AUTOCITY OF PINECREST NEWS: January 2005

Andy Wallace and Milka Duno celebrating one of their two victories in Homestead last year.

The # 2 Citgo car driven by Andy Wallace and Milka Duno. The Grand Am racing seasons starts this coming weekend with the 24 Hour Daytona race.

CITGO SPONSORS MILKA DUNO AND ANDY WALLACE IN 2005!

January 6, 2005 - For the second consecutive season, CITGO Petroleum Corporation and CITGO Racing have announced that they will continue to sponsor racing stars Milka Duno, Andy Wallace and the Howard Motorsports team in the 2005 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series.

In 2004, CITGO Racing sponsored Duno in the Rolex Sports Car Series, teaming with full-season co-driver Wallace and the Howard Motorsports team in their #2 CITGO Pontiac Crawford Daytona Prototype. In their first full season, Duno and Wallace scored two race wins, seven top-five finishes and eleven top-ten finishes. Duno also became the first woman in history to win overall a major sports car race in North America. The CITGO-sponsored team finished third in the Team Point Standings and Wallace and Duno finished third and fifth respectively in the Driver Point Standings. The effort also helped earn Pontiac a first-place finish in the Engine Manufacturers Standings and Crawford a second-place finish in the Chassis Manufacturer's Standings.

"We're excited to renew our relationship with Howard Motorsports, Crawford Racing, Milka Duno and Andy Wallace for the 2005 season," said Geoff Smith, Manager, Sponsorship Marketing and Sales Promotion for CITGO. "The strong performance of the team in 2004, the experience gained, and the strides that have been made during the brief off-season have fueled our enthusiasm - and our expectations are high."

"I'm very honored for the opportunity to race with CITGO sponsorship again in 2005 and I can't thank them enough," said Duno. "We had a great inaugural season in 2004 with CITGO's support and hope to build on the momentum we achieved last year. This is a first class racing effort and I expect big things in 2005."

"Everyone at Howard Motorsports is very excited about the upcoming 2005 Rolex Sports Car Series season and continuing our relationship with CITGO Petroleum Corporation," Rick Howard, President of Howard Motorsports stated. "With CITGO's support, we enjoyed a successful 2004 season and look to build on that success in 2005. We have a very talented driver line-up for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the #2 and #20 CITGO Pontiac Crawford Daytona Prototypes and look forward to the entire fourteen-race Rolex Series as well."
CITGO Racing will kick-off the fourteen-race Rolex Series season with a two car effort and an all-star driver line-up at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on February 3-6. Joining Duno in the #2 CITGO Pontiac Crawford Daytona Prototype will be Indy Racing League IndyCar Series standouts Dario Franchitti and Dan Wheldon, as well as experienced road racer Marino Franchitti - brother of Dario. Teaming with Wallace for their second consecutive year at the Rolex 24 will be NASCAR's 2001 Winston Cup Champion Tony Stewart and Formula One and sports car veteran Jan Lammers of Holland.

"Just like last year when CITGO Racing launched their first season at the Rolex 24 with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon, they have again stepped up with another fantastic line-up," said Duno. "With Tony (Stewart) back, along with IndyCar stars Dario (Franchitti) and Dan (Wheldon), road racer Marino (Franchitti) and sports car veteran Jan (Lammers), I'm beyond excited for the start of the 2005 racing season at Daytona."
After the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, Duno will again team with her 2004 driving partner Andy Wallace for the balance of the fourteen-race 2005 season, which includes races in Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, Canada and Mexico City.

GM VP DISCUSSES FUEL ECONOMY!

By Tom Stephens--Group Vice President, GM Powertrain

I'm going to jump into this blog from time to time as I see items that interest me.
Last week, someone posted: "In view of rising gas prices, when is GM going to get off the gas guzzler wagon and start building, promoting, and selling more fuel efficient vehicles?
Let's explode that myth with some facts.

GM leads the auto industry in providing the broadest array of fuel-efficient cars, trucks, SUVs and vans -- according to 2005 data from the Environmental Protection Agency. GM makes 19 models that get 30 mpg or better on the highway, more than any other automaker. Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler are next with 14 and 13 models, respectively.

Using 2005 EPA data, for trucks there are 69 unique model/powertrain combinations where the top six manufacturers compete. As a full line manufacturer, GM offers 66 of those combinations and is the fuel economy leader in 41 of them. The second place manufacturer has only nine fuel economy "wins." On a percentage basis, GM wins 62 percent of these head-to-head comparisons (41 of 66) while the second place finisher wins 40 percent (6 of 15).

Using 2005 EPA data, for cars there are 82 unique model/powertrain combinations where the top six manufacturers compete. GM offers 53 of those combinations and is the fuel economy leader in 28 of them. The second place manufacturer has only 18 fuel economy "wins." On a percentage basis, GM wins 53 percent of these head-to-head comparisons (28 of 53) while the second place finisher wins 45 percent (9 of 20).

Using 2005 EPA data across Ward's Automotive segmentation, GM is the city fuel economy leader in 7 of 25 segments and the highway fuel economy leader in 8 of 25 segments.
What's the bottom line? For a given segment of the market, it's likely that GM sells the most fuel-efficient model available.

Here's a shameless plug. Bob Lutz has been talking about brands, but none of these vehicles would move without engines and transmissions. While he's been working on this "FastLane" blog, us engine people developed our own blog for the most popular engine ever made, the Smallblock Engine blog. This blog celebrates the 50th anniversary of the smallblock engine. We've made 90 million smallblock engines. The latest iteration produces 500 horsepower and 475 foot-pounds of torque and will propel the Corvette Z06 from zero-to-60 in well under four seconds.

GM is intent on satisfying the needs of buyers: small cars to heavy duty trucks, fuel-sipping vehicles for urban rush hours to performance vehicles for an adrenaline rush.

Tom Stephens biography
Posted by Editor at January 28, 2005 09:14

AUTOCITY CUSTOMER GALLERY

Ana Maria Fiallo---'05 Pontiac G6

Manuel Diaz---'04 GMC Sierra

David Carpenter---'04 Ford 150 Crew Cab

2005 PONTIAC GTO!

BOB LUTZ TALKS ABOUT THE NEW PONTIAC!

By Bob Lutz--GM Vice Chairman

OK, where was I? I was discussing some of our brands like Saturn and Chevrolet. Let's talk about Pontiac now. In the midst of all the Saturn excitement at the Detroit auto show, did anyone notice the interest of the public in the new G6 coupe and convertible? They, and the new Torrent SUV, are the latest entries in a Pontiac lineup that's being replenished and expanded.
For the past few years I have been getting up in front of the press and extolling the virtues of Pontiac's potential. We want Pontiac to be a performance-oriented division offering vehicles that can really be driven the way vehicles are meant to be driven. In the old days, that meant, simply... fast, straight-ahead, foot-down excitement.

This time around, we want Pontiac to be about total performance. Not just straight-ahead power, but great vehicle dynamics and chassis management, and firm handling without compromising ride quality.

We started this with the launch of the new GTO. Many people complained about it because it didn't look anything like the old GTO. But it was never supposed to look like the old GTO - it was supposed to feel like the old GTO. When you put your right foot into it, it's supposed to give you the same visceral thrill as the old one, its V8 launching you from a standing start. All the GTO enthusiasts out there... their affection was not based upon the car's looks, but upon the driving experience.

Anyone who's driven the new one will tell you that the power is there, the feeling is there, and the handling is better than it ever was. Apparently, its current owners think so, because their love and enthusiasm for it helped it win Most Appealing Sporty Car in the most recent JD Power APEAL awards.

Anyway, that's the plan for all the Pontiacs, from the forthcoming Solstice roadster to the new Torrent SUV. Even the ones that aren't performance cars per se will make the driver feel connected to the road.

Compare a Pontiac showroom from ten or even five years ago to how one will look next year. Except for the sign out front, you won't even recognize the place.

You'll have the beautiful Solstice. The G6 family will be complete, with the coupe and retractable hard-top convertible to go along with the sedan that, thanks to Oprah, delivered the most TV exposure Pontiac has had since The Rockford Files. You'll see a stylish new SUV in the Torrent, an innovative crossover sport van in the Montana SV6, and our various GXP performance packages.

It will be a whole new ballgame for Pontiac, one that we hope excites current Pontiac fans and creates new ones at the same time. Stay tuned.

Posted by Lutz at January 25, 2005 11:40 AM

GM INCREASES FLEET OF FUEL-CELL VEHICLES

General Motors will triple its test fleet of fuel cell-powered vehicles next year as part of plans to commercialize alternative fuel vehicles. The factory plans to operate a fleet of 40 fuel cell vehicles by 2008 under a research program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. One of the obstacles to commercializing fuel cell vehicles is the lack of refueling stations. GM and Shell are adding a hydrogen refueling station in New York City to establish an "East Coast Hydrogen Corridor," according to a Shell spokesman. A hydrogen station is already operating in Washington, D.C., and there are plans to add a third station between the nation's capital and New York to complete the corridor.

AUTOCITY CUSTOMER GALLERY!

Moises Veloz---'04 GMC Yukon

Jose Milanes and family---'04 GMC Envoy XL

Ira Turner---'02 Chevy Malibu

SUN SETS ON SUNFIRE!

By Rick KranzAutomotive News / January 24, 2005

DETROIT - General Motors will kill the Pontiac Sunfire in June, which could leave Pontiac without an entry-level car for two years or longer. Pontiac-GMC Marketing General Manager Jim Bunnell says there is no plan to replace the Sunfire. The automaker is looking at several options, including an import priced below the Vibe. "There is nothing planned in the foreseeable future, in the next 18 to 24 months" to replace the Sunfire, Bunnell says. "It will be some time after that if we were to figure out something that would make sense for us." He says GM is "just laying out options," including the possibility of an import. "We are going to look at the entire portfolio within GM," he says, "including our opportunities overseas." Pontiac has declined to sell a U.S. sister car to the Chevrolet Cobalt, which is built on the Delta front-drive, small-car architecture. It does sell a Cobalt sibling, the Pursuit, in Canada. The Sunfire uses the same platform as the old Chevrolet Cavalier. If GM adds a vehicle, Bunnell says, it would have to reflect the Pontiac brand in performance and content: "We are not interested in badge engineering." Bunnell says there is debate within GM as to whether Pontiac needs a vehicle priced below the Vibe. GM likely will weigh Vibe sales for 2005 and part of 2006 before deciding. Pontiac sold 58,894 Vibes in 2004, up 3.5 percent from 2003. That vehicle is assembled by NUMMI, a GM-Toyota partnership in Fremont, Calif. The base Vibe costs $17,690, including destination. Pontiac sold 36,095 Sunfires in 2004, a 17.2 percent drop from 2003. The base 2005 Sunfire coupe costs $11,460 including transportation. A Sunfire sedan is not offered.

Pontiac G6 Convertible

Interior of Pontiac G6

Pontiac G6 Coupe

PONTIAC G6 COUPE COMING SOON!

Engine: 3.5-liter V-6
Horsepower: 200
Height: 57.0 inches
Width: 70.6 inches
Length: 189.0 inches
Curb weight: not determined

What the automaker says: "Both the coupe and convertible deliver 2+2 seating suitable for four adults."What you should know: Doors on coupe and convertible are 6 inches longer than the front doors on the G6 sedan to make it easier for people to get in and out of the back seat. Retractable hardtop stows behind rear seats.Production possibility: Production begins this summer.

AUTOCITY CUSTOMER GALLERY

Dana Williams & Louis Baptiste---'04 Chevy Tahoe

James De Luca---'05 GMC Sierra Crew Cab

Raul Puente---'05 Buick Lacrosse

David Tompkins---'05 GMC Yukon

PONTIAC SOLSTICE WILL BE IN SHORT SUPPLY!

Automotive News---January 17th, 2005

DETROIT - Don't expect a glut of Saturn Skys or Pontiac Solstices on dealership lots in 2005 - at least not because of overproduction. And don't expect to see a load of additional vehicles off General Motors' Kappa architecture that will be used on the Solstice and Sky roadsters. GM CEO Rick Wagoner said the automaker will use a cautious production plan for its new line of niche vehicles after seeing other halo vehicles sit on dealership lots. "We are going to be pretty tough about how many we produce," Wagoner said at the Detroit auto show. "We're going to be very disciplined about increasing production, because while it seems like we make decisions that don't look very smart, we do learn from them." Wagoner said GM "probably overproduced" the Chevrolet SSR and Pontiac GTO in 2004. Wagoner said GM will gauge the market more closely when it comes to niche vehicles in the immediate future. That includes new products from Pontiac and Saturn. He added: "We should play those for what the market wants."

AUTOCITY CUSTOMER GALLERY

Lazara Carballa---'04 Ford Explorer

GMC HAD ANOTHER RECORD SALES YEAR!

By Edward Lapham Automotive News / January 17, 2005

Sorry, but you can't catch them all the first time. In the flurry of year-end sales data, most of which were used by analysts to paint a dark picture about the Big 3, at least one fact was generally overlooked.

Yes, 2004 was a record year for the GMC brand, which Gary Cowger pointed out to me last week. And as the president of General Motors North America noted with a great deal of pride, GMC did it without any new products.

Not that I doubt Cowger, especially when he goes out of his way to make a point, but I did get independent confirmation from my colleague Mary Raetz of the Automotive News Data Center. Dealers sold 581,684 GMC trucks in the United States last year, the most ever.

How is that possible if things are so gloomy for the Big 3? And if SUVs have lost some of their luster to sport wagons?

Actually, it makes a lot of sense. The GMC brand is the one GM brand where there is no murkiness or confusion, once the "professional" theme was identified and implemented. The brand is in a clear niche between truck products from Chevy and Caddy. There are no GMC passenger cars to clutter up the image or the message.

Last year, when Lynn Myers retired, she handed off a thoroughly nurtured, well-maintained brand and a strong dealer group to CJ Fraleigh, who replaced her as general manager of Pontiac-GMC.

Now that Fraleigh is gone and John Larson is the honcho for Pontiac-GMC and Buick, the brand is at an intersection.

Product planners are deciding whether to eliminate the one silly GMC vehicle, the Envoy XUV, which has the removable roof section in case you ever need to transport a grandfather clock or a tall potted plant.

GMC doesn't need any gimmicky products in the lineup, especially since at most dealerships it is sold alongside Pontiacs and/or Buicks. The one change that might turbocharge GMC sales would be to kill the Buick Rainier and all the other Envoy/Trailblazer clones.

Meanwhile, there is another conversation about whether to sell GMC trucks in Europe, instead of Chevys. GMC is a strong American brand and the professional theme might translate. Europeans might even go for all those Envoy XUVs.

Right.