GM Mega-Dilution

GM has filed a paper (here) with the SEC, "PRE 14C" which lays out a plan to dilute its common stock, by issuing new shares to the U.S. Treasury in exchange for debt.

GM will issue enough new shares so that the total number outstanding will be 62 billion.  There are currently about 610 million shares outstanding.  This is a dilution of 100:1.  This will reduce the "par value" of $1.66 to $0.01/share.  They will then do a reverse split of 1:100, reducing the outstanding shares back to 620 million.  

The effect of this is that current common stock holders will be wiped out.  

Example: you own 1000 shares which are currently worth around $1600.  Your 1000 shares will become 10 shares, worth about $16. total. That's a loss of 99%.

Cash For Clunkers Compromise

The House Energy Committee has released a compromise "Cash For Clunkers" plan, which is quite different than the two previous competing bills.

You can read the whole thing here.

One big change is that the plan is only good for one year, not the 3 years of HR1550.

The quick summary:

Passenger cars
$3,500 for a new vehicle of at least 22mpg, if old one was at most 18mpg; 4mpg improvement
$4,500 for a new vehicle of at least a 10mpg improvement

Light Trucks & SUVs
$3,500 for a new vehicle of at least 18mpg, if 2mpg improvement
$4,500 for a new vehicle of at least a 5 mpg improvement

Large Light Duty Truck (6,000-8,500 lbs)
$3,500 for a new vehicle of at least 15mpg, if 1mpg improvement
$4,500 for a new vehicle of at least 2mpg improvement

Work Truck (8,500-10,000lbs)
$3,500 for any new vehicle if old vehicles pre-2002

The one page summary did not mention scrappage details, so I assume the rules will be simlar to HR520 and 1550.

There is no domestic or NAFTA favoritism here--any vehicle make qualifies. The mileage requirements are modest. It will be easy for people to use the credit, which is good. But the duration is short, so many people won't be ready to take advantage of the credit.

I think this will be a good shot in the arm to the automotive industry, with modest fuel economy benefits.

John Kerry Introduces Quiet Car Ban

John Kerry and Arlen Spector have introduced Senate bill S.841, the "Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009". This legislation, if signed into law, would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to take up to 90 days to study the dangers that near-silent cars pose to blind pedestrians. Then, 90 days later, the DOT would be required to issue regulations:

(b) Requirements- The standard required under this section shall provide that every motor vehicle be equipped with a method--

(1) to provide blind and other pedestrians with a non-visual alert regarding the location, motion, speed, and direction of travel of a motor vehicle that provides substantially the same protection of such pedestrians as that provided by a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine; and

(2) that will permit a blind or other pedestrian to determine the location, motion, speed, and direction of travel of a motor vehicle with substantially the same degree of certainty as such pedestrians are able to determine the location, motion, speed, and direction of travel of a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine.

You can read the whole thing here.

So here's an idea: let's add external speakers to our future electric cars which make them all sound like this:

The Old and New Dodge Viper?

Chrysler's recent bankruptcy filing has left some of its current products exposed, including the iconic Dodge Viper sports car. That vehicle, first rolled out in 1992, is a halo car one that was created to advance the image of the company's Dodge division.

A handcrafted vehicle, the Dodge Viper has always been sold in low numbers, only selling its 25,000th copy in 2008. Last year, Chrysler LLC announced that they would try to sell the Viper in a bid to raise much needed funds for the company, but that announcement didn't bring forth a serious buyer and now, with the bankruptcy in place, the factory producing the Viper has been shut down.

Several Factories Closed, Not Part Of The Fiat Deal

Eight Chrysler factories are being left in bankruptcy which means that Fiat SpA, the buyer of Chrysler, can pick which assets it wants. The Viper assembly plant in Detroit was not included, meaning that support for the sportscar has ended at least for now.

Though the Dodge Viper will likely not emerge as part of the newly restructured Chrysler entity, there is a possibility that a new buyer could step forth to claim the car. Back in the 1960s when Studebaker went out of business, a pair of former Studebaker dealers purchased the rights to the Avanti, the company's forward looking model introduced just a few years before. For the next two decades the timeless Avanti was built and sold to devotees.

Taking Its Cues From The Avanti

Like the Avanti, the Viper could be produced by just about anyone as the buyer of the car would gain rights to the name, body molds, parts, tools and everything related to the car. The new buyer would also assume responsibility of furnishing replacement parts for existing Vipers and would probably strike a warranty agreement with Chrysler to cover cars built when the Viper was under the Dodge umbrella. That agreement could be backed up by the federal government which has a similar plan already in place for Chrysler.

Thus, if the Viper does continue to live on, its new owner may have nothing to do with building cars, although my personal speculation is that an existing manufacturer will acquire full rights to the Viper and produce the car themselves. After all, a halo car is just that - one that bolsters the image of a brand, something that the V-10, 600 horsepower, 560 lb.-ft of torque Viper has done successfully for Dodge.

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in North Carolina. Matt is a contributing writer for Andy's Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts including Dodge wheelsDodge rims. and

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The Honda City ZX Gxi

Running The Extra Mile.
Honda City ZX Gxi, the smart city car is all set to capture hearts with many changes over Honda's City ZX Exi. This improved version of City dons new looks and brings some new features.

Key Features
A powerful 1497cc SOHC engine with four cylinders heads the working of Honda City . Looking at its power delivery of 78 PS at 5500 rpm and torque of 125 Nm at 2700 rpm, this car lets you enjoy smooth city drive. Your driving experience is made all the more comfortable with front as well as rear suspension and height adjustable driver seat. Coming to the fuel system, PGM-FI system in your Honda City is a good choice with regards to fuel economy. It gives an overall mileage of 12 kmpl.

This feature rich Honda City ZX Gxi emerges as a winner over Fiat Palio Stile 1.3 SD Multijet car, especially with regards to the inclusion of features. Electric power steering with tilt, Door Ajar Warning, central lock, power door lock, child proof rear door locks are some of the features that give this car an edge over similar cars.

Design
First impression is rightly said to be the last and lasting impression. Honda City ZX Gxi has really given its design a careful thought. Some parts such as side protection molding, bumper, side-mirror, and door handles are colored in the same color as that of the body. The new front grille of chrome adds to the classy looks. This exterior design inclines toward practicality with Front fog lamps used for safety, New 3D multi-reflector headlamps and New tail light cluster. The interiors too create a lasting impression with dual shades of beige and the switch panel in woody finish. Cabin space, leg space and seats in Honda City offer comfort.

Cons
Honda City would certainly have reduced jerks with a good suspension in place. With such a good mileage - 12kmpl average - good suspension would have worked like a feather in its cap. That said, Honda City ZX Gxi's pick up to needs improvement.

Conclusion
One can go for Honda City, if he likes long drives. Being slightly overpriced, it tips the scales in favor of similar cars.

Albert Cain is a well known writer. He has written many articles on, Cars, motorbikes, health care, scooter, Automobiles, speaker and so on.

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The architecture of Lego

Some years ago I was asked to explain the concept of a product line architecture for some students that had not heard of the concept before. They were not very familiar with terminology used in the field of software architecture either so I had to do it on a basic level.

I decided to use an example outside of the software domain, namely the Danish toy system of Lego, since everybody in Sweden played with Lego as a kid. I guess the example looses it's pedagogical value if the audience has not seen Lego.

I did some revere engineering to identify architectural strategies and quality attributes. Pictures in the presentation are stolen from unknown internet sites...

The Nissan Skyline

When we get something we demand more and story goes on. That is what happened with Nissan Skyline car. Frankly, Nissan skyline didn't imagine about such a massive fame, which skyline would keep getting for years and years to come. The purpose of manufacturing and designing such a boom car was to presiding over racing tracks, especially in the Asia car racing championship. But later on it has been the only choice of Australian racing drivers also.

You will be surprised to note that it was banned due to its supremacy and power factor. This car has been running from the race track to the road track, without upsetting anyone. The car enthusiasts would have never thought of such a stability and performance. You can't find such an exceptional combinational of handling, balancing with three shift gears. But Nissan skyline put up with all three. Believe it or not, fans of this car don't need to tune-up with body shells. This is one of the fastest ever car on the track, so it will suit to those, who are hungry for more speed. A lot more tune-up experiments have been tried with the speed, but only a few of those have worked because there is hardly anything that needs a change. That's called technology and supremacy.

The engine can be tuned up to burning 500hp. it could be achieved by putting up with 2.81 engine, as well as wadding same equipments insides as found into the other winning car of Japanese tracks. Exhaust has to be carefully crafted to bypass the test of hardest noise limits on the track. After such tuning this engine can produce up a heavy emission of 590 hp, which may bring some damage to exhaust system.

A car racing driver may feel the pleasure when it reaches 5500rpm from 4500rpm and still capable to accelerate more. In such condition only Bridgestone RE01Rs tires are capable to resist such as royal speed combo. You have a choice to use Bridgestone Potenza RE55S or any other similar tires that can withstand such high speed and power. Its mid-altering brakes are well maintained by Sachs 3 adjustable dampers. You can add another feature of super copper mix clutch, which adds driving pleasure by the easiness of use, besides handling the power. Interior design could be modified by using Alcantara covered seats, which hold tightly with the body during fast driving. Finally it would be a daydream to have a tuned up model of Nissan skyline, so be cautious while tuning it up this masterpiece.

Sturat is an article marketer and enjoys writing and sharing articles on topics like Nissan Skyline Tuning and Nissan Primera Tuning. For more information, please visit us.

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