General Motors
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The Cadillac Escalade SUV is undoubtedly popular with a wide range of people, but especially so with car thieves, who made the 2007 Escalade ESV their number one choice for stealing this year. Meanwhile, the Mercedes Benz E-Class saloon was the least popular with thieves and was 15 times less likely to be stolen when compared to the desirable Escalade. The information comes from the Highway Loss Data Institute, which worked with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in compiling the data. The 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV led the charge for the most stolen luxury vehicles, and...
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GM offers to cut brands, salaries and jobs in $12 billion restructuring plan
The Chevrolet Volt captured the mind of the public and the press when it was revealed during the company's 100th anniversary celebrations in September, though even then it was suspected that trouble was brewing for the company. Last month's announcement of an impending cash shortage and this...
Nelson Ireson -
Corvette ZR1 buyers receive free advanced driving course valued at $3,400
General Motors may be struggling for cash at the moment but that doesn't mean it’s skimping on the customer programs for its halo sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Every customer that purchases a ZR1 will receive a trip to the Bob Bondurant Driving School in Arizona to learn the finer...
James Martinez -
Lotus Carlton voted favorite Vauxhall ever
Markets outside the UK and Europe were unfortunately not made familiar with the rip-snorting Lotus Carlton - a heavily modified Vauxhall Carlton - during its short lifetime. Nevertheless, the utterly insane 177mph (285km/h) twin-turbocharged straight-six-powered sedan has grown to cult status...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford considering Volvo sale, joins GM to ask Sweden for aid
General Motors has disavowed selling any of its brands but Hummer, but tough financial and market situations are bringing serious pressure to bear. Just this morning, Ford has announced it is opening up consideration of 'strategic options' for its Volvo brand, reversing repeated denials that the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Detroit 3 ready revised bailout proposals ahead of Tuesday's Congress hearing
The CEOs of the Detroit 3 will be returning to Washington this week to present new business plans to Congress, all in the hopes of garnering a $25 billion federal loan package to prevent them from collapsing under financial pressure. General Motors’ board has already met to discuss its plan...
James Martinez -
German tuner Steinmetz is a specialist when it comes to modifying Opels, having worked with the brand for the past several decades and waiting more than five years to finally develop the new 2009 Insignia saloon. Not surprisingly, it's one of the first companies to work with the car, releasing a range of styling and handling mods to coincide with the car’s sales launch. The package includes a new bodykit, stiffer suspension, uprated brakes and ST7 20in alloy wheels in either black or white. The bodykit is probably the most striking feature of the complete package, and has been designed...
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Report: GM may drop Saab, Saturn and Pontiac to appease Congress
Despite previous assurances made earlier this month by its CEO Rick Wagoner, General Motors is reportedly considering dropping the Saab, Saturn and Pontiac brands in order to improve its chances of garnering a federal government aid package. GM is currently readying a turnaround plan to present to...
James Martinez -
Volt moves onto next step in development, adopts global compact platform
Even as General Motors is caught in a desperate bid to secure loans in Washington, the Detroit based manufacturer is keen to continue development of a range of plug-in hybrid vehicles, focusing primarily on the Volt. Bob Lutz recently spent some time in the latest development vehicle and felt like...
Kenneth Hall -
Carmakers planning eco-caravan to D.C. for next round of talks
Barack Obama has backed Congress' decision to delay a decision on additional auto industry loans, urging the carmakers to have a clear plan when they return to Capitol Hill in December, and the carmakers are already reportedly planning to show up in dramatic style, forming a caravan of Detroit's...
Nelson Ireson -
GM creates backup plan in case it doesn't get federal aid
The current financial woes of General Motors are no secret these days, with the Detroit 3 carmaker admitting recently that it will run out of cash early next year without the help of a federal loan. Despite the seriousness of the situation, as well as new polls that show the public is in favor of...
James Martinez -
Report: GM directors consider Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing
General Motors directors are reportedly considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and seeking court protection in an attempt to cope with the ailing carmaker’s dwindling cash reserves. According to people familiar with situation, the plans go directly against CEO Rick Wagoner’s claims...
James Martinez -
The Fisker plug-in hybrid saloon has officially been revealed. Click here for all the details and images. Fisker announced today that it will be using General Motors' engines in its upcoming Karma plug-in hybrid vehicle, which will have a 50-mile electric-only range before the internal combustion engine kicks in to top up the batteries. The 2.0L direct injection, turbocharged four-cylinder Ecotec gasoline engine will deliver 260 horsepower, and Fisker has already confirmed the electric part of the drivetrain will be supplied by Quantum Technologies. Fisker also revealed that is considering...
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German solar power company makes surprise bid for Opel
The struggling auto industry is feeling the pressure of slow sales and a tough global economy in many markets. Rumors of bankruptcy and pleas for government aid are the norm - but in Germany today a solar power group called SolarWorld surprised the market by making a takeover bid for Opel, General...
Alex Kaufmann -
Leaked patents reveal GM was considering second Saab-Subaru model
Images of what appears to be a patent application by General Motors for a new Saab SUV have leaked onto the Internet, revealing that a Subaru Tribeca-based SUV may have at one point been in the pipeline for the struggling Swedish brand. If the images turn out to be authentic, this would be the...
Kenneth Hall -
Breckland updates Beira V8-powered Kappa roadster
General Motors' Kappa platform has been widely praised for its performance characteristics (if also found somewhat lacking in ergonomics), so its choice as the basis of a custom V8-swap is in many ways unsurprising. It is, however, sure to be inspiring with a 400hp Corvette engine under the hood of...
Nelson Ireson -
Pontiac enhances G6 lineup with mid-year updates
The L.A. Auto Show is just days away, and as it draws near more models, updates and reveals are coming to light. Pontiac will be bringing a revised family of G6 coupes, convertibles and sedans to the L.A. Auto Show despite General Motors' widely publicized pull-out of its featured show vehicles...
Nelson Ireson -
Germany holding aid talks with Opel
Germany on Monday confirmed it would be holding talks with Opel, General Motors' primary European brand, to discuss the topic of aid for the company should GM cease supplying cash. The concern on Opel's part is very real considering the state of GM's U.S. and global operations, and Opel's...
Nelson Ireson -
As a direct response to liquidity concerns, General Motors has sold its remaining 3% stake in Japan’s Suzuki, earning roughly $230 million for the parcel of shares on the open Tokyo stock market. Suzuki has responded with an announcement today, claiming it was a mutual agreement to continue the implementation and expansion of the business relationship between the companies. Suzuki and GM have maintained a constructive business relationship that dates back to August 1981. The companies have agreed to be committed to continue promoting and implementing not only its existing projects...
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Hummer is the only GM brand for sale, says CEO Wagoner
Saab's slowing sales and delayed models from parent company GM have previously sparked rumors that the Swedish brand could be sold off by General Motors to raise some much needed cash for its operations. Today, GM's CEO, Rick Wagoner, said that the General is not looking to sell any of its brands...
Ralph Hanson -
Saab 9-3 Special Edition commemorates 25 years of convertibles
General Motors' withdrawal from press activities at the Los Angeles Auto Show made waves yesterday, but it turns out the General won't be completely without new models out west. In addition to the production Volt and two-mode hybrids on display, Saab is planning a Special Edition 9-3 Convertible to...
Ralph Hanson -
GM pulls back LA Show plans even further, cancels press conference
General Motors had already announced it wouldn't be showing the Cadillac CTS Coupe and new Buick LaCrosse at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show as it had previously planned, and now the company has announced it won't be doing anything significant at the show at all, canceling its press conference and...
Ralph Hanson -
GM stocks nosedive after Deutsche Bank rating drops to $0
Teetering on the brink of the precipice is a fairly accurate description of General Motors' future, according to Deutsche Bank, which revised its valuation target of GM shares to $0 today. Even if GM avoids bankruptcy, says the bank, its future will be essentially indistinguishable from a...
Nelson Ireson -
GM announces $2.5 billion Q3 loss, may run out of cash by mid-2009
Trading of General Motors stocks halted at 11:04am EST this morning in anticipation of a major announcement concerning the company's financial situation. The substance of that announcement revealed that high fuel prices, slumping sales and a tough finance market have led to a net loss of $2.5...
Nelson Ireson