Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Digest - July 25-31 2016: Nissan Out West, Lux Models Boffo, Detroit Sans Porsche, MB Auto Drive Exaggerated? Auto Ownership Costs Vary

AUTO CENTRAL - Chicago, July 31, 2016: Every Sunday Larry Nutson, Senior Editor and Chicago Car Guy along with fellow senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, give you TACH's "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to digest mega-tweet sized nuggets. If you wish to know more just click on the link that will take you to the full story as published here on The Auto Channel.

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* It's the #NissanYearoftheTruck. We spent a couple days this week out west driving the all-new 390HP #2017Armada, the new 284HP refreshed #2017Pathfinder and the new #2017Titan full size Crew Cab and saw Nissan's new entry, the Titan single-cab pickup. We'll have full drive reports on these in August.

* Luxury brands again ruled the upper tier of J.D. Power’s 2016 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL). Porsche is on top followed by BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Audi, Volvo and Cadillac rounding out the top ten. VW is the top non-luxury brand, followed by MINI.

* Automotive News reported this week that the demise of the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart may be imminent. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne announced earlier this year that if they could not find a U.S. partner to make the cars they would cease production because the company needs the current facilities for more profitable products. Production of the Dodge Dart in Belvidere, Illinois will be replaced by the Jeep Cherokee in September and the Chrysler 200 will be replaced at the Sterling Heights, Michigan plant in December by the popular Ram 1500.

* Mercedes-Benz is under scrutiny for allegedly exaggerating the capabilities of the new E-Class they say can drive itself. Consumer Reports asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into what they see as a “misleading” ad campaign. The E-class offers an optional driver-assist feature that Mercedes calls “Drive Pilot,” which includes advanced adaptive cruise control and automated steering that allows the sedan to follow traffic and keep its lane at speeds of up to 130 mph. Recent crashes, one fatal, involving Tesla automobiles with “Autopilot” have begun to highlight just what “self-driving” means. According to CR it does not mean the car can drive itself without the driver paying attention, but they contend that is just what the M-B ads say, or at least implies. Mercedes spokeswoman Donna Boland told Automotive News Thursday afternoon that the automaker has decided to take the ad out of the E-class campaign rotation because of the CR claims.

* In a surprise move Porsche has pulled out of the 2017 North American International (Detroit) Auto Show to concentrate its efforts on New York and Los Angeles. Detroit is the biggest U.S. show in terms of international media attendance but the company will favor those shows that draw bigger crowds of potential buyers (it is about selling cars, after all). Premium brands and exotics are ever more likely to eschew the traditional Detroit auto show. In 2016 Jaguar, Land Rover, MINI and Tesla did not participate and for the past five years Ferrari, Bentley and other exotics had their own one-day show off-site show during NAIAS. Porsche plans to double the size of its stand for the show in Chicago taking place in February.

* Car ownership costs vary widely among the states according to a just-published study by Insurance.com. The Website studied five-year costs beyond the purchase price of the car including: insurance, fuel, maintenance, registration and taxes. The most costly states are Wyoming, Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Montana. The least expensive are: Hawaii, Ohio, New York, New Hampshire and Vermont. To look up other states go to www.insurance.com.

* A report from McKinsey & Co says that by 2030 driverless cars will account for 15% of global sales and by 2050 that will increase to about 33%. However, Munich RE, the world's largest reinsurer, says in a report that most companies are not prepared for them. A survey taken of 100 company risk managers says that 64% have done nothing to prepare for the emergence of autonomous vehicles.

* USA Today conducts popularity campaigns among best places to see and things to do throughout the country in their national 10Best series. After a month of online voting under the category of Best Transportation Museums, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum located in Philadelphia was voted the most popular car Museum, and the second most popular among all types of transportation museums.

* The 8,500-mile Peking to Paris Motor Challenge recently finished with 98 of 107 crews crossing the finish line in Paris. The Rally, organized by the Endurance Rally association, crossed eleven countries across Asia and Europe and took just over a month to complete. The two top teams were overall winners Bruce and Harry Washington from New Zealand in their 1929 Chrysler 75 Roadster, and Classic category winners Dave Boddy and Mark Pickering from Australia in a 1973 Datsun 240Z. Next year’s contest will take a more southerly route with the same starting and finishing locations.

* Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has more to worry about than racing rules and schedules. His mother-in-law, mother of his third wife, was kidnapped in a brazen move on the family home in Brazil and the assailants want $36.5 million for her return. Extra security measures installed recently did not deter the villains who posed as deliver drivers with a package. Special police negotiators are they now attempting to secure her release.