The Demo Site

Maybe this image is exciting in France?

While the French are best known for their valiant defense of their homeland and their love of high-brow American comedians like Jerry Lewis, did you know that they also make the most exciting minivans in the world? Move over, Zafira and Mazda 5, here comes the 5008 (those extra “0s” come at no extra charge). To generate “interest” in advance of the Frankfurt Auto Show, Peugeot has released a stunning series of shots of the 5008 in action! (If you’re wondering if it’s a slow news day, don’t even ask!)

Peugeot's official photos of bored children in a 5008.

Even the 5008 has bags under its eyes, probably from boring itself to sleep in the development process. That being said, it seems like a useful vehicle and perfect for the Euro-mommy set. Thankfully for us non-Euro mommies, we won’t have to see this things at Pop Warner football anytime soon.

The dog looks happy because it's been drugged.

[Source: Autoblog]

Holden’s chairman and managing director Mark Reuss has confirmed that GM’s Australian division is working on a new compact hatch for global markets. Reuss said that the hatch will be built alongside the Holden Cruze sedan at the company’s Elizabeth plant in South Australia in the third-quarter of 2010.

The Cruze-based hatch will be designed and engineered entirely in Europe. Sharing the same underpinning as the Cruze, the hatch will get steering and suspension input from Holden engineers for a more European feel. Styling cues are expected to come close to Holden’s flagship Commodore model.

It is said that the hatch will be positioned as a more upmarket model than the Cruze sedan when it hits showrooms.

Insiders say that Holden’s new hatch could get Opel’s new 140-hp 1.4L turbocharged engine. Holden’s energy and environment director Richard Marshall says that some engine options from the Cruze sedan that have “best-in-class” fuel-consumption could also be considered.

So now that you’re all excited about this new Holden hatchback, you’re probably wondering if it will ever come to the United States. So far, the answer to that question is - yes. But keep your fingers crossed because you never know with General Motors.

Apparently the car is being produced for global markets and chairman Reuss says that Holden has been “aggressively pursuing” a deal to replace the $1 billion U.S. Commodore, aka Pontiac G8, export program that was recently canned by GM.

Usually when we’re fed up with the problems with our cars, we turn to car forums on the internet to vent our anger over the brand we bought and the issues we face with our dealership in getting those problems fixed.

Well, not this individual. An anonymous driver parked and left a Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE after customizing it with lettering that lists the faults with the SUV on the side window.

On top, the disgruntled owner of the Range Rover wrote: ”Problems with… 6 front ball joints, 4 front arm bushes, new seat base, front and rear n/s struts, full n/s suspension unit, anti-roll bar bushes, air con.”

Below the list of problems in large yellow letters, the Range Rover Sport reads: “If you want trouble free motoring do not buy one of these!!!”

Of course, it’s not the best piece of advertising to have outside your dealership but the Colchester, Essex dealership has no power to move the car since it is parked legally on a public road outside the showroom.

Jaguar Land Rover’s corporate communications manage Mark Foster said: ”Land Rover operates a comprehensive warranty programme with, where appropriate, a strong goodwill policy. All necessary repairs to this vehicle over 42,000 miles have been carried out under warranty. However, we are disappointed this customer’s ownership experience has been unfortunate and as such we have made a goodwill offer towards helping him into a new vehicle.”

Today General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson and Chrysler president Jim Press defended their decision to cut a total of almost 3,000 dealers. The two executives submitted their prepared remarks to the Senate Commerce Committee ahead of a hearing scheduled for this afternoon.

The “decision about which of the company’s 3,181 dealers would be brought forward to the new company was gut wrenching, but it was an absolutely necessary part of our effort to assure the long-term viability of the new Chrysler Group,” Chrysler’s Jim Press said.

Henderson said that GM could reduce 2,300 to 2,600 dealers leaving it with 3,500 to 3,800 dealers by the end of 2009.

“This is our last chance to get it right — to fix permanently those parts of the business that have diverted us from consistently building winning cars and trucks and the consumer experience to match. Because of today’s global, economic crisis we are out of time and money,” Henderson said in his testimony.

Nonetheless, Senators are looking more from GM and Chrysler.

“Nearly 2,000 dealerships are closing throughout America and over 100,000 jobs are at risk,” Rockefeller said. “We have to do better. We can save some of these jobs and help these communities,” said Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee.

Rockefeller said that the two automakers ”should not be allowed to take taxpayer funds for a bailout and then leave local dealers and their customers to fend for themselves with no real notice and no real help. That is just plain wrong.”

What are your thoughts?

Source: Detroit News

General Motors makes more than a few world-class automobiles. As true as that statement may be, that alone wasn't enough to stall the automaker's steady decline - fueled as it may have been by the global economic downturn - into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. To expedite GM's return to viability, the Obama Administration plans to split the giant automaker into two parts, a so-called "Good GM" made up of GM's best assets and "Bad GM," which is what we're examining in today's Top Ten list.
In case you're not aware, Bad GM happens to include the entire lines from HUMMER, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn. Instead of dwelling on the oft ignored, underdeveloped and stagnant vehicles in Bad GM's lineup, we're taking a look at the best that Bad GM has to offer. Try as we might to make this into a true Top Ten list, we were only able to come up with seven suitable vehicles to lament - which admittedly does tell us something. Some were obvious, a few not so much. That said, follow along as we pick the Top 7 Good Cars from Bad GM.