Automotive Reporter/Biz News for Wk of 6-22-15

If you’ve waited until now to order your Porsche 918 Spyder, you may be out of luck. The last edition of the hybrid sportscar came off the assembly line last week at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, after 21-months of continuous production. While the 918 Spyder built on Porsche’s rich legacy of finely crafted driving machines, the car established a benchmark upon which future automobiles will be based. Even the production techniques of the 918 Spyder revolutionized how cars are designed and built, with Porsche filing patents on myriad processes and specialized assembly tools.

The 918 Spyder was a study in high technology, generating a total of 887-hp from its propulsion systems. The car set a record 06:57 lap time on the North Loop of the Nurburgring for street-legal vehicles running on production tires—which still stands. Oh, and it got 67-mpg with its plug-in hybrid technology.

Automobile manufacturers are making great strides in demonstrating their ability to not only produce more energy efficient cars and trucks, but also more efficiently build their new vehicles. Nissan, in particular, is being recognized for increasing vehicle production while simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions and improving sustainability for fiscal year 2014. The company says it has cut CO2 emissions 22.6% below 2005 levels, exceeding its corporate goal of 20% for the period.

The Nissan Leaf is the cornerstone of the company’s Nissan Green Program 2016, a four-pronged plan addressing zero-emission vehicle market penetration, expansion of fuel-efficient vehicles in its product line, minimization of its corporate carbon footprint, and minimization of new natural resource usage. 

The company says it achieved a 36.4% improvement in CAFE*2 fuel economy standards two years ahead of schedule, and has reduced its corporate carbon footprint by shifting to more rail transports for shipping.

The Diesel Trucking sector is also tooting its air horn over improved fuel mileage and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to newer technology investments. The Diesel Technology Forum is one of those industry advocacy groups tasked with spreading the gospel for its vested interests.

The DTF says more than 37% of all diesel medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks in the US are now equipped with newer technology diesel engines, with 22% operating with the cleanest technology available. 

Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Forum, says, “Our newest analysis of the benefits of the new technology diesel engines conducted by the Martec Group from Detroit found in Classes 3-8 vehicles, that those on the road from 2007 -2014 saved 880 million gallons of diesel fuel, and nine million tons of CO2.” 

Schaeffer says the new technology diesel engines contributed substantially to the nation’s clean air progress, “by reducing 1.45 million tons of NOx from 2007-2014, and 39,500 tons of particulate matter.” Schaeffer says emissions from today’s diesel trucks are near zero, thanks to more efficient engines, better emission control technology, and the abundant availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.

Never discourage your kids from playing video games. David Goss of Missouri, and Colton Miller from Indiana, were the finalists in Mazda’s MX-5 Challenge, co-hosted by Microsoft at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles last week. The competition was a bifurcated contest to push both the all-new Mazda MX-5 Miata, and Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 2 for its Xbox gaming console business.

Goss and Miller spent hours and hours behind the virtual wheel of the new Miata, training for the competition, which promised a new roadster—real, not virtual—for the winner. Goss defeated Colton, but Mazda wanted no one to go home empty handed, awarding both competitors with the keys to their own shiny, new Miata’s.

As a Miata driver, I can confirm there are few things more intimidating than seeing the grille of a large truck looming in the rear view mirror. FCA USA this week is launching production of it’s all new 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel at its Warren Truck Assembly Facility. 

Yeah, it’s pretty intimidating, with the blacked-out grille, billet silver “RAM” letter badge, and a higher ride height.

The Rebel boasts skid plates, tow hooks, 33-inch tires, and a manly interior, starting at under $43,000. 

Listen to the Automotive Reporter Radio Show every weekend on Stitcher.com, or from our webpage.

  

Automotive Reporter/Biz News Wk of 3-16-15

You may find this difficult to believe, but General Motors has sold nearly a half-million of its fifth-generation Camaro coupe. Chevrolet is set to deliver its 500,000th Gen-5 Camaro sometime this month. The newest edition of the popular car went on sale in August 2009, and by 2010 had surpassed the Mustang in car sales, selling well over 80-thousand vehicles a year.2015 is the final production year for the Gen-5 Camaro. One can only guess at how Gen-6 may perform!

While the 2015 Ford Mustang is considered by many the "prettiest" body style yet, some are still hankering for the original pony car of yesteryear. Now you can purchase a newly-built 1964-1/2 Ford Mustang with modern-day upgrades.

The first true replica of the Mustang was revealed over the weekend at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance by Revology Cars, a manufacturer based in Winter Park, Florida. 

The new-and-improved 'Stangs feature modernized powertrains and technology, including an improved suspension system, four-wheel disc brakes, LED headlights and tail lights, and a 5.0-L V-8.

The resurrected Mustang isn't cheap--base price is $119,500 FOB Winter Park, FL. It is available in both convertible and fastback body styles. Revology Cars is accepting orders now for delivery in Spring 2016. 

General Motors is taking notes from Ford's recent success with the Aluminum F-150 pickup truck, and is announcing new alchemy for its Cadillac CT-6. GM will use an "advanced mixed-material approach for the lightweight body structure," which will be aluminum intensive. Cadillac says it will use 13 different materials specifically made for each area of the car to enhance performance, economy and cabin quietness.

Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen says, "We used high-strength aluminum and high-strength steels; lightweight chassis components; we integrate aluminum and steel where it makes sense; we eliminate every gram of mass possible." de Nysschen calls the process "the rocket science of automobile construction and manufacturing today.”

Cadillac in January revealed a series of high-technology material joining techniques that create a new methodology for assembling the CT6. These enabled engineers to design a completely new structure for which 21 patents are pending. Thirteen complex high-pressure die cast components make up the lower structure of the CT6 body, along with aluminum sheets and extrusions. Engineers boast the car's cabin will have "bank vault quiet" in its interior.

While we're talking about building cars, Mazda announced in the past week the start of production for its all-new 2016 MX-5 Miata in Japan. If you're frothing at the mouth to get your hands on one of these, Mazda and Microsoft have come up with a virtual solution for you.  

Beginning March 17, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is giving Forza Horizon 2 players the exclusive opportunity to drive the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata on Xbox One, months before the physical car goes on sale to the public. Attendees at the SXSW Gaming Expo in Austin over the weekend were treated to two interactive driving simulators preloaded with the 2016 MX-5 software.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra is betting on three areas of innovation that will help shatter the glass ceiling for women in the automotive industry. Barra predicts more dramatic change in the next decade than the car building business has seen in the past 50 years, thanks to women engineers leading the way in some key technological advances: Electrified vehicles, infotainment and software development, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. She says these are critical to changing the way we drive. 

Mecum Auctions returns to Houston’s NRG Park April 9-11 with 1,000 American muscle cars, Corvettes, classics, hot rods, Resto Mods and more set to cross the auction block. Last year's auction was capped by the historic sale of the 1964 Ford GT40 Prototype for $7 million. This year's event will feature three private collections, including 45 cars offered by Houston’s Charlie Thomas.

Thomas operated more than 40 car dealerships, one of the largest dealership networks in the United States. His most visible activity outside the car business was as the managing partner of the Houston Rockets, which he owned from 1982 through 1993.

Going on the block will be a 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona (Lot S100) and a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird (Lot S105), both featuring the 426-horsepower Hemi V8 engine and four-speed transmission. 

The 1969 Dodge is one of only 20 built combining the dual four-barrel Hemi engine with the Hurst Pistol Grip-shifted heavy-duty four-speed manual transmission, and the 1970 Plymouth is one of only 58 Hemi four-speed versions produced.

Mecum Auctions founder, Dana Mecum, says “Houston and the state of Texas have enormous passion for quality collector cars, and that’s precisely what we’ll have crossing the auction block throughout the three-day event.”

Other featured consignments include a 1932 Duesenberg Model J Phaeton (Lot S92.1) from the Tom Goodlett Estate Collection, a rare factory supercharged F-Code 1957 Ford Thunderbird (Lot S173) from the Charlie Thomas Collection and a 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition with only 13 miles on the odometer (Lot S115.1).

Listen to the Automotive Reporter Radio Show every weekend on Stitcher.com, or from our webpage.