The stars of the 2008 Geneva show

By Ben Pulman

Video

07 March 2008 10:21

CAR’s team presents the best (and worst) from the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. We cover everything from the tiny Tata Nano to the vast Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe in our exclusive video.

Mark Walton is your guide to the craziest and wackiest cars from the show, including a ‘car’ that can topple over at traffic lights.

We also examine the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Scirocco, Saab 9-X, Nissan GT-R, and Renault’s Megane Coupe concept.

Don’t forget, if you’ve got any videos you’d like to share with the world you can publish them directly onto this website. (If you’re having problems viewing this video you may need to update to the latest version which you can do free here.)

 

 

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The Cadillac CTS Coupe was the surprise of the 2008 Detroit Motor Show. And less than three months after GM whipped the covers off the concept, CAR’s spies have caught the production car testing.

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St. Patrick’s Day brings green in many forms: green clothes, green milkshakes, green beer, green rivers, green complexions the morning after all the aforementioned greens. Here at Mother Proof, of course, it brings talk of green cars.

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Samurai Motor Club, the Japanese clothing and jean company that I posted about a LONG time ago has released a bunch of new designs for ‘08. It’s amazing how much this company has grown in the past two years or so. In fact, Japan has entire “motoring fashion” subculture with clothes inspired by everything from Detroit muscle cars to vintage Formula 1 racing.

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Ford is finally addressing its bloated dealer network through a new program of store buyouts. Automotive News [sub] reports that FoMoCo’s offering a one-time “go on take the money and run” deal to the 81 members of their dealer development program. Ford will refund the dealers’ investment in their Ford or Lincoln-Mercury store– even if it’s worth less than their original ante. In a letter to dealers, development program director Jamy Hall wrote that “Ford is taking this action in an effort to ensure a sustainable dealer development program.” However, Ford’s action is raising some eyebrows; the majority of participants in the program are minorities. One dealer said he will refuse the offer because “it’s just targeted at minorities because they’re low-hanging fruit.” Ford rejects the suggestion. They also declined to say how many dealers in the development program they expect to avail themselves of a “graceful exit” from the Ford franchise network.

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Rising U.S. gas prices and the American mortgage meltdown has hit sales of new vehicles hard. In terms of the product mix, a lot of ink has been expended on the rapid, ongoing transition from gas-guzzling SUVs to more miserly models– a change that’s hurt the truck-heavy domestics particularly hard. There’s been something of a presumption that luxury and near-luxury brands are safe from the tumbleweeds blowing through mass market showrooms. Marketing Daily reveals that it ain’t necessarily so. “Recent years represented a boom-time for American investors and the luxury marketers that filled their homes with Lexus SUVs, Rolex timepieces and Coach handbags. Now, the net worth of even wealthy Americans is dipping as real estate prices slump and stock portfolios sag. And, as investment banks and government economists begin beating the drums of recession, even high-net-worth households are cutting back.” Is this the right time for Mercedes to launch their AMG sub-brand, or VW to go upmarket? Hell no. And one has to wonder if [presumed] declining sales at Lincoln (the main cause for optimism at Ford), Land Rover (whose sale is already in jeopardy), Jaguar (mega-dittos) and Cadillac (whose CTS is the poster child for GM hopes of a product led turnaround) will stress the automakers to the point of no return. Watch this space. 

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Yesterday, we told you about the U.K.’s fleets of unmarked, speed camera-equipped vans (a.k.a. Talivans); including one they’ve pimped-out in the name of “youth education.” Concurrent with our news, Britain’s Motorcycle News (MCN) reports that the North Wales police have installed a speed camera in a horse trailer. The heddlu are refusing to deny reports it has converted said horse box into a Welsh speeder’s most recent worst nightmare “We never comment on speculation about police enforcement,” says a police spokesperson, commenting on speculation about police enforcement. “That’s all the comment we’re making.” The silence and stealth should come as no surprise. We’ve heard of speed cameras hidden in rubbish bins (trash containers). The U.K.s anti-speeding (pro-revenue collection?) jihad continues.

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Bloomberg reports that Hyundai’s been hit hard by rising steel prices. Apparently, China’s Olympic building boom is causing localized shortages and driving up prices. Rising raw materials costs cut especially deep for the value-minded Hyundai brand, who can ill-afford the hike. “The higher prices come at a difficult time,” says Mirae Asset Securities analyst Kim Jae Woo. “Hyundai won’t be able to pass on the higher costs to customers as the slowing global economy is already damping auto demand.” Steel prices are expected to continue rising for the considerable future; raising an interesting challenge to the strategy of manufacturing in east Asia. Although low labor costs have made the region popular among budget automakers (e.g. GM’s Daewoo), China’s economic boom is putting increased pressure on commodity prices. In the cutthroat global automotive industry, there’s nowhere to hide.

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Last January, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon said that Canada will match the U.S.’s fuel-consumption benchmarks for new cars and light trucks. Meanwhile, Quebec and Manitoba have pledged to adopt more stringent California standards while Ontario warns that its automakers can’t possibly meet them. The Canadian Press reports that Transport Canada is studying the trade-off between fuel-economy and safety. Even before the results are known, Canada’s greens are up in arms. Clare Demerse, senior policy analyst at the Pembina Institute: “I would hope that the government would not, in any way, use this kind of research… as an excuse not to go the more aggressive vehicle efficiency standards.” George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Agency: “If you could reduce some of the presence of those large-type vehicles, unyielding full frames, you would be improving vehicle safety most likely.” Why let the facts get in the way of PC public policy?

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