The Auto Sleuth: Hummer, GM, Ford, Nissan, Aston Martin

Wheelbase Communications

Is this what the new small Hummer will look like?: This General Motors division, which has staked a reputation as the builder of the largest off-road vehicles on the planet, has released several different design sketches of its HX Concept — the smallest Hummer — ahead of the vehicle’s Detroit Auto Show debut in early January. Designed for serious off-roading, the E85-capable HX (85 percent ethanol mixed with 15 percent gasoline) will offer removable roof panels, both front and rear. The doors are also detachable, adding to the HX’s open-air feel. No other details were released with the sketches but the Sleuth hears that Hummer is considering a diesel engine option. Look for a launch in late 2009.

It kind of makes you wonder what the point of the concept was: Earlier this year, General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz announced that the production version of the new Chevrolet Volt plug-in gas/electric hybrid won’t look like the popular concept by the same name. He was right. GM had hoped to keep the Volt’s exterior true to the concept, but wind-tunnel tests have proven that the design is anything but aerodynamic. Lutz characterized the wind tunnel tests as a “cruel disappointment.” He joked that engineers could have probably “put it in the wind tunnel backwards” and got less wind resistance. Nonetheless, Lutz says GM is 100 percent behind bringing the electric Volt to market in the next few years. The concept promised a range of 640 miles with charged batteries and a full tank of gas. It also touted a range of 40 miles on batteries alone. Lutz said prototypes in early 2008 might be able to exceed that figure, running 45 miles on battery power. The Volt arrives in 2010, but who knows what it will look like.

Ford “throttling back” on V8 Mustang production: The creator of the two-door Mustang has announced that it will cut back V8 production. Since launching in 2004, about 52 percent of all Mustangs have been equipped with the 4.6-liter V8. Historically, the Mustang powertrain mix is usually 70 percent V6 and 30 percent V8. “It was three capacity increases (for the V8) . . . for me,” Mustang chief engineer Paul Randle told trade newspaper Automotive News. “Now I’m throttling back, and I’m at about 45 percent V8.” Randle said the V8 model was extremely popular at launch, with Ford’s marketing department asking him for more V8s three times in the first three months the car was on the market. The V8 mix will be scaled back due to rising fuel prices and the fact that most enthusiasts buy early in the car’s life-cycle. Proof is in the new Dodge Challenger as all of the initial vehicle run will be V8 powered.

Nissan wants the GT-R to match the Porsche 911 Turbo at 480 horses: The Japanese automaker will apparently make good on its promise to bring a 480-horsepower GT-R to North America, the Sleuth hears. The Japanese version of the GT-R makes 473 horsepower, but Nissan officials want the car to have an even 480-horsepower rating after certification. Nissan officials didn’t mention how they planned to wring an extra seven horsepower out of the GT-R’s powerplant. The Porsche 911 Turbo — the GT-R’s performance benchmark — touts 480 horsepower, so matching that output is crucial for Nissan although the Sleuth would forgive the company given how much less money the GT-R is supposed to be.

Aston opens new studio: The company founded by Sir David Brown (the “DB” in Aston Martin’s cars) will open a new design studio in Gaydon, England, which fits in with the company’s plans to increase production in the coming years, the Sleuth hears. Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Ulrich Bez has stated that he wants output increased to decrease wait times. The new studio follows the path of others. Ford, which used to own Aston, has a new design studio in the United Kingdom and General Motors has expanded in California. You know what that means: style is key and designers are in high demand.

Market indicators

Toyota making more money by not wasting it: Just because the Japanese automaker is highly profitable doesn’t mean that the eyes are not on the bottom line (which is one reason why Toyota is flush with cash). Toyota has announced that it expects to save $2.7 billion a year by accelerating its cost-cutting efforts. Toyota has been working on a new cost-saving strategy — called VI for Value Innovation — since 2005. The plan calls for multiple car components to be lumped into modules or systems. Volkswagen recently announced a similar plan for its vehicles. Toyota’s previous plan — Construction of Cost Competitiveness in the 21st Century, or CCC21 for short — cut the price of individual parts, saving the company $9 billion over the past five years.

The “advantage of doing business in Canada has disappeared”: The Great White North used to be a great place for automakers to set up shop. However, the strength of the Canadian dollar and the new union-run health-care fund has actually made Canada one of the most expensive places to build cars and trucks. “Any advantage Canada had has disappeared,” David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mic h., told The Detroit News. “Overnight, there’s a whole new ballgame.” Before recent labor deals, automakers saved about $6/hour per worker by manufacturing cars in Canada. However, that gap is gone due to the new economic climate that has the Canadian dollar near or at par with U.S. currency. The province of Ontario is currently the largest automobile producer in North America with a 100,000 unit capacity advantage over Michigan. For how long is anyone’s guess.