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WSJ: Big 3 seeking $25 billion from Feds

No matter how you slice it, a proposed $25 billion loan from the Feds is a bailout, and that's exactly what Detroit's Big Three automakers are after, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Lobbyists for General Motors, Chrysler and Ford have met with White House officials, Rep. John Dingell and a smattering of Michigan Democrats to discuss the loan, with plans to unveil the proposal after Labor Day. The plan includes lending $25 billion to automakers in its first year at an interest rate of 4.5 percent (about one-third of what the companies are currently paying), with the government having the option to defer any payment for up to five years. Details are scarce, and naturally, GM, Ford and Chrysler reps aren't saying much, but if the automakers and the Feds are serious, expect more information to leak out before the proposal is officially announced.
posted : 9/2/2008 @6:51:46 PM
BMW Sauber discovers cause of KERS shock

According to Team BMW Sauber, it has "concluded their investigations into the KERS incident at Jerez." Incident? You mean that time when one of your mechanics was literally thrown to the ground after doing nothing more than touching your car? Right, that one. If you are truly interested in reading all of the techno-babble regarding why the experimental KERS hybrid system reached out and touched someone, click past the break for the details. Here are the highlights: It was an accident. The KERS control unit malfunctioned. Nobody was seriously hurt and nobody was ever in any real danger (Dr Evil: Riiight...). Christian Klein, the driver, was insulated from any shocks due to his race suit and gloves. BMW Sauber has apparently fixed the problem and feels confident that it will be ready to continue testing in the Autumn. Recently, the BMW team voted in favor of running the KERS hybrid system for next year's race season, so it'll have to be ready to go sooner rather than later.
posted : 9/2/2008 @6:11:01 PM
More shots of Chevy Cruze from Lordstown

Yesterday's announcement by General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner that his company would invest $500 million in the U.S. to build the 2011 Chevy Cruze was perhaps most welcomed by the workers at GM's assembly plant in Lordstown, OH where the car will be built. That plant is getting a $350 million shot in the arm to gear up for the Cruze, which appeared on stage with Wagoner for the announcement. The car on hand was only a foam model, but it looks ready to drive away in (just don't lean on the doors), and these new images give us a few more views of the Cruze not afforded by the official images of a red car released by GM yesterday. Cruze news will probably be hard to come by until October when the car makes its official world debut at the Paris Motor Show, so until then we're left wondering how well it will match up against the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, next-gen Focus and the rest of the compact sedan segment.
posted : 9/2/2008 @6:10:04 PM
Bermudavich Triangleski: inordinate number of accidents at Moscow intersection

Every city has at least one: a badly designed intersection with poor visibility that's prone to car accidents. But this one looks like it was laid out by Rasputin. What you see here isn't a snapshot from the set of The Bourne Ultimatum. It's a junction in the increasingly over-populated streets of Moscow where passers-by regularly observe an inordinate amount of crashes. Fortunately, the accidents look like mostly fender-benders, but we'd think that the Supreme Soviet Russian authorities would want to centrally plan a redesign of the intersection, or at least consider revising the signalization, especially since they don't so much have to worry about confounding European armies marching through their capital these days.
posted : 9/2/2008 @5:59:26 PM
Swiss Missile: Sportec SP750 Porsche 997 GT2

Porsche enthusiasts will undoubtedly count the 997-generation 911 GT2 as one of the most extreme supercars ever to roll out of Stuttgart – right up there with the 959 and the Carrera GT. But where there's speed, there's always room for more speed, and the Swiss aren't about to stay neutral on this matter. Switzerland-based Sportec has just released its latest offering: the SP750. The tuning firm is known for producing seriously fast Porsches – including the 997 Turbo-based SP580 and the record-chasing SPR1 and SP600M Cayenne – and has put some serious effort into carrying on this legacy with the new SP750. Modifications to the GT2 – already very blitzschnell in its own right – are available in four increments, starting with the 600-hp Stage 1 and topping out with the full-on 750-hp Stage 4 kit, which includes new turbos, a revised ECU, titanium con-rods, a free-flowing exhaust and new camshafts, air filter and clutch. To control all that extra power, Sportec is also offering an upgraded brake kit with six-pot calipers and 350-380mm discs, plus a retuned suspension complemented by a revised aero kit and 20-inch rims. We'd hope the huge Swiss flag on the roof, which has become a hallmark of Sportec's creations, is optional. While it may protect the car from aerial bombardment, the planes would actually have to catch the car in the first place.
posted : 9/2/2008 @5:49:45 PM
Moscow 2008 Preview: Renault Symbol/Thalia

As Russia develops into an increasingly important market for many Asian and European carmakers, the Moscow Motor Show is becoming a more important venue. Alongside such new launches as the Lexus LS460 AWD, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Audi RS6 sedan, Renault will be unveiling a new version of its simple Symbol sedan. The car will be sold in such markets as Eastern and Central Europe, Russia, Turkey and North Africa, labeled alternatively as the Symbol or Thalia. The styling is rather uninspired, and the mechanics are nothing to write home about, with power anticipated to come from the same range as found in the new Dacia Logan unveiled by Renault's budget subsidiary just last month. Hard to believe we almost didn't notice this one.
posted : 9/2/2008 @5:43:48 PM
Spy Shots: Porsche Panamera still ugly

More spy shots of the Porsche Panamera have emerged, and in addition to wearing almost no camo, it is missing one other thing: any hint of beauty, anywhere. In fact, we can now definitively say that Porsche has one of the world's greatest ever surprises up its sleeve: the company either has a titanic makeover regimen planned for the car that will turn it into something attractive, or Porsche plans to release a truly regrettable looking vehicle. Looking like a slammed Cayenne with a fastback and front fender vents, the Panamera is caught from several angles. In our opinion, the only nice angle is the front, because you don't have to see the rest of it. Having said that, we don't doubt the car -- even if it looks like the one pictured -- will find buyers. It is a 4-door Porsche that will sport better MPG than the Cayenne, after all. But Porsche, there's still time to make the car look like this. Please, think about it. Because if it's between this car or an A7 or Rapide? Well, um... don't wait by the phone is all we're saying...
posted : 9/2/2008 @5:39:25 PM
Cobb Tuning gives the GT-R a serious bump in powerCobb Tuning has re-engineered its AccessPort control unit for the new R35 Nissan GT-R. For those of you lucky enough to own a GT-R and not content with its performance out of the box, the $995 AccessPort will reflash the ECU to any one of six different tuning levels. There are three levels each for Stage 1 and Stage 2. Stage 1 can get you up to 63 additional ponies and 70 lb.-ft. of additional twist, while Stage 2 can boost the numbers by 70 and 90 respectively. The AccessPort can also save your stock ECU data and reflash it when you decide you're finished with all that extra gumption. According to a GT-R owner who tried it out, you can be blowing past all those regular GT-Rs in less than an hour. And that's not all: you can store multiple engine mapping programs, remove trouble codes, install reduced-power valet and economy modes, and update maps over the Internet. It seems like a ridiculously easy proposition for making your supercar that much more super. So if you got one of those GT-Rs that are a little low on horses, this could be just the ticket.
posted : 9/2/2008 @5:36:04 PM

Spy Shots: Audi RS5 spied undisguised in Death ValleyWith the high-strung Audi RS5 looming large on the horizon, an entirely undisguised test mule has been spotted undergoing hot-weather testing in the infamous Death Valley in the southeastern United States. Picking up where the S5 left off, the test mule is wearing a new, more aggressive front end, which is expected to be matched around back by the time the model is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next March.

While these spy shots give us a more accurate picture of what to expect from the M3-rivalling Audi super-coupe visually, there remains much debate and speculation over what will be providing the motivation. The same 4.2-liter V8 from the RS4 remains one solid possibility, with the potential for a power increase to 450 hp. Other reports suggest that, like Audi differentiated the RS6 from the S6, the RS5's V8 could gain a set of turbochargers. Meanwhile, a third possibility involves shoehorning in the V10 from the RS6, with or without the turbos. Which option makes most sense depends on how Audi views the positioning of the RS5: a two-door RS4, or two-door RS6, or a beefed up S5. They all make sense to us and we'll have to wait and see what turns up. Either way, we have a feeling we won't be disappointed.

posted : 9/2/2008 @1:59:54 PM
eBay Find of the Day: Frank's "Million Mile" Chevy Silverado

You've got thirty grand and you want a pickup truck, do you A) buy new, or B) hit eBay for a million-mile Silverado. Frank, who had a mild brush with celebrity when the odometer on his truck hit seven-figures recently, would like you to buy his truck. The 1991 Chevy Silverado 1500 is still on its original 350 small-block, though it's chewed up 5 trannies. Frank raves on and on about its remarkable engine and wants it to go to a collector who will appreciate it, but still go out for a ride from time to time. It is an impressive mileage total, but really, who's going to question that a small block V8 is one of the best engines ever? Maintenance has apparently been rather thorough, which is a help keeping any car alive, though we're surprised it hasn't been ravaged by the tinworm. Frank's auction ends in three days and so far hasn't moved beyond its starting bid of $29,999.99. With Employee Pricing back, however, you can get a brand new Chevy Silverado Regular Cab with a short box and zero miles for just $19,899.
posted : 9/2/2008 @1:54:18 PM
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