Category Archives: Auto News

Chevy Continues to Tease Corvette Enthusiasts…

Posted on by

Chevy Continues to Tease Corvette Enthusiasts…

Chevy really knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat! We all have been reading stories about the new body-style, seen concepts, and heard rumors but there still hasn’t been an official unveiling by the manufacturer.

Well Chevy decided to give us another little taste to keep us on our toes when they made the new Corvette logo public at the Road Atlanta Racetrack. As you can see from the picture above, the crossed flags and Chevy bowtie design are positioned at more of an angle with more depth and color than the previous logo.

The new badge is very symbolic of the steps taken to improve the vehicle itself, as Chevy has claimed they have really paid more attention to detail while building the C7 (7th Generation Corvette).

There are very few parts that will be carried over from the 2013 model, which include the cabin air filter, and rear latch for the removable roof panel. We do know for certain there will be a V8 engine that will provide the Corvette with more power and fuel efficiency than ever before.

The Chief Engineer of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, Tadge Juechter said, “With the new Corvette, we set out to build a world-challenging sports car with design, refinement, efficiency, and driver engagement that is second to none.”

Along with the Corvette, GM has really followed through with their statements recently with such newly added models as the Buick Verano (“Verano expands our lineup, continues Buick’s momentum, and gives us a great opportunity to attract a new generation of customers with a product that delivers on their expectations for design, performance and technology,”).

You can expect to see a completely new Chevy Corvette when the 2014 model finally drops which has created an enormous buzz around the country. The 2014 Chevy Corvette will be debuted at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show in January 2013 and tickets will be sold to a limited number of Corvette enthusiasts with the earnings going towards the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The All New 2013 Cadillac XTS

Posted on by

XTS
With all new CUE (Cadillac User Experience) technology, the 2013 Cadillac XTS is taking luxury to next level. 3-D GPS, Doppler-radar weather, Pandora Radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and much, much more.

It’s a tech-savvy driver’s dream! Incredible smart phone and tablet control, voice recognition, tri-zone climate control (meaning that even those passengers in the backseat are able to set their own temperature), and enough interior space to comfortably navigate through the countless features that this vehicle provides. The 14-speaker Bose surround sound system will make you feel as though you’re in the front row of a show at Madison Square Garden.

It has ambient interior lighting making the XTS one of the smoothest visual night driving experiences you will ever have. To top it all off, it provides 40 inches of leg room for your rear passengers, making those long trips on the road a breeze for everyone in the car.

The all-new sculpted side mirrors cut back dramatically on the amount wind resistance, making for a much quieter ride at all speeds. The Ultraview Sunroof provides approximately 48 inches of viewing ability that would impress any passenger.

Mechanically, this vehicle will be tough to beat. The adaptive forward lighting makes driving in dark areas a piece of cake as sensors pick up on which direction you are turning and adjusts accordingly. Equipped with a 3.6L V6 engine and 304 Horsepower, the XTS has plenty of power and acceleration to get the job done, and is topped off with world-renown Brembo brakes. The 10 air bag system pushes the limits of car safety and challenges other auto makers to step it up.

MSRP: $44,075 – $61,805

Competition: Audi A6, Mercedes E350

Available right now at Carbone GM.

Friday Auto News Roundup: Dog Days of Summer Edition

Posted on by

It’s going to be a hot one today, and stormy this weekend. Hopefully you’ll be inside, with some A/C, with something to do. If you’re getting getting and early start on the weekend (or maybe a late start on the day), here is some uplifting auto news for your persual.

1. Ford is adding some 225 jobs to its Van Dyke Transmission plant in Michigan. The jobs are the result of a $220 million investment plan. This piece in the Detroit Free Press outlines the great positive effects the plant opening will have.

*“It was a ghost town,” Robb Miller, plant chairman for UAW Local 2280, said of the idled portion of the plant. “We’ve been watching it over the last 18 months go from ugly to gorgeous.”

Now, workers like Terry Pendergrass, 35, of Sterling Heights, are making a new transmission that will replace one Ford bought from Japanese supplier Aisin.*

During 2012 alone, Ford has added 5,355 jobs in Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. That’s great news for a legendary domestic automaker.

2. The sales figures for July are in, and they’re looking pretty good. Two of the fastest-selling cars were made by Nissan and Hyundai: the Altima and Elantra. Those are two older, time-tested models that have gained and retained a fair share of car buyers’s attention. Some newer vehicles that are tearing up the auto sales charts are made by Dodge, the Dart and Scion FR-S. Overall, new car sales were up 9% last month. Not too bad for the dog days of summer.

3. We all know automobile have safety ratings like crash test scores and the like. Pretty soon some other safety systems of automobiles will have their own safety scores – namely, automatic braking systems, lane departure warnings, adaptive headlights, and other computerized mechanisms that keep drivers safe without their even knowing it.

That’s great news for consumers. Even if those features are limited to high-end luxury vehicles, we all know that such marquee features trickle down to more affordable vehicles as the technology gets cheaper and demand increases. With independent rating systems in place, car buyers will be more informed about which features are actually effective, thereby saving lives.

Auto News: Week of July 9, 2012

Posted on by

Ford EcoBoost is finding high adoption rates and that's great!

Here’s a little morning read for the week’s exciting auto news stories. Get a cup of coffee, and sidle up to the screen — let’s get to it.

1.)  The Honda Accord is currently in its eighth generation, and has been on the best-seller list in the US year after year. But the Accord was introduced before “infotainment” and navigation systems became the automotive norm. Because of this, the Accord is pretty far behind other comparable family sedans in these categories.  But think again before dismissing the new 2013 Accord. Honda is launching their HondaLink – their next-generation infotainment package with the 2013 model. All of the details aren’t yet clear, but we do know that Honda’s Aha Radio service will be making it’s debut, and there are rumors that the new Accord could be the first to use Apple’s Siri integration.

2.)  Despite worries that the plummeting European market would jump across the pond and hit us here at home, new-car sale numbers are expected to hit a five-year high for the month of June. Analysts and officials have said that this is most likely because there are so many old cars that need replacing on the road. The average car on the road is 11 years old – an all time high. The projection for June is at 13.9 million vehicles – which would be the second month in a row coming in below 14 million, but it’s better than last month’s 13.7 million. Anyway you slice it, if this projection holds true, it’s a step in the right direction!

3.)  Continuing on a positive note, Ford is on track to sell 1.6 million EcoBoost turbocharged and direct-injected engine vehicles. This number is 100,000 over their previous estimation. The efficient EcoBoost power plants help to make the Ford line up more efficient as well. According to their product development chief, Ford is set to decrease the number of platforms from 22 in 2011 to 10 by 2017. This will reportedly save Ford hundreds of millions of dollars with platform costs dropping and scale increasing.

Auto News: Week of June 22, 2012

Posted on by

Apple's iPhone feature Siri to be added to GM vehicles

This week, on the auto news front we have a few interesting snippets of information for you to ponder!

1.)  First up, Honda and GM have both said that they are planning to incorporate Siri (Apple’s voice technology used in the iPhone 4S) in their new vehicles. Apple has said that an additional four automakers will be using Siri as well. These additional automakers are: Chrysler Group, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar Land Rover. The plan is to make Siri hands free, while still allowing drivers to place calls, dictate texts and get directions. Siri will be made hands free by having a button on the steering wheel that will activate the voice technology on their iPhone. The iPhone will be connected to the vehicle’s infotainment system via a USB cable or wirelessly.

2.)  Things are looking up for Nissan! With the opening of their plant in Smyrna, Tennessee they will be able to have 20,000 units to be delivered this fiscal year. If they continue at the projected rate, they are set to well exceed their current overall manufacturing record in the US. At their current pace, they will assemble 1.35 million units in North America this year – 170,000 more than the last fiscal year!

3.)  With fuel efficiency laws becoming stricter, automakers are looking to replace steel with aluminum alternatives to make vehicles more light weight and subsequently more fuel efficient. Last year, the auto industry consumed roughly 11.5 million tons of aluminum. By the year 2025, this number is estimated to have more than doubled and should come in somewhere around 24.8 million tons. Today the average vehicle uses approximately 155 kilograms of aluminum; this number is projected to have increased to about 250 kilograms by 2025.

Ford’s New Silicon Valley Lab Shows The Company Gets Technology

Posted on by

Ford is set to open a tech research lab in California called the Ford Silicon Valley Lab

Recently, Ford has been ahead of the curve for interior car technology. Its SYNC system lets you connect an iPhone to your car for music and hands-free calling; it also offers audio text messaging, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and many more features. If you’re buying a Ford in 2012 and you’re a savvy tech guy or gal, then it will be pretty clear that Ford gets it. You’re busy with Twitter, driving directions, messaging, and playing tunes. You shouldn’t be, but you are – and so Ford makes it easier and safer to stay connected while you’re on the road.

Now, Ford is showing once again how much they get technology.

Ford is set to open a tech research lab in California called the Ford Silicon Valley Lab. The lab will conduct research relating to automobiles and computers (obviously), but its self-professed mission statement is still very exciting.

According to All Michigan, the lab will have three foci:

  • Big data – Ford is increasingly a data-driven company, fusing both internal and external sources to shape product and marketing offerings and support strategic decision making.
  • Open-source innovation – Viewing the car as a platform and providing access to real-time data allows for the rapid development of custom hardware and software applications.
  • User experience – Information and services need to be presented to the driver in ways that don’t take away from the primary task of operating the vehicle. Ford is rethinking how drivers and passengers interact with vehicles as well as how vehicles should interact with them.

The first point seems to be primarily for Ford’s benefit – gathering data from its vehicles. And the third seems to be for drivers. Adding more great features like Ford SYNC and so on, making the driving experience better through technology.

But the car nerd in me is most excited for the second point. “Viewing the car as a platform” means, to me, that Ford should collect and open up driving data. Everything from traffic, mileage, accidents, everything that Ford vehicles do, should give app developers, consumers, and researchers so much valuable information that it’s amazing. Whether you want to reduce traffic, increase mileage, or cut down on accidents you need data. And going forward, Ford should have lots of data.

Bill Ford Jr., the Chairman of the company, will be speaking in the 2012 Revolutionaries speaker series, another sign that Ford is heading in the right direction. I’m beyond excited for all the great innovation coming down the pipeline from Ford.

[Source: MLive]

How The Blind Spot Will Disappear

Posted on by
Dr. R. Andrew Hicks Blind Spot Eliminating Mirror

Dr. R. Andrew Hicks Blind Spot Eliminating Mirror

You’re driving down the Thruway. After checking your rearview and side mirrors, you click on your turn signal and turn the wheel to get into the left lane. HONK! Someone was already in the left lane, hanging out in your blind spot.

If you’re a frequent driver (and infrequent over-the-shoulder checker, like I am sometimes), this situation has probably happened to you more than once. But if Andrew Hicks, a scientist at Drexel University, can interest the auto industry in his recent invention, blind spots will be a thing of the past.

Presently, side view mirrors offer a viewing angle of 15 to 17 degrees. (Picture a circle, and now cut it in half, cut those halves in half, then cut those halves in half. You get a bit more than that much for a viewing angle. Also, since passenger side view mirrors are curved (to squeeze every last inch of viewing angle), they are optically distorted to make objects appear further away than they actually are.

Hicks’s new mirror is not curved, so it doesn’t distort your sense of distance. Oh, and it offers a 45 degree viewing angle, which effectively eliminates the notorious blind spot.

To make this advance in auto mirror technology, Hicks developed a mirror that algorithmically controls the angle of light impinging on the mirror. Yeah, I’m not super sure what that means, either, but it seems to work amazingly well.

Given the heavily regulated state of auto manufacturing, it’s unlikely Hicks’s mirror will be standard issue any time soon. But he is looking to offer it as an aftermarket accessory, and that’s pretty cool.

[Source: The Atlantic]

How Lincoln Got Its Luxury Back

Posted on by

I think Lincoln is going to be just fine. That’s the lesson I learned this morning, at least. As I was doing last night’s dishes, I listened to the latest Planet Money podcast (which is great, by the way, if you’re like me and want to know more about the economy without earning a PhD in economics). Episode 377, entitled “Can Lincoln Be Cool Again?”, centered on, well, that very question.

To be honest, I didn’t really think Lincoln was in trouble to begin with, but the episode made some compelling cases.

First, a thought experiment: name the ‘top’ luxury automakers. Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc. Lincoln does not necessarily come to mind first. But it doesn’t come to mind first, either. Ford (Lincoln’s parent company) is looking to change that with its new flagship release, the Lincoln MKZ.

2013 Lincoln MKZ

Wow, now that is a luxury automobile. It looks like something out of the newest Star Trek film – futuristic yet classic.

Not only does the new Lincoln MKZ look luxururious, but its accoutrement are top notch, as well. According to the AutoBlog,

We’re all in agreement, however, about the improved interior design, especially the Push Button Shift gear selector that makes for a smooth, uncluttered center console. The MKZ will of course be available with SYNC and MyLincoln Touch, which are complemented by a large 10.1-inch LCD instrument cluster and 8-inch center touchscreen. The interior is covered wall-to-wall in leather, real wood trim and metal accents, and Active Noise Control, which cancels out offending audibles, is standard equipment. Optional is a unique 15.2-foot Retractable Panoramic Roof that takes sunroofs to the extreme.

Not only that, but the Lincoln MKZ will stands to be a powerful vehicle, with a turbocharged 2-liter engine standard, pumping out 240 horsepower and 270 lb-ft. of torque. There will also be 3.7-liter and hybrid models available, so if you want more power or more efficiency, Lincoln’s got you covered.

So what do you think? Does the new Lincoln MKZ have what it takes to get you in the mood for luxury? Ford and Lincoln are banking on it. According to Planet Money, the luxury line of an automaker’s fleet can make up as little as 10% of overall sales while accounting for upwards of 60% of its profits. More Lincoln sales means more American profit means more American jobs and so on. I for one can’t wait to get behind the wheel of a new MKZ.

What Car Has The Highest Fuel Efficiency of All-Time?

Posted on by

Honda Fit EV 2013 gets best mileage ever.

Want the best fuel mileage in the world? I know what you’re thinking: Oh, I don’t want to have to buy a Smart Car and swap out the gasoline engine for a pedal-driven, wind-powered, vegetable oil-burning 15HP engine that can be out-powered by my push mower. Or something like that, right? Well I have good news.

You don’t need to drive a ridiculous car to get the best gas mileage in the world. You just need to get a little Fit.

Nope – not exercise. I mean the Honda Fit. The Honda Fit EV to be precise. The Environmental Protection Agency has recently granted the Fit EV a 118 MPGe rating – the highest such rating ever conferred.

If you’re a close reader, you might notice I said “MPGe” rather than “MPG”. The “e” in MPGe stands for “equivalent”, meaning that the Fit’s battery engine gets the equivalent of 118 MPG that a gasoline-powered car would garner. The EPA gets that calculation by dividing the distance the car travels in tests by the energy it uses. The end result is that one gallon of gas gets you just as far as 33.7 kilowatt hours worth of power in the Fit EV.

The Fit EV doesn’t necessarily sacrifice performance for efficiency. Its 123 horsepower coaxial electric motor puts out 189 ft lb of torque. The Sport model gets 117 horsepower putting out 106 lb-ft of torque.

Overall, you can travel 82 miles on one charge of its 20 kilowatt-hour battery, which is best in class. The Nissan Leaf takes you 73 miles and the Ford Focus Electric gets you 76.

Whether the trade-off of generating power via electricity (which has its own carbon footprint) versus gas is worth it is still in the air. But 118 MPG is pretty darn good any way you look at it.

[Via MSN]

Some Thoughts On The Best Selling Autos of May

Posted on by

2013 Ford F Series

Best sellers have a paradoxical place on culture. On the one hand, yeah, everyone seems to love Twilight and Nickleback; you don’t become cultural icons without massive popularity. But people also love to hate on best selling things. Are they the best, are they the worst, or somewhere in the middle?

I happen to think things are best sellers for a reason: they’re either the best or have most of the people convinced they’re the best.

I got to thinking about best sellers after reviewing May’s auto sales numbers. The top sellers are not new. Actually, here check them out:

  1. Ford F Series pickup trucks: 54,836 sold
  2. Toyota Camry sedan: 39,571 sold
  3. Honda Civic: 33,490 sold

The three best-selling vehicles of May are… three of the best, most reliable cars on the road. Who knew?!

Sure, people may rag on Ford (and poo poo Toyota and Honda as foreign auto makers, even though each employs tens of thousands of Americans in American auto plants), but you get to be a best seller for a reason – people like what you’re selling.

I think the numbers just show that buyers are interested in getting the best bang for the buck, and that doesn’t just mean sticker price. That means parts, maintenance, reliability, and upkeep costs. There are tons of parts and know-how for fixing F Series trucks, Camrys, and Civics. That’s why it’s so hard for more up-market cars like Lexus LFA, and newer domestic cars like the Chevy Aveo, to get a strong foothold. Each of those models sold in the low single-digits last month. That’s not good.

So on the one hand, May’s sales numbers were a mixed bag. Worldwide, they were a bit lower than the year’s average sales – though they were up domestically. But on the other hand, proven, reliable winners are staying winning.

If you’re in the market for a Ford F Series truck, Camry, or Civic you know that you’re far from alone.