NYT columnist calls on Steve Jobs to fix Detroit

In 2001, General Motors needed a revival and Bob Lutz was anointed The One. It was widely accepted that if anyone could breathe life into a struggling car company, it was him.
Fast-forward seven years, and GM is in the midst of a possible government bailout while its stock price sinks faster than a HUMMER's gas gauge on the freeway. It would seem that Maximum Bob's legendary straight-talking reputation for taking no prisoners and slicing through corporate red tape hasn't produced the results his supporters expected.
So if Bob Lutz can't save Detroit, who can? Steve Jobs, that's who. At least that's what Pulitzer Prize-winning Thomas Friedman says in his New York Times column. While some might be averse to the company, its products and/or its leader, Apple has made a ton of money while re-defining the computer, music and mobile phone industries. Isn't innovation what Detroit needs most?
What Friedman proposes is asking Steve Jobs to perform a "national service" for his country by taking reigns of one of Detroit's automakers for a year. The columnist has so much faith in the visionary talents of Jobs, he believes we'll all be lined up for a chance to buy a shiny new Chevrolet iCar. Or a JeepPro. Or a Mercury Lisa.
But we've heard in the past that Apple's CEO has been working for the other teams, so maybe Steve Wozniak could find some time in his schedule.

[ Via: MacDailyNews ]
[ Tag: apple, apple cars, apple icar, AppleCars, AppleIcar, bob lutz, BobLutz, icar, steve jobs, steve jobs car, SteveJobs, SteveJobsCar, thomas friedman, ThomasFriedman ]

Forbes lists top 10 family cars

As the self-appointed family car reviewer for Autoblog, I have some opinions on the topic. If money were no object, my nomination for the ultimate family car would be split between the Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the BMW 5 Series wagon. But the R-Class entry price is $42k, and the Bimmer's is close to $50k -- not exactly family-friendly.
Forbes Magazine, however, is a bit more realistic in its quest for the perfect family car, and considers price a deciding factor, like the majority of families. I agree with its Compact Car pick. The 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit is a good deal for your $16k entry price (though Forbes says $19k). On paper, its 15 cu. ft. of cargo space doesn't sound like much, but in reality, it's bigger than it sounds. The Rabbit also averages about 25 mpg, and these days, that's a big deal.
Still, there are some Forbes picks I just don't agree with. For example, the mag selects the Saab 9-3 Sport Combi as best wagon. Really? I admit I've never driven one, but I'm just wondering where the new Jetta Sportwagen placed. (I just stepped out of reviewing one for a week.) Forbes cites the Saab's maximum 72.3 cu. ft of cargo space as a big factor. But it only bests the VeeDub's by 5.4 cu. ft. And while the VW gives up 110 horses to the Saab's 280, but the VW gets, on average, 24 mpg to the Saab's 18. Oh, and the Saab requires premium fuel. I guess the question is this: Do you want to drag race your wagon or save money? My family will take the cash, please.
Then there's the Best Crossover category, where Forbes crowns the Ford Edge. This time, oddly enough, it decides to give the Edge an edge and lowball the entry level price at $25,735. Add some fairly common options, and you get pretty close to the upper range of $32k pretty quick. That, combined with an average fuel economy rating of 20 mpg, puts it out of the running in my household.
So, what else did I agree with? The Toyota Sienna isn't the best-looking vehicle on the road, but it's Forbes pick for the Best Minivan title. Even with an average of 22.5 mpg and a base price of $25k, I'd be fine putting my clan in it. I can't really come up with a better nomination for best convertible for family than Forbes' choice of the 2008 MINI Cooper. Sure, the kids are gonna be cramped, and they'll only be able to bring on vacation one change of clothes, but Daddy will sure be happy. Plus, its EPA-rated 26 mpg combined (with the stick) is not shabby.
Check out Forbes family car picks and tell us which ones you agree/disagree with. And, yes, we, too, are disappointed they didn't put the S4 in there, but then, at $48k, it's not exactly a frugal choice.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volkswagen) ]
[ Tag: best family car, BestFamilyCar, crossover suv, CrossoverSuv, family car, FamilyCar, minivans, sports utility vehicle, SportsUtilityVehicle, station wagons, StationWagons, suv ]

Autoblog Podcast #87

The Chicago Auto Show wasn't that eventful, but that's what we lead off Autoblog Podcast episode #87 with. The Challenger was the biggest deal, followed by the Denali XT, and then a bunch of inconsequential things. We did find ourselves talking about the Suzuki Equator and the Ford Transit Connect, too. We give you our first up close and personal impressions of the Challenger SRT-8 in this podcast. We also saw the VW Routan, which certainly doesn't conjure warm, fuzzy memories of Type IIs gone by. Chevy's Traverse calls into question the usefulness of Saturn's Outlook in the product lineup. Speaking of GM badge-engineering, we got word this week that Pontiac will not be getting a Trans Am companion to the Camaro, dang. Another disappointment is the rumor that Cerberus is going to let the Viper run down without rewinding the clock for a third generation. We wrap up by touching on the possibility that an Indian pickup could be the first diesel hybrid in the US, even though it's not even being imported yet, and we're sure that when it gets here, it'll generate even more hate than the new Acura RL. 42 minutes, that's it. Sorry it's a little late this week, it's all Alex's fault, I swear.
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[ Via: Autoblog (Suzuki) ]
[ Tag: acura, autoblog, autoblog podcast, AutoblogPodcast, challenger, chicago, denali, denali xt, DenaliXt, dodge, equator, firebird, gm, lambda, pickup, podcast, rl, routan, suzuki, trans am, transam, transit, xt, zeta ]