William Maley

It seems some changes are coming to BMW's M division based on recent comments from the head of the division, Frank van Meel. First up is transmissions. van Meel tells Autocar that DCT dual-clutch and automatic transmissions have a bright future for M cars. Not so much for the manual transmission as sales are declining. “From a technical standpoint, the future doesn’t look bright for manual gearboxes. The DCT and auto ’boxes are faster and they have better fuel consumption. It’s difficult to say we’ll stick to the manual, but we still have a big fan community for manuals and we are not going to take away something the customer wants to have,” said van Meel. van Meel also brought up maximum power, saying that M cars will only go up to 600 horsepower. “For now, 600bhp is the most you can get in an M car. We’re at the limit. If you go on adding more horsepower and torque, it’d probably be over the limits.” Source: Autocar View full article

The big news about the Ford F-150 is how it's constructed from aluminum which allows for improved fuel economy and massive weight loss. Chevrolet is going to be taking aim at this with a new social media campaign and ad. Automotive News reports that the ad features a focus group asked the question if a grizzly bear lumbers into the room, which cage would you take? The aluminum or steel one? Most of the group goes for the steel one. "Our trucks are built with high-strength steel. We think that's a tactical advantage and an important differentiator. We have a pretty healthy sense of humor about it," said Sandor Piszar, the marketing director for the Silverado. This ad brings the topic of the aluminum construction to the forefront - something Ford hasn't really mentioned in its ads for the F-150. But it also brings risks to both brands. For Ford, it could mean talking about the aluminum construction. This is something the brand has avoided talking about due to reports about higher costs for accident repairs. (Ford has said there isn't a significant difference between the repair costs for aluminum and steel). For Chevrolet, the ad could be hypocritical as they use aluminum for certain body parts of the Silverado - such as the hood. Also, rumors have been flying around the GM is planning to use more aluminum for the next-generation pickup. "If I'm a GM engineer working on the next truck, I'm scratching my head a little bit. They're probably telling the marketing people, 'Hey guys, you realize we're already lining up our aluminum suppliers, right?'" said Jim Sanfilippo, an independent marketing consultant. "Chevy's got a lot of good things to talk about right now. I'd stick to talking about the merits of their own product and not look like they're running from something." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

That would be the xD and I think it will be shown the door soon.

We know that Lexus is planning to produce a production version of the LF-LC coupe concept shown a few years ago, but details about it have been somewhat scarce. However, Automobile has some tantalizing details about it. First up, the coupe will wear the SC nameplate. This name was last seen on a hardtop convertible in 2010. The SC will use the underpinnings of the next-generation LS and feature 3 engine choices: a high-output version of the 5.0L V8, a hybrid powertrain, and a twin-turbocharged V8 with close to 600 horsepower. We could be seeing the SC next year as a 2017 model. Source: Automobile View full article

Nissan was the first automaker to offer hybrid version of their 7-seat crossovers, the Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 Hybrids. It now seems they are first one to kill off their hybrid crossovers. Green Car Reports found out that if you visit the Pathfinder Hybrid page, you are shown a message that says the "Pathfinder Hybrid is no longer available". When asked for comment, Nissan's senior communications manager Dan Passe said, "Pathfinder Hybrid is no longer on sale at Nissan dealers. Nissan is focusing its manufacturing, marketing, and dealer resources on the 3.5-liter V6-powered Pathfinder, which achieves up to 27 highway miles per gallon." No reason was given as to why the Pathfinder/QX60 Hybrids were shown the door, but we would guess it comes down to poor sales. Considering that hybrid version only achieved 3 MPG better on the combined cycle compared to the standard model, many buyers just didn't see why they should spend an extra $3,000 for it. Source: Green Car Reports View full article

I have that thought every week or so. When times were rough and money was tight, I used to love the notion of giving up everything and starting over somewhere in the midwest. Maybe chase tornadoes (apparently I'm a closet lunatic). For years, I was in a rut just waiting for life plans to pay off. It was mentally exhausting going from college graduation at the peak of the recession to grinding out debt, living paycheck to paycheck, and sticking out a long distance relationship. If you guys don't have a good reason to be in a rut, maybe it's time to shake things up. I'm slowly getting out of said rut.. But I think sometimes if you been in it for too long, you don't realize that you are moving out of it.

Morcheeba - Blood Like Lemonade. Like how there is a first-generation Cadillac Seville used in the video.

Thanks. Its a lot of work, but I think it is a good thing to share.

Jaguar Land Rover U.S. June sales increase 11 percent with 5,860 units sold; making this the company's best June retail month since 2006 Land Rover up 15 percent for the best Land Rover June sales month ever driven by Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Jaguar F-TYPE has its best June sales month ever and sales of the Jaguar XF up 43 percent for the month (MAHWAH, NJ) - July 1, 2015 - Jaguar Land Rover North America today reported June 2015 U.S. sales. Sales for both brands hit 5,860 units, an 11 percent increase from 5,301 units in June 2014. Land Rover sales reached 4,643 units up 15 percent from 4,038 units in June 2014; Jaguar sales were 1,217 units, down 4 percent from 1,263 units in June 2014. Year-to-date in 2015, Jaguar Land Rover U.S. sales are up 16 percent from 2014. For the full year 2014, Jaguar Land Rover U.S. sales were up with 67,238 units sold in 2014 compared to 66,962 in 2013. For the full year 2014 the Land Rover brand established an all-time annual high for U.S. sales of 51,465. "Jaguar Land Rover's world-class products including Range Rover Sport and Jaguar F-TYPE continue to be a force in the marketplace and have allowed us to achieve our best June sales results since 2006," said Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America. "We are particularly pleased that Land Rover was able to achieve its highest June sales performance ever in the U.S. and that the Jaguar F-TYPE is had its best June sales month." U.S. BRAND HIGHLIGHTS Land Rover Land Rover hit a new June high with 4,643 total units sold this month as Range Rover Sport had its best ever U.S. June sales. June was the sixth consecutive month in which Land Rover set a new monthly U.S. sales record. The Range Rover Sport hit 1,516 units in June, up 2 percent from 1,481 units in June, 2014. Range Rover hit 1,273 units in June, increasing 50 percent from 850 units in June, 2014. The Range Rover Evoque hit 801 units. For the full year 2014, Land Rover brand U.S. sales reached a new all-time high of 51,465 units. Full year sales were led by the brand volume leader Range Rover Sport with 17,897 sales up 12 percent; Range Rover with 12,830 sales up 5 percent and Range Rover Evoque with 12,440 sales up 9 percent. Jaguar For Jaguar, the F-TYPE had its best June sales month ever with 451 units sold. The XF was up 43 percent for the month with 446 units sold vs. 312 in June 2014. For the month of June, Jaguar was down 4 percent.

BMW Group U.S. Reports June 2015 Sales BMW brand up 6.5 percent, sets June record MINI brand sales up 14.8 percent WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 6.5 percent in June for a total of 32,176 compared to 30,201 vehicles sold in June, 2014. "There's no better follow-up to a record May than a record June with the numbers showing a consistent momentum for BMW as the year reaches the half-way point," said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America. "It's clear the U.S. is more in love with light trucks than ever before and the hardest part is supplying the demand. At the same time, I am delighted to see MINI gaining more traction as model availability continues to increase." In June, notable vehicle sales included the BMW 2 Series which increased 56.9 percent to 1,067 vehicles, the BMW 4 Series which increased 69.4 percent to 6,625 vehicles and the BMW X5 which increased 89.0 percent to 7,508 vehicles. BMW Group Sales In total, the BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported June sales of 38,350 vehicles, an increase of 7.8 percent from the 35,577 vehicles sold in the same month a year ago. MINI Brand Sales For June, MINI USA reports 6,174 automobiles sold, an increase of 14.8 percent from the 5,376 sold in the same month a year ago

Hyundai Motor America Reports Best June And Mid-Year Sales Ever Small cars and Santa Fe set the pace FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America today reported its best June sales ever of 67,502 units, up less than one percent, surpassing the record-setting month of June 2014. Year-to-date sales of 371,150 represents a two percent increase and marks Hyundai's best opening six months ever. "With dealers equipped with the right mix of vehicles for the summer selling season, we eked out an increase versus last year," said Bob Pradzinski, vice-president National Sales, Hyundai Motor America. "Despite the SUV frenzy, Hyundai's small cars continue to do well." The sub-compact Accent, recently awarded the highest honor in the small-car segment in the 2015 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, saw sales gains of 14 percent for the month and is up five percent for the year. The compact Elantra saw sales soar in June, up 55 percent for the month, marking its best ever June. The Santa Fe family saw sales of 10,446, up 17 percent for the month and the Sonata Hybrid sales were the best June ever with sales of 2,334 units, up 53 percent over last year.