ON THE TABLE

August 11, 2010

John Krafcik. The Hyundai Motor America CEO announced at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City that Hyundai's entire U.S. lineup will achieve an average of 50 mpg by 2025. Grandstanding PR move? Calculated attention grabber? Half "moonshot", half wishful thinking? A logical progression for where the industry's engineering efforts are heading? Yes.

GM. More models for every division, with new entries for Buick, GMC, Chevrolet and Cadillac coming at a furious pace. What will prevent GM from creating a train wreck with a bunch of models from the various divisions stepping all over each other in the marketplace? We're not sure, but if this is the new Detroit disease (see Peter's Rant this week - Ed.) then we're not liking it. What happened to the whole fewer but better models idea? And who says that each division has to have a wide array of product offerings (Buick could have as many as seven)? Really? In the immortal words of Vince Lombardi, What the hell is going on out there?

Witch Hunt Futures. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that brakes weren't applied by drivers of Toyota vehicles in at least 35 of 58 crashes blamed on unintended acceleration, after analyzing data recorders or "black boxes." NHTSA also saw no evidence of electronics-related causes for the accidents in a report to lawmakers. Uh-oh. Who you gonna call now, the Ghostbusters?

Chrysler Group. The company has invited over 600 dealers to something called the "Fiat Experience" on August 30. It's there that dealers will experience the reality of the Marchionne "plan" for the integration of Fiat into the U.S. market for the first time. They will also get a glimpse of Fiat North America, er, the "new" Chrysler, circa 2013, and find out how much it's all going to cost. Bring money, folks, "magic" doesn't come cheap.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: The passing of Jerry Flint last weekend, long-time auto industry reporter and commentator, marks the end of an era in this business. Tough and not shy about his opinions, Flint made his presence known to auto industry executives, some of whom were ill-equipped for Flint's brand of candor. Auto industry analyst Joe Phillippi told Automotive News that he referred to Flint as “the Senator” and said he'll be “missed though not by the fools, bumblers and knaves he so often skewered.” - PMD

(Ford)

If you just gotta have a Harley-Davison-themed truck, Ford's got your number. The new 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson™ F-150 being unveiled in Sturgis, South Dakota, today has a new 6.2-liter V8 engine standard, making it the most powerful Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 ever offered. The engine, which debuted earlier this year on the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, delivers 411 horsepower and 434 lb.-ft. of torque and maximum trailer tow capacity of 9,300 pounds. Other new standard features include a voice-activated Navigation System, a 4.2-inch productivity screen, power moonroof and Remote Start System. Also standard are 22-inch Euroflange forged wheels with a polished center wheel cap and low-profile performance tires. A choice of two colors are available – Tuxedo Black and Ingot Silver - and new graphics on the hood and body side of the truck are executed in an engine-turned finish and feature dimensional satin chrome “Harley-Davidson” lettering. The graphics are reminiscent of the “speed scallops” used on hot rods, according to Ford. Interior trim panels are in Tuxedo Black paint, while the door scuff plate and console lid also carry the engine-turned finish. All interior chrome surfaces feature a new satin finish. Premium leather-trimmed seats come with accent color inserts and a unique cloisonné badge. Other Ford truck news? Ford has four new engines available at launch for 2011: A 3.7-liter V6 and a 5.0-liter V8, each with fuel-saving and performance-enhancing twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) technology, and a version of the 6.2-liter V8 that is the base engine in the 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty. A 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, specially tuned and calibrated for the F-150, will also be available in early 2011. The new engine lineup is said to deliver a 20 percent increase in fuel economy.

(Ford)
The Magnificent Beast - aka the 2011 Shelby GT500 - is on the short list for the AE Car of the Year.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "quick take" this week covers the 2011 Shelby GT500 Coupe. Our Race Red tester - with double narrow white stripes and white stripes on the black leather seats) was simply magnificent in every respect. A beast that exudes bad-ass attitude the moment you turn the key - its supercharged engine sounds like a combination of a '70 factory Bud Moore-prepared Trans-Am Mustang and a current Roush Yates NASCAR V8 - it didn't take long for the GT500 to became one of my favorite production cars of all time. Gripping its massive white "cue ball" shifter and working the perfect Tremec gearbox - and I do mean perfect - and then giving the boot to that raucous V8 - can you say tip-in? - clears your head, cures what ails you, and sends you down the road like a rifle shot, demanding you pay attention RIGHT NOW. The GT500 is everything a serious, muscle-toned, high-performance car should be and everything a hard core enthusiast could ever want in a car, period. Power, looks, handling, brakes - check - it's all there, present and accounted for in one of the most seductive combinations of visceral appeal and gut-wrenching performance that money can buy. Yeah, sophistication is good and we can all tick off the cars that qualify as such in today's current automotive environment - the German V8-powered high-performance cars come to mind - but given a choice, there is something so refreshing and liberating about a bad-ass malcontent of a car that basically dares you to give it a go - if you think you're up to it - that there's just nothing quite like it. And it never gets old, either. Yeah, you can spend more. A lot more. But I'd be hard-pressed to bother, because the GT500 is that good. If you believe that the era for these kinds of cars roaming the streets and byways of America unfettered and free is truly coming to a close - and it just might be - then here's your chance. And by the way, if you're looking for an objective recommendation from me, don't bother. Because if you have 55 grand burning a hole in your pocket and you come to me for advice I'd tell you to go make friends with your local Ford dealer, because as it once was famously said, This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime. My kudos to Ford for having the cojones to build this magnificent beast of a machine and offering no apologies to the hand-wringers for doing so. The Shelby GT500 is a living, breathing testament to a committed gang of enthusiasts at America's hottest car company. Take a bow, folks, you deserve it.  - PMD

2011 Shelby GT500 Coupe: $55,330 ($48,645 base price, 5.4L Supercharged V8, Rear-Wheel-Drive, Tremec 6-speed manual, Power 4-wheel discs with ABS (Brembo front rotors and calipers), HID Headlamps, SYNC, Shaker 500 audio system, etc., blah-blah-blah; Electronics Package -
Voice-Activated Navigation System with integrated SIRIUS® Travel Link™, HD Radio, Dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control - $2,340; SVT Performance Package - P265/40R19 fronts, P285/35R20 rears on 19" & 20" painted forged aluminum wheels, High Performance front and rear springs, Specialized rear shocks, Special rear spoiler with a real deal Gurney flap, a custom cue ball gear shift knob and unique exterior stripes - $3,495; Destination & Delivery, $850)

WE'RE OPENING THE VAULT!

The AE wearables are back - and only in extremely limited quantities and sizes, we might add - and once they're gone, they're gone! We're starting with our most popular items, the classic AE Sweatshirt and AE Hat. Click on a PayPal button below to order yours now! (If you prefer to pay by check, please send us an email with AE STORE in the subject line, and we'll reserve your item.)

AE Sweatshirt - Crewneck, sturdy 80/20 cotton/poly, in black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. Size XL only. 40 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.

AE Hat - Black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. 25 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.

Publisher's Note: Check-out John McElroy's daily news show covering everything about the auto biz by clicking on the graphic below. Good stuff guaranteed. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" hosted by Autoline Detroit's John McElroy, with Peter De Lorenzo and friends this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

 

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