Nutson's Nuggets: Here Is Last Week's (September 17-23 2012) Automotive News In Case You Were Dozing

Auto Central Louisville, KY September 23, 2012 Each week Larry Nutson, The Auto Channel's Chicago Bureau Chief, along with Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau give you easy to digest nuggets of the past week's automotive news you may have missed.

If you are a car nut like we all are, you can easily "catch up" on these stories as well as the past 16 years 1,351,002 automotive stories, articles, reviews, rants and raves by just searching for the subject you are interested in The Auto Channel's Automotive News Archive. Hey South Florida TV viewers, I know you are enjoying watching The Auto Channel's TACH-TV on channel 44 WHDT-TV Palm Beach (Cable 17 and 438, channel 9 Miami and channel 32 Fort Meyers-Naples, and thanks for the positive feedback...I am covering the Paris Motor Show for you...stories as they happen. See you next week, LN

Automotive News September 17-23, 2012

* According to a new report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant's Energy Practice, the state with the highest PEV sales over the remainder of this decade will be California, followed by New York, Florida, Texas, and Washington. Between 2012 and 2020, the report concludes, nearly one in every four PEVs sold in the United States will be sold in California.

* In response to a question from your TAC Detroit editor at the Autobeat Insider conference this week, keynote speaker, Bob Lutz, outspoken former product boss of GM and one of the most experienced executive in the auto business, affirmed what we've been suspecting for some time, that there is little, if any, potential even in the long run for fuel-cell electric cars. "The Ultimate Bob," as he is often called, expressed more than expected confidence in electric cars but said they would never be practical with fuel cells.

* Press days for the important Paris Motor Show are early next week and your TAC Chicago editor will be there to gather the important news. For the last few weeks we've been getting piecemeal previews of reveals planned like: the high-performance Audi S3 with nearly 300 horsepower, a new Jaguar F-Type sports car, an exotic McLaren P1 prototype, a full-electric Mercedes B-Class sedan, an electric Smart, Lexus midsize LF-CC concept coupe and lots more.

* Most of the press have now seen the new Ford Fusion that had so badly needed a serious redesign to keep up with the plethora of wonderful new products in the midsize sedan market segment. With dramatically updated styling and lots of revisions you'll not even see, it looks like they've done an admirable job. Look for reviews here at TAC and elsewhere. The Hybrid version, by the way, has earned an EPA rating of 47 mpg and is now America's most fuel-efficient midsize sedan. The new Fusion starts at a base price of $22,495 including shipping.

* We found out this week that it will be more difficult than expected to get your hands on a new SVT (don't call it a Dodge) Viper. The Detroit Bureau reported that they will only be sold through 100 to 150 Chrysler dealers, not most of the 2,300 dealers as they had earlier indicated. Total yearly production of the raucous super car is expect to be only around 2,000 units.

* Automotive News reported this week the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta will be offering power numbers very close to their Formula One car at 740 horsepower. You'll have to wait close to a year to get one with productions numbers around 800 units/year and a bargain price of about 274,00 euro.

* GM just announced a recall of 474,000 midsize sedans from 2007 to 2010 models with the four-speed automatic transmission. A small tab on the shift cable can break resulting in the car still being in gear when it indicate it is in park. No fatalities and only a small number of crashs are associated with the problems.

* Land Rover Evoque has been chosen by Esquire Magazine as their SUV of the Year for 2012. Evoque is the most fuel efficient and lightest vehicle the company has ever produced in addition to making a strong style statement and offering exemplary content.