Have a happy and safe Fourth. The Auto News column will resume on July 5
It will soon be easier for Mustang owners to burn rubber. A “state-of-the-art” electronic line-lock will be available across the Mustang lineup. Until now it was only available on V8 models.
Using steering wheel-mounted thumb switches, a driver toggles through a menu on the instrument cluster to activate electronic line-lock. Once engaged, the system builds pressure on the front brake calipers. Another button press holds the pressure for up to 15 seconds, allowing the driver to hit the throttle and spin the rear wheels while the car stays in place,
Drivers with available new 12-inch, all-digital instrument cluster will see on the display an industry-first animation of a spinning alloy wheel creating a cloud of smoke when line-lock is engaged.
McLaren Automotive accelerates to its fourth consecutive year of profitability from record sales in 2016. It also confirmed that its business plan is on track with launch of new Super Series and Sports Series models
A record 3,286 McLaren cars were sold in 2016 and the first car available under a new business plan, the 720S, is sold out for this year with 1,500 orders taken. Pictured is CEO Mike Flewitt.
“The positive financial performance in 2016 was underpinned by a 44% increase in sales revenues and is further proof that McLaren Automotive’s growth plans are both achievable and sustainable,” Flewitt said.
Aston Martin’s wildest-ever car – the track-only Aston Martin Vulcan – has been taken to new extremes with a performance upgrade package developed by the luxury marque’s new performance brand, AMR.
Some aerodynamic changes resulted in a major increase in downforce, important on the track. Gear ratios were shortened to “deliver intensified acceleration.” And it is one fine looking vehicle.
Production of the 2018 Toyota Camry is underway at the plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. The car will go on sale this summer and is the first U.S. produced vehicle to feature Toyota’s new Global Architecture.
Auto News for June 29
Looking forward to a five day weekend? Here’s a headline from the AAA that should have your wallet singing.
“Gas prices hovering at all time low for the year heading into the Independence Day weekend.” The national average price for gasoline is nearing an all-time low for the year at $2.26 a gallon. February of this year was the last time the price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was this low nationally. Better still, 60 percent of holiday motorists can find gas for $2.24 or less a gallon, AAA said. Today’s national average is three cents cheaper than a week ago and eleven cents cheaper than a month ago.
Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 400,000 2015-17 Ford Transit van/bus vehicles with medium, long and extended wheelbases and chassis cab/cutaways with medium wheelbases to replace the driveshaft flexible coupling. In the affected vehicles, continuing to operate a vehicle with a cracked flexible coupling may cause separation of the driveshaft, resulting in a loss of motive power. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with this issue. Affected vehicles include 2015-17 Ford Transit vehicles built at Kansas City Assembly Plant, Jan. 17, 2014 to June 15, 2017.
BMW is may be ready to pose a big challenge to Tesla. A German newspaper said a 3-Series all electric sedan will be introduced at a domestic auto show in three months.
New vehicle sales in the first half of 2017 are expected to be 8.4 million, down nearly 2.3 percent compared to the first six months of 2016. With growing economic headwinds, full year sales in 2017 are predicted to reach 17.1 million, down 2.5 percent from the record 17.5 million sold in 2016, according to Kelley Blue Book.
While the U.S. economy is strong and key indicators are favorable for new automobile sales, vehicle affordability continues to be an issue holding back many households.
Through the first five months of 2017, the average transaction price for a new vehicle averaged approximately $34,609, the highest level ever reported by KBB. On top of that, a significant number of off-lease vehicles are returning to the market as low mileage to challenge showroom sales.
Attention Subaru fans: The brand gained the most market share during the first five months of 2017, and at the current pace, Subaru could pass Hyundai in U.S. market share by the end of the year, KBB forecasters said.
Cox Automotive analysts believe Chrysler, Ford and Jeep will continue to struggle with market share in calendar year 2017. They predict the company’s share will soon drop below one percent.
Boston is the worst city to drive in? Bet auto body shops must love it.
The Hub came in at number 200 of the 200 major cities listed in an Allstate study of the burgs where you are least likely, and most likely, to be involved in an accident.
Historians will note that Beantown streets, in some cases, are merely paved over old cow paths from Boston’s colonial past. Baltimore was the second worst city, followed by Worcester, Mass. and Washington D.C.
Scroll up to the top of the list and you find Kansas City, Kansas, is the city where you are least likely to be involved in a crash, according to Allstate’s claim data.
Coming in second was Brownsville, Texas, followed by Madison Wisconsin, Huntsville, Alabama, and Cape Coral Florida.
The Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report is an annual ranking that identifies which of the 200 largest U.S. cities and their surrounding suburban metropolitan areas have the safest drivers.
Among large metropolitan communities, New York City came in 116th among the 200, Los Angeles was number 193, and Chicago was number 129.
And speaking of accidents, (as best one can in print,) Cobra Electronics is out with a windshield mounted camera that continuously records video of the road as you drive. Hench, drivers would have a record of any accidents as they occur, for better or worse, assuming the camera survives the impact. Cobra said it can also record license plate numbers, while storing the information in 3-minute segments. When the memory is full, it will automatically delete the oldest segments.
Rolls-Royce Black Badge – the latest from the “Spirit of Ecstasy” and I could never explain it as well as the maker. So we will quote:
“Created to satisfy overwhelming demand from a new breed of Rolls-Royce patrons, Dawn Black Badge stands as the most luxurious, social and sensual space from which to take in the night air. This most glamorous, uncompromising expression of open-top luxury is given a new and darker sensual dimension through its suite of Black Badge engineering and design treatments.”
The Dawn Black Badge is “presented in a deeply intense shade of black. Multiple layers of paint and lacquer have been fastidiously applied and hand-polished in a process that amounts to the most exhaustive painting and polishing process ever used for a solid paint color. The result clothes Dawn’s sensuous lines in the deepest, darkest and most intense black to ever grace a production car surface. The roof, which opens in a ‘Silent Ballet’ to allow in the sounds of the night, is also only available in black canvas, whilst the rear deck is finished in black leather.”
That’s quality but I would be concerned about taking through a car wash.
They race weird things in the U.K. Don’t believe me? How about a motorized bathroom suite where the driver sits on a toilet seat and grips the sink handlebars, as the passenger reclines in the bathtub! Even more bizarre is Fast Asleep, a double bed that can whisk its restful occupants along at the national speed limit. If you think that is strange, then you’ll be blown away by Gone to Speed, a garden shed capable of a window box-wobbling 58 mph. This unassuming wooden structure is just at home on the highway as it is nestled in a suburban back yard, backers said.
Or a 1960 Dodgem car, you remember those at fairs, with a top speed of about 5 mph. This one tops out at 95 mph more. Appropriately enough, all have been assembled for a TV show called, “Wacky Record Breakers.”
Do you get the idea that there is not much going on this morning?
BMW has unveiled its 2018 X3 that will feature, for the first time, an M Performance model in the lineup with a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds. There will also be a 75 percent larger Head-Up Display, a 10.25 inch touchscreen and BMW Gesture Control technology. And not to forget the “first ever factory installed trailer hitch.”
The new M model will feature a 3.0-liter twin power turbo six with 355 horsepower. BMW said the X3 M40i will sit atop the model range and come with an 8-speed “Steptronic Sport” automatic with shift paddles. Also “M Sport brakes, M Sport suspension with M Performance specific tuning, Variable sport steering and standard 19-inch or optional 20-inch and 21-inch cast light-alloy wheels.
The X3 M40i can be equipped with the Adaptive M Sport suspension, which covers an even wider spread of ride comfort featuring the sportiest set-up suspension available.
New inside is 3-zone automatic climate control, individually adjustable 40/20/20 second row seats, and a significant increase in load capacity from 28.7 cubic feet to 62.7 cubic feet.
At night, the iDrive display appears to be floating above the instrument panel.
Drivers can try out a wide variety of drive modes: ECO PRO, COMFORT, SPORT and SPORT+ in the M40i model only.
There will be eight inches of ground clearance for those considering a trip off pavement.
Production will be carried out the BMW plant in Spartanburg, S.C. It will go on sale in November. The X3, not the plant!
McLaren has partnered with LEGO to build a full size model 720S that will be displayed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K. A team of six worked for more than 2,000 hours to build the model using 280,000 or so LEGO bricks. The 1:1 scale model will arrive at the Goodwood stand incomplete. In order to finish the build, visitors to the McLaren stand will need to place orange McLaren bricks in designated parts of the car, with the 720S reaching completion by Sunday at the end of the Festival of Speed. The finished model, McLaren said, will be substantially heavier than the real life 720S.
GM has trimmed its sales forecast for the year to the “low 17 million” range from the previously announced mid-17 million range. Industry wide sales have been lower for the past three months, especially for cars.
As expected, airbag maker Takata filed for bankruptcy in Japan and here in the U.S. today and will be sold to a Chinese/American firm. Details at:
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2017/06/26/takata-bankruptcy-filing/103194254/
Two Ohio-built SUVs from Fiat Chrysler topped Cars.com’s 2017 American-Made Index: the Jeep Wrangler (including the Wrangler Unlimited four-door) and Jeep Cherokee. Their domestic-parts content were among the highest figures observed in this year’s AMI: 74 percent for the Wrangler, 75 percent for the Wrangler Unlimited and 70 percent for the Cherokee. All engines and nearly all transmissions for the Wrangler and Cherokee hail from the U.S., and FCA assembles both nameplates in Toledo, Ohio.
The Ford Taurus came in third, followed by the Honda Ridgeline and Acura RDX.
New vehicle sales are forecast to fall nearly 4 percent this month. “Kelley Blue Book projects June will be yet another down month of sales with expected declines in both fleet and retail,” said Tim Fleming, analyst for KBB. “With manufacturers continuing to announce production cuts at their plants following weaker consumer demand, it all but solidifies 2017 as a down year.”
June would be the fourth month in a row that the Seasonally Adjusted Annual (sales) Rate would fall below 17 million, or the longest period since September 2014.
Ford Motor Company is likely to lose the most market share of the major manufacturers, projected at 1 percent. The declines can be primarily attributed to an expected drop in fleet sales, KBB said.
A top official at Lamborghini said at the Automotive News Europe Congress that the company is considering the creation of a four seat sports car. It may arrive in 2025 to 2030 time frame.
Mazda6 Grand Touring
Grand Fun Touring Indeed
By Ron Amadon
DAMASCUS, MD. – It is rare, but there are times when you first enter a new car and everything, the driving position, controls and seat comfort are just right.
No need for endless adjustments, or dog earing the owner’s manual to go about various routine operations.
You settle in and the driving position, smaller steering wheel, instruments, etc., send a clear message to the brain that THIS is going to be a fun drive.
And the Mazda6 was just that. (That is not a typo. Mazda does not include a space between the a and the 6.)
All those shoppers who plunked down money for a crossover, SUV or truck are missing out on a great ride.
In addition to strong performance and superb handling, comes good value. Opt for the top of the list Grand Touring trim package and you gain a head up display, navi, 8 way power adjustable driver’s seat, 6 way adjustable passenger seat, trunk lid spoiler, additional safety items, and shift paddles among other goodies.
Add in the new for 2017 GT Premium Package for $2,500 and pick up Nappa Leather trimmed upholstery, heated rear seats and steering wheel, a brake regeneration system that is said to slightly improve gas mileage, grille shutters and a black headliner.
Along with some other minor optional items and including delivery, this Mazda leaves the dealer lot for a more than reasonable $34,530.
Your trip home will be powered by the 2.5-liter four with 184 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque matched to a six speed automatic. From a standing start a mile-a-minute comes up in about 7.5 seconds. It feels faster from the driver’s seat. A stick shift is available on some models for do it yourselfers.
If you contain yourself, and it’s not easy, 35 mpg is doable on the highway said the EPA with 27 around town for a combined 30. I came in at 30.
“Driving Matters” says Mazda in its advertising, and here is where this sedan stands out from all of the competition.
It just hangs in there on rural, curve laden roads. The engine, transmission, and suspension work in perfect harmony to elicit smiles on the operator’s face. The fun is only enhanced by the new G-Vectoring System that takes various steps, such as reducing torque, to maintain tire contact with the pavement and step up stability.
Yet if a long day looms ahead on boring interstates, you will appreciate the extra sound deadening that Mazda added for 2017.
The exterior style elicited compliments virtually everywhere I went during the week long test. The most often heard comment was, “What is that. That’s pretty.”
Other notes:
A six foot tall adult can be comfortable in the rear seat with a six footer ahead of them.
Placing your favorite satellite channels in the memory bank requires a few too many steps using the console mounted knob and the center dash mounted info screen. Once set, the favorites were easy to access. It should also be easier to move from satellite to FM for instance.
Reliability has been excellent for the 6, now celebrating its 15th year on the market and, from what I have been told, owners love them.
If you like to drive and are looking for a midsize sedan there is only one test drive to take – The Mazda6!
It’s true! An Indiana meeting of the Rolls-Royce owners club that should draw more than 1,000 classic models will be joined by the “world’s largest plumbing manufacturer,” TOTO.
The vanity plate on the silver Audi caught my eye as the two of us, and about a thousand other motorists, rolled along at 30 mph under the speed limit on the Washington Beltway in late morning rush.
“NO PNDL” was the plate and it instantly triggered good feelings in my soul. A stick is always more fun to drive rather than an automatic, right?
Wrong! Bumper-to-bumper stop and go traffic for two-and-one-half-hours from Northern Virginia to home base in Maryland in the heart of the evening rush made me realize that my best friend was the smooth automatic in my test Kia. Well that and the excellent A/C that mitigated the 90+ degree heat and very high humidity that could be rung out of anyone’s shirt after more than 5 minutes exposure.
As semi after semi with their multi speed manual trannies inched along with me I thought, “Those guys must have left legs and ankles like a star defensive lineman in the NFL, or performer in WWE.”
Meanwhile:
BMW will introduce an “all-new” X3 on Monday at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The 2018 model is said to be larger, lighter and riding on a whole new platform.
Subaru announced that its refreshed 2018 Legacy will carry a starting price of $22,195, a gain of $200 over the 2017 model. The new Outback model starts at $25,895, an increase of $250. Both will arrive in dealer showrooms late this summer.
The 3.9-liter twin turbo V8 that powers the Ferrari 488 GTB and other models has been named International Engine of the Year. This is only the second time that an engine has captured the top award two years in a row.
“The Ferrari V8 is all about amazing power delivery, precision, drive ability and a wonderful soundtrack, too. One day soon it’ll be a classic in its own right; indeed I think it is already,” said Tony Robinson, founder of the International Engine of the Year Awards. The power plant cranks out 661 horsepower and will propel the 488GTB to 60 in just 3.0 seconds.
J.D. Power is out with its annual report on the number of problems experienced during the first 90 days of ownership of a new vehicle. It’s conclusion?
New-vehicle quality is at its highest level ever, improving a significant 8% from last year, with improvements across seven of the eight categories measured, with 27 of the 33 brands in the study improving their quality compared with 2016.
That is not to say there are no problems, and the leading area is well known.
Audio/communication/entertainment/navigation continues to be the area where new vehicle owners experience the most glitches. But even there, we see a 2.8 percent improvement over 2016.
Kia ranks highest in overall initial quality for a second consecutive year, and its brother in law, Genesis, ranks second overall. They were followed by Porsche, with Ford and Ram tied for fourth. On the other end of the chart were Jaguar and Fiat.
The most improved brand was Mini. Other improved brands were Ram, Acura, Volvo, and Ford.
The parent company receiving the most model-level awards for its various brands is Hyundai with five model-level awards, followed by General Motors and BMW, each with four.
Power’s Initial Quality Study is based on responses from nearly 80,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2017 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership.
This Independence Day, a record-breaking 44.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home, taking to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways, according to AAA. With 1.25 million more travelers than last year, 2017 will be marked as the most traveled Independence Day holiday weekend ever. “Combined, strong employment, rising incomes and higher consumer confidence bode well for the travel industry, in particular this Independence Day weekend,” said Bill Sutherland. A total of 37.5 million Americans will drive to their destinations, an increase of 2.9 percent over last year.
The national average gas price is four cents cheaper than this same time last year and a contributing factor to the increase in travelers on the roads this Independence Day.
We advised you earlier of AAA’s prediction that oil prices will likely continue to fall this month. Yesterday, they hit a low not seen since last November. On world markets this morning, crude was off another 15 cents all on worries that supply will exceed demand. So there is the chance that over time this price decline might show up at your favorite gas pump.
Reuters reports this morning that Takata will file for bankruptcy protection on Monday. It faces billions of dollars in liability losses around the world. The filing is expected to come in Tokyo.
Driverless shuttle vans are coming to the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Two 15 passenger all-electric vehicles will be circling the campus this fall.
Bloomberg reports Tesla has reached an agreement with Shanghai to explore the idea of setting up vehicle production there.
Ford announced that its all-new 2019 Focus will initially come from China with “additional variants” coming from Europe later.
“No U.S. hourly employees will be out of a job tied to the new manufacturing plan for Focus. Production of the current North American Focus at the Michigan Assembly Plant continues through mid-2018. Following that, the plant will be converted to produce the Ranger midsize pickup truck in late 2018 and the Bronco midsize SUV in 2020,” Ford announced.
The plan will save $1 billion in investment costs over an earlier proposal to manufacture the Focus in Mexico. Ford cancelled that plan earlier this year.
Further, Ford announced a $900 million investment in its Kentucky plant to build the new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. That move, the company said, would secure “1,000 U.S. hourly jobs…”
These are the first major announcements since Jim Hackett replaced Mark Fields as Ford’s CEO.
The Detroit Free Press said Ford currently manufactures the Focus at two China plants.
Toyota’s redesigned 2018 Camry will carry a starting price of $23,495 for the base “L” model on up to a $34,950 start for the top-of-the-line XSE V6. Those prices do not include shipping. The new Camry is due in showrooms late this summer with more horsepower for the gas and hybrid models and “Class-Leading” estimated fuel economy. It will be offered in five trim models.
Inside is a 10-inch color Head-Up Display; a seven-inch multi-information display within the instrument cluster, and an eight-inch audio/navigation/HVAC control panel that’s integrated into the center console in a “modern, flush-surface design.”
New powertrains include a 2.5-liter four and a 3.5-liter V6 paired with a new eight speed automatic. The 2.5 is rated at 206 horsepower and 176 hp in the hybrid. A total of 301 horsepower is the rating for the V6 with 267 lb-ft of torque.
Younger drivers alert! A “Guest Drive Monitor” is available, so be careful behind the wheel.
Most of the Camrys sold in North America are assembled at the Georgetown, Kentucky plant.
Dodge has announced how its limited edition 840-horsepower Demon will be allocated to its dealers.
To be eligible to order a Challenger SRT Demon, dealers must have sold more than one SRT Hellcat in the last 12 months.
Dealer allocation will be based on 60 percent SRT Hellcat and 40 percent Charger and Challenger sales performance.
Dealers can only order as many Demons as they are allocated.
Demons sold at or below MSRP will receive priority scheduling resulting in lower serial numbers.
Demons sold for a price that exceeds MSRP will be produced after priority production is completed.
The drag strip ready car will carry an MSRP of $84,995 including a $1,700 gas guzzler tax. Production of limited-edition, serialized, single model-year (3,000 United States/300 Canada) Demon begins later this summer; deliveries to Dodge//SRT dealers to begin this fall.
It is being called the “biggest single investment in Bosch’s more than 130 year history.” The German firm will construct a $1.1 billion plant that will produce chips that can be used in a variety of ways including autonomous cars. Construction of the plant in Dresden, Germany, will be complete in 2019 the company said to meet the growing demand for semiconductors. It claims that every car sold has an average of nine chips made by the company.
This past week more than half of gas stations nationwide were selling petrol for less than the national average of $2.29, according to the AAA. At 56 percent of stations, consumers could fill up for less than $2.24 as prices dropped in all but four states. Prices in South Carolina have fallen below $2 a gallon the auto club said, while California is close to dropping below $3 a gallon. While demand hit new heights over the Memorial Day weekend, it has dropped in the first half of June. Increased production could lead to even lower prices for the rest of this month, the auto club concluded.
Automotive News reports Mercedes will offer a more affordable “A” class sedan here in the U.S. Dealers got a chance to see the new model at a recent gathering in Florida, but there has been nothing officially released by M-B. But an “A” class concept was teased at the recent auto show in Shanghai. That vehicle was, give or take an inch or two, the size to the CLA sedan that is now on the market.
At the show, Mercedes said this marks a whole new design.
“Our Concept “A” Sedan shows that the time of creases is over”, said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler AG. “With its perfect proportions and a sensual treatment of surfaces with reduced lines, it is the next milestone of Sensual Purity and has the potential to introduce a new design era.”
The front end is marked by Power Domes and the “deep Panamericana grille tilted toward the front,” MB said of the concept.
Thus far, there is no indication when the new A Class will appear here, and certainly it will not carry forth all of the styling touches of the concept. But MB is hoping that a lower price will attract younger buyers to the brand who will stick around when it comes to trade up time.
A 500-page report has concluded that Tesla was not at fault in a fatal 2016 crash of a Model S with a semi. The National Transportation Safety Board said the car was being operated in autopilot mode, and the driver, who was killed in the accident, was advised several times by the cars’ systems to take control of the vehicle prior to the collision. NTSB said the operator kept his hands off the wheel “for the vast majority of the trip.”
And various reports say Tesla is close to a deal that would allow the company to manufacture cars in China.
Ron Amadon's Roads 