it one of the most successful sports cars in the world. Like no other vehicle, the 911 "reconciles apparent contradictions such as sportiness and everyday practicality, tradition and innovation, exclusivity and social acceptance, design and functionality," according to Porsche. Ferry Porsche described its unique qualities this way: “The 911 is the only car you could drive on an African safari or at Le Mans, to the theater or through New York City traffic.” 
Many Porsche 911 enthusiasts prefer the simplicity of the older cars. 
Contrast this 911 I.P. to the new one (below). 
The current 911. Newer, but... better?
In addition to its classic lines, the Porsche 911 has always been distinguished by its advanced technology, much of it developed on the race track. In fact, two thirds of Porsche's 30,000 race victories to date have been notched by the 911, according to Porsche.
The contrast between the original 911 and the current car is flat-out shocking. There's just no two ways about it. For the hardcore 911 faithful, the new car represents a clear demarcation away from the original 911 concept, and it's easy to see why. Talk to many Porsche enthusiasts and they will tell you that they're starting to gravitate toward the Cayman and Cayman S as the Porsche for the "True Believers." The generations of the 911: The First 911 (1963); the G-Series (1973); the 964 (1988); the 993 (1993) and the last air-cooled models; the 996 (1997) and the beginning of the water cooled era; the 997 (2004); and the current car, the 991 (2011).
What separates Elon Musk from every other guy with too much money and a passel of yes-men who hang on his every word? Not much. Editor-in-Chief's Note: His trashing of The New York Times and its reviewer - John M. Broder - for daring to criticize Tesla's "Supercharger" charging system and by inference the saintly Tesla Model S was silly and wrong-headed and revealed the raw arrogance that he has been desperately trying to keep under wraps from the media - largely succeeding - until now. No matter how visionary he may be and how OMG amazing the Model S is, you can't alter the fact that cold weather is The Enemy of EVs, and the Model S is not immune from that fact. Combine that with Tesla's Supercharging charging system, which is clearly under-represented in that part of the country, especially given the temperatures, and you have a recipe for disaster and a Model S ending up on a flatbed truck, out of juice. Instead of admitting that yeah, maybe we fucked up, Musk instead tried to portray The Times story as a fabrication. Nicely done. – PMD (2/13)
Just more of the same #bushleaguebullshit from Sergio & Co. Editor-in-Chief's Note: This just in from the "Oh, Never Mind" File, after promising that its Maserati Levante SUV would be built at Fiat-Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit at the end of this year - a decision that was yet another step toward Sergio Marchionne's canonization by the local media and political operatives - the Italians quietly decided that they needed the capacity for the Grand Cherokee here and that they would throw the old country a bone and build the Levante at Fiat's nearly idled Mirafiori factory close to its headquarters in Turin. At the reveal of the Maserati SUV at Cobo Hall in January 2012 (as Bryce G. Hoffman of The Detroit Newsreminded us), Marchionne crowed: "This is one classic way of debunking the myth that Detroit - and Michigan - is limited in terms of its capabilities to produce great vehicles. It sets a new benchmark for what this state and the United States car industry can and should produce." That the notification of this change was handled quietly as opposed to the major media event back when the original announcement was made is no great surprise. After all, the carpetbagging opportunists out in Auburn Hills are loathe to give the impression that they might have gotten it wrong, because it would tarnish Sergio's halo and damage the impeccably crafted (and utterly false) image that has been bandied about since his arrival as being "a man of the people." – PMD (2/20)
But it's all good, right? Right. The Jeep Twitter account gets hacked, Fiat-Chrysler’s CSI numbers are in the toilet and it's becoming more apparent each and every day that if the wheels ever came off the Grand Cherokee/Dodge Ram pickup sales freight train the whole damn thing would drop off the cliff, because Fiat's business in Europe is growing more precarious by the hour. (2/20)
Then, all of the people who want to embrace the electric lifestyle can do it to their touchy-feely hearts' content. And the rest of us can go on with our lives. We're so tired of Elon “The Tedious Grandstander” Musk that we have a solution: He should just give Teslas away for free from now on. That's right; give them away to anyone who wants one. Please. (2/20)
Honda's 2013 President's Day Sale commercial was simply perfect. Watch it here. (2/20)
(Image copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photo by Mike Maez.)
Gooding & Company, the auction house acclaimed for selling the world’s most significant and valuable collector cars, offered a spectrum of leading 1960s and 1970s performance cars from Italy, Germany and the United States at the company's annual Amelia Island Auction on March 8 including one of only 453 street versions of Carroll Shelby’s 289 Cobra (Chassis No. CSX2538/ Engine No. 00041). This example was a late-production car that was originally delivered new to Florida. Equipped with dual quads and rack-and-pinion steering, this 289 Cobra is presented in its original color scheme of red over black. A very correct and well-documented machine, this car represents the ultimate evolution of Shelby’s original small block sports car. (2/20)
Bill Maher. Our Autoline.tv colleagues agree, Maher's "New Rules" riff on Toyotas in terrorist countries was priceless last Friday night. Watch it here. (3/6)
Ferrari the world's most powerful brand? Fuggedaboutit. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our colleague Gary Vasilash (www.autofieldguide.com/) passed the following along. Ferrari operatives are claiming that Ferrari is "the World’s most powerful brand, not just in the automobile sector, but across all categories and territories worldwide.” Sounds about right if you're drinking from the Ferrari water trough, but the world's most powerful brand? In a world of Apple, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Google, McDonald's, GE, Nike, et al? Ferrari? No frickin' way. But it does speak to the legendary arrogance that runs rampant at Fiat - a relentlessly mediocre car company that has failure seemingly written into its charter - the same arrogance that The Great Sergio brings with him to work every day. It's why he expects everyone to do his bidding, especially the keyboard-stained wretches in the media. And it's why he usually gets away with it. (3/6)
Maybe it should be "The Best for Next-To Nothing." From the "Hell Freezes Over" File comes the surest sign yet that the end times are nigh. One suburban Detroit Mercedes-Benz dealer is promoting its lease deal on the C-class via a super-sized price decal on the driver's side door. On display outside the showroom, the car features "$369/mo" in can't-miss lettering. Wow. To say that this is a new low for Mercedes doesn't even begin to cut it. Now, possibly this is an isolated incident (it wasn’t) - just a bad idea on the part of whoever is responsible for the outdoor vehicle display at that dealership - and not a directive from M-B corporate. But whatever the case, it puts a bit of a tear in whatever shred of prestige the once-untouchable brand has left. Mercedes seems hell-bent on promoting its affordability message to the detriment of all that it once stood for as the pinnacle of automotive luxury. My, how the mighty have fallen. (3/6)
(Porsche Cars North America)
The new Porsche 911 GT3 made its debut at the Geneva International Motor Show. The completely redeveloped fifth generation of the 911 GT3 "occupies the top position among Porsche sports cars with naturally-aspirated engines," according to Porsche. Already having recorded an impressive lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife of under 7:30 minutes, the 2014 911 GT3 has a new 3.8-liter 475HP engine, a specially developed Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK), which drives the rear wheels, and trick body and chassis tweaks. As a technical highlight, the 911 GT3 features the first active rear-wheel steering in a production Porsche, as well as optional full LED headlights. The car sprints from zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, hits 124 mph in less than 12 seconds and has a top track speed of 195 mph. The 2014 911 GT3 will go on sale in the United States in late 2013 and will be priced from $130,400, not including a $950 destination charge. (3/6)
(BMW)
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013 was held May 24-26 on the grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and Villa Erba in Cernobbio on Italy's Lake Como. The Concorso di Motociclette, which was added to the events in 2011 returned for another year and included a parade of motorcycles piloted by riders in historic dress. Other special exhibitions included “90 years of BMW Motorrad” and “60 years of Corvette.” (3/6)
(Digital illustration courtesy of Casey "artandcolour" Shain)
You have to admit, this illustration for a four-door Corvette by our friend Casey “artandcolour” Shain is pretty fabulous. He calls it the Corvette Corsa and says, “Elegant interior materials would help to make this 4-door a true competitor to the Porsche Panamera and perhaps even the Aston Martin Rapide, though of course at a price much less than either of those two European 4-door sports cars. I really think GM could pull this off. I thought about ‘hiding’ the rear door handles in the tiny 6th window of the greenhouse, but I went with proudly presenting the car with versions of the Vette's indented touch handles.” (3/6)
But predictably, they're incapable of understanding that. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Ganging up on GM marketing is almost cruel, because they just can't seem to get out of the way of their own incompetence. As I predicted, they overcompensated after jettisoning Joel Ewanick and it is flat-out killing them. Swearing up and down that they were done with "rock star" CMOs, they swung the pendulum in the complete opposite direction, resulting in organizational chaos. They've added layers of overseer executives who add nothing to the equation and this has done nothing but confuse the issue to the point of paralysis. It's no wonder both Goodby and Fallon have found GM marketing to be a cesspool of mediocrity, with GM marketers careening around each other’s titles and immersing themselves in territorial bullshit to the detriment of the advertising. And remember folks, that is the point here, after all. It's about the work, but GM marketers are rumbling, bumbling and stumbling around worrying about everything but the work. Pathetic. The sad High-Octane Truth about this situation is that GM, in fact, desperately needs a CMO. They have too many chiefs in marketing and the department is clearly rudderless without a leader. And just for the record, it ain't Captain Queeg. As a matter of fact Dan Akerson should be kept as far away from the marketing function as possible, because he clearly doesn't have a clue. He just wants to be "in charge," with all of the predictable consequences and negative connotations that go with that statement. Maybe they're hoping that new hire and ex-VW marketing honcho Tim Mahoney is that guy, but as I said a couple of weeks ago, the odds are stacked against him. GM shouldn't let their disdain for the idea of a CMO dissuade them from actually going out and finding one. – PMD (3/13)
Time of your life, eh kid? Henrik Fisker, aka “The Dreamer” resigns from his company, Fisker Automotive, effective immediately. (3/13)
My advice to Mullen? Be careful what you wish for. Editor-in-Chief's Note: L.A.-based advertising agency RPA retains the Honda account after a hasty review (it began in December), but loses the Acura business to Boston-based ad agency Mullen. Will this outcome help? The Honda work by RPA has been rejuvenated of late and I expect that to continue. The Acura work of late only reaffirmed the classic ad industry adage that states, "clients get the work they deserve." Since Honda consistently demonstrated that it didn't have a frickin' clue as to what Acura should or could be the creative work was inconsistent and muddled, reflecting Honda's cluelessness. Will all of this be fixed with a finger snap by handing the work to Mullen? Hmm, let's see... Has the client landscape changed all that much? No. Has Honda's product focus on Acura improved considerably? That's highly debatable. Do I expect a sudden transformation of the Acura product and the subsequent advertising that goes with it? It's a giant "we'll see" at best. – PMD (3/20)
(GM)
More Power = Good. Cadillac introduced its first Twin-Turbo engine and eight-speed transmission in the all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS midsize luxury sedan. The Cadillac Twin-Turbo V-6 is the most power-dense six-cylinder engine in the midsize luxury segment according to GM – a 3.6L with 118 horsepower per liter (88 kW/liter). Rated at an SAE-certified 420 horsepower (313 kW) and 430 lb.-ft. of torque (583 Nm), it is the most powerful V-6 ever from General Motors. It also has 15 percent greater power density than the BMW 535i’s turbocharged 3.0L six, which is rated at 300 horsepower (223 kW), for a ratio of 100 horsepower per liter (74 kW/liter) – and even the BMW 550i’s TwinPower 4.4L V-8, rated at 400 horsepower (298 kW), or 91 horsepower per liter (68 kW/liter). Power density is a measure of efficiency for an engine’s size. (3/20)
Jerry Seinfeld's "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee" is a favorite of ours (and hordes of other people as well). Here's one with Alec Baldwin - "Just a Lazy Shiftless Bastard" - and it's well worth your time. (3/20)
Well done. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Yes, car magazines are barely hanging on, what with the oppressive nonstop frenzy of the Internet that defines the new media world. And we may very well be arriving at the sunset of the car magazines' influence over enthusiast consumers - and the manufacturers - alike. But with that said, it looks like Road & Track magazine isn't going down without a fight. With everyone predicting its imminent demise after the move from the sunny confines of Newport Beach to Ann Arbor, the mag comes out swinging with a contemporary redesign that has jump-started the predictable tome with a bang. The new look, feel and tone takes chances, it's adventurous and it does it all with a style that's freshly undeniable. – PMD (4/3)
(PPG)
"Checkered Past,” a 1940 Ford coupe featuring a dazzling red PPG paint finish by Charley Hutton won the 2013 Ridler Award, one of the custom car world’s most coveted honors. The announcement was made at the 61st annual Detroit Autorama held at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit. The Ridler Award is presented to the most outstanding custom car or truck making its debut appearance at the Detroit Autorama, held annually in March. This is the third time in six years that a PPG-finished entry has won the tribute. It is especially significant this year since it marks the prize’s 50th anniversary. Checkered Past is owned by Ron and Deb Cizek of Bennington, Nebraska, and was built by Andy Leach and his crew at the newly-opened Cal Automotive Creations in Omaha, Nebraska. It was the first car the shop ever created. Hutton, regarded as one of the most accomplished and talented painters in the custom car world, did the paint work at his shop, Charley Hutton’s Color Studio, in Nampa, Idaho, where he uses PPG Automotive Refinish products exclusively. Hutton gained a national reputation with appearances on the Discovery Channel’s American Hot Rod, TLC’s Overhaulin’, and on Hot Rod TV. This is his third Ridler Award. Previous wins came in 2005 and 2007. Construction of "Checkered Past" took two years, with Hutton’s body and paintwork taking up four months of the total time. (4/3)
What's next, Steve? AMG tape stripes and a sporty rear spoiler? C'mon, Man! Editor-in-Chief's Note: Steve Cannon, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA tells Joe White in The Wall Street Journal that the company plans on offering its customers a less expensive way to get a taste of the AMG brand by way of a AMG sport appearance package, a slightly sportier ride and a slight increase in engine performance. All for less than $4,000. And thus, the dumbing down of AMG begins. AMG Lite will do more to negate the specialness of AMG - and faster - than anything I can think of. - PMD (4/10)
It was fun while it lasted. Sort of. Henrik Fisker's rolling note to self will be no longer as Fisker Automotive prepared to file Chapter 11 this week. (4/10)
Too bad an American company couldn't see fit to make that kind of a commitment to one of our favorite new technologies. EcoMotors, the suburban Detroit company developing an opposed piston-opposed cylinder engine has just signed a $200 million deal to build the engines in China, according to Automotive News. (4/10)
It Won’t Be Long Now, Part I. Sergio “The Exalted One" Marchionne now says Fiat has enough cash to buy the rest of Chrysler Group LLC, according to a Bloomberg report. "If we ever reach a deal with VEBA to buy the remaining stake, we have enough cash for it," Marchionne said Tuesday at the company's annual shareholder's meeting in Turin. Whew, we can all breathe easier now. (4/10)
But someone please tell us that going to Nissan isn't a sentence, because we're not so sure. Fred Diaz left Sergio Motors to become vice president for Nissan Division sales and marketing, effective May 1. Was he tired of the Sergio Shit Show, or just sick and tired? Both. Congrats, we didn't think he had it in him. (4/17)
Oh the horror... the horror. Reid Bigland took over for Diaz as head of Ram truck. We cringed at the thought of his preening press conferences getting even bigger and even more tedious, if that's possible. (4/17)
But he still works for Sergio, and we all know what that's like. So, maybe not. Tim Kuniskis, formerly Sergio's aide on Fiat in North America, took over Bigland's old position as head of Dodge. Well, we guess it's a promotion. Maybe. (4/17)
It sounds good, sort of, but then again he's reporting to Minimum Bob Ferguson. Y-i-k-e-s. Steve Majoros, one of The Autoextremist's old ad colleagues, gets a new gig but it meant going to The Dark Side and being named director, Global Cadillac Marketing. (4/17)
Uh-oh. Mark McNabb, the former GM executive, "left the company to pursue other opportunities," Maserati said in a statement today. Great Move on McNabb's part. Maserati is and will be a Dark Hole for the foreseeable future. Then, VW of America hired McNabb as its COO on May 1. He was to report to CEO Jonathan Browning and oversee U.S. sales (Browning was fired on December 12th.). (4/17)
(GM)
The new Buick Riviera concept vehicle made its global debut in Shanghai. GM PR minions said that, "The coupe combines avant-garde aesthetics and advanced technology, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicle propulsion, in a single package." It was the fourth global concept vehicle jointly developed by GM’s Shanghai GM and Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) joint ventures in Shanghai. The new Riviera’s designers took inspiration from the Chinese saying: “The greatest good is like water,” according to the release. "The vehicle’s sweeping design, which goes from thick to thin, has the vibrant nature of a moving river embodied in its athletic shape, elegant ambience and deeply sculpted lines." Um, okay. Sorry, it still doesn’t hold a candle to the original. (4/17)
(GM)
The Game Changer: The original 1963 Buick Riviera production car. Still stunning 50 years later. 4/17)
Sit down. Be quiet. Abandon your DeLorean-infused dreams. And then maybe, just maybe, you can get another design job that matters one day. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Henrik Fisker, the designer/CEO/entrepreneur/ego tripper was still insisting that his former company would survive if it only received new funding. Yeah, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance would have been a blockbuster movie if they had just spent more cash promoting it. You've been given a very clear and concise message, Henrik. – PMD (4/24)
Not Good. Deaths while riding motorcycles are increasing across the country, up at least 4.3 percent in the first nine months of 2012, according to a report. The Detroit News reported that the Governors Highway Safety Association said that record-high temperatures last spring helped boost motorcycle deaths in 34 of 50 states. In the first three months of 2012, motorcycle deaths jumped 24 percent. Michigan reported the third-highest number of increased rider deaths. Michigan repealed its mandatory helmet law over a year ago. (4/24)
Yeah, we know, like that would ever happen. NHTSA recommended that manufacturers avoid offering in-car devices that display text messages and web page content. Location info and two-dimensional mapping are okay, but not photorealistic or 3D images. Sounds reasonable to us, but we would rather pool together all the money spent on developing in-car connectivity and spend it on seriously upgrading this nation's driver training and licensing requirements. (4/24)
AKA the brand that delusional Mercedes-Benz executives just can't seem to let go of. The good news for Mark Webster? He was appointed general manager of Smart USA, according to a story in Automotive News. The bad news? He was appointed general manager of Smart USA, the dead-in-the-water non-starter with little or no redeeming qualities. (5/1)
Seems logical, sure. Anthony Foxx, Charlotte's Mayor, was named as Ray LaHood's replacement as head of the Transportation Department. Foxx has been "one of the most effective mayors Charlotte has ever seen" according to the President's statement from the White House, claiming the city's resurgence is due, in part, to his emphasis on transportation projects. (5/1)
Whatever you say, Sergio. "The Exalted One" had this to say after first quarter profits tumbled because of the expensive launches of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Ram pickup: "This is a one-time event. It's a one-off. Just close your eyes, plug your nose, and move on from here," Marchionne said. "I knew I was going to be limping in the quarter. I didn't know that I was going to be limping that much." (5/1)
Cue the sound of actress Kelly Preston's voice - as Avery Bishop - calling Tom Cruise - as Jerry McGuire - a "loser" in the movie of the same name. Yeah, that's what it feels like. Coda is one so-called "green" car company start-up that we're happy to report, "we told you so." Looking for all the world like a recycled Geo Prizm (for $37,000.00, no less) the Chinese-made Coda EV never had a frickin' snowball's chance in hell of making it, which was readily apparent when they showed the car at the Detroit Auto Show over a year ago. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy yesterday, after selling 100, that's right, 100 cars in a year. Two questions: Who in their right mind actually plunked down real money for these things with so many far better choices out there? And how does it feel now? (5/1)
(Porsche North America)
Fifty years ago, the Porsche 911 made its debut at the Frankfurt International Auto Show - and just ten years later, the first 911 Turbo prototype was at the IAA. On this 40th anniversary of the 911 Turbo, Porsche introduced the new generation 911 Turbo and Turbo S - what the company is calling "the technological and dynamic performance peak of the 911 series." A new all-wheel-drive system, active rear axle steering, adaptive aerodynamics, full-LED headlights, and up to 560 hp - the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo flat six-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection produces 520 hp in the 911 Turbo and 560 hp in the S model - the new generation 911 Turbo is "an ultra performance car, every day car, and technology flagship," according to Porsche. (5/1)
Been there, done that, probably forgotten more than you’ll ever know. GM brought back 100 retired engineers on a contract basis in order to help suppliers with the launch of the new Chevrolet Silverado/GMC pickups this summer. GM North America President Mark Reuss told Automotive News that a group of retired engineers also helped with the launch of the new Impala, which Reuss termed as being "almost flawless because of this approach. It really works." We certainly hope that this is a trend in this business, because there are too many smart auto people sitting around bored to death who could really help make a substantive difference on a lot of levels. (5/8)
From the "Hey Martha, Let's Break Out The Scotch!" File comes word that the average tenure for Chief Marketing Officers has gone up from 23 months to an average of 45 months, according to research conducted by executive-search firm Spencer Stuart, as reported by AdAge. Do you mean CEO's are finally understanding the value of a dialed-in CMO who can affect an image of a company in a most positive way? Could be. But it could also mean that it's a temporary aberration and that the revolving door for CMOs is due to fire-up shortly. We’ll see. (5/8)
How far is enough? We're about to find out. In ancient times cops would lock up your car and drive you home, or take you to the station if you had too much to drink and let you dry out. Now? The National Transportation Safety Board wants to lower the legal limit on drunken driving to a blood-alcohol content of 0.05 percent or lower, compared to the current 0.08 percent. They're basically saying no one can drink anything and drive. (5/8)
It's a hard-knock life. From the "Uh-Oh" File comes word that driving is becoming passé, according to a report released by U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The total miles per capita driven has fallen every year since 2004, thus ending a driving "boom" that dates back to 1964. Step right up and get your autonomous cars, folks, and then go home and sleep with your "devices." (5/8)
(Aston Martin)
Aston Martin marked its first 100 years with a 100-plus car parade at the Nurburgring Nordschleife on May 19th, just ahead of the start of the 41st ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours. Led by Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez at the wheel of the dramatic CC100 Speedster Concept, which made its global debut at the Nürburgring that weekend, the parade comprised cars from the brand’s past and present. Among the models making the 22 km lap were the DB5 used in the recent James Bond film Skyfall, a One-77 hypercar, the 1959 Nürburgring 1000 km-winning DBR1 with original driver Sir Stirling Moss at the wheel, and a modern Centenary Edition Vanquish bearing the numberplate ‘100YRS’. (5/22)
All together now... would you miss it? After burning through almost a billion with a capital "B" dollars, Better Place LLC, the operator of electric vehicle charging stations, is going to a better place, as in bankruptcy. (5/29)
He wouldn't know how the sausage is made if he got smacked in the forehead with a 400-lb. bratwurst. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Daniel Howes reported in The Detroit News that the renovated 39th floor in Tower 300 of GM's Renaissance Center headquarters had been radically altered because Captain Queeg wanted a different working environment. The four office suites, each complete with a full private bath with shower, have been removed. Instead, GM's top 10 executives (soon to be 12) will work in a more open environment designed "to bridge silos, build a team and change the way the company operates," according to Howes. "I came to work, not to shower," Akerson told Howes. "Here it's a little harder to do passive-aggressive behavior — give you a nod, walk out and ignore you. I don't think you can be too removed from what's going on. You've got to be part of the sausage being made." Oh, really? You have to be fucking kidding me. The king of passive-aggressive behavior thinks all will be sweetness and light now because he's created a bullpen for his top execs? This guy's power of delusion never ceases to amaze me. What's really going to happen with this new arrangement? Akerson's patented King Prick behavior will now have a collective audience so that his top execs can all revel in his put-downs, snide comments and relentless boorishness that he insists are a necessary part of his "tough CEO" M.O. And being part of the sausage being made? What a complete joke. Remember, Akerson was the guy who pushed for an early intro of the Malibu, the car that just had to be revised because it's dead in the water in the market. This is what it has come down to for GM, folks. You have a group of top executives who are just counting the days for this miserable excuse of a "leader" to take his leave. – PMD (6/5)
And then take your social commentary and shove it up your soy-encrusted asses. Whole Foods, the touchy-feely grocery empire, opened a store in Detroit today but not without lecturing the collective poor souls in the city about what Whole Foods can do for them and how life will be much better now since we've all been deprived of their social goodness for so long. Memo to the Whole Foods brain trust: Here's an idea, shut the fuck up and confine your comments to your area of expertise, which is, the last time we checked, the grocery business. (6/5)
(Porsche Cars North America)
Porsche celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 911 in September with a special anniversary model based on the 911 Carrera S. The anniversary 911 features the wide body, which is typically reserved for the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 models. This special edition was limited to 1963 cars, a number that represents the year of the 911 world premier. (6/5)
Dang, this Bob Ferguson guy is really making a difference. Editor-in-Chief's Note: From the "You Just Can't Make This Shit Up" File comes word that General Motors has selected a new agency called Rogue as its creative agency of record. The new entity is comprised of three agencies from Interpublic, a massive advertising holding company. As reported in Ad Age, Boston-based Hill Holliday will take the lead on creative and strategic work, while Detroit-based Campbell-Ewald will handle account management, and Lowe will work on digital advertising and be tapped to export creative for Cadillac around the world. (According to the GM release, Rogue will be headquartered in Campbell-Ewald’s Detroit-area office, with much of the creative and strategy work located in Hill Holliday’s Boston office.)
Sources close to the review (aka people in Cadillac marketing and at the ad agency who can't keep their mouths shut) say the choice stems from GM's prior relationships with Campbell-Ewald as well as with Hill Holliday's chief creative officer Lance Jensen. Let's face it, it's also because Michael Roth, the chairman of Interpublic, went ballistic when Joel Ewanick dumped Campbell-Ewald from the Chevrolet account after 75 years and was hell-bent on getting GM business back in the fold. He got Chevrolet back at McCann - another IPG shop - when the Goodby experiment failed, but that wasn't enough, he wanted Cadillac too. And this just in: He wants GM to consolidate all of its business with IPG agencies, so this, as they say, is a developing situation. GM recently hired Steve Majoros from C-E to work on Cadillac, which was a clear sign that IPG was going to win Cadillac, even though GM denied it and wasted everybody's time and money in a creative review.
Jensen, some of you may remember, was allegedly responsible for Cadillac's "most popular advertising of the last decade," according to Ad Age (really? who knew? - WG), which we find to be HaHa laughable, because if Jensen was so brilliant, why didn't GM keep him on Cadillac to begin with way back when? Michael Roth clearly sold GM on the idea that having another piece of business consolidated with IPG's other huge chunk of Chevrolet business at McCann (Commonwealth) would extract tremendous efficiencies with this deal, but this just in, that's what chairmen of advertising holding companies always say.
So, let's get this straight, players from three different advertising agencies are going to magically come together to service the Cadillac account at a new agency called Rogue. Ever hear of the term cognitive dissonance? No doubt Interpublic made it all sound like all rainbows and bunny rabbits during their pitch, and clearly GM is predisposed to love anything IPG comes up with these days, thanks to the intense lobbying effort by Roth, but talk about a giant cluster-fuck, ladies and gentlemen. This makes the McCann/Goodby forced march into The Darkness look like a playground-skipping contest by comparison. Oh wait, that didn't work out so well, did it? You can look at this looming train wreck in a couple of ways. 1. With Cadillac's new agency sourced from three companies all under the same IPG umbrella, maybe it will mitigate the worry about festering culture clashes (ala McCann/Goodby) that are sure to develop. (As if.) Or, 2. When the whole thing comes apart in an explosion of innuendo, hurt feelings and abject mediocrity, then maybe breaking up will a bit easier. – PMD (6/12)
And here's a catchy name for an agency that has such a relentlessly shitty client that all hope was lost before the deal was even signed: FUCKED. What's with the explosion of "creative" ad shop names, you might ask? There's FIRSTBORN, MOTHER, BIG DUCK and NOISE (and that's just in NYC), to name just a handful of, oh, thousands. In case you didn't know it already, advertising is the most self-absorbed endeavor this side of Hollywood. It's a business that thrives on attention, especially the self-congratulatory sort, and a "radical" ad agency name is the new calling card for manufactured hipness. Agency types can wear it on their sleeves and it sounds good in the advertising trades, thus the new Cadillac entity, "Rogue." Which brought to mind a few of our own thoughts as well. Here's one for a new conglomerate ad agency saddled with a remarkably clueless client: TORTURE. It has a nice ring to it, no? Or, here's a suggestion for a digital shop that has just been saddled with a piece of business that they're in no way, shape or form equipped: BYTE ME. (6/12)
(Goodwood Motor Circuit)
Over 185,000 spectators attended the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed and Moving Motor Show in July. In line with the 2013 Festival ‘Best of the first 20 years’ theme, the eight vehicle classes and cars on display at Goodwood reflected many of the greatest machines that have graced the tranquil Cartier Lawn over the last two decades, including the one-off six-seater 1938 Phantom Corsair coupe (above) designed by Rust Heinz of the famous Heinz (57 Varieties) family. Heinz lost his life in a car crash the following year (1939), and many subsequent guardians of the Phantom have meet with unusual and untimely ends, leading to the car often being labeled as cursed (!). Also on display was a beautiful 1938 Bugatti Type 57S Atlantic (below), among countless other magnificent automobiles. 6/12)
Combine all of this with the autonomous vehicle development programs, and you just might be on to something. Editor-in-Chief's Note: With the news that the Ford Motor Company is using robots to drive its vehicles over some of its most grueling test roads to accelerate durability development – a smart move by the way – it immediately dawned on me, why stop there? When I consider the questionable decisions made every day at these car companies by bureaucrats trying to cover their asses, a robotic alternative may prove to be strategically brilliant. I mean, really, would some of these car companies suffer all that much if they turned over some of their key decision-making to robotic mercenaries who didn’t really get rattled by company political infighting and deeply held grudges that are rife throughout the bureaucracies? Just think of the possibilities! Human Resources issues? Just turn things over to the HRPS Robot (Human Resources Professional Simulator) who will be particularly suited to utter the phrase, "Please bring your security pass and your company car keys to the Human Resources office immediately." Or the Financial Robot - affectionately nicknamed "Dr. No" - who is programmed to reject every request with, what else, a thundering "No!" Imagine a whole room full of CYA Robots, particularly adept at never taking a stand, sending relentlessly circular emails and giving new meaning to the term "the paralysis in the vast gray middle." Or how about "Parrot" Robots, who impress everyone with their ability to repeat everything the Big Boss says while nodding in cheery agreement. Then there are the Marketing Robots, who handily refer back to their default setting of "How much is that gonna be a month?" And of course what would a modern auto company be without whole squadrons of beaten-down "Minion" Robots, the "Yes sir, no sir, thank you sir, may I have another, sir" hordes that keep the whole enterprise afloat. – PMD (6/19)
We really liked the new Apple campaign - "Designed by Apple In California" - a lot. Crisply written with pitch-perfect tone, it's worth more than a look. Check it out here. Imagine a car company that adhered to these words: "This is it. This is what matters. The experience of a product. How it makes someone feel. When you start by imagining what that might be like. You step back. You think." (6/19)
Editor's Note: One of the largest American car shows in the world... is in Sweden. Watch a clip here. (And thanks to one of our longtime Canadian readers, Roger Clarke, for passing this item along to us!) – WG (6/19)
(Ford)
Speaking of things having to do with all mankind, Ford rejuvenated a nearly 90-year-old advertisement that propelled the company’s vision for putting the world on wheels. The “Opening the Highways to All Mankind” advertisement was originally placed in the Saturday Evening Post on January 24, 1925. It detailed Henry Ford’s original vision of providing affordable, safe transportation to everyone. In 2007, the ad came to the attention of Ford CEO and President Alan Mulally, who used the ad as a vision for the transformation of Ford from survival to profitable growth. “Henry Ford was talking about one Ford, one plan, one team and working together – and that is exactly our One Ford plan,” said Mulally. “We are using this same vision to Go Further today in developing high-quality, fuel-efficient, safe and smart products that customers want and value – and that are affordable – so that we can continue opening up the highways to all mankind." The image in the ad shows a family overlooking a hilly landscape dotted with cars and Ford manufacturing facilities in the background. The text details Ford’s vision for extending safe and efficient transportation to everyone through an efficient organization committed to profitable growth, continuous improvement and service to customers. (Note the idea of "everyone" - as in mankind - here. Acura's new theme "Made for mankind" is so completely at odds with their elitist idea of targeting "the enlightened" that it makes the Ford painting all the more meaningful. The whole idea of the automobile has the concept of egalitarianism at its core. It's fine that there are cars just for the 1 percent, but "mankind" and Henry Ford's idea was all about the 99 percent. - WG) Until mid-2012, the painting used to create the 1925 advertisement had languished, unseen. Titled “Visions of Tomorrow,” the painting was in storage at The Henry Ford, a history museum complex in Dearborn, Mich., that collaborates in a unique partnership with Ford Motor Company to preserve America’s and Ford’s rich heritage. The Henry Ford led restoration of the painting and a paper print of the ad, supported by a grant from Ford Motor Company Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm. Mulally and The Henry Ford’s President Patricia Mooradian unveiled the restored painting on Monday at the Henry Ford Museum. The painting is highlighted in a new addition to the museum’s “Driving America” exhibit. See a video of the painting's restoration here. (6/26)
(GM)
While we were away Buick celebrated its 110th birthday. Buick celebrated its 50th birthday with the 1953 Skylark, an opulent, limited-production convertible with advanced design and technology. Each had Italian wire wheels and the owner’s name engraved on the steering wheel. That same year also marked the first year of Buick V-8 engines and a new twin-turbine Dynaflow automatic transmission. Today, GM says that Buick is "a modern luxury brand offering vehicles with sculpted designs, luxurious interiors with thoughtful personal technologies, along with responsive-yet-efficient performance." That pretty much describes any number of auto manufacturers, doesn't it? (6/26)
(Chevrolet)
Today (June 28th) marks 60th anniversary of the Corvette. The first Corvette went into production in Flint, Mich. on June 30, 1953. Corvette is the world’s longest-running, continuously produced passenger car. The longest-running vehicle of any type is the Chevrolet Suburban. Corvette made its debut as a concept vehicle at the General Motors Autorama in New York City on Jan. 17, 1953. It was such a success that a limited run of 300 production Corvettes began on June 30 of that year. All 1953 models were Polo White with a red interior and they were priced at $3,498. In 2006, the third 1953 Corvette produced sold for a record $1.06 million at auction. Corvette was exclusively available with an inline six-cylinder engine until 1955. That year, the optional V-8 engine was ordered by 90 percent of buyers. The six-cylinder was dropped in 1956. Corvette has been available exclusively with V-8 power since. Corvettes have been produced at three facilities: Flint, Mich. (1953); St. Louis, Mo., (1954-1981); and Bowling Green, Ky. (1981-2014). (6/26)
Predictable, formulaic, nicely shot and mildly compelling, it's well executed nonetheless. The new "Strong" ad campaign for the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado made its debut. Groundbreaking? Hardly, but pickup truck advertising is not the place to find groundbreaking (the exception of course is the work by Team Detroit on behalf of the Ford F-150 with Dennis Leary's voice over. It still stands out going on four years.). Powerful images of trucks doing stuff with real-looking people doing real stuff with them, it's as old a formula as it gets in automotive advertising. The new campaign for the Silverado is the famous "Like A Rock" campaign updated and repackaged in a contemporary wrapper - not that anyone will publicly admit it, of course. (7/3)
(Ferrari North America)
What's next for Ferrari? A company-wide incentive-ized edict to reduce the number of self-important dweebs, malevolent twerps, corporate swindlers and Ricky Racers from buying their cars? On second thought... Editor-in-Chief's Note: From the "You Just Can't Make This Shit Up" and "Too Damn Much Time On Their Hands, Apparently" Files, this is the press release - word for word - from Ferrari (complete with photo): "Ferrari’s employees will be talking to their colleagues more from today forward. To incentivize more efficient and direct communication within the company, the decision has been made to place much stricter limits on the number of emails being sent. Specifically, from now on, each Ferrari employee will only be able to send the same email to three people in-house. The injudicious sending of emails with dozens of recipients often on subjects with no relevance to most of the latter is one of the main causes of time wastage and inefficiency in the average working day in business. Ferrari has therefore decided to nip the problem in the bud by issuing a very clear and simple instruction to its employees: talk to each other more and write less." Huh? And WTF??? – PMD (7/3)
This just in: They never should have changed it here. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Nissan is bringing back its Datsun name for use in emerging markets. Once upon a time Datsun had tremendous mojo in this market. Datsun, We Are Driven! was a hugely successful ad theme that resonated across America. So did the cars and trucks. Then Nissan the company decided that they had to sync up their American operation over here with its corporate presence in Japan. Why? What did it gain? Not much. I should know, I worked on the account immediately after the name change and it was nothing more than a fool's errand, with Nissan pouring millions into the name change that could have and should have been spent on the perfectly good brand they had. Nissan has some impressive products today - let me reemphasize, some - but the name change remains one of the dumbest moves ever undertaken by a car company in this market. – PMD (7/10)
(Images courtesy of Porsche)
The 1970 Porsche 917 KH 24 Hours of Le Mans winner was reunited with its former Porsche factory race drivers Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood at Goodwood. In 1970, seventeen examples of the 917 participated at Le Mans, and after 24 hours of racing in the rain and fog, Porsche secured its first victory in the French endurance event. Porsche has achieved a record total of 16 overall Le Mans victories to date. (7/10)
The formidable Porsche 917/30 Can-Am car also appeared at Goodwood. The phenomenal 1,000HP+ racing machine prepared and entered by Roger Penske and raced by Mark Donohue remains one of the most iconic racing cars of all time. This is the car that humiliated the once-dominant Team McLaren in the legendary Can-Am series, effectively crippling the series and sending it into permanent decline. In qualifying trim, the turbo-boost could be dialed-up in the all-conquering 917/30 to produce more than 1200HP. (7/10)
Car companies with too much money at their disposal in fat and happy times do stupid things. German car companies with too much money at their disposal in fat and happy times do really stupid things. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Bloomberg is reporting that VW is bringing the Phaeton luxury sedan back to the U.S. market. "A brand as large as Volkswagen needs a halo project in the upscale segment," CEO Martin Winterkorn told Bloomberg at a conference in the company's hometown of Wolfsburg, Germany, this month, confirming that the Phaeton will return to U.S. showrooms. Really? Uh, actually no it doesn't, Martin. "We've seen what happens to brands that don't have that kind of project," Winterkorn continued. Yes, we have too Martin, and remarkably enough the brands that avoid embracing that delusional charade end up not burning massive piles of money in bonfires behind headquarters too, unlike VW, which pissed away hundreds of millions of dollars on the Phaeton the first time around. I love it when car executives get their delusional thinking on and start talking to themselves, because inevitably it doesn't end well. Ferdinand Piech's vanity project - aka the Phaeton - never should have seen the light of day to begin with, but because he's The Boss and demanded it nobody had the balls to tell him no. Because if they do, they usually end up picking trash up along the side of the Autobahn on their lunch hours. – PMD (7/17)
We've seen this movie before and it never ends well. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Guess what's back? Lengthy car loans. According to The Los Angeles Times consumers are starting to cue up for 72-month car loans again and from where we sit, that's a giant, heaping, steaming bowl of Not Good. Let's see, the automakers swimming in profits? Check. Short-term thinking starting to invade the automotive executive mindset? Check. Easy credit and perilous, long-term loan availability? Check. – PMD (7/24)
A savvy move for Ford. Hau Thai-Tang, the Ford engineering star and True Believer was named the group vice president of global purchasing for the company. (7/24)
AE Quote of the Week, I. Holman W. Jenkins Jr. hit it out of the park in The Wall Street Journal with his column, "Detroit Was a Cluster." In describing the true essence of the UAW, Jenkins nails it: "The UAW, let's understand, wasn't just a union; it was a government-sanctioned labor monopoly that behaved as monopolies do, extracting maximum compensation for minimum productivity. A certain piety prevents it from being noted, but lack of access to a competitive labor market has undermined the Big Three and Detroit's appeal as an industry hub since the 1940s." (7/31)
AE Quote of the Week, II. Holman W. Jenkins Jr. again: "A lot went into Detroit's decline besides the UAW, but one more UAW contribution was Mayor Coleman Young. A UAW organizer who was expelled for being too radical, he switched his career to politics and later spent 20 years presiding over the city's unraveling from 1974 to 1994." (7/31)
AE Quote of the Week, III. And finally, Holman W. Jenkins Jr. closed with this: "The region may even be starting to reclaim some of its attractiveness as an auto production cluster. Ironically, a final casualty might be the UAW itself. If the union no longer has the political leverage to extract monopoly rents from the Big Three, UAW members will have little reason to keep paying dues." (7/31)
The only thing I will acknowledge you are expert at is taking credit for other people's work, and then turning around and dismissing an entire industry as being worthless and inconsequential. The quintessential definition of pathetic. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The puff piece on Dan Akerson's Reign of Terror in Monday's USA Today was so embarrassing it was painful. That the USA Today reporter was spun like a spindle by Selim Bingol's PR charm offensive on behalf of Captain Queeg was bad enough, but to regurgitate Akerson's nine lessons of management? That's akin to getting management tips from a wistful Atilla the Hun.
To wit: "You have to be a patient and constructive critic," he says. This is one of Captain Queeg's top nine lessons? This from a guy who once walked out of a Cadillac meeting because a proposed technology wasn't being implemented soon enough? Does that sound either "patient" or "constructive"? Another classic quote from Akerson? "I don't think you have to be a subject-matter expert," he said. That's obvious. This from a guy who has willingly taken credit for all of the blood, sweat and tears put in by the True Believers at GM, the ones who kept GM in the game through a decimating bankruptcy and whose collective efforts have brought to fruition the product lineup that GM has today.
Akerson has not had one thing - not one - to do with GM's product on the streets today. Oh, wait a minute; there is one thing, come to think of it. Akerson, in all of his instant auto industry expert glory, was the guy who insisted on accelerating the Chevrolet Malibu to market before it was ready for prime time. We all know how that turned out, don't we? At least James Healy, the USA Today reporter, managed to get the IV drip of "Akerson is a Genius" Kool-Aid out of his arm long enough to get a quote from someone who actually could offer a little perspective to the proceedings.
"Put me in the category of being doubtful. He's blessed with a burgeoning market and he's blessed by having a line of products designed, primarily, long before he arrived," says Gerald Meyers, crisis-management consultant, and professor at the University of Michigan (and former CEO of American Motors). And we can't close this item out without mentioning Akerson's last management lesson for all of us unfortunates, which is: "Don't get distracted from the main reason you're there." That's rich, especially coming from Captain Queeg, who comes from a long line of Private Equity carpetbaggers who have left a tale of woe throughout corporate America. My question for Akerson, the Accidental Tourist of a CEO, is this: Why are you there exactly, Dan? Because you were picked by one of the most incompetent boards of directors in corporate America after you raised your hand, and because they had no better ideas that day? That's it in a nutshell, isn't it? So spare us your pearls of wisdom about business and the car business, because you don't have a frickin' clue. – PMD (8/7)
The Electric Slide. While the mainstream media continues to slobber over the Tesla, the reality for electric vehicles in this market is u-g-l-y. GM has just announced that it is cutting the price on the 2014 Chevrolet Volt by $5,000 as the price war on Electric Avenue heats up. Nissan has cut the price of the Leaf by $6,400, Ford has cut the price of the Focus Electric by $4,000 and the leases on the peripheral electrics are getting cheaper by the hour. (8/7)
Are you listening, BMW or Mercedes? Probably not, but just in case... Editor-in-Chief's Note: Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, the President of Subaru is worried that the company may be getting too big. “We’re standing at a major turning point for Subaru,” Yoshinaga said in an interview with Bloomberg in Tokyo. “It shouldn’t just be about volumes. We should be making cars only Subaru can make that are a little more expensive and more profitable than the competition.” Hallefrickin'-luja, ladies and gentlemen, a car company leader actually concerned about getting too big and having his brand become a commodity. Who would have thought that the leader of Subaru would remind everyone about the importance of adhering to brand image and to not get lost in the chase for profits through volume? There's more to this business than that, as Yoshinaga clearly understands. He also understands that Subaru can't be all things to all people, and that Subaru needs to stay true to its mission. “Some people in the company may want to make mass-market products or cheaper cars, but is this really the right direction for Subaru?” Yoshinaga continued. “We’re not a carmaker that can grow as big as Toyota. And even if we could, reaching that sort of scale would mean we’d stop being Subaru.” We'd stop being Subaru. This guy gets it. – PMD (8/7)
(Jaguar)
The restored Jaguar XK120 that broke the land speed record of 172+ mph in 1953 won “Best in Class, Post War Racing” this week at the Quail Motorsports Gathering, part of the Pebble Beach festivities on the Monterey Peninsula. Legendary driver Norman Dewis, who set the production car world land speed record driving this same XK 120 at Belgium’s Jabbeke Motorway in 1953, was in attendance. This was the first time Dewis has seen the “Jabbeke Jag” since he drove it that historic day 60 years ago. (8/14)
(Autoextremist Photo)
Editor-in-Chief's's Note: Our "Quick Take" this week has us in the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Readers may know by now that I have a long history with Porsche, specifically the 911. It's the car that turned me on to driving, really driving. Sure, I had the opportunity to ride and drive in plenty of the greatest cars ever built in the 60s and 70s, including wheeling a spectacular '69 L-88 Corvette, in period. But for me the 911 was special. Let's face it; it's my soul car. The old-era air-cooled 911s were wonderfully cantankerous machines. You didn't phone it in with them. You didn't engage myriad electronic devices to balance the car, make the exhaust pipes louder or make up for ham-fisted driving. No, the 911s of the golden era demanded you pay attention to driving all the time. Because if you didn't, it would bite you in the ass, hard. To me the charm of the older 911s was that they forced you to be on your game, especially if you liked to go fast. And believe me, I did. I put many, many miles on 911s and learned all of its tail-happy idiosyncrasies firsthand, including one memorable day when I flat lost the first one I owned - a beautiful (used) 1975 Chocolate Brown 911S - going 115 mph in a sweeping fast bend that unbeknownst to me had just had the shoulder graded, leaving dirt in the middle of the corner. I instantly found myself going backwards in a long, lurid slide - complete with tire smoke - and when I finally stopped, my rear tires ended up on the edge of an embankment. Awesomeness. It was one of those life-altering experiences that was worth every ass-pinching second. From then on the 911 and I bonded, and I went on to having many high-speed experiences with the car (s) that I treasure to this day. So, what about the new 911? When I first drove the new car in Santa Barbara a couple of years ago I praised it as being a true 911, updated. And I still feel that way, sort of. But the 911 has dramatically grown in size, and as fast and fun as it is there's no denying that it has become more of a GT car, pure and simple. (That's why for many Porsche True Believers, the Cayman S is now The Shit.) Don't get me wrong, the Carrera 4S with its 400HP and the ability to crank up the suspension tight and dial-up the exhaust note at will is intoxicating. When you engage all the go-fast stuff plus the sport exhaust and stand on it, well, you can pretend that you're exiting the pits at Le Mans in your GT racing machine, it's that good. And it's damn fast too. Yes, I know, times change. But I just came back from the Monterey auto celebration, and to see the compact and perfectly rendered older 911s parked hard up against the new car, it is still jarring for me. I love the new 911 and all it can do for you, but I gravitate to the older, wonderfully taut and elegantly compact air-cooled cars every time. Call me entrenched in the past, but it's the High-Octane Truth as I see it. – PMD (8/21)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: GM's luxury division is calling its upcoming "Vsport" version of its XTS a sub-brand that will account for 10-15 percent of XTS sales. The AE Question of the Week? At what point does the "Vsport" nomenclature diminish the impact of the full-on "V" series Cadillacs? How does right out of the gate sound? The Vsport will be confusing to the public - at best - because it's not a true "V" car, which means it will be immediately slotted in the "sort of" sporty category. This is Cadillac marketers flailing around and talking to themselves, pure and simple. Parsing the division's offerings at this juncture isn't a smart move, instead it smacks of throwing stuff up against the wall and seeing what sticks. Which is a giant bowl of Not Good. - PMD (8/28)
We don’t care. Nissan says it will have "multiple" self-driving cars in-market by 2020 as part of its "we got it goin' on" technology push by the company. (8/28)
(Photo for Chevrolet by Steven Noreyko)
The Chevrolet Silverado has become the Official Truck of the Texas Longhorns, the Texas Exes, and the Official Truck of Bevo, the Texas Longhorns' live mascot. It is a multi-year sponsorship agreement between Chevrolet, the University of Texas Athletics program, IMG College and the Ex-Students’ Association of the University of Texas (the Texas Exes). Texas is the single biggest market in the country for pickup trucks, in case you were wondering why Chevrolet marketers would... oh never mind. (8/28)
(Ford)
With the Mustang having already set sales records following its launch in 1964, Ford design chief Gene Bordinat and the Special Vehicles Group decided to try rearranging the pieces for this 1967 Mach 2 concept. The 289 Hi-Po V8 was shifted from the front to behind the two seats to evaluate the layout as a possible successor to the Shelby Cobra. Yes, a mid-engine Mustang concept! Despite its mid-engine layout, the Mach 2 retained the long-hood, short-deck proportions of a Mustang. Unfortunately, the Mach 2 never went much beyond the auto show circuit. Ford launched Mustang Countdown, an online video series that focuses on the iconic American car and the culture that has formed around it all across the globe, and to continue the celebration leading up to the 50th birthday of Mustang on April 17, 2014. Check out this compelling video about the development of the Mustang I concept here. (8/28)
If anything Cadillac needs to be and should be all about being more desirable. The Elmiraj concept has "desirable" written all over it. On the other hand, "Work hard. Be Lucky."-? WTF? Cadillac and its new Interpublic Agency - Team Rogue (ugh, please tell us that everyone at the agency isn't being assigned black outfits to emphasize the whole "rogue" bit) - is going to reposition the luxury brand in its upcoming fall campaign, making a U-turn from past messaging that attempted to re-fire "The Standard of the World." Normally we would have reserved judgment until the campaign actually broke, but we just couldn't help ourselves. Word from Ad Age suggested that "the messaging will lean on American values, such as the notion that everyone can create his or her own destiny." The main idea behind the campaign? "Work Hard. Be Lucky." Wow. This is wrong on so many levels we don't really know where to begin, unless it's yet another travel come-on for the Las Vegas Visitor's Bureau, then, not so bad. But for Cadillac? Not so much. Then, we thought, maybe it's Cadillac getting back to being okay with being Cadillac again, which we wholeheartedly endorse. But come to find out that there's a movement afoot to position Cadillac as a more-accessible car than it has been. Accessible? For what, exactly? All of this on the heels of the news that Cadillac sales are up 30 percent for the first seven months of 2013. Last time we checked, the whole idea of positioning Cadillac as being more accessible is counterintuitive. (9/4)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Jeremy Clarkson's heartfelt driving impression of the Aston Martin Vantage and his commentary on the twilight of the high-performance automobile is simply one of the most powerful pieces of its kind ever created. Brilliantly written and graced with absolutely stunning visuals, it will resonate for years and years to come. As he says, "What it makes me feel though, is sad. I just can't help thinking that, thanks to all sorts of things... the environment, the economy, problems in the Middle East, the relentless war on speed, cars like this will soon be consigned to the history books. I just have this horrible, dreadful feeling that what I'm driving here... is an ending." Amen. Watch it here. – PMD (9/4)
It's nice to know that Swinging Dick-ism is alive and well. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Nissan was hell bent at the Frankfurt Auto Show, or so it seems, on reminding everyone that they are the electric car visionaries, and that they have a four-year head start on every other automaker, particularly VW. Nissan's Andy Palmer even went so far as saying, as relayed by David Shepardson from The Detroit News, that "Electric and cars is as inevitable as tax and death," in a remarkably stupid quip. VW, not to be out done, suggests that VW will be the world leader in electric mobility by 2018, according to CEO Martin Winterkorn. Then again VW has their sights set on being the king of the automotive world long before that, and with 76-year-old uber chairman Ferdinand Piech staying on into 2017, there is no question that world domination is in The Plan for VW, electrified or not. Whether it's a discussion of who has the most brute horsepower or the most electrons on tap, nothing ever changes in the car business, it seems. – PMD (9/11)
(BMW Group)
BMW unveiled the BMW i8 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The plug-in hybrid 2+2 sports car will have a manufacturer’s suggest retail price of $135,925 (including destination and handling) when it arrives in US showrooms in spring of 2014. (9/11)
(Porsche)
The Porsche 918 Spyder has lapped the 12.8-mile (20.6-kilometer) Nürburgring Nordschleife in six minutes and 57 seconds, 14 seconds quicker than the previous Nürburgring record for a street-legal automobile, and 17 seconds faster than its run last September. "We promised a great deal with the 918 Spyder, namely to redefine driving pleasure, efficiency and performance. We have kept our word," commented Wolfgang Hatz, member of the Porsche AG Board of Management in charge of Research and Development. "The radical hybridization of the 918 Spyder from the very outset is what made this lap record possible," says Dr. Frank Walliser, head of the 918 Spyder project. "The lap time on the Nordschleife is and remains the toughest measure of a super sports car. Posting a time of 6.57 minutes, we achieved a result of which everyone in the development team and at Porsche as a whole is rightly proud." The record, which was previously held for four years, was broken during the first attempt in the test drive on the morning of September 4. All three drivers – former European Rally Champion Walter Röhrl, Porsche test driver Timo Kluck and Porsche factory driver Marc Lieb – were quicker than the existing record with each lap driving a different 918 Spyder, and posted lap times of less than seven minutes on numerous occasions. Ultimately, it was Marc Lieb who posted the absolute best time of 6.57 minutes, driving at an average speed of 111.5 mph (179.5 km/h), as measured by Wige Solutions. Marcus Schurig, editor-in-chief of the sports car magazine Sport Auto was on hand as an objective observer of the record-breaking runs. The two sports cars, which deliver an output of 887 bhp (652 kW), were equipped with the optional "Weissach package" to increase driving dynamics and the standard Michelin tires developed specifically for the 918 Spyder. Watch the video here. (9/11)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Forget about the car business for a moment and watch this long-form video presented by Chipotle here. Worth it. – PMD (9/18)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Watch Top Gear's tribute to the British motoring industry here. – PMD (9/18)
I just had to step back and accept it for what it is: a fictional account told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Editor-in-Chief's Note: We have seen some slobbering puff pieces in the fourteen years of doing this publication, but nothing, and I mean nothing tops the excruciatingly embarrassing piece about Dan Akerson that showed up in the October issue of Hour Detroit - "metropolitan Detroit's monthly magazine" - as it calls itself. (It was superseded by the BloombergBusinessWeek GM piece just last week - WG.)
That Hour is an advertising revenue-generating vehicle interspersed with pictures and an occasional article worth a glance masquerading as a big city magazine isn't the issue here. The powers that be behind the magazine like to pretend otherwise, but that's exactly what it is and everyone knows it. So you'll never find the term "editorial credibility" bandied about in any discussion of the magazine. And how this story happened isn't hard to figure out either. Selim Bingol, who plies his trade as the loveable Captain Queeg's PR guy, clearly reeled one in, hook, line and sinker this time. It's Bingol's job to paint Akerson - an unctuous prick of the first rank - to the media as a caring, altruistic patriot who is just helping out GM at great personal and financial sacrifice because he's a nice guy. Most of the keyboard pounding wretches plying their trade as automotive journalists see right through that smoke screen and act accordingly. (I said most, because there are a few out there who haven't gotten the memo.)
As for Ms. Sheryl James' credentials, whatever shred of credibility she once had has been blown to smithereens with this dive into journalistic comedy. After reading this unmitigated bullshit - the whole piece could be labeled as fiction - a few things stand out. Not far into the piece, James refers to Akerson's "stellar career record." Really? Even the laziest journalists covering the auto beat know that Akerson's record is far from stellar. In fact, he retreated back to the waiting arms of his Private Equity cronies whenever his latest management stint didn't really pan out. But that's okay, once you're in the PE Club, all is forgiven, and repeatedly too.
Bill Conway, co-CEO and co-founder of the Carlyle Group, told James that, in referring to Akerson's stint at GM, "He's risking his reputation, which is extremely important to him." Awww, really? And here we thought Captain Queeg was doing it For the Love of the Game. But nothing tops what Bob Schieffer, the co-host of CBS' Face the Nation, had to say about his pal Dan: "He didn't need this. But the President asked him to do it, and he did it. He did it for patriotic reasons." Huh? Yes, that just happened. Dan's doing it for patriotic reasons? Wow, this changes everything. The last time we heard that around here was when Steve Feinberg, the CEO of Cerberus Capital Management, said he wanted to get involved with Chrysler (after they flat stole it from Daimler) for patriotic reasons. We all know how that turned out. At any rate, after reading James' article (it went downhill from there) about some guy named Dan Akerson who allegedly runs GM, my moles down at the RenCen were laughing so hard at the absurdity of the piece they couldn't muster words to describe their disgust. – PMD (9/25)
And until Akerson leaves, there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. GM's loveable Captain Queeg, aka Dan "I'm Just A Patriot Looking Out For America's Little People" Akerson, in telling the media that GM will take on Tesla, boasts that, “We’ll sell more Volts and lose less money on the Volts than they’ll lose on the Model S.” That sound you hear? It's the whoosh of sighs coming from the True Believers within GM who would rather that Akerson just shut up, because his blunderbuss posturing and insulting style - minus even a shred of credibility in this business to back it up - have gone beyond the tedious and tiresome stage and progressed to the flat-out embarrassing stage. (9/25)
(GOODGUYS)
For the second time this season, a car from Memphis-based hot rodder George Poteet's stable has grabbed a signature award from the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association. George’s “Hugger Orange” 1934 Ford, built by the talented Dave Lane of Fastlane Rod Shop, captured the Goodguys 2013 Tank’s Hot Rod of the Year award at last weekend’s 3rd Speedway Nationals held on the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Earlier this summer, Poteet’s ’69 Torino drove off with the Goodguys 2013 Optima Batteries Street Machine of the Year award in Columbus, Ohio. Sandwiched between the two big wins was a trip to race at the Bonneville Salt Flats in August where he raced to the fastest speed in the SCTA record books – an eye-popping 437.183mph behind the wheel of the Poteet & Main streamliner. (9/25)
Rigoddamndiculous, as Dr. Evil would say. And truly pathetic. Editor-in-Chief"s Note: We see that Cadillac can't seem to rid themselves of the notion that Donald Trump somehow imparts "class" to any event they have in New York, but there he was, in full bloom, at the new Escalade unveiling. It's always something with Cadillac, it appears. They take three steps forward with the stunning Elmiraj concept in Pebble Beach, then they take five back by allowing this country's most vacuous - and relentlessly classless - TV "personality" to be anywhere near one of their media events. – PMD (10/9)
(BMW Group)
The BMW i3 will go on sale in the US market in the second quarter of 2014. The battery electric model will have a base MSRP of $41,350, before any federal or state incentives, and before Destination & Handling fee (currently $925). The range-extender model will have a starting MSRP of $45,300, before any federal or state incentives, and before Destination & Handling fee. (10/9)
(Ford)
Monday marked the 100th anniversary of the moving assembly line invented by Ford Motor Company under the leadership of Henry Ford. “One hundred years ago, my great-grandfather had a vision to build safe and efficient transportation for everyone,” said Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. “I am proud he was able to bring the freedom of mobility to millions by making cars affordable to families and that his vision of serving people still drives everything we do today.” (10/9)
(GM)
Cadillac has introduced the all-new 2015 Escalade, calling it "a sophisticated luxury SUV designed to establish new benchmarks for hand-tailored craftsmanship and technology." The fourth-generation Escalade is an entirely new design yet much of the story of Cadillac’s redesigned flagship SUV focuses on the interior, where Cadillac claims new levels of luxury combine with the latest technology. in case you're wondering; they’ll sell the shit out of them. (10/9)
(Photos courtesy of Riva-World)
The Riva Aquarama Lamborghini, which was built 45 years ago for and commissioned by Ferruccio Lamborghini, founder of the Italian sports car brand, has been fully restored to its original condition. Considered to be the fastest Aquarama in the world, the runabout was stashed away in the corner of a boatyard, hidden under old tarpaulin and above all, hidden from the world. Now in 2013, three years after restoration work on the Aquarama Lamborghini began; the boat is back to life. Sandro Zani, owner of the well-know Dutch Riva restorer, traveled to Italy on a regular basis during the past three years, including visits to the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum, in order to document all the details and elements of the original, before beginning the extensive restoration. (10/9)
Tesla has enjoyed its day in the sun, but Elon & Co. is about to learn a very important lesson about the power of brands. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Hear that whooshing sound? That's the window of opportunity closing rapidly for Tesla. Early acceptance - and orders - of the BMW i3 electric car in Europe is beyond expectations, to the point where the German manufacturer will have to increase production. Is it a precursor of things to come in this market? Yes. – PMD (10/16)
(Photos and video courtesy of GM/Chevrolet)
The all-new, 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 lapped Germany’s challenging Nürburgring road course in 7:37.40, a time comparable with some of the world’s most prestigious sports cars. And they have the video to prove it. The Z/28 is powered by the 7.0L LS7 V8 engine, which uses lightweight, racing-proven, high-performance components, such as titanium intake valves and connecting rods, CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads and a forged-steel crankshaft to help produce an SAE-certified 505 horsepower (376 kW) and 481 lb-ft of torque (652 Nm). Air-conditioning is available, but only as an option. The team spent a week at the Nürburgring as part of the Z/28's performance-validation regimen, accumulating a total of 10 hours and nearly 1,000 miles on the track. Each lap took less than eight minutes to complete, despite having to overtake slower traffic at times. (10/16)
What happens when those same bureaucrats decide that the joint venture auto partnerships don't need their foreign partners any longer? The communist-run bureaucracy in China has banned cars more than fifteen years old out of concern that the older cars create more pollutants, according to USA Today. Memo to Chinese bureaucrats: It isn't a bunch of old cars causing the pollution; it's the coal-burning power plants. One look at what's going on in the northeastern Heilongjiang province this week is convincing evidence of it. It's nonsensical actions like this by the Chinese bureaucrats that should send shivers through every auto manufacturer. (10/23)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: From the "Misplaced Headlines" File, in today's The Wall Street Journal the headline "The Irrational Fear of GM Food" appeared. For a moment it gave us pause, and the idea that Captain Queeg was taking GM into the snack food business was a horrifying thought (Buick Pop? Chevy Energy Juice?), but no, thankfully, it was just another article about genetically modified food. – PMD (10/23)
(McLaren Automotive)
McLaren has released official factory performance numbers for its new P1 hyper sports car: 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.8 seconds, 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.8 seconds, and 0-300 km/h (186 mph) in 16.5 seconds – which is a full 5.5 seconds quicker than the iconic McLaren F1. The P1 also brakes from 100 km/h to zero in 30.2 meters. Despite having 916HP from its highly efficient 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 petrol engine and lightweight electric motor, the McLaren P1 delivers 34.0 mpg (8.3 l/100km) on the EU combined cycle, with CO2 emissions of 194 g/km. The electric motor offers a range of 11 km (6.8 miles) in full electric mode on the NEDC cycle, which sees emissions drop to zero. (10/23)
This kind of Bush League Bullshit may work in Italy. Here? Not. So. Much. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Great Sergio tells formerly excited Fiat dealers that only “the best performing Fiat dealers will be the ones that will be entitled to have a crack at Alfa Romeo distribution.” Really, Sergio? This after you lured these businesspeople in with your "Grand Vision" that required them to spend between $1-$2 million on brick and mortar for stand-alone Fiat franchises on the promise that they'd be swimming in Alfas - and Alfa profits - by 2014? Is it any big surprise that Sergio has fallen out of favor with a number of Fiat dealers? No. - PMD (11/6)
(Autoextremist Photos)
Editor’s Note: Let's just get this on the table right now - I am available 24/7 to take delivery of my 2014 Bentley Flying Spur. Perhaps you just took delivery and are simply not happy with your color (excuse me, colour) choice, perhaps it is just too fast or just too luxurious. I don’t need to know the reason for your displeasure; I just need to know when you’ll be arriving my house! Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let me just say that the Flying Spur can really fly! Its twin-turbo 6.0-litre turbocharged W12 produces a staggering 616hp and 590 lb-ft of torque (up from 552 and 479, respectively, last year). It also features a new 8-speed automatic and all wheel drive is standard (with a 60/40 rear bias). And while it certainly looks like it weighs 5,445 pounds, it is simply amazing when you engage those horses. The stats claim zero to 60 in 4.3 seconds, and while I didn’t test this outright, I can tell you that 80 was the new 60 as I flew down Woodward Avenue. (Nevermind that fuel economy is rated at 12mpg city and 20mpg highway.) Redesigned for 2014, the Continental Flying Spur is now just the Flying Spur. There is a supremely confident, no-nonsense air about this car that I really wasn’t expecting. Yes, it is luxurious and powerful and unmistakable in its road presence. But there’s sort of a subtlety about it - almost understated, if you will. I know that’s hard to believe - I mean, this is a Bentley we’re talking about. But it doesn’t really scream excess; it just is. It sits there calmly, grandly, waiting to do your bidding - with grace and elegance to spare. The cabin is finished to the nth detail, with plenty of hides and secondary hides and veneers to go around. I must say, I did expect the seats to be a bit more cushy, a little more luxurious and not quite so sporty, but then again, given what happens when you really punch it, it’s good to have that extra support. I am a huge fan of heated seats (and a huge critic of the ones that automatically dial back the heat levels - like “they” know what I want). Well, no worries in that regard. Basically, those seats could bake scones. And once you've baked said scones, you can repair to the rear seats and enjoy them on your optional picnic trays. Two dainty little trays - just the perfect size for your proper English tea on-the-go (or your Pimm's Cup). What else caught my eye? The push-button knobs that open and close the vents - a very cool nod to the Bentleys of yore. What didn’t I like? The paddle switches on the steering column. They really clutter things up (and in fact look cheap), and they should be dispensed with posthaste. There are 17 exterior color choices for the Flying Spur, so please follow along as I list them here: St. James Red, Moonbeam, Beluga, Onyx, Glacier White, Dark Sapphire, Thunder, Granite, Hallmark, White Sand, Havana, Midnight Emerald, Meteor, Blue Crystal, Cumbrian Green, Silver lake, and a new color, Dark Cashmere. Then, there’s the interior and the premium grade hide in a choice of 12 colors: Beluga, Imperial Blue, Porpoise, Newmarket Tan, Saddle, Burnt Oak, Magnolia, Dark Bourbon, Portland, Brunel, Fireglow, and Linen. And don’t forget the wood trim! Veneer choices include Burr Walnut or Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus on the fascia panels, console and door waistrails. None of these appeal to you? Worry not, there are more than 100 additional exterior paint colors available, five additional hide colors and five additional veneers, as well as a bespoke color-matching service. Let’s just say that as WordGirl, I find the idea of being in charge of the Bentley color palette irresistible! Clearly, the Flying Spur is not everyone's cup of Earl Grey, and there are plenty of automotive choices even in this rarefied segment. But if you need to feel invincible, if you need power and luxury and that little extra something that really does border on sheer splendor, then you need the 2014 Bentley Flying Spur. It says on the Bentley website that “the new Flying Spur is a remarkable luxury sedan.” I can report that yes, indeed, it is. –WG
Editor-in-Chief's Note: I concur. – PMD (11/6)
(The Lincoln Motor Company Photos)
The Lincoln Motor Company unveiled the all-new 2015 Lincoln MKC small premium utility vehicle at the L.A. Auto Show, the second of four all-new Lincoln vehicles coming over the next 24 months designed to fuel the brand’s reinvention. The Lincoln MKC offers an assortment of first-in-class features, one of the most distinctive being its wraparound liftgate. Notably lower and wider than its corporate cousin, the Ford Escape, the MKC also distances by offering an all-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost® turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 275 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque. Our Prediction? With a starting price of $33,995 and a top-of-the-line version going for $40,930, this will be one of the hot cars in the second half of 2014. (11/13)
(Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz designers developed this concept of a super sports car – the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo - for the new PlayStation® 3 racing game Gran Turismo® 6. The concept was designed to be powered by an AMG V8 biturbo engine developing 585HP and a maximum torque of 800 Nm. Other details: An aluminum space frame body and components in carbon fiber, a weight of 1385 kilograms which translates to 2.4 kilograms per HP, and AMG ceramic high-performance composite braking system. The AMG sports exhaust system features eight - count 'em - tailpipes integrated into the rear end, and for fans of Gran Turismo® 6 the Mercedes-AMG sound designers "have created a powerful, sonorous exhaust note that authentically celebrates the V8's love of high engine speeds," according to the automaker. (11/13)
(Mercedes-Benz)
"By virtue of its proportions and expressive appearance, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo embodies the brand's defining design philosophy of sensuous purity in a unique way. The design of this concept car reflects to extreme effect the perfect symbiosis between emotional, sensuous contours and intelligently presented high tech," says Gorden Wagener, Vice President Design Daimler AG. Editor-in-Chief's Note: With all due respect to Mr. Wagener, this concept has virtually nothing to do with current Mercedes-Benz design, unfortunately. It's almost Bill Mitchell-esque in its emotional pull, which is something that the current Mercedes-Benz design language utterly lacks. And it makes the CLA - which various media-types can't keep salivating over - look positively craptastic. – PMD (11/13)
Or not. But, if it's "not" you better be prepared for some serious consequences. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Elon Musk, the billion-dollar boy genius's fire and brimstone campaign in defense of his beloved Tesla Model S has worn thin. At some point the "he doth protest too much" rule comes into play. I know Elon loathes PR people - as in "why have PR people when I alone know all the answers about absolutely everything" - but he needs to sit down and shut-up over the Tesla Model S fires and offer at least a modicum of a constructive response, other than "I'm right and everyone else is an idiot!" You wanted to play in the automotive big leagues, Elon, and you remind everyone - and tediously so, I might add - that you will show the auto manufacturers of the world how it's done. But with that comes a level of responsibility and accountability. I know it's a very tough pill to swallow, Elon, but you don't control this game and you can't take your ball, stomp your feet and harrumph your way out of this one. Offer some explanations that have some validity, other than they were just fluke incidents. – PMD (11/20)
(Porsche)
The final performance numbers for the new Porsche 918 Spyder are in. With the weight-optimized "Weissach" package (shown), the 887HP V8 hybrid supercar accelerates from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.6 seconds, zero to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 7.2 seconds, and it hits 186 mph (300 km/h) in 19.9 seconds. In full electric mode (utilizing the two electric motors on the front and rear axle) the 918 Spyder accelerates from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.2 seconds, without producing any emissions, seven tenths of a second quicker than the previous time. With the Weissach package fitted, this electric sprinting time is reduced to 6.1 seconds. The Porsche 918 Spyder with Weissach package currently holds the lap record for road vehicles on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with a time of 6:57 minutes. (11/20)
(Image courtesy of Honda)
The Honda FCEV Concept expresses a potential styling direction for Honda's next-generation fuel-cell vehicle anticipated to launch in the U.S. and Japan in 2015, followed by Europe. It made its debut at the L.A. Auto Show today. "The Honda FCEV Concept hints at Honda's future direction for fuel-cell vehicles," said Tetsuo Iwamura, president and CEO of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "While this car is a concept, it points toward a very real future." Honda's next-generation fuel cell-electric vehicle launching in 2015 will feature the world's first application of a fuel-cell powertrain packaged completely in the engine room of the vehicle, "allowing for efficiencies in cabin space as well as flexibility in the potential application of FC technology to multiple vehicle types in the future," according to Honda. (11/27)
(Images courtesy of Ford)
The all-new Ford Mustang made its debut on Thursday, December 5th, in a global rollout in six cities on four continents. The new Mustang will be available globally for the first time in its history. The engine lineup? The 3.7-lieter V6 delivers at least 300HP and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. Smoother shifts are promised from the updated manual gearbox, while a reworked automatic transmission features new steering wheel-mounted shift paddles for drivers who want the choice between convenience and control. The Mustang GT continues with the latest edition of the 5.0-liter V8, now featuring an upgraded valvetrain and cylinder heads that yield more than 420HP and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. A new intake manifold improves low-speed breathing for better fuel economy, idle stability and emissions. The upgraded V6 and V8 engines are joined by an all-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost® four-cylinder engine. “This EcoBoost engine delivers where a Mustang driver expects it to, with a broad, flat torque curve that pours out when you stand on it for easy passing or hustling down a twisty road,” said Dave Pericak, Ford Mustang chief engineer. Ford's EcoBoost engines use direct injection, variable cam timing and turbocharging to deliver power and fuel efficiency. A unique intake manifold and turbocharger housing enable the EcoBoost 4-cylinder in the Mustang to deliver a projected 305HP+ and 300 lb.-ft. of torque. “Ford Mustang inspires passion like no other car,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, global product development. “The visceral look, sound and performance of Mustang resonates with people, even if they’ve never driven one. Mustang is definitely more than just a car – it is the heart and soul of Ford.” (12/4)
The new Mustang features all-new front and rear suspension systems. At the front, a new perimeter subframe helps to stiffen the structure while reducing mass, providing a better foundation for more predictable wheel control that benefits handling, steering and ride, according to Ford. The new double-ball-joint front MacPherson strut system also enables the use of larger, more powerful brakes. This is expected to be the best stopping Mustang yet, with three available brake packages. At the rear is an all-new integral-link independent rear suspension. The geometry, springs, dampers and bushings all have been specifically modified and tuned for this high-performance application. New aluminum rear knuckles help reduce unsprung mass for improved ride and handling. The advanced new Ford-developed stability control system is tuned to maximize Mustang’s dynamic capabilities. The Mustang GT includes standard launch control. “We already set a very high standard for Mustang’s dynamics with Boss 302, and our goal was to go above and beyond that with this new car,” said Pericak. (12/4)
The all-new Mustang "features a significant amount of innovative technologies providing drivers with enhanced information, control and connectivity when they want it," insists Ford's PR boffins. Stuff includes Intelligent Access with push-button start, SYNC®, MyKey® plus available Track Apps, MyColor gauges and a new Shaker Pro audio system. Using the available Selectable Drive Modes, a driver can tap the toggle switches on the console to quickly adjust steering effort, engine response, and transmission and electronic stability control settings. For the first time ever, Ford will bring Mustang to customers in key parts of Europe and Asia. “We crafted this car with the goal of creating a contemporary interpretation of Mustang – an American automotive icon that symbolizes optimism and freedom for millions of people around the world,” said Jim Farley, executive vice president of Ford global marketing, sales and service and Lincoln. See a video about the new Ford Mustang here. And watch this video reveal for the new Mustang with Sienna Miller and Rankin. (12/4)
It Won't Be Long Now, Part II. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Great Sergio is going to unveil his fourth - count 'em - plan (in ten years) to resuscitate Alfa Romeo next spring, according to Automotive News Europe. He's going to bet billions of euros that he can turn the tide after more than a decade of declining sales. Let's recall Sergio's pronouncement back in 2010, shall we? That was when he insisted that Alfa would be selling 500,000 units globally by 2014, including 70,000 or so in the U.S., a number that still elicits a reaction of weeping or blind fury, depending on which Fiat dealer you talk to. That number was revised downward back in 2011 and then again in 2012. The real number? Most analysts expect that Alfa will be lucky to sell a little better than 70,000 units globally next year. That's not here, of course, in case you needed to be reminded. No, the few Alfa Romeo 4Cs trickling in here will barely generate a blip on the radar screen. I'm happy to see the reality of The Great Sergio finally coming into focus for some of the less enlightened in the media who were quick to canonize him way back when. The fact remains that the latest Chrysler "miracle" wasn't because of Sergio and his espresso-fueled minions. No, it was because of the True Believers out in Auburn Hills who, in the darkest days of the Cerberus fiasco, kept the pedal down hard and focused on building ultra-competitive Jeeps and pickup trucks. Because at the end of the day, remarkably enough, that's where the money is and that's where the needed cash generation that Sergio's counting on to save Fiat is coming from. You know Fiat, right? Far from the whimsical cool little car company that Olivier "I'm a genius, just ask me" Francois portrays in his increasingly tedious advertising for the brand, Fiat is that perennial joke of a car company that, if it weren't for Ferrari, would have been deservedly relegated to the dustbin of automotive history long ago. Though anointed as automotive genius material, Marchionne is simply The Opportunistic Carpetbagger of this New Century, a guy who was handed an American car company because no one else bothered to raise a hand to take it. For that he expects to not only get paid - a lot - but he expects to save Fiat with profits earned on the backs of the True Believers at Chrysler who still gave a damn when no one else did. And so it goes. – PMD (12/4)
(Audi)
Audi calls this crossover concept "a compact sports car redefined" and "a crossover with a distinctly sporting slant – a car for all roads and tracks, for everyday driving and recreational use." We'll see what it looks like when it makes its debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but it's clear that the hot, upcoming trend is going to be manufacturers calling crossovers sports cars, which is a giant, heaping, steaming bowl of Not Good. (12/4)
(Autoextremist Photo)
Editor-in-Chief's's Note: We're in the all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS 2.0T with AWD for our "Quick Take" this week. It's hard to put into words how good this car really is. You've read other reviews and you've seen the accolades, but I can assure you until you drive the new CTS you really can't understand the depth and breadth of its goodness. I would suggest that this model - with the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Turbo - is the pure essence of what this new CTS is all about. It is a superbly balanced machine that exudes confidence and composure that reveals itself within 30 seconds of driving down the road. The GM turbo 4-cylinder, which is excellent in all of its configurations, works very well in the CTS, providing plenty of responsive power. And when combined with the outstanding steering and brake feel and the crisp handling, the sum total of this machine feels like The Way It Should Be if you're into driving. I happen to love where Cadillac is going with its design, with the exterior and interior of the new CTS feeling dead solid perfect to me, and the fit and finish rendered exquisitely. I have not driven a BMW 5 Series that felt better, then again the current 5 (in standard trim) is so far removed from what the essence of BMW used to be all about that it's scary. But don't misunderstand, the new CTS isn't about BMW losing its way, it's about the True Believers at GM in Design, Engineering and Product Development demonstrating that they can go to toe-to-toe with anyone in the world when they put their minds to it and are given the resources to do so. The new CTS is a true driver's machine, with all of the passion and pleasure that implies. It goes without saying that the new Cadillac CTS is not only the best American sedan ever built, it takes its place as one of the best cars in the world. – PMD (12/4)
(GM)
Dan "Captain Queeg" Akerson announces his palace coup at General Motors with Mary Barra, Dan Ammann and Mark Reuss looking on. Akerson will take his rightful place as the worst CEO in GM history, and considering such past luminaries (and incredible low lights) as Fred Donner to contend with, that's really saying something. Good riddance. (12/11)
Don't worry, we won't let anyone forget about it. Getting in bed with GM PR to get "exclusives" about the automaker, which turned into producing a series of Akerson and Barra puff pieces over the last year, was an incredibly piss-poor choice byThe Wall Street Journal. You look absolutely ridiculous for it and now - and deservedly so - and thanks to AE, everyone knows about it. You should all be ashamed of yourselves but since you're the WSJ and arrogance is part and parcel of who you are, you won't be. (12/11)
Do we care? No. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Powers that Be at GM - such as they are - have finally stopped beating the "we're gonna sell Chevys in Europe" horse. What took them so long is a study in fundamental incompetence that will be saved for another day. But what are they going to do about the ManU deal? Will the gold Chevy bowtie be on the shirts by itself? Or will the Opel logo join it? – PMD (12/11)
When the dust clears, and Ferrell goes on to other things, the Durango will fall back to its rightful - and less-than-prominent - place in the market. Editor-in-Chief's Note: A reporter (who shall remain nameless) for the advertising industry publication AdAge gets played by Olivier "I'm a genius, just ask me" Francois - the self-described Fiat-Chrysler ad guru - and gleefully reports that the Will Ferrell promotion for "Anchor Man 2" masquerading as a Dodge Durango advertising campaign is solely responsible for the uptick in Durango sales. That the reporter failed to dig deeper and see that the "double digit" increase in Durango sales had more to do with the fact that Durango sales were so piss-poor a year ago is obvious. And the fact that he was snowed by Francois is even more so. I said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a big fan of Ferrell's spoof on TV anchors and I look forward to seeing the movie, but the stone cold reality is that Ferrell's Durango hook-up did more for his movie than it did for the SUV. It was a brilliant move - on Ferrell's part. What about Durango name recognition, you say? Please. – PMD (12/11)
But then again, delusional CEOs are different from you and me. They believe the world revolves around them (e.g., The Great Sergio) and we should all be thankful we have a place in it, or something like that. Editor-in-Chief's Note: From the "Kings of Delusion" file comes word that the CEO of the Nissan-Renault World, Carlos Ghosn, has quite the view - albeit warped - of Nissan and Infiniti's place in the automotive world. He told Automotive News Asia the following in an interview: "Today we are leading in many technologies. Look at electric cars. With the launch of the Infiniti Q50, we launched steer-by-wire. A new technology. We are starting autonomous driving. Now all of a sudden everybody is coming with autonomous driving. We are leading the pack. Nissan has recovered its power to be a bold technological innovator." Wow. It's hard to believe he actually believes all of that. "Leading the pack" - ? What pack is that exactly? As best as we can tell Nissan/Infiniti is well down the list when it comes to any discussion of electric cars and autonomous driving. Remember, Carlos, just because you're present and accounted for in a technological space doesn't constitute "leading the pack." And a "bold technological innovator" -? Wow. Nissan has been a "me too" car company for so long that it's hard to fathom that statement. – PMD (12/11)
Letter from L.A.: The New Order at GM.
By Tom Pease
Beverly Hills. I'm inclined (maybe because it's so close to the holidays) to give them a chance - perhaps Santa has been good to the True Believers at The Tubes and the people who care about the American auto industry and even the national economy that, let's not forget, still partially hinges on the fact we have a healthy GM. Maybe these new people are just smart enough and just humble enough to realize that the resurgence of their company over the past years is due to having product that (for the most part) kicks ass and doesn't take names. Maybe they're just smart enough and just humble enough to realize that the only way to make money in this (or any other) business is not to mewl about focus groups or marketing strategies or ad campaigns, or to bluster about the executive offices blabbering about how it would all be better it everyone would just pay more attention to the wisdom of them, while curb stomping any idea, no matter how brilliant, not generated by one of their chosen team, simply because they didn't think of it. Maybe they can look at the CTS, the ATS and the new Stingray and for a moment FEEL (not think) "I get it." Because it's the holidays, and I'm feeling very "Miracle on 34th Street."
The likely reality of course is that we'll get another group (as we have how many times in the last 30 years?) that hates the industry and considers it a commodity like a computer or a vacuum. Fine. To them I say, here's your opportunity as a business model: you can be Apple and Dyson, or you can be countless others that people settle for but never aspire to and leave as soon as they can afford to. Some of your competitors have been dropping the ball badly for a while, givng you the opportunity to really go in for the kill. All you need to do is let those True Believers do what they do best. If you do, you'll be heroes. If you don't, you'll be another in a long line of names associated with failure. Either way, you get rich.
Rich and reviled, or rich and legend? Your choice. Look at your product. Look at your customers. Look at your competitors. Do better.
But most importantly, drop the idea that an MBA or time at a cereal company gives you an in to what it's like at an auto firm. You're selling dreams as sure as if you were working at MGM under Thalberg, kiddo, and if you can't get into a CTS or a 'vette or even a Volt or a Regal and get it, and tell them to push it further then you need to cash out and go back to Purina. (12/11)