Blake Noble

Congrats, Camino. Ha, I noticed that too.

Blake Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 10th, 2012 General Motors’ European operating firm Opel recently lost $256 million dollars in the first quarter of 2012, and changes are underway to stem the losses. The waves of red ink washing in overseas at Opel are cutting deep into the Detroit automaker’s earnings. While GM posted net earnings of $1 billion dollars for this year’s first quarter, it knows things could’ve been much better if its European outpost were operating profitably. Compared to the first quarter of 2011, GM’s earnings this time around were down by almost 69 percent because of its losses in Europe. This has given GM CEO Dan Akerson especially some cause to worry. Akerson described the situation in a recent radio interview as a “four-alarm fire,” going on to say that Opel would “have to restructure again.” It was barely six months ago that GM reorganized its European operations in a previous effort to turn the German brand around. During the shake-up, former president and CEO Nick Reilly was forced into retirement and replaced by Karl-Fredrich Stracke. Also transferring to Europe, among a host of others, were GM chief financial officer Dan Amman and GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky. Girsky is now chairman of the board at Opel. Eurozone malaise squeezing Opel, automotive industry Opel’s troubles stem from a serious financial and economic crisis currently sweeping Europe. Just last month, the economy of the United Kingdom skidded into its second recession since 2008. As many as one out of four people living in Spain are currently unemployed. Many European countries, such as Greece, are swimming in sovereign debt and are requesting bailouts from the European Union. The crisis in Europe has understandably debilitated consumer confidence, and new car sales there are expected to drop as a result. European buyers are expected to buy almost 1 million fewer vehicles than their American counterparts this year and recovery isn’t expected overnight. When the CFO of rival Ford spoke to CNN Money recently, he said that he didn’t expect European sales to return to a “normal” level of 15 million vehicles a year for the next four to five years. Over at Opel, signs of a faltering market for 2012 are already beginning to show as it watched its market share decline 0.7 percent in the first quarter — from 7.3 percent in the previous year to 6.6 percent this year. While Opel CEO Karl-Fredrich Stracke is confident that some market share can be regained in the future with new models like the upcoming Mokka subcompact crossover and Adam city car, he said that he didn’t foresee significant growth in the market for the next two years. While Opel is feeling the burn of a weakened European economy and automotive marketplace, it isn’t going the ride alone. It’s worth noting competitors Fiat, Renault, and Ford Europe are also similarly struggling, as is GM’s new business partner Peugeot-Citroen PSA. Restructuring coming Earlier this week, Opel labor boss Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug said to reporters amidst 4,000 striking workers at Opel’s Russelsheim plant that a restructuring deal could take 2 to 3 months. Schaefer-Klug said a deal to bring the money-burning automaker back to profitability was “necessary and realistic.” In early March, Opel CEO Karl-Fredrich Stracke also said that restructuring talks could take 2 to 3 months. Just last week, however, he told reporters that it could take an additional 2 months before he could disclose the complete details. The restructuring at Opel is expected to mainly focus on cutting costs and over production, in order to adjust to the shrinking European market. “We’ve got to get the break even point lower, get the revenue higher, in order to be profitable in that kind of market environment,” CFO Dan Amman told analysts back in January. CEO Stracke would go on to say to reporters this month: “We're working intensively on increasing efficiency to improve profitability of the company in a difficult market environment as soon as possible.” Opel lost an average of $628 dollars for each of the 1.19 million cars it produced last year. This is because its fixed costs are geared toward an additional half-million vehicles — a number worth the equivalent of two major manufacturing plants. Plant closures out for now While Opel will trim back production capacity, it denies rumors that it will shutter its plants in Ellesmere Port, UK and Bochum, Germany as part of the restructuring talks. “We are not addressing any plant closures until 2014,” Stracke said recently. Although labor boss Schaefer-Klug didn’t comment on the future of the Bochum plant, he didn’t think Ellesmere Port was in danger of closing. “I’ve heard no speculation that they want to close the plant,” he said. In fact, it seems that Opel has considered relocating production of its compact Astra hatchback after 2015 exclusively to Ellesmere Port and Gliwice, Poland from Russelsheim, Germany. While such a move would cut costs and could boost production, it was met with red-hot disapproval from employees in Germany. Schaefer-Klug especially rejected that the fact the Russelsheim plant produced only 18,000 Astras out of a total of 330,000 last year made producing the model there relatively insignificant. “It’s complete rubbish to say that the Astra isn’t important for this plant,” he said, noting that Opel’s home plant is set to build 70,000 Astras this year. Is saving GM’s burning European ship hopeless? Since 1999, Opel’s losses have continued to mount and, since 1993, its market share has continued to shrink, leaving some observers to almost dismiss any prospect of the German brand returning to good health. As much as $13 billion dollars has been lost by the European firm over the past 13 years, and its market share has deflated by 5.3 percent in EU and EFTA countries during the course of almost two decades. “I almost see Opel’s problems as not solvable,” said industry watcher Maryann Keller in a Bloomberg report back in January. Analysts also point out that Opel has significant image issues to trump, that it doesn’t have the standing of competitors like Volkswagen to charge prices that would cover costly German labor rates. But there is some hope for GM’s troubled Euro brand. GM could expand Opel’s dealer network in China with the help of partner SAIC. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas even went so far as to suggest in a research note written at the beginning of the year that an alliance with SAIC could improve business efficiency at Opel. The German brand is also set to launch in Australia this year, and that could bring about a slight upward nudge in sales if buyers there respond favorably. There’s also Peugeot PSA’s partnership with Opel’s parent company. In March, board chairman Steve Girsky said that the union would begin to generate cost savings by the second half of this year. The alliance between the two firms is expected to eventually save $2 billion annually within 5 years and give GM and PSA better leverage when purchasing components and raw materials. GM and PSA are also expected to share development costs on future vehicles. While there’s still a rough economic storm ahead for Opel to weather, if GM restructures its European operations to be smarter and leaner, the 150 year-old German company could very well have a second big turnaround story to tell since it came back from the brink after WWII revenged Germany in the 1940s. Sources: Automotive News (sub. req.), Bloomberg,WSJ (sub. req.) (3/6/12 and 5/10/12), Reuters, The Detroit Bureau, CNN Money, Detroit News, Financial Times View full article

Are some of you not reading the article correctly? You all realize that you don't operate the controls in the XTS with the iPad, right? Like Fap said, it essentially serves the purpose of an owner's manual in this case. It's there so that older buyers who check into an XTS can better adapt to the controls before they actually use them.

Wanna know why those things are so popular? Smokers. Seriously, the Dakota's got 'em and there are a billion cigarette burns on the door panel fabric. Every other used car I've seen that had them also had cigarette burns somewhere on the upholstery. Those tacky-ass Ventshades allow you to crack the window and smoke in your car while its raining.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/uo0dpeQqXUg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> Yes, you read that correctly. The BBC's globally approved automotive entertainment program Top Gear will not be making a return in 2012. Word came from Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson himself, saying on a South African radio show last week that the Top Gear Festival 2012 would "be the only time" when he and other presenters Richard Hammond and James May would be working together this year. Clarkson would later confirm the news on his Twitter account, adding that Top Gear would return in January 2013 and a full Christmas special would debut before then. So, why has the BBC pushed one of its most popular shows out of its scheduling this year? Simon Cowell, actually. This fall Cowell will have a new signing competition that will be taking over UK airwaves. Source: Jeremy Clarkson via Twitter, Jalopnik via Autoblog

fixed. That's where I would put my money, but Car and Driver's report did specifically say something about "two Zeta II-based Buicks for China" so I thought that I would put that observation out there.

Blake Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 9th, 2012 For a span of almost four decades, Buick’s classic Riviera models brought critical acclaim to one of GM’s oldest marques. Arguably GM’s first real success at building a “personal luxury car,” the Riviera was a “best-of” showcase for Buick offering class-competitive styling, luxury and technology. While the Riviera name has been previously used on a concept car introduced for the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show, it hasn’t been applied to a production model since the last Riviera was built in 1999. Now, according to GM enthusiast website GM Inside News, there is the potential for a Riviera revival. Last week, on May 3rd, General Motors filed to trademark the Riviera name with the US Patent Office for use on automobiles. As GM Inside News mentions, it isn’t really much of a secret that automakers regularly trademark various names and wind up not putting them to use on a production car. On the other hand, AutoGuide points out that GM doesn’t trademark names unless it’s serious about putting them to use. So then if GM intends to use the name, what would a new Riviera be like? At the moment, your guess is as good as ours. While rumors of Buick adding a new coupe to its lineup have been rather persistent over the last few years, they’ve always been rather sporadic. At one point it was speculated that Buick would sell a coupe version of its Regal sports sedan, based on reports of Vauxhall getting the green-light to develop a two-door version of the related Insignia. There has also since been rumors of Buick building a rear-drive coupe based off of the Alpha platform used by the Cadillac ATS. However, Car and Driver recently mentioned in a report on the upcoming Chevy SS sports sedan that GM’s Australian firm Holden was being tasked with developing two new rear-drive Buick vehicles primarily for China. The two Buicks would be based on a revised version of GM's Zeta platform. It’s obvious that one of those vehicles could be a replacement for the Holden Statesman-based Chinese Buick Park Avenue. But could the other be a Zeta-based Buick Riviera coupe? Sources: GM Inside News, AutoGuide, Car and Driver View full article

Blake Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 8th, 2012 Earlier this year, it was rumored that Porsche decided to cancel its plans to introduce a long-rumored, mid-engined compact roadster for 2014. Essentially a “baby Boxster,” the small Porsche roadster was expected to ring up at a price less than the next-generation Boxster, which is expected to grow in size and price. It seems rumors of the little Porsche’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. According to Automobile magazine, the project — codenamed “551” or “Mimo” — was indeed up in the air at one point but is back on the table. The Porsche 551 was originally set to be a fraternal twin to the production version of Volkswagen’s BlueSport concept shown at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. However, VW recently deemed the BlueSport project as too costly and with too limited appeal to sell in significant sales volumes. Since the 551 was previously linked to the BlueSport so that Porsche could benefit from a larger economy of scale, VW backing away from producing the BlueSport put the 551 in question. Now its rumored that the Porsche 551 will be introduced for 2017 instead, using a smaller lower-cost version of the company’s new MSB-M platform that will also form the basis of the next-generation Boxster and Cayman. Said to be powered by a new 1.6 liter four-cylinder boxer engine with either a single or twin turbo setup, the 1.6 will produce anywhere between 180 horsepower for the base 551 models to 240 in a range-topping 551 R. Prices are said to start at around 30,000 euros (or $45,000 dollars) and the car will follow the premise of the classic 550 Spyder (hence the “551” codename). Before Porsche begins building the 551, it will focus on its other upcoming “cash cows” first. Currently on the table are the sub-Cayenne Macan crossover, the rumored “Pajun” small sedan, and an all new Panamera, in addition to finishing up the upcoming 918 Spyder flagship and the 960 supercar. Aside from the 551, there’s also new speculation concerning the Stuttgart firm’s 960 supercar project. The 960 is supposed to be a model which will bridge the gap between the flagship 918 Spyder and the range-topping versions of the company’s primary mainstay, the 911. Said to be based on a version of the aforementioned MSB-M platform and powered by a mid-engined turbo boxer six, the 960 was previously thought to be a traditional two-door supercar. Now, information from Automobile seems to suggest that Porsche’s “Ferrari fighter” will be a four-door coupe. While the prospect of a four-door coupe capable of wrestling a Prancing Horse is certainly interesting, taking the idea with a grain of salt would probably be best advised. Source: Automobile (4/23/12 and 5/4/12) View full article

Blake Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 7th, 2012 At the moment, Volkswagen builds only two different flavors of sports-utility vehicles. On one hand you have the small highway-oriented Golf-based Tiguan, and on the other you have the larger off-road capable Touraeg. However, that stage may be preparing to change as VW could be planning to expand their portfolio of SUVs in the near future. According to a recent report sourced from German business newspaper Handelsblatt, Volkswagen is planning to introduce two new car-based SUVs that will slot in below the compact Tiguan. In the report, Handelsblatt claims that VW is seeing a strong, growing demand for small crossovers and said, while citing company sources, that a compact SUV based on the Up! city car is “certain” and will be priced at well below 20,000 euros. Other than the miniature Up! soft-roader, the German paper also went on to say that work on a previously rumored crossover called the “Rockton” has resumed as well. The Rockton was supposed to be based on the Suzuki SX4, but since the VW-Suzuki partnership has recently dissolved it’s said that it will be based on the company’s Polo model instead. When reached for comment, a VW spokesman would not confirm the two models, saying that the automaker hasn’t “made a decision yet.” If Volkswagen builds Up! and Polo-based crossovers, then the Opel Mokka (otherwise known as the Buick Encore) and Mini Countryman could face some interesting competition. Source: Automotive News (sub. req.) View full article

Interesting. The base price is about $4,000 grand more than previously thought, and only about $1,000 dollars less than an entry-level 3-Series.

Indeed. I've said in the past on the forums that in the future Holden will be to Chevrolet what Vauxhall is to Opel. It wasn't hard to see the writing on the wall there.

What did I tell you about raspberries?

Blake Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 4th, 2012 “Turbocharging” isn’t quite the dirty word it used to be these days. With strict fuel economy standards looming in the near horizon and the price of a gallon of gas unstable, automakers have turned to building and selling smaller turbo-powered engines to increase fuel economy without losing power. Buyers also seem to be responding favorably to turbo engines — for example, Ford's EcoBoost F-150 is enjoying better sales than comparable V8 models. While it seems like a win-win situation on spec sheets and in sales, in the real word modern turbocharged engines still sometimes suffer from turbo lag and require additional, sometimes complicated piping. And although something like Chrysler’s 1.4 liter turbo four will undoubtedly be more reliable than its primitive ancestors from the 1980s, automakers are still constantly looking at ways to improve and reduce the drawbacks associated with turbocharged engines. Enter Subaru then, who is considering replacing the exhaust-gas driven turbocharger on its WRX performance model for an electric-powered design. According to Australia’s Drive magazine, Subaru’s electric turbo would operate on heat generated from the exhaust which would be converted into electricity that would power the turbine. Such a design could eliminate most, if not all of the associated piping and drastically reduce turbo lag. The electric turbo is just one of the many rumors circulating about the next WRX. Expected to bow sometime around 2014, there are whispers that the new WRX will be available as a two-door coupe and have distinct styling that will borrow nothing from the related Impreza. Subaru Australia representative David Rowley spoke to Drive and agreed with the latter rumor, saying that it would “look considerably different.” The engine for the next WRX is expected to be a 1.6 liter boxer four, just in case you were wondering what that neat electric turbo could show up attached to. Only one question remains, though. How much power will this whiz-bang turbo setup be good for? Source: Drive View full article

The negative aspects of the Cobalt are why I'd rather hunt down a Saturn Astra instead. It may be an orphaned car from a dead, orphaned brand, but at least the steering is electro-hydraulic and not just electric, the interior isn't made from bits of old VWs, and the engine has a nice Euro exhaust note. Most of the ones in circulation still have a remander of GM's factory 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, which is a huge plus.

Blake Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 4th, 2012 GM hasn’t exactly been bashful about the fact it plans to build a new rear-drive performance sedan for Chevrolet next year, and race it on your local NASCAR track. Announced in March of this year, the upcoming Chevy — which will wear the SS moniker in either short or long-hand form — should likely boast the same 6.2 liter V8 heart which furiously beats beneath the hood of the Camaro SS. The 6.2 should produce upwards of 415 horsepower for use in the SS sedan. When news broke about the Chevrolet SS, it was widely believed that the car would be only be available with a V8 and four doors. However, that may not turn out to be the case as it seems GM may be planning to further expand the Bowtie brand’s portfolio of rear-drive cars. Car and Driver is reporting that after the SS is introduced with the hairy-chested 6.2 V8, Chevrolet will offer a version of the car for more squeamish buyers using a 3.6 liter V6 good for churning out 300-plus horsepower. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise given that most automakers must remain conscious of ever increasing CAFE regulations with every new model and a V6-powered Chevy SS would likely achieve highway mpg figures somewhere in the upper 20s. What may be seen as surprising is that the Chevy SS family may not be comprised of just a V6 or V8-powered sedan. When the SS moves to an updated, lighter version of the Zeta platform on which it is based, GM could very well introduce additional ute (read: ElCamino) and wagon bodystyles. This should take place around 2015, and production of the SS will also shift to North America — likely GM’s plant in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada — from Australia where it will first be built alongside the related Holden Commodore. It’s worth mentioning that while production of the Chevy SS will probably move out of Australia, it’s unclear if the Holden Commodore will follow suit. Australian website Drive is skeptical and thinks if the Commodore leaves its native home it likely wouldn’t happen until a totally new model is introduced for 2018, pending future currency exchange rates and sales. Whatever the case, enthusiasts will undoubtedly be excited at the prospect of not only the upcoming Chevy SS, but a new wagon and especially a successor to the beloved ElCamino. Let’s just hope that GM doesn’t revoke anyone’s green card this time around. Sources: Car and Driver, Drive View full article

Blake Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 3rd, 2012 At one point in the past, General Motors held a 49 percent stake in the Japanese automaker Isuzu. Over the years however, as GM’s market share eroded and the Detroit car company began fighting against the tides of red ink, it began selling off its shares in Isuzu until the alliance came quietly to an end. In 2006, it sold off its last 7.9 percent stake in the company for a reported $300 million dollars in order to fund restructuring efforts that were badly needed at the time. History is about to repeat itself then, as General Motors is reportedly in talks with Isuzu Motors to form a new alliance. This past Sunday, Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported that GM could buy a 10 percent stake in Isuzu. The two automakers would collaborate on developing pickup trucks and selling vehicles in Central and South America, as well as Asia. Isuzu could also benefit from access to GM’s hybrid know-how and other fuel saving technologies. Since emerging from bankruptcy in 2009, GM has been focused on striking up new partnerships. Most notably, GM recently bought a 7 percent stake in Peugeot-Citroen SA back in March that cost $423 million dollars. While General Motors may be set to take 10 percent of Isuzu, it’s also rumored that GM initially wanted to buy 33.4 percent of the automaker — which amounts to roughly one-third — at a cost of $3 billion dollars. If GM didn’t scale down how much of Isuzu it wanted to buy, it would give GM the right to veto any decision made by board members. Source: Reuters 4/29/12, Reuters 5/2/12 View full article

Indeed, there are. But I see the GT as being pretty rewarding versus a few other cars out there when everything is said and done, especially in the role of a Pro-Touring car. The GT only weighs in at 2,000 pounds, 100 pounds less than a first-generation Miata. If you just threw in the 2.4 liter Ecotec and manual gearbox out of one the base Kappa roadsters, I think the performance results would be quite suprising, given that the heavier Miata could reach 60 in. 8.1 seconds with only 115 bhp versus the Ecotec's 175. The 2.0 liter turbo in a GT would put many muscle cars to shame. The fact the GT would also be upgraded with a modern powertrain and suspension means that you could also drive it to work on Friday, if you stitch things up properly. I also think the fuel economy of a Pro-Touring Opel GT would be fairly impressive too, given the Ecotec doesn't have much weight to throw around. I am starting to wonder, however, if there is an alternative to GT that has a few less drawbacks, though. Given the nature of what I'd do with one of these cars, I'm not too concerned with restoring it back to factory spec, but it would be nice if there was a car similar to the GT that could be easier to find spare parts for; things like gauges, seat frames, body panels, etc. I suppose its the thought of a classic car in Pro-Touring form that's really haunting me. It's just finding a clean slate to work from that will allow you to build one that's appropriate for an era of $3 dollar a gallon gasoline.