2010 BMW Z4 spotted

It's been four years since the Bavarian Motor Werke's Z4 sprung on the scene. Which means, time for a mid-life crisis update.

Spy shots have been popping up for awhile, but here's some fresh (and very professional-looking, nudge-nudge, wink, wink) video of the next Zed 4 roadster during the obligatory lapping at Germany's famed Nürburgring. There is some speculation that BMW's new roadster (expected late next year as a 2010 model) will take its styling cues from the CS concept. But whether or not BMW will ditch the existing model's rag top in favour of a more trendy folding-metal-yet-heavier-and-more-complex-top has yet to be confirmed.

Do you think the Z4 needs revised metal roof? What about a V8 M version? Or does BMW need to just wave the flag and admit that no one does a roadster better than Porsche?

(source: Motor Authority)

America's starting to share its economic pain

So much for the gloating.

It was fun for awhile to rag on the Americans. What with their mortgage crisis, falling dollar value, that whole Iraq "thing," and general cultural malaise in what was once the Greatest Nation in The World.

But it was only a matter of time before the failing U.S. economy's doppler effect would impact real Canadian jobs.

Yesterday's news that General Motors is eliminating nearly 1,000 jobs in its Oshawa, Ont. plant, is mainly due to sagging pickup sales in the U.S.

As a cold reminder how much Canadian manufacturing jobs rely on the wealth of our friends to the south,
GM's Canadian woes are just part of a gloomier automaking future in Canada.

According to the Council for Automotive Human Resources, Canada will lose its spot to Mexico as the second-largest auto-producing country in North America early in the next decade.

The report blames the dollar, lower cots U.S. labour agreements, and added investment in small-car manufacturing in Mexico due to the impending U.S. regulated 6.7L/100 km fleet average by 2020.

Hey, at least we lead North America in Stanley Cup wins and donut shops, eh?

(source GM and CAHR)

Canadian residual values take a hit

Filed under the "no free lunch" file, Canadian auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers reports passenger car and light truck residuals declined across the board last year.

Simply put: even though new car prices overall dropped 5 to 6 per cent in 2007, conversely, car buyers are getting less at trade-in time. (The biggest drop in residuals was for 24 month light trucks which declined from 54.1 per cent to 48.8 per cent.)

As DesRosiers says, this is a complex factor to generalize as to the "why."

But he does pinpoint a few reasons:

• The supply of used vehicles in Canada is going up faster than demand for used vehicles. Off-lease new vehicles, off-lease used vehicles, off-fleet vehicles, consumer trade-ins—they all add up to a 500,000 increase in the used vehicle supply in Canada.

• All those amazing new car incentives have a real negative impact on used vehicles further down the food chain.  Remember, that $1,000 rebate off your new car immediately slashes an equal amount off the value of your car.

• Changing tastes means yesterday's trendy vehicle is tomorrows' lame duck. If no one's buying new minivans, how hard do you think it is to sell your used one? (BTW, that's what's called a "rhetorical" question, kids.)

So, will this now change your buying strategy for your next car?

Are you more likely to buy new over used? Lease or buy? Take the bus?

(source DesRosiers Automotive Consultants)

Honda Canada gets new head honcho

With some of the best-selling cars in Canada, some may say running Honda Canada is a 10 a.m-2 p.m. job.

Manabu Nishimae will soon find out. He's the automaker's new President and CEO.

Nishimae San, who has previously worked in Canada for Honda Canada’s Motorcycle Division in the late 1980s, was most recently the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Regional Sales Operations (Japan).

“I’m very pleased to see the growth that Honda has made in the Canadian market since my previous assignment here.  When I last worked in Canada, the Acura Division was just being launched and Honda was selling a limited range of motorcycles, cars and power equipment.  The company has grown dramatically since then.  The change is truly remarkable."

If he's recognizing  Acura now stinks, or that driving enthusiasts can expect the long awaited CR-X sooner than later, Nishimae San's our type of car suit.

(source Honda Canada)