JSwain

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

COBRA JET! LA-LA-LA-LA-LA: Ford Debuts New Cobra Jet Mustang Drag Car

The Mustang Cobra Jet first reappeared in 2008, as a factory-built drag-race version of the Mustang. Premiering at this year’s SEMA show was the first Cobra Jet to be built from the current-generation Mustang. This new Cobra Jet has the distinction of being the only current factory Mustang to utilize a solid rear axle. Joining said solid axle in its quest for quarter-mile supremacy are racing-specific coil-over suspension bits and lightweight racing brakes from Strange Engineering, a roll cage certified for passes as quick as 8.50 seconds, five-point racing harnesses, Corbeau FIA seats, and an Aeromotive fuel system with trunk-mounted fuel cell. Basically, this is all the proper kit needed to keep ETs down and sanctioning bodies out of your hair.

Ford says it used production hardware for the engine wherever possible (to keep a reliable stream of reasonably priced parts available for racers) and claims that the Cobra Jet’s engine is made up of 75 percent Mustang GT components. Definitely not stock is the Whipple supercharger that sits atop the Cobra Jet’s 5.0-liter V-8, force-feeding the engine as much air as it can inhale, while a race-prepped automatic transmission handles the shifting duties. At this point, Ford hasn’t revealed any output specifics (the naturally aspirated V-8 in the stock Mustang GT makes 435 horsepower), but it does say the car as delivered is capable of eight-second quarter-mile times. As a side note, Ford says many of the engine parts that make up the 25 percent that aren’t stock-spec are available in the Ford Performance Parts catalog.

Ford also looked elsewhere in its global parts bin to make the Cobra Jet more competitive, sourcing an electric water pump from the Ford C-Max hybrid, which enhances engine cooling while it’s turned off, for more consistent engine-temperature management, key in a sport where victories are measured in hundredths of seconds.

Continuing the tradition established since the Cobra Jet first reappeared, production of the 2016 car will be limited to 50 units, 25 each in either Oxford White or Deep Impact Blue.

Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan, assembly plant is currently spooling up for production, and deliveries are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2016. Sold as a “performance part” without a VIN, for hopefully obvious legal reasons, the Cobra Jet carries a base MSRP of a cool $99,990. Wheelie bars and the graphics package will set you back an additional $1995 each. Customers interested in snagging one are advised to submit a placeholder order for part number M-FR500-CJ through any North American Ford dealer. If we have to tell you to hurry, you’ve likely already missed the boat.

Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: October 2015

October sales should have automakers grinning like trick-or-treaters counting their candy. Shoppers drove six of the biggest seven automakers to double-digit sales gains, and nine of the top 10 best-selling cars for the month had sales increases. Importantly, October's numbers aren't buoyed — as September's were — by an extra holiday weekend.

With the largest seven automakers reporting, October's new-car sales gained 13.7 percent versus October 2014. Shoppers drove full-size pickup trucks to a modest 4.3 percent growth, and that came as the Ford F-Series and GM's Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra had lower cash incentives versus a year ago, according to Automotive News. Here are the top 10 best-selling cars in October 2015:

Cars.com chart by Paul Dolan

Among other mainstream segments, strong popularity persists for midsize pickups (up 30.8 percent) and compact SUVs (up 25.7 percent). Subcompact SUVs, meanwhile, drew more attention than the house with king-sized candy bars on Halloween. The segment gained 157.1 percent in October, though most of that comes from new products. Next year's sales will give a better picture of whether subcompact SUVs have sustainable interest or are just a flash in the pan.

Subcompact sedans and hatchbacks, meanwhile, were the proverbial homes that handed out apples or toothbrushes, falling 7.2 percent for the month. Compacts (up 3.1 percent) saw a few more shoppers, while midsize family cars (up 11.3 percent) gained significant popularity as cars like the Kia Optima, Volkswagen Passat and Chevrolet Malibu found substantially more buyers.

The Chevrolet Malibu more than doubled its sales despite year-over-year incentives falling slightly. The gains (up 122.1 percent) come versus a weak October 2014, but even then, the Malibu's nearly 25,000 sales signal strong popularity for the nameplate. And this is before the redesigned 2016 Malibu hits dealerships.

Then there's the Passat, up 24.6 percent despite Volkswagen's current diesel crisis. October is the first full month of sales since the crisis began on Sept. 18, and this month's results aren't distorted by comparisons to an unusual year-ago month.

Volkswagen-brand sales were roughly flat as models affected by the diesel crisis had mixed sales results. The Golf and Passat had double-digit gains; the Beetle and Jetta had big losses. Did the automaker offer massive deals to keep the metal moving? October incentives data is pending, but September, a month with nearly two weeks of the diesel crisis, increased by $784 per car, according to Motor Intelligence.

Volkswagen is reportedly offering big discounts now as the crisis rolls on, but average transaction prices for core models affected by the diesel crisis — the Golf, Passat, Beetle and Jetta — stayed steady throughout the month.

Still, flat sales in an industry that's up by double digits is a lot of lost market share. The industry's strength comes as the economy picks up steam, with months of strength in the housing market and consumer confidence. Shoppers also have a little more in their paychecks, with income growth resuming its usual pace in the third quarter after a weak spring, according to the government figures. Combine that with a rising tide of average incentives over the past few months and shoppers have pushed new-car sales to some of their best post-recession numbers this fall.

2016 Nissan Leaf Gets More Range, Price Increase

For 2016, prices for SV and SL versions of Nissan's Leaf electric car are going up, but the tradeoff is a larger-capacity battery that extends range to 107 miles. The SV's base price of $35,050 is more than $2,100 higher than the 2015 model's, and the SL's $37,640 base price is $1,670 higher (all prices include destination). With a new 30-kilowatt-hour battery, the EPA-estimated range of the SV and SL is 27 percent longer than last year's 84 miles.

Related: Research the Nissan Leaf

The base Leaf S retains its previous 24-kwh battery and 84-mile range, and its starting price is unchanged at $29,860 (all prices are before the federal tax credit or state and local tax incentives).

The Leaf, a four-door hatchback introduced for 2011, vies with the Tesla Model S to be the best-selling electric car in the U.S. (Tesla doesn't report sales numbers, so only estimates are available.)

Low gas prices and a continuing migration from cars to SUVs have dampened interest in EVs, and Leaf sales have fallen accordingly. Sales are down 39 percent in 2015 to just less than 15,000 through October.

Leaf sales may also be hurting because the car is heading into its sixth model year in its original design at a time when buyers seem attracted to the newest vehicles on the market. When it was introduced, the Leaf's battery range was 73 miles, but two upgrades since have stretched the range to 107 miles on the SV and SL. All models come with the NissanConnect telematics system, and the SV and SL also have a standard navigation system with a 7-inch touch-screen.

The Toyota “Tundrasine” Limo Pickup Is 26 Feet Long, Has 8 Doors

-There are fancy trucks, and there are fancy trucks. And for the 2015 SEMA show, Toyota has stretched the fancy-truck concept—literally—in the form of the gargantuan, aptly named “Tundrasine.”

Based on the luxurious, Texas-themed Tundra 1794 Edition, the Tundrasine is rendered in Midnight Black and stretches more than 26 feet in length, including a near-20-foot wheelbase—long enough to comfortably park a Bentley Mulsanne between the axles. To fill the extra space, Toyota added four more doors, for a total of eight. Opening any one of them grants access to a brown, leather-lined interior said to draw inspiration from private jets.

While the Tundrasine weighs nearly four tons, Toyota mentioned no changes to the Tundra’s 381-hp 5.7-liter V-8 or its 4×4 drivetrain—we assume the driveshaft has been lengthened considerably—but it did say that height, width, and wheel track are all unchanged. Ditto the styling, which by limo (and SEMA) standards is rather unceremonious.

In the real world, the Tundrasine is the answer to a question exactly no one ever asked. At SEMA, however, that’s pretty much par for the course. We love it.

Recall Alert: 2013-2015 Nissan Sedans, SUVs and Infiniti SUVs, Hybrid SUVs

Vehicles Affected: Approximately 900 model-year 2013-15 Nissan Altima sedans and Pathfinder SUVs; model-year 2013-14 Sentra sedans; model-year 2013 Infiniti JX35 SUVs; model-year 2014-15 QX60 SUVs; and model-year 2014 QX60 Hybrid SUVs

The Problem: An incorrect occupant classification system control unit, installed during a repair, may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty when it is actually occupied by an adult; this would cause the passenger airbag to be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash increases the risk of an injury.

The Fix: Dealers will update the occupant classification system software for free.

What Owners Should Do: Nissan will begin notifying owners this month. Owners can call the automaker at 800-647-7261, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov for more info.

Need to Find a Dealer for Service? Go to Cars.com Service & Repair to find your local dealer.

More Recalls

Porsche Halts Cayenne Diesel Sales, Volkswagen Probing 800,000 More Cars

2013-porsche-cayenne-diesel-photo-510680-s-986x603

Porsche has told its U.S. dealers not to sell any 2014–2016 Cayenne Diesel SUVs in stock. The stop-sale comes a day after the Environmental Protection Agency cited the 2015 Cayenne Diesel in Volkswagen’s second notice over Clean Air Act violations.

“We are working intensively to resolve this matter as soon as possible,” the company said. “Customers may continue to operate their vehicles normally.”

Porsche did not cite any reasons for the model-year expansions nor did it admit fault in using emissions-cheating software, as the EPA alleges, but said the “unexpected” notice caused it to “voluntarily discontinue sales” indefinitely. Other Volkswagen models with the Cayenne Diesel’s 3.0-liter V-6 engine, including the 2014 Touareg TDI and four 2016 Audi TDI models, were also named in the violation notice but continue to be sold.

2013-porsche-cayenne-diesel-engine-cover-badge-photo-510726-s-986x603 (1)

Separately, Volkswagen AG said it had identified 800,000 models across the entire company with “irregularities in CO2 levels,” the majority of which are diesel models. From the statement below, it appears Volkswagen overstated fuel economy on these cars.

“Under the ongoing review of all processes and workflows in connection with diesel engines it was established that the CO2 levels and thus the fuel consumption figures for some models were set too low during the CO2 certification process,” the automaker said.

Again, Volkswagen did not provide a detailed explanation, only that the associated costs for fixing this new problem would be 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion).

“From the very start I have pushed hard for the relentless and comprehensive clarification of events,” VW Group CEO Matthias Müller said in a statement. “We will stop at nothing and nobody. This is a painful process, but it is our only alternative. For us, the only thing that counts is the truth. That is the basis for the fundamental realignment that Volkswagen needs.”

Monday, November 2, 2015

2015 Ford Edge Titanium 2.0L EcoBoost AWD Tested: No Base-Engine Blues

-Three times now we’ve gone to the test track with one of Ford’s newest Edge crossovers, each time with a different engine driving all four wheels. And each time, the sticker price was a little over $45,000. The $45,380 Edge Sport we tested put the money under the hood and the emphasis on performance with the 315-hp 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6. A second example with the naturally aspirated 280-hp 3.5-liter V-6 tilted toward the luxury end of the scale in Titanium trim and wore a price tag of $45,045. READ MORE ››