truth about domestics

Fritz Henderson was in Washington Wednesday and told the U.S. government that under “any reasonable planning scenario” General Motors will not be needing any additional government aid!  This is a really positive sign in my eyes.  It shows that the leaders of GM have put together a plan that will see them through the rest of this economic downturn we are currently stuck in.  It could also be a sign that GM sales are improving slightly, which is good for all parties involved; the UAW, salaried workers, dealers and YOU the American public, because we do own part of GM right now.  For more, head on over to The Washington Post.

The above video offers a quick look at the upcoming Buick Regal.  Based off the Opel Insignia (which was slated to become the next generation Saturn Aura) it is a fairly sharp looking car.  Here’s to hoping they bring over the OPC version for a Regal Sport model.

The video above contains a clip from Conan O’Brien’s The Tonight Show where he compares his 1992 Ford Taurus SHO with the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO.  It’s pretty funny, however I don’t see it generating a ton of sales for Ford since Conan, being a comedian, wasn’t serious about the car for a minute and didn’t speak at all about its technology, price point, ride, handling, performance, etc.  See for yourself and let us know what you think in the comments!

The legendary Yenko name has been purchased by General Marketing Capital Incorporated (GMCI) and they plan to use it on their first prototype at SEMA, dubbed the “Phase I.”  The car will feature a supercharger good for 600 horsepower, unique stripes, wheels and body modifications, as well as some interior trim as well.  For more on the car, as well as Phase II and III, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Yenko via Autoblog)

So it appears that there might be two different artists creating Traffic Barrel Monsters, which is fine with me, I think they’re pretty funny!  This one was spotted by an avid Jalopnik reader.

This one is similar to the one we posted on earlier, except this guy appears to be single.

GM appears to have some news to celebrate.  The numbers won’t officially be out until next week sometime, but there has already been word from Mike DiGiovanni, GM’s executive director of global market and industry analysis, that sales were up in October 09 compared to the same month last year.  While this is good news, part of the bump is due to the September sales slump that occured after Cash For Clunkers ended.  Whatever the reason, GM selling more cars is good for us all!  Head on over to the Detroit Free Press for more.

(Image source: GM)

Specter Werkes, a Corvette tuning company located in Troy, MI, will release a new Corvette C6 GTR on November 3rd at SEMA. This super-duper Vette is based on the Corvette Z06, but has a few “minor” modifications. The GTR is built in collaboration between Specter Werkes and Lingenfelter…meaning that it is powered by a 7.0 liter LS7 engine generating 800 horsepower.

Additionally, the GTR features some unique bodywork, with some very aggressive fascias, HRE carbon fiber wheels, StopTech STR big-brake package, and some other goodies. Take a look at the press release here.

I’ll take mine in flat black, thanks.

Dodge originally had two hybrid offerings, the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen SUVs.  Those two vehicles were killed before many could be produced, but that hasn’t stopped Dodge from moving ahead with other plans.  According to the Detroit News, Dodge plans to put their two-mode hybrid powertrain in the Ram for the 2010 calendar year.  This is the same system that was jointly develped with GM, BMW and Daimler.  For more, head on over to the Detroit News.

(Image source: Chrysler)

Check out this video of a stock 2011 Ford F-450 Super Duty at a tractor pull event.  The trailer weighs 30,000 pounds and the truck makes it the full pull before being waved off by the flag man.  Impressive considering the truck is a preproduction unit from the nearby Kentucky Truck Plant.  The truck in the video was packing Ford’s all new, in-house designed and developed 6.7L V8 Scorpion diesel.  For more on the story, head over to PickupTrucks.com.

With the ever changing economy, many buyers have switched from their trucks and SUVs to cars and crossovers.  However difficult the times get though, there will still be those out there who need a massive truck with which to do their work.  For those lucky few, there is the new 2010 Dodge Ram HD.  This truck is mammoth, offering superior towing, hauling, ride and handling to its forebearer, as well as some interesting new features.  Head on over to Autoblog for their full review.

(Image source: Chrysler)