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Running 9s with ease.

Seems like the perfect match.

"GM, every move you make, every vow you break … we'll be watching you." - Unifor

Our sister site VetteFinders.com is starting to pick up as we get closer to spring and of the 500 Corvettes that are being offered for sale include this new listing for a low-mileage 2007 Corvette Z06 Ron Fellows Edition.

The Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Edition Z06 is one of our favorite special edition Corvettes from the C6 era.

Continue reading Corvettes for Sale: 2007 Corvette Z06 Ron Fellows ALMS Edition at VetteFinders.com at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

Sources claim the Trump administration stopped responding late last year.

Finally, Chevy owners can see where the car is at all times.

Holden sells its own version of the Acadia, but the refreshed crossover likely won't head down under.

Big-block Chevy cylinder heads came in various configurations. Would you know what you're looking at if you found a pair at the swap meet? Now you can.

January 2003. I’m talking with a senior auto industry analyst about Carlos Ghosn. “If it was announced Ghosn was about to take the top job at Ford,” he muses, “it would add $10 billion to the value of the company.” He pauses just long enough to ponder a pile of greenbacks larger than the GDP of several small Caribbean countries, then delivers the punchline: “Overnight …”

Ghosn became the auto industry’s $10 billion man for one simple reason: He had saved Nissan. In 1999, Japan’s second-largest automaker had been a basket case. Its share of the Japanese market had been shrinking for 26 years, and only two or three of the 48 vehicles it built were profitable. Buckling under $20 billion of debt and teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, Nissan had been humiliatingly forced to seek an alliance with Renault to survive.

For Renault boss Louis Schweitzer, Ghosn was the logical choice to take on what many believed was a near-impossible task. A Brazilian-born Lebanese, Ghosn graduated as an engineer from France’s elite École Polytechnique before joining tiremaker Michelin in 1978 and jumping to Renault in 1996. A bristling, bustling ball of energy with a hair-trigger intellect and an outsider’s disdain for establishment norms, Ghosn was the change agent Nissan needed. He was appointed chief operating officer in June 1999.

Once in Tokyo, “le cost killer” wasted no time shooting sacred cows. “When I joined Nissan,” Ghosn said in 2003, “everyone explained its weakness by the state of the yen, the collapse of the bubble economy, etcetera. I said that was baloney. The problem with Nissan was inside Nissan. When you start looking outside for excuses, that’s when you’re in trouble.”

Ghosn ignored the arcana of Japanese business etiquette, shaking hands with every employee he met, making English the company’s official language, and brazenly poaching Shiro Nakamura from Isuzu to be Nissan’s new design chief. He dismantled entrenched internal fiefdoms by installing cross-functional management teams that cut across the traditionally compartmentalized engineering, finance, sales, marketing, and manufacturing departments.

It worked. In the year after Ghosn’s arrival, Nissan posted a $2.7 billion profit, a stunning $10 billion turnaround on the previous year. By 2003, Nissan’s costs had been slashed 20 percent, debt was rapidly shrinking, and the company’s 10.6 percent operating margin was second only to that of Porsche—long regarded the industry’s most efficient money machine. Nissan’s savior was a hero in Japan: In 2002, Big Comic Superior, a manga magazine that sold a half-million copies to the salarymen who crammed Tokyo’s commuter trains every day, ran a six-part series called “The True Life of Carlos Ghosn.”

Made Nissan CEO in 2001, Ghosn succeeded Schweitzer as CEO of Renault in 2005 to become the first exec to run two separate automakers. By 2009 he was chairman of both, as well, and by 2016, after Nissan acquired 34 percent of troubled Mitsubishi, he headed an alliance that built more than 10 million vehicles a year.

January 2019. Carlos Ghosn is languishing in a Japanese jail cell, accused of financial misconduct. Whether Ghosn is guilty is for the courts to decide, but what’s striking is how ruthlessly the company he saved engineered his fall from grace. Hiroto Saikawa, who took over the Nissan CEO role in April 2017, personally revealed the allegations of misconduct after Ghosn’s surprise arrest—even though difficult questions could be asked of him, and of the Nissan board, as to how they were unaware of their chairman’s financial arrangements and how Nissan reported those arrangements to regulators.

But consider this: Saikawa and the Nissan board vehemently oppose Ghosn’s plan to turn the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance into a full-fledged merger. They believe Renault is now the weaker automaker and fear a merger would permanently cede control to foreigners, allowing the plunder of Nissan’s $10.7 billion cash reserve. Against this background, the Ghosn affair looks more like a messy palace coup than the search for a smoking gun. One source close to events confirms Saikawa may not survive the scandal. But, this source said, the Nissan CEO doesn’t care: “In Japan he’ll be regarded as a hero.”

How times change.

More from Angus MacKenzie:

• What Autonomous Cars Can Teach Us About Driving 
• The Long Road: Hyundai Comes of Age with the Genesis G70
• Resurrection: The Rebirth of American Luxury
• Plugged In
• Check Engine: A Globalized Industry Collides With National Politics

The post Hero, Zero: The Rise and Fall of Carlos Ghosn – The Big Picture appeared first on Motortrend.

In the last update, I relayed what editor-in-chief Ed Loh’s wife, Giulia—er, Julia—a self-declared CTR “newbie,” thought of the Honda Civic Type R. But she wasn’t the only one who had a first drive. Her father, Bob, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot (KC-135A tankers and FB-111A bombers) had a stint, too. Ed explains why Bob is uniquely qualified to review the Civic Type R: “[He] is an especially keen car enthusiast, having owned over 60 vehicles in his lifetime (was proud to show me the records), and he has natural skills as a driver that must be related to his career.” Riding shotgun beside Bob, Ed reports, “He drove the car smoothly and confidently from the outset, during a quick city and highway jaunt.”

With permission, here’s the review he sent to his USAF buddies on an alumni list: “The new Honda Civic Type R is a $35,000 Civic with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine making 306 hp: an amazing 153 hp per liter. I drove one, and it’s quite the sports car—very stable and well put together. Steering, throttle/engine response, the manual tranny, and acceleration are all outstanding. Honda quality abounds. Reminded me of my 1990 twin-turbo Nissan 300ZX, but with 1 liter less displacement and only one turbo. The 0–60 mph time is around 5 seconds; my old Z was 5.1, but of course the Z had a lot more torque. That said, Honda is sure getting the most out of this 2.0-liter engine. My son-in-law, Ed Loh, editor-in-chief of MotorTrend magazine, thinks the Type R is the best performance car you can get for the least money in today’s market. I suppose he means when compared to Ford Mustang GTs, Chevy SSs, and Dodge Challenger/Charger SRTs costing north of $50K.” Pilot Bob knows his cars.

Retired USAF pilot Bob Felts puts the Civic Type R through its paces.

On the way back to L.A. from Northern California, Ed noticed that “Hard charging backcountry roads revealed compromises made at the altar of grip and performance: On rough pavement, tire roar is deafening, filling the cabin with a fullness the speed-sensitive audio system cannot block.” Once home from his 900-mile trip, Ed summarized by writing, “Overall, I was impressed by the Civic as a long haul/daily driver. It’s fundamentally a Civic, so there’s plenty of room for people and stuff. The Type R treatment doesn’t disappoint and is sophisticated enough that it doesn’t get old, either. Sure, the fins and jets and wings aren’t for everyone, and got some comments, but I stand by the statement that the Type R is the best driving car for the money, provided you can get one with no obscene dealer markup. I’ll take one in [Championship] white, please.”

More on our long-term Civic Type R here:

• Arrival
• Update 1: Commuter Duty
• Update 2: Type R IRL
• Update 3: J. Loh Approved, Mostly

The post 2018 Honda Civic Type R Long-Term Update 4: A Pilot’s Take appeared first on Motortrend.

This pic of a C8 Corvette was snagged on Washington Street in San Diego according to YouTuber RevMatchTV who shared it with the ME Corvette enthusiasts over on the MidEngineCorvetteForum.com.

RevMatchTV says the photo comes from a friend of his and was taken the same day that two C8 prototypes dressed in heavy cladding were also spotted in San Diego.

Continue reading [SPIED] Another Sighting of a C8 Mid-Engine Corvette Prototype in San Diego at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

This comes one day after GM announced a $36 million investment in its Lansing Delta Township factory.

We have the very first details on the second-gen CT6.

The excruciatingly drawn-out decline of the traditional sedan may be getting all the headlines, but that’s not the only segment ailing in this crossover-crazy market. The two-seat convertible segment has waned for more than a decade now, and it looks like it’s only getting worse in 2019. As we initially reported nearly two years ago—and after 23 years of continuous production—the Mercedes-Benz SLC (née SLK) has been officially discontinued. A Mercedes rep tells us there is currently no direct successor planned. Yes, it’s leaving us for sunnier shoreline roads, but not before it goes out with a new Final Edition package.

The Final Edition bundle is little more than an appearance package. It’s offered on both the SLC300 and the hotter Mercedes-AMG SLC43, each coated in a trim-specific color. Despite the extremely yellow Euro-spec Final Edition in these images, all U.S.-market SLC300 Final Editions will arrive in Selenite Grey with gloss-black door handles, mirror caps, and roll hoops. Each of these will be based on the existing AMG Line package, incorporating AMG-inspired styling cues, a sport suspension that drops the ride by 0.4 inch, and a larger brake system with cross-drilled rotors. There are also Final Edition exterior badges and 18-inch AMG wheels with contrasting gloss black accents. The cabin features black and silver Nappa leather upholstery and carbon-look leather trim on the headrests and gear selector.

The Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 is what we’ll get in the much more intriguing Sun Yellow hue, which was inspired by the Yellowstone paint available at the launch of the 1996 SLK. The same gloss-black exterior trim carries over from the SLC300, and the finish is also extended to the front splitter, intake fins, fender strakes, and portions of the rear fascia. The AMG also has 18-inch matte-black wheels with a yellow rim.

If you’re not ready to pick up a Mercedes roadster before the SLC is gone and have the means, the bigger SL-class isn’t going anywhere. In fact, there’s a new luxe-focused Grand Edition for the SL 450 and SL 550.

Like the SLC’s Final Edition, this is just an appearance package. Each Grand arrives in Graphite Grey, offset by both chrome and matte-silver accents on the front bumper and large 19-inch front and 20-inch rear AMG wheels. Inside, the interior is treated with a Designo appearance package that brings Tundra Brown Pearl leather and quilted piping in Golden Olive Pearl. Mechanically, the only change is the fitment of the Sport suspension options, which lowers the car by 0.4 inch.

With the death of the SLC, a key cog in the modern rebirth of the sports-car segment has fallen by the wayside. When it launched as the SLK, it combined with the BMW Z3 and Porsche Boxster to bring the vehicle type back into luxury buyers’ consciousness. (Of course, none of them likely would have happened if not for the wild success of the Mazda Miata.) For the other Germans’ part, they’re still going strong, with the Boxster setting handling benchmarks generation after generation and the Z4 being redesigned this year as a twin to the reborn Toyota Supra coupe.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

The post The Mercedes-Benz SLC Roadster is Officially Done appeared first on Motortrend.

As Chevrolet prepares to launch the most significant update to the Corvette since 1963, many enthusiasts have been trying to determine where the C8 mid-engine Corvette might be revealed.

Many of the pundits and enthusiasts thought they were going to see it in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit while we were originally leaning towards seeing it a the New York Auto Show.

Continue reading Five Reasons Why the C8 Corvette Reveal Should be Held at the NCM’s 25th Anniversary at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

Wow.

When Ram announced its new Heavy Duty pickup trucks, the biggest news was the fact that you could add an all-new 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel good for 400 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque. But how much would it cost to get your hands on the 2019 Ram Heavy Duty? Now we know.

Ram announced today that it will take $35,090 including destination to get behind the wheel of a base-model 2500 Tradesman regular cab 4×2. If you want the 4×4 model, it will add another $2,900 to that price. Upgrading from the gasoline V-8 to the diesel I-6 adds a whopping $9,100.

 

To get the 1,000-lb-ft version of that diesel engine, though, you’ll have to spring for the Ram 3500. That truck starts at $36,540 for the base 4×2 and $39,340 if you want four-wheel drive. Adding the high-output diesel will then add cost an extra $11,795.

At the top of the range, the 2500 4×4 Mega Cab Limited $67,395, with the 3500 version costing $68,745. Equip the 3500 4×4 Mega Cab Limited with the high-0utput diesel, and that brings the total up to $80,540 before options.

Finally, if you’re interested in the chassis cab, the 3500 will start at $36,445. Sadly, we’re still waiting on pricing for the 4500 and 5500, as well as the luxurious Chassis Cab Limited model. Hopefully that info will be announced relatively soon.

For more detailed pricing info, check out the charts below:

Ram 2500 Pickup  VEHICLE LINE MSRP (Excluding $1,695 destination charge) 2500 4×2 Reg Cab Tradesman – LWB $33,395 2500 4×2 Reg Cab Bighorn – LWB $37,645 2500 4×4 Reg Cab Tradesman – LWB $36,295 2500 4×4 Reg Cab Bighorn – LWB $40,545 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Tradesman – SWB $36,950 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Tradesman – LWB $37,150 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Bighorn – SWB $42,100 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Bighorn – LWB $42,300 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Laramie – SWB $49,100 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Laramie – LWB $49,300 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn – SWB $56,300 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn – LWB $56,500 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Limited – SWB $61,300 2500 4×2 Crew Cab Limited – LWB $61,000 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Tradesman – SWB $39,850 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Tradesman – LWB $40,050 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Bighorn – SWB $45,000 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Bighorn – LWB $45,200 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Laramie – SWB $52,000 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Laramie – LWB $52,200 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Power Wagon – SWB $52,900 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn – SWB $59,200 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn – LWB $59,400 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Limited – SWB $64,200 2500 4×4 Crew Cab Limited – LWB $63,900 2500 4×4 Mega Cab Bighorn – SWB $46,500 2500 4×4 Mega Cab Laramie – SWB $53,500 2500 4×4 Mega Cab Laramie Longhorn – SWB $60,700 2500 4×4 Mega Cab Limited – SWB $65,700 Ram 3500 Pickup  VEHICLE LINE MSRP (Excluding $1,695 destination charge) 3500 4×2 Reg Cab Tradesman – LWB $34,845 3500 4×2 Reg Cab Bighorn – LWB $39,095 3500 4×4 Reg Cab Tradesman – LWB $37,645 3500 4×4 Reg Cab Bighorn – LWB $41,895 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Tradesman – SWB $38,300 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Tradesman – LWB $38,500 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Bighorn – SWB $43,450 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Bighorn – LWB $43,650 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Laramie – SWB $50,450 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Laramie – LWB $50,650 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn – SWB $57,650 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn – LWB $57,850 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Limited – SWB $62,650 3500 4×2 Crew Cab Limited – LWB $62,350 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Tradesman – SWB $41,200 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Tradesman – LWB $41,400 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Bighorn – SWB $46,350 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Bighorn – LWB $46,550 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Laramie – SWB $53,350 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Laramie – LWB $53,550 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn – SWB $60,550 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn – LWB $60,750 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Limited – SWB $65,550 3500 4×4 Crew Cab Limited – LWB $65,250 3500 4×4 Mega Cab Bighorn – SWB $47,850 3500 4×4 Mega Cab Laramie – SWB $54,850 3500 4×4 Mega Cab Laramie Longhorn – SWB $62,050 3500 4×4 Mega Cab Limited – SWB $67,050

Source: Ram

The post 2019 Ram Heavy Duty Priced Starting at $35,090 appeared first on Motortrend.

Today, Subaru released a teaser image of a concept it will debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 5.

This model is the latest in a series of radical Viziv concepts that bear little direct resemblance to Subaru’s production cars. Still, the concept will provide some clues on what Subaru is cooking up for its future product portfolio. The concept might preview the next Crosstrek, although the “Adrenaline” name implies something high performance.

The shadowy teaser obscures the vehicle’s general shape and details, so we brightened up the image for a better look. It appears to have the right ground clearance to be a crossover, and the fact that it’s pictured off-road supports this theory. By the way the cut lines are positioned, it’s possible this model has rear suicide doors. This zoomed-in shot reveals an unusual line on the fender and no visible handle.

In addition to the Subaru Viziv Adrenaline Concept, Subaru will debut two electrified vehicles in Geneva. The automaker is keeping quiet on the identity of the two models, and whether they will be plug-ins or traditional hybrids. On its European website, Subaru hints at an “all-new, all-powerful e-Boxer range.”

Source: Subaru

The post Subaru Viziv Adrenaline Concept Coming to Geneva appeared first on Motortrend.

Volkswagen chose the Chicago Auto Show to reveal the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI. With the GTI’s 228-hp engine, an independent rear suspension, and Volkswagen’s VAQ limited-slip differential, the new GLI looks like it should be just as fun to drive as the GTI. We have a feeling it will be much better than the previous Jetta GLI. To get a better idea of what Volkswagen has done with the GLI, we caught up with Adam Reinhardt, one of the product developers behind the Jetta.

Can you talk me through some of your priorities and your goals when it came to redesigning the GLI?

Absolutely. So the number one thing with this car was to make sure that it was on the same performance plane as the GTI. So previous generation, the Mk VI GLI was a good car, but it had the misfortune of the GTI coming out in 2015 as a Mk VII on the MQB chassis that did have more power and it had a more rigid chassis and it had a little bit better handling. And so the performance buyer, the enthusiast, was naturally gravitating more towards the GTI and the GLI was, more or less … didn’t quite measure up in the same performance. And that’s not what we wanted.

What we wanted to do was relaunch the GLI as a true performance sports sedan, so think of it like a GTI with a trunk. And so, to that end, it’s now on a MQB chassis, same as the normal Jetta, and it shares its engine with the model ’19 GTI, so it’s the same EA88 turbo four-cylinder, two-liter engine, making 228 horsepower. It’s a standard engine on all GLIs.

In addition to that, features that were previously in the GTI performance package, like the XDS and the VAQ limited-slip differential, that’s now standard equipment on GLI, as well as the Golf R front brakes.

So you get better braking, all-up more power, and the limited-slip differential to help with the handling.

So at least on paper, the GLI is on par with the GTI. But if you take both cars to a track, is there anything that’s going to stand out as a difference between them and the way they drive other than just not having the hatch behind you?

The expectation is that they should be pretty comparable on a racetrack. The GLI, because of its shape as a sedan, especially with the coupe-ish-type sedan, it actually has a much better drag coefficient, so on a straight-away, depending what track it is, there could be some difference in favor of GLI. GLI is also a little heavier. So there could be some difference in acceleration, in favor of GTI, but depending on the track and the driver we expect it to be pretty close.

As far as demographics go, what’s the difference that you expect to see, or have seen in the past, between the person who buys a GTI, and who buys a GLI?

Well, we know that hatch people tend to be hatch people. That there’s a preference for the styling of a hatch with the European look and feel of a hatchback, and so for those people, we’ve always had the GTI.

What we haven’t had until now, over the past couple of years, is a sports sedan, because we know there’s people who also prefer the shape of a sedan, and they prefer having a real trunk where you can put your luggage in there if you’re going on a road trip. You don’t have to worry about a cargo cover. You can lock it away, people can’t see it, and when you look around and you see a lot more sedans on the road here in the U.S. than you do hatches. It’s basically the opposite of Europe, so to that end, we wanted to bring out the GLI again as a real sports sedan.

Have you seen, or do you expect to see, any differences in income, gender, location in the country, or is it probably more just, as best as you can tell, preference for sedan versus hatch?

Well, what we’ve seen in the sports sedan segment is that there are a number of new entrants, so starting, I guess, with the redesigned Civic Si, and now with the Elantra Sport, and even Kia, with the Forte GT, very aggressive price points, and with a little bit more modest output than we have here. And so we see there being an opportunity to conquest some sales from those other brands, with a car that delivers more performance and similar value.

Since we’re seeing a decline in sedan sales here in the U.S., what is your answer to the person who says, “Why bother with a sports sedan when nobody’s buying them anymore?”

Yeah, well when we talk to our customers, we see that there is a very pronounced demand for sedans. Those people who don’t want the additional space or the reduced maneuverability of an SUV, or the reduced fuel mileage, whether it’s as a second car, or whether it’s a different stage in life, or as a commuter vehicle they prefer a sedan, and so we know that eventually gives us a core group of sedan buyers that’s not going to go anywhere.

I think you hear that in all the different presentations from the different brands. We had [Subaru] Legacy launch today, and also our executive vice president for sales and marketing here, talking about sedans, and still over four million cars in the market, so that it’s a sizeable segment, and we’re very committed to doing it well as part of Volkswagen’s DNA.

Now, I know you said you see opportunities to conquest sales from Elantra and Civic Si, but do you also anticipate taking some sales away from maybe the base model of the more established luxury cars such as the 3 Series, too, or do those tend to be different buyers?

The big thing with those buyers is oftentimes the brand is a key decision factor. But in terms of equipment and value, I think we would give that lower tier a run for its money.

Is there any particular detail or thing that you’re especially proud of, that someone might not notice just looking at a spec sheet or photos?

There’s a couple of things. The first thing is the standard driver’s assistance, which, up until recently hasn’t really been a thing in the performance sedans, but we’ve seen how useful and helpful they are, and how drivers appreciate them, and so all GLIs have standard Blind Spot and Volkswagen’s Front Assist, which is forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, which, up until recently, had not been common in the segment. And it’s something that the Civic does not offer, for example.

And then, for me, the 35th Edition with the unique styling details—so the black roof, black rear spoiler, unique wheels—and that also comes with the DCC which is our adaptive damping system. That’s really the true enthusiast’s choice, and that’s the car that I would want to take home if we could take it home today.

Was there anything that you tried to make happen that just didn’t really work out?

I’d say, all in all, we achieved what we wanted to with the car.

Unfortunately, we can’t reveal pricing just yet, and you’re probably going to ask about it, but the amount of car that is coming to the market for the price-points, it’s impressive. So we’re very excited about that. When we do our own internal value analysis to see which features are valued at which price-points for our customers, we actually come up with calculations that show that the GLI offers more equipment for comparable, if not even a little bit better money, than GTI.

The post 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI: Eight Questions With the Product Developer appeared first on Motortrend.

Last year, GM was ranked as the top company globally for gender equality.