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TCC Previews the

2006 Dodge Hornet concept
2006 Geneva Motor Show Preview, Part
I
(2/19/2006)
2006 Geneva Show Preview, Part
II (2/19/2006)
New VW Concept A, Porsche 911 Turbo, BMW WRC car.
Can GM Turn Itself Around?
Workers at General Motors' Pontiac
Assembly Plant, a half-hour's drive north of
The announcement comes in sharp contrast to others the automaker has made in recent months. Just weeks ago, GM revealed plans to sharply cut back on salaried pension and healthcare, while also "sharing the pain" with stockholders, who'll lose half their dividends, and senior executives, who'll lose up to half their pay. Last autumn, CEO Rick Wagoner announced plans to close five assembly plants and trim around 30,000 jobs.
Even the latest, upbeat
announcement has fueled skepticism. The
When the giant automaker began work on those SUVs, it envisioned a market segment of at least one million vehicles annually. Now, however, it's more likely to run in the range of 750,000, according to vice chairman Bob Lutz. Even if GM can maintain its current share, an eye-popping 60 percent, that's a significant shortfall.
Can GM Turn Itself Around? (2/19/2006)
Is there enough time, analysts ask?
Delphi Sets Final UAW Deadline
The bankrupt
Delphi Corp. has once again delayed confrontation over the company's expensive
labor contracts. However,
Robert "Steve"
Miller, Delphi Chairman and chief executive, said he wanted to reach an
agreement with the unions and without court intervention. But Miller also has
said
Delphi Sets Final UAW Deadline
(2/19/2006)
Will there be a strike on March 30?
Ghosn Puts His Stamp on Renault
Just
as he did at Nissan, Carlos Ghosn is planning to use a new product offensive to
boost the fortunes of Renault with a combination of judicious cost-cutting and a
move upmarket.
At the same time, Ghosn also is ordering Nissan to move deeper
into the commercial vehicle market and to maintain a close watch on costs,
including those in
At
Renault's annual press conference in
The new product offensive also is designed to reduce Renault's dependence on the Mégane compact. "This heavy dependence on a single product is a source of vulnerability for the company," Ghosn said. Ghosn also ruled out any attempt by Renault to enter the North American market before 2009.
Ghosn Puts His Stamp on
Renault (2/19/2006)
New plan includes major move upmarket.
Schrembri Out at
Mitsubishi
In
a surprise move, Mitsubishi Motors North America announced the resignations of
Dave Schembri, executive vice president of sales and marketing, and Wayne
Killen, vice president of marketing. Mitsubishi said they left to pursue
other opportunities. However, Schrembri had joined only about a year ago and had
succeeded in halting the slide in Mitsubishi sales and also in getting buzz
going around the company's advertising and products. Schrembri could not be
reached for comment. No replacements were named. For the present, the
sales and marketing operations will be directed by president and CEO Hiroshi
Harunari, Mitsubishi's official statement said. -Joe Szczesny

DAILY IN DEPTH
Saab Filling In Product Gaps
General Motors' long-struggling Swedish subsidiary hopes to slash costs, increase its product range, and significantly boost sales over the next few years, Saab officials told TheCarConnection.com. The Scandinavian brand expects to see "significant investment" as the result of a five-year business plan approved by the General Motors Board of Directors late last year, according to Saab Managing Director Jan-Ake Jonsson.
Much of that money will go to a new range of products, including a new, "global" crossover vehicle. The crossover is an alternative to that which Saab had been developing in partnership with the Japanese automaker, Subaru. That project was scrapped last year, Jonsson noted, when GM sold off its stake in Subaru. Along with the new crossover, Saab is working on a product to fit in below the automaker's current small car, the 9-3. It will go up against premium hatchbacks, such as the Audi A3, according to Jonsson, and the new Volvo C30. Saab's new product offensive will take time to roll out, however: company sources revealed that a replacement for the brand's flagship 9-5 model won't reach market until calendar year 2009, more than a decade after it was first launched.
Such long lifecycles
are a real challenge for the company, acknowledged Jay Spenchian, general
manager of
Saab is planning to unveil a high-style concept vehicle at the Geneva Motor show later this month that will serve "as a statement of our future," Jonsson told TheCarConnection. Neither official would discuss specific details, but Jonsson suggested the show car is part of Saab's plan to craft a "more consistent" brand image. "You can't wobble," as the automaker has in the past, he emphasized. Over the years, he added, Saab has vacillated from extreme stuff, like the original 900 Turbo, to the conservative 9-5. Going forward, the Swedish maker intends to emphasize design, safety, the driving experience, and the functionality of its interiors. The message, concluded Jonsson, "is not (about) quirkiness, but uniqueness." -TCC Team

From TCConfidential

1999 Chevrolet Tracker 4-door
Generous
Motors is a thing of the past, our Joe Szczesny writes. Things are so bad at
the
Ford
says its market share will continue to slide before it stabilizes.
Apparently, the Way Forward also includes some side-to-side jiggling and
possibly, liquefaction. And who said the domestics don't know
It probably goes without saying that if
you need a loan in
Our recent TCConfidential tiff here of late with another writer certainly spurred some interesting comments. It shook us so badly we had to make a few phonecalls and line up free trips to more exotic places just to get over the hazing. (Editor's note: insert sarcasm here.)
So, real women drive Bimmer wagons and VW convertibles and such? Then how come Shannen Doherty was in a Range Rover when she went off-roading unexpectedly? (P.S. Knowing she's a Memphian and a Republican only makes us love her more. You go, Brenda Walsh!)

2006 Renault Altica concept
Except it isn't a secret: for Parisians, and any lucky TCC faithful who may be in a cold but sunny Paris (well it was last weekend anyway) there's an up-close preview of the car that will be the centrepiece of the Renault Geneva stand right there on Paris tourist central, the Champs Elysées.
Big, manufacturer-supported auto showrooms
are a feature of the broad boulevard that leads from the Place de la Concorde to
the Arc de Triomphe, and there, smack in the middle of the main display window
of the Renault building, is the Altica. There are no ropes keeping the crowds at
a respectful distance, as there will be in
If you're in
POLL RESULTS
Street Names: Pick Your Winner
Psycho Path 26%
Count and Basie 2%
Unexpected Rd. 5%
Lonesome/Hardup Rd. 4%
Shades of Death Rd. 3%
Bucket of

FROM THE SOURCE headlines from the latest press releases
Today, Hyundai Motor
Company, now the fourth largest import manufacturer in the


Name | Symbol | Last | Change |
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Autobytel, Inc. | ABTL | 4.80 | |
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Autoliv Inc. | ALV | 53.00 | |
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AutoNation Inc. | AN | 21.69 | |
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ArvinMeritor Inc. | ARM | 16.40 | |
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American Axle & Mfr. Holdings Inc. | AXL | 17.04 | |
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Ballard Power Systems Inc. | BLDP | 5.29 | |
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BorgWarner Inc. | BWA | 57.04 | |
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Cummins Inc. | CMI | 104.47 | |
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Dana Corporation | DCN | 4.23 | |
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DaimlerChrysler AG (ADR) | DCX | 57.92 | |
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Dura Automotive Systems | DRRA | 2.49 | |
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Eaton Corporation | ETN | 69.35 | |
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Ford Motor Company | F | 8.45 | |
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General Motors Corporation | GM | 21.92 | |
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Gentex Corporation | GNTX | 16.92 | |
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Goodyear Tire & Rubber | GT | 14.87 | |
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Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR) | HMC | 29.35 | |
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Johnson Controls Inc. | JCI | 68.39 | |
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Lear Corporation | LEA | 22.87 | |
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Magna International Inc. | MGA | 73.12 | |
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Motorola Inc. | MOT | 21.49 | |
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Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR) | NSANY | 23.42 | |
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Sonic Automotive Inc. | SAH | 25.09 | |
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Siemens AG | SI | 91.80 | |
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Sirius Satellite Radio | SIRI | 5.26 | |
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Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR) | TM | 108.54 | |
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TRW Automotive Holdings | TRW | 25.99 | |
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Tower Automotive Inc. | TWRAQ.PK | 0.067 | |
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United Auto Group Inc. | UAG | 43.45 | |
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Visteon Corporation | VC | 4.97 | |
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XM Satellite Radio Hold. | XMSR | 21.57 |
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