May 2015

Fiat’s premium cost cutter —Could a version be headed to U.S.?

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 31, 2015) Earlier this month, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) introduced the Aegea Project, a compact sedan designed in Italy and built in Turkey on Fiat’s small wide platform; the same platform underpinning the Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X and 500L. The sedan, which will be named later this summer, will be followed by a hatchback and wagon, and compete against low-priced vehicles in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Greatest-ever Ferrari display at 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed

(May 30, 2015) WEST SUSSEX, Englnd —  Ferrari has announced the dynamic UK debut of its latest mid-rear-engined V8 supercar, the 488 GTB, as well as the FXX-K at this year’s Festival of Speed, June 25-28, with both cars tackling the challenging 1.6 mile Goodwood Hill Climb along with a full supporting cast of Ferrari cars in the greatest-ever display from the Prancing Horse at the event.

The remains of a '53



A beaten and battered 1953 Chevrolet was found peering out of heavy overgrowth in Wilson County, North Carolina. The Chevy got a new design for '53 including the debut of a one-piece windshield. Total car production that year was 398,028. Prices started at $1,524 for a business coupe and topped out at $2,273 for a Townsman eight-passenger wagon.
(Photo by Jim Meachen)

GM executive Mark Reuss to pace Detroit Grand Prix in Corvette Z06

(May 30, 2015) DETROIT — Mark Reuss, the top product development executive at General Motors and avid motorsports fan, will pace drivers behind the wheel of a Corvette Z06 this weekend for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans.

The two races take place Saturday and Sunday — only about 2.5 miles from Chevrolet’s Detroit headquarters — as the next events in the Verizon IndyCar series.

Ford opens portfolio of patented electrified vehicles technologies

(May 29, 2015) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford is offering competitors access to its electrified vehicle technology patents — a move to help accelerate industry-wide research and development of electrified vehicles. In 2014, Ford filed more than 400 patents dedicated to electrified vehicle technologies. This is more than 20 percent of the patents the company filed totaling more than 2,000 applications.

Fiat Chrysler identifies vehicles affected by Takata airbag recall

(May 29, 2015) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has identified which vehicles will be affected by expansions of ongoing voluntary recalls to replace certain air-bag inflators produced by Takata Corporation.
 
Precipitated by disclosures made by Takata to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, FCA US is consolidating two campaigns with new actions affecting model years 2003-2011. These actions bring the Company’s global Takata-related recall total to an estimated 5,224,845 vehicles.
 

Controlling your Volvo from your Apple watch, Android Wear

(May 29, 2015) Volvo Cars is set to release an updated version of its ground-breaking Volvo On Call smart app, delivering seamless connectivity with wearables such as the Apple Watch and Android Wear. This will effectively allow Volvo drivers with the Volvo On Call app to control settings, lock/unlock, locate and utilize many other Volvo services from their wrist.

Lansing Grand River plant tools up for 2016 Camaro

(May 28, 2015) LANSING, Mich. — A $175 million investment for new tooling and equipment for the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro, and the return of hundreds of workers to build America’s best-selling performance car for the last five years, was announced today.

The facility improvements include three new paint systems for Camaro-specific colors: Summit White, Bright Yellow, and Red Hot. The investment also includes installation of two robotic framers, which allow better dimensional control to provide a more precise drive experience.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class reaches sales milestone: Eight million

(May 28, 2015) STUTTGART, Germany — Since the launch of the C-Class in 1982, Mercedes-Benz has delivered over eight million Saloons and Estates (sedans and wagons) of this model series to customers. The brand has sold more than 250,000 of the current, fifth model series alone since it was introduced in 2014.

The C-Class remains the top-selling model in the Mercedes-Benz product portfolio.

Fourteen 2016 Chevrolet models to get Android Auto or Apple CarPlay

(May 28, 2015) LOS ANGELES — According to Strategy Analytics, there are more than 2.3 billion smartphones in use globally, and that number continues to rise. And on the road, customers are demanding better integration between phones and their vehicles. Whether they have an Apple or Android phone, Chevrolet is committed to providing the smartest, simplest connected driving experience possible to owners across the globe.