Nigerian man upgrades lifestyle of his doll with Camry car
Gina Kennedy:
Nigerian man upgrades lifestyle of his doll with Camry car
Upcoming Nigerian artiste, Mr Shaa Shuga has gone ballistic over his love for a purchased sugar doll. Shuga who has been in a relationship with the love doll has managed to gather a following towards the object of his desire.
To prove his love, he recently gifted the doll a brand new Camry 2013 model said to be worth N7m. The photos of the doll in the car immediately went viral with everyone congratulating the couple and admiring their relationship goals.
Just like Davidos assurance Shuga decided to use the car gift as the mark of commitment to his love doll. Interestingly, the object has an active social media page and has over 1000 followers who admire and comment actively every other day.
Gusan locals fear 'worst economic situation since Asian Financial Crisis,' after GM plant shutdown
ARIRANG NEWS:
For over 2 decades, GM Korea's plant in Gunsan
played a pivotal role in vitalizing the regional
economy.
Today, it's officially shut down, as the South
Korean government and the U.S.-based automaker
saw no other way to restructure GM's cash-strapped
Korean unit's operations.
Thousands are affected by the closure.
Not just the employees, but affiliates, subcontractors
and local businesses.
Oh Soo-young files this report from the Southwestern
port city.
General Motors has closed one of its four
plants in South Korea,... leaving an economic
vacuum in the western port city of Gunsan.
The automaker's decision came in February
as part of its corporate restructuring efforts,...
bringing the factory's 22-year history of
car manufacturing to an end.
"I came for my final day of work.
I can't enter the gates tomorrow, even if
I wanted to.
I just wanted to see it for the last time….
I was here since the very beginning, since
1995 for about 23 years.
This closure has happened practically overnight."
Of the factory's 18-hundred workers, most
like Kim have taken voluntary redundancy,
400 have taken unpaid leave -- while 200 are
awaiting placements at GM Korea's three remaining
plants.
"Just three dozen people are left behind for
maintenance and to handle the final shipments.
Compared to the months of commotion leading
up to this fateful day, the closure has been
relatively low key.
But the impact of this closure is palpable
throughout Gunsan city."
Churning out some 270-thousand vehicles a
year at its peak,... the factory accounted
for half of Gunsan's exports, and a third
of the total exports for Jeollabuk-do Province.
This means the livelihoods of thousands of
workers employed by 130 affiliates and subcontractors
that supplied auto parts to the factory, are
also on the line -- and they won't be getting
payouts or any such compensation from GM.
"We had expected GM's All New Cruze to be
produced for the next four to five years as
usual but production was stalled after just
a year -- which the affiliated companies were
not prepared for.
After Hyundai Heavy Industries' Gusan plant
closed down and now the GM plant, our local
economy is faring worse than it did during
the Asian Financial Crisis."
Other local businesses, including restaurants
and real estate agencies, are also expected
to suffer due to the outflow of workers.
To cushion the blow to the local economy,
the central government has earmarked some
20 million U.S. dollars from its supplementary
budget this year in order to support Gunsan's
workers and businesses.
Even so, many doubt the region will ever be
able to fill the gap left by GM's departure,
given the sheer size of the auto firm and
Gunsan's dependency on its operations.
But in the long haul, some experts say a structural
reform may have been overdue and could boost
the region's competitiveness.
"They do have a lot of people who are familiar
with how manufacturing works so there is some
human capital there that they can use.
They should have good road systems and if
nothing else they have the large factories
that GM Korea used that they may be able to
utilize elsewhere."
The expert also urged the authorities to act
quickly as the plant is now shut for good,
and thousands of local residents face an uncertain
future.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News, Gunsan.
Why GM Failed In India
CNBC:
Over the last 20 years, the
Indian automotive market has grown from
about 500,000 new passenger cars,
hatchbacks, sedans and utilities to
about 3.5
million in 2018.
The market has an expected compound annual
growth rate of about 5 to
6 percent over the next 10 years.
But, some automakers have struggled
to make it work.
Among them is General
Motors, the largest U.S.
car company. GM stopped selling cars in
India in 2017 after years of
declining market share.
It's a striking move for GM, which
in recent years has also closed
shop in other regions around the
world, as leadership focuses on
maximizing profits and making investments
in new technologies such as
electric power trains
and mobility services.
With a population of more than
1 billion people, India is becoming
one of the world's
largest automotive markets.
The country is poised to surpass
Japan as the world's third biggest
new car market in 2021.
So while there is ample
opportunity for automakers, the Indian
landscape has been particularly difficult
to navigate, especially for
American firms. GM watched its share
of the Indian market erode
steadily over several years, bottoming out
at about one percent in
2016 just before the
automaker pulled out.
So if the Indian market is
growing, why did GM struggle, especially
when GM has been
so successful in China?
To be fair, quite a few automakers
tend to have difficulty in the
Indian market. First of all, India
is a massive country with a
diverse population of roughly 1.3
billion people.
India, I think, we are
definitely a complex market.
The income levels
are quite heterogeneous.
We are divided, actually into
urban India and rural India.
The consumer requirements are actually
different even the needs are
different in both these markets.
There are a few criteria a
mass market automaker ought to meet.
They are fuel efficiency, resale
value, proximity of service stations
and the affordability of parts
and low servicing costs.
I think first thing is price.
We are a country with a
very low per capita income.
Indians are very price sensitive.
But price is not the only factor.
So now the customer also needs
some more value, for example, with
styling elements. And then, I think,
the consumer also wants a global
brand. They want a
brand which is aspirational.
The consumer wants an overall combination of
all P's, you know it may
be product, it may be
price, it may be positioning.
Which makes the things
quite complicated for OEMs.
These might seem pretty attainable,
but many automakers have
struggled to meet these
in the country.
There are a couple of companies who
have managed to crack that code
and there are several more with shares
of the market ranging in size
from small to smaller.
By far, the most successful automaker
in India is the Japanese firm
Suzuki, which alone owns
half the Indian market.
Suzuki has enjoyed something of
a first mover advantage.
It was the first major automaker to
enter India, and it did so
through a joint venture
with Indian manufacturer Maruti.
Suzuki also specializes in highly
fuel efficient vehicles, which are
extremely important in
the Indian market.
After Suzuki, Korean maker Hyundai is
the second largest with 16
percent of the Indian market.
After that, Indian, Japanese and Korean
makers such as Honda, Tata,
Kia and Mahindra all more or less
have equal degrees of market share.
Kia in particular, is a relatively
late coming brand that has been
able to succeed in India.
I think an excellent example is
Kia Motors which recently entered, it
was a new brand and
they gave a great proposition.
They were in an SUV segment and
I think suddenly right from the month
one, we saw a great success
for this OEM, in India.
Then the remaining 10 percent of the
market is made up of others such
as Ford, Renault, BMW and Nissan.
Early on, GM entered the India market
with its Opel brand, a mass
market brand GM had
owned in Europe.
While Opel cars tended to be
affordable, they failed to resonate with
Indian buyers.
I think later on they realized that's
not a brand which is really
going to work well in India because
that was not a value proposition
which they were offering
to their customers.
But then GM introduced its Chevrolet
brand to the country, which
brought it more success.
It was a great success.
They launched a few great
products like Chevrolet Cruze Chevrolet
Beat. They had that start which
they were really looking forward.
Despite these efforts, the automaker had
trouble taking share in the
Indian market. It was the first
automaker to introduce a diesel fuel
powered car of its size.
At the time, the Chevrolet beat
was the smallest diesel powered car
customers could buy in India.
It was a strong proposition and
benefited from a government subsidy
on diesel engines.
But in the end, the
diesel Beat had few takers.
The company may also have made a
misstep by trying to introduce a
low-cost vehicle GM manufactured with
its Chinese partner SAIC called
the Chevrolet Sail.
Their plan got derailed with the
introduction of Sail because I think
they underestimated the consumer aspiration
and then, I think, the
decline started. GM also fell victim
to a kind of self-reinforcing
cycle. One challenge it struggled with
was the lack of an adequate
dealer and servicing network.
More premium brands such as Mercedes
and BMW often attract customers
with the means to travel
further for service and sales.
But, mass market brands such as
GM's Chevrolet are targeting middle
class buyers who value convenience.
Dealerships in India often sell a
single brand so GM's low sales
volumes meant a single dealer might sell
only a handful of cars in a
month and risk taking losses on
the costs of running the business.
In the end, such low market share
made it difficult for GM to justify
maintaining a presence
in the country.
The automaker officially stopped selling
cars in India on December
31, 2017.
GM told CNBC it explored many
options for its India business, but
ultimately withdrew after it
determined the increased investment
originally planned for the country would
not deliver the returns of
other global opportunities.
It continues to operate services
for existing Chevrolet customers in
the country. In September, the
automaker entered a long-term
partnership with Tata Consultancy Services,
which will do engineering
design for GM vehicles meant
for markets around the world.
The move out of India was part
of a larger pullback GM has been
making around the world as
it restructures its business.
We're seeing other automakers follow
suit as they're pruning.
They're pruning the dead branches and
focusing on where they can be
strong. For GM, this is a huge shift
because GM of old used to be all
things to everyone everywhere.
And, it has now decided that
is not the proper strategy.
The automaker told CNBC if it doesn't
see a clear path to leadership
and long term sustained profits in
a particular market, it will look
at opportunities to focus its resources
on areas that will lead to
the greatest results. It added that this
is the same approach it has
taken elsewhere.
The automaker also sold its
European operations to French carmaker
PSA in 2017.
At the time it pulled out of India
GM had two factories there, one in
the Gujarati city of Halol
and another in Talegaon.
The Halol plant was acquired by
MG Motor, the once famed British
brand now owned by Chinese
automaker SAIC Motor Corporation.
GM has a joint venture with
SAIC to produce cars in China.
Reports surfaced in November 2019 that
SAIC is also in talks to
acquire GM's Talegaon plant, along
with fellow Chinese automaker
Great Wall. GM told CNBC it
is exploring strategic options for the
plant. The move out of India was
a retreat for GM and for American
auto industry. Ford is starting
to do the same.
It's trimming some
of its offerings.
Global economy and global auto
market is slowing some.
Certainly true here in the
US, it's true in China.
There's just not enough money to
go around to every single market,
too every single vehicle line.
Look at Daimler and BMW,
they've announced major employee cuts.
But in some ways it might
have been a shrewd move.
The other thing that is happening
in the market that has never
happened before is we are on the
verge of massive disruption of the
industry. You know, we're going to
have a future of electric
vehicles, autonomous vehicles and new
ways to acquire personal
transportation and now
mobility service.
There's all kinds of things.
Nobody knows when that's going to happen
or how it's going to happen,
but it's requiring a
lot of investment.
Companies like GM just can't keep putting
a ton of money into the
future as well as a ton
of money in today's stuff.
While analysts do expect the
Indian automotive market to continue
growing in the foreseeable future, it
did hit a slump in 2019.
Maruti Suzuki sales were growing
until February 2019, but have
slipped every month, year
over year, until October.
Suzuki said in November that the slowing
Indian market was one of the
factors behind the company's falling overall
sales and net income in
its second fiscal quarter.
So I think right now the
market is going through turmoil.
Our economy is struggling and if
we only talk about the automotive
market we are talking about a decline
of minus 14 percent in 2019
calendar year light vehicles.
So obviously this year is the
kind of degrowth happening, which has
not happened in last
two decades, in India.
2020, we are just talking about a
kind of a flat growth but then
going forward, in 2021, '22, '23,
the assumption that our economy
should be back, you know, the
GDP growth rate will start growing
above seven percent. Indian
automotive analysts note the country's
auto industry has to contend
with the relatively recent rise of
mobility services such as ride
hailing. The potential of these
competing technologies is still
unknown, but could affect how
interested in car ownership Indians
remain in the future.
In the end, GM did make some of
the right choices when trying to go
into India. GM was right in
terms of localizing their products
typically for the Indian market, making
it, in line with the taxation
because they were able to save tax.
But, at the end of their day, were
really not able to match with what
the competitors were offering.
If the Indian economy picks back up,
GM may find itself trying to
profitably re-enter the country.
GM's rival Ford, which has been in
India since 1995, said in October
2019 it will create a new
joint venture with Indian manufacturer
Mahindra, which Ford said will help
it develop new products faster
and drive profitable growth.
Why General Motors Left Europe
CNBC:
In 2017, General Motors,
the largest U.S.
automaker with brands known around the
world made perhaps one of
its boldest moves in its history.
It sold its European Opel and
Vauxhall brands to the French
automaker PSA known for brands
such as Peugeot and Citroen.
It was the end of an era
for GM which had first ventured into
Europe nearly 90 years before.
It also marked the end of nearly
two decades of losses for the
brands under GM's stewardship.
GM executives said the deal
would unload a difficult and
struggling business and allow the company
to focus on its more
profitable North American market and free
up cash to make needed
investments in new technologies such
as electric cars and
autonomous driving.
But the move came with risks.
The European new car market is about
as large as that of the
United States and leaving it would
not only hit GM's volume but
also increase its exposure to the
ups and downs of the U.S.
auto market.
The sale of the unit
also racked up huge costs.
GM took a $3.9 billion
loss in 2017 owing
mostly to the $6.2
billion in costs it had to
shell out for the sale.
So why did GM leave?
Did the automaker simply
screw up or fail?
Was it wise to get out of Europe?
And what does it mean for GM's
future and the future of the auto
industry?
The decision actually says a lot about
how difficult it is to be a
global automaker today and the
sometimes subtle ways markets
around the world increasingly favor
local players who can tailor
their products to
specific markets.
In the end GM may have failed
in Europe in part because it just
isn't European.
The numbers show General Motors was
having a rough time on the
continent in the nine years or
so before the divestiture of GM's
European business.
It bled money at the EBIT line
every single year for a total of
about $14 billion in
losses on $208.4
billion dollars in sales it's nine
year weighted loss of 6.9
percent.
EBIT stands for earnings before interest
and taxation and is the
metric GM uses to report
the money its international business
divisions make.
Its worst year during that time
was during the financial crisis in
2009.
Where GM incurred a 15
percent loss of $3.6
billion dollars.
The best year in that period was
2016 where it still had a 1.4
percent loss totaling
about $257 million.
Now that sounds like an improvement
and in absolute terms it was.
But consider that over the same
nine year period GM turned a
profit in North America of
$28 billion on $823.7
point billion in sales.
That's a nine year
weighted gain of 3.4
percent an automaker generally tries to
target an 8 percent EBIT
for any given region and for
the world as a whole.
GM's rival, Ford for example has an
8 percent EBIT target for its
European business.
The automobiles never really
sold well with consumers.
And one of the reasons they
weren't able to achieve profitability
is because what they did sell
were primarily passenger cars and
not the higher margin trucks and SUVs
that they saw a lot of in
the U.S..
So that's that's a
big part of it.
There's also a lot of headwinds that
they faced on the cost side
of the equation with with the
cost of labor, unions, and
also more stringent regulation
particularly from an emissions
standpoint.
So a lot of those reasons are
why they had such mixed results and
from a market share perspective when
they pulled out they were
they only had about 6
to 7 percent market share.
So it wasn't really a
dominant market for them.
And GM was losing ground
during that time to competitors.
Consider that the automaker
had a 9.3
percent share of the European car
market in 2008 but that fell
below 7 percent in 2014 and stayed
there for two years and then
fell again to around
6 percent in 2016.
Meanwhile European competitors seem
to be faring better.
And once GM sold off its
European business its earnings shot up.
The automaker earned a
global EBIT of 9.9
percent in 2017 and 8.4
percent in 2018.
But why was GM struggling in Europe
when it does so well in the
United States and is
even leading U.S.
automakers in China a market that is
by no means easy to do
business in.
One reason is that
Europe is pretty unique.
To be fair to GM it is not
the only automaker that has had trouble
there.
American cars have never been an
easy sell in the European market.
Ford for example has dialed back
its presence in the region.
Gm is not alone
in their struggles.
You see Ford pulling out of
Europe and American cars just never
have really sold very well there.
That market is really dominated
by the big three German
manufacturers and others.
But it's also a
fairly fragmented market.
So they just really were never
able to compete and consumers just
didn't really like their cars.
There were larger economic and political
factors such as the great
recession and tightening emissions
regulations that made it
tougher for companies to
do business there.
Another factor is the
distinctiveness of European tastes.
At the time GM CEO Mary Barra
said 80 percent of the vehicles in
the Opel portfolio didn't share
parts or platforms with those
sold in any of
GM's other markets.
When we look at the portfolio
going forward from a vehicle
perspective or a portfolio perspective
only 20 percent of the
portfolio overlapped with the rest
of the General Motors
portfolio.
So we think the real opportunity
for PSA is to leverage that
Europe specific scale.
That put the company
in a tough position.
Major automakers generally want to
build flexible platforms and
parts that can be used in
a variety of models in different
markets.
This helps them keep costs low
and achieve those highly desired
economies of scale.
There are forces however that make
it difficult to share parts and
platforms.
Automobiles tend to be highly regulated
products and many of the
markets where they are sold
and the regulations can vary
sometimes widely from
region to region.
One example of this is
fuel economy and emissions regulations.
Both the U.S.
and Europe have them.
But they tend to differ and
producing cars to meet each
regulatory regime costs
more money.
It requires that the company engineer
and test every vehicle to
fit every set of rules.
But many industry observers say GM
made a number of missteps over
the years that contributed to
the brand's struggles in Europe.
Opel and Vauxhall are often thought
of as sensible cars but they
do not have the glamorous
reputations of more premium brands.
GM typically sold Opels and Vauxhalls
in high volumes usually to
keep costs low.
But simple supply and demand shows this
has a way of driving down
prices.
And while GM produced a lot of cars
it was hard for it to make
money on the cars it made.
It also introduced its Chevrolet brand
into Europe which had the
effect of undermining sales
of Opel and Vauxhall.
Both brands already had
difficulty distinguishing themselves in
Europe's competitive landscape and
selling highly similar
Chevrolets right next to
them further confused buyers.
Furthermore the company didn't
have the right products.
Opels portfolio was heavily
weighted toward traditional passenger
cars such as
subcompact and sedans.
And the brand missed the boom
in crossover and small SUV sales.
At the end of the day Europe is
a large market but it is a mature
one and does not offer the
opportunities for growth companies can
find in China and other emerging
markets or even the kinds of
opportunity in the U.S..
A lot of it is really reflection
of the economic growth in Europe
relative to China.
You have one of the fastest growing
countries in the world and the
U.S. which is growing stronger a
lot stronger than Europe now.
You know if you look at European
GDP over the last several years
just has really lagged the
North American market in Asia.
China is now the world's largest
car market with 28 million new
vehicles sold in 2018.
That number is likely to continue
to rise as the auto market
continues to grow.
In North America particularly the
United States, is becoming an
ever more profitable market as
consumers turn toward higher
priced crossovers, SUVs,
and pickup trucks.
So GM cut the cord in Europe and
said it would use the money to
focus more on its strong business
selling trucks in North America
while sinking piles of cash
into its investments in electric
vehicles and self-driving cars.
Those aren't cheap aspirations and it may
be a long time before GM
or anyone else makes
money off them.
Meanwhile GM's North American sales
have grown pretty consistently
from 56 billion dollars in 2009
to 113 billion dollars in 2018
according to FactSet.
Meanwhile it was able to sell the
business to Peugeot and a large
automaker that has been successful
focusing on Europe but who
also has plans to
return to the U.S..
They've been very open over the
last few months about their
interest in specifically
Fiat Chrysler.
Which I think they view as a
opportunity to gain a foothold in the
North American market and obviously
you know that company has
said some very well-received brands with
Jeep and a lot of the
new products that
they're introducing.
In a comment to
CNBC, General Motors
said:
Peugeot surprised the industry by saying
it had restored the Opel
and Vauxhall brands to profitability in
part by cutting costs and
introducing new more
profitable models.
Why People Love Vintage Cars - Holley National Hot Rod Reunion
HolleyPerformance:
You could say we are in the heart of hot rodding
here in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Where Holley
makes it its home, even the mighty Corvette
is built here. Every year, car enthusiasts
for one weekend gather around at Holley's
Hot Rod Reunion. From Nostalgic cars to vintage
cars to muscle cars to even one of a kind
rare cars, they all gather here. I'm on a
mission here to find out why people are so
obsessed with these vintage cars. It's a beautiful
tree-lined Beech Bend Raceway gets filled
to the gills with nostalgic race fans and
racers. We're at the show and shine section
of the reunion and it's almost like taking
a step back in time, there are so many styles
and variations of automobiles that span almost
a century, it's very awesome to see. Here's
a beautiful example of what you're going to
see out at Holley's Hot Rod Reunion, take
a look at this beautiful 38' Willy's truck.
Ron pleasure to meet you. Nice to meet you.
Very intriguing just the whole layout, you
know it looks old and cluttered on the outside
but everything on the inside is brand new.
It's a 1938 Willy's pickup, this build is
honestly the first time I put a Hemi in anything.
You can't go wrong with a Hemi. We bought
one of your fuel injection units and took
an old-school fuel injection and adapted it
to it with a 528 Hemi, this is a 577, and
we put one of your new ones on it. We couldn't
see the wires actually so it's really well
done. The engine's far enough back that I
can't come straight up. Oh ok. So we did the
stacks the same angle as the hood. Beautiful.
We had to build our own linkage, there's no
linkage available. Just the mixture of the
modern, the chrome, and the old school patina,
you know it's 1938 vintage outside, you couldn't
tell otherwise. This honestly is just the
way that I found it except we had to put new
bedsides on it because they were in too bad
of shape but the fenders are original, the
panel's original, the entire cab is original
the front fenders, that's just the way that
I found it. You know as you go along you build
something, you know you just keep doing little
things, I love the old magnesium wheels so
I got them front and back. That's a 38' Willy's
straight axle. We adapted the original spindles
but some of the straight axle cars when you
see them coming you can see the rack and I
didn't want that. If you look right here on
the frame. So I get ahold of the spindle.
And you just push it up and down. Yeah, you
could turn the wheel with your finger, I just
didn't want my rack to lay down across. Yeah,
it takes away from the aesthetics. I wanted
to see the axel, I didn't want to see a rack.
Thaks so much for coming out. Thanks so much
for the time. Hey, you bet.
Now check out this hot rod, where are you
going to see one of these at? This Military
inspired hot rod sports what looks to be a
50 caliber machine gun. Everything on it looks
army issue from the tires to the grenade hood
emblem. The helmet on the carb is cool and
check out that bullet. Check out the crosshairs
out in front of the driver's cab. This ride
has got a great vibe and feel. The bomber
seats and steering wheel round out this exceptional
ride.
And for all you youngsters out there, I bet
you don't know what this or what it does!
Now, this Model A truck has vintage all over
it. Gang check out the garage door opener
on this vehicle, very cool at least we know
it is garage kept. Just look at how things
were built back then, look at that differential.
See those vise grips, that's hot rodding ingenuity.
Here we can see that this ride has some modern
amenities like that ratchet strap, every car
has its own story.
And where else are you going to find a factory
427 big block? Look at this beauty right here.
This 69' Kingswood station wagon is based
on the Impala. These station wagons easily
fit 9 people. This one sports a big block,
a 427 to boot. These small subtle badges are
the only giveaway of the big block engine
inside. This is a great example of the kind
of car you could order from Detroit back in
the late 60's. There's always an amazing selection
of gassers out here at Holley's Hot Rod Reunion,
check out this 41 Willy's it's a nice prime
example. The interior is very sharp on this
Willy's but check out those flames. One of
my favorite things at Holley's Hot Rod Reunion
is the drag racing, check it out. The drag
racing is non-stop at Holley's Hot Rod Reunion
with just about every category running under
the sun. Dragsters, funny cars, altereds,
gassers, and door cars all leave there mark
a the burnout box.
Wow, these are cool steering wheels here.
How are you doing sir? Pretty good fellas,
how ya'll doing? Doing good, doing good. We're
at the swap meet area now where they have
those very hard to find parts that you just
can't find anywhere else, you know if you
are looking for that specific special bolt,
that intake or anything rare, you know this
is the place to find it. Just take a look
at the collection of stuff that they've got
here, trust me you will find what you are
looking for here. Now check out this new old
stock cross ram intake, talk about killer
looks. These cross ram intakes used to be
very popular back in the day. Consols, in
dash gauges pulleys and lots of miscellaneous
items here. Check out this custom tricycle,
it looks like it's been hot rodded. Alright,
let's go talk to one of these swap meet vendors.
How are you doing my name is Ray, I'm with
Holley Performance. Hey, Ray, I'm Howdie's
Hot Rods from Summerset, Kentucky. Tell us
a little bit about some of the unique items
that you have here. As you can see we got
intakes, traditional stuff, to die-cast here,
some NASCAR, to ship knobs, to skeletons.
A little bit of everything. What about that
intake? Kind of a rare item, this an original
Mickey Thompson cross ram intake, you know
it's kind of rare, we got a Hilborn fuel injection
system, complete system. You aren't going
to find that everywhere. Yeah, and it's perfect
for this type of setting you know? And here's
something pretty interesting, stuff like this
right here, pull the headlights and it's actually
got the little lights there, little turn signals
work, stuff like that. You know I do this
right here, this is something kind of new,
a lot of people have done and we do hydro
dipping, and I do this plate, something different.
You know we got signs, we got motorcycles,
and minibikes, stickers, we even got stuff
for Dodge guys. Now here's something that
I built for my grandkid, them little battery
operated Corvette. Battery power huh? Yeah,
that's what it was, I cleaned it off and made
a little wagon out of it. Pool stick? Yeah,
pool stick for the handle. Well, sir I really
appreciate your time. Hey, I enjoy it every
year, I enjoy it, really do. Awesome, thank
you. Alright, looks like we got some hard
parts over here. 10 bolt rear end, $100. And
of course engine blocks. Got some engine heads,
little bit of everything. If you are looking
for vintage parts, this is the place to find
them. Wow just look at this, that looks like
a 409 engine, the valve covers are so distinguishable,
can't go wrong with dual quads and a blower
sticking out of the hood. Gasser, check out
this 55' gasser, straight axel provided better
weight distribution when launching, this one
is sharp. I got a buddy who's got one of these,
he'd love this thing here, fantastic, and
look at this, D & D racing, look at all the
chrome on this, look at the paint, that paint
is fantastic. Big Block Chevy, big blower,
looks like it's got a magneto in there too.
Beautiful ride buddy. Love the chrome, those
headers, let's take a look at the interior
here. Wow look at that interior, oh yeah that
vintage movie gas pedal, love the diamond
tuck stitch work, look at this a Corvette.
Looks like a 62' Corvette, boy is it slick
and super clean, check out that eight stack
popping out of the hood and that paint, they
just don't make them like this anymore. I
just love the artistry that they had in these
years, every car had a name back then it seems,
that psychedelic look, it's all custom, look
at that gold paint, the pinstriping, all the
little touches. It's a work of art. That's
super cool looking. It's a Hemi, another Hemi,
let's take a look at this thing, it looks
like a dual quad small block on this bad boy.
We're in the drag pits now and man there are
just so many cars out here, I'm just a little
bit overwhelmed. Let's head over to the nostalgic
pro stock pits, these guys build race cars
to commemorate and honor some of pro stocks
greatest legends. Saw your car we realized
that wow, this is a throwback to the 70's
pro stock, can you tell us a little bit about
the car. It's a tribute car to Reher Morrison
Shepard, 81 championship car, it was driven
by the late Lee Shepard, the only car to win
both NHRA and IHRA in the same year. The Camaro
looks just like it did back in the day, how
did you get all the details right? I was always
a big huge pro stock fan and about 7 years
ago, good guys were going to try to do a nostalgia
pro stock deal and I jumped in, I was buying
Reher Morrison motors for a gasser car and
I talked to Dave and he thought it was a good
idea, while there were a lot of pictures in
old hot rod magazines, David had the real
goods and suddenly a lot of interior shots
and everything so it's pretty close. Then
David also provides the horsepower. The drive
chains are identical to what was used back
then right? You know there's no power glides
in these, these are old-fashioned Lenkos.
When you are shifting three times, you are
leaving the first gear and shifting three
times in a period of probably 5 seconds. Just
like the old days. Really glad to have you
guys out here. We're really glad to be here
and thank Holley. Hey Mike how are you doing?
Very nice to meet you. We see you got a Bob
Glidden tribute car. I appreciate that it
was built to honor the memory of Bob and the
whole Glidden family, all of their accomplishments
that they did for not only Ford but pro stock
and bringing family back into pro stock racing,
you know Bob did a lot of stuff, set a lot
of records and all of that but one of the
nicest men you'd ever want to meet, the whole
family. The undefeated Fairmount no less.
So memorable to see this car you know, he
won so many races with it. I've had so many
people come up from the stands and they get
emotional, they get a tear in their eye and
they say I remember when you beat Bill Jenkins,
I remember when you beat Billy the kid, and
I remember when you beat all these guys, I
have people coming back the next day showing
me pictures of the car, the real car that
they took so yeah, it's a lot of fun, we're
really having a lot of fun. That's very cool
and I noticed that all of those cars are here,
all the tribute cars so it's almost like reliving
those times again. It is, that's what it's
about for us, we're not trying to set any
records, we're trying to keep these things
as close to the way they were then as we can,
we're running about the same speed, bringing
back memories and putting on a show, that's
all we really are. There's nothing better
than staging those, bumping in with the Lenko
and clutching, and pulling the lever. People
in the stands always go that was really cool,
I say you should have seen it from where I
was sitting. This reunion is the best, just
walk around, you'll never see this many people
anywhere else. I look at these national events,
football stadiums and baseball and they are
all talking about they can't fill the stands,
we got just the opposite problem here, both
sides of the stands are jammed packed, there
are cars everywhere and you see all this unique
hot rods and gassers and street rods, front
engine fuel cars, it's just it's very very
big. Thaks Ray, thanks, guys.
Hey Scott, we've been talking with a bunch
of your fellow co-racers here and we definitely
want to know some more about your car here.
What we're looking at here is a 72' Chevy
Camaro, all steel body minus the hood, full
tube chassis, 500 plus cubic inch big block
engine in it for power plant, runs pretty
consistently in the 8.60's 8.70's. When we
initially started to get into this group with
Mark and the rest of the guys, a lot of the
guys were building clone cars, and that's
cool I really totally respect that, but there's
also a lot of guys that were out there that
helped the guys like Grumpy Jenkins and you
know all these other racers get to where they
are at, if there weren't backyard built cars
that were out there competing as well, so
that's kind of what we wanted to do, we wanted
to just build something that reflected the
1970's, possibly something that someone would
have built at their own house or their own
shop that they were just out there trying
to be competitive with. Right just along with
them. Yeah, I've been drag racing with some
other groups and different bracket racing
and such since 1994, these guys have been
awesome, you get hooked on these great venues,
what more can you ask for, doing a big long
smokey burnout, dry hops, the crowd is going
crazy, I have the most fun before I'm even
passed the finish line, we're trying to preserve
what's going on through the 70's you know
what I mean. Show what the pro sticks were
and trying to keep that vision alive. Thanks
for talking with us Scott. yeah, thank you
very much.
Holley's Hot Rod Reunion also has what's known
as cackle fest. It's basically a celebration
of the golden age of drag racing. On Saturday
night, they fire up these vintage dragsters,
funny cars, and they leave them idling. The
nitro fuel mixture actually creates this distinct
cackling noise that must be seen and heard.
The sound of the nitro-burning will leave
your ears ringing and cause your eyes and
throat to sting, certainly one of the highlights
to catch at Holley's Hot Rod Reunion.
Hey John. Hi. Your car caught our eye. The
motor is the whole thing of this car. This
motor was Don Nicholson's in his funny car
and I had the funny car years ago in the 70's
and we ran it on alcohol circuit and I ended
up in a divorce and I kept the motor, so it
was in my garage for 47 years and I came down
here with some friends when they started all
this cackle fest stuff and my buddy over there,
he said why don't we build a car, put your
motor together and go to the cackle fest.
So this is how we ended up down here with
this, so we put a new blower on it, and touched
it up, but it's original block and everything
that he ran. I mean these engines are legendary,
you really don't see them out there you know.
No, very very few of them around and especially
one like this, it's cast in magnesium. Oh
wow even better. We go to several cars shows
you know, through the summer and that's what
we do, we just do the cackle fest with it.
I mean I see the white walls out back. Yes,
that was some of the history they had of the
cars back in this day. And back in the day
they just smoked the tires down the track,
they weren't hooking up, right? No, it's direct
drive, there are no slippers, nothing, it's
just direct drive and that's it, you know
and that's how they did it with the smaller
tires. John what a striking throwback to the
top fuel dragsters of yesteryear, it was a
pleasure talking to you. Thank you very much.
Look forward to seeing you. I appreciate it.
So you guys drove down from Canada I hear?
Yes, we did, it's about 750 miles, it takes
about 14 hours roughly. The way the car is,
it's a 61' Pontiac, it has a 409 Chevrolet
engine in it which is pretty unusual, why
would you put a Chevrolet engine in a Pontiac,
well the fact is this Pontiac was born with
a Chevrolet engine in it because it's from
Canada where I'm from so all Pontiacs of that
era had Chevrolet drivetrains in them, in
fact, they had the X frame, it's basically
a Chevrolet with Pontic sheet metal it came
of the same assembly line as the Chevrolets
did in Ontario, Canada. Who would have known
a Pontiac with Chevy power from the factory?
Enjoy yourself and thanks for coming to the
Holley Hot Rod Reunion. Well yeah, thanks
for sponsoring it, we're having a good time.
Look at this 64' Fairlane. Berry Clements,
nice to meet you. We saw your car cruising
around and wow what a beautiful piece of machinery.
It's a 64' Fairlane of course, I bought it
from a gentleman that did most of the work
on it, painting redone on it, a guy named
Jack Lemon painted all the special painting,
he's a motorcycle painter out of California
and he's a really good painter. When I saw
this car, that color and that top paint on
it, it just really caught my eye. The paint
the trim, it's all great, what a fantastic
blast from the past.
Alright, guys, we're at the Holley booth,
as you can see they got a ton of cool shirts,
we're going to go down to the Holley booth
and see what else they've got over here. Hey
Derek, how are you doing bud? Good, how are
you doing? Not much, just trying to stave
off the heat here. So how are things going
here at the booth? Good good, a lot of traffic.
Show us some of Holley's new products. this
is something that we've just released in our
Sniper series, it's our 450 which is an 8
injector throttle body and they're self-contained,
you can see that it still looks like a traditional
carburetor. It is a 450 flange so it bolts
right up to the intake. That's a monster.
Yeah, absolutely, it will support up to 1500
horsepower naturally aspirated. Also, we've
started to do a lot of the in tank fuel pump
systems, this particular one here, as you
can see is a billet component, as far as fitment,
you actually cut a hole in the existing tank
or make the hole bigger, this actually pushes
down, these turn and they lock on the face
or the opening of the tank itself, so it's
not as much welding or traditional drilling
holes to make this particular system work
really well. That's cool. And something else
that we really got back into is we sell the
Mallory and old Mallory products also. Old
school stuff that was back in the day that
Mallory was famous for, we've brought back.
Derek, thanks a lot for your time bud and
we'll catch up to you later. Thank you. That
is cool.
Hey, I'm Terry. Hi Terry. Tina. Tina, hi Tina.
We saw you all driving in this very in the
weeds Cadillac and it definitely caught our
eye, we definitely want to know a little bit
about it. It's a 63' one owner, we bought
it from the one owner two years ago. Wow,
it's a nice example of a 63' here I mean it
looks completely clean and straight, you know.
Right off the line original, everything original.
Awesome, so where are ya'll from? Stone Mountain.
Stone Mountain. Georgia. Ok, wow so you guys
had quite a drive out here huh? Well, I hope
you guys have a fantastic time out here and
hope to see you out here with more cars as
well. Absolutely.
Take a look at this beauty right here, it's
actually built by a good friend of our at
Holley. Man the guy's an artist, he built
it all himself and this thing is a thing of
beauty. We're definitely going to get some
more insight with Ben here and find out what
exactly we got here, this thing is just a
jewel.
I just met Ben here and he's going to tell
us a little bit about his beautiful 34' pickup
here. This truck started out as an original
34' Ford, had a restoration on it when a customer
bought it, he wanted to make a full custom
out of this vehicle, we incorporated the factory
34' frame, which he wanted to maintain so
we took that whole frame, we boxed it, notched
it, all the way through to get the right height
of the truck down to where it needed to be.
Everything was designed around using an LSX
engine, this is a 416 stroker, all with 871
billet blower and running behind a Holley
Dominator with 16 fuel injectors, 8 under
the hat, 8 in the intake manifold, backed
up to a 4L80 stage 5 RPM trans. This motor
right now dynoed initially 980 on the engine
dyno so we backed it down considerably, he
wanted to make a thousand horsepower so we've
gotten it down to where I'm going to try to
keep it pretty conservative at about 600 to
the tire. Something that's going to be safe
for him to drive. But some remarkable performance
and features out of the Holley Dominator,
as you've already heard we were able to get
a pretty substantial alcohol volt out of a
pump gas vehicle which I've had more response
on that at this point in time than anything
on the entire vehicle, is how are you doing
that, and to this point I don't know any other
ECU we could do that with other than the Dominator.
It just sounds fantastic, that lope and that
quick starting, my god, it's a push button
and you've got a blower on there and it starts
on the first touch of the button. Instantaneous,
doesn't matter if it sits for 5 hours or 10
minutes, you hit the key and it turns right
over. Incredible, well Ben I can't say enough
good things about your truck, we're glad you're
out here and hopefully we see you at LS fest
as well. We'll be there.
I really like this car because it's so different,
you don't see them. Exactly, yeah, very unique,
you know, Cyclones, a lot of people get them
confused with a Torino I take. Right, a lot
of people think it is a Torino, yeah because
they came in very low numbers compared to
a Torino. Right. Torinos built about 28,000
these were less than 7,000. It's a 1968, it's
original 4-speed bucket seat car with a 302
four barrel car when it was new and it now
has a small block. It's a world product 427
stroker motor, so it's 567 horsepower and
575 foot-pounds of torque.
What a fabulous car, it's dark black, Barracuda,
that windshield, I said we got to go talk
to this guy. It was born this way, black with
gold interior. Really? So is this an all original
car we're looking at? Every piece of trim
was original but I put a fender on it here
and a lot of work here and there, the interior
is not original but it's custom which is close
to the original. Original motor, 273, I built
it, put flat taps and you know, hydraulic
lifters in it, my wife likes it a lot. Does
she really? Car shows, and different things.
Wow, it's a beautiful car, so how long have
you had it? 17 years.
The NHRA Motorsports Museum touts Holley's
Hot Rod Reunion as living history, we definitely
learned a thing or two. I think you can see
why people love these vintage cars. Well thanks
for joining me on this journey at Holley's
Hot Rod Reunion, as you can tell we've only
scratched the surface of what you can see
out here, so for all you car enthusiasts,
you owe it to yourself to mark your calendar
and make it out here. I mean you are literally
sitting on the differential, you better hope
that thing doesn't blow, that would hurt.
2018 Chevrolet Traverse - Review and Road Test
Kelley Blue Book:
the second generation Chevrolet Traverse
it's a three row midsize SUV that we
really like propelling our positive
vibes is a deeply functional interior
let's start somewhere boring door
storage the front rear doors are loaded
with bins and nooks galore though I'm
not quite sure what defines a bin versus
a nook beyond the aforementioned door
nooks smaller items can be stowed in the
sizeable center console in this spot
below the second row climate controls or
in a handy USB adjacent bin beneath the
center stack aside from slight pressure
in the upper back region the front seats
are superbly comfortable and as the
driver you'll enjoy a highly
customizable driving position supported
by well-placed arm rests just know drive
like a maniac and you'll wish for more
lateral support Headroom is
unsurprisingly excellent up front but
that excellence extends rearward as well
Tim is six foot something and look his
head is not mashed against the headliner
nobody cares also he's British and too
polite to complain about legroom so I'm
going to proactively slide and angle my
seats slightly forward. Thank you. Sorry I was uncomfortable. It's fine.
with less diplomatic occupants rear-seat
nice space could be tight but as
consolation third row dwellers are
gifted a wealth of cupholders decent
foot space under the second row and two
USB outlets on that note the Traverse
comes with USB ports in all three rows
that plus an optional three prong outlet
means well-charged devices ensuring your
family never has to, you know, speak
where material quality is concerned the
Traverse leaves room for its Buick
Enclave sibling to fancy things up even
so GM's mainstream offering incorporates
some soft materials and in many places
uses a soft coating to spruce up hard
plastics in other places it doesn't with
the second and third row stowed Traverse
owners have a substantial ninety eight
point two cubic feet to fill raised
those seats and twenty three cubic feet
of dedicated cargo space remains
supplemented by an additional 3.2 cubic
foot underfloor storage hold while
prattling on about the traverses many
fine qualities we should reserve time to
talk about how it drives and how it
drives is lovely the suspension
skillfully absorbs bumps while keeping
the chassis in check when cornering and
when you pick up the pace interior noise
is mostly quashed except for some
whistling in this region, which you would
hear if I didn't have to stop for that
stoplight
the man says I have to stop
providing propulsion is a mighty 3.6
liter v6 that tows up to 5,000 pounds
and moves the Traverse with real
authority when asked maybe more
impressive is the standard 9 speed
automatic it's a shining star of a
transmission that delivers virtually
seamless transparent shifts and when you
introduce the accelerator to the carpet
acceleration and downshifts occur without
delay for its size the Traverse is
fairly efficient aided by an
inconspicuous but undefeatable automatic
engine start/stop system that saves fuel
when the vehicle is motionless if you
don't mind giving up a few mpg the
optional all-wheel drive system adds
traction inslippery conditions a
turbocharged four-cylinder engine is
also available but only in the sporty
Traverse RS producing less horsepower
more torque and better city fuel economy
than the v6 the real trick with a
relatively large SUV is to hide its
girth the Traverse does just that with
light and easy steering and a tight
turning circle that make it a confident
parking tool parked on the flipside
visibility over your right shoulder is
terrible especially since depending on
where the seats are the right second row
headrest completely blocks the side
window in my experience if you can see
what's in the adjacent Lane lane changes
are less stressful
helping address those visibility
concerns our higher trim features like
blind spot monitoring a 360 degree
camera system rear cross-traffic alert
and rear but not front parking sensors
rounding out the option roster are
indulgences like wireless phone charging
a hands-free tailgate heated and
ventilated front seats leather and a
heated steering wheel choose the fancy
high country trim with its power folding
seats and traction enhancing dual clutch
rear differential and you can spend
nearly fifty three thousand dollars it's
worth mentioning that adaptive cruise
control is only offered on the high
country trim while many competitive SUVs
offer similar technology at a lower
price point and if you need eight seats
you're stuck with the low end L & LS
trims as higher Traverse trims only come
with seven in basic not quite $31,000
form the Traverse comes surprisingly
well equipped with keyless entry and
push-button start three-zone automatic
climate control a wide-angle backup
camera a smart slide 2nd row seat for
easy third row access and 7 airbags
including a center airbag that deploys
from the inboard side of the driver's
seat the standard infotainment system is
a 7-inch unit featuring apple carplay
and android auto but buyers can also
upgrade to an 8 inch system with a
lockable storage area behind the screen
hiding the traverses elusive seventh USB
port either way the screen is decently
sized placed within reach and the menus
are a cinch to navigate while shopping 3
row midsize SUVs it's always smart to
investigate the alternatives some
standouts include the roomy VW Atlas
the practical Toyota Highlander the
thoughtfully crafted Honda Pilot and the
strong selling Ford Explorer
pleasant to drive and
competitively-priced with lots of cargo
space and room for up to 8 passengers
the Chevrolet Traverse is fantastically
suited for family duty despite some
formidable competition the Traverse is a
midsize SUV that deserves your attention
2020 Corvette Stingray Convertible Reveal — Mid-Engine C8 Corvette Convertible!
Edmunds:
MARK TAKAHASI: Mom,
apple pie, baseball.
These are things
we traditionally
think of as American, right?
Personally, I think
of our accomplishments
to describe the uniquely
American experience.
We're here at the
Kennedy Space Center
in Florida, where 50 years ago,
three brave astronauts strapped
into a Saturn 5 rocket,
blasted off to the moon,
forever changing
humanity's story arc.
16 years before that, though,
America's sports car was born.
And it's closely tied
to the space program.
We're here to check out the
latest version of that sports
car in the 2020 Chevrolet
Corvette convertible.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
In 1953, Chevrolet
introduced the Corvette,
a small convertible
sports car, to compete
against those little
roasters GIs were
falling in love with overseas.
America's first
astronaut, Alan Shepard,
had a '57 'vette
just like my mom's.
A decade later, the
edgier, second generation
was introduced, along with
the iconic Stingray name.
And this one, in particular,
used to be Neil Armstrong's.
Come on, how cool is that?
We just happen to have a
'66 this same color rotating
above the Edmunds
reception desks too.
The third generation,
C3m three showed up
just as the Apollo program
hit its stride in 1968.
There's a famous
photo of the Apollo 12
astronauts posing with their
custom gold 427 Stingrays.
Starting in 1984, the C4 ensured
the 80s and 90s were rad.
The C5 'vette ran
from '97 to 2004,
and we had a wonderful Z06
from 2002, our long-term fleet.
The true 21st century Corvette
started with the C6 and C7s,
which dramatically increased
the technology and performance
quotient.
That brings us to the
all-new 8th generation,
which represents the biggest
change in the Corvette's
history.
We showed you the Stingray
coupe over the summer,
and for the most
part, this convertible
is mechanically identical.
Under this deck lid is the same
6.2 liter, naturally aspirated,
push rod V8 that puts out 495
horsepower and 470-pound feet
of torque.
Attached to that is an
8-speed automated dual clutch
transmission.
Sadly, it doesn't
sound like we're
going to get a manual
this time around.
There are some design challenges
that go along with a mid engine
sports car like this.
And if you look at
something like, let's say,
the Lamborghini
Diablo Spyder, where
the deck looks really huge and
heavy and the seating position
is way too far forward.
That is not the case with
a Corvette convertible.
They styled it impeccably, so
it looks almost like the coupe.
These nacelles here that
run from the headrest all
the way to the tail really
break up some of that space.
And these intersecting
lines and decreases
lighten that visual weight.
Also helping to break up
some of that visual weight
is this black fascia
down here, which kind of
helps it not look as heavy and
chunky as it normally would.
One thing that I
was really concerned
with the design of
this new C8 Corvette
was this really,
really big center thing
with all the buttons on it.
They're all climate controls,
so it sort of makes sense,
but I have to say this.
In photos, it looks
really awkward.
In practice, sitting here,
it's actually pretty good.
I mean, you have
everything at your command.
Maybe they could have slimmed
it down with fewer buttons,
but I'm sorry.
It kind of works.
You also have this nice
little hand rest here
for the dial controller.
And this squared off
steering wheel actually
feels pretty good.
I have to say, it might be
fulfilling some like Formula 1
driver aspirations.
Overall, the interior
has a nice snug
feel without
feeling too cramped.
There are obviously
a lot of challenges
when it comes to converting
the coupe to a convertible,
so I'm here with Ed
Piatek, chief engineer
for the Corvette.
Ed, what kind of
challenges did you
run into with this
mid engine Corvette?
ED PIATEK: Well,
typically you have
a lot of challenges from
a structure standpoint
if you're removing the
roof from a coupe that
uses the roof as a load path.
But in the case of all
the Corvettes going back
to the 6th generation car,
they've all effectively
been convertibles.
They all have
removable roof panels.
So we can't count on the roof.
So when we do a
car like this, we
use a tunnel-dominant structure.
If you took a look at
the underbody of the car
you'll see we've got a
really big tunnel section.
And that gives it
sort of the backbone
that gives you great bending
and torsional stiffness.
So for us to do a convertible,
it's not as big a challenge,
as far as having to remediate
that and put band-aids
on the car to get
the structure back.
MARK TAKAHASI: So that's
all really impressive,
but something I heard earlier
is even more impressive.
How much more does
this convertible
weigh than the coupe?
ED PIATEK: We're still in
the final validation phase,
so I don't have an exact number.
But it's going to be less
than 100 pounds difference
from coupe to
convertible, which is
why we think the acceleration
performance that everyone's
excited about for the
coupe will carry right
over into the convertible.
MARK TAKAHASI: That's
amazing considering
that a lot of convertibles
weigh several pounds more
than their coupe counterparts.
Thanks a lot, Ed.
ED PIATEK: Hey, thank you.
MARK TAKAHASI: It's
been a pleasure.
I can't wait to drive it.
ED PIATEK: It's great.
I'm here with Kirk Bennion,
chief designer of the Corvette.
What were your main
challenges with the C8?
KIRK BENNION: Well,
I would tell you
in developing this
convertible top,
the mechanization was something
that we started on very early.
There were certain
things that we wanted
to maintain in the design.
We want to maintain the
shoulders and the quarters.
But also we wanted to
maintain some surfacing that
led up to those nacelles.
So we started with a
small patch of surface,
and we continued to develop
that fiber link system
to give us his tapered upper.
But to work around
that early surface--
we didn't even know
what the car was
going to look like
as a whole, but we
knew we wanted these particular
elements in the design.
MARK TAKAHASI: But a lot of
the challenges for mid engine
is the back end
looks really heavy,
and the passenger
compartment looks like it's
squished too far forward.
How did you solve that?
KIRK BENNION: A lot of that
depends on just where you
place that windshield.
And, you know, kind of like
with the windshield assembly,
and your wiper assembly,
call panel and that,
we like that to be
over center of axle--
center of the front wheel.
We feel it-- for this car that
gives us the best proportion.
It's that right
amount to reach, where
it doesn't look
like it's crammed,
with it's reaching forward.
And then it gives
us just enough room
in the back to kind of stretch
things out and still get
that for-- you know, what we
call a cockpit forward accent.
But in doing so, that allows us
to lean out the car, basically.
MARK TAKAHASI: Well,
it's a pleasure
to see it in the flesh.
Thanks for taking the time.
KIRK BENNION: Thank you.
MARK TAKAHASI: If you ask
me, the Corvette convertible
is just as sharp as the coupe.
And it's also as relatively
affordable costing,
$7,500 more.
Expect a starting
price of around $67,000
when it goes on sale
in March of 2020.
I'm not completely convinced
it's worth shelling out
the extra money for
the convertible,
since the coupe already
has a removable roof.
Whether you choose the
coupe or the convertible
you're pretty much
guaranteed you're
going to be driving the new
hotness for at least a couple
months.
That's it from the
Corvette convertible unveil
at the Kennedy Space
Center in Florida.
If you thought we'd come here
and not check out the astronaut
experience, you're wrong.
For sticking around this
long, here's a bonus.
Some snippets from
astronaut camp.
Woohoo!
Come on, Doug.
Let's go steal a rocket.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
That's where I belong.
Why Ford And Other American Cars Don’t Sell In Japan
CNBC:
When it comes to cars, Americans
seem to love the Japanese.
But the Japanese don't seem
to love Americans back.
Japanese brands sell remarkably well
in the United States.
Several of the best-selling automakers in
America are from Japan, and
their products seem to dominate entire
segments in sales and critical
acclaim. Japanese automakers sell so
many cars in the U.S.
that they actually employ vast numbers
of American workers in factories
around the country.
Japanese automakers actually build a third of
all the vehicles made in the
U.S. But the Japanese don't seem
to be interested in America's SUVs,
pickup trucks, muscle cars or just
about any vehicle made by Detroit.
Ford left Japan entirely in 2017.
General Motors keeps a presence there, but
it is tiny — the largest U.S.
automaker sold only 700 cars
in Japan in 2018.
And people are divided as to why
and what, if anything, should be done
about it.
President Donald Trump has criticized the
imbalance, but so have U.S.
automotive trade associations, who
blame Japanese protectionism.
While there are no
Japanese tariffs on U.S.
imports, a number of critics say there
are all kinds of technical barriers
that make it harder for U.S.
companies to sell in Japan.
Here in the United States, when we
set regulations for fuel economy or
safety or communications standards or whatever,
all of the automakers that
sell and produce in the United
States are party to that conversation.
In Japan, it's a much more
closed process for regulatory compliance.
It's "these are the rules and
you will meet the rules."
Japanese producers have input into that
and suppliers, but it's pretty
closed to any external companies that
would be doing business there.
But some industry experts say
that really isn't the problem.
Instead, the reasons U.S.
cars are so rare in Japan, which
is the world's third-largest car market,
have more to do with Japanese
consumer tastes, the abiding if outdated
stereotypes the Japanese have about the
quality of American cars, and the
very different way customers shop
for vehicles in Japan.
It is first important to note
that Japanese brands all but completely
dominate local roads.
More than 95 percent of all cars
sold in the country are Japanese.
Imports make up the balance and
most of those are higher-end European
luxury vehicles and sports cars.
This is partly because the
Japanese have pretty specific needs.
For one thing, space
is incredibly tight.
Wildly popular in Japan are these
so-called Kei cars, which are tiny
vehicles preferred by drivers who have
to thread their way through narrow
streets and crowded cities.
Kei Cars alone make up
40 percent of the Japanese
market and U.S.
automakers don't make them.
Americans, on the other hand, tend
to excel in making big vehicles,
particularly pickup trucks and
large sport utilities.
In recent years, American automakers have
scaled back or even entirely
killed off their own lines of
compact vehicles, which are often still
bigger than their
Japanese counterparts.
In fact, many of the Japanese vehicles
sold in America — from sedans such
as the Toyota Camry all the way up
to the pickups — are not even
particularly popular in Japan.
All three Detroit automakers have less
than 1 percent market share.
One of the bestsellers, Jeep, sells about
10,000 vehicles in Japan a year.
The Japanese car buying experience would
also likely shock many Americans,
who often view a trip to the
dealership as one of life's necessary evils.
Much of Japanese business culture is
built around service and hospitality,
and auto dealerships
are no exception.
Japanese dealerships offer customers nearly
white glove service, and the
way buyers choose cars is entirely
different from the traditional buying
experience in the U.S.
Whereas American shoppers will often choose
a car from what is available
on a dealer lot, Japanese buyers can
often custom-build a car out of a
catalog and then have it made for
them in a matter of weeks.
A strong local supply chain and
local factories allow Japanese automakers
to do this.
Furthermore, quality of service
is often quite high.
Dealerships frequently have amenities such
as cafes and complimentary car
washes. They will also follow up
with customers sometimes even years after
a purchase.
Foreign automakers overall have had difficulty
adapting to this way of
selling. Moreover, the Japanese have
longstanding perceptions of American
cars as inefficient and unreliable.
This somewhat outdated view originates in
the decades from the 1960s
through the 1980s, when Japanese
brands were ascending and American
automakers were plagued with criticism and
scandal over vehicles such as
the Chevrolet Vega, the AMC Gremlin,
the Ford Pinto and the Chevrolet
Corvair.
And though American manufacturers have
made far more fuel-efficient engines
in recent years, the U.S.
has historically made some gas guzzlers
when compared with cars made
elsewhere.
Yeah, I think there is
a hangover for American vehicles.
You know, what does an American
car say about you in Japan.
That baggage is carried with that.
Meanwhile, the Japanese rose to power in
the auto industry in large part on
their reputation for building solid, efficient
cars that don't break down.
Of course, many observers note that American
autos have done a lot to
close the reliability gap over the years,
and cars overall are able to log
far more miles on the road than
they did even a decade ago.
And U.S.
automakers are adamant that they would be
better able to compete in Japan
if the country removes barriers
that make doing business difficult.
The trouble for Detroit is that Japan
is just one of the international
markets where U.S.
automakers have struggled.
All three Detroit automakers have had
challenges in South America and
Europe. While China which is the world's
largest car market could become a
tougher place to do business
with slowing economic growth, increased
competition, and trade disputes.
If something doesn't change, U.S.
automakers could become just that: American
companies that sell trucks and
SUVs to Americans.
CHEVY ASTRO VAN - Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed
Donut Media:
(care engine roaring)
(metal scraping)
- Do you have a passion for
the ultimate family mobile?
Something that can handle
a trip to Home Depot
for plywood, Costco for groceries in bulk,
a road trip across America with grandma
to see Mount Rushmore,
and trips to hockey practice
with the entire team?
Well, mama and papa do
I have a car for you.
A car that's not a car.
It's a van.
This is everything you need to know
to get up to speed on
the Chevrolet Astro Van.
(lighting striking)
(upbeat electric music).
Big thanks to this weeks sponsor Audible.
Listen up Amazon Prime member.
For a limited time, you
can start an Audible
membership and save 66 percent
on your first three months.
A total of 30 dollars off.
That's like gettin' three
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You'll pay just four dollars and 95 cents
per month for the first three months.
After that, it's only 14.95 per month.
Act quick though because
the offer is only valid
'till July 31st.
I'm excited to get my
membership so I can listen
to The Boys In The Cave by Matt Gutman.
Don't know what it's about,
but I love caves.
Visit Audible.com/uptospeed or text 500500
to get started today.
That's Audible.com/uptospeed.
Support the companies that support Donut,
we couldn't make it without them.
Now, back to the show.
Before we start talking about vans,
we should first mention the Station Wagon.
The once upon a time stereotypical
American family vehicle.
The Station Wagon dangerously carried
Many-a-restless kid
across the American roads
seat belts optional.
But, in the late 1970s the sale of big
gas guzzling Station
Wagons was on the decline.
The do it all wagons
future was looking grim,
partly due to the gas prices,
but more partly due because
of the new category of cars.
So, in 1984 the Chrysler
van program birthed,
the Plymouth Voyager mini-van.
The first of it's kind, the Voyager was
hugely popular for it's ability
to tote all the kids around,
get better gas mileage
then a Station Wagon,
and, yes, be able to fit
in a garage safely away
from those mean suburban streets,
It was a great all around
package for the modern family,
and GM quickly realized that
hey needed their own version
of the the mini-van.
- Should we make our own miniature van?
- Uh Yeah!
We already have one in the works.
Don't you know about it?
- Uh, 'course I do.
What's it called?
- The Astro
- Astro!
Yep, I said it first.
I knew it, totally knew it.
There's a reason I'm the boss.
Keeping with the space theme that Plymouth
started with the Voyager,
in 1985 Chevy released their all new
not so mini mini-van the Chevy Astro,
A van so sick, it cam time-warp,
and drive on the rings of Saturn.
The boxy middle van and
it's twin GMC brother
the Safari were only 1.5 inches shorter,
and 2 and a half narrower than Chevy's
smallest full-size van.
And, while it was seven inches shorter,
and claimed to be able to fit in a garage,
Chevy quickly acknowledged
their bulked up box on wheels,
and used the middle van
status in their advertising.
- [Man] The new Chevy Astro.
Built to do more than a mini-van can.
- Not a mini-van, not a full-size van,
but a middle van.
The real world giant box mobile
had multiple seating configurations,
allowing you to carry you,
and seven of your so-called friends.
Let's be honest,
they just wanted to sit In those
comfy, cozy, fluffy, cloth bench seats.
Or, you could take out all the seats,
and use it as a cargo van.
Unlike it's mini-van competition,
the Astro was built on a truck chassis,
with a bolt-on sub frame.
The front suspension shared many
of the same components directly from
the Caprice Station Wagon,
while the rear had composite
leaf springs like the S-10.
Engine options on the first year Astro,
were either the 98 Mini Shetland Pony
Horsepower 2.3 liter four cylinder,
or the optional 165
midi-horsepower 4.3 liter V6.
(engine roaring)
And the placement of said engines?
How bout' right under the
front dash cup holders.
You could swap out your battery,
and check the oil in
the mini-hood up front.
But, any serious work
would have to be done
inside the van.
A big bump in between
the two front seats got
covered with a hatch,
and gave way to an access panel,
that once removed exposed
the engine on the Astro.
Mechanics loved it.
The coolest part,
is that you could get it with a manual.
That's right, the base transmission
that the Astro came with,
was a four speed manual which is sick.
And, you could get it with an
optional five speed until 1989.
After that they went full auto.
But, I'm grateful that
it was manual at all.
(chiming music)
By the end of the eighties, the demand for
mini-vans as family vehicles had largley
superseded full size
Station Wagons in the US.
Rest in peace Station Wagon.
It wouldn't be until 1989 that Chevy
would release a more comparable
front wheel drive van
to take on the Chrysler mini-van.
The Lumina APV.
But, that didn't stop GM from also selling
the Astro and the Safari.
People loved it for it's ability
to not only haul kids around,
but also haul stuff around.
The Astro could pull five thousand pounds.
No other mini-van was
pullin' that kind of weight.
It could also carry 1700
pounds in the cargo area.
That's a lot of fat little boys.
- All right kids, let's
go to hockey practice.
- Can we all stop at McDonald's?
- Yeah, I want some nuggets.
- Yeah, I wanna get a Big Mac.
- Yeah, we can get the McDonald's.
- Yay, chunky butts on three.
One, two, three,
- [All] Chunky butts!
- Chunky butts.
- Side note, Chevy marketed
Astro van to fat people.
- [Man] Tired of watching your weight?
If you had a GMC Safari,
you wouldn't have to.
- With a strong commercial game like that,
how could you not want an
Astro if you're a chunky butt?
Towards the final stretch
of the first gen Astro,
GM really started to
turn up the technology.
In 1990, the Astro came
with all wheel drive,
as well as four wheel anti-lock brakes.
Their competitors over at Ford,
with the Aerostar.
Again, another space theme van.
What is the deal?
They didn't have ABS, all right?
And, that's pretty important when you're
carrying your fat little family around.
And you got a space car,
you don't want regular doors,
you want dutch doors.
Two rear doors with flip
up windows on top of 'em.
And Dutch people love 'em.
Also because parents were
complaining about their
fat little kids making a mess,
Scotch Guard Fabric Protection also
became a standard feature with
Astro vans with cloth seats.
The second gen Astro came out in 1995,
and Chevy was deep in the,
let's sell this thing as a tough dude
all family vehicle game.
Load the back up with dirt bikes, sure!
Total horse trailer? Yeah!
The Astro was tough like a rock!
♪ Oh, like a rock. ♪
- But not much really
changed from the first gen
to the second gen Astros.
They got updated headlights to match the
rectangular ones on the Silverado.
There was also only one engine option.
The 4.3 liter Vortec V6.
And, there was only one body option.
The shorter version was ditched,
They did improve that engine hatch in the
center of the two front seats
to increase front leg room,
and help cut down on interior noise.
You know, since the
motor was inside the car?
They improved dash installation too.
You know, 'cause the
motor's inside the car.
(engine roaring)
(tires screeching)
The second gen also got passenger airbags
which by the way, speaking of safety,
the Astro was not safe.
It eventually improved
from a one gold star
rating in 1991, to three gold star rating,
for the driver only in 2000.
If you were a kid in the
eighties or nineties,
and your friends had an Astro,
they were the bell of the ball.
But, if they had a conversion van Astro,
they were the king of the ball.
Companies like Glaval,
Mark III, and Star Craft,
took the bone stock Astro,
and turned them into
lush rich kids basements
on wheels.
The summer road trip van made visiting
your grandparents not all that bad because
you could watch freakin'
movies and play Super Nintendo
all while sitting in the most comfortable
captains chairs on the planet.
Yeah, that's right.
It's a chair for a freakin' captain.
He's the leader of the ship.
If your eyes got too tired from playing
video games or watching
Mrs. Doubtfire on VHS,
because of course it has a VHS player,
You could just crawl on
over to the back bench seat,
fold it down and take a big old nap.
Safe? No.
Comfortable?
You betcha' chunky little butt it is.
- [All] Chunky butts
- Chunky butts
- My friend Vince's dad had an Astro van,
and we played Earthworm Gym for hours.
And we were in the driveway.
The Astro helped put conversion vans
on the map for the masses.
In 1994 there was
roughly 200,000 shipments
of van conversions to dealers.
People all over the world
loved their conversion Astros.
Even this guy, AKA Russian James.
(speaking in Russian)
(retro video game sounds)
The Astro space van would eventually
end in 2005 as well as Chevy mini-vans.
The venture to consolidate
for a single mini-van,
the Uplander.
But, that didn't last long.
Four years later, Chevy left
the mini-van market completely,
and while the majority
of Astro's have found
their way into the hands
of construction workers,
van life hipsters, or
sadly even junk yards,
it still remains as the
not so mini mini-van
that warmed our fuzzy little
nostalgic chunky butts.
(upbeat electronic music)
2019 Chevrolet Blazer RS: First Impressions – Cars.com
Cars.com:
Back in the United States for the first
time since 2005 is the all-new 2019
Chevrolet Blazer now the old Blazer was
a kind of smallish rugged SUV but now
it's a full-on four-door mid-sized
family hauler under the hood of the
Blazer a couple of different engine
options there's a 2.5 liter
four-cylinder but the more exciting
option is a 305 horsepower 3.6 liter v6
that's standard on RS and premier models
now we're here with the RS this is the
sportier version of the Blazer and it's
also notable for one big reason and that
is it comes with a more advanced
all-wheel drive system so all-wheel
drive is only available with the v6 and
on the RS and premiere it's a twin
clutch all-wheel-drive system so if you
want the best all-wheel drive you can
get with the Blazer you're gonna have to
pay for it behind the back seat of the
Blazer 30.5 cubic feet of cargo room and
that's a little bit less than some
competitors like the Nissan Murano and
the Ford Edge but in this case the
numbers don't tell the full story
because how the Blazer uses this cargo
area really makes it stand out and that
starts with this rail system now a rail
system is usually something you'll find
in the bed of a pickup truck it allows
you to kind of compartmentalize a cargo
room add an accessories having one in
the back of an SUV is a really smart
idea it allows you some more flexibility
in the cargo area that you don't get
another SUVs now the Blazers interior
kind of lives up to a sporty exterior
especially in rs versions we got two
tone stitching or at accents that really
give it kind of a sporty feel though
probably not really a sporty drive now
multimedia system it's a touchscreen
mounted high up here on the dash and we
generally like this interface it's
pretty simple it's pretty easy to use
kind of like something that you find in
a Hyundai or Kia two systems that we've
really liked in the past now there is
one thing about this system that we
don't like and that is it's kind of
placed a little bit weird the lip here
that kind of houses the volume control
and a few other buttons kind of cuts
into the bottom of the screen and that's
exactly where Chevy has placed a few
shortcut buttons so those shortcut
buttons will be kind of hard to use
unless you kind of kink your arm and get
it in there in that weird kind of angle
now second row like most other vehicles
in this segment the second row pretty
spacious if you have a midsize SUV in
your don't try to cram three rows into
it that means you get a lot of passenger
space for up to five people now
the second rule can actually slide
forward and back a few inches to open up
more cargo area if needed and there's
two USB ports and a household outlet in
the back for good charging options
what's interesting about the blazer is
you can actually get up to six USB ports
and it only carries it to five people so
someone has two phones they're covered
to the new blazer has a lot of things
going for it I like the styling I like
the technology inside and I like the
flexibility in the cargo area however
there's one thing holding it back and
that's kind of true about other GM
vehicles as well and that's if you want
automatic forward emergency braking
adaptive cruise control or lane keep
assist you're gonna have to get an RS or
a premier those features aren't even
offered on lower trim levels and those
things are now standard on a lot of
other vehicles not only in this class
but in more affordable classes as well
so Chevrolet it really needs to step up
in this regard for us to take them more
seriously on safety now the Blazer
starts at twenty nine nine ninety five
including destination and is on sale now
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