Archive for May, 2009
New UAW deal cuts GM’s competitive gap on labor costs
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
Labor has taken a lot of the blame for the current state of the U.S. auto industry, and to a degree, rightfully so. But without the labor, no cars can be built, so General Motors has been hard at work on a new contract with the UAW, which has finally been approved by 74% of union locals.
Today GM announced that the new deal would close the competitive gap the company faces against non-labor car manufacturers in the United States – essentially all of the foreign car companies.
The core elements of the plan that will help to reduce the per-unit labor cost are re-worked benefits and retirement plans, which will help GM manage its large retired employee population as well as its current employee wage and benefit rates.
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Opel and Magna reach tentative agreement
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
Rumors of a Magna-Saturn-Opel alliance will get just a little bit stronger today as reports from Germany indicate Opel and Magna have reached a tentative deal. Securing $2.1B in financing with the help of parent company GM, the bargain promises to keep Opel afloat for the near term.
Another upside to the deal is that it could serve to protect Opel from General Motors’ creditors in the U.S., as the American giant is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday.
“A framework agreement has been reached.
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Chrysler Bankruptcy Impacts Disabled, White-Collar Retirees – Even Iacocca
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
While you hear a lot about how the UAW's blue-collar, hourly employees are making concessions during Chrysler’s restructuring bankruptcy, what you don't hear about is the impact on other employees. All of Chrysler's white-collar pensions could become insolvent if a bankruptcy judge approves a new Chrysler-Fiat company as early as today.
Famed Chrysler executive Lee Iacocca is one of nearly 20,000 non-union Chrysler retirees whose pensions are at risk of being completely emptied. Iacocca, like other former Chrysler executives, also receives a Chrysler vehicle for life. Well, that benefit is definitely no longer in effect, and the company is repossessing the minivan and sedan Iacocca had been driving. Still, that perk is nowhere near as important as the pensions due all white-collar retirees. That obligation could fall on a government-funded pension agency that could immediately be overwhelmed by Chrysler and GM obligations.
Also taking a hit are the 233 Chrysler employees currently on disability who get no benefits during bankruptcy. Company spokesmen say that when the new Chrysler emerges it will reinstate the disability payments, but when exactly that will be is unclear.
Iacocca losing pension, car in Chrysler bankruptcy (Reuters)
Disabled Chrysler workers wait for benefits (Oakland Press)
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2009 Audi Q5 Video
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
Audi's Q5 is just the latest compact luxury SUV to hit the market, and it seems to be generating sales for the German brand. Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder delivers this video about the Q5, and we learn some things we didn't know about it. For example, did you know that the car's suspension can tell when there's cargo attached to the roof rack? Didn't think so.
2009|Audi|Q5
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Audi A3 TDI to reach three continents in three days in new record attempt
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
Covering over 3,044 miles (4,900km) in three days, driving specialist Gerhard Plattner is gearing up for his next record-breaking attempt as the first driver to reach three continents in just three days. On June 8, Plattner and his co-pilot Franz Doppler will depart from Rabat, Morocco, in an Audi A3 1.9 TDI e with the goal of reaching the Asian side of Istanbul in Turkey no more than 72 hours later.
Gerhard Plattner has already circled the globe seven times in attempts to set new records. His latest route will present an enormous challenge to the team’s endurance, driving skill and physical fitness, as well as proving the reliability of the car itself.
The journey will kick off on June 8 from the royal mausoleum in Rabat, later crossing to Tarifa in Spain on a high-speed ferry.
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2009 Infiniti EX35 Gets More Equipment, Higher Price
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
Infiniti has decided to up the standard equipment level in its EX35 crossover to include leather seats, roof rails and a rearview monitor. That also bumps the starting price to $33,800 from $31,900. The base model is still rear-wheel drive, and all EX35s feature the same 297-hp V-6 engine. The 2009s go on sale starting today.
All-wheel-drive models now start at $35,200, and better-equipped Journey models start at $36,000. The Journey trim adds a standard six-disc CD changer, a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel and dual-zone climate control. There are a number of option packages that are also more condensed. We list them below.
The EX hasn't set the world on fire in terms of sales. Through April, sales are down 22.7% compared to the same time last year, and they’re down 43.3% in April alone. In Infiniti’s lineup, it only does better in terms of sales than the M sedan and QX56 SUV.
Check out our review of the 2008 EX35 here.
- EX35 RWD: $33,800
- EX35 AWD: $35,200
- EX35 RWD Journey: $36,000
- EX35 AWD Journey: $37,400
Destination: $865 (up $150 from 2008)
Option Packages
- Premium Package: $1,750
- BOSE & Navigation: $2,000
- Technology Package: $2,250
- Around View Monitor (AVM) Package: N/C with Navigation
- 18-inch Wheel Package: $500
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GM engineer drops Corvette ZR1 supercharged LS9 into ’69 Chevrolet Camaro
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
For many auto enthusiasts, the golden age of automotive styling was during 1960s, when designers had virtual free reign on their designs and didn’t have to worry about aerodynamics, pedestrian crumple zones and other such ‘nuisances’. At the same time, the ‘60s could hardly be called the high point of automotive technology, and the development of engines, brakes, suspension components and transmissions still had a long way to go.
Fast forward to 2009, and legendary GM engineer and pro-touring car builder Mark Stielow appears to have created the perfect marriage of automotive styling and technology – and by this we mean a 1969 Butternut Yellow Chevrolet Camaro with GM’s insane LS9 V8 dropped into its engine bay.
For the uninitiated, the LS9 supercharged V8 is the most powerful production engine GM has ever made, with a mind-numbing 638hp (476kW) and 604lb-ft (819Nm) of torque on tap.
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Bricklin proposes new plan to install “hydrogen hybrid” drivetrains in GM and Chrysler cars
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
The collapse of GM and Chrysler in recent months has seen the manufacturing employees and the extensive dealer networks of both firms suffer heavily, but now there may be a new and revolutionary product in sight that not only gives flailing dealers a chance to pick themselves up but may also keep manufacturing jobs alive.
The simple idea is to take new vehicles from Chrysler and GM and upgrade their interiors and install fuel-efficient powertrains. One entrepreneur considering such an option is Malcolm Bricklin, a man who is widely recognized for his efforts importing Subaru, Fiat and Yugo vehicles, as well as dabbling in the electric car industry back in the 1990s.
His company, Visionary Vehicles, spent much of 2006 wooing China’s Chery Auto for the rights to distribute the company cars in the U.S., but stringent safety standards in the U.S.
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Ferrari patent for turbocharged V8 engine surfaces online
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
Earlier this week we saw leaked Ferrari patents for a new AWD hybrid system that were filed with the European Patent Office. Today, a new patent diagram for a turbocharged powerplant from the Italian carmaker has surfaced online, confirming that Ferrari is at least considering adopting more efficient technologies for its future models.
The image above shows the patent in all its glory, and according to Autocar other documents revealed a layout diagram for a turbocharged internal-combustion engine in a “V arrangement”.
Ferrari 4WD Hybrid patent documents
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Report: Aston Martin partnering with Prodrive for 2012 F1 entry
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by admin.
With all the drama surrounding F1 these days, including Ferrari’s threats to abandon the sport should new FIA-imposed budget caps go through, it’s about time F1 fans got some good news. Luckily, we managed to find some today, with the announcement that luxury marque Aston Martin will be entering the championship from 2012 onwards.
The details of the deal were hammered out yesterday evening with F1 tycoon Bernie Ecclestone, and Aston Martin will be entering the championship as a manufacturer entrant, much like Ferrari does today.
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