Update

Speed-King · 19 Oct 2010, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

The artist impression of the BMW

If this will be the look of the new cars DTM hasn't learned anything.

That's appearantly a recycled pic from two years ago...

Flyin Ryan · 21 Oct 2010, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by helgi

Let me take this as clear as I can be: that 'autoextremist' is a real scribbler.

Peter de Lorenzo, it's his shtick - years of frustration and cynicism from being in Detroit watching the demise of the industry, he's to the point now where he self-recognizes he's an ******* and just goes with it

produces better articles that way

Quote:

(Posted 10/19, 6:00 p.m.) Detroit. Now that the short-attention-span generation has taken over the world and The Internet has distilled our daily lives down to a series of talking cat videos, vacuous celebutards emoting for the cameras and maniacal conspiracy theorists, we are reduced to a day-in, day-out slog made of blips, burps, bites and an occasional cogent thought every, oh, couple hours or so. And for some, that’s plenty. They usually can’t be pried away from their video games for any more time than that.

The rest of us? We’ll just have to suck it up and keep fumbling through our oh-so-outré printed newspapers and magazines, and digesting long-form TV news programs and on-line journals in a futile attempt at sifting through the rapidly deteriorating concept of what used to pass for rational public discourse, trying to make sense of it all. Or as Jerry McGuire once famously said, “I am out here for you. You don't know what it's like to be me out here for you. It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, ok?”

So here’s to the minions, the gamers, the coddled and the entitled, the I-don-t-give-a-****-just-ask-me hordes who want the world broken up in 140 character bits because anything more is just too tedious to contemplate. This column - the current state of the auto biz in digestible 140 character morsels - is for you.

Enjoy it. Or just count to one-one thousand and it won’t matter anyway.

GM Marketing: Joel Ewanick gets the band back together. Improved, intelligent - with a dollop of tenacity - but still a long, long way to go.

GM Marketing, Part II: Ad agencies Goodby (Chevy) and Fallon (Cadillac) grade “C” and “C,” respectively. Better, but not nearly good enough.

Chrysler: Perpetual Marchionne-driven “just you wait and see” state. We’re still waiting, they’re still dreaming. And the “new” 200? Oh. My.

Honda. Lost in the bland-tastic wilderness still searching for its mojo. When the Odyssey is their best product you know they’re in trouble.

Toyota: Arrogance still intact they’ve now allegedly rediscovered their Hot Rod Hearts. Jalapeño sauce on white bread doesn’t = credibility.

Mitsubishi: Missing in action for so long it just doesn’t matter anymore. Irrelevant, invisible and in need of a quick one-way ticket home.

BMW: Being all-things-to-all-people just wasn’t enough. Now the Niche Market Kings are hot for a lineup of FWD cars based on the Mini. Ugh.

Corvette: Achieved global respectability but long overdue for a makeover. The C7 can’t come soon enough but it’s unlikely to go far enough.

Ford: Mulally-led upward trajectory still going according to Plan. “A” management + “A” products + “A” marketing = continued market success.

Porsche: In spite of 4-door sedans and a burgeoning truck lineup, still enough sports car juice to stay cool with the hard-core faithful.

Mercedes-Benz: They still believe they’re the only automaker worth mentioning. The reality? It’s just another car company chasing a niche.

Audi: Confident, strong and sure of every move they make, these automotive Masters of the Universe show no signs of fatigue – or letting up.

VW Group: On a Dr. Piech-led, double-timed death march toward total world domination - or oblivion - depending on which way you look at it.

VW of America: Germanic automotive sweetness to soulless robot cars by 2018. Worst case of Toyota envy we’ve ever seen and a crying shame.

Mazda: When good, very good, excellent even, but a lack of consistent messaging beyond zoom-zoom has killed them. A new ad agency will help.

Acura: A rudderless mass of confusion with the most horrific design language in “the biz.” A car company with no raison d’etre whatsoever.

Infiniti: In a desperate race to reinvent itself yet again, this brand needs a transformational idea. By the looks of it, they got nothin’.

Lexus: The Pursuit of Perfect vanilla has its limitations. A foray into performance can’t change the fact that it’s rolling White Bread.

Subaru: Shiny happy followers, continues its inexorable climb. How far? No one really knows. The link-up with Toyota? The jury’s still out.

Nissan: Two steps forward, five back and an endless struggle for respect. New marketing direction is innovation. Really? That’s all you got?

Rolls-Royce: Until further notice, the very definition of “f--- you money” and the answer to the question that some people are still asking.

Kia: Straining to be something other than Hyundai’s little brother and now carving out a growing piece of the pie for itself. One to watch.

Range Rover: As long as people have money to burn on stuff they don’t really need, there will always be an overwrought vehicle for them.

Volvo: Backed with plenty of Chinese money and gaudy visions of grandeur, a brand still in search of an identity, naughty, or otherwise.

Electric Cars: A niche wrapped in an enigma in search of decent batteries and a sustainable infrastructure. Other than that, it’s all good.

Electric Car Zealots: A movement based upon a pipe dream and fueled by a fundamental refusal to accept reality, even when the truth hurts.

Jaguar: Some signs of life although the new XJ looks like a parade float, btw. Let’s face it - the C-X75 is the only Jag worth talking about.

Hyundai: Aggressive and irrepressible. Pure unbridled automotive ambition, Korean style. Caution, however, there will be bumps in the road.

Aston Martin: What’s not to like? But just how many variations on the same theme can they regurgitate? And no, the Cygnet doesn’t count.

Bentley: Part of Piech’s luxury stable, Bentley has exceeded all expectations. The refined Continental GT is simply gorgeous. More please.

Lamborghini: Another shining star in Piech’s luxury stable, but no matter how hard Lambo tries, it’s the perennial No. 2 Italian sports car.

Ferrari: High-Octane Truth & Beauty. When this red hot Italian sports car maker is “on” - as in the 458 Italia - it’s Dead. Solid. Perfect.

So there you have it, kids. The current state of the auto biz in 140 character bursts, if you’re into the whole brevity thing that is.

helgi · 21 Oct 2010, 18:30

Anyway, it's too pessimistic to read before meal.
After looking at great Virginia autumn sceneries I think GA 2011 season will be very interesting. So, I'll have to watch that races to prepare myself for 2013:teams,pilots and so on.

kmchow · 22 Oct 2010, 00:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Looks like the new cars will be Coupes... (in German, run through translator of choice if necessary...)

plse no coupes, no coupes!!

kmchow · 22 Oct 2010, 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by juicy sushi

I think that the second and third aspects may be resolved (Opel is looking at possibly jumping in, and if they do, it wouldn't be hard to rebrand an Opel in North America as a Buick).

GM already rebadges the Opel Insignia as a Buick Regal in NA. Not sure how would a DTM Insignia stack up against the competition. Now that makes things interesting.

Ford will be launching the next gen Mondeo in NA again so that would be the likely global Ford representative. However, I don't think Chrysler has anything unless Fiat (Alfa Romeo) sends one of their cars over.

helgi · 22 Oct 2010, 08:50

It's interesting because some years ago I've read that Alfa Romeo were planing to enter Grand-Am with C8-style DP.

Speed-King · 22 Oct 2010, 12:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by helgi

It's interesting because some years ago I've read that Alfa Romeo were planing to enter Grand-Am with C8-style DP.

Nope, Alfa Romeo was never officially involved in this, only Picchio.

manthey · 22 Oct 2010, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Nope, Alfa Romeo was never officially involved in this, only Picchio.

sorry,what do you mean with "Picchio"?

however Marchione said recently tha alfa and maserati could back into motorsport

http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/498...eo-e-maserati-

**FIRE** · 22 Oct 2010, 19:13

http://picchio.com/

manthey · 23 Oct 2010, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

http://picchio.com/

website not working however I found more info on google,it was new for me and it's from italy too

I found this old-study about an 8c for Grand Am
http://www.omniauto.it/magazine/2678/picchio-dp3

**FIRE** · 23 Oct 2010, 18:30

www.picchio.com

Here their website is working.

mz2k · 25 Oct 2010, 10:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

I'm quite excited by this announcement.

What's going on with Grand Am though? I can see NASCAR finding a DTM based series with heavy backing from the Euro and Japanese factories a lot more marketable than the current GA plan to American road racing fans but I can't see them sacrificing their own baby for it either.

It appears a massive sea change in global motorsports is in the making, 2014/15 could be very interesting years for the sport as a whole.

Most likely (IMO) $$$ to help subsidize GA. That and an international helping hand (down the road) for NASCAR.