The 2018 Fiat 500 Spiaggina 58, a limited-edition retro-inspired convertible. Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 10,600 older Fiat 500 cars in Canada over a transmission issue that could pose a rollaway risk.Some 10,627 cars from model-year 2012 and 2013 are part of the campaign, which covers a total 72,761 cars globally.On affected vehicles, shift cable bushings could degrade prematurely due to heat and humidity, separating the shift cable from the transmission and keep it from shifting into the selected gear; that means in PARK, the vehicle could roll away.In fact, FCA is aware of three minor accidents potentially related to the issue, though none resulted in any injury. Customers should be wary if they notice loose shifter movement, but as a precaution should always select the parking brake
Origin: More than 10,600 Fiat 500s recalled in Canada over rollaway risk
These car debut fails were absolutely cringe-worthy
In what was easily one of the most meme-able moments of 2019, Tesla revealed its highly hyped Cybertruck at an event in Los Angeles last week, badly damaging two windows in the process of demonstrating the durability of the transparent metal armoured glass.Of course, Tesla isnt the only automaker in history to blow it on a new models big night. Faraday Future and Acura (the latter with help from Ford) have also made some crucial mistakes when the whole world was watching.But the honour of worst new car presentation has to go to Infiniti for its QX reveal. Read on to learn what went wrong at each event, including some insight from Drivings own Jil McIntosh, who was on hand to witness some of the fails.Faraday Future FF91’s self-parking self-ownAll eyes were on California-based EV startup Faraday Future at CES 2017. The company was debuting its first production vehicle and flagship, the FF91, at the tech event, and expected to show off its self-parking abilities.The stunt went well outside the venue, but when the driverless valet button was pressed during the big presentation inside, the car just sat there. Eventually, after a Faraday tech jumped into the car and adjusted some settings, the car pulled itself into the designated spot, but it wasnt enough to stop the headlines from calling it a fail.Insiders later told Jalopnik the mistake was basically due to the demo model not being properly calibrated. Chalked up to technical difficulties, I guess, but maybe a run-through next time, Faraday? Acura NSX gets GT’dDespite Acuras best efforts, there was at least one moment during the big 2015 Acura NSX reveal at the Detroit auto show when those in attendance were more focused on the also-then-brand-new Ford GT supercar.Driving’s Jil McIntosh recalls the event.“Ford’s booth is right across from Acura, and as Acura was starting up the video for the debut, which had Jerry Seinfeld driving, Ford chose that moment to push the GT along the hall to its booth, behind the hundreds of writers who were waiting for the NSX — and who then turned around to look at the GT instead.” “I later asked a Ford rep (about it), who said the timing wasn’t coincidental.”Intiniti’s QX Inspiration fails to launchThere are bad starts, and then there are non-starts. With crowds building in anticipation of the reveal at the 2019 Detroit auto show, Nissan’s luxury brand couldn’t get its new concept started to get it on stage. Technicians were seen fussing around the electric SUV, which blew through its scheduled reveal time and left attendees instead watching janitors mopping the floor. The QX was eventually dragged on stage and revealed officially later that day, but by that time, a lot of the first-impression headlines had already been printed. Dodge Ram cows outChrysler pulled a brilliant stunt at the 2008 Detroit auto show, opening the event and unveiling its new Dodge Ram in the middle of a herd of cattle being pushed up the street by cowboys on horseback.amp;McIntosh, who was in the crowd once again, remembers one moment where the bovine presence backfired slightly. “The Dodge Ram cattle drive in front of Cobo Hall went well, until one steer decided to hump another in the middle of the road … the guy doing the announcing caught it beautifully and said, ‘Looks like someone’s really excited about the new Ram!’”“I was standing right at the barricade, looking to the right. Fortunately Lou Ann Gosselin from Chrysler Canada was beside me looking to the left, and saw a steer coming by. If she hadn’t grabbed me and pulled me back, I would have gotten a horn in the
Origin: These car debut fails were absolutely cringe-worthy
Ford insiders make the case for – and against – the Mach-E being named ‘Mustang’
Ford Mustang Mach-ENadine Filion News about Fords 2021 Mustang Mach-E electric SUV keeps breaking every day, pointing to ever-more ambitious plans for the model. After shipping it to dealers late 2020, the automaker plans to sell 50,000 examples globally through 2021, reports the Detroit News for context, Nissans Leaf managed 30,000 units in its best year. A performance-spec Shelby version is allegedly in the works, too.And Ford Europe design chief Murat Gueler admits some execs have even talked about building a family around the Mustang name. This is, of course, assuming Mustang enthusiasts, pitchforks and torches in hand, havent by then burned Dearborn to the ground for sticking the name of the iconic pony car on an electric SUV in the first place.Yes, the reaction to the Blue Oval calling the Mach-E a Mustang has been simply calamitous. Even with Ford bringing on the charismatic Idris Elba as a brand ambassador, the backlash has been unrelenting.No fewer than four petitions for the name to be changed have been launched; promises have hurriedly come down from Ford execs that youll be convinced once you drive it; and a survey of social media shows fans of rival muscle cars from General Motors and Mopar have even sympathetically relaxed or resisted their usual trolling of Mustang owners.There have been, arguably, early warnings Ford holds no name completely sacred. In 1967, the company turned its Thunderbird, once a two-seat roadster, into a marshmallow-y four-door luxury sedan; 10 years later the vaunted Mercury Cougar muscle car badge would show up on a station wagon.Then again, those marques didnt jump from gasoline to electric power, or from car to sport utility.‘Making the Mustang Mach-E’A few days after its launch, Ford released this video about the Mustang Mach-Es development, featuring several executives, engineers, designers and Mustang fans.The company doesnt hide that the group behind the vehicle, Team Edison, didnt start out with the intent to make their new EV product a Mustang, pinning the inspiration for bringing the haloed brand into it on Jim Farley, president of new business and technology.The video shows us, too, that Mach-Es being labelled Mustang faced plenty of scepticism from inside the company, even from executive chairman Bill Ford himself, who was absolutely adamant that it not be a Mustang.But, as you might expect of a piece of apologia like this, by the end of the 20-minute clip, all those Doubting Thomases have been convinced, turned onto the thought this noiseless four-door could be a Mustang after all.The film finishes with the fans take, sage words to the effect progress cant be stopped, and that itd be kind of neat to see Mustang on the flanks of a spaceship a hundred years from now.The argument against Mach-E — from a Ford insiderBut the argument doesnt stop there just because the credits roll; in fact, Driving.ca managed to tap for an exclusive interview a Mustang subject matter expert working for Ford who vows the Mach-E is not a Mustang. End of story. If you ask them, this is instead a marketing gimmick gone wrong.Mustang was used for publicity purposes; its as simple as that, writes our insider, whose identity were keeping hidden to save them from a possible reprisal by their employer. We can all see Ford did not have faith in the vehicle to live on its own. If they did, they would have given it a separate name. Mustang Family Photo, but one of these things is not like the others The Mustang enthusiast community, they suggest, is not opposed to progress, just what they take as a flagrant disregard for the Mustang brand. We are not upset about it being electric. Fact is, electric (power) gives us instantaneous torque, and that is pretty darn great. We are upset about it turning into a completely different vehicle segment within a brand that already has multiple SUVs.Porsche didnt slap a 911 on their SUV. Lamborghini didnt call their SUV a Murcilago. Was introducing an SUV within those brands polarizing? Absolutely. But, at least they didnt sacrifice a name that means so much to people.There are few counter-arguments our insider, a lifelong Mustang fan, cant refute. People have claimed Ford experimented with four-door and station wagon (Mustang) designs in the early 60s, they explain. Although this is true, (Ford) chose not to pursue these body styles because they claimed it went against Mustangs mission to be a sporty vehicle. When you have a product as enormously successful as Mustang, you invariably have to consider how to capitalize on the idea. While Mustang used the platform of the compact Falcon as its starting point, the four-door Mustang could have brought the idea full circle by adding two doors to the pony car. Fortunately for Mustang fans, cooler heads prevailed. Ford That feeling of a loss of identity may be the strongest argument against the pony badge being slapped onto the face of the Mach-E if not, the pony badge itself is. The
Origin: Ford insiders make the case for – and against – the Mach-E being named ‘Mustang’
Upgrades see increased range for Audi etron
Upgrades see increased range for Audi e-tron A series of technical changes have added more than 15 miles to the range Audi has rolled-out a series of changes to its e-tron, improving efficiency and range for the pure-electric SUV. The e-tron will now feature the same systems brought in for the recently launched Audi e-tron Sportback. The result of the changes is to improve the official driving range for the Audi e-tron 55 quattro to 271 miles (WLTP) on a charge. This sees an additional 15.5 miles added to the previous range, with no physical change to the battery or motors. A new type of braking system sees in improvement in efficiency thanks to reducing the effect of residual brake torque – losses that occur when the calipers are close to the discs. The ways the motors work is more efficient too, with the motor on the rear axle powering the e-tron when in normal driving. The front motor is almost completely disengaged for most of the time, and only kicks back in when the driver needs more power or runs in off-road mode. Audi has fine-tuned the battery technology to gain a little more usable capacity. The 95 kWh now has a net capacity of 86.5 kWh, allowing a little further range from each charge. All newly produced models will benefit from the technical upgrades, and there are no price increases linked to the changes. Prices start at £68,060 for the e-tron, including UK Plug-in Car Grant.
Origin: Upgrades see increased range for Audi etron
The new Land Rover Defender lands a role in the upcoming 007 movie
It’s looking like Daniel Craig will get to drive (or be chased by) a number of pretty choice vehicles in the upcoming 007 film. Aston Martin has confirmed its Valhalla, DB5 and V8 Vantage will all appear in the movie earlier this year, and now Land Rover has thrown its new Defender into the mix. By way of a video teaser showing the off-roader tear around in the mud/sticks/hills, the British automaker recently announced the new Defender 110 will make an appearance in the 25th James Bond film, No Time to Die. In the 40-second spot, the film’s stunt driver Jess Hawkins takes some “pretty much standard as it would be out of the factory” Santorini Black Defender Defender through the paces, smiling through much of it. “Everything we’ve given it so far, it’s taken,” Hawkins says in the video. “I’d do this every day if I could!” The short appears to show at least one of the four-door Defender 110s ending up on its side. Hopefully they got the shot. Land Rover says the Range Rover Sport SVR, Land Rover Series III and Range Rover Classic will also appear in the film. No Time to Die hits big screens on April 8, 2020, a month after the 2020 Defender’s
Origin: The new Land Rover Defender lands a role in the upcoming 007 movie
20$ million are dropped in the Canadian city where our first electric cars rolled
Last Friday, Quebecs Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon, fought Highway 15s busy traffic heading north to St. Jerome, bringing with him $20 million in much needed funding and subsidies.He stopped off first at a conglomerate of seven Quebec companies specializing in heavy electric vehicles, namely the commercial EV platform developed by Compagnie Électrique Lion and underlying its St.-Jerome-built electric school buses (sold mostly to California).The $7.9-million provincial contribution should help materialize projects like electric ambulances, dump trucks and firetrucks, which together could reduce greenhouse gas emissions totaling nearly 3 million tons of CO2 over a horizon of ten years, reads the press release.While that news garnered the most headlines, the real deal, was the non-profit connecting those companies, the beneficiary of the largest portion $12.7 million of governmental aid: L’Institut du Véhicule Innovant (The Innovative Vehicle Institute, or IVI). St. Jerome: Where “modern” EVs were first testedThanks to IVI, Ville de Saint-Jérome has been a hot-bed of EV development for more than 20 years. In the beginning, it was all about electric cars remember in 1996, Tesla wasnt even a gleam in Elons eye and the garage-laboratoire, then named CEVEQ (Centre d’expertise du véhicule électrique du Québec), was something of a global pioneer.It made Laurentians capital the first Canadian city inundated with zero-emission cars. An electric Citron Berlingo was used by municipal administration; local police drove an electrified Peugeot 106. And the corporation helped develop and commercialize the St. Jerome-assembled ZENN, a Zero Emission No Noise low-speed two-seater. (If you dont remember the ZENN, its because it barely sold 500 units from 2006 to 2010, mainly Stateside.)At that time, we were a voice in the wilderness, says IVIs executive director, Franois Adam. Then, around 2010, electric passenger cars took off with the likes of Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. Since 2015, the Institute has focused on electrifying heavy-duty vehicles, industrial equipment and even autonomous machinerie.More square feet — for crazier ideasSo, yes, Quebec has a specialized think tank bringing to life all kinds of strange vehicles for clients who want to reduce their carbon footprint. Theres the MadVac, from Longueuils Exprolink, an electric garbage collector currently cleaning up New Yorks Central Park; the Manufacture Adria, from Rouyn-Noranda, a piece of specialized electric mining equipment. IVI helped with the Lion electric school bus mentioned above, as well as electric motorcycles and boats.In the last five years, IVI worked with 120 companies from all over La Belle Province, generating more than $12 million of retombées, says its executive director. While initiating those commercial and industrial energy efficiency solutions, its also been training future technicians IVIs a collegiate center of technology transfer, affiliated with Cégep de Saint-Jérôme.But until now, IVIs 30 employees were spread out between the downtown college and a business park, its current garage-laboratoire so small only one project can be tackled at a time. Theres no room in this 100-square-meter laboratory to welcome any other innovation en devenir.Thats about to change, with the $12.7 million issued by Quebecs Infrastructures for Research and Innovation. The money, plus some land granted by the city of St. Jerome and another $1.3 million from IVIs own pockets, will help erect a new 2,712-square-meter building uniting the firms employees under one roof, while adding a much-needed bigger prototyping room.The new pavilion should be ready early 2022. We have so many interesting projects but with our current limited space, were always on the brake, says Adam. With this new facility, not only will we add 10 haute technologie jobs, but well quadruple our laboratory
Origin: 20$ million are dropped in the Canadian city where our first electric cars rolled
Dodge’s next-gen Journey could be built in Italy, not Mexico: report
2020 Dodge Journey CrossroadFCA Weve been promised an updated Dodge Journey for a while, but the next-generation one could reportedly be even more car than we expected: built in Italy, ready for a V8 and rear-wheel-drive.Well believe it when we see it, but thats the scoop currently being served up by a number of sources. Autoblog reports the next-generation Journey could arrive in 2022, be around the size of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, have only two rows of seats and borrow styling cues from the Dodge Charger.It would use the Stelvios 2.0-litre four-cylinder, making 280 horsepower and 306 lb.-ft. of torque, but be available in a Scat Pack edition with a Hemi V8. All engines would likely carry an eight-speed automatic. That rumoured rear-wheel-drive would no doubt also complement an all-wheel-drive variant. If so, that’ll be a far cry from the current Journey, which has been slowly winding down. Its available V6 and all-wheel option are no longer available, just a 2.4-L four-cylinder making 172 horsepower, fed only to the front wheels through a four-speed automatic. Only two trims are available, and Dodges biggest draw has been that its likely the cheapest three-row minivan/crossover in Canada.Beefing up a Dodge with Alfa underpinnings wouldnt be a surprise, because FCA has been gradually shifting its brand focus Chrysler is the family-vehicle brand, while Dodge is all about performance, and the current Journey is the very square peg that doesnt fit into that round hole. But Dodge also only has one SUV in its lineup, the Durango, and thats not enough at a time when other automakers have them in every possible shape and size.The Journeys currently made in Mexico, and switching production to Italy would fill empty space in the factories there, as well as free up room in North America to build more trucks. And the Journeys already familiar with Europe, where its sold as the Fiat Freemont and those are folks who would likely prefer a newer and hotter version of it,
Origin: Dodge’s next-gen Journey could be built in Italy, not Mexico: report
Sin or win? Mint Supra becomes Cummins-diesel-powered off-roader
Before we even had time to digest the mass of metal that is the Tesla Cybertruck, we found this Supra porridge were now trying to get down.What youre looking at here was an Mk4 Toyota Supra, but we’re not sure it can be called that now that it has a Cummins diesel engine and all this off-roading accoutrement.Unlike the base of many builds of its kind, this donor car wasnt a wreck, but a perfectly fine twin-turbo manual Mk4 Supra (pictured below) which isnt even the cheapest Supra option. Its builder, Ashley Whitsey, simply wanted it to bedifferent. Whitsey posted a gallery of photos and some rough specs to the Gambler 500 Rally Facebook group. The desert-whip rides on air suspension with 30-inch tires up front and 32-inchers in the rear, with a lift kit, custom clutch, boosted manifold and a new turbo.The 12V Cummins straight-six turbo diesel plant replacing the original 2JZ twin-turbo is good for 250 horsepower and 620 lb.-ft. of torque, but its Dr. Frankenstein believes he could bump figures to 500 horses and 1,000 lb.-ft. with a few extra tweaks.Other angles of the rod-style Supra can be seen on Ashs personal Instagram feed, the bio of which reads, rather tellingly, because I can probably means I shouldnt.You said it, Ash.But what do you think? There is a certain bad-ass-ness to it. Is this a sin or a win?Take Our Poll
Origin: Sin or win? Mint Supra becomes Cummins-diesel-powered off-roader
Updated 2020 Bentley Bentayga to feature revamped design
Bentley will update its best-selling model – the Bentayga SUV – next year to bring it up to scratch with its latest models, and disguised prototypes have begun cold weather testing. The test mule is clearly recognisable as a Bentayga, but heavy camouflage to the front and rear suggests Bentley is planning a number of design updates. At the rear, we can see the brakelights have been reshaped and expanded, while the current model’s deep numberplate recess looks to have been brought forward. At the front, the Bentayga retains its prominent grille and three lower air intakes, but will receive a reconfigured headlight design to bring it into line with the firm’s new Continental and Flying Spur – both of which have launched since the Bentayga arrived in 2016. We can also expect the front and rear bumpers to be redesigned. Just as significant will be the technology overhaul inside. The current car’s infotainment system is often criticised for feeling out of date next to cheaper siblings from Audi and Porsche, so the priority will be to bring in the latest system from the Continental GT and Flying Spur. A fully digital instrument display will likely also feature, while the range of active safety technology should advance. The flagship W12 engine is expected to receive upgrades to boost efficiency, but don’t expect anything dramatic across the rest of the range. The V8 is relatively new, too, while the six-cylinder plug-in hybrid model still isn’t on sale after a lengthy delay. Question marks remain over the diesel model, which was officially axed from the firm’s line-up in 2018. A change in attitude towards the fuel was blamed for its removal back then, but since then sister brand Audi has introduced several large capacity S-badged diesel models to its range. Expect to see more details emerge early next
Origin: Updated 2020 Bentley Bentayga to feature revamped design
Volkswagen’s Project e-Bus is an official electric hippie van
Tesla may have polarized the planet with its all-electric and out-there Cybertruck, but at the other end, Volkswagen is plugging into its past.The company has just unveiled the Project e-Bus, a 1972 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus with an e-Golf powertrain for propulsion. The classic van was built by electric vehicle conversion company EV West as a commission for the automaker.The electric bus debuted recently at a special event at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.The electric drivetrain and 35.8-kWh battery came from a 2017 e-Golf, providing the bus with a range of approximately 200 kilometres. The 1972 bus originally came with a 60-horsepower air-cooled four-cylinder engine, and the electric motor took its place at the vehicles rear.The battery units fit under custom-built enclosures under the front seats, and in the spot where the fuel tank used to reside. Most of the buss other original features remain, but the classic-style gauge is digital, and the stock floor-mounted shifter now operates the one-speed transmission.We are very excited to be part of this project, said Michael Bream, founder of EV West. Merging a historic model from an iconic brand with the technology of today is just one of many ways we can step closer to a more sustainable future, while continuing to enjoy our rich automotive heritage.Volkswagen plans to produce the I.D. Buzz, an electric vehicle with styling reminiscent of its classic van, but said the Project e-Bus is a concept vehicle
Origin: Volkswagen’s Project e-Bus is an official electric hippie van
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