William Maley

No one knows if the CTS-V will have a Seven-Speed or not. Likely we'll hear more about that in the coming months.

The past few months have seen numerous spy shots of the Cadillac ATS-V come out. While its good to see that GM is working on it, there hasn't anything groundbreaking in that time. What is groundbreaking is getting the first spy shots of the bigger brother, the upcoming CTS-V. Undergoing some cold-weather testing, the CTS-V is wrapped up in some light camouflage, but there are some giveaways letting you know its true intent. The most noticeable item is the grille treatment with vertical bars. Autoblog says that the V-series will likely have different design traits from the standard models. There's also a meaty set of exhaust pipes sticking out. As for power, sources say a version of the 6.2L Supercharged V8 from the upcoming Corvette Z06 could be under the hood. The CTS-V could make its debut sometime next year as a 2016 model. Source: Autoblog View full article

Last year at the Geneva Motor Show, General Motors rolled out the Opel/Vauxhall Adam Rocks concept. The concept took a standard Adam and made it bit more rugged with body cladding, raised suspension, and skid plates for the front and rear. The Rocks concept also featured a folding canvas roof that many of its competitors, namely the Fiat 500C and Citroën DS3 Cabrio. Well it appears the concept drew a lot positive attention because next month at Geneva, Opel/Vauxhall will show off a production Adam Rocks. The production version is almost a carbon copy of the concept with the body cladding, raised suspension, and the folding canvas roof which takes five seconds to open and close. There is also a choice of wheels ranging from seventeen to eighteen-inches. The Adam Rocks also introduces a new 1.0L turbocharged three-cylinder engine that produces either 90 or 110 horsepower. This is paired to a six-speed manual. There will also be a range of four-cylinder gas engines. The Adam Rocks goes on sale at Opel/Vauxhall dealers this summer. Source: GM William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 ADAM ROCKS READY TO ROLL - Production-ready ADAM ROCKS debuts at the Geneva Motor Show - Urban mini-crossover features rugged, outdoor looks and electric folding canvas roof - First Vauxhall to get punchy new 115PS 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine Luton/Geneva– Rocking up to next month's Geneva Motor Show is Vauxhall's funky urban mini-crossover the ADAM ROCKS. The latest edition to Vauxhall's city chic ADAM range was previewed as a concept at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and after receiving a rapturous reception the production model is poised to make a show-stopping debut a year later. Rocking rugged design Compared with other members of the ADAM family, ROCKS is taller, wider and tougher in appearance, while also offering a full-length electric folding canvas roof. ADAM ROCKS' new crossover body style is supported by a chassis that is raised 15mm with a wider stance. Agile parkour athletes, who move from one place to another, negotiating urban obstacles in between, were the inspiration for this sporty crossover concept. Parts of the chassis system have been modified or re-tuned – including dampers, springs, the rear suspension geometry, and steering. The higher, wider looks are matched by a choice of 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels. These can be further personalised with new wheel clips in "Wild" design and different colours that are unique to ROCKS. Protective, anthracite-coloured cladding is wrapped tightly around the ADAM ROCKS, giving it a tough, muscular look. The front trapezoidal grille, with a chrome central brand bar, is embedded in the cladding, while contrasting, satin chrome 'boomerang' elements frame the front fog lamps/indicator housings and the reversing/fog lamps at the rear. An integrated rear roof spoiler and LED daytime running lights also come as standard. Silver skid plates front and rear and a bold chrome exhaust complete the exterior design. New exterior paint colours will be introduced with ADAM ROCKS, starting with the vibrant yellow Goldbusters. ROCKS combines its rugged individuality with open air fun. The electric folding canvas roof is operated via a button located in the front area of the headliner and folds back neatly on to the C-pillars in just five seconds. Creating a wide opening into the sky, this stylish system has no negative impact on body stiffness or on the car's functionality: the boot keeps the full opening of a hatchback and loading volume remains untouched. The entire roof module is acoustically tuned for noise insulation inside the cabin, and the robust, three-layer fabric has a neoprene centre for weatherproofing and durability. The folding canvas roof is available in a choice of three exterior colours – Black, Sweet Coffee or Light Oak – that combine with the different roof colours of the ROCKS. ROCKS' cabin reverberates with its own distinctive character. Two new, exclusive ROCKS interior trims have been designed. They include a main instrument cluster, seat and door panel colours and other trim elements – all unique to Vauxhall's urban chic newcomer. One trim is taken directly from the ADAM ROCKS concept car revealed last year: it has elegant-sporty Peanut-coloured fabric/Morrocana seats and door panels, leather steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake in the same colour, and a "Surf" décor trim. The other features a sophisticated Coffee Bean design – rich dark brown seats in a black cabin trimmed with bright blue stitching. New 1.0-litre engine packs triple punch ROCKS is the first model to feature Vauxhall's all-new 1.0-litre ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo three-cylinder engine. This high-tech pocket rocket raises the bar for three-cylinder engine refinement and packs up to 115PS, with impressive low-end torque of 166 Nm. Contributing to the overall efficiency of the all-aluminium engine with a single scroll turbocharger include direct injection, variable valve timing, a switchable water pump and an integrated exhaust manifold. Fuel-saving Start/Stop technology is an integral part of the system and offered as standard. The new 1.0 ECOTEC comes with a choice of two power outputs, 90PS and 115PS. Both versions of the new three-cylinder powerhouse are mated to an all-new six-speed manual gearbox with a compact package design. During its development, focus was on efficiency (thanks to reduced friction) and benchmark shifting: gear change is comfortable, precise and smooth. The new engine tops a powertrain portfolio including ADAM's three current four-cylinder naturally-aspirated units comprising a 1.2-litre engine with 70PS and a 1.4-litre available in two power outputs, 87PS and 100PS. Like its ADAM siblings, ROCKS is one of the best connected small cars around thanks to its state-of-the-art Intelilink infotainment system. Priced from just £275, it allows seamless integration of Android as well as Apple iOS smartphone functionalities into the car. It provides USB and Bluetooth connectivity, audio streaming, a seven-inch high-definition colour touch-screen and seven speakers. Clever apps including navigation BringGo, Stitcher and TuneIn can be downloaded. The integration of Apple iOS devices into the system enables Siri Eyes Free voice control. This makes it possible for drivers to have incoming text messages read aloud and to dictate messages while they keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the steering wheel. "ADAM ROCKS combines the toughness of a crossover with the coolness of open air driving," said Stuart Harris, Vauxhall's Head of Carline Brand. "It's the perfect ADAM for active drivers wanting to stand out from the crowd." ADAM ROCKS pricing will be announced when it goes on sale in the summer. Production is due to start in Eisenach, Germany in August. View full article

I think its still the Avensis' platform.

Ford pulled off a bit of coup at the Detroit Auto Show last month with the introduction of the 2015 F-150 which features an all-aluminum body to help meet the upcoming fuel efficiency standards. Now, another truck maker looks to be following in the footsteps of the blue oval. The Wall Street Journal has learned from sources familiar with the matter that General Motors is working on making the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra have aluminum bodies. The company has secured contracts with with Alcoa and Novelis Inc. to supply aluminum for the next-generation trucks, due out in late 2018. GM's global product development chief, Mark Reuss hinted at the company possibly going towards aluminum with their trucks last month. "We need to see how much aluminum is in it, not what they say is in it but what is actually in it. We are going to look at what they advertise as the weight savings from it and then we are going to go back and do some math.…We can play this game real easily." Sources tell WSJ that GM will use a patented method of where multi-ringed electrodes are used to weld the aluminum panels. This eliminates a number of rivets used in the assembly of the trucks and allows the company to build a lighter and stronger truck. Source: Wall Street Journal (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

If you have ever taken a class in economics, then you were most likely taught the economic cycle. The cycle explains periods of growth and decline in a economy via four different parts; expansion, boom, recession, and depression. A perfect example of this cycle in action is Scion. The youth-oriented brand which came on the scene in the early 2000’s experienced massive growth for the first few years. In fact, 2006 was its best year ever with sales reaching 173,034 vehicles. But since that time, Scion has been seeing its sales drop precipitously with 2010 being the worst year with 45,678 vehicles sold. 2013 was a mixed bag for Scion. On one hand, the brand told its dealers that they can drop their franchise with no penalties at all and that new products wouldn’t be here till 2016. On the other hand, Scion is slowly crawling back up in sales. 2013 saw sales reach 68,321 vehicles thanks to two models; the FR-S coupe and refreshed tC coupe. So what is it about these two models that are keeping Scion afloat? We’ve driven the FR-S and now its time for the tC to help us answer this question. For the refresh, Scion tweaked the tC’s exterior to make it look more like the FR-S coupe. This is apparent in the front as there is now a longer hood that sits slightly lower than the previous model. The fascia has been slightly altered as well with a new bumper and grille layout. While not pulling the illusion of the FR-S fully off, the refresh does make the tC more interesting to look at. Other changes for the 2014 refresh include a set of LEDs on the bumper and a set of eighteen-inch alloy wheels. One area that Scion left mostly alone with the tC’s refresh was the interior and that’s a good and bad thing. Let’s start with the negative on the interior. The look and quality of the materials used in the tC looks like they come out of a mid to late-nineties vehicle. I get the tC is a cheap coupe, but with competitors such as the Honda Civic Coupe and Hyundai Elantra Coupe stepping up with the materials used in their interiors, Scion really needs to step up. Aside from the materials, the tC’s interior does everything else very well. Front-seat passengers are treated to cloth-covered seats with moderate side bolstering. Back-seat passengers will find a surprising amount of legroom. Headroom is surprising good if you’re under six feet. Cargo space is very generous with tC getting 34.5 Cubic Feet thanks to Scion’s decision of making the model a hatchback. Equipment is generous on tC will all models getting a flat-bottom steering wheel, dual-screen sunroof, telescoping steering wheel, power windows, and a 8.1-inch touchscreen head unit. My tC tester was equipped with the optional BeSpoke Premium Audio package which adds aHa internet radio and navigation. While the interface looks like something from the Windows 95 era, it’s a very straightforward system and quick to respond. One downside is that to get SiriusXM satellite radio, you need to pony up an extra $449 on top of the $1,198 price tag for the BeSpoke system. For thoughts on the powertrain and ride, see the next page. Under the tC’s hood is a 2.5L four-cylinder with 179 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. To access all of that power, you’ll have be ready to put the pedal down or close to floor. Otherwise, the tC feels like it can’t get out of its own way. This is somewhat surprising since the tC only weighs 3,113 pounds. A manual transmission is standard, but my tester came equipped with the optional six-speed automatic transmission with a Dynamic Rev Management system that blips the engine when downshifting. When left to its own devices, the transmission is quick on the upshifts. Downshifting is another story as it takes a few moments for the transmission to realize it would be a good idea to do that. This is very annoying when I was trying to make a pass on the freeway or merging and I found myself throwing the automatic into the manual mode when making a pass because it would be quicker. The dynamic rev management system is one of those systems that you either think is the coolest or stupidest feature. I personally liked it because it added a sense of excitement when I pushing the tC. On the fuel economy front, the EPA rates the 2014 tC at 23 City/31 Highway/26 Combined. My week’s average landed at 27.2 MPG. Along with the changes to the exterior, Scion worked on improving the tC’s handling. This includes revised stabilizer bars, electric power steering system, new struts, and more welds in the body to make it stronger. The changes really make a difference as the tC is a really fun coupe to push around. Body roll is kept to a minimum and the grip from the low-profile tires were excellent. Steering really didn’t have much feel, but the heavy weight more than made up for it. Out of all the compact coupes, the tC has to be the best driving one. But there is a downside to changes made by Scion, the tC is a rough rider when it comes to day to day duties. The suspension will send up every bump and road imperfection there is known to man, making for a very uncomfortable. Also, a fair bit of road and wind noise comes into the cabin. Those who are thinking about a tC for long-distance trips might want to reconsider. After spending a week in the Scion tC, I can see why its a big seller for the brand. The tC packs a lot of driving fun for not that much money. Add in the loads of standard equipment you get for the price, and tC makes a very good case for itself. But I do wonder if the tC can keep up this run of success, especially considering that Honda has launched a refreshed Civic coupe, Kia making huge strides with the new Forte Koup, and the Hyundai Veloster which has a pricetag that undercuts the tC by $2,000. Disclaimer: Scion Provided the tC, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2014 Make: Scion Model: tC Trim: N/A Engine: 2.5L DOHC 16-Valve Four-Cylinder with VVT-i Driveline: Six-Speed Automatic, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 180 @ 6,000 Torque @ RPM: 173 @ 4,100 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 23/31/26 Curb Weight: N/A Location of Manufacture: Tsutsumi, Japan Base Price: $20,210.00 As Tested Price: $23,166.00 (Includes $755.00 Destination Charge) Options: BeSpoke Premium Audio - $1,198.00 Rear Lip Spoiler - $444.00 Illuminated Door Sill - $375.00 Carpeted Floor Mats and Cargo Mat - $184.00 William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article