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Strictly Commercial: Nissan NV website comes online Filed under: Minivan/Van, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Nissan 
Nissan NV commercial vans - Click above for high-res image gallery
No surprise here, really. Just one short day after officially revealing its first-ever commercial vehicle for the U.S. market, Nissan has launched a corresponding website to go along with its NV series of vans.
As you would expect from such a website, Nissan allows you to see both the standard and High Roof models in a complete 360-degree view. The Japanese automaker told us in its official press release that a great deal of research was conducted to find out exactly what commercial users wanted from their vehicles, and on the site, you can watch a number of such interviews on video.
Despite the fact that this is Nissan USA's first commercial van, the Japanese side of the the automaker's coin has been in the work-vehicle business for over 75 years, and naturally they are more than happy to tell you all about it. Wanna learn more? Click here.
[Source: Nissan]Strictly Commercial: Nissan NV website comes online originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Unintended acceleration Prius case gets twist involving debt, technology 
Second-gen Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery
The unintended acceleration case of the second-generation Prius belonging to James Sikes now officially has an interesting backstory. Apparently, according to USAToday, Sikes' "case against Toyota is starting to look shaky." Why? Two reasons. First, and most important, is the technical argument. Toyota is saying that Sikes' Prius has a brake override system that should have slowed the car down in the situation Sikes has described to the media and to investigators. Also, looking at Audi's history with a similar problem back in the 1980s, it's often driver error that led to the acceleration, not a problem with the vehicles themselves.
Second, and only to consider possible motives for pretending something was wrong when there really wasn't, Sikes is apparently deep in debt according to financial records uncovered by Jalopnik. He has said repeatedly that he doesn't plan on suing Toyota, but he has retained a law firm.
As we said yesterday, there is no obvious explanation for why Sikes' Prius (and a similar model in New York a few days later) sped up and there's a case to be made that the hype is getting out of hand. Still, something happened, and the sooner we get the facts here, the better off we'll be. For now, we'll just have to file this under "Ongoing."
[Sources: Jalopnik, USAToday, Autopia]Report: Unintended acceleration Prius case gets twist involving debt, technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Are you the next Audi S8? Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Europe, Audi, Luxury  Check out what a very cold spy photographer snapped some pictures of. This car could very well be the upcoming Audi S8. Of course, as the car in the photos is totally unmarked, this could just be another variant of the big Audi. We've suspected for some time that a new S8 is coming, and we hear that it's most likely headed over to our shores. However, we've know next to nothing about what type of terror resides under the hood. Until today.
Unlike the last (frankly underpowered) S8, this new big-fast sedan is dropping the choked-off, Lamborghini-derived V10 in favor of a new twin-turbo V8. The good folks at Car and Driver are claiming the unit will displace 4.0-liters. Our source at Audi wouldn't confirm that displacement explicitly, but did say that C/D is, "on the right path." This same source noted that BMW's been using a smallish displacement twin-turbo V8 (4.4-liters) in the 7 Series for the past year and that Audi intends to stay competitive.
Our Audi source also noted that the new V8 will be offered in many flavors, and will allow Audi to meet all the emissions and mileage standards coming down the pike in the next five years. We're told to expect a wide range of configurations, similar to what Audi/Lamborghini did with their shared V10. That means different states of tune for different cars, as well as naturally aspirated and force inducted version. As for power, our source once again confirmed that Car and Driver knows what they're printing. Meaning that the 450 horsepower/450 pound-feet of torque neighborhood isn't a bad guess, though the final numbers could be higher.
Back to the car in the heavily cropped photograph (check out Autocar for the complete set of pics), we're still not 100-percent sure it's the S8. First of all, there are no visual cues to distinguish this black car from a regular A8, save for the requisite four tailpipes. However, as Autocar notes, the new S8 is said to have bold new bodywork to set it apart from the standard car. Also, examine the brakes. They appear to be larger diameter than the standard brakes, yet they aren't drilled or slotted. One would think (and we would agree with him) that an S vehicle would have a more serious set of stoppers. After all, even the A8 Hybrid "Concept" has fancier discs. Of course, maybe these are just placeholders used during cold weather testing. Yeah, we're pretty sure this is the new Audi S8.
[Sources: Autocar, Car and Driver]Spy Shots: Are you the next Audi S8? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Introduction to Ice Racing: Part 6 [w/video] Filed under: Motorsports, Etc. THE THAW
You had to know it couldn't last forever. Most recently our Subaru ice racer was in action way up north in the wilds of Quebec, getting sideways on a frozen circuit. As it turns out, if we wanted to keep on racing we should have stayed up there. This form of motorsport needs frozen lakes and some unfortunately turbulent weather in the northeast over the past month didn't do the local bodies of water any favors. But, we were able to make it to one final event before the season was put to rest. We have some highlights to share below, including footage of what it looks like to be inside a pirouetting WRX, plus some discussion about how to safely stow your winter racing gear for the summertime off-season.
Continue reading Introduction to Ice Racing: Part 6 [w/video] Introduction to Ice Racing: Part 6 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
GM President Mark Reuss: Chevrolet Cruze Coupe "may show up" Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Chevrolet, GM 
Chevrolet Cruze - click above for high-res image gallery
Check out this little nugget General Motor's North American president Mark Reuss let slip during a recent web chat:
"[...] 2 door cruze is a nice idea, and it may show up in the global market. As we have 2 door Cobalts currently, [North America] would naturally look at a Cruze 2 door, but I believe our small car portfolio will be WAY beyond what it is now, so a 2 door something still is needed."
Quite interesting, no? Especially as the Cruze will eventually replace the Cobalt as Chevy's C-segment car. We suspect there will be a bit of overlap between the two cars (GM's high-volume models die hard), but the idea of a Cruze SS Coupe is quite tantalizing. To us at any rate.
Also lip smacking is another bit of info Reuss let slip when a man named Pete asked the following question, "Can you tell us if the plans for a ZETA RWD sedan in one of the core brands is moving forward?" Mr. Reuss' response, "quite possibly Pete......." That's not the Lutzian answer we're used to ("RWD, twin-turbo wagons with manuals for all!") but it's not a "no," either. Also of note, Reuss, a competition-license carrying "car guy" at one time owned Buick GNX #446. Good to know, and stay tuned....
[Source: GM Reinvention]
GM President Mark Reuss: Chevrolet Cruze Coupe "may show up" originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy Filed under: Recalls, Toyota, Autoline on Autoblog RUNAWAY TOYOTAS? WHAT ABOUT DRIVER ERROR?
 No one wants to touch it. Not Toyota, not NHTSA, not any politician. But the issue has to be raised. Driver error is most likely at the root of these sudden unintended acceleration incidents.
Unintended acceleration is not a new issue for the auto industry. It's been around for decades and complaints have been filed against virtually every automaker. Even more telling, it was around long before electronic throttle controls (ETC) ever showed up in cars.
But we've managed to work ourselves into a hysteria where everyone automatically assumes that ETC is the culprit. That's a dangerous assumption that will likely lead us down a dead-end path, and could prevent us from implementing a fairly easy design change that could cure most of these incidents.
While it is possible that "ghosts" in the electronics could be causing a problem, no one has been able to find them. Toyota has done exhaustive investigations into this. So has every other major automaker. So have all the suppliers that make these systems. Independent laboratories, universities, and government agencies have investigated it. But none of them have ever found the problem. Never. And it is my contention that they probably never will.
John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit" and daily web video "Autoline Daily". Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers.
Continue reading Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: GM launching pair of low-pressure 'test' dealerships that offer competitor car drives Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM 
A[nother] different kind of car company. A[nother] different kind of car. Apparently, as it once did with its Saturn division, General Motors is again fiddling with the tried-and-true dealership sales model by creating two separate new test programs that would potentially offer a low-pressure car buying environment.
One of them, a so-called Test Drive Studio, would be a "permanent or semi-permanent, minimally branded, brick-and-mortar" facility that would first appear in Chevrolet-centric areas such as Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Included amongst the newfangled features would be test drives in the Chevy Malibu, Traverse and Equinox, followed by their main competition. "May the Best Car Win," indeed.
According to Steve Tihanyi, general director for marketing services, alliances and branded entertainment, "It's a non-threatening environment. It's not pressure-filled; you can drive all the right competitive products against the [vehicles]. If you take Malibu as an example, we will also have vehicles like Camry, Accord, Ford Fusion, or Taurus, so you get a really good cluster of vehicles to experience at your own pace."
Also new will be a competitive test-drive program that will run concurrently with auto shows in 30 markets all around the United States. "One thing we know about auto shows is a lot of people who come will be in market in zero to 12 months," says Tihanyi.
To go along with the new dealership test model, GM will start a digital marketing campaign in each of the four aforementioned test markets, targeting buyers currently shopping for vehicles in GM's competitive markets. Says Tihanyi, "So, hypothetically, if you are on Edmunds.com and shopping a Camry, we are going to offer up an opportunity to come to the Test Drive Studio in that market to compare everything you have in your shopping set right now. Our feeling is you may have not had the Malibu in your consideration set, but if you try it, you will."
[Source: Marketing Daily | Image: Scott Olson/Getty]Report: GM launching pair of low-pressure 'test' dealerships that offer competitor car drives originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Dodge Ram Power Wagon hits the streets in search of Ford SVT Raptor Filed under: Spy Photos, Truck, Chrysler, Dodge, Off-Road 
Dodge Ram Power Wagon spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery
We just told you that that Chrysler will be launching four new "Moparized" vehicles later this month, and our spies have already caught one of these new vehicles - the Dodge Ram Power Wagon - on the streets of southeast Michigan.
Unlike the Power Wagon that's just now hitting dealers, this is a totally unique package, featuring a single-cab configuration with a short, style-side bed. The huge off-road tires and exaggerated wheel arches lead us to believe that this is Chrysler's answer to the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor (if only in concept form), and our spies tell us that this prototype "made hair-raising sounds" as it drove by, leading us to believe that the 383-horsepower Hemi V8 is underhood.
We can't wait to see the production version on March 27 at the 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. If these spy shots are anything to go off of, it looks like it'll be serious fun for desert storming.
[Source: KGP Photography]Spy Shots: Dodge Ram Power Wagon hits the streets in search of Ford SVT Raptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Honda CR-Z enjoying high early demand in home market? Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Japan, Hatchback, Honda 
2011 Honda CR-Z - Click above for high-res image gallery
The new Honda CR-Z has only been on sale in Japan for two weeks, and already the automaker has received over 7,000 orders for the small hybrid. This represents about 60 percent of the 12,000 units that Honda anticipated to sell domestically in the hatch's first year of production. If this trend continues, Honda may have to ramp up production of the CR-Z in Japan to meet the high demand.
The CR-Z's fortunes in other markets will be every bit as interesting to watch, of course. In the United States, for example, doubters (full disclosure: ourselves included) question whether Honda's idea of a sports hybrid that takes just under 10 seconds to hit 60 miles per hour might not be what the doctor ordered, especially when paired with surprisingly disappointing fuel economy figures. Of course, that's largely just what the online enthusiast community is saying at the moment, and not necessarily any indication of the car's eventual marketplace success whatsoever.
As fans of the long-gone CRX, we sincerely hope that the new CR-Z carries the torch in a way that does not appear to be conveyed by these early performance numbers. Either way, watching the CR-Z's long-term sales prospects both at home and in other markets will be far more important to the model's fortunes than an early sales boom in Japan and pre-launch online skepticism.
[Source: MarketWatch]Honda CR-Z enjoying high early demand in home market? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Chrysler releases new "Moparized" concept renderings ahead of 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Truck, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Off-Road 
Mopar Sketches for the 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari - Click above for high-res image gallery
Chrysler has announced that it will launch four new "Moparized" (their term, not ours) models on March 27 at the 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah: the Jeep Wrangler J7, Jeep Patriot Extreme, Jeep Wrangler Trail Boss and Ram Power Wagon.
First off, there's already a 2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon, but it appears that this version will sport just two doors instead of the current four-door model. We also note plenty of flat black accents, including the wheels, grille and hood, which are set off by what appears to be a neon green stripe. Out back is a customized bed that includes an external fullsize spare tire rack. Ford SVT Raptor fighter? We'll see.
Moving on to the Jeep Patriot Extreme, we see a bright orange (EXTREME!!!) paint scheme highlighted (or is that lowlighted?) by more flat black accents on the grille and hood along with a two-inch Rocky Road Outfitters suspension lift, TJ 'Moab' 16-inch wheels and BF Goodrich KM2 tires. Lest we forget, there's also an uplevel Kicker stereo system and a roof-mounted snowboard rack.
Finally, we have a pair of Wranglers. The first is the J7, which is based on the four-door Unlimited Rubicon model and is "designed to have the basic appeal of military-issued vehicles." The second Wrangler is called the Trail Boss, and all we know about that one is that it's "a two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon that is built for serious off-road duty." Check out the high-res image gallery below and hit the jump for the official press release.
[Source: Chrysler]
Continue reading Chrysler releases new "Moparized" concept renderings ahead of 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari Chrysler releases new "Moparized" concept renderings ahead of 44th Annual Easter Jeep Safari originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Congressional panel doubts GMAC business case, suggests breakup Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials 
"The panel is deeply concerned that Treasury has not required GMAC to lay out a clear path to viability or a strategy for fully repaying taxpayers." This, according to a Congressional Oversight Panel that was created as a watchdog for the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds. The fix? Potentially breaking GMAC up into units and merging its auto lending business back into General Motors.
As a refresher, the Treasury invested $17.2 billion in TARP funds into GMAC, after which the financial company lost $8.3 billion on its Residential Capital unit in 2009. For it's part, Treasury has responded to the panel in a statement, saying, "Treasury continues to be a reluctant shareholder and to manage its investment in GMAC in a hands-off commercial manner consistent with the administration's established principles that guide Treasury's management of financial interests in private firms."
And since we've heard from the congressional panel and Treasury, why not from GMAC itself? Again, from a statement as reported to Automotive News: "We appreciate the panel's responsibility to analyze history; however, GMAC's management team is focused on the future. That includes continuing to provide the highest level of service to auto dealers and consumers in support of our auto partners, returning GMAC to a high level of profitability, and repaying the U.S. Treasury."
At this point, there's no clear indication on how Treasury or the congressional panel will proceed. Regardless, this is an issue that we'll be keeping a close eye on in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd. | Image: Craig Jones/Getty]Report: Congressional panel doubts GMAC business case, suggests breakup originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
2010 FIA GT1 World Championship contenders pose for the camera Filed under: Motorsports 
2010 FIA GT1 World Championship Preview - Click above for high-res image gallery
There are quite a few changes coming for the FIA GT this year. For starters, the GT1 series will become a true world championship, as the FIA has announced an expansion that includes races on four different continents. Unfortunately, the Canadian race has been dropped from the schedule, but Silverstone, Nürburgring, Spa and Interlagos are all on the roster.
In addition to the new venues, the GT1 category will also focus solely on privateer teams with cars that meet new regulations for 2010. Many of the teams recently headed to the Paul Ricard circuit in France to test out their new cars including an imposing duo of Nissan GT-R racecars. Between sessions, the teams gathered on track for a brace of group photos which we've included in the high-res gallery below. Enjoy!
[Source: GT1World.com]2010 FIA GT1 World Championship contenders pose for the camera originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Coloring Between the Lines: Reader shades in 2012 Chevy Malibu patent drawings Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style 
2012 Chevrolet Malibu renderings by Ted Krygier - Click above for high-res image gallery
Yesterday, we brought you the official patent drawings of the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu - the Epsilon II-based sedan that will more than likely debut later in 2011 as a 2012 model. Less than 24 hours later, one of our dedicated readers, Ted Krygier, has put his best Photoshop skills to work, completing a colored rendering of what the Malibu could look like based on the patent sketches
In colored-up form, it's even more clear that the next-gen Malibu will use a design inspired by the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia up front, with a few Camaro-like touches around the rear end. The styling is quite a bit more aggressive than the current Malibu, and since the new car appears to have a shorter wheelbase, its road stance should be more akin to that of the Ford Fusion. Still, we like what we see thus far. Hat tip to Ted for the renderings!
[Source: Cheers and Gears]Coloring Between the Lines: Reader shades in 2012 Chevy Malibu patent drawings originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced Filed under: Sedan, Ford, Specialty
2012 Ford Police Interceptor - Click above for image gallery
The Ford Crown Victoria has been the chariot of choice (well necessity really) for police officers and cabbies all over America since the demise of its numero uno competitor, the Chevrolet Caprice, back in the mid-'90s. The Crown Vic and its ancestors have been around with a minimum of mechanical changes since roughly the same time as the Model T, or at least it seems that way. However, in recent years the Crown Vic has been increasingly challenged by the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Impala. Even more troubling for Ford is the impending arrival of a new rear-wheel-drive drive police car from Chevrolet based on the departed Pontiac G8.
At a private fleet sales event in Las Vegas today, Ford finally took the wraps off a new generation Police Interceptor model based on the 2010 Taurus. The new car has big shoes to fill as the Crown Vic has accounted for 70 percent of all police vehicle sales over the past five years. Read on for more on the new Police Interceptor.
[Source: Ford]Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Hotchkis Track Day proves "After" is much better than "Before" Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet 
Autoblog attends Hotchkis track day - Click above for high-res image gallery
Suspension tuner John Hotchkis, principle of Hotchkis Sport Suspension and apparently at peace with the fact that we broke his precious E-Max, invited yours truly out to the Streets of Willow to pound some more hard fought miles into the amazing yellow 1971 Dodge Challenger. Actually, a whole bunch of people were on hand to do the pounding, and not just on the E-Max. Hotchkis was putting on a before-and-after clinic to showcase (and show off) a couple of its suspension packages. Not only was the mighty, heavily tweaked E-Max on hand, but the Hotchkis gang brought along a fairly stock 1970 Challenger, a rented Chevrolet Camaro SS and a Camaro SS that had been given the full Hotchkis suspension treatment.
The Plan: Put each car in the more-than-capable hands of John's brother, Mark Hotchkis, a former Indy Lights driver who also happens to campaign a Porsche 962 in vintage races. Each car would be put through a series of tests (slalom, skid pad and a lap of the track itself) revealing numerically just how much better the new Hotchkis suspension pieces worked. They also brought a few of us journalist types along to not only see viva la difference, but share our impressions with the world/you guys. But before we get to the results...
Photos by Jonny Lieberman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc. and Dan Khan Continue reading Hotchkis Track Day proves "After" is much better than "Before" Hotchkis Track Day proves "After" is much better than "Before" originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rumormill: Next Lexus IS to re-gain wagon variant? Filed under: Wagon, Lexus, Rumormill, Luxury 
Some of you will remember that from 2001 to 2005, Lexus sold a wagon variant of the IS, dubbed SportCross. Unfortunately, relatively dismal sales numbers didn't really make a business case for keeping that car alive, and Lexus canned it when the second-generation IS debuted in 2006. However, all hope of seeing a SportCross redux has not been lost - Autocar is reporting that the third-generation IS, set to arrive in 2011, could spawn a wagon variant once again.
Now, let's be realistic. If Lexus does build an IS SportCross again, it probably won't make it to American soil. Why? In Europe, wagons are hot sellers, with the BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant leading the pack. Lexus even admits that not offering a wagon in Europe has hurt overall sales of the car. Mercedes-Benz made a similar decision with the current-generation C-Class to only offer the wagon version in Europe, while in previous years, the C-Class Estate could be found at American dealerships as well.
[Source: Autocar]Rumormill: Next Lexus IS to re-gain wagon variant? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Video: The Red Bull RB6 is ready to race Filed under: Motorsports, Videos 
The Red Bull F1 team prepares for the Bahrain GP - Click above to watch video after the jump
The Formula One season begins this weekend at what is expected to be a scorchingly hot circuit in Bahrain.
As we've been discussing for months, this has the potential to be one of the best seasons in more than a decade, with no less four World Champion drivers in the strongest cockpits. Even better, four teams are acknowledged to be at the top, and according to Mercedes test driver Nick Heidfeld, the Red Bull could be the class of the field. Follow the jump to hear Sebastian Vettel talk about the team's new racer and see it in action.
[Source: Red Bulletin]Continue reading Video: The Red Bull RB6 is ready to race Video: The Red Bull RB6 is ready to race originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Geely may need to come up with $1.4B to fix damaged Volvo after purchase Filed under: Ford, Volvo, UAW/Unions, Geely  It's going to cost up to $2 billion for Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. to take ownership of Volvo, but according to a new report out of BusinessWeek, that lofty figure is just the cost of entry. Volvo union members and the board have apparently told the Chinese automaker that it will need at least $1.4 billion to repair the storied Swedish automaker.
Union head Glenn Magnusson reportedly says the money will be needed for the next year's product development, marketing, production and distribution. Magnusson tells BW that Geely has yet to demonstrate that it has the financials to sustain Volvo, adding "we haven't seen anything yet and we're not satisfied."
Further, Volvo board member Magnus Sundemo feels $1.4 billion may be a little low, adding that Geely will need to invest "at least as much as they're paying to buy us." One reason Volvo insiders feel the company will need plenty of cash is to satisfy Geely's desire to build up Volvo in China, with the goal of assembling 200,000 vehicles per year in The Land of the Great Wall.
Ford Motor Company and Geely, who have been in talks seemingly forever, are looking to get a deal done by the end of March. Regulatory filings are expected to draw out the process of officially handing over ownership of the Swedish automaker to June 30 at the earliest.
[Source: BusinessWeek]Report: Geely may need to come up with $1.4B to fix damaged Volvo after purchase originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Former NHTSA head Claybrook reportedly blasts relationship between safety agency and automakers Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota 
One of the most interesting sidebars that came out of Toyota's recent recall woes and the subsequent Congressional hearings on the subject was the Japanese automaker's relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Actually, the interesting part of the relationship with the regulatory body had more to do with the fact that Toyota hired former NHTSA employees who subsequently negotiated terms of safety investigations with former co-workers.
While current federal law prohibits an employee of the Executive branch from leaving a government post to represent a matter in the private sector in said employee's previous official area of responsibility, at least one former NHTSA executive feels tougher standards are in order. ABC News reports that Joan Claybrook (in pink, above), who ran NHTSA during the Carter administration, feels that the Obama administration needs to crack down on her former department because it's become too cozy with the auto industry it is tasked with overseeing.
In a prepared statement before her testimony in front of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, Claybrook said automakers including Toyota treat NHTSA "with contempt." But while some of her testimony will center on Toyota's dealings with the government agency, the former safety boss says she has found a total of 40 former NHTSA or Department of Transportation employees who currently work in the auto industry. Claybrook says all three domestic automakers as well as BMW, Honda, Suzuki and various trade associations all have ex-NHTSA or DOT employees on staff.
[Source: ABC News | Image: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty] Former NHTSA head Claybrook reportedly blasts relationship between safety agency and automakers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Nissan's head U.S. designer, Bruce Campbell to retire at end of March Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Nissan, Design/Style 
Nissan 370Z Roadster by Bruce Campbell - click above for high-res image gallery
 When we first met Nissan's vice president-design for North America Bruce Campbell, we were amused by his name. Hey, we've seen Evil Dead II at least fifty times. But after a few minutes of conversation with Nissan's highest-ranking U.S. designer, we were deeply impressed by his humor, ideas about design ("The Corvette looks fast standing still, the 370Z looks fast at speed") and his soft-spoken grace. Sadly, Mr. Campbell is disembarking from the Nissan ship after more than thirty years at sea, reports Wards Auto.
Campbell's career reads like a Nissan greatest design hits list, having worked on the (still fab looking) "Hardbody" trucks, the third-generation Maxima, the Xterra and more recently, the new latest Maxima, the Rogue and the 370Z. Going back to our conversation, Bruce explained to us that the 350Z was designed only as a coupe, and that the 350Z Roadster looked odd because it was an afterthought. From the start, the 370Z was designed to be both a coupe and a convertible. We think he did well. We also think that his successor and current European design chief Alfonso Albaisa has some pretty big shoes to fill.
Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Wards Auto]Report: Nissan's head U.S. designer, Bruce Campbell to retire at end of March originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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