BusinessAutoblogDodge closes Caravan order books at the end of this month
After being introduced as the Dodge Caravan in 1983, after debuting a long wheelbase Grand Caravan in 1987, after entering its fifth generation in 2007 and going almost unchanged since then to become the oldest minivan in the segment, after being publicly sent to the slaughterhouse in 2011, again in 2013, and again in 2015 before being pardoned thrice by the automotive governor, this month it's over for good for the best-selling Dodge and best-selling minivan in the U.S. and Canada. At least, according to Mopar Insiders, which credits dealer sources for the news that "the end of the month" will be a car shopper's last chance to order the Dodge Grand Caravan in the states that don't adhere to California emissions. Since the Grand Caravan's 3.6-liter V6 can't clear CARB mandates, Dodge pulled the model from the 13 so-called ZEV states in March this year.
NewsYahoo Finance UKCoronavirus: Fiat Chrysler primed to receive Europe's biggest carmaker bailout
A board meeting to approve a £5.6bn government-backed bailout is scheduled for tomorrow, claims Bloomberg.
LifestyleAutoblog2020 Volvo S60 Long-Term Video | Indulging in Scandinavian design
After driving the S60 for a week in January and February, taking our time to make our way from the Detroit office to the Chicago Auto Show (the only auto show that I may go to this year), I’m not sure I’ve changed my mind about the S60 being the least exciting of the Volvo lineup. While the previous generation’s design still holds up in my opinion, Volvo doubled down on minimalism on the interior and the exterior. This allows the more detailed design elements to properly stand out, like the Thor’s hammer headlights, and makes the interior feel much more elegant than any vehicle at this $60,000 price point.
TechnologyTechCrunchJabra's Elite Active 75t earbuds offer great value and sound for both workouts and workdays
Jabra's Elite Active 75t is a successor to its very popular 65t line, with added moisture resistance designed specifically for exercise use, as indicated by the 'Active' in the name. The Elite Active 75t also feature an esteemed 7.5 hours of battery life on a single charge, and their compact charging case carries backup power that adds up to a total of 28 hours potential run time across a single charge for both.
LifestyleAutoblogJunkyard Gem: 1989 Hyundai Excel GL
The 1986 model year offered some interesting new low-cost choices for American car shoppers, with both the Yugo GV and Hyundai Excel going on sale with too-good-to-be-true sticker prices. As it turned out, the first-generation 1986-1989 Excel sold quite well but didn't last very long, so I have a tough time finding junkyard examples today. To be blunt, the first-generation Excel was something of a lemon.
BusinessYahoo Finance UKCoronavirus: Government to create bespoke bailouts for 'strategically important' firms
Companies whose failure would "disproportionately harm the economy" could be offered bespoke bailout packages from the government.
BusinessYahoo Finance UKDieselgate: German court orders VW to compensate car owner in landmark case
The judgement from Germany's highest civil court may pave the way for thousands of similar cases.
BusinessYahoo Finance UKAston Martin chief Andy Palmer reported to leave luxury car giant
Ailing luxury carmaker Aston Martin is expected to announce the resignation of chief Andy Palmer later this week.
BusinessReutersChina's Great Wall expects mild domestic auto sales growth in second half
Great Wall Motor <601633.SS> expects China's overall auto sales in the second half this year to return to the same level as last year, its president said, as the world's biggest auto market recovers from a coronavirus-driven low. Facing a sales downturn and fierce competition, China's top pickup truck maker "will pursue reasonable sales and higher market share, in order to better guarantee the profitability and brand image", Wang Fengying, president of Great Wall, said in a statement. Great Wall will roll out electric models as well as gasoline-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, Wang said, adding the Baoding-based company plans to start selling hydrogen fuel-cell passenger cars in 2023.
BusinessAutoblogAston Martin CEO Andy Palmer to leave in favor of AMG chief Tobias Moers
Aston Martin Chief Executive Andy Palmer is leaving the business as part of a management shake-up and will be replaced by Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday. The luxury carmaker said in an emailed statement that it is reviewing its management team but declined to comment on Palmer's fate. Palmer and Germany's Daimler, which owns a 5% stake in Aston Martin and supplies the carmaker with Mercedes-AMG engines, also declined to comment.
EntertainmentAutoblogClaude Lelouch and Charles Leclerc reshoot 'C'etait un Rendezvous' in Monaco
For the final cut, Lelouch dubbed in a V12 soundtrack from his personal Ferrari 275 GTB. French bureaucracy being what it (still) is, Lelouch knew it would be poor form to release his effort, so the final cut hid out underground for 26 years until a DVD release in 2003. The decades of secrecy birthed a persistent rumor that Formula 1 driver Jacques Lafitte was behind the wheel of the Mercedes, but Lelouch always took credit for driving.
NewsAutoblogAmericans weary of lockdowns hit the road this holiday weekend
Americans are back on the road after more than two months of coronavirus lockdowns that kept them homebound, with beach-area traffic tripling since the low point in mid-April, reports released on Friday showed. Passenger car travel in U.S. beach counties has more than doubled since Easter, according to data by transportation analytics company StreetLight Data. "That's an indication that part of the reason why people are on the move is to go somewhere nice and summery," StreetLight Data Chief Executive Laura Schewel said.
TechnologyAutoblogSVR plans to tune electrified Jaguar-Land Rover models, but not the I-Pace
Jaguar-Land Rover's SVR division has only put its name on high-horsepower gasoline-burning cars, like the XE Project 8 built in strictly limited numbers. "We will be developing electrified versions of our cars, be that fully electrified or plug-in hybrids," affirmed Michael van der Sande, the division's managing director, in an interview with Auto Express.
BusinessAutoblogThe plane-like 1948 TASCO was the first car equipped with a T-top roof
One of the Chevrolet Corvette's most popular features traces its roots to an obscure, airplane-like prototype built in 1948. Although the third-generation 'Vette is widely credited as being the first production car equipped with a T-top roof, the system was inaugurated by Gordon Buehrig's one-of-a-kind TASCO prototype and patented in 1951. Born in 1904, Buehrig was an accomplished stylist and engineer whose resume included the Auburn 851 Speedster, the coffin-nosed Cord 810/812, and several variants of Duesenberg's Model J. Shortly after World War II, he was commissioned by The American Sports Car Company (TASCO) to create — you'll get no points for guessing this — an American sports car.
Newsmotor1Future of live events a "great unknown” - Liberty
Liberty Media, the company that owns Formula 1, concedes that some adjustment could be required to a business model based on live events in the post-coronavirus world if people change their behaviour.
LifestyleAutoblogThis ice cream truck dispenses only ‘metal music and disappointment’
It’s about a guy in Minneapolis who drives a black ice cream truck. It plays the familiar ice-cream truck jingle, but it also blares death metal from the sound system. It’s a 1973 AM General FJ-8A Postal delivery truck that owner Matt Peterson acquired in 2009, spent a couple years restoring and painted black.
Businessmotor12022 Ford Ranger details reportedly leaked, plug-in hybrid planned
The company is working on a brand new PHEV system.
LifestyleAutoblogPolaris Slingshot can now be equipped with heated and cooled seats
Polaris just displayed its confidence in the Slingshot earlier this year when it launched an updated version of the three-wheeler with 70% new content. There was no mention, however, of any changes to the Slingshot's two seats. Now addressing that part of the vehicle, Polaris just released individual heated and cooled seats that can be purchased for the Slingshot.
Lifestylemotor1See Macan Turbo drag race RS Q3, Stelvio Quadrifoglio
A turbocharged leather-trimmed SUV drag race for the ages.
LifestyleAutoblogCatch the Indy 500 spirit with one of these Indy Pace Cars
For motorsports fans, Memorial Day Weekend can mean only one thing: the Indianapolis 500. This year, though, the Indy 500 will run instead in August, due to the coronavirus. Kicking off with the most famous words in motorsports, "Drivers, start your engines!" the racers take to the track behind the pace car.
Newsmotor1Ricciardo: F1 hiatus may help me prolong my career
Daniel Ricciardo believes the extended winter break in Formula 1 forced by the COVID-19 pandemic could help him have a longer career in the sport.
Businessmotor1Ford says Focus ST is ‘much sharper, crisper’ than the VW Golf GTI
The performance numbers are also in its favour
Entertainmentmotor1More BMW 6 Series GT spy photos surface before debut
Just a few visual tweaks her and there.
Sportmotor1Todt explains why Vettel failed to emulate Schumacher
Jean Todt believes a lack of unity at Ferrari has been the key reason for Sebastian Vettel’s failure to emulate Michael Schumacher and win Formula 1 world championships with the team.
LifestyleThe TelegraphWhy do we become so attached to our cars?
To many of us, a car is more than just a “thing”. Yes, it’s a machine, a mass of metal, plastic and glass. There is no rational reason to build an attachment. You wouldn’t get attached to your washing machine, or your lawnmower, would you? Yet with cars, we do. This, I feel, is partly down to how much faith we put in them. If your washing machine or lawnmower gives up, it’s annoying but you can deal with it. If the car fails, it can knock so very much into a cocked hat. But that’s only part of it. The other machines in our lives are there to be called on as and when, but cars exist on a higher plain. Cars become our companions, they become a trusty slice of familiarity no matter where we go. And you need not be a Top Gear presenter to develop that. I know people who know nothing about cars, but they’ll tell you what car they passed their test in, what their first car was, what their wedding car was. This is because, unlike the other machines we need, cars weave themselves into our story. They become integral to it. They become a part of us. Looking to see if this rang true, I spoke to Adam Prosser, a friend who is by his own admission no kind of petrolhead. He likes cars, but only from an aesthetic standpoint. He drives a new BMW 1-Series, a company car for his job as a quantity surveyor. By his own admission, he doesn’t really like the car and he’s confused by people who do. “I’ve had people comment on how nice this car is, but I don’t see it. I think people are blinded by branding.” He explains.
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