ON THE TABLE

June 22, 2011

The UAW. Bob "Captain Clueless" King insists he's going to organize a foreign automaker's plant here in the U.S. this year. But as long as people like Rocky Long are in the majority, he and his union minions don't stand a chance. Long, who's worked at Hyundai's Montgomery, Alabama, assembly plant for five years told Tim Higgins and Keith Naughton reporting for Bloomberg News, “I don’t see any problems here. I don’t see how they could help me out.” Of the union representatives who came to his home this year, Long added, “I really didn’t give them the time of the day.”

Toyota. The Japanese automaker plans on cutting costs 20 percent in the face of a strong yen. We bet it sounds good to the bean counters, but if their cars start to reek of cheapness they'll have a much bigger problem.

Ford. After offering inflatable rear seat seat belts this spring in the 2011 Explorer, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker will add the option to the Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT and Lincoln MKZ next summer. The $195 option was ordered by 40 percent of Explorer retail buyers, according to Ford. The company will also bold and thicken characters on many interior controls across its lineup beginning with the Ford Edge and Ford Explorer next year, making it easier for people of all ages to read display fonts. Fonts will be increased in size by up to 40 percent.

Chevrolet, GM. Chevrolet and MOFILM, a global creative community, are calling on filmmakers from around the world to create short films that capture the spirit of road trips. The best film will be unveiled in a 30-second spot during Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. “Road trips provide stories of adventure and freedom -- no matter the road or country,” said Joel Ewanick, General Motors global chief marketing officer. “The Chevrolet Route 66 initiative creates a global community for people to express their universal passion for life’s journeys. Entries will be shared online and the very best will be air during the Super Bowl XLVI telecast next February.”  It could be cool. Or not.

AE's "Most Instantly Deletable Story of the Week." TheStreet.com discusses the "5 Most Overpriced Used Cars of 2011." Really? Please refer to one of our other websites, whogivesashit.com.

AE "Duh of the Week." A recent study by University of Texas at San Antonio researchers suggests that men who wear expensive clothes and drive flashy cars are more successful at having flings and staying single than their financially conservative counterparts, as reported by Reuters. Proving yet again what single men have known for a long time: Chicks dig hot cars.

(GMPP)
On this summer's Hot Rod Power Tour this GM Performance Parts (GMPP) E-ROD 1955 Chevrolet delivered an average of 23 mpg on the drive from Florida to Michigan. That was with a 430-horsepower LS3 V-8 under the hood and emissions performance comparable to a new Camaro SS. How did it do that? The GMPP-engineered E-ROD crate engine system features emissions equipment designed to make it compliant with increasingly stringent emissions laws. In fact, the E-ROD LS3 in the GMPP ’55 carries Executive Order (EO) number D-126-30 from California Air Resources Board (CARB), making it legal for installation in pre-OBD II (1996-and-earlier) vehicles in that state. The E-ROD is aimed at a new generation of hot rodders and custom car builders looking for greater fuel economy and lower emissions to play more prominent roles in their projects. "The world of hot rodding is changing, and GMPP is leading the way with engine systems and supporting components that enable enthusiasts to build a car that complies with the law, satisfies their desire for a cleaner hot rod and doesn’t sacrifice the performance they want,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, product integration manager for GM Performance Parts. “With fuel prices not showing any signs of retreating, greater fuel economy is definitely a welcome benefit, too.” The E-ROD Bel Air will be shown at the GM Performance Parts display at the Barrett-Jackson Orange County Auction, Friday through Sunday. It will be joined by the Lingenfelter E-ROD 1955 Chevy pickup, which is powered by the new E-ROD 5.3L. A CARB EO number is expected for the E-ROD 5.3L this summer.

(All photos courtesy of BMW AG)

BMW keeps beating the drum loudly for its new MINI Coupe. We think it's going to be a tough sell except for the hard-core MINI-istas that just gotta have it. Here are some newly released photos of the Coupe in final production trim. You can also watch the reveal film for the new MINI Coupé here. The new film is a teaser for the launch of the new Coupé – and also leads into the new MINI “Another Day. Another Adventure.” campaign. The reveal film was shot in Rio de Janeiro, Iceland and Hong Kong and it previews three new MINI commercials set to air from September on. César Charlone, the Oscar-nominated cameraman behind “City of God”, shot the Rio spot.

 

 

 

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "Quick Take" this week covers the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali (FWD). Personally not a fan of the larger crossovers, I found our White Diamond Tricoat/Ebony Acadia Denali to be a pleasant surprise. The Denali itself comes loaded with just about every possible tweak, trick, design flourish and anything else you might need to justify having one of these, but the net-net of this machine was that it was capable and composed, especially over our remarkably shitty roads around here, it was handy and usable, and it was very, very easy to get used to. There's no denying that for the decidedly unglamorous tasks required in everyday life these crossovers - no matter what the size - fit the bill nicely. And it helped that I never felt burdened by this vehicle's bulk - as a matter of fact it drives much smaller than it looks. One glaring negative was that I encountered a notable bout of torque steer from a full-on standing start, which wasn't so great, but if I were to get one of these I'd probably get AWD anyway, so that wouldn't dissuade me from considering one, that is IF I was in the market for one. Still too big for my tastes, I have to admit the Denali grew on me in the urban slog. P.S. I don't know what will happen when Cadillac does a version of this GM crossover - besides prompting yet another debate as to how GM isn't doing much to quell its intramural divisional market fights - even in the new, streamlined company, but then again that's another column. - PMD

2011 GMC Acadia Denali (FWD): $48,125, ($43,220 Base Price; 3.6-liter Direct-injected V6, 6-speed automatic transmission; Touch Screen Navigation with rear view camera display & XM NAV traffic with 1st three months included, $1,890; Entertainment system including DVD and headphones, $1,445; White Diamond Tricoat paint, $795; Destination, $775).

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our occasional West Coast correspondent, Tom Pease, weighs in on the all-too-precious Fiat 500 this week and ends up walking away with a giant case of Not. So. Much. - PMD


My two cents on the Fiat 500.

By Tom Pease

Beverly Hills. This past April. Peter and WordGirl both chimed in on the Fiat 500; neither one was impressed.  I disagreed with some of their points based upon the cars I saw at the LA Auto show.  This Father's Day I got a chance to drive two versions of the car at the Councours d'Elegance on Rodeo Drive, where Fiat was showcasing the 500 with a ride and drive.

I ended up unimpressed.

I preface this with the saying that I really wanted to love this car.  I like small cars in general and the Hello Kitty looks of the 500 are so cute you want to burp it.  I don't find the car to be too small; I have no need or desire to transport plywood and if I buy a big screen I'll have it delivered so it's a perfect size for me as an urban single.  Interior room is fairly generous, even for my 6' 3" frame.

The interior is where the magic starts to fade.  At the Auto Show the cars I saw had the ivory-accented interior, which does a lot to jazz up the experience.  The yellow cabrio I drove had black while the black coupe had the "marrone", a very dark brown.  In those colors it's a drab place to be.  Personally I would have liked to see some lighter colors and some less drab fabrics.  Note to Fiat: lighten up.  Go crazy in there.  Try plaid inserts and/or vinyl in some colors that complement the color of the body.  The body-colored insert on the dash is too PT Cruiser and frankly doesn't deliver on the funk-tastic Sanrio promise of that exterior.

The driving experience wasn't all that either.  Not that it was a terrible thing (or that I drove terribly far in them) to be behind the wheel.  But the Fiats I drove back in the day made driving such a grin-inducing experience that most Fiat owners will still look wistfully back upon cars that were almost psychotically unreliable.  

The cabrio I drove had the auto, which had a button where one could go from "normal" to "sport".  Truth-in-advertising laws should force them to relabel them "coma" and "barely adequate".  The top on the cabrio is really more of a large fabric sunroof and when stowed completely blocks the view out the back.  I love convertibles but can't see spending 4 grand extra for this one.  The extra roof structure adds stiffness, but I noticed the glass in the side mirrors was wagging like the tail of an excited puppy on the patched stretch of "Little" Santa Monica.  I'd hate to see how it reacts on the broken streets of broke Los Angeles.

Then I drove the coupe.  For some reason they brought 2 cabrios with automatics and 3 coupes with manuals in this America of 2011.  In commuter Los Angeles, a stick in your car is about as popular as a stick in your eye.  Check the inventory at Beverly Hills Porsche if you don't believe me.  Even if the 500 had a transmission as surgically precise as the late, lamented Honda S2000 I think I'd go with an Auto just for resale value.  Too bad the 500's manual is rubbish.  The placement of the shifter is odd and the linkage seems like a bowl of warm farina.  The 5-speed on my ancient Civic is better.

That's the rub.  Other than being life-threateningly cute, the 500 does nothing better than my old Civic, much less a new one.  The interior isn't nicer then the Honda I drove at the GM event in April.  It's not nearly as nice as the Chevy Cruze.  Worse, the driving experience was merely pleasant.  Nothing about either the manual or the auto said "drive me" in the way that a Fiat used to, or a Mini does today.  It's just sort of.. competent.  If we're just talking competent small cars then there are a lot of contenders from Europe, Asia and even America that do that and have quality records that Fiat frankly doesn't.

I walked away from the 500 display up Rodeo looking at spectacular Italian iron from the past 100 years ranging from pre-war touring cars to the most exotic dream cars and every style-laden thing in between.  I felt like I'd just filled up on Chef Boyardee only to find a buffet catered by Benedetta Vitali: disappointed.