AD #1641 – Porsche Dominates Le Mans, VW Restructures, Embracing Camaro’s New 4-Cylinder
June 15th, 2015 at 11:50am
Runtime: 6:40
- VW Embarks On Major Restructuring
- Porsche Dominates Le Mans
- Mitsubishi Could Close U.S. Plant
- Honda Transitions to New CEO
- Renault’s Biometric T-Shirt
- Embracing Camaro’s New 4-Cylinder
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On today’s show…Volkswagen redesigns its corporate structure….Porsche destroys the competition at Le Mans….and what it took to get the Camaro’s chief engineer to accept a four cylinder engine. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily for June 15th, 2015.
VW EMBARKS ON MAJOR RESTRUCTURING
Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech is barely out the door and the company is already embarking on a major restructuring. Reuters reports that VW will be broken into four separate holding groups. The Volkswagen brand, Seat and Skoda will form one group. Audi, Lamborghini and Ducati will be the second. Porsche, Bentley, and Bugatti will be the third. And then all the trucks, Scania, MAN and VW Commercial will form the fourth. Under Piech all the brands had far more autonomy to make their own decisions and compete against each other. VW says the new structure will allow for faster decision making. We think there will be more changes to come, now that Piech is gone, like getting rid of the VW Phaeton, which the former chairman really liked, but which turned out to be a complete sales dud.
PORSCHE DOMINATES LE MANS
Porsche triumphed in dramatic fashion at the 24 Hours of Le Mans over the weekend. It’s 919 hybrid race cars finished 1-2, handily beating Audi, which finished in 3rd and 4th place, several laps behind. The nearest Toyota was in 6th place. Nissan had entered three of its GTR LM cars, and though one of them was still running at the end, it was so far behind it was not even classified as finishing. But Nissan did dominate the LM P2 category. Corvette Racing racked up another win in the hard fought GTE Pro category. A Ferrari 458 Italia took the win in GTE AM. If you haven’t seen those Porsche 919 hybrids, they are absolutely astounding. The sound they make and the way they accelerate is unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed in a race car.
And we’ll be back with more right after this.
MITSUBISHI COULD CLOSE U.S. PLANT
Mitsubishi has seen a bit of a resurgence in the U.S., but even so, the automaker could consider closing its one and only assembly plant in the United States. A decision will come later this year. The only vehicle made at the plant is the Outlander Sport, and it will only make about 60,000 of them, well below the plant’s capacity of 240,000. Amazingly, almost half of all the Outlander Sports made at the plant are exported to Russia. And that market is crumbling right in front of our eyes. The Sport is also made in 4 other plants around the world and Mitsubishi does not need that much capacity. The real wonder is how that plant in the U.S. has stayed open this long.
MEET THE NEW BOSS, SAME AS THE OLD BOSS
Honda was hit hard from the Takata airbag fiasco. But it’s also had a number of other recalls unrelated to that problem, mostly with the Fit. Bloomberg says that’s why the company decided to push out its CEO Takanobu Ito and replace him with Takahiro Hachigo. Analysts believe the company needs a big shake-up, but even with the new CEO they don’t expect to see any significant changes.
RENAULT’S BIOMETRIC T-SHIRT
Measuring speed and lap times are highly critical to any serious race car driver, but biometric data can be just as useful. So, in partnership with a company called Sensoria, Renault has introduced a smart T-shirt with an integrated heart rate module that links to an app via Bluetooth. A race car driver typically has an elevated heart rate for extended periods, so real time feedback on cardio and aerobic fitness are a real plus. The idea behind the $160 shirt is for drivers to learn how to control their heart rate.
Coming up next, what it took to convince the chief engineer of the Chevy Camaro to add a 4-cylinder turbo to the muscle car’s line-up.
EMBRACING CAMARO’S NEW 4-CYLINDER
The 2016 Chevy Camaro comes standard with a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo engine, helping to make it the most fuel efficient Camaro ever. But Al Oppenheiser, the Chief Engineer of the car, told us on the most recent Autoline After Hours that it took some convincing before he embraced the new engine.
(The AAH preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
If you want to learn more about the development of the new Camaro make sure you check out that episode on our website or on our YouTube channel.
Don’t forget that our guest on After Hours this Thursday is Craig Metros, the exterior designer of the Ford GT. Here’s your chance to learn a lot more about the car that the Ford Motor Company will be racing at next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
But that’s it for today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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Comments (33)
June 15th, 2015 at 12:04 pm
Hello Autoline – thanks for all the information on the automotive world. I think we are all fine w/ 4cy turbo’s in the Mustang and the Camaro.. or any car for that matter if it has the punch.. glad to see them actually. what i don’t get is why the Mustang / Camaro isn’t offered in AWD? as for the LeMan race.. is it me or do most of the viewers like to watch cars that actually look like cars? Thanks again.
June 15th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Taking nothing away from Porsche, in fact giving them all their well earned credit. But, your “headline” of Porsche dominating LeMans is simply shallow, much like most other press and internet blogs. This years LeMans was a superb race right up to the end, with Audi right there again till the last couple hours. Really, it is a car race, the best in the world. I’m surprised you even bothered to mention anyone that didn’t come in 1st place. Come on, Autoline is/should be better.
June 15th, 2015 at 12:25 pm
In every single new item I’ve ever read re. VW, the words improved quality or reliability are never mentioned and I am convinced that if both were addressed with vigor and conviction, the brand could take the lead in world wide sales cause their products are that good, just not reliable and that keeps thousands of buyers from even considering purchasing one.
June 15th, 2015 at 12:28 pm
I believe dividing the VW Group into 4 Sections is a good start but they still have too many brands as did General Motors. Seat and Skoda vehicles should be consolidated into one brand, the same for Scania, MAN trucks. while the luxury remain independent to complete against one another. This will reduce development, tooling and marketing costs.
June 15th, 2015 at 12:34 pm
I had said it before, Mitsubishi should partner with Subaru. However if Mitsubishi should close up shop in the US, Subaru should acquire the plant and produce a redesigned and updated Tribeca (Mid-Large SUV) Model which the brand needs to reintroduce to the US Market.
June 15th, 2015 at 12:45 pm
IT WILL SO SAD THAT MORE AMERICAN JOBS ARE BEING LOST IF OR WHEN THAT MITSUBISHI DECIDES TO PLANT CLOSES IN IL ? BUT LIKE THE LANCER EVO THAT JUST PASSED ON IF THEY DON’T COME UP WITH BACK UP PLANS SOON AND QUICK FOR THE US MARKET THEY MAY LEAVE THE US ALLTOGETHER . THIS PROVES TO ME NOW THAT MITSUBISHI IS HAVING BIG MONEY PROBLEMS HERE IN US AND ABOARD THE MIRAGE AND THE NEW OUTLANDER MAYBE GETTING BY FOR NOW BUT WHO KNOWS HOW LONG THAT WILL LAST ?
June 15th, 2015 at 12:59 pm
A four banger in the new Camaro makes me sick. I’d much rather see a 6 or 8 cylinder engine with cylinder deactivation technology. And before you start offering excuses I will say I don’t care how much power it produces, it is just wrong and doesn’t belong in a performance car.
June 15th, 2015 at 1:13 pm
Mitsu should consider making a compact pickup truck for the NA market.From a base 2×2 model to a very well equipped 4×4.
June 15th, 2015 at 1:21 pm
The problem I see with the new 4cyl “rock star” is how it will hold up as a DD.Also,the roo isn’t a light weight meaning that turbo will be working long hard hours.I have my doubts about any kind of reliable longevity.
June 15th, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Back in the early days of the ‘Pony’ cars (Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, Barracuda, Javelin) there was a distinct faction that did not require or even want a burly engine in their vehicles. A lot of cars were sold to ‘secretaries’, aspiring enthusiasts and older people that just wanted that ‘pony’ car size/feel (or couldn’t afford the bigger engines). Heck, with today’s h/p rating at 275, if it were back in the day, that ‘was’ the high-po engine. Granted the stigma of a ‘four’ may be hard to get over but certainly it will be up to today’s challenge. JMO
June 15th, 2015 at 1:50 pm
@Marshall – Not sure if you’re aware, but both the 6- and 8-cylinder in the Camaro have cylinder deactivation.
June 15th, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Echoing #2…
For context: Audi set the fastest EVER(!) race lap this year. This includes the pre-chicane era.
The Nissan GT-R LM hadn’t turned a wheel in anger until Wednesday.
Nissan is in the LMP2 class as an engine supplier only.
June 15th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
I see VW is putting Audi and Porsche in different “groups,” so they can continue to compete against each other at Le Mans.
7, 10 The turbo 4′s are completely appropriate for Camaro and Mustang. They outperform V8 versions of those cars from not too many years ago. Heck, they put 90 hp fours in Camaros for a few years in the 80′s. We are now in a world where turbo 4 engines power $60K BMW 5 series, and probably 7 series outside the U.S.
June 15th, 2015 at 2:21 pm
How much impact does LeMans really have for the corporations that field cars? How do CEOs measure the benefits? Don’t get me wrong, I watched most of the race via the internet app. But outside the motor sports bubble?
June 15th, 2015 at 2:26 pm
The Mitsu/Diamond Star factory is relatively new, as assembly plants go, starting operation in the mid-late 80′s. I’d think someone like Subaru might want to buy it, except that union busting might not be as easy as in other locations. That seems to be a high priority with many, or most car companies.
June 15th, 2015 at 2:30 pm
14 Doing well at LeMans is probably good PR, maybe more so in Europe than in North America. Also, doing poorly probably has less down side than in some other types of motor racing.
Regarding that down side, I doubt if Honda’s experience in F1 this year is generating much good PR.
June 15th, 2015 at 2:36 pm
I also hear ominous sounds coming from a test Renault is doing on their F1 power unit. My inference is that the results will be weighed when the company decides how to proceed in F1.
June 15th, 2015 at 2:58 pm
#2. When your competition (Audi) has to make unscheduled pit stops because of car problems and drops several laps behind you, I think it’s fair to say you (Porsche) dominated them.
# 14. Le Mans has proven to be a good test bed for technology that ends up in production cars. For Audi, certainly, direct fuel injection, LED and laser headlamps all came out of its Le Mans efforts.
June 15th, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Somebody squeezed for capacity might contract with DSM for the manufacturing capacity without getting bogged down in labor negotiations.
June 15th, 2015 at 3:20 pm
@John Mc.
Do you have any idea how much it REALLY costs to certify a powertrain? I always hear that cost of certification is the reason for the pitifully sparse choice of powertrains in most vehicles in the U.S., but I’ve never heard any actual numbers on what it would cost to, say, offer the 5.3 V8, automatic, in a Camaro. There wouldn’t be much “tooling” involved.
Thanks for info, if you can enlighten us.
June 15th, 2015 at 4:09 pm
#8
Yes. The Might Max would sell well. It would be a midwestern made compact truck.
June 15th, 2015 at 6:26 pm
21 Mitsu could probably triple their U.S. sales by doing that. It is apparently sold about everywhere in the world except the U.S., Canada, Korea, and its home market. According to wikipedia, it uses only one engine, a 4 cylinder diesel. It would need a little work for sale in the U.S., but not much, if they sell it in Europe.
June 15th, 2015 at 8:02 pm
Mitsu is treading water,and not doing very well at that either.Take that plant,and do something none of the other oems will do,bring back a compact pickup,with a diesel would go over really big here to.They don’t have much to lose here in the NA market as it stands,they should give it a shot.
June 15th, 2015 at 8:27 pm
Here is a great safety idea that could save many lives here . Check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZetSRWchM4w
June 15th, 2015 at 9:50 pm
For the first time in years, I saw diesel cheaper than regular $2.799 vs $2.869. That should be good for VW, as the only seller of “affordable” diesel cars in the U.S.
June 16th, 2015 at 5:19 am
Where at Kit? it’s still 60-70 cents more here in SE PA.
June 16th, 2015 at 8:23 am
‘XA’, post 24; that is simply a great idea.
And just for perspective: regular 2.55, diesel 2.69 (Mount Pleasant, SC).
June 16th, 2015 at 9:22 am
26 Kokomo, IN
June 16th, 2015 at 11:01 am
24, 27 That would be great, not only on big trucks, but on the SUV’s that block the view of those of us who still drive cars.
June 16th, 2015 at 11:25 am
24 Samsung truck
Only a few nodes more, and that image
can be on your own dashboard screen too
June 16th, 2015 at 11:49 am
30 They can have an easy to read 10 foot speedometer.
June 16th, 2015 at 11:49 am
As of yesterday afternoon:
reg gas-$3.09.9
diesel-$3.09.9
Thats in sw Oregon
June 16th, 2015 at 11:52 am
@ XA351GT: Awesome video and a GREAT idea.Thanx.