GM
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Say what you will about General Motors' past decade or two of planning, their products have come a long, long way in the past several years. That makes the events of the past several months all the more unfortunate - just when things looked ready to turn around, the market collapses. Now the company is taking another blow, being forced to pull Cadillac from half of its European markets due to the collapse of its regional distributor, the Kroymans Group. Earlier today it emerged that Cadillac has indefinitely delayed its diesel V6 planned for Europe, almost automatically cutting its target...
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GM and Saab agree to five-year parts sharing dealWhen the news of Saab being splintered from General Motors' holdings, many lamented the demise of the Swedish carmaker, assuming it would be unable to stand alone. But a new parts sharing agreement between Saab and General Motors offers some hope that the brand born from jets might yet live to fly...
Alex Kaufmann -
Pontiac G8 sees record sales amid harrowed industryIncentives, incentives, incentives. That's the name of the game at all of the major carmakers these days, and in many cases, it's paying off. Take the Pontiac G8 for example: despite a market that's off over 40%, the G8 sedan saw its best sales ever last month - over double the number sold in...
Ralph Hanson -
U.S. production of Orlando MPV on hold says union officialWhile the likes of Audi and Daimler are surging forward with their product development, cash-strapped companies such as General Motors are having to abandon certain market segments and cut back on new model launches just to stay in business. The latest product cuts reportedly taking place at GM...
Ralph Hanson -
Bankruptcy rumors hurt residual values for GM and ChryslerGeneral Motors and Chrysler just can’t seem to get a break. Not only are they dealing with one of the worst market slumps to hit the auto industry in decades, fears of bankruptcy are turning away potential customers in droves and now those same fears are also sending residual values of their...
James Martinez -
Chrysler: We’re a safer bet than GMIf asked whether General Motors or Chrysler were in a better financial position, many of us would conclude that GM looks better. However, Chrysler's chief financial officer Ron Kolka has come out boasting that Chrysler, "on a pure-business basis," is more viable. The reasoning behind the claims is...
Ralph Hanson -
GM has already sunk $750 million into the development of the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and resigned itself to the fact that the car won't be profitable for several years, but that hasn't stopped the company from starting development on the second and third generations of the car's fuel-efficient propulsion system. As with most technology, GM recognizes that first generation technology is expensive but expects future versions to be cheaper and perform better in order to be viable for the mass market. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, GM's director of global vehicle...
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GM open to idea of higher fuel taxesIn a surprise turnaround, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner has suggested that an increase on federal fuel taxes in the U.S. was an idea "worthy of consideration". Wagoner said that guaranteeing a minimum price of $4 a gallon on petrol, an idea proposed by AutoNation car dealership boss Michael...
James Martinez -
Wagoner admits pre-planned bankruptcy "could work"Both General Motors and Chrysler are fearful a bankruptcy would kill whatever consumer confidence the ailing Detroit carmakers may have left but in the latest twist of the saddening U.S. auto industry saga the CEO of GM has revealed that a pre-planned bankruptcy "could work". Rick Wagoner insists...
Ralph Hanson -
GM recalls more than 270,000 vehicles due to faulty shifterWith all the financial strife General Motors finds itself in, the last thing it needs are product recalls bringing into doubt the quality of its vehicles. Unfortunately for GM, a product recall is just what the company was forced to issue, and with more than 270,000 vehicles across the country...
James Martinez -
Ford, Chrysler say GM should get more out of CAWFord is projecting the strongest image of the Detroit 3 at the moment due to its refusal to seek government loans, but it says the deal General Motors and the CAW reached won't be good enough to keep Ford competitive in Canada. GM, on the other hand, seems pleased with its deal, and has announced...
Ralph Hanson -
GM considered Opel’s Insignia for CadillacEarlier this week a report emerged naming Buick the new gateway for Opel’s European models into the U.S. now that the future of Saturn is looking grim. The star in Opel’s crown, the 2009 Insignia sedan, is already on sale in Chinese markets as the Buick Regal but an insider at General...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
General Motors, like a lot of other carmakers, is having a tough time lately - some might say tougher than most. Opel, GM's German subsidiary, and Vauxhall, Opel's UK-based doppelganger, are taking it on the chin as well. Today German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the government would be unlikely to support Opel without a guarantee that the funds would "secure a good future" for the company, reports Reuters. Shortly afterward a conglomerate of Opel/Vauxhall dealers stepped in with a plan to buy a minority stake. Euroda, a group of Opel/Vauxhall dealers in 25 countries numbering about...
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Chevy reveals factory Camaro accessoriesFrom audio systems and ambient lighting to body kits and gauge packages, the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro already has a huge range of accessories available. General Motors let loose the original equipment extravaganza on its website today, trying to build up excitement for the launch of the all-new...
Nelson Ireson -
Opel models headed to U.S. as BuicksOpel and Saturn have always had a close affinity, with a number of popular models like the Vectra and Astra sold under both labels with barely any changes except for the badge located on the grille. However, with the future of Saturn looking grim, Buick is set to become the gateway for...
James Martinez -
Chevrolet Volt driving day planned for Obama’s auto industry task forceThey did it in the nation’s capital at the first round of viability meetings and tomorrow in Detroit government officials will once again be able to drive a prototype for the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. This time around the officials will include the Obama administration’s...
James Martinez -
GOP senators John McCain and Richard Shelby want bankruptcy for GM and ChryslerFormer presidential candidate John McCain, as well as fellow republican senator Richard Shelby, both believe that General Motors and Chrysler should go into bankruptcy rather than taking American tax dollars to prop themselves up. McCain is opposed to both the Wall Street bailout and the automotive...
Ralph Hanson -
Germany's interior minister suggests insolvency may be best bet for OpelSaturn is expected to go its own way, Pontiac is being pared down, Hummer is up for sale and Saab has already announced it will be seeking independence. General Motors' brand hemorrhage continued last week with the announcement that Opel will be spun off from the brand as well, with a potential...
Ralph Hanson -
Whoever said the muscle car era was dead and gone? Right now you can drive away with more than 400hp (298kW) under the hood for around $35,000. The poor state of the economy is taking its toll on vehicle sales (GM just posted its worst sales figures since 1967 in February) but this is also having a positive effect on the level of vehicle discounting that’s happening around the country. Two specials this month are the 2009 model Pontiac G8 GXP and Dodge Charger SRT8. The G8 GXP is listed at $37,610 but depending on where you live the 415hp (309kW) muscle-bound sedan comes with up to...
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GM auditors have 'substantial doubt' about the company's survivalOnce again General Motors is issuing a warning that it may run out of cash. How, you might wonder, considering the billions in taxpayer dollars that have already been pumped into the company? It's unfortunately very simple: GM is still playing catchup with its debt, and all the money spent so far...
Ralph Hanson -
Bob Lutz: Saab and Volvo should mergeSwedish carmakers Saab and Volvo are in a similar predicament. One is owned by struggling Detroit carmaker General Motors and the other by Ford, and both are being spun-off from their respective parent companies in light of significant losses over the past couple of years. For Saab, GM simply cut...
Ralph Hanson -
Pontiac axes Torrent SUV, shifts focus to carsGeneral Motors has confirmed that Pontiac's struggling Torrent SUV will be canned this week due to poor sales and a need to remarket the brand as a lineup that specializes in cars. The news comes from the company’s North American vice-president of Buick, Pontiac and GMC, Susan Docherty, who...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Parts shortages could delay GM’s plan to offer 26 hybrids by 2014General Motors ambitious viability plan announced a fortnight ago called for up to $16.6 billion in additional aid and the reduction of more than 47,000 jobs across the company’s global resources, but there was another major announcement in the plan that went largely unnoticed. GM also...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chevrolet Camaro to star as Indy 500 official pace carThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) has selected the all-new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro to star as the official pace car in the 93rd running of the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 24. The new Camaro Pace Car was unveiled during a ceremony at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum with the organization’s president...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran