Mazda — Good news for Mazda, bad news for rotary fans. Production of the RX-8 comes to an end. The four-seat four-door sports car never quite resonated with buyers, especially in the face of competition from Nissan’s reborn two-seat Z. Fuel consumption became excessive as consumer cost sensitivities grew. Wankel development isn’t over, but in the face of dwindling sales, Mazda should direct its “horse and rider” engineering philosophy toward more accessible cars. There’s always the Miata.

Hyundai — The new i30 compact is expected to replace the Elantra Touring, a five-door passenger vehicle that promises practicality, frugality, and — one thing sorely lacking from the segment — high style. Check it out.

GM, Onstar — Onstar was tracking cars after service was canceled. Those concerned about automotive black boxes and other “big brother” encroachments have been vindicated. In response to public outcry, the terms of service were changed, but damage to the Onstar brand is already done.

UAW, St Louis, Missouri — After losing the Ford Explorer plant in Hazelwood and the Chrysler truck/minivan plant in Fenton, St Louis finally shows signs of recovery as GM rewards the Wentzville, Missouri van plant with midsize truck production. GM will be hiring 1850 workers and investing $380 million into Wentzville. The upcoming 2014 midsize pickup will be replacing the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, two very average pickups.
The new four-year UAW contract includes performance bonuses and profit sharing. New entry-level workers will be receiving a raise while senior employees will be offered increased bonuses for early retirement.

Fiat USA — The new Fiat 500 is missing sales targets thanks to poor distribution and marketing. The 500 has received rave reviews from auto journalists and new owners, but sales are half of projected volume. People want the car, badly, but messages are muddy and distribution is lacking. Could be a J-Lo problem.

Saab — Swedish Automobile (aka “Swan,” the union of Spyker and Saab created by Spyker’s acquisition of Saab from GM) is negotiating the sale of Spyker, the premium exotic sports car maker, to a private equity firm in connecticut. This would allow Saab to raise money and stay afloat until Chinese investment funds arrive. If cats have nine lives, Saab has thirty.

Ford — Ford’s recent “we didn’t take the bailout!” ad rubbed Americans the wrong way. Ford CEO Alan Mulally previously stated that the bailouts helped keep Ford’s supply chain afloat, and Ford’s lending arm received US Treasury funds. While Ford deserves a genuine pat on the back for leveraging its assets at an opportune time, rubbing it in everyone’s face was a bit tasteless.

Fast Tube by Casper

Summary: It’s nearing the end of 2011 and we’re still feeling the effects of the 2009-2010 carpocalypse.