May 2020

GM posts small profit in midst of manufacturing shutdown

(May 7, 2020) DETROIT — Although General Motors' first-quarter net income plunged 87 percent, earnings in North America rose even as the coronavirus pandemic drove production to a standstill. The $294 million profit made GM the only one of the Detroit 3 to avoid a first-quarter loss and one of a very few worldwide.

GM said the crisis reduced its adjusted earnings by $1.4 billion before interest and taxes.

BMW Motorrad extending warranty for complete range of helmets

(May 7, 2020) MUNICH, Germany — The previous warranty period of two years for BMW Motorrad helmets will be extended to five years retroactively from Jan. 1. This means that motorcyclists can look forward to riding even more and have to worry a little less about their helmet and safety. All helmets in the BMW Motorrad product range, valid from the date of purchase on Jan. 1, 2020, will therefore be covered by a contractual warranty period of five years from now on.

Gilmore Car Museum will teach you how to drive a Ford Model T

(May 7, 2020) HICKORY CORNERS, Mich. — The Gilmore Car Museum is offering classes in how to drive a Ford Model T. The "Model T Driving Experience" will be held every week starting on Sunday, June 21, and running through Oct. 10. Interested people are advised to visit the museum's web site at www.gilmorecarmuseum.org from time to time to determine if events remain scheduled because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Petersen Automotive Museum to host virtual car week in August

(May 7, 2020) LOS ANGELES — To maintain the global enthusiasm for Monterey Car Week in spite of concours and event cancellations, the Petersen Automotive Museum will host a virtual car week from Aug.12-16. The week of virtual events will include live vehicle debuts, online auctions, exclusive interviews, car shows and a celebrity-judged concours.

Iconic race cars inspire all-new Heritage Editions of the Lotus Elise

(May 7, 2020) HETHEL, UK — Lotus has launched four new limited-edition versions of the Elise, each with a vibrant and distinctive color palette which pays tribute to the company’s pioneering and highly successful racing history. The exterior color combinations are black and gold; red, white and gold; blue, red and silver; and blue and white. The famous black and gold references the livery of the Lotus Type 72D which Emerson Fittipaldi raced to five victories over the course of the 1972 Formula 1 season.

Next-generation Volvo cars to be powered by Luminar LiDAR

(May 6, 2020) Volvo Cars, a global leader in automotive safety, is setting new safety and technology standards by partnering with tech firm Luminar to provide their industry-leading LiDAR and perception technology for Volvo’s next generation cars. The partnership will deliver Volvo’s first fully self-driving technology for highways and paves the way for future active safety developments.

Volvo Cars’ next generation SPA 2 modular vehicle architecture will be available as hardware-ready for autonomous drive from production start in 2022, with the Luminar LiDAR seamlessly integrated into the roof.

The Mercedes steering wheel — From tiller to digitized command center

(May 6, 2020) STUTTGART, Germany — This summer, the E-Class will launch a new, comprehensively digitalized generation of steering wheels from Mercedes-Benz: the capacitive steering wheel. Its rim contains a two-zone sensor mat that detects whether the driver's hands are gripping the steering wheel. The touch control buttons placed in the spokes also work with digital signals.

Three big brands that started small with a Volkswagen

(May 6, 2020) Many successful companies trace their heritage to a small business that started as a passion project. Surprisingly, some of these now-famous companies credit a Volkswagen model as a key player in the early days of their business. Three of those companies are Domino's Pizza, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, and Nike.

Detroit-area residents to be transported to COVID-19 testing in modified Odysseys

(May 5, 2020 ) DETROIT, Mich. — Honda today delivered 10 Odyssey minivans to the city of Detroit that have been specially outfitted to transport people potentially infected with COVID-19, as well as healthcare workers.  To protect the health of the driver from the potential for droplet infection during transportation, the Honda Odysseys have been retrofitted with a plastic barrier installed behind the front seating area, as well as modifications to the ventilation system to maintain an air pressure differential between the front and rear seating areas.