Automotive Reporter Biz News for Wk of 10-26-15

Ford’s marketing geniuses continue to blend Mustang’s heritage with various speedsters to produce very appealing derivatives of the iconic muscle car. 

Petty’s Garage is being tapped to build a limited number of highly modified Mustang GTs – 243 King edition models, 43 King Premier and 14 King Premier convertibles.

What will the King-packages include? The already hot, 5.0-litre engine will be modified with a Ford Performance supercharger to boost horsepower to 670—with a three-year, 36k-mile warranty.

Petty’s Garage owner, the legendary Richard Petty, says the King Edition Mustangs are “pretty much the way I’d build my own.” To handle the extra power, the Petty shop also adds TrakPak Ford Performance halfshafts, three-way adjustable front and rear sway bars, and a rear axle upgrade. MSRP prices begin at $67,495—which is pretty affordable in this universe. Order yours from the Petty’s Garage website.

The OnStar network is amazeballs. With a push of a button, you can be connected to a real, live person in this country (who speaks flawless English), who will answer any question you have. If there’s an emergency, they’ll dispatch help—even before you ask, in some cases. Now OnStar is offering to read books to you while you drive along. Actually, they’re downloads of audio books, but you get the idea.  

Maritz Research finds that Buick owners are 30% more likely to read books as a leisure activity, and so GM and Audiobooks.com are offering two free downloads to 2016 Buick owners. I think they should add another volume to the list—the 2016 Buick Owners’ Manual.

The electrical evolution continues in the automotive realm.  Chevrolet has created a snappy EV-version of its Bolt sub-compact, which it says can go 200-miles on a single charge.  GM says the electrified model will go into production for the 2016 model year, assembled at its Orion Township, MI plant. 

The Bolt EV is a collaboration between Chevrolet and LG Corp, which has invested $250-million in a manufacturing facility in Korea that will gen-up some of the components for the car. LG Chem has been manufacturing batteries for GM’s first-generation Volt since 2010.

Last Wednesday the entire world celebrated “Back to the Future Day,” that moment in time to which Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled from 1985. Probably the best “moment” of the day occurred on Jimmy Kimmel Live, when Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd emerged—in character—from a smoke enshrouded DeLorean rolling onto the set. 

The pair bantered about how 2015 sucks, and Doc headed back to “fix a few things” at the end of the segment.  Special mention goes to Huey Lewis, who was planted in the audience, and jammed with the house band during the commercial break.

As promised, Toyota produced a special edition Tacoma 4 x 4, the ride of choice of McFly in the film series, and a BTTF-themed TV spot to capitalize on the theme.
It worked. 

Worst automotive ad campaigns ever:
3.) Art Grindle’s Saturday morning cartoon sponsorships: In what alternative universe is jumping up and down on top of cars while screaming low-price promises an effective venue for marketing? Oh, yeah—Houston in the 1960’s.

2.) Toyota’s Muppets TV spots. In what alternative universe is screaming puppet dialogue a suitable venue for marketing motorcars?

 1.) Honda’s singing owner Radio spots: There’s only one thing more obnoxious than a car dealer's jingle singers, and that’s car owners who CANNOT sing, attempting to voice the praises of their cars’ rear view camera, et al. 

I’d like to see an automotive derivation of M&M Mars’ series of candy bars ads, in which various “hangry” drivers are magically transformed with just a bite of a Snickers bar. Maybe that’s what the Houston Texans needed on Sunday—just a Snickers.

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

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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