William Maley

For many years, Lincoln has been known as the brand that sells glorified Fords. But according to Reuters, that could be changing in the near future. Mark Fields, the blue oval's new chairman is is going ahead multiyear, multibillion-dollar overhaul of Lincoln that will include a new premium vehicle platform. Ford's board and executive chairman Bill Ford have given the go ahead in this plan. "It's really important for us to have a relevant and vibrant luxury brand. You need to make the investment and build this brand over time," said Fields. Sources tell Reuters that the new platform, named D6, will be able to be configured in front, rear, and all-wheel drive. This platform will underpin a number of new sedans and crossovers when it goes into production in 2019. In the meantime, Lincoln will be updating its current lineup. First up will be the MKX crossover in the spring, followed by the MKS sedan in 2016. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

The EPA has been on a bit of a tear with revising fuel economy numbers on a number of vehicles since the whole Hyundai/Kia fuel economy fiasco. Ford had to revised their numbers on a couple of their vehicles, and recently Mercedes-Benz had to do same with the new C-Class. Now MINI is the latest automaker to change their numbers. Announced this week, MINI will be changing the fuel economy numbers on four different models. This comes as the result of an audit done by the EPA, and joint re-testing done by BMW and the EPA. The models affected include the three-door Cooper and Cooper S models. The old and revised numbers are listed below, Cooper w/six-speed manual: Old - 30 City/42 Highway/32 Combined; New - 29 City/40 Highway/33 Combined Cooper w/six-speed automatic: Old - 29 City/40 Highway/33 Combined; New - 28 City/39 Highway/32 Combined Cooper S w/six-speed manual: Old - 25 City/38 Highway/29 Combined; New - 24 City/34 Highway/28 Combined Cooper S w/six-speed automatic: Old - 27 City/38 Highway/31 Combined; New - 26 City/35 Highway/30 Combined Source: EPA William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 EPA Requiring BMW to Correct Fuel Economy Labels for Four Mini Cooper Vehicles Washington - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising estimates for four 2014 BMW Mini Cooper vehicles to ensure consumers are given accurate fuel economy values. The EPA performed a fuel economy audit on the BMW Mini Cooper and obtained values that differed from those BMW submitted to EPA for certification. With EPA oversight, BMW conducted new emissions and fuel economy testing, and EPA conducted its own testing at its National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As a result of this subsequent testing, EPA is requiring BMW to relabel four of its 2014 Mini Cooper models with lower fuel economy values. The specific changes to fuel economy stickers are listed in the table below. 2014 BMW Mini Cooper Fuel Economy Value Updates Old Label Values New Label Values Model Transmission Combined (mpg) City (mpg) Highway (mpg) Combined (mpg) City (mpg) Highway (mpg) Cooper 3-door MT 34 30 42 33 29 40 Cooper 3-door Semi-Auto 33 29 40 32 28 39 Cooper S 3-door MT 29 25 38 28 24 34 Cooper S 3-door Semi-Auto 31 27 38 30 26 35 "Fuel economy values matter to consumers and automakers," said Christopher Grundler, director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "To provide consumers with the most accurate, reliable and repeatable fuel economy values, we are continuing to strengthen our oversight to ensure fair competition among automakers." EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory conducts fuel economy testing on vehicles each year to ensure that their performance matches the mileage and emissions data automakers submit to EPA. These audits are part of the oversight program that helps ensure all carmakers are following the same procedures for calculating mileage estimates. The oversight program also helps the EPA verify that vehicles on the road meet national tailpipe emission standards to protect public health and the environment. View full article

Production of the Dodge Viper has been on hiatus since April due to poor sales. But according to Automotive News, Chrysler's Conner Avenue plant will commence Viper production once again next month. While a number of factors are in play for this decision, a big one is the massive increase in sales that the Viper has seen since the $15,000 price cut went into affect last month. Sales in September reached 108 units, an increase of 140 percent when compared to 45 units sold last September. Dodge brand head Tim Kuniskis expressed high hopes for sales in October, a time where sales decline because of the colder weather. When the plant comes back online, the only 2015 models that will be rolling off the line will be the base and GT. Viper T/A and GTS models won't go back into production till the remaining 2013 models sitting on dealer lots are sold. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article