Autoblog

The news that is not 'right' has uncovered some interesting automotive tidbits while scouring through obscure trademark filings.

First, General Motors has patented the term "8 speed" for use with what is presumed to be an eight-speed transmission. Logical, no? That would put their premium brands, Buick and Cadillac, on par with Lexus' newest tranny int their flagship the LS460.

Second up, LLN says that on October 6th, 2006 (whaaa?), GM filed a 'published for opposition' writ through the trademark office for the word 'Firebird.' We have no idea what the designation 'published for opposition' means (is there a patent lawyer in the house?), but LLN contends that it's a necessary step when reregistering a title. This may be what Bob Lutz has been mentioning under the name 'GTO,' but what's more interesting is the 'Fiero' moniker has also been re-applied for. This may be the first step in the General's plan of offering a small, hard-top coupe, but if it's just a Solstice with a fixed lid, our interest is only mildly piqued. Doesn't the name Fiero imply a mid-ship layout? We think so.

Finally, Lexus may not be pursuing the whole perfection thing soon, as they've applied for two new slogans: "The Passionate Pursuit of Potential" and "The Pursuit of Potential." We think it may be best to let our readers do the analysis on those.

Ready, set, speculate!

[Source: LeftLaneNews]