Tata Nano In The U.S.?

According to Automotive News, Tata says that it could bring the Nano to the U.S. as soon as 2011 or 2012. However, you can bet your bottom rupee that it won't cost $2000, won't weigh 1300lb, and probably won't get 61mpg.

Before Tata can sell the thing in the U.S., it must be fitted with "2.5mph" bumpers front and rear.
It will need ABS and stability control.
It will need front and side airbags.
It will need front, rear, and side impact crash structures so it will get a decent score on NHTSA's crash tests.
It will need properly formulated catalytic converters to meet tough emissions standards.
It will need an automatic transmission, since we Americans are forgetting how to shift our own gears.

When these and perhaps other features I have not thought about have been added, it will likely cost more than the $6000 or so that the Tata Europe is expected to cost.

Suppose it comes in at an industry leading price of $7,500. That's great for a new car, but in 2012 you could probably get a nice used compact or mid-sized car of the 2007-2009 vintage for that kind of money. Nothing exciting, but a solid reliable ride. With amenities such as power locks and windows, decent radios, an opening trunk, dual wipers, fold down seats, and so on.

Excerpts From GM Live Chat

Fritz Henderson did a live chat on GM's Fastlane Blog. Here are some interesting Q's and A's, excerpted form the whole chat. Red highlights are mine.

Fritz Henderson GM CEO, LIVE Webchat (06/04/2009)

15:07
[Comment From Bing ]
Mr. Henderson, If you were starting a "new" company, wouldn't you want it to be with folks that hadn't failed before?
15:09
Fritz Henderson: If I was starting a new company, which we are in fact, I would start with a blend of people that have been involved in winning businesses and outstanding people that learn from their failures. at least for me personally, I have been involved in both.

15:09
[Comment From Todd Lassa ]
How did a Chinese company with no prior history or experience in personal vehicle production snag the Hummer division? And can you comment on reports that the Opel-Magna deal isn't final?
15:11
Fritz Henderson: with regard to hummer, the potential buyer sichuan tenzhong offered the best overall alternative, and we did not have broad portfolio of other buyers!

15:11
[Comment From GMX206 ]
What do you think is the most important change that needs to be made in GM's corporate culture?
15:14
Fritz Henderson: we need to make some important changes in our culture. at least for me, we must drive home the following concepts and behaviours every day:
1. product and customers should dominate our activities and day to day lives.
2. speed. this is not sense of urgency, it is speed.
3. risk taking: we have great people. we need to allow them to take risks and coach them accordingly.
4. accountability: results count, period. consistent with a culture that encourages smart risk taking, with speed and delegation to act, we must all feel and live with a sense of accountability.

15:18
[Comment From Sumo ]
Mr. Henderson, the Asian carmakers have really taken away a lot of market share from the American carmakers? Will GM be able to challenge them in their home turfs?
15:19
Fritz Henderson: in china, we are rocking. in korea, we have gmdat with at or around 10% share, with good opportunities to grow. in japan, I have precisely ZERO interest.

15:20
[Comment From Michael Petrilla ]
What a great opportunity this is to speak directly with the CEO of a major corporation! I love the styling of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse and 2010 Cadillac SRX, both inside and outside. I was wondering if the Ecotec 4 cylinder/6 speed automatic combination will be made available at a future date for these two vehicles. The fuel mileage would be increased substantially and the performance would still be acceptable. I had a ride in a 2009 Saturn Vue (a dealer courtesy car) with the 4 cylinder/6 speed auto and it had plenty of power. Will the bankruptcy filing delay the introduction of these new vehicles? Also, I own a 2009 Saturn Sky Redline and naturally I am sad to see the Sky and Solstice discontinued. The demographics of Sky buyers seem to match those of the new LaCrosse and Solstice buyers seem to match up with Chevy buyers. A plan to make the Solstice a Chevy and the Sky a Buick made a lot of sense to a lot of people. And to build them at Bowling Green made sense as well. What was the deciding factor against the plan? Thank you.
15:22
Fritz Henderson: for lacrosse, subsequent to sop, we do have plans for a performance version of our 4cyl ecotec engine. srx will only have 6's, with great fuel economy and performance. on sky and solstice, we intend to complete production later this year and phase out as part of our brand actions on pontiac and saturn.

15:25
[Comment From Guest ]
Can you explain your rationale for keeping the GMC brand alive?
15:25
Fritz Henderson: profit. great and clear brand. passionate customers. profit can I be any clearer?

15:25
[Comment From Kathy Tomasik ]
I had a small amount of shares from the old GM. What has happened to them?
15:26
Fritz Henderson: unfortunately, the value of gm shares is expected to be zero.

15:29
[Comment From Jeff ]
I am what you might call a Volt skeptic. Can you say that they will find their hands into average people and not just limited to rich executives and celebrities (ala the Tesla roadster)?
15:31
Fritz Henderson: this will not be an inexpensive vehicle in its first generation, but it will be extremely affordable relative to a tesla. while we have not made final decisions on pricing, you should be thinking about $40k ish, with a $7500 available tax credit.

15:35
[Comment From John ]
Will the Corvette survive as athe V8 engined rear wheel drive icon we all love?
15:36
Fritz Henderson: yes. my wonderful baby is my 2005 corvette coupe. we have more in store for the future and this iconic brand will retain its powerful place within the new gm.

15:49
[Comment From One of the Faithful ]
GM has recently been behing the 8 ball on the release of its product. The Camaro was in concept form for 5 years before the vehicle actually hit the floor. The Mustang was on the ground WAY to long, and even though GM is selling every Camaro it can make right now the Mustang had to hurt Camaro sales. The same is with the HHR compared to the PT Cruiser. What are your plans to keep ahead of your competitors?
15:50
Fritz Henderson: with 34 nameplates to drive across 4 core brands, we have the right sized portfolio to maintain a fresh and exciting portfolio with the right launch cadence.

15:53
[Comment From Robert Tukes ]
Sent we all realize the camaro is a great hit. Will we make a electric Camaro ?
15:53
Fritz Henderson: not likely.

15:54
[Comment From Employee ]
Great news coverage on the G8 GXP today - any chance it will live on as a chevy or maybe an entry level caddy?
15:54
Fritz Henderson: no.

15:57
[Comment From Tony ]
What does it feel like being the CEO of a company with 60% government ownership? While the government won't be heavily involved, that must be an amazing responsibility to all Americans
15:59
Fritz Henderson: we do have this amazing responsibility and we all need to be immensely thankful for the support, which is not popular broadly. this means we have the responsibility to deliver.

by the way, a friend of mine sent me an email indicating that I am the ceo of a company that will have 300 million shareholders. actually, we will have 330 million shareholders, including the taxpayers of the US and Canada.

An Open Letter To GM

Dear GM,

Despite your decision that keeping Pontiac around is not a good business plan, I am asking you to consider saving some of Pontiac's product. Over the last few years, you started to build some Pontiacs that were actually exciting.

(Photos courtesy of Edmunds)

You should try to save the G8. This car is the best large sedan GM has sold in the U.S., outside of the Cadillacs, in a long time. Yes, it is expensive, and is being shipped from Australia. I think it would make an excellent top of the line Chevrolet--like an Impala with soul. It might make an interesting cop car, too, if you could work out the economics. Once people realized it was here to stay, sales would improve.


You should save the Solstice/Sky platform. This is a fun little car, and though it needs some qualty improvements and some refinement, it is one of the few cars you build that people actually fall in love with. I met a guy that got one from his wife as a 50th birthday present, and he acts like it is his mistress. Restyle this as a Buick, or perhaps as another Chevrolet, a "baby Corvette". The Solstice might also be an interesting platform for an all-electric sports car, something to compete with Tesla.


Finally, you should to do something with the Vibe. Not because it is that exciting of a product, but because it is a solid product with good quality numbers. Since Ford killed the 5-door Focus, this is one of the few domestic tall compact hatchbacks. It is much better than the Dodge Caliber. I'm not sure if the Vibe would make a good Chevrolet, as far as styling goes, but I do think it might make a decent Saturn. Maybe build the Vibe as a Saturn for Roger Penske, if you don't see it as a Chevrolet.

As for the G3, G5, G6, and Torrent, no tears shed here.

Sincerely,

--TAP

What is Karmann Ghia?

The Karmann Ghia was essentially a VW Beetle with a different body shell attached, yet it is considered an elegant sports car. So what constitutes a sports car? For the Karmann Ghia it was all about styling.

In the years following World War II VW had been successfully producing small and efficient automobiles like the Beetle, with a reputation for outstanding reliability. But as time wore on consumers began demanding vehicles with style and elegance, reflecting the changing attitudes at the time. This call was answered by the Karmann Ghia.

The end result however was a car which appealed to 2 very different groups. There were those who wanted a Porsche on a VW budget, and those who wanted a beautiful European touring car that was durable. This was achieved because VW chose to stick to its reliable Beetle chassis, yet covered that Chassis with a shell that was hand built to perfection using methods not seen anywhere else but on the world's finest cars.

Then end result was a car which could not reach 100mph unlike its rivals, but this could easily be overlooked thanks to its beautiful styling and knowing it wouldn't let you down whilst out on the road. During its 18 year production run, around half a million people considered these points more important than thoroughbred racing performance.

It is worth noting that VW emphasized all of the above facts in its advertising. They made it a point to openly declare that it was mechanically identical to the Beetle, and had slogans such as "The 1963 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Slower, but Prettier Than Any Porsche!". This was an honest advertising campaign, and captured the attention of the public. Unfortunately due to high import duties at the time relatively few made it over to the UK, but this didn't stop the car being a huge success at the time and going on to become a classic car.

Owners of such a car should use a special classic car insurance broker, and conduct a car insurance Comparison online to find the best deals

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Coughlan

The 1965 Chevy Shelby GT-350

The 1965 Ford Mustang was one of the most successful cars ever built, selling over one million in the first eighteen months. This iconic car formed the basis for the 1965 Shelby GT-350. In 1964, legendary Carroll Shelby was approached by Ford to produce a race version of the popular 1965 Mustang. Shelby had been a racer in the 1950's; by 1960, he had retired, becoming a designer of high-performance cars

Shelby built 100 of these cars by the first of the year in 1965. All were painted white with blue pinstripes. This super-tuned version of the Mustang was designed to give the Mustang name an image of high performance, and it was very successful at doing exactly that. The car won five of the Sports Car Club of America's six divisions in its first year, and went on to be the SCCA's B-production champion for three years in a row. They are said to be as close to a street-legal racing car as has ever been offered by an American motor company.

Differences from the regular Mustang included a pumped up engine and reinforced suspension. Shelby added a big four-barrel carburetor, free-flow exhaust headers, and other high-performance modifications. A rear axle from the Ford Galaxie replaced the stock assembly, along with bigger drum brakes in the rear and new disc brakes in the front. A set of cast-aluminum wheels and high-performance Goodyear tires, as well as a quick-ratio steering box, made the Shelby GT-350 handling much more impressive than that of the standard Mustang, known to have a strong understeer. The Shelby GT-350 had a top speed of 130 miles per hour, and was rated at 306 horsepower versus the 271 horsepower of the standard Mustang. An optional supercharger reportedly boosted the horsepower over 400, cutting the zero to 60 time to just five seconds.

On the exterior, the steel hood was replaced with a fiberglass one with a functional hood scoop. Inside, the Shelby included racing seatbelts and a missing back seat, to qualify the Shelby GT-350 as a sports car under SCCA rules. Though the first 250 or so were white with blue stripes, the last several hundred came in red, blue, green, and black, all with white stripes. Shelby eventually added an optional fold-down rear seat.

While these GT-350 versions were meant for the street, Shelby also designed a GT-350R model, with special features for the track including high-power heads, a stripped interior, and a super-duty suspension, along with other changes, reducing the weight by over 300 pounds.

In all, 562 Shelby GT-350 cars were produced in 1965, with less than thirty of these as GT-350R racers. At an initial price of $4,547, this was several thousand more than a V8 Mustang, and a few hundred more than a Chevy Corvette. Although they were quite expensive when first sold, many critics actually believed that it would not achieve collectible status because too many were produced. Today, the car remains quite popular among collectors. Though it is out of reach for most car enthusiasts, numerous diecast model and pedal car versions satisfy collectors' appetites for this classic sports car.

Check out Classic Pedal Cars selection of Mustang Pedal Cars you'll love them!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_R_Shaw

The Porsche 914 Modifications

The Porsche 914 is an extremely adaptable sports car. Introduced in 1969 the model was produced until 1976. The mid engine two seater is a small car and very nimble. The only down side with the 914 is that it was slightly underpowered. I believe this was done to keep the 914 from cutting into the market share of the Porsche 911.

The engines available in the stock 914 during the run were the 1.7L (flat-4), 1.8L (flat-4), 2.0L (flat-4), and 2.0L (flat-6). this is where the modification of the Porsche 914 begins. It is most common to rebuild one of the stock original stock engines and with the vast availability of Porsche aftermarket parts and OEM parts you can put together a very snappy 914 with acceptable horsepower increases. Where the fun is is in the installation of more productive Porsche 911 engines. The most popular engine change is the 2.7L, next on the list in popularity is the 3.0L both produce excellent horsepower and are extremely reliable. The king of the hill however is without a doubt the 3.6L which will give a Porsche 914 enough horsepower to drive just about anything off of the asphalt. When changing out the stock engine with one of the more powerful Porsche 911 flat-6 engines it is necessary to install stiffening kits into the 914 because of the increase in torque and horsepower these engines deliver.

The next natural step in the modification of the Porsche 914 is the suspension. The stock 914 used a 4 lug bolt pattern for the wheels which doesn't leave much room for change. The stock suspension should be upgraded to the 911 in the front for the 5 lug bolt pattern which is more responsive can be upgraded easier and carry larger wheels and tires. Also the rear of the car must have 914-6 hubs installed and the trailing arms reinforced, this will also allow the use of 5 bolt pattern wheels. Changing to the 5 bolt pattern also allows you the option of using any of the Porsche fuchs wheels of the appropriate size.

Finally, the last of the Porsche 914 modifications is the body. Without taking away the original look of the 914 there are a variety of body kits available from fender kits in steel to fiber glass to Porsche 916 look alike kits. The ultimate body modification kit for the 914 is the 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Coupe. Modifying the body of the Porsche 914 will absolutely change the dynamics of the car. Everything from aerodynamics, to overall weight will create a different feel in the car which is to be expected.

When modifications to the 914 are being considered it is a personal thing. I have attempted in this short space to give you a picture of just what can be done with the versatility of the Porsche 914. Mechanical changes to effect overall performance, suspension changes to increase stability and driveability and body modification to personalize the exterior of the car. As for the interior that is where I stop. There is just to much that can be done to make the interior space of the 914 a reflection of the owner.

http://www.porschespeed.net/porsche/
Porsche enthusiast, enjoy sports car racing and auto-x as well as Porsche restoration, modification, and maintenance.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=LeVier_Byrem

The Death of Pontiac?

General Motors will 'Shut Down' the 'excitement division' - Pontiac - by the end of 2010. Their decision to cut the long time muscle car brand was among several aggressive steps listed in a recently updated survival plan to the federal government. This leaves GM with four core brands to place their focus: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. Have we regressed to the beginning of the 20th century?

The fate of Saturn, Saab, and Hummer are still to be decided. At this time it appears they will either be sold or also shut down.

Interestingly enough, the problem for Pontiac was not sales, according to GM CEO Fritz Henderson. Instead, it was their long running addiction - profits. Indeed, Pontiac was the company's third best selling brand, lead by Chevy and GMC. Pontiac sold twice as many as Buick which is currently set to survive the federal shakeup.

Back to the 1950's

Pontiac's identity as a 'muscle car' brand goes back to the lat 1950's and early 1960's. These cars were originally designed with wider bodies and pushed out wheels. This 'wide track' design made the cars look agile and aggressive - and remained with the brand up until modern times.

After producing the now famous Pontiac Temptest LeMans GTO in 1964, Pontiac secured its place as the first true 'muscle car'.

"There was a time, a long way back now, when you knew exactly what Pontiac stood for," said Kevin Smith, editorial director for the automotive Web site Edmunds.com.

Recent efforts from vice chairman Bob Lutz tried to revive Pontiac's image. His plans called for Pontiac to produce mainly rear-drive 'modernized' muscle cars - such as the 2004 GTO or the rwd G8 sedan. This would have given them a unique selling point over other front wheel drive American cars, in addition to competing with RWD performance brands like BMW.

Unfortunately Pontiac's revival was not to be. Their most popular car remains the G6, followed by the Vibe. The australian based GTO and G8 had only dismal sales. Bob's plans were further crushed when gas prices soared and the EPA further tightened their grip on consumer transportation with tougher fuel economy regulations. So Pontiac returned to selling rebadged Chevrolet counterparts by offering the G3.

Pontiac's lack of providing true value as a brand may finally have brought its demise, said Smith. "That's just death in a marketplace where there's so much competition and so much quality," he said.

Keep Your Pontiac Excitement Alive with the Top Pontiac Resources on the Web at http://www.PontiacClubs.com - News, Clubs, Parts, Videos, more

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_V