GM is set to debut the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe at the Detroit Auto Show this month.

Bob Lutz confirmed back in July that the CTS-V coupe was still on and he also recently revealed that GM is also going to release a CTS-V Sport Wagon. Both CTS-V versions of the Sport Wagon and Coupe will be powered by the same 556-hp 6.2L Supercharged V8 that powers the sedan.

A Buick with a manual transmission? It's true. At a press event today in Michigan, GM's Jim Federico confirmed that the 2011 Buick Regal will have an available six-speed manual transmission.

The 2.0L turbocharged Regal, which will arrive shortly after the car's launch early next year, will indeed be offered with a six-speed manual.

Many of us have always thought of Buick as the old man's car. It looks like GM is trying to change that...

For decades Chrysler has had problems with the quality of its vehicles. Chrysler is now seeking to become a quality leader by 2012 and it is doing so with a revamped and much larger quality team and tougher standards.

"It's different now," said Doug Betts, senior vice president in charge of quality at Chrysler. "People are talking openly about problems now and how to fix (them.)"

Betts was recruited from Nissan two years ago under Chrysler's former owner, Cerberus Capital Management LP. At that time Cerberus also pledged to improve Chrysler's quality issues, but then the Chrysler ran out of money.

Chrysler sales are down 38.9 percent this year, so there isn't a better time than now to fix Chrysler's issues. Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles continue to perform poorly in quality surveys, which has hurt the automaker's sales.

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has made quality a priority and Betts is hiring more than 200 quality engineers bringing the total to 1,700 from 200 when he started 2 years ago.

What is surprising to at least GM is that 2 out of 3 Chevy Camaros that drive off dealer lots do so with a V8 under the hood. GM had originally hoped that most of the Camaros sold would be the V6 model so that it would boost the automaker's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE). But according to Edmunds, approximately two-thirds of the 47,233 Camaros sold from April 2009 to October 2009 have been SS models.

The Camaro SS is powered by a 420-hp 6.2L V8 and is the most expensive Camaro in the lineup with a starting price of $31,595. In contrast the lowest priced V6 Camaro starts at $23,530. According to Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman, the V6 Camaros cost almost as much to build as the V8 models.

Ford is definitely on a roll right now and the good news keeps coming in. Today Motor Trend announced that the 2010 Ford Fusion is the recipient of its Car of the Year award.

The 2010 Ford Fusion managed to beat out 23 other models for the award, which included the Toyota Prius, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Ford also had three models this year that were in the running for the award. The Taurus, Fusion and Mustang.

"The MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award is another testament of our commitment to delivering a world-class car lineup," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development, who accepted the golden calipers on behalf of the Ford team. "Whether it is the best-in-class fuel economy or quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are clear evidence that Ford is serious about our car lineup."

This announcement comes on the heels of Ford announcing that the Fusion is now the best-selling midsize domestic sedan in the US and that the model is now in the list of top ten selling vehicles.

In addition to news about future of the Regal and Impala, GM's Bob Lutz has also confirmed that the Cadillac Sport Wagon is also going to be offered as a CTS-V Sport Wagon. This means that buyers will be able to get the CTS-V any way they want it, since the CTS-V will also be offered as a coupe.

Car and Driver recently got some alone time with Lutz, in which he stated, "You know what's really going to get you guys [on board with wagons] is the CTS-V wagon."

Last week GM officially unveiled the 2011 Buick Regal, which many of you may easily recognize as the Opel Insignia with a Buick grille. Well it looks like GM has more in the works than just the front-wheel-drive four-cyl powered Regals that were unveiled.

Bob Lutz confirmed that GM is discussing the possibility of 335-hp all-wheel-drive model, which makes sense, since Opel offers the Insignia OPC with a 325-hp turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive. In addition to a more powerful Regal, Lutz also stated that GM is considering a Regal Sport Wagon.

Now that the Pontiac G8 is officially dead there had been rumors of it living on as a Chevy. Many of us were hoping that GM would release a consumer version of its upcoming 2011 Chevy Caprice police patrol vehicle. Well those rumors were put to rest and now Bob Lutz has confirmed that the next generation Chevy Impala will keep its front-wheel-drive layout.

Lutz didn't provide much detail about the next Impala, only saying that it will be slightly larger. The next Impala will also be compatible with GM's hybrid technology, so an Impala hybrid is expected at some point.

Ford has announced that the automaker is working on a new Police Interceptor that will replace the aged Crown Victoria in 2011.

The new Police Interceptor will be offered in 2011, when the Crown Victoria is finally discontinued.

"We have heard the repeated requests from the law enforcement community to continue uninterrupted support of the law enforcement community," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "Ford is answering the call with the new Police Interceptor - engineered and built in America."

Ford currently holds 75 percent of the police pursuit vehicle business in the U.S. This announcement also follows GM's announcement to release a new Chevy Caprice sedan for police duty.

Each year Ford sells about 45,000 police vehicles.

The 2010 Ford Fusion has been quite the success for Ford. It's been a while since Ford has been competitive in the mid-size sedan market. The days of the best-selling Taurus are a distant memory, but after five years on the market and a successful redesign, the Fusion is picking up pace.

Sales of the 2010 Ford Fusion have already reached 151,137 units, which already eclipses the previous full-year sales high of 149,552 in 2007. In the first 10 months of 2009, Fusion sales have improved 15 percent.

"It's extraordinary that a car could set a sales record in an environment where overall industry sales are down 26 percent from a year ago," Ford sales analyst George Pipas said.

Of course Fusion sales are still way off from the Camry and Accord, but the Fusion is now the best selling domestic car.

GM has unveiled the model that signifies the return of the Buick Regal. The 2011 Buick Regal will officially return to the US in 2010. Most of you will recognize the Regal as the Opel Insignia that is sold in Europe, with a Buick grille. The Regal has also been on sale in China.

The 2011 Regal shares its platform with the new LaCrosse, but is over six inches shorter with a wheelbase that is also four inches shorter. The Regal is only going to be offered with four-cylinder engines. The standard engine is the same 182-hp 2.4L from the LaCrosse. The optional engine is a turbocharged 2.0L with 220 horsepower. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The 2.4L Regal will be available in the first half of 2010 and the turbo will launch by late summer.

The Detroit News is reporting that GM has finally decided to build the Cadillac Converj, which shares the same extended-range technology as the Chevy Volt.

GM originally unveiled the Cadillac Converj concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. A production date has not been set, but it will likely be a few years before it hits the showroom. When it was unveiled Bob Lutz claimed that a production version would remain very close to the concept, just how GM did with the Camaro.

The Converj seems to make sense, since it would increase the number of electric vehicles offered by GM and it would help spread the cost of the technology that is shared with the Volt. GM would also be able to apply a higher sticker price to the Cadillac version, which would also help with costs.

The Volt is still on target for production at the end of 2010, we'll have to keep our fingers crossed that the Converj is going to actually be produced.

Ford Unveils New Car For Cash-Strapped Buyers: The 1993 Taurus
Oh gotta love The Onion!

Ford has unveiled the auto industry's first ever inflatable seat belt, which is designed to add more protection for rear seat passengers.

The new inflatable seat belt is designed to inflate in a mere 40 milliseconds and when expanded the belts spread crash forces over five times more area of the body than conventional seat belts. The new seat belt inflates slower than a conventional air bag and uses cold compressed gas instead of a heat-generating chemical reaction.

"It's a very simple and logical system, but it required extensive trial and error and testing over several years to prove out the technology and ensure precise reliable performance in a crash situation," said Srini Sundararajan, safety technical leader for Ford research and advance engineering.

The new inflatable seat belt will debut first on the next-generation Ford Explorer in 2010 and then it will eventually be offered in vehicles globally.

When Ford launched the F-150 SVT Raptor it was powered by Ford's 5.4L V8, but Ford promised that a new 6.2L V8 was in the works. Well Ford has announced the introduction of the 411-hp 6.2L V8, which is the most powerful engine available in a half-ton pickup.

The new 6.2L V8 puts out 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft. of torque and according to Ford it has 1.5 seconds faster 0-60 mph time than the standard 5.4L.

Pricing for the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor with the 6.2L V8 starts at $41,995.

Lincoln is poised to downsize its current lineup with the addition of new smaller vehicles that are a huge departure from its other vehicles like the Navigator SUV.

Lincoln has shown off the possibility of small Lincolns with its recent concept cars and It's rumored that Lincoln could be working on a new compact car that would share its platform with the new global Focus. But it's not certain if Lincoln is ready to take a risk that its other luxury rivals have shied away from, fearing that the US market isn't ready for smaller cars.

But in the meantime a new compact crossover based on the European Ford Kuga is expected to be offered in late 2011. Redesigned versions of the Kuga will be released by Lincoln and Mercury. The Kuga is also expected to replace the Ford Escape.

Ford has reported a third quarter profit of $997 million compared to the $161 million net loss for the same period last year. The announcement represents Ford's first operating profit in nearly two years.

"Our third-quarter results clearly show that Ford is making tremendous progress despite the prolonged slump in the global economy," Ford CEO Alan Mulally stated. "Our solid product lineup is leading the way in all markets. While we still face a challenging road ahead, our One Ford transformation plan is working and our underlying business continues to grow stronger."

Ford expects its positive cash flow to continue into the fourth quarter.

Chrysler is still planning on introducing a hybrid-powered Dodge Ram in 2010, but a diesel-powered model is up in the air. Chrysler announced last year that both models would be introduced in 2010, but those plans may have changed.

Scott Kunselman, Chrysler senior vice president of engineering confirmed that the hybrid is still on, but wouldn't comment on the future of the diesel. Only saying that he doesn't think there is enough of a market among recreational buyers for the diesel. We can expect more details when Chrysler will outline its five-year business and product plan on November 4th.

The hybrid powertrain for the Ram is the result of a partnership between General Motors Co., BMW AG and Daimler AG.

GM is hard at work on fixing Buick's portfolio. It was just announced that the Regal name is going to return on Buick's next mid-size sport sedan. The announcement was made at the Buick GMC dealer business meeting.

"The transformation of Buick began with our luxury crossover, the Buick Enclave and continued this year with the launch of the 2010 LaCrosse premium sedan," said Susan Docherty, Buick GMC General Manager. "We're thrilled to announce that the Regal will be the next member of the Buick family."

The Regal name hasn't been used on a Buick model in six years, but it continues to be one of the top nameplates that consumers remember.

GM did not release any details on when it will return.

Motor Trend has announced the list of SUV contenders for its "SUV of the Year" award.

Of course this award is great to whomever wins, due to all of the bragging rights that come along with it. It's usually heavily used in every ad campaign. Last year the Subaru Forester took home the award.

Which SUV do you think should win this year's award?

In July Ford announced that the Mustang would compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning in July 2010. Today we have our first glimpse of the Mustang that will race in the series, which is a collaboration with Roush Fenway Racing and Con-way Freight.

21 year old Colin Braun will drive the No. 16 Con-way Freight Mustang.

"I'm so happy that Con-way Freight decided to move up with me to the Nationwide Series for 2010," Braun said. "They have been a great sponsor for the past two years in the truck series so it means a lot to me that they will continue to support me in the future. I'm also looking forward to driving a Mustang next year. I've always thought they are such incredible cars, but have never owned one. Maybe when I win my first race the guys at Ford will want to give me one of my own."

Ford is expanding its largest recall ever over a faulty switch that has lead to at least 550 vehicle fires and many complaints.

The recall concerns cruise-control deactivation switches, made by Texas Instruments that were installed in 16 million Fords over a decade before Ford stopped using them in 2002. This new announcement of an additional 4.5 million vehicles being recalled brings the total to more than 14 million vehicles in eight separate recalls over a 10-year period. Part of the recall includes nearly 1.1 million 1995-2003 Ford Windstar vans.

"Ford is making a safety-related defect determination for the Windstar vehicles," James Vondale, director of Ford's automotive safety office, said in the letter. "We have not made a safety-related defect determination for the other vehicles included in this recall, but are including them to avoid any future concerns related to a potential fire risk resulting from the Texas Instruments (switch) either from the agency or from our customers."

The switch that is being recalled deactivates the cruise control once the driver presses down on the brake pedal.

Now that Saturn, Pontiac, Saab and HUMMER are no longer under the GM umbrella, GM's remaining plans have to pick up those lost sales. Chevy in particular is being given the task of recovering GM's lost market share.

Vice president of Chevrolet, Brent Dewar, wants Chevy to represent 70 percent of GM's North American sales. "As Pontiac goes away, Saturn goes away," Dewar said, "Chevrolet has to step up. The 70 percent target is the right kind of number we need to work on."

So far Chevy has been responsible for more than 60 percent of GM's sales in 2009, which is up from 54 percent in 2002. GM plans to boost Chevy sales with new models like the Cruze and Volt.

General Motors has officially reached an agreement with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., to sell HUMMER, with Tengzhong acquiring 80 percent of brand. The remaining 20 percent has been acquired by Suolang Duoji, a private entrepreneur.

"HUMMER is a strong global niche brand and this agreement signifies another important milestone in writing the next chapter for both GM and HUMMER," said Fritz Henderson, GM President and CEO. "For HUMMER, the combination of its knowledgeable leadership team, vehicle design expertise and the capital financing of Tengzhong portend a successful future."

Under the agreement, GM is going to continue to build the HUMMER H2 and H3 models for Tengzhong until June 2011. There is an optional one year extension that would extend the contract to June 2012. Recent reports have claimed that the sale of HUMMER will bring in $150 million to GM.

Green Car Journal has announced the five finalists for its Green Car of the Year award.

And the finalists are:

-Audi A3 TDI
-Honda Insight
-Mercury Milan Hybrid
-Toyota Prius
-Volkswagen Golf TDI

The winner of the 2010 Green Car of the Year award will be announced at the 2009 LA Auto Show on December 3.

Which car do you think should win?

There are some strange rumors brewing between DeLorean Motor Company and Pontiac. You will recall that DeLorean was responsible for the production of the "Back to the Future" car in the 80's. Well since then the company has basically been just servicing the old DMC's. Now there are rumors that DeLorean may be considering buying the recently killed Pontiac Solstice platform and the Wilmington Assembly Plant that produced it from GM.

Apparenly DeLorean's founder had a long history with Pontiac, so it's current management is speculating if their founder would have tried to save it.

"JZD always said that the best memories of his automotive career were at Pontiac, and that connection between JZD and Pontiac is probably one of the better known associations among car enthusiasts," said James Espey, Vice President of the DeLorean Motor Company.

Currently the company has a Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe in its possession for evaluation. DeLorean has also released the drawings you see here.

This December we will finally get our first look at the US-spec Ford Fiesta that has been on sale in Europe since last year. We've seen the Fiesta all over the internet, print, television, etc., but those Fiesta's were never US-spec. The Fiesta destined for the US will have a slightly different look thanks to our different crash standards.

The Fiesta is the number two best-selling car in Europe, with almost 340,000 units sold since it was launched last autumn.

The official unveiling of the Fiesta in December marks the culmination of the first phase of the Fiesta Movement, which has led to more than 50,000 hand-raisers for the Fiesta, 97 percent of whom currently do not drive a Ford.

"This is the perfect time to show the North American Fiesta," said Sam De La Garza, Ford Fiesta marketing manager. "The Fiesta Movement will have wrapped up, and after hearing so much about this car leading up to the reveal, everyone will finally get to see what we are so excited about."

The 2011 Fiesta is set to arrive in showrooms by next summer.

Last week an unexpected announcement from GM and Penske that the pending deal was off, led to the unfortunate death of the Saturn brand. Shortly after the official announcement that GM would be killing Saturn, all production ended.

According to Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of U.S. sales, GM has about 12,000 Saturns currently in its inventory.

"We sold about 3,000 Saturns last month, so that's about a four-month supply if you maintain that selling pace," LaNeve said. "I don't think [the canceled sale of the brand] will affect our total 2010 production rate at all."

The rumor that Chrysler was going to create a standalone Dodge Ram brand has been confirmed. Chrysler has announced new CEO appointments for both the Dodge Ram and Dodge car brands.

"The brand-focused strategy has been refined further with the unbundling of the Dodge Brand which now consists of the Dodge RAM Brand and the Dodge Car Brand organizations. This reorganization will allow us to protect and develop the unique nature of the product offerings within the Dodge Brand," Mr. Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, Chrysler Group LLC said.

Fred Diaz Jr. has been appointed President and CEO, Dodge Ram brand, while Ralph Gilles has been appointed President and CEO, Dodge Car Brand.

GM has announced the 2011 Chevy Caprice Patrol Vehicle for North America. The Chevy Caprice Patrol Vehicle is based on the Zeta-platform that is the basis for the Chevy Caprice in the Middle East. Sorry to disappoint you if you were hoping that it's a version of the Holden Commodore, a.k.a. Pontiac G8.

Initially it will be powered by an E85-compatible 6.0-liter V8 that puts out 355 horsepower and 385 lb-ft. of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic. GM claims the cop car reaches 0-60 mph in less than six seconds. GM is also going to offer a V6 version in 2012.

Sorry you can't buy one...

The general manager for Buick GMC, Susan Docherty recently did a web chat on the GM FastLane blog where she stated that the new GMC Terrain is not going to be offered with a diesel engine or a Denali version.

Docherty also stated that GM has no plans to produce a Buick version of the Chevy Equinox/ GMC Terrain. GM originally planned to produce a Buick version, but pulled the plug in late August due to negative feedback. Docherty called out the early success of the Terrain by announcing that there has been limited availability, which should improve in October.

Well for sometime now we've all been under the assumption that Penske Automotive Group was going to acquire the Saturn brand from GM. The deal involved Penske buying the brand and GM would continue to provide Saturn vehicles on a contract basis...well it looks like that deal is off.

GM issued a statement tonight that states "Penske Automotive Group (PAG) has decided to terminate discussions with General Motors to acquire Saturn."

It looks like Penske was having problems finding other products to sell after the contract with GM ended. GM originally planned on only supplying the Outlook, Aura and Vue until the end of next year. As a result of this announcement, Saturn will officially join Pontiac and Oldsmobile six feet under.

While we wait patiently for the introduction of the Tesla Model S, Tesla has announced that the platform of the seven passenger sedan will be used for derivatives including a minivan, cross-over utility vehicle and a utility van for fleets.

The announcement was part of a release from Tesla about the automaker's plans for $465 million in low-interest loans from the Department of Energy that Tesla received.

Tesla plans on using the loans for the US-based production, engineering, and assembly of the Model S and for a powertrain manufacturing facility in Northern California that will build advanced EV powertrain components for other automakers. The Model S will be produced in Southern California.

The Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger midsize sedans were pretty much dead under Chrysler's former owner, Cerberus Capital Management, but now that Chrysler has a new owner, the sedans have a new lease on life.

Cerberus had originally planned to kill the Sebring and Avenger at the end of 2010 and close the Sterling Heights, Mich., factory where they are built. The factory could still be closed, but the sedans will continue to be produced until the end of 2012.

The Sebring is slated to get an extensive face-lift in 2011, while the Avenger is slated to get a milder refresh, which may bring it to the market sooner than the Sebring. The changes can't come soon enough...

It's being reported that part of Chrysler's restructuring will be the creation of the Ram nameplate as a stand alone brand. The Ram nameplate would focus on trucks, SUVs and vans, which would allow the Dodge brand to become affordable performance-car brand.

Future Dodge models are expected to share components with Alfa Romeo.

Additionally Chrysler is expected to withdraw the Dodge brand from Europe. It launched in Europe in 2006.

Chrysler and Fiat Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne is set to submit a five year plan to the company's board of directors Friday. In his plan, Marchionne is calling for facelifts of at least five models by mid-2011. This would include the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot. Chrysler is also working on an update for the aged PT Cruiser.

Marchionne wants the updates completed within 18 months, which would normally take 2-3 years. To meet this goal Chrysler's current workforce is expected to work overtime and some of the workers that were laid off may be rehired.

Of course all of this is dependent on if the board approves the plan and if it does then it will be sent to to President Barack Obama's auto task force next week.

Ford officially took the wraps off the 2011 Super Duty at the Texas State Fair. The 2011 Super Duty gets new styling and two new engines, a diesel powered "Scorpion" 6.7L Power-Stroke V8 and a new 6.2L gas powered V8. A new TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission has also been announced.

Ford has yet to release power figures for either engine, but simply states that the diesel engine will be class leading and that the new 6.2L offers more power than the outgoing model.

In addition to the engine upgrades, Ford engineers also improved the ride, handling and steering of the new Super Duty. They optimized the leaf springs and spring rate and the steering gear is new.

The exterior now features a new bold front end with stacked headlights and an enormous Ford logo. Inside there is a new reconfigurable flow-through console and storage space has been increased by 60 percent. There's also a new 4.2-inch LCD Productivity Screen that lets you keep track of what's going on with the truck's technologies.

Ford has unveiled the new Figo for the Indian market.

The new Figo is going to built at manufacturing facility near Chennai, which is currently undergoing a $500 million transformation.

"Our exciting new Ford Figo shows how serious we are about India," Mulally said. "It reflects our commitment to compete with great products in all segments of this car market. We are confident the Ford Figo will be a product that Indian consumers really want and value."

The Figo was designed to compete in India's small car segment, which accounts for 70 percent of the new vehicle market. It shares some of its components with the Ford Fiesta and actually looks quite similar to the last generation Euro-spec Fiesta.

Ford has yet to release the specifics of the Figo.

GM newest release on the recently launched site "The Lab" features a new Buick concept, the Buick Avant, which is meant to study the possibility of small premium models.

"We agreed that a small premium vehicle shouldn't be viewed as a compromise in any way," says Andrew Smith, Director of Advanced Design at GM's tech center in Warren. "It isn't a vehicle you buy when you can't afford the larger size version. It should be unapologetic of size and just make you feel great."

In total GM came up with six exterior and four exterior designs.

One of the main criticisms of the new Taurus SHO is that it lacks styling differences from the regular Taurus. Currently the only way a person can tell the difference between the SHO and the lesser powered Taurus is by larger wheels, SHO badging, and a tiny rear spoiler. Well according to a Ford insider this will change for the 2012 model year.

Car and Driver claims that when Ford held focus groups on the level of pizazz that the SHO should receive no consensus was made, so Ford decided to play it safe. Well Ford has decided to make some changes for 2012 that will include more than just new wheels. The insider wouldn't reveal any of the other changes.

Ford decided to not make the changes to the 2011 model, since it would look like Ford made a mistake if it released the changes too soon.

The on-again, off-again Chevy Camaro Z28 is reportedly back on. According to Ed Welburn, GM's Vice President for global design, the work on the modified body is done, although work still needs to be completed under the hood.

For a while it had been reported that the Z28 was dead, but now the latest reports are claiming that the Z28 is back on and probably about a year or so away. The Z28 will be powered by the same 6.2-liter supercharged V8 as the Cadillac CTS-V. In the CTS-V the engine puts out 556-hp and is mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The modified body will include a raised hood to make room for the supercharger, tall rear spoiler, new wheel designs and wider tires.

GM may consider putting a hybrid powertrain in the Chevy Corvette if the car's existence is in jeopardy. The new CAFE standards, which dictate that an automaker's entire fleet has to average 35.5 mpg by 2016, could force GM to be more creative with the Corvette in order to squeeze out extra gas mileage.

GM has reportedly killed plans to produce a unibody pickup after figuring out that it wouldn't get really get better fuel economy than its current trucks. GM's vice chairman of global product development, Tom Stephens, told the Automotive News that the unibody pickup would have had less capability, but not better fuel economy.

Cadillac's CTS-V sedan packs a whopping 556-hp thanks to its supercharged 6.2L V8, which aims it squarely at the BMW M5, Audi RS6 and Mercedes E63 AMG. Well according to a GM insider, GM is currently working on a CTS-V Sport Wagon in addition to a V version of the upcoming coupe.

Bob Lutz and CEO Fritz Henderson have both alluded to the fact that GM is working on V versions of the new CTS-V Sport Wagon. It remains to be seen if the wagon version of the CTS-V will sell in the U.S. BMW and Audi do not sell high performance wagons in the U.S. due to low sales and even the Mercedes E63 AMG barely manages to even register on the sales charts here. The main difference is that the CTS-V Sport Wagon starts at a much lower price point than its German competitors.

Ford is predicting more demand for bold colors. In the past white and silver have been the top selling colors for new models, but Ford is seeing increased demand for models with brighter, bolder colors.

Two of Ford's current models the Mustang and F-150 SVT have seen increased demand for bold colors like "Grabber Blue" and "Molten Orange." When the 2011 Fiesta launches next summer there will be many bright color options such as "Bright Magenta" and "Lime Squeeze."

"Brilliant colors are transforming the norms in how we think about all sorts of products, allowing people to express individuality more and more through the electronics they use and the cars they drive," said Susan Swek, Ford group chief designer, Color and Materials Design. "Color is a simple way to allow people to add a personal touch to their everyday lives - something that speaks to them and expresses a little of their personality."

Tonight on Jay Leno's new prime time show, the first celebrity, Drew Barrymore will race an all electric Ford Focus in Leno's new segment called "Green Car Challenge." Ford has released photos and specs of the electric Focus that will be featured in the show.

Ford engineers in Dearborn started with a five-door Euro-spec Focus ST and removed the engine and fuel tank. In its place the engineers installed an electric powertrain, which uses a permanent magnetic electric motor that puts out 141 horsepower and 236 lb-ft. of torque. The electric motor gets its power from lithium-ion batteries that are positioned in such a way to give the car near 50-50 weight distribution.

The Focus BEV that is featured on the show gives us a glimpse of the actual production electric Focus that will be available in 2011.

Ford isn't slated to introduce an electric powered Ford Focus until sometime in 2011, but in order to raise interest and public awareness, Ford is going to feature a prototype of the car on Jay Leno's new show.

On September 18th viewers will see Drew Barrymore race an all-electric Ford Focus on Jay Leno's new prime-time show on NBC. Over the next year celebrities will have the chance to race the Focus for the best lap time on the show. It's something similar to what Top Gear does.

Although car buyers can't go buy an electric powered Focus right now, Ford is hoping that this will show the public that electric cars can be exciting.

Nancy Gioia, director of hybrid vehicle programs for Ford stated, "It opens up the dialogue to the next step. Because if (electric cars are) only seen as quirky or off the beaten path, it's really hard to get people" excited.

The electric Ford Focus can travel up to 100 miles on a single charge.

Ford has announced the introduction of the new EcoBoost 4-cylinder engines, which will join the existing 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine. The new turbocharged 4-cyl engines will be available as a 1.6L and 2.0L.

Ford has yet to announce official performance numbers, but the 1.6L is expected to put out around 180 horsepower and 175-180 lb-ft. of torque. The first application of the 1.6L will be in the Ford C-Max in late 2010. The 2.0L will be launched in larger European models and in North America in 2010.

Ford has unveiled the Grand C-Max in Frankfurt, which is a larger version of the 5-seater C-Max. In addition to unveiling the larger 7-seater version, Ford has also announced that the Grand C-Max will be available in North America in late 2011.

The arrival of the Grand C-Max provides a small minivan for Ford. It is slightly larger than the current Mazda 5. The Grand C-Max is the first of a new generation of Ford global C-cars that will be released in the next few years, which includes the next-generation Focus.

"The C-MAX brings more emotive, dynamic design to the segment, along with a great driving experience," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "People will gravitate toward C-MAX for the way it looks and drives, and not just because it's practical and versatile - and that's going to help us reach a whole new group of customers."

Ford has yet to announce if the smaller C-Max will also show up in the U.S.

At the Frankfurt Motor Show this year Ford is going to show off the new C-Max and the extended version shown here, the Grand C-Max. The new C-Max and Grand C-Max are based on Ford's new global C-platform architecture that will also be the basis for the next Focus. The both models will be powered by a new 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder.

The 2010 Grand C-Max looks very similar to its smaller sibling, but has been stretched to accommodate three rows of seats. The extra length also adds sliding rear doors, instead of the conventional rear doors on the C-Max.

Expect more details soon...

A new study by Consumer Reports claims that 81 percent of respondents who stated that they are looking to buy a new car, would consider a domestic brand. This compares to only 47% for an Asian vehicle and 46% for a European brand.

Of course not every domestic automaker is equal. Ford has benefited the most with a 17 percent increase compared to a year ago. GM interest is only up 6 percent, while Chrysler is down 25 percent among new car buyers.

"The Detroit 3 have been in the spotlight all year," said Rik Paul, automotive editor, Consumer Reports. "Ford was the only one of the Detroit 3 that did not seek federal assistance, and this has likely helped bolster its reputation among car buyers."

Out of those surveyed only 9 percent are likely to buy a car in the next year compared to 19 percent a year ago.

It's already known that the 2011 Mustang is set to get engine upgrades to both the V6 and V8 engines. Little details have surfaced until now about how much horsepower we can expect.

A forum member over at The Mustang Source has posted some of what we can expect, hopefully when the 2011 Mustang is released.

First the V6 powered Mustang will see an increase in horsepower to 315 thanks to a new 3.7L (15 more than the Camaro). The V8 powered Mustang GT also gets a horsepower upgrade to 400 thanks to an expected 5.0L Coyote V8. The 5.0L V8 will be mated to a new six-speed manual transmission. Sadly, due to the small horsepower gap between Ford's EcoBoost V6 and the new V8 ( 365 vs 400) it looks like there won't be an EcoBoost V6 powered Mustang.

Let's hope these rumors are true...

The sales numbers for August 2009 are in and thanks to the Cash for Clunkers program sales were up for a few of the automakers. Toyota, Honda and Ford saw sales increase by 10.5%, 14.2% and 17%, respectively. Although GM was down 20.2% and Chrysler by 15%.

The Toyota Camry surpassed the Ford F-Series to become the best selling vehicle in the US last month, although the F-Series also had a good month. New to the list for August was the Hyundai Elantra, likely due to increased sales from the Cash for Clunkers program. The Honda CR-V also made a return this month, surpassing the Ford Escape, which is missing this time.

* Toyota Camry: 54,396
* Ford F-Series: 45,590
* Honda Civic: 43,294
* Toyota Corolla: 43,061
* Honda Accord: 39,726
* Chevy Silverado: 32,421
* Honda CR-V: 30,284
* Nissan Altima: 26,833
* Ford Focus: 25,547
* Hyundai Elantra: 21,673

Mercedes-Benz is planning on getting into the commercial van business in the US and will appoint up to 120 dealers to sell the Sprinter van. Currently Dodge sells the Sprinter van through 350 of its dealers. The contracts with the Dodge dealers will be canceled by Jan 1, 2010, which means there will no longer be a Dodge version of the Sprinter. Dodge has been selling the Sprinter since 2003.

In January the Sprinter will be branded as a Mercedes-Benz in the US. The Sprinter will be launched with a 3.0-liter, V-6 common-rail diesel in all 50 states.

The Dodge Caliber has consistently received negative marks for its low grade interior. To hopefully improve its standing in the hatchback segment, Chrysler has finally updated its interior.

The 2010 Caliber gets a new, better looking interior, which hopefully ditches the crappy hard plastic from the current model. Although Chrysler has addressed one main issue with the Caliber, we in the US still have to make due with the current engine. Europe on the other hand now has the option of the new 2.2-liter Common-rail Diesel (CRD) engine. The diesel puts out 163-hp and 236 lb-ft. of torque. It delivers 16 percent more power, 3 percent more torque and 25 percent more towing capability than the old diesel engine.

Cadillac has started airing a new commercial that shows off the new CTS wagon, SRX and the upcoming CTS Coupe. The CTS Coupe is currently slated for a summer 2010 release.

Enjoy...

Eight pre-production Chevy Camaro Convertibles were spotted outside of GM's Holden plant in Fisherman's Bend, Australia. Seven out of the eight convertibles are silver with tan roofs...an interesting color combination that hopefully isn't destined for the production line.

The Camaro Convertible is currently scheduled to enter production in early 2011.

GM showed off the Cadillac Converj concept at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, which showcased GM's plug-in technology in a luxury vehicle. Although it was designed in such a way to give way to a production version, there was opposition from the US government and within GM. The U.S. Treasury Department was opposed to the Converj due to its high costs when GM was in bankruptcy. Additionally then GM North America President Troy Clarke and Mark McNabb, who headed Cadillac, Hummer, and Saab were also against it, but both of those guys are no longer with GM.

Now that GM has emerged from bankruptcy there has been a renewed interest in the Converj, mainly thanks to Bob Lutz. The new marketing chief is reportedly trying to find a way to get the car into production. It could potentially act as a technology halo vehicle for Cadillac. If it does receive the green light it wouldn't see the light of day until around 2014.

In a surprise move, GM has decided to stop putting the silver corporate logo on its vehicles in an attempt to emphasize the four brands that survived GM's bankruptcy.

The decision was made earlier this month and will start with the 2010 model year.

"We are just really focused on the four core brands and this provided us with another opportunity to make sure they were at the forefront," GM spokesman Terry Rhadigan said.

According to Rhadigan people outside the midwest do not always link Cadillac or Chevy with GM.

Chrysler's Lifetime Powertrain Warranty was the best warranty in the industry, but Chrysler spokesman Rick Deneau has confirmed that the automaker is ditching this warranty for more conventional five-year/100,000 warranty. The main issue with the lifetime warranty was that it only applied to the original owner, once it had been sold the warranty changed to 3yr/ 36k.

Deneau stated, "The issue of transferability was something people found very appealing," he said. The lifetime powertrain warranty "wasn't as valuable to consumers as we might have hoped."

The new warranty applies to all 2010 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models (except the Sprinter van and diesel powered trucks).

In a surprising move, GM has canceled the upcoming Buick crossover that was announced last week.

The Buick crossover would have simply been a rebadged Saturn Vue, but negative feedback from the media, GM employees and dealerships has caused GM to rethink the idea. According to Michelle Bunker, Manager of Buick Communications, the vehicle did not fit with the direction the automaker said it was taking the Buick brand.

Although the rebadged Vue is no longer headed to the Buick brand, the Vue's plug-in hybrid powertrain will continue on in another vehicle and is still on track for 2011.

At least GM is finally responding to feedback and killing vehicles that we simply don't want or need...

The Camaro isn't even on sale in Japan yet, but apparently it's already sold out. General Motors Asia Pacific has already received 120 orders for the new Camaro, which is the quota for the year.

Pricing has yet to be released, but its expected to range from $45,325 to $56,390. Both the V6 and V8 versions will be offered.

The Camaro is selling well in the US as well, with it outselling the Mustang the past two months.

The GM news just keeps rolling in.

Quite possibly one of GM's best sedans, the Chevy Malibu is set for an update in 2012. The midsize sedan is set for an update inside and out. The new Malibu will feature new powertrains and better fuel economy.

GM previewed the design of the next Malibu at its event today in Detroit. According to one on looker it has a look that is reminiscent of the Kia Forte.

The next Malibu is set to be released in 2012, likely as a 2013 model.

In addition to the announcement about the Volt and the 25 new models that GM is planning on releasing, the automaker also announced the launch of "The Lab," a microsite featuring future projects by GM's Advanced Design team. The microsite currently features two new concepts that are being developed, the Bare Necessities Truck and the Bare Necessities Car.

The theme of the two concepts is to offer buyers what they want and nothing more, hence "bare necessities."

In addition to the announcement about the Chevy Volt, GM has also announced plans to introduce 25 new models between now and 2011.

Chevy is going to introduce 10 new models; Buick and GMC will also introduce 10 new models, including a a Buick plug-in hybrid compact crossover in 2011; Cadillac is introducing five new models through 2011.

One of Cadillac's new models will be a new entry-level sedan that will slot below the CTS in the lineup. The new sport sedan will be offered in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions.

"We are determined to repeat what CTS has already achieved in design, quality, driving dynamics, performance and fuel economy to grow our presence in this high-volume and highly competitive segment," Henderson said.

GM's CEO Fritz Henderson officially revealed the details surrounding the "230" mystery and to our surprise the marketing campaign was related to the Chevy Volt.

The EPA has developed a new methodology for determining fuel economy numbers for extended-range electric vehicles and under this new method the Volt is expected to have a urban fuel economy rating of 230 mpg. According to GM the Volt consumes 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles in a city cycle.

Production of the Volt is expected to start at the end of 2010.

GM's new chairman, Ed Whitacre has announced that the automaker will release some new models sooner than originally planned to regain some of the market share that its lost.

GM is fresh out of bankruptcy, but received $50 billion in federal aid, which will help it regain some of its losses. GM's market share dropped to 18.9 percent last month down from 20.5, which was more that 50 percent decades ago.

"Our cash position is good," Whitacre said. "We have some flexibility."

Whitacre did not announce which models we can expect to see sooner, but GM's market share is expected to further erode since it is selling or phasing out the Saturn, Saab, Hummer and Pontiac brands.

The sales numbers for last month are just coming in and now we have the list of the top ten best-selling cars.

As expected the Ford F-150 and Toyota Camry are at the top of the list, but the surprises this time can partly be attributed to "Cash for Clunkers." The Ford Focus was the top vehicle chosen by buyers that traded in their old cars, which added it to July's top ten list. The Toyota Prius also makes an appearance at the number 10 spot.

* Ford F-Series: 36,327
* Toyota Camry: 33,974
* Honda Civic: 30,037
* Honda Accord: 29,774
* Toyota Corolla: 29,593
* Chevy Silverado: 27,617
* Ford Focus: 21,830
* Ford Escape: 20,241
* Nissan Altima: 19,252
* Toyota Prius: 19,173

The government's Cash for Clunkers program has definitely given a slight jolt to the automotive industry. In less than a week the program reportedly ran out of funding that was supposed to last until November, but fortunately the government has added more money although who knows how long that will last. In the last week, 47 percent of the sales attributed to the program have gone to the Big 3. Through Saturday afternoon 80,500 transactions had taken place.

In addition to nabbing almost half of the sales, Ford can also be happy knowing that the Ford Focus was the most popular vehicle in the program.

Just as Chrysler's sales improved last month and is now running out of vehicles, Ford's sales also improved due to the Cash for Clunkers gov't program.

Ford has announced that its retail sales improved 9 percent in July thanks to the Cars Allowance Rebate System (Cash for Clunkers).

The Ford Fusion saw a 66 percent increase with the Milan up 60 percent. Ford Escape sales were up 94 percent and the Mercury Mariner saw an increase of 71 percent. Focus sales were up 44 percent as well. Ford's hybrid sales were up by 323 percent, which can largely be attributed to the new Fusion hybrid.

"We had another strong month in progress before the 'Cash for Clunkers' program started," said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service.

"Our products, our dealers and our advance preparation enabled us to leverage the program and drive traffic and sales to another level," he added. "In addition, we achieved a sales increase even though we decreased incentive spending in an increasingly competitive environment."

Chrysler has announced that the automaker is dropping its double rebate incentive campaign, effective Tuesday. In July Chrysler announced that it would double the Cash for Clunkers rebate of up to $4,500 on eligible vehicles, which meant that on some vehicles buyers could get up to $9,000 in rebates. Of course this drove lots of traffic into Chrysler dealers and now the automaker is running out of cars.

Chrysler is changing the message "to focus less on the deal but more on the products," said Jodi Tinson, a spokeswoman for the company. The double your cash campaign "did what it needed to do" in terms of driving traffic to Chrysler dealerships, she said.

Chrysler's inventory levels are low due to long factory shutdowns, which means popular vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler Town & Country minivan are in short supply. Many Chrysler dealers are now left only with the vehicles that didn't qualify for the government's program.

German tuning house Irmscher has teamed up with GM to create a tribute to Transformers Bumblebee by creating a Bumblebee version of the Chevy Cruze.

The changes are only cosmetic with the body being lowered 30 mm with orange 18-inch Imscher-designed Turbo Stars wheels. There's also the orange stripes and mirrors and fog lamps. Under the hood the car is powered by the stock 1.8L mated to an automatic transmission.

The car wil make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

Although the PT Cruiser was expected to be dead by the end of 2010, Chrysler has announced that the small car will live on. But for how much longer? Chrysler didn't mention how long the PT Cruiser will survive in its current state or if a redesign is in the future. It will most likely remain in production until the new Fiat based cars are ready to hit Chrysler dealers.

The last Pontiac Solstice has rolled off the line at GM's Boxwood Road assembly plant. When GM entered bankruptcy on June 1st, the automaker announced that it would be closing the plant by the end of July that builds the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters. The announcement at the time wasn't a total surprise since GM had been looking for a buyer for Saturn and since Pontiac had been given a death sentence.

The last roadster produced was a silver Solstice.

GM has released the first sketches of the upcoming Chevy Agile, which is sold in South America.

The Agile, which was developed in Brazil features Chevy's trademark two-tier grille and headlights similar to the Chevy Cruze.

"The Agile goes beyond a traditional hatchback. Our task was to conduct a vehicle for a demanding client. Great design, interior space and a crossover, ie a car transpired versatility to attract customers from a different urban public or to a surfer who loves the countryside, "said Carlos Barba, General Director of GM Design Mercosur.

Production of the Agile will begin in Argentina in the next few months. The Gamma II-based B-segment hatch is also expected to be produced at GM's Lake Orion, Michigan facility since this is expected to be the next Aveo in 2011.

Ford's Lincoln and Mercury brands are expected to get an array of fresh new vehicles to keep Ford's ball rolling. Ford has been focusing much of its energy on small vehicles and the same is going to happen over at Lincoln and Mercury. Sales of the Navigator SUV have dropped significantly and now Ford is looking at developing new Lincoln models built off the same platforms as the Focus and Escape.

Who knows when or if the Navigator will be replaced, but Lincoln could add a third crossover to its lineup that would be smaller than the current MKX and MKT models and based off the next-gen Ford Escape for the 2012 model year. Lincoln is also working on a small compact car that is built on the same platform as the next Focus, but it has yet to receive the green light. Mercury is also expected to get a version of the Focus for 2012.

In 2013 the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ are scheduled to move to a new front-wheel-drive platform that is shared with the European Ford Mondeo.

The body-on-frame Mercury Grand Marquis, Mountaineer and Lincoln Town Car are all getting ready to be six feet under...

Sales of the Ford Explorer have dropped significantly to just 78,439 units in 2008, down from over 400K at its peak. Next year Ford is going to release a new Explorer which ditches the current body-on-frame design for a new unibody platform that is shared with the new Taurus. When the new Explorer is released the slow selling Sport Trac version and Mercury Mountaineer will be dead according to the Automotive News. Sales of the Explorer are even worse this year and the Sport Trac and Mountaineer are even lower, which means that Ford can't justify their existence.

Fans of the Sport Trak or Mountaineer better go buy one now before they are gone forever...

The 2010 Chevy Camaro Transformers Special Edition has been unveiled today for those diehard fans.

For an extra $995 you get:
-Autobot insignia on the driver and passenger side panels, wheels and center console
-Transformers logo on driver and passenger doors' sill plates and hood rally stripes
-High-gloss black center rally stripe package

The Transformers Special Edition can be ordered as a Rally Yellow LT or SS model.

Ford has officially announced the introduction of the new 2.0L 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine and that the automaker is expecting a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy as a whole by the end of 2010 versus 2005.

The new 2.0L 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine will be the first EcoBoost engine to include Twin-Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) when it is introduced sometime next year. Ford's goal is a 10 to 20 percent fuel economy improvement over larger displacement V6 engines without compromising power. It's expected to have at least 230 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque. Ford hasn't announced which models will receive this engine and surprisingly the first application may not even be in a car. Note that the Explorer America Concept was shown with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine.

The 2010 model year sees the introduction of EcoBoost engines in the Ford Flex, Taurus SHO, Lincoln MKS and MKT. Ford expects its to offer EcoBoost engines in 90 percent of its vehicles by 2013.

The current Ford Transit is built in Turkey on a version of the Euro Focus platform. By mid-2012 production of the Transit is expected to move to one of Ford's plants in the U.S.

The next-gen Transit will be built on the new Focus platform that we are expected to get here as well. Production of the Focus and other vehicles on that platform will commence at Ford's Wayne, Michigan and Louisville, Kentucky plants.

Last year Ford built custom Mustang AV8R the for the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Gathering of Eagles festival. The car was auctioned off for the charity for $500,000.

This year Ford has produced another Mustang with the same aviation theme, dubbed the AV-X10 Dearborn Doll. It is based off the 2010 Mustang and features 19" wheels, a rear spoiler, and a lower rear fascia that were all borrowed from the GT500. The glass roof also features a star and bar design.

Under the hood the 4.6L V8 now puts out 550 horsepower thanks to the Ford Racing Performance Parts surpercharger kit. The FR500S exhaust, and FRPP's Handling Pack are also included.

The car will be auctioned off during the 2009 EAA Air Venture in Oshkosh starting next week.

The U.S. House approved a plan that will force GM and Chrysler to renew agreements with the dealers that were unexpectedly closed during their bankruptcy proceedings. The bill that is opposed by Barack Obama passed 219 to 208 yesterday and would require the automakers to restore franchise agreements with the dealers in order to get future government aid. U.S. lawmakers feel that the automakers terminated dealerships with little notice or explanation.

"There is so much confusion about how they went about it," House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat, said before the vote. He pointed to a dealer in his district who he said "runs a good business."

"I do not, for the life of me, understand why he would be knocked off," Obey said. Lawmakers "are trying to send a message they want clearer decision-making in terms of who got weeded out and who didn't."

It's unclear how the Senate will vote on the bill although the Obama administration "strongly opposes" the bill. "The decision by Chrysler and GM to rationalize their dealer networks was a critical part of their overall restructuring to achieve long-term viability," the administration said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the newly unretired Bob Lutz stated that the soon to be dead Pontiac G8 was going to live on under the Chevy brand as the Caprice in the US. This statement contradicted statements from GM CEO Fritz Henderson who stated that the G8 would not be rebranded for one of GM's remaining brands.

Well now it looks like Lutz is retracting his earlier statements:

"The G8 will not be a Caprice after all. I'd mentioned it, and said we were studying it, giving it a serious look, because a car like the G8 was just too good to waste."

"That's all still true. But I have to say that, with my new "marketing" hat on, upon further review and careful study, we simply cannot make a business case for such a program. Not in today's market, in this economy, and with fuel regulations what they are and will be."

According to a recent Merrill Lynch report Ford is expected to gain market share in the next few years, while its domestic competitors, GM and Chrysler are expected to see declines.

The annual "Car Wars" study from Merrill Lynch claims that Ford's market share could surpass GM's. Over the next three years Ford's share could go up three points to 18 percent, while GM would likely be around 15-16 percent.

"We continue to believe Ford is effectively executing on its restructuring plan, while bolstering liquidity, and view the results of our Car Wars study as further evidence that management is making all of the right moves," Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy said in a separate note to clients on Wednesday.

Ford is just about to launch the new Taurus and now comes word that the next Taurus could be built off the same platform as the next Fusion/ Mondeo. Ford is currently working on plans to consolidate three different platforms that are the foundation of the automaker's mid-large size vehicles worldwide.

The next Fusion is expected to use an evolution of the European C/D-class platform which underpins the Ford Mondeo and Galaxy in Europe. The next Taurus could also use a version of this platform, although it would be longer than the Fusion, but smaller than the one that is about to be launched.

If Ford does go ahead with these plans, it would still be a few years off. Ford is currently working on an all-new Explorer that will share the same platform as the Taurus.

GM is also looking at a similar strategy by moving the Chevy Impala to the same platform as the Malibu. Although GM won't confirm it, the automaker is considering moving the Impala to the Epsilon II platform that is expected to be the foundation of the next Malibu.

Although GM CEO Fritz Henderson has repeatedly stated that the Pontiac G8 would not be sold under another GM brand after Pontiac's demise, Bob Lutz has reportedly stated it will. Bob Lutz recently stated that the Pontiac G8 will live on under the Chevy brand as the Chevy Caprice.

"The last time we looked at [the G8], we decided that we would continue to import it as a Chevrolet," Lutz said. "It is kind of too good to waste."

GM has officially exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and what's left is what GM is now referring to as the "new" GM.

"Today marks a new beginning for General Motors, one that will allow every employee, including me, to get back to the business of designing, building and selling great cars and trucks and serving the needs of our customers," said Fritz Henderson, president and CEO. "We are deeply appreciative for the support we have received during this historic transformation, and we will work hard to repay this trust by building a successful new General Motors."

The new GM consists of four core brands: Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet and GMC, which means a total of only 34 nameplates. Less GM models will allow GM to focus more attention on making each model more competitive. In addition the new GM has a more competitive cost structure, a cleaner balance sheet, and a stronger liquidity position that will enable GM to invest in new products, key technologies, and its future.

The U.S. Treasury department reportedly owns 60 percent of the new GM, while Canada holds 11.7% and the UAW holds 17.6%.

June 2009 auto sales are just being reported and it looks like the revived Chevy Camaro outsold the also new Ford Mustang. According to GM, the automaker sold 9,320 Camaros, which compares to the 7,632 Mustangs that Ford sold.

GM still has a backlog of 10,000 Camaro orders to fill, so it remains to be seen if the Camaro will continue to outsell the Mustang once all the pre-orders are filled. Just in case you're wondering, Chrysler only managed to sell 1,369 Dodge Challengers last month.

Today is officially the start of July and with that comes the sales numbers for the month of June. While we wait for all the official numbers, here are the top ten best-selling vehicles last month:

* Ford F-Series: 35,915
* Toyota Camry: 26,394
* Chevy Silverado: 24,766
* Honda Accord: 23,995
* Honda Civic: 20,954
* Toyota Corolla: 19,935
* Ford Fusion: 18,561
* Nissan Altima: 16,350
* Ford Escape: 15,385
* Chevy Impala: 14,931

Of course the Ford F-Series continues to dominate the list. Ford as a whole also had the most top models with the F-Series, Fusion and Escape all making the list. Missing from the list is the recently redesigned Dodge Ram.

GM has announced the start of a 72-hour sale that includes zero percent financing for up to 72 months on all Pontiacs and large Chevy and GMC trucks and SUVs.

The soon to be dead Pontiac Vibe, G3, G5, G6 and G8 are all included in the sale, which starts today and funny enough runs through July 6th. Too bad that is a little longer than 72 hours... In addition to all the Pontiac models, GM is also including the Chevy Impala, Silverado and Tahoe in addition to the GMC Yukon and Sierra models in the sale.

Other GM models will also have zero percent financing, but for only 60 months.

GM has announced plans to end its 25 year New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) joint venture with Toyota.

The plant currently produces the Pontiac Vibe and has produced other GM vehicles such as the Geo/Chevrolet Prizm in the past. Production of the Vibe will end at the plant in August. GM and Toyota could not come to an agreement on a product plan that made sense for both parties.

It's not known what this announcement will mean for the Fremont, CA plant that also produces the Toyota Corolla and Tacoma.

GM has announced the pricing for the 2010 GMC Terrain that will be available in dealerships this September.

The 2010 GMC Terrain starts at $24,995 for the front-wheel-drive model and $26,745 for the all-wheel-drive version (including a $745 destination charge). The Terrain is powered by a 182-hp 2.4L direct-injection engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and gets an estimated 32 mpg on the highway. A 264-hp 3.0L direct injected V6 is also available.

The Terrain comes standard with such features as a rear-view camera, a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with USB connectivity and XM satellite radio, six airbags and StabiliTrak vehicle stability control.

How sad this 2010 Ford Taurus SHO apparently left the Ford dealership only to return on a flatbed. It's not even on sale yet and apparently it ended up in a three car pile up.

More bad news for Detroit's automakers, a new study from Grant Thornton LLP's Corporate Advisory and Restructuring Service estimates that by 2012 they will produce less vehicles on US soil than their Asian and European competitors.

Although domestic automakers are expected to return to profitability by 2012, their production will be outpaced by import automakers like Toyota, VW, Hyundai and Honda. The estimated projection is that domestic automakers will reduce production in the US by 35 percent, while import automakers will increase US production by 20 percent. The final total from Chrysler, Ford and GM is estimated at 7.5 million with all other automakers coming in at a combined 8 million units.

Grant Thornton Principal Kimberly Rodriguez stated "Suppliers largely dependent on Detroit OEMs will have to present a new value equation to potential customers from Europe and Asia if they want to participate in the accelerated shift that is coming."

J.D. Power and Associates has released its 2009 Initial Quality Study (IQS) with Lexus taking the lead this year with only 84 problems per 100 vehicles.

This year's top five nameplates were Lexus followed by Porsche, Cadillac, Hyundai and Honda. Hyundai managed to move up to the number 4 spot from 13th position in 2008 and Cadillac moved up from the 10th spot in 2008.

Suzuki managed to have the most gains this year moving up to the 9th spot from the 32nd spot last year.

The study also claims that domestic automakers improved their quality by 10 percent compared to 2008, which is higher than the 8 percent industry average.

Besides the 300 and Challenger, Chrysler doesn't really anything else exciting in its car range. The current Sebring and Avenger mid-size sedans don't even come close to their Camry/ Accord competitors, so now Chrysler is trying to figure out a way to bring the 200C concept to life.

The 200C concept was shown at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January and should have been everything the Sebring and Avenger were when they were launched. The concept is based on a shortened LX platform, which means the possibility of RWD and AWD configurations for the new midsize. There is a possibility that Fiat's D-Evo platform could be used, but execs are worried that the platform may not be large enough.

Ford has unveiled the 2010 Ford Mustang with the glass roof option and just in case you're worried about the sun's rays, the roof blocks out 90 percent of UV rays. Ford even claims that roof's UV-filtering capability is equal to wearing SPF 50.

The glass roof option adds another $1,995 to the price of either the V6 Mustang or Mustang GT.

It has been reported for quite a while that Chrysler was going to eventually kill the PT Cruiser. The latest reports had slated its death for this summer, but since the automaker now has a new owner it looks like the little wagon will continue in production for a little longer.

The PT Cruiser officially went into production at the end of 1999 and now ten years later the vehicle has remained largely unchanged. According to new reports the PT Cruiser will continue to be produced until the end of 2010 at Chrysler's Mexico plant. Once production is stopped, Chrysler will start retooling the plant for the Fiat 500 and a Jeep version of the Fiat Panda. The Fiat 500 will start production at the Toluca plant in the summer of 2011.

Citing increased inventory levels, GM has announced that production of the 2010 Chevy Malibu hybrid have been suspended.

Apparently inventory levels are high enough of the 2009 Malibu hybrid, that GM doesn't need to produce any more at the vehicle's current selling rate. GM's hybrid spokesman Brian Corbett recently told AutoblogGreen that there are no plans to produce any of the mild hybrid models:

"There will be some MY2010 production. We will fulfill some MY2010 fleet orders for the Malibu Hybrid. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding between GM and Penske Automotive Group, Saturn plans to offer the Aura, Vue and Outlook models in 2010. Specific details of which versions (i.e. hybrids) has not yet been determined. "

Fiat has officially closed the deal and taken over Chrysler this morning. The takeover now means that Fiat's Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne will become CEO of Chrysler.

Fiat is now going to start transferring Fiat's technology, platforms and powertrains to Chrysler plants. Chrysler's plants are also going to resume production soon, since they were idled during the bankruptcy process and cost the automaker up to $100 million a day.

"We intend to build on Chrysler's culture of innovation and Fiat's complementary technology and expertise to expand Chrysler's product portfolio both in North America and overseas," Marchionne said.

"This morning's closing represents a proud moment in Chrysler's storied history," said the U.S. Treasury Department. "The Chrysler-Fiat Alliance has now exited the bankruptcy process and is poised to emerge as a competitive, viable automaker."

Fiat currently owns a 20 percent stake in Chrysler, which will eventually be increased to 35 percent, but Fiat cannot gain majority control until all taxpayer funds are repaid.

The U.S. Supreme Court has removed the temporary stay that was issued yesterday clearing the way for the completion of the Fiat/ Chrysler deal.

The high court rejected arguments from three Indiana pension and construction funds who are against the sale.

Chrysler and Fiat are now free to complete their deal.

Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court delayed the Fiat/ Chrysler deal to listen to arguments from three Indiana pension and construction funds who are against the sale. The funds have been fighting the sale since since they feel that it unfairly favors Chrysler's unsecured stakeholders ahead of secured debtholders like themselves.

Under the terms of the agreement with Fiat, Fiat has the option to abandon the deal if it is not completed by June 15th. It is not known how long the Supreme Court is going to delay the deal, but Fiat has announced that the automaker has no plans to end the deal.

"Fiat won't walk away from Chrysler," Fiat spokesman Gualberto Ranieri said.

GM has announced this morning that the former AT&T CEO, Edward Whitacre, Jr. will become chairman of the "new" GM when the company is launched this summer. GM's interim Chairman Kent Kresa will continue to serve as interim chairman until the launch.

"The appointment of Ed Whitacre as chairman represents a very auspicious beginning for the New GM," said Kresa. "We look forward to working with him to complete the reinvention of GM and maximize the enormous potential of this new enterprise."

Whitacre and Kresa will join current board members Philip A. Laskawy, Kathryn V. Marinello, Erroll B. Davis, Jr., E. Neville Isdell and President and Chief Executive Officer Frederick A. Henderson will serve as the board for the new GM. The six other members of the board will likely retire.

"I am honored to be able to serve GM at this critical juncture and take part in its reinvention," said Whitacre.

The upcoming sale of Chrysler LLC to Fiat has been temporarily delayed by a by a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg acted right before the 4pm deadline from a U.S. appeals court in New York. Indiana pension funds and consumer groups asked the Supreme Court over the weekend to stop the sale of Chrysler so that they could challenge the sale. The end of the appeals court would have allowed Chrysler to proceed with the sale to Fiat.

Chrysler and the Obama administration are worried that if the deal is delayed too long it could kill the deal. Fiat has the option of walking away from the deal if it is not done by June 15.

Chrysler and the U.S. Treasury Department had no immediate response to the announcement.

Days after GM officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the automaker has announced an deal with Penske Automotive Group, which will officially acquire the Saturn brand.

Under the proposed deal, Penske would officially own the Saturn brand and GM would continue production of the Saturn Vue, Aura and Outlook on a contract basis. The Saturn Astra and Sky are apparently not part of the deal, which means they will be dead. The deal will save 350 dealerships and approximately 13,000 jobs.

The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

Following yesterday's bankruptcy announcement, GM has announced that the automaker has entered "into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a buyer for Hummer."

GM stopped short of revealing who the buyer is, but stated that the sale is expected to close by the end of the third quarter this year. GM also stated that the buyer is committed to aggressively funding future HUMMER vehicles, hopefully like the H3T and that 3,000 jobs are now secure.

Well it was Chrysler last month and now as many people expected, GM has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

GM has officially filed for bankruptcy in a New York court citing $82 billion in assets, but an astounding $172 billion in debts. Although GM for most of its 100-year history has managed to hold the title as the world's largest automaker, the automaker has seen its sales drop almost 50 percent this year.

“Today marks a new beginning for General Motors,” GM Chairman Kent Kresa said in a statement this morning. “A court-supervised process and transfer of assets will enable a New GM to emerge as a stronger, healthier, more focused and nimbler company with a determination not to just survive but to excel.”

The process will see GM divided into two groups, good assets and bad assets. The good assets will become part of the new "leaner" GM and the bad assets will be liquidated. To aid in the process the U.S. treasury is going to provide an additional $30 billion to finance GM during the bankruptcy, which brings the total to almost $50 billion.

Cadillac has announced the pricing for the all-new 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover.

The new SRX will be at dealerships this summer with a starting price of $34,155. For 2010 the SRX will be offered with a choice of two direct-injected V6 engines. Either a 260-hp 3.0L or a 300-hp turbocharged 2.8L. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Additionally Cadillac is also going to release the CTS Sport Wagon later this summer. The CTS wagon will feature the same 3.0L V6 as the SRX and get an estimated 28 mpg on the highway.

The new 2010 Mustang is just beginning to hit the streets and for most Mustang enthusiasts the current engine lineup leaves much to be desired, especially compared to the new Camaro.

Well before the 2010 Mustang was launched it was stated that the 2011 model would see changes to the engine lineup. Well it is now being confirmed that Ford is working on a new 5.0L V8 that will put out somewhere around 400 horsepower. Codenamed "Coyote", the new V8 will be used in the Mustang and F150 thereby replacing the 4.6L and 5.4L V8s. Ford Australia product development director Russell Christophers has confirmed the existence of the new aluminum double-overhead cam 5.0-liter V8, “I have seen the performance curves and it is a pretty good engine,” he said.

The new V8 will begin appearing in the Mustang and F150 sometime in 2010.

The last Mercury Sable is expected to roll off the production line this Thursday. Even though Ford is releasing an all-new Taurus, Ford decided to not spend the money on a Mercury variant...so we're saying bye bye to the Sable once again.

"The last Sable will roll down the line on Thursday," said Ford spokeswoman Angie Kozleski.

The death of the Sable leaves Mercury with only four models, the Mariner, Mountaineer, Milan and Grand Marquis. Both the Mountaineer and Grand Marquis are expected to be dead within the next few years. Mercury is supposed to be getting a new small car, even though nothing has been officially confirmed yet.

Ford chose to not develop a new Sable so that they could invest more money in the Taurus.

"They had to make a choice, and their choice is to polish the Blue Oval," Analyst Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics said.

Ford has officially announced the debut of the 2010 Lincoln MKS with the new 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine.

The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 puts out 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft. of torque thanks to direct-injection and twin turbochargers. The EcoBoost V6 gives the Lincoln MKS the power of a normally aspirated 4.6L V8, but without sacrificing fuel economy. The MKS with EcoBoost will get at least 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

The 2010 MKS with EcoBoost has standard 19-inch wheels, steering-wheel paddle shifters, all-wheel-drive and adaptive HID headlights. Also included are rain-sensing wipers and a rear-window power shade.

For even more distinction there is the Appearance Package which includes, luxury seats in Sienna with Charcoal Black Tuxedo Seam, illuminated MKS sill plates and upgraded floormats. Outide the package gives you a distinctive grille, front lip spoiler rear fascia lower, side rockers and door cladding, decklid lip spoiler with chrome insert and modified MKS decklid badge ("S" in red).

Just like Chrysler did yesterday, GM has announced plans to close 1,100 of its "underperforming" dealers.

Although GM has identified the 1,100 dealers that will be closed, the automaker is not closing any dealerships today. GM will be working with the dealerships over the next few weeks to come up with a long term plan. It is expected that their will be a wind-down of the affected dealers over the next year. This is in contrast to Chrysler's plans to close its affected dealers by June 9th.

GM likely to announce more dealer cuts in the future since the automaker wants to pare down its network from 5,969 stores to approximately 3,600 by the end of 2010.

Chrysler has announced plans to reject 789 of its current dealers. The 789 dealers were sent overnight letters informing them that they have until June 9th to close their doors.

Chrysler officially filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to reject certain Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep dealers. 2,392 dealers will continue to sell vehicles under the new company in a global alliance with Fiat. Chrysler plans on continuing "business as usual" with all of its dealers and intends to honor warranty and incentive payments during the period that "rejected" dealers remain open.

Following yesterday's photo leaks, GM has officially unveiled the next-generation 2010 Opel Astra ahead of its unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall.

The 2010 Astra borrows styling cues from the mid-size Insignia. The new Astra has more interior room thanks to a longer wheelbase. It also features a cab-forward design that exhibits Opel's new design language, sculptural artistry combined with German precision. The wing and blade design cues on the exterior are also used on the inside.

There are a total of eight engines that will be offered, four diesel and four gasoline powered. The diesel engines range in size from 1.3L to 2.0L units, putting out between 95- 160 horsepower. The four gasoline engines put out from 100hp to 180hp.

Now that Saturn is dead, it's been rumored that Buick will receive this new Astra.

Ford has announced a new series of safety testing that the automaker is using to evaluate the the sensitivity of new air bag pressure sensors being introduced on the new 2009 F-150 and 2010 Taurus.

The new "extreme" testing involves ramming shopping carts into car doors and blasting water cannons. The new airbag sensors being used in the new F-150 and 2010 Taurus use pressure-based sensors rather than acceleration-based sensors to determine the severity of a crash. The new sensors perform better in crash tests and are less likely to be effected by vehicle design differences.

Since engineers were worried that everyday mishaps could trick the new sensors, Ford's engineers came up with came up with tests like a shopping cart loaded with a 110 pound weight that was rammed into the car at 10 mph.

A new document has surfaced that reports that GM is planning on selling vehicles it makes in China, in the US by 2011. The document that was given to lawmakers reports that GM plans on selling 17,335 units of China-made vehicles in the U.S. by 2011 and hopes to increase that number to 51,546 by 2014 according to the Automotive News.

The plan does not reveal which vehicles the US will receive, but the 50,000+ vehicles only represents 1.6 percent of the planned 3.1 million vehicles GM expects to sell in 2014.

Of course union leaders are not too happy about the plan.

Ford is recalling 8,735 2009 Ford F-150 trucks to fix an issue with the brake lights.

According to NHTSA the issue has to do with the brake stop lamp switch and in some situations of very mild braking, the brake stop lamps may not illuminate. Dealers have been instructed to inspect the affected vehicles and to reinstall the brake stop lamp switch free of charge.

Chrysler has only been in bankruptcy for close to two weeks, but the automaker is beginning to see how serious Obama's Automotive Task Force is. Chrysler had planned on spending $134 million over the next nine weeks on advertising, but Obama's team has reportedly only given the automaker half that amount.

Judge Arthur Gonzalez was skeptical about spending even 50 percent of that amount considering all of Chrysler's plants have been idled. Robert Manzo, executive director of Capstone Advisory Group and a consultant to Chrysler, testified at a May 4 hearing that the task force "believed that it was not feasible to not spend anything on marketing and advertising for fear of eroding the image of the brand," during the company's planned nine weeks in bankruptcy.

Steven Landry, Chrysler exec VP-sales and marketing said in a statement that the advertising efforts "gives us the opportunity to reinforce that it's business as usual and demonstrate a bright future ahead for Chrysler."

GM North America President Troy Clarke and soon to be departing Vice Chairman Bob Lutz plus four other execs have sold more than 200,000 shares of GM stock.

Spokeswoman Julie Gibson says the sales don’t show a lack of faith in the company. As GM comes closer to the June 1st deadline, GM has publicly disclosed to its shareholders that they run the risk of losing their investments if GM does end up filing for bankruptcy.

Bob Lutz sold all of his 81,360 shares for a total of $130,989.60, while Troy Clarke sold his 21,380 shares for $31,001.

The deal between Fiat and Chrysler could mean that Ford could eventually bring its small Ka to the US.

The Ford Ka and Fiat 500 are built on the same platform that as developed by Fiat. Currently there are plans for Fiat to build the 500 at one of Chrysler's North American plants, when the vehicle eventually goes on sale here. Chrysler also wants a small car that would share the same underpinnings as the 500 and Ka. Since US car buyers historically like larger cars, the only way to make a profit would be to some how manage to sell more of them and bringing the Ford Ka here could help achieve that goal. By building three cars all built on the same platform in the US, costs could be more evenly spread out. This would provide more fuel for the business case to bring the little Ka here since the vehicle could actually be profitable.

There is no word yet on if Ford does indeed plan on bringing the Ka here. If the Ka did come here, it would be one of the smallest vehicles on the road, since its only marginally bigger than the Smart ForTwo.

GM has dropped the SS versions of the Chevy Impala and Cobalt sedan for the 2010 model year.

The news came from GM's 2010 Online Order / Reference Guide for dealers. The death of the Impala SS is not that great of a loss, but the Cobalt SS sedan was a decent competitor with its 260-hp, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine.

At the end of April a Camaro5 forum member Bumleb was driving his brand new 2010 Chevy Camaro SS with only 40 miles on it, when it shut down. The culprit was a battery cable that was run from the trunk. The insulation had worn down from rubbing against the starter, which caused it to short out and shut down the car. GM has issued a voluntary safety recall of the 2010 Camaro SS because of a potential shorting problem with the starter making contact with an exposed battery positive starter cable.

GM has a temporary fix, which involves wrapping the battery positive starter cable with protective insulating tape and rerouting the cable to ensure proper clearance between the starter and the battery positive starter cable. A permanent fix is available after May 11th and that includes doing the same procedure as the temporary fix, but with engine wiring harness tape.

Owners have the option of getting the temporary fix now or they can leave their cars at the dealer until the engine wiring harness tape is received by the dealers on May 11th. Lastly the recall only affects V8 equipped Camaros.

Now that Saturn has one foot in the grave, GM is looking at other ways of selling Opels in the US. The newest rumor claims that Buick is going to receive a version of the small Astra.

If these rumors are in fact true, Buick will be getting a new small car in 2011 as a 2012 model. It's not yet known if the Buick will use the Astra name or get something entirely new. It's also not known if it will be a hatchback, a sedan or both. Saturn was expected to get three and five-door versions of the next Astra.

Does Buick really need a new small car? This rumor brings back memories of the not so great Skylark.

Ford has announced plans to turn its former Michigan truck plant into a more modern small car production facility.

Ford is going to invest $550 million in the Michigan Assembly Plant to transform it into a "lean, green and flexible" plant that will build the next-generation global Ford Focus and a new battery-electric version for the North American market. The new Focus is set to start production next year and the all-electric Focus will debut in 2011.

Formerly the plant was the production site for the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.

Demand for the 2010 Chevy Camaro has prompted GM to add a shift for the week of June 29th at the Oshawa, Ontario plant. That week was originally planned as a week off.

The Peterborough Examiner is also reporting that the flex line workers will begin working overtime on Saturdays during June, July and August.

Chrysler has announced new incentives for the month of May to move more of its vehicles off dealer lots by giving buyers what they want...more cash.

Beginning today, Chrysler is now offering $4,000 consumer cash on 2009 vehicles, $1,000 owner loyalty for current Chrysler owners and $1,000 credit union bonus cash for qualified members. So that basically means that some buyers will be able to get up to $6,000 towards the purchase of a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep.

The incentives run through June 1, 2009.

GM has announced in its most recent Viability Plan to pull forward the resolution of Saturn by the end of 2009. So even though Saturn will not be a part of GM by the end of the year, the automaker is going to move forward with the hybrid plans that were initially planned for Saturn.

Saturn currently has two hybrids in its lineup, the Aura and Vue. A Vue plug-in hybrid was planned for 2011, but now that the Vue will be dead soon GM has pledged that the technology will be used in one of its other four core brands. In addition there will not be a delay in the introduction of the plug-in technology.

It's still not known, which brand will get the technology. Maybe the new Chevy Equinox or GMC Terrain, since they are built on the same platform as the Saturn Vue...

Last week Chrysler officially declared Chapter 11 and now more details are surfacing about what the future holds for the automaker. Chrysler’s manufacturing chief Frank Ewasyshyn recently stated in court that the bankruptcy and plant shutdowns are going to delay the introduction of the 2010 models and that some 2011 models may also be delayed.

Once Chrysler starts producing vehicles again, the first models to be produced will be the remainder of the vehicles that are now partially built in Chrysler's plants. Preparations to switch over to the new models will delay the introduction of 2010 models.

The delay is likely to cut into Chrysler's already dismal sales. Let's hope they can get it all ironed out before the introduction of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300.

Now that Chrysler and Fiat have managed to come to an agreement and Chrysler has officially entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy, what is next?

Industry analysts predict that by 2011 a Fiat-run Chrysler will look very different in the US. Many of Chrysler's under performing models will likely be nixed and replaced by Fiat sourced models and some will not be replaced.

Chrysler is expected to become more of a niche automaker. It's new lineup will not likely guarantee huge profits, according to some analysts, but the bankruptcy reorganization puts Chrysler in a position to be profitable.

Following the announcement of Chrysler's bankruptcy yesterday, attention is now focusing on what will happen to GM at the end of this month.

GM has a deadline of June 1st to convince 90 percent of its bondholders to swap $27 billion in debt for a 10 percent stake in the company. If the United Auto Workers and bondholders cannot agree to money-saving concessions by the end of the month, GM could also be forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

"When there is a lot of bluffing going on in any negotiation, this shows the government is serious," said Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive officer of Edmunds.com

Earlier this week GM announced an updated Viability Plan that announced the death of Pontiac, more plant and dealer closures and more job cuts in an effort to qualify for more government aid.

Currently GM and its bond holders remain far apart on an agreement to swap debt for stake in the company. GM originally offered a 10 percent stake in exchange for $27 billion in debt, but the bond holders quickly counter offered with a deal that would give them a 58 percent stake in the company.

GM's current exchange offer expires on May 26.

Part of yesterday's announcement that Chrysler is going to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings is that Chrysler’s chairman and chief executive, Bob Nardelli will step down once the restructuring process is complete.

When Nardelli leaves Chrysler, he will leave with nothing. Meaning he will not get a hefty severance package.

I’ll pick up my pencil and walk out the door”, Nardelli said on Thursday.

In contrast when Nardelli left his last post at Home Depot he made $32 million in his last year and also received a severance package worth $210 million. Nardelli did not have a contract at Chrysler when he took control of the automaker in August 2007.

Following the completion of the restructuring process, Fiat will control 20 percent of Chrysler, which could rise up to as much as 35 percent as Fiat pays off the government loans that Chrysler received. Nardelli's replacement will be decided upon by Chrysler's new board and with Fiat's approval.

The news that GM has killed Pontiac may make some of you want to rush out and buy a G8 or Solstice in the hope that it may one day become a collectors item, but you may want to rethink that.

According to General Manager Rob Huting of AutoTrader Classic, the current Pontiacs are unlikely to become significant to collectors. GM has already produced 12,000 units of the G8, which has only been on the market for a short time. Although it represents a good performance value, it is unlikely to become as collectible as say a Corvette. The same will likely go for the Solstice or any other car currently in the Pontiac lineup.

President Obama has officially announced that Chrysler will enter into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and on a more positive note the automaker has finally reached an agreement with Fiat and will enter into a partnership. The Chrysler and Fiat partnership will provide each automaker with access to additional markets. Additionally Fiat powertrains and technology will be produced at Chrysler plants.

"This partnership transforms Chrysler into a vibrant new company with a wealth of strategic advantages," said Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO of Chrysler. "It enables us to better serve our customers and dealers with a broader and more competitive line-up of environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient high-quality vehicles. Benefits to the new company include access to exciting products that complement our current portfolio, technology cooperation and stronger global distribution."

The restructuring plan is expected to last 30-60 days. Also part of the announcement is that Chrysler CEO, Nardelli is going to step down once the restructuring process is complete. Nardelli claims that leaving is his choice and that he was not asked to leave.

"Now is an appropriate time to let others take the lead in the transformation of Chrysler with Fiat," said Nardelli. "I will work closely with all of our stakeholders to see that this new company swiftly emerges with a successful closing of the alliance."

Part of the restructuring process states that most manufacturing processes will be temporarily idled starting on May 4, 2009. Production will not restart until the restructuring is complete.

Also part of the plan states that Fiat can not become a majority owner until all the government loans are repaid.

This past weekend a team of Ford drivers sought out to drive 1,000 miles in a 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid on a single tank of gas. Well it looks like they succeeded.

The drivers passed the 1,000 mile marker Monday morning and still managed to have more than a third of a tank of gas left. In total the drivers managed to get 1445.7 miles on a single tank, which averaged 81.5 mpg.

The event also raised more than $8,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

In addition to announcing the death of Pontiac, GM is launching an exchange offer with its bondholders in exchange for equity in the automaker.

GM has announced that it is offering common stock plus accrued interest in cash for $27 billion of outstanding public debt. Bond holders would own 10 percent of GM. If GM does not get enough enough tenders of notes to consummate the exchange offers by June 1, 2009, GM will seek "bankruptcy relief."

If the plan does go through bondholders will own 10 percent of GM, while the U.S. government and VEBA (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association) would then own around 89 percent of GM's stock post- debt-for-equity swap. The remaining 1 percent would be owned by GM's current common shareholders.

As was rumored last week, GM has officially announced the death of the Pontiac brand this morning.

General Motors released an updated Viability Plan this morning that focuses on speeding up the reinvention of GM's U.S. operations. GM hopes to become more leaner, more customer focused and a more cost-competitive automaker.

GM is going to continue to focus on its four core brands, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC, which unfortunately for G8 fans means the death of Pontiac. Pontiac is going to be phased out by the end of 2010. In 2010 GM plans on offering a total of 34 nameplates, which is a reduction of 29 percent from 48 nameplates in 2008.

The updated plan also moves up the resolution of Saab, Saturn and Hummer to the end of 2009, at the latest, which is two years earlier than expected for Saturn.

Last week it was rumored that GM could eventually kill Pontiac and GMC to cut costs. Now according to Inside Line, GM could kill Pontiac as early as this coming Monday.

Inside Line called Tom Wilkinson, news relations PR man for General Motors, who said: "There's nothing I can share with you at this time. Keep your eyes on our media site. Officially, nothing has changed with Pontiac's niche-brand status, until you hear differently."

Pontiac was officially labeled as a "niche" brand in GM's first viability plan that was released last December. According to a source GM is going to announce a "faster, deeper" reorganization plan that will likely include a death sentence for the brand that brought us the GTO, Firebird and most recently the G8.

Ford has announced a team of drivers that will attempt to drive more than 1,000 miles in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid on a single tank of gas.

The team will drive more than 1,000 miles for more than 43 continuous hours on a single tank to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The drivers consist of Ford engineers, Wayne Gerdes and the NASCAR star Carl Edwards. The drivers will have to average at least 57 mpg in order to reach their goal. During preliminary testing engineers reached as much as 70 mpg in the Fusion Hybrid.

The 1,000-Mile Challenge starts at around 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., and ends the morning of Monday, April 27, in Washington, D.C.

Buick chose the Shanghai Auto Show to unveil the Buick Business Concept MPV.

The Buick Business Concept is meant to showcase Buick's future vision of "business class on the road." The MPV was developed in China by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center. Designers started with the design language that was established by the Riviera concept car and applied it to an MPV architecture.

"The Business Concept Vehicle has a grand presence and makes a strong statement when it pulls up to the front of any establishment," said Ed Welburn, GM Vice President of Global Design. "The Chinese market and business person have some unique requirements. Our team has responded with an elegant solution to their business and personal needs."

The Business Concept is powered by a 2.4L four-cylinder with direct-injection mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The concept has also been designed to accommodate the next-generation GM Hybrid system. The new system builds upon the belt-alternator-starter hybrid technology and improves fuel-economy by 20 percent.

Ford has released a new study today that claims that the automaker's initial quality is better than Honda and that it is now in a tie with Toyota.

According to the 2009 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) survey conducted quarterly for Ford by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Ford is now statistically tied with Toyota at the top of the industry in initial vehicle quality.

The survey measured two things, the number of things gone wrong and customer satisfaction with vehicle quality over the first three months of ownership.

Ford's initial quality has improved five percent over last year.

GM may be close to a June 1st bankruptcy filing if the automaker can't restructure. In an effort to show that the automaker is serious GM may kill Pontiac and GMC in an effort to further cut costs.

Killing Pontiac and GMC would eventually mean that GM would only have three brands: Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac. The Saturn, Saab and HUMMER brands are either going to be sold off or closed.

According to some sources GMC has a better chance of surviving than Pontiac.

Currently the two brands are being studied as GM tries to find a way to avoid bankruptcy.

Fiat's CEO, Sergio Marchionne has told the Globe and Mail and mail that the possible partnership with Chrysler will succeed if the automaker cannot cut labor costs.

Marchionne told the newspaper that the partnership only has a 50-50 chance because of the lack of progress in talks with union leaders. He also stated that Canadian unions have been especially resistant.

"Absolutely we are prepared to walk. There is no doubt in my mind," Marchionne said in an interview posted on the Toronto newspaper's website.

In order for the partnership to work, Chrysler's unions need to agree to labor costs that are equal to that of Japanese and German automakers.

The latest version of the proposed partnership between Fiat and Chrysler states that Fiat would take a 20 percent stake in Chrysler in exchange for the technology to make small cars and access to foreign markets. Fiat would also gain access to the US market.

Fiat and Chrysler have until the April 30th deadline to finalize the deal. If a deal is not reached Chrysler will be forced into bankruptcy. If a deal is reached the U.S. government will provide an additional $6 billion in funding.

According to Motor Trend, GM has approved the Cadillac Converj Concept for production. The extended-range electric coupe is based on the same architecture that powers the Chevy Volt.

GM execs want the car on the market by 2011 as a 2012 model. In addition a source claims that GM is also working on a crossover that will use the same technology.

A GM spokesperson claims that the Converj has still not been given the green light, but sources that have talked to Motor Trend have given many details that provide more proof that it is likely to be approved.

Of course all of this could change if GM's finances don't improve.

Late last year when GM announced plans to sell a Pontiac-badged version (G3) of the Korean made Chevy Aveo, many of us asked why. Well apparently car buyers have asked the same question or have at least ignored the thinky revised Chevy Aveo that is now also sitting in Pontiac showrooms as the Pontiac G3.

Last month Pontiac only sold 141 units, which means that roughly only 1 in every 19 of GM's approximately 2,700 Pontiac dealers sold a G3. To make matters worse at the end of March Pontiac dealers had 3,479 G3's in stock, which based on the current selling rate would mean that it would take 617 days to move them...almost two years!

Of course the G3 was just launched in February and sometimes it takes new models a few months to ramp up, but the news doesn't look good.

NHTSA has just announced that GM is recalling 1,497,516 vehicles due to potential engine fires.

The vehicles being recalled are powered by GM's 3.8L V6. In some of these vehicles engine oil may drop from the engine onto the exhaust manifold. If the manifold is hot enough the oil could ignite and a fire could spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel, thereby causing an even bigger fire under the hood.

GM dealers are going to remove the existing spark wire retention channel on effected vehicles and install two new spark plug wire retainers.

Buick has announced the pricing for the all-new 2010 Buick LaCrosse.

The 2010 LaCrosse CX starts at $27,835 and that includes a new 255 hp 3.0L direct-injection V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and standard 17-inch wheels.

The CXL FWD at $30,395 adds heated leather seats, automatic climate control, fog lamps and 18-inch wheels. The CXL AWD starts at $32,570. The top of the line CXS starts at $33,765 and includes a 280 horsepower 3.6L V6, leather heated and cooled seats, and chrome-plated 18-inch wheels.

Chrysler has officially unveiled the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee at the 2009 New York Auto Show.

The new Grand Cherokee features a more sculpted crossover-like exterior. Although the Grand Cherokee has been a unibody SUV, just like the new crossovers, it has been lumped in with the aging body-on-frame SUVs in terms of popularity. Chrysler is attempting to appeal to the crossover fans with a sleeker, more athletic exterior. The wheelbase has also been stretched 5.3 inches, its 3 inches wider and the overall length has been increased 1.8 inches.

The 2011 Grand Cherokee gets the first application of Chrysler's new flexible fuel 3.6L V6 engine that puts out 280 horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque. The V6 is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy has also been improved 11 percent over the previous V6 engine. If you need more power the 5.7L HEMI V8 is available with 360 horsepower and 390 lb-ft. of torque. The 4x2 Grand Cherokee with the HEMI V8 can tow up to 7,400 lbs.

GM officially unveiled the 2010 GMC Terrain over the weekend and now we have a video that goes in-depth to explain the car’s styling and design from some of the designers and engineers that worked on it.

The 2010 GMC Terrain will be officially unveiled at the 2009 New York Auto Show this week.

Although the new 2010 GMC Terrain shares its basic platform with the equally new Chevy Equinox, its obvious that GM finally tried to make them look different...although the Terrain definitely has the more controversial design.

"We wanted to carve the GMC Terrain away from the pack and establish its identity as a powerful, fresh crossover SUV with a confident and strong stance," said John Cafaro Jr., director of exterior design, Global Crossover Vehicles. "Everything about the Terrain communicates a sense of tailored toughness and passionate craftsmanship."

After you move past the bold design, the Terrain is powered by the same 182 hp, 2.4L 4-cyl and 264 hp, 3.0L V6 as the Equinox. GM expects the 4-cylinder Terrain to achieve 30 mpg on the highway.

The 2.4L equipped Terrain also sees GM's first use of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology to counteract noise inside the vehicle. Th Terrain also features a standard MultiFlex rear sliding seat that can be fore or aft nearly eight inches.

A new poll shows that a majority of U.S. voters feel that the U.S. economy can recover even if GM goes out of business.

The Rasmussen Reports’ poll found that 76% of U.S. voters surveyed believe that the U.S. economy could recover even if GM were to go out of business. Fifteen percent weren't sure and nine percent disagreed.

Further 77 percent of investors and 74 percent of investors feel that the economy will bounce back even if GM does not.

Additionally 62 percent of voters oppose the U.S. government giving GM and Chrysler further loans to stay in business. Lastly 59 percent believed that it is “very likely” or “somewhat likely" that GM or Chrysler will go out of business in the next few years.

What do you think?

The poll consisted of 1,000 voters and had a margin of error of three percent.

Last week Tesla unveiled the Model S all-electric family sedan that seats up to seven passengers and travels up to 300 miles per charge. Since its unveiling on March 26th, Tesla has received 520 reservations for the car.

“Frankly the number of cars reserved in the first week has exceeded our optimistic internal projections,” said Tesla CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. “Enthusiasm surrounding the Model S is proof that there’s pent-up demand for more affordable, fuel-efficient vehicles - including those made in America.”

The Model S can be recharged from any 120V, 208V or 240V outlet. The Model S reaches 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and has a top speed of 130 mph.

The expected base price for the Model S is $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500. There is a reservation fee of $5,000 that is refundable.

Production is scheduled to begin in late 2011.

GM has asked the U.S. government for an additional $2.6 billion in loans to support the development of new hybrid vehicles.

The loan request would help the development of two spinoffs of the upcoming Chevy Volt. This is the first time that GM has confirmed plans to produce spinoffs of the Volt. In January, GM unveiled the Cadillac Converj concept which was based on the mechanicals of the Volt. GM executives have stated that GM plans on using the Volt system in other models to raise volume and reduce costs.

Chevy has announced the pricing for the all-new 2010 Chevy Equinox.

The 2010 Chevy Equinox will start at $23,185, which is $1,800 less than the outgoing model. The new Equinox can be powered by either a 2.4L Ecotec 4-cylinder with 182 horsepower and an estimated 30 mpg highway or a 3.0L DOHC V6 engine with 264 horsepower and an estimated 25 mpg highway.

Although the 2010 Equinox has a lower starting price than the 2009 model, it will have more standard features when it goes on sale in June.

Of course March sales were down last month compared to March 2008 with GM down 45 percent. For the most part most of the major automakers posted a better month than February, but the sales were still dismal.

Here's the list of the top ten best-selling vehicles last month. Of course most of the same models are listed:

-Ford F-Series: 32,728
-Toyota Camry: 25,783
-Chevy Silverado: 23,508
-Honda Accord: 22,722
-Toyota Corolla: 22,257
-Honda Civic: 20,645
-Nissan Altima: 19,521
-Dodge Ram: 19,328
-Chevy Malibu: 14,772
-Honda CR-V: 12,959

Ford has released the official specs for the 2010 Shelby GT500.

The 2010 Shelby GT500 now puts out an additional 40 horsepower and 30 lb-ft. of torque from its 5.4L DOHC V8 (540 HP and 510 lb-ft.). In addition the new Shelby GT500 now gets an additional 2 mpg on the highway compared to the old model (14 mpg city, 22 mpg highway). Ford made the top gears taller in order to squeeze out more mpg.

Ford also points out that there were improvements to the twin-disk clutch system on the 6-speed manual transmission. Basically the twin disks are now larger and made of copper and fiberglass.

"If you went with one disk, the torque output of the 2010 Shelby GT500 would require that disk to be very large," said Baldori. "The twin-disk system allows us to get the required surface area in a smaller package. Having two disks also lowers the inertia compared with one large disk, which improves drivability."

All these improvements allow the Shelby GT500 to reach 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds and 0-100 mph in 9.4 seconds.

Just like Hyundai a few months ago and GM will start next month, Ford has also launched a new plan to improve consumer confidence and hopefully spark sales.

The Ford Advantage Plan will cover a buyer's vehicle payments for up to 12 months if there is a job loss (up to $700 a month). In addition Ford is also offering zero percent interest on many of its vehicles. Lastly Ford is also working with dealers throughout the country to assist local charities impacted by the economic downturn.

The Ford Advantage Plan starts today and runs until June 1, 2009.

General Motors has launched a new customer protection package called GM Total Confidence to encourage people to start buying cars again.

The new package is similar to what Hyundai launched a few months ago, although GM's version goes a bit further to help potential buyers. The payment protection plan will pay your car payment up to nine months if you lose your job within the first two years of vehicle ownership ($500 max per month). The residual value of the buyer's vehicle is also protected and one year of OnStar is also included.

The GM Total Confidence plan is available for vehicles purchased between April 1 - April 30, 2009.

In its Viability Summary of GM, the U.S. government stated, "While the Volt holds promise, it will likely be too expensive to be commercially successful in the short-term."

The Volt, " is currently projected to be much more expensive than its gasoline-fueled peers and will likely need substantial reductions in manufacturing cost in order to become commercially viable."

The Chevy Volt is expected to be released by the end of 2010 with a starting price of $40,000, which will likely hurts its volume. In the government's audit of GM's restructuring plan, the government stated that GM spent too much time developing the Volt to go against the Prius. Instead the government stated that GM should have been using the time to focus on building better small cars.

This past weekend the Obama administration asked GM's CEO Rick Wagoner to step down as part of its restructuring plan.

The Treasury Department has banned GM from issuing any severance packages to its executives, but that doesn't mean that Wagoner can't receive millions in retirement benefits. Wagoner has worked for GM for nearly 32 years and according to documents Wagoner could receive a $20.2 million pension package.

According to GM spokeswoman Julie M. Gibson, most of Wagoner's benefits will be paid out as an annuity over the next five years. But if GM is forced to file bankruptcy, Wagoner could get a lot less, since less than $1 million of his pension package is guaranteed.

Chrysler has unveiled the 2009 Dodge Challenger SE Rallye, which features a new five-speed automatic mated to the 3.5L V6.

The Dodge Challenger SE Rallye features dual body stripes, chromed fuel door, deck lid spoiler, and 18-inch aluminum wheels.

The new five-speed automatic replaces the archaic four-speed automatic on the V6 equipped Challengers.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger SE Rallye starts at $26,490 (including $725 destination).

President Obama has just finished his press conference regarding the government's decision on the viability plans that were submitted by GM and Chrysler on February 17th after they received $17.4 billion in loans.

“Neither goes far enough to warrant the substantial new investments that these companies are requesting,” Obama said. “They must produce plans that would give the American people confidence in their long-term prospects for success.”

Obama warned the two automakers that they may be forced into a quick bankruptcy. The quick bankruptcy would be quick and could last for as little as 30 days.

"We also cannot continue to excuse poor decisions. And we cannot make the survival of our auto industry dependent on an unending flow of tax dollars. These companies -- and this industry -- must ultimately stand on their own, not as wards of the state."

It's official Rick Wagoner has stepped down from his post as the CEO of GM.

As a request from the government, Wagoner is going to be replaced by Fritz Henderson immediately. The Obama administration requested Wagoner's departure as part of the rescue plan. Wagoner was named president and CEO in 2000, and assumed the role of chairman in 2003.

Fritz Henderson will assume the role immediately. He was previously vice chairman and chief financial officer.

There's more bad news for Cadillac fans in Europe. Yesterday it was reported that GM had stopped plans to introduce a much needed V6 turbodiesel for Cadillac in Europe. Today it looks like GM has decided to pull Cadillac out of half of Europe.

GM has decided to halt Cadillac sales in half of Europe following the collapse of its regional distributor, Kroymans. The issue obviously has to do with the collapse of auto sales.

“We will take it down to less than a dozen markets,” a GM Europe source told Automotive News Europe.

As of right now Cadillacs are sold in 25 European countries.

Tesla has officially unveiled the Model S, which can seat up to five adults and two children and can travel up to 300 miles on a single charge.

The Model S will be the world's first mass produced electric vehicle. It has a range of 300 miles and only takes 45 minutes to recharge. It can also be recharged from any 110V, 220V or 440V outlet. On a 220V outlet it will take 4 hours to recharge. It also costs as little as $4 to fully charge. Replacement batteries are expected to cost less than $5k.

The Model S is powered by a liquid-cooled 9-inch motor, floor-mounted battery pack and a single-speed gearbox. The powertrain accelerates the Model S from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and has a top speed of 120 mph.

The exciting news is that it starts at after the $7,500 tax break the Model S starts at $49,900.

General Motors announced today that 7,631 United Auto Workers have accepted early retirement and buyout offers. The buyout will allow GM to cut costs and hire new, less expensive workers.

"This is a significant milestone of progress towards our restructuring plan," said GM Spokesman Tony Sapienza. "There is more work to do, but this will help us become leaner and stronger."

More than half of the workers accepting the buyouts are located in Michigan.

According to GM most of the workers that accepted the offer were eligible for retirement, meaning they had been employed by GM for over 30 years. Those workers were already eligible for a $37,000/ year pension plus the buyout package that included $20,000 in cash and a $25,000 voucher toward a new GM vehicle.

Those workers that accepted the offer must leave the company by April 1st.

Cadillac has been struggling to gain traction in Europe. A much needed diesel engine, which would have made Cadillac more competitive in Europe has now been canceled.

Cadillac was expected to receive a 2.9-liter V6 turbodiesel that was developed with and was to be manufactured by Italian diesel-engine expert VM Motori S.p.A. According to division spokesperson Joann Krell the diesel has been "indefinitely delayed." A source states that the design and development of the engine has been completed.

The cancellation of the V6 diesel now effectively means that Cadillac is going to have a hard time increasing market share in Europe, since 54 percent of all light vehicles sold in Western Europe are diesel powered. Currently the only diesel powered Cadillac is the slow selling front-wheel-drive BLS.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has launched a new roof strength rating system and has chosen to put 12 small SUVs up to the test.

More than 10,000 people are killed a year in rollovers and SUVs rank higher compared to cars and minivans.

In the Institute's roof strength test, a metal plate is pushed against 1 side of a roof at a constant speed. To earn a good rating, the roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle's weight before reaching 5 inches of crush. This is called a strength-to-weight ratio. For an acceptable rating, the minimum required strength-to-weight ratio is 3.25. A marginal rating value is 2.5. Anything lower than that is poor.

Only 4 of the small SUVs earned the top rating of good: VW Tiguan, Subaru Forester, Honda Element and Jeep Patriot. the VW Tiguan had the strongest roof out of all the SUVs tested. The Suzuki Grand Vitara, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, and Mitsubishi Outlander are rated acceptable. Roofs on the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are marginal, and the Kia Sportage received a poor rating.

The 2010 Chevy Camaro is finally starting to roll off the production line, but there are rumors that two of the hotly anticipated variants are in jeopardy.

The Detroit Bureau is reporting that the Camaro convertible and Z28 variants are being delayed and may eventually be canceled due to the budget crisis hitting GM and its many suppliers. The main issue with the Camaro convertible has to do with the collapse of the German company that was supposed to supply it. It was originally planned that the convertible would launch about a year after the coupe, but since GM now has to seek a new supplier, the convertible could be delayed even further.

As for the Z28, it may just cost too much to produce according to Gene Stefanyshyn, Camaro’s Vehicle Line Executive. Stefanyshyn estimated that it would cost GM approximately $50 million to bring it to market. The Z28 would have featured well over 500 horsepower and would have been the halo car for the Camaro lineup.

Ford has announced the pricing for the redesigned 2010 Lincoln MKZ.

The 2010 Lincoln MKZ now features more standard features and starts at $34,965. The MKZ now comes standard with Bridge Weir leather seats, genuine wood trim, heated and cooled front seats, the popular SYNC entertainment and connectivity system, a reverse sensing system and driver multi-adjustable power seat.

The MKZ is also available with the Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert.

"Customers universally are surprised when they get into a competing vehicle and find out that they have to pay more for luxury features, such as premium leather seats," said Jonathan Richards, Lincoln MKZ Marketing manager. "That's what sets the MKZ apart from the competition. It comes standard with all the features you would expect from a world class entry-level luxury sedan."

The front-wheel-drive MKZ starts at $34,965 and the all-wheel-drive version starts at $36,855.

Chrysler Chief Executive Bob Nardelli is asking for another $1.5 billion from the US government to fund the company's financial arm, which would allow for more loans to individuals that haven't been able to qualify.

Due to the credit crunch it has become increasingly harder for individuals to receive financing, since banks are now requiring better credit scores and higher down payments.

In January the US government gave $1.5 billion to Chrysler Financial, which allowed Chrysler to subsidize zero percent interest loans on new vehicles.

GM is recalling 1,738 2009 HUMMER H3T models to fix an issue with the fuel tank.

The front support strap that holds the fuel tank in place could fracture, which would mean that the tank would only be supported by the rear strap and the stone shield. If left in this condition the rear strap and stone shield could also break causing the fuel tank could fall off the truck.

Dealers have been instructed to install a new-design fuel tank front support strap, free of charge.

Now that Saturn is all but dead in a few years it looks like GM is trying to figure out to bring its impressive Opel Insignia to the US. Originally the next-generation Saturn Aura would have been our version of the Insignia, but instead the sedan could come here as a Buick or Cadillac.

Automotive News is reporting that the Insignia is set to hit US dealerships under the Buick brand as a replacement for the discontinued Regal sedan. But the fact that the Insignia shares the same front-wheel-drive platform as the next-generation LaCrosse, it may not make much sense. Instead GM may bring the Insignia to the US under the Cadillac brand, which could feature both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions.

Ford has announced the pricing for the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan at $19,995 and $21,205, respectively.

The front-wheel-drive Fusion S features a 2.5L four-cylinder engine and starts at $19,995. The top Fusion Sport with its 263 HP 3.5L V6 starts at $25,825 for the FWD models and $27,675 for the AWD model.

The new Fusion Hybrid starts at $27,995 and gets 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.

GM is set to unveil two more versions of the Volt at the Geneva Motor Show. In Europe the Volt will be called the Ampera and sold under the Opel and Vauxhall brands.

The Ampera is essentially the same thing as the Chevy Volt although with a bit more style on the front and rear of the car.

The Ampera will enter production in late 2011.

Ford is going to unveil the iosis MAX Concept at the Geneva Motor Show tomorrow.

The iosis MAX Concept previews the design of Ford's next generation global C-car family, which includes the Focus and C-Max. Ford has already announced that the next-generation Focus will be the same model sold in Europe and North America. The C-Max MPV could also eventually make it to the US.

The concept is powered by a 1.6L EcoBoost four-cylinder that puts out 178 horsepower thanks to turbocharging and direct injection. The engine is mated to a dual-clutch transmission. This engine could eventually makes its way into the next Focus.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has announced that the 2010 Chevy Camaro will be the official pace car of the 93rd Indy 500 on May 24, 2009.

The 2009 race marks the fifth time that a Camaro has been the official pace car. It also marks the 44th time that a GM vehicle has paced the event.

GM has unveiled the Australian versions of the Cruze and Volt as the Holden Cruze and Holden Volt.

The Australian version of the Chevy Cruze features a new grille and badges. Other than that everything else is pretty much the same. The Holden Cruze is powered by a 1.8L 4 cylinder petrol or an optional 2.0L turbo charged diesel.

The Holden Volt is nearly identical to the Chevy Volt besides new badges and the steering wheel being on the opposite side of the car.

Ford's Romeo Engine plant has produced its 10 millionth engine. The plant has been producing V8 engines since it was converted from a tractor plant in 1990. In 1990 it produced a 4.6L two-valve V8.

The 10 millionth engine was a 4.6L 3-valve V8 that will find its way under the hood of a 2010 Mustang GT.

Romeo now produces engines for the Ford F-150, Mustang, Shelby GT500, Explorer, E-Series van, Crown Victoria, and the Mercury Grand Marquis.

Ford has officially announced the pricing for the all-new 2010 Ford Mustang.

Pricing for the 2010 Ford Mustang will start at $20,995 for the base Mustang with the 210 horsepower 4.0L V6. The Mustang undercuts its two main competitors with the Camaro starting at $22,995 and the Challenger SE at $22,545.

Moving up to the Mustang GT with its 315 horsepower 4.6L V8 will cost you $27,995, which is also less than the V8 powered versions of the Camaro and Challenger.

The ultimate Mustang, the GT500 starts at $46,325 and features a 540 horsepower 5.4L V8.

A droptop will add an additional $5k.

GM released its Viability Plan yesterday in which the automaker revealed its plans to return the company to profitability. Today GM has announced that it is disbanding its high-performance unit.

This team was responsible for the development of the V-series Cadillacs and the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS and a V-8 version of the Colorado.

"All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold," spokesman Vince Muniga said. "The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs."

There are currently no plans for high-performance versions of future vehicles.

The team could be reinstated once GM is back in the black.

Just as Chrysler submitted its Viability Plan to the U.S. Treasury Department, GM also submitted its own plan which detailed the automaker's plans to turn the company around. In Chrysler's plan the new Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee were revealed. GM also revealed a new model in its plan as well, the production version of the Cadillac CTS Coupe.

In addition to the CTS Coupe, GM also detailed plans for a new dual-clutch transmission, a new range of four-cylinder engines, a production version of the Cadillac Converj and a third generation hybrid system that will be released by 2015.

GM has already received $13.4 billion in loans from the U.S. goverment, but in its viability plan, the automaker asked for an additional $16.6 billion.

Part of GM's restructuring plan is to focus on its core brands; Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. GM is going to make a decision by the end of March if it will sell or phase out the HUMMER brand. Saab is currently on the market and Saturn is going to be phased out at the end of the current product cycle.

Chrysler LLC submitted its Viability Plan to U.S. Treasury Department today in which the automaker asked for an additional $2 billion in loans. That's in addition to the $4 billion Chrysler has already received and the additional $3 billion it has yet to receive.

For more details about the Chrysler's Viability Plan check out the press release after the jump.

Deep within the 177 page plan there were two photos of the 2010 Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, which Chrysler is hoping will increase its sales. The 2010 Chrysler 300 receives all new styling that is overall very similar to the current generation. There will be a new more fuel efficient V6 engine and the HEMI V8 will still be offered. The 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee also gets all new styling inside and out. In addition the Grand Cherokee will get a 19 percent fuel economy improvement between the 2010-2012 model years.

All the months of speculation can now end...Ford has officially unveiled the 2010 Taurus SHO at the Chicago Auto Show.

The first Taurus SHO debuted in 1989 and after three generations it was killed 10 years later, but now its back and better than ever. The new Taurus SHO builds upon the recently unveiled Taurus, but features much more power thanks to the 365 horsepower EcoBoost V6 under the hood. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and all-wheel-drive is standard.

The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO will be available this summer wit a starting price of $37,995.

GM has officially unveiled the 2010 Chevy Spark that will have its official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The Chevy Spark draws its inspiration from the Chevy Beat Concept. The five-door hatchback features Chevy's two-tier grille mated to a wedge-like profile. The interior features a motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster that is mounted on the steering column.

The Spark is powered by either a 1.0L or a 1.2L 4-cylinder engine.

Sales will start in Europe in early 2010 with other markets following. Sales will start in the U.S. in 2011.

Ford has unveiled the 2010 F-150 Harley-Davidson edition, which marks the 14th Harley-Davidson edition of the F-150.

The exterior of the 2010 F-150 Harley Davidson edition features a bold front fascia and six-bar shaped billet style grille and boasts specialized forged aluminum and Harley-Davidson® chrome badging. The truck is available either in Lava or the same Tuxedo Black. 22-inch wheels are also standard.

The truck is powered by a 5.4L V8 that puts out 320 horsepower and 390 lb-ft. of torque.

Pricing has yet to be announced.

GM has announced that Bob Lutz, GM's Vice Chairman of Global Product Development is going to transition into a new role starting on April 1, 2009 as Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor. Lutz's new role will allow him to provide strategic input into GM's global design until his retirement at the end of 2009.

Thomas Stephens will take over as the Vice Chairman of Global Product Development.

GM has released several photos of the first pre-production 2010 Chevy Camaros rolling down the assembly line in Oshawa, Ontario.

The first 2010 Chevy Camaros will start production on March 16th.

Enjoy the photos

The sales numbers from last month have been released and they are not good. Nearly every major automaker was down in January compared to January 08'.

Chrysler lead the pact with a 55 percent drop last month. GM's sales were off by 49 percent and Ford declined 40 percent.

Japan's major automakers didn't escape the dismal auto sales with Toyota being down 32 percent, Nissan's sales were down 30 and Honda's were off by 28 percent.

The news wasn't bad for everyone though with Subaru posting an 8 percent increase, its second month in the row of sales increases. Hyundai also posted a 14 percent sales increase. Hyundai attributed its sales improvement to its new program which will take a owner's car back if they lose their job in the first 12 months of ownership.

"This program gets to the root cause of today's economic concerns — fear of job loss," Hyundai regional general manager Peter DiPersia said in a statement.

Last month GM unveiled the Cadillac Converj Concept that combined the Volt's powertrain with a much sexier shell.

Although the Converj Concept is a coupe, GM is reportedly considering a four-door version for production. A four-door Converj would keep its coupe-like roofline, meaning it would be dubbed as a four-door coupe. Four-door vehicles simply sell better than two-doors so it would make for a stronger business case. According to Bob Lutz a production version of the Converj will not differ much from the concept, much in the same way that the production Camaro is very similar to its concept.

Even if the Converj is eventually given the green light, don't expect it to be released before 2013. Also who knows how much it would actually cost. The Volt is expected to start around $40,000, so a Cadillac version would definitely cost much more.

Well it looks like VW's attempt at a badge engineered Chrysler minivan is not going over so well. According to The Windsor Star, Chrysler workers are going to stop building the Volkswagen Routan, which is based on the Chrysler Town & Country.

VW has asked Chrysler Canada to stop producing the Routan due to inventory build up for the month of February. Currently Chrysler has been producing 300 Routans a day with about 29,000 already shipped to dealerships.

VW has only managed to sell a few thousand Routans.

Ford has announced that the new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids are now eligible for a $3,400 tax credit.

The $3,400 tax credit is the highest credit amount offered for a hybrid since the end of 2005.

The Fusion and Milan Hybrids have been rated at 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, which is better than its closest competitor, the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

If you are planning on buying one of Ford's newest hybrids you better do it before March 31, 2009 because after that the tax credit will be cut in half.

It is being reported that contracts for GM's new engine plant in Flint, Michigan have been canceled.

The $370 million plant was supposed to produce the 1.4L engine for the upcoming Chevy Volt and Cruze in turbocharged and naturally-aspirated forms. GM spokesperson Sharon Basel, confirmed the news to the Flint News. Basel also stated that GM remains committed to the area and could possibly build the engines at one of the existing plants in the future.

The plant would have created 300 new jobs for the suffering town of Flint.

For now the engines will be produced by one of GM's European plants that already builds variants of the "Family Zero" engines, which range from 1.0-1.4L in size.

The 2010 Chevy Camaro finally enters production this March, but GM has yet to officially unveil the convertible version. We've seen countless photos of the new Camaro, but here are two more of the convertible testing in Australia.

According to Bob Lutz, GM has reportedly pushed back the release date of the Camaro Convertible until sometime in 2011.

Chrysler and Fiat's newest agreement, which involves Fiat buying a 35 percent stake in Chrysler is going to lead to seven new fiat based cars making their way to the US.

According to unnamed sources four of the vehicles will be sold under the Chrysler brand and three will either be Alfa Romeos or Fiats. The official plan that will be announced on April 30th involves four Fiat platforms, a minicar, a subcompact, a compact and a mid-sized sedan. Chrysler's plants in the US are being tasked with producing the vehicles. Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant, which currently builds the soon to be killed PT Cruiser is going to produce the Fiat 500.

According to the Automotive News, under the plan its expected that Chrysler dealers will get two minicars, the Fiat 500 and a Dodge or Chrysler branded vehicle based on the Fiat Panda.

The subcompact segment will see the introduction of the Alfa Romeo MiTo and another Chrysler or Dodge branded vehicle.

A new compact car based Fiat’s C-Evo platform will likely replace the Dodge Caliber.

Lastly a replacement for the under performing Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger will be based on a stretched version of the C-Evo platform.

In case you are wondering what Fiat is going to get out of this deal, besides entry into the North American market, Fiat is going to sell the Dodge Journey and Dakota pickup in South America. In addition Fiat is going to use Chrysler's new Phoenix V6 engine in its own products.

GM was supposed to release the much anticipated Cadillac CTS Coupe this summer, but it looks like the coupe has been delayed a year until the summer of 2010.

The change is plans is most likely due to GM's current economic condition. Cadillac's director of communications cited "changes to the overall portfolio" as the reason for the delay.

Cadillac is still moving forward with the launch of the CTS wagon this spring and the new SRX crossover this summer.

The fate of GM's Saturn brand has been unknown ever since the automaker sought assistance from the federal government. Seeking to become more profitable it made since that GM would figure out a way to do away with its "less profitable" brands like HUMMER and Saturn.

Well now comes word that GM has funded the Saturn brand through 2012. Which is good news for Saturn dealers, since the brand should be around for at least another 3-4 years. But since GM is hard up for money any further Saturn product development has been put on hold until the fate of the brand is certain. According to Saturn's General Manager, the fate of Saturn should be known in the next three to four weeks.

So at this point the brand could still eventually die.

Times are tough..Chrysler has announced the new "Employee Pricing Plus Plus" program on 2008 and 2009 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles.

Customers can now receive up to $6,000 in rebates on remaining 2008 models and up to $3,500 on 2009 models. Zero percent financing for up to 48 months is also being offered. In addition an extra $1,000 bonus cash is also offered to those customers that finance through Chrysler Financial.

The new program starts on Jan 26th.

GM Holden chairman and managing director, Mark Reuss announced Thursday that plans to offer the Cadillac brand in Australia have been indefinitely delayed.

“With the downturn of the Australian automotive market and the broader global financial situation, we have made a common-sense, commercially responsible decision to not introduce a new brand into the exceptionally challenging Australian market at this time. GM Holden was faced with making a significant investment to launch a new, niche brand into a tough market.” Reuss said

The plans are not completely dead because once the economy improves, the plans to launch Cadillac in Australia will be re-considered.

This week Chrysler and Fiat announced a partnership that involves Fiat buying 35 percent of the U.S. automaker, which will give both automakers access to each other product lines and markets. The good news for Chrysler is that the automaker now has access to a whole new line of fuel-efficient small cars. According to Motor Trend the first fruit of the new partnership will be the Fiat 500.

Motor Trend editor Todd Lassa claims that the Fiat 500 is being fast tracked to U.S. showrooms within the next 18 months. The Fiat 500 would be sold in Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep showrooms.

Chrysler has unveiled the Dodge Challenger R/T Classic, which pays homage to the original Challengers.

The Challenger R/T Classic is based on the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T and is powered by the 5.7L V8 mated to either a Tremec six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. A performance tuned exhaust provides even more "throatiness". The dual hood scoops are also functional.

The exterior of the R/T Classic features dual throwback A-line body-side R/T stripes, 'Challenger' fender badging in classic script, large 20-inch polished-chrome heritage wheels with all-season performance tires, classic egg-crate grille with heritage 'R/T' badge, body-color rear spoiler and chromed fuel-filler door.

The Dodge Challenger R/T Classic starts at $34,005 and is available now.

Ford officially unveiled the all-new 2010 Taurus at the Detroit Auto Show this week and now we have a new clue that a "performance" version is next to be unveiled.

Ford launched a brand new Taurus website. On the gallery page there is a small amount of text that says "Coming February 2009...Performance Series." Could this be a more powerful version of the Taurus with the new EcoBoost V6? It remains to be seen, but since the Chicago Auto Show is next month, we expect to see something there.

Chrysler LLC President Tom LaSorda, recently spoke with Bloomberg and announced the death of the PT Cruiser this summer.

It's not much of a surprise since sales of the PT Cruiser were down 49 percent last year for a total of 50,910 units. The PT Cruiser's most successful year was 2001 with 144,717 units sold.

Chrysler is also actively pursuing the sale of the equipment that is used to produce the PT Cruiser in Toluca, Mexico.

The death of the PT Cruiser leaves the Chrysler brand with only three models, the 300C, Sebring and Town & Country minivan.

Ford has announced the pricing for the 2010 Lincoln MKT, which was officially unveiled a few days ago at the Detroit Auto Show.

The 2010 Lincoln MKT starts at $44,995 for the base V6 with front-wheel-drive. Add $5k to the base MKT for the EcoBoost V6 and all-wheel-drive. If you don't want the EcoBoost engine, but all-wheel-drive and the base 3.7L V6 it will cost you $46,990.

If you want even more from your MKT there is the Elite Package for an extra $5k, which includes: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Warning with Brake Support, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™), Cross Traffic Alert, Voice-activated Navigation, Power-opening Panoramic Vista Roof.

A fully optioned MKT with the 355 horsepower EcoBoost engine and all-wheel-drive will cost around $55,000.

The 2010 Lincoln MKT will be in dealer showrooms in late summer 2009.

Ford is eager to launch its new Fiesta subcompact in the US and to get the ball rolling, Ford has announced the "Fiesta Movement."

What is the Fiesta Movement? To launch the Fiesta in the US, Ford is going to be giving away 100 Fiestas to 100 lucky people. Each tech savvy person will have the car for six months and will be able to share their experiences with the car on social networking sites like Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

Tesla has announced the new Tesla Roadster Sport, which is a "high-performance" version of the Tesla Roadster.

The Roadster Sport gets an upgraded suspension, adjustable dampers, anti-roll bars and Yokohama’s Ultra High Performance tires. Additionally the Sport comes with an hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque.

The upgrades help shave off .2 seconds off the car's 0-60 time from 3.9 to 3.7 seconds.

The Tesla Roadster Sport will be available this summer starting at $128,500.

Ford has announced the 2010 Lincoln MKS with the much anticipated 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine.

The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 officially puts out 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Even with those numbers it is estimated to get 16 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. With the EcoBoost engine, the MKS has more power and better fuel economy than the Lexus GS460 and Infiniti M45.

Ford has officially announced the pricing for the all-new 2010 Taurus that will be in showrooms by this summer.

The 2010 Taurus starts at $25,995, which is the same price as the 2009 model.

Ford likes to point out that although the new Taurus starts at the same price as the outgoing model, it now has more standard features and new technologies.

The 2010 Taurus comes standard with Ford's 3.5L V6 that can be mated to two different six-speed transmissions.

The Taurus SEL series will begin at $27,995 and the Taurus Limited series will begin at $31,995.

Ford has officially announced that plans for rear wheel drive Ford and Lincoln sedans have been shelved.

Ford design chief J Mays told Automotive News on Sunday, "It's out of the cycle plan."

"We've got other priorities at the moment," Mays said. "We're going down a path right now that is all about fuel efficiency, and we've got a lot to do about that. So we're not talking about rear-wheel drive."

A year ago Ford announced plans to work with Ford's Australian arm to develop a new, large RWD platform that would yield sedans in the US. The first sedans were expected by 2013.

Ford has debuted the 2010 Lincoln MKT, which is Lincoln's version of the Ford Flex.

The three-row MKT is available with either a 268 horsepower 3.7-liter V-6 or Ford's new 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine that puts out 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft. of torque. Both engines are mated to six-speed automatic transmission. AWD is available on the 3.7L and standard with the EcoBoost engine.

The MKT can fit either six or seven passengers with two different seating configurations.

The 2010 Lincoln MKT will be available this summer.

GM has unveiled a new Cadillac concept, the Converj, which is based on the Chevy Volt's "Voltec" drivetrain.

The Converj Concept combines GM's new electric technology with styling that is distinctly Cadillac. Since it uses the same technology as the more pedestrian-looking Volt.

Let's hope they make something like this in the future....

GM originally stated that the production version of the Chevy Beat and Chevy Orlando would not be coming to the US, but things change. With a lack of small cars in the US, it makes sense to bring the two vehicles to the US.

The production version of the Beat, officially now dubbed the Spark and the Orlando will come to the US in 2011. The Chevy Spark is going to have its official debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Sales of the Spark in Europe will begin in the first-quarter of 2010.

The one photo we have of the Spark was apparently leaked. Expect more details soon.

Ford has officially unveiled the all-new 2010 Ford Taurus that makes its debut at the Detroit Auto Show.

The 2010 Ford Taurus receives all-new styling inside and out that is far more interesting to look at than the current generation. Ford describes the styling of the new Taurus as a combination of style with substance, just like the original Taurus back in 1986.

The new Taurus is powered by a 263 horsepower 3.5L V6 that is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. FWD is standard and all-wheel-drive is optional. The 3.5 EcoBoost engine is also planned at a later date for the Taurus. A two-speed fuel pump and Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-Off technology help the Taurus achieve best in class gas mileage.

There are also many new technological features available on the new Taurus such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Intelligent Access with Push-Button Start,
SecuriCode™ Keyless Entry Keypad and MyKey.

The all-new Taurus will be available this summer at starting price of $25,995, which is the same starting price as the 2009 model.

Production of the 2010 Chevy Camaro was supposed to start next month, but now it looks like production has been delayed a month until March 16th.

The one month delay is not due to supplier issues, since the issues with supplier Cadence Innovation have been solved with secondary suppliers.

The Camaro convertible had been put on hold but now it will be released at a later date as a 2011 model.

Ford is on a roll with the new Fusion. The new Fusion Hybrid gets better gas mileage than the Camry Hybrid and now the 4-cylinder Fusion officially gets the highest mpg in its class.

The EPA has officially certified the four-cylinder Fusion at 34 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg in the city. Those numbers beat all the Fusion's competitors (Camry, Accord, Altima, Malibu, etc.).

The Fusion S is powered by a 175 horsepower 2.5L engine that is mated to a six-speed transmission.

The 2010 Ford Fusion will be on sale this spring.

Yesterday GM officially took the wraps off the all-new 2010 Buick LaCrosse.

Here are two videos of the new LaCrosse. One is of the designers and engineers discussing the new LaCrosse and the other shows the LaCrosse in action.

The 2010 LaCrosse is powered by either a 255 horsepower 3.0L V6 or a 280 horsepower 3.6L V6. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive is available.

The LaCrosse will be officially unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in a few days.

The 2009 Ford F-150 has just received the government's highest crash test rating, 5-stars making it the only full size truck to recieve top ratings by NHTSA and the IIHS.

The new F-150 features more standard safety features such as Safety Canopy® side curtain air bags, AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) and a patented "K-bag" seat-mounted air bag, which helped the truck receive 5-stars in front and side impact testing.

In addition to holding the title of the safest full-size pickup, the 2009 F-150 is also Motor Trend's Truck of the Year.

GM has officially unveiled the all-new 2010 Buick LaCrosse, which will be officially unveiled in a few days at the Detroit Auto Show.

The all-new LaCrosse further defines Buick's current global design theme, which was previewed with the Invicta Concept at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show.

For 2010 the LaCrosse is available with either of two V6 engines, a 255 horsepower 3.0L V6 or a 280 horsepower 3.6L V6. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive is available.

Inside there is a new two-tone interior that features an in-dash navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, an auxiliary audio input and a USB port. A DVD entertainment system for the rear seat passengers is also available.

Notable safety features are the Side Blind Zone alert that notifies the driver if there is another vehicle in the driver's blind spots, an available head-up display in the windshield, and an available adaptive lighting package.

Production of the new LaCrosse starts this summer.

Finally a Buick that isn't incredibly boring.

Pickuptruck.com is reporting that GM has quietly decided to kill plans for the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST.

GM unveiled the Pontiac G8 ST last year at the New York Auto show. The unibody pickup version of the G8 sedan was expected to be V8 powered, feature a 74-inch cargo bed and be able to tow up to 3,500 pounds. The vehicle immediately recalled previous vehicles like the Chevrolet El Camino and Ford Ranchero.

Last month, Susan Docherty, vice president of Buick-Pontiac-GMC stated that GM was going to pare down the number of Pontiac vehicles and that the G8 ST was under review to see if it made sense.

The G8 ST was expected to be launched as a 2010 model with prices starting in the low $30,000's. It was also rumored that GM was going to introduce a V6 version of the vehicle with the same direct-injection V6 as the upcoming Camaro.

Should we be sad?

2008 is finally over and with it ends one of the worst years for the automotive industry in recent history. Most of 2008 was plagued by high fuel prices, which forced buyers to look for more fuel efficient vehicles. Even with this trend the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado pickups managed to remain at the top of the list for 2008.

In addition, even though buyers continued to ask for more fuel-efficient vehicles, the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic were the only "small" cars to make the list.

Cadillac has officially unveiled the 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover.

The next-generation SRX ditches the wagon-like styling from the last-generation for something more "crossover" like. It's styling was previewed by the Provoq concept. The 2010 SRX builds on Cadillac's Art and Science design theme with its multi-piece shield grille and iconic vertical headlamps.

The SRX is powered by a new, 260 horsepower 3.0L direct injected V-6 engine, standard and a new, 300 horsepower 2.8L turbocharged V-6 is optional. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Front and all-wheel-drive will be offered. It's not known if GM is planning a hybrid version of the SRX to help it go head to head with its closest competitor, the Lexus RX.

Ford has announced its new "active park assist" system that is optional on the 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan and the new Lincoln MKT crossover.

With the touch of a button the Active Park Assist system uses an ultrasonic-based sensing system and Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) to parallel park the vehicle without any assistance from the driver. There are sensors on the front and rear of the vehicle to help the system guide the vehicle into the driver's desired parking spot. Ford claims that its system is better than what is offered by Lexus since it requires less driver interface.

The Active Park Assist system will be available in mid-2009 on the Lincoln MKT and MKS. Ford hasn't stated what vehicles are next in line for the technology. Instead only mentioning that the system will be on 90 percent of Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles by 2012.

Here's a new video of the 2010 Cadillac SRX that is going to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

Cadillac hasn't released any of the official details of the second-gen SRX. So stay tuned until next month.

Ford officially unveiled the 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid at the LA Auto Show last month. At the time it was estimated that the Fusion Hybrid would get better gas mileage than its closest competitor, the Camry Hybrid. Well the EPA has officially rated the Fusion Hybrid at 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. Those numbers beat the Camry Hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway.

Those numbers mean that the Fusion Hybrid is now the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan.

The Fusion Hybrid is powered by a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that is mated to an electric motor. The electric motor is powerful enough to propel the car to speeds up to 47 mpg without the assistance of the gas engine.

The 2010 Fusion Hybrid will be available this coming spring.

GM has unveiled the all-new 2010 Chevy Equinox, which will have its official public debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

The all-new Equinox receives new styling inside and out in addition to new 2.4L and 3.0L direct injected engines. The 2.4L four-cylinder engine puts out 182 horsepower and gets 30 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg in the city. The 3.0L V6 puts out 255 horsepower and gets 25 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg in the city. GM expects the driving range to be more than 500 miles between fill ups with either engine.

In terms of styling the all-new Equinox gets Chevy's new face that is similar to that of the Malibu and larger Traverse crossover with its two-tier grille and prominent gold Bowtie insignia. The Equinox continues to share its Theta platform with the Saturn Vue.

Inside the new Equinox gets features such as Bluetooth, a USB port for your audio devices, DVD-based rear entertainment system and an available power liftgate.

GM hasn't announced if the Equinox will eventually get one the same two-mode hybrid system as the Saturn Vue.

Since Congress was unable to come to an agreement about a bailout for the U.S. automakers, President George W. Bush has approved $17.4 billion in emergency loans to the U.S. automakers. The loans are needed to help save hundreds of thousands of jobs and prevent GM and Chrysler from going bankrupt.

GM and Chrysler are expected to dip into the money immediately, while Ford claims that its liquidity is adequate for now and does not need a bailout loan.

"If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers," Bush said.

President elect Barack Obama also supports the loans to the automakers.

Although the loans are going to help GM and Chrysler survive, the loans will only get them through until March of next year.

Pontiac has announced the pricing for the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP. Pricing starts at $39,995.

The G8 GXP is powered by a 6.2L V8 that puts out 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft. of torque. It reaches 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds and comes standard with a six-speed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual is available.

Motor Trend has announced the recipient of its 2009 Truck of the Year award and this year the redesigned 2009 Ford F150 receives the award.

This year there were only 4 contenders for the award, the Ford F150, also redesigned Dodge Ram, Suzuki Equator and HUMMER H3T. Basically the choice for Motor Trend's editors was between the F150 and Ram since the Equator is basically a rebadged Nissan Frontier and well the H3T is....you fill in the blank.

Editors praised the new F150 for having low noise levels and high interior quality materials. Other standouts were the new features like the Tailgate Step, Box Side Step, and a stowable bed-extender helped the F150 receive the award.

Ford has yet to release its much talked about V6 EcoBoost engine, but sources say that Ford is already putting the finishing touches on a new 2.0L 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine. It is expected that the Fusion will get the new engine in 2010.

Ford's new EcoBoost engines combine turbo-charging and direct injection technology to produce more horsepower from a smaller engine. The first EcoBoost engine is a 3.5L V6 that will be launched next summer in the 2010 Lincoln MKS.

Ford claims that it is too early to discuss the specifics of the new 4-cylinder engine, but that it will deliver the fuel economy that customers demand without sacrificing power. Which according to Product analyst Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics LLP in Birmingham, the four-cylinder engine should deliver power equal to a V6 engine, but with better fuel economy.

Everything is in a "state of flux" right now for the U.S. automakers. Even if they manage to secure loans from the U.S. government and possibly the Candian government, there will still be major changes.

There have been many reports and rumors that GM may end up dropping or scaling back the slow selling Saturn, Pontiac and GMC brands. In its plan that it submitted to the U.S. Congress last week, GM stated that it is "exploring alternatives" for the Saturn brand. Although Saturn currently has a strong product lineup, the brand has failed to meet sales expectations.

Many people would assume that GM should just cut its losses with the Saturn brand and move on, but doing so would cost GM at least $1 billion in all the dealer buyouts.

A final decision from the U.S. government about the loans for the U.S. automakers is expected anytime now, but it's expected that the final amount will only be between $15-17 billion. Which is much less than the original $34 billion the automakers were asking for. To help raise more money, the automakers are now asking the Canadian government for $6.8 billion. The Big 3 employ about 100,000 workers in Canada.

“North American economic conditions now make it necessary for us to seek government assistance to sustain our business and supply chain,” said Arturo Elias, president of General Motors Canada.

Ward’s Automotive Group has announced its 2009 10 Best Engines list.

The list is compiled by Ward's editors and 2009 is officially the 15th year of the Ward’s 10 Best Engines program.

This year the list of winners is very broad with hybrid engines as well as high output turbocharged engines receiving the award.

“A decade ago, few consumers in the U.S. paid serious attention to hybrids or diesels. This year, they have to, if they don’t want to be pinched the next time fuel hits $4 a gallon,” says Tom Murphy, executive editor of Ward’s AutoWorld magazine.”The diesels from VW and BMW and the Ford Escape Hybrid all got better than 30 mpg (7.8 L/100 km) during our testing, and often they topped 40 mpg (5.8 L/100 km),” he says. “And the diesels meet the strictest emissions regulations in the world. If Americans want to find a vehicle that consumes less fuel and is fun to drive, our list is a great place to start.”

Times are tough for the Big 3 and each automaker is trying to figure out ways to raise revenue. Ford announced today that the automaker is reevaluating its options for the Volvo brand.

Ford is being forced to reconsider selling Volvo dues to the significant economic decline in the last few months. Ford says it's going to be a few months before Ford makes a decision about Volvo. In the meantime Ford is going to work with Volvo to allow it to operate on a more stand-alone basis.

Ford has officially unveiled the redesigned 2010 Ford Fusion at the LA Auto Show.

For 2010 the Fusion gets all-new styling inside and out (looks much better). In addition there are now three available gas engines and a new hybrid Fusion. The available gas engines range are the 2.5L 4-cylinder (175hp), 3.0L V6 (240hp) and a new 3.5L V6 (263hp) in the Fusion Sport. All three of the engines are mated to six-speed transmissions.

Inside there are new features such as Ford's SYNC system, SIRIUS TravelLink, and BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert.

The redesigned 2010 Fusion will be available in the spring of 2009.

Just like the Ford Fusion, the Fusion's sister the Mercury Milan also gets a long list of changes for the 2010 model year. This includes new styling inside and out, upgraded engines and a new hybrid model.

The Milan makes due with only two gasoline engines, the 2.5L and 3.0L, unfortunately the 263hp 3.5L V6 is only available in the Fusion Sport. The Milan Hybrid is identical to the Fusion Hybrid and will be able to go up to 47 mph on electricity alone. Ford also predicts that the Fusion and Milan Hybrids will get better gas mileage than the Camry Hybrid.

The 2010 Mercury Milan will hit showrooms in spring 2009.

Ford unveiled the Ford Fiesta sedan at the Guangzhou Auto Show today.

The Fiesta sedan is going to be sold here in the U.S. and will be built at Ford's plant in Mexico alongside the 3 and 5-door versions of the Fiesta.

Ford claims that the Fiesta sedan will not be available in Europe.

Ford has announced that it has sold off 20 percent of its stake in Mazda.

Ford's stake in Mazda has been reduced from 33.4 percent to just over 13 percent. This is part of Ford's plan to raise more money as the sale of the shares gives Ford an extra $540 million. The shares were bought back by Mazda and Mazda's strategic business partners.

Ford has officially taken the wraps off its all-new 2010 Ford Mustang.

The new Mustang features all-new styling that continues to draw cues from the original Mustangs and is more of a evolutionary redesign as it doesn't stray far from the design of the current generation.

The new Mustang will be offered in coupe, convertible or a coupe with a glass roof. V6 and V8 powered models will continue to be offered as well. The 4.6L V8 in the GT sees a modest power increase to 315 horsepower.

We only a few more hours until all the photos of the all-new 2010 Ford Mustang will hit the web, but Ford has already unveiled the new Mustang on its website.

Here are a few photos and more details about what we can expect to read soon. Head over to Ford's site to see the Mustang in motion and come back here in a few hours to see all the official photos.

The news has been pretty grim over at GM the past few weeks, but one thing the automaker can celebrate is that the 2009 Opel/ Vauxhall Insignia has been named the 2009 European Car of the Year.

The Insignia achieved the award by a mere one point (321) over the 2nd place finisher, the Ford Fiesta (320). The bronze winner was the VW Golf with 223 points. This is the first win for the Opel brand in 22 years.

Today Congress is meeting to discuss the details of the $25 billion bailout plan for U.S. automakers. Debates are going back and forth from both sides on how to solve this problem. Some senators are now even saying that the CEO's of the Big 3 should consider stepping down from their positions if that is what it will take for Congress to approve the plan.

During an interview yesterday on NBC’S “Meet the Press”, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin stated I’d be happy to tell (GM CEO) Rick Wagoner that he ought to consider resigning if that is the difference between getting this kind of support and not. If it was the difference between getting this kind of support or not, obviously the management should consider resigning."

Ford is going to officially debut the all-new Mustang this week at the LA Auto Show, but some of the pricing details have already leaked.

If the info leaked today is correct the 2010 GT with the Premium package will start at $30,095, which is inline with the pricing for the Camaro and Challenger. Some of the features included in this package are the 4.6L OHC 3V V8 Engine, SYNC system, 18″ wheels, shaker 500 audio, ambient lighting, bright aluminum accent dash, pedal covers, scuff plate & shift knob and 6-gauge cluster with MyColor.

In an effort to stay afloat while congress decides on a bailout plan for The Big 3, GM has decided to sell its entire stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. for 22.37 billion yen ($230 million).

Suzuki is going to buy back the 3.02 percent stake from GM. Suzuki stated that it is necessary for the automaker to buy back the stake from GM to help the ailing automaker. Although Suzuki is buying the 3.02 percent stake, the two automakers will continue to have a partnership in the future, which includes the development of hybrid vehicles and SUVs in Canada.

GM has put together an informational video of what it predicts will happen if the Big Three automakers all fail next year.

Some highlights:
-If all three fail next year it will result in 3 million U.S. jobs lost in the first year
-Total governement tax loss over three years = $156.4 billion
-The U.S. GDP would drop 4 percent, compare that to the fact that the current economic downturn was caused by a .3 percent drop
-One out of every ten jobs in the U.S. relies on the U.S. auto industry

Teaser photos are ok when an automaker releases one or two right before the actual vehicle is unveiled, but when Ford decided to release ten separate teaser photos of the 2010 Mustang over a series of weeks, it got a little annoying.

Either way here is the last teaser photo which shows the design of the taillights. The 2010 Mustang will officially be unveiled in a week at the LA Auto Show.

Stay tuned...

Here's a quick video that Ford has created to show how its voice-activated SYNC system works.

ROUSH has unveiled the 2009 P-51B Mustang, which is based on the 2009 Ford Mustang chassis.

The P-51B Mustang is powered by Ford's 4.6L V8 that puts out 510 horsepower and 510 lb-ft. of torque. In order to get this much power ROUSH engineers replaced many of the engine's components with stronger parts. ROUSH also upgraded the clutch. 6-piston brakes, Cooper RS3 ultra-high performance tires and the ROUSH Stage 3 suspension were also added to the car.

Only 51 units are going to be produced with a starting price of $65,800.

These past few weeks have been really bad for GM and now comes news that the automaker has canceled all of its press events at the LA Auto Show next week.

It's already been reported that GM canceled plans to unveil the new Buick LaCrosse and the production version of the CTS Coupe at the show. GM spokesman Scott Fosgard told the Detroit News that all of GM's bad financial news and the pending government bailout would have overshadowed the show.

Instead of showing anything new GM is going to bring the Chevy Volt and the Saab 9-4X Air Concept that was unveiled in Paris.

Very sad...

Ford has announced that the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid will be the first ever hybrid pace car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

The 2010 Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Sport will both make their debut at the race. Both vehicles will be camouflaged in NASCAR-inspired camouflage during the race. The Fusion Hybrid will lead the field to the green flag and the Fusion Sport will remain the pace car for the rest of the race.

Last week GM reported that it lost $2.5 billion in the third quarter of 2008, while spending $6.9 billion. Today General Motors stock has plunged more than 31 percent to their lowest level in more than 55 years after two analysts downgraded GM's stock claiming that it will be worth very little of nothing if GM does receive a government bailout.

Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache reduced GM to sell and put a price target of $0 a share.

"Without government assistance, we believe that GM's collapse would be inevitable, and that it would precipitate systemic risk that would be difficult to overcome for automakers, suppliers, retailers, and sectors of the U.S. economy," Lache wrote. "As part of GM's restructuring, we are also convinced that a large number of stakeholders who are senior to GM's equity will have to settle for pennies on the dollar."

Last week it was reported that GM had suspended all talks with Chrysler about an apparent merger after the U.S. treasury denied GM's request for aid to buy Chrysler. Now it're being reported that Hyundai may be interested.

According to Reuters, Hyundai and Chrysler's owners, Cerberus Capital Management, have been in talks about Hyundai acquiring the Jeep brand. Both automakers have not released an official statement about the discussions.

Ford has officially unveiled the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

The SVT Raptor starts with the new 2009 F-150 and adds a unique grille and a body that is seven inches wider. In addition the suspension has been upgraded with new upper and lower A arms, upgraded tie rods, new half shaft joints, and shocks from Fox Racing.

The standard engine in the SVT Raptor is the F-150's proven 5.4-liter Triton V8 three-valve engine, which delivers 320 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. A new 6.2L V8 engine will be available after launch.

GM has taken the wraps off of four Camaro concepts that will be unveiled tomorrow at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

This year's Official Vehicle of SEMA will be shown in four distinct concepts: Camaro LS7 Concept, which features the GM Performance Parts LS7 Crate engine with 550HP; Camaro Dale Earnhardt Jr. Concept, which was produced with input from the Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Camaro GS Racecar Concept, which is powered by a production LS3 V8 mated to a Tremec 6060 six-speed; and the Camaro Black Concept, which features a blacked out exterior and interior.

Ford recently unveiled the all-new Ka subcompact in Europe. Last month Ford's CEO told reporters that the automaker is re-thinking the idea of bringing the small car to the U.S.

Ford has made a commitment to small cars in the U.S. with its upcoming Fiesta and new Focus. The Ka is smaller than the Fiesta. Mulally recently told the Automotive News that the Ka might eventually be sold on our shores, but that Ford needs to figure out a way to make a profit on it.

GM officially unveiled the Pontiac Solstice Coupe at the New York Auto Show earlier this year and now the automaker is going to show off a GXP version of the coupe at this year's SEMA show.

Earlier this week GM approached the U.S. government for $10 billion to support a merger between GM and Chrysler.

It's now being reported that the U.S. Treasury has denied the request due to the fact that the merger could result in the loss of thousands of U.S. jobs. Since the U.S. Treasury denied the request the merger talks have been put on hold.

The U.S. isn't getting the Chevy Cruze until 2011, but GM has recently introduced the car in South Korea as the Daewoo Lacetti.

The launch of the Lacetti in South Korea is the first market that one of GM's most important new cars has been launched in.

Yesterday Ford officially unveiled the new 2010 Ford Fusion with a new face and new engines. Today we have more information about the hybrid versions of the Fusion and Mercury Milan.

The biggest news about the new hybrids is that they will have the ability to reach speeds up to 47 mph on the electric motor alone. The hybrids will also be able to travel up to 8 miles before the gas motor kicks in. Ford calls the two hybrids their most technologically advanced production vehicles ever made.

Ford has officially taken the wraps off the new 2010 Ford Fusion sedan.

The new Fusion gets new styling with a much more appealing front end and new more powerful engines.

First the 2010 Ford Fusion gets new and upgraded engines. The base engine is now the same 2.5L 4-cyl that is in the Escape. It puts out 175 horsepower and is expected to return better mpg on the highway than the Accord and Camry. The 3.0L V6 has been upgraded and now puts out 19 more horsepower (240 hp) and the top of the line new 3.5L V6 puts out 263 horsepower in the Fusion Sport model. All of the engines are mated to six-speed transmissions.

It's only been a few months since Chrysler introduced the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen Hybrids, but Chrysler has announced that it is going to stop producing the hybrid SUVs.

Last week Chrysler reported that it is closing its Newark, Delaware factory that produces the Durango and Aspen. Originally Chrysler planned on closing the factory at the end of 2009, but plans have been pushed up to the end of 2008.

Although rumors are circulating that the Pontiac G8 may be dead in five years (Pontiac has denied these rumors), Pontiac still has two new versions of the G8 to introduce. The G8 GXP will be in dealerships by the end of the year and the "truck" of the G8, the G8 ST will be released mid-2009.

According to Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson, the 6.0L V8 equipped G8 ST will be priced in the low $30,000 range when it hits dealerships next year. Hopson also hinted that there is a good chance that the G8 ST will also be available with a V6.

GM's LS9 6.2L supercharged V8 makes the 2009 Corvette ZR1 the fastest production GM car ever. GM Performance Parts has announced that the 638 horsepower engine will be available as a complete crate engine package.

The LS9 crate engine is ideal for enthusiasts that want to add even more power to their vintage Corvettes and project cars. The crate engine comes with the ignition system, supercharger assembly, exhaust manifolds, etc. Those that are interested in the crate engine will need to also get an external oil tank, external coolant tank (for the charge cooler) and an ECU/wire harness.

Ford recently launched its "box on wheels" crossover the Flex, but sales have fallen short of expectations.

Of course much of the blame for the slow sales can be blamed on the horrible economy, but Ford also feels that its current marketing for the Flex has failed to spark any interest in the vehicle. Ford Motor Co.'s new sales and marketing chief, Jim Farley devised an unorthodox marketing campaign for the new Flex, but Ford execs feel a more mainstream approach would work better.

Sales of the Flex have been averaging a very low 2,000 per month, which if this trend continues will only amount to 24,000 units. Ford originally planned on selling 100,000 units per year.

According to analyst Jim Hossack of AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, Calif., "The market is part of it, but it's more than the market," he said. "There is a problem. The amount of marketing is part of it -- there's too little of it -- and the execution is part of it."

Farley defended his ads by claiming that the Flex is winning over converts from other brands at a higher rate than Ford expected.

What about the styling of the Flex is it too polarizing?

General Motors has reportedly asked the U.S. government for $10 billion in aid to support its acquisition of Chrysler LLC from Cerberus Capital Management. Roughly $3 billion of the proposed aid would be in exchange for preferred stock in a merged automaker.

GM has been in talks with Cerberus since last month, but the talks have stalled due to difficulty in securing the funds, which is where the U.S. government would come in.

"The automakers are facing a maelstrom and that's why I think an unprecedented government infusion could happen," said Efraim Levy, an automotive equity analyst with S&P.

According to an undisclosed source the U.S. Treasury Department is considering a request for direct aid to facilitate the merger and a decision could come this week.

Both automakers feel that the merger would help save American jobs, but how exactly is unknown. If both automakers merge its expected that many models/ brands could be killed, which would result in factory closures, layoffs, etc.

Chrysler and Nissan announced earlier this year plans to share some vehicles in the future. At the time most of the press surrounded the replacement for the Nissan Titan, which would be built off the new Ram 1500. Now Chrysler has unveiled a Dodge version of the Nissan Versa subcompact, dubbed the Dodge Trazo C1.8.

The Dodge Trazo C1.8, which will be built by Nissan gives Dodge an entry in the subcompact market in Latin America, specifically in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The Trazo C1.8 is powered by an E-100 ethanol-capable 16-valve 1.8-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine that can be mated to either a manual or automatic transmission.

Overall the Trazo C1.8 is essentially the same thing that we get here in the U.S. as the Nissan Versa, although there have been a few, very small styling changes. Even though the Versa is available as a sedan and a five-door hatchback, Dodge only plans on selling the sedan version.

Sales of the Trazo C1.8 will start in mid-2009. Chrysler hasn't announced any plans to sell the rebadged Versa in the U.S.

GM has officially unveiled the Chevy GPiX Crossover Coupe Concept at the Sao Paulo International Auto Show.

The 2-door crossover concept was developed by GM in Brazil. GM claims that its 2-door body with high ground clearance makes it ideal for the roads in emerging markets around the world.

"It offers the sporty design and versatility necessary for a country with the continental dimensions of Brazil," said Carlos Barba, General Director of Design for GM Latin America, Africa and Middle East.

The GPix Concept features Chevy's traditional grille highlighted with LED headlights. Inside the concept seats four and all seats are able to fold forward for increased versatility.

The name GPiX is a pseudonym for Global Image. "G" for global and "Pix" meaning "picture" or "image".

Last week it was reported that GM was going to cancel the next-generation Pontiac G8 and Solstice models.

Well now Pontiac has responded to those rumors by saying that those rumors are not true. It's true that the G8 just launched earlier this year and is one of GM's best products sold in the US, so it does seem a little crazy to speculate that the GM is going to kill the model in a short five years. Especially considering that the G8 GXP will be in showrooms by the end of the year and the G8 ST is going to be released next summer, but who knows. Crazier things have happened considering the state of the current market. A stronger case could be made about the fate of the Solstice considering its much lower sales. It would make more sense for GM to cut the Solstice than the G8 if the automaker is trying to cut costs/ models.

But who knows. Everything is speculation. Either way enjoy the next five years...

Chevy has already taken 6,000 orders and counting for the 2010 Camaro that is set to be released early next spring.

It's only expected that Chevy would already have that many orders considering how long consumers have been waiting for it to be released. What is interesting is that most of the orders are for the V8 SS Camaros. 84 percent of the orders are for the SS Camaros, while the lesser powered V6 Camaros have received significantly less orders. The base Camaro LS has only received 2 percent of all the orders. Of course most of the initial orders are from enthusiasts that definitely wouldn't settle for the lesser powered model. It's not known how long it will take GM to fill the orders once production starts since GM may end up producing more V6 Camaros and V8 powered models.

It was already reported that GM had postponed the replacements for the Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade SUVs, but now according to Bob Lutz there will not be replacement at all.

Lutz told the New York Times, “It would have been very difficult in today’s environment to spend a couple of billion dollars to do a replacement.”

The next-generation Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade were set to arrive in 2011 as 2012 models. It is not known if the current models will continue past 2011.

GM announced plans earlier this month to kill the Chevy Trailblazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7x due to slow sales. GM also announced plans to close its plant in Janesville, Wisconsin that currently produces the GMC Yukon and Chevy Suburban.

GM is definitely going through some hard times with the declining US market and still managing to blow through $1 billion bucks a month.

GM is trying to cut costs across the board, which may lead to a delay in the introduction date of the new Chevy Cruze and the next-generation Chevy Malibu. Last week it was announced that the upcoming Cadillac CTS Coupe and next-gen Buick LaCrosse are being delayed. Now BusinessWeek is reporting that the Chevy Cruze is going to be delayed a year until 2011 (2012 model) and the next-generation Chevy Malibu is going to be delayed 6 months until 2013.

The delays are expected to help GM save some money, but is it smart to delay the introduction of the Cruze? GM needs more quality small cars in its lineup and 2011 is not soon enough.

Earlier this year there were rumors that Ford was thinking about selling Volvo, but those rumors were quickly denied. Now rumors are circulating again that Ford is now talking to BMW about Volvo.

TimesOnline is claiming that Ford is in preliminary talks with BMW to sell its stake in Volvo. Of course sources are claiming that there were talks even though both automakers are denying it.

It was also rumored two years ago that Ford was in talks with BMW about Jaguar and Land Rover although both brands were eventually sold to Tata of India.

Pontiac launched the G8 earlier this year and received positive reviews from the automotive media, but it looks like Pontiac's most exciting model in a long time is going to be short lived.

According to sources the rear-wheel-drive Pontiac G8 will be dead in five years. InsideLine is reporting that Pontiac will not receive the next-generation platform that underpins the Australian Holden Commodore. GM is going to reposition the Pontiac brand due to the rise in fuel economy standards and consumers' increasing demand for fuel efficient vehicles.

There will also not be a new Pontiac Solstice/ Saturn Sky. This means that Pontiac will no longer have any rear wheel drive vehicles in its lineup. What's left is the boring G6, G5 (rebadged Cobalt) and G3 (rebadged Aveo), none of which are particularly sporty. The G6 is also not going to receive a full redo for about another five years.

A few days ago it was rumored that Chrysler had stopped development of its upcoming Phoenix V6 engine further fueling rumors that a Chrysler merger was eminent.

Although its still a big possibility that Chrysler may merge with GM or Renault/ Nissan, Chrysler claims that the engine is still being developed. According to Jim Press, Chrysler is still moving ahead with the fuel-efficient V-6 engine program.

"The Phoenix engine program is going forward full steam," Chrysler President Jim Press told reporters. "It's a great engine. We're driving the prototypes today."

Chrysler's sales have dropped 25 percent this year, so the automaker is looking for creative ways to boost its sales. Starting on Nov 1st, Chrysler will offer employee discount pricing to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. workers.

All US-based Wal-Mart employees are eligible for the program. According to Curtrise Garner, a Chrysler spokeswoman, "Wal-Mart is one of our largest fleet customers." The savings will range from 4% to 6% off invoice or 8% to 14% off MSRP, which is identical to the discount that Chrysler employees and their families currently receive.

Wal-Mart currently has 1.4 million employees.

In addition to the Wal-Mart employee discount, Chrysler also announced that Chrysler employees can now get employee discount pricing on some Dodge Viper models.

Here's a video of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V at the Milford Proving Ground, at the Monticello Raceway in New York and at the Nurburgring track, where John Heinricy completed a lap in 7:59.32.

The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V is powered by a 556 horsepower supercharged 6.2L V8 mated to either a 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. Cadillac has announced that the uber-fast CTS-V will start at $59,995.

There has been so much Chrysler news this week with the possibility of a GM/ Chrysler merger in the headlines. Now there are rumors that Chrysler has killed the development of its new $3 billion Phoenix V6 engine program.

The killing of its new V6 engine program makes sense if Chrysler is about to merge with GM or even Renault/ Nissan. Both GM and Nissan have their own V6 engines that are definitely better than anything currently under the hood of a Chrysler. Last week Chrysler also killed the development of dual-clutch automatic transmissions. According to analysts a Chrysler merger is expected and Chrysler doesn't need to spend money on engine and transmission programs if GM and Renault/Nissan already have them.

Chrysler is going to drop the all-wheel-drive option on the 2009 Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger and Caliber models.

According to spokesman Jiyan Cadiz, the AWD was first offered on the models in 2007, but sales never took off.

“For the Avenger, the take rate was 1.5% for 2008, and for the Sebring it was at 0.7%.” Cadiz tells Ward’s. “So obviously the bottom line is people want fuel economy, and the AWD modules are not profitable for us. That’s something we can get rid of as we’re consolidating products and finding what’s profitable.”

We only have a few weeks left to go until Ford officially unveils the 2010 Ford Mustang at the LA Auto Show next month. Ford has released numerous teaser photos of the new car, which we're all tired of, but now we have the best spy photos yet of the car.

Enjoy the pics and stay tuned for the official unveiling in a few weeks...the show is actually on November 19th.

Cadillac has announced the pricing for the 556 horsepower Cadillac CTS-V.

The 2009 CTS-V will start at $59,995. The car is powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8 mated to either a 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. The CTS-V also comes standard with a Bose audio system with a 40-gig hard drive. 14-way adjustable Recaro performance seats, "Ultra-View" sunroof and automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted shift buttons are optional.

Not to be overshadowed by the Camaro, Dodge is planning on unveiling the Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept at the SEMA show this year.

The Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept is powered by the Viper's 8.4L V10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb-ft. of torque. In addition to the upgraded engine, the concept also receives upgraded brakes and shocks. Tornado Red paint with a carbon-fiber decklid and "shaker hood" round out the other additions to the Challenger SRT10 Concept.

GM has announced the pricing for the 2010 Chevy Camaro that will be in dealerships next spring.

The 2010 Camaro LS starts at $22,995 and the V8-powered Camaro SS starts at $30,995.

The 2010 Camaro will come in three versions, the V6-powered LS and LT models and the V8-powered SS. The V6 Camaros feature a 300 horsepower 3.6L engine. The V8 SS is powered by a 6.2L V8 when it is mated to the six-speed manual it puts out 422 horsepower. The automatic equipped SS puts out 400 horsepower.

GM has announced that it's going to close its Janesville, Wisconsin SUV plant by the end of the year due to poor SUV sales.

The plant currently produces the GMC Yukon and Chevy Suburban. GM originally planned on closing down the plant sometime in 2010, but the scary automotive market has sped up the process. The plant employs 1,200 workers and will close right before Christmas on December 23rd.

Earlier this month GM also announced plans to close another SUV plant in Moraine, Ohio that currently produces the Chevy Trailblazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7X.

Today the Dow dropped below 9,000 points, its lowest point in five years.

Just as the rest of the market, GM and Ford have been hit hard by the decline. GM's dropped 31 percent and ended the day at $4.76, while Ford dropped 22 percent to $2.08. Yes that means that a single share of Ford stock is currently cheaper than a gallon of gas. Also GM's shares haven't been this low since the 1950's.

When will it all end?

Both Ford and Chevy will have convertible versions of their new muscle cars (Mustang and Camaro) next year, but Chrysler will not.

Originally Chrysler planned on producing a Challenger convertible that would have been introduced for the 2010 model year, but according to Mike Accavitti, director of Dodge brand marketing those plans have been cancelled.

“We considered a convertible when we were developing Challenger, but the extra weight needed to beef up the car when the top was removed was too much of a penalty,” Accavitti told KickingTires in an interview. “And that was with a manual soft-top. A power-retractable hardtop would add even more weight.”

Accavitti also stated, "We didn't see a huge market for a convertible that would justify the vehicle."

Yesterday DigitalCorvettes started a rumor that GM had stopped production of the Corvette ZR1 and that the car had been killed. Well today those rumors have been put to rest by Terry Rhadigan ), Chevrolet’s manager for global communications.

Rhadigan recently told Autoblog that the rumors were "Not True." GM still has orders for the ZR1 and production is going to start up again next week.

In just over a month Ford is going to officially unveil the 2010 Ford Mustang, but for now Ford has released another teaser photo of the dashboard.

The overall shape of the dashboard is similar to that of the 2009 model. We're still waiting to see what changes have been made to the center console.

Stay tuned.

Ford has announced the MyKey system that helps parents ensure that teens drive safer.

Ford's new MyKey system allows parents to limit the speed and audio volume of their teen's car to make them drive safer. The system will debut as standard equipment on the 2010 Ford Focus and will eventually be added to other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models.

Yesterday Ford announced that the slow-selling 2009 Ford Flex would have an available $2,500 rebate to help move them off the lots. The Mazda CX-9 has also failed to reach the top in sales either, but Consumer Reports has announced that both vehicles are one of the top five three-row SUVs they tested.

“Ford’s new Flex wraps a versatile, cavernous interior in a distinctly boxy styling,” the magazine writes. “It is also lower and more wagon-like than the others in this class.”

Ford introduced the world to the all-new Ka subcompact at the 2008 Paris Motor Show last week. At first Ford said that there were no plans to bring the Ka to the US, but the increased demand for small cars has forced Ford to rethink that decision.

The all-new Ka features Ford's European Kinetic Design that is similar to the larger Fiesta and Focus. This morning CEO Alan Mulally told a Detroit radio station that Ford is rethinking the original decision to not bring the Ka to the US.

The Ka goes on sale in Europe in early 2009. If Ford does decide to bring the small car here, don't count on it before 2011.

GM has officially unveiled the Chevy Orlando Concept at the Paris Motor Show.

The Orlando Concept hints at a new production MPV for the Chevy brand. The 7-passenger Orlando Concept is based on a modified Delta II platform, the same platform that the Cruze is built on.

GM is going to officially debut the new Chevy Cruze at the Paris Motor Show tomorrow, but GM has released official photos a little early.

We've already seen photos of the Chevy Cruze compact that will hit our shores in 2010, but this is the first time that we are seeing official photos of the interior of the car. The overall interior design is aligned with GM's new design theme and draws cues from the Malibu. It looks far better than the current Cobalt interior!

The Cruze is going to launch in Europe first next spring, but we will not see it until the spring of 2010 as a 2011 model.

GM recently introduced the all-new Chevy Traverse crossover that is based on the same architecture as the Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia. GM is hoping that the Traverse will have what it takes to grab the number one sales spot in the large crossover segment.

Currently Toyota and Honda own the segment with the Highlander and Pilot. Last year Toyota sold 127,878 Highlanders and Honda sold 117,146 Pilots. Chevy boss, Ed Peper claims that the Traverse can beat both of them.

When the 2011 Chevy Volt was unveiled last week it was understood that the small 1.4L engine would not recharge the battery for the electric motor, well now it looks like it may.

John Lauckner, GM's VP for Global Program Management claims that the engine in the Volt will indeed send whatever surplus energy it has to the lithium-ion battery. It was originally understood that once the Volt reached 40 miles the battery would become a"paper weight" until the battery could be recharged using a 120 or 240-volt outlet. Although the engine does have the ability to recharge the battery, the engine will never come close to fully charging the battery.

GM has announced plans to invest $370 million in a new manufacturing plant that will build global 4-cylinder engines.

The plant is going to produce the new 1.4L engine for the Chevy Volt and Chevy Cruze small car. Construction of the new plant is expected to start immediately and be completed in 2010. The new plant will create 300 hourly jobs.

Dodge has unveiled the 2009 Lone Star Edition Dodge Ram at the State Fair of Texas.

The state of Texas is Dodge's single largest truck market. Because of this Texans are going to get a special edition (exclusive) of the all-new Dodge Ram. The Lone Star Edition starts as a Ram Crew 1500 SLT in either two or four-wheel-drive. The 5.7L HEMI V8 with a five-speed automatic, chromed 4-inch dual exhaust, 20 inch painted silver wheels (20-inch chromed wheels are available), chromed grille surround with chromed billets, quad headlamps and fog lamps are part of the new package. Inside there is a new lighting group and a leather wrapped steering wheel with audio controls. Lastly there is unique Lone Star badging on the tailgate.

Ford has announced the changes to the 2009 Lincoln Navigator SUV.

First Ford has improved the Navigator's fuel economy to 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway for 4x2 models. Ford achieved these results by using software to shut off the fuel supply to the engine during deceleration, similar to the 2009 F-150 SFE. The Navigator is powered by a 300 horsepower 5.4L V8 that is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Chrysler has officially unveiled the Chrysler EV, Dodge EV and Jeep EV today, which are Chrysler's answer to the Chevy Volt that was unveiled last week.

Ford has announced the pricing for the all-new 2009 Ford F-150.

Ford has announced today more details about the all-new 2009 F-150 and the new F-150 SFE.

Just when we thought GM was done with the sort of badge engineering they did in the 80's they go and unveil the Pontiac G3, which is basically a Chevy Aveo with a new grille.

Here's a video of two of GM's beloved cars hitting the track together.

Last week teaser shots of the 2010 Ford Mustang were released and today we have another shot of the dash and part of the interior.

GM is going to unveil the Chevy Orlando Concept at the Paris Motor Show next month. The automaker released two sketches of the concept earlier this month and now we have a third shot of the rear of the car.

As the world waits for GM's newest small sedan the Chevy Cruze, now comes word that the pricing for the car could be higher than its main competitors.

GM officially unveiled the 2011 Chevy Volt today during its 100-year celebration. Here are a bunch of videos for your enjoyment.

After weeks of photo leaks, GM has finally unveiled the 2011 Chevy Volt during the automaker's 100-year celebration today.

Cadillac is planning on launching a new small rear-wheel-drive sedan that will go head to head with the BMW 3-Series.

Lincoln has already confirmed that the Ford Flex based MKT has received the green light for production. Well the production version of the MKT concept is set for a debut next January at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

GM is going to halt production of the Chevy Corvette for a week starting Oct. 6th due to the economy and the ongoing automotive recession.

Here's a video of the 2009 Chevy Corvette ZR1 speeding down the Autobahn. In this video the uber-fast Corvette reaches 315 kph (195.73 mph). Apparently it could have gone even faster if it hadn't run out of road.

Chrysler has announced the changes to the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.

Yes, yes...I've heard your gripes about all the Camaro news..but get over it. Some people still want to hear about this car. :P

Following yesterday's most revealing spy photos yet of the 2010 Ford Mustang, we now have a few teaser shots of the new Mustang.

A reader over at Jalopnik sent in a few photos of the 2010 Ford Mustang with most of its leathery camo removed.

GM is going to unveil the Chevy Orlando at the Paris Motor Show next month.

Almost 300,000 Chevy HHR's are being recalled to fix a storage bin latch issue.

GM has already announced that the automaker has postponed plans to redesign its large SUVs, so what does that mean for the next-gen Cadillac Escalade? Well GM may build the next-gen Escalade off the same platform as the Acadia, Outlook, Enclave and Traverse crossovers.

GM officially unveiled the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP earlier this year and now according to the SAE the final output from the 6.2L V8 is 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft. of torque.

The first official photos of the 2011 Chevy Volt aren't expected until next week to celebrate GM's 100th anniversary, but thanks to The Car Connection we have some shots of the car now.

Yes..yes. The Ford Mustang is following in the Camaro's footsteps with the number of spy photos that have shown up, but at least these shots are not just of the hood like last week. :P

Last week we saw our first glimpses of the production version of the Chevy Volt on the set of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. GM has released a few teaser photos, but the grainy pics from last week were much better...Now to coincide with GM's 100th anniversary, GM is going to officially unveil their most highly anticipated new model.

Ford's product development chief Derrick Kuzak recently sat down with the Automotive News and revealed that Ford may add a new smaller vehicle to the Lincoln lineup.

Chrysler has been one of the few automakers that have been quiet about their future green offerings. Besides the hybrid Durango and Aspen SUVs there hasn't been really any news stories about what is next for Chrysler...until now.

We've seen so many photos of the new Chevy Camaro, but very few of the SS variant. Last week a batch of un-official photos surfaced on the internet, but now GM has released the first official photo of the Chevy Camaro SS.

GM launched the "Employee Pricing for Everyone" campaign last month to move the remaining 08' models and a few 09' models off dealer lots...well GM has extended the program until the end of September.

Earlier today a photo of the interior of the production Chevy Volt hybrid surfaced and now we have some shots of the car on the set of Transformers 2. What's exciting is that these our are first look at the production version of the car.

Yesterday Ford released an official photo of the new pony emblem on the 2010 Ford Mustang. Now today we have an un-official photo of the hood of the new Mustang.

GM has slowly been releasing more teaser images of one its most highly anticipated new models, the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid.

Ford has unveiled the badge for the new 2010 Mustang.

HURST is going to unveil the limited edition 2009 HURST/ HEMI Dodge Challenger at SEMA.

Chrysler has announced today that the automaker is "preparing to explore strategic options for the Dodge Viper business", which means that Chrysler could sell the car to another automaker.

Yesterday reports surfaced that Cadillac is working on a new small 4-cylinder powered sedan and now rumors are circulating that Cadillac may also receive a version of the highly anticipated Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid.

Ford has announced today plans to convert its Michigan truck plant into a plant for its new global C-cars.

GM has released a single teaser photo of the all-new 2010 Buick LaCrosse.

Cadillac is currently working on a small 4-cylinder sedan that will be offered in the US in late 2010 as a 2011 model....something that was unthinkable a year ago.

GM has yet to officially release any photos of the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS, so for now we've had to just deal with the photos of the lesser powered Camaros..until now.

Chrysler's first hybrids, the 2009 Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen two-mode hybrids are going to be in showrooms later this year.

GM has officially released three photos of the upcoming 2011 Chevy Cruze small sedan that is going to be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October .

GM has officially unveiled the V6 powered 2010 Chevy Camaro, but has yet to unveil the V8 Camaro SS...although thanks to Fergie and Conde Nast, we have the first photo of the car.

GM officially unveiled the 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck earlier this year with the same 361-horsepower 6.0L V8 as the sedan, well now it looks like the G8 ST might get a V6 as well.

Ok...so its been what about a week or two since we've had any new Camaro news. Well it looks like one dealer has already received the salesperson reference guide for the 2010 Camaro and of course here it is on the internet.

One of the more exciting things, besides the cars of course at the annual NAIAS Auto Show in Detroit is GM’s Style event. This year the exciting pre-auto show party featured some of GM's exciting model's on stage with artists such as Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5...there were of course lots of hot models as well.

GM surprised everyone with the unveiling of the Cadillac CT coupe earlier this year. Now that the new CTS Sport Wagon has been unveiled we can look forward to November when the production CTS Coupe is set to make its debut.

GM has announced the return of employee pricing for its 2008 models and the 2009 Pontiac Vibe.

Lincoln has confirmed the production of the MKT crossover for 2010.

Cadillac has officially unveiled the 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Earlier this year Cadillac unveiled the Provoq Concept, which featured an E-Flex fuel cell drivetrain. Well Cadillac has basically taken the Provoq and put a conventional V6 engine to come up with the all-new SRX crossover.

GM has released more photos the production version of the upcoming Chevy Volt.

Ford has officially started production of the 2009 Ford Fiesta in Cologne, Germany today.

HUMMER is seriously on the brink of extinction now that the SUV market has died and GM is looking to unload the brand...but HUMMER is still here for now. HUMMER has unveiled the 2009 HUMMER H2 Black Chrome Edition.

Pontiac officially unveiled the G8 Sports Truck earlier this year, but at the same time announced that no official name had been picked. Well its been confirmed and I'm sorry to all you El Camino fans out there...but the G8 Sports Truck has been officially named the Pontiac G8 ST.

For years automakers have claimed that small cars equal small profits, which explains their focus on bigger more profitable vehicles. Well now that large vehicles are out, automakers are trying to go small without killing their profits. Ford is hoping that its new "global" Focus will deliver double digit percentage profit improvements compared to the current US-spec Focus.

Chrysler has announced plans to invest $1.8 billion retooling and expanding its Jefferson North Assembly Plant in order to produce a new car-based Jeep.

Dodge has announced the pricing for the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram pickup.

Consumers' demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles has caused GM to put the replacements for its largest Cadillac sedans on hold.

Earlier this year GM quietly released the XFE version of the Chevy Cobalt. XFE stands for "Xtra Fuel Economy" and means that vehicles labeled with this tag feature more fuel-saving technologies to save even more gas. GM has announced today that the Cobalt XFE is going to be joined by XFE versions of the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon.

Ford has set the goal of launching its newest small cars with the highest quality ever in its attempt to challenge Toyota.

According to The Detroit News, Ford is planning on reducing the production of the Taurus X and Mercury Sable by half starting next year.

Cadillac has announced the pricing for its first hybrid model, the Escalade Hybrid.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given the all-new 2009 Ford Flex a 5-star front and side impact crash test rating highest, its highest possible score.

Chevy is going to replace the current Cobalt with the Cruze in late-2010 and the new vehicle can't come soon enough to help save GM.

Ford has officially taken the wraps off the all-new 2009 Ford Ka that is going to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show this fall.

The first image of Ford's all-new 2009 Ka has leaked onto the internet.

The very first 2009 Corvette ZR1 went for $1 million at the recent Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released the results of its first ever side crash testing of five small pickup trucks.

Earlier this week Ford gave spectators their first look at the new 2010 Ford Mustang, although it was heavily camouflaged.

Bob Lutz has confirmed that the all-new Opel Insignia is definitely coming to the US as the next Saturn Aura, but the Aura will have not share the Insignia's body.

GM finally took the wraps off the 2010 Chevy Camaro on Monday and the news is still coming in on the new car.

Well the wait is finally over GM has officially taken the wraps off the production 2010 Chevy Camaro.

Well its still a few days until the official unveiling of the 2010 Chevy Camaro, but a few photos of the coupe have already leaked.

This month has been a very difficult month for GM with its declining sales and plans to reduce costs by $15 billion by the end of 2009.

GM’s CEO Rick Wagoner announced today the many new steps that GM is going to take to cut costs by $15 billion by the end of 2009.

It had been rumored that GM was not going to sell its uber fast Cadillac CTS-V in Europe, but according to a senior source at GM, the 556 horsepower CTS-V is in fact headed to Europe.

Chevy is just about to unveil the production version of the long-awaited Chevy Camaro and more details are starting to surface about the car.

According to sources that spoke with the guys over at PickupTrucks.com, Ford is considering an EcoBoost four-cylinder for the F150.

HUMMER has announced the pricing for its the pickup truck version of its smallest SUV, the H3.

GM released a video of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 on the famed Nurburgring yesterday. The video shows the ZR1 completing a lap around the track in 7:24:6, which officially beats the time of 7:29 that was set by the Nissan GT-R.

GM has released the video of the 2009 Chevy Corvette hitting the famed Nurburgring on June 27th.

By now most of us are tired of seeing photos of the many Camaro prototypes on the road. According to 5thgen.org the production version of the Camaro is going to be unveiled to Chevrolet dealers on July 22nd.