March 2015

BMW Motorrad delivers fleet of electric scooters to Barcelona

(March 16, 2015) BARCELONA, Spain — A fleet of maxi scooters comprising 30 of the new BMW C evolution was delivered to the Barcelona City Hall for use by the local police. The first completely electrically powered scooter manufactured by BMW Motorrad will allow the police to move with maximum efficiency and zero emissions.

The BMW C evolution is BMW Motorrad’s answer to zero-emissions urban mobility. With a continuous output of 15 horsepower and a maximum output of 47 horsepower, the scooter is homologated to be ridden with an A1 or B license.

2016 Camaro to be revealed May 16 in Detroit

(March 16, 2015) DETROIT — Chevrolet is inviting fans to see the all-new 2016 Camaro on Saturday, May 16, in Detroit. The sixth-generation Camaro will cap a day-long celebration on Belle Isle, the 982-acre island park that is home to the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. This year’s running is May 29-31.

Cadillac CT6 elevates the science of mass efficiency

(March 15, 2015) DETROIT — Cadillac will use an advanced mixed-material approach for the lightweight body structure of the upcoming CT6 range-topping sedan. The structure is aluminum intensive, but the new Cadillac also includes 13 different materials customized for each area of the car to simultaneously advance driving dynamics, fuel economy and cabin quietness.

The CT6 will debut March 31 at the New York International Auto Show and go into production late this year at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant.

Lexus aims high, shoots low with the NX 200t small crossover

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(March 16, 2015) The NX 200t is much better looking in person than in photographs, and the F-Sport version is better looking still. Perhaps the small size of the NX, like that of the IS sedan, is better suited to the spindle grille and exuberant detailing than Lexus’s larger offerings. The new styling language seems particularly suited to the IS, and NX takes these same lines and forms and drapes them over a small crossover shape. It works.

New Ford Mustang causes internet stampede in Europe

(March 15, 2015) COLOGNE, Germany — It was a web stampede a half century in the making. Potential customers flooded Ford websites to design, specify and price nearly 500,000 new Ford Mustang models in the first month Mustang was available to order across Europe.

Porsche achieves new records in revenue and profit in 2014

(March 14, 2015) STUTTGART, Germany —  Porsche set new records in terms of deliveries, revenue and profit in the 2014 fiscal year. With 189,849 vehicles worldwide, deliveries were 17 per cent above the figure of the previous year. Revenue rose by one-fifth to 17.2 billion euros ($18 billion). The operating profit grew by just over five per cent to 2.7 billion euros ($2.8 billion).

With 22,401 employees, the number of people working for Porsche reached a new peak at the end of the year. A year earlier, the figure was 19,456 employees: an increase of 15 per cent.

Kansas City Assembly comes on line building all-new Ford F-150

(March 14, 2015) CLAYCOMO, Mo. — Ford this week marked the official start of production of the all-new 2015 F-150 at Kansas City Assembly Plant, which joins Dearborn Truck Plant in building the new aluminum bodied pickup.

Chrysler comes out of war years with new Windsor



The Chrysler Windsor was a full-sized sedan built by the Chrysler Corporation in the U.S. from 1939 through 1961. The 1942 Windsor under went a refreshening after the war for the 1946 through 1948 model years. It came with a four-speed manual transmission and a 114-horsepower inline 6-cylinder engine. This example of the 1946-48 models seems to be in restorable condition getting some protection from the elements inside a shed.
(Photo by Jim Meachen)

Ford’s European sales and market share increase again in February

(March 13, 2015) COLOGNE, Germany — Ford of Europe’s all-new and refreshed models — led by the Mondeo, Kuga, EcoSport and Transit commercial vehicle range — helped the company increase sales and market share again in February. 

Ford sold 78,100 vehicles in total in its 20 traditional European markets in February, and 166,600 vehicles in the first two months of the year – a year-over-year increase of 11.7 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively. This compares to industry-wide growth of 7.1 percent in February, and 6.8 percent year-to-date.

General Motors to cut powertrain warranty on 2016 Chevy, GMC vehicles

(March 13, 2015) DETROIT -- General Motors will cut its powertrain warranty on Chevrolet and GMC vehicles for the 2016 model year, noting that its standout offer of 100,000-mile coverage — in place for nearly a decade — wasn't a strong enough selling point, according to Automotive News.

The five-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage will be reduced to five years/60,000 miles for 2016 models. The brands will continue to offer courtesy transportation and roadside assistance during the coverage period.