Automotive

2017 Monterey: The new BMW Concept Z4 picks up where the last Z4 left off

2017 Monterey: The new BMW Concept Z4 picks up where the last Z4 left off Just when you thought BMW’s efforts with the Z roadster were kaput, Munich unveils the new BMW Concept Z4 at Pebble Beach.

What’s going on?
Monterey Car Week! That’s what’s going on! And of course, that means the world-famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is happening. While there’s plenty of old school iron to drool over, especially in conditions and donning values that even make the “One Percent” weep, several manufacturers still decided to steal some of the limelight. In this case, BMW is one of those several manufacturers.
In addition to debuting the hotly anticipated BMW Concept 8 Series on North American soil for the first time, BMW also introduced the Concept Z4. Rumors suggested BMW was ending its slow-selling roadster, implying the segment wasn’t active enough, hindering the company’s interest to introduce a model. But those rumors were clearly wrong as the compact sports roadster segment shows its alive and well.
Cool! But will it remain as a concept?

Upon initial glance, there appears to be a lot going on with the Concept Z4’s aesthetics, making one wonder how watered-down it’ll be when it reaches production. Although fairly futuristic in its design, like the Concept 8 Series, BMW insists both cars preview near-production-ready designs. We imagine things like wheel designs, side-view mirrors, and lighting details will change but overall, BMW promises the general design will remain.
“The Concept Z4 expresses the new BMW design language from all perspectives and in all details,” said BMW’s chief designer, Adrian van Hooydonk. “From the dynamic-looking front to the striking flanks to the clean-cut tail end: a few lines and the subtle interplay between surfaces are enough to generate a sense of power and emotion.”
What powers it?
Not may details are available. Word on the street says it gets six-cylinder power, meaning it’s likely the latest and greatest rendition of BMW’s ubiquitous twin-turbo inline-six.
Overall however, the Concept Z4 proves skeptical rumors wrong and breaks cover with a very eclectic, modern, and edgy design, thoroughly epitomizing a new modern peak in automotive design.
I’m personally on the fence about it and would need to view it in person to get a better idea. It’s neither ugly nor good looking in pictures, but in person, it could be an entirely different experience.
What do you think of the new BMW Concept Z4?
– By: Chris Chin
BMW Concept Z4 Gallery

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BMW Unveils Two Concepts, Showcases Racing History During Monterey Car Week

BMW Unveils Two Concepts, Showcases Racing History During Monterey Car Week

BMW unveiled two concepts during its annual Monterey Car Week Press Conference at the Lodge at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Reviewing Stand. The first was the Concept 8 Series, originally shown at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May; the second, the Concept Z4, made its world debut.
The concepts are a spitting image of the production vehicles BMW plans to reveal over the course of 2018.
Concept 8
The last time the 8 Series was in existence, SpongeBob SquarePants was premiering on Nickelodeon and Napster was allowing users to download music. The BMW 8 Series Coupe will hit the road next year with the distinct luxury and performance elements synonymous with the German automaker. The return of the 8 Series draws on BMW’s rich history as well.
“The number 8 and cars like the Z8 Roadster and i8 have represented the pinnacle of sports performance and exclusivity at BMW,” explained Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “The forthcoming BMW 8 Series Coupe will demonstrate that razor-sharp dynamics and modern luxury can go hand-in-hand.”
The Concept 8 is a modern interpretation of BMW’s styling cues, with particular attention given to the vehicle’s clear surfaces and crisp lines. BMW intends the 8 Series to be regarded as the ultimate “driver’s car.”
“This will be the next model in the expansion of our luxury-car offering and will raise the benchmark for coupes in the segment,” Krüger said. “In the process, we will strengthen our claim to leadership in the luxury class.”
BMW Concept 8 Series. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.
Concept Z4
The Concept Z4 Roadster reflects BMW’s vision for the perfect, modern roadster. Complete with a long wheelbase and low-slung silhouette, the Concept Z4 Roadster puts the driver more in the center when compared to prior BMW roadsters. Like the 8 Series, design is paramount here, being regarded as one of the most important aspects of the Concept Z4 Roadster.
“The concept expresses the new BMW design language from all perspectives and in all details,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President, BMW Group Design. “From the dynamic-looking front to the striking flanks to the clean-cut tail end: a few lines and the subtle interplay between surfaces are enough to generate a sense of power and emotion.”
BMW Concept Z4 Roadster. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.

Around Town
The BMW Concept 8 Series will be on display at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering on Friday, August, 18th, and on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Sunday August 20th. The Concept Z4 Roadster will be on the Concept Lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday as well, but that’s the only time it’s expected to be displayed in North America.
BMW will run two classic race cars in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The famous #25 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL IMSA Group 4 will, one last time, be driven by retiring BMW of North America President Ludwig Willisch. The #21 1972 ALPINA BMW 2002ti will be raced by Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group Head of Design, who is quoted above. Both will race in Group 4A on Saturday, August 19th.
BMW is also showcasing the #42 BMW V12 LMR, which has a vibrant and extensive story. In the seven races in which it competed during the 1999 season, the BMW V12 LMR landed 10 podiums and five victories, including the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 1999 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Monterey Sports Car Championship. In total, there are only four V12 LMRs in existence of which one was the basis for the fifteenth BMW Art Car created by American artist Jenny Holzer.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
BMW Concept 8 Series Gallery

BMW Concept Z4 Roadster Gallery

Photos & Source: BMW of North America, LLC.
Cover Photo: BMW V12 LMR.

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Audi R8 V10 plus Spyder Makes U.S. Debut During Monterey Car Week

Audi R8 V10 plus Spyder Makes U.S. Debut During Monterey Car Week

The Audi R8 V10 plus Spyder will make its U.S. debut this weekend during Monterey Car Week. The automaker is celebrating their Motorsports heritage and showcasing their top performance vehicles for attendees. Audi plans to display race cars that have inspired their production counterparts at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, including the R8 LMS GT3, the RS 3 LMS, and the R8 LMS GT4.
Performance Pinnacle

On Friday, August 18th, the Audi R8 V10 plus Spyder will debut for U.S. car enthusiasts at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. The event features some of the world’s finest and rarest automobiles, and for Audi, it’s the perfect venue for a vehicle they define as their “pinnacle of performance.” The R8 V10 plus Spyder has the same naturally-aspirated V10 as the R8 LMS racecar, prompting Audi to describe the R8 as, “the best representation of how the production models benefit from developments and technologies first used in Motorsport.”
The R8 V10 plus Spyder hits 60 mph in 3.3 seconds with its naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 and seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission. It’s the fastest production convertible Audi has ever produced.
Audi R8 V10 plus Spyder. Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
VIP Events
Beginning Thursday, August 17th and running through Sunday, August 20th, Audi will have an exclusive driving experience for VIP guests at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Invited guests will get behind the wheel of an R8 V10 for the Audi Sport Performance Drive, complete with a tour around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Audi fans will also enjoy the display of race cars that have inspired the brand’s Sport line, revealed earlier this year at the New York International Auto Show. On display will be the R8 LMS GT3, which shares half of its parts with the R8 street car, and the R8 LMS GT4, which shares more than 60 percent of its components with the R8 Coupe. Audi will also display the all-new RS 5 Coupe and the Sport quattro S1. This year happens to mark the 30th anniversary of Walter Röhrl’s record setting climb to the top of Pike’s Peak in the S1.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
Photos & Source: Audi of America, Inc.

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Letter From The UK: Being A Motor Man

Letter From The UK: Being A Motor Man It’s all about the rightness of things, do you see? This dilemma that people of the male persuasion have to deal with because all men believe they are in the right. If, and I know you’ll find this hard to grasp, they are wrong it is always on a silly technicality, and that basically their wrongness is actually based on a solid grounding of rightness.
If others can’t see that, well, that’s their problem isn’t it?
Men Make The Best Drivers
Take driving. We all believe we are good drivers and if others think we are not, then they’re wrong and they are obviously acolytes of that pious, self-righteous, anti-car lobby of witless dullards who wouldn’t know driving skill if it jumped up and bit them. This sort of challenge to man’s inherent driving superiority is like a red rag to a bull.
We’ll show them.
Here in the UK there exists another group of people – for the sake of argument we’ll call “women” – who insist on referring to we mature fellows as “boy racers.” This is missing the point. If you want to enrage a bull you wave a red flag at it and it all kicks off. It can be like that in marriages too although the flag is optional. Mostly it’s just bull.
Traditionally and historically, men have done the driving and women the criticizing; that’s the natural order of things. This is the point: Over the last few decades more and more of the distaff side have taken to the wheel and yet we, the blokes, are still the ones at fault.
It just isn’t fair. Or right.

Or Is It?
It’s a hard truth to swallow, but perhaps – only perhaps mark you – the “boy racer” tag has something to it. Car makers are at fault of course for making all those great vehicles over the decades. The rot really set in at the tail end of the 1950s here in Great Britain when the Mini first became available. Acne-afflicted adenoidal youths discovered the sheer chuck-ability of the tiny wheeled wonder and drove accordingly, and it sort of stuck with them.
We up-specified them, fitted sporting cylinder heads, a Cherry Bomb exhaust, doubled the number of carburetors, and the rest is history.
The “boy racers” of yesteryear have grown up now and purchased Porsches and powerful BMWs believing that road conditions have never changed and their own reflexes are as they always were, back in those blossoming years of lusting flush and not in any way dulled by age or infirmity. This is why, when someone adjacent on the road drives badly we become incensed and determined to prove we can do it better. The rules say we should turn the other cheek and report the miscreant to the authorities; but this is not the manly way.

The Reason Why
You see, the problem for chaps is that they routinely suffer from an illness called Machismo. Characteristics of this terrible disease include a feeling of dominance, fierceness, and bravado and really you should feel sorry for them when so afflicted, bless them. Not wrong, right; just misunderstood. It is a well known medical fact, for example, that driving fast cars actually does make men more virile and attractive so it’s no wonder there’s trouble.
So men will continue to labor under the misnomer of “boy racer” and this is likely to only be changed by something radical like death by old age. This is because it never leaves you. The great and legendary British motor-racing Knight Of The Realm, Sir Stirling Moss himself, is on record saying he got into motor racing because it was dangerous. It’s the buzz! It’s the charge! There’s nothing we can do about it.
The final word lies in a famous expression: “When I was a boy I drove as a boy. Now that I am a man I’ll drive how the heck I like.”
From memory this may not be exactly the correct quote, but I’m probably right.
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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Stock Market Or Cars? Where To Invest? The Data Might Surprise You

Stock Market Or Cars? Where To Invest? The Data Might Surprise You Rarely, if ever, have cars been an “investment” in my life. For myself and countless other gearheads around the world, cars are not a way to make money, they are a perfectly efficient way to lose money. This is not to say classic cars cannot make money in the long run . . . just that 99.99999% of the time, they end up costing you bread, not earning it. If you’re going to invest, the stock market seems more likely.
Now, it seems, some people would beg to differ.
Cash For Classics
According to Kwik-Lift, manufacturers of high-strength steel home and repair shop maintenance lifts, “investing” money in certain cars is actually a good thing. Kwik-Lift says their data “proves” investing in a classic or soon-to-be classic car can offer a better return than putting money into the stock market.
Kwik-Lift bases this on five of the most expensive vehicles Barrett-Jackson sold in January. Kwik-Lift compared those sale values with what the same amount of cash would have gotten you compared with the return from the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index. Kwik-Lift concluded that their study “verified that collector cars are indeed a solid investment.”
And it’s not just Kwik-Lift. I recently read that a German investment firm said more or less the same thing about “investing” in classic 911s. And yes, while the German’s article does jive with what Kwik-Lift is saying, it’s also worth noting that used 911 prices added another zero in the past few years, which should skew the Germans dataset a little, one would think.
What it also does is put “reasonable” 911s out of reach for average guys like me, which totally bums me out. But that’s another story.
Will the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS be a classic one day? Is it worth buying now in the hopes it will increase in value in 50 years? Photo: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Critical Questions
I can hear my investment banker friends laughing all the way out here in the boonies. There’s a bunch of things here that would get you laughed out of an Econ 101 class at the local community college.
First off, they’re using numbers from Barrett-Jackson, an auction company. Auctions are obviously very volatile sales environments, so their sales values are always taken with a grain of salt. Two: “sold in January 2018.” A one month sample size? Three: “five of the most expensive vehicles Barrett-Jackson sold.” Five cars? And only the most expensive? Again, too small a sample and you’ve already pre-skewed it.
Four: “these results were calculated by using a dollar amount invested into Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index . . . and comparing it to the same dollar amount to purchase a vehicle.” What dollar amount? Compared to the S&P when? Over which time period? For how long?
Essentially, what Kwik-Lift did was take the cars in question, see what they sold for new from the dealer back in the day, see what B-J auctioned them for, and calculated the percentage gain over the years. Compare that directly against what Standard & Poor’s would have done over the same period of time, and abracadabra, a 1968 L88 Corvette is a “good investment.”
But here’s the thing: of course it looks like a better investment than the stock market in hindsight. In hindsight.
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Sport Coupe. Photo: GM Media Archive.
Money Talks
Back in 1950, Jackson Pollock painted Lavender Mist, an enormous abstract expressionist painting that hung in Peggy Guggenheim’s gallery for months with a price tag of $10,000. It finally sold, off the books, for around eight grand (if I’m remembering this right). And yeah, eight-large could have bought you a house back then, but still, do you know how much a Pollock of this caliber goes for today?
Hundreds of millions of dollars. Hundreds.
The point being, sure, you could have made a lot of money buying low back in the day and selling (very) high in the present day on something that is currently very desirable. But how do you know what you can buy today that will be seriously valued 50 years from now? You can’t, that’s the answer to that question.
Which is why serious investors, people who invest money for a living, people who own banks, for example, do not put their money in big block Corvettes, short wheelbase 911s or abstract paintings hanging in galleries in Manhattan. You know where they put their money? In banks. In the stock market. In the Standard & Poor’s 500. In real estate. That’s where you invest money, not in cars. You don’t make money with cars, you spend money on cars.
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

Cover Photo: 1970 Pontiac GTO by Darwin Holmstrom, from the book Pontiac GTO 50 Years also authored by Holmstrom.

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2019 Audi A8: A Bahn-Burner of The First Order

2019 Audi A8: A Bahn-Burner of The First Order I’ve always had a soft spot for the big Audi sedans, the A8 and especially the S8. Sure, in the styling department they have faltered from their original taut; understated designs have turned abhorrently generic, but they will still haul you from here to there with amazing speed, grip, and comfort. Now, the 2019 Audi A8 looks to up the game even more.
Audi says their new for 2019 A8 delivers a “modern, serene interior design, usable technology, seamless connectivity and cutting-edge driver assistance features” and who am I to doubt them.
Indeed, as a top-of-the-line luxo-barge, you’d expect a big German sedan, any big German sedan to be dripping with tech. And just as expected, the A8 does not under deliver.
Power & Performance
The most important parts, the powertrain and chassis, get only a scant mention. But what we do know is how the 2019 Audi A8 will launch with its new 3.0-liter V6 TFSI turbo engine, paired with a new 48-volt electric mild-hybrid drivetrain. Audi says the V6 makes 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque.
Gearing is taken care of by an eight-speed tiptronic transmission. Naturally this is mated to a standard quattro all-wheel drive layout with a self-locking center differential. Other chassis and suspension features include adaptive air suspension, available predictive active suspension, and the available dynamic all-wheel steering system.
Comprised of 29 different frame materials and 14 cold and hot joining techniques, Audi says the A8 delivers an “intelligent material matrix” for better handling, comfort, and safety. Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
Interior Treatments
The interior of the 2019 Audi A8 is, of course, like a German-built UFO. The standard features include heated, 18-way power front seats with lumbar adjustments and memory, power tilt and telescopic steering column with memory, Velveeta and Nacho leather interior, er, sorry, that’s a Valetta Leather interior with Fine Nappa Extended Leather (whatever that is).
The optional air quality package includes an ionizer and aromatization; there is an optional “rear right passenger relaxation seat with heated massaging footrest,” plus aluminum-optic control buttons, and adjustable rear Matrix LED reading lights. Wait, there’s more . . . the smartphone-sized OLED touch remote can be used to customize rear seating and infotainment preferences including the Matrix reading lamps.
The front seats are now 22-way adjustable (with massage and ventilation). The steering wheel is heated, the windows are dual-pane acoustic glass, the front and rear door and center armrests are heated, while folding “productivity tables” are located in the center console.
2019 Audi A8 interior layout. Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
Technology Hub
Tech and connectivity? Buckle up Buckaroo. The Audi-standard MMI touch response is here, along with two touchscreens. The upper screen is a whopping 10.3-inches and the lower one is 8.6-inches. The driver can store up to seven individual profiles and the A8 has voice interaction with natural language processing. The map and navigation system is entirely new, and the HERE-powered setup learns drive routes over time so the system can make “smarter routing suggestions.”
The new myAudi app enables a greater range of smartphone-controlled vehicle selections. Also standard is the second generation Audi virtual cockpit with a large, 12.3-inch display. There’s an available full-color heads-up display and the Audi smartphone interface works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Available Bang & Olufsen Sound System comes with a Grateful Dead-level 23 speakers with Acoustic Lens Technology, 24-channel BeoCore amplifier, and a huge 1,920 watts worth of 5.1 Surround Sound. Righteous!
2019 Audi A8 on display at the 2018 New York International Auto Show. Photo: Audi of America, Inc
Safety & Security
The suite of driver assistance stuff reads like something from Mr. Spock’s office: The world’s first laser scanner in a production vehicle, improved sensors, and the zFAS central driver assistance computer that processes all of the sensor information. There is also Adaptive Cruise Assist, Intersection Assist, and Audi Pre Sense 360. More than just assisting you, if you do, ahem, get into an accident with your new Audi A8, the on-board emergency gizmos are there to help you out.
Emergency assist detects if you are unresponsive and brings the car to a stop in its lane, engages emergency hazard lights, and places an emergency SOS call.
Pricing & Availability
The 2019 Audi A8 with the 3.0-liter engine will go on sale this fall with a starting price of $83,800. According to Audi, a V8 engine will be available next summer. I can only surmise that, given the scant mentions of the drivetrain, it can only (hopefully) mean the upcoming S8 will be a real luxo-Bahn-burner of the first order.
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
2019 Audi A8 Gallery

Photos & Source: Audi of America, Inc.

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BMW, Intel, Mobileye, FCA Unite For Ambitious Autonomous Driving Initiative

BMW, Intel, Mobileye, FCA Unite For Ambitious Autonomous Driving Initiative

BMW Group, Intel, and Mobileye announced a signed memorandum of understanding with the intention for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to be the first automaker to join them in developing a global, state-of-the-art autonomous driving platform. The three entities will leverage each other’s strengths, resources, and expertise to expand the autonomous platform’s technology, development, and market effectiveness.
Expertise & Support
FCA’s role in the venture is fairly extensive, as they will provide technical resources, engineering support, and insight to the North American market. FCA also brings their geographic reach to the table with the sales volume necessary to reach the car buying public. The trio will utilize the co-location of engineers in Germany and other areas worldwide for successful implementation.
Teamwork Mindset
Collaborations like these are becoming more common as a response to the challenges of automated driving. Recently, Volvo, Autoliv, and NVIDIA announced their plans to bring a Level 4 autonomous car to market by 2021. General Motors, in March of 2016, acquired Cruise Automation, a San Francisco, California company focused on autonomous driving programs and software. GM and Cruise Automation have been testing driverless Bolt EVs on public roads in San Francisco and Scottsdale, Arizona since June 2016; the companies recently began doing the same in Detroit, Michigan.
AutoSens, a global summit facilitating technical discussions on the future of vehicle perception technology, advocates and encourages collaboration. The next AutoSens event, beginning September 19th in Brussels, Belgium, will see some of the world’s most prominent engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and automotive professionals in one place addressing the challenges of automated driving.
“In order to advance autonomous driving technology, it is vital to form partnerships among automakers, technology providers, and suppliers,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, FCA. “Joining this cooperation will enable FCA to directly benefit from the synergies and economies of scale that are possible when companies come together with a common vision and objective.”
Earlier this year, FCA delivered 500 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo to boost the tech company’s autonomous driving program. Photo: FCA US LLC.
Central Scale
In July, BMW Group, Intel, and Mobileye announced a partnership to make driverless vehicles a reality. The focus is on finding and implementing production solutions by 2021 for highly automated (Level 3) and fully automated vehicles (Levels 4 and 5). Developing a scalable architecture that can be used by multiple automakers, while still maintaining each manufacturer’s unique brand characteristics, is vital.
“The two factors that remain key to the success of the cooperation are uncompromising excellence in development, and the scalability of our autonomous driving platform,” said Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “With FCA as our new partner, we reinforce our path to successfully create the most relevant state-of-the-art, cross-OEM Level 3 to 5 solution on a global scale.”
“The future of transportation relies on auto and tech industry leaders working together to develop a scalable architecture that automakers around the globe can adopt and customize,” added Brian Krzanich, Chief Executive Officer, Intel.
Photo: BMW Group.
Open Invitations, Collective Efforts
BMW Group, Intel, Mobileye, and FCA, together with the recently announced development partners and system integrators, are inviting other automakers and technology suppliers to join them. The goal is the successful adoption of an autonomous driving platform that bolsters an industry-wide solution. Looking back, one could compare the implementation of crumple zones (Mercedes-Benz) and seat belts (Volvo) to these desires for an “industry-wide solution.”
Like crumple zones and seat belts, autonomous driving is an engineering and design concept ultimately focused on occupant safety with the intent of mass adoption. Just as crumple zones and seat belts work in conjunction with other passive safety systems, autonomous technology must act in a similar fashion.
“The combination of vision-intense perception and mapping, differentiated sensor fusion, and driving policy solutions will offer the highest levels of safety and versatility, in a cost-efficient package that will scale across all geographies and road settings,” said Professor Amnon Shashua, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Mobileye, an Intel Company, of the collaboration.
The high-strength steel architecture of the Chrysler Pacifica at the 2017 North American International Auto Show at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. The individual colors correspond to different materials, including their grades and properties, used to manufacture the vehicle. Photo: Steel Market Development Institute.

Too Much, Too Soon?
The focus of the forthcoming autonomous world is, and should always remain on, consumer safety. Around the automotive industry, there are varying targets; some saying 2025, others 2020. This most recent collaboration between BMW Group, Intel, Mobileye, and FCA seems to hint at 2021. Either way, the industry targets for automated driving are soon; in other words, don’t say “it won’t happen in my lifetime.”
Despite crumple zones and seat belts being universal features, and advanced driver assistance systems being offered on more vehicles, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data shows crashes claimed over 35,000 people in 2015. And while that figure is much lower than in 2005, the sheer number of fatalities, when compared to the relatively quick timelines given for automated driving, do require reflection and examination. On the surface, the ratio of fatalities to timelines looks out of balance. Indeed, rolling the whole system out too fast may hinder our otherwise noble objective of keeping drivers and passengers safe.
“Many of the leaders in this space have made a range of headline commitments to autonomous driving, but the industry still has a tremendous number of hurdles to overcome if those deadlines are to be met,” Tim Dawkins, an Autonomous Car Specialist with SBD Automotive, told us in June. “While the technologies are progressing rapidly, there are plenty of questions around liability, regulation, type approval, and infrastructure which are a long way from being resolved.”
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
Sources: BMW Group, FCA US LLC.

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What Does The Financial Turnaround of Lotus Really Mean?

What Does The Financial Turnaround of Lotus Really Mean?

For once in the car world, something claimed to be big news actually is big news. Somehow Lotus, despite making some of the best handling cars the world has ever seen, has been teetering on the brink of financial ruin since day one.
However, they are starting to turn big profits in what could be called a radical financial turnaround.
Coming Clean
Look, I make no claims about my biases. I freely admit my love for Colin Chapman and his cars. Even the ones he’s no longer around to make. If you were to ask me to list 10 or 20 of the world’s greatest cars, after a bunch of Italian ones, Colin Chapman’s Lotus cars would most likely take up the rest of the list. That guy could do more with less than almost any other designer I’ve seen. He could make four bangers stay with V8s, sixes fly past them, and when it comes to racing cars, you’d underestimate his designs at your own peril.
One thing Chapman could not do, however, was figure out how to be profitable while making cars and racing them. When I said Lotus was in trouble since day one, that wasn’t an exaggeration. The Lotus 7, one of the most sublime and best handling sports cars ever, was sold by Chapman to keep his business afloat. And that was back in 1959. The company has, near as I could tell, been living hand to mouth ever since. It has gone through a number of owners since Chapman’s passing, some of them with very deep pockets indeed, but Lotus has always been clinging on by its financial fingernails. That is, until now. At least according to the latest numbers out of England.
“Comprising of Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering, our Norfolk based company with 850 employees worldwide, improved quality, reduced costs, and increased margins resulting in the best sustainable performance for the business for many years,” reads a statement from Lotus. Pictured here is the Lotus Evora GT430. Photo: Group Lotus plc.
Big Numbers
Seriously, check this out: Lotus closed this financial year with £2.0 million in profit, versus last year, where they reported a loss £16.3 million. Lotus, or officially Lotus Group International Limited (LGIL), says this gain is “on plan.” Talk about a fine British understatement. And it appears even better if you look at it in terms of before tax profits and losses. £41.2 million lost the year before last; last year they bled £11.2 million in red ink, and then boom, a Profit Before Tax improvement of £10 million in the second half of fiscal year 2016 and 2017. Lotus says they can now concentrate on and return to a full year of profit before tax for fiscal year 2017/2018.
I know, this accounting stuff makes my eyes go all fuzzy too. And let’s face it, if I was good at numbers I could have had a real career and have been making money myself. But no. Instead, I am a writer. An automotive journalist, at that, so my question is: how. How did Lotus manage to finally make money after all these years?
Benchmark Strategy
For starters, Lotus focused on its strengths in engineering and core brand values. Lotus says they are now producing their strongest lineup of cars, which would be very hard to argue with, given the Evora, Exige, and Elise models, and the new Lotus 3-Eleven track car. Lotus calls their entire range benchmark sports cars, and I would not disagree with that.
And the Hethel concern (okay they’re Norfolk based, but Hethel is their ancestral home) is not resting on their laurels or blowing the cash on champagne and dancing girls. They say the positive cash flow paves the way for “future investment and the development of new models.” Translation: Cars that are even better than the Evora, Exige, and Elise. Contemplate what that might mean for a moment. Lotus has also expanded more than the size of its vault. They have more dealerships across the planet, up from 138 in 2014 to 215 today. Sales are up 57% in Europe with a six-fold sales growth in North America. Shoot, I know companies that would do anything to get numbers like that.
So what’s next? Where does Lotus go from here?
Lotus Elise Sprint in Metallic Grey. Photo: Group Lotus plc.

Future Plans
What Lotus says reads like typical corporate financial boilerplate. The road ahead for Lotus will be focused on “improved quality, reduced costs, and increased margins resulting in the best sustainable performance for the business for many years.” Typical stuff. For those of us whose numerical understandings stop with camber angles and power-to-weight ratios, what this all means is more cars like the Elise Sprint 220, the Exige Cup 380, and the Evora GT430, but – and this is important – cars that are logical engineering extrapolations on those existing ones. Or, as Lotus succinctly puts it, “each clearly demonstrates the company’s ambitions for the future.”
And all I can say is praise be! That Lotus can finally start making money and have the business savvy to build on that means two things: Lotus will be around for a while and their cars will get better and better. And point two is the most important, because their cars are already very, very impressive.
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: Group Lotus plc.

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This McLaren Is Technically For Kids, But We Want One Anyway

This McLaren Is Technically For Kids, But We Want One Anyway

We can all recall times when we wanted to grow up in a hurry. We had those moments when we thought adults got to have all the fun, and naturally, when we arrived at adulthood, we were going to take full advantage of such freedoms. Now that we are adults . . . well, let’s just say taking naps are usually met with an open embrace.
Count the McLaren 570S Step2 Push Sports Car, something meant for children, in the same category. This mini-racer is just as much fun for us adults as it is for our kiddos.
Cool Kids
McLaren Automotive has teamed with The Step2 Company, a North American toy manufacturer, to create something special for families. The 570S Step2 Push Sports Car is, for kids, a way to inspire the imagination – in fact, the little cruiser makes a host of electronic sounds to give children the full experience of going fast. For us older folks, it’s a way to enjoy a leisurely stroll with our loved ones while still looking like the “cool parents.” Just as any machine in the McLaren lineup is a departure from ordinary transportation, the 570S Step2 Push Sports Car is a bit more exciting than the average stroller.

Shared Vision, Inspired Design
Step2 and McLaren Automotive have similar visions: for example, McLaren is recognized as pioneering carbon fiber technology – used in all its cars since 1981 – Ohio-based Step2 is recognized as pioneering the “push car.” Like McLaren knows the automotive enthusiast, Step2 knows parents and families; it’s amazing how many times parents and automotive enthusiasts are one and the same.
Designers from both companies worked together to replicate the essence of the real 570S. Some of the most interesting design aspects include Step2’s Whisper Wheels, which provide a smoother ride. Along with the aforementioned electronic sounds, the flat-based steering wheel is nimble and responsive. The storage area under the seat is for snacks, a smartphone, or first aid kit, while multiple cup holders allow parents to always have bottled water handy.
Pricing & Availability
The new McLaren 570S Push Sports Car, officially licensed by Step2, will be available exclusively through Amazon in September before rolling out later this year at other global retailers. The first color offered is Ventura Orange; price is $79.99.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
Photos & Source: McLaren Automotive.

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