Automotive News - February 11, 2008 - (Page 82) 82 • FEBRUARY 11, 2008 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW Nardelli: Challenger arrives just in time Richard Truett rtruett@crain.com © GM CORP. GM wants Corvette ZR1 owners to attend a driving school. ZR1 will be in a class by itself CHICAGO — All that touting of the 200-mph-plus 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 by General Motors is apparently giving the automaker’s legal department nightmares. So now GM wants each owner to attend a driving school. GM says the limited-edition ZR1 will be the fastest car it has ever offered when it goes on sale this fall. The hand-built engine will have more than 620 hp along with a 0 to 60 performance of around 3.3 seconds. Said Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper: “We don’t think we can mandate it, but it’s something that we certainly want to offer when they buy the vehicle, to get that training.” — Rick Kranz CHICAGO — Chrysler LLC CEO Bob Nardelli thinks the new Challenger muscle car can draw buyers into Dodge showrooms and boost sales of the automaker’s other vehicles. “It couldn’t come at a better time in our business cycle,” Nardelli said last week at the unveiling of the production version here. Chrysler LLC sold 137,392 vehicles in January, a 12.1 percent drop from a year earlier. In 2007, the company’s U.S. sales slipped 3.1 percent from the previous year to 2,076,650. In April, Chrysler will begin selling the 1970s-style, 425-hp, V-8 coupe. Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli says he thinks buyers who haven’t been in a Dodge showroom in years will come in to look at the new Challenger, along with other Dodge vehicles. SCOTT KENNEDY Nardelli said he thinks buyers who haven’t been in a Dodge showroom in years will come in to look at the car — and take a new look at other Dodge vehicles. “It says a lot about Dodge, and it will help attract new customers and old ones, too,” he said. While much had leaked out about the highly anticipated car, Jim Press, Chrysler’s co-president, made some numbers official. The Challenger will bolt from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds, giving better performance than a Porsche 911 Carrera, he said. It has a top speed of 170 mph. Frank Klegon, Chrysler’s product development boss, said production will be kept under 100,000. He said Chrysler’s Mopar parts division will have plenty of performance parts available for the car at launch. Chrysler plans to build a six-cylinder base model, Klegon said. He wouldn’t say when it will arrive. c GM: New Camaro will be affordable, not a fire-breather Rick Kranz rkranz@crain.com Ford will offer Edge Sport CHICAGO — Ford Motor Co. hopes to build on the success of the Edge crossover with a sporty new model coming this fall. The 2009 Ford Edge Sport adds standard 20-inch wheels or optional 22-inchers and bodycolored side skirts to improve aerodynamics. The interior features distinctive leather and suedelike upholstery. — Richard Truett RICK KRANZ H3T ads, says Hummer’s Martin Walsh, “will be about how this vehicle enables you to pursue an active lifestyle.” Toyota: Hybrid sales will slow CHICAGO — Toyota’s explosive growth in hybrid vehicle sales will slow dramatically this year because of capacity and output restraints, says Bob Carter, Toyota Division general manager. Last year, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. sold 277,750 Toyota and Lexus hybrids in the United States, a 44.9 percent increase over the previous year. “We see an opportunity to grow,” Carter said. But “it will not be the quantum leap that we made last year.” — Rick Kranz Hummer shifts ad strategy Brand tries softer tone as H3T debuts Rick Kranz rkranz@crain.com CHICAGO — The softer side of Hummer will be portrayed in advertising this year. Gone are the ads that stress such things as ground clearance and departure angles. “It is kind of a softer, gentler communication,” said Martin Walsh, Hummer general manager. “It is taking the message one step further, telling a better story about what it can do for you as a customer.” For example, an ad may show a couple heading off-road to a river with a kayak or to a trail with motorcycles. “It is not about a (Hummer) doing outrageous off-road maneuvers,” Walsh said. He said ads for the 2009 H3T pickup coming in the fall “will be about how this vehicle enables you to pursue an active lifestyle.” The H3T debuted last week at the auto show here. Some ads last year portrayed Hummers in rescue and emergency situations. The shift in ad strategy comes on the heels of a 21.7 percent sales decline last year. Sales dropped 23.4 percent in January. Walsh said sales in the full- and mid-sized SUV segments have been hurt by fuel prices, uncertainty about the economy and other factors. But he said there were two bright spots last year: H3 market share remained unchanged, and market share for the freshened 2008 H2 increased. c CHICAGO — General Motors will borrow some marketing savvy from the Ford Mustang to sell the Chevrolet Camaro. The Mustang lesson: Low-priced V-6 models established the brand. Troy Clarke, president of GM North America, said that the Mustang, launched in 1964, succeeded because it stayed true to its roots as “a very affordable car to a very broad base of people.” High-performance V-8 models, such as the Mustang Cobra and Shelby Mustang, create buzz and draw buyers to showrooms, he said. The Camaro coupe goes on sale in February 2009. The convertible follows about nine months later. Clarke expects most Camaros will be equipped with a V-6 engine. A Chevrolet source said the car will be offered with a 3.6-liter V-6, producing about 281 hp. “We know that the mission with the Camaro isn’t to create a specialty vehicle with a very narrow appeal that is very much subject to your wallet,” Clarke said at the auto show here. “It is going to be a great base car that is going to have a very broad appeal. “The concept of the car will evolve into a really fun-to-drive, stylish vehicle, as opposed to something that just breathes fire and has more cubic inches than the next guy.” c F-150 will get connected Handy new options coming this fall on the 2009 Ford F-150 include a radio frequency identification system that enables fleet operators to monitor the truck’s location; a tool-locking system that features a retractable steel cable in the bed; and Internet connectivity that enables an optional Bluetooth printer to produce documents, such as blueprints and schematics, inside the cab. — Richard Truett Porsche’s Cayenne GTS hits 60 mph in 5.7 seconds Porsche says the GTS is its fastest Cayenne. It is powered by a 4.8-liter, 32-valve V-8 that makes 405 hp. The GTS went on sale last week for $69,300, including shipping. CHICAGO — Porsche Cars North America Inc. launched its fastest version of the Cayenne SUV at the auto show here. It is called the GTS and can reach 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The 2009 GTS went on sale last week for $69,300, including shipping, said Peter Schwarzenbauer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America. The GTS is powered by a 4.8-liter, 32-valve V-8 that uses direct injection. Horsepower is rated at 405. The GTS is available with a six-speed manual transmission, a first in the segment. With sales of more than 34,000 vehicles in 2007, Porsche racked up its fourth straight year of record U.S. volume. But that streak might end this year. Schwarzenbauer said Porsche easily could weather a mild recession without taking a big hit in sales, but a deep recession would hurt manufacturers in the luxury segment. — Richard Truett
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.