You’ve heard of Gymkhana (click here for a primer, if you haven’t) but how about Climbkhana? DC Shoes co-founder and professional rally driver Ken Block is a legend in the drifting communities for his Gymkhana series, which takes beefed-up cars through complex drift courses and creates viral videos about the whole thing. They’ve been at it for nearly a decade. Back in 2017, Block and his Hoonigans took their 1,400-horsepower 1965 Ford Mustang Hoonicorn RTR V2 to Pikes Peak to drift the climb and create the first Climbkhana video. After taking 2018 off, Block is back, this time behind the wheel of his 914-horsepower 1977 Ford F-150 (the one used in Gymkhana 10) tearing along the iconic Heaven’s Gate road that cuts up through Tianmen Mountain National Park. The tire-shredding truck gobbles up the most dangerous road in China’s 99 corners with a seemingly insatiable appetite. Footage shows aerial clips of the truck whipping around hairpin turns, doing donuts around a person in a panda costume riding a hoverboard (because China?) in-truck shots of Block smiling as he shifts down and spins the tires, and corners taken so accurately the back end of the vehicle brushes the barriers. Block caps the performance with a bunch more donuts at the top of the hill, set to the tune of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Over the Mountain.” Appropriate.What a job this guy has,
Origin: Ken Block takes his Hoonitruck to China for ‘Climbkhana 2’
China
Chevrolet’s finally building an EV crossover — but only for China
Theres hardly a car company on the planet that wont jump at the opportunity to add another crossover or SUV to its ranks. Even the mighty Aston Martin and Ferrari are getting in on the game.Given that, it shouldnt be much of a surprise to anyone the new vehicles being shown off by Chevrolet at an auto show in China are utilities.Called the Menlo and apparently built off the bones of a Bolt EV, this car is the first all-electric Bowtie-branded vehicle in China. The company is calling it a sedan for reasons unknown, but this new rig certainly takes the shape of a crossover or SUV.According to GM, the Menlo has a range of 410 kilometres when fully charged and measured under the New European Driving Cycle. Even if that system is slightly more generous than North American tests, it still suggests a driving range not far off that provided by the Bolt.If youve a set of eyes, its easy to tell the Menlo is part of the GM crossover family, with a pair of headlights bookending a thin strip of chrome and resting atop a very familiar bumper. Around back, the Menlo EV would fit exceedingly well in a parking lot full of Equinox and Blazer vehicles.Speaking of Blazer, Chevrolet also showed a three-row version of that trucklet at the same show in which it introduced the Menlo EV. Such a vehicle is not expected to make the jump to America, as it would have the propensity to cannibalize sales of other similarily-sized Chevy three-row rigs. Weve asked GM Canada about whether there are plans to bring either to dealerships here, and it told us the Menlo EV isnt going to be sold in Canada as we speak emphasis ours. Doesnt that sound like it leaves open a small window it might come here eventually?The company says it will have more details about the Menlo EV at this years Guangzhou Auto Show, a soire which runs from November 22 through December 1. Its expected the car will go on sale in China during the first half of calendar year
Origin: Chevrolet’s finally building an EV crossover — but only for China
Sketches show sporty Skoda Kamiq GT for China
Skoda has previewed a sporty GT version of the Chinese version of the Kamiq compact SUV. The new China-only model looks to follow in the footsteps of the larger Kodiaq GT, revealed a year ago in Guangzhou, in adopting a sloping coupé-style roofline, flared wheel arches, a subtle rear spoiler and reshaped bumpers. Skoda has not previewed the car’s interior, but says it offers “a blend of rugged SUV looks and sporty dynamics”. The brand has also confirmed that performance-inspired front seats, decorative trim elements and exclusive material choices will be unique to the GT. The Kamiq GT was previewed earlier this year with the Vision GT concept, which Skoda claimed to be “perfectly tailored to the needs of Chinese customers with compact proportions, generous space and elegantly dynamic design”. Styling elements that look to be carried through to production include a bespoke alloy wheel design, chrome front winglets and chunky black lower trim. The new model is based on the standard version of the Chinese Kamiq, which is built on Skoda’s older PQ platform and unrelated to the small SUV of the same name sold in Europe. Powertrain details are unconfirmed, but the 148bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol unit available on European models is likely to be an option. Expect a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox to feature as standard. The Kamiq GT will be Skoda’s fifth SUV to go on sale in China, joining the standard Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq and Kodiaq GT in dealerships around the country, where the brand has achieved notable sales success since its Chinese launch in 2007. It is unlikely the model will be sold outside China, but Skoda is understood to be monitoring market response to the new Kodiaq GT, to determine its viability for a European or US launch. Skoda will reveal the Kamiq GT on 4 November at an event in
Origin: Sketches show sporty Skoda Kamiq GT for China
Nissan names China boss as new CEO
Nissan has named the head of its Chinese division, Makoto Uchida, as its new boss, heading up a revamped management team as the firm tries to draw a line under recent scandals. Uchida’s appointment by the Japanese firm’s board of directors was made after the sudden resignation of Hiroto Saikawa, the previous chief executive officer. Saikawa had admitted to being improperly overpaid following revelations that came to light in a report based on an internal investigation into suspected financial misconduct by former chairman Carlos Ghosn and director Greg Kelly. Uchida was a surprise choice for the CEO role, with the 53-year-old being a relative outsider, having spent much of his recent past working outside of Japan. Having joined Nissan in 2003, Uchida was appointed head of the firm’s Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng in 2018 and also took on responsibility for Nissan’s own China operation. Uchida will be joined by new chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta, who currently holds the same role for sister firm Mitsubishi. The Indian has also led the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s commercial vehicle division. Jun Seki, Nissan’s senior vice-president, who was considered one of the favourites for the CEO role, has been named vice-chief operating officer. The three will start in their new roles by the start of 2020. The three choices suggest that Nissan is hoping that bringing in new management from outside the firm’s Japanese base will enable it to move on from the Ghosn revelations. Yasushi Kimura, the chair of Nissan’s board of directors, called Uchida “the right leader to drive the business forward”, adding that they expected him “to lead the company as one team, immediately focus on the recovery of the business and revitalise the
Origin: Nissan names China boss as new CEO
China tariffs will add 25 per cent to cars imported from U.S.
US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he departs the White House, in Washington, DC, on June 2, 2019.Jim Watson / Getty Images China on Friday announced tariff hikes on US$75 billion of U.S. products in retaliation for President Donald Trumps latest planned increase, deepening a conflict over trade and technology that threatens to tip a weakening global economy into recession.China also will increase import duties on U.S.-made autos and auto parts, the Finance Ministry announced.Tariffs of 10 per cent and 5 per cent will take effect on two batches of goods on September 1 and December 15, the ministry said in a statement. It gave no details of what goods would be affected but the timing matches Trumps planned duty hikes.A separate statement said tariffs of 25 per cent and 5 per cent would be imposed on U.S.-made autos and auto parts on December 15. Beijing announced that increase last year but suspended it after Trump and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, agreed at a meeting in December in Argentina to put off further trade action while they negotiated.Trump and Xi agreed in June to resume negotiations. But talks in Shanghai in July ended with no indication of progress. Negotiators talked by phone this month and are due to meet again in Washington next month. BMW, Tesla, Ford and Mercedes-Benz are likely to be the hardest hit by the Chinese auto tariffs. In 2018, BMW exported about 87,000 luxury SUVs to China from a plant near Spartanburg, South Carolina. It exports more vehicles to China than any other U.S. auto plant.Together, Ford, BMW, Mercedes and others exported about 164,000 vehicles to China from the U.S. in 2018, according to the Center for Automotive Research, a think tank in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Most of them are luxury cars and SUVs with higher profit margins that can cover higher U.S. wages. The exports are down from about 262,000 in 2017.Tesla, which is building a plant in China, last year got about 12 per cent of its revenue by exporting about 14,300 electric cars and SUVs from California to China, according to Barclays. Most of Fords exports are from the Lincoln luxury brand, but most of the vehicles it sells in China are made in joint-venture
Origin: China tariffs will add 25 per cent to cars imported from U.S.
VW adds electric-car plants in China to overtake Tesla numbers
VWs power bank for electric cars—the companys solution for a mobile quick-charging station.Handout / Volkswagen In about a year, Volkswagen Group may catch up to Tesla’s capacity to make electric cars. VW said Tuesday it is building two plants in China to produce a total of 600,000 vehicles on its dedicated battery-car platform, MEB. The new factories in Anting and Foshan will open a few months after Germany’s Zwickau, which will assemble as many as 330,000 cars annually and is slated to get started by year-end. Following through with plans to reach this level of scale will likely leave Tesla trailing behind. Its lone vehicle assembly plant operating in Fremont, California, can make about 500,000 cars. The electric-car leader expects to start output on the outskirts of Shanghai at the end of this year and produce 250,000 vehicles a year initially. VW has little time to lose after Tesla resolved manufacturing problems in Fremont and its battery factory near Reno, Nevada, which may start also building Model Y crossovers. While Model 3 sedan deliveries tailed off in the first quarter following a strong second half of 2018, CEO Elon Musk has dismissed concerns about demand and stuck to a forecast for as many as 400,000 vehicle deliveries this year. VW plans to produce some 70 battery-powered models across its 12 auto brands by 2028 and make 22 million electric cars over the next decade. CEO Herbert Diess, who says alternative technologies like fuel-cell cars will struggle to compete, is helming the auto industry’s biggest effort in the transition from combustion engines costing some 30 billion euros (US$34 billion). Volkswagen leads the competition on e-mobility, Diess said in speech notes at the company’s annual meeting in Berlin. As a company, we’ll make a success of the electric car—with the right products, superior underpinnings and global economies of scale. The German automaker, which is also considering sites for more electric-car plants, this month opened reservations for its electric ID3 hatchback. It’s garnered more than 15,000 orders from buyers putting down 1,000-euro deposits. Tesla, meanwhile, is mulling a factory in Germany, Musk said in a tweet last month. Last year, he stated that Europe’s No. 1 market was the leading choice for a car and battery site in
Origin: VW adds electric-car plants in China to overtake Tesla numbers
Mercedes-AMG plans to build cars in China for the first time
Having caught on that the Chinese performance and luxury car market isn’t going anywhere but up anytime soon, Daimler has announced that, for the first time ever, it will be moving production of some of its Mercedes-AMG products to Beijing. The hope is Chinese buyers looking for a performance vehicle will be enticed over to the AMG nameplate by the new, closer production location. The first made-in-China AMG car will be the 2020 A 35 L 4MATIC long-wheelbase sedan, a China-market-exclusive that was formerly imported from Germany but will be produced in the brand’s Beijing site by the end of the year. The decision to move manufacturing of the A 35 AMG to the destination market was made easy by the fact that the long-wheelbase A-Class sedan currently on roads in China is already manufactured in the factory near Beijing, adjacent to the nation’s first AMG-exclusive dealer. Daimler is hoping the AMG A 35 L strikes the same chord with buyers that the A 45 hatchback did. As the entry-level option in China, the spunky compact A 45 has been Mercedes-AMG’s best-selling import to date. Despite the heavily congested roads, Chinese drivers are still opting for vehicles that offer an exciting driving experience, like AMG’s do. To support the push to win some of that performance market, AMG is also investing in a new experience centre at the Zhejiang Circuit in Shaoxing, where AMG fans can test the vehicles out of gridlock traffic.
Origin: Mercedes-AMG plans to build cars in China for the first time
Lincoln Corsair will be first Lincoln model built in China
Lincoln will build its brand new Corsair SUV in China, making it the first model the brand has ever built there. According to a report from Automotive News filed on Wednesday, the MKC predecessor is projected to be Lincoln’s most popular model in China, as the MKC was. The choice to build the Corsair in China makes sense, as it is built upon the same platform as the redesigned 2020 Ford Escape, which is produced in China. Having production in the same country that buys the most of the model makes for great savings on shipping. As for Americans, their Corsairs will come out of Louisville, Kentucky. Local automaker Changan also uses the same plants as Ford in a joint building venture, as laws in China require that foreign automakers can’t just set up a plant and start building, they must partner with local companies that are run in part by the government. This is a small price to pay in exchange for large tax savings. Lincoln has been doing very well in China since 2014 when it was introduced there, and that is partly because of the desire for locals to purchase luxury products for more of a personal experience, rather than an object to show off. Chinese Lincoln dealerships also offer more than what a regular dealer would, with a luxurious showroom complete with tea room. Complete sales and service transparency is also a hallmark of the company. Expect Lincoln to make more vehicles in
Origin: Lincoln Corsair will be first Lincoln model built in China
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