There is hope, be it ever so slight, that the Pontiac G8 may live on even though the brand it’s attached to is most certainly slated for elimination.

“I know there’s still discussions on it,” GM’s product boss Tom Stephens told Automotive News, giving some hope to the legions of G8 fans that haven’t had anything to get excited about since the fourth generation Firebird came out in 1993.

Stephens did add, however, that as Chevrolet already has several sedans, another one wasn’t really necessary.

The G8 could work as a high-performance SS version of the Impala, or even as the basis of a Buick vehicle – although that seems highly unlikely. And unfortunately for G8 fans, GM already has an excellent rear wheel drive platform that underpins the Cadillac CTS.

Still, the sun hasn’t quite set on the G8 and there’s plenty that can happen between now and the end of 2010 when Pontiac is scheduled to be scuttled.

GM has continued to insist that the Pontiac brand isn’t for sale and that it will be eliminated as a part of its Viability Plan. While the brand as a whole has struggled significantly in recent years, the G8 has been a success, with high sales and rave reviews from journalists. This has prompted some to speculate that the closing of Pontiac (a brand known for performance) may be more of a political decision than an economic one.

[Source: AutoWeek]

A U.S. Supreme Court judge has delayed the sale of Chrysler to a new Fiat-run company. The move by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg came just before a 4 p.m. deadline set by a New York appeals court would have seen the sale completed.

The statement by Justice Ginsburg was just one sentence and gave no mention if or when the Supreme Court would hear an appeal by several Indiana pension funds which are challenging the sale.  Representatives of those pension funds have just lost an appeal and were said to be looking to take their challenge to the U.S. supreme court. The group is arguing that by permitting the sale of Chrysler to Fiat the bankruptcy court acted contrary to the law by putting unsecured lenders ahead of secured ones.

The Obama administration has pressured the Supreme Court against delaying the sale of Chrysler saying that such a move could have “grave consequences,” namely, the liquidation of Chrysler’s assets. If the sale of Chrysler to the Fiat-led group (which also includes the U.S. and Canadian governments) does not transpire by June 15, Fiat is able to walk away.

[Source: Automotive News]

A new survey out of the U.K. by J.D. Power & Associated in association with automotive resource What Car? might be great new for Lexus… but it’s quite the opposite for both Chrysler and its new bosses at Fiat.

The Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS) lets owners of three year old cars rate those vehicles and Chrysler did not do well. In fact, it finished dismally, ranking in the second last place.

You might think Chrysler’s new bosses at Fiat wouldn’t be too pleased about the results, but Fiat has its own problems, with a ranking of dead last.

The survey includes info on vehicle quality and reliability, appeal, ownerships costs and overall satisfaction. In total 15,700 online interviews were conducted for 29 brands on 101 models.

Lexus topped the list (for the ninth consecutive year), followed by Honda and then Mercedes-Benz.

[Source: J.D. Power & Associates]

Chrysler, the brand that carries the name of the corporation behind it, may not do so for long. According to a report on AdAge.com, Fiat executives are looking at if they should keep all three Chrysler brands (Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep) and the most likely candidate to get axed is Chrysler itself.

A spokesperson for Chrysler admitted she had also heard the rumors but could not confirm them.

Apparently this isn’t the first time the Chrysler brand has faced the chopping block as executives at the company debated cutting the brand earlier this year.

Over the past several years the Chrysler lineup has been diminished significantly with models like the Crossfire, PT Cruiser, Aspen and Pacifica all being cut.

With the exception of the Chrysler 300 (and possibly the Town & Country, the low volume sibling of the Caravan), there aren’t any Chrysler models that would be missed.

[Source: AdAge]

The long list of General Motors dealerships got a lot shorter recently, but it will get shorter still as the company has made known plans to reduce the number of Cadillac dealerships in its network.

“Our current footprint of 1,400 Cadillac dealers, most of which are dualed, is out of sync with modern luxury automotive retail,” said GM’s sales boss Mark LaNeve at a dealership conference last week.

Those 1,400 dealers sold an average of 110 cars last year. Other luxury brands operate on almost the reverse, with Lexus selling 1,158 cars on average from just 226 dealers.

As many of those dealers are paired up with other GM brands it often means that there are Cadillac dealers in regions that might not normally sustain such a business. Despite that, GM’s plans are to focus on cutting dealerships in urban centers where customers have another Caddy retailer in close proximity.

The number of dealers to be cut is reported to be significant and it would have to be for the Cadillac brand to be as streamlined as its German and Japanese competitors.

Based on the numbers, the amount of Cadillac dealership closings could be as many as 700. After the recent announcement that GM would cut 1,124 dealers from other parts of its company, followed by news that 405 Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Hummer dealerships would close, the total number of GM dealerships left totals 4,300 – that’s 700 more than what GM listed in its viability plan to the U.S. government.

There is no word on how much advance notice the terminated dealerships would get but the deadline for closures would be the same as with the other dealerships – October 31, 2010.

[Source: LeftLaneNews]

According to a rather detailed post on BMW 1 Series forum 1addicts, BMW is aiming to significantly expand the future 1 Series lineup as a part of the company’s Efficient Dynamics approach.

Using a new versatile modular architecture, BMW will be able to build 12 and possibly even 13 different vehicles based on the new chassis, some of which will be coupes, sedans, roadsters and even SUVs.

The cars will be divided up into three sub-categories: Traditional, Lifestyle and Sporting. Under the Traditional segment will be a standard sedan model, a hatchback and a hybrid. Under the Lifestyle segment there will be a coupe, cabriolet and a performance or “supersports” model as well as a Z2 and Z2 coupe. Finally, the Sporting segment will include an X1, X2, Gran Turismo and Y1 model. Finally, there will be a light-weight and high-performance 135i model which is still not approved for production.

Currently the upcoming X1 is based on a 3 Series platform, but this would suggest a new platform would underpin the car. As for the Y1, it would be somewhat like a really small X6, with the soul of a Z sports car but the utility of an X SUV.

The news comes from a 1addicts forum member called SCOTT26, who according to his brief but content-rich forum history is either a prophet or a BMW insider.

BMW will turn the 1 Series into a leader for the company, just as the 3 Series is now. It will get technology first, starting with a hybrid powertrain, which will be offered for every 1 Series vehicle.

[Source: 1addicts]

Today Volkswagen officially launched the return of the Golf GTD – a Golf that is high in both performance and fuel economy, thanks to its diesel engine. With 170hp it outstrips the TDI model by 30 ponies. The real difference, however, is in the torque where the GTD makes 258 ft-lbs of the good stuff.

Volkswagen claims a 0-62 mph sprint for the GTD takes 8.1 seconds with a top speed of 138 mph, making it the diesel-powered sibling to the GTI (reviewed here).

At the same time, because it is a diesel, fuel-economy is impressive with an average rating of 44.4 mpg. This means a single tank of gas will go 600 miles.

With a standard six-speed manual the GTD will be available with VW’s impressive DSG gearbox.

Outside this diesel gets a GTI treatment with chrome striping (as opposed to red on the GTI) on the grille, 17-inch wheels, smoked tail lights, chrome tail pipes, a new sporty rear diffuser and a chassis that sits 15mm lower.

Inside, there cabin will be a considerable upgrade over the TDI with the same seats found in the GTI (but in black and silver). Leather is used for the three-spoke steering wheel, as well as for the gearshift-knob and parking brake handle, while the instruments and door trim will get gloss black accents.

There is no word on if the GTD will make it to the U.S. market and while it’s unlikely, if it does, it won’t be until after the new TDI hits showrooms.

GALLERY: Golf GTD

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

In an ambitions new emissions reduction strategy Lamborghini has just unveiled, the Italian exotic car maker says it will look to hybrid powertrains (among other things) to cut vehicle emissions by 30 percent by 2015. The company has already made a significant step in that direction with the launch of the LP560-4. Due to the use of direct-injection, that new vehicle emits 18 percent less CO2.

As for the other engineering initiatives Lamborghini will make to hit its target, the company said in a press release that it will also look at biofuels. This shouldn’t be too difficult considering Bentley (which, like Lamborghini, is owned by Volkswagen) has already made significant progress in this field.

Start-stop systems, which turn off the engine when at a light or in traffic, are also a possibility and would no doubt be a part of any hybrid powertrain.

More conventional practices will also be employed, with the company promising to cut the weight of its vehicles while further enhancing aerodynamic efficiency.

The company also cites “improved combustion” in its list of green initiatives and we are no doubt likely to see direct-injection on the successor of the Murciélago – if not sooner.

But Lamborghini’s green plan isn’t just limited to its cars. The company aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 percent at its factory.

To do this it will transform the roof of its factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy into an energy generator using solar panels. The company says the system will produce 20 percent of the power the factory uses. At the same time, the roof will undergo a massive overhaul with better insulation, lighting and heating that will reduce energy consumption by an additional 10 percent.

“Despite the difficult situation in today’s global economy, Lamborghini is committed to its policy of environmental management, since we are well aware of the great opportunities that derive from it,” said  Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “We have an objective to reduce CO2 emissions to the greatest possible degree. We have also set compulsory annual goals that are part of an integrated approach both considering the automobile as an element which is more considerate of the environment, in terms of emissions and the use of resources, to the accomplishment of a series of corresponding measures such as modifications to our factory.  This is an important action for Lamborghini and a central opportunity for our long term corporate and product development.”

The move has been applauded by the European community, with Guido Sacconi, President of the European Commission on Climate Change saying the company was “on the right path.”

“We have been particularly satisfied with the actions it [Lamborghini] has taken thus far, because they illustrate this company’s desire to embrace a new industrial vision which combines competitiveness and performance with social responsibility,”  Sacconi said.

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Indian automaker Tata has confirmed that it will bring the Nano to the U.S. in the next three years. The Nano, launched officially several months ago in India, holds the title of being the world’s cheapest car with base models priced at just $2,000.

David Good, a U.S. representative for the Indian automaker, which also owns Jaguar and Land Rover, confirmed statements made by company CEO Ratan Tata at Cornell University earlier this week.

“It might be two years and six months,” Good said in an interview with Automotive News.

Powered by a 624cc 2-cylinder engine that makes just 35hp, the Nano comes with a 4-speed gearbox with full power available at 5250 rpm and full torque (35 ft-lbs) on tap at 3000 rpm. Tata claims an average  fuel-economy rating of 55.5 mpg according to the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), giving it the highest rating of any gasoline car in India.

The Nano is also tiny, measuring just 10.2-feet long, by 4.9-feet wide and 5.3-feet high.

The Nano “will meet all emissions and crash standards,” Tata said. The current model for India features a reinforced passenger compartment, crumple zones, intrusion resistant doors, as well as the mandatory seat belts.

Tata also plans to bring a version of the Nano to Europe in 2011.

[Source: Automotive News]

Mitsubishi has just revealed the production model of its i-MiEV electric car in Japan and it plans to have models on the road by July. Initial sales of 1,400 vehicles will be to government entities with public sales starting in April of 2010.

As a full-electric vehicle the i-MiEV creates zero emissions and is powered by an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack that makes 63hp and 133 ft-lbs of torque.

It is based on Mitsubishi’s “i” minicar and by locating the drive battery under the floor and the power unit under the luggage compartment, it not only retains a great deal of usable cargo space, but is also a well-balanced vehicle.

Mitsubishi calls it the “ultimate eco-car, a solution to the various challenges the automobile faces today including environmental pollution, global warming and the depletion of petroleum-based energy supplies.”

The battery can be recharged using either a conventional household outlet, a 200-volt outlet or it can be quick-charged at special stations – which Mitsubishi is currently setting up in Japan. With a standard household outlet, charge time is 14 hours, but can be sped up to 7 hours using a 200-volt outlet. Quick-charge stations will be able to make the charge in just half an hour.

The i-MiEV is priced at 4,599,000 Yen ($47,600) but is eligible for a $14,400 tax break.

Mitsubishi did not give any details on when the car might go on sale outside Japan, but company representatives have already said the the i-MiEV is scheduled to be sold in North America.

GALLERY: Mitsubishi i-MiEV

More on the i-MiEV after the jump:

Continue Reading…