Mercedes-Benz GLS Grand Editions Headed To Detroit

Mercedes-Benz GLS Grand Editions Headed To Detroit If you’re a movie company executive or some sort of prince sitting on a literal ocean of oil, or an up-and-coming rapper, the Mercedes-Benz GLS Grand Edition is for you. I guess it’s also for you if you’re the sort of person that desires to live in a tract McMansion, and are still jealous over your neighbor’s gold scores. But what gives? What makes the Mercedes-Benz GLS Grand Edition so Grand in the first place?
Well there’s some stuff here and there that does distinguish it from its lesser brethren, but there are also a couple of glaring mistakes.
Two Strikes
First mistake: Grand. Isn’t that a Pontiac branding thing? Don’t they make Grand Ams and all that? Boy, somebody from Stuttgart better check in with the lawyers at PMD or using this “Grand” terminology . . . what’s that? Oh, right, right. Pontiac is out of business. Maybe that’s not a good sign. Maybe using self-aggrandizing terms like “Grand” isn’t a good move, selling too much sizzle and not enough steak, as it were.
Second mistake: Brown. Now, brown’s a great color and all that, and it does work well on interiors (brown leather and such) but brown as a paint color? Big mistake. And that’s the color I see on all the press photos from Mercedes-Benz for the GLS450. Yes, it will (better) come in other colors, which is great, because I distrust someone who thinks brown is a good color for a car. Brown cars never look clean. Not even Jay Leno can help you there.
Mercedes-Benz GLS450 4MATIC Grand Edition. Photo: MBUSA.
Safety & Performance
So what makes the Mercedes-Benz GLS Grand Edition so grand? First off, it’s all about the design direction. The Mercedes-Benz GLS aims to merge luxury with notable levels of comfort, along with nimble chassis dynamics (or as nimble as a huge box of an SUV can get), along with fully integrated safety systems. I have no doubt about their commitment to and execution of safety. Mercs are great in that respect. Built like bank vaults. Always have been, always will be.
The Grand Edition will be available for both engine-based models of the GLS, the GLS450 4MATIC and GLS550 4MATIC SUVs. That translates into a 4.5-liter V6 and a bigger block 5.5-liter V8. The GLS450 4MATIC puts out 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque; the GLS550 4MATIC is rated at 449 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque.
Mercedes-Benz GLS550 4MATIC Grand Edition. Photo: MBUSA.
Lap of Luxury
The features that make the Grand Edition so exclusive focus on interior and exterior design elements. The very lavish interiors feature Porcelain and Espresso Brown and designo Nappa leather seats. The chairs also get an exclusive diamond quilting and special Budapest-design piping. And no, I have know idea what on Earth Budapest-design piping is or counts as, but Hungarians are interesting folks, so maybe the piping will be interesting too?
The interior uses open pore brown ash wood trim with light stripes and Nappa leather on the dashboard. The Grand Editions also come with standard ambient lighting and Espresso Brown velour floor mats. Mercedes-Benz goes perilously close to the edge of making the interior of the GLS Grand Edition look like a waterbed store from 1977, but thankfully they don’t tumble over.
On the outside, the GLS450 4MATIC comes with 20-inch, 10-spoke two-tone wheels and an advanced LED Intelligent Light System, while the big-block GLS550 4MATIC comes with 21-inch wheels and Active LED headlamps. Both are finished with special “Grand Edition” badging.





Not So Special Edition
Special “Grand Edition” badging . . . sigh, that’s how it all starts. And this is just a word of caution to Mercedes-Benz, because honestly, they don’t strike me as being a stupid car company, but stuff like special “Grand Edition” badging is what American car companies tried to pull during the height of the Malaise Era to make otherwise pointless cars seem special. Wanna make that Chevy into a Caddy, put in leather seats and slap on a crest with some ducks on it. Sales of the Mustang II less than what you’d like? No worries, just give it a hideous trim package and call it the Cobra II! I know this goes without saying, but do not do that Mercedes-Benz. You’re better than that, and we, the customer are better than that and we all know it.
Photo: MBUSA.
In Person
If, for some reason, you want to let the world know just how special you are, then perhaps, just perhaps, the Mercedes-Benz GLS Grand Edition is the ride for you. The Detroit show is right around the corner (that would be the North American International Auto Show), so expect to see the Grand Edition’s official reveal then. It will be available and in dealers by mid-year.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. 
Photos & Source: MBUSA.



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Genesis G70: South Korea’s S-Class Response

Genesis G70: South Korea’s S-Class Response

You have to hand it to them. And by them, I mean they. And by they, I mean Hyundai. The Genesis G70 surely isn’t a bad car, not even close to it. And, here’s the first of many rubs confronting the Genesis G70: they want it to be a thing in and of itself. It is The Genesis, not, most definitely not the Hyundai Genesis. Just: Genesis.
And all the press materials go to great lengths to refer to the car as just that. The mentions or uses of the word “Hyundai” tally up to two in over 2,000 words of verbiage. So what is it? What is the Genesis G70? In a nutshell, it’s pretty easy: Hyundai’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Jack of All Trades
Hyundai, the South Korean mega-corp-conglomo-nopoly, does everything from construction projects to chemicals to electronics to shipbuilding to automobile manufacturing. Hyundai has been making good, solid, dependable yet affordable cars for decades now. In a lot of ways, they have out Toyota’d Toyota and the other Japanese marques whose stock in trade has long been good, solid, dependable yet affordable cars. But what if you want more than that? What if you, as an ambitious mega-corp-conglomo-nopoly, want more for your automobile division? Enter Genesis. Something well built, stylish, solid, safe, with an on-the-road and at-the-curb presence to make people notice. Enter Genesis.
Styling & Design
They describe the Genesis G70 as being “an athletic sedan characterized by its graceful and dynamic exterior styling” with an “elegant and intuitively designed interior.” This is all fair enough and, from a marketing perspective, the G70 completes the Genesis sedan lineup, slotting alongside the G90 flagship and the mid-luxury G80. No, I don’t know exactly what they mean by “mid-luxury” either.
The G70 offers a broad spectrum of color options, both inside and outside. There are ten exterior colors available, and they have come up with a new paint-finishing method: small, evenly distributed aluminum particles and high luminosity colors to maximize the exterior paint. Or, as Ed “Big Daddy” Roth calls it, “metalflake”. The inside has the same “big box of Crayolas” approach for available colors.
The G70 interior is prioritized around superb fit and finish with a focus on simplicity and an importance on real functionality. The overall layout is horizontal with a rather nice sport steering wheel. Since this is a Genesis, premium materials such as aluminum door handles, metal speaker grills, and quilted leather door panels are found throughout the cabin.
Photo: Genesis.
Power & Performance
The Genesis G70 aims to be agile yet safe, dynamic yet quiet, but it all starts from the powertrain. There are three powertrains on offer: a 3.3-liter V6 turbo, a 2.0-liter inline four-banger turbo, and a 2.2-liter inline four cylinder diesel. The engine to pay attention to here is the 3.3-liter V6 turbo – that’s the one found in the “enthusiast-focused” G70 Sport. That 3.3-liter V6 turbo plant cranks out 365 ponies and 376 lb-ft. of torque. All of this is good enough to get the G70 Sport to 60 in 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 168 mph. The G70 Sport also comes with variable-ratio steering and an electronically controlled suspension for better response and ride and handling.
You also get a number of other fancy-schmancy performance goodies, such as launch control, rack-mounted, motor-driven power steering (R-MDPS), multi-link rear suspension, dynamic torque vectoring, and a mechanical limited slip differential. They have also put in this contraption called Active Sound Design (ASD). This system “creates an aural character that reflects the engine load and driving mode settings.” That’s all they say about the ASD deal, but I cry witchcraft and sorcery, or, at the very least, fakery and I don’t hold with it. Nosir!
Photo: Genesis.


Technology & Safety
The cabin is also drowning in high tech gee-gaws, like a smart posture control system for minimal stress on long journeys. There’s an 8-inch touchscreen display with MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The G70 also comes with server-based voice recognition technology, using Kakao’s artificial intelligence platform Kakao I. A 15-speaker Lexicon system is there when you really want to crank the K-Pop.
The G70 has a buffet of safety doohickeys like pedestrian impact mitigation technology that lifts the hood to absorb shock and minimize injury. There’s Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Highway Driving Assist, Blind Spot Collision Warning, and J-Pop Avoidance Assist because we all know that Psy and Exo are totally hot and AKB48 and Arashi are totally not.
Photo: Genesis.
Big Questions
Will this work? Will the G70, along with the G80 and G90, be able to make Genesis into a brand of its own? That’s the obvious goal here, and I’m not saying they can’t do it. A lot of people in the car business have lost a lot of money saying that same thing about South Korean car companies. Perhaps Hyundai can defy the odds?
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.





Photos & Source: Genesis.



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Lotus Evora GT430 Sport Joins The Party

Lotus Evora GT430 Sport Joins The Party

Okay, so I’m starting to see a pattern here. Lotus, as lovely as they are, has been beating the hype machine drum every two or three months about a “new” model. If this were a major car manufacturer, this article would be nothing but calling them out for being stupidly old school and calling a trim package a “new” model.
But this is Lotus, and most importantly, with all these new Evora variants, they actually feature improvements to the car in terms of performance and design.
Reclaiming The Title
When the Evora fist came out, it was a bit of a puzzle to a lot of hardcore sports car types, and especially Lotus fanatics. It came out right in the middle of that whole Dany Bahar era of 100% horse manure (“Lotus cars aren’t about performance, they are about fashion and luxury”), and the overall layout, that 2 + 1 seating thing, struck a lot of people as odd and unnecessary. Then cooler heads prevailed, Bahar was run out of Hethel on a rail, and performance engineers took control and steered Lotus back on a course that benefits us all. Okay, all us gearheads, because to my knowledge, Lotus has never made a grocery-getter or kid picker-upper and if they ever do, we’re going to have a scrap on our hands.
Performance Engineering
As the name implies, the Lotus Evora GT430 Sport is a further variation and improvement on the GT430. There’s some slight nips and tucks here and there to make it prettier (in a way) and some judicious massaging of the drivetrain and chassis to make it do what Lotus cars have always done: Go, turn, and stop much better than you’d expect.
The Lotus Evora GT430 Sport is part of the extended Evora family, which also has the Evora 400, Evora Sport 410, and the recent addition of the Evora GT430. The new Evora GT430 range (that would be the GT and the Sport) includes two body options and a choice of manual or automatic transmission. To some, the thought of a slush box in a Lotus is outright blasphemy, but put down those pitchforks and torches for a second and hold up. We’ll get to why the automatic in the Evora is actually a pretty good deal. Like its GT430 sibling, the Evora GT430 Sport is motivated from county to county by the same 3.5-liter V6 supercharged engine that cranks out 430 horsepower and 440 Nm of torque, or 317 lb-ft.
Photo: Lotus Cars USA Inc.
Weight & Aerodynamics
The Evora GT430 Sport tips the scales at 10 kilos (22 pounds) less, for a total of 1,248 kg or right around 2,750 pounds. Divide that by the 430 horses and you come up with a power-to-weight ratio of 345 horsepower / tonne (that’s a metric ton) which guarantees you this little car is going to flat out fly when you mash the pedal. As a matter of fact, the Evora GT430 Sport has a top speed of 196 mph, making it the fastest Lotus production car ever.
The easiest way to tell the Sport apart from the Evora GT430 is how the Sport has “motorsport derived aerodynamics.” This is a very polite and British way of saying the flips, kicks, spoilers, and such are not Vin Diesel-inspired cake decorations of no performance utility, oh no. There’s a carbon fiber splitter and a large, profiled carbon wing to suck you onto the tarmac. Louvers at the top of each front wheel arch to cut lift and reduce pressure within the wheel well. The GT430 Sport also has wider wheels and tires.
Photo: Lotus Cars USA Inc.


Transmission, Live Wire
Now, about that automatic transmission and why we will not be marching on Lotus HQ for a righteous stoning – at least not today. That automatic transmission will be available for both of the GT430 models. If you opt for the automatic transmission, you will net 10 Nm more torque (for a total of 450 Nm or around 332 lb-ft.). The bottom line is, get this, that the automatic version is even quicker than the manual GT430. 60 mph comes up in a pretty scant 3.6 seconds.
To make a transmission that usually implies less performance actually give you more performance, the Lotus six-speed automatic has an optimized gearbox ECU for ultra-fast changes from cog to cog. Gear selection is made from the driver’s seat via lightweight aluminum paddles mounted to the steering wheel, natch.





Speed Tech
Other go-fast-goodies include standard Öhlins TTX two-way adjustable dampers (which would have given A.C.B. Chapman fits, if he were still with us), J-grooved and ventilated brake discs, AP Racing four-piston calipers at all four corners, a lovely Torsen-type limited slip differential, and an adjustable traction control system in case that Torsen isn’t good enough for you, and you have a right foot closer to a ham than what Jimmy Clark had on the end of his leg.
The GTs, both the Sport and “normal” are available now. They are more than most of us can afford, but I, for one, still want one of these . . . or two. Life is too short for boring cars.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photos & Source: Lotus Cars USA Inc.



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Honda Insight Prototype To Debut In Detroit

Honda Insight Prototype To Debut In Detroit
Hey, remember the Honda Insight? It was that oddly shaped little two-seater that was the first production hybrid in America (sorry Toyota) that silently slipped away only to be replaced by a rather Prius-esque shaped thing. Well, it’s back, and this time around, 99 percent of the oddities and problems are ironed out and Honda is starting to make a pretty big deal about it.
The Honda Insight Prototype will take to the stage for the first time at this year’s North American International Auto Show, in beautiful (but cold) Detroit.
Prototypes & Precursors
Yes, Honda calls it a prototype, but they seem serious about bringing it to dealers by 2019. They call the Honda Insight Prototype a “precursor to the all-new 2019 Honda Insight.” So be it. Honda says the 2019 Insight will be an upscale and stylish five-passenger sedan, situated above the Civic in Honda’s car lineup. The future Insight will use Honda’s latest generation of their two-motor hybrid system.
The 2019 Insight will take an entirely new approach with styling versus the second-gen Insight from 2009. The ’09 was a 5-door, 5-passenger design with increased space and utility, and was one of the market’s more affordable hybrids. What’s also true is that Jeremy Clarkson hated the things, and not because it’s a green hybrid (Clarkson’s about as green as a Harkonnen). No, he disliked the Insights because the build quality was shabby. When was the last time you heard that about a Honda?
Funny thing is, I heard the same thing from other people. A car-friend of mine rented one on a business trip. He’s a Mercedes/German car guy and a person of very high standards, and he was floored by how cheap everything was. He said it was especially galling, given that it was a Honda.
Honda Insight Prototype. Photo: Honda North America.
Green Desires
Fast-forward to the North American International Auto Show and the 2019 Insight which will be unveiled there. The 2019 Insight is said to take an entirely new approach to styling, packaging, premium features, and overall performance that many mainstream car buyers require these days. Honda says it will be a “hybrid vehicle without any inherent compromise.”
“You won’t have to be an electrification advocate to appreciate the new Insight – it’s a great car in its own right, independent of what’s happening under the hood,” said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., Senior VP of Automobile Sales and GM of the Honda Division in America. “The all-new Insight embodies Honda’s approach to creating electrified vehicles without the typical tradeoffs.”
Arcangeli went on to say that “at the 2017 North American International Auto Show we announced our Honda Electrification Initiative with the intention to make two-thirds of Honda’s global vehicle sales electrified vehicles by 2030. With the Insight launching later in 2018 as the fifth electrified vehicle brought to market over the past year, we’re demonstrating our commitment to that goal.” Two-thirds? Impressive. Honda plainly sees where the economic, regulatory, and ecological winds are blowing and show no signs of being caught flat-footed.





Manufacturing & Availability
The Insight will be manufactured at Honda’s Greensburg, Indiana plant, alongside the Civic and CR-V. It will join the Clarity series (Clarity Fuel Cell, Clarity Electric, and Clarity Plug-in Hybrid), and the 2018 Accord Hybrid as part of Honda’s green fleet. The Insight will be arriving at dealerships nationwide early next year.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. 
Photos & Source: Honda North America.



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Letter From The UK: An Autonomous Fairy Story

Letter From The UK: An Autonomous Fairy Story
Between these very virtual pages you will find dissent. Some esteemed colleagues are looking toward a bright new autonomous future, forged in the white heat of automotive technology. Others, like road knights of old, prefer the six-speed stick shift on the floor and two human eyes on the road ahead. I am firmly in the old-school group. Fortunately, in this regard at least, I am a couple of thousand miles away from the heart of Automoblog and the futurists can’t get to me.
Survey Says
Right now the autonomous lobby has the floor. With all the recent announcements – including one every five minutes from Elon Musk (who I firmly believe is actually Ernst Stavro Blofeld in disguise) about the massive investments in driverless cars, it is nice to know there is one company that, in a way, sides with me. Mazda.
This is an auto outfit that plays by its own rules. They make some good cars and they don’t seem to be swayed by trends particularly. The Japanese car giant believes that driving is an ability people want to keep. As any gearhead will tell you, it is a skill that can be fun as well as functional, and many motorists don’t want to lose it and find themselves in a convoy of conveyances all chattering away to each other and getting nowhere fast.
A survey across the European Union commissioned by Mazda has shown quite clearly a very large majority of drivers still want to drive themselves, even with self-driving technology available. In fact, a scant 29 percent actively welcome the arrival of autonomous vehicles. This flies in the face of all that we are told. I’m not paranoid (although I am pretty sure they are on my case) but it indicates to me a sense that, in order to gain total control over the roads, governments would rather like us to believe that this technology will save us from ourselves.
Photo: Mazda North American Operations.
Safety First
Many think as I do that auto technology should act, at best, as an aid to safety, available when needed to avoid accidents but with the driver in control of the driving process. This keeps the exhilaration of the act and retains the freedom of the road. Much of this technology is already here and available on our cars anyway. Subaru’s “Eyesight” for example, is brilliant. Most of us have no objection to an extension of this if it saves lives. What gets to folk is the “hands off” approach we are being encouraged to accept. I truly doubt experienced drivers will readily relinquish control to this level.
One surprising aspect of the Mazda survey is how there is no evidence of greater support for self-driving cars in any younger age demographic across Europe generally. For research purposes, the age groups were split: 18 to 24, 25 to 34, and 35 to 44. No group stood out in favor, when it is usual for youth to be more readily accepting of new technology. What does that tell you? Driving is about much more than just getting from A to B. There is danger that simply going for a drive, like Frank Zappa cruising for burgers just for the hell of it, could become a forgotten pleasure.
Photo: Hyundai Motor America.
What Does The Future Portend?
Of course, I am maybe getting a little ahead of events. Although there is a powerfully global and by-and-large well-meaning lobby for the drive to driverless, it seems to me the reality of it is still a long way off. Sure, there are public road tests underway but I can’t see it coming to fruition in this decade. There are just too many variables on our roads, and the one thing autonomous technology does not have that we puny humans still possess is that sixth sense; that sixth sense that all is not well. Any practised driver will tell you this.
It is even possible to envisage a scenario whereby car manufacturers will quit the research while they’re ahead on the basis that, ultimately, it simply won’t be worth their while. Mazda clearly isn’t sure. I wonder.
In the official, authoritarian world that dislikes the idea of driving for pleasure and debases the role of the car in our family lives, the question has to be asked of autonomous, or indeed any other technology: just because they can, have they stopped to think whether they should?
Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite



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2018 Nissan Versa Note Pricing Announced, New Features Added

2018 Nissan Versa Note Pricing Announced, New Features Added

Nissan recently announced U.S. pricing for the 2018 Versa Note, which comes in three levels: S, SV, and SR. Nissan customers may be delighted to know that starting MSRPs for the 2018 Versa Note did not increase over the current 2017 model, despite new features being added.
Style & Comfort
The Versa Note hatchback SR, at the top of the range, stands out the most with its more sporty character. Fog lights, a rear spoiler, and 16-inch machine-finished aluminum alloy wheels decorate the exterior. Suede-like seats and a leather wrapper steering wheel provide further interior comfort. The SR also adds Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition, the Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer System, and Easy Fill Tire Alert.
Design & Functionality
Regardless of model, the 2018 Nissan Versa Note features the automaker’s signature “V-Motion” grille. The design is found on a range of Nissan vehicles including the Sentra, Altima, and Maxima. Interior volume is 112.9 cubic feet, cargo space is 18.8 cubic feet, front headroom is 40.8 inches, and rear legroom is 38.3 inches. Nissan says their goal was to make everything comfortable and family friendly.
Power & Performance
The 2018 Versa Note is powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder, paired with a next-generation Xtronic transmission. The combination nets the Versa Note an EPA-estimated 39 miles per gallon on the highway. The transmission features a retuned D-step Logic Control, which simulates shifts, for a more natural feel.
The 2018 Nissan Versa Note is available now.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
Versa Note 1.6 S Xtronic
$15,480 USD
Versa Note 1.6 SV Xtronic
$16,380 USD
Versa Note 1.6 SR Xtronic
$17,980 USD
Photo & Source: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
 



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These New Guinness World Records Set By BMW Are Pretty Cool

These New Guinness World Records Set By BMW Are Pretty Cool Here’s something you don’t see very often! On December 11th, 2017, BMW driving instructor Johan Schwartz drifted an all-new BMW M5 sedan 232.5 miles around a skid pad at the BMW Performance Center in Greer, South Carolina. The feat, not surprisingly, set a new Guinness World Records title, under the category of “greatest distance vehicle drift in 8 hours.” Schwartz surpassed the prior record by over 140 miles.
A second Guinness World Records title for the “longest twin vehicle drift (water assisted)” was also set.
Another Shot
Schwartz has been here before, setting the Guinness World Records title for the “longest continuous vehicle drift” on May 11th, 2013. That day, he drifted an unmodified 2013 BMW M5 sedan for 51.278 miles but his record was broken shortly thereafter. However, Schwartz was determined to give it another shot, but not without some serious engineering. BMW teamed with Detroit Speed to develop a unique dry break fuel system, capable of refueling the M5 mid-drift.
“We knew if we were going to recapture the world record for longest sustained drift and set the bar as high as possible, we would need to find a way to keep the M5 going without stopping to refuel,” Schwartz explained.





Fighter Jet Formula
The fuel system’s design mimics how fighter jets and other airplanes refuel in the air. On five occasions during the eight hour drift, a previous generation M5, similar to the one Schwartz used to set his original record, entered the skid pad. BMW Performance Center Chief Driving Instructor Matt Mullins matched Schwartz’s drift, while Detroit Speed’s Matt Butts handled refueling. Butts, suspended with a safety tether from the second vehicle’s rear window, was able to straddle the space between both vehicles and complete the refueling.
“Although we practiced the refueling several times before the Guinness World Records title attempt, there was very little margin for error,” Butts recalled. “We’re excited to have played a part in Johan and BMW recapturing this record.”
“In the end, the refueling system worked flawlessly and the M5 performed as expected,” Schwartz added.
Once the first Guinness World Records title was secured, BMW then landed the record for the “longest twin vehicle drift (water assisted)” – that record being co-owned by Schwartz and Mullins.
“It was a big win all around,” Schwartz said.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.





Photos & Source: BMW of North America.



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Letter From The UK: Are We Ready For Autonomous Cars?

Letter From The UK: Are We Ready For Autonomous Cars?


As a motoring writer of long-standing and an old-school petrol-head through to my bones, I have to admit to being ambivalent about autonomous cars. What can you expect from a guy who still has AC/DC compact discs in the car? I’ve tried, really I have; I have listened to knowledgeable people and nodded sagely as they described the technology, but sorry, I can’t really get interested if I’m totally honest.
I don’t want to relinquish control.
I’m also getting tired of the vanilla cars being produced today for the mainstream market generally. They are mechanically sound certainly but where’s the flair; where’s the daring design? I’m not expecting something out of Isaac Asimov, just something that’s . . . fresh. Once upon a time, you could tell a car simply by silhouette. Bet you can’t now.
Land of Confusion
I’ve thought about this and yes, I have concluded it’s probably an age related thing. The simple fact is that older people are more resistant to change. A recent survey by Continental Tyres in the UK produced the same result as the one I mentioned in a previous letter a couple of weeks ago. We still have a bit of a “boy racer” (grown men loving The Fast and the Furious cars) culture here in the UK, but young people generally are not really engaged with driving. They prefer others to do it for them, hence Uber and the like. It costs a lot to learn and, although cheap first-timer cars are plentiful, insurance costs are through the roof.
They see the traffic jams and general traffic chaos, plus the running costs and just can’t be bothered.
Rural Challenges
This is especially true of urban dwellers. Now that all our public transport is in private hands, profit is always the only motive. Thus many towns and cities have brilliant internal transport hubs. Even the town I live, in the beautiful county of Wiltshire, the “around town” bus service is excellent.
Our UK main-line train service is very good too, but very expensive at peak times. Small branch lines have been shut down so for rural dwellers it is a different picture. If transport routes lose money, the companies don’t want to know. As a consequence, virtually everyone needs a vehicle in the countryside and this is another area likely to be problematic for autonomous cars. Our rural routes are often nothing more than country lanes with no road markings, blind bends and summits, and a very good chance of rounding a corner and locking headlights with an agricultural machine.
Human drivers are used to this; how will autonomy cope?
Autonomous cars in rural areas will face different challenges than those in urban settings.


Generational Gaps
Older drivers, in my view, see the current technological advances – autonomous emergency braking, hands-free cruise control, matrix LED headlights, surround reversing cameras, and the like as generally good things. They accept them as being available now. What they don’t like is letting go. It’s the loss of something they have always had – control over their destiny. That’s the perception that has to change. They see it like being on an aircraft with a drunken pilot.
They don’t know what is going to happen and there’s nothing they can do if it does. Autonomous cars should have the fail-safe for drivers to take over the autopilot at a moment’s notice.
Rooftop Shouting
Standards of driving are so bad here in Britain that a mix of autonomous and driver-controlled cars WILL lead to disaster. Right now, in my view, autonomy cannot possibly calculate the variables of stupid people unless it runs in special traffic lanes, which makes sense, but that won’t happen here on our antiquated road system. It seems to me that the approach being taken by the industry AND government is what’s at fault here. A positive message is fine but the enthusiasm for something not yet tried and tested, in the layman’s view, is too overwhelming. Proponents are far too pushy and prone to over-egging the pudding.
The answer, in my opinion, is for there to be a “softly, softly” approach. Stop shouting it from the rooftops. Move the technology forward slowly, taking time to introduce it into the cars we are encouraged to buy; EVs, hybrids, and the like. Get people used to the idea, like encouraging children to eat their vegetables. It takes time. There is nothing that upsets us more than people flagrantly waving things in our faces. Slow down the flood of information. Tell us when the feast is ready, not when it’s cooking.
General Motors became the first automaker to assemble driverless test vehicles in a mass-production facility when a fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles began coming down the line at Orion Township Assembly in January. Photo: General Motors.
Autonomy Levels
There are, we are told, six levels of autonomy:
Level Zero: No Automation:
In other words, the driver drives. As it has always been: acceleration, braking, and steering are all controlled by a real human at all times, even if they’re assisted by warning sounds or safety intervention systems. If your car has automated emergency braking, for example, it can still be viewed as Level Zero.
Level One: Driver Assistance:
Hands on the wheel. In certain driving modes, the car can either take control of the steering wheel or the pedals. The best examples of Level 1 automation are adaptive cruise control and park assist. The computer is never in control of both steering and acceleration or braking.
Level Two: Partial Automation:
Now it begins: Hands off the wheel if you dare but keep your eyes on the road. A Level 2 vehicle has certain modes in which the car can take over both the pedals and the steering wheel, but only under certain conditions, and the driver must maintain ultimate control over the vehicle. Tesla’s Autopilot is an example of this.
Level Three: Conditional Automation:
You can take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road – sometimes. This is going to take some getting used to. In a Level 3 vehicle, the car has certain modes that will fully take over the driving responsibilities, under certain conditions, but a driver is expected to retake control when the system asks for it. The car can decide when to change lanes, and how to respond to dynamic incidents on the road, but uses the human driver as the fallback system. This is where it starts to get a bit tricky, where insurance liability is concerned, for example.
The 2018 Cadillac CT6 features Super Cruise which utilizes a driver attention system and LiDAR map data. These systems are added to the network of cameras and radar sensors already in the CT6. Photo: Cadillac.


Level Four: High Automation:
Hands off, eyes off, mind off – sometimes. A Level 4 vehicle can be driven by a human, but it doesn’t ever need to be. It can drive itself under the right circumstances, and if it encounters something it can’t handle, it can ask for human assistance, but will park itself and put its passengers in no danger if human help isn’t forthcoming. Essentially, this is the first stage of a truly driverless motor. “For goodness sake Pops! Let go of the wheel!”
Level Five: Full Automation:
Do we even need a steering wheel? The interior might just as well be your parlour because the vehicle neither needs nor wants your help, thank you very much. It means full-time automation of all driving tasks on any road, under any conditions, whether there’s a human on board or not. The question is, “are we ready for this?”
Put simply like that we can see a natural progression, but enthusiasts for the technology won’t shut up about it. This in turn stirs up dormant politicians with the inevitable consequences. The technology is nowhere near ready yet and right now the onus is on the industry to prove it when it is, IF they want to convince the car buying public.
Leave It To The Young
As with any technological advances, it is young people who will pick up the challenge simply because they know nothing else. My seven-year-old granddaughter can work her way around an iPad as if born to it. They are not the problem. It’s the silver surfers; they won’t let go of their motoring past. The solution, of course, is to just wait the old ones out. That way, over the next 30 years, the herd of anti-autonomy aged will be thinned out by process of natural erosion. Then the world can be as autonomous as they like, but I’ll bet they won’t have so much fun.
Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite



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Ford Motor Company, Mahindra Announce Strategic Partnership

Ford Motor Company, Mahindra Announce Strategic Partnership

Ford Motor Company and Mahindra Group are in the opening stages of a possible long-term strategic alliance. Both companies would benefit from each other’s experience and expertise, in particular Ford’s global reach and Mahindra’s operational model in India.
“The agreement between the two companies will allow each to leverage their mutual strengths during a period of unprecedented transformation in the global automotive industry,” reads a joint statement from Ford and Mahindra.
MultiFaceted Approach
The collaboration will run for three years and examine a multitude of opportunities for both companies, including mobility programs, connected vehicle initiatives, and electrification strategies. The partnership will also explore sourcing and commercial efficiencies, plus product development in general. Ford hopes to gain traction in India, an emerging automotive market.
“Ford is committed to India and this alliance can help us deliver the best vehicles and services to customers while profitably growing in the world’s fifth largest vehicle market,” said Jim Farley, Ford Executive Vice President and President of Global Markets.
Farley unscored the importance of the collaboration and believes working with Mahindra will help Ford capitalize on the forthcoming changes in the automotive industry.
“Our two companies have a long history of cooperation and mutual respect,” he said. “The enormous growth potential in the utility market and the growing importance of mobility and affordable battery electric vehicles are all aligned with our strategic priorities.”
Growing Base
Ford entered India in 1995 and remains as one of the country’s largest exporters. Ford manufactures and exports vehicles and engines from facilities in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Sanand, Gujarat. India is also the second-largest Ford employee base globally, with more than 14,000 working across the Ford India or Global Business Services operations in New Delhi, Chennai, and Coimbatore.
As Ford is looking to expand in India, Mahindra wants additional traction outside the country. Mahindra has topped the utility vehicles segment in India for the last 70 years, and continues as a leader in clean, affordable transportation. Currently, Mahindra is the only manufacturer with a full line of electric vehicles in India, but the company believes such a portfolio is necessary today.
“The changes facing the automotive industry globally are triggered by the accelerated rise of new technologies, sustainability policies, and new models of urban shared mobility,” said Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.
Ford EcoSport, Goa, India. Photo: Ford Motor Company.
New Trends
Mahindra has already extended their global footprint as majority owners in Ssangyong Motor Company in Korea. To meet the needs of future automotive customers, Mahindra has invested in ride sharing platforms in the United States and the development of GenZe, the world’s first electric connected scooter.
“Given these changes we see the need to anticipate new market trends, explore alternatives, and look for ways to collaborate even as we compete and build powerful synergies that will allow rapid exploitation of the exciting new opportunities,” Dr. Goenka added.
At the end of the initial three year collaboration, Ford and Mahinda will then determine if the partnership is to continue.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
Photos & Source: Ford Motor Company, Mahindra.



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