The Automotive Reporter/Biz News for Wk of 5-11-15

If you’re a military veteran, you may want to enlist with the General.
General Motors is offering all U.S. Veterans and their spouse an instant discount on any GMC Truck, crossover, or SUV purchase through June 30—regardless of separation date.

GM’s Military Discount Program has been in place since 2008. In 2014, more than 40-thousand active-duty, reserves, retired and veterans took advantage of the offer, which cuts the price to below the MRSP.

GM’s partnership with the military dates back to the War to End All Wars, when its trucks were chosen by the US Army to replace horses and mules. Details on the GM Military Discount can be reviewed here.

GMC "Duck"

GMC delivered its first “Ducks” to the U.S. Army in 1943. "A unique central tire inflation system allowed the driver to adjust tire pressure from his seat. Higher pressure made the craft navigable on pavement; lower pressure provided better flotation and traction on soft ground, such as beaches."

Mom, c.1955

If looking at pictures of Mom from days gone by didn’t make you feel old this Mother’s Day, perhaps this factoid will: The first Dodge Viper was built 20-years ago! The Conner Avenue Assembly Plant has been hand-building the uber-muscle cars in an urban neighborhood of Detroit at a rate of one car every ten days. Dodge says it takes an average of up to 160-man hours to assemble each one.

For the 2016 Viper, aerodynamics, braking and tire technology will guarantee the car’s legacy on the street and on the track. An Extreme Aero package will create the highest aerodynamic downforce—1-ton at 177mph—of any production vehicle.

2016 Dodge Viper

Brembo Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes will feature 15.4-inch two-piece front rotors, and 14.2-inch rear rotors. The front brakes will use six-piston calipers; the rear brakes will utilize four-piston calipers.

What kind of tires do Viper owners put on their cars? Any kind they want, but the 2016 Vipers will roll off the assembly line on Kumho Ecsta V-720 high-performance tires. Dodge says the new tires produced lap times 1.5-seconds faster than off-road only race tires in their testing.

“This car is not a 1-3 lap track special," says Tim Kuniskis, President and Chief Executive Officer – Dodge Brand and SRT Brand, FCA – North America. "You can run the car at the track all day, and the performance doesn’t fall off,” he says. “Our goal is to arm our enthusiasts with the ultimate Viper track car to dominate road courses around the world,” says Kuniskis.

 Just when you thought the incredibly sexy Audi TT’s good looks and performance couldn’t get any better, the styling wizards at the Audi Skunkworks have added wider parts, a rear wing that actually works, and filled the engine compartment with enough enhancements to produce 600-hp. 

I’m in love.

Audi is debuting the Audi TT Clubsport Turbo this week (May 13-16, 2015) at Worthersee Tour in Reifnitz, Austria. Allow me to quote from the press release:

“The Audi TT Clubsport Turbo has a power-boosted 2.5 TFSI engine with very impressive performance data. From 2,480 cc of displacement, the five-cylinder engine produces 600 hp and 479.4 lb-ft of torque, the latter from 3,000 to 7,000 rpm. This means that it produces 176 kW (240 hp) and 260 Nm (191.8 lb-ft) per liter of displacement. Power is transferred via a manual six-speed transmission.”

Audi promises the car will achieve 100km/h (62.1-mph) in 3.6-seconds. One of the secrets of that kind of performance is in the electronic turbo. Again, quoting from the release: 

“In the lower engine speed range, the electrically driven compressor boosts torque by up to 200 Nm (147.5 lb-ft). A dedicated 48‑volt electrical sub-system supplies electrical energy to the turbocharger. A compact lithium-ion battery in the luggage compartment stores the energy that is generated by recuperation when coasting.”

Brains and brawn.

Death Trap: 1959 Chevy Bellaire

What happens when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wastes a perfectly good 1959 Chevrolet Bellaire by crashing it head-on into a 2009 Chevy Malibu? 

I know, I know, that’s like apples to oranges. And that’s the point. The video clip shows how modern automotive technology saves lives…and exposes the cars of yesteryear for the death traps they truly were.
Drive safely.

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Automotive Reporter/Biz News for Wk of 4-20-15

I finally got around to seeing “Furious-7,” the latest in the series of heavy-metal car chase thrillers. The movie lives up to the hype. It also ends with a touching tribute to the late Paul Walker, who was killed in a non-related car crash before filming had wrapped. I think I must’ve gotten popcorn salt in my eye, or something. 

In past episodes of the franchise, there was always a teaser at the end of the closing credits letting you know what was in store in the next edition. No such footage was included at the end of “7.”

The Wall Street Journal reports filmmakers destroyed 230 cars in the production of “Furious-7.”
That's nothing.

TV Producers ran through 300 Dodge Chargers filming seasons of “The Dukes of Hazard,” many of which were recycled into set pieces (no longer running) for additional scenes of the show.
Just some good ol’ boys…

Japanese engines in Alabama; American engines in Mexico: Oh, my!
Honda Manufacturing of Alabama is celebrating new production at its automated engine assembly plant in Lincoln, AL. The upgraded facility will manufacture 1,500 V-6 engines a day for Honda’s Odyssey, Pilot and Acura MDX luxury SUV’s.

Meanwhile in Chihuahua and Guanajuato, Mexico, Ford Motor Company is investing $2.5-Billion in new engine and transmission plants. The projects are part of the One Ford global competitiveness program. Ford is marking it’s 90^th year of production in Mexico this year.

Viper. You know you want one. And now, Dodge will let you custom design your next Viper sports car online with the Viper GTC Customizer.

There are more than 25-Million unique combination possibilities for the ultra sports car. Dodge will send you a 1:18 scale replica of your customized car upon completion of your order. You know, just to whet your appetite before it’s delivered. The 2015 Custom Viper GTC can be yours for under $95,000…by about $5.
MSRP is $94,995. But who’s counting?

General Motors is upping the ante in the drop-top market by offering Buick’s first new convertible in North America in 25-years. 

The 2016 Cascada (rhymes with “cicada”) will feature a 2+2 configuration in a rigid-body structure. The soft-top coupe will be powered by a 1.6-liter 200-hp turbocharged engine driving the front wheels. Buick designed the Cascada from the ground-up as a convertible; this is no chopped coupe cousin from one of the other assembly lines!

The convertible top can be raised or lowered electrically in about 17-seconds…at speeds up to 31-mph. After that, it becomes a handy speed brake. Not.

GM is sensitive to leaks about the Cascada. Seriously.
See how they test each convertible before it leaves the plant.

How do you market your next, new introduction to the small SUV market? Hire a band. FCA and Jeep are teaming up with X Ambassadors to sing the praises of the new 2015 Jeep Renegade. 

The group taped a snappy :60-second ditty about topics and themes that resonate with the Renegade crowd. You know, things like adventure, exploration, rebels and skinny-dipping. All of those things are appealing to me, but who wants to watch a Gen-X’er cavorting about? X Ambassadors and Alex Da Kid are featured in the video short.  

In space, no one can hear you scream. But they can see large-font messages from the International Space Station. 

The 13-year old daughter of ISS Astronaut Terry Virts, Stephanie, was the impetus behind Hyundai’s epic love note in the sand. The feat was accomplished on a dry lake bed back in January. 

The car company not only got the message through, it also set a new Guiness World’s Record for the Largest Tire Track Message, carved by a team of stunt drivers piloting 11 Hyundai Genesis sedans. I don't know what Hyundai's market budget is for the rest of the year, but they could stop spending dollars now--they're never going to top this one!

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