Wednesday
Sep262018
SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at 08:43AM 
Cadillac. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Well, that was special. Cadillac is moving its headquarters back to Detroit from New York, as reported by Mike Colias in The Wall Street Journal. As I have written in this space and in my columns many, many times over the last four years, the idea of moving the brand to New York made sense on one level in that Cadillac's intent was to become its own individual entity as a luxury brand, completely separate from GM's headquarters hard by the Detroit River. And even though that sounded good, the reality was that Cadillac executives based in New York were spending three weeks out of a typical month in Detroit, if not more. It just wasn't working. I suggested not long after the move was made that if I were running Cadillac, I wouldn't want the headquarters to be more than 45 driving minutes from the GM Milford Proving Grounds or the GM Technical Center in Warren, and that there were plenty of nice, abandoned warehouse spaces in this city that could be renovated into fitting quarters for GM's luxury brand. And so here we are. After spending millions upon millions to make a splash in New York, Cadillac is moving back here, right where it belonged all along. -PMD
(Porsche images)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: In the latest entry from the "Fools And Their Money" File; no manufacturer, and I mean no manufacturer in the world knows how to relieve its True Believers of their hard-earned cash better than Porsche. The latest evidence of this? Porsche has unveiled a new "935" race car at their “Rennsport Reunion VI” at Laguna Seca (WeatherTech Raceway) in California. A coldly calculated homage to the legendary Porsche 935/78, the 700-horsepower competition vehicle will be produced in a limited number of 77 units. “This spectacular car is a birthday present from Porsche Motorsport to fans all over the world,” says Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars for Porsche AG. “Because the car isn’t homologated for any series, engineers and designers didn’t have to follow the usual rules and thus had freedom in the development.” Translation? It's a glorified track or "clubsport" car designed to extract as much money from Porsche enthusiasts as possible. Based on the street-legal 911 GT2 RS, most of the body has been replaced or supplemented by carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) parts. It is 191.5 inches (4.87 meters) long and 80.1 inches (2.03 meters) wide. Porsche PR minions say that many of the details of this new track car echo details of previous Porsche racers, to wit - the aerodynamically enhanced rims remind you of the 935/78; the LED lights on the rear wing end plates are adopted from the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car; and the side mirrors come from the current Le Mans-winning 911 RSR, with the exposed titanium tailpipes modeled on those from the Porsche 908 from 1968.
Historical references are also visible in the cockpit. The knob on the gearshift lever has a laminated wood design and is reminiscent of historic Porsche race cars such as the 917 and the 909 Bergspyder as well as the street-legal Carrera GT super sports car. The carbon fiber steering wheel and the color display behind it have been taken from the 2019 911 GT3 R. A safety cage, racing bucket seat and a six-point safety harness are included. A second seat for a passenger is available as an optional extra. Air conditioning is also included.
Power comes from 911 GT2 RS, transferred to the 310 millimeter wide rear wheels via a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission with rigid mounts. Six-piston aluminum monobloc racing calipers are equipped on the front axle, in combination with internally ventilated and grooved iron brake discs with a 390-millimeter diameter; the rear axle is fitted with four-piston calipers and 355-millimeter discs.
The new "935" weighs 3,042 pounds, identical to the road-legal 911 GT2 RS. This "new" Porsche 935 can be ordered now from 701,948 Euro plus country-specific VAT. In the U.S., this non-street-legal vehicle will be imported and sold by Porsche Motorsport North America of Carson, California, and U.S. specific pricing will be announced at a later date. Customers will receive their vehicles from June 2019 at exclusive delivery events. So, basically it's a glorified 911 GT2 RS aimed at the fops who don't know any better and who think this is somehow a good deal on a "special" car, when it's just this side of a tape and stripe job "special edition" for a whole lot of money. Congratulations to all of the "sports" who allow themselves to be duped by this latest Porsche money grab, you're one of the biggest tools in the shed. -PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: In the latest entry from the "Fools And Their Money" File; no manufacturer, and I mean no manufacturer in the world knows how to relieve its True Believers of their hard-earned cash better than Porsche. The latest evidence of this? Porsche has unveiled a new "935" race car at their “Rennsport Reunion VI” at Laguna Seca (WeatherTech Raceway) in California. A coldly calculated homage to the legendary Porsche 935/78, the 700-horsepower competition vehicle will be produced in a limited number of 77 units. “This spectacular car is a birthday present from Porsche Motorsport to fans all over the world,” says Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars for Porsche AG. “Because the car isn’t homologated for any series, engineers and designers didn’t have to follow the usual rules and thus had freedom in the development.” Translation? It's a glorified track or "clubsport" car designed to extract as much money from Porsche enthusiasts as possible. Based on the street-legal 911 GT2 RS, most of the body has been replaced or supplemented by carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) parts. It is 191.5 inches (4.87 meters) long and 80.1 inches (2.03 meters) wide. Porsche PR minions say that many of the details of this new track car echo details of previous Porsche racers, to wit - the aerodynamically enhanced rims remind you of the 935/78; the LED lights on the rear wing end plates are adopted from the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car; and the side mirrors come from the current Le Mans-winning 911 RSR, with the exposed titanium tailpipes modeled on those from the Porsche 908 from 1968.
Historical references are also visible in the cockpit. The knob on the gearshift lever has a laminated wood design and is reminiscent of historic Porsche race cars such as the 917 and the 909 Bergspyder as well as the street-legal Carrera GT super sports car. The carbon fiber steering wheel and the color display behind it have been taken from the 2019 911 GT3 R. A safety cage, racing bucket seat and a six-point safety harness are included. A second seat for a passenger is available as an optional extra. Air conditioning is also included. Power comes from 911 GT2 RS, transferred to the 310 millimeter wide rear wheels via a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission with rigid mounts. Six-piston aluminum monobloc racing calipers are equipped on the front axle, in combination with internally ventilated and grooved iron brake discs with a 390-millimeter diameter; the rear axle is fitted with four-piston calipers and 355-millimeter discs. The new "935" weighs 3,042 pounds, identical to the road-legal 911 GT2 RS. This "new" Porsche 935 can be ordered now from 701,948 Euro plus country-specific VAT. In the U.S., this non-street-legal vehicle will be imported and sold by Porsche Motorsport North America of Carson, California, and U.S. specific pricing will be announced at a later date. Customers will receive their vehicles from June 2019 at exclusive delivery events. So, basically it's a glorified 911 GT2 RS aimed at the fops who don't know any better and who think this is somehow a good deal on a "special" car, when it's just this side of a tape and stripe job "special edition" for a whole lot of money. Congratulations to all of the "sports" who allow themselves to be duped by this latest Porsche money grab, you're one of the biggest tools in the shed. -PMD
(VW images)
VW is introducing the I.D. BUZZ CARGO at the IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hannover. A planned sibling of the I.D. BUZZ, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is offering a glimpse into the middle of the next decade with its alternative, fully-automated "I.D. Pilot" driving mode (Level 4). The I.D. BUZZ CARGO, like all models in the I.D. Family, is based on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB). With the MEB it is possible — dependent on battery size and the model concerned — to achieve ranges between about 200 and 340 miles, as defined by the WLTP cycle. VW says that this zero-emissions panel van could be launched as early as 2021.
VW is introducing the I.D. BUZZ CARGO at the IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hannover. A planned sibling of the I.D. BUZZ, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is offering a glimpse into the middle of the next decade with its alternative, fully-automated "I.D. Pilot" driving mode (Level 4). The I.D. BUZZ CARGO, like all models in the I.D. Family, is based on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB). With the MEB it is possible — dependent on battery size and the model concerned — to achieve ranges between about 200 and 340 miles, as defined by the WLTP cycle. VW says that this zero-emissions panel van could be launched as early as 2021.
