William Maley

The new Nissan Maxima is off to a flying start in the sales charts and Nissan wants to keep that momentum going. According to The Detroit Bureau, the automaker is considering options on broadening the appeal of the model. One of those options is giving the Maxima the NISMO treatment. “We’re trying to gauge reaction to the car,” said 2016 Nissan Maxima product planner Vishnu Jayamohan. “We have our NISMO brand which would be a great outlet for this car.” Going with the NISMO model would allow Nissan to expand on the sporty and performance message they are going with the new Maxima. No information is given about what could be expected if Nissan goes this route, but more power is likely one key item. Doing a Maxima NISMO also falls under the promise given by Nissan last year of doing more NISMO models. For now, Nissan will keep an eye on sales numbers for the Maxima before making a decision. Source: The Detroit Bureau View full article

Since being bought by Chinese auto parts supplier, Wanxiang Group, Fisker Automotive has been quietly ramping back up with a new headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA, and an upcoming factory in Moreno Valley, CA. But one item that has been up in the air is when production of the Karma would restart. Speaking with The Oakland County Register, Fisker's chief marketing officer Jim Taylor said the automaker will relaunch sometime in the middle of 2016. “We want to be out next year. Midyear is our target. That’s what we’ve told the plants and our suppliers, but we won’t make any promises to say this is our launch date, get ready,” said Taylor. There is still a number of items and issues that Fisker has to work on before having vehicles rolling down the production line. At the moment, Fisker is busy hiring people for their headquarters and production facility. Complicating matters are number of delays and no real information as to changes for the model. Source: The Orange County Register View full article

After 2018, the Ford Focus and C-Max will not be calling the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI home. Automotive News reports that Ford will end production of the two models at the plant in 2018 as a sign the company sees slow demand for small vehicles to continue in the future. The company didn't say what vehicles would take their place or where the Focus and C-Max will be built in the future. "We currently are reviewing several possible options for the Focus and C-Max and will share details once our studies are complete,” said Kristina Adamski, Ford spokeswoman in an email. The news comes on the heels of the layoffs at the plant where the third shift and 700 jobs were cut. This also comes a couple weeks before talks with the UAW begin. “We actively are pursuing future vehicle alternatives to produce at Michigan Assembly and will discuss this issue with UAW leadership as part of the upcoming negotiations,” the company said in statement. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

I am as well. For all the problems it had, I'm glad I the opportunity arose for me to drive it.

With Ferrari being spun off from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles later this year, the company will lose its biggest profit maker that helps bankroll a number of vehicles in FCA's lineup. So what is the company to do? FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne is hoping Maserati can fill that void. “Maserati is very important,” Marchionne said Bloomberg in an interview. After the Ferrari spinoff, “Maserati becomes the most coveted, exclusive brand that we have.” Maserati is a known quantity in terms of performance, and the luxury market is booming in the U.S. But trying to convince buyers that they want a Maserati instead of the usual suspects in the luxury class is a difficult task. Despite selling 36,448 vehicles last year, - more than double the shipments the company has done before - worldwide sales have declined 9 percent to 7,306 through the month of April. Not helping matters is dealers putting a large amount of incentives on the new Ghibli sedan, which has caused a fair amount of the profits made on every sale to go downward. Marchionne has set a goal of selling 75,000 Maserati vehicles worldwide by 2018. A very lofty goal as IHS Automotive forecasts only 54,000 registrations of Maserati vehicles by that time. But the Ghibli is bringing in younger buyers and the upcoming Levante crossover will hopefully add to it. “They’ve got a hell of a lot to build on. But it’s incredibly expensive to play the game. Marchionne can’t afford to stumble. With the volume numbers he’s trying to generate, he’d better not miss.” said Joe Phillippi, president of consulting firm AutoTrends Inc. Source: Bloomberg View full article

The end of an era is upon us. After this year, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution will be no more. The model which was first introduced back in 1992 for the Japanese marketplace, was a technological tour-de-force with a turbocharged four-cylinder, all-wheel drive, and a limited slip differential. From there, Mitsubishi would introduce a number of new technologies such as traction control, YAW control, and a dual-clutch automatic. But Mitsubishi hasn’t done much with the Lancer Evolution in the past few years, instead changing its focus to electrics and crossovers. So before the Lancer Evolution heads up to the great parking lot in the sky, we decided to say farewell by driving an MR for a week. As the name suggests, the Lancer Evolution is based on the Lancer compact sedan. Not a bad place to start since the Lancer is a distinctive looking sedan, despite being the oldest design in the class. From there, Mitsubishi makes some changes with a new grille and hood to improve cooling of the engine. The side boasts new skirts and a set of multi-spoke, lightweight BBS wheels. Towards the back, Mitsubishi fits a rear diffuser and twin exhaust system. MR models get a small lip spoiler on the hood. Those wanting the big wing will need to go with the base GSR model. These changes make the Lancer Evolution a standout in the Mitsubishi lineup. Moving inside, you can’t help but feel massive disappointment. The Evolution has the same problems as the standard Lancer with cheap feeling and looking plastics throughout the material. You can’t help but question why anyone would spend almost $40,000 if it includes materials like this. At least Mitsubishi did use some better materials on the door panels and fitted a set of Recaro bucket seats up front. The bucket seats provide the right amount of bolstering to keep you and your passenger locked in when driving. The back seat is best used for emergencies as space is very much at a premium. No matter which trim of the Lancer Evolution you decide to get, it will come with a 6.1-inch touchscreen and Mitsubishi’s FUSE hands-free system, which allows an owner to connect their Bluetooth phone and/or USB device to the vehicle and control them via voice command. I found this system to be somewhat hit and miss as it doesn’t always recognize what you’re saying, even if you are doing it as clear and concise as you can. The touchscreen system is not the most responsive and the interface looks like it came from the Windows 3.1 era. See the next page for thoughts on the powertrain and handling. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder with 291 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. On my MR tester, a six-speed twin-clutch SST - Mitsubishi speak for dual-clutch automatic - gets all of the power to the wheels. Those who want to feel like they are a part of the machine will want to go for the base GSR model as it gets a five-speed manual. Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) gets the power to the road and includes a drive selector mode which changes various settings to provide the best traction for whatever condition you find yourself driving in. The engine likes to be worked, especially out on a nice bit of curvy road. Step on the accelerator and the power comes on instantly. More impressive is the engine doesn’t seem to lose any of the oomph as it climbs higher in the rev range. The transmission is lightning quick with shifts, and allows the driver to shift via aset of paddles behind the wheel. But when you decide to drive the Lancer Evolution on daily basis, it falls apart. The dual-clutch transmission seems very confused at low speeds and gives very clunky shifts. I found that if I left a stop with the transmission in second gear, some of these problems were alleviated. But the biggest problem for the Lancer Evolution’s powertrain is fuel economy. The EPA rates the 2015 Lancer Evolution MR at 17 City/22 Highway/19 Combined. I got an average of 17 MPG for the week. As for the ride and drive, Mitsubishi fits a set of stiffer dampers and springs to improve cornering. You’ll also find a set of massive Brembo brakes to help bring the Lancer Evolution to a short stop. Much like the engine, the suspension shines when driven hard on a curvy piece of tarmac. There is no sign of body lean when cornering, and the steering provides excellent feel and weight. Paired with the all-wheel drive system that provides tenacious grip, the Lancer Evolution feels like it's on rails. However, the warts show up when driving the model on a daily basis. The suspension doesn’t have much give and makes any road aside from a smooth one feel like a rutted gravel road. The steering is quite heavy at low speeds, making parking quite the interesting experience. Finally, don’t expect the Lancer Evolution to provide a quiet ride. Road and wind noise are very much apparent. The 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a difficult car to recommend for most people as the list of negatives is quite long. But for enthusiasts, it should be on the list as there isn’t anything like the Lancer Evolution: a sports car wearing the clothing of a four-door compact sedan. It’s sad to see to the Lancer Evolution go away. But Mitsubishi should be proud of what they were able to do with it, and keep that in mind when they decide to revisit this idea. Disclaimer: Mitsubishi Provided the Lancer Evolution, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2015 Make: Mitsubishi Model: Lancer Evolution Trim: MR Engine: Turbo 2.0L DOHC MIVEC Four-Cylinder Driveline: Dual-Clutch Automatic, All-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 291 @ 6500 Torque @ RPM: 300 @ 4000 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 17/22/19 Curb Weight: 3,571 lbs Location of Manufacture: Kurashiki, Japan Base Price: $38,995 As Tested Price: $41,805 (Includes $810.00 Destination Charge) Options: Touring Package - $2,000 View full article

The Jeep Cherokee has become quite the popular vehicle for the brand, despite its polarizing looks which turned off many Jeep loyalists. Don't expect the design to change anytime soon according to a new report. Automotive News reports that the Cherokee will be undergoing a mid-cycle refresh in mid-2016 and strategists are planning to keep the look. "I think the overall styling, the overall shape, the overall accommodation of that vehicle is spot on. I don't think that there's anything that dramatically needs to change with that vehicle going forward," said Mike Manley, Jeep's boss. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article