William Maley

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is going forward on building their own vehicle. According to sources, the company recently gave the approval for the project after spending a year investigating the feasibility of it. Codenamed 'Titan', the team behind the vehicle will grow from 600 to around 1,800 people. Not much is known about the vehicle except for that it will be electric and feature some sort of autonomous technologies. A fully autonomous vehicle isn't expected till later on. The report says Apple has set a 'target ship date for 2019.' Whether that means it will be launched or reaching a major milestone in 2019 is unknown. Rumors about the Apple car have been flying around for a number of years. But this year has seen a number of people leaving Tesla and other jobs in the automotive industry to work for Apple, causing reports to intensify. Adding on this were reports from last month saying that officials from Apple met with officials from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) View full article

In light of the Bentley Bentayga coming out in the near future, Mercedes-Benz is contemplating whether or not to build a competitor, possibly under the Maybach name. Andreas Zygan, Mercedes director of development for SUVs tells Automotive News that the demands for ultra-luxury crossovers and SUVs are on the rise. Consider Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce are planning SUVs that will debut in the near future. "We are looking at everything that is going on with that segment," said Zygan. "There's an appetite, a market for that. When we get to that point that we expand the Maybach offering -- and we will expand the Maybach offering -- that would be a natural place to go," said Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Steve Cannon. Cannon points out that the German brand sells a large amount of GL-Class SUV filled with options, along with the G-Wagon. Zygan declined to comment as to when Mercedes-Benz could make a decision. Sticking with Mercedes-Benz for another moment, a product planner tells Autoblog the company believes that hybrids will be better than diesels in the long run. This is due to stricter standards in terms of emissions, which is driving up the costs producing a diesel powertrain. "Yes, diesel is technically complex, and very expensive. The additives to reduce particulate matter are very costly. You'll see more hybrids to meet the changing regulations," said a source. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Autoblog View full article

In light of the announcement made by the EPA on Friday about certain Volkswagen vehicles equipped with the diesel engine violating emission standards, the German automaker has been at work on damage control. The Detroit News reported on Saturday that the company had pulled all of their ads and videos promoting the diesel engines on their YouTube page and asked dealers to put a stop-sale on Beetle, Jetta, and Passat models equipped with TDI engines. No word on how many vehicles are affected by this. Yesterday, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn issued a statement apologizing for violating emission standards in the U.S. and said the company would launch an internal investigation. The Board of Management at Volkswagen AG takes these findings very seriously. I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public. We will cooperate fully with the responsible agencies, with transparency and urgency, to clearly, openly, and completely establish all of the facts of this case. Volkswagen has ordered an external investigation of this matter," said Winterkorn. Source: The Detroit News, USA Today, Volkswagen Press Release is on Page 2 STATEMENT OF PROF. DR. MARTIN WINTERKORN, CEO OF VOLKSWAGEN AG Wolfsburg, September 20, 2015 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board (EPA and CARB) revealed their findings that while testing diesel cars of the Volkswagen Group they have detected manipulations thatviolate American environmental standards. The Board of Management at Volkswagen AG takes these findings very seriously. I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public. We will cooperate fully with the responsible agencies, with transparency and urgency, to clearly, openly, and completely establish all of the facts of this case. Volkswagen has ordered an external investigation of this matter. We do not and will not tolerate violations of any kind of our internal rules or of the law. The trust of our customers and the public is and continues to be our most important asset. We at Volkswagen will do everything that must be done in order to re-establish the trust that so many people have placed in us, and we will do everything necessary in order to reverse the damage this has caused. This matter has first priority for me, personally, and for our entire Board of Management. View full article

It was emissions and getting better performance out of the engine. Although I'm wondering if Mazda has given up on it since we haven't heard anything since December.

There have been rumors and murmurs as the future of the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge. The GT-R powered compact luxury sedan was rumored to head into production. But in recent months, Nissan has been changing its focus from the fun and exciting to volume. We now have an answer as to the fate of the Q50 Eau Rouge. Speaking with Car Magazine at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Infiniti's vice president of Global Operations, Francois Goupil de Bouille said the Eau Rouge had been canceled. "It was originally presented as a prototype but after we evaluated sales numbers, we realised it was not realistic to produce it. It was just too costly. That was it. It is always a matter of balance of cost versus benefit, and we decided to reign in our costs," said de Bouille. Despite the cancelling of the Eau Rouge, de Bouille didn't rule out models coming from a performance arm to compete with the likes of Audi's RS, BMW's M, and Mercedes' AMG. Source: Car Magazine View full article

Earlier this year, we reported that Mercedes-Benz was going forward on a midsize truck for certain markets towards the end of decade. We also reported that the U.S. arm wants the truck. "We said to Stuttgart, 'We are open, and let us assess the market.' If that leads to us saying 'green light,' then we will bring it," said Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. So has a decision been made for the U.S. getting a midsize truck from Mercedes? According to Cannon, that decision has been pushed back by eight to ten months. The decision was expected to come down at the end of this year. "The product is still very fluid. We've got time to make this decision, so we're not hurrying with it. We want to make sure the product fits this market's needs. If it doesn't, we're not bringing it -- I can tell you that," said Cannon to Automotive News at the Frankfurt Motor Show. There wasn't a reason given as to why the decision was pushed back. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

There are three on the list that I agree with, Jeep FC Volvo Concept Estate Nissan iDX Everything else I could deal without. Also, I tend agree with balthy on older concepts. Those I would much rather see in production than some of the modern ones. Here is a short list of models I think should have moved on: Ford 427/Interceptor Dodge M80 Cadillac Ciel (Possibly my favorite concept of all time) Chrysler ME-Fourtwelve Dodge Hornet Nissan Nails Buick Velite Buick Blackhawk Holden Efijy

My thinking that it could be used as secondary plant for Grand Cherokee.

Please tell me you are going to take a break in December at this rate..

I'm wondering that as well.

This afternoon, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen for skirting clean-air rules on some of their TDI models. The EPA says certain Volkswagen and Audi diesel models from 2009 to 2015 model years had special emission control software that could detect when a car is undergoing EPA emissions testing and turns on the full emissions controls. The software would turn off the controls during real-world driving. This allowed Volkswagen not to equip urea injection and/or more complex emission-control systems onto some of their vehicles. “These violations are very serious, not only because illegal defeat devices results in excess emissions many times the allowable standard, but also because VW was concealing the facts from EPA, the state of California and consumers. We expected better from VW,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in a conference call. Federal officials say they were notified about the difference in emission levels after researchers at West Virginia University started questioning the emission levels on Volkwagen's diesel models. From there, the EPA and California Air Resources Board opened an investigation. “In September, after EPA and CARB demanded an explanation for the identified emission problems, Volkswagen admitted that the cars contained defeat devices,” the EPA said in a statement. The models in question include, 2009 – 2015 Audi A3 TDI 2009 – 2015 Volkswagen Beetle TDI 2009 – 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI 2009 – 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 2014 – 2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI Now the EPA is asking Volkswagen to recall the affected vehicles, though they do note that the vehicles are safe to drive. The EPA hasn't ordered any fines at this time, as the investigation is still ongoing. Federal law allows the EPA to levy a maximum fine of $37,500 per vehicle. With around 482,000 vehicles with the illegal software, Volkswagen could be looking at a maximum fine of $18 billion dollars. "VW is cooperating with the investigation; we are unable to comment further at this time," the company said in a statement. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Green Car Reports, EPA Press Release is on Page 2 EPA, California Notify Volkswagen of Clean Air Act Violations Release Date: 09/18/2015 Contact Information: [email protected] Carmaker allegedly used software that circumvents emissions testing for certain air pollutants Washington - Today, EPA is issuing a notice of violation (NOV) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (collectively referred to as Volkswagen). The NOV alleges that four-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars from model years 2009-2015 include software that circumvents EPA emissions standards for certain air pollutants. California is separately issuing an In-Use Compliance letter to Volkswagen, and EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) have both initiated investigations based on Volkswagen’s alleged actions. “Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Working closely with the California Air Resources Board, EPA is committed to making sure that all automakers play by the same rules. EPA will continue to investigate these very serious matters.” “Working with US EPA we are taking this important step to protect public health thanks to the dogged investigations by our laboratory scientists and staff,” said Air Resources Board Executive Officer Richard Corey. “Our goal now is to ensure that the affected cars are brought into compliance, to dig more deeply into the extent and implications of Volkswagen’s efforts to cheat on clean air rules, and to take appropriate further action.” As described in the NOV, a sophisticated software algorithm on certain Volkswagen vehicles detects when the car is undergoing official emissions testing, and turns full emissions controls on only during the test. The effectiveness of these vehicles’ pollution emissions control devices is greatly reduced during all normal driving situations. This results in cars that meet emissions standards in the laboratory or testing station, but during normal operation, emit nitrogen oxides, or NOx, at up to 40 times the standard. The software produced by Volkswagen is a “defeat device,” as defined by the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act requires vehicle manufacturers to certify to EPA that their products will meet applicable federal emission standards to control air pollution, and every vehicle sold in the U.S. must be covered by an EPA-issued certificate of conformity. Motor vehicles equipped with defeat devices, which reduce the effectiveness of the emission control system during normal driving conditions, cannot be certified. By making and selling vehicles with defeat devices that allowed for higher levels of air emissions than were certified to EPA, Volkswagen violated two important provisions of the Clean Air Act. EPA and CARB uncovered the defeat device software after independent analysis by researchers at West Virginia University, working with the International Council on Clean Transportation, a non-governmental organization, raised questions about emissions levels, and the agencies began further investigations into the issue. In September, after EPA and CARB demanded an explanation for the identified emission problems, Volkswagen admitted that the cars contained defeat devices. NOx pollution contributes to nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone, and fine particulate matter. Exposure to these pollutants has been linked with a range of serious health effects, including increased asthma attacks and other respiratory illnesses that can be serious enough to send people to the hospital. Exposure to ozone and particulate matter have also been associated with premature death due to respiratory-related or cardiovascular-related effects. Children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing respiratory disease are particularly at risk for health effects of these pollutants. VW may be liable for civil penalties and injunctive relief for the violations alleged in the NOV. The allegations cover roughly 482,000 diesel passenger cars sold in the United States since 2008. Affected diesel models include: Jetta (Model Years 2009 – 2015) Beetle (Model Years 2009 – 2015) Audi A3 (Model Years 2009 – 2015) Golf (Model Years 2009 – 2015) Passat (Model Years 2014-2015) It is incumbent upon Volkswagen to initiate the process that will fix the cars’ emissions systems. Car owners should know that although these vehicles have emissions exceeding standards, these violations do not present a safety hazard and the cars remain legal to drive and resell. Owners of cars of these models and years do not need to take any action at this time. View full article

Last October, we reported that PSA/Peugeot-Citroën was considering a return to the U.S. “We want to make DS a global premium brand, and you cannot be global without the U.S.,” said DS CEO Yves Bonnefont. Now a final decision as to whether or not the DS brand would come to the U.S. isn't expected till 2017 at the earliest. But Car and Driver reports that Citroën is leaning towards yes. Speaking with sources at the french automaker, Car and Driver reports that a move into the U.S. market is “necessary” and that it might take place within the next few years. But Citroën faces some huge hurdles if they decide to go forward with the DS brand. The French automaker hasn't had a presence in the U.S. since the mid-seventies and most people don't know the importance of the DS name. The original DS introduced in the fifties sent shockwaves in the automotive world. The model set new standards in aerodynamics and comfort. Citroen would produce the DS for twenty years, making it one of the most important models in automotive history. Source: Car and Driver View full article

Finally! I'm all done with review vehicles from June! *Looks at list of vehicles still needing a review starting in July* Crap.

Is some of it the styling of the SS? I'll admit that I wasn't a fan of the styling. I think some small changes could make a big difference.

Earlier this week, we introduced you the refreshed 2016 Holden Commodore lineup. Now one question that came up was if the Chevrolet SS - a rebadged version of the Commodore - would see any changes. Chevrolet has provided the answer with an announcement of an updated 2016 SS sedan. Changes for the 2016 SS are mostly cosmetic with new vertical ducts to improve aerodynamics and a set of LED lighting. Finishing off the exterior are a set of functional hood vents and nineteen-inch alloy wheels. The 6.2L V8 remains unchanged with 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. A new dual-mode exhaust comes as standard. "The 2016 SS design changes more fully express the true driving character of the sedan while further enhancing the car's overall performance," said Todd Christensen, Chevrolet Performance Car marketing manager. Source: Chevrolet Press Release is on Page 2 2016 Chevrolet SS Designed for Performance DETROIT – Building on the performance-oriented updates made to the Chevrolet SS last year, the 2016 model features several exterior enhancements that reinforce its presence on the road. A revised front fascia features new, vertical ducts at the outer edges to direct airflow over the front wheel openings to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The fascia also incorporates new LED signature lighting, while new, functional hood vents and new-design 19-inch cast-aluminum wheels contribute to a stronger appearance for the rear-drive sports sedan. “The 2016 SS design changes more fully express the true driving character of the sedan while further enhancing the car’s overall performance,” said Todd Christensen, Chevrolet Performance Car marketing manager. What hasn’t changed is the SS’s unique blend of performance, comfort and spaciousness. It features a 6.2L V-8 engine under the hood and turns out an SAE-certified 415 horsepower (310 kW) and 415 lb-ft of torque (563 Nm), and offers a six-speed manual transmission or a paddle-shift six-speed automatic transmission. A new, dual-mode exhaust system for 2016 complements the V-8 engine with quieter performance at low engine speeds and a more muscular engine note at wide-open throttle. View full article