REPORT: GM to announce tentative sale of Hummer tomorrow

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, General Motors plans to announce a tentative sale of the Hummer brand less than a day after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Although GM won't release the name of Hummer's (possible) future owner(s) on Tuesday, the WSJ's sources say that a deal could be struck by the end of the third quarter and the H2 and H3 will continue to be produced at GM's plants in Indiana and Louisiana.

It's been widely accepted that if GM couldn't offload Hummer this month, it would be killed during the bankruptcy proceedings, and the General has been entertaining bids from a interest parties, including a Chinese firm, for somewhere in the sub-$500 million range since late last year. When the announcement is made tomorrow, expect GM to be hyping the sale as part of its turnaround efforts and that the SUV purveyor's new parent will continue to work on expanding the Hummer line, including the production of future alternative-fuel models.
via:autoblog

REPORT: GM to announce tentative sale of Hummer tomorrow

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, General Motors plans to announce a tentative sale of the Hummer brand less than a day after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Although GM won't release the name of Hummer's (possible) future owner(s) on Tuesday, the WSJ's sources say that a deal could be struck by the end of the third quarter and the H2 and H3 will continue to be produced at GM's plants in Indiana and Louisiana.

It's been widely accepted that if GM couldn't offload Hummer this month, it would be killed during the bankruptcy proceedings, and the General has been entertaining bids from a interest parties, including a Chinese firm, for somewhere in the sub-$500 million range since late last year. When the announcement is made tomorrow, expect GM to be hyping the sale as part of its turnaround efforts and that the SUV purveyor's new parent will continue to work on expanding the Hummer line, including the production of future alternative-fuel models.
via:autoblog

Spied: Next Gen VW Passat Mule at Nurburgring

The spies on the 'Ring caught another glimpse of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat test mule. Although wearing the skin of the current Passat, we are able to glean a few details of the upcoming big seller.


With the elongated body we can expect to see more cabin room inside the new Passat, but not just legroom for the rear passengers. Wider fenders indicate the possibility of a little more elbow space as well. The spy believes Volkswagen will make more use of lightweight materials this time around, meaning the bigger body may not translate into more weight. We hope that a bigger model is not the only change to the exterior styling, and that VW makes the new Passat more bold and less dull.


Look for the 4Motion all-wheel-drive to be available for this Passat, as well as the eight-speed DSG transmission. Automatic parking, parking cameras, airless tires, and windshield cleaning sans wipers. Another rumor going around is the use of magnetic, low-voltage paint that allows the driver to change color by adjusting the current.


Several rumors abound about engine choices for the car. Many expect a 3.0-liter V6 petrol model producing 280 horsepower, but some expect to see a large diesel version that produces about 300 hp, while a hybrid edition using the 3.0-L V6 could also be on the horizon.
Source:World Car Fans

Spied: Next Gen VW Passat Mule at Nurburgring

The spies on the 'Ring caught another glimpse of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat test mule. Although wearing the skin of the current Passat, we are able to glean a few details of the upcoming big seller.


With the elongated body we can expect to see more cabin room inside the new Passat, but not just legroom for the rear passengers. Wider fenders indicate the possibility of a little more elbow space as well. The spy believes Volkswagen will make more use of lightweight materials this time around, meaning the bigger body may not translate into more weight. We hope that a bigger model is not the only change to the exterior styling, and that VW makes the new Passat more bold and less dull.


Look for the 4Motion all-wheel-drive to be available for this Passat, as well as the eight-speed DSG transmission. Automatic parking, parking cameras, airless tires, and windshield cleaning sans wipers. Another rumor going around is the use of magnetic, low-voltage paint that allows the driver to change color by adjusting the current.


Several rumors abound about engine choices for the car. Many expect a 3.0-liter V6 petrol model producing 280 horsepower, but some expect to see a large diesel version that produces about 300 hp, while a hybrid edition using the 3.0-L V6 could also be on the horizon.
Source:World Car Fans

PSA to decide on GTbyCitroen production within four weeks

When Citroen collaborated with the people behind Sony Playstation's hit Gran Turismo game franchise on the show-stopping – if clumsily named – GTbyCitroen for last year's Paris Motor Show, few thought it would see the light of day.


That includes the French automaker itself, but as we reported back in March, demand has picked up enough to prompt Citroen to consider the GT's creation. The latest reports indicate that the Chevron-labeled automaker will have its answer ready, one way or another, within a month's time.


The indication of Citroen's deliberation reportedly comes straight from the mouth of the company's product guru Vincent Besson (think Bob Lutz with a beret and a dangling Gauloise). Apparently Citroen has received a number of prospective orders from potential buyers who'd like to see the supercar drive off their plasmas and into their garages.


If the PSA subsidiary does indeed decide to built the GT, it will be in extremely limited numbers and at a price high enough to cover the costs -- 15 examples at a million euros apiece is where it's tipped to be at.


Powertrain is another issue altogether, as the concept's conceptual hydrogen electric drivetrain would likely be replaced by a more conventional V8 sourced from Detroit. French style and American muscle? Sounds like a winning combination. We'll just have to wait four weeks to find out if it will come to fruition.
More Photos

PSA to decide on GTbyCitroen production within four weeks

When Citroen collaborated with the people behind Sony Playstation's hit Gran Turismo game franchise on the show-stopping – if clumsily named – GTbyCitroen for last year's Paris Motor Show, few thought it would see the light of day.


That includes the French automaker itself, but as we reported back in March, demand has picked up enough to prompt Citroen to consider the GT's creation. The latest reports indicate that the Chevron-labeled automaker will have its answer ready, one way or another, within a month's time.


The indication of Citroen's deliberation reportedly comes straight from the mouth of the company's product guru Vincent Besson (think Bob Lutz with a beret and a dangling Gauloise). Apparently Citroen has received a number of prospective orders from potential buyers who'd like to see the supercar drive off their plasmas and into their garages.


If the PSA subsidiary does indeed decide to built the GT, it will be in extremely limited numbers and at a price high enough to cover the costs -- 15 examples at a million euros apiece is where it's tipped to be at.


Powertrain is another issue altogether, as the concept's conceptual hydrogen electric drivetrain would likely be replaced by a more conventional V8 sourced from Detroit. French style and American muscle? Sounds like a winning combination. We'll just have to wait four weeks to find out if it will come to fruition.
More Photos

Another round of dealer cuts imminent at GM

Just a couple of weeks ago General Motors revealed that it would be cutting ties with over 1,100 dealerships, and the bad news keeps coming for dealers as the struggling automaker is expected to cut a further 450 dealerships in the coming months.

Many dealerships are under franchise agreements with GM that are expected to finish late next year - at which point around 450 dealers will most likely not have their contracts renewed. The dealerships facing the axe from GM have been chosen because they "have very specific issues", the automaker’s sales chief Mark LaNeve revealed to Automotive News. These issues include the fact that certain dealerships may have been exclusively stocking the now-defunct Pontiac brand, or be underperforming in regards to sales targets.
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