Obama's 'yet another' speech, on US CAR INDUSTRY

PRESIDENT delivered yet another speech... now on US Auto Industry !

Politicians can not run business. They should not interfere. But, these are different times. Difficult times. Still, Obama team should not get into micro management.

The administration is clear they should not let the ‘US auto industry’ to vanish
The two manufacturers have been given strict deadlines of 60 days to GM and 30 days to Chrysler, submit new plans for recovery. He feels the US Auto industry is not moving in the right direction ( did anyone have doubt, as they were producing their gas-guzzlers when Toyotas of the world wee focusing on more fuel-efficient cars). He confessed the car firms had run into problems due to ‘lack of leadership’ ( sign of humility… though we all are universally intelligent to judge the past !But the challenge is to learn and move on...)

It is a collective failure by one and all, even the consumers who continued to patronize these gas guzzlers instead of creating a public opinion to move to better cars.

Indeed, US Auto Industry is a critical component of American society, values and character. Too many jobs are dependent on it. The International car industry also needs a vibrant US auto industry. Let us hope these initiatives will help them recover, and recover fast.

Obama's car

PANAMERA

Porsche has unveiled the first official photos of its new model Panamera in its final look.
In its design, profile and silhouette, Porsche’s unique four-seater stands out clearly as a new member of the Porsche family, said a company official.
Conceived and designed as a four-door grand touring sports car, the Panamera combines numerous talents in typical Porsche style: sporting driving dynamics, a generous and variable interior, and the supreme driving comfort of a Gran Turismo.
Joining the 911, Boxster and Cayman sports cars as well as the Cayenne Sports Utility, the Panamera is Porsche’s fourth model series.
The designers of the Panamera have succeeded in positioning this unique car as a brand-new and truly different model while nevertheless retaining the looks of a typical Porsche.
Through its proportions alone, the Panamera stands out clearly in its market segment: measuring 1931 mm or 76.0” in width, the Panamera is wider, and measuring 1418 mm or 55.8” in height, lower than comparable four-door models.
The unmistakable, sleek GT silhouette is created by the car’s overall length of 4970 mm or 195.7” and short, sporting overhangs front and rear. In its styling and details, the Panamera follows the design philosophy refined over decades on the 911 and successfully implemented also on the Boxster, Cayman and Cayenne.
The elegant roof arch extends stylishly over the generous interior, simply begging the beholder to get inside. Like all Porsche models, the Panamera is oriented in every respect to the needs and wishes of the driver.
But now, thanks to the new concept of space and the sporting architecture of the interior, the car’s occupants are also able to experience this special “pilot feeling” on all four seats.
All four occupants enjoy supreme ergonomic comfort on both the front seats and the two firmly contoured single seats at the rear. The luggage compartment easily takes up all the passengers’ luggage, the variable space concept with its folding rear seat backrests enabling the driver and passengers to adjust the luggage space individually to their personal requirements.
And last but not least, the coupé tailgate in the sporting rear end combines superior suitability for daily use with stylish elegance.
The Porsche Panamera will be built at Porsche’s Leipzig Plant, where a production hall measuring some 22,000 square metres or almost 237,000 square feet and a logistics centre are currently under construction.
While the engines featured in the Panamera are built at Porsche’s main plant in Zuffenhausen, the painted bodyshells will be supplied by the Volkswagen Plant in Hanover.
The Leipzig plant will then assemble the Panamera for final delivery, with an annual sales target of some 20,000 units. Porsche is once again cooperating largely with German suppliers in the production of the Panamera, with some 70 per cent of the car’s overall value being created domestically.
The Panamera will be making its world debut in spring 2009 and the first models will be at dealers worldwide in late summer of next year.

Banks rejecting more car loans in Gulf

Acc to press reports quoting 'a General Motors official', the number of vehicle loan applications being rejected by banks in the Middle East has risen from 5% to more than 20% due to the global financial crisis, Gulf News has reported. The UAE and Qatar are among the markets that have seen a significant rise in these cases. The situation is different in Saudi Arabia, where there are more cash buyers than customers purchasing cars through bank financing, General Motors Middle East operations president Mike Devereux said.

We live in a wired world. People are waiting for an update on the bail-out request by the Big 3 from Detroit. This will be more so for GMC, a popular brand in GCC and as such more focus on the status of the bail out specific to GM.

On a lifghter note, let me share : Imagine the Middle East Without General Motors

http://wiki.gmnext.com/wiki/index.php/Imagine_the_Middle_East_Without_General_Motors

Camel Race at Jordan

Camel in Middle East is more than a mere animal.

This animal is so much an integral part of desert life. Among other things, camel used to the main source of transportation, till cars entered the scene.

Check out the link for info on Camel race in Jordan, ME

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index2.php?option=com_gallery&id=528709&img=0&mment=p

Gulf investors eye GM's Hummer brand

Two Gulf Arab investors have expressed interest in buying General Motors Corp's (GM) Hummer brand. GM was readying sales documents for its Hummer brand and had initial interest from potential buyers, that it hoped to develop into formal sale talks, the automaker's Chief Executive Rick Wagoner had said earlier.

Rapid economic growth, low fuel prices and the brand's position as a status symbol have made the Gulf one of the biggest buyers of the Hummer. Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development bought a 5 percent stake in Ferrari in 2005, while Kuwait's Investment Dar bought half of Aston Martin last year. India's Mahindra & Mahindra was rumoured to be one of prospective buyers. But, they were prompt to refuse...

With the world moving towards smaller & fuel efficient, cars such as the iconic Hummer may end up being relevant only in the oil rich Middle East

All New 2009 Honda Pilot Launched in Saudi Arabia

Abdullah Hashim Company Ltd has launched the Grand Comfort Cruiser

• The Grand Comfort Cruiser – ‘cruiser’ J. formerly MV4
• Comfortable for 8 adults
• 253 HP 3.5 Litre i-VTEC V6 engine
• 253 HP VTM-4 : Variable Torque Management 4-Wheel Drive , delivers torque to all four wheels
• Vehicle Stability Assist & Parking Sensors are other features

for more details check out : http://automobiles.honda.com/pilot/

Honda's new Accord is a big hit in Middle East.