Breaking News! GM's Bob Lutz to Retire at the End of 2009

GM has announced that Bob Lutz, GM's Vice Chairman of Global Product Development is going to transition into a new role starting on April 1, 2009 as Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor. Lutz's new role will allow him to provide strategic input into GM's global design until his retirement at the end of 2009.

Thomas Stephens will take over as the Vice Chairman of Global Product Development.

Related posts:

• Coming Soon (We Hope) to a Dealer Near You
• Scanning the Auto Blogosphere
• The company shares information that the new gen Prius will come into production ...
• Production Version of the Toyota IQ Will Show up in January 2009
• Toyota Retains Most New-Car Buyers

Related posts:

• Detroit 09' Preview: Scion Announces the 2009 xB Release Series 6.0
• Toyota May Sell the Current Prius and the Next-Gen Side-by-Side in Japan
• Audi Q7 V8 4.2 FSI: Road test from Australia
• Detroit 09': 2010 Toyota Camry Makes its Debut
• Bentley: Considering hybrid and diesel engines!

GM Reportedly Cancels Plans for Engine Plant in Flint, MI

It is being reported that contracts for GM's new engine plant in Flint, Michigan have been canceled.

The $370 million plant was supposed to produce the 1.4L engine for the upcoming Chevy Volt and Cruze in turbocharged and naturally-aspirated forms. GM spokesperson Sharon Basel, confirmed the news to the Flint News. Basel also stated that GM remains committed to the area and could possibly build the engines at one of the existing plants in the future.

The plant would have created 300 new jobs for the suffering town of Flint.

For now the engines will be produced by one of GM's European plants that already builds variants of the "Family Zero" engines, which range from 1.0-1.4L in size.

Related posts:

• VW is Going to Badge its New Clean Diesels with TDI Badges instead of Bluetec
• Detroit Auto Show Diversions
• VW considering more high-performance Scirocco variants
• I Met a 1972 Volkswagen Baja Beetle at a Party
• VW completes production of BlueTDI for U.S., 60mpg Jetta on the way

Related posts:

• VW is Going to Badge its New Clean Diesels with TDI Badges instead of Bluetec
• The US Isn't Getting the VW Scirocco Because of the Declining Dollar
• McCain and His Wife Own Lots of Cars, So What?
• VW Touareg R50 Unveiled with 313 HP and 553 lb.-ft. of Torque

Spy Shots: Chevy Camaro Convertible Caught Testing Down Under

The 2010 Chevy Camaro finally enters production this March, but GM has yet to officially unveil the convertible version. We've seen countless photos of the new Camaro, but here are two more of the convertible testing in Australia.

According to Bob Lutz, GM has reportedly pushed back the release date of the Camaro Convertible until sometime in 2011.

Related posts:

• Volvo C30 is going Made to Order, but will Having It Your Way save you money?
• Moving on up! Chinese automakers move out of Cobo basement thanks to Detroit no-shows
• 10 Worst Cars to Insure
• Toyota Retains Most New-Car Buyers
• Ten New Cars Cheap Enough To Gift This Holiday [December To Remember]

Related posts:

• Bugatti Veyron: Now in stock!
• Reader Ride Lust Of The Week: Dan’s Cherry ‘73 Corvette
• Oil may hit $35/barrel in wake of auto bailout bust
• RideLust Salutes The Auto Show Babe
• Chicago Plans To Crack Down On Bike Laws; Your Reckless Days Are Numbered, Bike Messengers

GM Stock Drops to its Lowest Point in 55 Years...Is the End Near?

Last week GM reported that it lost $2.5 billion in the third quarter of 2008, while spending $6.9 billion. Today General Motors stock has plunged more than 31 percent to their lowest level in more than 55 years after two analysts downgraded GM's stock claiming that it will be worth very little of nothing if GM does receive a government bailout.

Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache reduced GM to sell and put a price target of $0 a share.

"Without government assistance, we believe that GM's collapse would be inevitable, and that it would precipitate systemic risk that would be difficult to overcome for automakers, suppliers, retailers, and sectors of the U.S. economy," Lache wrote. "As part of GM's restructuring, we are also convinced that a large number of stakeholders who are senior to GM's equity will have to settle for pennies on the dollar."

Related posts:

• 2010 Seat Ibiza FR
• Option Stream Z
• Bikes, Studes, big trucks – good night at the cruise-in
• Australia’s Ford Performance Vehicles introduces the new GT Cobra and Cobra Ute with 404-hp
• 2009 Honda Shadow Spirit

Related posts:

• Rental agencies having a hard time upgrading customers
• GM Asks U.S. Government for $10 Billion to Buy Chrysler
• Chery to launch S16 "mini sedan"
• Bentley Driver Murdered In Mysterious Los Angeles Highway Shooting [Car Crime]
• Message in a Bottle Movie Downloads

Spy Shots: Production Chevy Volt Caught on the Set of Transformers 2!

Earlier today a photo of the interior of the production Chevy Volt hybrid surfaced and now we have some shots of the car on the set of Transformers 2. What's exciting is that these our are first look at the production version of the car.

Related posts:

• Porsche Powers to Another Win
• Scanning the Auto Blogosphere
• Scion tC Series 3.0 Gets Spotlight in Detroit
• Yahoo Coming to a Dashboard Near You
• A Chinese Company Will Buy Hummer (and Maybe Save U.S. Jobs?)

Related posts:

• Apex Jaguar XKR GT3 at XK60
• First Drive: Hurst HEMI Challenger
• Jaguar launches anniversary XK60 model
• Jaguar Joins Lotus To Work On Bio-Fuels

2009 Ford Flex Receives 5-Star Front and Side Impact Crash Test Rating

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given the all-new 2009 Ford Flex a 5-star front and side impact crash test rating highest, its highest possible score.

Related posts:

• Ford reports 12.1% decrease in April, major drop in SUV sales
• The Boss is Back: Boss 302 Mustang debuts at SEMA
• The Detriot 3 Credit Crunch/Lease-Purchase Donkey Punch
• Automakers tapped by CAR to redesign Santa's sled
• Australia’s Ford Performance Vehicles introduces the new GT Cobra and Cobra Ute with 404-hp

Related posts:

• Top Gear Season 13 Advert #2
• Rumor Has it That Subaru May Build a New Toyota Celica
• 2008 Lincoln Navigator Gets More Standard Features and a Little Less Chrome
• Transformers DVD is Here!
• VW is Planning a 3rd SUV to Fit Between the Tiguan and Touareg

Ford Officially Confirms the European Focus for the US in 2010..Finally

Ford has already confirmed plans to bring the all-new Fiesta to the US that will compete with the Fit, Yaris and Versa. But now the automaker has also confirmed that the next-gen European Focus will also be sold on our shores.

Related posts:

• Young Captain Kirk Crashes Vintage Corvette Off Cliff In Star Trek Trailer [Star Trek]
• Scion tC Series 3.0 Gets Spotlight in Detroit
• Toyota Prius: King of Green or Earth Killer?
• Pebble Beach “Best of Show” honors goes to the Duesenberg “Mormon Meteor”
• DuPont chief calls on Detroit to make 'Car of the Future'... that uses his fuel

Related posts:

• The Benefits of Auto Auctions
• Hemmings Challenge Vintage Car Rally Day 3
• Frantic Movie Downloads
• 2008 Honda S2000 Type S Unveiled
• Subaru Impreza WRC2008 Unveiled before the Acropolis Rally

Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept will be Released for 2010

GM surprised everyone with the CTS Coupe concept at the Detroit Auto Show this month.

Related posts:

• New Cars: Better Deals Than Used?
• 2006 L.A. Auto Show: 2007 Kia Rondo
• The Boss is Back: Boss 302 Mustang debuts at SEMA
• All-New GMC Acadia Pricing Announced
• Ferrari boss commits to hybrid road cars by 2015

Related posts:

• Garage Life
• Autoblog Podcast #140
• Building a Badass Batmobile
• Gas Prices To Fall Further
• Top Gear Teaser Provides Sneak Peek At Season 12 [Top Gear]

Modified 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 at DUB TOUR

Dodge decided to release their high performance 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT version to a few lucky pre-ordering customers (such as JAY LENO’s New SRT8 Dodge Challenger)!

DUB Magazine got some photos and video coverage of Vehicle Number 11 at the recent DUB Show in Dallas in JR’s Custom Auto display booth.

This modified Challenger, was sitting on 5-spoke 22″ back and chrome Forgiato wheels. The SRT Challenger has a massive 6.1 Liter Hemi V8, pumping 425 bhp and 420lb of torque at 4800 rpm.

The interior was fitted with an upgraded audio system and custom black upholstery details.

Related 2009 Dodge Challenger Posts
Jay Leno and his NEW 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8
2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 - She’s No General Lee

[Source: DubMag.net, JRsCustomAuto.com]

Related posts:

• Audi Sportback Concept: Stylish Sedan
• Iron Man Finds the Right Fit with the Audi R8
• Audi A7 Cabriolet: Preview
• Audi Roadjet: Production killed!
• Audi Q7: Reinforced Crash Proof

Related posts:

• Name the American Truck: Chevy Silverado or Mazda B-Series
• Road and Track put super cars to the test
• The best of Detroit’s auto show… so far!
• Scanning the Auto Blogosphere
• Chrysler plan to Congress requires $7 billion in loans to ward off death

Hummer H3T Pickup Will be in Showrooms by Q3 2008

GM has confirmed that the Hummer H3T pickup truck will arrive in dealers sometime in Q3 2008.

Related posts:

• What’s safer: a 1966 Cadillac or a 2009 Civic?
• Toyota Retains Most New-Car Buyers

Related posts:

• New York Auto Show: Some Domestic Debuts
• These are the facts that spurred me to begin an official GM death watch, ...
• The top ten of retained value
• The 2008 Worst Car of the Year
• Hit the jump for the full press release on GM's newest garage sale.

Car Manufacturers that offer CVTs

The other day a friend asked me which car companies currently offer CVTs in their line-up.

I remember when the Subaru Justy was the only car available with a Continuously Variable Transmission. Then, after an absence of a few years, the innovative transmissions started to reappear in hybrids.

Today CVTs are increasingly common place. A variety of cars, vans, and SUVs transfer power to the wheels via the stepless transmissions. The next car you drive may have one!

The following Manufacturers offer CVT equipped models:

American:
Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Mercury, Saturn

European:
Audi, Fiat, Mercedes, MG, Microcar, Mini, Opel, Rover

Asian:
Honda, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota

If you are wondering how exactly a CVT differs (no cog-like gears) from a manual or automatic, you can always ask Marshall Brain.

Related posts:

• The company shares information that the new gen Prius will come into production ...
• Brand New Lexus Smashed

Related posts:

• Lexus’ red bow returns for the holidays
• Lexus introduced the sixth SC 430 Pebble Beach Edition to commemorate its ...
• Lexus’ red bow returns for the holidays
• Consequences: the Lexus-owner has gone in hospital, the pedestrian go ...

Wanna Win a New 2007 Dodge Nitro?

Autoblog has launched a redesigned site and to celebrate it they teamed up with Dodge to give away a new 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T to one lucky reader.

Related posts:

• The property will be sold at public auction as provided by Internal Revenue ...
• If this truly is the last year for the Cruiser, perhaps the Limited models ...
• It features some wonderful 1950’s era footage of what seems to be ...
• There isn’t much information on the IRS auction site: “Under the authority ...
• If it’s top-down fun you’re looking for, opt for the 3.5-liter engine and ...