Panasonic's auto business to become the real driving force?

Although Panasonic Corp. is an electronics company, it’s becoming quite the rev head. The Japanese brand that’s indelibly associated with televisions, audio equipment and microwave ovens now makes more money from auto parts than home appliances. In presentations to investors, the company divides its product portfolio into three business characteristics: high-growth, low-growth and low-profitable. At the top of that tree is automotive batteries, car cockpits and advanced driver assistance systems. The only non-vehicle segment enjoying management’s high-growth optimism is air conditioners. On the low-profit rung is chips, LCD displays and solar panels.

Panasonic Automotive already ranks No. 23 on the list of top 100 global auto suppliers with estimated worldwide sales to automakers of about $10 billion in 2015. And that position is only likely to consolidate as its rechargeable-battery business expands alongside Elon Musk’s ambitions. Panasonic is already a major lithium-ion battery supplier. Read more 

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Novitec's new Ferrari 488 N-Largo officially revealed

Novitec's new Ferrari 488 N-Largo officially revealed: If you’re familiar with Novitec’s works than you might already know that N-Largo series models are the limited, high-end body kit they produce in limited numbers only for the most celebrated supercars they work on. So, Novitec Ferrari 488 N-Largo is the latest model to get this treatment.

In creating the 488 N-Largo kit the tuner has drawn inspiration from classic models such as the F40. They have gone so far as using some of the old car’s cues in the new kit in an artistic and mysterious sort of way that only the Ferrari connoisseurs would notice them without being told. So maybe that is why the Novitec Ferrari 488 N-Largo looks a tad… ungainly.

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911 RSR sold for over $2M, 918 for over $1.5M

In the lead-up to RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba sale, the auction house revealed it had some pretty amazing machines lined up. Among them was a 1993 Porsche 993 RSR 3.8 that was only ever driven 6 miles. Three of this generation’s most potent hypercars also were slated to go across the block: a Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach, a McLaren P1 GTR, and a Ferrari LaFerrari. Interestingly, only two of these four cars sold, but they went for hefty sums. 

The almost-never-used 911 RSR went for a whopping $2,254,492. The Porsche 918 Spyder was sold for $1,628,244. The RSR fit right in with RM Sotheby’s estimate, while the 918 exceeded the estimate by about $100,000. Both Porsches also ranked among the 10 top selling cars at the Villa Erba auction, with the RSR selling for the third highest amount behind a pair of pre-war French cars, and the 918 was fifth highest. Read more

US auto sales to edge up 0.2% in May

US auto sales to edge up 0.2% in May:Tomorrow the U.S. May auto sales will get revealed by the automakers, but before that here’s what specialists forecast. Expect the car sales to edge up 0.2% in May to 1.525M units. Sales for mid-size SUVs/crossovers are expected to jump 10%, while compact and mid-size car sales are seen dropping.

Retail numbers for May are expected to finish strong, however they continue to be supported by considerable incentives and lease subvention. In recent months, leasing appears to be reaching its peak, which is expected, given declining residual values and which is contributing to this year's slowing sales.

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Up close with the new BMW M8

Up close with the new BMW M8: BMW M8, a performance version of the new 8 Series, is currently being manufactured by BMW’s M division. At the Nurburgring 24-hour race over the weekend a fully camouflaged early prototype of the future BMW M8 got revealed. The car features a classical M features like larger air intakes, modified breaks, a sport exhaust with four tailpipes. Enhanced performance under the bonnet is also to be expected and these exterior tweaks certainly confirm that.

The conception and development of the standard BMW 8 Series and the M model run in parallel. The future BMW M8 will build on the genes of the 8 Series and augment its DNA with added track ability and generous extra portions of dynamic sharpness, precision and agility. The M8 seems to only loosely resemble the new 8 Series, which could be quite disappointing for some. From the images the car looks larger and more muscular and more closely resembles a 5 Series, apart from the new headlights.

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Mini USA seeks higher used-car sales

Mini executives want the brand’s U.S. dealerships to pursue used-car sales with more vigor. Higher used-car sales would help Mini and its retailers at a time when new-car sales have slumped. So Mini USA launched a program at the beginning of the year that pays dealerships bonuses for hitting used-car sales targets. Each Mini store gets a customized target. If a store hits its target, it will receive additional margin of 1 percentage point of the vehicle’s sticker price on each new-car sale.

Thomas Felbermair, vice president of Mini Region Americas claims that the used-car business is a huge potential for the Mini dealers in the U.S. The numbers show that dealers with a strong used-car business are the successful dealers. It’s just a matter of focus. About a third of Mini’s 127 U.S. dealerships don’t meet the brand’s preferred minimum standard for used-car sales. That would be to sell at least one used car for every two new cars sold. Read more

U.S. auto sales expected to be flat in May

U.S. auto sales expected to be flat in May: U.S. auto sales this May are expected to be flat if we compare them with 2016 auto sales for the same month, but considering all the signs of stagnation isn’t that a good thing? Automakers in the U.S. market will report May sales on Thursday, June 1. The long Memorial Day weekend and sales promotions traditionally give May sales a boost.

U.S. auto sales were down a disappointing 4.7 percent in April, compared with April 2016. Year to date, auto sales were down 2.4 percent after four months. It’s well documented by now that the slowdown in sales is hitting passenger cars, while trucks are more popular than ever. Trucks include pickups, SUVs, minivans and so-called crossovers. Year to date after four months,passenger car sales were down 11.4 percent, while trucks were up 4.3 percent.

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Meet the all-new 2017 Honda Civic Si Coupe – fast and fearsome!

The 10th-generation Honda Civic is one of our favorite cars. The all-new 2017 Civic Si doesn’t need more power. It doesn’t need more of anything, really. The intrinsic beauty of the Si is in its balance: It doesn’t overachieve at any one thing, rather, it does everything well. It’s fun to drive – more than its spec sheet would lead you to believe – and still works like a Civic, offering comfort and convenience for easy daily livability.

The fun-to-drive factor is super important here – that Si badge has to mean more than just a well-balanced Civic. We guess you know the Si uses an enhanced version of Honda’s turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four, with 205 hp and 192 pound-feet of torque. But those numbers only tell part of the story. The car also gets 38 miles per gallon highway. Compared to a standard Civic EX-T, the Si upgrade includes stiffer springs and stabilizer bars, adaptive dampers, and a limited-slip differential. Read more

Facebook to be the next big thing in online used-car ads?

Courtney Hammons and her husband pulled into a church parking lot in Brentwood, Tenn., near Nashville on a Sunday afternoon this month to meet the seller of a 2007 GMC Yukon they saw advertised online.

The couple were not worried about being robbed or becoming victims of the shenanigans that can happen with a vehicle purchase that originates from an online classified ad. They had a reason for being at ease: The ad that the couple responded to was posted on Facebook via a new feature, which the social media giant quietly rolled out last fall. One analyst who tracks online advertising believes that with a few improvements, Facebook, because of it reach, has the potential to be a major force in used-car sales. Read more 

AMG's compact car will get a two-tiered performance and price range

AMG announces that it will deliver a two-tier range of compact high-performance cars starting from next year's all-new A-Class. This year the Mercedes-Benz high-performance brand celebrates its 50th birthday. It will deliver two different performance and price points from its go-fast junior models. The idea is similar to the two-tiered strategy it already uses on its larger cars, which use both the 3.0-liter V6 twin turbo power in the "43" models and 4.0-liter V8 twin turbo power in the "63" models.

AMG Chairman Tobias Moers says that the compact car family is going to be extended. He also claims that the Concept A sedan (shown at the Shanghai motor show this year) has typical AMG features, so we can expect that from AMG as well. He says they will complement our successful '45' models with new performance versions, with two versions, like they do with larger cars. The first AMG off the upgraded MFA front-drive architecture will the next year's A 45 AMG, followed by CLA and GLA versions spread across the next two years. Read more 

Rolls-Royce SwepTail- the most expensive car ever

Rolls-Royce SwepTail- the most expensive car ever: Right now, ladies and gentlemen you are looking at possibly the most expensive car the world has ever seen. This Rolls-Royce SwepTail is exactly that one car which costs more than we could ever earn, and it costs up to $13 million. It took the automaker four years to build it.

The guy who ordered this Rolls-Royce SwepTail must have liked these unusual looks – the design is nod to the swept-tail of certain Rolls-Royces from the 1920s, admired by the client – because RR designers made sure that every last detail of the vehicle was built to his specifications. They, for instance, spent a lot of time putting in a full glass roof since the dude was adamant he needed one. The client may be rich, but he doesn’t seem to have many friends, since he asked for only two seats in this huge car, and we reckon one of them will always be empty.

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Tesla outsells Mercedes S-Class and Porsche Panamera

Tesla outsells Mercedes S-Class and Porsche Panamera: U.S. is Tesla’s the most important market even though it is increasingly focusing on other markets, like China. Admit it, you were just as us shocked when the automaker revealed that it delivered 25,202 Model S sedans in the U.S. in 2015. This huge deliveries gave Tesla a 25% market share in the premium sedan market.

Some industry watchers thought that it might be a fluke, but the latest registration data suggests that Tesla is still maintaining its lead in the large luxury sedan segment in 2017. The company’s goal has always been to make the best vehicle possible that just happens to be electric. This way, they can focus on stealing market shares from gas-powered cars, which is ultimately the goal of the electric vehicle revolution.

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Best car deals to pay attention at this Memorial Day

Best car deals to pay attention at this Memorial Day: Memorial Day is coming, and for many of us it’s an unofficial announcement that the summer is almost here. Pupils and students finally get their well-deserved vacation and families, friends get together for a picnic or a tasty grill. For the automobile industry it means flutter of activity, that’s why we have collected some cars you need to take a look at this Memorial Day weekend, they will be cheaper than ever.

If you wan to go car shopping on pickup trucks, than Chevrolet Colorado might be just the perfect option for you. With its ingenious technology, safety and versatility, the 2017 Chevrolet Colorado is a leap forward for the mid-size pickup. From an available high-speed 4G LTE with Wi-Fi connection to available advanced safety features like Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning, Colorado has everything you want in a truck and advanced features you expect from a Chevy.

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BMW recalling its 2005-8 7 Series sedans for door issue

BMW recalling its 2005-8 7 Series sedans for door issue: BMW’s 7 series sedans from 2005-till 2008 get recalled, after all these years, and it has nothing to do with Trump’s threatens against BMW. The main issue of these vehicles is that their doors may open inadvertently while the vehicle is being driven.

It’s important to notice that the issue appeared back in 2012, when some of the vehicles got recalled and fixed, but it seems like a few of them are still featuring this problem. In the 2012 recall, the automaker said a software error was to blame for the unpredictable opening doors on about 7,500 7-series cars. 

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May U.S. auto sales projected to rise slightly

U.S. new-vehicle sales are expected to rise very slightly in May from a year ago, narrowly snapping the industry’s streak of four consecutive monthly declines. Analysts expect 2017 sales of 17.2 million, 2 percent fewer than the record 17.55 million sold last year. The annualized selling rate is projected to be less than 17 million for a third consecutive month, more evidence that the market has passed its peak. That would mean the industry will already have had as many sub-17 million months in 2017 as it did in each of the past two full years.

Other forecasts project sales-volume increases of no more than 0.5 percent. That’s in spite of the month having one more selling day than May 2016. Many automakers are counting on showroom traffic over the long Memorial Day weekend to put May into positive territory. Generous incentives are keeping traffic flowing to dealer lots, but a lot is riding on Memorial Day sales for automakers to keep momentum strong through the crucial summer selling months. Read more 

BMW 8 Series concept previews next great luxury coupe

Meet the new BMW Concept 8 Series – a flagship 2+2 coupe that has been designed to take on the Mercedes S-Class Coupe. Revealed at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, the close-to-production design study will morph into a showroom model next year; following in its footsteps will be a broadening lineup of new 8 Series models that’s set to include an 8 Series Convertible and 8 Series Gran Coupe.

The Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG Harald Krüger said that the number 8 has always represented the pinnacle of sports performance and exclusivity at BMW. The concept is a long and rakish two-door coupe, which has a whiff of Maserati about its proportions. BMW, however, says that the car shows a ‘fresh interpretation of iconic BMW styling cues’. At the front, slender laser lights sporting a similar light signature to that seen on the new 5 and 7 Series flank an oversized kidney grille. A carbon fibre front lip beneath is also said to underline the car’s ‘sporty and high-performance’ character. Read more 

                                Happy Memorial Day 

Don’t ever forget that you are free because someone died for that, be sure to live your life happily and don’t forget to smell the flowers along the way. Buy your next car on RepoKar.com and celebrate with us!

This gorgeous Airbus ACJ319neo costs almost $100,000 millions

This gorgeous Airbus ACJ319neo costs almost $100,000 millions: Do you guys love the view of this interior? You might think something special is coming, and that’s why you’ll be surprised when we’re going to tell you that this is the latest interior introduced by Airbus for its ACJ319neo private jet at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition.

The new interior — called the Infinito — is a collaborate effort between Airbus Corporate Jets and supercar maker Automobili Pagani. The centerpiece of the Infinito interior is the innovative sky ceiling that displays a live view of the sky above the aircraft without the need for a massive glass roof. According to Airbus, the sky ceiling is meant to give the cabin a feeling of airiness and space. The overall aesthetic feel of the cabin, which was shaped by Pagani's interior design team, mimics the feel of its multi-million dollar supercars. Leathers, woods, and carbon fiber live together in stylish harmony in the same way they do inside a Pagani Huayra.

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Trump threatens German automakers with a huge tax

Trump threatens German automakers with a huge tax: According to a well-known German source, the president of U.S. is ready to fight Germany in an auto battle. At the NATO summit in Belgium, mr. Trump got a chilly reception, after attacking fellow members. But he was caught pledging a battle with German automakers as part of his anger with “back dues” he feels the country owes to NATO.

In a discussion about the country’s trade surplus, Trump said. “The Germans are evil, very evil.” “Look at the millions of cars they sell in the US, and we’ll stop that,” sources told Der Spiegel. According to the report, EU Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker took up for Germany explaining that “free trade is good for all.”

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Volkswagen is launching its new Volkswagen Tiguan in America

Volkswagen is launching its new Volkswagen Tiguan in America: Are you guys waiting for the hot summer already? We know you love this warm season, and we’ve got one more reason for that. Volkswagen is launching its new Volkswagen Tiguan in America. The vehicle will feature one of Volkswagen Group’s most advanced four-cylinder engines. The 2.0 TSI with the EA888 turbocharged and direct-injection engine uses innovative technologies to deliver unrivalled power, efficiency and responsiveness.

The 2.0 liter four-cylinder EA888 units in the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan a modified Miller combustion cycle that is unique to the Volkswagen Group. Whereas the traditional Miller cycle closes the intake valves just before the end of the intake stroke, the so-called Budack-cycle closes the intake valves much earlier. This results in longer effective combustion as well as faster air flow for the incoming gases, which improves the mixing of the fuel and air. 

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GM will reduce its staff to about 50 from 180 by year end

GM will reduce its staff to about 50 from 180 by year end: As part of the efforts to reduce exposure General Motors will slash headcount at its international headquarters in Singapore. GM International -- which oversees markets such as India, Southeast Asia, and South Korea, among others -- will reduce its staff to about 50 from 180 by year end, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

About 90 employees will leave the company by the end of June and 40 by the end of 2017. Last week, the company said it would take a $500 million charge in the second quarter to restructure operations in India, Africa and Singapore. The company plans to stop selling Chevrolet brand vehicles in India by the end of the year and will produce vehicles in the country only for export.

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