Nutson's Automotive News Review
Week of June 1-7, 2015

By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

Auto Central Chicago IL, June 7, 2015 Every Sunday, along with senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau I give you our "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to digest nuggets.

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Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Digest-June 1-7, 2015

* May was hot for new vehicle purchases with a surprise 1.64 million vehicle sales. The American International Automobile Dealers Association called May sales “Scorching” in a report this week. (Complete Report) AIADA represents international manufacturers who account for nearly 55% of U.S. sales. Both Asian and European brands gained market share over domestic competitors. Biggest winners were: Subaru, up 12.2%; BMW, up 4.7%; Audi, up 11%; and VW, up 8.1%. AutoData Corp is now predicting a seasonally adjusted annual sales rate of 17.79 million, the highest since July 2005. Trucks and SUVs continue to outsell cars. Ford can't build enough F-150s due to frame shortages and thus sales are off. At long last VW has taken off with Golf sales over double what they were a year ago.

* The super-rich now want SUVs. Lamborghini announced they will produce an upscale SUV based on the URUS concept that was shown in China. Lambo expects to sell about 3000 a year around the world and will be joining the ranks of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and possibly Maserati too.

* First we heard that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) suspended GM's application to register the Bolt trademark. Then, we heard an update on the Bolt trademark. According to reports Chevrolet has been working closely with the USPTO on the Chevrolet Bolt trademark. The application was suspended because of a perceived "likelihood of confusion" with another trademark. It turns out Yamaha filed for a Bolt trademark on August 9, 2012--well before GM began its effort to trademark the Bolt name for a Chevrolet electric car in 2014.

* According to Parents and Edmunds.com, "The 10 Best Family Cars of 2015" (with starting prices) are: BUDGET: Mazda 3 ($17,765) & Honda Fit ($16,470), HIGH-MPG: Volkswagen Golf TDI ($23,164), SEDANS: Hyundai Sonata ($21,960) & Honda Accord ($22,925), WAGON: Subaru Outback ($25,745), CROSSOVERS: Honda CR-V ($24,325) & Nissan Murano ($30,445), MINIVAN: Toyota Sienna ($29,485) and SUVs: Chevrolet Traverse ($31,870).

* Cars.com revealed its list of “most affordable midsize sedans” this week. The calculation includes original cost, fuel cost and depreciation over 5 years. Top on the list is Hyundai Sonata and interestingly, bottom of the list is Korean sibling Kia Optima LX. Ford’s Fusion Hybrid is number 2 and Fusion S number 4. Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium is number 3. The 5-year end calculation on all ten in the list vary by just $2,500, or about 10% of original cost. Total Ownership Costs Compare affordability of ALL CARS sold in North America

* The 2015 Porsche Boxster GTS earned top honors this week at the "Topless in Miami presented by Haartz" as members of the Southern Automotive Media Association selected it as the Convertible of the Year in the fifth annual convertible competition. It is the second time a car from the legendary German automaker’s stable has been selected for the honor. The Haartz Corporation of Acton, Massachusetts is the world's leading supplier of convertible topping material.

* Last weekend Detroit saw two IndyCar races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Winning the rain-shortened race on Saturday was Carlos Munoz driving a Honda-powered car and Sunday’s race went to Sabastien Bourdais powered by Chevy. The race weekend happens on Belle Isle, a city park in the middle of the Detroit River now run by the State where millions of dollars have been invested to dress up the park and improve the racing facility. Roger Penske led the effort to bring racing back to Belle Isle.

* Iconic names from the past emerged this week as we learned the TVR brand will come back to life. TVR made lightweight, powerful sports cars in low volume from the mid 1950s until about 2005. Under new ownership the company will partner with famous designer Gordon Murray and engineering gurus at Cosworth to bring to market at least four cars within the next ten years. We can’t wait to see what they will create.

* Nissan revealed the new eighth generation Maxima to the press this week just as it is hitting dealer lots. Built at their huge Smyrna, TN assembly plant the new Maxima adds a little bit of power, a much improved CVT and high-style design both inside and out. Prices start at just over $32,000. Five trim levels but no stand-alone options are offered. Look for 2016 Nissan Maxima reviews here on TAC.

* A Texas-based automotive software developer, Versata, Inc., filed suit in Federal Court this week to enjoin Ford from using its software. Versata claims Ford stole trade secrets and mislead the Patent and Trademark Office. Ford used Versata’s software for vehicle design and development over a decade but would not allow the company in to verify compliance with the contract between the companies. Ford then replaced that software with their own in-house version, according to court briefs, using Versata’s proprietary software.

* The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute's latest report from Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle says the average fuel economy (window-sticker value) of new vehicles sold in the U.S. in May was 25.5 mpg—up 0.3 mpg from April. This improvement likely reflects the increased price of gasoline in May. Fuel economy is down 0.3 mpg from the peak reached in August 2014. Overall, vehicle fuel economy is up 5.4 mpg since October 2007 (the first month of our monitoring). However, the average vehicle fuel economy during the first eight months of this model year (October 2014 through May 2015)—25.3 mpg—has stayed the same as during the preceding model year (October 2013 through September 2014).