Automotive

2018 GMC Terrain Denali Review

2018 GMC Terrain Denali Review The 2018 GMC Terrain is all-new and like the Chevy Equinox, has the same footprint, but it gets new exterior styling that makes this SUV a lot tamer for consumers. The new 2.0-liter turbo should give families enough power and some fuel mileage gains as well.
This week, we’ve been driving the top-of-the-line, 2018 GMC Terrain Denali with all-wheel drive.
What’s New For 2018
The 2018 GMC Terrain is entirely new, from the downsized chassis and body, to the 2.0-liter turbo engine and nine-speed automatic transmission.
Features & Options
The 2018 GMC Terrain Denali ($39,270) comes with leather seats, an eight-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, blind-spot monitors, a 110-volt power outlet, remote start, power driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a panoramic sunroof. Denali adds a handsfree tailgate, a power passenger front seat, HD radio, seven-speaker audio, navigation, 19-inch wheels, and LED headlamps.
Extra safety equipment includes forward-collision warnings, surround-view camera, and automatic park assist. Additional extras included the ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and wireless charging. Total MSRP including destination: $44,370.

Interior Highlights
Stepping inside reveals leather seats with plenty of bolstering, lots of soft-touch materials, brushed aluminum trim, and plenty of power adjustments to help find the perfect driving position. The first thing we noticed was the unique push/pull space-saving gear shifter in front of the console. It took us awhile to get used to it, but it does add extra storage space in the console and room for the smartphone charger.
The seating position in the Denali’s cabin seems lower than before, which makes the Terrain feel less SUV-like. The infotainment system is straight-forward and simple, with a eight-inch screen and big icons. The display is clear, bright, responsive, and fast, all without too many features or too much information.
The backseat has plenty of room for adults, and rear passengers will appreciate the tall doors, so there’s less ducking to climb in, but the flat seat bottoms won’t be comfortable for long trips. The seats fold mostly flat to provide 63.3 cubic feet of cargo space, less than the competition. Behind the rear seats there is 29.6 cubic feet available.
There’s a handy storage compartment underneath the rear cargo deck. The front passenger seat folds flat to accommodate longer items like 2x4s and kayaks.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
The 2018 GMC Terrain Denali is powered by a new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder, making 252 horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque. Mated to a nine-speed automatic with all-wheel drive, it offers peppy acceleration and gets an EPA-estimated 21/26 city/highway and 23 combined mpg.
Driving Dynamics
The transmission pairs nicely with the new 252 horsepower turbo engine, and it felt strong during our quick runs up I-70 west of Denver. The turbo offers steady power and a cool whistling sound as it climbs through the gears. We found ourselves wanting steering wheel paddle shifters which aren’t offered on the Terrain.
The Terrain’s ride is designed more toward comfort than cornering ability. We took it through the tight mountain curves and there was enough body lean to remind us we weren’t in a sports sedan. The suspension offers poised and predictable handling in all situations; the ride overall is comfortable on the highway and you hardly feel the bumps on rough pavement.
The Denali has a higher state of suspension tune and 19-inch wheels with better all-season tires. It tracks true and smooth, but doesn’t offer much feedback. Still, it helped us avoid a deer in the mountains west of Denver during our seat time.
The optional all-wheel drive on our Denali tester is a part-time system, activated by a knob on the console with different traction modes. It’s easier than other all-wheel drive units without the ability to self-activate.
Conclusion
The fully redesigned 2018 GMC Terrain addresses the problems the aging generation had, and now represents a more compelling choice in the smaller, five-passenger crossover segment. GMC pulled off making the Terrain smaller in size without sacrificing too much leg and headroom.
The new four-cylinder improves performance and fuel mileage is reasonable if you keep your foot out of the turbo. It’s comfortable, easy to drive, and comes standard with one of the best infotainment interfaces in the class.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2018 GMC Terrain Gallery

2018 GMC Terrain Official Site.
Photos: GMC (SLT & Denali models shown).

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2019 Ford Ranger: Radar Love

2019 Ford Ranger: Radar Love The 2019 Ford Ranger will employ the latest safety technology to make towing easier for drivers, according to the automaker. Ford’s Blind Spot Information System, standard on Ranger XLT and Lariat, can monitor either the truck by itself or with a trailer attached. Radar housed in the Ranger’s taillights monitors any potential blind spots all the way to the back of the trailer.
The system then alerts drivers as other vehicles cross into those blind zones.
Trailer Profiles
The 2019 Ford Ranger can store up to three trailer profiles, including a trailer’s length, which lets the radar system know how far back to provide warnings when another vehicle is traveling next to the trailer. Ford says such a system is class-exclusive and not available on any other midsize pickup.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Power & Performance
When it was revealed at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, Ford promised the latest in EcoBoost technology for the 2019 Ranger. A 2.3-liter EcoBoost with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection will power the new Ranger. The engine also features a forged-steel crankshaft and con rods and chain-driven dual overhead cams.
Trims include the entry-level XL, mid-level XLT, and high-level Lariat, with available Chrome and Sport appearance and FX Off-Road packages. The 2019 Ford Ranger will come in a SuperCab or SuperCrew configuration.
Market Potential
In the last few years, newly redesigned midsize trucks have surged onto the market, evidenced by the return of GM’s Colorado and Canyon, Toyota’s Tacoma, and Honda’s Ridgeline. In May, Ford revealed the intense and rigorous testing the 2019 Ranger was enduring on its way to dealers later this year.
Below is a short video that showcases how the blind spot technology works on the 2019 Ford Ranger.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.

Photos, Video & Source: Ford Motor Company.

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Ferrari: Race to Immortality Faces Danger & Tragedy With Style & Grace

Ferrari: Race to Immortality Faces Danger & Tragedy With Style & Grace I have a theory that 99.9 percent of all car movies are terrible; barely watchable dreck that only offers brief glimpses of something cool and car-related, let alone offering true insight into the automotive world, let alone the human condition. This movie, however, Ferrari: Race to Immortality, is most definitely not one of those movies.
Studios & Garages
I should preface this with the fact that I worked in movie and TV production for decades. Seeing a movie with me (and any of my production team friends) is usually bogged down with post-viewing conversations about bad edits, bad directing decisions, commenting on lens choices and stuff like that before we get into the meat of the movie; i.e. the plot, the narrative, and the acting.
On top of that, there’s the gearhead side of me that has to be seen to. We, the gearhead movie-goers, all seem to have this nagging trait. We know cars intimately, and when something is technically wrong, it grates on us, and usually to a disproportional level. Tire squeals on gravel, seven upshifts in a five-speed car, driving off a cliff = explosion. It bugs us, I get it. Shoot, it bugs me all the time.
That said, I can unequivocally say that Ferrari: Race to Immortality is one of the best documentaries I’ve seen. Not racing documentaries, mind you; one of the best documentaries period.
At The Limit & Over The Edge
Essentially, Ferrari: Race to Immortality is a film version of Mon Ami Mate by author Chris Nixon. The movie revolves around the lives, racing and otherwise, of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins, two British racers from the 1950s. The 1950s were a particularly violent and reckless time for auto racing. Spread across the decade, top line drivers from all disciplines (Grand Prix, Indy, sports cars etc.) were dying at the rate of one every other week.
Around 28 per year, every year, for a decade.
The movie starts with the infamous Le Mans crash of 1955 that saw the Mercedes 300 SLR of Pierre Levegh catapult into the main grandstands, on fire, and take more than 80 people with him. That, more or less, sets the tone for the entire movie to follow. “I keep death in my hip pocket,” Enzo Ferrari once said, and this movie shows you the meaning of those words.
Mike Hawthorn. Photo: The Cahier Archive.
Human Conditions
Hawthorn was involved in that crash (some alleged was the cause of the crash) but won Le Mans that year. Indeed, he became the first Englishman to win the World Driving Championship. In a lot of ways, Hawthorn was right out of central casting: tall, good looking, butter-colored wavy hair, always raced wearing a bow tie, just the sort of thing the British fans and press would eat up.
Peter Collins, on the other hand, was more ruggedly featured, and say what you want about the two of them, looks-wise, but they sure had a string of girlfriends. The movie just doesn’t point this out, it actually has interviews with the various ladies involved with these racers.
All of the interviews and sound bites, with fellow racers, the aforementioned lady-friends, journalists, Enzo himself, and historians are all delivered via voice over and it works fantastically. No talking heads to distract with boring visuals. And what is said is just dynamite stuff. Not just from a gearhead perspective, but, very importantly, from a human perspective.
Hawthorn was interviewed extensively back in the day, and his stuff is rather “right off the rack” in what is said, and some of it I had heard before. Collins is friendly, joking; seems like a real good bloke. Enzo is Enzo: political, cunning, measured, Machiavellian. The real meat here is what is said by the girlfriends and the historians. There’s none of this “I’m just the steady backing on the home-front” BS that we have sadly come to expect.
At one point, Louise King, Collins’ wife said, in response to a question about the danger involved, “One time, Peter did try to bring it up, and I stopped him. ‘Don’t’, I said, ‘Just don’t.’ And we never spoke of it again.”
Sweet Jesus.

Visual Treasures
All the interviews come across like a rich vein of gold willingly mined. There are extensive interviews with Alfonso de Portago, the brilliantly talented yet doomed Spaniard. Until last night, I had never heard him speak. Other drivers, writers, girlfriends, and such all chime in, but none of the interviews are fluff, none of it is filler. Every word adds to and enriches what is being shown on screen.
And oh what they show on screen.
The visual end of things is nearly flawless. All of the archive materials used are flat out fantastic. Yes, I had seen much of this footage before, but a remarkable amount of it was unknown to me. All of the older footage was re-graded and level-matched, most of the grain and such taken out. None of it was colorized.
There is tons of footage from back in the day of these guys hanging out, waiting to drive, smoking cigarettes, goofing off at hotel pools, getting out of cars covered in grease and dirt and grime, levering themselves out looking as physically spent as a human can, but beaming; beaming bright satisfied smiles.
Time Machines
And mixed in with all this are drop-dead-gorgeous shots of various vintage Ferraris (246s, 555 Squalos and such) shot in the present day. It would seem the producers got ahold of some far too lucky rich guys that own these old beasts, dressed them up, and turned them lose on old race tracks to get more footage. And the new stuff is seamlessly integrated with the old stuff. And I do mean seamlessly.
A lot of the work I did was as an editor, and more than once I was caught off guard, only noticing two or three cuts later that they had dropped in modern footage with the old. The last time I failed to notice editing like that was watching Schindler’s List.
Yeah, this movie is that well done.
Ferrari: Race to Immortality at Brands Hatch.
Ideal Balance
Ferrari: Race to Immortality seemingly covers it all, but never gets bogged down in technical details or soap opera subplots, neither becoming too maudlin over the constant drum-beat of fatalities nor exulting in the sacrifice. The rivalry between Eugenio Castellotti and Luigi Musso. Collins’ ultimate sporting gesture with Juan Manuel Fangio. Enzo’s belief that more pressure equaled more wins. Meditations on the nature of danger and mortality by Stirling Moss. The sublime joy of sliding your race car just so through and out an entire turn.
But more than anything else, what is made abundantly clear, moment after moment, frame after frame, is that everyone involved loved this life.
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. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz
Ferrari: Race to Immortality
Synopsis: The 1950s saw the rise of Scuderia Ferrari in the Formula One World Championship in the deadliest decade in motor racing history. Ferrari: Race to Immortality tells the story of the loves and losses, triumphs and tragedy of Ferrari‘s most decorated drivers in an era where it was la dolce vita during the week and a coin toss of whether they lived or died on the weekend.
Director: Daryl Goodrich
Starring: Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorn, Enzo Ferrari
Run Time: 1hr 31m
Availability: Via Amazon Prime, official trailer here.

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Buick continues to break out of its "old people's car reputation" even further with an enthusiasts' calling.

Buick continues to break out of its "old people's car reputation" even further with an enthusiasts' calling. Buick continues to break out of its “old people’s car reputation” even further with an enthusiasts’ calling.

What’s going on?
Buick was once an automaker that you’d least expect to producing anything even remotely resembling the characteristic, “sporty.” But GM’s Tri-Shield is hard at work to make sure we forget about those yawntastic yonder years of Buick. Helping to break this reputation is the hot and all-new, 2018 Buick Regal GS.
At a specially arranged media event in Michigan for the standard Regal and Regal TourX, Buick decided to surprise its media guests with the revealing of the highly-anticipated performance variant. It succeeds the previous Regal GS with the handsome new body of the latest Regal, along with not four-, but six naturally-aspirated cylinders and all-wheel drive as standard.
Now THAT’S a Buick!

We’d agree! The latest Buick Regal already teased our appetites with its beautiful redesign and new packaging. The performance-oriented Regal GS hooks us even more since it’s something we didn’t think they’d really do. The last Regal GS, although a valiant effort, felt unfinished and incomplete because of its wheezy, turbocharged four. Now that’s addressed, the latest Regal GS has our attention very much.
What’s it powered by?
Gone is that gutless turbocharged four, and in is GM’s familiar 3.6L V6 with 310 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque, with cylinder deactivation and automatic stop/start. Channeling that power to the twin-clutch all-wheel drive system is a new nine-speed automatic.
It’s not just more power either
Helping in the handling department is an all-new five-way multi-link rear axle and MacPherson struts up front, assisted by GS-equipped Continuous Damping Control, or active suspension. When enabled in GS or Sport modes, Buick says it can adjust the shocks up to 500 times per second. Shaving off that power are Brembo brakes once again, wrapped in 19-inch wheels.
There’s also a sport-tuned exhaust, sporty interior an exterior bits like a flat-bottomed steering wheel and medal foot pedals. And of course, you can expect the usual suite of active and passive safety systems as found in the standard Regal. Other optional bits include 4G LTE WiFi hotspot connectivity, OnStar, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a heads-up display, and more.
Did we mention there’s a wagon variant too?
In another move that seems to be an enthusiast calling, Buick will offer the Regal GS in its Sportback wagon form as well. That will launch later this year, in limited availability.
How much will it cost?
Buick didn’t announce the pricing for the GS model as of yet. We expect that to surface closer to sale launch date
– By: Chris Chin
2018 Buick Regal GS Gallery

The post This is the all-new 2018 Buick Regal GS, an enthusiasts’ calling with a wagon on the way appeared first on egmCarTech.

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Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody: Muscle For Days

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody: Muscle For Days

With the addition of the Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody to Dodge’s new age muscle car lineup, the roster is now complete. Yes, there is a Hellcat Widebody, in case the run of the mill Hellcat, a car that looks like it will literally eat children for lunch, is just too subtle for your tastes.
Dodge states this right up front: “U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $71,495 (including gas guzzler tax).” And I just love how they have the need to say the price includes the gas guzzler fee. What, you thought you were buying a Prius?
Pro Grip
The Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody is an SRT Hellcat with the same flared body treatment found on the “straitjacket included at no extra charge” SRT Demon. The wider fender flares add 3.5 inches to the SRT Hellcat’s overall width. And yes, they are there for a very sound engineering reason. Said flares are there to cover the new 20 x 11-inch “Devil’s Rim” split-five spoke aluminum wheels carrying new, wider 305/35ZR20 Pirelli P-Zero tires. These are, to use the parlance of the muscle car set: Boss Meats.
And you might be tempted to say putting tires with a contact patch the size of a fat guy’s thighs is excessive, but you would be wrong, oh so wrong. This new Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody brings better lap times, better lateral grip, better acceleration, and better braking versus the “normal” Hellcat. The road course lap time dropped by 2 seconds per lap on a 1.7-mile track. The ET in the quarter dropped by .3 seconds, giving the widebody a 10.9 ET vs. 11.2 ET when compared to the standard Hellcat. Lateral G’s? Up by .04 g for .97 g versus .93 g in standard Hellcat. Even the 0 to 60 time dropped .1 seconds – you now hit freeway speed in 3.4 seconds. Top speed? 195 big ones, kiddo.
The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody features a new standard electric power steering (EPS) system – a first for Hellcat. The system uses SRT Drive Modes with selectable settings for Street (Auto), Sport and Track. Photo: FCA US LLC.
Aerodynamics & Braking
On top of the ginormous flares, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody carries a batch of exterior styling cues you’d expect to see. There’s a power-bulge aluminum hood with center intake and dual heat extractors that bear more than a passing resemblance to Dan Gurney’s AAR Cuda’s. There are exclusive illuminated “Air-Catcher” headlamps that stuff air directly into the intake and engine bay through the center of the parking lamps. Speaking of the headlights, the quad projector headlamps have aggressive brow “chops” to “exude a sinister look,” as Dodge puts it.
The front splitter, which is shared with the Demon, and rear spoiler, taken from the “normal” Hellcat, work in aerodynamic sync. There’s also the Hellcat-exclusive grille and fender badges with a raised SRT Hellcat badge on the rear spoiler. Wanna stop? You can, thanks to a standard Brembo braking system with two-piece 15.4-inch rotors and six-piston front calipers. And take it from one who knows, this is a huge improvement versus how Mopars used to stop back in the day.
Before the new SRT Demon was introduced, the supercharged Hellcat HEMI was the most powerful passenger car engine ever produced by FCA US, making the Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats the most powerful and fastest coupe and sedan ever. Photo: FCA US LLC.

Power & Performance
The 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 in the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody cranks out 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft. of stump-pulling torque, same as the other Hellcats. Said mill can be paired to either the Tremec six-speed manual transmission or the TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic. It should also be noted the plant features all the additional cooling measures from the non-wide Hellcat, including a low-temperature circuit with two air/coolant heat exchangers unified with the supercharger housing. Air temperatures are miraculously kept below 140 degrees Fahrenheit, all while the blower is pushing a stunning 30,000 liters of air per minute.
“Our brand, engineering, and design teams poured a ton of effort into making the new SRT Demon the world’s fastest quarter-mile production car, so now we’re leveraging that know-how, and some of those vital elements and transferring them to the new Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody for improved performance on the street and a bolder, more aggressive new look,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT – FCA North America.
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody. Photo: FCA US LLC.
What’s In A Name
And, honestly, ignore what he said and focus only on the fact that those words were uttered by a guy named Tim Kuniskis. Kuniskis. Now there is the name I want attached to my American factory hot rods. Tell me Tim Kuniskis isn’t from Ypsilanti or Hamtramck or some such environ. Tell me young Tim Kuniskis didn’t get yelled at by two or three huge aunts, in Polish, for that time he chucked a kielbasa at Uncle Stanislaus during Whit Sunday dinner when he was five. Tim Kuniskis is the kind of guy that should be working on cars like the Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, not somebody with 5 Ph.Ds. from Vienna Polytechnic. Tim Kuniskis is a guy that understands, most likely intuitively, that American performance cars are about engines, tires, and traction: in that order. Guys like Tim Kuniskis is why the Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody is amazing.
If you want and can afford one, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody is open for dealer orders now. It will start showing up this fall.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody Gallery

Photos & Source: FCA US LLC.

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2018 Honda Fit Reporting For Duty

2018 Honda Fit Reporting For Duty

The 2018 Honda Fit, dubbed as “sporty and versatile” by the automaker, arrived at dealerships this earlier week. With a starting MSRP of $16,190, the vehicle is sure to find an ideal niche in budget-minded car shoppers who need to get around town, but want extra goodies.
For 2018, Honda added a Sport trim and two new exterior colors, Helios Yellow and Orange Fury.
Simple & Stylish
Honda promotes the Fit with a certain level of simplicity and straightforwardness. “The refresh of the third generation Honda Fit enhances the 5-door subcompact’s already best-in-class combination of passenger space, fuel efficiency, sophistication, practicality, and affordability,” reads a press release from the automaker.
Initially, it may seem difficult to get jazzed about a subcompact cruiser, but the 2018 Honda Fit is anything but dull. The new Fit Sport is of particular example, gaining style and attitude points with an aero-form front spoiler, rear diffuser, bright orange pin-striping, and 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels with gloss-black finish. The chrome exhaust-pipe finisher and side sill garnishes make for nice touches too; inside, the Sport features a black interior with orange contrast stitching. EX-L trim levels will treat drivers to an available sunroof.
2018 Honda Fit Sport. Photo: Honda North America.
Power & Performance
The 2018 Honda Fit has enough power to scoot drivers and passengers around town too. A 1.5L DOHC direct-injected 4-cylinder i-VTEC engine with Variable Cam Timing creates 130 horsepower (6,800 rpm) and 114 lb-ft. of torque (4,600 rpm). Honda focused on driving dynamics especially for 2018, implementing refinements across the suspension, steering, and body. One of the best improvements comes in the comfort category: Honda worked to reduce cabin noise with better transmission and steering mounting hardware, acoustic-laminated glass, and more insulation overall throughout the vehicle.
2018 Honda Fit EX-L. Photo: Honda North America.

Safety & Security
When it comes to safety, Honda packed the 2018 Fit accordingly. The Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver assistance features is available on all 2018 Fit models. It’s standard on EX and above trims, a first for the Fit. The suite includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, and Road Departure Mitigation with Lane Departure Warning.
Availability & Manufacturing
The 2018 Honda Fit is available now – we’ve included a handy info chart below. We think the new Fit is a stylish, safe, and affordable daily driver. The 2018 Honda Fit for the U.S. market is manufactured in North America at Honda’s Celaya, Mexico plant using domestic and globally sourced parts.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
2018 Honda Fit Pricing and EPA Fuel Economy Ratings
Model
Transmission
MSRP
EPA Rating
City/Hwy/Combined MPG
Fit LX
6-Speed Manual
$16,190
29 / 36 / 31
Fit LX
CVT3
$16,990
33 / 40 / 36
Fit LX with Honda Sensing®
CVT
$17,990
33 / 40 / 36
Fit Sport
6-Speed Manual
$17,500
29 / 36 / 31
Fit Sport
CVT
$18,300
31 / 36 / 33
Fit Sport with Honda Sensing®
CVT
$19,300
31 / 36 / 33
Fit EX
6-Speed Manual
$18,160
29 / 36 / 31
Fit EX
CVT
$18,960
31 / 36 / 33
Fit EX-L
CVT
$20,520
31 / 36 / 33
Fit EX-L with Navi
CVT
$21,520
31 / 36 / 33
Photos & Source: Honda North America.

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Aston Martin DB11 Boasts New Turbocharged V8

Aston Martin DB11 Boasts New Turbocharged V8

The Aston Martin DB11, what Aston refers to as their “definitive GT,” rolled out in 2016 sporting a very impressive 5.2-liter twin turbocharged V12 engine. Now, the Gaydon-based builders of ever so British sports cars have decided to add a 4.0-liter twin turbocharged V8 engine to the DB11 portfolio. Aston Martin says this provides “the opportunity to reveal more of the DB11’s sporting character, while expanding its global appeal with a combination of exceptional performance and improved efficiency.”
All that might be true, but it is also a way to expand sales and, most likely, lower the maintenance costs associated with a double-blown V12.
Power & Performance
Aston Martin, never being a company to shy away from self aggrandizing manure spreading, referred to the newly-available by saying: “Sublime Choices: DB11 Now Offered With V8 Engine.” This is a very British way to pat yourself on the back, and also makes me roll my eyes.
Which is not to say the DB11 with the newly installed V8 mill is not impressive. It puts out 503 horsepower and 513 lb-ft. of torque, which is good enough to scoot the DB11 from 0 to 62 mph in just 4 seconds, with a top speed of 187 mph. Being situated in the DB11’s engine bay, the V8 gets a newly designed air intake, exhaust, and wet sump lubrication system. There is also new ECU software, engine reprogramming, and additional throttle mapping. All of this was done with the goals of keeping the V12-engined DB11’s high-performance luxury Grand Tourer vibe while also trying to bring out the more dynamic side of the DB11’s character and capabilities with the V8-engine option.
Photo: Aston Martin The Americas.
Shedding Pounds
That is all a very polite way of saying, in so many words, the V12-engined DB11 is kind of heavy and all about power, whereas the new V8 option will save you some weight and, therefore, make the DB11 a little more lithe and tossable. The V8 engine is, unsurprisingly, lighter and more compact than the V12 mill, and saves you 253 lbs. of weight versus the V12’s hefty 3,880 lbs. sitting at the curb. And let’s not mince words here: nearly two tons is a lot of car, big honking V12 or not. Aston Martin sought to leverage as many performance gains as they could from the V8 by installing it lower in the chassis, thanks to new engine mounts and a “slimline” wet sump system.
With all this big, heavy, lumpy stuff put more in the center of the car, the V8-engined DB11 is more agile than it’s 12-banger counterpart. This agility has been further enhanced by detailed revisions to the suspension bushings, geometry, anti-roll bars, springs, shocks, and ESP (stability control) software. Aston Martin hopes this will make the V8 version a distinct choice compared to the 12, by appealing to customers who want a more sporting bias in their refined and comfortable GT.
Photo: Aston Martin The Americas.

Fit & Finish
It’s not all under the hood that determines the differences between the two either. The V8 version gets a unique alloy wheel finish, dark headlamp bezels, and a pair of bonnet vents instead of the four vents seen on the V12. And you can get those vents in either black or titanium-finish mesh. On the inside, the two cars are virtually indistinguishable with the same standard equipment levels and the same choice of color and trim options, along with the same Option Packs and Designer Specification packages.
Pricing & Availability
And the V8 won’t cost you as much as the V12. As much, being the operative words here. The V8-powered DB11, which is on sale now, starts at a not-insubstantial $198,995 in the US of A. And sure, it’s “on sale now,” but deliveries won’t start until October or thereabouts. And yeah, $198,995 ain’t cheap, but compared with the V12-powered DB11 that rings the cash register at a whopping $216,495 to start with, the V8 does seem like a bit of a bargain.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Aston Martin DB11 Gallery

Photos & Source: Aston Martin The Americas.

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2018 BMX X3: The Sports Activity Vehicle

2018 BMX X3: The Sports Activity Vehicle

BMW has rolled out the all-new 2018 X3 SUV, Crossover, Thingo. To me, this thing looks too small, like BMW tried to cram all their design notes and features from their other SUVs, Crossovers, Thingos onto a way too small canvas. It’s sort of like when you see someone with eyes that are really big or a smile that seems to extend out beyond their ears. It’s sort of disconcerting.
And that’s not to say BMW won’t sell a boatload of these things. They will. And they’ll likely sell a lot of them to urban-dwelling yuppie types where space (parking and otherwise) is limited and style counts for a lot.
Design Language
This is BMW’s third generation of the X3 premium compact crossover, or Sports Activity Vehicle as they pretentiously call it. The exterior dimensions are largely unchanged from the previous model, but the wheelbase has been lengthened 2.2-inches, and it boasts a 50:50 weight distribution between the front and rear axle. The nose features a “three-dimensional” kidney grille and the fog lights have a hexagonal design. There are optional Adaptive LED and Icon Adaptive Full LED Headlights, if you want them. Out back, the redesigned taillight housings also show off a three-dimensional look; a downward-sloping roof spoiler and twin exhaust tailpipes add to the “muscular appearance.”
2018 BMW X3 with xLine design elements. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.
xLine Elements
The xLine design stuff is now standard on the X3 with numerous trim elements in Satin aluminum and Silver matte, along with 18-inch Y-Spoke wheels. On the interior, the driver and front passenger get standard sport seats with power adjustable side bolsters, and an anthracite headliner. There’s an optional Luxury Package that’s available for the first time in the X3 model range. This has goodies like chrome kidney grille bars, two-tone front & rear bumper trim finishers, and a SensaTec upholstered dashboard on the interior.
Interior Treatments
No matter which grade you choose, the interiors are all very BMW-like: driver-focused and ergonomically optimized with exceptional material quality, fit, and finish. The front seats are ventilated for drivers and passengers, and the panoramic glass moonroof is now 9.8-inches longer. There’s contour lighting above the trim strip in the instrument panel and available Extended Ambient Lighting with six color tones. A 40:20:40 split/folding rear seat design increases cargo and loading room substantially.
The 2018 BMW X3 has a ground clearance of 8 inches to help canvass rougher terrain or obstacles in the city. The approach angle (23.1°) and departure angle (21.4°) of the new X3, together with its breakover angle of 17.4°, create plenty of margin for negotiating steep sections or crests. Furthermore, a fording depth of 19.6 inches allows for efficient water crossings. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.

M Sport Package
And – good news for us gearheads – the X3 gets an M Sport Package. Tick this option box and you get the M Aerodynamic kit: a front apron with larger air intakes, side skirt trim, and a diffusor-style rear apron. You also get Shadowline exterior trim and 19-inch M Double-Spoke Wheels, with 20s as an option. The interior includes a new M Sport leather steering wheel, M door sill finishers, and the aforementioned SensaTec upholstered dashboard.
This is the first ever M Performance model in the X3 lineup, and it’s not all good-looking performance pretentions either. The 3.0-liter M Performance TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine sits at the top of the X3 model range, cranking out 355 horsepower. That’s good enough to move this little tank from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. That straight 6 plant is mated to an 8-speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel, plus Launch Control. In addition, its xDrive all-wheel drive system has a far more pronounced rear bias when compared to other versions (insert maniacal laughter here). There’s also a “Performance Control” feature integrated into the DSC traction control system to produce additional agility and traction.
The peak torque of the X3 M40i (369 lb-ft.) is available from 1,520 to 4,800 rpm, providing a 69 lb-ft. (23 percent) increase compared to the outgoing X3 xDrive35i. The standard engine, a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder, utilizes TwinPower Turbo technology with Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing and Valvetronic fully variable intake lift. The engine also utilizes a map-controlled oil pump, electric arc wire-sprayed cylinder barrels, twin-scroll exhaust turbocharger, and an electrically adjustable waste gate valve. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.
M Interior Finish
The M model interiors get sport seats and “M40i” logos adorning the front door sills and instrument panel. There’s an M Aerodynamic kit finished in Cerium Grey Metallic, a flap-controlled M Sport exhaust system with Black Chrome tailpipe embellishers, M Sport brakes, M Sport Doughnut Dispenser, M Sport suspension with M Performance tuning, variable sport steering, and standard 19-inch or optional 20 and 21-inch cast light-alloy wheels. You can also get an Adaptive M Sport suspension which offers a wider range of ride and comfort settings.
The new X3 comes with an array of modern safety features. For example, the standard pre-crash accident detection system (Active Protection) enhances passive safety by detecting potential accident situations as they arise. If a collision risk is detected, the system automatically triggers a variety of occupant protection measures. Front belt tensioners are activated while the windows and Panoramic moonroof are closed, for example. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.
Little Details
BMW also makes a big deal about how the X3 will be the first BMW SUV, Crossover, Thingo in the United States to feature a factory-installed trailer hitch. That’s just so adorable, isn’t it? American car companies wouldn’t think of offering something even vaguely truck-like without adding a trailer hitch. Shoot, when I was a kid, station wagons had factory trailer hitches. Station wagons!
Overall, it’s hard to see how BMW is not going to make tons of money off of these little guys, oddly proportioned as they might be. The 2018 BMW X3 will arrive at dealerships this November with pricing information due around that same time. Also, I made up the M Sport Doughnut Dispenser.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
2018 BMW X3 Gallery

Photos & Source: BMW of North America, LLC.

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Collaboration Over Competition: Dealerships And Disruptors Working Together

Collaboration Over Competition: Dealerships And Disruptors Working Together

In today’s automotive climate, “disruptor” is a term appearing more often. Dictionary definitions paint the word in a negative light, until it’s used in a business environment. When applied here, a disruptor is someone implementing new products or services, proactively seeking the next emerging market. These approaches can appear crazy at first, but when executed properly, they often prove remarkably innovative.
For example, the Toyota Prius was considered a disruptor when it debuted in 1997. The Ford Mustang was massively disruptive in 1964.
Inventive Ideas
The automotive landscape is changing rapidly and car ownership is evolving. What the future will look like exactly is still coming to fruition. Perhaps there will be more ride share models, maybe cars will drive themselves, maybe we hop in a teleport machine and wham, are suddenly at the local coffee shop. Anything seems possible now, but the market belongs to those who carry an intuitive, intelligent approach; it’s the price of entry to win the next generation of car buyers in an ever so technological world.
YourMechanic is one of these companies; a disruptor to the core with a business model that makes me say, “why didn’t I think of that.” YourMechanic’s approach is novel: they are a mobile car repair network accessed through the common smartphone. They cover over 600 maintenance and diagnostic services, are transparent and up-front on pricing, and have a presence in the 50 largest cities in the United States. The most important aspect of YourMechanic is how they go to their customers, and how those customers interface directly with the technician. Need an oil change but can’t leave work? No problem. They will come to the office. Need a tire rotation but have a child with the flu? No worries. They will show up in the driveway.
Photo: YourMechanic.
Emerging Trends
Although YourMechanic contrasts with the traditional car repair model, some dealerships are embracing their unique approach. Recently, YourMechanic unveiled a new product for dealerships to enhance the service experience after the sale. These prepaid maintenance packages are rolled into the finance and insurance portion of the transaction and are available for customers just like traditional service contracts. A growing pattern of consumer behavior actually moved YourMechanic to develop and implement the maintenance packages. They found more people are traveling a considerable distance to purchase a vehicle. Maybe they can get a better price, or they are buying a particular make and model but the nearest dealer with that exact vehicle is a few hours away. That’s fine for purchasing the car, but what about maintaining it?
“With customers being able to use the Internet, it’s getting harder for dealers to make good money on a sale; this is a challenge we are helping solve,” explained Rob Francis, Senior Director of Growth, YourMechanic. “Where they can make money is on the F&I (finance and insurance) side with services like prepaid maintenance packages. With the prepaid maintenance product, we saw a trend in the market where people were driving further for vehicles and dealers were saying it was hard to sell fixed F&I products to them because customers won’t drive all the way back for service.”
Vantage Points
I learned the automotive business at a dealership, long before YourMechanic existed. I am, in my approach to automobiles, quite traditional. I sold cars, later a Service Advisor, then in management. I won’t speak for all dealerships – I spent my career with only one dealer group – but many will agree fixed operations or the “back end” is the most vital component of the business. A service department falls under fixed operations and the approach is such: sell the cars, especially the new ones, for as low as possible. Get customers in on price alone if you have to, delight them with exceptional sales conduct, get the deal, introduce them to the service department, and encourage them bring back not only the vehicle they recently purchased, but the others in their household. The other vehicles are key; those are the ones a dealership needs becasue they have miles on them. Vehicles with miles on them need things like sway bar links and transmission cooler lines. Maybe their other car has a nice door ding? That’s a job for the body shop, which falls under fixed ops.
One of the end goals of a dealership sales team should be to convert that buyer into a service customer. Fixed operations is a solid and accurate health barometer for any given dealership. However, if customers purchase a car at a dealership a hundred miles away, they are not coming back for service. A fixed operations opportunity for that dealer is not to be had in that sceneario, and by YourMechanic’s metrics, that’s the growing trend. What about the local lots and independent dealers with virtually no way to capture additional profits on the back end because they don’t have a service department? In such settings, a pairing with YourMechanic is fitting. These dealers can now provide, albeit in a different fashion, an effective way to service the vehicle after the sale for the customer, and still make money.
“We bring the shop from the dealership and to the customer essentially; the prepaid maintenance products came from the current treads and customer and dealership feedback,” Francis said.
Photo: YourMechanic.

Clearing The Clutter
Gary Pretzfeld is the co-owner of AutoTrust USA, a family-run pre-owned dealership located in Miami, Florida. They readily provide sales and service for area residents, yet some customers come from farther away in Florida or even other states to buy a vehicle. AutoTrust USA is a prime example of how a disruptor, like YourMechanic, is helping a traditional automotive enterprise serve customers outside their normal business radius.
“Post-sale if the customer has any issues that need to be resolved, YourMechanic can provide better customer service than the competitors by sending a mechanic out to the customer’s home or office,” he said.
It may seem YourMechanic and a traditional dealership service department are worlds apart. However, both entities must take care of the customer by fixing their vehicle – that’s the lowest common denominator. From my own experience, I can attest to how busy and backed up a service department can get. This is where YourMechanic starts to bridge the gap between the conventional approach and the disrupotor mantra. Dealer principals like Pretzfeld are inclined to implement effective solutions to keep things running smoothly; the relationship for AutoTrust USA and YourMechanaic began after Pretzfeld sought more efficient, cost effective, and trustworthy solutions for the shop, especially during heavy volume times.
“Maybe a dealership has one or two mechanics on vacation, maybe they have a lot of warranty work to be done, or they are experiencing a seasonal high with more vehicles and simply need more hands around the shop,” Francis said. “We can basically act as a staffing agency and our skilled mechanics will work side by side with that dealership.”
“When you feel you can trust a partner it makes doing business much easier,” Pretzfeld commented.

Value Added Approach
YourMechanic will send one (or two or however many are needed) of their certified and experienced technicians to the dealership. The techs will show up, with their own tools in hand, ready to go. At reputable dealerships, cars recently taken in on trade make a pass through the service department in a process commonly called reconditioning. This often includes a multi-point inspection and oil change; components on the car, from the tires, belts, battery, brakes, and even light bulbs can be replaced before it heads to the lot. However, a service department inundated with work orders can just as easily pass that inspection work off to YourMechanic.
“Dealers can have their cars serviced and repaired on site, greatly reducing turn around time and insurance risk,” Pretzfeld explained. “The cars never leave the dealership so they can always be shown to prospective buyers.”
Although the business models are completely different – the dealership service department versus YourMechanic – when executed properly, it’s a solid symbiotic cycle that benefits the car buying public. For two approaches to vehicle service and the automotive business in general that are sometimes so radically different, it’s not a half bad outcome.
“The inspection reports YourMechanic provides after each service are amazing tools for customers,” Pretzfeld said. “Once there is an inspection done on the car, the report is available to provide to a customer, which makes the sale process easier and increases value.”

Creative Collaboration
The entire idea here revolves around how tradition and disruption benefit from each other, if they recognize they are serving a similar population. That is not to imply they need each other, but it is to say there is common ground. It doesn’t have to be a David and Goliath match where we pit the two entities against each other. While I won’t argue the founding principles of Capitalism or debate Adam Smith’s ideologies, sometimes collaboration as opposed to competition yields the best results. In the automotive business, things must be taken with a level of discretion: not every big dealership will stomp on little guys, and not every disruptor will stick it to the man. Personally, I am traditional. I believe in the dealership model and I adamantly support it. In the same breath, however, I wish I had thought of the YourMechanic concept.
“When we’re getting our products and services into new areas, we sometimes just don’t know, so we’re working and building with dealership proprietors,” Francis said. “We have consultants who work at dealerships to help us sort out these programs and to make sure they make sense for everybody.”
“We benefit in all departments by working with them,” Pretzfeld added. “Every dealer can benefit from working with YourMechanic.”
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

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