by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 20, 2009
Since it made its debut, in 1998, as a 1999 model, the Lexus RX has set the benchmark all other luxury crossovers have taken aim at. But even the king-of-the-hill isn’t immune in a severe economic downturn. After setting an all-time sales record, of just over 100,000...
by Ken Zino | Feb 19, 2009
Porsche will reveal the 2010 version of 911 GT3 at the Geneva International Auto Show next week. What’s called a “lightweight,” 435-horsepower next generation 911 GT3 has a larger 3.8-liter, six-cylinder engine with an enhanced VarioCam system, larger yet lighter...
by Ken Zino | Feb 19, 2009
As Chrysler and General Motors were sending recovery plans to the Treasury Department, it was releasing economic data that confirmed what the auto makers were saying to a skeptical U.S. Congress back in December. The economy is in deep, deep trouble. Banks aren’t...
by Joseph Szczesny | Feb 19, 2009
General Motors is engaged in a titanic battle to rescue its public image, but it has suffered a set back of sorts as shareholder activists concerned about global warming have targeted the automaker for failing to do enough to curb greenhouse emissions. The resolution...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 19, 2009
We may have to wait for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show to figure out how to pronounce the name of the new Hyundai ix-onic Crossover Concept. (Is that “ick-onic”, “ichs-onic,” or the presumptuous “iconic”?) For now, we’ll lift their own description, and refer to the...
by Brenda Priddy | Feb 19, 2009
Just a week after Chrysler officially revealed its new 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickups at the Chicago auto show, our spies have caught the first covered and camouflaged test trucks of its biggest competitor: Ford’s future F-250 Super Duty scheduled to arrive...
by Joseph Szczesny | Feb 18, 2009
Executives at GM’s German subsidiary, Adam Opel AG, have raised the possibility of selling part of the company to outside investors and have approached the German government for aid, the German new magazine Der Spiegel says. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 18, 2009
Will Gen Y kill the auto industry? That’s the provocative question posed by a new study from AutoPacific. And before you write that off as preposterous, consider that the generation just entering the automotive market has already driven the nail in the coffin of the...
by Joseph Szczesny | Feb 18, 2009
The Penske Automotive Group (NYSE: PAG) reported an adjusted fourth quarter loss from continuing operations of $2 million or two cents per share, compared with a profit of $32 or 34 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2007. The net loss for the fourth quarter,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 18, 2009
With word that the United Auto Workers Union has reached a tentative settlement with each of the Big Three on a package of concessions, we also learn what really matters to American autoworkers. As negotiations came down to the wire, two separate sources tell...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Feb 18, 2009
Though it has chosen to rely on its own resources, rather than seek a federal bailout, officials at Ford Motor Co. have been keeping a close eye on the progress its two cross-town rivals are making in their bid for further government support. And while it’s too early...
by Joseph Szczesny | Feb 17, 2009
The global recession has punctured the air of invincibility at Daimler AG, as the German automaker reported a 12 percent drop in revenue and a $1.95 billion loss in the fourth quarter. The troubled fourth-quarter sliced the company’s net profit to $1.8 billion for...
