The Chevy Enthusiast

This is a great video that relates to the “I’M FOR GM” campaign.  You can go to the http://gmfactsandfiction.com/  website to find out more info.   You can also go to Facebook and join the “I’M FOR GM group like I did.

Support GM and indirectly all the other auto manufacturers.  We need to keep large scale manufacturing alive and well in North America

The Chevy Enthusiast

As auto enthusiasts, we have all been watching the economic situation and it’s negative force on the auto industry.  This recession is causing deep difficulties for the Detroit 3 automakers.  While there have been many negative and ill informed editorials, blogs, rants and posts on the net, some are very positive, clear and concise.

Enter Peter De lorenzo!  Nothing comes through with clarity better than a brass knuckled editorial from someone that has been involved in the industry.  For those of you that have not read his blog, The Autoextremist, you are missing something.

Mr. De Lorenzo has weighed in on the latest chapter of the Big 3 and their visit to Washington.  This is classic Autoextremist.

http://www.autoextremist.com/current/

You will love this article!

The Chevy Enthusiast

This is a must watch video of Rep. McCotter at the Financial Services Commitee discussing the current Auto Industry.  He makes some very valid points in his speech.

The Chevy Enthusiast

This is a must read for anyone that has been following the turmoil surrounding the Detroit 3 Automakers at this point in history.

Mark Phelan from the Free Press has penned this well written article.  Below is an excerpt:

“The debate over aid to the Detroit-based automakers is awash with half-truths and misrepresentations that are endlessly repeated by everyone from members of Congress to journalists. Here are six myths about the companies and their vehicles, and the reality in each case.”

Click on the following link to read this complete article

http://www.freep.com/article/20081117/COL14/811170379/?imw=Y

I think you will find this very interesting

The Chevy Enthusiast

There is one website that is very pertinent today!

http://gmfactsandfiction.com/

Check it out and watch the video that is embedded on the front page.

The Chevy Enthusiast

The global credit crisis has now placed the auto economy front and centre in economic discussions in the United States, Canada and indeed worldwide. There are two important questions we have been receiving more than any other:  What can struggling auto companies do to change and become sustainable? And how did we get to this?

The largely under-reported (or ignored) answer is that a profound, massively expensive transformation has taken place over the past 2 years at GM that now sees us offering more new hybrid models in the 2009 model year than any other auto manufacturer, leading on R&D and the introduction of electric cars, winning many prestigious new car and green technology awards and, most important, placing GM’s cost structure (including our labour and legacy costs) on track to be among the lowest of any global auto manufacturer.   That transformation continues with enormous investment and not a small amount of pain. At GM we are focusing our resources on our new fuel efficient vehicles and advanced environmental technologies – and a new sustainable, profitable global business model for the future.

So then, how did we get to today’s discussions about the sector needing loans to keep operating?   How is it that we suddenly appear to have literally hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake?

Put simply, while we have invested in massive change, the sudden credit crisis (that has now left over 3.5 million homes in the US without owners) leaves many auto companies without access to the cash or credit needed to ride out what has become the worst US new vehicle market decline in 25 years.  Having made massive investments  in new technologies and in our own transformation, GM now faces a US market decline that in just one year is larger than the entire Canadian auto sector. Put another way, you could now close down Canada’s entire auto production and there would still be oversupply in today’s US market.

The US economy and auto market will eventually recover. Until it does, auto companies need to keep employing, purchasing, researching, developing and building the cars of the future.  Public and pundit perceptions of GM have understandably not caught up with changes   that have and are being made in GM’s business model.  Consider that:

• In the 2009 model year, GM offers more hybrid vehicle models than any other auto company
• GM Canada was the first auto company in Canada to build hybrid and fuel cell vehicles
• GM does more R&D in Canada than the rest of the auto industry combined
• GM Canada sells the most small cars of any automaker in Canada (more than Toyota, Honda, Mazda or Nissan in 2007)
• GM won North American Car of the Year in each of the past 2 years (Chevy Malibu 2008, Saturn Aura 2007)
• GM won the best new small car in Canada in each of the past 2 years (Pontiac Vibe 2009, Saturn Astra 2008)
• GM is on track to sell the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle starting in 2010
• GM will close 4 large truck plants in North America and increase production of new small fuel efficient cars
• And GM has made (and continues to make) cuts and changes that put us on track to reduce our global cost structure to among the most competitive in the industry by 2010.  And we will continue to do so beyond that date

GM and others in the industry need to complete the job in this credit crisis. We need to keep employing, supporting suppliers and dealers and developing the cars of the future. Canada needs us to do that too. That’s what the public expects from car companies.  And that’s exactly where we are driving at GM.

David W. Paterson
VP Corporate and Environmental Affairs

“Why GM Deserves Support” – The Wall Street Journal
By Rick Wagoner (Commentary)
Nov. 19, 2008

Much has been said about the impact of the credit crisis on U.S. auto makers, and whether or not the government should assist the industry during this extraordinary financial turmoil. In these discussions, many critics simply ignore the substantial changes that U.S. auto companies have already made — changes much like those the critics are calling for as part of any aid package.

At General Motors, we have been responding to fierce competition here and abroad by transforming our business. Over the past decade, we have taken tough actions to cut costs, at the same time investing billions in fuel-efficient vehicles and new generations of advanced propulsion technologies.
On the cost-cutting side, we have been streamlining our U.S. operations while simultaneously improving quality and productivity. Since 2000, we have reduced our U.S. hourly workforce by 52%, from 133,000 to 64,000, through buyouts and other programs. During the same period, we have cut our U.S. salaried employment from 44,000 to fewer than 30,000, and reduced our U.S. executive ranks by 45%.

However, we know we cannot just slash our way to prosperity. We have closed the quality and productivity gaps with the imports, as confirmed by J.D. Power and Associates (the consumer ratings firm) and the Harbour Report (which benchmarks North American plant-floor performance). New GM product programs launched earlier this decade have produced award-winning cars and crossovers like the Saturn Aura, Cadillac CTS and Buick Enclave. And that is just the beginning.

The new Chevy Malibu is a clear response to critics who say that GM cannot build cars that customers want. The Malibu leads its segment in highway fuel economy at 33 mpg (2009 EPA figures), and was named best midsize car for initial quality in the most recent J.D. Power and Associates study. No surprise that, even in the worst car market in decades, Malibu sales are up 39% so far this year.

GM has also been working to re-establish its leadership in advanced propulsion technology. We have committed to producing the Chevy Volt — a revolutionary car that can go 40 miles on electricity alone — in 2010 in a U.S. factory. We are expanding our family of hybrid vehicles, investing in advanced biofuels, and continuing development of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. We are also applying our global technical resources to improve the fuel economy of conventional vehicles. Just one example: The new Chevy Cruze, a global compact car that goes into production in Ohio in 2010, is expected to lead its segment in fuel economy.

GM’s commitment to these new products and technologies will help everyone. Consumers will benefit from lower fuel costs, our nation will use less imported petroleum, and our air will become cleaner. Development and production of these new vehicles here in the U.S. will maintain our nation’s competitive standing and provide good paying jobs here at home. It also ensures that the U.S. does not trade its current dependence on imported oil for a future dependence on imported batteries and technology.

The auto industry may be historically anchored in Detroit, but it reaches into every state and community in our nation. Take Kansas, for example. GM assembles the Malibu and the Saturn Aura in Fairfax, Kan., making us a major employer there. The wages of our 2,500 workers flow into that community through spending on everything from mortgage payments to high-school bake sales.

Fairfax is not unusual. U.S.-based companies have 105 assembly and component plants in 20 states, including California, Texas, Louisiana and Maryland, states not typically thought of as auto country. GM, Ford and Chrysler last year purchased $156 billion in parts, materials and services, supporting jobs in all 50 states.

Because of GM’s deep commitment to its employees, dealers and communities, the company has been restructuring itself without the storm and drama some pundits mistake for actual progress. Working with the UAW, we have transformed our labor agreements to close the competitive gap. We have taken $9 billion out of our annual structural costs since 2005 alone, and we have substantially reduced legacy costs inherited from decades past. In the face of the current credit crisis, we have moved to improve our liquidity by $20 billion through 2009 through cuts in salaried employment, capital spending and other areas.

The future of the domestic auto business is critical to the health of the U.S. economy. It is a vital engine of economic growth and a foundation of economic stability. It remains a path of upward mobility for millions of American families. For America to compete in the global marketplace in the 21st century, it needs a strong manufacturing base and a vital domestic auto industry.

Nearly a half-century ago President Kennedy declared that his generation of Americans was living in extraordinary times and facing extraordinary challenges. Our times are no less challenging. They demand solutions that are creative and courageous.

Short-term government support to bridge the current financial crisis will enable GM to continue as an engine for prosperity and as a creator of vehicles and technologies that America needs. Such assistance will save millions of jobs now, and produce enormous benefits for years to come.

This is the Press Release from General Motors

Oshawa, Ontario (Monday, November 17, 2008) – GM Canada today announced pricing for the all-new, 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, which starts at an MSRP of just $26,995 for the V-6-LS model and $36,995 for the V-8-powered Camaro SS, providing much more car for the money than any competitor in Canada.

With the 2010 Camaro, the mission from the outset was to deliver a highly refined, premium-executed twenty-first century sports car that appeals to everyone and is worthy of consideration for everyday driving.

“The Camaro is designed, engineered and executed to set a new standard in its class,” said Marc Comeau, vice president of sales, service and marketing for GM of Canada. “Even in its base form, the eye-catching new Camaro features a sophisticated V-6 powerplant which delivers spirited driving and surprisingly good fuel economy, plus a comprehensive suite of handling, safety and convenience technologies to fit the lives of today’s consumers.”

Built on GM’s new, global rear-wheel-drive architecture, the Camaro is offered in V-6-powered LS and LT models, as well as the V-8-powered SS models. All models and powertrain combinations are matched with fuel-saving six-speed transmissions. Advanced technologies, including engines with direct injection and Active Fuel Management, enable a satisfying balance of spirited performance and fuel economy.

Camaro product highlights also include:

• Four-wheel independent suspension system, including a 4.5-link rear suspension
• Four-wheel disc brakes standard on all models, including four-piston Brembo calipers on SS models
• StabiliTrak stability control system and traction control standard on all models
• Six standard air bags, including head curtain side-impact and front seat-mounted thorax side air bags
• RS appearance package available on LT and SS models, including High Intensity Discharge headlamps with integrated halo rings, spoiler, specific tail lamps and 20-inch wheels
• Bluetooth phone connectivity
• USB connectivity
• Remote vehicle starting system
• OnStar
• XM Satellite Radio

Camaro production is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2009 at the award-winning Oshawa, Ontario Car Assembly Plant. Complementing the Camaro’s introduction is a range of performance, appearance and convenience accessories – including 21-inch wheels; ground effects, stripe kits and even a classic-styled Hurst shifter – which customers can order and have installed at their Chevrolet dealership.

Under the hood, Camaro LS and LT models feature a 3.6L engine with variable valve timing to optimize performance and fuel economy. It is rated at an estimated 300 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard with the 3.6L engine; a Hydra-Matic 6L50 electronically controlled six-speed automatic, with TAPshift control, is available.

The high-performance Camaro SS is equipped with a powerful 6.2L V-8, with a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Manual models pair the LS3 engine, estimated at 422 horsepower and 408 lb.-ft. of torque, with a TR6060 six-speed transmission.

A new, L99 V-8 engine is used on automatic Camaro SS models, which features GM’s fuel-saving Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology. It is estimated at 400 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque and is matched with a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed transmission.

The www.camaro.gm.ca web site carries information regarding early ordering, along with vehicle packaging information, a specification sheet, some exclusive “behind the scenes” footage and anticipated frequently asked questions about the ordering process.

A “Numbers-Matching” merchandising package is available through Choko Motorsports which will feature several unique Camaro items – some of which will feature a personalized VIN plate corresponding to the actual serial number of the customer’s Camaro. Full details are available at http://camaroboutique.com.

We can’t wait to get our hands on these fantastic Camaros in the new year.  They will be a blast!

The Chevy Enthusiast