Camry Leaked
A Japanese website called auto gallery.net has leaked pictures of the upcoming 2007 Toyota Camry. Now the pictures are all over the web. The Camry is the best selling car in the United States, so a redesign is big news. The pictures suggest the Camry will be sleeker and more expensive-looking than the current model. The over-all length stays the same, but the wheelbase is increased. The 4-cylinder gets a power boost sufficient to keep it competitive, up from 153 to 167 horsepower (at least in Japan). There's no word on the V-6. Drag coefficient is a slippery .28.
Carpages.ca - Toyota to Introduce All-New Camry for 2007
Monday, November 28, 2005
Texas-sized ambition-With new plant coming to San Antonio, Toyota takes aim at the heart of U.S. truck market.
Detroit News Profiles a "Relentless" Toyota
In a series of articles coinciding with Toyota's opening of a new 200,000 unit/year full-sized pick-up truck plant in Texas, the Detroit news is taking a detailed look at Toyota. The article below calculates Toyota's total cost of labor at $47.25 per hour, with GM's at $73.00. According to these figures, GM's "cost disadvantage/hour" is $25.75 and GM's total cost is $5.46 billion per year.
Texas-sized ambition-With new plant coming to San Antonio, Toyota takes aim at the heart of U.S. truck market.
In a series of articles coinciding with Toyota's opening of a new 200,000 unit/year full-sized pick-up truck plant in Texas, the Detroit news is taking a detailed look at Toyota. The article below calculates Toyota's total cost of labor at $47.25 per hour, with GM's at $73.00. According to these figures, GM's "cost disadvantage/hour" is $25.75 and GM's total cost is $5.46 billion per year.
Texas-sized ambition-With new plant coming to San Antonio, Toyota takes aim at the heart of U.S. truck market.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
The Bell May Not Toll for Spring Hill
GM MIGHT Keep Open Saturn's Tennessee Plant
The Saturn Plant in Spring Hill Tennessee might not close after all. There's a chance that GM might bring a new product line into the plant.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051126/AUTO01/511260364/1148
The Saturn Plant in Spring Hill Tennessee might not close after all. There's a chance that GM might bring a new product line into the plant.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051126/AUTO01/511260364/1148
Delphi pay = $76.00/hour
Delphi Average Worker Pay is $76.00/Hour
According to the Detroit Free Press article linked below, Delphi has calculated its average worker pay, inclluding benefits at $76.00 per hour. This figure was released as part of a public relations campaign to justify CEO Steve (pompatus of bankruptcy) MIller's demands for 60% wage cuts. The section quoted below is Delphi's attempt to put the wage cuts in perspective:
According to a study Delphi commissioned, in part to thwart claims that it is being unfair to workers, Delphi pays its workers $76.46 per hour, up from the previously reported wage of $65 an hour. That breaks down to a wage of $26.97 an hour for a first-year employee, $26.86 an hour for benefits such as health care and vacation days and $22.63 in legacy costs, which include retirement health-care costs and costs past the obligation of workers compensation.
Delphi workers are paid more than average hourly workers when benefits are considered.
Nationwide, employers from all industries pay their hourly workers $24.24 per hour, which includes benefits but not legacy costs, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Labor study, published in June 2005. An average wage of $17.21 an hour accounted for 71% of the total hourly compensation, while benefits, at $7.03, made up the remaining 29%. Wages, as a percent of total compensation, declined during the past five years from 73% in 2000.
Within geographic regions, total compensation costs ranged from $20.42 an hour in the East South Central division to $28.14 in the Pacific division. Employers in the division that includes Michigan paid their employees $24.96 an hour -- $17.27 in wages and $7.69 in total benefits.
In Michigan's division, health care, at $1.90 an hour, was the most expensive benefit employers provided workers.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051126/BUSINESS01/511260313/1014
According to the Detroit Free Press article linked below, Delphi has calculated its average worker pay, inclluding benefits at $76.00 per hour. This figure was released as part of a public relations campaign to justify CEO Steve (pompatus of bankruptcy) MIller's demands for 60% wage cuts. The section quoted below is Delphi's attempt to put the wage cuts in perspective:
According to a study Delphi commissioned, in part to thwart claims that it is being unfair to workers, Delphi pays its workers $76.46 per hour, up from the previously reported wage of $65 an hour. That breaks down to a wage of $26.97 an hour for a first-year employee, $26.86 an hour for benefits such as health care and vacation days and $22.63 in legacy costs, which include retirement health-care costs and costs past the obligation of workers compensation.
Delphi workers are paid more than average hourly workers when benefits are considered.
Nationwide, employers from all industries pay their hourly workers $24.24 per hour, which includes benefits but not legacy costs, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Labor study, published in June 2005. An average wage of $17.21 an hour accounted for 71% of the total hourly compensation, while benefits, at $7.03, made up the remaining 29%. Wages, as a percent of total compensation, declined during the past five years from 73% in 2000.
Within geographic regions, total compensation costs ranged from $20.42 an hour in the East South Central division to $28.14 in the Pacific division. Employers in the division that includes Michigan paid their employees $24.96 an hour -- $17.27 in wages and $7.69 in total benefits.
In Michigan's division, health care, at $1.90 an hour, was the most expensive benefit employers provided workers.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051126/BUSINESS01/511260313/1014
Friday, November 25, 2005
Filmsnobs
Filmsnobs.com - A Movie Review Site for the Hard-to-Please
If you're looking for strong opinions and general mockery, this is the site for you.
http://www.filmsnobs.com
If you're looking for strong opinions and general mockery, this is the site for you.
http://www.filmsnobs.com
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
PERUVIAN INCA ORCHID - Information
Animal of the Month: the Domestic Dog
In the past, I've featured links to some obsucre animals. I feel a little bit like Brian Fellow's Safari Planet in forwarding this link, but it's not that elementary. There are some obscure breeds of dogs featured at www.thebreedsofdogs.com. The one linked directly, the Peruvian Inca Orchid, is totally new to me.
PERUVIAN INCA ORCHID - Information
In the past, I've featured links to some obsucre animals. I feel a little bit like Brian Fellow's Safari Planet in forwarding this link, but it's not that elementary. There are some obscure breeds of dogs featured at www.thebreedsofdogs.com. The one linked directly, the Peruvian Inca Orchid, is totally new to me.
PERUVIAN INCA ORCHID - Information
'World's ugliest' dog dies at 14 - Other Pet News - MSNBC.com
Breaking News Story - The World's Ugliest Dog is Dead
The dog, named Sam, was a pure-bred Chinese Crested Hairless. I'd hate to see what Chinese UNcrested Hairless would look like.
/id/10152429/#storyContinued"'World's ugliest' dog dies at 14 - Other Pet News - MSNBC.com
The dog, named Sam, was a pure-bred Chinese Crested Hairless. I'd hate to see what Chinese UNcrested Hairless would look like.
/id/10152429/#storyContinued"'World's ugliest' dog dies at 14 - Other Pet News - MSNBC.com
Daily Edition: Nov. 23, 2005 - The Car Connection
First Pictures: 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
Linked below are the first publicly available pictures of the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The Santa Fe is a mid-sized (think Ford Explorer) SUV with two or three rows of seating. It will have a 262 horsepower v-6 and a 5-speed automatic transmission. The Santa Fe will be built in Hyundai's Alabama facility.
Daily Edition: Nov. 23, 2005 - The Car Connection
Linked below are the first publicly available pictures of the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The Santa Fe is a mid-sized (think Ford Explorer) SUV with two or three rows of seating. It will have a 262 horsepower v-6 and a 5-speed automatic transmission. The Santa Fe will be built in Hyundai's Alabama facility.
Daily Edition: Nov. 23, 2005 - The Car Connection
Toyota moves on GM with plan for 100,000 vehicles at U.S. plant - 11/23/05
Toyota to Build 400,000 More Vehicles in North America by 2008
Transplants will make up for most of GM's 1 million unit Capacity Reduction
In a series of press releases, reported by the Detroit News, Toyota has indicated that it is planning to increase it's North American manufacturing capacity by 400,000 units.
The most recent announcement is that Toyota is planning on producing up to 100,000 units in the Lafayette, Indiana plant run by Subaru. GM just sold off it's stake in Subaru, and that stake was bought by Toyota. Obviously, Toyota it didn't take Toyota too long to find the knife to twist it into GM's soft underbelly. To add insult to injury, the Detroit News repeated earlier speculation that the Lafayette-built Toyotas will be hybrids.
Toyota also expects to bring on-line a new pickup plant in Arlington, Texas with a capacity of 200,000 units per year. Toyota also plans to build up to 100,000 Rav4s in Canada.
GM's recently announced production cuts are planned to reduce General Motor's manufacturing capacity by approximately one million unites. In terms of the over-all capacity glut of the industry, Toyota's additions negate 40% of that. Honda and Hyundai are bringing new capacity on line as well. To me, GM's strategy seems to be based on the assumption that its competitors are going to stand still to let it shrink its way to solvency. I just don't see that happening.
Toyota moves on GM with plan for 100,000 vehicles at U.S. plant - 11/23/05
Transplants will make up for most of GM's 1 million unit Capacity Reduction
In a series of press releases, reported by the Detroit News, Toyota has indicated that it is planning to increase it's North American manufacturing capacity by 400,000 units.
The most recent announcement is that Toyota is planning on producing up to 100,000 units in the Lafayette, Indiana plant run by Subaru. GM just sold off it's stake in Subaru, and that stake was bought by Toyota. Obviously, Toyota it didn't take Toyota too long to find the knife to twist it into GM's soft underbelly. To add insult to injury, the Detroit News repeated earlier speculation that the Lafayette-built Toyotas will be hybrids.
Toyota also expects to bring on-line a new pickup plant in Arlington, Texas with a capacity of 200,000 units per year. Toyota also plans to build up to 100,000 Rav4s in Canada.
GM's recently announced production cuts are planned to reduce General Motor's manufacturing capacity by approximately one million unites. In terms of the over-all capacity glut of the industry, Toyota's additions negate 40% of that. Honda and Hyundai are bringing new capacity on line as well. To me, GM's strategy seems to be based on the assumption that its competitors are going to stand still to let it shrink its way to solvency. I just don't see that happening.
Toyota moves on GM with plan for 100,000 vehicles at U.S. plant - 11/23/05
GM banking on 15 new vehicles - 11/23/05
GM's "Wait 'til Next Year" Line-up
15 New Models and No Obvious Breakout Hits
The Detroit News has a chart showing the 15 new models that GM plans to introduce next year. None seem to offer the promise of a turn-around.
The biggest in terms of volume will probably be the full-size SUVs and the full-size pickups. The problem with using these models as the basis of a turn-around is that GM already leads the pack in full-size SUVs. These models offer the promise to keep market share, but I don't see them drawing new buyers into the fold. As for the pickups, pick-up buyers tend to be brand-loyal. New market share is hard to come by. Again, GM might hold its ground, but it's not going anywhere new.
The Saturn Sky? Nice little roadster, but it's a small market and GM already has a near-twin, the Pontiac Solstice.
The Saturn Aura. I saw a prototype. It looks like a competent mid-sized sedan, better than the L-Series, which was so bad it was given the boot early, but all of the competition is good too.
Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia Crossovers: I don't know too much about these. I don't know how big the crossover market is; but I do know that there will be new competition here as well. Ford will be coming out with crossovers at the same time. The Acura MDX is due for a makeover. Honda is hinting at a new "truck" coming out of its Ohio complex, a complex that now produces cars, so it sure looks like a crossover to me. I'm sure there are more.
The last one on the list is the Saturn Vue Green Line (hybrid) crossover. This can't be more than a halo or image car produced at a low volume.
The bottom line: there's nothing here that's going to save GM's bacon next year.
GM banking on 15 new vehicles - 11/23/05
15 New Models and No Obvious Breakout Hits
The Detroit News has a chart showing the 15 new models that GM plans to introduce next year. None seem to offer the promise of a turn-around.
The biggest in terms of volume will probably be the full-size SUVs and the full-size pickups. The problem with using these models as the basis of a turn-around is that GM already leads the pack in full-size SUVs. These models offer the promise to keep market share, but I don't see them drawing new buyers into the fold. As for the pickups, pick-up buyers tend to be brand-loyal. New market share is hard to come by. Again, GM might hold its ground, but it's not going anywhere new.
The Saturn Sky? Nice little roadster, but it's a small market and GM already has a near-twin, the Pontiac Solstice.
The Saturn Aura. I saw a prototype. It looks like a competent mid-sized sedan, better than the L-Series, which was so bad it was given the boot early, but all of the competition is good too.
Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia Crossovers: I don't know too much about these. I don't know how big the crossover market is; but I do know that there will be new competition here as well. Ford will be coming out with crossovers at the same time. The Acura MDX is due for a makeover. Honda is hinting at a new "truck" coming out of its Ohio complex, a complex that now produces cars, so it sure looks like a crossover to me. I'm sure there are more.
The last one on the list is the Saturn Vue Green Line (hybrid) crossover. This can't be more than a halo or image car produced at a low volume.
The bottom line: there's nothing here that's going to save GM's bacon next year.
GM banking on 15 new vehicles - 11/23/05
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