US Ford Planed to build Ranger Pickup in Nigeria

Ford, one of the major auto makers  in the United States of America has said it will assemble its Ranger brand of pickup in Nigeria, starting in the fourth quarter of 2015 as part of its expansion in the Middle East and Africa where the small truck is popular.

 

Our Quarterly Earnings Beat Forecasts-BMW

Underlying earnings rose more than 20% to €2.52bn ($2.84bn; £1.85bn), beating analysts' forecasts.

Revenues in the January-to-March period rose 14.7% to €20.9bn.

Conoil plays big in Nigeria’s N250bn Lubricant Market

One of the country’s major oil marketers, Conoil plc, has reeled out plans to play big in the nation’s lubricant market, which is projected to hit the N250 billion mark by the end of 2015.

 

The projected all-time high revenue from lubricant business is predicated on the expected upsurge in the demand for lubricants by the automobile and industrial sub-sectors of the economy.

Ford's Big Lincoln Continental is coming back

The Lincoln Motor Company, Ford's luxury division, unveiled a big, richly-appointed, luxury car called the Continental in New York City Monday.

The Continental is about the same length as a Mercedes-Benz S-class or long-wheelbase BMW 7-series, two expensive high-end luxury cars it is designed to compete against. 

French deficit figures mean economy is improving, minister says

After the release of better-than-expected deficit data for 2014, Finance Minister Michel Sapin said there were reasons to be confident about growth.

Official data showed the 2014 deficit was 4% instead of the 4.4% forecast, and will fall to about 3.8% this year, Mr Sapin predicted.

France has cut its budget deficit target for 2015 and signalled that the economic recovery is gathering pace.

Jaguar Land Rover in China SUV recall after TV report

Jaguar Land Rover is recalling more than 36,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in China after state television aired complaints over its gearboxes.

The recall affects its Range Rover Evoque SUVs and the carmaker will extend the warranty period for the affected vehicles' gearboxes.

A CCTV show on Sunday had accused the UK carmaker of failing to respond to customer complaints over the gearboxes.

Nigeria awaits 10 new auto plants as FG says policy on track

As part of economic measures established to ensure effective operations of the Automotive Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria that encourages enabling environment for auto plants for the production of various brands of vehicle, the Federal Government says the plan is on track as 10 new auto plants would soon open shops.

The awaiting location and operations of more auto plants later this year in some states, including Ogun State and some other states in the country, are coming against the backdrop of government’s desire to woo more investment in automobile sector to the country‎ in order to encourage inputs of locals in auto production, thereby creates wealth, jobs and reduces unchecked imports of new and second-hand vehicles.

Paucity of funds derails FG’s single digit interest car purchase scheme

Paucity of funds occasioned by non-collection of levies on imported Full Built Units (FBUs) of vehicles and non participation of local banks may be affecting the single digit interest rate consumer credit scheme for the purchase of new cars, BusinessDay investigations have shown.

Consequently, the National Automotive Council (NAC) is currently discussing with the African Development Bank, (ADB) for funding, a development that will lead to double digit interest credit facility.

Diesel car condemned by industry group

A campaign to combat the "demonisation" of diesel has been launched by the UK's leading motor industry association.

 

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), along with BMW, Ford, and Jaguar Land Rover, believe fears over diesel are misplaced.

Mercedes Guilty of Price-fixing, say Chinese authorities

Carmaker Mercedes-Benz has been found guilty of manipulating the price of spare parts following an investigation by the authorities in China. 

 

The official Xinhua News Agency reports that regulators said the luxury unit of Germany's Daimler abused its control over supplies of replacement parts.

The report made no mention of the likely penalty.

BMW, Audi and Chrysler are also facing sanctions as part of an anti-monopoly crackdown by the authorities.

Overseas companies in the pharmaceuticals, technology and food sector have also faced investigation in recent months.

Last week, the European Chamber of Commerce in China said its members were "increasingly considering the question" of whether foreign companies were being disproportionately targeted.

Scrutiny 

According to the Xinhua report, investigators from the anti-monopoly bureau of the eastern province of Jiangsu found prices were so high that purchasing the parts used to make one Mercedes C-class car would cost the equivalent of buying 12 vehicles.

"Mercedes-Benz is a typical case of vertical price fixing - that is, the use of its dominant position in after-market parts to maintain price controls," said Zhou Gao, chief of the Jiangsu's anti-monopoly unit, according to Xinhua.

A Daimler spokesperson said on Monday that the company was still "assisting" Chinese authorities, but was "unable to comment further on what is still an on-going matter".

Toyota has said that its Lexus division is under scrutiny, and General Motors has said that its main China joint venture has responded to requests by regulators for information.

Other companies under investigation include Qualcomm, a US maker of microchips used in mobile phones, and software giant Microsoft.

2015 Aston Martin Vanquish:

Bringing Reality to the Unreal

The worst aspect of cutting edge CGI and audio technology in today’s world is that it’s taught us to question our primary senses. We’ve seen and heard so many (apparently) realistic portrayals of colossal robots, epic space travel and earth-shattering destruction we’ve instinctively developed an inner voice that pipes up whenever we witness the fantastical. The message? “Sure, that looks and sounds amazing, but of course it’s not real.” While this voice is usually an asset, helping us separate fantasy from reality, its skeptical nature can be a burden when you’re piloting a spectacular supercar through the equally spectacular Scottish Highlands. Under these circumstance, ideally, one turns off all brain filters and simply drinks in the natural and mechanical eye candy.

Such was the case during a recent road test between Loch Ness and the North Atlantic Coast in a 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish. In this circumstance, immersed in the visceral ambience of Aston Martin’s premier performance coupe while traversing the visual tapestry that is northern Scotland, one might reasonably question one’s surroundings. Peering through the Vanquish’s sloped windshield reveals deep blue lakes and lochs nestled between jagged mountains bathed in lush greens and deep grays. Throw in an uncharacteristic partly-to-mostly-sunny sky and you’re convinced it’s all some grand illusion the folks at Aston Martin orchestrated to emphasize the Vanquish’s latest improvements.

Of course driving an Aston Martin, in any atmosphere, can inspire disbelief. “Is the 6.0-liter, V12 engine really capable of such operatic sound quality?” was a question I quickly processed and dismissed. I’ve driven enough Aston Martins to know the unrivaled quality of their exhaust notes. “Is a car as luxurious and substantial as the 2015 Vanquish really capable of zero-to-60 mph in 3.6 seconds? Can the V12′s 568 peak horsepower actually push the sinuous coupe to over 200 mph?” That question took a bit longer to unravel than the exhaust query, because among the Vanquish’s improvements for 2015 is an all-new 8-speed transmission that maximizes every one of the V12′s 568 horses and 465 pound-feet of peak torque.

If you’re lucky enough to have first-hand experience with last year’s Vanquish (count me among that fortunate group) you’ll notice the performance upgrades immediately. The previous car certainly wasn’t slow, with a zero-to-60 time of around 4.1 seconds, but that half-second improvement to the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish’s acceleration can be felt even without mashing the gas pedal because of newfound immediacy to throttle response.

The Vanquish always maintains its stately nature, but switching from the 6- to 8-speed transmission for 2015 means tighter gear ratios, and that means things happen much quicker when your right foot seeks forward movement. Like every modern automaker, Aston Martin isn’t simply chasing more horsepower these days (though the Vanquish’s V12 did gain 3 horsepower and 7 lb-ft of toque through engine tweaks for 2015).

More horsepower brings with it more heat and, quite often, reduced fuel efficiency. Better to leverage the existing power in the most effective way possible, which is exactly what the new, rear-mounted ZF 8-speed transaxle does. While the transmission utilizes a traditional torque converter rather than a dual-clutch design, shifts happen in as little as 130 milliseconds when the Vanquish is set to “Sport” mode, a setting that also quickens throttle response and puts the transmission in a more aggressive shift mode.

Connecting the engine and transaxle is an aluminum torque tube meant to reduce parasitic loss through its lightweight design and fixed link (no u-joints involved). These drivetrain upgrades have accomplished the trifecta in automotive evolution — higher performance, improved refinement and superior fuel efficiency. Along with more power, quicker acceleration and a greater top speed, the Vanquish’s EPA ratings move from last year’s 13 city/19 highway mpg to 13 city/21 highway mpg.

The 2015 Vanquish’s ride and handling behavior has been similarly upgraded through a series of chassis revisions. The front and rear springs are stiffer by 15 and 35 percent, respectively. The rear bushings are also 20 percent stiffer and a stronger rear anti-roll bar, as well as updated camber and toe settings, reduce body roll while improving turn-in. New, lighter 10-spoke forged wheels now ride on upgraded Pirelli PZero tires (255/35-20 front, 305/30-20 rear), and a larger dynamic spread between the Normal, Sport and Track settings for the adaptive suspension give the Vanquish a shaper, more nimble demeanor than one expects from a plush grand-touring coupe. Additional changes for 2015 include new leather trim color options (Dark Knight and Fandango Pink) and a new Diavalo Red exterior paint.

Of course, with the just-introduced Q by Aston Martin bespoke service Aston Martin buyers now have an almost unlimited number of personalized options available to them. The range of vehicle customization goes far beyond simply color-matching the leather seats to your wife’s favorite nail polish hue. If you’re looking to create a Vanquish like no other, Aston Martin has a team of designers ready to assist you. The cost for this service adds to the 2015 Vanquish coupe’s starting price of $287,820 ($305,820 for the Vanquish Volante convertible).

Better performance and fuel efficiency? Nimble handling from a palatial luxury coupe? A personalized program to build a supercar reflecting your specific tastes? Like today’s CGI, these concepts might have your little voice piping in, suggesting it all looks and sounds great — and unreal. But just like the mind-altering vistas I drove through in the Scottish Highlands, the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish represents stark reality.

Don't let the Auto Industry Kill you

Which cars are affected by the GM recall?

General Motors' disastrous handling of its ignition problem is not isolated. GM's lead competitor, Ford, also mismanaged similar problems in the past.

GM sold millions of defective cars with ignitions that would inadvertently shut off while vehicles were in motion, causing an untold number of deaths and injuries. The problem was known within GM for years. But the company hid the facts from federal regulators and the American people.

The ignition debacle is just the latest in a long, sad string of scandals plaguing the auto industry. In a manner hauntingly similar to GM's ignition problem, Ford has mishandled defective parking brakes in their F-Series trucks.

 

 

2009 Pontiac G5 XFE X09PN_G5003

The repetitive nature of these deadly occurrences requires a muscular federal response. The government agency charged with overseeing auto safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, should be doing a much better job protecting the public.

In the early 1990s, Ford began utilizing self-adjusting parking brakes in their F-Series trucks to save a few dollars in service. The brakes were poorly designed and immediately began self-disengaging. With no parking brake engaged, the trucks just rolled away. This phenomenon occurred frequently, from a Ford field engineer's own truck, to Tammy Bobb's F-150, which rolled over the head of her 10-month-old son, Derick, in rural Pennsylvania. By 1999, more than 1,100 owners reported these parking brake failures to Ford, along with at least 54 injuries.

Ford assigned engineer Tim Rakowicz to the problem. After careful study, Rakowicz recommended a recall of the trucks along with an inexpensive fix. But the recall recommendation was rejected by Ford managers, apparently concerned with the cost and image problems associated with admitting the brakes were bad on the best-selling line of motor vehicles in the world.

Eventually, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration got involved. It asked Ford for answers, but Ford stalled. It requested a recall, but Ford delayed. Finally, wit

h the threat of a NHTSA lawsuit looming, Ford agreed to a recall.

The company then took six months to inform owners, during which 3-year-old Walter White of Elko, Nevada, was killed by a runaway truck. When Ford finally sent out recall letters, they understated the nature of the problem, leading owners to believe that the issue was one of convenience, not safety, thereby causing fewer trucks to come in for service.