AD #2995 – GM May Expand the Corvette Lineup; Ford Teases Bronco Pickup; How to Understand EPA EV Ratings
January 15th, 2021 at 11:55am
Listen to “AD #2995 – GM May Expand the Corvette Lineup; Ford Teases Bronco Pickup; How to Understand EPA EV Ratings” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 9:34
0:08 GM May Expand the Corvette Lineup
0:48 Ford Teases Bronco Pickup
1:12 ZF Jumps into Lidar Business
1:40 Toyota Wants to Combine Race Skills with Automated Driving
3:20 Kia Continues to Revamp the Brand
4:22 Nissan Unveils Wild Van Concept
4:59 How to Understand EPA EV Ratings
6:35 Palisade A Smart Addition to Hyundai’s Lineup
7:33 Sandy Munro Bullish On 3-Wheel Electric Cars
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
GM MAY EXPAND THE CORVETTE LINEUP
GM could expand the Corvette lineup. We’ve heard these rumors before, but Bloomberg reports designers are working on several Corvette-brand concept vehicles to extend the line. But if GM goes ahead, any new Corvette model will be fully electric. First out of the blocks will likely be a performance SUV, and probably wouldn’t be out until 2025 or sometime after that. Who knows? Over time, the Corvette brand could take on the likes of Porsche. Look, Ford is trying to do the same thing with the Mach-E. If it sells well, we think Ford will consider expanding the Mustang lineup even more.
FORD TEASES BRONCO PICKUP
And it goes beyond Mustang. Ford released a video detailing the design process for the new Bronco and eagle eye viewers noticed a storyboard in the background with a pickup version of the 4-door Bronco. Ford believes that Bronco can become an entire brand with its own lineup of vehicles. And it sure would make sense to offer something to compete with the Jeep Gladiator.
ZF JUMPS INTO LIDAR BUSINESS
It’s amazing how many companies are jumping into the lidar business and now the supplier ZF is the latest. It will produce solid-state lidars for Ibeo, a company ZF holds a 40% stake in, and SICK, which will develop the system design and software for the lidar sensor. The lidar is designed for industrial applications, like for automated guided vehicles, forklifts and other automated machinery.
TOYOTA WANTS TO COMBINE RACE SKILLS WITH AUTOMATED DRIVING
Speaking of autonomous vehicles, Toyota teamed up with Stanford University to see if they can combine the instincts of race car drivers with automated driving technology. The automaker says people will make maneuvers to avoid crashes that are beyond their abilities, so it wants to create algorithms that allow automated vehicles to handle the most challenging emergencies, using data generated from professional drivers. Toyota’s goal is to design a new level of active safety technology that can be shared with other companies.
KIA CONTINUES TO REVAMP THE BRAND
Kia is shaking things up. Last week, it unveiled a new logo and now the automaker is dropping “Motors” from its corporate name and will just be Kia. And its new brand slogan is “Movement that inspires.” The name change and slogan signals its transition from a traditional manufacturing company to its focus on EVs, mobility products and services and purpose built vehicles. It also announced plans to introduce seven new battery electric vehicles by 2027, that will be based on the Hyundai Group’s Electric-Global Modular Platform. The first one will be unveiled the first quarter of this year, a crossover with over 500 kilometers of range or about 310 miles. It will be the first model to wear its new logo. Kia is targeting half a million BEV sales by 2026. But the automaker isn’t done revamping the brand yet and will reveal details about its design direction in the coming weeks.
NISSAN UNVEILS WILD VAN CONCEPT
While most gatherings are still on hold due to the pandemic, many auto shows are going virtual so people can still get their fix. And Nissan’s showing off an interesting concept for the Tokyo auto show, called the NV350 Caravan Office Pod. The interior features an office space with a desk, room for a chair and computer. The best part of this mobile work space is that if the weather is nice outside, the whole setup slides out, allowing for a little bit of fresh air. However, if that wasn’t relaxing enough, there’s a lounger set up on the roof.
HOW TO UNDERSTAND EPA EV RATINGS
They say that range anxiety is one of the things holding back sales of EVs. And we find that using the EPA’s ratings can cause confusion, until you understand what’s going on. Here’s what we mean. The EPA rates the Mustang Mach-E as using 37 kilowatt hours to go 100 miles. Another way to state that is the Extended Range all-wheel-drive Mach-E gets 2.7 miles per kilowatt hour. And since it has an 88-kilowatt hour battery the math is easy: 88 times 2.7 comes to 237 miles of range. But the EPA says it has a range of 270 miles. So where do those extra 33 miles come from? We asked. The EPA test cycle involves acceleration and deceleration, and deceleration provides regenerative braking. That regen puts electricity back into the battery. So 12% of the Mach-E’s rated range comes from regen. By comparison, a Tesla Model Y Performance all-wheel-drive gets 18% of its range from regen. And so, regen is yet another example of where Tesla’s are more efficient than other EVs.
PALISADE A SMART ADDITION TO HYUNDAI’S LINEUP
The Hyundai Palisade recently rolled through the Autoline Garage and it was good to get back into it again. If you’d like to take a deep dive into all the details, check out the Autoline After Hours we did when Hyundai launched it, show number 469. It’s all there.
The Palisade was a smart addition to the Hyundai lineup. Last year, Hyundai sold more than 82,000 of them in the U.S. market. That put it ahead of the Kia Telluride and Subaru Ascent. We think it could do even better this year.
Prices for the Palisade range from a base of $34,000 to nearly fifty grand for a fully loaded model. The base model comes quite well equipped, but if you want a big screen, leather and all-wheel-drive, you’re going to step up to the higher price levels. Here’s the bottom line. If you’re looking for a big, comfortable crossover with plenty of V6 power, the Hyundai Palisade deserves to go on your shopping list.
SANDY MUNRO BULLISH ON 3-WHEEL ELECTRIC CARS
Sandy Munro was on Autoline After Hours yesterday and we covered a lot of topics. For example, he’s about to go on a road trip with a 2021 Tesla Model 3 to do cold weather testing to see how much driving range drops off. He talked about solid state batteries and how they will revolutionize electric cars. And he thinks that 3-wheel electric cars are the key to getting low cost EVs. Take a look.
“If you get a chance to drive one of these things, you change your mind in a hurry. You don’t notice there isn’t a fourth wheel. But I’ll tell you, you notice the difference when you find out that the corner you normally pay for isn’t there–the corner being one of those wheels–meaning lighter weight. That means more fuel efficiency, or in this case, battery efficiency, on and on. There are a lot of reasons for going to three wheels.”
Speaking of electric cars, Magna tells us that EV startups are knocking on its door. They’re interested in having Magna build vehicles for them. We interviewed Frank Klein at Magna Steyr as part of our CES coverage and you can watch that interview right now on our website. Just look for the Autoline On The Road section, or find it on our YouTube channel.
But that brings us to the end of this week. Thanks for watching and we hope to see you back here again on Monday.
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Comments (54)
January 15th, 2021 at 12:01 pm
If they start selling electric SUVs called Corvette, they probably will lose me forever. Yes, Porsche sells SUV/CUVs, but they call them Porsche, not 911. Chevrolet is a good name for any CUVs Chevrolet dealers sell, whether ICE or electric, including performance versions with either power source.
January 15th, 2021 at 12:21 pm
1) I tend to agree. The transition from a vehicle name to a sub-brand will be tricky. Porsche was only successful with adding an SUV because Porsche is a company, not a vehicle name. Ford has done a horrible job transitioning Mustang into a sub-brand by just ripping the Band-Aid off and introducing the Mach-e. Lets see if it pays off for them but I think that they should have introduced a 4 door Mustang first to establish that it is a sub-brand and then go to the SUV.
To transition, Corvette probably needs to make a sporty 4 passenger coupe/sedan, call it Camaro, that can establish them as a sub-brand. Then go to the SUV. I am sure they will introduce an electric SUV and call it Corvette just like Ford did. GM always follows Ford’s lead. Always.
January 15th, 2021 at 12:37 pm
1 IMO turning the Corvette name into a brand is about as smart as it was for Pontiac to start selling minivans. It was GMs performance division and they diluted the brand for the sake of the quick buck. Took what was a popular vehicle and rebranded it so that the Pontiac dealers had a van at the time, and who cares what it does to the brand.
Expanding the offerings within a model like I mentioned yesterday and saying that Ford maybe should consider a variety of Mustangs (2 door, 4 door hatch) is different than offering multiple models under that name and we all saw how well the Mach-e name was received.
GM could do the same with the Camaro but messing with the one vehicle that is an iconic American sportscar is just plain idiotic. They almost ruined the name bad enough with the Chevette.
January 15th, 2021 at 12:41 pm
I enjoyed the After Hours show although a bit too much electric vehicle stuff for me. Anyhoo a couple things from the show
1- he’s going to Minnesota for cold weather testing, well uhhh maybe cool weather testing. I’m north of Minnesota and January has been averaging about 10c warmer than normal.
2- I find it very hard to believe the masses are going to start buying those 3 wheeled G whizzers. North Americans generally care more about comfort and utility than fuel mileage, why is that going to all of a sudden change? They can barely give away cars that get great mileage now so what’s going to change?
January 15th, 2021 at 12:42 pm
@3 – and yet Porsche made it work didn’t they, so if done right it’s quite possible.
January 15th, 2021 at 12:45 pm
Sean I like what you did with the EV range explanation and the EPA should continue with the traditional city and Hwy ratings when it comes to EV range.
Seems a vehicle like the Mach-e would have a city range of 270 and Hwy of 237.
January 15th, 2021 at 12:48 pm
5 No Porsche didn’t make it work. They just launched a SUV under the Porsche name which is much different than making a 911 SUV like Kit said. Corvette is a model not a make.
January 15th, 2021 at 12:57 pm
I would like to mention that the Best place to do Cold weather testing for Electric or ICE, is Kapuskasing,Ontario. AS a matter of fact GM has done testing there.You might want to suggest this town to Sandy Munroe.I enjoyed the After Hours show yesterday.You are definitely the Best automotive news (no reference) show online.Thanks.
January 15th, 2021 at 12:58 pm
Corvette has been rumored that an assisted electric drivetrain will be added to a future Corvette. This will be added to the front wheels, thus creating an all wheel drive vehicle; I think that this has merit. Before we see this though, I’d bet the ZO6 will make its debut. Also rumored is that there will not be a Grand Sport model for this generation and that this is where the electric motors will come in as an additional model (unless, and perhaps, called the Grand Sport-E). And lastly the ZR1, and or the Corvette Zora is reported to have electric assist (taking the front space for motors/batteries) and predicting h/p rating nearing or exceeding 1000. An all electric Vette, maybe; but not before these other renditions come.
p.s. Most of this is speculation and conjecture from what I’ve heard in and around the internet. And while I may not hit on all items, some of these type models are coming before an all electric Corvette.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:00 pm
1
I find it strange how someone would not buy a vehicle just because of it’s name. If for example, it’s the best vehicle in the world for it’s type, would you not buy it?
January 15th, 2021 at 1:02 pm
7 Exactly. Corvette, Mustang, and 911 are iconic models, not brands. Chevrolet, Ford, and Porsche are brands. Turning a model into a sub-brand makes no sense, at least to me. It sort of worked with Prius, for a while, but the name was only ~15 years old, not 55-65 years old like Mustang and Corvette. Also, all three Priuses during the “Prius family” promotion were 5-door hatches, with a lot more “family resemblance” than an electric CUV/hatch is to a Mustang or Corvette.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:04 pm
4
I agree with you on the 3 wheel vehicle. For one thing, my thoughts is it would not stop as fast with one missing wheel.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:05 pm
10 Part of the Corvette experience is the history, the club fellowship, etc., in addition to the car itself. Turning Corvette, or Mustang into another generic car brand takes some of that away.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:09 pm
9 Some of what I’ve heard is that they may, or probably will do hybrid 4wd systems as some of the Italian exotics have done with recent models. It sounds like a lot of complexity for not much, but if people will pay for it, they’d might as well build them.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:12 pm
3 door vehicles are like manuals & diesels and will not sell in any volume to the public. Maybe in certain local areas or factories/bases/ports they might sell.
An electric Corvette will sell, just depends on the speed. It will have to match the Taycan at least.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:22 pm
3 Going back through history, Pontiac was just another car brand, making 2 and 4 door sedans, convertibles, and wagons. In the early ’50s they were decidedly not high performance. Then, in the ’60s they put a big engine in the Tempest/Lemans and called it a GTO, giving them the performance image. Olds did the same with the 442, and Buick with GS 400. Later, Buick continued as a GM “performance” division with the Grand National with the turbo 3.8.
I miss Pontiac, Olds, and Plymouth, but selling a Pontiac van was a perfectly reasonable thing to do at the time, if you consider it to have still made sense for GM to have all of those overlapping brands.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:26 pm
15 But an electric “Corvette” should be called something other than a Corvette, just as a Taycan is not called a 911.
Sometime in the future, when more new cars are electric, maybe an electric Corvette would be appropriate, with two doors and two seats.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:26 pm
There are two examples in the NA market of model names that morphed into brand names…. one successfully (Ram) and the jury is still out on the other (Genesis).
When it comes to sports cars, they should either deliver the symphony of an ICE or the instantaneous torque of a BEV… not the added mass of both (Fisker, NSX, and i8 failings). Simply, not many people use sports cars for long distance trips… so the fuel consumption of a power ICE or the range limitations of a BEV are not factors in the vehicle’s appeal. JMHO.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:27 pm
I for one would drive a 3 wheeled vehicle if they made one that was quiet, comfortable and affordable. Which means it would need to have a reasonable amount of comforts on par with any 4 wheeled car. Have a decent amount of storage or room for a passenger and cost 1/4 less than a comparable 4 door car.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:28 pm
Three wheel vehicles – Don’t believe that they will become mass market. Even Morgan phased them out in 1952.
Agree with comments regarding nameplates such as Corvette & Mustang being models. Brand extension does have some pitfalls.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:30 pm
I got 2.66 miles per kilo watt this 42° morning in a 2018 CT6 plug-in over 12 mile commute. That is all while going up a few hundred feet in elevation and is close to 80 mpge. Going down in elevation in thr Returning home in the warmer afternoon I can see 3.5 miles per kilo watt or Tesla Model S killing 105 mpge!
January 15th, 2021 at 1:45 pm
18 Yeah jury is still out on Genesis and Ram although working I’m not sure it can be considered successful, as I still hear many people refer to the Ram truck as a Dodge Ram.
20 I don’t see 3 wheeled vehicles being mass market either but I cant help but on my way to work (which is about a 48 mile drive each way) look at the vehicles around me 3 to 6 thousand pounds with a single occupant. I rarely ever have anyone else in my car and I do own a second vehicle that I can use when I need to take more than myself anywhere.
When I lived in California I rode my motorcycle everywhere almost everyday. 1) because it was easier to get around. 2)Because it was easier to park. 3)cheaper on fuel. So I would do the same here in Ohio but it could rain any-day and winter driving isn’t fun on a motorcycle. So a fully enclosed 2 or 3 wheeled bike would be fine by me.
January 15th, 2021 at 1:51 pm
Could the Bronco pickup on the storyboard actually be the new Maverick “pickup” I’ve been seeing pictures of lately?
January 15th, 2021 at 1:54 pm
18 The Ram name as a brand has worked out pretty well for the company, but I still call them Dodge.
I’ve taken 4 long trips in my 2016 Corvette, and as long as I don’t need to carry much stuff, the main down side is that the car is kind of noisy. At constant highway speed, it seems to be mainly road noise. The seats are comfortable, and most interstates are smooth enough that the stiff ride doesn’t matter. It gets almost 30 mpg on the highway, giving a 450+ mile safe range. I’ve used the Camry for most highway trips, though, mainly because it is quieter.
January 15th, 2021 at 2:05 pm
18,22,24) I think it works for RAM mainly because they are still selling pick up trucks and staying true to their core. It would not work out for RAM if they suddenly started selling a Viper.
January 15th, 2021 at 2:07 pm
My experience with 3 wheeled vehicles is a Can Am Spyder. It’s, basically, a 3 wheeled motorcycle. It’s a fun, fair weather vehicle, but not a replacement for a car. The one I rode in a demo-class cost about $22K.
If fully enclosed 3 wheelers with heat and A/C come to market for about that price, I can see them selling reasonably well, to motorcyclists, who are willing to take a little more risk than the millions who drive huge trucks and SUVs for the extra “crash protection” they provide.
January 15th, 2021 at 2:09 pm
25 …or Viper pickup trucks, back when they still made Vipers.
January 15th, 2021 at 2:10 pm
@Buzzerd – What’s going to change? I think there could be a potential market for these 3-wheelers for a time. The average price of a new vehicle has climbed high enough that more young people can’t afford one (and put off the purchase) and/or don’t see the value in something that sits around most of the time. Remember when people were saying that kids just don’t want to drive anymore? I don’t really believe that to be true, I think my previous statement has more to do with young people putting off driving. So, that brings us back to 3-wheelers. They’ll be cheaper and easy to use. And I think they’re going to be aimed at a much younger demographic. There’s potential to get a foot in the market. However, I think 3-wheelers will have stiff competition in the form of cheaper EVs, like the ones Chinese automaker Kandi wants to sell in the U.S. Just look how well the Wuling MINI EV is doing in China. Many think that will be repeated in Europe and it could (to an extent) here too. I think the question for 3-wheelers will be, can they establish themselves before cheaper EVs start hitting the market?
January 15th, 2021 at 2:12 pm
All this talk of 3 wheelers and no mention of Elio? Their main page still features that they were a top automotive startup…in 2015
January 15th, 2021 at 2:27 pm
great show
January 15th, 2021 at 2:37 pm
The price Sandy was talking about for the 3 wheeler was about the same as a midsize car, so why would someone buy it? easier to use….. maybe. in certain situations. Cheaper ? doesn’t seem like it. Young people can’t afford it?? Calling bullshit. Take a drive around a college or university parking lot, hell take a drive around a high school parking lot. When I went to high school there really wasn’t a student parking lot because so few of us had cars. I work with a lot of 20 something people and the majority have a new truck and a new house, they aren’t scared of payments at all.
Now I would think there are differences in small and big city, and geographical outlooks, where I live on of those 3 wheel things this time of year would not be much fun and given the amount of AWD vehicles on the market I’m not the only one.
time will tell of course.
January 15th, 2021 at 2:40 pm
29 Yeah good old Elio.. Its too bad as I think they had a decent product. The car was good looking had decent features and best of all was priced super low. If they had gone electric from the start they might have made it but gas prices dropped to less than $3 and so their big selling point a 80mpg didn’t matter much.
Somewhat surprised some EV start up hasn’t snatched them up as the chassis was a perfect start and size. Maybe the changes required to make it an EV are too extensive. Weird how they have left the web page up without any action in years.
January 15th, 2021 at 3:41 pm
Both Elio and Aptiv are companies that have been trying to raise enough money to start production for years, with very poor results. Why? The investment community does not believe its a good investment, and they are right. There are many good reasons that 3-wheel cars have never caught on, despite the efforts of quite a few manufacturers over the full history of the auto industry.
I have a lot of respect for Sandy, but he is wrong about the 3-wheel design being the key to making EVs more affordable. The cost of the battery is the big difference, and that has been coming down steadily for the last 6 years. There are already some commercial EV vehicles that offer a retail price on par with their comparable size and capacity gas or diesel competitors. This will happen in passenger vehicles soon too. This is why you are seeing all these new EVs coming to market over the next several years. The car companies can now offer a competitively priced EV with medium to high levels of range.
January 15th, 2021 at 4:17 pm
33 Companies can get good money for low volume “fun” three wheelers, like Spyder and Slingshot, but it might be hard to get the extra several thousand dollars it would cost to make a properly done enclosed, all-weather three wheeler.
January 15th, 2021 at 4:32 pm
A downside of three wheelers not mentioned, is that the three tire tracks make it harder to avoid potholes and road debris.
January 15th, 2021 at 5:22 pm
The Polaris Slingshot is not cheap…. price is as much or more than a mid-size sedan, yet still lack basic comforts of A/C, power windows, and protection from the environment. Any effort to make 3-wheel vehicles desirable in volume will require the added costs of climate control/protection, the addition of enough cargo space for a Costco or Home Depot trip, and the major communication challenge to convince Americans (and Canadians) that it can safely coexist on roads filled with 2-3 ton SUVs/pickups and a plethora of distracted drivers. Collision avoidance technologies and demonstration of deft/stable emergency maneuvers will be a start.
January 15th, 2021 at 5:33 pm
36 The cheapest version of Slingshot is $20K, less than I expected. The top version is $33K People are willing to pay more relative to what you get for toys like Slingshot, than for basic transportation. For the price of the cheapest Slingshot, you can get a new Nissan Sentra with power steering, power brakes, heater, A/C, etc., a lot more value than the Slingshot.
When looking up the Slingshot prices, I learned something. They have apparently used up all of the left over Solstice/Sky engines, and have a new 2.0 liter engine.
January 15th, 2021 at 8:56 pm
Maybe it’s old news, but I just heard that the average new car price is now $40K.
January 16th, 2021 at 6:13 am
Just giving a nod to Sean McElroy [28] and GM Veteran [33].
Sandy is always interesting, but even for cheap little metroscape EVs the tradeoffs of 4 viz 3 wheels favor the former, be it just about hauling a couple of cases of beverages.
I followed the original Aptera’s evolution and looked into the latest one too, though it’s nothing practical or rational that attracts me to the concept. At least batteries help lower the center of gravity.
Regarding the Corvette, I do think Porsche’s shift into SUVs was a momentous break for the brand, and certainly bold “back then”.
Maybe gm could grab another ship category’s designation. How about, um:
AFSB Afloat Forward Staging Base Interim
SLWT Side Loading Warping Tug
No? Cruiser, maybe?
January 16th, 2021 at 7:07 am
11 You know the funny is they did this back in the 60s and 70s Where they offered a model with many different variants , but they didn’t call them a sub brand . Remember when you went to a dealer and could choose a coupe, a fast back, a sedan, a station wagon and in some cases even a pick up ( Ranchero/El Camino) . They didn’t call those a sub brand they called it choice. My guess is bean counters told the powers to be that they should only offer the most popular versions of those models and blame it on no one wanting them. That is what they did with coupes, Station wagons ,Utes and now even sedans. It’s hard to buy what someone won’t offer. That is why Ford’s decision to kill all their car line off is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. Let me take you back . Say to the 70s . If you went to a Ford dealership and wanted a 2 door , You could CHOOSE between , A Mustang, Torino,LTD, Pinto,Maverick, Thunderbird, and you also many of the same choices over at Mercury with different styling if you didn’t care for the look of the Ford or wanted a little more upscale. You could configure these cars with anything you liked individually not 3 option groups that have more things you don’t want or need . Now fast forward to today or even 5 years ago. Want a 2 door Ford , okay you have the Mustang take it or leave it. Then when people don’t buy it bean counters say see no one wants a 2 door any more.
January 16th, 2021 at 7:59 am
39 Dreadnought would be good for what they now call Suburban.
January 16th, 2021 at 8:22 am
40 Yep, almost no 2 door cars, and not even one RWD wagon. Almost no regular wagons of any kind. Mercedes E-Class wagon has been sold only with 4wd in the US for years, and for 2021, they turned it into a very expensive Subaru Outback. To me, the ultimate case of “you can’t buy what they don’t offer” is car-height wagons. You can buy them everywhere in the world, except the US, and maybe Canada.
1960 was kind of the start of “sub brands” from the US-based companies with Falcon, Corvair, and Valiant. Valiant started out as its own brand, but soon because a Plymouth. Then, in ’61, everyone had a “compact” car, Tempest, F-85, Lancer, Comet, etc. Then, a couple years later, the “intermediates” with their own names came along, and Mustang, Barracuda, Camaro, etc.
I, too, miss being able to order cars with options, and color. I ordered a 1974 Plymouth Duster. There about 5 different engines, multiple axle ratios, 3 transmissions, different seat types and colors, all as individual options. My Duster was green with white vinyl bucket seats, 225cid slant 6, 3-speed manual with Hurst floor shifter, fold down rear seat, non-power front disk brakes, and a few other small options I’ve forgotten about. Now, there is almost no choice at all of individual options. There are about 300 different tall body lifted wagons of various sizes, though, in 5 shades of grey, with black grey, or in some cases, tan interior.
January 17th, 2021 at 9:16 am
https://electrek.co/2021/01/15/ford-delays-hundreds-mustang-mach-e-deliveries-additional-quality-checks/
January 17th, 2021 at 10:38 am
@43
It sounds as Ford just wants to make sure their launch is as smooth as can be; Corvette did much the same with the C8 launch.
January 17th, 2021 at 12:40 pm
44 Yeah, they want to set themselves apart from Tesla in a good way, avoiding quality glitches.
Chuck, what do you know about Corvette production? Is it “up to speed”? So far, I’ve seen only one C8, and I’d like to see them in different colors, while I can still change my order. The only one I’ve actually seen would be about my last color choice, dark metallic grey, whatever they call it.
January 17th, 2021 at 9:20 pm
Kit, C8 production is pretty much up to speed; both shifts are running at the plant and between coupes and HTCs (hard top convertibles) they are making Vettes and delivering at projected rates. 2021′s are already being delivered though most of the first ones are from the 2020 orders that didn’t get initially fulfilled. Ordering one now might already be built as a 2022 (and you’d have to fine a dealer that had allocation).
January 17th, 2021 at 9:50 pm
46 Thanks for info. You are up on this stuff a lot more than I am, and I have one ordered. I’ll call my dealer in the next few days to see what they know about my order, placed in early October. I’m hoping it will be built in May, about the time I normally head north. I’d really like to see some colors before anything is locked in, but I probably have a few months. For now, it’s Elkhart Lake Blue with black interior.
January 18th, 2021 at 6:04 am
@47 There have been some production constraints on certain options, wheels, accessories; as you generally order a less optioned car, you should be fine. I did see that the computer chip scarcity may eventually be a slowdown (but not yet). Here’s an 8 minute video I just saw that might give you an idea (of what’s going on or potentially going on). Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prgP2V4xg2o
January 18th, 2021 at 8:47 am
48 Interesting. Yep, no constraints on my order, unless it’s the IC chips which would, presumably, affect all orders.
January 18th, 2021 at 8:50 am
Cadillac did a nice job with the CTS and offering it in a 2 door coupe, 4 door sedan and a wagon all with 2 different V6 engine choices and in Vee version with a V8 option. The V6 versions could be had in 2WD or AWD. They even offered a manual in the first generation for the V6 or V8s. I don’t believe they have as many choices now as the wagon and manual options are gone.
January 18th, 2021 at 9:00 am
50 Yep, not nearly as many choices with no coupe, no wagon, no naturally aspirated V6, and no manual transmission. Given sales numbers, though, I understand all of it, except for not offering the N/A V6 in CT4 and CT5.
January 18th, 2021 at 9:27 am
A manual will be offered in the CT5 Blackwing (and CT4 Blackwing) edition(s) which hasn’t been released yet. I believe the V-8 (an LT, don’t know what number will be assigned) will be offered with a six speed manual. May be on hold but Cadillac website says late summer ’21. No wagon but they just don’t sell so that part makes sense. And I agree that a V-6 (the 3.6 is a honey of an engine) naturally aspirated CT4/5 makes some sense too.
January 18th, 2021 at 9:40 am
The 3.6 works great in my friend’s Camaro, and works pretty well, even in the big, heavy Traverse et. al. To me, it would be the ideal engine for a “base” CT4 and CT5. I would have gotten a V6 instead of a turbo 4 in my ’89 Caravan, had a manual transmission been available with the V6.
January 18th, 2021 at 10:05 am
Kit have you bought historical plates for that van.