2017 Chevrolet SilveradoChevrolet Transport Canada opened a probe June into 249,700 General Motors trucks and SUVs over whether the vehicles power brake systems could deteriorate prematurely, causing issues for owners and leading to incident or injury.The safety regulator is specifically looking at GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe SUVs from model years 2015 through 2017; as well as light-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks from model years 2014 through 2017.The move follows the opening of an investigation last November by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the same issue.The NHTSA had received 487 reports from drivers of some GM trucks and SUVS alleging their vehicles required hard brake pedal effort to stop adequately, and that stopping distances were extended anyway. This was attributed to a deterioration of the engine-driven brake assist vacuum pump, reports Reuters.That group counted nine incidents of collisions related to poor braking; and two injuries among those reports, and launched its own probe into about 2.73 million SUVs and pickups from model years 2014 through
Origin: Transport Canada investigating 250,000 GM trucks, SUVs over braking issue
BMW grille debate should focus on 7 Series, says design director
Debate over BMW’s ‘over-sized’ grille design should be focused on the BMW 7 Series alone, according to the group’s design director Adrian van Hooydonk. Discussions regarding BMW’s controversial grille designs ramped up this year with the launch of the facelifted 7 Series, and grew louder with the reveal of the BMW X7. However, van Hooydonk believes the criticism – led by UK commentators according to BMW’s monitoring – has now incorrectly put a focus on BMW grille designs as a whole. “I don’t think it should be a BMW brand discussion at all, but rather one of the 7 Series alone,” said van Hooydonk. “All of our other cars are world cars, where the various tastes of the market tastes converge with no discrepancies, but the 7 Series sits separately. “In Europe – the smallest market – the buyers are understated, but in the US and China – where most 7 Series are sold – they are younger and more extrovert. When we launched the new 7 Series (in 2015) it was criticised for not looking different enough, so the message for the facelift was clear: make it stand out. And now we have.” However, van Hooydonk predicted that the separation in global tastes would not last long, pointing to feedback that he is increasingly receiving from BMW’s Shanghai design centre. “I hear from them that design tastes in China are developing rapidly,” he said. “Yes, they still want a modern look that pushes boundaries, but they are increasingly calling for subtle too. The gap is narrowing down, so I see the 7 Series design coming together with the rest of the range in a short time.” Asked about the X7’s grille design van Hooydonk argued that it was in proportion to the car and smaller than those found on rival brands, including Range Rover, the Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLS. “Yes, the X7’s grille is bigger than other BMW’s – but so is the X7 bigger than any BMW before it. That one is in proportion. “Don’t worry, I don’t want the brand to turn into an oversized kidney grille brand – but I believe we understand the reasons for what we have done with the 7 Series and that the issue will solve itself thanks to evolving tastes in the markets for which the grille was
Origin: BMW grille debate should focus on 7 Series, says design director
New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe spotted in range-topping M Sport trim
A new prototype of BMW’s upcoming 2 Series Gran Coupé offers the clearest look yet at the four-door Mercedes-Benz CLA rival’s exterior styling. Spotted carrying out advanced road testing ahead of its November debut, the development model sports less camouflage than any yet seen, with a QR code and web address hinting at an imminent publicity campaign for the new car. Details like black alloy wheels, large brake discs, aggressively styled bumpers and prominent rear lip spoiler suggest that this is the range-topping M Sport variant, likely powered by the same 302bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbocharged unit as the new M135i hot hatch, with which it shares a front-wheel drive platform. These photos closely match previous spy images of the car, suggesting that development is reaching the final stages before launch. The need to accommodate two conventional front-hinged rear doors and sufficient rear seat leg room is said to be behind the decision to give the new car a wheelbase that’s halfway between the 2690mm span of the 2 Series Coupé and the 2810mm of the 3 Series saloon. Inside, the 2 Series Gran Coupé will sport a new interior layout that’s also set to be adopted by the successors to today’s 2 Series Coupé and 2 Series Convertible, which are due in 2020. The turbocharged three-cylinder and four-cylinder engines for the 2 Series Gran Coupé will mirror those of the existing pair. On the petrol side, expect a 134bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit in the 218i, 181bhp and 242bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder units in the 220i and 225i, as well as the M235i’s more potent unit. Among the diesels will be 148bhp, 187bhp and 221bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder units in the 218d, 220d and 225d respectively. Like its two-door siblings, the 2 Series Gran Coupé will offer a choice of a standard six-speed manual or optional eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox, as well as optional xDrive four-wheel drive. However, the latter will be offered in combination with only a limited range of engines. The highlight of the new line-up, though, will be the M2 Gran Coupé. This model will use the same 365bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine as its highly lauded two-door sibling. It will be offered with a standard six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Although it’s still early days, the S55B30-designated engine is expected to provide the M2 Gran Coupé with similar performance to the M2, which has an official 0-62mph time of 4.4sec in manual form and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. The 2 Series Gran Coupé will be produced alongside the 2 Series Coupé and 2 Series Convertible at BMW’s plant in Leipzig, Germany. A plug-in hybrid model is also mooted. This is expected to use BMW’s turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor mounted within the forward section of a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. In combination with a lithium ion battery pack positioned within the floor of the boot, this is intended to provide the 225e with an electric-only driving range of up to 31 miles. The four-door coupé will have its world debut at this year’s Los Angeles motor show before going on sale in early
Origin: New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe spotted in range-topping M Sport trim
Analysis: What went wrong at Ford’s Bridgend plant?
Ford’s closure of its Bridgend engine plant ends a chapter that began at the peak of the brand’s popularity in the UK in the 1970s and reflects current changes in car buyer’s tastes, misdirected product planning and pressure to electrify its fleet to hit EU CO2 targets. The Bridgend closure will be devastating for the 1700 employees but it will also hit a further 5000 or so in the wider economy. “We fear the knock-on effect and it will be substantial,” said Tim Williams of the Welsh Automotive Forum, an alliance of car industry businesses in Wales. There is a glimmer of hope in the shape of Aston Martin’s St Athan plant, 12 miles to the south-east, but the chances of Ineos taking space to build its Grenadier 4×4 at the Ford site have now faded. Aston now represents the future for the car industry in Wales. It built its first DBX crossover at St Athan last week, with recruitment for 550 new assembly staff due to start in September. “I’m sure we will have plenty of applications from the Bridgend area,” said an Aston spokesman. Suppliers to Ford will also be affected, although few major component makers are local. Block castings, for example, are trucked in from Ireland and the plant has an extended supply chain stretching onto mainland Europe. Despite the drawn-out supply chain, potential customs delays and sterling weakness, Ford has denied a link to Brexit in its decision to shut Bridgend in September 2020. So what caused the plant’s closure? Dr Peter Wells of Cardiff Business School lists several contributing factors, the key ones being sales and market related: “The Dragon engine (the 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine used in the Fiesta ST and Focus) is not selling as well as hoped, Ford is running the plant well below capacity and it needs to make cost cuts.” As with all mid-market brands, Ford’s sales have been squeezed and in Europe have fluctuated in the past decade between 1.75 million and 1.33m, recovering to nearly 1.6m now. Market share has almost halved in the past 30 years – from around 11% in 1990 to 6% in 2018. “Ford’s market share in Europe is the same as BMW’s, yet it can’t command premium pricing, so it is having to find cost cuts,” said Wells. Intended to replace the four-cylinder Sigma engine launched in 2011, the Dragon engine arrived just as Ford faced having to invest in hybrid and battery powertrains and while its cheaper, more frugal 1.0-litre engine is on the rise. “Ford’s product planning has just gone wrong,” said Wells. The Dragon has too large a displacement for the non-ST Fiesta and the Ka+, while the three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine built in Romania and Germany has become the core petrol engine for the Fiesta and Focus ranges. The 1.0-litre is also available in 138bhp form, closing the gap to the 148bhp Dragon. Other models that could have taken the Dragon, such as the C-Max and B-Max, are being discontinued and the new Puma crossover is arriving at a time when plug-in and mild hybrids are the essential powerplants. Ford’s new hybrid powertrain is based on a high-efficiency Atkinson combustion cycle, which, Ford says, makes hybridising the Dragon uneconomic. This is a very rapid fall from grace for a brand-new design that went into production only last October at a cost of £100m. It is likely to finish its third and final full year at around only 80,000 units – a third less than the 125,000 capacity at Bridgend. Given the plant built 701,000 engines as recently as 2014, this proved a fatal drop in output. Even from the start, Ford could see threats to its Dragon investment. The plan from 2015 envisaged 250,000 units a year and £181m of investment, yet two years later, that evolved to just 125,000 units with investment of £100m. Product planning dictated much of this revision: the Dragon couldn’t be slotted straight into Ford’s larger models because they were designed around four-cylinder engines. Although the Dragon will continue to be needed, it will be supplied from lower-cost Mexico and/or China in two plants already tooled to build it. Of course, other factors are at play. Bridgend’s contract to build Jaguar Land Rover’s AJ V8 and V6 petrols will finish just before the plant closes. Of the 650,000 units built at Bridgend in 2016, around 145,000 were JLR engines. JLR is replacing the V6 with a straight six. At one time, the new six was rumoured to be going into Bridgend onto the line that once built the ‘SI6’ 3-2-litre six fitted to some Land Rover and Volvo models. But those plans have changed, too, and instead JLR’s new six will be built in Wolverhampton and the V8 could come from BMW. Ford will maintain diesel engine production at Dagenham and engineering at Dunton in Essex, so it is hoped the closure of Bridgend is the last adjustment to its UK footprint for now. How Bridgend came to be When plans for a new engine plant in Bridgend were announced in 1977, Ford was riding high from many years of UK and European
Origin: Analysis: What went wrong at Ford’s Bridgend plant?
Mitsubishi could return to performance cars with reborn Lancer Evolution
Mitsubishi is plotting a resurrection of the iconic Lancer Evolution as part of a return to its performance car roots. It is planned to continue a rich history of Lancer Evolution models kicked off with the launch of the first-generation model in 1992, by offering supercar-beating acceleration together with the choice of either traditional four-door saloon or five-door hatchback bodystyles, according to Japanese-based sources. Details remain scarce, but suggestions are the followup to the Lancer Evolution X produced between 2007 and 2016 would share key elements of its drivetrain with the next-generation Renault Mégane RS, with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a dual-clutch gearbox and an advanced Mitsubishi-developed S-AWC four-wheel drive system. In its most potent form, the existing front-wheel-drive Renault Mégane RS’s MR designated engine delivers 296bhp and 295lb ft of torque. However, the possible addition of electronic boosting in a 48V mild-hybrid system being developed for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance is likely to increase its reserves closer to the 341bhp and 319lb ft of the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant used by the limited-edition Subaru Impreza WRX STi S209. The 11th generation of the four-wheel-drive Lancer Evolution has been conceived to sit on the CMF-C/D F4 platform developed within Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi. The current non-performance Lancer was discontinued as an international model in 2017, but the name lives on with a saloon model sold in Chinese-speaking markets due to its popularity. The Evolution’s revival, part of Mitsubishi chairman Osamu Masuko’s plan to restore the Japanese maker to its previous position of strength within the performance car ranks, would depend on the Lancer returning in a new generation. Masuko, 70, is set to surrender his position as CEO to Takao Kato. However, the Mitsubishi veteran will continue to lead the company in the position of chairman. Previous plans by Masuko to develop a successor to the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X were placed on hold following heavy losses at the company and its subsequent purchase by Nissan in
Origin: Mitsubishi could return to performance cars with reborn Lancer Evolution
The new 2020 Audi Q7 packs visual and technical updates
With big SUVs having become the cash cows of auto manufacturers around the world, any full-sheet redesign is now approached with the same amount of caution one would afford a lump of plutonium that has just shown up in your lettuce crisper.For the next model year, the Audi Q7 finds itself the recipient of several high-profile changes and more than a few subtle ones.Leading the way is an exterior design that marches lock-step with the rest of Audis lineup. Some accuse the German automaker of simply producing different lengths of the same sausage but it is a methodology that works.Instantly recognizable and instantly desirable for a wide swath of the population the new Q7 bears the Audi corporate octagon-shaped grille bookended by a pair of expressive headlights. Those peepers will be HD Matrix LEDs with frickin’ lasers in some models across the pond, but it is not yet clear if that tech will make it to Canada.It should have a dose of Audi handling, too. All-wheel steering is optionally available, allowing the rear wheels turn by up to 5 degrees in the opposite direction at low speed, which increases agility. On the highway these wheels steer slightly in the same direction to promote stability.In its home market, diesel engines will be paired with a mild hybrid system but we dont know if there are any powertrain changes in the pipe for customers in this country.Currently, the Q7 packs a supercharged V6 making 329 horsepower, but it is worth noting that this new cars close cousin, the Q8, deploys a turbocharged V6 with direct injection and an eight-speed Tiptronic.As for the interior, one could make a case that Ingolstadt is on the verge of trading its four rings for four hexagons, as the shape appears everywhere. The tablet-style screen is gone, replaced by twin integrated touch-sensitive interfaces similar to whats shown up in the A6 and other Audis.Expect the new Q7 to appear on dealer lots towards the end of this
Origin: The new 2020 Audi Q7 packs visual and technical updates
Genesis planning to launch Tesla rival with new pure-electric EV
Genesis has been on a roll with its vehicles, taking on big names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz and taking home awards.But now its targeting an American manufacturer: Tesla.In 2021, Genesis will be launching its first pure electric car, reports Australias Drive, and it will come in two different body styles: a sedan and an SUV.Genesis has not revealed the vehicles yet, but we assume well soon hear about it considering the upcoming release date.Something we do know a little bit about is the Mint concept, shown at the 2019 New York auto show. The Mint is a small coupe designed for the city; it runs on pure battery power. We are very well positioned with alternative technologies. For now, we are focused on the near term, spake Genesis global boss Manfred Fitzgerald during the recent Australian launch of the Genesis brand.In 2021 we have our first fully dedicated new EV platform () We are moving very fast on this.In addition to the EVs, Genesis will also be bringing more hydrogen-powered models to market, although it has not revealed the full details of that range. Genesis will likely follow in parent company Hyundais footsteps and introduce a raft of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, pure electric and hydrogen-powered fuel cell
Origin: Genesis planning to launch Tesla rival with new pure-electric EV
Seventh-gen Chevrolet Camaro reportedly delayed, not cancelled
2018 Chevrolet Camaro ConvertibleHandout / Chevrolet Recent reports of the possible cancellation of the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro are being challenged by new information from GM Authority, which suggests the nameplate will live on and a seventh generation will happen but not for a few years.The sixth-generation Camaro currently rides on GMs Alpha platform, the same one underpinning the Cadillac ATS and CTS.But both those vehicles will soon be replaced by the CT4 and CT5 and sit on a new platform called A2XX, an evolution of the Alpha platform.The Camaro is not transitioning to the A2XX platform, which is what initially spurred rumours the pony car could be killed off completely. Now sources are instead saying the next gen will instead simply be delayed until further notice.Its most likely if the Camaro does stick around, it will move to the new VSSR platform, shared with the upcoming CT6, but since that wont be ready until 2023, the next Camaros development will also have to be put on hold.That means the current-gen Camaro will probably be sticking around for the foreseeable future, which is good, because Chevrolet still has a new special editions planned for the vehicle. Wed love to see a new Z/28, as well.The Camaro has fallen out of favour with enthusiasts lately, with the redesign of the classic face not sitting so well; and the lack of a budget V8 model dissuading entry-level buyers. Ford will have a redesigned version of their Mustang for 2021, and Dodge is also believed to be working on a next-generation Challenger, so hopefully Chevrolet doesnt fall too far behind by waiting until
Origin: Seventh-gen Chevrolet Camaro reportedly delayed, not cancelled
Seventh-gen Camaro reportedly delayed, not cancelled
2018 Chevrolet Camaro ConvertibleHandout / Chevrolet Recent reports of the possible cancellation of the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro are being challenged by new information from GM Authority, which suggests the nameplate will live on and a seventh generation will happen but not for a few years.The sixth-generation Camaro currently rides on GMs Alpha platform, the same one underpinning the Cadillac ATS and CTS, but both those vehicles will soon be replaced by the CT4 and CT5 and sit on a new platform called A2XX, an evolution of the Alpha platform.The Camaro is not transitioning to the A2XX platform, which is what initially spurred rumours the pony car could be killed off completely. Now sources are instead saying the next gen will instead simply be delayed until further notice.Its most likely if the Camaro does stick around, it will move to the new VSSR platform, shared with the upcoming CT6, but since that wont be ready until 2023, the next Camaros development will also have to be put on hold.That means the current-gen Camaro will probably be sticking around for the foreseeable future, which is good, because Chevrolet still has a new special editions planned for the vehicle. Wed love to see a new Z/28, as well.The Camaro has fallen out of favour with enthusiasts lately, with the redesign of the classic face not sitting so well; and the lack of a budget V8 model dissuading entry-level buyers. Ford will have a redesigned version of their Mustang for 2021, and Dodge is also believed to be working on a next-generation Challenger, so hopefully Chevrolet doesnt fall too far behind by waiting until
Origin: Seventh-gen Camaro reportedly delayed, not cancelled
Ferrari 250 GTO recognized as art by Italian court to block imitators
Simon Kidston, of Bonham and Brooks auction house, peers inside a vintage 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO which won the 1963 Le Mans GT race, in London, 30 October 2000.Adrian Dennis / Getty An Italian court has officially recognized the Ferrari 250 GTO as a work of art, thus protecting the design from companies building replicas or fakes.The Ferrari 250 GTO is regarded as the Holy Grail of classic cars, a claim supported by the people who drive and buy them, and backed up by its status as one of the most expensive cars in the world.The last 250 GTO to hit the auction block, a 1962 model with upgraded Series II bodywork, sold for a staggering US$48,405,000.Its the first time in Italy that a car has been recognized as a work of art, a Ferrari spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph. Its not just its beauty that makes it special it also has a long racing history.Ferrari started a petition to have the design and intellectual property rights of the GTO recognized after a company claimed it was going to start building 250 GTO replicas in Modena, Italy, Ferraris hometown.Only 36 original GTOs were built, and all of them survive today. Under the hood of a Ferrari 250 GTO is a 3.0-litre Colombo V12, which produced somewhere around 300 horsepower; that doesnt sound like a lot, but keep in mind the body only weighed 850 kg. The low weight and high power for the time allowed the GTO to take numerous victories in almost every aspect of European road racing, earning it much praise.Ferrari has always been a stickler for blocking imitators and recreations, famously destroying a Ferrari replica used in Miami Vice in order to give the main character a real Ferrari. More recently, the automaker asked the owner of a Ferrari F40 that had been transformed into an open-top race car to remove all Ferrari badges from the body, because of its
Origin: Ferrari 250 GTO recognized as art by Italian court to block imitators
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