DETROIT – General Motors is one-for-three, and that one, its pending understanding of Hummer to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery looks as tenuous as ever. It awaits only Chinese government approval for the understanding of its luxury offroad brand, rumored to be worth $150 million to GM. Tuesday morning, CEO Fritz Henderson announced that Koenigsegg Group AB (the investment group that owns Koenigsegg Automotive) has ended talks to buy Saab from GM. Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings, better known as BAIC, kicked investment into the deal late in the game, though Koenigsegg Group would have had 100 percent control over Saab.

And there lies the likely reason that Koenigsegg called off the negotiations. It probably had trouble raising sufficient funding to convince the government of Sweden it could sustain Saab for more than a few years. Automakers are incredibly capital-intensive in good times, and far from an cushy investment in times like these. Pile on top of that the high cost of doing business and building cars in Sweden, whether you’re Saab or Volvo, and it’s surprising Koenigsegg got into this in the first place.

Henderson expressed his disappointment over Koenigsegg’s withdrawal Tuesday morning, as he did when Penske Automotive broke off negotiations to buy Saturn.

So what’s next for Saab? Probably liquidation.

There is no sentiment for holding on to Saab the way GM held on to Opel. Unlike Opel, GM wants to sell Saab. Sales and production have been way down in 2009. And Saab’s inventory is very low, so the cost of closing down the brand will be relatively low. That’s a shame for auto enthusiasts, because Saab just showed a handsome new 9-5 on the Epsilon II platform and scheduled for production next year, though delayed while Koenigsegg negotiated with GM. It would have been Saab’s best-looking model in years, but GM had no reason to place any more money into it in order to get it ready for production. Similarly, its 2011 9-4x, sharing engines and a platform with the 2010 Cadillac SRX, could have been the most stylish model in its already good-looking class.

Saab has always been a cash drain on GM. The problem, on top of the high manufacturing costs, is that Saab’s customer base consisted of buyers who wanted something different, who didn’t want to see their cars coming and going. How do you build a brand like that? Saab sold 133,000 cars globally in 2006, its peak in recent years (36,349 in the U.S.), while its Trollhattan works has capacity for about 250,000 per year. Saab has lost much of its unique selling proposition as competitors switch to the turbocharged four-cylinder configuration that has been the Swedish automaker’s signature for years.

GM tried to grow Saab by making it a semi-premium brand, while sharing platforms with Opels and other brands. Like me, you’ll probably miss Saab. But you probably think diesels and luxury sport wagons are good ideas, too, even if the vast majority of Americans don’t care.

Even under GM ownership, the cars exuded passion and a unique kind of performance. It is an enthusiasts’ brand, if an offbeat one. Its attempt to be an offbeat mass-market brand is about to do it in.

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Imported from Turkey, and reassembled in Baltimore, Maryland, the 2010 Ford Transit Connect is a curiosity among cargo vans. It's compact, of course, and ungainly in appearance, thanks to its disproportionately tall roof. But the payoff is cargo capacity (135.3 cubic feet), which was heretofore unheard of in such a diminutive van. The engine is diminutive, too — only four cylinders. In Europe, where sanity reigns on such matters, said engine is a four-cylinder turbodiesel. But here in the U.S., it's a normally aspirated, 2.0-liter gas engine — you know, the one that's only so-so in the lighter Ford Focus.

Be that as it may, you know you'd jump at the chance to slalom a cargo van if you had access to an instrumented testing facility. So that's what we've done. Read on to find out whether the 2010 Ford Transit Connect handles more like an Econoline or a Fiesta.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Transit Connect

Vehicle:
Odometer: 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT
Date: November 17, 2009
Driver: Chris Walton
Price: $25,620

Specifications:
Drive Type: Front-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Four-speed automatic
Engine Type: Inline-4
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 1999/121
Redline (rpm): 6,500
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 136 @ 6,300
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 128 @ 4,750
Brake Type (front): Ventilated disc with single-piston sliding caliper
Brake Type (rear): Drum
Steering System: Hydraulic-assist power rack-and-pinion
Suspension Type (front): Independent, MacPherson struts, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Solid axle, leaf springs, stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 205/65R15 95T
Tire Size (rear): 205/65R15 95T
Tire Brand: Continental
Tire Model: ContiProContact
Tire Type: All-season
Wheel Size: 15 inches
Wheel Material (front/rear): Steel
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,376

Test Results:
0 – 30 (sec): 4.1
0 – 45 (sec): 7.5
0 – 60 (sec): 12.4
0 – 75 (sec):  19.2
1/4 Mile (sec @ mph): 18.6 @ 74.0
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 12.1
30 – 0 (ft): 32
60 – 0 (ft): 128
Braking Rating: Good
Slalom (mph): 61.9
Skid Pad Lateral acceleration (g): 0.79
Handling Rating: Very Good 
Db @ Idle: 44.7
Db @ Full Throttle: 72.9
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 68.1

Acceleration Comments: Um. Well, what did you expect? It has the engine of a subcompact car in a vehicle shaped and scaled like a barn. Crisp upshifts at redline, noisy (road, wind, tires), but stable.

Braking Comments: Good pedal feel and distances; moderate drop but still controlled and straight — better than some minivans and SUVs with four-wheel discs!

Handling Comments: Skidpad: Steering offers a surprising amount of information with regard to vehicle roll, grip and condition of the front tires (i.e., about to unload and allow wheel spin). Slalom: Um, well, we didn't expect this… it feels like a jumbo Ford Fiesta with appropriate buildup in effort and good yaw response. It even responds (favorably) to throttle manipulation — producing useful rotation and bite for the exit. WTH?!

Although Suzuki has not yet prefabricated a decision on whether to bring the next-generation Suzuki Swift to the United States, we do know that this car is being engineered to meet U.S. crash standards.

It's also apparent from these spy photos taken in Europe that the new car will be significantly larger than the current Swift. Most likely, though, it's still smaller the SX4, which is based on a stretched version of the existing Swift platform architecture.

Second photo after the jump.

After its track day at Laguna Seca, the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR will be place on a truck and delivered to the 2009 LA Auto Show, where it makes its official debut.

Dodge released product details on the 2010 Viper ACR today. To start, the car's six-speed manual transmission has a shortened 5th gear ratio — it goes from 0.74 in 2009 to 0.80 in 2010. "This improvement is a direct result of SRT's experience at the 12.9-mile NÃÆ'Æ'¼rburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, where it was found that a revised gear ratio would have resulted in a higher speed capability and potentially a shorter elapsed time," says Dodge.

The height of the shifter is also reduced by 35mm. The rear wing profile and end plates have been redesigned to improve lateral stability at speed on the track. And the wing's Gurney flap is revised. Together, these changes raise top speed 4 mph to 184 mph. The Viper's 8.4-liter V10 continues on with 600 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque.

Finally, the red wheels. The ACR running around Laguna Seca was wearing them for a time today, but they're actually for a Viper ACR special-edition model that Dodge will offer in 2010.

The study of this model is pending and will be decided at the end of the track day. If the Viper ACR manages a 1:32 lap time, Dodge will call it the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR 1:32 and build 32 examples. If today's fastest lap (1:33:915) so far stands, it will be called the Viper ACR 1:33 and 33 will be built. It's, uh, cool, yes? We now have confirmation that the special-edition Viper will be called the Viper 1:33 and there will be a production run of 33. 

Also, we should tell you that with that 1:33.915 lap, Dodge's Chris Winkler, a vehicle engineer and today's hot shoe, has officially taken back the fastest production-car lap "record" from the Viper-based Devon GTX (1:35.075). The Viper was on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, size 295/30ZR18 front and 345/30ZR19 rear.

The problem is that no records can actually be set here unless they're set during a race with an official sanctioning body on-site to confirm timing and scoring. So Helio Castroneves' 1.07.722 set in CART in 2000 remains the official track record.

More photos after the jump.

A mid-cycle refresh is coming for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, as shooters spotted this image on public roads in Germany. It's apparent that changes are in store for the front end of the car to bring it closer to the look of the current E-Class – which is to say more rectilinear.

We're not sure we like this retouch, as the current C-Class is a fine looking car. The E-Class? Not so much.

Full Test: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

We hear only 500 more Dodge Vipers will be built, so Ralph Gilles, president of the Dodge brand, is already arranging a proper send-off. Today, the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR was officially unveiled at Laguna Seca, where Dodge's hottest shoes will try to set the record for fastest lap time in a production car. Gilles is there with his own all-black '09 Viper ACR (nicknamed "Voodoo"), as is an in-house social media team.

Already Dodge has begun uploading videos of the Viper at Laguna, one of which we're posting here. You can follow the day's festivities on a special Test Ride website, and/or on a new Dodge Twitter account, Dodge Autos. There's also a photo room on Flickr.

The only changes we've spotted on the 2010 Viper ACR over the 2009 model are the spiffy red wheels. No official word on if the red wheels increase/reduce unsprung weight, but according to a recent tweet, "[we're] switching from the stunning red wheels to black to take the ACR out again for another spin around the track."

We'll let you know as we find out more, and certainly, if the lap record is broken. An '08 Viper ACR is apparently the current record holder with a time of 1:35.12. Or, if you count the Viper-based Devon GTX as a production car, the record is apparently 1:35.07. 

And, no, we're not sure how this track day works into the overall plan of building new, exciting and better-quality product.

2010 Viper ACR Test Ride

Dodge Autos on Twitter

Flickr

Behold the 2011 Kia Cadenza, the Korean carmaker's newest and biggest sedan. It will replace the Amanti which bowed out of the lineup for 2010.

"With the Cadenza, we have created an all-new, large sedan that will revitalize Kia's fortunes thanks to its exciting appearance, strong performance and luxurious cabin which will guarantee a much broader consumer appeal, attracting thousands of new customers to our brand," said Mr Hyoung-Keun Lee, President, Kia Motors Corporation.

Built on an all-new front-wheel drive platform, the Cadenza will use three different gas engines in its various world markets. The most powerful of those will be a 286-horsepower V6, the most likely engine for the U.S. market. All three powerplants will use a six-speed automatic transmission. 

Although slightly shorter in overall length compared to the Amanti, the Cadenza has a longer wheelbase and a revised rear suspension design for increased passenger room.

Production of the new sedan begins in January, but U.S. income aren't expected to begin until either late 2010 or primeval 2011.

The deal to purchase Saab is officially off. Koenigsegg, the small Swedish sportscar builder, has officially terminated the agreement it had prefabricated with General Motors.

Both companies have released brief statements, and Koenigsegg's is the more cryptic: "The time bourgeois has always been critical for our strategy to breathe new life into the company." (Translation: Saab has been in such a poor state for so long that it's too late to save it?)

GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson had this to say in his statement: "We're obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase. Many have worked tirelessly over the past several months to create a sustainable plan for the future of Saab by selling the brand and its manufacturing interests to Koenigsegg Group AB. Given the sudden change in direction, we will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week."

Reuters