ON THE TABLE - APRIL 9, 2014

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., while chastising GM CEO Mary Barra last week in Washington, had this to say: "I am very disappointed, really as a woman to woman, because the culture you're representing here today is the culture of the status quo." Really? You are a member of the Senate, aren't you, Babs? Which is one of the most virulently corrosive examples of the "you scratch my itch and I'll scratch yours" culture of the status quo on the planet, right? Boxer gets our Sanctimonious Bitch award, and it's also our AE Quote of the Week (so far). - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Part 1 of the media circus in Washington went pretty much as expected this week. Grandstanding, self-righteous politicians running the gamut from moral outrage to pathetic whining - while stoking their re-election campaigns - taking GM to the woodshed for a litany of transgressions both real and imagined. And Mary Barra saying "I'm sorry" 67 times or thereabouts. That pretty much sums it up. GM screwed-up and they will pay dearly for it, as they should. Ms. Barra also kept talking about "today's" GM and how "today's GM will do the right thing." That's nice. And vacuous. Mike Thompson, cartoonist for The Detroit Free Press painted a perfect picture of the situation yesterday in one of his illustrations. Ms. Barra is shown saying to a U.S. representative: "Today's GM will do the right thing." And the representative responds with: "It's yesterday's and tomorrow's GM that concerns us." Exactly. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Saturday Night Live skewered Mary Barra's testimony in Washington last week to open Saturday night's show. Yes, it will get even uglier before it's all over. Watch it here. - PMD.

GM Marketing, Chevrolet. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Chevrolet has a definitive window of opportunity at this very moment while Ford is tooling up the new F-150 for its fall debut. So what are they doing? Blowing that opportunity to smithereens. Ram is eating Silverado's lunch and taking huge chunks of market share away, while Ford is maintaining its leadership position. Why is this happening? The Silverado is much improved, there's no doubt, but it doesn't "smell" new. Ram is innovating and scrambling, while the Silverado is suffering from a lackluster image. The biggest issue? The television campaign for the Silverado is weak and much too soft. Ford and Ram are hammering away at tough and rugged, while Chevrolet is doling out group hugs. Well, there's nothing touchy-feely in the least about the truck market. And GM/Chevrolet better wake up to that fact before it's too late. - PMD

(Chevrolet/newspressUSA)
Chevrolet will make an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission available in its Corvette Stingray for 2015. The all-new, GM-designed 8L90 eight-speed is expected to contribute up to 5-percent greater efficiency, when compared to the previous six-speed automatic.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out this video farewell by VW to the Type 2 "Kombi" entitled "Last Wishes." - WG

Editor's Note: For a few laughs, check out the new Alfa Romeo app - iNdecision - here. - WG

(McLaren Automotive)
The new McLaren 650S Coupé and Spider are now on sale and available in the U.S. The 650S Coupé starts at $265,500 and the 650S Spider starts at $280,225. The newest McLaren accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in just 5.7 seconds. The standing quarter mile takes 10.5 seconds, and top speed is 207 mph in Coupé form. This new McLaren is 0.6 sec faster over the standing quarter mile than the iconic McLaren F1 road car, and a full second quicker to 124 mph. The McLaren 650S will make its U.S. debut during the 2014 New York Auto Show.

(Images courtesy of BMW)
The 2015 BMW M4 Convertible is powered by the same BMW M TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline-six as its siblings. That engine produces 425 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque and can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed M-DCT transmission. The all-new BMW X4 Sports Activity Coupe (below) "... combines the performance and capability of a premium Sports Activity Vehicle, with the style and elegance of traditional coupe," according to BMW PR minions. In the US, the X4 will be offered as a X4 xDrive28i, with a MSRP of $45,625 (including destination and handling) and will feature BMW’s 240HP 2.0-liter four cylinder. The top-of-line X4 xDrive35i has an MSRP of $48,925 (including destination and handling) and will feature BMW’s 300HP 3.0-liter inline six. Both models include an 8-speed Steptronic sport automatic transmission with shift paddles as well as xDrive, BMW’s intelligent all-wheel drive system. The all-new BMW X4 Sports Activity Coupe as well as the BMW M4 Convertible make their world debuts at the 2014 New York International Auto Show. Other North American debuts include the all-new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, the BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe, and the updated 2015 BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle which will include the X3 xDrive28d, the first BMW Advanced Diesel X3 model for the US.