William Maley

For the past couple of years, Tesla has been offering an $8,000 "full self-driving" feature for their Autopilot system. But you couldn't use this feature as Tesla had not yet activated this feature. Basically, you were buying a system that Tesla promised would come online sometime in the near future. But that is not happening as Tesla has pulled the option for the time being. Last night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted the option has been taken off due to it causing "too much confusion". Since Tesla began offering the option in October 2016, the company has seen a number of top managers and engineers leave the Autopilot program. A number of owners who paid for the $8,000 option have filed a class-action lawsuit, "alleging they were deceived into buying a feature that didn’t exist." However, this feature isn't going away. Bloomberg obtained an internal email where Musk told employees they needed about 100 more people to join an internal testing program that is linked to full self-driving feature. Source: Bloomberg View full article

Many people were hoping that Ford would bring the new Raptor Ranger to the U.S. It would offer the off-road performance and capability of the larger F-150 Raptor, but in a smaller and (hopefully) more affordable package. But that isn't going to be happening. Hermann Salenbauch, the vehicle line director for Ford Performance told journalists yesterday that the company has no plans to bring the Ranger Raptor to the U.S. A key reason mentioned by Salenbauch is due to the high costs to make the Ranger Raptor legal to sell in the U.S. as the model is based on the global Ranger. We have to assume a key part would come from trying to either make the twin-turbo 2.0L diesel legal or finding a possible replacement. But Autoblog notes there is another reason not mentioned by Salenbauch, pricing. Considering the base price of the F-150 Raptor is $52,855, we would guess the Ranger Raptor would be a few thousand dollars less taking into account the various changes that would be needed. For a number of buyers, spending a few extra thousand dollars to get a bigger and badder truck isn't that big of a problem. Plus, Ford is making a nice amount of profit on each Raptor sold - especially considering that Raptors sit on dealer lots for an average of 20 days. Why introduce a competitor that would make less money? That isn't to say Ford isn't taking the Raptor Ranger off the table for the U.S. fully. Autoblog writes that "Salenbauch didn't say the Ranger Raptor would never come here, and he and other Ford executives said they're always listening to feedback and open to new models." Source: Autoblog View full article

When Ford introduced the GT, they made it very clear it would be a limited run affair. 500 models would be built over the course of two years. Then the company expanded the amount to 1,000 vehicles that would be built over four years. Now, Ford has expanded the pool of GTs again. An additional 350 GTs will be built, bringing the grand total to 1,350. This also means a longer production run. Previously, Ford was going to wrap up production in 2020, but has pushed it back to 2022. If you were one of the many people who applied for a GT and didn't get one, Ford will be opening the application process one more time beginning on November 8th and have it running for 30 days. Prospective owners will find out if they got the approval early next year. “By extending the Ford GT production run for a limited period, we’re able to maintain the exclusivity of the ultra-desirable supercar while offering the ownership experience to a greater number of customers,” said Hermann Salenbauch, Ford Performance director. Somehow, we doubt many Ford GT owners will have the same view. Source: Ford Ford Increasing GT Production To Make Ownership Dreams A Reality For 350 More Supercar Fans Due to the popularity of Ford GT, Ford is raising the number of supercars it will build to 1,350 – up from 1,000; Ford GT production will run for a total of approximately six years Ford is re-opening the final owner application process for select global markets on Nov. 8; prospective owners can submit their applications at FordGT.com for 30 days Previous applicants need to confirm or modify their original application to be considered in this final application window to own a Ford GT Dearborn, Mich., Oct. 18, 2018 – Ford Motor Company is increasing Ford GT production to 1,350 vehicles after more than 6,500 applicants raced to sign up for the original 1,000 cars allotted in 2016 – even before the car recaptured LeMans glory later that year. “The response to our Ford GT has been unprecedented, with initial demand outstripping supply by more than six-to-one,” said Hermann Salenbauch, Ford Performance director. “By extending the Ford GT production run for a limited period, we’re able to maintain the exclusivity of the ultra-desirable supercar while offering the ownership experience to a greater number of customers.” Ford is re-opening the application window to customers hoping to join the exclusive group of Ford GT owners starting Nov. 8 for select global markets. Prospective owners will be able to submit their applications for 30 days at FordGT.com. Successful applicants will work with the Ford GT Concierge Service for a personalized purchase experience of cars produced in the 2020 to 2022 calendar years. Production of the Ford GT – powered by a twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine and featuring a carbon fiber architecture, active aerodynamics and 216 mph top speed – began in December 2016. View full article

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We've been wondering how much the upcoming Porsche Taycan EV will set you back. Considering the slick looks and amount of technology Porsche is planning for this, we're expecting a high price tag. But Automotive News reports that the Taycan will not be too expensive. “We’re expecting a price somewhere between a Cayenne and a Panamera,” said Robert Meier, the Taycan's model line director. For the European market, that means a possible starting price of above 80,000 euros (about $92,500). In the U.S., we could be seeing a base price of $75,500 - that's taking into consideration the base prices of the Cayenne ($65,700) and Panamera ($85,500). Please note this is not set in stone and we expect Porsche to provide pricing sometime later this or early next year. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

"A New Era Begins November 2018" is the title of video that Mazda has uploaded to their YouTube channel. The sixteen-second video provides brief glimpses of two vehicles. One is a close up of the rear with a sharply raked c-pillar, while the other is a side profile shot. A number of people believe this is our first glimpse of the next-generation Mazda3 - mostly due to elements of the Kai Concept showing up. That title also hints at a big change coming with the next-generation 3. The Skyactiv-X powertrain with homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) will be available. HCCI allows a gas engine to use compression to ignite the fuel. This allows for better efficiency and more power. We're expecting Mazda to show off the new 3 at the LA Auto Show next month. Stay tuned. Source: Mazda View full article

Can't wait for the refresh. Source

Last month, Chevrolet announced the 2019 Blazer would begin at $29,995, undercutting the likes of Ford Edge and Nissan Murano. But Cars Direct has gone through the order guide and did some analysis. What they found out is that Blazer isn't as a good deal as Chevrolet is promoting to be. Let's start with the base the Blazer L which begins at $29,995. CarsDirect believes this model "is likely intended mainly for advertising purposes." This is something we saw before when Buick launched the Regal TourX. The L model is also excluded from factory discounts. Most buyers will likely be pushed towards the 1LT which begins at $33,495 - $1,700 more expensive than the Murano S and $2,505 more expensive than the Edge SE. Both the Murano and Edge pack more powerful engines (Blazer uses a 2.5L four-cylinder with 193 hp and 188 lb-ft of torque) and have the option of AWD. The Blazer can only get AWD on 2LT models and above. The 2LT begins at $34,495 and adds the 3.6L V6 engine - 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. If you want AWD, be prepared to shell out an additional $2,700. Again, AWD is cheaper on the Murano ($1,600) and Edge ($1,950). Another disappointment for the Blazer is how much you need to shell out for advanced driver assistance features. If you want adaptive cruise control and front collision warning, then first you need pay $41,795 for the RS and then add $3,575 for Enhanced Convenience and Driver Confidence II Package. If you want automatic emergency braking, then you'll need to step up to the top-line Premier at $43,895 and add the Driver Confidence Package II for an additional $2,165. AEB is standard on the Murano and Edge. Based on this analysis, it does make the Blazer a bit of a tough sell. We'll have to see how things play out in the coming months. Source: CarsDirect View full article

The Camry has a few issues. One is that it doesn't feel as solid as the other three. Close the door on the Camry and it has a very tinny-sound. The other three don't that. Next is the value argument. That XSE I drove awhile carried a pricetag of $35,333 for the four-cylinder. If I want the V6, I need to add another $2,000. That price doesn't include everything you might want such as navigation, heated rear seats, etc. It gets worse as you climb down the lineup as some models don't get certain features. For example, if you want two USB ports, you need to get into the XLE or XSE - otherwise, you're only getting one.