AD #2118 – BMW Concept 8 Series, Trump Blasts German OEMs, How Autonomy Will Impact Suppliers
May 26th, 2017 at 11:52am
Runtime: 8:18
To watch this episode on YouTube click here.
- Small Cars Not As Safe
- BMW Concept 8 Series
- Faraday’s Bleak Future
- Trump Blasts German OEMs
- How Autonomy Will Impact Suppliers
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On today’s show…BMW reveals its new sleek looking high-end coupe concept…EV start-up Faraday doesn’t seem like it has much of a future…and President Trump blasts German automakers for selling too many cars in the U.S. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
SMALL CARS NOT AS SAFE
If you’re in the market for a new car and safety is a big priority, you’ll want to steer clear of small cars. A new report from the IIHS shows that small vehicles have the highest rate of driver deaths. The Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio and Scion tC topped the list of worst performers. And not surprisingly, luxury cars and SUVs were the safest vehicles. In fact a number had zero driver deaths, including the Audi A6, BMW 535i, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus RX 350, Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Tiguan. The study also revealed that traffic deaths have been on the rise the last couple of years due to falling unemployment. More accidents are occurring because more people are out driving on the roads. And despite the development of new safety technologies and autonomous vehicles, the researchers don’t expect traffic deaths to decline all that much. In 2015, there were just over 35,000 people killed in car crashes. By 2024 that number is estimated to be around 34,000. It will take decades before most cars feature the new technologies and that’s why researchers say we won’t see the benefits in the near future.
BMW CONCEPT 8 SERIES
BMW recently teased a concept for an 8 Series Coupe, but now the full picture is coming into focus. It has classic design elements with a bit of a modern twist. The eyes are first drawn to the long hood and then over the flowing roofline. But looking closer, the hood almost cascades over the front of the car into the uniquely shaped twin-kidney grille. It almost has a shark-nose effect. Large air vents behind the front tires lead to the 8 Series Coupe’s voluptuous rear end. Thin LED taillights and another set of large air vents set to the edges of the rear, pull the eyes outward and make the car look wide and planted. I’d go through the look of the interior, but it still looks a little concept-ty to me. We’ll have to wait for the real car in 2018. I mean, I don’t think the production iDrive knob will be made from smoky Swarovski glass. But overall the 8 Series Coupe Concept has a powerful elegance to it. And one thing is for sure, it’s going to look real good going down the road.
Still to come…a look at Faraday’s bleak future.
FARADAY’S BLEAK FUTURE
Uh-oh, this doesn’t sound good for Faraday Future. The electric car start-up is running into serious cash problems. We already knew that. But now the Chinese company Le Eco, which is the main backer of Faraday, just laid off 325 employees and is cutting back on R&D. Only 50 employees will remain, just a skeleton crew. Bloomberg reports that Faraday is now trying to line up investors to raise a billion dollars. We wish them luck if only because the Faraday Future FF91 with 1,050 horsepower is a really well designed car. You can check out the deep dive we did at CES this year with Pete Savagian, the company’s VP of Propulsion Engineering.
TRUMP BLASTS GERMAN OEMs
President Trump is at it again. Yesterday, in a visit to Germany, he blasted German automakers for selling too many cars in the American market. Der Spiegel newspaper says that Trump told EU officials that, and I quote: “The Germans are bad, very bad.” The United States has a $284 billion trade deficit with Germany, largely because of so many imported cars.
Coming up next, a look at how autonomy will change the development of components made by suppliers.
HOW AUTONOMY WILL IMPACT SUPPLIERS
When the auto industry is discussed, the focus is usually on the car companies. But the auto suppliers also play a major role in developing and producing new technology and components. On Autoline This Week, John sits down with the heads of Federal-Mogul Powertrain and Inteva, to get a supplier’s perspective on industry issues. And in the following clip, they discuss how autonomy will impact their business.
(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
You can watch that entire discussion right now on our website, Autoline.tv or just look for it on our YouTube channel.
And just a quick programming note before I sign off. There won’t be a new Autoline Daily on Monday because of Memorial Day holiday. But that’s it for today, thanks for watching, have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here again on Tuesday.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
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Comments (19)
May 26th, 2017 at 12:06 pm
Trump has a BMW-era Rolls-Royce, which I guess is ok, but Bimmers from Germany are not. I guess my Mini is ok with Trump, since it is a UK-built BMW.
May 26th, 2017 at 12:30 pm
“Small cars are not safe”…
And in other related news, fire is hot and ice is cold.
No slight on you, Sean. You’re all aces in my book. But these types of studies, which serve only to produce evidence of conclusions that are painfully obvious to anyone with a pulse, I find simply ridiculous.
And to think they quite likely got a federal grant for the specific purpose of looking into that…
May 26th, 2017 at 12:30 pm
BMW Concept 8 == Aston Martin w/kidney grill and Lexus scoops f/r.
May 26th, 2017 at 12:38 pm
I really like like the concept 8. Pretty hot.
May 26th, 2017 at 1:08 pm
I’m generally on-board with President Trump but I think he is a little off-base with his criticism of the German automakers; choice is good, and if Americans want a German car, they should have that choice. Personally, I don’t buy German, and keep my four-wheel choices American, but I don’t think that choice should be legislated.
MJB, right on; it’s not that small versus large is a new disclosure. It has been known and reported on for decades or should I say generations.
The BMW concept, as well as the new Lexus coupe (just released) looks nice, sans the Lexus’ grill, but they are not going to make an appearance in my garage; both being foreign and probably way-too expensive (for me).
p.s. big racing weekend: Monte Carlo, Indianapolis and Charlotte; we should have a lot to talk about next Tuesday.
p.p.s. And just to let anyone know that wasn’t aware (it wasn’t reported here); Nicky Hayden passed away earlier this week after a bicycle accident in Italy. (hit by a car). R.I.P. Nicky, you will be missed.
May 26th, 2017 at 1:19 pm
Trump is off base criticizing the German OEMs. What makes America great is choice. If I want a BMW then I will buy one. It’s not the OEM’s fault that the American car companies don’t produce competitive cars they are too busy making trucks. Leave the imports alone, use his political capital to convince Americans to buy American, but don’t block what I have to choose from.
May 26th, 2017 at 1:29 pm
Wishing one and all a VERY safe and enjoyable holiday weekend….Let us keep in mind the true reason for what was previously known as Decoration Day….I thank you for your service and all that you gave.
May 26th, 2017 at 2:12 pm
I’m usually in agreement with Trump on many of his policies ,but to blast Germany for making cars that people want to buy is a bit much. Has he researched how many of those cars may actually be built in the US by our workers. If his goal is to get them to build more factories here then I’m all for it . Hell I want US manufacturers building their cars here , But unless there are major changes made to the business I don’t see that happening
May 26th, 2017 at 2:53 pm
I like the Lexus coupe, except for the nose, and the 8 series concept. Both are/will be pricey. The Lexus starts at over $90K.
I find it especially disgusting that some people provide their unskilled, texting kids with huge SUV’s to “keep then safe,” and to hell with we who have to share the road with them, and are put at greater risk.
May 26th, 2017 at 3:01 pm
I agree with Trump about almost nothing, including his faulting Germans for building cars people like. His hypocracy, having owned expensive European cars, makes it worse. Does Trump even know that M-B and BMW build in the U.S., their products that sell best in the U.S.?
May 26th, 2017 at 4:05 pm
10 & others – While I refused to discuss politics or religion while working, I’m past that at gainful unemployment. Given that the individual we elected as president has the mentality & personality of about a 6 year old, I continue to find his statements hilarious & ludicrous even though as an American I’m embarrassed. As some pointed out, he has cars built overseas, clothing manufactured overseas, & continues to make statements like yesterday about how “Bad” the Germans are. While they weren’t very nice 70 to 80 years ago, they have been one of our staunch allies. Trying to keep this short, choice is good, & yes there should be a level playing field. With that I apologize to those I offended, & All should have a good Memorial Day Holiday.
May 26th, 2017 at 6:06 pm
I’ll definitely be adding that LC500 to my stable! LOVE the grille!
May 26th, 2017 at 8:06 pm
The color pallete for the Lexus LC includes white, four shades of grey, and only three actual colors. I don’t understand.
May 26th, 2017 at 11:36 pm
Trump’s remarks about Germany and cars was out of frustration because Germany refuses to live up to their responsibility as a member of NATO by not spending 2-percent of GNP on Defense especially after German PM Angela Merkel told Trump that Germany may not be able to meet it’s 2-percent Defense spending for a minimum of 7 years; Trump knows how many cars Germany sells in the United States and wonders what is the country doing with the profits which was more important than National defense.
May 26th, 2017 at 11:37 pm
BMW’s 8-series concept car looks like it got headlights out of a Buick.
May 27th, 2017 at 8:53 am
#14 Those NATO nations can’t spend the 2% of their GDP because they are probably spending twice that on the refugee/immigration crisis they caused by allowing all of those people in that are now straining their finances to the breaking point and repaying the kindness by blowing stuff up or turning streets into a version of Death Race 2000. Europe caused this self inflicted wound on it’s self and will most likely expect the US to come in and save their butts.
May 27th, 2017 at 10:59 am
16 The effects of refugees aren’t that simple.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/09/germany-imf-economy-growth-refugees-migrants-labour-ageing-population
May 28th, 2017 at 7:56 pm
The logical, sensible reactions is for German, Poland, and the other EU countries to develop their own, nuclear weapons because they can no long depend on either the USA or UK for a nuclear umbrella.
May 29th, 2017 at 8:04 am
France and the UK already have nuclear weapons, so if Germany develops them, I hope those 3 countries stay friendly with each other, unlike in the 1940′s.