Nutson's Nuggets - Automotive News Week of October 6-12, 2014

By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

Auto Central Louisville, KY October 12, 2014; Every Sunday, along with Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau give you our "take" on this past week's automotive news as easy to digest nuggets.

If you are a car nut like we all are here at The Auto Channel, you can easily wish to "catch up" on these stories as well as the past 19 year's 1,742,967 automotive news, automotive stories, articles, reviews, archived news, video, audio, rants and raves just search The Auto Channel's Automotive News Archive.

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Nutson's Automotive News Factoid Week Of October 6-12, 2014

* After teasing us all two weeks ago in a tweet, hinting at the announcement of the anticipated "Model D," Tesla company founder and CEO, Elon Musk, followed up this past week with the reveal of the all-wheel drive system that will enhance the current Model S electric sedan. Along with the all-wheel drive components a second electric motor will be added to power the front wheels enhancing appeal in northern climates of the existing rear-wheel drive car. The Model D, then, is an all-wheel drive, two-motor Model S. Next, we expect a crossover.

* Can’t wait to get your hands on the new aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford F-150 pickup? You may be in luck. Ford just announced they will offer test drives in 38 select markets across the country beginning October 13th, well before the trucks get to dealers. Test trucks will include both the 2.7-liter and 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines. Participants can register either on-line or at the events to win a 2015 F-150 as well. Check with your dealer to see if they will be one of the lucky ones.

* By the way, check back in a week when we share the voting results from the 2014 Texas Truck Rodeo that is held each year and put on by the Texas Auto Writers Association.

* Johan de Nysschen, the new boss at Cadillac, posted on Facebook what AutoBeat Daily referred to as a “prickly” message to his critics this week as he defends his plans to take GM’s luxury brand back to the the level of respect it had when it was called the "Standard of the World." The move of the brand’s HQ to the trendy Soho area of Manhattan, he said, had to be done, not because that’s where he wants to live, but to yield a different result and to avoid distractions from GM corporate operations.

* The Detroit Public Library manages four “Special Collections” in addition to all the library’s regular stuff. One is the National Automotive History Collection which is perhaps the largest and richest collection of automobile archives in the world. The DPL announced this week the launch of the newly digitized collections of images from these collections - more than 67,000 images that are cataloged for public use. Check it out at www.digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org.

* The Environmental Protection Agency released its report on average fuel economy of brands sold in the U.S. in 2013 this week noting a record high mpg average of 24.1. The average for 2012 was 23.6. Officials noted that fuel economy improved 25% since the 2004 model year. Best performing brands were Mazda (28.1), Honda (27.4) and Subaru (26.7.) Worst were Chrysler-Fiat (20.9), GM (22.0) and Ford (22.2). Of course the latter three brands depend heavily on truck sales.

* On the other hand…the average fuel economy of light duty vehicles sold in September dropped to 25.3 miles per gallon from a record high of 25.8 mpg in August. “This large drop likely reflects the increased sales of light trucks and SUVs,” according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. The institute has tracked average fuel economy for all vehicles sold since October 2007.

* The seeds of infrastructure to support hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles continues as Mercedes-Benz announced a partnership with oil and gas companies in Germany to install 20 public-access fueling facilities throughout the country by the end of 2015. M-B promises multiple “competitively priced” fuel-cell vehicles in 2017. The buildout of infrastructure continues in the Los Angeles area to support the few fuel-cell cars sold there by Hyundai and Toyota. And Toyota is introducing a new fuel-cell sedan in Japan next spring.

* Chrysler-Fiat Automobiles CEO, Sergio Marchionne, a rock star in ranks of international auto company execs, says he will step down after 2018 when he expects the integration of the car makers will be complete. He says his specialty is turn-arounds and by the time he’s done with that the company will need an exec, or execs, with different skill sets to replace him. Marchionne is credited with saving the bankrupt Chrysler from oblivion when he, representing Fiat, was the only interested buyer.

* Chrysler Group is voluntarily recalling an estimated 31,497 full-size vans to replace their head restraints. The vehicles were assembled with head restraints that may exceed the allowable gap between an occupant’s head and the restraint. Affected are model-year 2014 Ram ProMaster vans.

* Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 10,500 C-Class sedans in the U.S. from the 2015 model year because a production error causes steering wheels to squeak and resist turning.

* Nissan is recalling more than 220,000 Altima midsize cars in the U.S. because the hoods could fly open while they're being driven. The recall covers cars from the 2013 model year, but the company says it could affect other Nissan models.

* The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that car voice activated infotainment systems that are complicated require too much concentration and therefore create high levels of driver distraction and are a big safety risk. Toyota's Entune received the best distraction rating followed by Hyundai's Blue Link, Chrysler Uconnect, Ford Sync and Mercedes Command. Last with the highest distraction level was Chevy's MyLink.

* First this: SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Motorsports won the 2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GTLM driver and team championships in the season-ending Petit Le Mans 10-hour endurance race at Road Atlanta.

* Then this: Chrysler Group LLC announced that it is discontinuing the factory-backed SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Motorsports racing program in IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) with the conclusion of the 2014 season. This decision affects participation in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with the Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R GTLM-class team. Don't fret. We expect the Dodge brand will redirect its motorsports focus and efforts on the brand’s product lineup.

* The General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich., north of Detroit, has been named a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. The GM Tech Center is one of the most significant works of architect Eero Saarinen, who was among the most important modernist designers of the post-World War II period in the United States. The GM Tech Center opened in 1956 and houses the GM design center as well as the offices and test facilities for 19,000 engineers, researchers and other staff.

* Jay Leno may be making a reappearance with a regular TV show. Word is that the late-night TV veteran may be hosting a program focused on his love of cars. The new show is close to being approved by CNBC.

* The inaugural Route 66 Motor Tour headed west on a 2500 mile trek along the mother road from Joliet, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. About 25 to 30 cars left Joliet with many more expected to join along the way. This is the first of what is intended to be an annual event.

* The Detroit Bureau reports that annual survey of the world’s most valuable brands by Interbrand has placed Toyota at the head of the automotive class.The top 13 automotive brands on the annual Interbrand list included Toyota, at number one, its value increasing by 20%. Next was Mercedes-Benz at the number 10 spot overall, and gaining, 8% in its brand value. It was followed by BMW at 11th, its brand value up 7%. Other automakers on the list included: Honda, at #20, with a 17% gain, Volkswagen #31, +23%, Ford #39, +18%, Hyundai #40, +16%, Audi at #45, +27%, Nissan #56, +23%, Porsche #60, +11%, In something of a surprise, Kia ranked 74th, well ahead of 82nd-place Chevrolet, with gains of 15% and 10% respectively. Land Rover at #91, was a new addition, rounding out the automotive portion of the most valuable brand list.