Preview: 2010 Cadillac SRX

January 6th, 2009

Preview: 2010 Cadillac SRX

At next week’s Detroit Auto Show, Cadillac will unveil a radically redesigned 2010 SRX crossover. Most vehicles get a makeover with a redesign about once every five years, but rarely do they change as completely as Cadillac’s midsize SUV has. The new vehicle has more in common with the Lexus RX than with anything out of Cadillac’s own stable.

Autoblog explains, “There is almost nothing carried over to this version Read more…

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New Year, New Commitment

January 5th, 2009

New Year, New Commitment

“How you begin something is of great significance,” writes New York yoga teacher Dharma Mittra in an email newsletter to his students. “Begin 2009 committed to the attainment of Self-Knowledge.”

In a list of recommendations for 2009, Dharma suggests students meditate for 15 minutes every morning, drink lots of green juices, and read Swami Sivananda’s Self-Knowledge. (For a PDF of the text click here.) Read more…

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Suzuki puts kibosh on Kizashi sedan, report says:

January 5th, 2009

Japanese automaker Suzuki has backed off plans to build large cars and build assembly plants overseas, according to a report in the Nikkei business newspaper.

Suzuki has shown a series of concept vehicles named Kizashi that executives said were pointing toward a production version of a large sedan. And pictures of sedan protoypes have been captured by spy photographers. The Kizashi has been expected to arrive in showrooms in Read more…

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Strategy Memo: A New Year

January 5th, 2009

Good Monday morning. The PEOTUS and fam are now in Washington, as are most members of Congress, which will officially open its 111th session tomorrow.

**While Republicans are set to choose their new leader at the end of the month, President-elect Obama will name Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as the DNC chair-in-waiting, the Washington Post’s Michael D. Shear reports.. Kaine’s gubernatorial term ends in January 2010, when Kaine will take Read more…

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GM Gets More Government Aid through GMAC

January 4th, 2009

GM Gets More Government Aid through GMAC

GMAC, the major financing arm of General Motors, was recently approved as a bank holding company, giving it access to government funds. The government has wasted no time in getting the cash flowing.

The U.K.’s Guardian reports, “Last night the Bush administration announced it was pumping $5bn into GM’s finance arm GMAC and lending a further $1bn to GM to help it buy shares in GMAC, which is considered key to the Read more…

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BMW gives behind-the-scenes look at Z4 development:

January 4th, 2009

Most fans of the new BMW Z4 will admire the finished product.

But gearheads also get a kick out of the work that goes into creating cars.

So if you want to know more about the 2009 Z4, BMW is happy to oblige with a couple of Web videos.

In one video, Z4 exterior designer Juliane Blasi explains how she wanted the car to be “emotional and sexy” and to speak the language of people, not just be a product.

Read more…

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Redesigned Nissan 370Z rolls out with $30,000 base price:

January 3rd, 2009

Nissan’s shorter, wider and more powerful 370Z sports car comes with a slightly higher sticker price as it rolls out on Tuesday for the 2009 model year.

The base 370Z with six-speed manual transmission carries a suggested retail price of $30,625 including shipping charges. That compares with a starting price of $29,205 for the base version of the outgoing 350Z.

If you prefer the new seven-speed automatic transmission to do the Read more…

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Bush Announces $17.4 Billion Auto Bailout

January 3rd, 2009

Bush Announces $17.4 Billion Auto Bailout

Automakers will get a federal bailout after all. This morning, President Bush announced a $17.4 billion plan to help America’s largest carmakers stay afloat in a troubled economy. The money will be available almost immediately. The plan requires the companies to restructure and creates a de facto “auto czar” in Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson (and his eventual replacement in the next administration) to oversee automakers’ Read more…

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GM offers 0 percent loans, cash incentives:

January 2nd, 2009

Just hours after GMAC LLC accepted a $6 billion government bailout package designed to enable more consumer car loans, General Motors announced new incentives.

GM said on Tuesday it is offering 0 percent financing through Monday, Jan. 5, on the discontinued Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7X SUVs and on two Saab sedans, the 9-3 and 9-5.

GM also is offering new cash incentives with other vehicles. Both 2008 and 2009 Read more…

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Moran Offers Joint Fundraising Pledge

January 2nd, 2009

Former Virginia Delegate Brian Moran, running for the Democratic nomination in this year’s race for governor of Virginia, called on his two opponents to join his pledge to raise money from only in-state donors.

“This election should be about who has a proven record of fighting for Virginia families and a vision for where to take the state,” Moran said on a Washington-area radio station this morning. “It should not be an election about Read more…

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