The Truth About Cars » In Defense Of

Editorial: In Defense of: The Detroit Bailout

Ronnie Schreiber — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:55:12 +0000

As the domestic auto companies appear to be circling the drain, there's been debate about the extent of the impact of their failure on their supplier base, the impact on the industrial manufacturing base of the United States, even possible negative implications for Toyota and Honda. One party in all this that has rarely been mentioned are the consumers. While a few automotive analysts, pundits and bloggers have touched on how an implosion of the Detroit based car companies will affect consumers, almost all of the discussion has centered on whether or not people will buy a car from a bankrupt manufacturer, and the related issue of how product warrantees will be covered if their manufacturers go belly-up. A more basic consumer issue: how the loss of GM, Ford and Chrysler from the US auto market would affect the prices, features and technology of new cars.

Editorial: In Defense of: Bailing Out Detroit

Phil Ressler — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:40:31 +0000

No, it’s not welfare. It’s a little bit insurance mixed with an old-fashioned helping hand that ought to be extended with a little discipline to Detroit’s rump. Bailouts, subsidies, tax breaks and other sundry government instruments to influence the economy are recurrent and mainstream in American history. Less here than most countries, but nevertheless persistent. So let’s not pretend the program to assist Detroit, or the banks, or brokerages, etc., are new. We have an economy with gross annual activity valued over $14 trillion dollars. The absolute numbers bandied about today are big; the proportional representation is more modest. $25B, $50B, $75B are barely a bump.

In Defense of: The Mazda RX-8

Michael Karesh — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:21:39 +0000

A fine-handling car carries on a conversation with the tips of your fingers and the seat of your pants, and not just near the limit of adhesion. Whether the engine's up front, in the middle or out back; whether the powerplant propels the front, rear or both wheels, a true "driver's car" is a master of communication and balance. While many cars have been successfully marketed based on their "ultimate driving," very few are capable of delivering such erudition. Many are downright pigs, offering nothing more than understeer followed by more understeer. As Jonny Lieberman's review indicates, the Mazda RX-8 is not amongst them. It is an under-appreciated gem.

In Defense of: The Suburban

Andrew Dederer — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:14:45 +0000

Oil shock version three-point-something is roiling the global economy. SUVs are doing a fair imitation of the dinosaurs in Fantasia. As the U.S. auto industry undergoes a rapid, convulsive, paradigm product shift, I feel a slight pang for T-Rex: the Chevrolet Suburban. I hope this example of the species pulls through. The SUV segment appears to be history, but the Suburban IS history.

In Defense of… Regular Gas

Michael Martineck — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:30:35 +0000

A guy says he’s stopped using premium gas in his “premium gas required” car because it’s too damn expensive. It’s a joke, right? He’s saving 30 cents now, only to threaten his warranty and pay thousands in repairs later? “Yes” is the easy answer. But the truth about cars can be a funny thing, especially when you add fuel and flames.

With apologies to the chemists, theoretical physicists and tuners out there, here is an octane apercu: octane rating measures knock resistance. It has nothing to do with energy content. Engine knock (or ping) occurs when fuel detonates before the piston is in the right spot. The temperature and pressure in the cylinder cause the fuel-air mixture to detonate prior to the spark.

In Defense of… the Chevrolet Volt. Ish.

Michael Karesh — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:59:25 +0000

Critics of Chevrolet's upcoming plug-in gas - electric hybrid Volt fail to realize one thing: it doesn't matter if the car isn't perfect. It doesn't even matter if the Volt fails to achieve ANY of its much-hyped metrics: price, range or reliability. It's what happens AFTER GM's Hail Mary is released that counts. If GM can keep plugging-away (so to speak) on the Volt, they could, eventually, offer a genuine competitor to the the all-conquering Toyota Prius. One need only look at the fiddly roof still blighting the once red-hot Pontiac Solstice to know the odds of this happening are not high. Or, alternatively, contemplate GM's new product development history vs. the genesis of the Prius.

In Defense of… Saturn

Andrew Dederer — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:17:17 +0000

Does the head of Saturn have photos of important movers and shakers with goats? How else can you explain Saturn’s survival? All that’s left of GM’s “different kind of car company” is the same old spray of red ink. From import fighter to importer of Americanized Opels, Saturn’s been an abject failure for decades. And yet, GM’s has deemed Saturn one of their three “sales channels.” While there are few (non-goat-related) “image” reasons for Saturn to continue, a close look at the numbers shows its defense lies in what can be done, not what people [re]think.

In Defense of… GM’s ADD

ChrisHaak — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:40:40 +0000

In GM Death Watch 171, Mr. Farago contends that GM suffers from corporate-grade Attention Deficiency Disorder (ADD). He’s probably right. However, some ADD may be a good thing, if not a necessity, in an automobile company’s culture. Any carmaker operating in this period of uncertainty-- recession, 25 percent higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, high fuel prices, CO2 emission concerns, and more-- would be foolish NOT to invest the time and energy into developing as many alternative solutions as possible.

In Defense of: Crappy Handling Cars

David Drucker — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:35:07 +0000

Despite this website’s constant ruminations on the handling capabilities of various contemporary automobiles, the truth about cars is this: on any road that isn’t The Tail of the Dragon, you can set the cruise control to 10mph over the limit, put your feet up and just steer. Above that, well, what sets the lowly Camry and its ilk apart from cars whose dynamics get the Serious Drivers’ Seal of Approval is how quickly things start to get dicey. And that’s where the real fun begins.

In Defense of: The Porsche Panamera

Kevin RE Watts — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:55:38 +0000

For all intents and purposes, a Porsche sports car is the very definition of luxury; an indication that there's another car in the garage for the daily to and fro. By default, this significantly limits the brand’s potential audience. And no matter how lucrative it may be, no matter how pure the brand’s following, watching competitors reaping the benefit of additional markets is no easy job for an auto exec. In fact, it was only a matter of time before the German automaker bucked against its self-imposed limitations and tried something different.

In Defense of: GM’s Hybrid SUVs

William C Montgomery — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:45:26 +0000

Autumn in Texas plays host to a weekly cultural phenomenon known as high school football. Burgeoning grid iron gods burst on to the field of play from inflatable tunnels through mists of smoke and a phalanx of sparkly drill team coeds. A 300-student marching band plays the school fight song while two dozen cheerleaders power tumble across the field to herald the arrival of the young jocks. The stadium fills with ten thousand spectators-– mostly proud parents and rabid students-– who arrived to the game in typical Texas fashion: by truck. It is under the glare of these Friday night lights that I examine the value of GM's new hybrid SUVs.

In Defense of “In Defense of Saab”

Bell Springsteen — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:29:52 +0000

Before I respond to Steven Wade’s article “In Defense of Saab” and the resulting comments, I want to say a few words about the medium of discourse: the automotive blog. A few years ago, when automotive blogs first appeared, I was thrilled that I could comment on objectionable opinions. The ability to lodge instant feedback instantly rendered car magazines an anachronism. Or so I thought. After a month of commenting, I reread my previous posts. I was shocked by what I found. My comments were filled with hearsay evidence, unfounded opinions, attacks on cars I had never owned and a general prevalence of bullshit.

In Defense of: American Automakers

Phil Ressler — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:23:00 +0000

I’d just slipped the nozzle into my Cadillac XLR-V. A dark Merc SL550 rolled up, its driver eyeing my Bowling Green Batmobile. As he busied himself with the credit card ritual, every few seconds his eyes darted sideways to the Caddy. “Mind if I look inside?” He sat behind the wheel, running his fingers across the interior surfaces. “Nice,” he pronounced. “Comfortable. And it’s easy to see out. There isn’t as much storage as my SL, but I’d be OK with that.” As he exited the XLR-V, he issued his verdict: “I wish I had the courage.”

In Defense of: Saab

Steven Wade — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:50:18 +0000

If one word describes Saab’s recent past, it’s underinvestment. Back when the Swedish brand was self-sustaining, they operated their R&D department on a sko sträng. Despite the limitations, Saab created distinctively styled, innovatively engineered automobiles. Then, in 1990, GM bought half of Saab. Ten years later they bought the rest. Since that time, Saab has faced the same financial limitations as before, but without the managerial freedom to overcome them. Late in 2007, it looks like Saab is finally getting the money-- and respect-- they need.

In Defense of: The Lincoln Town Car

Sajeev Mehta — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 15:25:14 +0000

The “tumblehome” is the narrowing of a car’s profile from its beltline to its roof. This design trick creates a sleek, visually trim appearance without losing interior space. The tumblehome was once a hallmark of American automotive design, gracing evocative machines like the Plymouth Barracuda, Buick Riviera and Ford Thunderbird. In today’s Minivan-esque sedans and family-truckster CUVs, it’s hopelessly out of fashion. Now that Ford’s axing the Lincoln Town Car, it time to ask: should Detroit let this proud, once popular design tradition go quietly into that long good night?

In Defense of: The Audi 5000

Paul Niedermeyer — Thu, 03 May 2007 10:50:58 +0000

When I first heard about the Audi "sudden unintended acceleration" segment on CBS's 60 Minutes in 1986, I knew immediately that they were blowing smoke. Literally.

In Defense of: The Chevrolet Corvair

Paul Niedermeyer — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:16:03 +0000

Fifty years ago, GM's engineers and designers worked overtime to create a radical new economy or "compact" car. Its mission: take on the VW Beetle and a host of European imports flooding the U.S. market. The 1960 Chevrolet Corvair flopped in its intended role. Nevertheless, it went on to become one of the single most influential American cars ever made. Its legacy can still be seen around the world.

In Defense Of: The Pontiac Aztek

Andrew Dederer — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:21:53 +0000

Automotive history is littered with titanic failures. For every hot-selling Mustang, there’s a hatful (hateful?) of Vegas, Pintos, Excels, Yugos, Edsels and, of course, Azteks. From its introduction until its timely demise some four years later, the Pontiac Aztek SUV was the subject of journalistic dog-piling and a thousand weak jokes. But really, does it belong in this infamous company? The answer is a bit complicated; the Aztek was certainly a failure, but not exactly in the way you might expect.