Get ready for Nissans and Renaults to break down, leak oil out of the valve covers, etc....This from Yahoo:


GM board votes to start talks on alliance
By TOM KRISHER, Associated Press Writer

DETROIT - General Motors Corp.'s board of directors has voted to start exploratory discussions with Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. on a potential alliance between the three automakers, GM announced Friday.

GM Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner will lead the talks, which stem from a proposal by billionaire GM shareholder Kirk Kerkorian.

Japan's Nissan and France's Renault issued statements saying that they looked forward to starting the talks soon.

GM shares were up nearly 2 percent after the announcement.

In a teleconference meeting held Friday, the board authorized the company's management to consider the proposal and "weigh the potential benefits of such an alliance in order to assist the board in its decision making," George Fisher, a member of the board, said in a statement.

Kerkorian had been pushing for GM to consider an alliance with Renault and Nissan in an effort to help the world's biggest automaker stage a turnaround and reverse its declining market share.

"General Motors has a lot of experience with different types of alliances and some have provided significant benefits to GM's competitive position and financial strength," Wagoner said in a statement.

"We will enter into discussions with the managements of Renault and Nissan with an open mind

 

GM needs a kick in the ass and Carlos Goshen won't coddle the UAW, may strike the fear of god in some of those slackers maybe kick a few more out with 'buy-outs' put GM on the road to a no-UAW zone.

I don't know all the particularls, but the UAW had CAT in a bad way until the company made them give back some of their excess perks/excess pay. Now CAT is back to one of the world leaders in heavy equipment.

 

I read that this alliance would give the combined three 25% of the global auto market and an unbeatable R&D budget. Probably not a bad idea to light a fire under GM and also give Nissan and Renault access to a very powerful engineering center in GM.

 

Uh, I doubt this will lower Nissan's quality. First of all, Carlos wouldn't let that happen. Second of all, I'm not going to get into the lame "GMs break down" argument, because I don't think it holds water, and that's an opinion based on ownership of their cars.

Very interesting indeed. GM Ghosn home!

 

Two comments... Why and WTF is Ghosen thinking?

 

It would be a very good move for GM IMO. They need someone to come in redo everything top to bottom.

Nissan's won't be breaking down now, do you people actually believe the nonsense you spew??

 

They will if they have GM parts in them, which they might as a result of the allience.

Warren

 

Realizing that this is the Internet and any blowhard is welcome to his or her own opinion, however baseless and ignorant it might be, would'nt it be wonderful if people who made such outrageous claims had to provide some basis or evidence?

Here let me counter Warren's oh so well thought out opinion with my own. Don't buy a Japanese car, they leak oil and break down and they are made by murdering war criminals.

 

Eh, Nissan is already using GM-like interior panels and have numbers of quality issues...

 

Well, my Dad had a GMC truck that leaked oil out the valve covers, several other people I know had GM cars and trucks w/ the same problem. Also the rocker panels on a lot of GM cars would rust terribly.

Then there was the gas tank mounted outside the frame rails that would repture on impact. Fortunately no one I know was involved in an accident like that, but it was a big scandal about 10-15 yrs ago.

I've driven a few GM products when I've been to other cities and have to rent a car.

I could go on...

Sorry, but GM vehicles are a total POS. But as you said, we're all entitled to our own opinions.

Warren