March 2019

DBZ Centenary Collection — First look at Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato

(March 25, 2019) GAYDON, UK —  With the upcoming Centenary celebrations for world-renowned Italian design house Zagato soon upon us, it is the perfect moment to release the first detailed renderings of the new Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato — the second half of the remarkable DBZ Centenary Collection.

Mecum's $39 million Arizona auction smashes first-year event record

(March 25, 2019) WALWORTH, Wis.— Mecum Auctions’ inaugural Phoenix·Glendale collector-car auction — held March 14-17 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., — saw more than 1,300 vehicles cross the auction block in just four days with sales totals climbing to more than $39 million, an 85-percent increase over Mecum’s previous record total for an inaugural event.

2019 Fiat 500X models arrive in U.S. from Italy

(March 23, 2019) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The first shipments of the new 2019 Fiat 500X have arrived on U.S. soil at the Port of Baltimore in Maryland. Following Baltimore, additional units will arrive at various ports throughout the country.

“Our first batch of ne
w Italian-designed, fun-to-drive 2019 Fiat 500X small crossovers are just starting to arrive,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands — Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat — North America.

GM to invest $300 million, add 400 jobs, at Michigan plant for new EV

(March 23, 2019) ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. — General Motors is investing $300 million in its Orion Township assembly plant to produce a new Chevrolet electric vehicle that will bring 400 new jobs to the Orion plant. Friday's announcement is part of GM’s new commitment to invest a total of $1.8 billion in its United States manufacturing operations, creating 700 new jobs and supporting 28,000 jobs across six states.

Hyundai celebrates launch of Tucson N in Europe with unique art project

(March 22, 2019) HIGH WYCOMBE, UK — Hyundai Motor is offering customers a growing range of attractive N choices. With the launch of the New Tucson N Line, they’ll be able to drive the brand’s first SUV with the sporty N look and feel. To mark the occasion, Hyundai enlisted German artist Andreas Preis to create the ‘Drive A Statement’ Project Tucson, a unique illustration on a New Tucson N Line.

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi launches Alliance Intelligent Cloud

(March 22, 2019)  Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi has announced the production release of the Alliance Intelligent Cloud, a new platform that is enabling Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors to deliver connected services in vehicles sold in nearly all 200 markets served by the Alliance member companies.

Culminating joint development efforts between the Alliance and Microsoft, the auto industry's first global and most ambitious connected vehicle program will be deployed utilizing cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT technologies provided by Microsoft Azure.

Porsche extends Cayenne line with a coupe body style

(March 22, 2019) ATLANTA  — Porsche is extending the Cayenne model line to include a new Coupe body style. “The Coupe includes all the technical highlights of the current Cayenne, but has an even more dynamic design and new technical details that position it as more progressive, athletic, and emotional,” says Oliver Blume, chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG.

Ford investing $900 million in electric vehicle production

(March 21, 2019) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford today announced it is expanding its production capacity for the company’s next-generation battery electric vehicles at a second North American plant.

Tied to the company’s $11.1 billion investment in global electric vehicles, Ford is expanding its BEV manufacturing footprint to its Flat Rock Assembly plant in southeast Michigan.

Bentley introducing new versions of Continental GT and GT Convertible

(March 21, 2019) CREWE, England — Bentley is introducing two new versions of its third generation Continental GT and GT Convertible models this year. The definitive luxury Grand Tourer is now available for U.S. customer order with a powerful V8 gas engine, ensuring a lively and engaging drive that complements the unparalleled levels of luxury and cutting-edge technology.

Volvo to use in-car cameras, intervention to curb distraction, intoxication

(March 21, 2019) Apart from speeding, which the company aims to help combat with a top speed limit, intoxication and distraction are two other primary areas of concern for traffic safety. Together, these three areas constitute the main "gaps" towards Volvo Cars’ vision of a future with zero traffic fatalities and require a focus on human behavior in the company’s safety work as well.