This week’s flurry of Dodge announcements points to FCA aligning to fill voids Ford, GM are leaving in the market.

Photo: FCA Media website.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) issued a flurry of Dodge-division announcements late this week that, although they tell us little that we didn’t know already, further clarify their strategic direction for Dodge going into the 2019 model year.

The Dodge announcements give us a snapshot of an automaker that is continuing to stay the course with two of their current strong suits: fleet sales and performance-focused passenger cars.

Volkswagen, Dumas electrify the automotive world with all-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record.

Photo: Volkswagen U.S. media website.

As covered in our article just over a month ago, Volkswagen said they would do it. And on Sunday, they did it.

Those of us who have been watching the advances in electric vehicle technology have known it for a while. But in case you haven’t been paying attention, something happened at Pikes Peak this week to add a big, public, exclamation point to the reality that electric vehicles aren’t just for tree-huggers any more.

You’ve come a long way, Hyundai (and Kia and Genesis): Unprecedented J.D. Power findings rank 3 Korean automakers at the top of the quality scale.

Photographed in the UK, this 1986 Hyundai Pony is an example of
the model that Hyundai marketed in the U.S. as the first-generation Excel.
Photo by Charles01 (posted in Wikimedia Commons).

If you’re old enough to have been around and aware in 1985 when the first-generation Hyundai Excels started arriving in the U.S with a bargain-basement sticker price of $4,995—incredible even then for a brand new car—you’re well aware of what a long way Korean automakers have come in the last 30 years. 

The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata is getting more horsepower. And we approve.

Photo: Mazda USA Newsroom.

Ah, Miata. The car that, in spite of sometimes being maligned as a “chick-mobile” or “secretary’s car,” has earned a reputation as the world’s best selling roadster, the world’s most raced car, and the universal solution to how an enthusiast on a budget can gain entry into ownership of a true sports car.

Show cars, hot rods, hoopties and more roll in for the car show in downtown Columbia PA today.

Photo: Auto Enthusiasts Newsblaster

No, it ain’t exactly the concours d’elegance at Pebble Beach.

But maybe that’s what’s good about it—because being an auto enthusiast need not be an elitist hobby. The hobby should be accessible to everyone who owns a car that he or she thinks is kinda cool and wants to get more enjoyment out of the ownership and driving experience. It doesn't have to be restricted to those with the fatness of wallet needed to own a trailer queen that will meet the Classic Car Club of America’s definition of a classic and score points based on “the French rules.”

No, Rolls-Royce didn’t announce thousands of job cuts today. But Rolls-Royce did.

Rolls-Royce Cars and Cognac Event. Photo: BMW Group Press Club.

It was a study in random PR mishaps and brand confusion. And it’s hard to imagine how the timing could have been much worse.

Does size matter when it comes to safety? MINI Hardtop 2 Door bags IIHS safety award for criteria that include ‘nearly avoiding’ a collision, BMW Group says.

Photo: BMW Group media website.

When it comes to factors that affect crashworthiness as well as lighting and driver assist technologies, size might not matter so much. The 2019 MINI Hardtop 2-Door, which weighs in at 2,690 pounds with automatic transmission and sports a wheelbase of 98.2 inches, just brought home a 2018 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

5 things to love about the Lincoln MKT.

Photo: Auto Enthusiasts Newsblaster.

You can make a strong argument that, of any automotive format, it’s the station wagon that encompasses the widest range of elements of the American automotive experience—from hauling big boards home from a lumber yard, to sliding surfboards in the back for a day of thrills at the beach, to packing the family in for a leisurely roadtrip with luggage neatly tied under a tarp on the roof rack, to three rows of seats packed with a youth soccer team, to screaming burnouts from funkily modded, tire-shredding station-wagon street rods. 

Vending machine for cars opens in Orlando.

Photo: Carvana.

Move over, Disney World and Universal—because Orlando just earned a new distinction as the home of the latest vending machine for used cars.

Drivers of new Cadillacs will soon be able to say, ‘Look, Ma—no hands!’

Photo: GM media website.

Soon, when your baby drives off in a brand new Cadillac, he or she might not even have hands on the wheel. Cadillac announced plans yesterday to roll out Super Cruise, a hands-free driver assistance feature designed for use in highway driving, throughout their entire lineup beginning in 2020.

Pre-sale tickets available now for 6th annual 10,000 Lakes Concours d'Elegance in Minnesota

Photo: 10,000 Lakes Concours d'Elegance.

Pristinely preserved vintage automobiles along the bucolic shores of a placid lake on a lazy Minnesota summer day... it can't get much better than that, right?

If you agree, and if your travels next month will take you anywhere near Excelsior, Minnesota, you just might want to grab some tickets to the sixth annual 10,000 Lakes Concours d'Elegance, set for Sunday, July 22, 2018, from 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m at Excelsior Commons along the shores of Lake Minnetonka.

To sell the new Focus lineup, Ford is asking Europeans to talk to a sign.

Photo: Ford Media Center.

Although Ford announced in April that that they will discontinue U.S. sales of all of the Focus lineup except the Focus Active crossover, the situation is different across the pond in Europe, where Ford began pitching an "all-new" lineup of four flavors of Focus this spring. 

Photo: Ford Media Center.

Now, imagine the conversation around the conference room table as the marketing campaign to support the European launch of the lineup, which includes the Focus ST, the Focus Vignale, the Focus Titanium, and the Focus Active, was under discussion. Did some marketing guru actually say, "Hey, let's have people talk to a sign outdoors?"

Yeah.  Of course. That sounds like a great way to sell a car. 

A (partially, I hope) driverless future: here is what intrigues me.

Self-driving Chevy Bolt. Photo: GM Corporate Newsroom.

Not long after we published our post yesterday on what the “money trails” of the automotive and financial industries are telling us about the future of autonomous vehicles, an ad for a curious book showed up in my feed: The Big Data Opportunity in Our Driverless Future, by Evangelos Simoudis, PhD, a former IBM executive known for expertise in big-data strategies and corporate innovation.

Despite tragic accidents, the self-driving car money trail tells one story: They’re here. They’re autonomous. Get used to it.

Waymo-branded self-driving Chrysler Pacifica. Photo: FCA.

It doesn’t take much research to at least get a “Zen sense,” if not a quantitative sense, that auto enthusiasts tend to be, to say the least, ambivalent about the self-driving vehicle juggernaut.

And that’s not hard to understand: it's all about the sense of individual freedom and control that comes from owning and driving your own vehicle. The American driver knows that he or she can, theoretically, at least, decide on any given day to pack up the car and go anywhere in this vast country—whether it’s a temporary vacation or a permanent move.

There's really not much news in Nissan's 2019 370Z pricing announcement, but let's just enjoy the cool car pictures anyway.

2019 Nissan 370Z Heritage Edition. Photo: Nissan Online Newsroom.

2019 Nissan 370Z Roadster. Photo: Nissan Online Newsroom.

It's hard not to feel sorry for PR guys and gals sometimes, when you see them in those awkward moments when they have to put together a press release in a situation when there really isn't all that much to say.

Washington Post says truck driving is an $80,000/year job, then says it's a $42,000/year job.

Screenshot by Auto Enthusiasts Newsblaster of a Washington Post article,
published online on May 28.

The Washington Post seemed just a little confused in an article they published yesterday about a serious shortage of truck drivers in the U.S. But maybe it was a simple matter of disconnect between reporter and headline writer.

BMW launches wireless plug-in hybrid charging for German market, with other regions soon to follow.

Photo: BMW Group PressClub Global.

The BMW Group announced today that a touchless charging station is now available as a lease option in Germany for the BMW 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid. According to BMW, the launch in Germany will be followed by offerings in the UK, the US, Japan and China.

13 vintage and modern GM race cars now on display at GM Renaissance Center in Detroit

1967 Camaro Indy 500 pace car. Photo: GM Corporate Newsroom.

An exhibition honoring GM's motorsports heritage opened to the public last week at GM World, a space providing visitors with a year-round car show experience at the GM Renaissance Center.

BREAKING: More recall woes at Fiat Chrysler—this time it's 4.8 million vehicles for cruise control software issue.

FCA US LLC is recalling an estimated 4.8 million U.S.-market vehicles to upgrade software in their Powertrain Control Modules. The upgrade addresses an unlikely sequence of events that would compromise cruise-control functionality.

Volkswagen builds a stunning new electric race car to tackle Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Photo: Volkswagen U.S. Media Site

No, you haven't seen a Volkswagen like this before. And, yes—it's glorious. A stunning vehicle like this can do much to transform the image that comes into the mind of the skeptical car enthusiast on hearing the phrase "electric car." This one certainly isn't built for the stereotypical tree-hugging, latte-sipping environmentally-correct eco-car owner.

Quote of the week: Ford EcoSport brand marketing manager says Generation Z consumers view their cars as an extension of their phones.

Ford EcoSport. Photo: Ford Media Center.

If feeling over-targeted by marketers is a pain-point for Millennials, just wait and see what could be in store for the next generation in line: Generation Z, a cohort that includes many who have not yet even reached the tender age of 18.

Now, as the Millennial-marketing juggernaut continues apace, Ford Motor Company showed a card or two in their demographic Texas Hold 'Em hand yesterday with a news release positioning Generation Z as the ideal consumer for the subcompact SUV segment, which the automaker exemplifies with their Ford EcoSport model.

Are used tires worth the risk? Trade group, legislators urge standards during National Tire Safety Week

Photo: Bridgestone Americas Newsroom.

Used tires? Been there done that. Let's face it: new tires are expensive, and for someone who's feeling a budget pinch, used tires can look like an appealing alternative. But it's important to know what you're doing and to know what danger signs to look for because, unfortunately, not every used tire on the market has been adequately vetted for safety.

Fiat Chrysler Announces Student Design Contest Winners

First Place design by Eduard Cret.

Second Place Design by Emily Bryson.

Third Place Design by Jinho So.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) named three high school students last Friday as winners of the 2018 Drive For Design contest, a competition sponsored by the automaker's U.S. Product Design Office.

RECALL ALERT: Fiat Chrysler issues recall for fuel-supply tube on certain 2018 Jeep Cherokees

FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 48,990 SUVs in the U.S. to inspect and replace, as needed, a fuel-supply line.

A Company investigation discovered a batch of fuel-supply tubes may have connectors that were incorrectly fitted. If so, they may leak, creating a potential fire risk.

"So a Camry, a Prius, and a Corvette drive onto a racetrack—" Why are you laughing? This isn't a joke.

Photo: Toyota USA Newsroom.

Seriously. The above headline is not a setup for some kind of corny car-guy punchline. It's for real. And let me preface this by saying that I'm not a Toyota basher at all. In fact, I own a Toyota.

That said, I do share a certain level of the sensibility of many in the automotive press—among them Todd Deeken and Paul Schmucker of Everyday Driver, for instance—that the Toyota Camry and Toyota Prius can be looked at as archetypes of the "appliance on wheels" concept.

Will Africa be the automotive industry's next boom market? One former GM executive thinks so.

According to the U.N., more than half of the world's population growth of 2.4 billion projected by 2050 will come from Africa, where the population is expected to double and where the workforce will soon be the world's largest.

Can the automotive industry find new opportunities by serving this expanding market?

A Mini Cooper cop car? Yes, it really is a thing.

Photo: BMW Group media website.

Somehow, it's hard to imagine this working in the United States. Picture, for example, a big ol' diesel-smoking Ford F-250 Super Duty speeding along some highway in a semi-rural area. Then picture a vehicle that, relatively speaking, might as well be a go-cart with blue lights on top trying to pull it over. It doesn't quite seem to fit, does it?

2019 Mercedes AMG GT S Roadster: Coming soon to a reserved parking space in a medical complex near you.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz Media Newsroom USA

Doctors, top executives, and others with an optimal mix of disposable income, affection for sports cars, and maybe a note of mid-life crisis just for good measure, now have an exciting new option: the new 2019 Mercedes AMG GT S roadster, announced by Mercedes this week—and it is certainly a head-turner.

Spotting cool older cars: First-generation Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Photo: Auto Enthusiasts Newsblaster

What it Is: First-generation Chevrolet Monte Carlo (1970-1972).
When Spotted: May 9, 2018.
Where Spotted: Somewhere in Pennsylvania.
Why It's Awesome: From a general perspective, the first-generation Chevrolet Monte Carlo is obviously a great looking car. But you've got to drive or ride in one of these to truly appreciate them. Like a lot just about all full-size GMs of the era, the Monte Carlo's ride was silky smooth. But compared to other GM models of the era like the Impala, these were built to deliver tighter handling, and their grip on the road felt rock solid—especially for a big car that was basically a two-door land yacht. As for this one specifically, it's great because it looks essentially like a well-preserved survivor. It may have had a repaint at some point, but it doesn't look like a recent one. It looks much more original than restored, although it does have aftermarket wheels and tires that are fatter than stock. But a survivor from this generation in this kind of condition is not a common site on the street these days.
Where You Could Buy One: There's a teal 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo advertised now on Autotrader, for sale in Michigan. Asking price: $15,995.

Spotted any cool older cars lately? Submit your original photos and details to auto.enthusiasts.news@gmail.com. We'll consider your entry for future publication in this recurring feature, "Spotting Cool Older Cars."

BMW Group set to debut new 8 Series coupe at Le Mans

Photo: BMW media website.

The highways may be awash with crossovers, but luxury sports coupes are alive and well at the BMW Group, with the debut of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe set for Le Mans on June 15, the eve of the 2018 edition of the legendary 24-hour long-distance race.

The Next Cop to Pull You Over Might be Driving a Dodge Durango

Photo: Fiat-Chrysler media website.

It's well known that fleet sales are an important emphasis for Fiat Chrysler's Dodge lineup. This is one of the reasons why Dodge is staying the course with a large sedan like the Dodge Charger, even in the midst of discontinuations of full size sedans like the Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala.