Nutson's Nuggets - Automotive News Week of September 30-October 5, 2014

By
Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

Auto Central Louisville, KY October 5, 2014; Every Sunday, along with Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau give you our "take" on this past week's automotive news as easy to digest nuggets.

If you are a car nut like we all are here at The Auto Channel, you can easily wish to "catch up" on these stories as well as the past 19 year's 1,742,290 automotive news, automotive stories, articles, reviews, archived news, video, audio, rants and raves just search The Auto Channel's Automotive News Archive.

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Nutson's Automotive News Factoid Week Of September 30-October 5, 2014

* The global auto show circuit has just launched for the new model year. The big event this week was the opening and press days of the 2014 Paris Mondial de l'Automobile, aka Paris Motor Show. While the European automobile industry remains struggling there were some forward-looking introductions at the show, like a plug-in hybrid Lamborghini called Asterion LPI 910-4.

* VW kicked things off showing the surprise XL Sport concept. The XL Sport’s engine was the big news. Powering the XL Sport is a V-twin adapted from the VW Group’s Ducati 1199 Superleggera, which VW touts as the world’s most powerful two-cylinder motorcycle. The XL Sport uses loads of carbon fiber and slippery design to create a roadster capable of nearly 170 mph. It has gullwing doors and offset seating with the driver slightly in front of the passenger.

* Another significant reveal at the Paris Motor Show was the Jeep Renegade, a new iteration of the little Fiat 500X. Sergio Marchionne insists they are very different cars despite sharing a platform and power trains and being built on the same Italian assembly line. The little Jeep reflects Marchionne’s vision for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles future offerings.

* And, lest we think the Europeans are only interested in sophisticated sedan performance, we note that Chrysler introduced the Jeep Grand Cherokee "SRT Red Vapor,” the hottest Jeep ever, at the Paris Motor Show. Right here on The Auto Channel you can see live press conference coverage and more Paris reports.

* September continued with lots of folks buying new vehicles. Sales were up about 9% selling about 1.25 million vehicles. However the annual selling rate is down a bit to 16.4 million. GM and Chrysler each had a strong month, both up around 19%; Ford was down 3% due to soft F150 sales while buyers wait for the new one; Nissan is up 19%, Honda up 12% and Toyota down 3%. Subaru continues to be hot, up 30%. And in general, luxury brands are all up.

* Many of us had our first drive in GM’s new pair of mid-size pickups, GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado, this week during the Midwest Automotive Media Association’s Fall Rally. Most were impressed with the style, capability and content. Then we heard that GM instructed dealers to halt deliveries of both trucks because of a pending safety recall to fix a faulty airbag.

* Also at the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) Fall Rally, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter got hearts pumping with the announcement that the Corvette Z06 accelerates from a rest to 60 mph in only 2.95 seconds when equipped with the all-new, available eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission – and achieves it in 3.2 seconds with the standard seven-speed manual transmission. A quarter-mile sprint takes just 10.95 seconds with the eight-speed automatic and 11.2 seconds with the seven-speed manual. With both versions, the Corvette Z06 hits 127 mph at the end of the quarter-mile. It is the first Corvette Z06 with a supercharged engine – SAE certified at 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque – and the first with an available eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. The 2015 Corvette Z06 coupe goes on sale in in early 2015 priced at $78,995, while the Z06 convertible goes on sale in the second quarter, priced at $83,995.

* With just the cryptic text, "about time to unveil the D,” Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, set the twitter-verse abuzz with speculation about whether this meant the all-new Model S with all-wheel drive was just around the corner, or perhaps the expected crossover model was coming. Musk promises more details next week.

* GM told investors that it plans to introduce an all-electric Chevrolet that will supposedly be affordable with a price around $30,000. This would be a different powertrain than the Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac ELR, which are extended range electric hybrids, because they rely on a gasoline-fueled motor. Mark Reuss disclosed the new battery-only car during a presentation to investors at GM's Milford Proving Ground.

* We know the auto business must be getting better because Warren Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway investment company just bought the biggest privately owned new car dealer group in the country, the Van Tuyl Group. The group owns more than 100 new car franchises and generates around $8 billion in annual revenue with a market capitalization of around $3 billion. Buffett told a CNBC interviewer he is planning to buy “a lot more” dealerships.

* Toyota is recalling 690,000 Tacoma midsize pickup trucks due to a suspension problem that may cause the truck to catch fire. Model year 2005-2011 Tacoma 4×4 and Tacoma Pre-Runner truck’s rear leaf springs could become corroded, which may lead to a fracture. If the leaf spring fractures, a plate could move out of position puncturing the gas tank. The fuel leaking from the tank could catch fire. A clear example of the domino effect.

* GM issued two new recalls covering about 500,000 vehicles in North America, including new Cadillac crossovers and a discontinued Saab SUV to fix loose joints and worn threads blamed for three crashes and two injuries. GM's recall count this year is now at 71, affecting a record of about 30 million vehicles worldwide.

* The most ticketed car by percent in the United States, according to a study by Insurance.com is the Subaru WRX. One out of every three WRX drivers — or 33.6% — has reported receiving a traffic citation recently. The Pontiac GTO came in second with 32.7%. Rounding out the top five are the Scion FR-S with 32.6%, the Toyota Supra with 30.8% and the Subaru Tribeca with 29.7%.

* The first production 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat sold for $825,000 during the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas 2014 auction. The vehicle, serial number one with a “Stryker Red” exterior developed for the Dodge Viper, was sold to Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and several Chrysler dealerships. Money raised from the Challenger Hellcat auction benefited Opportunity Village, a not-for-profit organization that serves people with significant intellectual disabilities in the Las Vegas area.

* In NASCAR's new-this-season chase for the cup race elimination format, Kurt Busch, AJ Allmendinger, Greg Biffle and Aric Almirola were eliminated from championship contention. Four more drivers will drop out following the next three-race segment that starts at Kansas Speedway.