Nutson's Nuggets: Last Week's (Aug 1-7) Automotive Factoids - In Case You Were Not Paying Attention
 |
Published August 7, 2011
Each week Larry Nutson, The Auto Channel Chicago Bureau Chief will give you some automotive news you may have missed.
Cadillac Future Models Announced
Promising a first look at Cadillac's important new small car to be called ATS, a front- and all-wheel drive 3-Series fighter, Mark Reuss, GM's president of North America, revealed a shadowed photo showing only the profile. At the same presentation at the Management Briefing Seminars in Northern Michigan he also showed a full photo of the large XTS, front- and all-wheel drive flagship sedan due next year.
Fast Driving on Ford Test Track
We just received a notice of an amazing opportunity to drive cars fast. It's a fundraising opportunity benefiting the Henry Ford Hospital's Heart and Vascular Institute. You might get a chance to drive a Mustang GT on the Ford test track, win a Boss 302, or have a personal chat with Alan Mulally. Visit getyourheartracing.org or call (734) 246-9583.
USA - Buh Bye Lotus Sports Cars
Pure sports cars from Lotus, the Elise and Exige, are going away from the US market. You'll have a last chance to get one as they are bringing in just 15 Elise and 30 Excige. Get your order in quickly.
Chrysler Puts EV’s and Hybrids In Their Place
Sergio Marchionne, boss at both Chrysler and Fiat, says they will not be be putting their eggs in the electric car or serious hybrid markets. With the exception of an electric Fiat 500 don't look for electrics from those companies. Rather, look for serious advances in internal combustion engine technology.
The prestigious Concour’s of America at St. John's (formerly Meadow Brook) drew huge crowds to browse over 300 cars in 90 degree heat last weekend at the new venue in Plymouth, MI. Best of Show Domestic honors went to a massive Deusenberg SJ Rivera Phaeton owned by John Groendyke of Enid, OK. Best of Show Foreign went to a 1938 Mercedes-Benz 500K Autobahn Kurier owned by Arturo and Deborah Keller of Colonia Tlacopac, Mexico. See the full results at www.concoursusa.org.
Ford Viral Marketing
In the future, it won't be enough to simply buy a Ford vehicle. The manufacturer also wants customers to help market it and help explain the vehicle to other potential customers. It is a lesson Ford Motor Co. has been learning from the electronics industry, specifically Apple.
Here’s Dave and Alan
Ford CEO Alan Mulally went on the late night TV circuit and appeared on The David Letterman Show. Letterman is apparanelty a big electric vehicle fan. Mulally and Letterman took a very short drive in a Focus Electric across the stage. Ford will launch the Focus Electric compact car at the end of this year. Ford will introduce the C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid next year.
Consumer Reports Disses 2012 Honda Civic
Consumer Reports doesn't like the new Honda Civic and rated the new Civic "too low to be recommended." Previous Civic models have often been Consumer Reports' highest rated small sedans, as well as Top Picks in five of the past 10 years. But the redesigned model was slammed for the cheapness of its interior, choppy ride, long stopping distances and pronounced road noise. However, the Civic's fuel economy was second-best in its segment. And, other auto rating publications didn't all share this opinion.
Mazda has unveiled on the web the all-new CX-5 compact SUV ahead of its debut at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show in September. The CX-5 is the first in a new generation of products to adopt Mazda's new Kodo design language. Mazda also announced its SKYACTIV suite of engine, transmission, body and chassis technology designed to zoom-zoom Mazda into the future. Future Mazda's will also have a Diesel engine available in North America.
Ford Motor Co. recalled more than 1 million trucks, including the F-150, the top-selling U.S. vehicle, because straps that secure fuel tanks to the vehicles may corrode and cause the tanks to fall.
BMW AG today unveiled concepts of electric and hybrid vehicles that will go into production and be marketed under its new i sub-brand -- the i3 city car that goes on sale in 2013 and the i8 sports car due in 2014.