William Maley

Porsche Chief Executive Wants A Ferrari Beater William Maley - Editor/Reporter - August 30, 2011 August 30, 2011 Porsche's chief executive is irritated because the company doesn't offer something to compete directly with Ferrari. "It always irritated me that the (most expensive) 911 tops out at 250,000 euros (about $360,000) and then the 918 continues starting at 750,000 euros (about $1,082,550). In between, Ferrari moseys around relatively comfortably and without any competition. That is where we need to be. There is still space for a larger sports car, one like the 959 that we built in the 1980s," said Matthias Mueller, Porsche's chief executive to German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Mueller also said in his interview the car could cost between 250,000-400,000 euros (about $363,000 to $580,000). So, what could possibly power this larger Porsche model? Autocar reports that Porsche is looking at using a flat-eight boxster engine. Enginners at Porsche are getting frustrated with the with the 4.0L limit on the iconic flat-six engine. Also, Porsche believes to beat Ferrari, they need to go with more cylinders. Source: Reuters, Autocar

Are You The 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe? William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com August 30, 2011 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Gallery Related: Hyundai Goes 2 For 2: 2 Coupes For 2 Auto Shows Hyundai is busy finishing up the refreshed 2013 Genesis coupe. The company says the coupe will have a “more dramatic” design. Judging from some pictures posted at the GenCoupe.com fourm, it's very dramatic in in a good/bad way. The pictures show the Genesis Coupe's front end sharing the same hexagonal shaped grill from the new Veloster. The front end also has new front headlights and unique hood louvers. The back gets a new set of LED taillights. We don't know if this is the final design or not, but we'll have an answer in January when Hyundai is expected to show off the Genesis Coupe at the Detroit Auto Show. Source: GenCoupe.com

Mini Gives The Ok On The Paceman Concept William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com August 29, 2011 Mini has given the green light to a production version of the Mini Paceman concept shown at this years North American International Auto Show. The conformation comes from Mini's chief Kay Segler. The Paceman is a three door version of the Mini Countryman and both will share architecture and powertrain. The Paceman could have a different name, but will carry the same design as the concept. If your interested in the Paceman, you'll have to wait till either 2013 or 2014. Source: Car & Driver

So How Many Kids Can Fit Into A Mazda Hatchback? William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com August 29, 2011 A South African man learned the hard way that you shouldn't try to fit many kids into one car. The unnamed man was stopped near Cape Town. When police took a look at the Mazda hatchback he was driving, they saw seventeen kids sitting or laying down in the car. Three kids were in the front seat with the driver, while the other fourteen were back making the most of the hatchback room with the seats folded. Police arrested the man for carrying to many people in his car, driving with a suspended license, and his car being found unroadworthy. No word yet if the rumor of Mazda contacting the owner to do a testimonial is true. Source: iol News

GM Cuts The Price On China's Top Selling Van William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com August 29, 2011 General Motors is cutting prices of their low-cost minivans by as much as 15% to help offset slow sales in China. The company has cut prices on a minibus it builds with Wuling called the Wuling Sunshine after seeing sales drop 3% during the past seven months in an otherwise growing market. The slide isn't GM's or Wuling's fault; the cause of the slide is due to a government incentive plan that encouraged sales of commercial vehicles expiring. Due to the plan expiring, commercial sales have seen a 7% drop. “The next 12 months look tough. Incentives brought forward buying in a very dramatic fashion in 2009, 2010, and now we are seeing a lack of pent-up demand,” said Ashvin Chotai, London-based managing director for Intelligence Automotive Asia. The Wuling Sunshine is China’s best-selling vehicle. Formerly priced at 33,000 yuan, GM has priced the very sparsely equipped base model for 28,000 yuan, or about $4,384. “We made some short-term focused promotions to help the overall market situation,” said SAIC-GM-Wuling vice president Matthew Tsien. JD Power says the price cut drops the profit of every Sunshine sold; currently the Sunshine generates about 2,000 yuan ($313)for SAIC-GM-Wuling. GM also hopes the price cut can help them stay as China's top automaker. Currently, GM has sold 1.27 million vehicles in the first six months. Volkswagen is catching up, selling 1.1 million in the same time. Source: Bloomberg