GM. The company has brought back around 100 retired engineers on a contract basis in order to help suppliers with the launch of the new Chevrolet Silverado/GMC pickups this summer. GM North America President Mark Reuss relayed that little tidbit to Automotive News last week, along with the fact that a group of retired engineers also helped with the launch of the new Impala, which Reuss termed as being "almost flawless because of this approach. It really works." We certainly hope that this is a trend in this business, because there are too many smart auto people sitting around bored to death who could really help make a substantive difference on a lot of levels.
CMOs. Editor-in-Chief's Note: From the "Hey Martha, Let's Break Out The Scotch!" File comes word that the average tenure for Chief Marketing Officers has gone up from 23 months to an average of 45 months, according to research conducted by executive-search firm Spencer Stuart, as reported by AdAge. Do you mean CEO's are finally understanding the value of a dialed-in CMO who can affect an image of a company in a most positive way? Could be. But it could also mean that it's a temporary aberration and that the revolving door for CMOs is due to fire-up shortly. Yet another giant "We'll See." - PMD
(Photos courtesy of GM)
Aimed squarely at its top-line Ford (F-150 King Ranch and Platinum editions), Chrysler Ram Truck (Laramie Longhorn) and Toyota Tundra (1794 Edition) competition, the 2014 Silverado High Country will slot above the LTZ and Z71 as the top model in the Silverado lineup this fall. The Silverado High Country has the usual stuff: a unique chrome grille with horizontal chrome bars, halogen projector headlamps, body-color front and rear bumpers, chrome body side moldings, door handles and mirrors. Plus, specific 20-inch chrome wheels with P275/55R20 all-season tires are standard. But the bigger news is inside where the Silverado High Country is distinguished by an exclusive saddle brown interior featuring heated and cooled perforated premium leather front bucket seats with High Country logos on the headrests, Chevrolet MyLink connectivity with an 8-inch touch screen, Bose premium audio and front and rear park assist. Standard engine for the Silverado High Country is the 5.3L EcoTec3 V-8, SAE-certified at 355 horsepower (250 kW). The all-new 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8 also will be available. Both engines feature direct fuel injection, Active Fuel Management and continuously variable valve timing. Both switch to four-cylinder mode to save fuel during light-load driving. Loaded to the gills, Silverado High Country will offer only a few options. In addition to the aforementioned 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8, options include a chrome rear bumper with CornerStep, integrated trailer brake controller, sunroof, navigation, and a rear-seat entertainment system as well as a High Country Premium Package which includes heated steering wheel, driver alert package, adjustable pedals and integrated trailer brake controller.
Editor's Note: Check out this 16-minute video "Born of a Blue Sky," which highlights the 18th Annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Filmmaker Justin Lapriore has condensed the now-famous show into a fluid series of impressions of the entire week from a personal, ground-level perspective. The seminars, driving events and the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Porsche 911, Ford's GT40, Lamborghini and the Corvette Stingray are shown as spectators see them on the Concours' field. - WG
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Gary Vasilash, from AutoFieldGuide.com, sums up last week's Autoline After Hours which you can watch here, plus he talks about market deficiencies facing the Chevrolet Malibu and more. - PMD
(Images courtesy of Porsche North America)Fifty years ago, the Porsche 911 made its debut at the Frankfurt International Auto Show - and just ten years later, the first 911 Turbo prototype was at the IAA. On this 40th anniversary of the 911 Turbo, Porsche is now presenting the new generation 911 Turbo and Turbo S - what the company is calling "the technological and dynamic performance peak of the 911 series." A new all-wheel-drive system, active rear axle steering, adaptive aerodynamics, full-LED headlights, and up to 560 hp - the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo flat six-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection produces 520 hp in the 911 Turbo and 560 hp in the S model - underscore the role of the new generation 911 Turbo as "an ultra performance car, every day car, and technology flagship," according to Porsche. The new Turbo has an entirely new chassis and lightweight tweaks with a 3.9-inch longer wheelbase and larger 20-inch wheels. The Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active anti-roll system, which is being offered for the first time in 911 Turbo models, increases dynamic performance even more. This system is standard equipment in the 911 Turbo S, as is Sport Chrono Package Plus with dynamic engine mounts, and Porsche Carbon Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB); all of these features are also available as options in the 911 Turbo. The result: The new 911 Turbo S shortens the lap time for the North Loop of the Nurburgring to well under 7 and a half minutes with standard production tires.
For even faster and more precise power distribution to the front and rear axles, Porsche developed a new PTM all-wheel drive system with electronically controlled and activated multi-plate coupling. The system is equipped with a new water cooling function, which allows for more strength, and therefore more drive torque to the front wheels, than the system in the previous 911 Turbo. Simultaneously, the optimized interplay of the engine, transmission and all-wheel drive systems results in significant improvements to the acceleration capabilities of the 911 Turbo and Turbo S. The 911 Turbo with the optional Sport Chrono Package Plus accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, on its way to a top track speed of 196 mph. The 911 Turbo S handles the sprint to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, with a top track speed of 198 mph. At speeds above 50 mph, the active rear axle steering system steers the rear wheels parallel to the front wheels. This is equivalent to a virtual lengthening of the wheelbase by 19.6 inches and gives the car tremendous directional control capability. At the same time, the steering input by the driver leads to significantly faster build-up of lateral force at the rear axle, which responds to steering commands even more quickly.
Porsche developed an active aerodynamic system on the new 911 Turbo models for the first time. It consists of a retractable three-stage front spoiler, whose segments can be pneumatically extended, and a deploy-able rear wing with three adjustable wing positions. This makes it possible to tune the aerodynamics of the 911 Turbo to fulfill driver wishes for either optimal efficiency or top dynamic performance. In the performance position, all segments of the front spoiler are fully extended, and they generate considerable down force at the front axle. Similarly, the rear wing is extended to its maximum height with the greatest angle of attack. This also generates more down force at the rear axle. Dynamic performance is improved to such an extent that lap times at the North Loop of the Nuburgring are improved by up to two seconds due to this system alone.
The interior was completely redesigned in both 911 Turbo models. The S model offers such features as an exclusive interior in a black/Carrera red color combination and standard Sport Seats Plus with 18-way adjustment and memory. In addition, the seat back shells are upholstered in leather with double cap seams and various elements in carbon look. As on the previous models, the Bose sound system is installed as standard; for the first time, a Burmeister system is also available as an optional feature. A radar-controlled cruise control system, camera-based road sign recognition, and speed limit recognition are other new options being offered if you just can't help yourself from checking option boxes.
Visually, the characteristic expansively wide rear body panels of the new generation 911 Turbo are a further 1.1 inches wider than on the 911 Carrera 4S. The fenders feature a nearly level surface, about the width of a hand, between the C-pillar and the outer edge of the car body. Other differentiating characteristics include forged two-tone 20-inch aluminum wheels. On the 911 Turbo S they have center hub wheel locks. The Turbo S is further differentiated by new, standard full-LED headlights that feature four-point daytime running lights and camera-based high/low beam control, which can be ordered as an option for the 911 Turbo.The new top models of the 911 model series arrive on the market at the end of 2013 in the United States. The 911 Turbo is priced from $148,300 while the 911 Turbo S begins at $181,100, not including a destination charge of $950. 
(Cadillac) Actress/Singer Rita Ora departs for the Costume Institute Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in a Cadillac XTS. GM's luxury division is blending fashion and automotive design with the launch of “Style Driven,” a four-part video vignette on Vogue.TV offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the life of fashion stylist Erin Walsh, as she curates outfits for guests attending the famous Costume Institute Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. You can watch the four-part series here, here, here and here.
(VW)150,000 passionate fans annually turn the Austrian city of Reifnitz into a veritable Mecca for the Volkswagen GTI. This year the event takes place on May 8 - 11. One of the traditional highlights at the Wörthersee festival is a concept car that's conceived especially for the meeting by Volkswagen engineers and designers. This year, the concept is a race car, the "Design Vision GTI". The striking machine is based on the seventh-generation GTI. The design team, led by Klaus Bischoff (Head of Design of Volkswagen Brand), has drawn the C-pillars and sills outward as autonomous body elements, thus creating space for substantially wider front and rear tracks, as well as specially developed 20-inch wheels (with 235 tires in the front and 275s at the rear). The Design Vision GTI has a twin-turbocharged, direct-injected TSI® 3.0-liter V6 engine that develops 503 hp at 6500 rpm and 413 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. The power and torque is distributed to the wheels via a DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system. Braking comes from 15.0 inch carbon-ceramic brake discs in front and 14.0 inch carbon-ceramic discs in back. The Design Vision GTI will reach 62 mph from a standstill in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 186 mph.
Editor's Note: Check out the new Audi short story video featuring Leonard Nimoy vs. Zachary Quinto in "The Challenge" here. - WG