Tag Archives: auto informed

First Drive – the 2010 Cadillac SRX

Posted on 27 November 2010 by Ken Zino

Cadillac, once the uncontested U.S. luxury vehicle leader, is coming off a disastrous rear-drive SRX model built from an aging truck platform. It’s finally seeing things the way Lexus envisioned. The new 2010 SRX crossover is built from a GM front-wheel-drive architecture that offers relative efficiency in a mid-size package for five adults. Continue reading →

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General Motors Underwriters Take Maximum Number of Shares in IPO

Posted on 26 November 2010 by Ken Zino

What this really means is U.S. taxpayers now own about 33% of General Motors, down from the U.S. Treasury’s ownership of GM’s outstanding shares of common stock of 61% before the IPO. Continue reading →

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Driving the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Posted on 26 November 2010 by Ken Zino

It’s surprising when the president of an auto company appears at a race track to drive a car he actually worked on as an engineer. It’s embarrassing, though, when he’s as fast, well frankly faster, than any hot shoe out there. Continue reading →

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Atlanta Airport TSA Employee Handcuffs, Rapes Woman

Posted on 26 November 2010 by Ken Zino

A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International airport handcuffed a woman, sexually assaulted her and then committed suicide. TSA is rapidly becoming, arguably, the most effective but inadvertent promoter of “automobility” in the bloated agencies of  all U.S. federal and state governments. Continue reading →

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Kia Recalling Alabama Built Sorento SUVs for Bad Brakes

Posted on 25 November 2010 by Ken Zino

Kia is recalling all 2011 Sorento models built at a Kia plant in Alabama because defective rear brake calipers can leak and diminish braking performance. Drivers of the affected 2011 Sorento models should see a brake warning light come on and feel a soft pedal if the Sorento’s brakes are leaking. Continue reading →

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Chevy Volt has MPGe Rating of 93, 37 MPG Combined

Posted on 24 November 2010 by Ken Zino

The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of the Volt starts at $41,000, including a destination freight charge of $720, or $33,500 if the buyer qualifies for the full federal income tax credit that ranges from $0 to $7,500.

This is roughly $8,000 more than the Nissan Leaf EV, which has a similar rollout plan for the U.S. starting in December, and also qualifies for lavish taxpayer subsidies. How long these remaining place in deficit ridden Washington is an open question. Both cars can be leased for $350/month.

So here the arguments will begin. The four-passenger Volt is a fully developed car without any range anxiety. The Leaf is a full electric with green bragging rights.

How many customers there are for both, remains to be seen? Continue reading →

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Book Review: Feeding Frenzy at Ford, Firestone

Posted on 20 November 2010 by Ken Zino

This is a cautionary tale about how two old-line industrial companies were caught out in a global media crisis that badly tarnished the reputations of both. By the time that trial lawyers, politicians and the media moved on to other … Continue reading →

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Ex Car Czar Settles with SEC; Sued for Bribery by New York

Posted on 19 November 2010 by Ken Zino

As General Motors stock successfully returned to public trading yesterday, Steven Rattner, 58, the Obama Administrations’ former “car czar,” was sued by New York’s Attorney General for using bribes to secure $150 million in investments for his former firm, the Quadrangle … Continue reading →

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GM Stock Price Soars on IPO Frenzy

Posted on 18 November 2010 by Ken Zino

My how quickly public perceptions change. General Motors, the ailing symbol of demonstrably bad senior management and worse union labor practices, is now the darling of Wall Street as it returns to public trading today in New York and Toronto under the ticker symbol “GM.” Continue reading →

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Cadillac Recalls CTS AND CTS-V for Bad Knee Bolsters

Posted on 4 November 2010 by Ken Zino

Cadillac is recalling more than 20,000 CTS all-wheel-drive and CTS-V models from the 2009-2010 model years because of a defective knee bolster on the front passenger side, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue reading →

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Books: Detroit Area Test Tracks

Posted on 2 November 2010 by Ken Zino

The move from street testing of automobiles to specialized facilities took place in the early decades of the 20th century. Because of what might be the first recall in the industry – copper-cooled Chevrolets without radiators in 1923 – General … Continue reading →

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Ford to Build a Second Engine Plant in China

Posted on 2 November 2010 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company and its government dictated partners are building new engine plant in China that is due to open in 2013. With the additional capacity of 400,000 units at the new facility, Ford’s joint venture, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Ltd (CFMA) is more than doubling its existing engine capacity of 350,000, to 750,000 engines annually.

China is now by far the world’s largest auto market, and Chinese industrial policy in effect requires that all profits earned there are reinvested in the country and its local partners. The U.S. remains alone among industrialized nations – with elected or totalitarian governments – without any such job and investment protecting policy.    Continue reading →

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