Autoblog

Cerberus Capital Management shot off a nine-page letter to investors outlining ways that Chrysler could sink, while also pointing out that they believe Chrysler's on the track for success. Some of the possible failure scenarios include a nasty recession, an extreme slowdown in the car market, or a further credit downturn. Credit is already looking green around the gills, and the potential for a widespread domino effect that starts with an implosion of the teetering mortgage business would be catastrophic for Chrysler Financial and GMAC, of which Cerberus owns 51 percent. As easy mortgages and equity go, so goes willy-nilly new car purchasing, and we're probably already seeing the results of that adjustment. Cerberus believes that it can weather a mild credit downturn, and even a mild recession, just fine.

One way to attain success is to declare it, and changing the definition doesn't hurt, either. Cerberus optimistically declares that there's no need to be heroes to earn a good return on their investment. It sounds a little bit like they're saying it's okay to tread water. Stating that it's not necessary to build Chrysler up, even though that's the underlying hope, Cerberus thinks that just hanging in there should be good enough to earn a return. All of Chrysler's employees must feel great knowing that Bob Nardelli, Jim Press, and Tom LaSorda can essentially just keep the company coasting along until Cerberus sells Chrysler off so it can collect that mythical return. Chrysler's performance is so far outpacing expectations, and the company does have cash on hand. Those are actual, concrete good signs that Chrysler could yet emerge from its chrysalis.

[Source: Detroit News]

click above for more pics of the 2002 Dodge M80 Concept

Jim Press thinks that there's an emerging market for small, fuel efficient trucks. You know, the kind of trucks his former employer, Toyota, used to build. Press put in 37 years at Toyota, and he saw the evolution of the HiLux into the Tacoma, which is no longer the diminutive hauler it once was. Press owns a second home in Thailand, and observing how trucks are used in that country leads him to believe that there's a worldwide need for a small, versatile pickup. Dodge's Dakota saw its sales drop by one third between 2006 and 2007, and Press thinks that's likely due to buyers shifting to crossovers.

There's not a whole lot of incentive to buy a midsize truck right now – they cost nearly the same as an entry level full sizer, the mileage is only marginally better, and the size differential isn't that great. We can recall two Dodge concept pickups of the recent past that we think buyers who miss the small pickup market might take a liking to. First, there's the 2006 Dodge Rampage Concept, which packed a lot of utility in a small footprint. Then there's the 2002 Dodge M80 Concept, one of the few Chrysler concepts that got a great reception but wasn't produced. Put the M80 into production on a unibody platform with some unique powertrain options, Jim. Trust us, you won't be sorry.

[Source: PickupTruck.com]

Click on the image above to jump to our 52-image high-resolution gallery

Can't get enough of Ferrari's latest hotness? Neither can we, and the first batch of eight official images to come out of Maranello just weren't enough. So we flew out to Germany and got some more from the 430 Scuderia's unveiling at the Frankfurt auto show. But that still wasn't enough. So we got in touch with Ferrari North America to ask for more, but unfortunately our requests went unheeded.

Thankfully our Italian friends over at Automobilismo.it came to the rescue with a whole F1-calibre convoy full of new press images of the new Scuderia, that stripped-out supercar that laps Ferrari's private Fiorano test track faster than any Ferrari road car in the company's sixty-year history – including the Enzo.

Without confirmation from Ferrari, we can't be 100% sure these are all factory-issued, but until we hear otherwise, we give you this gallery of 52 high-resolution images. Enjoy them, because it can't have been easy for the photographer to get the 430 Scuderia to stay still for long.

[Source: Ferrari via Automobilismo.it]

Toyota is quite conscious of its target status, which has been amplified by their topping everyone else in the first quarter of 2007. Sales goals were consistently surpassed as all of the company's offerings got a boost from the Prius phenomenon. Toyota's Jim Press is predicting that they're about to lose their front-runner advantage as the competition comes on line with their own fuel efficient wares. Countless mentions of the Prius as a panacea to high fuel prices continue to abound in newscasts, magazine articles, and utter forth from the obviously well-informed and trustworthy mouths of broadcast personalities, lending a marketing boost as the news looks for things to cover. The Hybrid Synergy Drive technology has spread to other 'Yotas, so there's now hybrid Lexi and Camrys to go along with the billboard-like statement of green that is the Prius.

With the vast success of Toyota's technology and strategy, other manufacturers have been toiling away. While there's no prediction of when the numbers will slow their upward climb, they can't continue indefinitely. It will be interesting to watch what happens as we go into the driving season, with fuel prices forecast to go much higher. There's no denying the high fuel efficency of the Prius -- even if it doesn't fully measure up to its EPA numbers -- and if fuel nudges $4 per gallon, we predict that Hybrid sales of all stripes will jump again. The leap in sales would benefit all automakers with Hybrids on offer, a growing number. Keeping dealer organizations happy will keep sales rolling as well. By holding the number of dealerships steady, Toyota is helping its store owners maximize profits. Happy salespeople are likely far more effective at moving wares, and by making healthy profits, customers can be coddled better. It's the little things, and Toyota sweats the details obsessively. So, while Toyota's making noises that they expect things to cool off, we're not expecting that prediction to come true any time soon.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub Req.]

Click on the image above for high-resolution

It's been a regular Maserati love-in over here these past few days. First we got a teaser sketch of the coupe designed by Pininfarina. Then the Trident marque gave us three images of the stunning new GranTurismo in advance of its Geneva debut. Then we brought you the MC12 XX by Edo Competition. And now Maserati has hit us with the press release for the GranTurismo and an additional profile shot. It must be Christmas time for fans of the house that Alfieri built.

The press release confirms certain details about the stylish new coupe and reveals others. The 4.2-liter V8, derived from the Ferrari-designed engine in the Quattroporte, gets a power spike of 9 horsepower up to 405. It's driving through a fully automatic gearbox – presumably the new ZF unit recently placed in the Quattroporte – but we'd speculate the paddle-shifted sequential will find its way in their eventually despite the anticipated availability of paddle shifters on the torque-converting auto-box. Weight is distributed, as reported, in an ideal 49/51 rear bias. The styling was penned by Pininfarina's American wonderboy Jason Castriota, the same guy responsible for the design of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the custom Enzo-based P4/5 one-off.

The GranTurismo's launch at this year's Geneva show marks the (approximate) 60th anniversary of the launch of Maserati's first road car, the original Gran Turismo, which was also designed by Pinin Farina (in an era when words were separated by spaces).

Follow the jump for the press release, or click on the gallery below, where we've added the new profile shot seen above.

[Source: Maserati]

Click on the image for our full hi-resolution image gallery

Dodge officially took the wraps off a number of new cars at its press conference here at the Detroit show, including the new Magnum SRT-8, the beefed-up Viper and the Avenger R/T, plus the Avenger "stock car of tomorrow", accompanied by Dodge's NASCAR stars.

The new Avenger shares its platform with the Chrysler Sebring and slots below the Magnum and Charger in the Dodge line-up. Earlier we brought you the images and details on the Avenger, which followed closely along the lines of the pre-production show car unveiled at the Paris show. The range-topping R/T spec shown will be available with either front or all-wheel-drive channeling 235 HP and 232 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed AutoStick transmission.

Check out the image gallery for all the pics from the Avenger's unveiling by clicking here or on any of the images below.



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