Here's one blogger adding speculation to the fire (speculation is a very flammable fuel, if you didn't know). I find this line amusing:
we have a hard enough time imagining an alliance between GM and
Nissan/Renault. Our brains hurt trying to imagine the mega corporation that
would be comprised of GM and Toyota.
Of course there is one major problem with all of this. GM doesn't need to “block” Renault. They have expressed no interest in a hostile invasion of the stock. If it isn't welcome, they don't want the deal.
Here's my prediction (like I have any business offering one): GM and Renault will just be silent about it. GM don't decline the deal, but they also won't accept it. Eventually, people will realize that the only source of news about the subject is other news and they'll stop talking about it. Then a year later some schmuck will write a book about it.
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There is a huge amount of news on the idea of Toyota getting involved with GM:
http://news.google.com/news?oe=UTF-8&q=toyota+gm
I still think it is a bad idea for Toyota.
This type of purchase (GM’s investment in Fuji Motors in Oct 2005) might make sense: http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/wcs/leaf/CID/onair/nbe/features/403794
where Toyota buys some piece (lets say buying out NUMMI, or something) (or an investment of GM). But I still see no benefit to getting involved with GM in any significant way.
Having discussions within Toyota makes sense. The changes in the near future may be huge – it makes sense to look at the possibilities. I can’t imagine any benefit from leaking the story though – but maybe there is something I can’t see (that is easy to believe)?
The WSJ today says that Toyota “yesterday dismissed speculation that their companymight make a pre-emptive play for GM.”
Tom Peters says:
http://www.tompeters.com/entries.php?note=009033.php
“Sluggish + Obese + Unimaginative + More Sluggish + More Obese + More Unimaginative + Even More Sluggish + Even More Obese + Even More Unimaginative = Nissan + Renault + GM = Innovative Challenger for Toyota???? “
And
“Crappy Management (GM) + Arrogant-Overstretched Management (Carlos G) = Great Management”