Just a update on what's going on in GM land, this is a few days old but still relavant....
Filing Expected as Chrysler Set to Emerge.
By David Cho, Peter Whoriskey and Kendra MarrWashington Post Staff WritersFriday, May 22, 2009
The Obama administration is preparing to send
General Motors into bankruptcy as early as the end of next week under a plan that would give the automaker tens of billions of dollars more in public financing as the company seeks to shrink and reemerge as a global competitor, sources familiar with the discussions said.
The move comes as the administration prepares to lift the nation's other faltering car company, Chrysler, from bankruptcy protection as soon as next week, industry sources said.
The shifts into and out of bankruptcy are landmarks in the Obama administration's attempt to broker a historic restructuring of the American auto industry in the space of months.
The legal tactic is viewed by some as the best means of reviving the companies. But the speed of the government-led transformation has triggered complaints that the rights of investors and dealers are being trampled. Meanwhile, fears that a bankruptcy could lead to cascading business failures are spreading throughout GM's vast chain of suppliers.
Under the GM draft bankruptcy plan, the company would receive just short of $30 billion in additional federal loans, a source said.
The figure is a starting point in negotiations between the government and the company, the source said, and could change. A cash injection that large would boost the U.S. investment in GM to nearly $45 billion. The timing of the filing is also fluid, and could happen the first week of June.
The government previously indicated that it planned to take at least 50 percent of the restructured company, and likely would take the right to name members to its board of directors, as it has at Chrysler, where the government will control four of nine seats.
The United Auto Workers retiree health fund is set to own as much as 39 percent of the restructured GM, in exchange for giving up its claim to at least $10 billion that the company owes it. Yesterday, the union announced that it reached an agreement with GM that will reduce the company's labor costs.
Still unknown is what part the Canadian government might play in the ongoing GM restructuring.
GM operates several plants north of the border. The Canadians agreed to invest about $3.5 billion in the Chrysler restructuring and control one of the nine board seats.
In the GM negotiations, the Canadians are poised to make a similar investment, but they are seeking assurances that the share of GM production in their country will remain the same.
"China isn't putting up the money, and Mexico isn't putting up the money," said Tony Clement, Canada's Minister of Industry. "But if we're putting up the money, just as the Americans are, then we have the right to protect our production capacity."
Clement added that the Canadian Auto Workers union would have to make more concessions before the government agrees to get involved in the GM rescue.
"We've basically been joined at the hip with U.S. Treasury on our approach with both Chrysler and GM," he said. "We have officials down here in Washington all the time. We basically review the information together. We devise strategy together and execute strategy together."
Both Chrysler and GM have been saddled with too much in debt and labor costs to compete against rivals from Japan and Korea, industry analysts say.
To alleviate the financial burdens, the Obama administration has engaged for months in negotiations with the union, dealers and creditors in hopes of reducing automaker costs without having to resort to bankruptcy court.
But last month, the administration concluded that the only way to free Chrysler of its debt was to file for Chapter 11, and it is now nearing a similar decision with GM.
The chief obstacle to an out-of-court settlement for GM remains: There has been no agreement between the company and the investors who hold $27 billion worth of GM bonds.
Under orders from the Obama administration, GM has offered to give the bondholders a 10 percent equity stake in the restructured company in exchange for giving up their bonds.
So far, however, the investors have resisted that proposal and if no accord is reached by June 1, GM will follow Chrysler into bankruptcy.
The speed with which the Chrysler bankruptcy has proceeded has given the administration more confidence that the best path for GM may be a similar trip, where the claims of disgruntled creditors and dealers can be more easily resolved.
In the Chrysler proceedings, the court has yet to stand in the way of plans to create a new company led by Italian carmaker Fiat. Chrysler's existing assets would be sold to the new company and the new entity could be up and running as soon as next week.
That's because Chrysler is asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez to waive the customary 10-day waiting period before the order approving the sale becomes effective. The hearing on the sale is scheduled for next Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Gonzalez has already granted a similar request to expedite proceedings. Time and again in court, Chrysler executives and attorneys have argued -- and the court has agreed -- that Chrysler's core assets are "wasting" and that an immediate sale must take place to preserve value.
"Subject to the closing conditions, a new Chrysler could emerge as soon as the ink is dry on the judge's order," said Scott Van Meter, managing director of
LECG, a consulting firm.
The administration is taking steps to prepare. It is drafting the paperwork for a $4.7 billion loan to sustain Chrysler after it emerges from bankruptcy. On Wednesday, the automaker announced that C. Robert Kidder, former chairman of Borden Chemical and of Duracell International will become the company's new chairman. He will succeed Robert L. Nardelli.
Chrysler still could encounter some delays. The company faces a new legal challenge from pension funds representing Indiana teachers and police officers as well as a state construction fund. The investors, who contend that the automaker's sale violates their rights as senior secured lenders to Chrysler, are seeking to move the bankruptcy proceedings to federal district court, which has authority over the bankruptcy court.
A hearing on the matter is scheduled in district court Tuesday.
There are also challenges outside court. Chrysler has moved to close 789 dealerships on June 9. But Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) has introduced legislation that would withhold federal funding if the automaker does not give dealers an extra 60 days to close down operations and sell remaining inventory. Her amendment has won the backing of a number of other senators.
Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) said he hopes to meet with White House officials today to discuss changing Chrysler's bankruptcy plan and GM's future.
Conyers did not outline what he wanted, but a nine-person panel he assembled for a hearing yesterday offered a hint. Liberal consumer advocate Ralph Nader, a conservative Heritage Foundation analyst and minority auto dealers all criticized the automakers' restructuring.
Conyers and other committee members attacked the administration for abusing bankruptcy laws, unfairly eliminating dealerships and jeopardizing consumer safety.
"GM now stands for Government Motors," said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.). "While the UAW is cashing in, it's the dealers, creditors and American taxpayers who are being forced to cash out."
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A forum user named "Puttz" at the Temple of VTEC took a picture of a manufacturer-plated CR-V in Dublin, Ohio near Honda's Marysville plant. In addition to a set of wheels that Puttz said were reminiscent of those on an RDX sketch, the grille is bigger and wearing a lot more chrome work. On the left is the spy shot, on the right is the 2009 CR-V. As another forum user noted, the 2-piece center section is somewhat of a return to the previous generation CR-V.
Well the results are in, and it appears that the majority of the readers think that the Honda Element is getting stale. I for one would be excited to see a 2nd generation Honda Element, especially with the clones coming out (Nissan Cube, HHR, Scion....).
On opposite coasts, two of the nation's best known political figures have been lauding their cars.
Here's another well known celebrity that drives a Honda FCX Clarity.
Back in the day....
VWVortex Member Michael J Balisky was vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park when he spotted this posse of Crosstours getting their test on. I guess this sighting lends a lot of credence to the October 26, 2009 onsale date rumors that were just posted. Mr Balisky does not list an e-mail address in his profile so we were unable to contact him. Here is a lnk to the thread at VWVortex: name the car (spy pics)
With all the rumors that have been flying around lately, there has been some confusion surrounding the "CrossTour". I now have some information that I can share, and it came directly from Honda PR.
Powertrains for the 2010 Honda Passport will naturally come from Accord sedans and should also parallel Venza choices. That likely means a base 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine retuned for around 190 horsepower, and a 3.5-liter V6 with Honda's gas-saving VCM cylinder-deactivation system and maybe 275 horses. A 5-speed automatic should be the only transmission. Buyers will have the usual choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, though 4-cylinder models may be denied AWD for performance and fuel-economy reasons.
6. Honda CR-Z
BY JEWEL GOPWANIFREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Driving simulators can vary from arcade-like video games to serious training aids for racing drivers, but so far few if any have put the emphasis on safe, green driving. Honda is hoping to change that with its latest release, however - a simulator dubbed 'Honda Safety Navi'.
To accompany the previous article (http://bestscoops.blogspot.com/2009/05/honda-may-introduce-2-new-hybrid-sports.html) here is a pic of what they may be proposing the next gen S2000 hybrid.
Filing Expected as Chrysler Set to Emerge.
AT&T's entrance into the satellite radio/video market (dubbed AT&T CruiseCast) has soft-launched at select retail outlets, representing a delay from the company's original plans for a full launch in March, according to a report from TWICE.
Above is the upcoming CRZ hybrid....
"We received two renderings from an anonymous tipster this morning, each depicting the updates to the MDX and RDX for the 2010 model year. We showed these illustrations to some of our sources who are close to Honda, and while they were unable to comment on the illustrations, they confirmed that both vehicles would be receiving their mid-cycle updates for the 2010 model year, and both are due in showrooms later this year."
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Within the last week or so, there have been rumors concerning a new "4-door coupe" that Honda is said to be working on. Auto Motor und Sport (a German publication) asserted that this vehicle would be a new top level version of the European Accord (also known as the Acura TSX in North America). Auto Motor und Sport claims that the 4-door coupe will feature short front and rear overhangs as well as a coupe-like high beltline. AMuS further contends that base versions of this vehicle will likely be front-wheel-drive and use largely carryover (2.4L ~200hp 4-cylinder) powertrains. They also suggest that a Type-S version featuring a 260hp turbocharged 2.3L 4-cylinder, DSG double clutch transmission, and SH-AWD will be in the offering as well.
Commentary: With several outlets jumping in on this rumor, it seems that there could be something to it, but if this vehicle is going to be based on the existing FF platform, I'd have to assume that these drawings are probably not very accurate. It's a great look, but for it to be pulled off properly, the front overhang needs to be shorter than just about anything Honda currently sells. This would make a fantastic vehicle to build upon Honda's on-again/off-again FR platform, but don't get your hopes up. Scanning the text of the article, I noticed a few English letters that caught my eye, particularly 'FR' and 'V8' along with 'SH-AWD'. Daniel assured me that the text of the Holiday Auto article makes mention of those things as items that Honda was working on, and the article makes it clear that Honda decided not to use that platform for this vehicle and instead to make it happen with existing technology. Ah, here we go again...
Honda's latest Odyssey is an instant love-it or hate-it proposition. Either you see the swoopy cabin styling as funkily Starship Enterprise - or as irredeemably naff.
When the compact sport-utility vehicle (a.k.a. cute-ute) craze began, Honda and its compact CR-V was one of the first players to market. Back in 1997, it was an ungainly looking box that arrived with an anemic 128-horsepower engine, four-speed automatic transmission and the bare basics in terms of standard equipment. Since those early days, the CR-V has evolved into a comfortable crossover that is offered with as many or as few amenities as any potential owner might want or need.
TOKYO--Few cars better embody the wide divergence in the corporate cultures of Toyota and Honda than these two hybrids.
With the emergence of two domain names GM has registered recently (gmrestructuring.com and gm-restructuring.com), it is becoming clearer that the carmaker is moving toward a filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection before this month ends.
It’s a little bewildering that taxpayers have been forced to shuffle billions of dollars into Chrysler and General Motors (GM: 1.14*, +0.00, +0.00%) when there are profitable, innovative and successful car companies out there — ones that don’t simply make better investments but also better cars.
Honda's FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle has grabbed lots of headlines, as has BMW's combustion-powered Hydrogen7 and Mazda's rotary RE line of vehicles, including the RX-8. But Toyota is working on a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle too, and it could be on the streets by 2014.
Trucks exist that can tow a fifty-foot boat while hauling an ATV, seating five people and leaving enough room behind for a few cases of pop and some fishing gear.
The fuel cell has long been viewed as pie-in-the-sky engineering - something to dream about, but having little chance of ever changing the world's dependence on fossil-based fuels. In the past couple of years, however, things have started to change. Big time.
Montreal, Quebec - Honda’s cross-country “Insight Into Canada” tour, where journalists drive two dozen separate legs over the course of a month in a 2010 Honda Insight, has entered the last third of the journey. CanadianDriver.com’s Senior Editor Paul Williams has set a record of 3.8 L/100 km from Ottawa to Montreal.
