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$25 Billion Auto Bailout may mean some RWD projects
will move forward at GM
When the President signed the $25 billion loan to the auto industry, it may have created a bit of breathing room for General Motors to pursue other important projects, even as they work to further develop batteries, HCCI, and other fuel-conscious technologies.
GMI sources are indicating that chief among these alternative projects is a possible renewed emphasis on the Alpha platform and an expansion of that program.
The GM Global Product Board is considering putting the next generation Commodore on the Alpha architecture. This follows a move earlier this year when the Global Product Board approved making Alpha more flexible. The hope is to engineer Alpha in such a way as to build a variety of vehicles ranging from the size of a 1-Series to around the size of a 5-Series.
In another rumored move, Global Product Board has taken development of Alpha from GM Holden and has given it to the GM North America and GM Europe operations. This was done to placate Cadillac, who does not want to compromise on Alpha's development for their planned BLS-replacement. What Cadillac hopes to achieve is to get a... [Read More]
We've gotten a pretty good look at the 2010 Chevy Cruze already, but the model that had been making rounds in the U.S. was nothing more than a styling buck with no guts inside. Today, just a few hours ahead of the Paris Motor Show, General Motors has revealed the rest of the Cruze, including its interior, and we like what we see. The exterior looks crisp and shows off Chevy's latest design language, especially with the Malibu-esque face and sharp headlights. Everyone agrees that it's a step-up styling-wise from its Cobalt forebear. It's the interior that really shines, though. What appears to be a tweed-like fabric covers sweeping colored panels from the dash to the doors. Two large gauges, two smaller ones and a digital readout places the most important information front-and-center while a cluster of buttons sits just below a centrally-located LCD screen. Meanwhile, the center stack appears
Breaking: GM looking at strategic options for GMAC
GMI has just learned this morning from a reputable source that GM is exploring strategic options for GMAC. This isn't surprising with problems in the market and a shakey financial outlook on Wall Street.
The obvious goal is for GM to raise much needed cash. However, since Cerberus now controls a 51% stake in GMAC, the private equity firm may be looking to get more money to fund its own operations.
Some could speculate that Cerberus is trying to leverge GMAC to buy the remaining 20% stake in Chrysler that it does not already own. Or perhaps Cerberus plans to somehow leverage both GMAC and Chrysler Financial (it owns both) to help it's liquidity to ride out the tought times ahead. Or any other measure behind the move.
Regardless, any move will need Cerberus' blessing to move forward.
GM Dominates "Lightning Lap" 2008 Car And Drivers annual performance test indicates GM is packin' when it comes to performance. www.gminsidenews.com
September 24, 2008
(Photo Courteous of: Car And Driver)
Every year Car And Driver magazine pulls together some of the hottest, best-performing cars at the time and pits them against each other; dividing the cars into specific classes based on retail price. This, of course, being their annual "Lightning Lap" feature article. For 2008 "Lightning Lap" brings three General Motors vehicles to the track. Those three: Chevrolet Cobalt SS (Turbocharged), Chevrolet Corvette Z51, and the all-new Cadillac CTS-V. GM is always represented in the "Lightning Lap" feature, but this year is particularly interesting as all three GM products did extremely well in their respective classes. Actually; the only two Chevrolet cars in the group took the number one spots in their respective classes. Cobalt SS took the top spot in the "LL1" class; beating out the Dodge Caliber SRT-4 and Volvo C30 T5 Version 2.0. On top of that, the Cobalt SS was just shy of beating an overall "LL1" record set by the Nissan 350Z... [Read More]
Pontiac G3 Comes State-Side! Pontiac's rebadged future begins! www.gminsidenews.com
September 18, 2008
Detroit - Expanding its portfolio in the rapidly growing small car segment, Pontiac announced plans to bring the sporty, five-door hatchback G3 to U.S. showrooms early next year. When it arrives, the G3 will provide Pontiac with a total of four vehicles capable of more than 30 miles per gallon on the highway.
Already successful in Canada (as the Pontiac G3 Wave) and Mexico (as a sedan model), the G3 offers an EPA estimated 27 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway while providing the best shoulder and hip room in the segment for seating five adults.
“The small car segment has literally exploded in recent months, with sales up nearly 33 percent in the first six months of 2008 alone,” said Susan Docherty, vice president of Buick-Pontiac-GMC. “With its proven success in other markets, we felt the time was right to bring the G3 into the BPG portfolio for our U.S. customers.”
The 2009 G3 will join the all-new 2009 Vibe (32 mpg) and recently enhanced 2009 versions of the G6 sedan (33 mpg) and G5 coupe (37 mpg) in... [Read More]
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