Striking United Auto Workers members picket at the General Motors Lansing Parts and Warehouse for the fifth week of the strike on October 16, 2019 in Lansing, Michigan.Bill Pugliano / Getty Striking General Motors factory workers will put down their picket signs after approving a new contract that will end a 40-day strike that paralyzed the company’s U.S. production. The United Auto Workers union said in a statement Friday that workers had approved the new four-year deal. But no vote totals were given. The union shortly after announced it plans to next negotiate with Ford, and then Fiat Chrysler. Picket lines were to come down immediately, and skilled trades workers will begin restarting factories that were shuttered when 49,000 workers walked out on September 16. Some production workers could return as early as Friday night. The deal includes a mix of wage increases and lump-sum payments and an US$11,000 signing bonus. But GM will close three U.S. factories that make slow-selling cars and transmissions. Analysts estimate the strike cost GM more than US$2 billion. Trades workers such as machinists and electricians likely will enter the plants quickly, restarting boilers and preparing paint shops, robots and other equipment to restart production. Although GM dealers had stocked up on vehicles before the strike and many still have decent supplies, analysts say GM won’t be able to make up for the lost production. Had the strike been shorter, GM could have increased assembly line speeds and worked the plants on overtime to catch up and refill its stock. But many of the plants that make popular SUVs and pickup trucks already were working around the clock to keep up with demand before the strike began. Also, companies that supply parts to the factories and halted production during the strike will need time to restart, although GM has some parts in stock. Jeff Schuster, senior vice-president of the consulting firm LMC Automotive, estimates that GM has lost production of 300,000 vehicles, and he said maybe only a quarter of it can be made up. “You can’t add days to the week and you can’t add hours to the day,” he said. Members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) who are employed at the General Motors Co. Flint Assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, slow down salary employees entering the plant as they strike early on September 16, 2019. Jeff Kowalsky / AFP via Getty Some production losses will help thin inventory, especially of cars, Schuster said. But in late October and early November, GM will likely run short of colours and models of trucks and SUVs that are in high demand until stocks are replenished, he said. Although truck and SUV buyers generally are loyal to a brand, customers in a hurry for a new vehicle could go elsewhere, Schuster said. “There are definitely going to be some limitations on choice, and that is a risk,” Schuster said. “Consumers can opt to wait, or they can go down the street to their competitor.” Now the union will move on to bargain with Ford, using the GM deal as a template. It’s not clear yet if there will be another strike, but Ford will not be happy about being stuck with the GM terms.
Origin: GM union ends 40-day strike with ratification of new deal
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B.C. car show season ends with nod to the past
The Datsun 280Z of Robin Liu brought back great memories last weekend at Mission Raceway.Cam Hutchins This weekend is bittersweet for me as it brings to a close not only the car show season for another year, but also this column until the spring. The bright side is that the Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society is hosting is annual induction ceremony and in my opinion is one of the best events to car-related events that takes place each year in Metro Vancouver.The GVMPS recognizes and records the vast contributions of those who were pioneers of motorsport in this region. The parking lot outside Shannon Hall is filled with cool cars as almost all who attend the ceremony have a passion for driving. An old school mate of mine, Mo Davidson, usually shows up with some cool old hot rod or racing boat.This year many cool Carnuts are getting inducted, including Wes Stinson, Laurie Fraser, Phil Jenson, Joe and Neva Ledlin as well as many others. Jim Flett, who recently passed away, was a larger than life builder of hot rods, customs and an amazing train set. Another mentionable entrant is one of the clubs I belong to, the Vancouver Chapter of the Vintage Car Club of Canada. In my mind the big news is fellow Postmedia journalist Alyn Edwards receiving the Sandy Lovelace Memorial Award for all he has contributed to the auto hobby with his regular features on car owners and their passion for their cars and families. You need not just a cool car, but also a cool story to get featured in one of Alyns stories. Having Alyn write about your car is often the biggest praise and recognition any car owner can achieve.I first met Alyn at the Langley Good Times Cruise-In and photographed his amazing 1968 Shelby GT 500KR convertible. To top it off Alyn gave me a ride home in the car. He regularly has garage tours of his collection for various car clubs (yet another great reason to join a car club). Congrats Alyn!Last weekend I was at the Mission Raceway for the road races and noticed inactivity in the paddocks of the drag strip. I looked online to see they had been cancelled. The weather was finebut soon turned bad, but the road races were great. I had the good luck to shoot beside veteran race photographer Brent Martin who mused that Chris Webb must not have qualified since he was at the back of the pack.Webbs bright yellow number 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was never a street car but a purpose-built racecar and shares almost nothing with its street distant cousin. This car is fast and on the second lap it was already past many and almost went off the track at the Greg Moore corner, Turn 2. Webb went from back to second place in one of the Closed Wheel 2 races.The big bad Viper of Doug Seal was a treat to watch and my favourite car was the Datsun 280Z of Robin Liu. The 240, 260 and 280Zs were the cars to own when I was growing up and it is great seeing them of the track. Unfortunately, the rain came out part way through the race, But they still raced hard knowing all the cars had the same weather handicap.There is another race October 12-13 and it is always rain or shine, but the cars really shine in the rain, so plan to bring a kid and not miss the next race.Have a great winter and see you in the spring!SHOWSSEPT. 20-21What: Columbia Valley Classics Autumn Show Shine.Where: The Springs Golf Course, RadiumWhen: Friday poker run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday car show 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Show admission: FreeRegistration: Friday evening and Saturday at 7 a.m. $25 and open to all vehiclesInfo: 250-346-3222, 250-342-9817 or kvroberts@uniserve.comWebsite: radiumcarshow.comSEPT. 21What: 17th Annual Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society Induction CeremonyWhere: Shannon Hall at the Cloverdale FairgroundsWhen: Doors open at noon, Ceremony 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Admission: $20Info: 604-682-2631 or byjames@look.caWebsite: gvmps.orgWhat: All Triumph Drive InWhere: Rotary Park, PentictonWhen: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.Admission: FreeWebsite: bctriumphregistry.com/ATDI2019.htmWhat: White Post Auto Museum Fall Swap MeetWhere: White Post Auto Museum, 4439A Trans Canada Hwy., TappenWhen: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.Admission: $2 Kids under 12 freeInfo: 250-835-2224 or wpam@hotmail.caWebsite: whitepostautomuseum.comSEPT. 22What: Brookswood Secondary School Car ShowWhere: Brookswood Secondary School, 20902 37A Ave., LangleyWhen: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Admission: $3 Kids 5 and under freeRegistration: starts at 8 a.m. $15 and open to all vehiclesInfo: 604-992-7507 or bsscarshow@gmail.comWebsite: bsscarshow.com COMPETITIONSEPT. 21What: Oval racingWhere: Agassiz Speedway, 5045 Cemetery Rd., AgassizInfo: 604-792-FAST(3278) or agassizspeedway@telus.netWebsite: agassizspeedway.comWhat: DriftingWhere: Penticton Speedway, 2070 Carmi Ave., PentictonWebsite: pentictonspeedway.comWhat: Hydroforce Excavating Championship NightWhere: Western Speedway, 2207 Millstream Rd., VictoriaWebsite: westernspeedway.netSEPT. 21-22What: CMDRA Bike DragsWhere: Mission Raceway Park,
Origin: B.C. car show season ends with nod to the past
VW ends production of Mk7 Golf R in anticipation of Mk8
2019 Volkswagen Golf RPeter Bleakney / Driving Volkswagen will create a bit of space in its lineup for the arrival of the new Mk8 Golf R by giving the Mk7 R a rest in 2020. The Mk7 Golf, whose reign has been ongoing for the last seven years, is starting to be phased out by VW in anticipation of the arrival of the next generation. And Motor Authority confirmed with the German automaker that the Mk7 Golf R has ceased production, making 2020 model years the last of their kind. VW will use the downtime in the Golf R’s production schedule to update its facilities, telling Motor1 in an email “With the Wolfsburg factory preparing for the changeover to the next generation of Golf models, the Golf R will take a brief hiatus before returning as a Mk8.”So the Mk7 Golf R goes the way of the SportWagen and Alltrack, though they, too, might be coming back after a pause. That leaves buyers with a few current options in the North American Golf realm: there are the few Mk7 Golf Rs left in dealerships; the GTI; the e-Golf; and the Golf Value Edition. Debut dates have yet to be set, but it’s expected that the Mk8 Golf R should make its way over to North America by
Origin: VW ends production of Mk7 Golf R in anticipation of Mk8
News Roundup: A US$4-mil ‘67 Corvette heads to auction, a gender reveal burnout ends in flames and more top stories
Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.What might be the most expensive Corvette ever is going up for saleWhen it comes to Corvettes, none is more coveted than the L88. So when this, the first 1967 Corvette L88 to ever be produced according to Hagerty, goes up for sale at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, it’s expected to break sales records. The rare V8-powered car comes with a pedigree including a few SCCA race wins with Tony DeLorenzo behind the wheel, and is expected to fetch upwards of US$4 million at the classic car auction. Rear-end photos of the next-gen Corvette leak days before official revealIt’s mere days before GM is set to officially reveal the new Chevrolet Corvette, but just like a spoiled 9-year-old one day before his birthday party, we just can’t help sneaking a peek through the wrapping paper. An image posted on corvetteforum.com and reposted to Instagram appears to show the back side of the mid-engined Chevy, revealing tail lights that remind some of the Camaro. Take a look-see if you’re into spoilers, or hold off just a few more days until July 18.Hyundai says the Santa Cruz-inspired pickup truck is coming very soonHyundai is hoping to generate a “whole new class of buyers” with its first pickup truck, which it says should be on the way shortly. Details and specs haven’t been revealed just yet, so we’re still imagining something close to the five-seat crossover-style Santa Cruz concept truck Hyundai revealed over four years ago. The South Korean brand will likely build the trucks in the U.S. to avoid the 25-per-cent tariff on imports. We get behind the wheel of the 2020 Toyota GR Supra for the first timeIt’s been 21 years since the last Supra was produced, so when Toyota decided to bring it back for a 2020 model year, it only made sense to make it the brand’s sportiest production car ever. And the sportiest Toyota it is. Our experts can confirm it, having recently taken the car out for a first drive on Quebec’s Circuit Mont Tremblant. Sharing a platform with the BMW Z4, the Supra isn’t just a Bimmer dressed by Toyota. As Costa Mouzouris puts it, “the Supra looks and feels completely different, and returns a driving experience that is more visceral and more intense.”Gender reveal burnout goes wrong—congratulations, it’s an explosion!And just like that, with the ignition and explosion of an Australian muscle car, we’ve reached Peak Gender Reveal. Because instead of opting to cut into a blue or pink cake cloaked in white icing, or open a box full of pink or blue balloons, one Australian dad decided to announce the sex of his new child using the spinning rear tires of a V8 Holden Special Vehicles Senator. But before the blue smoke had stopped swirling, a fire broke out, resulting in an explosion and the destruction of the Australian muscle car. Nobody was hurt, but the driver was fined and the video of the incident is now being used as an educational tool by Australian police. Five reasons we can’t wait to drive the 2020 Shelby GT500People deal with excitement in various ways. Driving’s expert Alex Reid, for one, makes lists. This week, with the anticipation of the new 2020 Shelby GT500 becoming simply too much to bear, the auto journalist began documenting and organizing the reasons he’s excited to drive Ford’s new pony. First, at the heart of the matter is what the brand calls “the world’s most torque-dense V8,” making 760 horsepower and 625 lb.-ft. of torque. And then there’s the history, which dates back to Texas in 1965. Read the rest of the list to further benefit from our writer’s fastidious nervous twitch. GM recalls 500,000 trucks due to “hard” brakes and defrosters that could start firesA probe into faulty power braking systems in some GM trucks and SUVS has escalated into a full-blown recall of around 300,000 new GM trucks and SUVs across Canada. The fault lies in a deteriorating vacuum that assists the power brakes, which can lead to a hard brake pedal and less effective braking. A second recall is targeting nearly 160,000 trucks with potentially glitchy rear window defrosters that could overheat and possibly start a fire. Click the link above to see if you’re GM truck or SUV might be affected.
Origin: News Roundup: A US$4-mil ‘67 Corvette heads to auction, a gender reveal burnout ends in flames and more top stories
Watch: Australian gender reveal burnout ends with explosion, car fire
Australians love burnouts its almost like its in their blood, something imbued in them from birth. That goes double for this one kid, whose gender-reveal-via-burnout turned out even more memorable than his parents had planned when it ended with an explosion and car fire.Police in Australia are using a gender reveal party that took place on the countrys Gold Coast in April 2018 as an example of how these sorts of stunts can go way wrong way fast.The reveal was supposed to happen via a giant smokey burnout in the revealers V8-powered Holden Special Vehicles Senator, a rear-wheel-drive muscle car. As he spun the tires, the blue smoke gave away the baby would be a boy.Unfortunately, the hoonigan at the wheel got a little overzealous and ended up causing a big explosion that burned the car to the ground. Nobody was hurt, but according to CNN, the 29-year-old driver was convicted of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.Police have stepped in after a gender reveal ceremony took a turn for the worst.The explosive finale was captured on video, with the daredevil driver slapped with a hefty fine: https://t.co/V7DkwMkN2l @njkelly9 #9News pic.twitter.com/voh5QeTRqy Nine News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) July 9, 2019This isnt the first time a gender reveal has sparked flames the its-a-boy!-burnout party is actually part of a growing trend in Australia, apparently which is whats got police increasingly concerned.On top of it all, gender reveal parties are starting to see a lot of push-back generally, especially over-the-top ones. Our thoughts? At the end of the day, just dont be dumb,
Origin: Watch: Australian gender reveal burnout ends with explosion, car fire
Autocar confidential: Hyundai won’t be caught short, BMW ends its ‘Gran Tour’ and more
In this week’s collection of motoring murmurs, we hear why BMW isn’t building another B-Class rival, how Hyundai is ready for any market eventuality, and more. Munich’s MPVs make way for high-riders Don’t expect to see a replacement for BMW’s 2 Series Active Tourer and seven-seat Gran Tourer, at least for some time. BMW’s product management vice-president, Peter Henrich, claims the current MPVs have “done an excellent job in bringing new customers to our brand” but are now “not at the centre of what our brand today stands for”. “We will see about moving Gran Tourer customers to our SUVs,” he added. Volkswagen tightens its grip on power Volkswagen sales boss Jürgen Stackmann says the firm has no concerns over battery supply limiting its ability to produce 100,000 ID 3 electric cars per year from 2020 onwards. Some car firms are struggling to secure enough batteries to meet demand, but Stackmann said VW’s supply was secure “as far as you have security in life and business. We will have stable and good supply for the volumes we want to build.” Volvo grabs the green pump Volvo won’t follow Mercedes down the diesel hybrid route, according to UK operations director David Baddeley. “There will either be petrol, petrol hybrid or full battery electric,” he said. “Go back two or three years and we were 98% diesel in the UK. Now we are 60% diesel and moving quickly. You’ve got to anticipate these changes.” Hyundai: Fail to prepare, prepare to fail… New Hyundai UK boss Ashley Andrew claims the allure of the brand is that it has “completely future-proofed itself, whichever way it goes” in terms of powertrains. “If the market goes towards battery-electric vehicles, we have them; if it goes towards hydrogen quickly, we’ve got that. Not only that, we’ve got the intellectual
Origin: Autocar confidential: Hyundai won’t be caught short, BMW ends its ‘Gran Tour’ and more
Citroen ends production of five-seat C4 Spacetourer
Citroën has ceased production of its five-seat C4 Spacetourer MPV, citing the enhanced practicality offered by the new C5 Aircross and declining MPV sales. The Spacetourer, introduced in early 2018 as a renamed and updated version of the Picasso, will remain on sale until UK dealership stocks have run out. The larger seven-seat Grand Spacetourer will remain on sale for the foreseeable future, with the brand’s MPV line-up now topped by the nine-seat van-based Spacetourer. A company spokesperson said the new C5 Aircross compact SUV, launched last year as a rival to the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Karoq, offers a level of modularity that renders the five-seat Spacetourer redundant. The new Aircross has 720 litres of boot space, up 80 litres from the outgoing Spacetourer, but is over £1000 more expensive, starting from £22,305 in entry-level 1.2-litre PureTech guise. Citroën’s decision to stop selling the C4 Spacetourer follows the recent announcement that Ford will cease production of its B-Max and C-Max five- and seven-seat MPVs in pursuit of increased profitability in Europe. The MPV segment as a whole has become precarious, with demand for family SUVs increasing exponentially; they accounted for one-third of all UK car sales in 2018. Last year, the Toyota Verso was also axed, while Kia dropped the slow-selling Venga around the same time. Mercedes-Benz recently launched a new version of its B-Class MPV, but that model’s chief rival, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, looks unlikely to be directly replaced at the end of its current life
Origin: Citroen ends production of five-seat C4 Spacetourer
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