August 2021

Lexus brings the Black Line treatment to 2022 GX sport utility



(August 9, 2021) PLANO, Texas — For 2022, Lexus introduces the new GX Black Line Special Edition to its lineup, offering Lexus owners a new way to express their style. For added peace of mind and convenience, Intuitive Parking Assist, Navigation and power folding and heated mirrors are now standard across the entire 2022 GX range. Now equipped with refined center console with updated 10.3-inch multimedia touchscreen, GX guests can enjoy an even more seamless in-cabin experience.

Kia America introduces new on-demand, at-home car shopping experience



(August 7, 2021) IRVINE, Calif. — Embracing the on-demand, at-home economy, Kia America has announced the new “Kia Home” product and brand experience which delivers scheduled test drives of two of Kia’s most technologically advanced vehicles direct to consumers at a convenient location of their choosing in several major cities. Showcasing the innovative all-new Carnival MPV and the all-electric Niro EV, Kia@Home tailors the retail experience to shoppers’ needs.

Morgan unveils its adventure car — The Plus Four CX-T



(August 6, 2021) MALVERN, England — Morgan has unveiled the Plus Four CX-T, a car with adventure at its core. A vehicle with capability not yet witnessed on a Morgan sports car, it opens up the possibility of routes, landscapes and destinations inaccessible by Morgan cars until now.

Volkswagen to introduce the SUV coupe ID.5 GTX at Munich Auto Show



(August 7, 2021) WOLFSBURG, Germany —  As elegant as a coupé, as strong as an SUV and all-electric to boot — The ID.5 GTX is set to make its international exhibition debut as of Sept. 7 as a disguised concept at the IAA Munich Motor Show. Volkswagen says the first SUV coupe based on the Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) wows with its elegant design and powerful dual motor four-wheel drive. And the ID.5 GTX is fully connected, can receive updates over-the-air and is fitted with Car2X technology.

Momentum continues for Mecum Monterey 2021 auction Aug. 13-24


1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88

(August 6, 2021) Mecum Auctions continues to add stellar consignments to its lineup for the Monterey 2021 Daytime Auction, to be held Aug. 12-14 on Del Monte Golf Course at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa in Monterey, Calif. In total, an estimated 600 classic and collector vehicles are expected to cross the auction block along with approximately 100 vintage and antique motorcycles.

Your headlights are still on, or are you just excited to see me

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DRIVER'S SIDE DIATRIBE
By Al Vinikour  


How many hundreds of thousands of times in automotive history have batteries gone dead because the driver forgot to turn off the headlights when leaving the car? There could be any number of reasons for this. Maybe he or she departed the vehicle in a brightly-lit shopping mall parking lot or garage and wouldn’t have noticed whether the lights were on or off.

Detroit Smart Parking Lab opens in Sept. for automated and EV charging tests



(August 6, 2021) DETROIT — The State of Michigan is teaming up with Ford, Bedrock and Bosch to launch the nation’s first-of-its-kind, real-world test site for emerging parking technology — called the Detroit Smart Parking Lab.  The lab opens in September, allowing mobility and smart infrastructure pioneers and real-estate innovators and startups to test parking-related mobility, logistics and electric vehicle charging technologies. Led by Enterprise, the collaboration also aims to test more seamless and efficient rental car returns.

Mercedes-Benz Vans celebrates 15 years in Charleston



(August 6, 2021) More than 200,000 Sprinter and Metris vans have been assembled in North Charleston and delivered to destinations in the U.S. since June 2006. At that time, the small Charleston plant was performing semi-knockdown (SKD) assembly and was better known as DaimlerChrysler Manufacturing International (DCMI) with a team of 100 employees. Today the Mercedes-Benz Vans facility in North Charleston employs more than 1,600 people.

The Fridolin — A Volkswagen-engineered mail truck



(August 5, 2021) Every Volkswagen car has a story, but not all have a historic significance quite like the Volkswagen Fridolin. Originally known as the Type 147 Kleinlieferwagen, the oddly tall wagon has become a rare collector car but was once a common sight on German and Swiss roads — as a sign that the mail was on its way.