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Engineers sweat Chevy Volt details
Otto Krittic sez...I find all this emphasis, energy and press on a car that will do little to GMs bottom line RE-VOLTING!! GM needs to focus on selling the high volume vehicles that are highly profitable!! Again, I'm impressed with the technology and the creativity of the GM Team with the Volt. But Otto will be even more impressed when they get the powertrain technology into an affordable vehicle for the masses...like say in the $15-25K range!!! Until then it's just pie in the sky hype and will do little to help GM get on solid finacial ground. How about a projection on affordable Volt technology from the Detroit News automotive journalists?
McCain
Otto..."McCain is a major Dufus with little knowledge of economics, the auto industry and has no real concern for the common man and our middle class." Root Vegetable..."
Everyone in organized labor always says the same thing about every Republican...or every Republican that isn't in their pocket. Once again, it's right out of the union organizer's manual. I wish I could get my hands on one. Maybe I'll have to do that." Otto Krittic sez...WRONG AGAIN!! I personally have never been in a union but I do think unions do have a place as the lions share of CEOs and upper management running major corporations lack ethics, lack compassion and lack a sense of fairness that fairly compensates the work bees. There should be a system of checks and balance and the union provides that. However things can get out of balance. The unions should be able to give when necessary and not just take...take...take.. But again I think the old 80 / 20 rule applies. The worker bees do 80 % of the work and get 20% of the compensation. As far as the poorly run domestic auto companies 80 /20 applies again......80% managements fault and 20 % union / worker bees.I happen to be a moderate and an independant. I'm more interested in solving problems and creative thinking than following the party line like a herd of sheep or cattle. I've found most hard core Dems and Republicans behave in that fashion and it's divisive and counter to real problem solving. So luckily,(and if you know statistics and the belll shaped curve) most of the population is in the middle and not at the extremes. Again, comments from Senator Dufus McMcain are the same old tired GOP rhetoric and right out of the GOP play book. Guess that works for people like McCain and Palin who can't think all on their own.
McCain "Closest thing to Royalty"
Otto Krittic sez....Now that's FUNNY!! Root Vegetable should go on the road with his stand up comedy routine. All he has to do is give his distorted views and opinions!! LOL!! Hey dude ...you must have forgot about an Irish Catholic family of Democrats from Massachusetts. The Kennedys are the closets thing to royalty here in the U.S. But who really gives a rats azz anyway? We live in a DEMOCRACY where ALL MEN are created EQUAL. So for what its worth, let the Brits have their royalty...we don't neet it here in the good ole U. S. of A!! Bottom line... McCain is a major Dufus with little knowledge of economics, the auto industry and has no real concern for the common man and our nmiddle class.
Police Car Heritage
Viper Guy posts...Otto: See www.carbonmotors.com and you basically have the Chrysler 300 cop car. But why? The Charger is already with us and it's the same platform as the 300. Chrysler definitely does not need to produce two cop cars." Otto Krittic sez...Why not? What's wrong with another choice? E7 looks like its packed with all kinds of technology...bet it costs a bundle though!! I'm sure Chrysler would be more than happy to sell a few more cars. Maybe they could take the 300 and create a more top of the line techno-cruiser to compete with the E7. They could more than likey make a similar vehicle that would cost much less.
Chrysler's Survival Issues
Otto Krittic sez to Hercules..... Very well said!!! You touched upon most of the points I was planning to make about McCain. Like who the heck is this old coot to give commentary on Chrysler and the auto industry? Typical GOP rhetoric. He failed miserabley in the debates with Obama with all his "Joe the Plumber" BS about his actual concern for the common man. It was a painfully obvious and poor acting job and an insult to every common mans intelligence. Like you say his poor decision making and perspective was evident with his poor choice of a running mate. A running mate that lacked knowledge, experience and credibility. What was he thinking? Anther point...McCain sez... "The unions didn't want to have their very generous contracts renegotiated so we put $80 billion into both General Motors and Chrysler, and anybody believes that Chrysler is going to survive, I'd like to meet them," Otto Krittic sez....Well Mr. McCain if you have the time visit the Detroit Metro area.....There are legions of folks here that beleieve Chrysler will survive!!
Police Car Heritage
Otto Krittic sez....And what about the possibilities of using the Chrysler 300? I think that would make a very fine police cruiser. A big roomy 4 door that's agile, powerful and has RWD. I would recommend a special designed integrated police "cow catcher grill" and heavy duty push bar styled bumper. Such a design would make a 300 police cruiser very functional and very distinctive as well.
Chrysler Midsize Offerings (Sebring Re-do)
Otto Kriitic sez...I believe it is possible for Chrysler to offer something competitive in the midsize market even with a short term reskin of the Sebring. #1 Chrysler MUST deliver on quality. Quality and reliability is no longer an option on the global automotive scene...it's the price of admission!! #2. Styling still sells and matters. Chrysler needs to ditch the overdone and gaudy German styling that remains on the Sebring from those awful Daimler years. The Italians are well known for striking, classy and cutting edge design and Chrysler needs to leverage this asset BIG TIME. They need to follow in the footsteps of the GM Malibu design with something simple, clean and elegant. #3. Because of their situation Chrysler needs to price their products VERY competititively and back them up with a very solid warranty. Unles they do this customers won't be willing to take a chance no matter how pretty their designs. In other words Chrysler / Fiat needs to follow the Hyundai model for getting your foot back in the door. Hyundai has done a very good job employing this strategy and many of their products aren't all that pretty either. Again, I think the Italians should be able to make a big splash from a design standpoint. #4 Yes, all this won't be easy...but it can be done. Good luck to the Chrysler / Fiat Team!!
Bro-mance
C Landley posts...."PS Rootvg I love your posts, but today's was a bit over the top. Don't overstate your case. You're half the reason I visit this forum, and I don't need you to get bounced for insulting another member." Otto Krittic sez of this budding Bro-mance here at autosquawk....eee-YEEEW!!! (LOL!!)
Michigan Roads in a Fix
Otto Krittic sez....That's why it's good to be driving a truck these days!! A vehicle with a heavy duty suspension and chassis system is what's needed for the ever growing crop of chuckholes and potholes we have to deal with in this state. Gotta have a vehicle that can take a lickin and keep on tickin!!
GM to put electric Cadillac Converj into production
Yeah, just what America needs right now. Another overpriced electric vehicle that meets the needs and wants of very few auto consumers. I really wonder how GM leadership arrives at such boneheaded decisions?? GM leadership needs to focus and devote their precious reources on high volume high profit vehicles until they get themselves back on solid ground. That's what Otto Krittic sez!!
Electric Motorcycle Race
Yes, I totally forgot about the ballons in the spokes!!! LOL!! I would definitely go that route. The balloon has more of a rumble and the baseball card more of a click. Ballons are the logical and macho choice. Just make sure you use ballons with the black and orange Harley Davidson colors so you don't look like a sissy!!! :)
Economics 101
Just for the record unemployment is a LAGGING indicator. So it's quite normal for unemployment to peak after the economy starts coming out of a recession. So even if unemployment has risen to to 10.2% there's no need to be all gloom and doom. The rate of job loss as stedily declined. Many CEOs are seeing orders picking up so that will be lead to more hiring down the road. The CEO for Cisco Systems said their foot is off the brake and back on the gas pedal. But they are still being cautious at this point. The stock market pretty much tells the same story.
The Economy - Mr. Galbraith
Otto Krittic sez....Here's clarification and an update on a recent post of mine. It's a snippet of the interview with Mr. Galbraith that took place on the TV show called Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. Mr Galbraith was comparing conditions today to other economic meltdowns of the past. I sure hope things take the constructive route!!
BILL MOYERS: So you can understand that anger on the streets, outside the American Bankers Association's meeting in Chicago this week.
JAMES GALBRAITH: Of course. It's entirely justified.
BILL MOYERS: Where do you think that anger might go? It could go either direction.
JAMES GALBRAITH: Well, of course. I mean, that's the great danger, is that if there is not a constructive program that people can identify with, there will be a destructive program that they will identify with. And it will come along quite soon. And what form it will take, and it's anybody's guess, but the result will be, very well could be disastrous.
Electric Motorcycle Race
Otto Krittic sez....Reedman, I agree with the sarcasm . Being a motorcycle enthusiast in my early years I have to say that an Electric Motorcycle Race does sound QUITE LAME!!! If Harley Davidson goes electric the ruff and tough biker dudes will be forced to the old clothes pin and baseball card in the spokes trick to make some noise!!
Unskilled Auto Workers have no future
Peanut 74 posts...."Well did you ever stop to think that we are all in this together. In other words, you can continue to saw away at your feet (the supposedly uneducated workhorses of society, no matter what field it may be) if you want, pushing them further toward general assistance, but don't think that shockwaves from such a move won't cripple our whole economic system." Otto Krittic sez....I heard something very profound lateley from an economist on World News that's related to this point and how there is this onslaght on the middle class. His name was Mr. Galbraith if I'm not mistaken and he said something like this. (No quotes but close)Changes will occur from constructive forces but if that doesn't produce they will surely occur from destructive forces. Makes one think that's for sure.
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