William Maley

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 29, 2012 Automotive News reports General Motor's global marketing chief, Joel Ewanick is leaving. The reason according to General Motors is Ewanick didn't meet expectations. GM hired Ewanick back in May 2010. Prior to this, he worked at Nissan for two months. Before Nissan, Ewanick worked at Hyundai where he was the chief of marketing and is credited with creating Hyundai Assurance, which allowed owners that lost their jobs to return their vehicles. During his tenure, Ewanick led a consolidation of marketing and advertising agency work at GM. The biggest consolidation to place last spring when Chevrolet's marketing was moved from many agencies to just one, Commonwealth of Detroit. Ewanick has also been in the spotlight for some controversial decisions and statements. Back in September 2010, Chevrolet launched the "Chevy Runs Deep" tagline. Critics have said the tagline doesn't really give Chevrolet a narrative. The tagline has been under review since then. Then in May, Ewanick expressed concern about the effectiveness of advertising on Facebook and comfirmed that GM would pull their advertising from the site. Also, Ewanick revealed that GM would not be advertising during next year's Super Bowl. Both of these comments caught officials off guard and caused GM to go into damage control. Ewanick's interm replacement is Alan Batey, GM's Vice President of U.S. Sales and Service. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Twitter, 2 Updated: July 30, 2012:​ Bloomberg reports that GM executives asked for Ewanick's resignation after a review of a sponsorship agreement that failed to meet company policies. "It has been a privilege & honor to work with the GM Team and to be a small part of Detroit's turnaround. I wish everyone at GM all the best," Ewanick said on his twitter account last night. Source: Bloomberg, Twitter View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 29, 2012 Kia has released some actual pictures of the next Forte, due out sometime in early 2013. As some early sketches showed, the new Forte is a mix of Optima and Sportage design cues. Kia says the next Forte is longer, lower and wider than the current model, and its longer wheelbase will provide more interior room. As to how much more interior space, Kia isn't saying. Kia also says the new Forte will come with a revised engine lineup that promises "class-leading fuel economy." William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 Kia Cerato (Forte) sedan becomes longer, lower and wider - Sleeker profile, plus futuristic and dynamic styling - Extended wheelbase delivers increased cabin space (SEOUL) July 29, 2012 – The all-new version of Kia's global best-selling model, the Cerato compact sedan (also known as Forte in some countries), is scheduled to go on sale during the first quarter of 2013 at Kia dealerships in many overseas markets. Longer, lower and wider than the current car, with an extended wheelbase, the next generation Cerato will be manufactured with an all-new bodyshell structure. Featuring futuristic and dynamic styling, the all-new Cerato features a sleeker profile, LED front and rear lamps and a chrome-finished beltline. All-new Cerato, to be called 'K3' in Kia's home market of South Korea, will also boast improved quality, upgraded equipment, a more spacious cabin and a revised engine line-up that delivers class-leading fuel economy. After going on sale in Korea later this year, the all-new Cerato sedan will appear at Kia dealerships in many overseas markets during the first quarter of 2013. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 28, 2012 Yesterday, Lexus revealed a single picture of the new LS on their Facebook page. The picture posted on their Facebook page appears to be the new LS F-Sport. Lexus hasn't released any details about new LS, waiting till Monday to release all of the information. But the picture does give us a peek of what to expect. The LS looks to be a mix of the GS and the current LS. The spindle grille makes its way on the new LS. This being the F-Sport model, the LS gets more aggressive styling and suspension bits. There could also be a power increase in store for it. We'll learn more about the LS when Lexus reveals all on Monday. Source: Facebook William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 27, 2012 The Wall Street Journal reports that Ford is considering using a aluminum body in the next generation F-150 pickup. The move would drop about 700 lbs, a 15% drop in weight from the current F-150. The reason as to why Ford is exploring the aluminum pickup is due to upcoming CAFE regulations that by 2025, the U.S. vehicle fleet has to average 54.5 miles per gallon. Also, the regulations would ramp up fuel economy goals for vehicles of different sizes each year. Analysts aren't too sure if Ford will go the aluminum body route, saying it wouldn't be too practical. "Full-aluminum structured vehicles are much more expensive to insure because they are much more expensive to repair," said Jim Hall, analyst with 2953 Analytics LLP to the The Detroit News. Hall also said that most body shops cannot work on aluminum cars. Analysts also point out aluminum isn't as durable as steel, which could pose a threat to the F-150 since part of its reputation is built on durability. Analysts believe Ford will use more aluminum in the next generation F-150. Currently, Ford uses aluminum in the F-150's hood and the lower control arm on the SVT Raptor. A source at Ford confirms this to The Detroit News, but also said a design hasn't been finalized. Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) via Auto Guide, The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 26, 2012 Ford and Dodge have stepped up to the plate for the NASCAR Nationwide Series, producing the Mustang and Challenger race cars. Now, its Chevrolet's turn at the plate. Today, the bowtie showed off the new 2013 Camaro NASCAR Nationwide Series racecar. The Camaro race car does closely resembles the actual production mode - though it's still a long way from identical. Underneath, the Camaro isn't that much different from the Ford, Dodge and Toyota. “Chevrolet is proud to bring the Camaro to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2013. The Camaro Nationwide race car incorporates many of the distinctive styling elements of the production Camaro, including the unique power-bulge hood and deep recessed grille. In addition, the design incorporates the distinctive halo light rings and dual-port grille appearances, and the gold bowtie,” said Jim Campbell, vice president, Chevrolet Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. The Camaro will make its debut at next year's Daytona race. For now, Chevrolet says the vehicle will be going through the wind tunnel and on-track testing to get it ready. William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article