Automotive Reporter Biz News for Wk of 10-12-15

It’s show time.

Lexus says it will present 11 vehicles at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show, which opens October 29. My invitation seems to have been lost in the mail. 

The exhibition will mark the Japanese debut of two Lexii: the partially redesigned GS, and the GS F high-performance sports sedan, which is newest member of Lexus’ “F-Troupe.”

Lexus’ new RX premium crossover will also make its first appearance in public at the Tokyo Show.  Also making its world premiere is a new concept car which expresses Lexus’ future vision of progressive luxury. 

Lexus says we’ll have to wait for more details on that until the day before the Tokyo Show opens.

In the 1960’s and ‘70’s, McClaren became king on the Can-Am circuit with five consecutive championship wins, 1967-1971.
To commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of Can-Am’s launch, McClaren Special Operations is creating a very limited-edition 650S Can-Am, themed on the race cars from the period.

The 2016 650S features a 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 producing 641bhp and 500 lb ft of torque. Zero-to 60 is under three-seconds, and the car’s top speed is 204 mph. At least.

MSO Executive Director Paul MacKenzie says, “The 650S Can-Am is a modern day interpretation with a mixture of functional design features taken from the all-conquering models, combined with the lightest and most pioneering materials available, as was the case with the race cars.”

How limited is the limited-edition car? McClaren is building only 50-models of the commemorative 650S, priced at a paltry £255,850 ($393,177.49).

If you’re into tuner cars, you know the Blood Type Racing name. The Chicago based shop is legendary for wringing out every calorie of hp with its extreme take on Korean vehicles. Its latest creation is a knee-weakening rendition of Hyundai’s popular Veloster—a Turbo R-spec built specifically for next month’s SEMA show in Las Vegas.
Eau my…

What are you looking at? That’s a carbon fiber wide-body kit that gives the car a muscular, more aggressive stance. Front-mounted aero canards, front splitter and a rear deck spoiler provide down force at speed. Red accents on the custom SSR three-piece wheels, along with red projector “demon eye” headlamps add a final demonic touch to the vehicle’s exterior.

Under the hood, Veloster’s 1.6-liter “Gamma” four-cylinder engine gets new cylinder sleeves, a high-boost turbocharger from Garrett, and custom connecting rods and pistons.
With a retuned OEM ECU working in tandem with the strengthened engine internals, power output is now more than 500 horsepower, maintaining OEM drivability through use of Hyundai’s latest GDI technology. The interior is stripped, instead getting the full, race-spec treatment with the addition of a four-point roll cage, Sabelt bucket seats, harnesses and steering wheel, along with audio upgrades from Rockford Fosgate and Tanabe OLED Revel gauges. Me likey.

While Volkswagen continued its tortured laps around the media race track last week, it turns out they’re not the only car company making mea culpas over emission test results. Add to the pack Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi, producing diesel cars known to emit significantly more pollution on the road than on the dyno-pad.

The Guardian quotes more realistic road test results showing some Honda models spewing six times the regulatory limit of NOx pollution. The Guardian says Renault, Nissanm Hyundai, Citroen, Fiat, Volvo, and Jeep all blew past NOx limits in real-life road tests of their vehicles by the Emissions Analystics company. 

CEO/Founder Nick Molden told The Guardian, “The issue is a systemic one” across the industry. “The VW issue in the US was purely the trigger which threw light on a slightly different problem in the EU - widespread legal over-emissions,” he said.

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Automotive Reporter/Biz News Week of 3-2-15

2015 Scion FRS

When the world’s largest auto maker takes action based on demographic trends, you'd best not ignore the signs. Toyota and Scion are returning as official automotive and transportation sponsors of "Hispanicize 2015," the largest annual event for Latino trendsetters in digital and entertainment media.

“Toyota and Scion’s engagement with Latino bloggers, journalists, marketers, filmmakers and entertainment professionals is an extension of our decades-long relationship with the Hispanic market overall,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of the Hispanic Business Strategy Group of Toyota North America. The company has been marketing to and engaging with the Latino community for more than 20 years. "Hispanicize offers a unique opportunity to draw from that multi-decade commitment,” Pineda said.

Pineda's job description includes maintaining Toyota’s leadership position among Latinos, and making sure that the Hispanic perspective is fully integrated into growth strategies for all of its Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. The Miami event is in its sixth year.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

FiatChryslerAmerica US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 467,480 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs worldwide to install a new relay circuit that improves fuel-pump relay durability.

FCA US engineers have found a problem they identified in a previous investigation which  may extend to more vehicles. That investigation, which led to a recall, traced a pattern of repairs to fuel-pump relays that are susceptible to deformation. That could affect fuel-pump function, preventing your Jeep from starting, or leading to engine stall. Of the two scenarios, the no-start condition is the more common.

The new recall campaign affects an estimated 338,216 vehicles in the U.S.; 18,991 in Canada; 10,829 in Mexico, and 99,444 outside the NAFTA region.  Covered in the recall are 2012 and '13 Durango's, and and non-NAFTA 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee's with 3.0-liter diesel engines. 

Volkswagen is reshaping its supply chain strategies, and could transform the entire automotive industry in the process. The new Volkswagen FAST (Future Automotive Supply Tracks) Program seeks to create a more efficient global supplier network by prioritizing investments, and making the most efficient use of resources.

"New technologies and shorter product cycles pose challenges for our industry," said Dr. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, responsible for Procurement. 

Sanz says the first step will be to identify the best suppliers in an agreed selection procedure. "Only these companies will receive access to Volkswagen FAST," Sanz said. Those partners will be involved in innovation cycles within the Group at an earlier stage, and "will be expected to contribute their ideas to the pre-series development of vehicles at an earlier stage," he said. The Volkswagen Group invited its key global suppliers to Wolfsburg for the kick-off event.

2015 Ford Edge

Ford Motor Company's $700-Million investment in its Oakville, Ontario plant is starting to pay off, cranking out new 2015 Ford Edge vehicles for global distribution. 

Ford says worldwide demand for utility vehicles has swelled 88% since 2008, and now account for 19% of global sales. Ford says the Edge has been its best-selling five-passenger vehicle for seven of the eight years since its launch. 

The 2015 edition is "all new from wheels to roof," and will be the first Ford vehicle in North America powered by the company’s new twin-scroll 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine. The 2015 model is the first Edge to come standard with EcoBoost power. 

"Chappie..." not a Ford robot.

The Oakville Assembly Plant underwent a massive transformation, including new technology and robotics, new processes, and new training.  More than 250 new robots were added, including new software and vision systems that improve efficiency, precision and quality.  1,000 robots were upgraded. But best of all, the factory has added 1,400 new employees.

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