DAILY: GM aims for 10% profit margin | Volt boost expected from Calif., Super Bowl ad | After Honda verdict, will consumers head to court?

DAILY NEWSLETTER February 6, 2012

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GM aims for 10% profit margin over next few years, report says DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors aims to raise its profit margin to 10 percent over the next several years, up from the current margin of about 6 percent, Daniel Ammann, chief financial officer, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview. >> story  Published: Feb 6 2:30 pm U.S. Eastern time Advertisement What's Green and Naked? Naked Lime is your answer to fresh and innovative marketing, advertising, and web services. Naked Lime not only gives your dealership the solutions to compete, but the one-of-a-kind personal touch, expertise, and twist to help you inspire action and customer loyalty at every point in the retail process. Click to learn more. GM seeks Volt boost from California carpool lanes, Super Bowl ad LOS ANGELES (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co. hopes its plug-in Chevrolet Volt, stung by safety concerns, can get a sales boost from a version due next month that lets solo California drivers use carpool lanes and a Super Bowl ad touting its technology. >> story  Published: Feb 6 3:30 am U.S. Eastern time NEWS ANALYSIS After Honda verdict, will consumers head to court? (Reuters) -- Heather Peters' win in a Los Angeles small claims court against Honda Motor Co. has all the makings of a David vs. Goliath battle, but some experts are skeptical it will spur angry consumers nationwide to do what she did: abandon complaint lines, class-action suits and ... >> story  Published: Feb 6 11:16 am U.S. Eastern time Follow Automotive News

Subscribe to Automotive News today! You are receiving the free registrant version of our newsletter. If you would like a more comprehensive version, purchase a subscription to Automotive News. If you are already a subscriber, please contact subs@crain.com to get the full version of our newsletter.  MORE HEADLINES Chevy, Ford fight over Silverado Super Bowl ad   Chrysler breaks through, but there were other winners, too   Chrysler dealers stirred by Eastwood's Super Bowl pitch   Farley: Ford dealers had 'most profitable year ever' in 2011   GM: Chevy should gain market share in ’12   NADA study questions value of factory-driven dealership renovations   Honda's credit rating outlook lowered by Moody's   Suzuki Q3 operating profits drop 2.8%, keeps profit forecast   Mitsubishi to end production in western Europe   Kia dealers will get 100,000 more units   Subaru sees 20% sales surge on back of new models   Hyundai weighs Genesis upscale subbrand   SPX, Aker Wade will develop EV fast chargers   AutoTrader.com said to be in talks for initial public stock offering     KEITH CRAIN NADA: Not a lot to argue about In years past, National Automobile Dealers Association conventions have been a battleground over all sorts of issues. With most businesses slowly recovering from the financial disasters of the past few years, this year's NADA convention has seemed a lot less contentious. That's not to say that the color of tile at a dealership isn't a good arguing point when you're talking about tens of thousands of dollars. But it doesn't have the same vitriol as other issues in other years. I remember years when the NADA convention was filled with so much animosity you could cut it with a knife. Today, everyone seems ... >> Read the column  Published: Feb 6 12:01 am U.S. Eastern time LINDSAY CHAPPELL Why so many Mexican plants? Do the math Mexico's star is ascending these days. Nissan just revealed plans to spend $2 billion on a new factory in Aguascalientes, which is twice as much as an automaker typically spends on a big new factory. It signals that Nissan is laying the groundwork for what is sure to expand into a massive assembly complex in a few years. Honda is also investing in Mexico, and so is Mazda. Others are eyeing the region as a car manufacturing location. The Detroit 3 have been there forever. Parts suppliers are investing there. Mexico is booming and beckoning. And Mexico has a lot going for it, not least of which is proximity to Mexican ... >> Read the column  Published: Feb 6 12:01 am U.S. Eastern time Peter Brown is publisher and editorial director of Automotive News. Clint and Sergio: Can-do Chrysler's brand builders Clint Eastwood and Sergio Marchionne. Not, at first glance, an obvious pairing. But the two gentlemen combined for an unlikely branding value over the weekend. ...  Read the blog  Published: Feb 6 3:08 pm U.S. Eastern time Bradford Wernle covers Ford Motor Co. for Automotive News. Lithia's DeBoer to Republicans: Give Obama some credit Sid DeBoer recently stood up in front of a Rotary Club meeting in Medford, Ore., and thanked the man he believes should get a big share of the credit for the current prosperity of his Lithia Motors. His audience wasn’t fully prepared for the name of the person DeBoer wanted to thank: President Barack Obama. ...  Read the blog  Published: Feb 6 1:20 pm U.S. Eastern time Mercedes likely to steer clear of U.S. compact van market RICK KRANZ: Mercedes-Benz plans to target the European market with the Citan, a new front-wheel-drive commercial van based on the successor to the compact Renault Kangoo. Mercedes-Benz USA says there are no plans to sell the Citan here -- and probably with good reason. ...  Read the blog  Published: Feb 6 2:14 pm U.S. Eastern time Arlena Sawyers covers remarketing for Automotive News. Why the pool of repos is skimpy, too Just about anybody who cares about used vehicles knows that off-lease volume will be tight again this year as a result of fewer vehicles being leased during the recession. What you may not know is that the pool of repossessed vehicles, another source of used-car inventory, will be skimpy, too. ...  Read the blog  Published: Feb 6 1:08 pm U.S. Eastern time Amy Wilson covers auto dealer issues for Automotive News. Dealers scour Craigslist, roadsides to feed used-car hunger On Friday morning, an employee at Vince Whibbs Automotive Group in Pensacola, Fla., headed out to pick up the retailer’s latest used-car acquisition -- in Atlanta, a six-hour drive away. ...  Read the blog  Published: Feb 5 7:44 pm U.S. Eastern time Bradford Wernle covers Ford Motor Co. for Automotive News. Cuba still lives in Florida Ford dealer's heart Florida Ford dealer Gus Machado hasn't set foot in his native Cuba since January 1960. He was one of seven Ford dealers honored here Friday night by Ford Motor Co. in its annual Salute to Dealers celebration that honors dealers who serve their communities. ...  Read the blog  Published: Feb 4 6:33 pm U.S. Eastern time Amy Wilson covers auto dealer issues for Automotive News. Dealers on facilities: It's about the money Describing the retail community's interest in the outcome of NADA's dealership facility study as intense might not do it justice. I've received more e-mails and calls from dealers reacting to our stories about facility programs than probably any other subject I've covered for Automotive News. ...  Read the blog  Published: Feb 4 4:42 pm U.S. Eastern time Mark Rechtin is West Coast editor of Automotive News.. GM’s tone-deaf jargon GM needs to put its marketing jargon in the 1990s parking lot where it belongs. I refer to the descriptive used by GM execs in discussing how the automaker’s brands need to stay in their respective “swim lanes.” ...  Read the blog  Published: Feb 4 12:25 pm U.S. Eastern time

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