The new 2015 Ford Focus ST is set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK on June 27th. Visitors will also be able to see the 2015 Ford Mustang 5.0-liter coupe and a convertible.
Details are sparse, with Ford promising only that the ST will reap the benefits of the technology and quality improvements seen on the refreshed Ford Focus shown earlier in the year. Those who attend Goodwood will even get a chance behind the wheel, albeit virtually.
Kiosks with Gran Turismo 6 will be set up for visitors to try their hand at guiding the 2015 Ford Focus ST through the Goodwood Hill Cllimb. They’ll even be able to test their skills against former Top Gear Stig Ben Collins as he drives the real thing up the hill.
Here’s Ford’s teaser video for the 2015 Ford Focus ST…
And check out our review of the 2013 Ford Focus ST…
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
The 2015 Chrysler 200 is all new this year and it has gotten quite a facelift as a part of its update. The exterior is smart and attractive, managing not to fall prey to the milquetoast vibe of so many mid-size sedans. This becomes all the more true when you open the door and take a look inside.
There’s something to be said for that instant first impression you have when you sit down in a car. That moment before you adjust the seat or even turn on the engine sets the stage for what to expect when you start to drive. Take a seat in the 2015 Chrysler 200 C and you’ll immediately be taken in by just how good it all looks and feels.
There are four different trim levels with the C sitting at the very top of the pack, but even the much sportier 2015 Chrysler 200 S is a beautiful and welcoming car. There are metal accents that are real metal and wood accents that are real wood. Both are hallmarks of much more expensive cars and help elevate the 2015 Chrysler 200.
Close the door, and the feeling of luxury is complete with a quiet cabin that blocks out the rest of the world giving you peace, quiet, and incredible comfort on whatever journey you have planned for you day.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Sebastien Loeb will defend his record time at Pikes Peak. Photo: Facebook
This time last year, Sebastian Loeb blitzed the hill climb at Pikes Peak to set a record of 8 minutes and 37 seconds. To give you some perspective of how amazing this run time is, the previous year Rhys Millen set a record time of 9 minutes and 46 seconds. It’s impressive that Loeb could shave a minute off the previous record time. But Pikes Peak is a place where records fall. The 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is going on all this week. Does anyone have what it takes to knock Loeb out of the record books and establish themselves king of the hill?
Events at Pikes Peak start today, but tomorrow will be the day where we start to see this year’s competitors perform. Tech inspection is today, but the first round of practice starts tomorrow. A couple of days of qualifying then lead up to the big race this Sunday, June 29th. If you can’t make it to Colorado for the events, the hill climb will stream live online for your viewing pleasure. Coverage starts at 7:30am MDT.
We will be following the events closely all week and look forward to the race this weekend. Pikes Peak is a truly unique event with fierce competition and unique engineering challenges. We look forward to watching Sebastian Loeb defend his 8:13.878 record time and seeing if anyone can challenge that blazing time. Check out our coverage of Loeb from last year’s event below and stay tuned for more coverage from the 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Chad Kirchner is a freelance automotive journalist with a sincere passion for the industry and helping people. He’s a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Texas Auto Writers Association. When not writing about the latest automotive news or vehicles, you can catch him at car shows around the country. Be sure to check him out on social media, including Google+ and Twitter.
Faulty airbag inflators produced by Takata are behind a recall issued by Mazda, Honda, and Nissan that affects 3 million vehicles worldwide. All three manufacturers will be replacing a faulty part to correct the problem.
In North America, 1.2 million vehicles are being included in the recall which had all three companies under investigation by the NHTSA. Chrysler and Toyota were also being investigated and do not have any vehicles in this recall, although Chrysler is replacing the inflators in its 2006 Dodge Charger. They say that it is a “field action conducted out of an abundance of caution” rather than a recall related to a defect.
As for the vehicles officially recalled in North America, Honda is recalling 1.02 million Civic, CR-V, Odyssey and Element models. All were built between April 2000 and October 2002. The number is far smaller for Mazda with 14,794 units of the RX-8 and Mazda6 being recalled, and Nissan with 228,000.
This isn’t a new problem for Takata, but one that has been an issue since 2013 when it forced Japanese automakers to recall 3.4 million vehicles worldwide. Add another 844,277 to that tally in an additional recall issued by Toyota earlier this month.
The problem with the defective inflators is a frightening one. A potentially defective propellant can cause them to explode when the airbag deploys. Not only does this cause the airbag itself to inflate incorrectly, but it can also cause shrapnel from the part to fly out and hit vehicle occupants. The exact cause of the issue is still being investigated, but one possibility being explored is the exposure of the propellant to moisture.
Honda has already reported two deaths and 41 ruptures in the US linked to the faulty parts. The NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation includes another six incidents as a result of the issue.
Check out our review of the 2014 Honda Civic…
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Our 1968 Tatra 603 is currently on a boat making its way to the United States to continue its journey to Pebble Beach, but before we left Europe we decided to see just how fast the old girl would go. Tatra is the third oldest manufacturer in the world after Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot and in its day, this car was quite a wonder. It’s been 45 years though, so time has taken a bit of a toll. Still, she’s got some life in her yet and then some as we prove in our latest #Prague2Pebble video.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
The sports car has come a long way since the days of this early-model 1964 Porsche 911, a car that would go on to become the most famous sports cars of all time. Surprisingly, this first 911 was modest, sporting a 2.0-liter flat-six with a single overhead camshaft, a very organic 5-speed manual transmission, and a curb weight of under 2400 lbs. It was the 911’s simplicity and unadulterated driver connection that made it so dynamic and entertaining to drive. Fast forward fifty years and forced induction abounds, manual transmissions are scarce, and electronic aids interrupt the driving experience. However, a few pure sports cars do exist for those who prefer the analog and are in search of the ultimate connection between road and driver.
1) 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Sporting a giant 7.0-liter Z06-derived LS7 V8, lightweight carbon ceramic brakes, and a very old-school 6-speed manual transmission, the Camaro Z/28 can be a track scalpel if the driver is up to the task. No laggy turbochargers or unnecessary weight here. Chevrolet used very little sound deadening, forwent a radio, utilized special lightweight wheels and tires, and deleted the A/C option to keep the Z/28 at a reasonable 3800 lbs. All of Chevy’s toils pay off with the Z/28 running 0-60 in the low 4-second range and the quarter mile in under 13 seconds, all while providing an exhilarating driving experience. Electronic aids do exist in the Z/28, but Chevy’s Performance Traction Management can be turned off or minimally intrusive, something that can prevent dangerous, high-speed spinouts. And redline? A cool 7000 RPM of American V8 howl.
2) 2014 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Regarded as one of the most tossable, entertaining cars ever produced, the MX-5 Miata makes it easily onto the “pure sports car” list. On paper, the Miata doesn’t intimidate with a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated 16V 4-cylinder producing a meek 167 horsepower, and a base 5-speed manual transmission sending power to the wheels. But the Miata’s near perfect 50:50 weight distribution and 2480 lb. curb weight (with manual transmission) make for a roadster with telepathic handling and an uninterrupted connection with the road. Important, too, is that Mazda has forgone the move toward electromechanical steering, prioritizing steering feel over fuel economy with a traditional hydraulic rack. It’s no wonder why the Miata has won close to 180 driver awards throughout its storied 25-year history. Regardless of its horsepower or cockpit space deficiencies, nothing can replicate the organic, light-on-its-feet feel that has made the Miata so famous.
3) 2014 Lotus Evora
The Lotus namesake has always been synonymous with superior handling and unparalleled balance, and the Evora is certainly no exception. Weighing in at just over 3,000 lbs. with its short 101-inch wheelbase means that harsh turn-in and corner exits breeze by, while a 276 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 sourced from the Toyota Camry provides torque to rocket the Evora from 0-60 in 5 seconds. The tried-and-true naturally-aspirated V6 under the Evora’s hood is simple and reliable, as is the standard 6-speed close-ratio gearbox. Traction control is basic and unobtrusive, the interior is highly Spartan, and the driver cannot manually adjust the steering or suspension. The Evora is simple and pure, but it delivers a mechanical connection between machine and operator that exists in few other sports cars.
Please enjoy this TFLcar.com video documenting the history of the Mazda Miata.
Frank caught automotive fever early in life. Hailing from a long line of car fanatics, he was able to recite the year and model of every car that passed him by age five. His passion and love for the automobile have only grown since then. When not thinking about cars, he is reading, writing, learning, or dreaming about them. His area of expertise is in the realm of German and Italian cars, of which Porsche is a favorite. Frank currently resides in the heart of NASCAR country in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his family. He enjoys driving exotic cars in the beautiful Carolina weather.
GM really wants this recall business to go away, and fast. They want it gone so quickly that they are adding incentives to dealerships to complete the recalls sooner rather than later. With as many as 25% of recalled vehicles not getting fixed, GM wants to make sure they’ve done everything possible to get these cars repaired before anyone else gets hurt.
If a dealership completes 90% or more of their allotted recalls by July 7th, the parts or service manager will receive a $250 gift card to an unspecified place. In addition, General Motors will award 50 dealerships with a $4,000 prize for completing the recalls in the set amount of time. Finally, they’ll even reward one dealership with $10,000. That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to us.
Big recalls are already boons to dealership service departments. The cost of the repair falls on General Motors to pay, and they are often charged the full hourly labor rate that a dealership charges. With over 20 million vehicles needing fixed (which is more than they’ve sold domestically in the past seven years), dealerships can make a lot of money off of General Motors’ mistake.
NHTSA recall label on mailings.
The real trouble both dealerships and the company have are locating owners of recalled vehicles and getting them in for a repair. People have already received notifications by mail, but the database may not be accurate. GM will be emailing out notifications in a few weeks in an attempt to reach more owners.
We encourage you all to be proactive. If you visit Safercar.gov you can see if your car or truck has been recalled for any reason, and the recall information you need to provide the dealer service department to get fixed. Also, check in with friends and family members that might have affected cars. As car enthusiasts, we keep up on this stuff more than others and while we think everyone knows about the recall, they probably haven’t heard about it or don’t know the details.
One of the recalled vehicles, sadly, is the Chevrolet Camaro. Check out the car when we had it at the track below.
Chad Kirchner is a freelance automotive journalist with a sincere passion for the industry and helping people. He’s a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Texas Auto Writers Association. When not writing about the latest automotive news or vehicles, you can catch him at car shows around the country. Be sure to check him out on social media, including Google+ and Twitter.
The 2014 Toyota Sienna minivan comes with a 3.5L V6 that will give you 266 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque. It’s all paired to a 6-speed automatic and, should you be hauling the family and then some, is capable of towing up to 3500lbs. Now, minivans have something of a reputation for not being the most fun cars in the world, so Nathan decides to see just what it’s like to drive the 2014 Toyota Sienna. Watch as he and Andre take it for a drive, take a nice comfy nap, and drive it on a track to see just how fast the 2014 Toyota Sienna minivan can move.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
