UAW’s newest President, Bob King, recently reiterated the ban on foreign vehicles in UAW parking lots. King’s comments were in response to a reporter who got kicked out of a UAW parking lot for driving a Toyota Camry. King’s reasoning is that “Foreign automakers accept U.S taxpayer’s dollars in incentives to build assembly plants in the United States, jeopardizing the future of middle-class workers in the domestic auto industry.”

Although I will be one of the first to preach the importance of protecting the domestic industries, I completely disagree with UAW’s policy. Unions came about for good reasons, such as improving working conditions, creating the 8 hour work day and 5 day work week, fair wages, etc. But, this policy goes opposite of what the UAW is “supposed” to stand for – pro-American. This is actually, quite un-American. Competition leads to better innovation and better products, not bullying.

So is this what UAW leadership is paid to accomplish – create stupid policies? I thought it was to stand up for their workers. Maybe it would be more beneficial to work on helping make the domestic companies more efficient and cost effective. Or, how about working on changing our trade policies with other nations and make it fair to sell our products overseas.

Oh, by the way, I’ve been reading article after article about this story, along with people’s comments, and I’ve noticed something interesting – many people state that this worsens their perception of the UAW (as if it’s not bad enough), and worsens their perception of UAW built cars. So how about that, people won’t buy domestic cars because of this! Thanks Bob.

Source: The Detroit News

For several years now, the public has been waiting for the launch of the Chevrolet Volt.  The Volt is an extended-range electric vehicle, a technology that has never been mass produced before.  The Volt will be charged by the owner over night, provided a 40 mile, electric only range from its batteries.  Once that charge is depleted, a small gas generator kicks in to power the car.

Once production was announced for the car, people began to wonder about the price.  The battery technology alone was said to cost close to $10,000, not to mention the car has two powertrains.  Well the wait is over, we finally know how much the Volt will cost the early adopters.  The purchase price for a Volt is $41,000, with a lease option pegged at $350 a month for 36 months with $2,500 down.  Not a bad price in my opinion, as costs will surely come down significantly with the second generation Volt, especially as production increases above the initial 10,000 units planned for the first year.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

In the midst of revealing the new 2011 Ford Explorer, Alan Mulally stopped by to talk Ford with Jim Cramer. Jim asks Alan about all of the happenings at Ford, what Ford has been doing to get out of the economic hole and what it’s doing to continue the upward momentum. What a great interview – take a look at the video.

Not only does the Chevrolet Volt feature a highly advanced propulsion system, but the braking system is highly advanced as well.  The transition between friction braking and regenerative braking needs to be imperceptible to the driver yet still provide maximum stopping power when needed.  The video above shows how one GM engineer worked (and is still working I’m sure) to provide the best performance and brake pedal feel possible.

The Detroit Free Press recently conducted a study of what kind of returns the US government can expect from saving Chrysler, General Motors, and GMAC (now known as Ally financial). The analysis concluded that of the $84 billion paid out to the companies, US taxpayers might get back $74 billion. Currently, $18.3 billion has been paid back, which includes interest, debt, and dividends. The likelihood of the repayment has been increased due to the rebounding car sales, in addition to the companies’ increased profits.

Currently, the US government owns approximately 60.8 percent of General Motors, which is valued at approximately $51 billion as of Monday – this makes the government’s stake worth $26.3 billion. Add the $7 billion that has been paid back and the $2.1 billion that the government owns in preferred shares, the total investment in GM is $35.5 billion, equaling a loss of $14.6 billion.

The government’s investment in Chrysler is significantly smaller compared to GM, valued at $12.8 billion. Of that, $2.5 billion has been paid back and the government owns $7.14 billion of Chrysler debt. With the company expected to be worth $13.6 billion a year from now, the government’s 9.9 percent stake in Chrysler, all of the above numbers, and some complicated math, the total loss could equal $2.4 billion.

I say that’s a pretty decent return on investment – saving millions of jobs and helping preserve the country’s manufacturing base – dare I say that the government actually made a good decision?? I’m not one to promote such intervention, but this seems like a worthwhile endeavor.

Check out the analysis by the Detroit Free Press.

I have been waiting for the new Buick Regal to hit our shores and the time has finally come.  Above is the first commercial for the new Regal, and it does a nice job of showing off the car.  Hopefully people will buy the fact that its “German” engineering means it’s a high quality car, but only time (and sales) will tell.

The commercial above shows that GM (and America) are still building rockets.  Hopefully someday I will be able to afford the rocket you see in the video.  That would be the 2011 Corvette ZR1, and man does it rip!

Ever wonder what goes through the minds of the guys on Top Gear?  They have one of the most entertaining car shows ever produced and yet they continue to outdo themselves.  The video above pits an all-American V8 powered Camaro SS against a German engine of similar displacement in the E63 AMG.  Check out all 9 minutes 51 seconds above, enjoy!