Ferrari’s GT car for sunnier climes to get Handling Speciale option

LOS ANGELES, Jan 25 — Ferrari says it has overhauled the California’s suspension setup, developed new springs, addressed the shock absorbers, reprogrammed the transmission and even added a new exhaust in the pursuit of making the car more driver focused.

Like all cars sporting the prancing horse emblem, the standard California T is no slouch. It goes, metal folding roof up or down, from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 315km/h. That means that in a straight line, there is very, very little out there with a soft top and a 2+2 seating arrangement that can pass it.

However, unlike its brethren, the California was conceived as a GT rather than a true supercar and one aimed directly at clients on the west coast of the US. It’s a car for long, straight boulevards dappled by guaranteed sunshine and where the smoothness of the ride quality is a priority, even in a supercar.

The US continues to be Ferrari’s biggest single market, but in its most recent financial figures, published at the start of the year, Britain, a country famous for its twisty roads and infamous for its weather, has cemented itself in third place, just behind China, a position it has held for much of this decade.

The HS option is designed therefore to put a smile on the faces of northern European drivers who are lucky if they ever get the chance to drive their California with the roof down. It sacrifices some of this smoothness, particularly when the steering wheel-mounted switch is in the sport mode — much of what accounts for handling, certainty and poise comes down to rigidity, stiffness and reduced body roll — but in return, owners will find that this car’s gear changes are even more responsive, and that it can go into and come out of bends much more quickly, whatever the weather.

The new exhaust system delivers a unique note as that increases in intensity as the engine revs closer to the limit, so the perfect soundtrack for traveling on the most twisting of canyon roads.

And to ensure that the car looks as well as handles differently, Ferrari has changed the California’s front grille to something slightly more aggressive and has redefined the rear diffuser too. The exhaust pipes sport a matte finish and the center console carries a plaque warning passengers that this is the HS edition.

More details, including pricing, will be announced at the Geneva Motor Show. — AFP-Relaxnews

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/drive/article/ferraris-gt-car-for-sunnier-climes-to-get-handling-speciale-option#When:10:57:27Z

Kia’s sporting chance with brand new Sportage

SEOUL, Jan 26 — Korea's major automotive force is well and truly established in the US. Thanks to its combination of reliability and crossovers and with its latest model, the Sportage, due to go on sale this week, Kia is hoping to really make a similar impression on European car buyers.

The latest data from Jato Dynamics shows that while EU nations still favour the compact and sub-compact hatchback above all other car types, the crossover is certainly coming up in the ranks. The Nissan Qashqai is the continent's eighth most popular car, and 10 of the 20 biggest climbers — i.e, the vehicles that jumped the most in popularity over 2015 — were of the crossover variety.

And with the Sportage there's a chance that Kia could be on that list in 12 months' time.

As well as boasting a much more European external aesthetic, the company has continued this European approach in its focus on increasing cabin space without significantly increasing the wheelbase — it's just 30mm wider and 40mm longer — and in the levels of creature comforts and current generation active safety systems on offer.

The Sportage comes either as standard or as an option (depending on trim level) with emergency autonomous braking, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, road sign recognition, parking assist and rear traffic detection. A navigation system with seven years' mapping support is also standard, and the top model supports wireless smartphone charging.

The new crossover, available with two- or four-wheel drive, is also one of the first KIA cars to offer a dual-clutch paddle-change seven-speed transmission and when mated to the turbocharged 1.6-litre 177hp motor in the GT line should promise a bit of fun — 0-100kph in 9.9 seconds — as well as practicality. — AFP-Relaxnews

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/drive/article/kias-sporting-chance-with-brand-new-sportage#When:00:22:20Z

Bumpy road ahead for electric cars, says Tesla boss

HONG KONG, Jan 26 — Electric car manufacturers will have to design futuristic vehicles to entice buyers in order to ride out the challenge of plunging oil prices, Tesla co-founder Elon Musk said today.  

The luxury all-electric US car maker, founded in 2003, rose to prominence as oil prices soared and made alternative energy vehicles more tempting.

Now the fledgling industry is under pressure, said Musk. Tesla itself saw shares dive earlier this month after it reported deliveries at the bottom end of its forecast for the 2015 fourth quarter. 

“It definitely makes the transition to sustainable energy more difficult,” Musk, 44, said when asked at a business conference in Hong Kong about the impact of free-falling oil prices.

“No doubt that is going to dampen interest in electric vehicles in general,” Musk told the “StartmeupHK” event.

Tesla is looking to recruit 1,600 software engineers to help develop “Autopilot”, its autonomous car IT system and aims to have a fully self-driving car by 2018.

The system has capabilities like the “Summon” function so drivers can call the car from the garage to their side at will, like a pet.

The company is taking orders for its new Model X, released this year, which boasts some self-driving facilities and Back To the Future-style “falcon-wing” doors. 

“What we’re aspiring to do is to make the cars so compelling that even with lower gas prices, it’s still the car you want to buy,” said Musk.

He predicted all cars would be autonomous within the next 15 years — with steering wheels eventually just a distant memory as autopilot takes over. 

“If you go long, long term my guess is there isn’t (going to be) a steering wheel in most cars, it would be something that you’re going to have to special order.”

Musk said new Tesla cars would have more affordable price tags — the Model Three sedan planned for 2017 will cost an estimated US$35,000 (approx.. RM150,400), half the cost of other Teslas.

Financiers are watching as the company aims to increase production tenfold to 500,000 cars a year by 2020, supported by Tesla’s own battery plant under construction in Nevada which is crucial to cutting car prices.

Such promises have kept investors firmly behind the California company, even though it has continued to lose money while the big carmakers in Detroit rack up profits in the booming US auto market. — AFP

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/drive/article/bumpy-road-ahead-for-electric-cars-says-tesla-boss#When:09:08:51Z

10 connected car questions for 2016

1. How will Google bring self-driving cars to market?

Google wants to bring shared self-driving cars to market by 2020. In 2015, it showed signs of inching toward the marketplace by bringing aboard John Krafcik to lead the program and commencing testing in Austin, Texas. With a manufacturing deal with Ford reportedly in the works, 2016 may bring more concrete signs of Google's go-to-market plan. Meanwhile, Google's archrival Apple Inc. continues to explore cars in secrecy.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx: Rules are coming.

2. Will vehicle-to-vehicle communications really happen?

For more than a decade, the U.S. government has pushed technology that would allow cars to “talk” to one another to avoid crashes, using a wireless communications frequency. It hasn't hit the market — though General Motors says it'll be offered on the 2017 Cadillac CTS — and the government hasn't built any roadway infrastructure to enable it. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has vowed to propose rules by the time President Barack Obama leaves office in January 2017, but will that happen?

3. Can the auto industry patch its security holes?

The dark side of connected cars is that every additional connection creates another way for a wrongdoer to gain access to a car's internal network. A big reminder of this risk arrived in 2015, when security researchers showed they could wirelessly tap into a Jeep Cherokee and slam the brakes or shut off the engine. In 2016, automakers will be racing to make their cars more secure in hopes of outrunning the bad guys — and hoping nothing happens that might chill customers' acceptance of connected cars.

4. Will automakers catch up to Tesla's over-the-air updates?

Tesla Motors raised the bar by designing its Model S to receive smartphone-style updates over the airwaves. Now, other automakers are trying to match it. Ford turned to Microsoft in 2014 for Wi-Fi-based updates to its Sync 3 infotainment system. Subaru ordered an infotainment system from Harman with built-in over-the-air updates. Expect many more companies to follow suit in 2016.

5. Will Silicon Valley's car-buying services find fans?

Fast-growing technology startups such as Beepi, Roadster, Shift and Carvana think online marketplaces could make ordering a car as simple as buying a pair of shoes on Zappos. With modern software, customers can order a new or used vehicle online (depending on the service) while avoiding the hassles and haggling of shopping at a dealership. Their growth in 2016 will be key in signaling whether such services are a flash in the pan or a lasting part of the automotive landscape.

6. Which suppliers will claim pole position for connected, automated cars?

It looks like the car of the future essentially will be a supercomputer on wheels, with centralized processors replacing most of the dozens of modules in a modern car. Tier 1 suppliers such as Bosch, Continental and Delphi are girding themselves for such a shift, and coalitions are forming around key components (see the autonomous-driving computer being developed by Nvidia, Elektrobit and Infineon). Expect more of the same in 2016 as suppliers change with the times.

7. Will the adoption of Autopilot provoke a pushback?

This time last year, Mercedes-Benz seemed to hold the lead in automated driving. A year later, Tesla Motors leaped past Mercedes-Benz with its powerful Autopilot system, seemingly because of an unmatched willingness to take risks. With drivers taking their hands off the wheel at highway speeds, a crash now seems almost inevitable. If the unthinkable happens in 2016, how would the public, press and government respond?

8. Will customers grow attached to CarPlay and Android Auto?

The summer of 2015 brought a rapid ramp-up of Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto, with General Motors, Honda and Volkswagen delivering the most cars with these two smartphone interfaces. In 2016, as sales rise and owner surveys go out, it will become clearer whether these software packages are essential or on track to be forgotten like the iPod hookups first offered in 2004.

9. When will cars and homes speak the same language?

Connecting a car to a smartphone is useful, but so is connecting a car to a home and the devices inside. Automakers are moving toward that future: Honda, Toyota and Nissan sell systems in Japan that allow a car owner to link an electric vehicle or hydrogen car to a home for emergency power. Expect much more in 2016 as consumer electronics companies devote a greater share of their attention to the Internet of Things.

10. How quickly could virtual reality arrive in the car business?

Just as 2015 was the year of the smartwatch, 2016, with the launch of systems such as Oculus Rift, could become the year of virtual reality. Automakers already are testing similar technology for showroom demonstrations (Volvo), vehicle maintenance (Hyundai) and driving (Mini) as well as advanced head-up displays for dashboards. If virtual reality is a hit for entertainment, it quickly could be adopted for cars, too.

Source: http://www.autonews.com/article/20151226/OEM06/151229956/10-connected-car-questions-for-2016?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+autonews%2FEditorsPicks+%28Automotive+News+Editors+Pick+Feed%29

Could 2016 be the beginning of the end of the auto show as we know it?

Ford returns to CES 2016 with Ford GT as official show vehicle. — AFP pic

DETROIT, Dec 26 — As the US gets ready to host the first official international auto show of the new year in the heart of its Motor City (Detroit), the list of carmakers choosing to pass on the event is almost as long as the list of new cars expecting to make their debut.

When the North American International Autoshow opens its doors to the public on January 11, it will do so without Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini or McLaren. That doesn't mean that the show will be a disappointment — the new Mercedes E Class, one of the marque's most important cars, will be making its global debut, as will the new Porsche 911 Turbo.

However, as the list of attendees at this year's event has contracted, the number of car companies heading to the International CES — a trade show for consumer electronics — has never been longer.

“Ford was the first automaker to have a significant presence at CES nine years ago, and we are proud to continue that legacy of innovation in 2016,” said Mark Fields, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company. “CES is the perfect venue for sharing news on our efforts to change the way the world moves and provide new solutions in the areas of connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and data and analytics.”

As well as a headline sponsor in the shape of Ford, Audi will be demonstrating its production-ready semi-autonomous car, Volkswagen will be showing off a plug-in electric reimagining of its iconic Microbus campervan and BMW is expected to raise the roof on a convertible version of its ultra high-tech i8 environmentally-friendly supercar.

January's CES will also be the venue where Toyota formally outlines its plans for artificial intelligence and gives its first demonstrations of connected vehicle and telematics systems.

All of which means that as the convergence between high-tech and cars continues apace, the motor show as we know it could be coming to an end. There has not been an official auto show in the UK for a decade due to the high cost of attendance — £5 million (RM31.8 million) per car company, plus the small European market share the country represents.

It's also likely that other shows that were once an integral part of the calendar could soon go the same way. As well as Detroit, the US hosts the Chicago, New York and LA auto shows every year while in Europe, which is just as large a market, there are only two shows a year: Geneva and, for 2016, Paris.

Over the past 12 months, Volvo has been experimenting with different digital ways of reaching and interacting with customers — from virtual reality headsets to virtual, online showrooms — while at the same time drastically reducing the number of car shows it attends. Ironically, Detroit is one of only three shows that Volvo will attend in 2016.

However, expect the company to be at the International CES as well. — AFP-Relaxnews

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/drive/article/could-2016-be-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-auto-show-as-we-know-it#When:00:04:08Z

Ferrari recalls 185 California T cars due to fuel leak risk

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 26 — Ferrari North America Inc, a division of Ferrari NV, is recalling some 2016 California T vehicles due to the risk of a fuel leak in the engine compartment, according to a US Department of Transportation (DOT) notice yesterday.

The recall, which began on Dec 14, affects up to 185 vehicles manufactured between Sept 8 and Nov 11, 2015.

The higher risk of a leak, which increases the chances of fire, was the result of a manufacturing defect in a part provided by a supplier, according to a filing with the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the DOT.

The move comes after Ferrari, owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, recalled upwards of 800 cars in the United States to fix a problem with its Takata airbags over the summer.

Ferrari issued a stop sale notice to dealers of the 2016 model California T, which has a list price of just over US$167,000 (RM716,922) according to The Car Guide, on Nov 23, filings show. Dealers will replace the line free of charge, the notice read. — Reuters

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/drive/article/ferrari-recalls-185-california-t-cars-due-to-fuel-leak-risk#When:03:18:03Z

A look at the hottest collector cars for 2016

NEW YORK, Dec 26 — In recent years the classic car market has gone into overdrive to the point where a classic Ferrari built between 1955 and 1965 is literally worth more than its weight in gold. But while vintage cars with a prancing horse on their hoods continue to command the highest premiums at public and private sales, trends and tastes are starting to change.

According to US-based classic car valuations and insurance company Hagerty, the market is starting to slow down, but that's hardly surprising. In the US alone, a new record — US$1.45 billion (RM6.22 billion) — for classic car spending was set over the course of 2015.

And, US$28,050,000 of that was spent on just one car, a 1956 Ferrari 290 MM Spider. That made it the most expensive car to fall under the hammer this calendar year, and the entire top 10 for 2015 are also classic Ferraris, accounting for over 10% of all money paid for classics and collectables over the period.

The actual 1986 Ferrari Testarossa used in TV show 'Miami Vice.' — AFP pic

The world is running out of Ferraris to sell, and as a new generation of car collector comes of age, a noticeable change is starting to occur. “The market is still growing, but at a slower rate than we have witnessed in the past three years,” said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty.

“The notable exception is rapid growth among younger buyers who have entered the market and are exercising their buying power by spending on the poster cars of their youth.”

As a result, prices paid for mid-1970s-era Porsche 911s has jumped 154 per cent over the last year. There has been a 98 per cent surge in value for that 1980s and early 90s supercar icon, the Ferrari Testarossa made famous by “Miami Vice” even though beyond its extravagant looks, it was considered a terrible car to drive.

A 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalve. — AFP pic

The TV influence continues with the 1975-1985 Ferrari 308 GTS, the car made famous by Tom Selleck in his role as “Magnum PI,” with prices up 69 per cent. Even the Lamborghini Diablo (built right up until 2001) has seen a price increase of 65 per cent.

“A new era of later model performance cars from instantly recognisable brands have irrefutably proven that the term 'collector car' is not synonymous with 'old car',” continues Hagerty.

A 1994 Lamborghini Diablo VT. — AFP pic

Nowhere is this more evident than with the first edition Aston Martin DB9. Despite still being in production as recently as 2009, prices have jumped 141 per cent since the start of 2015, meaning that only the Porsche 911 has surged more in value in recent months.

Hagerty's data, which is based on auctions, private sales as well as its own insurance policies, also shows that there has been a 17 per cent increase in clients adding classics from the 1980s onwards to their existing policies while fewer than three per cent have added additional cars built before 1980. — AFP-Relaxnews

A late 2003 edition Aston Martin DB9. — AFP pic

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/drive/article/a-look-at-the-hottest-collector-cars-for-2016#When:06:47:07Z