ON THE TABLE

September 9, 2009

"Big Ed" Whitacre. Acting like a stern Texas Sheriff who just rolled into town, GM's new chairman is laying down the law and demanding measurable improvement in sales, profits and market share in 90 days or else people will be shown the door. Wow, actual accountability and an emphatic rejection of mediocrity? A new day indeed, if Big Ed follows through on his pronouncements. It's still a giant wait and see, but if we were down there and we heard Big Ed's spurs a-jingling and a-jangling down the hallway, we'd either be busy, or be invisible.

The GM Board. Speaking of a new day, the GM Board is playing hardball with the German government over the pending Opel deal and delaying their decision until next month. A functioning GM board? Hell is freezing over. Breaking News: The GM board has picked Magna to buy Opel (9/10/09, 8:00AM).

Subaru. Automotive News reports that Subaru is contemplating adding more continuously variable transmissions - CVTs - to its lineup after introducing the fuel-saving technology on its redesigned Legacy. Our least favorite transmission on the planet, and they want to do more of them? The horror...the horror.

China Inc. The Chinese automaker Geely - actually its parent company Geely Holding Group Co. - is hot to trot for Ford-owned Volvo. Let us rephrase that, the Chinese government - aka China Inc. - which is behind the deal, is all geeked-up about acquiring Volvo. The only problem is that there's no one there who has Clue One as to how to manage a global brand. Chinese government overlords are hell-bent on being global players in the auto biz, and they are destined to make huge mistakes along the way.

Daimler. The German corporate parent of Mercedes-Benz is finding itself in an unusual position as it watches its chief rivals - Audi and BMW - maintain (or in Audi's case enhance) their standing in the global recession, while it sucks wind financially and otherwise. Are we watching a seismic shift in this business that will put Mercedes-Benz at No. 3 in prestige and success in the luxury automotive market permanently? Yes.

McLaren Automotive. With the announcement of its MP4-12C supercar that will make its debut in 2011, McLaren Automotive is firing off a warning shot aimed squarely at Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and any other boutique supercar builders out there that the ultra-high-performance landscape in the automotive world is about to change. While Ferrari et al chase customers in emerging markets and slowly but surely lose some of their exclusivity, watch McLaren emerge as the ultimate hand-built sports cars to posses and lust after.

Editor's Note: I spent my Labor Day Weekend with the 2009 Nissan Cube, and I had a blast. Our tester was the 1.8 SL model (there are four - the 1.8, 1.8 S, 1.8 SL and the top-of-the-line Krom - don't ask, as I'm not quite sure what it is). The 1.8-liter DOHC 4-cylinder is rated 28 city/30 highway (although I didn't much notice). What I did notice is how fun the Cube is to drive. It's a great around-town vehicle - and trust me on this, you will attract attention. Of course it could have been the Moss Green exterior - an unusual shade of green that made an already distinctive vehicle even more so. Inside, the Cube is amazingly roomy - and equally funky, thanks in part to the optional Interior Designer Package, which includes such quirky items as a shag carpet dash topper and front door bungee cords (do not mock either of these until you see them in person). That package, combined with the SL preferred package, Ginormous Package (custom grille, chrome front fascia accent, illuminated kick plates, etc.) and 16-inch silver alloy wheels, resulted in a sticker price of $22,780 (the 1.8 model starts at $13,990). Funky aside, the Cube is also functional. Everything seems 'right' about the interior - there's nothing overly complicated or tricked-out about the gauges and controls. Fabrics and surfaces are tasteful and contemporary, and the overall impression is that things are very well thought out. It was easy to load my Costco loot in both the backseat and the rear, where the big door opens right to left and provides easy, low lift-over access. All in all, I was shocked at how cool the Cube is - and I'm shocked at my reaction to it. I can easily imagine having one in my 'fleet' - it has personality and attitude in spades - which can't be said of about 99% of what rolls along our roads these days. Kudos to Nissan. - WG

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" hosted by Autoline Detroit's John McElroy, with Peter De Lorenzo and friends this Thursday evening, September 10, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

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