2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Offers 600-plus Horsepower V-8

All-new 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT will offer a 600-plus horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 Hellcat engine. The standard 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT engine is a 485 horsepower 392 HEMI V8 and, like the Hellcat, can be mated to either an upgraded six-speed manual or the new TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmissions. The TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission has an electronic shifter with a T-handle for gear selection and an Auto Stick selector gate for added control. The manual Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission is fitted with a throwback ball shifter. Drive Modes are pre-configured for Sport, Track and Default settings, while the Custom setting lets the driver customize the drive experience to their favorite settings.

The all-new 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT with a Hellcat engine comes standard with two key fobs. The red key fob is the only key that can unlock the full horsepower and torque potential of the Challenger SRT Hellcat engine while the black key fob limits the driver to a reduced engine output.  

Valet Mode is offered on both Challenger SRT and Challenger SRT with a Hellcat engine to significantly reduce horsepower and torque and disable many high performance options. The driver can activate and deactivate Valet Mode with a four-digit PIN code they create.

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT coupes will be built at the Canadian Brampton Assembly plant begining in the third quarter of 2014.

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell CUVs Arrive In Los Angeles

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell CUVs will go on sale within the next several weeks in Southern California for a 36-month term at $499 per month, with $2,999 down including unlimited free hydrogen refueling and “At Your Service” valet maintenance, as touted at last November's Los Angeles Auto Show. The “At Your Service” valet program, like with the pricey Equus, means a Hyundai dealer will pick up the vehicle and provide a loan vehicle for any needed service, then return the car after service to the customer's home or business, at no charge.

2015 Chrysler 200 Hitting Showrooms Starting At $22,695

The all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 starts at $22,695, comes in four models: LX, Limited, 200S and 200C, and two engine choices: a 295 horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 or the standard 184 horsepower 2.4-liter MultiAir2 Tigershark I-4 engine mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with a highway fuel economy rating of 36 mpg, which is up from the January expectation of 35 mpg.

2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe Starts at $38,990 This Summer

The 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe goes on sale at the end of this summer starting at $38,990 (including a $995 destination charge). The 2015 ATS Coupe rides on the same 109.3-inch wheelbase as the sedan, but is 0.8 inches longer, 0.8-inch wider and 1.1 inches lower, with its own bodywork and offering drivers the choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and the power from a 272 horsepower 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder or a 321 horsepower 3.6L six-cylinder engine.

BMW i8 Campaign Has Begun

The BMW i8 plug-in hybrid campaign has launched with three TV spots shown worldwide in different versions on TV.

“Genesis” features American actor Michael Pitt, from the TV series “Boardwalk Empire”.

“Powerful Idea” features British actor Sam Hazeldine.

“Attitude” features British actress Mickey Sumner.

Former Hyundai Pres/CEO John Krafcik Joins TrueCar as President

Former Hyundai Motor America President and CEO John Krafcik has joined TrueCar as President, a newly created position, after being appointed to TrueCar's board of directors last month. Krafcik led Hyundai to record sales and boosted the automaker's U.S. market share by more than 50 percent during his five year tenure.

TrueCar gives car buyers insight into what others actually paid, upfront pricing information, and a network of trusted TrueCar Certified Dealers who provide guaranteed savings certificates to complete the car purchase. TrueCar works with more than 7,500 new car franchises and independent dealers operating in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

April 2014 U.S. Auto Sales

General Motors delivered 254,076 vehicles in the United States in April, up 6.9 percent compared with a year ago. Fleet sales were up 5 percent and retail sales were up 8 percent. Year-to-date GM sales are 903,713, up 0.1 percent from 2013.

Ford Motor Company total U.S. sales of 211,126 vehicles last month declined 1 percent from a year ago. Retail sales of 141,950 vehicles are off 1 percent compared with a year ago. Commercial and government fleet sales were up 16 and 21 percent, respectively, while daily rental sales declined 24 percent. Year-to-date sales of 793,884 is a 2.1 percent decline from 2013.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. reported April 2014 sales results of 199,660, an increase of 13.3 percent from year-ago month. Year-to-date sales of 720,657 is a 2.1 percent increase over the first four months of 2013.

Chrysler Group LLCreported U.S. sales of 178,652, a 14 percent increase compared with sales in April 2013, the group’s best April sales since 2007. Year-to-date sales are 654,616, up 12 percent from 2013.

American Honda reported April 2014 Honda and Acura vehicle sales of 132,456, an increase of 1.1 percent compared to April 2013. The Honda Division also saw in increase of 1.1 percent with April sales of 118,334. Acura division gained 1.6 percent on April sales of 14,122, with light trucks increasing 35.9 percent for the month on sales of 9,536 units. Year to date American Honda sales reached 457,810, down 2.3 percent.

Nissan Group announced total U.S. sales for April 2014 of 103,934, an increase of 18.3 percent over the prior year and an April record. Year-to-date sales of 458,900 is a 13 percent gain over 2013.

Hyundai Motor America announced April sales of 66,107, up 4.4 percent versus the same period in 2013, setting an all-time record April. Year-to-date sales of 226,120 is an 0.6 percent decline from a year ago.

Kia Motors America had record April sales of 53,676, a 12.9-percent increase over the same month in 2013. Year-to-date sales of 186,682 is a 7 percent increase over 2013.

Volkswagen of America reported 30,831 units delivered in April, down 8.4 percent from a year ago. Year-to-date VW sales are 118,154, down 10.4 percent from 2013. Separately, Audi reported April 2014 sales of 15,653 vehicles, up 19 percent over a year ago. Audi sales year-to-date increased 7.5 percent to 50,881 vehicles sold.

Subaru of America reported 40,083 vehicle sales for April 2014, a 22 percent increase over April 2013 and the best-ever April sales month in company history. Year-to-date sales for Subaru total 152,47, a 22 percent increase over the same period in 2013. 

The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported April sales of 29,592 vehicles, an increase of 2.0 percent from the same month a year ago. Year-to-date, the BMW Group (BMW and MINI combined) is up 2.5 percent on sales of 110,626 in the first four months of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013.

Mercedes-Benz USA reported best-ever April sales of 29,329 across the Mercedes-Benz, Sprinter and smart model lines, rising 12.1 percent from April 2013. Mercedes-Benz alone totaled 25,887 vehicles for the month, an increase of 9.5 percent, while year-to-date volumes for the brand reached 98,501, up 6.1 percent from the same period last year. Adding year-to-date sales of 7,018 for Sprinter Vans and 3,285 units at smart, MBUSA posted a year-to-date grand total of 108,804, marking the best second quarter start in its history.

Mazda North American Operations reported April U.S. sales of 22,434 vehicles, representing an increase of 12.8 percent versus last year. Year-to-date sales through April are up 2.4 percent versus last year, with 100,492 vehicles sold.

Mitsubishi Motors North America reported another outstanding sales month with April sales of 6,542, a 46.6 percent increase over the April 2013 total. It was the second highest monthly sales total for Mitsubishi in more than two years (exceeded only by last month) and also the best April sales for MMNA since 2011.

Jaguar Land Rover North America reported April 2014 U.S. sales: Land Rover sales reached an all-time April high of 4,533, up 28 percent from April 2013; Jaguar sales were 1,035, down 9 percent from April 2013, and up 22 percent with 5,750 for the year. Jaguar Land Rover North America April U.S. sales for both brands hit 5,568, a 19 percent increase from April 2013.

Volvo Cars of North America reported U.S. sales of 4,635 units for the month, a 3.8 percent increase versus April 2013.

Porsche Cars North America announced April sales of 4,072 vehicles, an all-time, any-month record for Porsche sales in the U.S. For the year so far, PCNA has delivered 14,207 vehicles, an increase of 4 percent over last year.

Sales will be updated as manufacturers report.

Ford's Mulally Retires July 1st, Fields Becomes Ford President, CEO

Alan Mulally (left), 68, is retiring after nearly eight years leading Ford Motor Company effective July 1st and Mark Fields (right), 53, Ford’s chief operating officer since December 2012, will be named Ford president and chief executive officer and elected as a member of the company’s board of directors. Before serving as COO, Fields served as executive vice president and president of the The Americas since October 2005.

“From the first day we discussed Ford’s transformation eight years ago, Alan and I agreed that developing the next generation of leaders and ensuring an orderly CEO succession were among our highest priorities,” Executive Chairman Bill Ford said. “Mark has transformed several of our operations around the world into much stronger businesses during his 25 years at Ford. Now, Mark is ready to lead our company into the future as CEO.”

Toyota Moving North American Headquarters To Texas

Toyota is establishing a new North American headquarters in Plano, Texas, in a move that will affect approximately 4,000 employees and they say is "designed to better serve customers and position Toyota for sustainable, long-term growth." The move will consolidate employees from Torrance, California, Erlanger, Kentucky and New York city. The transition will begin with initial small groups this summer with the majority not moving until construction of Toyota’s new headquarters is completed in late 2016 or early 2017.

2015 MINI Paceman Coming This Summer

The 2015 MINI Paceman two-door Sports Activity Coupé comes standard with the all-wheel drive system ALL4. The MINI John Cooper Works Paceman gets 208 horsepower. Both launch this summer. All engines available for the MINI Paceman can be optionally combined with a 6-speed automatic transmission instead of the standard 6-speed manual transmission. The automatic transmission offers the possibility of manual drive position selection with Steptronic, including shift paddles at the steering wheel on request.

Volkswagen's New Midsize Coupé Concept

The Volkswagen New Midsize Coupé concept four-door sedan, shorter and lighter than a Passat and Jetta, is powered by a 217 horsepower 2-liter turbo gas injection TSI engine mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission with a zero to 62 mph time of 6.5 seconds.

Ford Everest Concept And Ford Escort For China Market Shown In Beijing

The new Ford Everest Concept midsize seven-seat off-road SUV could be produced for the Chinese market by Ford’s joint venture partner, JMC.

The all-new Ford Escort is designed to meet the demands of Chinese consumers within the fast-growing compact car segment and built on a global platform as part of Ford’s plan to bring 15 new vehicles to China by 2015.

Volkswagen Touareg Is Redesigned

The redesigned Volkswagen Touareg has a new front and rear, new colours and wheels. All V6 TDI versions now come equipped with an automatic post-collision braking system, bi-xenon headlights and a coasting function which decouples the engine from the 8-speed automatic transmission to utilize the car's kinetic energy on mountain descents or in driving phases in which acceleration is not needed. An air suspension to increase the vehicle's ground clearance by up to nearly a foot in off-road driving is available as an option for the Touareg.

The all-wheel drive Touareg is available, depending on region, with a V6 and V8 TDI turbodiesel engine, V6 and V8 FSI gas engine, turbocharged V6 TSI gas engine or Hybrid V6 TSI & electric motor drive system. The V6 engines come with an 8-speed automatic transmission and all engines have a stop - start system as standard. In late summer, Volkswagen will also be launching the R-Line.

Volvo S60L Gas Plug-in Hybrid Launches Early 2015 In China

The Volvo S60L Gas Plug-in Hybrid, with the same electrification technology as the Volvo V60 Diesel Plug-in Hybrid, has 306 horsepower by blending a 238 horsepower gas turbo from a new four-cylinder Drive-E engine family with a 68 horsepower electric motor. The S60L Gas Plug-in Hybrid will be launched in China early 2015 and built in the Chengdu plant, in the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China.

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Marks Brand's Return To North America

The all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C, a mid-engine design with a carbon fiber monocoque has an all-new 237 horsepower 1750 cc direct-injection aluminum engine mated to a paddle-shifting Alfa TCT twin-clutch transmissionmarks Alfa Romeo’s return to North America. Two sport seats feature a carbon fiber and fiberglass reinforced-composite structure. A special 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition, limited to 500, will be made available this June.

Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II And Pinnacle Travel Phantom

The Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II with a 6.6 liter twin-turbo V12 engine mated to a 8-speed ZF transmission is in the $250,000+ class and a cornerstone of Rolls-Royce’s success. The Ghost Series II has an updated Multimedia Interface and Navigation system on a new 10.25” high definition screen. Satellite Aided Transmission, standard on all Ghost Series II cars, utilizes GPS data to allow the car to see beyond what the driver sees, anticipating their next move based on location and driving style and then selects the most appropriate gear. Ghost Series II’s on-board hard drive holds 20.5 GB of storage or approximately 5,700 items of music downloaded via the USB port located within the centre console or glove compartment.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled the Pinnacle Travel Phantom, a new Bespoke Collection motor car, at the Beijing Auto Show.

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible, has an aluminum structure that's 20 percent stiffer than the previous, fixed-roof Z06 and has a thick fabric top, offered in four colors along with sound-absorbing padding and a glass rear window which contributes to a quiet cabin. The Z06 convertible features an electronic top that can be lowered remotely using the car’s key fob. The top can also open or close on the go, at speeds of up to 30 mph. Like the Corvette Z06 hardtop, the convertible has the all-new LT4 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine with at least 625 horsepower, and 635 pound-feet of torque mated to a standard seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Match, or an all-new 8L90 eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission.

Mazda MX-5 Miata - Fifth Generation Preview

The next generation Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster with the all-new SKYACTIV®1-CHASSIS and front mid-ship engine rear-wheel-drive design, is lighter, stronger with a physical footprint more in tune with its first-generation predecessor than with the heavier, larger current-day model.

2015 Toyota Camry Is Refreshed

The 2015 Toyota Camry has been updated with a new bumper cover and grille, brighter LED low and high-beam headlights, new tail lamps, and a wider track. Inside, there's a 4.2-inch multi-information display and almost 30% more carpet insulation. Safety features include a pre-collision system, Lane Departure Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control and Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

2015 Dodge Challenger Coming In 3rd Quarter This Year

The 2015 Dodge Challenger is available in eight trim levels: SXT, SXT Plus, R/T, R/T Plus, R/T Shaker, R/T Plus Shaker, 6.4-liter Scat Pack and 392 HEMI Scat Pack Shaker. The engine choices are a 305 horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, 375 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 with either a six-speed manual or the TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission and a new 485 horsepower 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 engine. Production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year.