Drew Dowdell

Tesla unveiled their newest addition to their lineup, the Tesla Model Y, last night at an event in Los Angeles. The Model Y is a crossover based on the Model 3 platform but is large enough to carry 7 adults. Inside, the high seating and panoramic roof lend a feeling of spaciousness. A front trunk and split folding second-row seats provide a total 66 cubic feet of storage. Like on the Model 3, accessing the Model Y works from a connection to the driver's smartphone. The Tesla Mobile App connects to features like remote door lock, Summon, remote pre-conditioning, location tracking, and more. Tesla has built the Model Y to be the safest mid-size SUV with rigid body structure and large crumple zone. The Model Y will come in 4 powertrain variants. The Standard Range version will start at $39,000 plus $1,200 delivery charge. It will also be offered in Long Range, Dual-Motor All-Wheel Drive, and Performance. The highest performance Model Y will have a 0-60 of 3.5 second and a top speed of 150 mph. Standard Range battery will offer 230 miles of range while the Long Range version will offer 300 miles on a full charge. Deliveries of the Performance, Long Range, and Dual-Motor models will begin in Fall of 2020 while the Standard Range will begin deliveries in Spring of 2021. View full article

Well how did you get one if they didn't carry stock?

You're thinking of the American market only. In China, the XT5,6 and XTS all get the 2.0T. Also, with electrification coming, there are bound to be some vehicles like the CT6 PEV that will have a 2.0T but have a 600(E?) badge. The Escalade is also likely to have more than one engine option next go around. Then, as mentioned in the article, there are the EVs coming. The CT6 has 5 engines options, the CTS has 4 engine options, the ATS has 3 engine options.... and the V-series isn't going away.

The legendary character of James Bond is going green in the next film. But don't worry about Bond being put into a Pruis, the spy's ride will be an Aston Martin Rapide E sporting 602 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. Only 155 Rapide Es will be built retailing at £250,000 ($331,822). The Rapide E has a top speed of 155 mph and can reach 60 from 0 in 4 seconds for fast getaways while the Pirelli P Zero tires feature sound deadening to make the vehicle as quiet as possible when sneaking up on villains. The move is a push by director Cary Joji Fukunaga who is described as "a total tree-hugger". The release of next Bond movie has been set back months by script re-writes and replacement of the original director. Rami Malek who recently starred as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody is reportedly in talks to be the next Bond villain. Aston Martin's ties with the Bond franchise goes back to 1964 when Bond drove an Aston Marti DB5 in Goldfinger. Related: View full article

Toyota announced today that they will be increasing their plan for a $10 billion investment in North America over 5 years to a $13 billion investment in the same time period. Part of that will be an additional $749 million investment in plants in 5 states that will add 600 jobs to the roles. The changes include adding the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Lexus ES Hybrid to vehicle production in Georgetown, KY, adding engine and hybrid transmission capacity in Huntsville, AL and Buffalo, WV respectively, as well as adding casting capacity in Tennessee and Missouri. These additions are on top of a $1.6 billion investment into a new joint venture facility with Mazda in Huntsville AL that will add 4,000 jobs. Further details of Toyota's expansion can be read in their press release on page 2 Toyota Solidifies Its Substantial and Growing Investment in U.S. Company Throttles Up Investments from Original $10 Billion Commitment to nearly $13 Billion Over Five Years with Focus on Advancing Electrification, Creating Hundreds More American Jobs By 2021, Toyota will now invest nearly $13 Billion in its U.S. operations with plans to add nearly 600 new jobs at American manufacturing plants Hybrid versions of the popular RAV4 and Lexus ES to be produced in Kentucky for the first time Production capacity increases and building expansions at Toyota’s unit plants in Huntsville, Alabama, Buffalo, West Virginia, Troy, Missouri and Jackson, Tennessee March 14, 2019 WASHINGTON (March 14, 2019) – For over 60 years Toyota has been growing its manufacturing presence in the United States, and today the company announced it will exceed its 2017 pledge to invest $10 billion over five years with a new commitment to reach nearly $13 billion over the same period. Part of that commitment is seen today with an investment announcement of nearly $750 million in five different states, with more to come. The new investments include adding the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the best-selling SUV in the U.S., and Lexus ES 300h hybrid vehicle production at its Georgetown, Kentucky, manufacturing plant; expanding engine capacity at its Huntsville, Alabama, facility; doubling hybrid transaxle capacity at its plant in Buffalo, West Virginia; and a building expansion for additional castings at Bodine Aluminum’s Jackson, Tennessee, facility as well as additional castings at its Troy, Missouri, facility. “These latest investments represent even more examples of our long-term commitment to build where we sell,” said Jim Lentz, chief executive officer for Toyota Motor North America. “By boosting our U.S. manufacturing footprint, we can better serve our customers and dealers and position our manufacturing plants for future success with more domestic capacity.” A state-by-state look at the new investments totaling $749 million and 586 new jobs: Alabama Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama (TMMAL) - $288,000,000 In Alabama, Toyota’s investment will increase annual engine capacity from 670,000 to 900,000 by the end of 2021 to increase product flexibility and better accommodate market demand. New 4-cylinder and V6 engine lines will add 450 new jobs to its Huntsville, Alabama, facility, the largest hiring need in the plant’s history. The investment also includes a building expansion. Overall, the plant represents an investment of $1.2 billion. Kentucky Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) - $238,000,000 Toyota’s Kentucky vehicle plant, the company’s largest globally, will begin production of the Lexus ES 300h hybrid in May 2019 with annual capacity of 12,000 units while RAV4 Hybrid production will start January 2020 with an annual capacity of 100,000 units. TMMK’s 8,000 team members also build Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid and Lexus ES models with an annual capacity of 550,000 vehicles. Overall, the plant represents an investment of more than $7 billion. Missouri Bodine Aluminum Troy, Missouri - $62,000,000 Investments in Toyota’s Bodine Aluminum plant in Missouri will provide equipment to produce an additional 864,000 cylinder heads for Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA). Bodine’s 900 Missouri team members currently produce more than 3 million cylinder heads a year, which are made for every Toyota and Lexus manufactured in North America. Overall, the plant represents an investment of $455 million. Tennessee Bodine Aluminum Jackson, Tennessee - $50,000,000 The Tennessee investment includes a building expansion and equipment to double the capacity of hybrid transaxle cases and housings to 240,000 annually. The investment will also provide equipment to produce an additional 288,000 engine blocks a year for TNGA. The plant’s 300 team members currently produce 1.7 million engine blocks a year, which supply every Toyota and Lexus manufactured in North America, and 580,000 transmission cases and housings. Bodine will add 13 new jobs to its facility in Tennessee. Overall, the plant represents an investment of $365 million. West Virginia Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia (TMMWV) - $111,000,000 The West Virginia investment includes a building expansion and equipment to double capacity of hybrid transaxles from 120,000 units (Start of Production-2020) to 240,000 units annually in 2021. To meet the production demands, TMMWV will add 123 new jobs to its facility in Buffalo, West Virginia. Overall, the plant represents a $1.4 billion investment. Ongoing Additional Investment Today’s news builds upon Toyota’s already expansive presence in the U.S., which includes 10 manufacturing facilities. This past year, Toyota announced a joint venture with Mazda to build an additional plant in the U.S. The $1.6 billion joint investment will create up to 4,000 new jobs in Huntsville, Alabama, with production slated for 2021. Meanwhile, Toyota’s Princeton, Indiana, plant is undergoing a $600 million transformation (previously announced) to incorporate TNGA and increase Highlander capacity by 40,000 units annually. With this, Toyota is adding 400-plus people to its team in Indiana. In Blue Springs, Mississippi, Toyota is launching the all-new 2020 Corolla on the TNGA line that included a $170 million investment and an increase of 400 jobs (previously announced). Currently, Toyota employs more than 37,000 Americans. View full article

850 > 65

Goal posts moving again I see...

Does it hold the setting after shutting the car off?

I've actually been contemplating an article about how Cadillacs have too much clutter on their trunk panels already.

Yeah, that's dumb..... I'd love a CT6 850.... totally pwn the Germans.

It also makes things confusing because in the CTS for example, the 2.0T and the 3.6 are both 400. But the 2.0T gets a T at the end.... so is it the better/more expensive engine? No, the buy up engine is the 3.6. But different 2.0Ts have different torque numbers. The XT4 is a 350 and the ATS is a 400.

How do you figure on that last bit?

Since they clearly didn't carry inventory, I wonder how long it took from order to delivery.

That's why they buy iPhones