Finding one’s self at the helm of a storied automaker like must be equal parts amazing and terrifying. While you have the power to steer the company in any direction you so please, you’re also saddled with serving the high expectations of the world. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo knows all about those pressures. The Piedmontese aristocrat took the helm of Ferrari nearly 20 years and has largely been responsible for the company’s transformation in that time. Motor Trend recently took the time to sit down with Montezemolo for a brief chat about his time with the automaker to learn a little more about how things changed after company founder Enzo Ferrari passed away in 1988.
In addition to increasing the company’s revenue from a modest €230 million in 1993 (around $300M USD) to €2 billion ($2.59B) last year, Montezemolo ensured 17 to 20 percent of the company’s earnings were rolled into research and development each year. The CEO was also instrumental in guiding the company to becoming “The Best Workplace in Europe” as named by London’s Financial Times. Each Ferrari worker has access to free school books for their children, free family medical checkups and a low home mortgage rate.
Head over to for a fascinating look at how Montezemolo worked to craft Ferrari into the global performance and marketing powerhouse it is today… and who knows, you just might be learning more about .
Automotive industry analysts are projecting a better sales year in 2012. According to Automotive News, a number of culminating factors could see sales of up to 14 million units next year. That’s thanks to factors like decreasing unemployment, improved credit availability and a larger portion of the population looking to replace older vehicles. Don’t think that means the overall economy will be any stronger next year, however. According to the studies, buyers have simply grown more callous to news of repeated financial crises and aren’t likely to let that news impact their new vehicle purchases. While the ink hasn’t dried on 2011’s sales figures, the national tally is expected to wind up somewhere around 12.6-12.7 million new car sales.
That view is largely based on a scenario that played out earlier this year. When Congress faced off over the nation’s debt ceiling, the Dow Jones Index plummeted by 1,500 points. In the past, that would have translated into decreased auto sales, but the numbers have stayed steady this year.
Throw in pent-up demand from buyers waiting for sunnier economic times and more free-flowing credit and automakers may just meet the 14 million unit mark.
We record Episode #262 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below. Check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
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Not too long ago, we caught the dramatic finish to the Targa High Country in Australia. The last stage of the event featured one very on fire piloted by as the duo sped to the finish line. Why didn’t the team stop and put out the fire? For starters, White notes there were more fire extinguishers at the finish line than there were in the car. Additionally, the teammates beat out their closest competitor by just 10 seconds. That may be a lifetime on a track, but in targa, ten seconds can be come and go in an instant.
Now the Whites have released a video of the events that led up to the race’s dramatic conclusion. The short clip follows the team through the more dramatic moments of the 2011 Targa High Country, including multiple tight passes, wide open driving and tight, technical stages. Check it out .
It’s not every day that Lada comes out with a new car. In fact, the Samara – which the model you see here is set to replace – has been on the market pretty much unchanged since 1997. (And that’s not even their oldest model: the Niva 4×4 has been out there since 1977.) So the launch of the new Granta is a bit of an occasion for the Russian automaker and its parent company, AvtoVaz.
Based on the Kalina hatchback, the new Granta sedan is about as bare-bones as they come. For the equivalent of about $7,500, buyers born under Soviet rule get steel wheels, manual windows and… little else. A higher trim level with power steering, locks and windows, plus a stereo and ABS, goes for about $8,500. GPS, stability control and side-curtain airbags are options. Either way, it’s got an old-school eight-valve 1.6-liter four that drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual, though a 16-valve 1.4-liter is on its way.
A competition version is also set to take on the World Touring Car Championship. You might be inclined to laugh, but if a Dacia can take on the Andros Trophy and Pikes Peak….
‘Tis the season… for road salt. And with that, comes rust. And what does rust bring? Well, for and General Motors, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation. According to The Detroit News, NHTSA is looking into potential recalls issues with Express vans and Ford Freestar minivans.
The feds have received five complaints that rust has caused leaking fuel filler pipes on 2003 vans. Separately, seven complaints have been filed over excessive rust in the rear wheel wells of 2004 Ford Freestar and Monterey minivans. The Freestar and Monterey . Neither issue has resulted in any crashes or injuries, according to the report.
We think there would be considerably more car-themed furniture in the world were it not for the institution of marriage. While we would have no problem flopping the tail section of a in the living room in place of an entertainment center and TV stand, something tells us that would be a hard sell to our significant others. While PorscheDesign does make some beautiful pieces that we’re sure our better halves wouldn’t mind owning, we can’t see them cottoning on to the efforts of one enterprising individual, who has taken to manufacturing custom TV stands from the rear haunches of certain models. The entertainment centers apparently use genuine parts from the German manufacturer, right down to the wheels and brake calipers on the rear wheels.
Buyers can order up any color they so please, and the display will accommodate up to a 42-inch flat-screen television that rises from the cars innards at the push of a button. Would we have one if money were no object? Probably not, but there’s a chance we’d happily park our posteriors on a ‘59 couch. to check out the Porsche display stand after the jump.
Tata Motors has issued a recall for all Nano models manufactured between July 2009 and October 2011. The company will replace the vehicles’ starter motors free of charge. And while the Indian automaker has declined to say just how many vehicles will be affected by the recall, local news reports have said as many as 145,000 Nano vehicles will receive a new starter. Tata says the recall has been underway for some time, noting it has already replaced somewhere around 50,000 starters to date. The entire recall program is expected to cost Tata around $20.8 million at current conversion rates.
The automaker has released an updated version of the Nano called the Nano 2012. The revised model is not included in the recall.
Tata hasn’t seen the sort of sales success the company had hoped for with the world’s least expensive new car. From labor unrest to perception issues to a wave of fires and safety upgrades, the Nano has had a hard row to hoe since birth.
Kurt Busch has landed with Phoenix Racing after parting ways with Penske following a particularly rough season, even by Busch family standards. Busch of fans, teammates and team leaders alike this year after cursing at an ESPN reporter and making a habit of demeaning his crew over the radio during races. Busch’s long-time crew chief Steve Addington left the Penske team after the end of the season, reportedly thanks in part to Busch’s toxic attitude. While Addington is headed to a new position with series champion Tony Stewart, Busch has joined forces with Phoenix Racing.
According to USA Today, Busch will helm the number 51 for Phoenix. The 33-year-old racer has previously campaigned under both the and banner at various points in his career, and Busch says he’s excited to get back to “old-school” racing. While Phoenix Racing team owner James Finch has been critical of Busch in the past, he likes the racer’s track record. Busch has had 24 victories in 400 Sprint Cup starts. A.J. Allmendinger, meanwhile, will take Busch’s spot with Penske.
has dropped a few teasers of a new concept vehicle headed to this year’s Delhi Auto Expo, and the sneaky shots may hint at a successor to the well-worn Jimny/Samurai throne. Right now, the automaker doesn’t have a known replacement lined up for the pint-sized SUV.
The Samurai may have exited North America long ago, but its direct descendant, the Jimny, is still very much alive elsewhere. In fact, it has cultivated a decades-old reputation for being a tough-as-nails bruiser that’s as reliable as it is capable. We think Suzuki would do well to keep the model in its portfolio in the future, and now, new reports suggest the company could lift parts from the Swift drivetrain to build a low-cost Jimny successor.
Even so, assuming the teasers indicate a concept vehicle, it would likely be some time before we saw a production model frolicking about in the light of day. Early estimates would put a next-generation Samurai on stage at the Delhi Auto Expo in two years or so. Does that mean the U.S. will see the Samurai name return to its soil? With Suzuki’s floundering presence here in the states, that seems unlikely, but we would welcome a capable, low-dollar off roader to our shores any day. Head over to the page for a closer look.
Water is a pretty amazing substance. It coats our planet, makes up the vast majority of our bodies, and – most importantly – proves to be an endless source of YouTube hijinks. You remember, of course, the , in which water’s destructive powers were just hinted at. But in all seriousness, water is not to be messed with. Whether leaking into your basement, , or unleashing hell in the form of a tsunami, water’s capacity for violence and disaster is as great as anything dreamed up by man.
Enough with the preamble. Combine water’s devastating power with some heavy machinery and a really awful quality camcorder and you get the priceless video .
The sport utility vehicle became an endangered species not long after fuel prices began to skyrocket. But while vehicle buyers changed their shopping habits, they didn’t actually stray that far from the SUV formula. Many of today’s hottest-selling vehicles are crossovers; essentially the same tall wagons as the SUV, but with a lighter unibody chassis.
Among other things, the CUV promised to deliver superior efficiency, and while some improvement has been evident, in many cases, the genre’s fuel savings have failed to impress. A good case in point is the . When Ford’s two-row CUV entered the market in 2007, it managed only 24 miles per gallon on the highway, and many buyers struggled to hit 20 mpg in mixed driving cycles. There were plenty of reasons for its unimpressive efficiency. Most crossovers remain substantially heavier than a comparable four-door sedan, and with plenty of frontal area, they don’t exactly slice through the wind. But perhaps the biggest issue has been unevolved powertrains.
thinks it has the answer to that problem in the form of its new EcoBoost 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Ford is using the compact, turbocharged mill in a variety of crossovers, including the 2012 Ford Edge, and we sampled a well-equipped Edge Limited to see how effective the Blue Oval’s engine downsizing strategy is going.
The funeral of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il triggered a suitably elaborate procession in Pyongyang. Immense crowds in the tens of thousands braved freezing temperatures to bid the leader farewell as a parade of classic and limousines rolled through the city’s snow-covered streets. According to news reports, citizens were enlisted to help clear the 40-mile parade route of deep snow ahead of the carefully choreographed procession. Only a few military vehicles were on hand flanking the leader’s funeral hearse. An additional artillery salute is scheduled for Thursday alongside a three-minute moment of silence followed by the nation’s trains and sea vessels sounding their horns in unison at noon.
Kim Jong-il’s youngest son, Kim Jong-un, is expected to take control of the country with his aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, and his uncle, Jang Song-thaek serving in advisory roles. Kim Jong-un is expected to continue to push his father’s military-first policy as the country moves toward becoming a legitimate nuclear power. to watch videos of the procession and check out our gallery below.
Our spy photographers have snapped a few shots of the upcoming and G65 AMG SUVs. The beasts are currently undergoing winter testing in Sweden, and from the looks of things, buyers will be able to chose between two brawny boxes when the vehicles receive an official debut next year. The G55 is likely to feature a 525 horsepower, twin-turbocharged 5.4-liter V8 engine along with the subtle grille and bumper updates we see here. The globe-crushing SUV will also likely receive larger, more capable brakes as well as an updated interior. Otherwise, we can expect the G’s sharp angles to soldier on in perpetuity.
If the G55 isn’t enough to make you giggle, is also planning an even more exclusive G65. That terror will come boasting a 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V12 engine good for 612 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque, though only 200 units will be produced. How’s that for maniacal? Word has it the AMG G twins will take a bow at either the 2012 Detroit Auto Show or the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.
If you’re looking for the bones of Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa, you may need look no further than the General Motors headquarters. According to a new book by Hoffa’s former driver and mob goon Marvin Elkind, Hoffa’s corpse rests below the cement foundation of the Renaissance Center. Elkind co-wrote Weasel: A Double Life in the Mob with a Canadian journalist, and according to one passage, reported mob boss Anthony Giacalone told Teamsters delegates to “Say good morning to Jimmy Hoffa, boys,” as he nodded to the foundation of the Renaissance Center during a conference in Detroit in 1985.
Thin evidence? Sure, but the news is just as credible as any of the other theories concerning Hoffa’s dissappearance. From a burial under the end zone of the old Giants Stadium in New Jersey to cremation at a Hamtramck waste disposal facility, plenty of urban legends surround the union leader’s vanishing act. Something tells us no one’s going to be ripping up the floor boards at the RenCenter looking for musty bones anytime soon, however.
The is set to appear for the first time at the , but the Tri-Shield is giving us a sneak-peek via its Facebook page. We’ve already seen a close-up of a very , and Buick also of a water-front image.
Now Team Buick is unveiling a second panel, which shows the entire greenhouse plus a good portion of the side body panels. The Encore looks to be about the same size as the Chevrolet Equinox, but we don’t see a single panel shared with the BowTie-badged CUV. We still don’t have the first hint of any vehicle specs, but that should change as we get closer to the crossover’s January 10th reveal date.
The Detroit Three are in much better financial shape than three years ago. and are now profitable, and appears poised to begin making real money soon. That success has lead to plans to spend billions of dollars on North American plants, but Automotive News reports that our friends to the north aren’t seeing much of the money.
Ford, GM and Chrysler are reportedly planning to spend at least $13.3 billion in the U.S. in the next four years, but investment in Canadian plants is dropping fast. In fact, there was only $1.2 billion in plant spending in Canada in 2011, down 62 percent versus the average of the last decade. A big reason for the decline in spending is the strength of the Canadian dollar and the relative weakness of the U.S. dollar.
Automakers are also spending more in the U.S. thanks to a new labor agreement with the , which helps level labor costs compared to foreign rivals. Meanwhile, automakers and the are now working on a new contract for 2012. The CAW has so far fought many of the cost cuts that the UAW has accepted.
To make matters worse for our northern neighbors, that once built the and , and GM ha reportedly announced plans to build two models in the U.S. that are currently being built in Canada.
We’re guessing that while the Canada announcements have been few and far between in the past year or two, that could change if the CAW makes a few concessions at the bargaining table in 2012. If not, auto jobs in Canada could be in real trouble.
is out to draw parallels between the company’s new GT86 sports car and some of the legends of the automaker’s past. A new video depicting the new coupe’s development spends plenty of time with the GT86 on screen with the likes of the Toyota Sports 800 and even the AE86. Those are both fine sparring partners for a vehicle that prides itself on superior handling over outright brawn. Watching engineers cane the GT86 around the world’s various road courses only stokes our desire for a little more time with the either of the two-door’s corporate cousins.
As you may recall, the and both left favorable impressions on us during our recent drives, but we could use a full week’s worth of sideways action to figure out whether those pieces of hardware are worthy of sharing tarmac with the likes of the legendary AE86. to take a look.
Thailand’s worst flood in 50 years claimed the lives of 610 people and caused billions in damage, but with the waters slowly receding, the extent of the damage is coming into focus.
Among the tens of thousands of businesses affected by the disaster, hasn’t been spared – its factory was hit hard, and in an effort to assure that damaged vehicles never make it to consumers, the Japanese automaker has begun to scrap over 1,000 vehicles damaged during the flood.
Honda workers have begun disposing of row upon row of and subcompacts submerged during the flooding using construction equipment and vehicle crushers to demolish the 1,055 vehicles. The tragic yet oddly beautiful gallery above chronicles the aftermath and resulting destruction.
has been busily preparing its new , and the automaker just put the racer through its first shakedown tests in Turin, Italy. So far, the Lotus team is happy with the vehicle’s progress, but testing will continue in 2012 as the company prepares to take on the 2012 FIA World Championship. Don’t expect the to take on too many gravel stages, however. Lotus says the rally car will lock horns with competitors in the FIA GT Class on the asphalt events in Monte Carlo, Tour de Corse and San Remo.
Lotus began working on its rally fighter in July, 2011, which is a pretty quick turn around for the vehicle’s first shakedown run.
But the Exige R-GT Rally Car isn’t the only tasty piece of news from the company. Lotus also fired up the company’s IndyCar engine for the first time as well. for the full press release.
