Steve Parker Motoring / The Car Nut

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BUSH VISITS OUR PALM SPRINGS AREA; LEAVES WITH $2 MIL; NO PUBLIC APPEARANCES

A FRIEND OF OURS WHO LIVES NEAR PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT EMAILED AFTER SEEING A C5 TRANSPORT NEARLY TAKE THE ROOF OFF HIS HOUSE. OH YEAH, LET THE TRAFFIC BEGIN AND THE AA JET FUEL AND 91 OCTANE FUEL FLOW! FIRE-UP THE CHOPPERS, THE JETS AND THE FIXED-WINGS...AFTER ALL, THE PREZ IS IN TOWN! (Photos by Carey Parker)

The Presidential entourage travels BIG. Can't even imagine fuel costs. Secret Service agents had been at the hotel where Bush was staying for two nights (The Lodge in Rancho Mirage) for well over a week before he arrived. Also, friends who live in Toscana, where he appeared in front of 160 people for a dinner (and picked up a minimum of $2 million for the Republican Party), told us agents had been there for a week to ten days, and were very unobtrusive. They said if not for the actual event (to which they were not invited), they might not have noticed at all.

Bush did spend some time with the Marines in the huge 29 Palms base about 50 miles north of Palm Springs. It was the first time a sitting President had ever visited there.

Bush also visited the home of former President Gerald Ford and spent a few minutes with him and his wife, Betty. They live near the Eisenhower Hospital complex in Rancho Mirage and Mrs. Ford had been at the hospital "for tests" just a few days before Bush's visit.

I don't begrudge the President and other political VIP's and dignitaries the kind of protection they receive, by law, from our government. Certainly the total amount of fuel they all use on a worldwide basis is a "drop in the ocean" when we consider the totals. Still, one must ask if, given the conditions we find the world in today, this kind of gratuitous use of fuel and vehicles of any and all sorts is truly in the best public interest.

As far as the C5 which my friend noted flying quite LOW over his house (nothing much larger than a 737 ever uses our little local Palm Springs International), he was indeed correct.

Having worked in a few political campaigns, I've had some personal experience with these things so will pass along what I know.

They used K-135 planes for years and years, which were the military variants of the Boeing 707 (though they are COMPLETELY different planes, but about the same size, and Boeing built them). However, it took 2 to 3 of those planes to carry everything, so if they are using C5s now, it would not surprise me. Also, C5 Galaxies can land on shorter runways than the loaded K-135s (amazing, eh?).

What’s in them?

The Presidential vehicles for the motorcade. This includes TWO fully-armored Presidential Cadillac DTS limousines (in America, for decades the cars have shifted back and forth between Lincoln and Cadillac. It is of course considered a tremendous honor, not to mention free advertising, for these limos to be used, so the two companies lobby strongly to get the orders, which go out about every 5 years or so).

The Limos are sold to the government; their price is not known. They are believed to cost about $500,000 apiece. They are built by a company called O'GARA HESS AND EISENHARDT which has factories around the world making bullet- and bomb-proof cars and trucks of all kinds for heads of state and wealthy people. They have been in business for over 100 years building specialty vehicles. They were originally located in the American Midwest.

New limos are added to the White House fleet when their Presidential duties are over. “Used” ones are usually sent to places around the country or to US Embassies around the world when and where their use is still needed. The limo which was used the day of the Kennedy assassination was STILL IN USE somewhere in the  world until only about 10 years ago! They get their money’s worth out of them.

Go to steveparker.com…I have a story about the Presidential limo there somewhere. Try THIS address: www.steveparker.com/COOLCARS/pastcoolindex.htm.

Also in the plane(s) with the limo are 1-2 ‘battle wagons’, the big Secret Service Chevy Suburbans you see directly behind the limos in the motorcades. They would also move these trucks to the local area from the nearest big city (in this case, Los Angeles).

These are the ones with the BIG suspensions and wheels. They placed a BIG order for these trucks; you see them in film news footage from all over the world. Interestingly, the most popular vehicle converted for ‘security’ purposes by O'GARA HESS AND EISENHARDT is the JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, a special favorite because of its off-road abilities. You can get them basic bullet-proofed for about $35,000…they are the favorite of certain “businesspeople” and politicians worldwide, especially in Central and South America.
 
Also on the plane…the PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTERS! Yep, they fly them in right in the belly of those planes! Always at least TWO, one for real use, one as a decoy. One are known as “Marine 1” when the President is on-board. That’s the answer to the 747 airplane’s coding of “Air Force 1” whenever the Prez is on-board…there is a lot of jealousy between the military services in this country. Everyone wants (and gets) a piece of the pie!

Remember that ANY plane the US President is on is AUTOMATICALLY called “AIR FORCE ONE”. It could be the 747, a Piper Cub…ANY airplane anywhere in the world!

Also…a non-descript 4x4 Van, a Ford I think, bristling with antennae, which is used by the Secret Service (SS) for all sorts of radio communications. They have ‘repeaters’ on-board for the hand talkies the SS use, radio and satellite communications worldwide, direct to the White House, etc. It rides in the back of all the motorcades and is never far from the limo.

The actual ‘Presidential motorcade’ consists of only 5-6 vehicles…a lead car, usually a local police car filled with SS agents, then the two limos (one a decoy---the Pres is in the one with flags on the bumpers, usually), then 1-2 SS war wagons, filled with enough SS agents, special forces and weapons and ammo to shoot their way out of a medium-sized African insurgency…and in a hurry, too!

Then that Communications Wagon (which is also off-road capable and is raised WAY up in the air…must have TONS of equipment in it!).

In Washington, DC, when the Prez is on the move often from place to place, they regularly move him around in a motorcade of only 5-6 vehicles. The rest is really just for show and impressing the locals. And giving the local cops something to do so they can feel useful and brag about it later.

About 12 or more motorcycles usually accompany the motorcade (when out of DC), flying up ahead of the route and shutting down side streets and on-ramps. Then as the motorcade passes, they leave those posts and fly up ahead to the next part of the motorcade…it’s fun to watch in action.

When the Prez  is someplace out of DC, there will be several minivans behind the actual motorcade (sometimes it is 1-2 Greyhound buses) filled with staff and ALL the media which stays with him ALL the time.

Usually, one of the vans has a sunroof and there is ALWAYS a TV camera stuck through that sunroof or an open window, aimed at the limos a few cars ahead….just in case anything happens worth showing later on TV.

Behind all this will be at least one paramedic ambulance which follows the route, never far from the VIP.

So, those are some of the things which I *know* are on-board…there’s more, and I can only imagine what it all is! Keep in mind this traveling circus arrives at a Presidential visit location…EVERY ONE…Days BEFORE he even gets there! EVERY SPOT IN THE WORLD…so it costs a few dollars, I would imagine…have no idea where they hide it all in the budget!

SKYLINE GT-R: BUY IT AT NISSAN DEALERS IN 2008

NISSAN'S LEGENDARY SKYLINE GT-R IS GOING TO BE SOLD AS A --- NISSAN IN THE USA. INFINITI DEALERS ARE RATTLED THAT THEY WON'T GET THEIR OWN SPORTS CAR; PRICES NEAR $45,000 TO START.

When we saw the latest version of the fabulous Skyline GT-R at the Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan execs told us they had not yet decided whether Nissan or Infiniti dealers would get the honor of putting this car in their showrooms.

Nissan made the decision at the recent New York Auto Show and Infiniti dealers are more than upset --- and they are steaming! The Skyline GT-R will be sold at Nissan dealers in the US, with prices starting around $45,000.

Infiniti dealers do not have their "own" sports car to sell; their G-35 is a reworked version of the latest Nissan Z-car. Great a car as it is, most people consider it a softened version of the "real" sports car at Nissan dealers, and overpriced to boot.

The car shown here, which we photographed and videotaped at the Tokyo Motor Show in October, 2005, is, according to Nissan officials we spoke with, "90% correct" as far as the final version of the car. That final version of the Skyline (and there's no guarantee that the Skyline name, as well-known as it is to the tuner crowd, will be used in the US) will be in the US late in 2007 as a 2008 model.

Also no final word on drivetrain, drive wheels and certainly no performance figures are available as yet.

The Skyline GT was introduced to the Japanese public in a big way in May of 1964 at the Second Japan Grand Prix held at the Suzuki Circuit race track. It was built by Prince, a company which later merged with Nissan. The car had lost the race the year before and developed a bad reputation.

However, in this 1964 event, with its 1.5 liter straight-6 engine the Skyline GT won the finals, battling head-to-head throughout with an undisguised Porsche 904 privateer effort. The Japanese public was just starting their all-out love affair with auto racing, which continues unabated to this day, and with the Japan-model car beating the Porsche, Skyline became an instant legend.

In Japan, Skyline went on to not only win but dominate Group A racing. The car also won overseas, capping the endurance event at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. GT-R debuted in 1993 and won all 29 races in its class in the next four years. The 1999 GT-R V spec'd out with a 2.6 liter straight-6 engine, dual intercooled turbochargers, DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder.

The all-new GT-R coming to the USA is the 12th-generation Skyline.

GM, FORD LEAVING NASCAR?

GM OR FORD LEAVING NASCAR; RUMORS ABOUND ABOUT THEIR DAYS POSSIBLY BEING NUMBERED IN THE "GREAT AMERICAN MOTORSPORT". ARROGANT NASCAR SAYS: "WHO CARES? TOYOTA IS COMING ON-BOARD WITH THEIR DOLLARS NEXT YEAR!" THE DAYS OF "WIN ON SUNDAY, SELL ON MONDAY" ARE OVER.

The word is all over the Internet but not yet in the general media: One (or two or all) of the Big Three is formulating their withdrawal from NASCAR over the next 2-3 years, and oddsmakers say FORD might be the (first) one to go.

Peter DeLorenzo's website, autoextremist.com, has reported what's been rumored for more than a few years: Chevy, Ford and DCX spend an estimated $500,000 in total on the various NASCAR series in the course of one year. While that might be acceptable budgets for Ferrari, Toyota and Renault in their F1 efforts, companies in Detroit now regularly posting losses in the hundreds of millions are having a tough time justifying those costs to their stockholders.

However, because DeLorenzo also works for the Detroit manufacturers as a consultant/analyst, there is the chance that this "news" was planted on his website to gauge public reaction to the possibility.

WHY GM?

Those saying General Motors will leave NASCAR say that possibility might be connected to another long-running rumor: That Roger Penske has been tapped to replace either Rick Wagoner or Bob Lutz in their leadership positions at GM, or replace them both in one fell swoop.

The story goes that Penske, as leader of GM, would cut off all funding for racing except involvement in certain sports car series, in open-wheel series where engine-makers are an important part of the equation (IRL, Champ Car) or in an all-out effort to win at LeMans (which Ford did in the 1960s, after hiring Carroll Shelby for some $40 million to field a team to put Ford on top at the world famous endurance race).

Roger Penske knows more than anyone else what the TRUE costs of racing are in all its different variations. Like President Franklin Roosevelt hiring Joseph P. Kennedy to be the first head of the Security and Exchange Commission, it makes a certain amount of sense to put the biggest fox in charge of the entire hen house.

WHY FORD?

They have just posted what is expected to be the first of several quarters of huge losses coming from the closing of several North American factories (GM already has absorbed similar losses), and they might be the one US-based car company unable to take it, or convince their stockholders that the cost is worth the overall price. Without the gigantic worldwide assets of all of GM or Daimler behind them, Ford is floundering.

TOYOTA AND THEIR $60 BILLION

Sixty billion dollars. That's what Toyota says they have, in cash, in the bank. With a full-on Formula 1 program costing the company near $500 million annually, and already involved in the Sears Craftsman Truck Series and a slowing IRL program, Toyota has money to spare for any racing program.

Many NASCAR teams are shaking in their boots at Toyota's entry into the Busch and Cup series. They should. The company has the money and determination to dominate, if and when they want to. No one is fooled with Toyota announcing their first "teams" as involving Bill Davis Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Red Bull Racing. These mediocre outfits will do some of the final R&D for Toyota's NASCAR effort.

By 2010, the top teams in NASCAR Busch and Cup series will all be involved one way or another with Toyota.

In fact, most of the top teams in NASCAR have already, one way or another, gotten hold of Toyota NASCAR-spec racing engines and they are scared to death of what they see: High-technology to a degree not yet seen in NASCAR, and an evident commitment to spend as much as necessary to put the company on top and keep them there.

And once that circus starts, if one manufacturer starts dominating in all three series, sponsors will knock themselves out to have their names plastered on those cars and trucks --- and no one else's. Toyota will spend money and, ultimately, they will make even more.

IN RACING, "NEVER SAY NEVER"

However, one thing I have learned in covering the auto industry and auto racing for 35 years --- Never say 'never' or 'always' about anything. If either Dodge or Chevrolet announced one hour from now that they were leaving NASCAR (for the same reasons which Ford is rumored to be considering), it would not surprise me one bit.

However, before Toyota comes on-board next year, one or more of the Detroit car-makers will probably be gone.

NASCAR'S "CAR OF TOMORROW" HAS A BIG PART

In another time, the "Car of Tomorrow" (COT) might have been a quaint, corporate-sponsored exhibit at Disneyland, maybe with an audio-animatronic Richard Petty doing the walk-around explanation for a hushed crowd, amazed at the near-reality of it all.

But the COT is real and it is here. And all three manufacturers now involved in NASCAR have spent millions to "help" the France family in its development.

Once the COT is fielded, it cuts the final connection between the car on the race track and the car in the showroom. Finally, once and for all, apart from some paint, tape and decals, the car on the NASCAR race track and the "stock" car in the dealer's showroom will truly have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

"WIN ON SUNDAY, SELL ON MONDAY"

There was a time when "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" meant sense to the Detroit car-makers. In the '50s, '60s and '70s, when there were no other choices to the American car-buyer outside of the various GM, Ford and Chrysler brands, a win in NASCAR, NHRA, Indy racing (engines) and even SCORE off-road racing (Baja 500 and 1000) really had an influence on buyers.

But with more than 900 different makes and models available in the US, the amount of juice a NASCAR victory gives a manufacturer might simply not be worth the cash.

NASCAR FIGHTS TO BECOME A NATIONAL SPORT

NASCAR continues to try and place tracks in the northeast and northwest while their momentum is high. But the questions are beginning to arise: How long can NASCAR stay this "hot"? When does NASCAR become overexposed (and more than one analyst says that's already true)?

When does America either completely tire of or see-through the forced and phony geniality of media-trained NASCAR drivers? When do even die-hard fans get tired of the pseudo-Christianity and patriotism of what is, in the end, just a sport, like any other? NASCAR will disappear long before we ever hear a "benediction" focusing only on one religion before a football or hockey game in this country.

Even 5-year old kids can now predict exactly what the sport's drivers, announcers and sponsors will say whenever a mic is shoved in their face.

NASCAR has to be very careful in not getting ahead of themselves in misjudging their own popularity and at the same time keep the public from viewing the sport as the motorized version of the WWF.

If the public stops respecting the sport, then sponsors will be leaving like the place is on fire, Toyota or no Toyota. The France family has so far controlled the competition while still leaving a veneer of real racing over the entire show; but every race gives that veneer the time and opportunity to disappear, and then NASCAR becomes "Rollerball" on four wheels. After all, how many arrests of the Busch Brothers are good for the sport?

More to come on this important story.

GM SPENDS MILLIONS ON VIAGRA; PERHAPS DESIGNERS SHOULD GET SOME LSD?

Lifestyle drugs -- chiefly Viagra -- are costing General Motors $17 million dollars a year and the cost is passed along to car, truck and SUV consumers. The blue pill is covered under GM's labor agreement with United Auto Workers, as well as benefit plans for salaried employees.

According to the website "ConsumerAffairs.com", GM executives estimate health care adds $1,500 to the price of each vehicle but they do not break out how much of the premium is caused by erectile dysfunction expenses. GM provides health care for 1.1 million employees, retirees and dependents and is the world's largest private purchaser of Viagra.

GM recently raised the co-pay for erectile dysfunction drugs to $18 under a new agreement with the UAW and the company has also pared benefits for salaried workers.

The automaker spends almost $5.6 billion each year on health care. While lifestyle drugs are a small fraction of the total medical bill, every health care expense is added into the price of every new vehicle and is a drag on the struggling Goliath's earnings.

Given the large number of aging autoworkers in the U.S., the industry’s Viagra tab and bill for other erectile dysfunction drugs is certain to continue rising.

Neither Ford nor Chrysler will disclose the amount spent on erectile dysfunction drugs.

While many government and company health plans have eliminated impotence drugs from coverage plans, GM has more than two retirees for every active worker on its rolls and must negotiate eliminating the drugs from the union health plan with the UAW.

ANTI-HYBRID PROPAGANDA BLARES; DON'T BELIEVE IT!

Don't fall for the bunk being spewed by either the car-makers who do not yet build gas/electric hybrids and don't want to spend the $$$ to do so, and/or, the publications, supported in great part by those car-makers, that "the hybrid is dead".

They've been making this noise since hybrids first hit American streets (ignoring the fact they went on-sale in Japan a year or so before being available in the US and sales started hot and have remained so).

Since the vehicles first appeared on American buyers' radar, columns and blogs have railed against these machines with 'experts' offering all sorts of Pythagorean 'proofs' that the cars are not worth the extra amount. Well, the fact is, the hybrid versions of any car are not that much more than the traditional engine set-up, and with gas now at $3 nationwide and not coming back down anytime soon, their value is better than ever for any buyer.

The truths about hybrids are this, and they have not changed: Hybrid buyers want some percentage of their purchase to, 1) Make a statement, and, 2) Offer great fuel mileage and lower emissions, even if the mpg numbers are never as good as the EPA and manufacturer says on the Monroney sticker.

Hybrid vehicles have moved into the toughest, wildest, dirt-slinging-est part of the marketplace: The mid-size family sedan priced between $20,000 and a bit over $30,000. Best-selling vehicles in that class have been, for the better part of the decade, either the Toyota Camry or the Honda Accord.

The buyers in this class, where car sales total more than 1 million of the total 16-million car and light truck marketplace, are a different breed from those who buy the smaller hybrids (Civic, Prius) and the bigger ones either for-sale now or coming to the market soon (Lexus RX400h, Accord and Camry hybrids, Nissan Maxima and Altima, and the autobahn-sturmer Lexus LS 600hL intro'd at the NY Auto Show days ago).

Buyers in the mid-size class look at price first, then dependability, reliability and reputation, standard equipment and available options, mileage, safety and horsepower and, finally, overall value for the dollar.

These buyers are the bulls-eye of the marketplace, the REAL heartbeat of the auto industry. Many of them are (and people west of the Mississippi may have trouble believing this) domestic owners and may be considering their first imports (or not). Chevrolet's Malibu, Impala and Monte Carlo are some of the best-sellers in the mid-size category right behind the imports (though Toyota aiming at 500,000 Camry units total in 2006 is quite an amazing prediction; they're taking over the Subaru-Isuzu plant in Lafayette, Indiana to reach that total).

With the huge and generally more conservative audience now offered hybrids, sales will naturally be slow at first. Ask Toyota and Honda if buyers in this category like change of any sort. They'll tell you unequivocally that these buyers don't like change of any kind.

Carlos Ghosn, "savior" of Nissan and the man who runs both Nissan and Renault from Paris, France (as opposed to Paris, TX), and the man who is moving Nissan's USA corporate HQ from southern California to --- Nashville, TN, has being saying for over a year now that hybrids have a very limited, if any, future. Of course he's managed to garner even more headlines than usual with such unusual "tough talk" about a highly-touted new technology. Yet Nissan will introduce hybrid versions of both their Altima and Maxima models within the next year. Ghosn says the company will make them for sale "only in California", to meet that state's emissions requirements. We shall see.

Meanwhile, Bill Ford, the 42-year old chief of Ford Motor Company, has not made much good on his promise to make Ford the "greenest" car company of them all. Ford's hybrid-powered Escape SUV has sold in such short numbers that dealers are offering 0% financing and other money deals to get people into the trucks. Why? We say for the same reason hybrid sales appear to have allowed in the mid-size car category; mid-size SUVs are a huge marketplace, and a new technology takes longer to gain acceptance.

Accord hybrid sales will pick up as the mass of "Honda-only" buyers (and if you don't believe that segment exists, look at the people who bought that poor excuse for a pickup, the Ridgeline). These folks will buy anything with a Honda label slapped on it (remember the Isuzu SUVs Honda buyers bought in drives just because they were sold at Honda stores)?

Toyota buyers may not be as wildly loyal as those who line up at Honda dealers, but as Camry's hybrid finds its way into more driveways and garages, the word will go forth from those first buyers, those "early adapters", on whether the car is a winner or not. If it does get the nod from your neighbors who already own one or two Toyotas, then Camry hybrid sales will kick into a higher gear.

Prius and Civic hybrid sales are still strong; buyers still sign a waiting list when they want to buy one of these impressive little technological masterpieces (we have had our Prius for 4 years and over 30,000 miles --- Not ONE THING on the car has broken. NOT ONE THING. That is simply amazing, considering the amount of technology in the car. Can you say the same thing about your car or truck, no matter what you paid for it?).

The youth, the retired and the student and green types who could easily afford the Prius and Civic have made their statements; the giant hybrid SUVs and sedans coming to market will sell easily; There are plenty of "greens" in the marketplace to buy these vehicles at any price and satisfy their buyers' egos in a new way.

So what's YOUR take? The auto industry executives of all stripes who read these pages would like to read and respond to YOUR comments...so go ahead and post some!

LEXUS HYBRID SUPER-SEDAN ON-SALE APRIL, 2007

FINALLY, SOMETHING ELEGANT AND APPROPRIATE FOR HOLLYWOOD "GREENS" TO DRIVE TO THE OSCARS...CAR SHOWN AS CONCEPT IN TOKYO NOW IN PRODUCTION TRIM AT NY AUTO SHOW; LS 600hL PRICED NEAR $100,000 AS PREDICTED AT TOKYO...

LEXUS' LS 600hL INTRO'D AT THE NY AUTO SHOW;
FIRST ASIAN CAR OVER $100K.

One of the most important cars, with terrific harbingers for the future, shown at the NY Auto Show this week was the Lexus LS 600hL, a gasoline-electric V8-powered 430horsepower luxury sedan with all the usual bells and whistles expected at this price level --- and some all-new ones (like a camera locked-down on the driver which sets off an alarm should his/her attention wander --- and even a system which Lexus claims can automatically parallel park this huge bruiser).

Aimed directly at the Merecdes-Benz S-class and BMW 750 Autobahn Sturmers, 600hL will certainly be the most expensive Aisan car ever sold in the USA.

And to think that recently we received in the mail a glossy magazine celebrating the 20th anniversary of Acura in the USA. At that time, the biggest question hanging over the all-new luxury division of American Honda was this: Would Americans pay as much as $20,000 for a Japanese car?

With that question answered, the old joke about cars and trucks raises its head: If a vehicle does not sell, just keep raising the price until it does!

HERE IS THE LF-Sh LEXUS CONCEPT AS SHOWN AT TOKYO, INTRO'D AS A PRODUCTION V8 GAS/ELECTRIC HYBRID AT THE NY AUTO SHOW. CALLED THE LS 600hL, IT WILL BE PRICED AT OR OVER $100,000.

SHAME ON 'AUTOWEEK'; "BIG" AUTO MAGS BLOW IT AGAIN; TOKYO MOTOR SHOW GOES FULLY BIENNIAL; BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR 2007!

SHAME, SHAME, 'AUTOWEEK'...AS *WE* REPORTED MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AGO, THE TOKYO MOTOR SHOW WILL BE A FULL CARS/TRUCK/BUS/MOTOCYCLE EXTRAVAGANZA ONCE AGAIN BEGINNING IN 2007! WE ALWAYS THOUGHT THE "BIG" JAPANESE BUSSES AND TRUCKS WERE AT LEAST AS MUCH FUN AS SOME OF THE CARS...

 

As we reported on our radio and TV shows last October, as we boarded the train back to Tokyo after leaving the Makuhari Messe Convention Center after the second of two Tokyo Motor Show Media Days, there were signs posted informing all that the TOKYO MOTOR SHOW will revert to its old, classic and more enjoyable full-line car/truck/bus/motorcycle exhibit in 2007.

Any reporters who actually attended the 2005 TOKYO MOTOR SHOW saw these signs as they left the Convention Center; they were impossible to miss! The signs were posted all over the entrances to the local train station, barely 500 yards from the Convention Center. Either the reporters from "AutoWeek" (where this "news" is being reported this week, 4-14-06) did not see the signs, or they were not there --- make up your own mind!

Starting in 2007, the Tokyo Motor Show will be held every two years and include passenger cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. The 2007 show will be held Oct. 26 through Nov. 11, with press preview days Oct. 24-25.

The all-inclusive format is a shift back to the way the show was held from its beginning in 1954 until 1999. In 1999, show organizer Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association switched to an annual format for the event.

We feel sorry for reporters who do not know NEWS when they see it in front of them --- And their readers, who need to wait (in this case) over six months for the "news". Evidently these "reporters" can  sit down at their word processors only after receiving an official Press Release from a manufacturer or auto show sponsoring group which they can copy, word-for-word.

SCION Xa WITH FULL-CLEVELAND PACKAGE SNAPPED DURING NY AUTO SHOW!

Sure, there are plenty of hot new cars and trucks being introduced at the New York Auto Show --- But check THIS out!

Snapped during NY Auto Show week by one of the industry's top shutterbugs, this all-new super-secret Scion Xa has Scion's new (possibly 2008) "Full Cleveland" package, with a no-doubt high-quality, long-lasting and definitely handsome Landau roof and more! Testing and further development  continues after the NY Show; Scion insiders tell us to "wait until you get a load of our hot, hot, oh-so-youthful and so-very-hip option which we are calling our 'Continental Kit'!" Well, judging by these first spy snaps, WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

    

TWO FERRARI 'ENZOS' AND ONE MCLAREN - $2.6 MILLION; CRIMINAL ARREST - PRICELESS! PHONY BADGES, ID CARDS BEING INVESTIGATED BY STATE A.G.

WHEW! INCREDIBLE "ONLY IN LOS ANGELES" STORY INVOLVES:

"CLUBBY WORLD" OF WEALTHY COP WANNA-BE'S, L.A. SHERIFF, C.H.P. AND WORLD'S FASTEST CARS ALL COME TOGETHER ON A MALIBU ROAD AND BEL-AIR MANSION.

TWO FERRARI "ENZO" MODELS ($1 MILLION APIECE) OF 400 EVER BUILT, A MCLAREN ($600,000), ONE ENZO WRECKED AT 162mph, THE OTHER CARS  IMPOUNDED; MYSTERIOUS OFFICERS FROM "HOMELAND SECURITY"; APPARENTLY PHONY BADGES AND ID CARDS FROM THREE DIFFERENT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SHERIFFS, A FORMER SWEDISH VIDEO GAME KING LIVING IN A BEL AIR MANSION RAIDED BY THE COPS SATURDAY NIGHT; SWEDE ARRESTED AND HELD ON 'NO BAIL' IN FILTHY, DANGEROUS L.A. COUNTY LOCK-UP; SWEDE DID JAIL TIME FOR COUNTERFEITING AT HOME, SAYS HIS GOVERNMENT; ENGLAND-BASED BANK SAYS ALL THE CARS INVOLVED LISTED WITH "SCOTLAND YARD" AS STOLEN...AND MORE!

Stefan Eriksson, 44, was arrested at his Bel-Air, Calif., home Saturday night after detectives served a search warrant, the LA Sheriff's Department said in a statement. Eriksson was being held without bail because of a Federal US immigration hold placed on him, authorities said.

The arrest, detailed here in the LOS ANGELES TIMES of April 10, also details how, minutes after the high-speed wreck which Eriksson miraculously survived, two men with badges, identifying themselves as being from "Homeland Security", arrived at the scene and spoke at length with Eriksson. Evidently, the LA Sheriff officers at the crash scene did not interview these men, typical for the clubby world of Malibu and Hollywood, where the police, the very rich and fast cars often intersect. Eriksson also reportedly had a "security" ID card of some type for an obscure but official policing agency which serves a small public transit outfit in the San Gabriel Valley, just outside Los Angeles.

That agency was started recently by a body-and-fender repairman who raised money for LA Sheriff Lee Baca and also organized fund-raisers for the Sheriff. The LA TIMES later reported that this same person had printed at least 80 of these official-appearing ID cards with a realistic-appearing Sheriff's badge on the card, and that he had also forged Sheriff Baca's signature on the cards which he handed out to friends and Baca supporters.

According to news reports, Eriksson, a former senior executive at the Swedish game maker, was in a red 2003 Ferrari Enzo that was traveling at about 162 mph when it struck a pole and disintegrated on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., in February. Eriksson, who resigned from Gizmondo last year, suffered only a cut lip. Photos of the accident scene which appeared in THE LA TIMES were snapped by our good friend, former Assignment Desk Editor at KTLA/TV5 in Los Angeles, Hans Laetz, now a photog for the Malibu Times local paper.

Erikson was legally drunk at the time of the crash, according to the LA Sheriff's Department.

The incident prompted the LA TIMES to begin a series of stories on the issuing of official-looking badges and identity cards to political supporters of LA County Sheriff Lee Baca, Orange County (CA) Sheriff Michael Corona and Riverside County (CA) Sheriff Bob Doyle.

All three, according to the LA TIMES, had issued the badges and ID cards to political and monetary supporters. THE TIMES in their series has noted several times when holders of the cards and badges have clearly misused them for their own purposes, for instance to intimidate, to impress others, to use them to "get out" of police citations and more. The California State Attorney General is now investigating the badges and ID's and police "support" groups such as the California Highway Patrol's "11-99 Foundation", which issues ID cards and license plate frames to contributors. Many California "car people" consider the license plate frames "de rigueur" for avoiding being pulled-over by the CHP and local police for traffic infractions.

NBC TRIES TO RILE NASCAR FANS WITH --- MUSLIMS!

HERE'S A STORY 'RIPPED' FROM THE WIRES, AS THEY SAY...KEEP IN MIND THAT NBC IS STILL PAYING MILLIONS TO CARRY NASCAR RACES! AND WASN'T "DATELINE NBC" THE SHOW WHICH "MADE CERTAIN" THAT PARTICULAR CARS AND TRUCKS WOULD "BLOW UP" WHEN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS...GUARANTEEING THE ENGULFING ON-CAMERA FIRE STORM BY RIGGING THE VEHICLES WITH CANS OF GASOLINE AND EXPLOSIVE TRIGGERS...?

NEW YORK  - NASCAR officials criticized an NBC news magazine program Friday, saying it tried "to
manufacture the news" by bringing a group of Muslim men to one of its car races to see if they would be mistreated by NASCAR fans.
     "Dateline NBC" countered by saying it was not doing a story on NASCAR when it sent cameras to gauge reaction to the Muslims brought to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, but was exploring
a possible story based on a poll indicating an increase in anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States.
     NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the group walked around outside the Martinsville track without incident, but said the car racing organization objected to the staged nature of the TV
shoot.
     "It's outrageous that a news organization like NBC would seek to manufacture the news instead of reporting the news," Poston told Reuters Friday.
     "Dateline NBC" defended its reporting in a statement.      
     "Dateline is not planning a story about NASCAR," it said. "We are following up on a recent poll and other articles indicating an increase in anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States. We are curious about whether that is true. The NASCAR race at Martinsville was a stop we have made in our research on this story, which may take us across the country."
     NBC said there was nothing new about this technique in TV newsgathering, noting that government agencies and journalists conduct such investigations to expose possible discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
     NASCAR, which boasts rising television ratings and a growing and highly loyal fan base, is in the final year of a contract with NBC Sports, which will broadcast the second half of the Nextel Cup season.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS --- NBC PARADED THESE "DRESSED-LIKE-MUSLIMS" CHARACTERS ALL OVER THE TRACK AT MARTINSVILLE --- AND NOTHING HAPPENED! TOO BAD NBC --- BETTER 'DATELINE' STICK WITH BLASTING CAPS AND GASOLINE TO "ENSURE" GETTING THE NEWS...

WHO IS THIS GUY 'DREW JOHNSON' ON SPEED TV?

DREW JOHNSON, NEW ANCHOR AT SPEED TV'S NEWS DESK, MOST RECENTLY WAS IN PALM SPRINGS, CA --- THEN LEFT, RATHER QUICKLY...

Drew Johnson, the very blonde and young-looking new anchor on SPEED TV's news shows for the past several weeks, spent part of his career "right here" in Palm Springs, CA (home area of the CAR NUT BLOG), where he was "Sports Director" for KPSP, the local CBS affiliate. Then, one day, he literally disappeared; From the TV air, from the station's website, from the universe, it seemed. Then a small article appeared on the website of the local Gannett newspaper, THE DESERT SUN, the leading paper in the Coachella Valley:

"July 19, 2005 •• 886 words •• ID: plm2005071910280405
Cathedral City CBS 2 sports director arrested on battery CBS 2 Sports Director Drew Johnson was arrested early Monday by Cathedral City Police on a misdemeanor charge of battery on a companion. Police took Johnson, 29, into custody shortly before 3:30 a.m. and detained him in the Indio jail, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Johnson, who was freed later Monday in lieu of $2,500 bail is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday."

It would appear that Johnson has landed at SPEED, making the move to Charlotte, NC from southern California. Does anyone know the disposition of the "battery on a companion" charges against Johnson? We've asked the folks at SPEED, but have not heard back from them --- as yet.

Anyone out there know what happened, or have any opinions on Johson's work at his current job?

FINALLY! THE SOLUTION FOR NASCAR'S 'BUSCH-WHACKERS'

AFTER 30 YEARS OF TRACKING NASCAR INSIDE AND OUT, WE WERE TIRED OF THE 'CHERRY-PICKERS' LONG AGO. HERE'S THE ANSWER TO THE 'PROBLEM' WHICH SHOULD MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY...

Suddenly, everyone has discovered “Busch-whacking”, that phenomenon which occurs (as it did the weekend of 4-8/9-06 at Texas Motor Speedway) when the Busch and Cup events are run on the same track and weekend. There were 18 full-time Cup competitors “cherry-picking” in that weekend’s Busch race.

First, some trivia. The very first Busch Series race was --- Do you know? --- In February, 1982, at Daytona --- And who won it? None other than Dale Earnhardt! Now back to our story...

Cup racers sure aren’t there for the money, at least most of them (though some teams could use that extra pocket change to pay their NASCAR fines).

We’ve been railing against the cherry-pickers for years, and NASCAR has their reasons for keeping things the way they are. Two of the main ones are:

1)     Cup drivers in the race make for better ticket sales and TV ratings for the Busch event than without them, and,

2)     The Busch drivers get great experience racing alongside the more-seasoned Cup racers.

Also, with NASCAR’s new testing rules for this season, teams can not practice on some tracks, Texas included. For this reason, the Busch race becomes a practice session for the Cup competitors. NASCAR officials won’t admit this, but it’s not even a “secret” of any sort anymore.

For the Cup racers, the prize money and points are only incidental to the experience they are gaining for the next day’s race --- For everything from the all-important race car set-up to the driver learning new lines around the track, testing their tires and their own endurance on a tough track like Texas (remember when CART cancelled a race at Texas because they said their drivers were passing out on the high banking?).

So here’s the solution:

First, and NASCAR can start doing this tomorrow, after a race such as Texas, and all Busch events the same weekend, same track as Cup, bring the top finishing Busch competitor to Victory Circle and allow him, his car and his team (or her's) to get the deserved accolades, along with the overall winner of the event.

Allow Cup racers in the Busch events. All well and good, everyone is happy (especially NASCAR, as they make more money, which ALWAYS makes the France family happy).

But --- Take ALL the prize monies won by Cup racers during the Busch season. Put it in a pot and award ALL that money as bonus and points payments to Busch racers and teams at the end of the season.

Some of it should go to a team which has had a particularly “hard luck” year (let the Busch teams vote on that one); some of the cash should go to Top Ten and Top Five finishers during the year (NASCAR could certainly work out a system to determine those deserving drivers and teams), and the Busch season champion, as well as the Top Rookie and Most Improved Driver all deserve a big bonus at the end of the year!

It would be very interesting to see how may Cup racers would still be attracted to the Busch events if the prize money was not part of the racing equation that day.

Of course, all this becomes moot with the introduction over time of the NASCAR "Car of the Future", which, at least initially, will not be used in Busch events.

What do YOU think?

WHY IRL DRIVER PAUL DANA DIED

'CAR NUT' STEVE PARKER SPEAKS OUT ON THE DEATH OF IRL RACER PAUL DANA. THIS TRANSCRIPT, FROM THE APRIL 6, 2006 "MOTORSPORTS UPDATE", A  REGULAR SEGMENT OF "CAR NUT TV", SEEN ON TIME-WARNER CABLE SYSTEMS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND THE COACHELLA VALLEY (PALM SPRINGS, LA QUINTA, INDIO, ETC). THE SAME BASIC THOUGHTS WERE SHARED BY STEVE ON HIS 'CAR NUT RADIO SHOW' HEARD EVERY SUNDAY FROM 8-10am ON NewsTalk 920 KPSI, PALM SPRINGS.

"WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IN OPEN-WHEEL RACING IN THIS COUNTRY ARE TWO SERIES OFFERING ON-THE-JOB TRAINING TO AMATEUR-LEVEL DRIVERS IN THE FASTEST AND POTENTIALLY MOST DANGEROUS RACE CARS IN THE WORLD."

WHY WAS INDY RACING LEAGUE RACE CAR DRIVER PAUL DANA KILLED DURING PRACTICE FOR THE SERIES’ OPENING RACE OF THE SEASON?

BECAUSE SOMETHING VERY UGLY AND UNSAFE HAS HAPPENED TO OPEN WHEEL RACING IN AMERICA.

WHEN THE CART AND IRL SERIES SPLIT UP, MANY OF THE TRADITIONAL BIG TIME SPONSORS IN THE SPORT DROPPED OUT. THE TV RATINGS FOR BOTH SERIES WERE TERRIBLE FROM THE START AND GOT WORSE.

EVEN THE INDY 500 WENT FROM A MONTH-LONG TO A WEEK LONG EVENT, ITS TV RATINGS PLUMMETED AND TICKETS FOR THE EVENT ARE AVAILABLE THE DAY OF THE RACE.

ESPECIALLY IN THE IRL, IT SEEMED THE SPORT HAD BECOME MUCH MORE DANGEROUS, WITH MORE WRECKS, SERIOUS INJURIES AND EVEN DEATHS.

IT USED TO BE THAT A DRIVER WAS ALLOWED TO GET INTO THE FASTEST CARS ONLY AFTER MANY YEARS OF ESTABLISHING HIM OR HERSELF ON SMALLER RACE TRACKS AND IN SLOWER CARS. ONLY THEN COULD THE DRIVER HOPE FOR A CHANCE TO GET A TRY-OUT AND OFFERED A SPOT ON A TEAM.

AFTER PROVING HIM OR HERSELF ON THE TRACK, A TEAM COULD GO OUT AND GET A CASH SPONSOR. THAT WAS BASICALLY THE WAY THE OPEN-WHEEL RACE SERIES WORKED FOR ALMOST 70 YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY. BRINGING MONEY NEVER HURT, BUT DRIVER SKILL WAS OF PARAMOUNT CONCERN.

TODAY, THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN DANGEROUSLY TURNED ON ITS HEAD.

PAUL DANA REPLACED VITOR MEIRA LAST YEAR ON THE RAHAL/LETTERMAN TEAM BECAUSE HE BROUGHT A SPONSOR TO THE TEAM. TODAY, A RACER HAS TO GET A SPONSOR FIRST, THEN FIND A TEAM TO TAKE THE MONEY.

WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IN OPEN-WHEEL RACING IN THIS COUNTRY ARE TWO SERIES OFFERING ON-THE-JOB TRAINING TO AMATEUR-LEVEL DRIVERS IN THE FASTEST AND POTENTIALLY MOST DANGEROUS RACE CARS IN THE WORLD.

THAT’S WHAT KILLED PAUL DANA: HIS OWN INEXPERIENCE AND ALMOST EVERY TEAM BEING FORCED TO DO BUSINESS THIS TERRIBLE NEW WAY.

THIS SITUATION EXISTS BECAUSE OF TONY GEORGE AND HIS OWN SELFISH DESIRE TO PERSONALLY DOMINATE THE SPORT.

IMAGINE ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL SPORT WHERE THE GOLFER, FOOTBALL PLAYER, BASEBALL STAR OR BASKETBALL PLAYER HAS TO FIRST GET A SPONSOR BEFORE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO PLAY!

WE ALL BETTER START REMEMBERING THAT THOSE ARE HUMAN BEINGS IN THE COCKPITS OF THOSE RACE CARS, NOT ATM MACHINES FOR THE USE OF THE RACE TEAMS.

TOKYO MOTOR SHOW PHOTOS NOW AVAILABLE!

TOKYO MOTOR SHOW AND LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW: CHECK OUT OUR PHOTO GALLERIES NOW!

Finally, all the TOKYO and LOS ANGELES auto show photos which you didn't see anywhere else --- Including entire CAR NUT galleries dedicated to the MOTORCYCLES OF THE TOKYO MOTOR SHOW and BEHIND-THE-SCENES SIGHTSEEING IN COVERING THE TOKYO SHOW!

NEW 2007 AUDI TT UNVEILED IN BERLIN

NEW 2007 TT FEATURES TURBO-4 AND MORE POWERFUL V6 ENGINE; ALUMINUM/STEEL CONSTRUCTION; COUPE AVAILABLE NOW, DROPTOP COMES LATER

The second generation Audi TT Coupe was unveiled today (4-6-06) in Berlin.

The new TT is 5.4 in. longer than its predecessor at 164.5 in., and 3.1 in. wider at 75.2 in. TT was first introduced in 1998. (Facts and figures and any remaining hyperbole supplied by Audi).

The body is constructed in the ASF Space Frame design developed by Audi and consists of aluminum and steel. 69 percent of the superstructure is aluminium. The steel components making up 31 percent are found at the rear end to ensure balanced distribution of axle loads. To improve downforce, a spoiler is extended from the tailgate when the vehicle reaches 75 mph.

The new Audi TT is initially available as a 2 + 2-seater coupe; a separate roadster model is scheduled for later launch.

Two gasoline engines are available. The 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder TFSI unit develops 200 hp. With a six-speed manual gearbox, it accelerates the TT to 62 mph in just 6.4 seconds, reaching a top speed of 150 mph. The naturally aspirated 3.2L V6 develops 250 hp, accelerating from zero to 62 mph in 5.7 seconds and reaching a top electronically-governed speed of 155 mph.

Both engines are equipped with six-speed manual gearboxes. The four-cylinder engine comes with front-wheel drive, but the V6 utilizes Audi’s quattro permanent four-wheel drive system.

The high-tech Audi magnetic ride damper system is optional. Similar to the Magnetic Ride Control on some of GM’s Cadillac models, the Buick Lucerne and Chevy Corvette, tiny magnetic particles circulate in the oil inside the shock absorbers. When a voltage is applied, they alter the damping characteristics within milliseconds. This ensures high levels of ride comfort and sporty dynamism, according to Audi.

The standard features of the new Audi TT include an automatic air conditioning system and a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel.

Customers can choose from a variety of high-tech solutions, including the adaptive light dynamic cornering light system and the Audi parking system which aids parking.

Prices for the 2007 Audi TT coupe and convertible have not been announced.

Car Nut TV Road Test of the 2006 Mazda MX-5

Watch Car Nut TV's Road Test of the New 2006 Mazda MX-5!  Join Car Nut TV's Steve Parker as he drives the new Mazda MX-5.  Car Nut TV's rating system is "Four Tires and Spare" and "The MX-5 is a scoot to drive," says Steve Parker. "Steve gives this one a high rating," says wife, Carey Parker, and viewers will just have to watch and wait until the end of the show to see what the rating will be as always.   

Car Nut TV runs daily on Time Warner Cable TV-10 and is This Week's Featured Road Test, starting April 4, 2006.  Preview it now in Real Player or Windows Media Format! 

JEEP COMPASS TO BE UNDER $16K

JEEP COMPASS PRICES ANNOUNCED;
STEP RIGHT UP, NOW SERVING THREE!

Jeep's all-new Compass, based on the same platform as the Dodge Caliber and the soon-to- come Jeep Patriot, has been priced at $15, 985. Dealers expect Caliber to be one of the best-selling Dodges in some time --- with its "cute" body, large stowage space, all-wheel drive option, good fuel economy and low base price, it could outsell the vehicle it replaces, the venerable Dodge Neon. And that's no easy trick. Aimed at 25 to 35 year old males and females, the Saturn Vue, Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are the Compass' chief competitors. Base sticker price of the Compass Limited 4x4 is $21,740.

AUDI R8 IN STREET CLOTHES

AUDI SUPERCAR COMING TO THE USA?

First seen in street clothes at the 2003 TOKYO MOTOR SHOW (l, Carey Parker photo), Audi has been the only German company to not toy with the idea of a supercar -- until now. VW has their Bugatti and Lamborghini divisions, Porsche has their $400,000 Carrera, Mercedes makes the also-around-$400K McLaren and even their Maybach could be considered belonging in this rarified league. Now comes Audi with the R8 (r). Based in looks on their R8 race cars which have dominated endurance racing of late, the car was first seen as a concept  at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2003 and just weeks later at the bi-annual Tokyo Bacchanalia. AutoWeek says look for the car to be under-$100K and on-sale in the USA in mid-2007. Audi reecently won the "Sebring 12 Hour" endurance event with R8 machines using DIESEL engines --- wonder if that option will be available in the street version of their R8? The R8 street car is expected to be unveiled officially at this coming June's "24 Hours of LeMans".

JOIN THE WORLDWIDE GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN TO "SAVE THE 76 BALLS!"

SAVE THE “76” BALLS!

Unocal’s New Owner is Taking Them All Down!

Hear the Car Nut Interview With The BALL’s creator here.

Sign The SAVE THE BALL Petition here!

Anyone who ever traveled the Great American West (or visited a race track where NASCAR ran events), knows well the large, round, orange balls twirling perpetually high above “Union 76” gas stations (later known as “Unocal”).

Well, Unocal’s new owner, ConocoPhillips, has begun removing ALL the BALLS, an advertising gimmick which has become nothing less than an icon of the American west of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, those years when millions migrated from east to west, and saw the great BALLS as heralding their arrival in the great new land. From the original Mother Road, Route 66, to the interstates which eventually replaced Bobby Troupe’s and Nat King Cole’s favorite road, the BALLS were shorthand for “The West”.

Sadly, Sunoco (which has a strong east coast presence) has also replaced Unocal and 76 as the “Official Fuel” for NASCAR, so the BALLS are no longer displayed at race tracks nationwide.

The huge BALL in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium, revolving perpetually above a googie space-age Unocal gas station, served to alert uncounted millions worldwide who ever watched a Dodger game on TV anywhere in the world that this game was being played in Los Angeles, the Heart of the West. Even that BALL is gone!

Steve Parker, The Car Nut, recently interviewed the creator of the original BALL which was used as a promotional gimmick for the Union 76 Sky Ride at the Seattle World’s Fair some 40 years ago. Ray Pedersen’s stories of actually making the first BALL, flying it all over the West in his private plane and having it photographed at Western iconic symbols such as the Grand Canyon, is MUST listening for Fans of The BALL. Hear it by clicking here!

And SIGN THE PETITION to SAVE THE BALL here!

Ray Pedersen and HIS BALLS thank you!

GM'S WAGONER, LUTZ IMPLODE ON CBS' "60 MINUTES"

GENERAL MOTORS IMPLODES ON “60 MINUTES”

WHAT HAVE RICK WAGONER AND BOB LUTZ DONE FOR ANYONE LATELY? NOTHING.

Anyone who thought there was a chance of General Motors succeeding while keeping things “business as usual” only had to watch the April 2, 2006 edition of “60 MINUTES” on CBS-TV to understand the two main reasons we are seeing the destruction of what was once the world’s greatest and most profitable manufacturing corporation: Rick Wagoner and Bob Lutz.

Wagoner evidently thinks there is only thing wrong with GM: Unions.

Rick Wagoner was born in Wilmington, Delaware (legal home to many of America's biggest corporations) and grew up in Richmond, VA. He received a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke in 1975 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1977. No word from Wikipedia on whether he ever owned a car in his youth.

After Harvard, he joined GM as an analyst in the treasurer's office. In 1981 he became treasurer of GM do Brazil, and later served as managing director. In 1992 he was named GM's chief financial officer, in 1994 he became executive vice president and/or president of North American Operations, and in 1998 he was named president and chief operating officer. He became president and chief executive officer in June 2000 and was elected chairman on May 1, 2003.

In April 2005 Wagoner took back personal control of GM's North American car division in light of its poor performance.

Asked by “60 MINUTES” reporter Steve Kroft, “How did GM get into this position?” of near-bankruptcy, Wagoner didn’t skip a beat as he talked about the “long, almost 100-year history” of GM, and the many costs for worker’s health care and retiree’s benefits built into the cost of every GM car and truck, estimated to be almost $2,000 per vehicle.

Wagoner believes the only thing GM has done wrong in the past 30 years was to sign union agreements which, he told “60 MINUTES”, seemed “cheap at the time”, but which in the long run turned out to be another story.

Bob Lutz was born in Switzerland and started with GM in Europe in 1963. He went onto serve with Ford, BMW and then Chrysler, where along with Bob Eaton, he green-lighted hit vehicles like the Viper, PT Cruiser and Prowler. After  Chrysler, Lutz ran Exide Battery, where he still holds an executive position, perhaps as a back-up to whatever may happen at GM. Wagoner hired Lutz in 2001, to much fanfare within the automotive community. Wall Street liked the hire --- a bean counter with aspirations to product designer who already had some 'hits' under his belt.

What has Lutz accomplished at GM? Well, not much so far. And this year, 2006, is when the industry expected to see the  fruits of Lutz’ hire.

For the “60 MINUTES” interview, Lutz escorted reporter Kroft into a section of the Cadillac design studios in GM’s Warren,  MI, Holy of Holies. Acting as if he were trying to impress a bunch of high school journalism students, Lutz walked Kroft into a large room with a number of (apparently) cars and trucks all covered by blue tarps. Lutz would lift only the front cover of one tarp, where viewers saw what may have been a future production car (with a Caddy badge on its overwrought grille) or a bit of concept work being developed by one or more designers.

Wagoner walked Kroft through the Detroit Auto Show’s gigantic GM exhibit (they did the interview during press days, so the exhibits were sorely empty of spectators) and showed-off the concept Camaro, which Wagoner would not commit to producing when asked by Kroft, and the Saturn SKY, which had Kroft declaring, “Well, it’s not dowdy”.

One of Lutz' main ambitions has been to return the "performance" to Ponitac. He decided to import the Holden Monaro, built by GM of Australia, already outfitted with the Corvette 350 horsepower drivetrain and 6-speed stick shift, and call it the Pontiac GTO.

Sacrilege, at best, to GTO traditionalists; a bomb as far as sales.

Resurrected GTO sales were so poor its first year that the company quickly “went back to the drawing board” and added the much-needed hood scoop and multi-pipes which purists rightly insisted should have been on the first models.

Sales targets were never reached, and even with the engine hot-rodded to 400 horsepower and the car involved in some racing  to try and draw attention to it (NHRA drag racing, Drifting), the car was announced as “dead” in 2006. Lutz would only say that IF the new Camaro were actually built for production, and IF it were successful, along with a Pontiac Firebird on the same platform, then  GTO MIGHT once again make an appearance. In classic GM form, this "new" GTO would be the third planned-for model on the same platform with the same drivetrain. That GTO will be dead before the first one is built.

Wagoner and Lutz are not responsible for all of GM’s problems today. Those problems began back in the company’s most arrogant hey-days of the late 1950s and early ‘60s, when the only troubles the company had were two-fold: 1) Producing enough vehicles to meet the demand, and, 2) Keeping the government from breaking the company up as it was considered a monopoly.

Today’s GM problems are much different and much more serious; it is, however, clear that Wagoner and Lutz are not the men to set straight what is still America’s most important manufacturing concern, directly affecting over 1 million employees and retirees, and the families, company’s, dealerships and city’s they underwrite.

What’s YOUR feeling?