It may be time to stop holding your breath. The planned deal between Chrysler LLC and the Chery Automobile Company to bring a Chrysler-badged Chery to our shores seems to be completely over... no, really this time. While there was nothing inherently wrong with the concept of importing the small fuel-efficient cars to North America (even if there were near insurmountable obstacles to overcome in the area of safety and emission standards), both companies have been crushed by the economy. According to a former Chery executive, "I wouldn't place much hope on it... both companies have their own problems to deal with, and both have run out of money." As neither company ever offered a public timetable for the arrival of the cars after the initial announcement early last year, the news is unlikely to come as a surprise.
In a move that will help both ailing automakers, General Motors and Ford are holding discussions about sharing engine and powertrain technologies. Although neither company will officially acknowledge the liaisons, the meetings have been going on for more than a month, according to sources. Engine and powertrain development costs are significant -- an entirely new engine could cost $1 billion, while a transmission could cost upwards of $800 million -- so splitting those costs offers substantial savings to both companies. In addition to the financial incentives, technology sharing would open doors that otherwise would have remained shut (e.g., GM sharing Volt technology with Ford). This wouldn't be the first time the two competitors have climbed in the sack together... years ago, they successfully partnered on a six-speed automatic transmission that is widely used by both companies today.
This rumor definitely makes for a fun what-if game. If these discussions bear fruit, what engines would you like shared across the aisle? A Vortech V8-powered F-150 or an LS9 Mustang GT500? How about a Malibu powered by a twin-turbo DI Ecoboost V6?
Click on the image above for our high-res Hyundai Genesis gallery
To lure buyers towards the all-new 2009 Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan, the Korean automaker is aggressively pricing lease programs. Traditional Hyundai customers choose to lease about 10-12 percent of the time. The Genesis, however, is aimed at a more upscale buyer -- a segment that tends to lease more often (according to Hyundai's estimates, 50 percent of the Genesis customers will lease the new sedan). To drive sales, the standard six-cylinder model, with a base price of about $33,000, will lease for $399/month (24-month lease with $2,199 due at signing). It's a deal that undercuts the Cadillac CTS by nearly $150/month, according to a retailer who sells both. With 80 percent of customers expected to choose the V6 model (we would too), the lease program is bold enough to drive traffic. In case you were wondering, the V8 model won't be in showrooms for another month, and by that time the lease program will have expired.
Word out of Frankfurt from the Financial Times Deutschland is that BMW is in talks to sell engines and transmissions to both General Motors and Fiat. All three companies have declined to officially comment.
The news is interesting, but not surprising. You may recall that GM has been selling transmissions to BMW for well over a decade for use in various 3 Series and 5 Series models (the current BMW 328i automatic uses a 6-speed GM 6L45 unit). So far, however, all have been automatic transmissions.
Speculating about the details, our tipster suggests that BMW may be helping GM with their SMG-style transmission program. As for the engines? It is possible that BMW could be selling its 4.4L V8 for the Cadillac line or lending GM a twin-turbo to compete with Ford's twin-turbo direct-injected V6? Thanks for the tip Brad!
When the A1GP World Cup of Motorsports started back in 2005, some saw it as a challenger to Formula One. But while the nation-based formula was creative, it stood little chance of posing any serious competition to F1 with all its decades of history, billions of dollars and millions of fans worldwide. The start-up open-wheel racing series, however, has managed to carve out a niche for itself as an additional feeder series, providing another stepping stone from which F1 can draw talent in addition to other second-tier racing formulae like F3, GP2 and Champ/Indy (at least, before the split).
In an interview with Italian sports journal Gazzetta dello Sport, A1GP chairman Tony Teixeira made a point of thanking his F1 counterpart Bernie Ecclestone, whom Teixeira credits with helping to broker the deal with Ferrari by which the Scuderia will design the cars and supply the engines for the entire series starting with the 2008-2009 season. (A1GP runs on the off-season in order to attract drivers and fans when other series are on break.)
Teixeira, who has also been tipped to be considering the purchase of an F1 team, also noted that he approached Ferrari for the mutually-beneficial deal. Ain't it swell when everyone plays nice together?
Japanese tire-maker Bridgestone has been supplying every team on the Formula One grid since rival rubber company Michelin pulled out of the sport at the end of the 2006 season. But whereas Bridgestone had gone through 2007 as the exclusive tire supplier by default, the ink has now dried on the contract that makes them the exclusive tire supplier by design.
The deal secures Bridgestone's monopoly in the pinnacle motorsport series from 2008 through 2010. Although the deal was reportedly secured in 2006, but it just became official.
While many other racing series around the world have similar arrangements with various tire suppliers, Formula One has traditionally been a bastion of pure competition. The tire deal, however, prevents companies like Goodyear, Pirelli and Michelin from returning to F1, joining the institution of a common engine control module, the recent freeze on engine development and drastic restrictions on testing in "leveling the playing field" and thereby reducing the degree of competition in F1.
UPDATE:Official press release from Renault confirming Alonso's return can be read after the jump.
Emerging reports confirm that Fernando Alonso has signed a two-year contract with the Renault F1 Team, with which he won a pair of world titles before defecting to a tumultuous and disappointing year with McLaren.
The contract, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, will make Alonso one of the top-paid drivers currently in F1 at a staggering $50 million per season (According to the Wikipedia, Kimi Räikkönen makes $51 million/year). The deal is also reported to include minimal obligations towards Renault's sponsors, an exit clause should Alonso wish to terminate early, and clear, defined #1 status for Alonso over his team-mate.
That role, according to the reports, is set to be taken up by Nelson Piquet, Jr., who will be filling the #2 spot at Renault. The news subsequently leaves current drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen without confirmed rides for next season, fuelling speculation that Kovalainen could take up Alonso's now-vacant seat at McLaren, especially since news broke of Nico Rosberg's renewal at Williams.
The official announcement from Renault is anticipated shortly, and Alonso is expected to begin testing next year's Renault car at his native Spain's Valencia test track late in January.
Following the news that Ferrari was in discussions with A1GP, the international racing series has announced that the two racing outfits have signed a six-year contract with Maranello. The terms of the agreement have Ferrari supplying the V8 engines for all the national teams competing in the series starting the season after next, when the current deal with Lola and Zytek expires. In addition to powering the new cars, Ferrari will also consult on the design of the chassis, which will be built by an as-yet undisclosed third party.
The deal gives Ferrari a de facto feeder series of its own, not unlike Formula BMW and the GP2 series owned by Renault principal Flavio Briatore. A1GP chairman Tony Teixeira also announced the formation of a second, lower-rung regional series to be called A2GP – taking a possible similar relationship as the Atlantic series to Champ Cars – with which Ferrari will also collaborate, supplying detuned versions of the engine. The deal should give Ferrari a place to field up-and-coming younger drivers and bring in extra revenue, while lending the open-wheel series added prestige on the world motorsports stage.
Teixeira also confirmed earlier speculation that, after bowing out of the Spyker purchase, he is considering buying into Scuderia Toro Rosso. The Italian F1 team, currently owned by Red Bull and former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger, scored impressive fourth and sixth places in last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.
If you've got your money on Prodrive making an unprecedented F1 debut next season, we'd recommend calling your bookie and changing your bet. The British racing consultancy was preparing to hit the grand prix circuit using equipment obtained through a deal with McLaren, but the agreement that was all but dotted and crossed has reportedly fallen apart.
Neither Prodrive nor McLaren have yet to comment, but according to Autosport.com, the deal is off. As we'd reported previously, Prodrive were to become an effective second McLaren team by using the same chassis next season, but that all depends on the FIA Court of Appeal's ruling on the legality of such an arrangement. That procedure was, according to Prodrive chief David Richards – also chairman of Aston Martin and former lyteam principal at first Benetton and then BAR-Honda – was the last obstacle standing between the new team and its fight for podiums in 2008. It would appear, however, that McLaren is less than confident that the regulatory body will rubber-stamp the customer-car deal, as they've reportedly told their employees not to prepare the additional Prodrive cars.
Ferrari is apparently running out of F1 teams to supply with engines, so it's looking to other racing series altogether for new customers. For the current season, the Maranello-based team had to have the rules bent so that they could supply their engines to not one but two additional teams on the grid (Spyker and Toro Rosso). No wonder then that half of the cars that finished in the points at this past weekend's penultimate Chinese Grand Prix were powered by Ferrari.
Like other single-seater racing series, A1GP, the self-described "world cup of motorsport", uses the same chassis and engines for all the teams. Lola and Zytek have been supplying the cars and power respectively, but with contracts up for renewal, rumors started to fly when Ferrari's sporting director Stefano Domenicali was seen at Silverstone during an A1GP test session. Ferrari has now confirmed that they're in negotiations with the series' organizers.
Rumor has it that the engine deal isn't the only thing A1GP chief Tony Teixeira is discussing with Ferrari, as insiders tip the South African businessman as a potential partner in Scuderia Toro Rosso, which would effectively become Ferrari's B-squad in the developing "super team" saga.
2010 Nissan Cube breaks cover in Japan
Officially Official: 2010 Ford Mustang!
2010 Ford Mustang revealed early on Ford's own website!
2009 Nissan 370Z rolls out early in So. Cal
VIDEO: 2009 Nissan 370Z revealed early in So. Cal.
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 HUMMER H3T Alpha
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Hyundai Genesis
