- Tesla CEO Elon Musk Talks Software Update, Future Plans
- 2015 BMW M4 Convertible Spied Almost Completely Undisguised
- Celebrating 25 Years of the Mazda MX-5 Miata
- Ford, GM, and Chrysler to Adopt SAE Tow Ratings
- Toyota to Shut Down Australian Manufacturing by 2017
Tesla CEO Elon Musk Talks Software Update, Future Plans
Posted: 10 Feb 2014 04:30 AM PST
At a townhall meeting in Amsterdam, Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke about a new software update for the Tesla Model S electric vehicle that will be offered to owners this month. The Tesla Version 6.0 software is now in Beta testing, and will include numerous safety, functionality, and charging updates.
Musk and the Tesla team hinted at the details of this v ersion 6.0 software, which will apparently include things like manual adjustment of the suspension height. The Tesla Model S currently has an automatically programmed lowered suspension height that activates at high speed, but the new system will allow Model S drivers to select different height modes with more flexibility. The software update will also re-enable three-phase charging for greater adaptability for European charging systems. Musk emphasized that Tesla's small size means that the company has to prioritize upgrades to the cars based on necessity, but that the company is open to ideas and suggestions from owners. "Because Tesla is a small company with a small amount of resources, we have to make sure that the basic functionality and reliability of the car takes precedence," Musk said. This explains why the company's current priorities are focused on building more supercharger stations throughout the world and improving the overall firmware functionality. However, Musk then said there were many features and upgrades currently in consideration for future models, such as adaptive cruise control and a better smartphone integration system that could project information from a smartphone screen onto the Model S' central display screen. Another possibility that the company is considering is a software update for the car that would allow for user-created third-party apps to be built onto the car's existing software platform for increased functionality. We've also heard that the Tesla Model S could soon gain all-wheel drive and Wi-Fi connectivity, but Musk did not comment on either update in Amsterdam. Stay tuned for more Tesla news over the next few months, as the company looks to make big waves with these significant upgrades as well as the debut of the production version of the Tesla Model X crossover.   |
2015 BMW M4 Convertible Spied Almost Completely Undisguised
Posted: 10 Feb 2014 03:30 AM PST
Most importantly, the BMW M4 convertible's power-retractable hardtop is fully exposed. We can clearly see where the roof's joints fold, and how the overall assembly meets the trunk, where it will likely be stored when folded down. The rest of the BMW M4 convertible is consistent with the M4 coupe that we saw at the 2014 Detroit auto show, although this prototype has large blue-painted calipers attached to its drilled brake rotors. Matte-black paint is the only other significant distinguishing feature, creating a fine brushed-metal look that could be just for testing, or may potentially make it to production as an optional exterior color. The 2015 BMW M4 convertible is expected to receive the same 425-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six as in the M4 coupe, although its curb weight will almost certainly be greater due to the folding hardtop assembly. The M4 coupe weighs in at a relatively spritely 3300 pounds, thanks in part to its lightweight carbon fiber roof construction — an element that will not carry over to the M4 convertible. Expect a 0-60 mph sprint time slightly higher than the M4 coupe's 3.9-second figure, when equipped with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. A six-speed manual gearbox will also be offered for the car's enthusiast consumer base. BMW has yet to announce a specific release date for the M4 convertible, but it will arrive sometime after the BMW M4 coupe and M3 sedan in the early part of summer 2014. It could debut publicly as soon as the New York auto show in April.  |
Celebrating 25 Years of the Mazda MX-5 Miata
Posted: 10 Feb 2014 01:00 AM PST
The Mazda MX-5 Miata has been, and is, one of our favorite roadsters. It has had a place in our hearts (and a lot of our driveways) ever since it debuted at the Chicago auto show 25 years ago.
We named the original Mazda MX-5 Miata our first Automobile of the Year. The car cost under $14,000, had a 116-hp four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission, sent power to the rear wheels, and weighed just over 2100 lb—a lightweight, simple, and, most importantly, fun package. Mazda stayed true to that formula through two more generations of Miatas, and we're confident that the next generation Miata—being engineered in tadem with Fiat—will get it right, too. But we're not talking about future product (even though Mazda's designer did give us an idea of what he's thinking for the new car when we talked to him at the 2014 Detroit auto show). We're recognizing the fact that Mazda hasn't screwed the Miata up over 25 years. We decided to fly out to California, meet up with some of our friends at Mazda's North American headquarters in Irvine, and pat them on the back in person. One of those friends? Bob Hall, the man who wouldn't stop bugging Mazda execs until they built a small, lightweight, roadster. We sat down with Bob and asked him about the origins of the Miata and the significance of 25 years. We also toured Mazda's basement, which houses a private collection of some of the automaker's coolest cars from history, and drove the yellow Miata Club Sport that debuted alongside the red, white, and blue Miatas on February 9, 1989.  |
Ford, GM, and Chrysler to Adopt SAE Tow Ratings
Posted: 10 Feb 2014 12:30 AM PST
Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler are finally jumping on board for the Society of Automotive Engineers' (SAE) universal standard for light-duty pickup tow ratings, called J2807. These changes will take effect for the 2015 model year, as each of the big three will begin publishing tow ratings according to this revised standard.
The SAE came up with this new J2807 standard in 2008 as a way of implementing test procedures and performance requirements that must be met for an automaker to publish a truck's maximum tow rating. Notable changes proposed by this standard include modifications to what is considered for the Tow Vehicle Trailering Weight; the J2807 tow vehicle weight rating includes a driver, a passenger, and optional equipment purchased by at least one-third of the truck's customers, and a higher tow vehicle weight automatically lowers the maximum trailer weight rating number. Originally proposed for the 2013 model year, the big three automakers have found themselves caught in a stalemate over the past few years as Chrysler, Ford, and GM each backed down from their commitment to publish tow ratings according to these standards. Due to the intense competition in the domestic truck market, no one wanted to be the first to publish the inevitably lower numbers that would result from adopting the J2807 standards. Now, according to Automotive News, Ford will be adopting the J2807 standard for the new 2015 Ford F-150, and spokesmen from General Motors and Ram confirmed to us that they will follow Ford's lead. These ratings will apply to 2015 model year light-duty pickups only, including the Ram 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 in addition to the aforementioned Ford F-150. The new ratings will likely lower the trucks' maximum tow ratings by a few hundred pounds, depending on how the ratings are currently being calculated. Buyers will now be able to compare light-duty truck tow ratings on an even playing field, as opposed to before when each manufacturer followed its own standards for tow ratings. Among smaller-volume truck players, Toyota has already been using the J2807 standard for its trucks, and Nissan confirmed to AN that each of its models with tow ratings will adopt the new standards upon a redesign, like the new Nissan Pathfinder did when it was redone in 2013. This will include the new Nissan Titan pickup which is due sometime in 2015.  |
Toyota to Shut Down Australian Manufacturing by 2017
Posted: 09 Feb 2014 11:30 PM PST
As many had feared, Toyota will officially stop building vehicles and engines in Australia by the end of 2017. The announcement came as no surprise, especially after Ford and GM canceled their Australian operations, and the automaker claims to have made every effort to salvage the Port Melbourne, Victoria-based manufacturing operations, which was established in 1959. Toyota currently builds the Camry, Camry Hybrid, and Aurion models in Australia.
"We believed that we should continue producing vehicles in Australia, and Toyota and its workforce here made every effort," said Toyota president Akio Toyoda in a statement. "However, various negative factors such as an extremely competitive market and a strong Australian dollar, together with forecasts of a reduction in the total scale of vehicle production in Australia, have forced us to make this painful decision." Toyota follows in the footsteps of both Ford and General Motors, which in the last year have both announced decisions to end vehicle production in Australia. Ford will slash vehicle manufacturing by 2016, while General Motors will terminate production of its Holden division by 2017. With three major automakers pulling out of Australia due to a strong Australian dollar that allows for a staunchly competitive import market, more than 40,000 workers across the Australian automotive industry face uncertain employment futures. Employees for parts and supply companies face particular difficulties, since there will be no business to be done without any domestic manufacturing. Major cuts are expected to come to Toyota's Australian workforce of 3,900 people, which will shift its focus to sales and distribution. Toyota's Australian technical center for design and evaluation currently employs 150 people, but that contingent will also likely be scaled back. Toyota said that it will work hard to assist and support employees affected by the decision, but we will have to wait and see exactly how the situation plays out leading up to the official production halt at the end of 2017. |
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