Chrysler LLC to Shut Down Most Plants from May 4
May 1, 2009
In both statements released to the press and the firm's employees, Chrysler LLC's outgoing CEO Bob Nardelli announced that while in bankruptcy, most manufacturing plants of the automaker will be temporarily idled. The lockdown will commence on Monday, May 4 and continue for the whole duration of the bankruptcy procedure which is expected to be complete within the next 30 to 60 days.According to Chrysler, during the bankruptcy period, the company's hourly employees will receive unemployment benefits, as well as supplemental pay that will amount to most of their base wages while company-sponsored healthcare and other insurance coverage will continue.
However, the question that arises with Chrysler's prolonged shutdown is what will happen to the company's U.S. suppliers, given the fact that General Motors has also announced that it will be idling 13 of its North American assembly plants for multiple weeks from May through to July.
Jaguar and Land Rover to Enter Indian Market for the First Time
Tata's newly formed "Jaguar Land Rover" premiere car group has announced that it will enter the Indian market for the first time later this year. The Jaguar and Land Rover models will be distributed in the country by the British group's owner, India's Tata Motors Limited with the first showroom scheduled to be open at Ceejay House in Worli, Mumbai, in June this year. The group's initial portfolio will include the Jaguar XF and XK, and the Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover models."We are delighted to be formally entering the Indian market, an economy which is still growing appreciably, and able to offer our premium products to a whole new group of customers," said David Smith, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover. "It is an important strategic move for Jaguar Land Rover and will enable us to realize our competitive potential in this significant market."
VW Creates Virtual Golf GTI VI Slot Car Race Game
Once in a while, automakers and their marketing teams come up with up an idea that's actually quite cool. Such is the case with Volkswagen's "GTI Project", a new virtual slot car game that you can play online from the comfort of your office chair -just don't get caught. The Scalectric track that was constructed by a team of 60 modelers and features some 200 scale buildings is truly massive measuring 30ft by 25ft (9.1meters x 7.6meters) while the Golf GTI slot car itself is a 1:43 scale replica. Give it a try and remember to have a little perseverance around the corners...Play the Game Here: GTI Project
