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GM-based Pickup To Be Sold In Russia: Red Dawn Sales Skyrocket

Isuzu Trucks headed to Russia

As we head into another Cold War, Isuzu Motors has announced that it will introduce and market its D-Max pickup trucks in Russia beginning in February 2009. The pickup trucks to be sold in the Russian market are the Isuzu Motors Thailand-made versions of the D-MAX. Patrick Swayze responded by stating, “WOLVERINES!!!”

Isuzu D-Max

The completed pickup truck models will be imported by Severstal Avto Isuzu (SAI) of Russia, directly from Thailand and marketed through the dealer network under the umbrella of SAI. Sales are initially projected at 1,000 units and will be extended to the 5,000-unit level in the third year. The D-Max shares the same platform with several General Motors mid-size trucks in the United States including the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Isuzu i-Series. The Chevrolet Colorado name is also applied to a rebadged version of the D-Max in Thailand, although not identical to the American version. The original D-Max is sold alongside the Chevrolet Colorado in the Thai market where they are both built. In America, the engine in the smaller i-290 is a 185-horsepower 2.9-liter four-cylinder with a standard five-speed manual transmission comes standard and a four-speed automatic is available as an option. In America the larger i-series trucks come with a 242-hp 3.7-liter five-cylinder with a standard four-speed automatic transmission. The larger crew-cab model has a reduced 5-foot cargo bed, but more rear-seat room and four doors. The rear bench seat is big enough for three adults and folds down in a 60/40 split.

Isuzu Interior

In Russia, the small and medium-sized pickup truck markets are rapidly expanding. The total demand increased to about 11,300 units in 2007 from about 3,600 units in 2005. The demand is expected to further increase production in the future.

The company said that the pickup trucks will be powered by the 3L and 2.5L common-rail direct injection diesel engines that will be fully compliant with the Euro-4 emission regulations. The truck will be available as a crew cab and be available with both automatic and manual transmissions.

As a side benefit in the U.S., Russia’s ability to purchase the D-Max provides Americans the motivation to watch “Red Dawn” with renewed animosity.

Cadillac Needs Diesel. We All Do. Badly.

Haven't seen a Bugatti Veyron for rent yet,
but hey... you never know

You wouldn’t think the best part of planning a trip to Ireland would be selecting a rental car.

But it dawned on me today as I browsed the Irish car offerings… I’ll have a whole world of cars at my fingertips that I can’t even touch living here in the U.S. I can rent a Ford Fiesta, an Opel Corsa, a Peugeot 206… a Mercedes C-Class diesel.

Maybe they’re not the greatest cars in the world, but it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet of nothing but desserts for me - pure heaven.

I’m also wondering (again) why in the world we don’t have as many diesel options in the U.S. as Europeans do. I know the automakers like to say it’s because Americans haven’t gotten over our poor experience with the dirty diesels of the past. Those days are over, though, and cars like the VW Jetta TDI are proving that diesel works.

Edmunds’ AutoObserver posted a story about Cadillac’s diesel plans, which says,

GM product-development higher-ups are adamant that diesels are too costly for the U.S. market. They require complex and expensive exhaust aftertreatment (”onboard chemical factories” is one term repeatedly employed) to comply with the world’s toughest diesel-emissions standards - and U.S. diesel fuel is not taxed advantageously, as it is in Europe, where diesels have captured more than half of the region’s light-vehicle market.

I came to three conclusions from that quote:

GM is putting the idea of a diesel that conforms to U.S. emission standards in the “too hard” pile. (It’s not too hard for VW, BMW, or Mercedes, though.)
Selling gasoline provides the government with more tax revenue, so selling more diesel just doesn’t make sense.
Europe is smarter than the U.S.

Considering the U.S. is about two decades behind Europe in diesel offerings, we’d better get on the ball, or we’ll completely miss the electric-vehicle movement too.

Consider this:

Germany’s government has announced its intent to get one million EVs on the road by 2020, largely through financial incentives offered to Germans who buy electric.

All I can do is thank the stars that we finally have a president who understands the importance of alternate fuels and is investing in America’s electric automotive future. As a friend recently said,

I think it’s great that Obama seems to take our gas/car problem seriously and has invested significant money in battery technology here. Nice that we got rid of the oilman who seemed perfectly content to let American automakers keep building cars that would ensure his buddies would keep making money hand over fist.

Amen, brother!

Will the U.S. ever catch up with Europe, or will it always trail in automotive innovation?

-tgriffith

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The Sports Cars We Want To See

If you’re not into sports cars, you might as well stop reading.

In my mind, while certainly not practical, sports cars are the backbone of all things automotive. They represent the pinnacle of engineering and possibility; but like any other car, sports cars come and go. Here are some we wish would come and then just stay.

Here’s a piece of trivia: Honda went to Italian design firm Pininfarina in 1984 to design the car that became the NSX. In 2005 the NSX was discontinued… then in 2008 hopes for a next-generation NSX were dashed when Honda cancelled its plans for the car. Now, there’s news again that Honda may create a lower priced NSX, which means it would probably fall out of supercar territory. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather never see a new NSX than see one with that awful Acura beak that’s going around these days. Bring it back right, or let it rest forever!

Come on, Nissan, just build this! The Essence is the best looking concept I’ve seen in a long time… the exterior looks like liquid metal freshly poured over pure muscle. While we probably won’t see a production version of this car, we hope at least it’s a foreshadowing of future Infiniti design.

There are many folks who would rather have an MR2 than other sports cars costing twice as much. Maybe the “Toyobaru” project, detailed here, will eventually come through and deliver a car worthy to follow in the MR2’s footsteps.

This was THE supercar of the 1980s. What young teen didn’t have the above poster hanging on his bedroom door? The last model year was 1996, so we’ve lived almost 15 years without a new Testarossa… wouldn’t it be great to see what Pininfarina could come up with now? Almost 100,000 copies of the Testarossa were sold, so I’ll bet Ferrari could “pull a Camaro” and reintroduce a classic!

Jaguar F-Type Concept

Jaguar has come a long way in the last few years! The new XJ is sleek and modern, the new XF is holding its own with BMW and Mercedes, and the XK competes with the likes of the BMW M6. Now the company just needs a Porsche 911 fighter, and a concept based off something like this could be just the ticket.

What sports cars from the past do you miss the most?

-tgriffith

Tectonic Shifts Around the World in the Car Biz

The twisted Porsche/VW sale

Porsche CEO Wiedeking. Why is his thumb pointed down?

Porsche CEO Wiedeking: note thumb pointing down

A complicated story today got more complicated. It was reported widely yesterday that Porsche Automobil’s main shareholders (the Porsche and Piech families) were going to sell the sports-car business (Porsche AG) to its Volkswagen unit in order to reduce the holding company’s debt.

Today they denied it. Seems the cost of debt is rising along with the bad economy, and the company must look for other assets, which it has, if it wishes to follow through on its announced intent to buy around 75 percent of VW’s stock (it now owns 51 percent). All this sounds crazy but makes some kind of sense, as our friends at autoblog thankfully explained:

Wait, what? Didn’t Porsche just buy Volkswagen? Well yeah, for the most part. The parent company Porsche Automobil Holding SE holds majority interest in the Volkswagen group, and is planning on buying more. But in order to do so, the rumors suggest, the holding company would have to sell its auto manufacturing unit (Porsche AG) to Volkswagen, and then, we’re supposed to understand, turn around [and] buy another quarter of VW’s shares with the cash generated. (With us so far?) The put would undoubtedly drive Volkswagen’s shares up, generating more cash for VW and more debt for a hungry Porsche.

If these Porsche guys are so smart, how come they let the story leak before they had to deny it?

Fiat and Chrysler and Opel are dancing

Another story leaking the rounds this week is Fiat’s possible interest in GM’s Opel. Boss Sergio Marchionne (left) reiterated he would not invest cash in Chrysler and that they were still trying to work a deal.

Yesterday, however, Reuters said Fiat and Opel were in talks: “GM needs to sell a big stake in Opel to get 3.3 billion euros (2.2 billion pounds) in loan guarantees from Germany and other European governments to rescue the troubled unit.” The question is whether Fiat could afford Opel after its recent larger-than-expected first-quarter loss. The company does have cash reserves of $6.6 billion, up $1.5 billion from last year.

It would seem Fiat is in a strong position even if the deal with Chrysler goes down.

Cheers! Ford loses only $1.4 billion last quarter; GM gets another $2B from the Feds

Happy (for now) Ford CEO Mulally

All the analysts are waving flags that Ford lost less than they predicted it would, and in this kind of upside-down economy, I suppose that’s good news. “Still,” as CNN pointed out, “the latest losses come on top of $30 billion in net losses the company reported from 2006 through 2008.” And the losses will continue “through at least next year.”

This recent news does reinforce Ford’s position as the healthiest of the Big Three, which is to say they only have pneumonia, not lung cancer. The government’s Intensive Care Unit is still operating at full capacity, however. Treasury announced today it had lent $2 billion more in funds to help GM restructure before its June 1 deadline. Chrysler could get up to $6 billion more if it works out the deal with Fiat… by Thursday. What a timeline!

These fiscal moves may not be tectonic shifts, per our headline, but they are surely seismic rumblings of what’s to come.

Which of these stories seems most important in your view? Tell us why, please.

—jgoods

Car Blog Showdown: Mid-’80s family sedans

This is CarGurus’ second Car Blog Showdown. This week tgriffith and jgoods were each invited to select their favorite mid-’80s family sedan.

1986 Ford Taurus

jgoods’ 5 reasons why the 1986 Ford Taurus is the best mid-’80s family sedan:

Lots of innovations with this car, including aerodynamic design, coordinated development teams, close cooperation of designers and engineers - all of which saved Ford from bankruptcy (as the new Taurus may not) and put the company on a new path.
The car has held up well. Introduced in 1985 as a 1986 model, it had good build quality.
Good power with the optional V6 and plenty of torque.
Interior design and controls were far better than its rivals’.
Just look at that sleek beauty! In styling it didn’t have to go far to beat out the competition.

tgriffith’s 3 reasons why it isn’t:

Never buy a car the first year it’s introduced.
Interior comfort can’t compete with the Accord’s.
The Taurus just wasn’t as reliable as the Accord, plain and simple.

1985 Honda Accord

tgriffith’s 5 reasons why the 1985 Honda Accord is the best mid-’80s family sedan:

It’s one of those cars that just keeps going.
Even with high mileage, maintenance is minimal, especially in the fuel-injected trim.
Comfortable, even luxurious interior when decked out in leather trim.
Looks a little like a tank and is as durable as one, but smooth and comfortable at the same time.
Go to any suburban mall, scan the parking lot, and you’ll still see ’85 Accords parked in the stalls.

jgoods’ 3 reasons why it isn’t:

Winner, “Homeliest Car of 1986” award.
Corrosion and overheating problems reported.
Carbureted versions often gave owners fits.

What’s your favorite mid-’80s family sedan? Why?

The car find worth $4 million

The 1937 Bugatti found in an English garage (AP photo)

Sometimes amazing stories like this surface:

A guy is driving an old country road and spots the backend of a 1963 Corvette split window poking out from a partially collapsed barn. He stops to take a closer look and ends up buying the “old wreck” from an 83-year-old widow for a thousand bucks. He restores it, sells it, and has a hefty $100,000 in profit.

That certainly has never happened to me, or even anyone I know. But if you think finding a ’63 Vette is amazing, here’s a story that’ll leave your jaw on the floor.

A 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante was found in the garage of an English grandfather, who died at age 89. His grandchildren called him an eccentric hoarder who never threw anything away.

Well, looks like ol’ grampa had the last laugh, because his grandkids have now realized what they’ve found.

This car was purchased new by British race-car driver Earl Howe. Only 17 were ever made. It was capable of up to 130 mph (when other cars of the era maybe managed 50). Each of the 17 cars was made by hand. A quarter of all Atalantes ever built are housed in a French museum.

To call this a rare find is a gross understatement; a find like this simply doesn’t happen. This Bugatti retains all of its original parts and has only 26,000 miles on the odometer. It hasn’t been driven (or hardly touched) since 1960.

The eight people who inherited the estate of Dr. Harold Carr were simply going through his belongings, surely not expecting to strike gold. Imagine the feeling of shock, disbelief, and excitement when one of the most significant automobiles in the world was uncovered from its nearly 50-year-old hideaway.

Thank goodness someone there knew what they were looking at, or this Bugatti could’ve ended up in the hands of a very lucky passerby!

Now, on February 7, 2009, this treasure will be auctioned at Bonham’s Retromobile Sale in Paris. The expected going price? Nothing less than $4 million.

Maybe Grandpa wasn’t that crazy after all.

What’s the greatest story of a car find you’ve experienced or heard?

-tgriffith

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