June 30, 2016 at 6:02 pm by Pete Bigelow | Photography by Michael Simari
Federal safety regulators opened a preliminary investigation Thursday into the performance of the Tesla Motors Model S after one of the vehicles was involved in a fatal crash while operating in semi-autonomous mode.
The driver of a Model S was killed on May 7 in Williston, Florida, when the vehicle, with its Autopilot feature engaged, failed to sense a tractor-trailer that was making a left turn across a divided highway. The crash marks the first known time a motorist has been killed in a car while it was operating in a self-driving mode.
Tesla said it learned of the preliminary investigation late Wednesday. In a written statement, the company acknowledged that the fatal crash occurred in the autonomous mode. “Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor-trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied,” Tesla officials wrote. “The high ride height of the trailer combined with its positioning across the road and the extremely rare circumstances of the impact caused the Model S to pass under the trailer.”
The preliminary investigation, conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will examine the design and performance of the Model S and its components. Investigators could choose to upgrade the investigation into an engineering analysis at a later date, which could be the prelude to a recall.
Tesla introduced the Autopilot feature in late 2015. The company said the fatality is the first in 130 million miles of Autopilot driving. Company officials noted the feature remains in a “public beta phase” that requires its users to acknowledge they remain ultimately responsible for the vehicle and its performance. “Autopilot is getting better all the time, but it is not perfect and still requires the driver to remain alert,” the company said. There have been no statements from any representatives of the driver.
Interested in buying a legend? The original Shelby Cobra, the very first car that Carroll Shelby hand-built, the one that kicked off the Shelby legacy that still carries on today, is going up for sale at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction on August 19. We have a feeling this car is going to generate some intense bidding.
When we say original, we mean it. This is the very first of the Cobras—created in 1962 when Carroll Shelby shoehorned a 260-cubic-inch Ford V-8 between the wheel wells of a British-made AC Ace roadster. When that engine met that body, a legend was born.
The car, known as CSX 2000, served as the development prototype for what would become the Shelby empire. And it never left the founder’s hands—Shelby maintained this car as his personal Cobra from day one. It is truly a one-owner car.
That’s not to say it was pampered, though. In a tale that is now legendary, Shelby pulled a little scam on the car magazines that tested this car. After the Cobra was made public, CSX 2000 was sent out to every major car magazine for testing. But Shelby, wanting it to seem like he’d already built a fleet of Cobras, had the car repainted a different color before each magazine test. The magazines each thought they’d gotten a different car, and Shelby’s legend was sealed.
“It is the actual pen with which he signed his declaration of war and the idea upon which he built his company and revolutionized American racing—and the greater auto industry as a whole,” RM Sotheby’s writes. “It is, without exception, the single most important and history-rewriting sports car ever offered at auction, after over 50 years of ownership and without ever leaving the care of its founding father.”
Hyperbole? Maybe not. It’s hard to think of a single automobile that changed the course of sports-car history as definitively as the Cobra. This was the car that sealed Shelby’s career, that led Ford to become a 1960s racing powerhouse, that founded the American tradition of front-engine, rear-drive, hairy-chested roadsters that still beats in our veins today.
And among all the immensely collectible Shelby products of skyrocketing value, this will assuredly be the most coveted. Dave Kinney, publisher of the Hagerty Price Guide, estimates that this Holy Grail Cobra could bring $10 million—or more. Carroll Shelby had an unerring sense of the value of his cars; no wonder he held onto this one.
A version of this story originally appeared onRoad & Track.
June 30, 2016 at 11:54 am by Greg Fink | Photography by Sony Pictures
If you need a ride in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Lyft. The ride-sharing app is teaming with Sony Pictures to give customers the opportunity to hitch a ride in the tricked-out Ecto-1 Cadillac hearse from Ghostbusters.
On July 1 and 2, Lyft customers in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington D.C. will have access to a “Ghost Mode” button within their app, and enabling the feature sends a signal to one of 25 (five per city) Ecto-1 Caddys looking for passengers to pick up. Each vehicle will play the Ghostbusters soundtrack and be driven by an someone dressed like a Ghostbuster character. Adweek notes that each Ecto-1 will be equipped with key lime-flavored Hostess Twinkies and Hi-C Ecto Cooler as an homage to the original film.
While the original Ghostbusters—played by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson—went from location to location fighting ghosts in a 1959 Cadillac ambulance, the rebooted film, which stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, has the all-female cast battling the paranormal in a 1980s Cadillac hearse. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lyft users can look forward to being picked up by actual cars from the film, as well as replicas, though there’s no word on if the Ecto-1s picking up customers will be based on the vehicle in the original movie, the new film, or some combination of both. THR adds that custom-wrapped Toyota Highlanders made to look like the Ecto-1 will sub-in if the movie Cadillacs are all in use. Presumably the Highlanders won’t have any ghost-busting equipment on board, so should those unlucky passengers encounter any paranormals, they could do little more than hurl Twinkies at them.
Chevrolet has made much of the 4G LTE connection in its vehicles—the feature, introduced two years ago, has since spread across its entire lineup. Now Chevy is making it cheaper for motorists to use those services. Brand executives said Wednesday they’re cutting the price of 4G LTE data plans in half.
Although the company won’t say how many subscribers are paying for the service, Sandor Piszar, Chevy’s truck marketing director, says the brand is able to reduce rates because the technology is growing popularity and gaining more customers.
Under the new pricing, a 1-gigabyte data plan will now cost $10 per month. Previously, customers paid $20 per month. An 8-GB plan that previously cost $80 is now $40. Chevy also introduced a new 4-gigabyte-per-month tier, previously not offered, for $20.
For comparison’s sake, Audi offers five gigabytes of data on a six-month plan for $99. Beyond that, it can be hard to make apples-to-apples comparisons because many automakers lump connected features into the initial purchase price of a vehicle and offer free-trial periods of various lengths rather than making customers manage a monthly subscription. Many offer models that contain 4G LTE connections for specific remote features, but that do not offer the same WiFi hotspot capability as Chevy.
The number of customers industry-wide who are paying for a-la-carte data subscriptions in their cars is unknown, but prospective buyers increasingly say they’re willing to spend considerable sums of money to stay connected in their cars. In an Accenture survey conducted in April, 71 percent of respondents said they’d be willing to pay up to an additional 10 percent of a new car’s price to ensure they get the in-car technology they want. Car shoppers are showing interest in paying for those services both up front and with monthly subscription plans.
“Consumer interest in spending more on desired in-car functionality and services … reinforces Accenture’s belief that in-car technologies—and the concept of the connected vehicle itself—are defining the automotive industry and transforming the way consumers view the automobile,” said Axel Schmidt, managing director of Accenture’s automotive practice. “We also believe that the willingness of consumers to pay for in-car services separately from a new vehicle’s purchase price will provide the industry with new sources of revenue.”
Cadillac’s core luxury sedans, the compact ATS and the mid-size CTS, are struggling to make sales inroads on the German competition. To aid in that, the 2017 CTS is receiving some trim-level updates similar to those visited upon the smaller ATS, along with a mild visual refresh. And when we say “mild,” we might even be overstating it: The only noticeable change up front is an additional horizontal chrome bar for the grille; at the rear are reshaped exhaust outlets.
The more significant changes are to the 2017 CTS sedan’s trim-level structure, which is more logically arranged and includes fewer models than before. The base CTS, which starts at $46,990 ($435 higher than before), comes only with the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder and doesn’t offer a whole lot in terms of luxury equipment.
The CTS Luxury, starting at $52,690, also comes standard with the 2.0T engine. But it allows buyers to step up to the 3.6-liter V-6, for an extra $2000. The Luxury also adds luxury essentials such as leather seats, a sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, along with several active-safety features including blind-spot warning, lane-keep assist, and forward-collision warning.
One step up is the CTS Premium Luxury, which comes standard with the 3.6-liter engine as well as features including adaptive dampers, rain-sensing wipers, and park assist, for its starting price of $60,190. In all models, either engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive is a $2000 option.
The performance-oriented, 420-hp CTS Vsport, a 10Best winner for the past three years, and the bonkers, 640-hp CTS-V, return for 2017, although they don’t receive the same visual updates as the standard CTS models. The Vsport’s two-model lineup stays mostly the same, with the standard car starting at $61,690 ($740 more than before), and the Vsport Premium, which adds all sorts of extra equipment, starting at $71,790. The 2017 CTS-V’s price is unchanged, at $85,990.
2017 Cadillac CTS-V
New technology features are also part of the 2017 updates. The CTS is now available with the rearview-camera mirror that debuted on the Cadillac CT6. It’s a $475 option on CTS Luxury models, and comes standard on the Premium Luxury and both Vsport trims. The CUE infotainment system, standard on all CTS sedans, gets a few upgrades including enhanced app support and teen-driver features including speed alerts and audio volume limits.
Cadillac says that these trim and tech changes bring the CTS more in line with the brand’s newer models like the CT6 sedan and XT5 crossover. We’ll see soon enough if the 2017 updates can lure more buyers into Cadillac showrooms, as the 2017 CTS and ATS will go on sale by the end of the summer.
Toyota is recalling 482,000 hybrids in the U.S. to repair side-curtain airbags manufactured by the Swedish supplier Autoliv, the companies said on Wednesday.
On 2010–2012 Prius, 2010 and 2012 Prius Plug-in, and 2011–2012 Lexus CT200h models, the side-curtain airbags can partially inflate at random and the inflator can potentially “enter the interior of the vehicle,” which could injure occupants, according to Toyota.
Autoliv said it knows of seven inadvertent deployments in Prius models worldwide, all of which were parked and unoccupied. Autoliv is investigating the root cause, but for now, the company believes no other automakers are affected by this problem since “vehicle specific characteristics” contributed to the issue. A manufacturing problem was corrected in January 2012, and the total cars under recall—about 1.4 million worldwide—represent half of all the side-curtain airbag inflators produced before that date, Autoliv said. A crack between the two inflator chambers can form over time due to poor welding, which can cause the two chambers to separate, Toyota said.
Dealers will install a retention bracket on the chambers to prevent them from separating and entering the interior. It is unknown whether there will be additional hardware or software fixes, as the airbags have deployed “without a deployment signal being given by the airbag controller,” according to Autoliv. Recall notices will go out to owners at a later date.
Porsche has just revealed its new Panamera Turbo, and already the vehicle is claiming the lap record for production sedans at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. The Panamera set a 7 minute 38 second lap, which is just one second quicker than the previous benchmark, set by the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. The new car is equipped with VW Group’s new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, which in this tune can push out around 550 horsepower. The Panamera used to set the lap has yellow calipers, which indicates that it’s equipped with Porsche’s PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes). These brakes are a $9210 option on current Panamera Turbos, so the new model probably won’t be much different.
This time represents a vast improvement in speed compared to the current Panamera Turbo, which set a 7 minute 52 second time on the ‘Ring—and that was actually a Turbo S.
In the video, Porsche calls the new Panamera the “Fastest Luxury Sedan in the World,” thanks to the lap time. The Nordschleife is the track Porsche has been testing cars for performance benchmarks for years, so it isn’t surprising that its new top-spec sedan has set a record.
Porsche makes note that the lap was set with a standard, unmodified vehicle on street tires. The Alfa Romeo Giulia reportedly utilized racing tires to set its lap, and was some 220 pounds lighter than the production version.
So the new Panamera Turbo is fast, and it looks good. Chances are it’s fun to drive too.
Were you surprised by Volkswagen’s admission nearly a year ago that it used a software defeat device to fake its way through global diesel emissions standards? Competing automakers weren’t—according to a Volvo executive, Volkswagen’s cheat was an “open secret” in the auto industry for the past seven years. It’s just that none of the competition could figure out exactly what VW was doing.
At a Volvo launch event in Spain, Kent Falck, a future product specialist with nearly 30 years of experience at Volvo, remarked that automakers had suspected something was up with VW’s TDI emissions results for years, News.com.au reports. As Falck puts it, competing automakers were perplexed when they couldn’t get their diesel offerings to run as cleanly as Volkswagen claimed—despite using the same equipment from the same auto industry suppliers.
“We have the same suppliers, we have Bosch, we have Denso, we are working with the same partners, so we know this technology doesn’t exist,” Falck told a small group of Australian journalists. “I have known that for seven years.”
“We sat in a room and reviewed all the facts, figures, whatever we have, with the specialists,” said Mr Falck. “[W]e can’t manage it, how are the others doing it? We don’t know.”
Falck says that at one point, he and his colleagues thought perhaps Volkswagen had invented or licensed some proprietary technology that allowed its diesel vehicles to pass U.S. and European emissions tests without relying on expensive and complex systems like urea injection, used by nearly every competing automaker. “There is always intellectual properties in the world … there might be something out there in the technology … that we are not allowed to buy because it’s owned by a supplier,” he said. “We were wondering how [VW met strict US emissions targets] that’s for sure.”
Of course, now we know exactly how Volkswagen got away with it: The automaker used sophisticated software that could detect when a vehicle was being emissions-tested, and only activated the full suite of emissions controls under testing conditions. It’s a gamble that will end up costing the automaker royally—to the tune of $14.7 billion in the U.S. alone. And Volkswagen’s admission has increased the scrutiny on all automakers, with evidence mounting that many major automakers were engaging in similar deception.
During the 1950s, legendary race car driver Sir Stirling Moss drove a number of cars for racing team owner Brian Lister. Now that the Lister Motor Company has been revived, the British brand plans to honor Moss and his racing career with a new (old) offering: a limited run of replica racers modeled after the magnesium-bodied Lister Jaguar Knobbly that Moss drove throughout the 1950s, including a 1958 victory at Silverstone.
Only 10 of these continuation cars will be built, all featuring a handmade magnesium body built to the exact same specification as the original. The engine sump, clutch housing, and differential casings will be made from lightweight magnesium as well. The cars will be built on a steel tube-frame chassis and will each be painted green and yellow to match Moss’s original livery.
To sweeten the deal even further, Sir Stirling will personally hand over the keys to each of the 10 buyers, and provide them with a personal welcome letter.
Under the hood, each Lister uses a 3.8-liter Jaguar D-Type engine making 337 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, powering the rear wheels through a Jaguar D-type four-speed transmission. Weighing only 1854 pounds, the continuation Knobbly is claimed to be able to hit 60 mph in less than four seconds, reach 100 mph in under 10, and top out at 184 mph—astonishing performance for a car built around 60-year-old technology.
Other specifications are largely up to the buyer, as Lister says it will build each example in either racing or road-legal trim, and each will get a custom interior. As you can imagine, a limited run of a historic race car doesn’t come cheaply, and these cars are no exception. Prices start at £1 million, or roughly $1.33 million at today’s exchange rate.
Deliveries are expected to begin in the fall of 2017.
General Motors and Toyota had their massive scandals. Now it’s Volkswagen’s turn. The company, which owns 70 percent of the U.S. passenger-car diesel market, is in major trouble for cheating on diesel-emissions tests. After years of promoting “Clean Diesel” as an alternative to hybrid and electric vehicles—the company even marched on Washington with a squadron of Audi TDI models—Volkswagen is stewing in its own toxic vapors. Here’s our handy guide to what’s happening.
What happened?
Volkswagen installed emissions software on more than a half-million diesel cars in the U.S.—and roughly 10.5 million more worldwide—that allows them to sense the unique parameters of an emissions drive cycle set by the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, who were tipped off by researchers in 2014, these so-called “defeat devices” detect steering, throttle, and other inputs used in the test to switch between two distinct operating modes.
In the test mode, the cars are fully compliant with all federal emissions levels. But when driving normally, the computer switches to a separate mode—significantly changing the fuel pressure, injection timing, exhaust-gas recirculation, and, in models with AdBlue, the amount of urea fluid sprayed into the exhaust. While this mode likely delivers higher mileage and power, it also permits heavier nitrogen-oxide emissions (NOx)—a smog-forming pollutant linked to lung cancer—that are up to 40 times higher than the federal limit. That doesn’t mean every TDI is pumping 40 times as much NOx as it should. Some cars may emit just a few times over the limit, depending on driving style and load.
Which cars are affected? Will my car pass state inspection?
The following Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche diesel models have been cited by the EPA for emissions violations. There is no recall and the cars pass all state inspections, at least for now. Remember, VW has admitted to violating federal emissions laws, and as such, it’s neither a state nor a safety issue. However, if Volkswagen does issue a recall, some states (particularly California and some that follow Partial Zero Emission Vehicle standards) may prevent owners from renewing their registration if they don’t complete the fix.
Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche dealers can’t sell any new diesels. Additional certified pre-owned diesels are also under stop-sale orders. The following cars cover models and model years that go beyond those cited by the EPA, which has not ordered VW to halt sales. This list of banned diesels comes directly from VW corporate, although more models could be added. Other 2016 diesel models scheduled to debut, such as the 2016 Passat TDI, have not even entered dealer inventory and may not for months.
Pending approval from U.S. district court judge Charles Breyer on July 26, Volkswagen will mail notifications to all current affected owners and lessees of 2.0-liter cars informing them of the $10 billion buyback program, as detailed on June 28. After a second hearing, at which point the settlement will become final, these TDI owners who purchased their cars before September 17, 2015, can either sell their cars back to Volkswagen for between $12,500 and $44,000, depending on model, age, trim, and region. TDI lessees will receive a cash value of between $2600 to $4900. Owners and lessees who sold their cars or quit their leases before June 28 are also eligible. The buyback process is expected to begin in the fall. Official details and a VIN lookup are here.
Owners who do not sell their cars back to Volkswagen will receive between $5100 and $10,000 to compensate for diminished resale value, plus a free emissions fix. All 2.0-liter TDI owners and lessees will have up to May 2018 to decide their options. The eligibility dates correspond to the day immediately before the EPA first announced the violations and the day the EPA announced its preliminary settlement with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. All owners and lessees of 3.0-liter diesel models will have to wait until a second settlement is reached.
As part of its “Customer Goodwill Package,” Volkswagen offered $1000 cash to every owner of a 2.0-liter TDI named in the EPA’s first violation notice, which offered a $500 prepaid Visa card to spend on anything and another $500 cash card valid only at Volkswagen dealerships (to use toward another car, service, or lots of VW hats). They also could get free 24-hour roadside assistance for the next three years. The deadline to register for that program ended April 31. The same offer has been extended to 3.0-liter diesel owners, who may register until July 31. Audi, Porsche, and VW TDI owners who took delivery after November 8 are not eligible (full rules here). Current owners of any VW model have been able to get a $2000 cash rebate toward a new car, though this incentive may continue to vary or expire as time progresses. Dealers also have “discretionary” cash they can use to sweeten deals (and they’re getting guaranteed kickbacks for some models). Basically, if Volkswagen is on your shopping list, now’s the time to haggle like a pro.
When will my car be fixed?
By the end of 2016, Volkswagen may have a fix for all of its cars. Or it may not. It’s still unclear how Volkswagen will modify these cars for compliant emissions. There are three generations of the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder, and all will require different fixes (from simple software updates to complete, and potentially performance-crippling, hardware retrofits). Then there’s the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6, which VW executives in Germany deny even has a problem. On those models, Audi said on November 23 it would update the software and “resubmit” its emissions applications after the EPA found undocumented “auxiliary emission control devices” that were allowing excessive levels of NOx. About 85,000 Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen models use the 3.0 TDI engine. Owners of these vehicles will receive a software update and possibly a new catalytic converter, according to one early report.
On November 25, 2015, Volkswagen detailed a fix for European 1.6-liter diesel engines that installs a mesh insert within the air intake, plus a software update for the newest EA189 2.0-liter diesel engines. No changes have yet been announced for U.S. models.
Don’t all automakers tailor their cars to ace the EPA test cycle? Why single out VW?
Automakers optimize powertrains for each second of the EPA’s dynamometer tests (Federal Test Procedure 75, the one VW’s computers detect, runs for 1370 seconds). They have to, because they’re required to self-certify every model on sale. The EPA verifies roughly 15 percent of those tests each year. In rare cases, automakers grossly overstate fuel economy (as Ford and Kia did) and can take advantage of loopholes in the certification process.
Yet these standardized tests, flawed as they may be in comparison to real-world driving, are critical. Performed correctly, they’re at least an accurate method to assess legal compliance and provide a fair comparison for consumers. Right now, there’s no indication that automakers program their cars to run in a wildly different fashion on the road, even as the EPA and the German government attempt to prove otherwise. Volkswagen explicitly did, and that’s why it’s getting hammered.
What are selective catalytic reduction and urea injection?
Diesel fuel is carbon-rich and close in composition to home heating oil. As such, it’s inherently dirty and sooty when burned. While heavy-duty diesel pickups, vans, trucks, and other commercial vehicles follow looser environmental standards, light-duty vehicles have it tough—and nowhere is it tougher to certify a diesel car or truck than in the U.S. In order to trap particulates and curb nitrogen oxide in practically all new diesel engines, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and urea injection must be used.
A three-way catalytic converter in gasoline vehicles treats exhaust gas by both oxidizing (adding oxygen to convert carbon monoxide and other hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water) and reducing (removing oxygen to convert nitrogen oxide to nitrogen and water). But diesel engines burn so lean that they require separate oxidation and reduction catalysts. After diesel exhaust passes through the oxidation catalyst and a particulate filter, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF, branded by VW as AdBlue) is injected into the stream before entering the reduction catalyst. DEF is a precise mixture of one-third urea and two-thirds deionized water and must be refilled (typically at manufacturer-recommended oil-change intervals) from a separate tank.
On January 4, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice first sued Volkswagen on behalf of the EPA. Volkswagen will now pay $14.7 billion to settle with three federal agencies suing the automaker for its excessive diesel emissions, the highest ever paid by a company for violations under the Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice announced the partial settlement on June 28. Aside from the $10 billion buyback program, another $2.7 billion will fund future state-level projects that reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions under the EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, which are federal grants marked to replace old diesel engines and for retrofit kits for alternative-fuel powertrains and other similar vehicle hardware. Volkswagen must buy back 85 percent of all cars by June 2019, or else it must pay even more to fund such projects. The automaker also must spend $2 billion over the next 10 years to invest in green energy and electric cars, including paying for new public charging stations and public-education programs. Additional civil penalties, a criminal settlement, and further state-level fines have not been determined but could add billions more. Volkswagen had originally set aside more than $7 billion to cover recall-related costs.
Since news of the first violation broke on September 18, more than a quarter of the company’s market cap has been wiped out with its nosediving stock price through June 28, and the company has abandoned its goal at becoming the world’s largest automaker by 2018. Volkswagen is not even concerned with its U.S. sales numbers until this problem is resolved, according to chairman Herbert Diess. The company has posted consecutive U.S. monthly sales losses since November.
CEO Matthias Müller—who said the company didn’t lie but faced a “technical problem“—has now ordered a complete reorganization that will see 30 battery-electric vehicles introduced across its 12 divisions by 2025. It inevitably will lead to firings, model cuts across its 340 variants, and other corporate changes. So far, though, even seemingly frivolous divisions like Bugatti aren’t getting axed. Former CEO Martin Winterkorn, who resigned in September, reportedly received a memo regarding the diesel problem in May 2014. He has not confirmed whether he actually read it.
All right, I’d like some more free money. How can I sue?
There are already a couple hundred lawsuits alleging economic harm against VW’s now-infamous “Clean Diesel” marketing campaign and the half-million cars under EPA violation. None have yet been consolidated before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, but expect most, if not all, to be sometime next year. For the time being, Hagens-Berman, a huge firm that squeezed $1.1 billion from Toyota and intends to sue General Motors for $10 billion, has a class-action lawsuit ready and waiting. Volkswagen has also retained victim-compensation lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, the same man behind the General Motors ignition-switch payouts, to figure out a similar arrangement.
What are TDI owners actually doing?
As Greenpeace and other environmental groups lambaste VW, the obligatory news articles profiling angry TDI drivers have popped up. Granted, there are some people genuinely upset with VW for misleading them over their car’s emissions levels. But as we see it, the majority of TDI buyers are knowledgeable enthusiasts in love with sky-high fuel economy, torque, durability, and low running costs. Some really frugal types convert their TDIs to run on refined vegetable oil or biodiesel. These people are diehards.
If any fix Volkswagen proposes ends up hampering performance—be it increased fuel consumption or a loss of power—many TDI owners may very well ignore a recall. It’s a tricky legal situation, as neither the EPA nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can force individual owners to update their cars. Several bills in Congress have proposed banning registration renewals for car owners who don’t complete recalls, but they’re a long way from becoming law. For now, most TDI owners are continuing to putter about. It’s also too early to prove that resale values have dropped significantly. With more time, we’ll have a fuller picture.
This story was originally published on November 13, 2015; it is being constantly updated to reflect the latest developments in the VW diesel-emissions scandal.
June 28, 2016 at 1:00 pm by Clifford Atiyeh | Photography by Marc Urbano and Michael Simari
German transmission supplier ZF has taken a lot of flack for its rough-shifting, occasionally misbehaving nine-speed automatic across multiple automakers. Now comes word that the shifter it designed and supplied to some automakers who use its eight-speed automatic transmission has been subject to a large recall.
After an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fiat-Chrysler is recalling 811,586 vehicles to update the transmission software and include more visual warnings and chimes that the vehicles are not in park. All eight-speed 2012–2014 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans and 2014–2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee models are included. NHTSA had investigated the cars since August 2015 and recorded at least 686 complaints about the shifter, including 266 crashes and 68 injuries. The death of actor Anton Yelchin, who was pinned against his driveway fence by his 2015 Grand Cherokee, is also under investigation. In its concluding report dated June 24, NHTSA wrote that the shifter’s design “appears to violate several basic design guidelines for vehicle controls.”
The shifter in question always returns to a center position after gear selection and has very small detents that can make it difficult to select a gear; some drivers were then inadvertently leaving their vehicles in gear when they intended to select park. The vehicles also have ignition-button programming that won’t shut the engine down if the vehicle is not in park, meaning that some vehicles rolled away even after drivers exited them. FCA recently replaced the shifter with a more traditional PRNDL lever (pictured above) that has separate stops for each gear, a change made effective for the 2015 model year on Charger and 300 sedans and for the 2016 model year on Grand Cherokee SUVs. The current Audi A8 uses the exact same shifter and is not under a recall or investigation at this time.
FCA will not replace the shifters with the current design. Instead, the fix will “combine warnings with a transmission-shift strategy to automatically prevent a vehicle from moving, under certain circumstances, even if the driver fails to select ‘PARK,’ ” according to FCA. This likely will include automatically engaging park when the driver’s door is open and the engine is running, for example. Another 317,616 cars are affected outside the U.S.
UPDATE 6/28: This story, which originally published on April 25, has been adjusted to include the latest statistics about accidents and injuries. Also, we’ve added a 2013 video from Chrysler that shows how to operate the shifter in question.
Toyota couldn’t be later to the subcompact-crossover party, finally unveiling the production version of its 2017 C-HR at the Geneva auto show last February, with the vehicle set to hit dealerships later this year. Looking just as extreme as any of the C-HR concept cars that previewed it, the production C-HR will attempt to snatch contrarian customers from the Nissan Juke and Kia Soul seemingly by out-weirding them in the looks department. But in the C-HR, how deep does weird run? Were the interior designers smoking the same stuff as the exterior designers? While the Geneva show car lacked a production-grade interior, Toyota of Europe has now released official photos, giving us our first peek at what awaits C-HR occupants once they open the door.
Happily, the cabin appears to offer a retinal reprieve from the tortured bodywork. While most of the interior panels and trim pieces visible in these images are expressively styled, the aesthetic is more BMW i3 than lunar rover. The dashboard consists of multiple horizontal design elements, each highly three-dimensional, and the infotainment screen stands proudly atop the dash in a trapezoidal frame. Perhaps the most interesting item is the ribbon-like blue trim that appears to have been draped from the middle of one door, across the dashboard to the other door. This particular vehicle’s charcoal/pale purple upholstery (along with what appear to be some regrettable geometric door inserts) is almost certainly not the only color scheme to be offered. It’s also unclear how many of this hybrid model’s design elements will be shared with non-hybrid versions and/or lower-spec trims, or how much of what we’re seeing is individually customizable.
Toyota has yet to provide information regarding what features will be offered on the U.S.-spec C-HR, but the general paucity of buttons and switches visible in this particular car suggests that many functions are now being handled via the touchscreen interface, steering-wheel controls, or voice activation. What few buttons remain are clustered beneath the center vents, mounted at a slight angle toward the driver. Given the exterior’s insane styling, we expected more interesting designs for the steering wheel and the gauge cluster, but those are small nits to pick.
Once we score some seat time in the C-HR, we will be able to tell you more. At the very least, these images give us reason to be optimistic for Toyota’s future interior-design efforts.
Volkswagen will pay $14.7 billion to settle with three federal agencies suing the automaker for its excessive diesel emissions, the highest ever paid by a company for violations under the Clean Air Act.
The Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice announced the partial settlement with no lack of joy for the influx of new federal funding, with EPA administrator Gina McCarthy admitting the money would cut nitrogen-oxide emissions in “ways that current budgets could never have realized.” A total of $10 billion will cover costs to buy back all 475,000 Volkswagen TDI models with 2.0-liter engines. A total of about 460,000 Volkswagen and 15,000 Audi models are still registered on the road out of the 499,000 cars originally cited by the EPA.
Owners of these specific 2009–2015 models will receive the “fair replacement value” of their cars as of September 17, 2015, the day immediately before the company’s scandal went public. The values will range between $12,500 and $44,000, depending on model, age, trim, and region, according to FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez. Leases can be terminated early with no penalty. Volkswagen can’t resell or export the cars without first performing a repair approved by the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, which the automaker also must offer to owners for free. Anyone who only elects for the emissions fix—which may not even be possible, according to McCarthy—will receive between $5100 and $10,000 to compensate for diminished resale value. All 2.0-liter TDI owners will have up to May 2018 to decide. It’s important to note that Volkswagen owners are still under no obligation to stop driving or sell their vehicles unless state emissions requirements prevent them from renewing their registrations.
Another $2.7 billion will fund future state-level projects that reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions under the EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, which are federal grants marked to replace old diesel engines, retrofit kits for alternative-fuel powertrains, and other similar vehicle hardware. Volkswagen must buy back 85 percent of all cars by June 2019 or else it must pay even more to fund such projects. The automaker also must spend $2 billion over the next 10 years to invest in green energy and electric cars, including paying for new public charging stations and public education programs.
The settlement is considered “partial” since it does not address Volkswagen’s potential criminal liability, additional civil penalties levied by various states, or anything related to the 85,000 Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen models with the 3.0-liter diesel engine. These additional penalties and settlements could total several billion dollars.
Drivers will continue to enjoy a growing assortment of connected features in their vehicles—as long as they’re willing to share some personal information.
That might be the automotive future that Google envisions. In a recently published patent application, the company describes a system and method for delivering a wide range of content to motorists—everything from music to turn-by-turn directions. Access to that content is contingent on consumers agreeing to divulge data on their driving behavior and whereabouts. Motorists who agree to those terms might be offered steep discounts by insurance companies for cautious driving and receive coupons from nearby restaurants and shops. But those who refuse to share personal information face the prospect of being unable to use their favorite features.
“Handling content involves controlling how content is acquired and provided to a vehicle system,” the application says. “Content is restricted by requiring at least one transfer of vehicle-related information.”
A patent application shouldn’t be confused for a firm business plan, but should the company continue to develop the concept, Google’s system would control every potential pathway into the car—internet, satellite communications, hotspot gateways, cellular networks, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB ports, OBD-II ports typically used for vehicle diagnostics, video systems, telematics systems, personal devices, smartphones, and more, according to its application.
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Stop to consider what else Google might do with data that details when, where, and how you drive—reselling it to other interested parties, for instance. —National Motorists Association president Gary Biller
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In exchange for vehicle content, Google might want details that include data about the vehicle itself—mileage, condition of certain components like tires, details on serial numbers of vehicle systems, and the like. It may also demand information on the occupants, including the types of content they’ve stored in vehicle systems, preferred genres of music, or video content and more.
With a company like Google, whose interests in the automotive realm run from autonomous cars to its Android Auto phone-projection system, the consolidation of control worries John Simpson, privacy director of Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit organization that has tracked Google’s automotive efforts and frequently criticized the company’s privacy practices.
“This is an egregious invasion of a motorist’s privacy, and I do fear that people who refuse to provide personal data will be unfairly locked out of infotainment systems,” he said. Going further down the line, Simpson says that “the privacy concerns are even greater with self-driving autonomous vehicles. Google could easily offer a self-driving car that would only operate if personal data were turned over to the company.”
The general concept of such a system isn’t a new one, nor is it limited to Google. The company’s patent application is an updated version of one originally filed in November 2005, and the idea of serving advertisements up to captive vehicle occupants is a potentially lucrative one that dozens of companies are chasing in the burgeoning connected-car era.
“Across the automotive landscape, we’re seeing increasing initiatives from car companies and partners to offer discounts to participate in this bigger value chain,” said Jeffrey Hannah, director of North America for SBD, a global automotive consulting and research company. “At the end of the day, it’s ‘who will own connected-car data and how will it make it from the car to all these third parties?’ ”
How Data Can Be Culled and Used
What the latest patent application provides, beyond perhaps an attempt to lay claim to intellectual-property rights for such a system, is the idea of restrictions for those who don’t opt in and specific insight on how Google foresees that in-car advertising marketplace developing. A Google spokesperson declined comment, but here are a few examples the company cited in its documentation for how it would use data it collects from consumers:
A leasing or rental-car company could provide media or discounted rates in exchange for certain information on location, driving statistics, consumer preferences, average speed, or “other information useful to the agency.”
An auto-repair shop could offer music or other entertainment features as an incentive for using their services. In exchange for that media, users transfer details on such as mileage, service history, and Vehicle Identification Numbers so the repair shop can send service reminders.
A gas station could purchase the rights to distribute a song. Customers could only download that song if they purchased, for example, 12 gallons of gas from that gas station. A processing enabler monitors the fuel consumption and enforces this restriction.
A satellite-radio provider agrees to provide content in exchange for vehicle owners participating in traffic studies, providing GPS-based location information and navigation information.
Car companies already harvest vehicle and driver data, and ownership of that data has become a contentious issue. In 2014, the U.S. Government Accountability Office warned automakers that they needed to better explain what information they collected and with whom it was shared. At about the same time, California’s state senate considered legislation that would ensure motorists maintain ownership of their data.
Privacy Is ‘No Longer Assured’
Even if such legislation was enacted, motorists might own their data, but a company like Google could still control the pathways for data into and out of a vehicle. What separates Google from its counterparts is that it has become a leader in self-driving development and gained a foothold in infotainment with Android Auto, which will be installed in more than 2.5 million vehicles this year alone, according to SBD estimates. By harnessing and extending the power of those systems, Google could one day compile comprehensive portraits of individuals.
Gary Biller, president of the National Motorists Association, says the collection of information may seem innocuous on the surface. But particularly as self-driving cars develop and learn detailed information on drivers’ daily habits, there’s cause for concern.
“Stop to consider what else Google might do with data that details when, where and how you drive—reselling it to other interested parties, for instance,” he said. “Suddenly, your privacy, even the anonymity of your moment-to-moment whereabouts, is no longer assured. There are some very interesting developments with the advent of connected and autonomous vehicles, but motorists must be careful not to automatically cede their right to privacy when accepting the new technologies.”
While not discounting those privacy concerns, SBD’s Hannah says those who hold them should not underestimate the potential value and benefits of a Google-like system for consumers who are increasingly seeking seamless ways to bring their smartphones into their cars.
“Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are solving an important need,” he said. “Now you can imagine a world of unique content from various places, and it’s piped in through the common interface of the car. One value added is that Google is very good at things like security. With numerous content alliances at its disposal already in place, you can ensure the content is from a trusted source, rather than 50 different feeds coming into the car.”
For better or worse—maybe a bit of both—the Google patent application is a reminder that car owners need to know a lot more about their cars, because their cars already know a lot about them.
Lets face it, the current automotive climate breeds lazy drivers (see automatic cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and the decreasing availability of manual transmissions). So it seems incumbent on us to celebrate genuine advancements that improve a driver’s ability to actually control a car with one’s own appendages, whether while going fast on a racetrack or just taking the family to the beach. There’s an interesting new one over at Mazda, where the driving forecast is sunny.
The brand from Hiroshima ranks remarkably high on the overall fun-to-drive scale, especially considering its size and resources. The Mazda 3 and the MX-5 Miata reside on the current 10Best Cars list and the Mazda 6 is a previous winner. The company’s SUVs drive like cars, and its interiors deliver visual punch a weight-class above their prices. In short, Mazda cares about making cars that people actually find enjoyable to drive themselves, which is why we flew to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, outside of Monterey, California, to go around the track at a mere 30 mph. Mazda wouldn’t even tell us what G-Vectoring Control (GVC), the technology it planned to showcase, actually was before letting us sample it in the 2017-spec Mazda 6.
The day started with laps of an impromptu oval in the parking lot at a blistering 20 mph. An engineer would switch the Mazda 6s between GVC active and GVC off from the passenger seat. At first, GVC just feels as if it makes the steering a little heftier. But after a few of these cruise-controlled laps while hugging a line of pylons, we realized that turn-in is smoother and rarely did we have to correct our driving line. Watch this video to see the difference, paying attention to the white line on the steering wheel:
But we were still in the dark about what GVC actually does. Given the name, you might expect it to be some kind of torque vectoring, or steering the car by controlling differential torque delivery between the inside and outside wheels in a corner, which is analogous to how tanks turn. But that’s not what GVC is doing. Mazda finally explained that the important part of GVC is the G, or as you see it frequently, g. By closely monitoring the speed of the driver’s steering-wheel inputs, GVC tells the engine to ever-so-slightly reduce torque. This produces an imperceptible deceleration, only 0.05 g in the most extreme cases. (By way of comparison, lifting off the throttle in a typical car results in about 0.20-g deceleration.) The tiny change generates a small shift in load to the front axle, which tightens everything in the front suspension and steering system, removing compliance in bushings and dampers and resulting in improved steering response. It is remarkable how such a tiny influence can contribute such a dramatic change. Engineers hesitate to quote a lb-ft figure but they did confirm that GVC reduces engine torque by a single-digit percentage, usually by retarding the timing. At a steady 20 or 30 mph, the 6’s 2.5-liter might be putting out 20 lb-ft, so even 9 percent would be less than 2 lb-ft reduction.
The whole project was eight years in the making and it developed out of an extensive study of how humans move and how, when controlling cars, drivers make similar movements and react to g forces. After proving the concept with an EV—used because electric motors allow ultra-fine control of incremental torque delivery—Mazda had to wait for its range of Skyactive engines to reach the mainstream before developing the technology for production cars. Mazda’s newest engines have granular and rapidly responsive control over torque output. Creating the slight deceleration is one thing, but getting it to happen in a small amount of time—0.05 seconds—so that the driver and passengers wouldn’t notice, is the real key to making GVC appear seamless to occupants.
Essentially, GVC mimics techniques, like “breathing” the throttle or left-foot braking into a corner, that race and rally drivers use to generate more front-wheel grip and get their competition cars to turn, only it’s extremely subtle, never felt or obvious. While going fast is always a hoot, GVC is more of a comfort- and confidence-builder than anything else. It will not improve skidpad grip or shave seconds off of any driver’s fastest lap time.
After explaining what GVC does, Mazda had us lap Mazda Raceway at 30 mph, hugging the inside edge of one corner to stay on the same line while an engineer in the passenger seat switched the GVC system on and off, as we’d been doing before on the parking lot oval. From the driver’s seat, there are fewer corrections needed, particularly when making quick changes in direction, when a driver might otherwise crank in too much steering angle. With GVC at work, you’re less likely to over-shoot your steering input because there’s less delay caused by the previously mentioned compliance that’s baked into the front suspension and steering. That compliance is there to improve ride quality and reduce noise (racers often replace the bushings and mounts with stiffer elements to improve responsiveness, trading away comfort in the process). From the passenger seat of a Mazda 6 with GVC, we clearly could see other drivers making fewer small steering corrections. This limits head toss and torso movements significantly for all occupants. Fewer corrections also reduce driver fatigue, again, improving comfort.
Mazda also simulated a narrow-lane construction zone using tall cones and Jersey barriers on Mazda Raceway’s front straight. Many drivers never notice it, but going dead straight requires that they make a lot of little steering corrections. With GVC turned on, these corrections become less extreme and fewer in number, again reducing driver fatigue.
The really difficult part for Mazda is conveying this information to the car-buying public. The finer points of how GVC works will be lost on most customers, which is not really a problem in itself. All they need to understand is that GVC improves an already class-leading steering system, making for a better-driving car. GVC comes standard on both the 2017 Mazda 3 and 6, and we expect to see it proliferate across the rest of the Mazda lineup within a few years. The Mazda MX-5 Miata is one model that may never get GVC because its suspension has less compliance and a lot of anti-lift baked into its geometry. But we have no doubt that Mazda will find other ways to make that car even more fun to drive in the coming years.
Mercedes-AMG is filling out its sports-car lineup with two new versions of the AMG GT coupe. The hard-core AMG GT R certainly is the most exciting bit of news, but we shouldn’t forget the arrival of a new base model that offers a lower entry point for this sexy, V-8–powered two-seater. Starting at $112,125, the “entry-level” AMG GT goes on sale late this summer and is slightly less powerful and less well-equipped than the AMG GT S that’s been on sale in the U.S. for about a year.
Powered by the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 as the GT S, the GT gives up 47 horsepower and 36 lb-ft of torque to its big brother. But performance doesn’t drop off much, with Mercedes estimating a 0-to-60-mph run of 3.9 seconds (0.2 second slower than the S) and a top speed of 189 mph (4 mph behind the S). However, our test of the GT S blew the manufacturer estimate of the water with its 3.0-second run to 60 mph, so we’ll see how the GT does on the track when we get one in to test.
Less means less when it comes to the AMG GT’s standard equipment list, which does without the GT S model’s Nappa leather seats, AMG adaptive exhaust, Burmester audio system, adaptive suspension, and red brake calipers. Some of these features should be optional on the standard GT, however, and things like a backup camera, keyless start, power memory seats, and a limited-slip differential are still included. Thank goodness.
June 27, 2016 at 12:26 pm by Greg Fink | Photography by Michael Simari
The 2017 Cadillac ATS sedan will enter U.S. showrooms this summer with one less engine option for consumers to choose from, as the former base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is going the way of the dodo. In its stead, the brand’s 272-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine will now serve as the the entry-level powertrain, as it currently does in the ATS coupe. A 300-plus-horsepower V-6 remains optional.
With a base price of $35,590, the 2017 Cadillac ATS sedan’s starting price rises by $1380 but also includes such features as Cadillac’s CUE infotainment with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Bose surround-sound audio system, and a rearview camera. These features appear on the base Cadillac ATS coupe as well.
Despite the entry-level car’s higher price, Cadillac promises all other ATS trim levels—Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Premium Performance—will offer more feature content at less cost, with Automotive Newsreporting that 2017 models will be priced between $650 and $1100 lower than their equivalent 2016 counterparts.
It’s no secret that ATS sales have failed to catch on fire, and Cadillac has high hopes that the additional value baked into the 2017 ATS will spur more customers to the brand’s BMW 3- and 4-series fighter. Still, with year-over-year sales of the ATS down by more than 23 percent through May, clearly something needs to be done to spur interest in Cadillac’s entry-level sports sedan and coupe. Cadillac recently pulled the plug on its ELR plug-in hybrid after a hefty price cut and trim adjustments failed to result in customers driving out of its showrooms in the low-slung gasoline-electric coupe. Let’s hope a similar fate doesn’t befall the ATS.
Federal safety regulators opened a preliminary investigation Thursday into the performance of the Tesla Motors Model S after one of the vehicles was involved in a fatal crash while operating in semi-autonomous mode.
