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Official: GM investing $167m in Spring Hill for new midsize vehicles

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Buick, GM, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions

General Motors' Spring Hill Assembly

General Motors has announced a large investment in its Spring Hill, Tennessee facility. The former home of Saturn production will be getting a $167 million addition to a previously announced $183 million, to cover a pair of new midsize vehicles. The investment is expected to create 1,800 jobs at the factory.

That $350 million is being divvied up for a pair of programs at Spring Hill. The first will take the bulk of the money ($223 million) and create 1,000 of the 1,800 jobs, while the other will take the remaining $127 million and generate the leftover 800 positions. But GM says the investment will cover “midsize vehicle programs.” So what could they be?

The leading candidate in our minds is a new crossover for Buick, called the Anthem, that will slot between the Encore and Enclave, but will be slightly smaller than the Equinox and Terrain. As we’ve explained, the new model will likely be the first product to sport GM’s new D2UX platform, which will eventually replace both the Delta and Theta platforms. Spring Hill is already building the Equinox, so there could be some credence to this theory.

As for the other project, well, that one is a bit more of a mystery. It seems unlikely that GM would earmark two separate funds for “midsize vehicles” only to build a pair of crossovers. Could there be a D2UX car in the works? Hopefully, we’ll find out soon.

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GM investing $167m in Spring Hill for new midsize vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Ferrari exec to lead Jaguar North America

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Jaguar, Land Rover

Jaguar has announced that Jeff Curry will be serving as the brand’s new North American vice president, effective August 13. The move is a coup for Jag, which lured Curry away from his previous posting as VP of marketing for Ferrari North America, and is further evidence of just how strong Jaguar’s comeback has gotten.

Curry has spent over 20 years in the auto industry, and has worked with Audi, SiriusXM and Land Rover, where he made his start in the industry. His primary responsibilities with Jaguar will cover marketing communications, customer relationship management, and product planning.

Jaguar Land Rover’s North American president, Andy Goss, heaped praise on the brand’s newest addition saying, “Jeff brings with him extensive automotive and luxury marketing experience, critical expertise in leading-edge technologies and a personal passion for automobiles.”

Scroll down for the official press release from Jaguar.

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Ferrari exec to lead Jaguar North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mercedes GLA to arrive in early 2014

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz GLA spy shot - front three-quarter view, disguised

Mercedes-Benz will be expanding its crossover range with the addition of the new GLA-Class, a prototype of which we recently spied inside and out. Now, Auto Express reports that the small CUV will go on sale in early 2014 following its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

When the GLA arrives, Auto Express expects it to command roughly 5,000 British pounds more than its A-Class hatchback platform mate (seen in the US market as the CLA-Class sedan), for a starting price of around 20,370 pounds, or about $31,000 based on current exchange rates. Of course, that’s all purely speculative at this point, but since the CLA starts at just under $30,000 here in the States, an entry point of somewhere between $30-35k for the GLA doesn’t sound too far off.

The GLA will compete directly with the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, and when it arrives in the States, we expect it to use the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the CLA. Both front- and 4Matic all-wheel-drive models are expected to be offered, and a hotter GLA45 AMG version will follow later on. We should have the full details when the GLA is unveiled next month, if not sooner, so stay tuned.

Mercedes GLA to arrive in early 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla ZEV credit changes will alter profit picture, but Musk still confident

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors, Legislation and Policy

Tomorrow, we will get a fresh glimpse into the financial situation over at Tesla Motors. That’s when the California automaker, always ready to go its own way and not release monthly sale figures, will discuss its second-quarter SEC filing. From what we’ve been told, it won’t be as rosy at three months ago. In early May, when Tesla announced Q1 results and said it had made its first-ever quarterly profit, it warned that the second quarter results would not be as good. Specifically, the company said, “deferred revenue recognition required by GAAP for lease accounting will lead to a net loss on paper in Q2.” But we’ll find out the details soon enough.

Looking forward, there is another possible hurdle for Tesla’s profits. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is thinking about changing the way it calculates zero-emission vehicle bonus credits. These would not be retroactive, but CARB may no longer allow battery swapping – which the Model S has – to get the bonus as a fast refueling option. This would reduce the value of Tesla’s ZEV credits that it sells to other automakers. In the first quarter, Tesla made $11.2 million in profit and took in $67.9 million in revenue from selling ZEV and other “regulatory” credits. You can see how, if the ZEV value declines, the company’s profit could also go away. Three months ago, Tesla said it was prepared for Q4 2013 ZEV credits to equal zero and yet Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the company will be profitable by the end of the year even without selling credits.

Tesla has long relied on ZEV credits, and all the way back in 2010 there were stories about how the credits were running out so this is well-trodden ground. You can find all of the details of Tesla’s 2013 Q1 profits here and read more about the potential CARB changes here.

Tesla ZEV credit changes will alter profit picture, but Musk still confident originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Automotive tumblehome explained

Filed under: Videos, Design/Style

Automotive Tumblehome Video

If you’ve ever been in the midst of reading some description of new car design, and had to stop to find the “Tumblehome” page on Wikipedia, we don’t blame you. The term (like so many) is a carryover from the nautical world and ship building, and is used to describe the inward slant of a vehicle’s greenhouse.

Starting with the salty origins of the folksy sounding piece of design jargon, Autoline Detroit‘s Jim Hall takes on a journey from past to future, explaining how the shape of a car’s tumblehome has evolved throughout the years.

Close that dusty old dictionary and scroll down below to follow along with Mr. Hall and the rest of the class.

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Automotive tumblehome explained originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Ford’s official Euro aftermarket partner Mountune coming to US

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Ford

Now that we’re getting a steady stream of Ford’s European offerings, the aftermarket world is finally starting to catch up as well. UK-based aftermarket tuning company, Mountune has just announced that it will be setting up shop in California to provide high-performance and racing parts for Ford vehicles including the Focus ST and Fiesta ST.

Mountune lays claim to being Ford’s “official European tuning partner,” and US buyers will soon have access to these parts through Ford dealerships and with a Ford Racing warranty. Speaking of Ford Racing, Mountune also says that it will be working with Ford’s in-house team to develop future components for both street and track. There are no specifics as of yet for which products will be offered here, but the company plans to launch a US-specific website later this month with more information.

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Ford’s official Euro aftermarket partner Mountune coming to US originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Your car’s ‘big data’ is worth $1,400 a year

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Earnings/Financials, Infotainment

Chevrolet MyLink screen

Connected cars are slowly but surely becoming more commonplace, mirroring the smartphone takeover of the mobile communications market, albeit at a much slower pace. But as we get more and more connected vehicles on the road, the ability of companies to take advantage of the accumulated data becomes greater and greater.

Now, one Cisco executive, Andreas Mai, has put a number on just what one car’s total data will mean in savings for a number of interested parties. According to a report from Automotive News, the average motorist will stand to save $550 per year thanks to smarter routing from navigation systems that allow them to both avoid traffic and improve fuel economy.

Society, as a whole, will benefit thanks to data that allows for an improved traffic flow and higher road capacity, with $420 in savings. Mai estimates that the service providers – those companies that provide the traffic guidance, navigation, parking services and such – should see $150 in value per car. Finally, the automakers should see an extra $300 in value thanks to app design and smarter diagnostics that lower warranty costs.

And while this is all very much still pie-in-the-sky stuff (connected cars are still in their infancy), the prospects are quite exciting. The sole sticking point we can really see has to do with privacy. The average citizen might not appreciate their commuting habits being monitored by faceless corporations, with some potentially electing to opt out.

The idea of incentivizing cooperation is one possibility, but even Mai recognizes that privacy and ownership of the data will be an issue, “There have to be rules about who owns the data. Most likely it’s the consumer, since he bought the car. A balance needs to be struck.”

Your car’s ‘big data’ is worth $1,400 a year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: BMW 1 Series getting a small nose job

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, BMW, Luxury

BMW 1 Series facelift spy shot - front three-quarter view

As BMW prepares to launch its new 2 Series lineup, it appears that the current 1 Series is going to get a little attention for itself. Based on these spy photos, the 1 Series hatchback (F20/F21), which is not offered in the US, will be getting a minor facelift in the near future.

From what we can see in these images, the updated 1 Series will definitely be getting a tweaked front end, with most of the attention focusing on the air intakes and grille. Our shooter tells us that it is possible that the headlights may yet be reworked in some way by the time we see this car in production form. It still isn’t clear if we’ll ever see this bodystyle or the next-gen 1 Series in the US, but our most recent report seems to indicate that the car’s fortunes will depend somewhat on how well the Mercedes CLA-Class and Audi A3 sell.

BMW 1 Series getting a small nose job originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Videos, Ford, Toys/Games

Mustang RC car chase video behind the scenes

We’ve reported on a few R/C car chase videos in the past. One in particular that stands out as a favorite is Zach King’s “The Cliché RC Action Chase.” It featured a pair of Ford Mustang coupes racing through a cardboard city, plowing into outdoor patios and busting through construction zones. It was wonderfully creative and fun to watch, yet we know there was more to its creation than a bunch of guys fooling around with a camera one afternoon.

Turns out we were right, as evidenced by this video produced by Ford that takes us behind the scenes of Zach’s creation. The young filmmaker explains why he chose the Mustang to star in his video, as well as how the cardboard sets were created, what equipment they used for shooting and what it was like when his video went viral. Ford found the young filmmaker and produced the followup as part of its Mustang Countdown video series, which will see a new video about the Mustang culture released every week until the original muscle car’s anniversary on April 17, 2014.

Want to make an RC chase video of your own? Yeah, we do too. Watch the behind-the-scenes video below (you can refresh yourself on the mini feature film, too) before you get started.

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How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: New VW TDI diesel to achieve around 45 mpg

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Hatchback, Audi, Volkswagen, Diesel

Not to be outdone by BMW and its 45-mile-per-gallon 2014 328d or the new Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, Volkswagen is reportedly preparing to launch a more-efficient TDI diesel engine in North America. In speaking with VW recently, Edmunds learned that the automaker plans to replace its current 2.0-liter TDI engine used in many VW and Audi products (including the Golf, Passat, Jetta, Beetle and Audi A3) beginning in the second half of next year.

No word on the displacement of this new EA288 engine, but the article states that horsepower could rise from 140 up to 150 and quotes a VW spokesperson who says the next-gen TDI mill should realize about an eight-percent improvement in highway fuel economy compared to the current engine. Doing the math, that suggests future VW and Audi TDI models could get up to 45 or 46 mpg on the highway.

New VW TDI diesel to achieve around 45 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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