Automotive News - May 26, 2008 - (Page 34)

34 • MAY 26, 2008 Picture this You and your industry colleagues have just hung out at a party, raised a truckload of cash for charity or fired your best rounds of golf. Share your snapshots with us. When the celebration is over, e-mail your high-resolution photos, IDs and a brief description of the event to autonews@crain.com. ■ NADA goes marching in Annette Sykora, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, presents New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees with $400,000. The money, from the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation, will go toward renovation of Lusher Charter High School’s athletic fields in New Orleans. Brees and his wife formed the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003. They have been helping with the recovery of the city since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. New Orleans will host the NADA convention Jan. 24-27. ■ It’s rocket science — and more Frank Fountain, left, president of the Chrysler Foundation, meets with two winners of the Closing the Technology Gap in Education awards at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in suburban Detroit. The award program, sponsored by the Chrysler Foundation in partnership with the Detroit Science Center, honors Michigan public school teachers who inspire students to go on to careers in science and technology. The winner in the middle school category, Yandal Waugh of George Washington Carver Academy in suburban Detroit, center, uses rocketry to introduce his students to aerospace and aeronautical engineering. The winner in the high school category, Kyle Hughes, right, of Clarkston High School’s OSM Tech Academy, started a robotics club that emphasizes science, math, engineering and technology. Awards totaling $87,000 were given to 47 teachers from 30 schools. ROBIN THOMPSON ■ Face time, then race time Blake Strong, left, owner of Strong Audi in Salt Lake City, welcomed Audi race car drivers Emanuele Pirro, center, and Frank Biela for Stars & Cars before this month’s Larry H. Miller Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park. Stars & Cars offered local customers and potential buyers a chance to meet the drivers and check out products at the dealership. Audi production chief: Cooperation with Porsche will grow This year Audi will launch a hybrid version of the Q7 premium SUV, developed in cooperation with Porsche. The cooperation also yielded a hybrid version of the Cayenne SUV, a platform sibling of the Q7, for Porsche. Audi production chief Frank Dreves says he can foresee the company doing even more with Porsche, the principal shareholder in Volkswagen, Audi’s parent. Beyond drivetrain ventures, he said, electronics could be a fruitful area of cooperation for the two companies. Dreves spoke recently with Automobilwoche reporter Pia Krix at Audi headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany. Porsche now sits on the Audi supervisory board. What do you expect from Volkswagen Group’s new major shareholder? We already are working together successfully on hybrids. The first product is coming to market on the Audi Q7 in late 2008. Further collaboration could be conceivable in the area of electronics architecture, but the benefit has to be there for both sides. Audi wants to be the most successful questionanswer Frank Dreves: Audi-Porsche collaboration in electronics architecture is possible, but both sides must benefit. premium automaker in the world by 2015. What contribution does production have to make to reach this goal? We will expand our array of products from 26 models today to 40 models in 2015. We are managing this by pressing ahead with modularization and standardization. We are developing our products in a way that they can later be built efficiently, with the highest Audi is working with Porsche to develop a hybrid version of the Q7. The hybrid is coming to market late this year. possible quality, which the customer expects. That’s why it is especially important for me to be present during the very early phase of product development, during the technological development. At that point, we start out with the goal of achieving the best possible productivity. Where at Audi do you still see potential for the optimization of processes? My vision is the ideal of a synchronous company oriented toward the creation of value. That means that we systematically carry out the basic principles of cycle, flow and perfection, not just in production but in the entire company, so we achieve short cycle times, low stocks and high productivity. Our continuous improvement process helps us keep challenging the current situation, to optimize it and to assure its sustainability through standardization. For me, in everything, the human being is always at the center. c Looking for a cure for … I Improving your customer retention? I Growing your customer pay business? I Increasing your bottom line profits? Get a free diagnosis of your dealership at lu Cal s ’ll f 39 You -829… ! tter l be 00 ee 1 0 -80 www.mightycure.com The Automotive Dealership Specialists http://www.automaxtraining.com http://www.ightycure.com http://www.ightycure.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - May 26, 2008

Automotive News - May 26, 2008 Bad times? Not for CEO paychecks GM seeks Volt tax break to avoid $40k sticker Ford's big cuts aim for a Honda-sized lineup Automotive News gets new marketing communications director Toyota pushes N.A. suppliers to match offshore prices VW predicts 5% U.S. sales gain Toyota plans 3 plants for hybrid batteries GM's American Axle strike tab: $2.82 billion Lawsuit in Florida targets congressman's dealership Orbiting the blogosphere Kia to build small cars in U.S. plant VW Mexico exec will run North American purchasing Fiat mulls 500 minicar for U.S. GM scraps big rwd sedans for Chevrolet and Buick Hyundai spends like never before to launch Genesis luxury sedan Surprise: Suzuki slides as fuel prices rise GM paid Walter Chrysler a whopping $600,000 a year Chrysler sends mystery shoppers to dealerships Toyota owes royalties on some hybrids GM, American Axle to resume output Ford predicts bigger demand for smaller engines in Escape This is Volvo? Ads sell chic, not just safety An overnight success in 50 years Obama's comments were out of line Japan does it; why shouldn't we? 25% is high, but Chrysler is wise to revisit SCORE Safety efforts must focus on the driver Blame the dealer for poor service Don't judge Ford quality by just one car Ford quality is best in many years Mitsubishi considers piggybacking with Caterpillar suppliers to cut costs Nissan to make lithium ion batteries 'Boss Ket,' Connery inspire Tim Jackson Germany leads rise in Europe sales Court: Buyers must act in good faith to win lemon law damages Nissan wants suppliers to reduce utility bills Bajaj: From scooters to autos The next $2,500 car? Infiniti will look different, add engine power in Europe Lamborghini boss wants to keep the big engines Lamborghini ups ante in 'entry' supercars Continental exec: We're done selling VDO assets Honda plans Fit hybrid Outgoing Visteon CEO to receive $2.5 million Audi production chief: Cooperation with Porsche will grow Picture this RV shipments fall in March M-B will buy Chrysler studio Supplier personnel VW expects to reap big share of U.S. diesel market Valeo CEO Morin: Pass rising costs to consumers Suppliers to the 2008 Nissan Altima Dealers Auction workshops demystify Web buying April used-vehicle prices: Light trucks fall and cars rise Volvo certified plan offers free satellite radio Mulally: Full speed toward smaller Toyota plans credit card Sanfilippo switches agencies International idles plant Honda Pilot starts at $28,230 Plastech plans assets auction What counts GM's 2-pronged strategy for Calif. rules: If you can't beat 'em . . . meet 'em New wheels for the cop shop The cost of luxury? For Hyundai, it would have been $2.5 billion New tools allow early design input from consumers Lexus in the sky with carbon: How ex-Beatle's PR effort tanked Buy an '08 . . . get a .44 $4 gasoline gives new cachet to aging econo-beaters Time tips its hat to Tata Car marketers: Magazines must widen ad reach Automakers seek 'one-to-one' approach to magazine ads Auto ads go to the movies Here's the next big thing: Ads tailored to you GMC courts women with Acadia

Automotive News - May 26, 2008

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