ON THE TABLE

June 9, 2010

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our AE email is burning up over the "Chevrolet" as opposed to "Chevy" brand consistency effort/controversy going on within the halls of GM marketing, demanding that I comment on it. The "official" explanation is that in order to hammer home the Chevrolet brand globally, the shorthand "Chevy" used in the U.S. will not be used. It makes sense - somewhat - if you're talking the global Big Picture. But for the U.S.? Not so much. But before all of you out there have a complete and total meltdown over this I'll just throw out this one thing: Don't assume for a minute that it's not a publicity ruse to get Chevrolet/Chevy back on the radar screen. GM's new marketing chief, Joel Ewanick, has been known to do this sort of stuff on occasion and realistically I doubt much energy - if any - will be expended on it. And judging by all of the hand-wringing going on in the national media today, it worked, didn't it? - PMD

 GM. A dozen top GM executives were awarded salary and restricted stock valued at around $13-$20 million, depending on the estimate. Why is this good thing? Because it's basically worthless unless the company gets turned around. In other words, it's based purely on performance. As well it should be.

 Doing business in China. Honda has been hit by yet another strike - which makes it three and counting - at one of its parts facilities in China. Do we spot a trend here? Yes. Are the floodgates about to open as the word spreads throughout China about how strikes are an effective way to get some sort of relief from low wages? Yes. Is this a giant rice bowl of Not Good for auto companies and other corporate entities counting on inexpensive Chinese labor costs going forward? Oh yeah.

Ford. With a growing parts portfolio containing more than 9,000 part numbers, the official Ford-licensed restoration parts program licenses parts for Ford-built vehicles from the Model T to those made as recently as the early 2000s. Every component is produced by one of the officially licensed suppliers, made to Ford Motor Company standards using original factory tooling, then carefully checked against original blueprints to ensure quality and aesthetics before being offered for sale. No longer do enthusiasts have to spend hours online looking for rare new old stock parts, nor do they have to wander through scrap yards looking for used parts for their classics. Chances are the part is available new and just a mouse click away. For example, enthusiasts can now build nearly a complete 1967 Mustang from the ground up using brand-new reproduction components. About 98 percent of the Mustang’s parts are being reproduced. Check it out here. Very cool.

(Ford)
Coming this Fall, the Ford-licensed restoration parts program will offer its fifth complete body, this time for restorers of the classic 1966-70 Bronco.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "quick takes" this week cover the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T TRACK and the Volvo XC60 T6 (below). My initial reaction to the Genesis Coupe was that the design is well-rendered and that it looked much better in the flesh than in any of the pictures I've seen. Our tester happened to be in bright "Karussell White," which actually came off well with its red/black interior. But that was as positive as my initial reaction would go, because driving the Genesis around town was an exercise in frustration. It reminded me of old-school turbos from yesteryear in that it's clearly not happy in any kind of cut-and-thrust urban driving. It's just not. The shifter was balky - although in fairness this may be a byproduct of its 8,000 miles of media use - with the syncro in 5th appearing to be on its way out, and that combined with its unruly throttle tip-in made it unpleasant, veering into pain-in-the-ass territory. But then I reminded myself of when I had an '87 911 Turbo - and how unpleasant it was to drive around town - to the point that the only time I really enjoyed the car was when I took it out on high-speed runs to Ann Arbor at dawn. So I decided that the Genesis Turbo really needed to just be hammered to be happy. And sure enough, while the Genesis Turbo is a cantankerous pain-in-the-ass around town, on the open road with your boot all the way in it the suspension hunkers down, the steering becomes perfectly weighted in your hands, and the turbo 4-cylinder growls with glee. And even though the motor runs out of breath fairly quickly, when flogged hard the Hyundai Genesis Turbo Coupe comes alive, becoming a real performance machine. Just be aware of that before getting one. If you're mindful of its Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde personality quirk, and you understand what you're getting yourself into, then you'll be happy with it. If not, and you really must have a Genesis Coupe, then get one with the V6. - PMD

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T TRACK: $27,675 ($26,750 base price, Karussell White, Black/Red interior, 2.0L Turbo Intercooled 4-cylinder, 6-speed manual,  Rear-Wheel-Drive, Track Suspension, 19" Wheels w/Summer Tires, Brembo Brakes, Limited-Slip Differential and a bunch of other stuff; Carpeted Floor Mats, $95; iPod Cable, $30; Inland Freight & Handling, $800)

Editor’s Note: I admit to being neutral if not downright unenthused about the prospect of the Volvo XC60 crossover, because although I appreciate (and need) the capabilities of a bigger vehicle, I find most of them uninspiring and basically boring. I had also not given much thought at all to Volvo in recent years (yes, I’m one of those people who had a 244 DL way back when, and I thought Volvo totally lost it when they moved away from that distinctive boxy styling and joined the ‘every car is starting to look the same’ design movement). So with all of that baggage, I spent a few days with the XC60 and came away quite impressed. It had just enough ‘premium’ features and just enough of a luxury feel to make me think I could actually have one as a daily driver (once again, it would have to be black, however – the two-tone leather color combo just screamed 70s prom tux to me – really, it was bad). The wood inlay on the center stack was interesting – a light bamboo color I had never seen before in a vehicle, which gave the whole thing a Swedish Modern kind of feel – wait, Volvo – Sweden – maybe that’s the idea! I also discovered that this sleek center stack was hiding the remote control that would rid my multimedia screen of that annoying ‘don’t get distracted by this screen while driving message’ – seriously, it took days to discover this compartment – just ridiculous. Other than that major frustration, the overall operation of everything else went smoothly. The XC60 comes equipped with all the power stuff you’d expect, and the optional packages add even more, not to mention the super-long list of Volvo safety features. I like the design of this vehicle – it’s big but it’s not overpowering – and it’s supremely comfortable to drive (I’m a ‘luxury ride’ person when it comes to vehicles like these, and the Volvo delivers). It doesn’t feel heavy or cumbersome on the road, and it’s great on the highway (although it’s not that great in the mileage department). It’s also super convenient when it comes to hauling stuff – the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats are a breeze to fold, making the rear compartment awesome for hauling. So if your needs bring you to the crossover segment, and you like to have some luxury and style along with your versatility, you owe it to yourself to check out the XC60. -WG

2010 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD, 3.0 liter, 6-cylinder automatic: $44,240 ($37,200 base price, Terra Bronze Metallic, Sandstone Beige/Espresso Leather Seating Areas: Laminated Panoramic Roof $1200 Value – No Charge; Metallic Paint $525; Multimedia Package $2700; Climate Package, Child Seats & Technology Package $2695; Modern Wood Center Stack Inlay $295; Destination Charge $825)

Editor-in-Chief: We haven't heard from our friend Casey Shain "art and colour" http://artandcolour.blogspot.com/ in a while, so this week we're thrilled that he's decided to pay tribute to his dearly departed Mercury brand. Here's what Casey had to say: "Oh well. I guess the handwriting was on the wall for some time, but I'm still quite saddened by Mercury's demise. My first car, at 16, was a 4-year-old '69 Comet 'Sport Coupe,' the lowest rung of the Montego lineup that year. Even though it came with rubber floor mats instead of carpeting, and a cheap cloth interior that split if you looked at it funny, it also came with a 302 V8, power steering/brakes/auto trans/AC/AM-FM-8 track and an electric trunk opener. I'm not quite sure who would want so many 'luxury' items on the base model and not the MX or Brougham, but it must have been special-ordered. My dad bought it for me from the Peugeot dealer in town. Remember those? All of my 'hard work' trying to make Mercury Ford's high-tech/hybrid division is for nothing now. I've probably done 50 or more Mercury chops in the past 4 years! Enjoy this selection of Mercury Hybrids that will never be now..." No, definitely not for nothing, Casey. I'm sure our readers will enjoy this latest example of your vision and creativity. I know we do. - PMD

 

WE'RE OPENING THE VAULT!

The AE wearables are back - and only in extremely limited quantities and sizes, we might add - and once they're gone, they're gone! We're starting with our most popular items, the classic AE Sweatshirt and AE Hat. Click on a PayPal button below to order yours now! (If you prefer to pay by check, please send us an email with AE STORE in the subject line, and we'll reserve your item.)

AE Sweatshirt - Crewneck, sturdy 80/20 cotton/poly, in black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. Size XL only. 40 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.

AE Hat - Black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. 25 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.

Publisher's Note: Check-out John McElroy's daily news show covering everything about the auto biz by clicking on the graphic below. Good stuff guaranteed. - PMD

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

 

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