sold 449,255 cars globally in 2011, with 67,240 of those sales coming from right here in the States. By 2020, CEO Stefan Jacoby aims to boost those numbers to 800,000 sales globally and 120,000 here, and to do so, he can’t let the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro stand in the way. That’s why, according to a report in Automotive News, Jacoby says the company will spend “the next two or three years” considering building a plant in the U.S. or Mexico.
Jacoby six months ago at the 2011 , but now he’s added a timeframe to the discussion. Even on the optimistic end, if Volvo decided to build a factory in 2014 and got the site chosen and the facility built in 18 months, it would probably be 2016 before anyone would benefit from locally produced cars. Nevertheless, with the new V40 due for a new generation not long after, that it might make a perfect timing for us to finally get the svelte hatchback .
There isn’t a whole lot to get excited about in the world of near-luxury, full-size, front-wheel-drive sedans. Stalwarts like the and continue to make their way into the driveways of gray-haired shoppers, and new entries like the redesigned are attempting to add a little bit of spice to an otherwise bland segment. In recent years, the has nearly fallen off the map in this class simply because it hasn’t been seriously updated since its launch in 2005 as a 2006 model. (The big four-door did get a , finally.) But that’s all about to change.
The 2014 Impala will be based on the same front-wheel-drive Epsilon-II architecture that underpins the and . But instead of sharing many of its components with the ‘Bu, reports indicate that the Impala will use a lot of the features of the XTS in an effort to give it a much more premium feel than the current model. And while the majority of the new car’s styling details are still covered up by the heavy camouflage, we can see premium features like large alloy wheels and what appear to be LED running lights up front. We just hope hasn’t just taken the easy way out and created a Malibu on steroids.
Mum’s the word on powertrain offerings, but have suggested that GM’s direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 will be on board, as well as the new 2.0-liter turbo four that’s slated for use in the . An eAssist version is also rumored to be in the cards.
Look for the 2014 Impala to launch sometime during the 2013 calendar year. Production is slated to be split between GM’s Oshawa, Ontario plant, as well as the Detroit-Hamtramck facility where the Malibu and are built.
The curtain’s been lifted on the ad campaign for the , and it’s all about the game of life via the boardgame The Game of Life. The first spot is called Malti-poo and in it’s ad-speaky way it targets “city-dwelling millennials” as it “demonstrates key vehicle attributes in a fun and approachable way.” It “embodies the youthful spirit of the vehicle and offers creative content that integrates this iconic childhood game” while it also “offers visual tools and easy ways to share digestible information and collect opinions.”
In English: it’s trying to hook first-time car buyers on the notable features of the Prius C in inventive ways. Case in point: the Malti-poo spot will be followed by one called “Dolphin Tattoo,” and platforms will include broadcast television, print, consumer experience and a YouTube channel that provides car buying and financial advice.
for the ad and the press release describing the campaign.
has its i8, has its R8 e-tron, has its SLS AMG E-Cell. The electron-powered, gullwinged coupe will use batteries supplied by SK Innovations that power four synchronous electric motors into developing 525 horsepower and 649 pound-feet of torque. It is predicted to run from zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds – that’s up from a previously estimated 3.7 seconds.
Mercedes has loosed a little more info on the technology behind the SLS AMG E-Cell. Its powertrain arrangement necessitated a new front axle, so the conventional-powered car’s double wishbones have been supplanted by horizontal, pushrod damper struts. Torque vectoring to the motors mounted near the wheels, not on the hubs, aims to keep electric enthusiasm pointed in the right direction. And the Mercedes F1 team has assisted in the kinetic energy recovery system that will help to extend the coupe’s as-yet-unannounced range.
When it goes on sale sometime next year, what you see in the gallery of high-res photos will be wrapped in an SLS AMG body enhanced . for the company’s press release and have a look at the future in the gallery of high-res photos.
Of all the excellent car chases in cinema history, the vs. g battle in Steve McQueen’s Bullit may be the most recreated. Now it looks like the crew from the TV show Alcatraz has tried its hand at paying homage to the hubcap slinging sequence. According to local news station KTVU Channel 2, the new FOX series recently spent hours on San Francisco’s Bay and Larkin streets in an attempt to painstakingly replicate each legendary scene using modern interpretations of the famous bruisers in the 1968 film. The final product will be part of the Alcatraz season finale, set to air on March 26.
We’ve seen the Bullit chase replicated for and with , but this is the first time in recent memory a TV show has tackled putting Mopar power against the now iconic Highland GreenMustang. Alcatraz is the brainchild of executive producer J.J. Abrams, and features three investigators as they look into why 302 of Alcatraz prison’s most foul prisoners and guards have suddenly reappeared in modern-day San Francisco. If you’re interested, check your local listings for air times.
Obviously, we spend a lot of time trawling the Internet looking for interesting automotive news. When we find it, we’re often curious to get a little more backstory. Sometimes we need some of that has nothing to do with cars. For that task, we occasionally rely on to help us dig up additional sources – probably just the same as you do.
Thus, we’re glad to see a Daimler employee called out for an alleged misdeed, which is not just against Wikipedia’s policies, but frankly, runs counter to the whole spirit of the not-for-profit, crowd-sourced Internet encyclopedia. According to a report by The Local, someone with a Daimler IP address altered the company’s German-language Wikipedia page, seemingly intent on removing unflattering passages. The section in question concerned a “Worst EU Lobbying Award” that the parent of the brand received in 2007, along with and , for “a concerted campaign to ‘dilute and delay CO2 reduction targets.’”
A Daimler spokesman is deflecting the incident by blaming it on employees, calling the actions “independent” and “private,” insinuating that they were not part of an official directive from the company itself. Apparently changes to other Wikipedia pages were made at the same time, those concerning the cereal muesli and Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden, suggesting there could be something to spokesman’s assertion.
With just a day until is released, more revelations from the book are hitting the headlines. Among the juiciest: Nissan-Renault chief Carlos Ghosn was offered the top job at prior to Alan Mulally, but turned it down because he didn’t want to work for then-CEO Bill Ford.
According to excerpt from the book published by Automotive News, Ford made Ghosn a formal offer in early 2006, but Le Cost Cutter insisted the only way he would come to Ford was if he was named both the CEO and chairman of the board. When Mulally was eventually hired as CEO, Bill Ford stepped aside but retained his position as chairman of the company that shares his surname.
Despite Bill Ford’s power at the company that bears his family’s name, other excerpts from the book reveals that he didn’t always get the straight scoop from other executives. One soon-to-be-famous example concerns the second-generation , which went on sale in Europe in late 2004. Just as most journalists did at the time, Bill Ford wanted to know why the new model wasn’t coming to North America. According to the excerpt, then-president Jim Padilla gave his boss a PR-spin-worthy line about “product cycles [that] don’t line up.”
Ford was unpleased with the explanation, according to the report: “This is all a bunch of [expletive], he fumed as he left the meeting. Nobody will give me a straight answer.”
It’s no secret that , without question the most famous of all Italian motorcycle manufacturers, is . It’s also a well-known fact that chairman Ferdinand Piëch has in adding Ducati to the VW Group’s already massive stable of brands.
Here’s where things get a bit muddy, though. According to a rather credible sounding report from CAR Magazine in the UK, the number one suitor for the Ducati brand is, not Volkswagen, but . Of course, Audi is owned by VW, so it could be argued that Ducati would still be under the VW umbrella, but until now, Audi has never been mentioned as a potential buyer.
If rumors are correct, Ducati is hoping for a total purchase price of 850 million euros, or about 1.1 billion dollars – but that figure includes 800 million euros of debt, meaning the actual sale price of the brand itself would be just $65 million.
There are some intriguing synergies between Audi and Ducati that bear investigation. For starters, Audi has a bit of motorcycle heritage already with its former NSU and DKW brands. Second, Ducati has, in the past, positioned itself as the two-wheeled equivalent to Audi, whatever that means. And finally, having Ducati as its two-wheeled partner would give Audi yet another talking point in its longstanding rivalry with .
Audi isn’t the only serious suitor for Ducati. There’s talk of potential ownership by India’s and Germany’s , who’s own performance division is a strategic marketing partner with Ducati as it is. Audi parent Volkswagen, too, is said to be in the running for a bid to own the famed Italian motorcycle marque.
Muddy waters, indeed. In any case, you can be sure that we’ll keep you up to date with any more information on Ducati’s future ownership as time goes on.
is taking the steps necessary to right its financial ship, but when a patient has this kind of issue, the cure can hurt just as much. The small, independent carmaker has been hurt by its relatively and the strength of the yen, the loss of as a noteworthy stakeholder and the resulting . Mazda is expected to post a $1.2 billion loss for its 2011 financial year, which is smaller than earlier estimates but it’s still the fourth losing year in a row and the largest in a decade.
The need to act has forced Mazda North America into a five-month plan to shed a number of its 701 employees for leaner running. Select employees will be offered a buyout package, and if voluntary uptake isn’t sufficient then involuntary dismissals will occur. The timeline begins this month with lump-sum offers, followed by layoffs at the end of May if necessary, and the stretch to August will see the transition of personnel into the restructured organization.
Mazda is also issuing shares to raise $1.9 billion in order to aid its position and get production started in Mexico and Thailand. It is also aggressively seeking a partner and considering licensing its SkyActiv technology.
When Cerberus Capital Management owned , it put former CEO Bob Nardelli in charge of The Pentastar. When Nardelli left, shortly after Chrysler came out of bankruptcy, he stepped across the corporate drawbridge and into , heading its . Now, Bloomberg reports that he’s leaving that role in order to focus on his own investment and consulting firm, XLR-8, although he’ll remain a senior advisor to Cerberus CEO Stephen Feinberg. Nardelli will also give up the , a position he’s held for two months at the Cerberus-owned firearms maker.
This is Nardelli’s third departure in five years, having left The Home Depot in 2007 and Chrysler in 2009, but this time it’s without any obvious controversy after a quiet tenure. His own firm, XLR-8, will keep him in the private equity ranks, as his company’s mission is “to raise money to acquire underperforming companies, and to help them operate more profitably and improve their enterprise value.” He will maintain a connection to Cerberus through his own company, with the private equite house expected to transactions.
According to Automotive News, is looking to expand its dealer network in a big way. The luxury Italian automaker intends to double its dealers by the end of next year in an attempt to take advantage of a rash of new models heading for production. All told, Maserati intends to have around 500 showrooms open by the time the new vehicles roll in, and CEO Harald Wester says that the majority of the growth will happen this year. While the automaker sold just under 6,200 units last year, Wester wants to see that number swell to 40,000 in 2014 and 60,000 by 2015.
That’s a substantial jump, but with an all-new on the way as well as a production version of the not-yet-named Kubang, Wester believes the numbers are attainable. Maserati has also made it clear the company will offer an entry level sedan positioned below the big Quattroporte, which will likely do a smart job of bringing in even more customers.
is turning to prime-time TV to introduce the . The vehicle will be front and center in “Escape Routes,” a new NBC reality show that pits six teams of two against one another in a road-trip competition with layovers in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami and San Francisco. Viewers, meanwhile, can interact with the show’s contestants and participate via EscapeRoutes.com. Ford says the online community will even have a chance to impact the final outcome of the game, though it’s unclear exactly how.
Currently, NBC and Ford have chosen five teams for the competition, and four more duos are currently duking it out for the last spot. According to the automaker, the team that takes home the gold in the final competition will win $100,000 and two Ford Escape models. “Escape Routes” is set to air for six episodes on Saturday nights at 8 pm EST, starting on March 31. for the full press release.
For the first time in the life of the , the company is offering a two-tone color scheme as a “bespoke” factory option. This comes as a surprise to us because we didn’t know there was something you couldn’t get on a Ghost.
The company’s stand at the Show was used to display the first two examples: one with Infinity Black topped by Cassiopeia Silver and another in Baynunah Brown capped by Arizona Sun, with a gold-plated hood ornament and a gold double coach-line (read: pinstripes). The Infinity Black model carries the contrast to the interior, with black leather offset by a seashell headliner and steel pinstripes set into black ash veneer.
If this is why you’ve been holding back on a Ghost purchase, first admire the handiwork in the photo gallery, and then pick up your phone: your local dealer is waiting on line two.
That isn’t double vision you’re experiencing, it’s the Gigahorse. Said to be the “hero car” in Mad Max: Fury Road, the ride, , is a double-bodied ‘59 Cadillac with two supercharged V8s connected by a planetary gear, sitting on a monster-truck chassis and sporting a four-bladed cow catcher. With Charlize Theron as Furiosa alongside Tom Hardy as Mad Max, it’s unknown which hero the Gigahorse might serve but it’s certainly bat**** crazy enough for The Mad One.
Production is setting up in Namibia (because the Aussie outback has gotten too green, according the director), and peeks at have shown at least one other car as big as a semi, a couple of buggies and, of course, enough tractor-trailers to remake Convoy. A stuntman said the movie would have “.”
Speaking of Theron, last November George Miller said he’d (Mad Maxes 4 and 5, essentially) back-to-back and that production could take 2.5 years, so it might be some time before we see the Gigahorse in the local multiplex.
In a lineup packed with new and/or freshly styled vehicles, Hyundai’s two larger crossovers, the and its all-but-forgotten three-row counterpart, the , still wear the automaker’s last-generation styling language. That will be addressed (in part, at least) at next month’s New York Auto Show when Hyundai unveils the 2013 Santa Fe.
To get people talking, Hyundai published of its new CUV this evening via its Twitter feed. Predictably, the 2013 Santa Fe gets sharper lines that are much more in keeping with the rest of the model lineup, and the new face .
Hyundai calls the crossover’s fresh styling language “Storm Edge,” saying it’s an evolution of the “Fluidic Sculpture” theme it’s been using the last few years.
Based on the the , which shows a very small window aft of the rear doors, it appears that the Santa Fe will, for the time being, continue to be a two-row crossover (its optional third row was canned after the 2009 model year) that’s designed to battle the likes of the , , and .
Whether Hyundai will also use the occasion to formally confirm the to replace the Veracruz remains to be seen. It’s clear the automaker knows that it’s .
As shows off the new , it’s proving that history can be fun. In a new video, the automaker traces the origins of its 2012 Le Mans entrant back to the original Quattro that abused the space-time continuum in Group B rallying.
This isn’t exactly the true return of Quattro, however, since four-wheel drive isn’t allowed in LMP1. However, according to Le Mans rules you can have “500kJ (approximately 70bhp) to the wheels between two braking ‘events at speeds above 120km/h (75mph).”
That’s where the R18 e-tron’s regenerative braking steps up, its flywheel unleashing stored energy at the front axle. Check it out in the video .
celebrates return of Quattro to motorsports with another video
Odyne Systems is known for making big honking hybrid vehicles, things like the we first saw in 2008. At the 2012 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis this week, is showcasing the biggest plug-in hybrid vehicle with a J1772 connector that we know of: a PHEV F-750. Yes, that’s a big one.
Odyne adds its plug-in architecture to work vehicles after the fact. The liquid-cooled 346V lithium-ion battery from Johnson Controls that’s used in the system isn’t that outrageous – only 14.2 kWh – but a converted truck can get two packs installed for extra energy at the work site. Aside from 120- or 240-volt exportable AC power, the plug-in hybrid powertrain provides launch assist and recaptures energy through regenerative braking. The battery packs can also power the truck’s electronics to reduce idling.
With 28 kWh worth of batteries and a Level 2 charger, Odyne says a full charge takes just five hours. The hybrid system adds about 1,600 pounds, which we think is for a two-pack set-up. Johnson Controls has invested in Odyne, and the company works with Remy Motors on its powertrains.
Ford says the PHEV F-750 can save up to 1,750 gallons of fuel a year compared to a non-plug-in version, which adds up quickly when you’ve got $4 gallons of diesel. Odyne’s Louise Hermsen told AutoblogGreen that the cost for the PHEV conversion can be up to $100,000 depending on options, and it is available now. In fact, she said 15 plug-in hybrid F-750s have been delivered already because, even though $100,000 is not cheap, “the whole equation hinges on what kind of fuel use reduction they’re going to achieve. Making the decision to go with a hybrid takes a lot of data collection.”
Odyne has been selling hybrid truck conversion kits for years, but most of them on the road are the older, lead-acid models. The company introduced the advanced li-ion system last June and has been working with customers to make them operate best for each individual situation. Odyne can modify the truck’s software remotely as data comes in on how the trucks are being used, too (for example, how much time they spend at the job vs. on the road). Even with a vehicle this big, you want to keep track of every little thing.
Scott Burgess, former auto critic for The Detroit News, has joined the AOL Autos / Autoblog team. He is a veteran automotive journalist with six years in Detroit covering the auto industry and a Michigan native. Each month he’ll dig deeper into the industry’s sales figures and file this By The Numbers special report.
Now that I’ve figured out how to open my email, what in fact my email address is, and where the office is, I’ve been able to catch my breath and go through the February sales figures.
Lots of people were excited over the February sales numbers, which were the highest since 2009, declaring the end of tough times and announcing only big profits ahead.
Then again, that may not be exactly true. Yes, it was a 15-million-a-year sales pace, outperforming everyone’s expectations with sales jumping 15.7 percent compared to the same month last year. But people are waiting to buy cars like never before. The average age of a vehicle on the road is over 10 years old, a trend growing for nearly 20 years, according to a Polk research firm study. Polk says that people are just hanging onto vehicles longer because they’re worried about the economy. To think about how different times were 10.8 years ago – Motor Co. had just (re)introduced the all new Fabulous , which, someone is holding onto right now.
So the depression/recession party may not be over, but times are still good. Here are the things I learned by examining the February sales figures.
1. LOTS OF PEOPLE WANT CARS
This February, cars outsold trucks 53.3 to 46.7 percent.
Throughout the industry, car sales jumped 23.9 percent compared to February last year. (Truck sales rose 7.6 percent.)
There are lots of reasons for the jump, though my gut says that people buying new vehicles are also listening to the fear mongering concerning climbing gas prices. Don’t expect either trend to end any time soon.
A more important trend might be that in February 2011, trucks outsold cars 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. This February, cars outsold trucks 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent.
However, the big difference between 2008 and 2012, the last time gas prices skyrocketed, are that Detroit’s carmakers have a solid collection of little cars ranging from the and to the and soon-to-be released . More on the later. The key for Detroit is to see if people associate fuel efficient vehicles with those brands. When times get tough, people tend to go with the brands they assume are the most efficient, even when they’re not.
While we’re a little obsessed with cars here at Autoblog, our sister publication has a good habit of dispensing with terrestrial transportation entirely from time to time. This is one of those weeks, where the video crew has traveled to Switzerland – not to , but to Bex – to interview the Jetman, Yves Rossy.
Rossy is the first human to fly by means of a jet-powered wing. The Swiss pilot developed the wing over five years ago, and has since flown over the Alps, crossed the English Channel, and last year flew across the Grand Canyon.
Translogic has some great aerial footage of the Jetman, who proves to be a pretty funny interview as well. to view all of it, in full HD.
It looks as if work is officially underway on the next . Our spy photo friends managed to click the first few images of a pre-production prototype stretching its legs on public streets. The four-door is covered in enough cladding to successfully obscure any hint of new body work, but from what we’re told, there’s a whole new chassis under there. The rear-wheel-drive architecture is built to accommodate all-wheel drive as well. Where, perchance, would secure the engineering to put power to all four corners? If the whispers we hear are true, the tech could be lifted from none other than the .
Speaking of , the next-generation Quattroporte will likely continue to get its thrust from the same beefy Italian V8 found in the current generation, though adjustments for either power or fuel consumption would be a smart guess. We’ve even heard hints of a hybrid drivetrain in development. Stay tuned. With prototypes on the road, it’s only a matter of time before we spot one with a little more metal showing.
