January 2015

Ford officially launches global Mustang; pony car headed for Asia

(January 21, 2015) DEARBORN, Mich. — The iconic Mustang is officially going global. For the first time in its 50-year history, Mustang will be available to customers around the world in more than 100 markets. First shipments of the highly anticipated Mustang are headed for Asia, with vehicles arriving in Europe mid-year.

Toyota breaks ground for new headquarters in Texas

(January 20, 2015) PLANO, Texas — A V-8 engine growls, and the earth moves. With the roar of a 2015 TRD Pro Series Tundra, Toyota today formally broke ground on its new North American headquarters at the intersection of Headquarters Drive and Palomino Crossing in Plano, Texas.

Honda to highlight zero-emissions FCV Concept in Washington

(January 20, 2015) Fresh from its North American debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the zero-emissions Honda FCV Concept will be the highlight of the Honda display at the 2015 Washington Auto Show opening on Jan. 21.

Continuing more than a decade of Honda leadership in fuel-cell vehicle (FCV) technology, the Honda FCV Concept showcases the styling evolution of Honda's next fuel-cell vehicle, anticipated to launch in the U.S. in 2016.

BMW Motorrad achieves record sales in 2014

(January 20, 2015) MUNICH — BMW Motorrad sold more vehicles in 2014 than in the year before, achieving a record sales figure for the fourth time in a row. With 123,495 vehicles sold in 2014, the manufacturer delivered more motorcycles and maxi scooters than ever before in the company's history.

This was an increase of 7.2% compared to an already very strong previous year. In December, deliveries rose by 10.9% to 7,032 units.

Jaguar technology — a shoulder tap — warns driver of bikers on the road

(January 20, 2015) WHITLEY, UK — Jaguar Land Rover is developing a range of new technologies that would use colors, sounds and touch inside the car to alert drivers to potential hazards and prevent accidents involving bicycles and motorbikes.

Sensors on the car will detect when another road user is approaching and identify it as bicycle or motorbike. Bike Sense will then make the driver aware of the potential hazard before the driver sees it.

Nissan Leaf best-selling electric car in Europe for fourth straight year

(January 19, 2015) ROLLE, Switzerland — The all-electric Nissan Leaf has smashed its own sales record with a 33 percent increase in European sales in 2014 over the previous year, taking more than a quarter of the burgeoning electric car market with 14,658 sales.

Chevrolet’s safety alert seat goes to work

(January 19, 2015) DETROIT — Investment adviser Angela Cusmano is a road warrior who logs 25,000 miles a year to and from guiding clients through 401K allocations and other money matters. One of her best returns on investment is General Motors'-patented Safety Alert Seat.

“I am a very safe driver, but there are times when I’ve misjudged how quickly I’m approaching the car ahead or I’ve begun to move a bit out of my lane, and that seat gets my attention,” said Cusmano, managing partner of Dahring | Cusmano and Associates who lives in suburban Detroit. “It is more subtle, and I love it.”

Detroit 2015: The whitespace race

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(January 19, 2015) Auto shows are an echo chamber of self importance at nearly every level. From corporate CEOs to journalists scurrying from place to place in hopes of breaking some news, the modern age’s obsession with self runs rampant. This narcissism reached new heights on the GM stand where young women carrying  “selfie sticks” offered to let you take your photo with one of the cars on the stand, so you could tweet it out to your friends and followers.

Chevrolet helps customers put brakes on rear crashes

(January 18, 2015) DETROIT — Tailgating is great before football games, but in traffic, not so much. Rear-end crashes make up more than one in four of collisions reported to police each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — and many are preventable.

Forward Collision Alert technology available in several 2015 Chevrolet models, including the Silverado, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse, alerts customers in everyday car-following situations if they may be seconds away from a crash or following much too closely.

A little wine and a whole lot of Nissan Murano in Napa Valley

By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(January 18, 2015) Historically my Decembers are relatively quiet; usually very boring, really. Even my dot-com clients that require a steady stream of content grow relatively quiet the last month of the year. December usually provides an opportunity to catch up with other projects or just decompress a bit. Not so this past December.