Automotive

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Heading To Dealerships

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Heading To Dealerships The 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid arrives in dealerships this week (Friday, March 23rd) as a pinnacle vehicle of sorts for the automaker. With the new Accord Hybrid, Honda is promising a list of class-leading features, including performance, interior room, and cargo space. As the latest in Honda’s growing portfolio of electrified vehicles, the 2018 Accord Hybrid will likely appeal to a wider audience with its five distinct trim levels.
Standard Equipment
At just shy of $26,000 for a starting MSRP, the new Accord Hybrid offers a nice array of standard items: 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, dual-zone climate control, push-button start, a seven-inch TFT digital driver’s display, multi-angle rearview camera, and the Honda Sensing package of safety technologies. The latter includes things like Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, and Traffic Sign Recognition.
Power & Performance
The heart of the new Accord Hybrid is a two-motor powertrain system, which pairs a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine (DOHC i-VTEC Atkinson-cycle) with an electric propulsion motor creating 232 lb-ft. of torque. Total system output is 212 horsepower, which Honda says is class-leading. The powertrain operates by shifting between three distinct drive operations: EV Drive (electric motor), Hybrid Drive (electric motor and gasoline engine [driving the generator motor]), and Engine Drive (gasoline engine).
Honda also notes the steering wheel-mounted Deceleration Selectors, which are similar to transmission paddle shifters and help increase efficiency. The Deceleration Selectors allow drivers to toggle between four levels of regenerative braking. The right selector increases regenerative braking and the left selector reduces it. Honda says this minimizes stress on the brakes while increasing battery charge via regeneration.
Photo: Honda North America.
Interior Room & Cargo Space
The 2018 Accord Hybrid rides on a wheelbase 2.16-inches longer when compared to the outgoing model. The car’s intelligent power unit is 32 percent smaller and mounted under the rear floor versus the trunk. These design changes allow for a 60/40-split rear seat for easier people and cargo hauling. Honda says the figures are class-leading with cargo space at 16.7 cubic feet, interior space at 122.3 cubic feet, and rear legroom at 40.4 inches.
Trim Levels & Pricing
The 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid comes in Hybrid, EX (new), EX-L, EX-L Navi (new), and Touring. Starting MSRP is $25,990 for the entry-level Hybrid and $35,600 for the Touring trim. The starting MSRP actually represents a $4,505 drop compared to the previous Accord Hybrid.
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.
2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Gallery

Photos & Source: Honda North America.

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Nissan Celebrates Production Milestone In Mississippi

Nissan Celebrates Production Milestone In Mississippi Nissan’s Canton assembly plant has achieved a milestone, recently surpassing 4 million vehicles produced. With an annual capacity of 450,000 vehicles, the plant currently builds the Nissan Altima, Murano, Titan and Titan XD, Frontier, NV Cargo Van, and NV Passenger Van. To commemorate the achievement, Nissan presented the 4 millionth vehicle – a 2018 NV Cargo Van – to Our Daily Bread Ministries, a nonprofit organization that provides hunger relief to the local community.
Second Shift
Nissan also announced the addition of a second shift that promises to create or retain 250 hourly jobs. The second shift will support the increasing demand for Nissan’s commercial vans.
“Adding a second shift for NV Van production underscores our employees’ hard work and dedication to building world class, quality vehicles for our customers,” explained Steve Marsh, Vice President, Manufacturing, Nissan Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant.

Photo: Nissan North America.
Continued Growth

Nissan has grown the Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant from a regional manufacturing facility to a global one, investing $3.4 billion in the facility since its opening in 2003. Nissan employs 6,400 at the Canton plant currently, with more than 1,500 jobs added since 2013.
“The City of Canton congratulates Nissan on this outstanding achievement,” said Dr. William Truly, Mayor of the City of Canton. “Milestones like these are not easily achieved, and we applaud the hardworking men and women of this facility who build great vehicles for the citizens of Canton and customers around the world.”
Power & Performance
For 2018, the NV Cargo and NV Passenger vans are available with a 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine and heavy-duty seven-speed automatic transmission. Both models are also offered with a smaller 4.0-liter V6 and five-speed automatic transmission. The engines create 375 and 261 horsepower respectively.
Photos & Source: Nissan North America.

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Range Rover SV Coupe: The Perfect Fit That’s Way Too Over The Top

Range Rover SV Coupe: The Perfect Fit That’s Way Too Over The Top Range Rover has just released their latest model, the SV Coupe. Yes, indeed it is a coupe version of their full-size luxury SUV. My first thought was, “why on Earth would anyone make a two-door version of an SUV?” And then of course I realized the all-too-obvious answer: Money. If Range Rover went to all this trouble to make it, they must know there’s enough people out there willing to buy it.
Perfect Fit
In a lot of ways, a Range Rover is the Perfect SUV. Since 99.9% of SUV buyers will never take theirs off-road, and since they are mainly used as a way to convince others of their superiority when compared to all other mobility options, what better vehicle choice than a full-zoot Range Rover? Sure, you could go with that Bentley thing, but isn’t that a little on the ostentatious side, old sport? The new Lamborghini what-zit? Come-come now. That’s an Italian car. No, the Range Rover is it.
Range Rover SV Coupe (European Model). Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.
Extensive & Personalized
And sure, you do get a lot, even with this demonstrably lame Range Rover SV Coupe. For one thing, it’s a limited-run piece. They are only making about a thousand of them. And, it’s a two-door, indeed the world’s first full-size luxury SUV Coupe. And since it’s a Rangey, and limited in numbers, they thoroughly went over all the appointments one will find within. Range Rover says there are “beautifully curated interiors” that “set new standards for materials and craftsmanship, with extensive personalization options for SV Coupe clients.” Curated. They really used that word.

Interior Treatments
The whole interior design option palette is right out of a Savile Row tailor. SV Coupe buyers (Range Rover refers to them as “clients” obviously since “buyer” is so nouveau riche and low class) can choose from any of four front-to-rear contrast interior selections. Rover (can I just use the single name?) calls them “colorways,” and I have no idea why. If the front-to-rear fade is a little too avant garde for you sir, there is also a range of single-tone interior colors from which to choose.
Of course, whichever you choose, they will be complemented by your choice of three elegant wood veneers, including a first for Range Rover, the Nautica veneer. Nautica veneer seeks to sensitively balance heritage and craftsmanship with new technology by fusing walnut and sycamore together. Obviously, this Nautica stuff might be too much for some buyers. Best to play it safe.
And if the interior is that dolled up, you can rest assured the exterior is just as affected. There are new optional exterior paint finishes named Liquesence (no, really) that join the “suite” (ugh) of available paint options. And yes, the paint names are as equally conceited and senseless: Constellation, Parallax, and Obsidian, along with Ethereal, Flux, Valloire, and Desire.

Power & Performance
On the upside of the balance sheet we find the engine. The SV Coupe is the fastest-ever, full-size Range Rover, so there’s that. This brick on wheels tops out at 165 mph, which is impressive given its shape. That top speed comes by way of a lovingly overpowered V8 plant: 557 horsepower worth of a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 powertrain lies beneath the big flat-ish hood. And that is, in case you’re wondering, the most powerful engine currently offered on the full-size Range Rover.
So you can blow your own horn about that tidbit too. This means the SV Coupe can hasten from zero to 60 mph in a scant five seconds. Pretty good for a truck that tips the scales at slightly more than the HMS Ark Royal.
Interesting References
And here’s an odd bit that jumped out at me from the company’s press release: “Noble Chrome metal side vents with Brunel Metallic mesh and Satin Indus Silver metal surrounds complement frameless doors with Power Close functionality and Bright Chrome embellished body color door handles.”
Brunel Metallic mesh? Is that a reference to Isambard Kingdom Brunel? They make no mention as to why they call some of the brightwork that, but it is a nice flourish and it’s probably a reference to one of the most interesting and oddest people England produced in the 19th century. And yeah, I’m including Jack The Ripper in that list.
Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.
Pricing & Availability
The SV Coupe will be hand-built at Range Rover’s SVO Technical Center in Warwickshire, UK, their in-house custom department. There will be no more than 999 examples available worldwide and they will start at $295,000 in the United States. $295,000! Cor’ Blimey!!
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. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
Photos & Source: Jaguar Land Rover.

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The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team Has History But Is The C37 Enough?

The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team Has History But Is The C37 Enough? Our hopes are beautiful, our realities might be less so. Here it is, the Alfa Romeo Sauber C37 grand prix racer for the upcoming season. The attention to aero detail is self-evident throughout the car, the hybrid powerplant is the latest spec Ferrari, and the drivers are young and hungry with something to prove.
Hard Truths
Look: Everybody wants to win, and especially at this level of competition, but desire does not equal results. So it’s best to get the hard realities out of the way right up front: Sauber is not going to win this year. And they most likely won’t win next year. As good as the organization is (and it is very good) they are in the sharpest of sharp ends of competition. The difference between the front row of the grid and the back can be less than two seconds. And when that’s the fine gradations you’re trying to work your way through, the struggle is fierce.
Best of the Best
The team, based in beautiful Hinwil, Switzerland, has all the right ingredients. They have one of the best wind tunnels in the world. And I don’t mean in the racing world, I mean in the entire world. It’s a full-on rolling road, with a movable wall setup and a test area big enough to fit two full size race cars, side by side or line astern. They have a computer rendering farm for running CFD calculations the size of something from the Pixar studios. The team is run by a squad of Swiss/French technocrats that should be monitoring anonymous crypto-banking concerns and/or working on Exocet missiles. And, as anyone with eyes can see, they now have sponsorship, with glorious branding, from Alfa-Romeo.
At the moment, this is not a full, factory-backed deal from Alfa, just a branding and marketing arrangement, but if things pick up, there’s no real reason to prevent Alfa from plunging more deeply into F1.
The Alfa Romeo P2 Gran Premio lead the team to the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925. Photo: FCA US LLC.
Returning Legacy
This comeback restores the name of Alfa Romeo to the top of the racing world. And, although they haven’t been a force in top-line racing recently, you don’t have to be much of a historian to know they have a top-flight resume. Featured on the engine cover of the Sauber C37 is the Quadrifoglio, the legendary badge that has appeared on Alfa Romeo’s top performance cars since 1923. The four leaf clover is to Alfas what that prancing horse on a yellow shield is to Ferrari: This is the car that means business. Ever since Ugo Sivocci (one of my favorite Ugos) won the Targa Florio in 1923 with a Quadrifoglio on the hood of his Alfa Romeo RL, good luck has followed Alfas.
Lucky Charm
The symbol was on Brilli Peri’s “P2” when he triumphed in the first “Motor Racing World Championship” at Monza in 1925, gaining the first of Alfa Rome’s five World Titles, and garnering the Turin company its first, and most lasting nickname: “Il Primo Automobili Campione del Mundo” or “First Automobile Champion Of The World.” Ever since, Alfa has made its marque with some of the greatest drivers in all of history. Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio, Piero Taruffi, Luigi Fagioli, Mario Andretti, Louis Chiron, Antonio Ascari, Alberto Ascari, Achille Varzi, Nino Vaccarella, and of course, the greatest of all time Tazio Nuvolari.
Alfa Romeo has an incredible credence of history behind it, and now all that weight is focused on Sauber for 2018.
“Our target ahead of 2018 is clear: We have to catch up with the field and to continue improving our performance during the course of the season. We have put lots of energy and commitment into the development of the C37,” explained Frédéric Vasseur, Sauber Team Principal. “The return of Alfa Romeo to Formula 1 sets another milestone in the team’s history, and I am proud that such a historical brand has chosen us for their return to the sport. We are eager to start the 2018 season as the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team.”
That is, of course, saying a lot, demanding a lot, and expecting a lot.
Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team pilots Charles Leclerc (left) and Marcus Ericsson. Photo: FCA US LLC.
Eye Sores
The C37, of course, looks different to last year’s C36. There were whole rafts of new technical regulations that have now affected all the cars in ways big and small. The most obvious is that repugnant halo safety structure that surrounds the cockpit. Everybody has to use it, so everybody has to suffer the aesthetic malady of driving or watching a car that looks like it has part of a colossal flip-flop attached to it.
Racing In Red
The less obvious, more subtle changes are aerodynamic-related. Check out the engine air inlet details: scoops within scoops within scoops. The tail is tightly tucked-in and the rear wing end-plates look like cheese graters designed by a psychopath. The specificity on the front wing and barge-boards is equally Baroque.
And now all of this is put in the hands of the young, up-and-coming Charles Leclerc and the journeyman racer Marcus Ericsson, and painted a glorious deep red and bright white. It could use more red. But that’s just me.
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. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

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2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe: Don’t Let The Name Fool You

2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe: Don’t Let The Name Fool You For those of you that don’t like the idea of four-door “coupes,” you’re either pedantic, or the design bothers you or whatever, but you better get used to seeing them. All signs point to them staying around, at least for the foreseeable future. Take, for example, the latest Mercedes-Benz. Creatively called the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, it shows the German automotive titan will not be slowing down with this form factor anytime soon.
And if Mercedes does it, and makes it work, you can bet that other manufacturers will follow.
Waxing Poetics
For those having a hard time following the concept here, a four-door coupe looks to have the best of both worlds, or, at least, splits the difference between two separate and distinct automotive desigs: the four-door sedan and the two-door coupe. The four-door coupe looks to have the swoopy, sporty proportions of a coupe, merged with the convenience and practicality of a four door. And Mercedes (and others) have gotten the first part of that right. These four-door coupe things do look very nice and much less stuffy than a straight up, three-box sedan.
I just don’t think you should call it a coupe. It’s not. It’s got four doors, so that instantly takes it out of the running for being called a “coupe.”
The 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Photo: MBUSA.
Benchmarks & Goosebumps
Anyhoo, what does the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe bring to the party? Well, it’s a Mercedes, so it will obviously bring all that traditional Merc stuff to the game. Fantastic build quality, attention to detail, unparalleled safety, engineering, and reliability that are the world’s benchmark. Specifically, the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is a sort-of-stretched, massaged, “practical” version of the German company’s very impressive AMG GT two-seat sports car. It aims to be that literally, mythical “four-door sports car” people often talk about, and sports car owners such as myself snicker at.
More space, more power, more goosebumps Mercedes-Benz claims, and I am not going to argue with them. The automaker says it’s the first four-door sports car from Affalterbach, but I am going to have to disagree and say the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is a very nicely styled sports sedan. Think of it like that, forget the coupe moniker, and just move on to what it can do.
All AMG GT 4-Door Coupe models are equipped with AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive. An electro-mechanically controlled clutch connects the permanently driven rear axle variably to the front axle. The best possible torque split is continuously computed according to the driving conditions and driver’s input. Photo: MBUSA.
Power & Performance
And what it can do is very impressive, being motivated down the Straße by a twin-turbocharged V8 of low displacement but delightfully high power. It’s a little 4.0-liter V8 biturbo plant that cranks out a lovely sounding 630 horsepower and 627 lb-ft. of torque. 60 mph comes up in 3.1 seconds and it will top out at 195 mph. See, both quick and fast!
It’s the same basic mill found in the Mercedes-AMG GT 63, but it puts out more power and grunt. It also has that now fashionable packaging layout of having both turbos arranged not on the exterior, but between the cylinder banks in the “hot inner V.” It’s more compact and the turbo response is more immediate. It also sounds like a thermal loading nightmare, but hey, did I get a degree in engineering? No. No I did not.
This magnificent lump of power is joined to a nine-speed transmission specially tuned for the four-door AMG GT. It uses a wet clutch, which reduces weight and inertia but optimizes engine response. Mercedes has modified the software for shorter shift times, fast multiple downshifts, and added a slick double-declutching function that sounds rad. There’s even a RACE START function, ensuring this will not be a boring sedan in non-boring clothing.
The new AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is also available as the Mercedes-AMG GT 53 with the company’s 429 horsepower, 3.0-liter Inline-6 turbo engine.
Photo: MBUSA.
Marketing Speak
Yes, it is pretty to look at, even if there are more compromises there than found in a coupe, let alone a true sports car. Merc says it “opens up the sports car segment to those looking for a vehicle for day-to-day use.” I say that’s deeply heretical marketing codswallop. I also say a vehicle for “day-to-day use” like that already exists. It’s called a sports car. Live with it and love it.
Mercedes has worked long and hard to make the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of the GT 4-Door Coupe be as sports car-like as possible. It’s not just the styling, the low hood, muscular body language and all that. Oh no, it can turn and stop on a pfennig, thanks to the heavily tuned chassis, enormous brake discs, and six-pot calipers.
Two separate displays characterize the car’s Widescreen Cockpit, standard on all AMG GT 4-Door Coupe variants for the U.S. market. Photo: MBUSA.
Interior Treatments
And the interior is far from race car Spartan. The controls can be intuitively operated and configured as the driver sees fit. Mercedes blends individualization with sports car tech, focusing on the requirements of discerning customers that love a good, spirited drive. Mercedes describes the interior as “elegant coolness,” complete with all the ultra-modern features they could throw at it.
Pricing & Availability
No price info yet but given how reasonably priced the GT sports car is (for the amount of performance it gives you) I bet the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe will be okay cost-wise. Expect to seem them on the market early to mid 2019.
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. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Gallery

Photos & Source: MBUSA.

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Peace & Serenity: America’s 10 Quietest, Most Scenic Routes

Peace & Serenity: America’s 10 Quietest, Most Scenic Routes In January of 1966, Pennsylvania natives The Vogues released Five O’Clock World. The album’s eponymous lead single tells the story – one we can all related to – of a man hustling about the city and fighting through rush hour traffic. He works a hard job to earn his paycheck, but it’s worth it becasue at the end of the day, a “long-haired girl” waits for him.
A line in the first verse is indicative of something we have all experienced before: “sounds of the city pounding in my brain, while another day goes down the drain.”
Quiet Getaway
Sometimes, it’s necessary to get away from all the hustle and bustle and noise. If you’re like us, perhaps you made a resolution to travel more in 2018, but just where does one go when hitting the proverbial road? And where does one go when looking for a little peace and quiet? Geotab, a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, has released a study analyzing national road traffic data to determine which American routes are the least traveled and congested.
Utilizing traffic count data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System and the Annual Average Daily Traffic score, Geotab examined U.S. Interstates and Routes over 10 miles long to identify the quietest roadways in each state. And it just so happens, the quietest routes are also among the most scenic.
Polar Bear Plunge
To help determine the most scenic routes, Geotab asked renowned photographer James “Q” Martin to participate. Martin has traveled extensively throughout the American Southwest and to more than 30 countries, documenting the world-class athletes, artists, conservationists, filmmakers, and scientists who inspire him. The most scenic routes on Geotab’s list were compiled manually with the rankings decided by Martin himself.
“I chose Alaska’s Dalton Highway as my favorite scenic, quiet route,” he explained. “It is a road that reaches the top of the continent, and would literally allow you to see a polar bear in the right circumstances.”
The Dalton Highway runs over 400 miles with upwards of 250 miles between service stations. The area is famous for the TV show Ice Road Truckers, and brave travelers will see Alaska’s boreal forests, mountain ranges, and Yukon River. When compared to others on the list, traffic numbers are quite slim, averaging just 196 vehicles daily. The remaining nine routes averaged 2,976 vehicles daily, approximately 15 times more than Alaska’s Dalton Highway.
The James W. Dalton Highway is a 414-mile stretch of gravel and dirt that spans from Livengood to Prudhoe Bay with the Trans-Alaska pipeline running alongside the road. According to Alaska.org, travelers will pass through Coldfoot, home to the world’s northernmost truck stop and the highway’s only place to stop for the night. Accommodations are simple yet expensive. Photo: Terry Feuerborn.
Desert Landscapes & Fall Colors
Utah’s Route 50 came in a close second, billed as “America’s Loneliest Road” through Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, and the Great Salt Lake Desert. The desert, in general, can be an enjoyable place to drive speaking from experience. In the past, we have made the trip (on more than one occasion) from Phoenix, Arizona to both Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. Interstate 10, especially during sunset, offers some stunning views of the desert landscape.
Arriving in third place is U.S. Route 201 in Maine, often times called “Old Canada Road.” Travelers on this journey will see historic places and Wyman Lake. It’s recommended to make this drive in the fall just as the leaves are changing color.
“U.S. 50 in Utah allows you to travel back through geological time, and Maine’s Old Canadian byway is where human history unfolds around every bend,” Martin said.
Wyoming’s Beartooth Highway leading to Yellowstone National Park made the list not surprisingly. Beartooth Lake and the Absaroka Mountains also offer stunning views, although plan to visit when nicer weather arrives. The road is closed during the winter. Photo: Peter Hanson.
Out & About
In addition to determining the top 10 most scenic routes, Geotab identified the overall least traveled routes by state. Here in Michigan, Geotab lists U.S. Route 45, a 54-mile stretch that passes through the state’s Upper Peninsula, as the quietest and least traveled. While many are “off the beaten path,” Geotab’s interactive map includes photos, additional insights, and Google Street Views that highlight the various attractions on or near each route.
“All of these routes offer so much,” Martin added.
The full list and Geotab’s interactive map can be viewed here. If you decided to venture out, make sure you share your photos with us on Twitter.
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.
Cover Photo: Augusta, Maine skyline, Sean Pavon.
Dalton Highway Photo: “Dalton Highway, Brooks Range, Alaska, 2009” by Terry Feuerborn is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. To see more photos, including the basic hotel accommodations, visit Feuerborn’s Flickr page.

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Toyota Exceeds 10 Million Units In Global Hybrid Sales

Toyota has sold more than 10 million hybrid vehicles globally as of January 31st 2017. The milestone includes both hybrids and plug-in hybrids and comes only nine months after total hybrid sales reached 9 million at the end of April 2016. At the center is the Prius, although it was once a blip on the radar.

“When we launched Prius, no one even knew what a hybrid was, but, thanks to early adopters, hybrids have ridden a wave of success into the mainstream,” said Takeshi Uchiyamada, Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Toyota.

Uchiyamada, considered the father of the Prius, further spoke his feelings.

“We are grateful to each and every one of our customers who have helped us achieve this important [global] milestone,” he said.

The environmental impact is equally as substantial. As of January 31st 2017, Toyota estimates their hybrid vehicles, as an alternative to gasoline vehicles of similar size and performance, resulted in approximately 77 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions and nearly 7.66 million gallons of gasoline saved. Toyota believes the results validate the effectiveness of hybrid technology when addressing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental concerns.

“The Prius stands as an icon for sustainability and efficiency, and is a shining example of what you can achieve when you have the right idea to help solve a problem,” said Bob Carter, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for Toyota Motor North America.

Sales continue to grow for Toyota as does their commitment to eco-friendly vehicles.

“Hybrids remain an important part of our lineup of vehicles, with over 246,000 units sold last year,” Carter said. “We have seen continued demand with the release of the RAV4 Hybrid variant of the popular compact SUV, accounting for nearly 13 percent of its total sales volume in 2016.”

Over the past 60 years, Toyota has produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America. The automaker operates 14 manufacturing plants, 10 of which are in the United States. In the U.S. alone, Toyota employs more than 34,00 people and operates nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Photos & Source: Toyota Motor North America

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Second-Generation McLaren Super Series Ups The Game

Ferrari has its Challenge Series, Lamborghini the Super Trofeo, and McLaren has the Super Series. These are all one-make racing series for the well-healed, beautiful people racers out there. You go and plunk down a lot of money, “The Boys From Woking” give you a shiny, new, race-prepped 675LT, and you get to play Fernando Alonso for several weekends a year.

The factory takes care of the support.

Racing & Reminiscing

Look, I like McLaren, I really do. When I was a kid, Bruce McLaren was one of the racers at the top of the pyramid. Him and fellow Kiwi Denny Hulme we so dominant in the Can-Am, people took to calling it “The Bruce & Denny Show.” Then Bruce died in a testing accident. His company carried on, fielding winning cars at Indy, and garnering world titles for the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt.

Then they sort of started to wallow, and along came Ron Dennis and his Project Four racing organization to the rescue. I really appreciate what Ron did as team principle. McLaren, under his leadership, could take on the form of an unstoppable juggernaut. And he was bright enough to hire guys like Gordon Murray and Ayrton Senna.

But great googlie mooglie, he’s an uptight guy. I mean even by British standards he was wound tighter than a window shade spring. He made Roger Penske look like Bootsie Collins and Frank Williams seem like Flavor Flav. His drivers would win from far back in the pack, his cars would utterly dominate, and he’d barely crack a smile. He sucked all the joy out of his team’s accomplishments and, consequently, extracted all the pleasure for the fans too.

But Ron’s gone now. Shuffled out of the corporation he helped shape and build in some sort of ugly internecine palace coup d’état. So in my book, it’s okay to like McLaren again! Which of course makes their Super Series all the more interesting.

“Super Series is the core of the McLaren business and personifies the blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury, and unparalleled driver involvement that is the McLaren heartland,” explained McLaren Automotive CEO, Mike Flewitt. “This is the first time we have replaced a product family and the new Super Series will be absolutely true to McLaren’s pioneering spirit in being a revolutionary leap forwards, both for our brand and the supercar segment.” Photo: McLaren Automotive.

Power & Performance

First off, we have got to come up with a better name. Super Series? Really?

Although, the cars are pretty durn interesting. They run race-prepped 675LTs, track versions of the company’s supercar, and although McLaren curiously withholds complete engine specifications, they do provide some performance numbers, and yow!, these things can scoot.

Zero to 200km (124mph) takes a measly 7.8 seconds and the standing quarter mile comes up in a shockingly short 10.3 seconds. I’ve seen racing motorcycles go slower than that. The engine is a new 4.0-liter plant with a new exhaust system, tuned to provide a soundtrack to match the performance. If, for some reason, that’s not enough noise for you, there’s an available sports exhaust option for “more aural excitement.”

“Power, torque, and throttle response are all significantly enhanced compared to the first-generation Super Series, yet with fuel efficiency and emissions also notably improved,” commented Haydn Baker, McLaren Super Series Vehicle Line Director.

The new M840T engine is fitted with ultra-low inertia, twin-scroll turbochargers. Spooling up more rapidly than previous designs, they deliver reduced turbo lag and quicker throttle response, meaning the days of “mash it, count to 3, and you better be pointing in the right direction” are far in the past.

If you’re the kind of track rat that likes to brag about your car – and at this level, a lot of these people do – there’s all these extra-trick bits that McLaren has thrown into the mix. There’s “automatic engine bay illumination as part of the welcome sequence on vehicle unlocking,” which means when you unlock the doors, lights on the engine bay turn on. Why? Well besides being an insufferable hole that likes stuff like that, it also shows off the cast-aluminum air intake plenum with the McLaren Speedmark logo.

So there’s that.

The second-generation McLaren Super Series will make its public debut on March 7th at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show. More details and the complete performance specifications will be released at that time.

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.

Photos & Source: McLaren Automotive

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Ford Invests $200 Million Into New Wind Tunnel Complex

“$200 Million,” you might ask? “Isn’t that a lot for a big pipe with a fan on one end?” Yes, yes it is, but look, wind tunnels are amazingly complex machines. I’ve been involved with more than a few over my life, from low speed jobs to hypersonic models that take weeks to prep and two seconds to fire off.

They’re like flat reference planes or micrometers. You invest a lot of money in them, and I mean a lot of money, because you can measure stuff down to the beat of a hummingbird’s wing.

Hot Then Cold

The new tunnel will feature a rolling road set up with an environmental simulation facility. Air speeds can be dialed from nothing up to 200 mph, and the advanced climatic chamber can go from 104 degrees to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s equivalent of going from the Sahara to the Arctic.

Airflow & Aerodynamics

The rolling road is an important, complex, and expensive part of any current, state of the art wind tunnel facility. Essentially the test vehicle sits not on a section of immovable metal, but on a moving conveyor belt-like affair that simulates passing over a road surface. I know, this seems like a lot of overkill, but it allows you to simulate what is going on with wheel/tire rotation and how it effects airflow around and, most importantly, under the body of the vehicle.

Road vehicle aerodynamics come down to two big areas: making the airflow work for you (i.e. producing downforce) or punching a smaller, cleaner hole in the air. So, if you can move down the highway cleaner, and your truck gets one more mile per gallon, so what? Well, assume for a minute you’re managing a fleet of delivery vehicles, and it’s time to buy new trucks. If Ford can get you 1 MPG better, and you drive each truck around 200,000 miles a year, and you are going to buy, oh, let’s say fifty trucks . . . you can see where these numbers are going, no?

Specific Construction

Ford is being so precise that their new tunnel will sport not just one, but five moving belts. Each wheel gets its own belt and the huge fifth belt runs down the center of the vehicle. Airflow around the entire vehicle can be dialed up to 155 mph, and if you want to switch to a single belt (all of this stuff can be swapped around like a giant Lego set) you can reach speeds of up to 200 mph.

Why? Why go that fast when you’re dinking around with trucks and sedans and stuff?

Ford says it “opens up a new breed of testing for high-speed performance and racing vehicles,” to which I say cough-Ford GT Le Mans program-cough.

“This new wind tunnel facility will not only allow us to test our performance and racing vehicle line-up but will also enable us to share innovations across all our global Ford products,” said Dave Pericak, Ford Performance Global Director.

The new wind tunnel will enable Ford engineers to validate vehicle designs at a higher level. Hence, we get more fuel efficient cars and trucks and Ford gets better race cars. Everyone wins. Construction on the new 13 acre wind tunnel complex starts this year at Ford’s current Drivability Test Facility in Allen Park, Michigan.

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.

Photo & Source: Ford Motor Company

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http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/ford-invests-200-million-into-new-wind-tunnel-complex/