Acura Type S Concept

The Acura Type S Concept sets the stage for re-introducing Type S performance variants to the Acura line-up after a decade hiatus, and will heavily influence the character of the upcoming, second-generation TLX Type S.

2020 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Starts At $163,250

The new 2020 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe are powered by a 541 horsepower 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine combined with a 134-horsepower electric motor to generate a total system output of 670 horsepower with the electric motor sitting between the gasoline engine and the eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission, and delivering 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.6 seconds, to a top track speed of 183 mph. A 7.2 kW onboard charger is standard equipment and Sport Exhaust and Rear Axle Steering are both available as options. The upgraded charger enables a complete recharge of the 14.1 kWh battery in as little as 2.4 hours when using a 240-volt connection with a 50-amp circuit.

The (non-S model) 2020 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe combines the same 3.0-liter single-turbo V6 and electric motor as the standard Cayenne E-Hybrid, producing total system output is 455 horsepower. The standard Sport Chrono Package, delivers 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds to a top track speed of 157 mph.

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid will start at $163,250 (including $1,350 for processing, delivery and handling), the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe at $165,750 and Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe at $87,750 when they reach U.S. Porsche dealerships in the first quarter of 2020. 

2020 Nissan Maxima Starts At $35,145 Now

The 2020 Nissan Maxima, now on sale in S, SV, SL, SR and Platinum models, is powered by a 300-horsepower 3.5-liter VQ-series V6 engine mated to an Xtronic transmission and starts at $35,145 (including $895 destination and handling charge). Nissan Safety Shield 360 includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking. Maxima also offers available Intelligent Cruise Control, and Traffic Sign Recognition. Maxima’s Intelligent Driver Alertness technology is standard on all grade levels.

Karma SC1 Vision Concept

The Karma SC1 Vision Concept integrates a new infotainment architecture with 5G connectivity and a humanized communication system with touch, voice, eye and graphical interfaces. With eight radars, six Lidar sensors, and half dozen external cameras, the SC1 Vision Concept is ready for autonomous driving.

2020 Nissan Versa Starts At $15,625 Now

The all-new 2020 Nissan Versa compact sedan, in its third generation and now on sale, powered by the next-generation 122 horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine starts at $15,625 (including $895 destination and handling charge). The 2020 Versa, lower, wider and longer, is offered in S (5-speed manual or Xtronic transmissions), SV (Xtronic) and sporty SR (Xtronic) models. Fuel economy is rated at 32 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, 35 mpg combined (Xtronic models).

All-New 2020 Audi S7

The all-new 2020 Audi S7 with seating for up to five passengers features a new 444 horsepower 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged TFSI® V6 engine mated to a eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission with quattro® all-wheel drive works in tandem with the electric compressor to help eliminate turbo lag and enable immediate throttle response. The all-new 2020 Audi S7 starts at $84,895 (including $995 destination charge). The S7 offers Audi virtual cockpit, four-zone automatic climate control, top-view camera system with Virtual 360 view and Bang & Olufsen® 3D Premium Sound System.

2020 Honda Pilot Black Edition On Sale Now

The 2020 Honda Pilot, now on sale, offers new top-of-line Black Edition trim for $50,715  (including $1,095 destination and handling) which comes in Crystal Black Pearl paint and includes Black Edition badges on the grille and tailgate. Pilot Black Edition also includes black-painted 20-inch alloy wheels, and blackout treatments for the grille, headlight trim, side trim, door handles, window trim and fog light accents. Inside, there is red accent lighting for the dash, doors and center console, with red accent stitching on the front and second row captain’s chairs, door panels and steering wheel. The Black Edition logo is embossed on front seats and floor mats, and the front and second-row seats also get a red accent to the perforated leather seating surface. The 2020 Pilot LX with standard 2-wheel drive starts $32,645 with the Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive systems as standard equipment. The all-wheel drive Pilot LX at $34,645 and adds Honda’s exclusive i-VTM4® torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system.

2020 Cadillac XT5 Coming Late Summer

The 2020 Cadillac XT5 is powered by a new 237 horsepower 2.0L Turbo engine, standard for the Luxury and Premium Luxury trims and complementing the existing 310 horsepower 3.6L V6, which remains standard on Sport and available on Premium Luxury. Both engines are mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission controlled via the next generation of Electronic Precision Shift. Updates for 2020 include two new high-definition instrument cluster display options, higher-resolution display for HD Rear Vision Camera and HD Surround Vision, enhanced Automatic Parking Assist with Braking, new Rear Pedestrian Alert and available Night Vision. The 2020 Cadillac XT5 is available late Summer.

All-New 2020 Audi S6

The all-new 2020 Audi S6 is powered by a new 444 horsepower twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 engine mated to an eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission with a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds, starts at $74,895 (including $995 destination charge). The first-ever electric power compressor offered by Audi in the U.S. pre-empts turbo lag, enabling immediate responsiveness and powerful acceleration in any driving situation.

2020 Hyundai Accent With Improved Fuel Economy

The 2020 Hyundai Accent is powered by a new Smartstream 120 horsepower G1.6 Dual Port Injection engine mated to a Smartstream Intelligent Variable Transmission producing a much-improved EPA estimated fuel economy of 33 mpg city, 41 highway, 36 combined. The 2020 Accent features include standard rearview camera with dynamic guidelines and Forward Collision-avoidance Assist (Limited trim only). Pricing of 2020 Accent SE starts at $15,195 and all of the upgraded models will arrive in dealer showrooms this Summer.

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coming Late This Year

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the first-ever production mid-engine Corvette, is powered by the next generation 495 horsepower 6.2L Small Block V-8 LT2 engine, a naturally aspirated V-8 paired with Chevrolet’s first eight speed dual-clutch transmission producing 470 lb-ft of torque when equipped with performance exhaust. The fastest 0-60 time of any entry Corvette ever at under three seconds when equipped with Z51 Performance Package. The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray goes into production in late 2019 and the entry 2020 Stingray will start under $60,000. Additional pricing and packaging information will be shared closer to launch.

Lotus Evija Electric Sportscar Coming Next Year

Lotus Evija, with a maximum of 130 to be built, is the first Lotus with an electrified powertrain that produces a pure electric driving range target of 250 miles. With 1973 horsepower, the hypercar has a 0-62 mph time of under three seconds to a top speed of over 200 mph. It's the first new model since Geely took control of Lotus in 2017.

2020 BMW 840i Starts at $91,795 In September

The 2020 BMW 840i and 840i xDrive Gran Coupes are powered by a 335 horsepower 3.0 liter inline 6-cylinder Turbo engine that weighs 13 lbs less than its predecessor that's mated to a eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission and starts at $88,895 (including $995 destination charge) for the new 2020 840i Coupe, $91,795 for the 840i xDrive Coupe. The 840i Convertible starts at $98,395 and the 840i xDrive Convertible at $101,295. The BMW Live Cockpit Professional in the 2020 BMW 8 Series combines the latest-generation of the iDrive, featuring a high-resolution digital 12.3” instrument cluster display behind the steering wheel and a 10.25” center display diagonally across. Production for all 2020 8 Series models begins this month with market launch in September.

Bentley EXP 100 GT - The Future

Bentley EXP 100 GT has a battery electric powertrain for a predicted 434 mile range. The battery system will power four motors that offer a 0-60 mph time of less than 2.5 second to a top speed of 186 mph. Biometrics are embedded throughout the Bentley EXP 100 GT to track eye and head movements, even blood pressure.

2020 Buick Enclave Starts At $41,195 Later This Summer

The 2020 Buick Enclave seven-passenger SUV, powered by a 310 horsepower 3.6L V-6 engine, starts at $41,195 (including destination freight charge, excluding tax, title, license and dealer fees) and will arrive in dealerships later this summer.  A new 8-inch diagonal touchscreen comes standard on all trim levels with available new HD Rear Vision Camera and HD Surround Vision systems and a new, four-way power lumbar seat adjuster with a driver and front passenger massage feature that is standard on the Premium and Avenir models.

MINI Cooper SE - Purely Electric

The new MINI Cooper SE purely electric premium small car, based on the MINI 2-door hardtop, is powered by a 181 horsepower lithium-ion battery that enables a range of 146 to 167 miles though US EPA estimated range figures not yet available. The electric model is about 319 pounds heavier than the MINI Cooper S 2 door hardtop with Steptronic transmission. The new MINI Cooper SE is available in the US with three trim levels; Signature, Signature Plus, and Iconic, which each include a specific combination of exterior finish, light alloy wheels, seat upholstery and interior fittings. The purely electrically powered MINI accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 7.3 seconds; its top speed is limited to 93.2 mph.

Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Coming By Yearend

The new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 compact sports car is powered by a newly developed 382 horsepower four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine mated to the new AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT-8G dual-clutch transmission with eight gears. Active, fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive distributes the power to the rear axle on a wheel- selective basis using AMG TORQUE CONTROL. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 will go on sale in the U.S. by the end of the year.

All-New 2020 BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe Coming In November

The new 2020 BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe, the third generation X6, offers a 335 horsepower 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine mated an  eight-speed Sport Steptronic transmission in the sDrive40i and xDrive40i and 523 horsepower 4.4-liter eight-cylinder TwinPower turbocharged engine in the M50i versions. MSRP pricing starts at $65,295 (including $995 destination charge) for the new 2020 X6 sDrive40i, $67,595 for the X6 xDrive40i and $86,645 for the X6 M50i. An available factory trailer package is rated for up to 7,200 lbs towing. The X6 is longer in overall length by an inch, wheelbase  by 1.6 inches and is 0.6 inches wider, while height has been reduced by 0.7 inches. The standard Active Driving Assistant on the new BMW X6 includes Blind Spot Detection, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Collision Warning, Frontal Collision Warning and Pedestrian Warning with City Collision Mitigation (which now also alerts the driver if cyclists are detected) Cross Traffic Alert Rear, and Speed Limit Information. Production begins in August with market launch in November.

Lee Iacocca, A Car Legend, Passes Away At 94

Lee Iacocca, passes away at 94. Iacocca worked his way up at Ford Motor Company, creating the Mustang, becoming President in 1970, leaving Ford in 1978, then joining Chrysler Corporation as President in 1979 and a year later adding the title of Chairman, reviving the company twice, until his retirement in 1992. A car legend whose name you could always remember how to spell - I Am Chairman Of Chrysler Corporation America.

Click here to view this 1992 KWHY-TV The Business Channel interview which ranks among the top of the thousands I conducted over 40 years.

Tesla Model 3 - Stunning - Says An Owner of 2

Stunning - the one word that describes the Tesla Model 3 all-electric sedan - according to an owner of two 2018 long range rear-motor Model 3s. This Tesla owner who previously owned numerous luxury vehicles and raced high performance cars, can't stop raving about his Model 3 that cost him around $56,000 (including California tax and registration fees and after receiving the Federal tax incentive). Extras included the $2,000 Red Multi-Coat paint and the $6,000 Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features which Tesla will later upgrade to a 100 times more powerful computer with regular software updates. The over-the-internet upgrades occur at least once a month, one has already boosted range and power by 5 percent.

Autopilot enables your car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically for other vehicles and pedestrians within its lane, while Full Self-Driving is automatic driving from highway on-ramp to off-ramp including interchanges and overtaking slower cars, automatic lane changes while driving on the highway, Autopark in both parallel and perpendicular spaces, and, believe or not, Summon where your parked car will come find you anywhere in a parking lot, currently to be upgraded at no cost.

Stunning - the relaxation of highway driving with the aforementioned features and the automatic stop-and-go in traffic, the cabin's quietness, clear display screen, large trunk, and, of course, the all-glass roof which especially benefits rear seat passengers adding immense visual space to the generous interior legroom. He feels much more refreshed after long trips due to the absence of typical vehicle vibration and engine noise.

Registering about 11,000 miles since buying his red Model 3 in November, he's very satisfied averaging about 260 miles per charge which is about 80 percent of the posted 325 miles due to driving style and terrain. The batteries charge from empty to full overnight on a home charger or 30 minutes for $20 at a commercial charging station.

The only cautionary words from this very happy Tesla owner is that there's no AM radio, possibly because of electric motor interference, and the Model 3 is wider that you expect, something I found out from scuffing the curb with the right rear wheel while turning a corner. The 41 PSI tire pressure creates a road feel that can bother some passengers.

(The standard range Tesla Model 3 gets an estimated 220 miles and the price starts at $35,000.)