Driving Sports

Automakers Abandon Detroit, Chicago Auto Shows

The mojo wire is hot today with more bad news for the economy and the auto industry.

"By Christine Tierney / The Detroit News

Nissan Motor Co. became the third Japanese automaker to pull out of the North American International Auto Show when it announced Monday that it would skip the Detroit and Chicago shows early next year to save cash."

You can read the full article here or read more for our take on the news.

Chinese Companies Eye GM, Chrysler for Buyout

If you can get through the crush on their servers today, check out:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/breaking-news-chinese-may-buy-gm-and-chrysler/

But to save you the time, the relevant text is included at the end of this article.

Essentially, word on the street is that Chinese car companies may buy "assets" of GM and Chrysler if the giant automakers declare bankruptcy. "Assets" is a term that means factories, machinery, subsidiaries, and intellectual property like designs, manufacturing techniques, patents, copyrights and trademarks.

What "Assets" does not include is the huge contractual burden the big three have with groups like the UAW. But the companies have to be in bankruptcy proceedings for those contracts to be broken.

VW Features Diesel, Hydrogen at L.A. Auto Show

Innovation, performance, responsibility and fun will all be on display from Volkswagen at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show beginning this week.

"The breadth of Volkswagen's powerplant innovations will be on display this week in Los Angeles," said Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We will be demonstrating developments from fuel cells to the latest Clean Diesels in a variety of vehicles, offering practical answers to the mobility questions of today and tomorrow. It is technology with a purpose: Sustainable mobility focused on what the people want."

US Government Moves to Aid Automakers

From the Washington Post: With the nation's automotive industry hemorrhaging cash, congressional leaders called on the Bush administration yesterday to offer government assistance to the car companies as part of the Treasury Department's $700 billion emergency rescue program.

The call came one day after General Motors, the nation's largest auto manufacturer, announced another multibillion dollar loss for the third quarter and said it was running out of money fast. Ford, the second-biggest car company, also reported heavy losses. Unless the government steps in, analysts warned, GM could face bankruptcy, endangering the livelihoods of about 100,000 North American autoworkers and hundreds of thousands of others whose jobs depend on the industry.

Read the whole story here in the Washington Post.

Kia Gets Concepty at SEMA

Ready to rave at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Kia Motors America goes extreme in Sin City with its in-booth activities and tricked-out concept vehicles for the 2008 SEMA Show. Appealing to aftermarket fanatics and concept car enthusiasts alike, KMA dials in the DJ-spun tunes for a sweet showing of the
following concepts:

Nissan Claims Low Price High Ground

Nissan North America, Inc. recently announced a new 2009 Nissan Versa Sedan 1.6 model, which features a starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $9,990, excluding Destination and Handling. The fondling charge adds $695 for a total new car price of $10,685. The new Versa focuses squarely on value and fuel economy, with its standard 107-horsepower DOHC 16-valve 1.6-liter inline 4-cylinder engine delivering responsive performance and a 34 mpg highway fuel economy rating (with the 5-speed manual transmission).

2008 SEMA Show: Viva Vegas!

Travis and I are getting ready to make the annual trek to the SEMA show in Las Vegas. As every year before it, we're looking forward to hundreds of miles of walking, hot booth girls, even hotter tuning products and more than a few parties after hours.

There have been some rumblings among the press corps that this show will be flat due to the economy, but every vendor I've spoken too is saying contrary. They're expecting (hoping?) for a huge turnout. Regardless, we're packing the cameras, getting on our best walking shoes and will be issuing at least a couple reports from the show for your entertainment. Next stop: Vegas!

Click the jump for a flashback to a clip of ours from 2006 and a preview of Gran Turismo HD... yes, back in 2006.

Alfa Begs Off U.S. Return - Cites Economic Woes

Fiat announced recently that they will delay the return of the Alfa Romeo marque to the United States and Canada until at least 2011. The Italian automaker cited the recent economic crash in North America as the primary reason for the delay.

"It would be simply crazy investing for returning Alfa in such a depressed U.S. market," said Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne according to a report in Automotive News.

Alfa was a mainstay of the enthusiast european import scene until 1995, when it sold the last of its model 164 FWD sedans and its venerable Spider two-seat convertibles here in America. A limited number of exclusive 8C Competizione coupes (sharing much in common with Maseratis) were sold in the U.S. in 2008, but these supercars are not the Breras, 147 hatchbacks, and Mi.To coupes that enthusiasts were hoping to see.   

Back to the Future with the Nissan 370Z

Nissan offers the first look at the upcoming 2009 370Z Coupe, which makes its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19th. The new car looks uncannily like the original accept-no-substitutes 240Z that took the world by storm in the fall of 1969. Driving Sports predicts it's going to be awesome.

The 2009 Nissan 370Z is the first full redesign of the Z since its reintroduction as a 2003 model. The new design solidifies the strengths of its predecessor with an unmatched balance of performance, style and value. The all-new Z will go on sale at Nissan dealers in early 2009. Pricing hasn't yet been announced, but expect to part with dollars commensurate to the cool factor.

Read on for more pictures...

MINI to Electrify L.A. Auto Show

The BMW Group will be the world's first manufacturer of premium automobiles to deploy a fleet of some 500 all-electric vehicles for private use in daily traffic. The MINI E will be powered by a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor fed by a high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery, transferring its power to the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox nearly without a sound and entirely free of emissions.