Toyota: U.S. Market Hasn’t Hit the Bottom Yet
By Robert FaragoSeptember 5, 2008 - 1,043 views
Why the Hell would it? The U.S. “housing crisis” is far from over, money’s too tight to mention, getting credit’s a bitch and the consumer shift to more fuel efficient vehicles has left millions of SUV owners backwards/underwater on their loans. Amongst other things. Anyway, the idea that U.S. new vehicles sales have “bottomed-out” is a combination of wishful thinking and boilerplate bullshit, largely perpetuated by the weasel-word factory known as General Motors’ PR. (Show me ONE MONTH of sales gains and THEN we’ll talk.) As I wrote in my latest General Motors Death Watch, Automotive News [AN, sub] fell for– indeed perpetuated– this spinmeistery hook, line and sinker. In an attempt to atone for their shameless capitulation to Mark LaNeve’s mob, AN has followed-up with a micro-story on Toyota’s take on the American car market’s doldrums [via Reuters]. And here it is: “Despite signs of steadier U.S. auto sales in August, it remains uncertain whether industrywide sales in the largest vehicle market have hit bottom, Toyota Motor Corp. Vice Chairman Kazuo Okamoto said today. ‘It’s hard to say whether the U.S. market has hit bottom,’ Okamoto told reporters. Okamoto, speaking through a translator, also said that despite the recent decline in oil prices, Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, was still assuming oil prices would be higher over the long term as the basis for its product planning.”
Posted in Media | News Blog | Sales | 18 comments 
GM Inside News Blocks Buickman
By Robert FaragoSeptember 4, 2008 - 1,600 views
Jim Dollinger (a.k.a. Buickman) has been fighting the good fight for GM’s survival for a very long time. Yes, Jim’s a bit OTT. And no, I don’t agree with his recipe for recovery. But Jim doesn’t flame websites, their authors or fellow commentators. And so he’s always been welcome here. But then TTAC invites opposing points of view (as long as they conform to our no-flaming posting policy). Jim reports that the same can not be said of GM Inside News. “I’ve been a member of Insidenews for over three years and a regular contributor. No surprise that I was ridiculed initially for lashing out at RIR and calling for his ouster, this well before it became fashionable. These days many have come around to the same opinion. although the obvious company stooges still inhabit the forums, increasingly more and more members are voicing their dissatisfaction with GM management. After the latest stupidity of GMS for all and pulling of leases, I made the comment “to hell with General Motors.” Since then, I haven’t been able to log in (from any computer). My daughter [a Cadillac dealer in Florida] made some comments about GMIN being hypocites and sent private messages to those who agree with my positions. She was also blocked. Truly, I’m not all that upset; I have plenty of other things to occupy my days. I just thought you might be interested to know that these people, whoever they are, can’t handle the truth and display prejudice and editorial control while proclaiming to hold an open and honest forum for discussion (since they had zero call to “ban” me, they just “jammed” me instead). Funny how they also are quick to ridicule TTAC, all the while refusing to look in the mirror and see themselves for what they are.”
Posted in Media | News Blog | 29 comments
Rush Limbaugh’s GM Pimpatorial
By Robert FaragoSeptember 4, 2008 - 2,509 views
“Meanwhile, American business is taking seriously your concern about the cost of gasoline. General Motors is one of our sponsors. We are proud and honored that they are a sponsor of this program.
Everybody’s out there flapping their gums — Thomas Friedman, all these other people who don’t know what they’re talking about. General Motors is doing things, designing terrific cars, crossovers, trucks, SUVs, that use alternative fuels, different ways to power their vehicles. They even have the Escalade hybrid out there now to go along with the Tahoe hybrid, and they’re working on all kinds of different technologies that will help you use less gasoline. One of the alternatives they’re using is flex-fuel cars that use biofuels like ethanol if you want them, and they’re making them if you want them. They have four million of these flex-fuel vehicles on the road, across the globe, and they’re committed to building even more. GM has more modeled that are capable of running on E85 ethanol than any other manufacturer. The Buick Lucerne — that’s the one we’re getting next to tool around here — is one of the cars running on E85. General Motors, they respond to your concerns. They don’t tell you you’re stupid. You can see all their cars at RushLimbaugh.com. “
Posted in E85 | Hybrid | Media | News Blog | 91 comments
Edmunds Fans the Flamers with Brock Yates (Clone?)
By Robert FaragoSeptember 4, 2008 - 1,189 views
As someone who solicited and edited Brock Yates’ rants, and then didn’t, I can identify the former Car and Driver superstar’s style in a single sentence. “Now I tell the truth for a living,” “The Mechanic” declares on Edmunds Straightline, tweaking TTAC. “A good living. I get big checks to write this garbage. Big enough that I can buy any car I want. OK, that’s a stretch. The Mechanic cannot afford a Rolls or a Bugatti, but I’ve got money to spend. And I’ve got good taste. I’m also college-educated. Literate. And I appreciate the best. When I spend my money I spend it on quality goods. And the car I choose to be seen in must be a quality item. The finest of its kind. In other words, I would not buy an American car. It’s hard for me to even type that. Fact is, I’d like to buy an American car, a great American car. It just doesn’t exist.” It’s hard to tell if “The Mechanic” actually is a [heavily re-written] Brock Yates. But this much is for sure: publishing this belligerent throw-down under a pseudonym demonstrates Edmunds’ fear of losing its advertising revenue. In fact, I reckon it’s only a matter of time before those sponsors fix The Mechanic, if you know what I mean. [Thanks to HarveyBirdman for the link]
Posted in Media | News Blog | 16 comments
The AutoExtremist Hates America
By Robert FaragoSeptember 4, 2008 - 1,492 views
“This isn’t the same America that mustered the will and the fierce pride to counteract global evil in the Second World War. This isn’t the same America whose ‘blue sky’ thinking and unbridled creativity responded to a challenge and propelled the rocket age to new heights. And this isn’t the same America that once shared a common purpose and perspective on what this country stands for. Instead, this country has become a jaded and fractionalized nation of consumer sponges driven by the lackadaisical mantra of ‘whatever’ and ‘what’s in it for me?’ A nation whose people couldn’t be bothered with such esoteric concepts as this country’s eroding manufacturing base and the nation’s burgeoning inability to lead on the world stage.” Wow! It looks like Sweet Pete has gone beyond Shock and Denial, past Pain and Guilt, all the way to Anger and Bargaining. Yup. “At this juncture Detroit has only one move left, and that is to get through to the American consumer by building outstanding products that have no ‘ifs,’ ‘ands,’ or ‘buts’ attached to them. Machines that not only stand out, but stand above the rest.” What’s the hurry? Next up: Depression, Reflection and Loneliness.
Posted in Chapter 11 | Media | News Blog | 39 comments
Hemmings: Pimp My Blog?
By Robert FaragoSeptember 1, 2008 - 889 views
I know: some of our Best and Brightest think we lower our editorial tone and surrender the moral highground when we point out the deficiencies of other automotive websites. (While others like a good cat fight.) Well, in this case, Hemmings Auto Blogs (notice the spacing) gives us a backhanded hat tip. "As much as I’m not a fan of of AOL and its online empire, and as much grief that TTAC gives the site, I still read Autoblog daily for my dose of new car news, and anytime Autoblog links to one of our posts - as they did the other day when they were equally as puzzled by the shorty Voyager as we - we still get a ton of traffic." And it is the latter fact that makes all the difference. But don't take my word for it. "Want to get your site mentioned in the Saturday shoutout? Have you not been paying attention? It’s simple: Link to us, send us lots of traffic, and we link to you." As Dinu01 said (and thanks for the link), "I understand the concept of supporting other bloggers, but this feels dirty for some reason." [NB: TTAC does not base its blog roll on traffic, or sell space on same. We only recommend sites we deem worthy of your time.]
Posted in Media | News Blog | 6 comments
AutoWeek: Fuel-sipping V6 Camaro Rocks! Theoretically.
By Jehovah JohnsonAugust 29, 2008 - 1,959 views
"If you're sick of high gas prices, one remedy may be the V6 version of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro." Oh for Pete's sake; AutoWeek [print] is pimping a Chevy that's half a year away from the showrooms. In that sense, Greg Migliore's "Camaro Cure" is re-volting. "Ultimately, the V6 is expected to make up 70 percent of the car's 100,000 sales," Greg unquestioningly reports. "And General Motors says that fuel efficiency– just as much as raw power– will be a key selling point. The V6 Camaro is expected to deliver 26mpg on the highway." It's one thing when a manufacturer quotes highway mileage in an attempt to draw attention away from gas-piggery. It's another when a car mag does so on its behalf, and makes that some kind of lame-ass "talking point." The rest of the article is pretty much as expected, save "…overall the car feels more nimble than Dodge Challengers we've driven." File that one under "invidious distinctions."
Posted in Media | New Cars | News Blog | 24 comments
Volt Birth Watch 79: Production Volt Spied on Transformers Set
By Jehovah JohnsonAugust 29, 2008 - 1,131 views
Well, here it is, courtesy of LeftLane News. Maybe. The Chevy electric - gas plug-in hybrid sure doesn't look like the show car that GM's been advertising (as if you could go down and buy one). On the other hand, the Volt shown here isn't a Malibu-a-like, which is a good thing. (Unless you ascribe to Ye Olde German "Different Length of Sausages" School of Model Design.) On the other other hand, the Volt pictured lacks the Toyota Prius' instantly identifiable "quirkiness" and attendant green cred. In fact, in this guise, the Volt's front end shares more than a little gestalt with the current Ford Fusion. So, over to you, our Best and Brightest. Did GM's designers get it right?
Posted in Media | News Blog | Volt Birth Watch | 29 comments
Ethanol May be Harmful to Your Lawnmower
By Frank WilliamsAugust 29, 2008 - 1,257 views
OK, so this isn't specifically about cars, but it could have ramifications for anyone who uses gasoline. Cars.com reports small-engine mechanics around the country are reporting an increase in damage in boat, lawnmower, chainsaw and other small engines. The culprit? They're saying it's the ethanol blended into gasoline. Apparantly it creates a gummy substance that "clogs valves and causes small metal parts to rust, destroying carburetors and other crucial components". The bad thing is, even if you drain the tank, this residue remains behind and does its damage. The same thing happens in our cars, but they're designed to handle "a certain amount of the residue that causes so much trouble in smaller motors." No one's done any studies to substantiate these allegations, but "a growing chorus of mechanics" say it's so. [Thanks to ppellico for the link]
Posted in E85 | Media | News Blog | 30 comments
CarDomain Slams TTAC
By Justin BerkowitzAugust 28, 2008 - 2,315 views
After Captain Mike today posted that he was having a difficult time merely test driving a Challenger SRT8 before putting down his hard-earned cash to buy one, not everyone was sympathetic. In fact, Jen Dunnaway - the editor of the blog section over at CarDomain.com - thinks we're a bunch of whiners/cry babies.
"Sour grapes of the day: The Truth About Cars has been begging Mopar for a Challenger test car, only to be outraged by the fact that "Chrysler LLC refuses to acknowledge TTAC's existence." Gee, why would a domestic automaker do that? Maybe because all TTAC does is spew hate and vitriol for the Detroit automakers, loudly delight in their every misfortune, and smack their lips in gleeful anticipation of the collapse of our nation's auto industry? Obviously Ma Mopar hasn't heard the one about keeping your enemies closer—and TTAC, after being further thwarted from even taking a regular-joe dealership test drive, decided that the Challenger isn't really that big a deal after all.
[For the purposes of this thread, TTAC's normal restrictions on discussing the site's mission and/or biases are lifted.]
Posted in Bailout Watch | Media | News Blog | 64 comments
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