Category: Auto Industry

Report: Ford Fusion demand outstripping supply

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

2013 Ford Fusion

The attractive new 2013 Ford Fusion has done wonders for the brand in the highly competitive midsize sedan segment – the vehicle is up nearly 22 percent compared to last year. But that sales momentum may soon hold steady due to low inventory levels of the new Fusion across the United States.

According to a report in The Detroit News, citing automotive data and Ward’s Auto, Ford currently has a 39-day supply of the Fusion. That might sound fine, but a normally healthy average is about a 60-day supply. If Ford were to stop production on the Fusion today, there would only be enough vehicles available to get through another five weeks of sales, according to the News.

Currently, Ford produces the Fusion at its three-shift assembly plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, and will add production at its facility in Flat Rock, MI later this year. A Ford spokesperson told The Detroit News that when Flat Rock production comes online, the automaker will need to rush new stock out to the regions with the most demand for the Fusion. Ford has doubled its coastal retail market share, with huge amounts of growth in areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami, the News reports.

The Hermosillo plant is capable of producing roughly 300,000 Fusions annually, and Flat Rock should be able to make another 100,000 or so each year. This added production in Michigan – more than 8,000 units each month – would easily allow Ford to catch up to segment-leaders like the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry.

Ford Fusion demand outstripping supply originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: An inside look at Rhys Millen’s new Pikes Peak Unlimited racer [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Hyundai

Wider, Lower And Decidedly More Sinister

Hyundai Genesis RMR PM580-T

Rhys Millen was sitting on a cooler whittling away at a piece of aluminum when I first arrived at the expansive skidpad at the California Proving Grounds, owned by Hyundai, located in a desolate part of the California desert about a dozen miles east of Mojave. By the time I had walked over to the accomplished driver for introductions, he had picked up a piece of sandpaper and begun to arduously file away at the alloy’s rough edges, smoothing them masterfully.

He was focused on the job, but I politely interrupted him and asked what he was making. Ryhs looked up, smiled, and then grabbed a few zip-ties and asked me to come over to the new Hyundai RMR PM580-T, destined for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in just two short weeks, raised on its air jacks just a few yards away.

Continue reading An inside look at Rhys Millen’s new Pikes Peak Unlimited racer [w/video]

An inside look at Rhys Millen’s new Pikes Peak Unlimited racer [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Videos, Jaguar, Celebrities, Humor

Season Two of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee kicked this week in style. How much more style is there to be had than in a 1969 Jaguar XKE, after all? This time around, Seinfeld and Sarah Silverman spend some time driving around in the “slinky, sexy” Jag, talking comedy and then grabbing breakfast.

In addition to the kickoff of the show’s second season, this episode also represents the start of a 24-episode sponsorship with Acura. The original deal promised short ads at the beginning and end of each episode, but this time around, Seinfeld “stumbles upon” a 2014 Acura RLX, which is obviously – and admittedly – the work of product integration. Scroll down to watch Seinfeld and Silverman exchange banter with the Jag’s beauty as a happy backdrop.

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Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra full configurators truck in

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Work, Chevrolet, GMC

You can now put prices to your wildest option-sheet dreams of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. A microsite for the full-size pickup truck twins has been up since January, and now the full-blown configurator is live and ready to take your virtual orders. The only two chassis configurations available at the moment are the Crew Cab with either a short or standard bed – Regular and Double Cab versions will come later. In Silverado flavors that will run you $32,710 for the short box, $33,010 for the standard box, while the Sierra adds a $1,500 premium to both of those prices, and destination and handling for both models adds another $995.

Since these are American pickups the list of modifications is lengthy, but we added $11,450 in just two steps by starting with the Silverado Crew Cab and standard bed, then checking four-wheel drive and the LTZ Z71 package. Our final truck, resplendent in Brownstone Metallic paint, heated and cooled Cocoa/Dune perforated leather seating and tasty details like chrome recovery hooks, and engine block heater and LED cargo box lighting, rang up $57,285 at the candy store.

They’ll be on dealer lots sometime this summer, so now’s a good time to start practicing your box-checking.

2014 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra full configurators truck in originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: McLaren MP4-12C totalled during Goldrush Rally

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Etc., Videos, Luxury, McLaren

Every year in the Goldrush Rally, a convoy of high-end luxury cars snake across the States, their occupants enjoying all the opulence their $14,000 entry fees can afford. As our own Michael Harley can attest, it’s a low-speed affair, not an all-out speed-fest.

As the rally passed through Texas headed through Dallas on Thursday, Hsinho Chen of Massachusetts, driving a McLaren MP4-12C Spider, says he swerved into the highway median to avoid a truck that had pulled in front of him. After slamming the $268,000-car into a ditch, Chen and his passenger went beneath a fence and then took flight before crashing into a metal storage building.

The couple weren’t injured, but their high-powered, low-production supercar won’t be rallying again anytime soon. While there is no indication the car was exceeding the speed limit, Chen was ticketed for reckless driving. But that’s not the worst of his problems. The McLaren was a $2,900-a-day rental from Black & White Car Rental in Los Angeles. B&W didn’t respond to our email, but unless Mr. Chen is one of the company’s owners, we’re betting he doesn’t get his deposit back. Watch video of KLTV’s coverage below.

Continue reading McLaren MP4-12C totalled during Goldrush Rally

McLaren MP4-12C totalled during Goldrush Rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Tesla Model S costs one nickel per drag race [w/video]

Filed under: Tesla, Electric

Historically, the intersection between electric vehicles and drag racing has been really small – or so we guess, at least. But the advent of Tesla in the auto marketplace, and the subsequent performance offered up to drivers by way of battery-powered cars, has caused even racy publications like DragTimes to get in on the action.

Having posted several YouTube videos featuring the Tesla Model S doing pulls at the local strip, DragTimes encountered questions about just how many races that car might be able to run before needing to re-juice its battery pack. The publication monitored the energy being used by the Tesla during full-throttle, quarter-mile runs, and determined that the net use (after energy from the regen braking was added back in) amounted to just 0.5 kWh per go. Considering that the full battery capacity is 85 kWh, DragTimes figured that the Model S is good for a remarkable 170 races before needing a recharge. By that math, and using electricity costs in DragTime‘s home state of Florida, each race would cost just a nickel and a penny’s worth of electricity.

With respect, that theoretical number is probably way too high. For starters, the car would expend some energy getting to and from the starting line between races. Perhaps more critically, the system is designed to not allow for a completely full charge or deletion of charge, so the car can’t use all 85 kWh. Still, 100 runs is in the realm of possibility. In the video below, the narrator makes mention of 150 runs, which is optimistic but more likely. Cheap thrills, in any case (once you’ve paid for the car).

Continue reading Tesla Model S costs one nickel per drag race [w/video]

Tesla Model S costs one nickel per drag race [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Oklahoma man allowed to sue state over native american rain god on license plate

Filed under: Government/Legal


License plates can be great ways for states to show off their history, but as Oklahoma has realized, they can create some drama, too. In this case, Keith Cressman is attempting to sue the state over the depiction of the “Sacred Arrow Rain” sculpture used on the official Oklahoma license plates.

This sculpture shows a Native American warrior shooting an arrow at the sky in the hopes of a rain god bringing rain, and Cressman, who is identified as a Christian, feels this is a violation of his First Amendment rights because he is forced either to display an image he finds offensive or pay extra money for a plate he finds more acceptable. The state does issue an “In God We Trust” license plate, but at an initial cost of $18 and an annual renewal fee of $16.50).

Cressman’s case was originally dismissed in 2012 at the district court level, but that dismissal was reversed earlier this week by the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals because it felt the license plate constituted an act of compelled speech. Thus, the case itself is far from decided, but Mr. Cressman has now been granted permission to pursue it.

Of course, license plates are no stranger to controversy, particularly when it comes to people being offended by what’s on them. Offense is most often generated by vanity plates that display something others don’t want to read, like the case of this bean-curd-loving Tennessee woman who wasn’t allowed to display a plate reading “ILOVETOFU,” or this Georgian man whose gay pride was too hot for the state to handle. Rarer, though, are cases like Cressman’s in which the state itself comes under fire for what’s on a license plate, but it’s not unheard of – Mississippi came under fire in 2011 for just considering a license plate honoring controversial KKK leader and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Oklahoma man allowed to sue state over native american rain god on license plate originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda S2000, Acura RSX recalled over brake boosters

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Recalls, Acura, Honda

2006 Honda S2000

Honda has announced a recall that affects two of our favorite, dearly departed cars from the brand’s portfolio: the S2000 roadster and Acura RSX coupe. A total of 5,239 S2000 models from the 2006 and 2007 model years are affected by this problem, as are 13,113 2006 Acura RSX models.

“A production error may have allowed brake booster components to be produced outside of the original specifications, potentially causing decreased brake assistance over time, which could increase the risk of a crash,” American Honda said in a press release. Thus, dealerships will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster setups in these vehicles, free of charge.

No crashes or injuries have been reported in relation to this brake problem. Honda says the problem was discovered during warranty claim analysis.

The recall will officially kick of in July, and owners will be notified by mail of this problem. Scroll down to read Honda’s official statement.

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Honda S2000, Acura RSX recalled over brake boosters originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Next Nissan Rogue flaunts its new look

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Nissan

2014 Nissan Rogue spy shots

Remember last April, when Nissan told us it would be launching five new models over the course of 15 months? Well, we’ve seen the Altima, Pathfinder, Sentra and Versa Note, so that magical fifth model has to be the new Rogue, which our spy photographers recently caught testing. Despite looking like a hodge-podge of black duct tape and garbage bags, we can clearly see that the new Rogue takes a lot of its styling cues from the Hi-Cross concept that Nissan showed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. And that’s fine – we found that CUV concept to be a decidedly handsome thing, and certainly more attractive than the weird little Rogue that currently roams the streets.

Details surrounding the next Rogue are still very unclear, though our spies suggest that it could be powered by a new 1.2-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine, good for something like 113 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. We’ll see about that, since those numbers represent a drastic drop in power versus the current Rogue – to the tune of 57 hp and 35 lb-ft. A diesel engine for other markets is expected to be on offer, and a plug-in hybrid version is also rumored to be in the works, though that won’t show up at the vehicle’s initial launch.

If Nissan sticks to its plan of showing these five new models in the course of 15 months, that means we should see the Rogue in July. Of course, since things don’t always go as planned, it could be many more months before all that camouflage is taken away.

Next Nissan Rogue flaunts its new look originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe officially debuts, priced from $41,425*

Filed under: Coupe, BMW, Luxury

2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe

Well, that didn’t take long. Less than two hours after the first images of the 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe leaked onto the Internet, we’ve been given the go-ahead to publish the whole kit and caboodle. And while we won’t say we told you so, it looks as though the car’s official details are standing true to our earlier predictions.

In other words, BMW will offer the 4 Series in 428i and 435i models, both of which can be had with xDrive all-wheel drive. Just like in the 3 Series, the 428i is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, good for 240 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque, and the 435i gets BMW’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six making 300 hp and 300 lb-ft. In three of the four models, both a six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmission are available; the 428i xDrive can only be had with the auto ‘box. The 428i (with rear-wheel drive, we assume) can hit 60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds (though BMW doesn’t specify with which transmission), and the 435i will do that same sprint in 5.3 seconds with the manual and five seconds flat with the eight-speed auto.

2014 BMW 4 Series InteriorWe’ve already dissected the 4 Series’ visuals, but the numbers show just how different it is from the 3 Series sedan. The 4 Coupe is one-tenth of an inch longer overall, while riding on the same 110.6-inch wheelbase, is 0.6 inches wider, and has a roofline that’s a full 2.7 inches closer to the ground. It looks sleek, incorporating BMW’s new design language from the 3 Series with an overall profile that’s similar to the larger 6 Series coupe.

BMW will offer the 4 Series Coupe in three different trim lines – Luxury, Sport and M Sport. Much like the 3 Series range, the Luxury line focuses more on overall amenities and upscale appearance, while the Sport and M Sport models are meant to offer the most driver-focused set of equipment with slightly more aggression outside. 18- and 19-inch wheels are available on all models, and M Sport models get a whole raft of equipment including better suspension tuning and upgraded brakes to make the whole package more exciting on the road. The cabin doesn’t look all that different from the 3 Series, incorporating the same suite of technological goodies and creature comforts, and is offered in a variety of hues.

The new 4 Series goes on sale later this summer, and BMW has already confirmed that pricing will start at $41,425 (*including destination) for the 428i Coupe – an increase of $1,650 versus a 328i sedan. From there, the 428i xDrive rolls in at $46,925, the 435i starts at $43,425, and the range-topping 435i xDrive will set you back $48,925. Have a look through our huge gallery above to see the new 4 Series from all angles, and scroll down for BMW’s lengthy press release with all the nitty-gritty details.

Continue reading 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe officially debuts, priced from $41,425*

2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe officially debuts, priced from $41,425* originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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