Meet The New Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan For America

Months after unveiling the hatchback variant for Europe and the long wheelbase version for China, Mercedes-Benz has finally revealed the A-Class sedan that will be sold in North America for the first time in the model’s history. Measuring 179.1 inches long and riding on a 107.4-inch wheelbase, the standard A-Class sedan is 2.3 inches shorter than the Chinese version but it still looks extremely stylish with clear design cues from the CLA.

As revealed by Mercedes earlier this week, the new compact luxury sedan has the lowest aerodynamic drag of any production car in the world with a drag coefficient 0.22, beating the previous record set by the CLA Coupe. The A-Class Sedan will be available in two different flavors: an A220 and an A220 4Matic. Both trims are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine sending 188 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque to either the front or all four wheels, mated to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.

Read more...

The Nissan Juke Has Officially Been Dropped In The US

It was back in 2011 when the Nissan Juke launched in the US. Many did not know what to make of the funky-looking small crossover with its frog eye-like front-end design and, at the time, unusual proportions. In 2018 just about everywhere one goes a Juke can be spotted on the road. Automotive News reports that Nissan has officially dropped the subcompact Juke crossover from its American lineup.

Sales were down last year by 48 percent, compared to 2016. Its replacement is the all-new Nissan Kicks. Americans haven’t quite taken to the Juke in nearly the same enthusiastic manner as the Europeans have, but it was an important vehicle for Nissan North America nonetheless. It brought attention to the brand. Nissan says the Juke’s goal in the US was not to appeal to family crossover shoppers, but rather young single men whose next car would hopefully be a 370Z.

Read more...

Mitsubishi reported a 36 percent jump in operating profit

Mitsubishi reported a 36 percent jump in operating profit: Mitsubishi ’s operating profit reached $253.9 million in the fiscal first quarter. It means the company’s profits jumped 36% in the latest quarter as the automaker's rebound gathered speed on rising sales in every key market.The robust results were buoyed by new vehicles such as the Eclipse Cross and Outlander PHEV crossovers in the United States and the Xpander MPV in Southeast Asia. Looking ahead, Mitsubishi kept its earnings outlook unchanged. It expects worldwide operating profit to increase 12 percent in the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, while net income inches ahead 2 percent. Gains will come from rising sales and stepped-up cost control. Mitsubishi forecasts global retail sales to grow 14 percent to 1.25 million vehicles.
Read here

ITALIAN COACHBUILDER CREATES THE ULTIMATE LAND ROVER DEFENDER

The Land Rover Defender has been out of production for a few years now. A new-generation model is on the horizon. But if you can’t wait for the all-new version to arrive, Ares Design, an Italian coachbuilder has revealed a new take on the iconic off-roader, and it’s probably going to be a bit controversial.

Dubbed “The Ultimate Defender”, Ares says that “every aspect” of the Defender has been reworked, from the engine to the interior, and the SUV also gets a full body kit. “The Defender is a motoring icon,” said Ares CEO Dany Bahar, who previously worked as the boss of Lotus. “Icons can be reimagined, though, and our Defender is the ultimate incarnation of the bespoke 4x4, delivering incredible performance, captivating looks and opulent touches more akin to a luxury SUV."

Read more...

Forget Trade Wars, Tesla Will Build Cars In China

The United States has entered a trade war with China after imposing a 25% tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods. China has reciprocated with tariffs of its own, companies like Tesla are already feeling the burn. Tesla had to increase the price of its cars in China, but CEO Elon Musk already has plans to get around the tariffs.

Since it looks like the US and China aren’t backing down, Tesla has announced a new factory in Shanghai. Musk met with Chinese officials, and Shanghai will speed up efforts to cancel restrictions on foreign investment in the country. In the past, automakers that wanted to build in China needed to have a Chinese partner.

Read more...

The Electric Mini Is Coming Next Year

The BMW Group has confirmed that they are right on schedule to roll out an all-electric Mini next year, and released a couple of teaser images to give us an idea of what to expect. The fully electric Mini is set to be based on the two/three-door hatchback, and it will feature a completely electric powertrain.

The plans were confirmed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this past weekend, where the automaker showcased the Mini Electric Concept that was first revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. This will be the brand’s first completely electric model since the Mini E that was released as part of a pilot program a decade ago. The electric powertrain components will be manufactured by BMW in Germany, where it also makes the i3 and i8.

Read more...

BMW Records Huge Increase in Electrified Car Sales

BMW has been showing strong sales numbers over the past year across its range, but electrified vehicles have really taken a jump. According to BMW, compared to the same month last year worldwide electrified vehicle sales have shown an increase of 47.6 percent. This means that 13,806 BMW I, iPerformance and Mini electric vehicles found new homes. It is only a small fraction of the 200,000+ cars BMW sells each month but it is a big improvement, none the less.

The situation is changing rapidly though. A member of the board of management at BMW estimated that by 2025 up to 25% of all cars sold will have some form of electrification. This could mean over 50,000 electrified cars sold monthly, a goal that seems very reachable considering the investment that is being put into the next generation of hybrids and EVs.

Read more...

Longtail Name Revived On New Lanzante P1 GT, And It Is Awesome

A company called Lazante Motorsport teased a new version of the McLaren P1, which was slated to debut at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Lazante was the company that helped McLaren win at LeMan with the original F1 GTR Longtail in the 1990s, so it is the right candidate to make a P1 even faster.

The highly anticipated McLaren F1 Longtail successor is finally here, and it is making its full debut at Goodwood. This car is called the P1 GT, and it is the latest in a line of boosted, race-prepped McLaren from Lazante. They took the already fabulous McLaren P1 and fitted it with an aggressive new aerodynamic package that includes a fixed rear wing and longer tail. The company did not specify if the power has been increased or how much the P1 GT weighs.

Read more...

Mercedes-Benz Pop Up Store Could Be Coming To A Mall Near You

Going to a car dealership isn’t always a pleasant experience. There are some ways to avoid a bad experience, but it would just be simpler if automakers allowed you to look at their cars somewhere else – like on the internet. Mercedes-Benz is looking to inch away from the painful dealership experience.

Mercedes pop-up stores are coming to the US this year. Unlike traditional dealerships, pop-up stores are designed to focus on showing off the product, rather than just selling it. Mercedes experimented last year with pop-up stores in Atlanta and Miami and will follow up with a third location in Chicago. This year, Mercedes is planning on opening more of them probably focused on new product launches. The pop-up stores will look a bit like Apple stores that you see in the mall.

Read more...

India's First Supercar Revealed With Jet Turbine Power

The Goodwood Festival of Speed represents a chance for automakers to show off their most exclusive new products. It is also an opportunity for smaller marques to rub elbows with well-established luxury brands. To be noticed and remembered, companies have to bring something special.

A small Indian company called Vazirani Automotive has revealed a new supercar called the Shul, and it really catches your attention. The Shul is a new type of supercar, that features a turbine-electric drivetrain that is designed to appeal to “purists and petrolheads.” Four electric motors sit on each wheel to provide fully independent torque vectoring, each sending power through a single-ratio gearbox.

Read more...

Tesla Will Be The First Automaker To Lose The Tax Credit For EVs

The clock is ticking for Tesla buyers in the US to receive the full $7,500 federal tax credit for electric cars. Tesla delivered its 200,000th car this month which means a slow phase-out of the tax credit has begun.

Put in place early on in the Obama administration, the tax credit was seen as a tool that could be used to encourage customers to buy plug-in electric or hybrid vehicles. It was meant to offer consumers a bit of a break while the cost of battery technology slowly came down and to encourage manufacturers to push for greater advancements in that technology.

Read more...

Audi Sport Performance Parts R8 Is The Most Focused R8 Yet

Five motorsport-inspired Audi R8 are set to be sold in Britain – a car Audi calls its “most capable and focused to date.” The limited-edition supercar, only 44 of which will be produced worldwide, adds a number of performance parts which increase downforce and drop weight, while the power number remains the same as the R8 Plus’ 600 horsepower.

The additions aren’t just cosmetic though. As well as the car’s diet, the enhancements are said to improve cornering ability. The body kit adds a large fixed rear wing and diffuser, as well as side skirts, and more elements behind the wheel arches and at the front of the car to further direct airflow through and around the car. There’s also a large front splitter that reminds of the Audi R8 GT3 racing car.

Read more...

The Trade War With China Begins As Tesla Is Forced To Raise Prices

Last Friday, the trade war between China and the US kicked off, as US President implemented a 25% tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods. China has already retaliated with an increase in electric car tariffs from 15% to 40%. This means that cars that are imported into China will now be more expensive. According to The Wall Street Journal, Tesla had to raise its prices in China.

The Model X now costs $140,000, which is a significant increase over the old $117,100 price. TheModel S now costs $128,400, an increase of about $21,000 compared to the old price. Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, will reportedly meet with Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing this week to discuss the issue. It does not seem like either government will back down. President Trump could be looking to impose tariffs on even more goods, and China has accused the US of “bullying” and starting “the largest trade war in economic history.”

Read more...

Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti Looks Even Better In Blue

Last month took place the surprise unveiling of a special edition prancing horse, dubbed the Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti Ferrari Edition. But if you want one, you need to be a member of one of Ferrari’s motorsport programs reserved for client racing drivers. And if you are, you can finish your 488 Pista Piloti in a choice of four colors.

Ferrari has now revealed how the racy prancing horse looks in alternative colors. Distinguishing the Piloti version of the track-focused Ferrari 488 Pista are Tricolore racing stripes that blend particularly well with the blue paint finish. Combined with the number 51 as a homage to AF Corse’s no. 51 car that won the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship adorning the side, it may be the best color combination.

Read more...

Your Next New Car Could Cost An Extra $5,000

Imagine walking into a dealership to buy a new car and discovering that your preferred vehicle suddenly costs up to $5,000 more than it did not long ago. This situation could happen if President Donald Trump succeeds in raising tariffs on imports. If he does and other countries respond to it, we’re looking at a potential 25 percent tariff which will result in increased vehicle prices regardless of automaker.

The average new vehicle sold in the US with various discounts factored in costs about $32,000. The 25 percent tariff will be passed down to the consumer resulting in a price increase of $4,000 to $5,000 per vehicle. And that estimate takes in account carmakers absorbing half the cost. Besides, if automakers absorb that same amount per vehicle they’ll have to make cuts in production and labor.

Read more...

This Autonomous Car Will Bring Groceries Right To Your Doorstep

Autonomous cars have the potential to drastically change the way our society operates, making certain driving-related professions completely obsolete. Kroger, America’s largest supermarket retailer, has teamed up with Nuro to create and test self-driving vehicles. Nuro is a Silicon Valley-based robotics company which is relatively new to building autonomous cars. It was founded by two ex-Google engineers who worked on Google’s self-driving car.

Kroger says it will launch a test pilot with Nuro’s self-driving grocery delivery vehicles. The pilot will begin this fall. Customers will be able to place an order on Kroger’s ClickList ordering system and Nuro’s app, and the service will offer same-day delivery. The groceries will be divided into individual locking sections, so when the autonomous shuttle arrives, customers will be able to access their groceries using their smartphone.

Read more...

Chevy Is Making More Bolts To Keep Up With Growing Demand

If you think that electric-vehicle startups like Tesla would push mainstream automakers out of the EV game, think again. In fact, General Motors has had such strong demand for the Chevy Bolt that it had to increase production. In its financial reports for the first half of this year, GM confirmed that it’s ramping up production of the electric hatchback by 20 percent thanks to strong demand in the US, Canada, and South Korea.

Global sales of the Bolt have been up more than 40 percent from January through June of this year. Chevy sold 7,858 units of the Bolt just in the US so far this year. As CNET points out, that’s a significant margin over its nearest rival, the Leaf, of which Nissan sold 6,659 in the same market over the same period of time. GM’s US sales chief Kurt McNeil said that demand for the Chevrolet Bolt EV has surpassed production, and the extra production coming on line should be enough to help them keep growing global Bolt EV sales.

Read more...

2019 BMW 8 Series Has Officially Started Production

Twenty years have passed since the original BMW 8 Series finished production, but now the beautiful grand-tourer is making a belated comeback. The second-generation BMW 8 Series was unveiled recently at Le Mans, and now the luxury coupe has officially entered series production at BMW’s Dingolfing factory in Germany.

BMW says that a large number of digital innovations have been integrated into the production process, including self-driving transport systems and smart devices. The 8 Series is being built alongside the 5 Series and 7 Series on the assembly line and represents the first regular production BMW to be offered with a roof made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

Read more...

BMW May Slash US Factory Jobs Because Of Trump-Imposed Tariffs

BMW has warned that it may be forced to reduce investment and slash its workforce at its Spartanburg, South Carolina, production facility if President Trump succeeds in imposing a 20 percent tariff on imported EU-built vehicles. This plant happens to be BMW’s largest in the world and ships more than 70 percent of its annual production output to other countries.

But how can US tariffs on imports affect Spartanburg? Because other countries, such as China, have threatened to retaliate against the US imposed tariffs on their goods with tariffs of their own. Chinabeing one of Spartanburg’s biggest destination markets, the cost of exporting those BMW cars will increase. To make up for it, BMW claims it could impose a production crackdown and even layoffs.

Read more...

McLaren 600LT Is The Most Savage Sports Series Yet

McLaren has unveiled its new Sports Series range-topper: the 600LT. The fourth McLaren to get the Longtail treatment, the 600LT is based on the 570S and is the fastest, most powerful and most track-focused Sports Series yet. Inspired by the McLaren 675LT and the iconic McLaren F1 GTR, the 600LT’s modified carbon fiber body has been extended by 2.9 inches.

It also has an extended front splitter and rear diffuser, new side sills, and an aero-enhancing fixed rear wing to increase downforce. Despite the fact that it looks similar to the car it’s based on, McLaren claims more than 23 percent of parts used on the 600LT are completely new compared to the 570S Coupe.

Read more...

Ford Faces $1.3 Billion Lawsuit Over Defective EcoBoost Engines

Ford is very proud of its smallest engine, the 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost. And it decided to bring it stateside in the Fiesta while offering it as the base engine in the EcoSport. Despite its size, it makes respectable power: 123 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque.

Unfortunately, the engineering brilliance of this little mill has been greatly overshadowed by life-threatening issues. In fact, Ford may be facing a class-action lawsuit over this engine. The lawsuit stems from Louise O’Riordan, who purchased a Ford Focus with the 1.0-liter EcoBoost back in 2014. Even though her car only had 32,000 miles on the odometer, the engine seized on the highway, almost causing a fatal accident.

Read more...

Fiat 500 Spiaggina: It Doesn't Get More Adorable Than This

The summer of 1958 marked the debut of the Fiat 500’s very first special edition that was dubbed Fiat 500 Jolly a.k.a. “Spiaggina.” Now, 60 years later, the Italian brand is celebrating the anniversary by unveiling a show car that unsurprisingly goes by the name of Spiaggina.

It represents a joint effort between Garage Italia and Pinifarina, with the two deciding to go with the roofless version eschewing the rear seats as a nod to the traditional model from many decades ago. It is finished in a lovely two-tone Sky Blue and Pearl White livery with a matching interior featuring a custom bench reminiscent of cars from the 1960s. The waterproof upholstery contributes to the retro vibe, as well as the abundance of chrome accents.

Read more...

Trucks Are Outselling Cars By Two-To-One In The United States

Because of low gas prices, people are trading their small cars for large trucks and SUVs. Back in 2013, the US car market was split between cars and trucks, but trucks have seen a massive boom in popularity. Automotive News reports that through May 2018, trucks outsold cars by two-to-one.

Automakers like Ford are changing their strategies, killing off small sedans and hatchbacks to focus on SUVs and mid-size trucks. Many experts predict that truck sales will continue to grow well into the next decade. As trucks become more popular, cars are experiencing their worst sales year in decades. The US auto market is on pace to sell 5.3 million cars this year, fewest than in 1958. Data from Edmunds shows that 53 percent of people who trade in their car replace it with another car, not an SUV or truck.

Read more...