(March 31, 2014) SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The BMW Group is expanding capacity at its U.S. plant in Spartanburg, S.C. “To meet strong global demand for our BMW X models, we will invest a total of one billion dollars in our Spartanburg plant by 2016. This will increase annual production capacity by 50% up to 450,000 vehicles from 300,000 currently,” said chairman of the board of management Norbert Reithofer, at a special ceremony in Spartanburg commemorating 20 years of production in the U.S.

(March 31, 2014) DEARBORN, Mich. — More than 57 percent of Ford Motor Company’s F-150 retail sales so far this year are powered by V6 engines — the highest six-cylinder engine mix in the industry since 1967 — and the company expects that trend to continue for the rest of the year.

(March 30, 2014) DETROIT — The 2015 Cadillac Escalade luxury utility vehicle is defined by a hand-crafted interior. High-end furniture provided the inspiration for Cadillac’s design team and their utilization of authentic cut-and-sew materials. 

Much of the interior components — including the dashboard, door panels and steering wheel — feature hand-stitched and hand-wrapped supple leather. Semi-aniline Kona Brown leather is available, which utilizes soluble dyes to preserve the material grain. All interiors are accented by genuine wood and metal trims.

(March 29, 2014) DEARBORN, Mich. — As customers, designers, race car drivers, engineers, marketers and journalists, women have been an integral part of the Ford Mustang story for 50 years. The spirit of freedom and independence Mustang inspires has been embraced globally among women and men, the young and not so young, for half a century.

(March 29, 2014) DETROIT — General Motors issued two more safety recalls on Friday, covering 490,000 new full-sized pickups and SUVs as well as 172,000 Chevrolet Cruze models, bringing the total number of GM callbacks this month to six.

Neither of the latest moves is related to the ignition-switch recall that GM expanded earlier Friday to 2.2 million U.S. vehicles. That recall of six mid-2000s small-car models, including the Chevy Cobalt and Saturn Ion, is now linked to 13 deaths and has led to a deepening crisis for GM.

(March 28, 2014) CONCORD, N.C.— Elvis Presley’s 1973 Stutz Blackhawk III, one of his most famous vehicles and the last car he ever drove through the gates of Graceland, will be the display in the Nationwide Insurance Classic Car Showcase Pavilion at the upcoming Charlotte Motor Speedway AutoFair April 3-6.

(March 28, 2014) WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — Pack your bags and get ready to Motor!  Registration for Mini Takes the States (MTTS) 2014 is now officially open for the legendary cross-country road rally. Mini owners looking to participate can now register by clicking here. The registration fee for adults is $45. Pets and kids under 12 are free.

(March 28, 2014) DETROIT — It is a rite of spring even if the weather is only beginning to cooperate. A Blue Topaz Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup and a Crystal Red Metallic Equinox small SUV settled into their parking spaces atop the Chevrolet Fountain behind centerfield in Comerica Park on Thursday. Reaching their perches involved gingerly lifting each vehicle into place by crane — a three-hour process. 

(March 28, 2014) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — For the fourth straight year, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been named the “Official Winter Vehicle of New England” by the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA).
 
“The Jeep Grand Cherokee has now taken the overall Winter Vehicle honor every year since 2011,” said Craig Fitzgerald, NEMPA president. “This unprecedented fourth consecutive win is due to the EcoDiesel engine and eight-speed transmission – new features that put Grand Cherokee at the top of both the power-with-efficiency and value curves.
 

(March 28, 2014) LIMA, Ohio — Ford will invest $500 million to upgrade its Lima Engine Plant and add 300 new jobs to support production of the all-new 2.7-liter EcoBoost specifically engineered for the next-generation 2015 Ford F-150.

The high-output, twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost with standard Auto Start-Stop features an entirely new design that delivers power and performance in a stronger, smarter package.