Archive for the ‘Product Reveals’ Category
Show car will “underline the electrified performance theme."
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Aug.09, 2018
Infiniti is offering a tease of its Pebble Beach Concept.
It’s going to be a busy week when everyone starts rolling into California for the week-long celebration leading up to the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Automakers from around the world are promising to use the Concours and related events as backdrop to unveil an array of production cars and concepts later this month.
That includes Infiniti which today dropped some hints about the electric luxury model it will launch on the Pebble Beach show. While the Nissan luxury brand is being coy about details, it hints that the show car will “underline the electrified performance theme” that it has announced for future products, virtually all models set to be offered with some form of battery-based drivetrain – with an emphasis on plug-in hybrids and pure battery-electric vehicles.
What a Concept!
“Our new concept provides clues to where the Infiniti brand is heading,” said the brand’s design director Karim Habib, in a statement accompanying this teaser image. “For us, electrification means performance – our electrified cars will be powerful, efficient, and a joy to drive, and the new concept is a physical representation of our electrified performance future.”
(more…)
Tags: 2018 pebble beach concours, Infiniti concept, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, auto news, car news, infiniti electric, infiniti electric concept, infiniti news, infiniti pebble beach, nissan news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Classic Cars, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, First Look, Fuel Economy, Hybrids, Infiniti, Luxury Vehicles, Nissan, Pebble Beach Concours, Product Reveals, SUVs, Sales, Technology, Trends | No Comments »
New model is just fourth Longtail ever.
by Michael Strong on Jun.29, 2018
McLaren unveiled the new 600LT, only the fourth Longtail in company history.
McLaren continues to tickle the fancy of McLaren and super car fans alike, this time reaching back into its history a bit with the debut of the new 600LT.
The newest model is just the fourth car in the company’s history with the LT, or Longtail, moniker in its history following the McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ race car and McLaren 675LT Coupé and Spider
Product News!
The Longtail designation is designed for vehicles that are at home on the road as well as the racetrack featuring Increased power, reduced weight, optimized aerodynamics, absolute driver engagement, track-focused dynamics and limited availability, according to McLaren. (more…)
Tags: 600LT new model, British super car, McLaren 600LT Longtail, McLaren's new coupe, bingdb.info., auto news, mclaren news, michael strong, new McLaren Longtail, super cars, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, China, Europe, Markets, McLaren, NAFTA, Product Reveals, South America, Sports Cars, Super Cars, U.S./North America | Comments Off
Volvo takes performance to new level with modified S60 sedan.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.13, 2018
The 2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered gets unique Brembo brakes, among other modifications.
Few brands have done more to try to transform their image in recent years than Volvo, and the new S60 T8 Polestar Engineered sedan should continue shifting the Swedish marque in its new direction.
The latest version of the S60 not only puts more of a premium on sporty styling but backs it up with a 415-horsepower engine. But that’s no ordinary powerplant. No V-8s or turbo-sixes for this new Volvo. It’s a Polestar-modified version of the carmaker’s T8 plug-in hybrid, the top-performing version of its all-four-cylinder line-up.
First Look!
“The new S60 T8 Polestar Engineered is an electrified car that does what you want it to,” said Volvo’s Senior Vice President of R&D Henrik Green. “All components have been fine-tuned to work together, delivering a responsive and exciting driver’s car.”
(more…)
Tags: 2019 volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered, 2019 volvo s60, Polestar news, Volvo S60, auto news, battery car, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance ev, plug-in hybrid, thedetroitbureau, volvo news, volvo performance, volvo polestar
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, First Look, Jaguar, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Muscle Cars, Polestar, Porsche, Product Reveals, Safety, Sales, Technology, U.S./North America, Volvo | Comments Off
Morning presentation outlines plans for Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.01, 2018
The Ram TRX will be among the new models FCA will bring out over the coming five years.
(This story has been revised to update plans for Jeep’s pickup and a midsize pickup from Ram that, CEO Marchionne now says will come to the U.S. market.)
In a sweeping presentation designed to give analysts, investors, media and potential buyers a good look at its future, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executives are spending a day detailing their plans for the company and its various brands.
At the midway mark, as they break for lunch, they’ve already lifted the kimono far enough to show what’s coming for the Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands and, in a nutshell, it can be summed up as more products targeting lots more volume and much bigger margins.
Breaking News!
The new five-year plan will be the last crafted under the guidance of Sergio Marchionne, the 65-year-old executive who helped pull off the pairing of two struggling manufacturers to form Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. His third five-year plan, Marchionne stressed that “The true finish line is the one always yet to come.”
(more…)
Tags: FCA 5-year plan, FCA news, Maserati Alfieri, Sergio Marchionne, alfa romeo plan, alfa suv, auto news, car news, fca capital day, fiat chrysler 5-year plan, jeep pickup, jeep product plan, maserati plan, maserati suv, new Jeep, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, ram product plan, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Alfa Romeo, Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, China, Chrysler, Concept Cars, Diesel, Dodge, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Earnings, Environment, Europe, Executives, FCA, Ferrari, Financials, First Look, Fuel Economy, Funding, Hybrids, Infotainment, Investors, Jeep, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Maserati, Muscle Cars, NAFTA, Personalities, Pickups, Product Reveals, Ram, Ride-Sharing, SUVs, Safety, Safety, Sales, Sales, Semi-autonomous Driving, South America, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America, V2V | 5 Comments »
Will “beat anything in its class on a track,” tweets Tesla’s Musk.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.21, 2018
Tesla CEO Musk claims the performance Model 3 will not only be faster, but handle better than the BMW M3.
Despite a painfully slow ramp-up of production, Tesla is planning to add a new high-performance version of its Model 3 sedan that CEO Elon Musk claims will be “quicker than a BMW,” and be able to “beat anything in its class on a track.”
In a series of tweets over the weekend, Musk fleshed out details about the all-wheel-drive electric vehicle, noting that it will launch from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, top out at an Autobahn-burning 155 mph, and still yield 310 miles per charge – at least when driven a bit less aggressively. But the yet-unnamed performance version of the Model 3 will also cost $78,000, or about twice as much as a base version of the electric sedan.
News Now!
That steep jump actually isn’t entirely out of line, at least when comparing to the likes of a BMW 3-Series sedan. The German sports sedan starts at $34,900, around the same figure as a Model 3 before factoring in the $7,500 federal tax credit. The BMW M3 starts at $66,500, though appears to have less standard equipment than the Model 3 performance version. The Tesla includes AWD, for example, an otherwise $5,000 option.
(more…)
Tags: BMW 3-Series, auto news, bmw m3, bmw news, car news, ludicrous mode, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, tesla bmw, tesla ludicrous mode, tesla model 3, tesla model 3 performance, tesla news, tesla performance model 3, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Executives, First Look, Muscle Cars, Personalities, Product Reveals, Sales, Super Cars, Technology, Tesla | 1 Comment »
Latest in a growing series of auto show cutbacks by global carmakers.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.17, 2018
Volkswagen introduced its I.D. concept in Paris in 2016, now it's skipping the 2018 show.
The auto industry exodus from major car shows is rapidly accelerating, with Volkswagen the latest to announce plans that will see its flagship VW brand drop out of the upcoming Paris Auto Show, normally Europe’s biggest industry event of the year.
An assortment of major brands, including Volkswagen’s Audi marque, have said they will be no-shows next year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the biggest industry gathering in the U.S. And BMW plans to slash its presence at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, and possibly other auto shows.
Subscribe for Free!
“The Volkswagen brand is continually reviewing its participation in international motor shows,” the VW division said on Thursday. It may not completely skip out on Paris, however. While it won’t have a display at the city’s convention center, it may stage concurrent “communications activities,” it added. (more…)
Tags: bingdb.info., VW auto show plans, VW skipping Paris, Volkswagen Paris Motor Show, auto show news, paris motor show, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, vw news
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, Europe, Events, Financials, Markets, Paris, Product Reveals, Sales, Volkswagen | Comments Off
Record R&D spending could hurt operating profit.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.09, 2018
Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda is not only pushing for automotive sales growth, but leading the company into the emerging mobility sector.
Toyota saw earnings jump 21% between January and March, the final quarter of its fiscal year, despite having to sharply ramp up incentives in a slowing U.S. automotive market.
The automaker reported a profit of 480.8 billion yen, or $4.4 billion, up from 398 billion yen the year before. Toyota’s sales also rose 2% to 7.58 trillion yen, or $69 billion. For the full fiscal year, it earned 2.49 trillion yen, or $23 billion, a 36% increase, with sales rising 6%, to 29.38 trillion yen, or $268 billion.
Beyond the Numbers!
The strong performance helped highlight the cost-cutting efforts initiated by CEO and President Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota’s founder declaring, “We’ve become a leaner, trimmer company … and in the past year we’ve developed our remaining fat into muscle, so that we’re in a strong position to be more competitive.”
(more…)
Tags: Akio Toyoda, Toyota RAV4, auto news, car news, e-palette, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, toyota earnings, toyota earns, toyota electric, toyota incentive, toyota mobility services, toyota news, toyota profit
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, CES, Concept Cars, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Earnings, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Executives, Financials, Financing, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrids, Lexus, Markets, Monthly Results, Personalities, Product Reveals, Ride-Sharing, SUVs, Sales, Sales, Semi-autonomous Driving, Technology, Toyota, Trends, U.S./North America | Comments Off
Radically different powertrain technologies - but curiously similar cab designs spark lawsuit.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.02, 2018
The Nikola One heavy-duty rig will be able to travel up to 1,000 miles on a tank of hydrogen.
There’s something ironic about learning that Nikola is suing Tesla, two companies both meant to honor maverick inventor Nikola Tesla, but the Salt Lake City-based Nikola Motor Co. has filed a suit against Silicon Valley rival claiming Tesla has infringed on its design patents.
While Tesla is best known for its battery sedan and SUV models, it is also hoping to become a big player in the truck market with the upcoming launch of its electric Semi. Nikola, meanwhile, also wants to turn the truck industry green, though it is focusing on the hydrogen fuel-cell technology that will power rigs like its heavy-duty Nikola One. And it claims the similarities in the look of the two trucks is more than coincidental.
Keep on Truckin'!
“The Tesla Semi design is substantially similar to Nikola’s unique design, and Tesla copied Nikola’s patents,” the start-up claims in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday. It added that it “estimates its harm from Tesla’s infringement to be in excess of $2 billion.”
(more…)
Tags: Tesla semi, auto news, car news, electric semi, electric truck, elon musk, hydrogen truck, mikola sues tesla, nikola news, nikola one, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, tesla news, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Business, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Executives, Fuel Cell, Markets, Nikola, Personalities, Product Reveals, Sales, Technology, Tesla, U.S./North America | Comments Off
Slumping sedan sales putting a chill on spring sales.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.02, 2018
It may be new for 2018, but U.S. buyers have had only a tepid response to the latest Honda Accord.
Few recent product launches generated more buzz than the debut of the 2018 Honda Accord. Long one of the U.S. market’s best-selling nameplates, the 10th-generation sedan quickly racked up a slew of awards, including North American Car of the Year.
But despite all the rave reviews, Honda is struggling to retain momentum for the Accord. American motorists purchased just 21,751 of the sedans in April, a 19.3% year-over-year decline. And even when adjusting for the fact that April 2018 had two fewer sales days than the year before, the dip was 12.5 percent. And Honda isn’t alone. The completely redesigned 2018 Toyota Camry, a Car of the Year runner-up, suffered a 5.0% drop in volume in April.
Subscribe for Free!
“They’re both brand new vehicles and award winners, but I’m not sure that has any impact now,” said Joe Phillippi, head of AutoTrends Consulting. “Consumer tastes are changing. Everybody wants SUVs and CUVs.”
(more…)
Tags: 2018 Honda Accord, april car sales, auto news, car news, car sales, ford fusion, ford news, honda accord, honda accord sales, honda news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, suv sales, thedetroitbureau, toyota Camry, toyota news, us car sales, vw atlas, vw news
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Detroit, Ford, GM, Honda, Lexus, Markets, Monthly Results, Product Reveals, Sales, Toyota, Trends, U.S./North America, Volkswagen | 1 Comment »
Point-counterpoint, as Lexus adds F Sport, as well as hybrid versions.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.24, 2018
Lexus aimed to put more "passion" into the design and performance of the 2019 ES.
After a series of fan dance teases, Lexus has finally pulled the wraps off its seventh-generation in a dual presentation at the Beijing Motor Show and near its old U.S. corporate headquarters in Los Angeles.
One of the first models ever introduced by the Japanese automaker, the ES has long been known for its comfort, reliability and value, though it has also helped Lexus earn a reputation for plain vanilla design and performance. The luxury arm of Toyota Motor Corp. is determined not to let that happen again.
News Now!
“The ES has always been an elegant luxury sedan,” said Yasuo Kojino, the 2019 model’s chief designer. “For this generation, we have added daring design elements that challenge the traditional expectations of buyers.”
(more…)
Tags: 2019 lexus es, Lexus ES 350, auto news, beijing motor show, car news, japan luxury sedan, lexus beijing, lexus es 300h, lexus news, luxury sedan, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Beijing, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, First Look, Hybrids, Infotainment, Lexus, Los Angeles, New York, Product Reveals, Safety, Technology, Toyota, U.S./North America | Comments Off
