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30 Oct,
2008
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GM and Chrysler merger: AutoZine
analysis
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At the time
of writing, General Motors and Chrysler are in the final stage of talk
for merger. The conclusion may come out in just a few days.
A couple of years ago, any talks about GM-Chrysler merger might be
applauded because that would have created the largest car group in the
world and save from the challenge by Toyota. However, today what drove
the two struggling US car makers joining force is the crude reality -
if they don't do that, they just might go bankrupt within one year,
believe or not.
Currently GM is burning US$1 billion of cash every month because of the
global economy thunderstorm. Its North American sales in the third
quarter this year dropped 19 percent from the same period last year.
This also dragged down its global sales by 11 percent. Without extra
cash injection, it is hard to see how it could survive the next 12
months, as the forecast of world economy could only get worse.
 Chevy Cruze: launch delayed
Because of the credit crunch, GM can no longer borrow money to finance
its operating loss. Its cash flow is so alarming that it has been
forced to stop development of most future models. For example, Corvette
C7 has been delayed from 2012 model year to 2014 (which means the
development team can be dismissed now, no wonder the chief of Vette
announced retirement last week). Cadillac CTS Coupe has been postponed.
Chevrolet Malibu's facelift will be delayed by a year to MY2013. Large
trucks and SUVs will be dead. Even the all-important Chevrolet Cruze
(which is to replace Cobalt) will be pushed back a year to MY2012,
despite that its Korean version Daewoo Lacetti has been launched in
Korea yesterday. This shows that GM simply has no cash to reinstall its
factory in Ohio.
The situation at Chrysler is equally alarming, although now being owned
by Cerberus it doesn't need to reveal its financial details.
Undoubtedly, Cerberus is regretting its decision to take over Chrysler.
It wants to get rid of this trouble and return to its core business as
an investment firm. That's why it wants to sell its 80 percent shares
of Chrysler (Daimler still holds 20%) to GM.
So what benefits could the merger bring both car makers ? Ridiculously,
none. Both of them are facing with the same troubles, such as over
capacity, over dealers, over brands and lack of customer confidence. A
merger could only double the scale of the problems rather than have
them solved. Unquestionably, if they succeed to merge, massive cuts in
factories, people and overlapping models / brands will be inevitable.
Therefore the merger will not create a new World No. 1. Even if it
does, it will drop below Toyota again in just an eye blink.
 Dodge Avenger - one of the poor
products
In my eyes, Chrysler is almost worthless. Its cars and trucks are
either outdated (PT Cruiser, Pacifica and 300) or poorly engineered
(Sebring / Avenger and Caliber). Its V6 engines and automatic gearboxes
are seriously overdued. Its trucks - its traditional strength - now
become its burden.
So why does GM want to take over Chrysler ? There are two reasons.
First, to eliminate domestic competition, which it wanted to do for
decades. Second and most important, to force the US Federal government
to finance the merger deal. It wants the government to provide a
low-interest loan of US$10 billion. If not, both companies will go
bankrupt, result in hundreds of thousands of job loss and a series of
collapses in auto parts supply industry. Very clever.
Merger might give the American auto industry a little more time to save
itself, but it won't solve the fundamental problems. Let's see whether
GM, Chrysler and Ford could overcome the most difficult time they ever
faced.
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30 Oct,
2008
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Nissan 370Z unveiled
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These are the first official pictures of Nissan 370Z. Its exterior
design is a small evolution from 350Z and combines some styling
elements of GT-R, such as the slopping roofline. There is no
specifications or technical details revealed yet, but as we know it
will be shorter and lighter than the old car. Its roof and doors are
made of aluminum to save weight. Power comes from a version of Infiniti
G37's 3.7-liter V6 (VQ37VHR) with variable valve timing and lift.
Output should be close to the 330 hp rating in the Infiniti. Gearbox
will be 6-speed manual or a Jatco-supplied 7-speed paddle-shift
automatic, again comes from G37.
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30 Oct,
2008
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Ford Fusion facelift
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Ford Fusion was launched in the second half of 2005, so it is time to
receive a mid-life facelift. From this photo (the only photo released
until now), the new car differs mainly from the old car by using a more
prominent version of the 3-bar grille, thinner headlights, sportier
bumper design and a pronounced bonnet. However, the boxy profile the
the whole car has not changed.
In a bid to stop people criticizing its below-average performance, Ford
improved all its engines. The base 2.3-liter Mazda engine has been
replaced by the new 2.5-liter version with 175 horsepower. The 3.0
Duratec V6 has its output increased from 221 to 240 horsepower and
torque increased from 205 to 228 lb-ft thanks to new intake manifolds
and a new kind of intake variable valve timing called "Cam Torque
Actuated" iVCT. Its mechanism requires less hydraulic oil flow (hence
need a smaller oil pump) yet respond quicker than conventional
hydraulic VVT. On the top of the 3.0 V6, now Ford also offers its 263
hp 3.5 V6 as the range topper.
Ford claims EPA fuel consumption of the four-cylinder car reduced by 10
percent thanks to the use of electric power steering and 6-speed
automatic transmission (replacing the outgoing 5-speeder). As the 3.0
V6 already employed this gearbox before, so fuel saving is limited to
4-6 percent.
Apart from conventional engines, Ford is also introducing the Hybrid
version of Fusion as well as its sister car Mercury Milan. It is a
fully hybrid which could be powered by NiMH battery alone to run up to
47 mph. The electric motor mates with a 155hp version of the 2.5-liter
four-pot engine and CVT.
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30 Oct,
2008
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Aston One-77 more pictures
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In last month's Paris motor show, Aston Martin used a cloth to cover
its limited edition supercar One-77 and exposed only a small portion of
its front. That seemed to create little interests to the public. That's
why now Aston revealed full pictures of the car. As you can see from
these pictures, the Marek Reichmann-styled One-77 looks quite
flamboyant hence losing the elegance of previous Aston Martins designed
by Henrik Fisker. Its body shape is oversculpted like Pamela Anderson.
Its extra intakes, in front of the front fenders and cut into the
headlamps, look especially disgusting. If Aston could not find 77
buyers as it planned, you will know what reason.
As previously reported, the One-77 employs a carbon-fiber chassis with
aluminum body panels. The powertrain combines a 700hp V12 and
paddle-shift gearbox. Target weight is 1500 kilograms.
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30 Oct,
2008
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Audi TT RS details
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Internal
documents of the forthcoming Audi TT RS has been leaked from German
dealers. According to the documents, the TT RS will be available in
both coupe and roadster form. It runs a 2.5-liter inline-5 TFSI engine
with Twincharger (that means a supercharger and a turbocharger). Power
output is 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. It employs a 6-speed manual
box and a rear-biased Quattro system. Performance is 155 mph and 0-62
mph in an astonishing 4.5 seconds, which could easily beat Porsche
Cayman S.
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30 Oct,
2008
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Corvette ZR-1 set Nurburging record
again
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After
clinching the Nurburgring lap record at 7:26 a couple of months ago,
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 has pushed the record forward to 7:22.4 in the
hands of racing driver Jan Magnuseen. It is therefore 10 seconds faster
than Porsche 911 GT2, 7 seconds quicker than Nissan GT-R's doubtful lap
time and only trails the road going racer Dodge Viper ACR by only 0.3
seconds.
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30 Oct, 2008
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| Industry News |
Porsche took 74%
Volkswagen
Porsche surprised the public as well as financial firms that it has
already acquired 74 percent shares of Volkswagen group. In addition to
the 20.1% owned by the Lower Saxony State government, the shares held
by the public now total less than 6 percent. Unbelievably, the smallest
car maker in Germany now becomes the Big Boss !
Mercedes A/B-class
to be built in Hungary
Mercedes has confirmed that it is investing into a new production plant
in Hungary to produce the next generation A and B-class. The low labour
and other costs there will be crucial to the profitability of those
baby Mercedes, which is currently zero. We expect them to share engines
with BMW's Mini as well. BTW, the two German luxury rivals are now
talking about closer collaboration. This may see BMW's next generation
V12 to be used by Mercedes S-class and Maybach in the future.
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10 Oct,
2008
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New Mazda 3 unveiled
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These are the first official photos of the next generation Mazda 3, to
make debut in Los Angeles motor show next month. Its gets a similar
face to Mazda 6 while the rear half remains close to the current car,
at least for the sedan version. We heard that it will be made lighter
yet more powerful. American version will be powered by either a
2.0-liter and 2.5-liter MZR four-cylinder engine from its larger
sister, which should be good for 147hp and 170hp respectively. Mazda’s
new automatic start-stop technology will be introduced to cut fuel
consumption in urban area. In Europe, the hatchback version will be
offered with a 2.2-liter turbo diesel.
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10 Oct,
2008
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Mazda MX-5 facelift
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Mazda MX-5 has received a facelift recently. The existing car's boring
face has been improved by reshaped headlamps and larger front grille.
In mechanical side, the 6-speed manual gearbox gets slicker gearchange
while the engine has its rev limit raised by 500 rpm though maximum
output is unchanged.
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6 Oct,
2008
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Lamborghini Estoque
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To many people, Lamborghini Estoque is the star of Paris Motor Show.
Lamborghini strongly hinted at a production future for the concept
4-door super saloon. If so, it will be a successor to Espada,
Sant’Agata’s only front-engined full 4-seater until today.
In my opinion, the exterior design of Estoque is a great success.
Despite of front-engined layout, its front end has strong resemblance
to Gallardo LP560-4 and Murcielago LP640. Its bonnet line looks low to
the extent that you may doubt where its engine is located. Thanks to
the massive wheels - some 22-inch up front and 23-inch at the rear –
and the 1990 mm body width, it appears to be much lower than it is. In
fact, its 1350 mm height is just 40 mm lower than Mercedes CLS63 AMG.
The Estoque is a big saloon, some 5150 mm long (longer than a standard
Mercedes S-class) and runs a 3010 mm wheelbase. The latter enables
sufficient space for the rear passengers as well as to accommodate the
engine entirely behind the front axle for good weight distribution.
It is believed to be based on the aluminium spaceframe platform of the
next generation Audi A8 and powered by the 560hp 5.2 V10 of Gallardo
LP560-4. 4WD would be a
logical choice, assuming if Lamborghini could invert the drivetrain of
Audi R8 and fit into the much longer Estoque. Sant’Agata doesn’t rule
out the possibility of other engines, such as a twin-turbo V8, a V8
hybrid powertrain or even an Audi V8 turbo diesel engine.
Adding the super saloon to Gallardo and Murcielago could double
Lamborghini’s annual sales to 5,000 units. However, by the time it
arrive in 2011, the market will have already had Porsche Panamera
and Aston Martin Rapide.
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6 Oct,
2008
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Peugeot RC Hymotion 4
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To me, the most impressive concept car in Paris show is Peugeot RC
Hymotion4. As usual, Peugeot’s stunning concept car has no hope for
production, but some of the technologies it demonstrated have. The
sportscar-looking 4-door saloon has a 218hp 1.6 THP direct-injection
turbo engine (as previewed by last year’s 308RC Z Coupe concept)
mounted transversely amidship to drive the rear wheels, while a 95hp
electric motor powers the front wheels on demand or recharge the
Lithium-ion battery from braking. It may run purely by gasoline,
electric or both. This gives it a dream performance: 0-60 mph takes 4.4
seconds, 52.3 mpg combined consumption and only 109 g/km of CO2
emission !!
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6 Oct,
2008
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Audi A1 Sportback Concept
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Last year Audi revealed its future A1 in 3-door form, this year comes
the 5-door form, which looks more conservative but closer to
production. Measuring just under 4 meters and 2.46m in wheelbase, it
falls into the supermini segment. The concept car shown in Paris show
is a technology showcase: a hybrid powerplant combines a 150hp 1.4 TSI
turbo engine and a 27hp electric motor to achieve 0-100 km/h in 7.9
seconds and an astonishing 72.4 mpg combined consumption. Lion-ion
battery, electromagnetic adaptive damping, double-wisbhone rear
suspensions, 7-speed S-Tronic gearbox… don’t think the production car
will pack so many expensive technologies.
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6 Oct,
2008
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Toyota Avensis
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The new generation Toyota Avensis is built on the same platform as the
old car, with struts and double wishbones suspensions. Wheelbase is
unchanged at 2700mm, which is short by the current class standard.
However, the car is 50mm longer and 50mm wider, with wider tracks (up
30mm and 45mm front and rear respectively), plus enhanced rigidity and
sound insulation to make it more refined. Its packaging is also more
stylish, no matter in sedan or wagon form. As before, the car is built
in UK and supplied to European market only.
Power comes from a range of petrol engines with new Valvematic
mechanium, which provides continuous variable valve timing and lift. No
wonder they produce more power than class standard – 132hp from 1.6
liters, 147hp from 1.8 liters and 152hp from 2.0 liters. All three
engines share the same 80.5mm bore and vary in stroke only. In diesel
side, there are 126hp 2.0D4-D, 150hp or 177hp 2.2D4-D. They employ
higher common rail injection pressure (2000 bar) to improve fuel
efficiency. Transmissions include 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic or
a new CVT with 7-step manual override called Multidrive S.
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6 Oct,
2008
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Renault Megane Coupe
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These are the first official pictures of forthcoming Renault Megane
Coupe. It looks a lot more interesting than the recently unveiled
Megane 5-door hatchback. Mechanically it is the same as the 5-door
except fine tuning. Engine range is the same too, including the
range-topping 180hp 2.0 TCE turbo.
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6 Oct,
2008
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Suzuki Wagon R
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The new generation Suzuki Wagon R intends to take the no. 1 sales title
in Japan again. To do that, it gets a new platform with 40mm longer
wheelbase (now 2400mm), very tall body (1660mm) and suspensions with
revised geometry and higher strength. As before, the boxy exterior
contributes to a roomy interior, and the cabin is full of flexible
features. The rear seats splits, slide, recline and fold flat. The
front seats fold flat or recline to form a bed together with the rear
seats.
Power comes from a pair of 658cc DOHC inline-3. Normally aspirated
version has VVT and produces 54 horsepower, while turbocharged version
produces 64 hp and 70 lb-ft of torque. Transmission include 5-speed
manual, 4-speed auto or CVT with 7-step override.
A sportier-looking version called “Stingray” is also available (Vette
lovers don’t laugh!).
Stingray:
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6 Oct,
2008
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Suzuki Alto
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Another new Suzuki small car, but destined to overseas market, is Alto.
It
is also offered to Nissan in the name Pixo. Without limited by the
Kei-car regulations, it is 100mm longer and 125mm wider than the Wagon
R, although it is neither as tall nor as long in wheelbase (still
2360mm). Power comes from a larger 1-liter DOHC 3-pot engine with 68
horsepower. Suzuki plans to sell 60,000 units a year in Europe and even
more in India under the Maruti badge.
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6 Oct,
2008
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Mitsubishi Colt facelift
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A Lancer-style front grille is the most obvious change in the
facelifted Colt, although it is not necessarily better looking. Changes
to the mechanicals are relatively subtle – a revised suspension
geometry, the deletion of diesel engines and replace them with “Clear
Tec” package, which adds automatic start stop and regenerative braking
by starter/alternator to the petrol engines for lower consumption. Oh
yes, the 150hp 1.5 turbo CZT model has been renamed to Ralliart.
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6 Oct,
2008
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Seat Exeo
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Yesterday’s Audi A4 is today’s Seat Exeo. You can easily see its origin
from the body profile. However, the old A4 was not a bad car and it
should still soldier on pretty well under the Seat badge, especially
when the top version gets up-to-date 200hp 2.0 TSI and 170hp 2.0 TDI
engine. Production will start soon in its Barcelona plant.
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6 Oct, 2008
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| Industry News |
Porsche questions
GT-R's Nurburgring record
Having shocked and embarrassed by the Nissan GT-R’s 7:29 Nurburgring
lap time, Porsche said it bought a GT-R from America and compared back
to back with its cars in the famous German test track. In the end, it
timed only 7:54 on the GT-R, versus 7:38 of 911 Turbo and 7:34 for GT2
did in the same conditions within 2 hours. As a result, it doubts
whether the record of GT-R was set by using semi-slick tires instead of
the standard production tires. Nissan denied that afterwards, but it
still cast doubts on the issue. After all, the GT-R is some 300kg
heavier than the GT2 ! More evidence please, Nissan.
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