If you have not already heard about the big shake up where have you been?? Pack up the Town and Country and take a trip……..

Today, officials at DaimlerChrysler AG said it will sell 80.1 percent of its money-losing Chrysler Group to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP for US$7.4 billion (5.5 billion euros). The deal represents a huge bet for Cerberus, which has agreed to take on billions of dollars in pension and retiree health care costs at Chrysler.
“We’re confident that we’ve found the solution that will create the greatest overall value – both for Daimler and Chrysler,” said Dieter Zetsche, DaimlerChrysler’s chief executive officer (CEO), who oversaw Chrysler before becoming DaimlerChrysler CEO in 2006. “With this transaction, we have created the right conditions for a new start for Chrysler and Daimler.”
Zetsche added that the two companies would still work together, particularly on existing conventional and alternative drive systems, purchasing, sales and financial services outside North America. “We very much look forward to our continued cooperation as business partners, as we want to continue to reap the mutual benefits of working together,” said Zetsche. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re retaining a 19.9 percent equity position in Chrysler.”
DaimlerChrysler officials said the deal is likely to be completed by the third quarter of 2007. Shareholders must approve changing the company’s name to Daimler AG. A vote will likely be scheduled this fall, they said.
An affiliate of Cerberus will hold the majority of a new Chrysler Holding LLC, while DaimlerChrysler will keep a 19.9 percent stake. Chrysler will keep its heavy obligations for pensions and health care costs – a key issue complicating DaimlerChrysler’s effort to sell the division.
John Snow, Cerberus chairman and a former U.S. treasury secretary, said the deal was a sign of faith in Chrysler, the third-largest U.S. automaker behind General Motors and Ford. David Thursfield, who used to run Ford in Europe, is a senior member of the operations team in Cerberus’ automotive and industrial practice. And Wolfgang Bernhard, former Chrysler chief operating officer, is a newcomer to Cerberus.
“We welcome Chrysler into the Cerberus family of companies and believe Cerberus will be a good home for Chrysler,” said Snow. “Most importantly, we believe in Chrysler.” (Associated Press)

Photo Courtesy of Motor Trend.

WuuuHooooo our first spy shots, shot by us. A fellow CDfer and I were cruising on 696 when we came upon this baby boomer hotness. I say this because the baby boomers are now all alone with the kids off at school or out of the house completely. So it is time to bring their youth back with the coolness of a 2 door coupe. This is a big segment now with the G6 coupe, upcoming Accord coupe, Sebring coupe, and dare we say Fusion/Taurus coupe? All of these cars were once 4 doors that were owned by the same people. Now the same buyer can be loyal to a good car they once had but with even more style to go to Home Depot and the Olive Garden. It is good to see coupes come back into style. I have been getting tired of hearing how everyone wants 4 doors or a hatchback. The boomers are in a new stage in their life and deserve a little fun.

The design isn’t horrible but is suffering from the usual case of “tires to small syndrome.” They need to take some notes from their Infiniti sibling, but I am the sure the price will be good so it will sell. I wonder if their will be a hardtop convertible version since that seems to be the next craze.

If you are have a case of the Mondays, check out this website. It will be sure to get your juices flowing and perhaps some cube competition. Solid Works has a demo thingy where you can build a digital paper airplane and fly it. It’s a good place to waste some time between meetings.

See how you do …..my best was 44 meters.
solidworkspilot.com

Happy Monday.

Need i say more…

Preface to the story. My friend Jaons’s new/used Volvo S50’s air conditioning just went out. He expected a quick fix. 6 hours after taking his car into the dealership in Ann Arbor, the dealership finally told him it might be a few days. Well almost 2 weeks later and still no car, so he has been calling then acting “low class” like a bit of a hillbilly, just to throw them off. Here is his latest atempt to upset the snobby dealership while asking about the progress of his car……..

I keep calling the volvo dealership, saying ‘Valve-O service’ instad of ‘Volvo Service’. The lady got so angry that she said, ‘Sir, it’s pronounced Vol-vo.’ Rich,

Jason

No huge press release,( I am sure there is one, but not as “in your Face” as one would expect) no huge sales blitz, that is because Toyota’s internal fear that Americans will lash back for Toyota overtaking The General as the #1 car manufacturer in the world.

Toyota Motor today became the first Japanese company ever to post a two-trillion-yen operating profit thanks to strong overseas sales that have put it in a global pole position. But officials at the automaker predicted steady profits in the current year as an expected strengthening of the yen and slower sales growth put the brakes on its stellar performance.
“The environment is tough but we want to regard it as an opportunity for further growth,” said Katsuaki Watanabe, group president.
Toyota is enjoying flourishing sales, particularly in the United States, as high gasoline prices increased demand for compact cars, small sport-utility vehicles and hybrids which use a mix of electricity and gas. The company’s net earnings rose 19.8 percent to 1.64 trillion yen ($US13.7 billion dollars) in the year to March, a fifth consecutive annual record and ahead of the firm’s own forecasts. Operating profit gained 19.2 percent to 2.24 trillion yen, while revenue increased 13.8 percent to 23.95 trillion yen, helped by a weaker yen.
In the fourth quarter alone, net earnings rose 8.9 percent to 440.1 billion yen.
Toyota overtook General Motors as the world’s top selling auto manufacturer in the first three months of 2007, and it is expected to remain the world number one through this year. The Japanese automaker sold 8.52 million vehicles in the last fiscal year, up 6.9 percent. It expects to sell 8.89 million cars and trucks in the year ending March 2008, a gain of 4.3 percent.
Read more

Here is a rare find; not the cat in the monitor, but anything to do with Apple design. We all love it but have no idea how they do it. Their studio is a fortress that no one can get in. Here is part of an article written by Daniel Turner who interviewed a few people who worked closely with Apple. The entire article is here and is worth the read.

“Why Design?
Apple’s designs are now the stuff of legend–and the object of fascination and envy. But is the focus on design worth it? Why spend time and money making a computer look good? Why do we care what it looks like?

“Attractive things work better,” says Don Norman, who was vice president of advanced technology at Apple from 1993 to 1998. “When you wash and wax a car, it drives better, doesn’t it? Or at least feels like it does.”

Norman cites research in cognitive science suggesting that people’s emotions affect the way their minds process information. In his 2004 book Emotional Design, he writes, “Positive emotions are critical to learning, curiosity, and creative thought. … The psychologist Alice Isen and her colleagues have shown that being happy broadens the thought processes and facilitates creative thinking.”

In multiple studies, Isen, a professor of psychology and S. C. Johnson Professor of Marketing at Cornell University, made subjects feel happy through a number of means, including gifts of candy and words or pictures with pleasant associations. The subjects were then asked to perform tasks that measure creativity; over the course of 20 years, Isen and her colleagues regularly found that subjects exhibited much more creativity when they were in a good mood.

And conversely, Norman says, when you’re in a bad mood, when you’re tense, you tend to be less creative–and less patient with the tools you’re using. “Someone in a positive mood,” Norman says, “faced with something that doesn’t work, might say, ‘Oh, I’ll get around it.’ But someone in a negative mood will get frustrated and have a ‘Damn it’ moment.” That’s where design comes in. “Studies tie attractive design to positive attitude,” he says.”

Dan Turner is a freelance writer based in San Francisco. His work has appeared in I.D., Salon, the New York Times, and elsewhere.

A couple weekends ago I had the privelage to take a brand new Buell XB12S out for a test ride. Not only is this an awesome bike but it was my first time riding a street bike on public roads. After the nervousness wore off from having a brand new bike and no road experience, I was hooked. What a blast being exposed to all of the elements, cars nearly touching your leg at 80mph was the strangest feeling. Lucky for me the ride was in an area that I knew nothing about and my test ride turned into an hour long tour of the local scene. Getting lost isn’t so bad. Anyway, I know what is on top of my toy list when the time comes.

I have always liked the way Buells look. Not a crotch rocket and no old mans bike, it has its own look and sound. Probably one of the most innovative bikes out there. The gas is stored in the frame and the oil reservoir is in the swing arm. The exhaust is located under the bike keeping the weight low and allowing a greater lean over angle for rocketing through turns. Check out the Buell website to see what they have to offer.

If you have an inkling to ride a motorcycle, definitely take one out and experience it. I’m sure you’ll be hooked.
Thanks to Saginaw Valley Harley Davidson (soon to be Great Lakes Harley Davidson) for letting me experience an awesome motorcycle.

Here i am getting situated before my ride.

Of all the brands out there Porsche has the lead with people saying; ya whatever, to their new model debuts. The only Porsche that has been unveiled (since I have been around) that has had any kind of excitement was the Carrera GT a few years ago. I don’t know how they keep customers coming back when nothing ever changes. I guess when you “nail” a design you don’t change it.

Anyway I am not a fan of this new model. Porsches’ are supposed to be clean and simple. Now there are bug eyed fog lamps, spears in the intakes and i think the snout keeps getting more out there. It’s starting to look like a Hoover.

I wish they would do more concept cars showing that they do have some thoughts and ideas for the future. The up and coming 4 door Panamera is not going to cut it. Generate some excitement in this time of dull, plain, cost killing automotive design.

Here are two new design books by Scott Robertson. For those of you who don’t know who he is, check out his website and drool. I haven’t bought these books myself , yet, but the preview pages look great. Here is where you can buy them.

Design Studio Press is a website dealing in all sorts of design related books. Check it out and start filling out your Christmas List