William Maley

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 26, 2012 This week, Tesla announced that it's considering boosting production of its Model S sedan to 30,000 units in response to a waiting list that stretches for 10-11 months. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a conference call with analysts that the company is expecting to sell 5,000 Model S sedans by the end of 2012, with 20,000 sales expected next year. That could increase to 30,000 with the addition of a second shift. Currently, Tesla has 12,200 reservations for the Model S sedan. "Our key objective for the rest of the year is to ramp production with a focus on quality and to rollout the Model S experience to a broader audience through customer deliveries, test drives and store openings," Tesla said in its second quarter 2012 shareholder letter. Source: Inside Line 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 25, 2012 Car & Driver reports that Volkswagen has confirmed the dates of when the Mark 7 Golf and its variants will be going on sale. The base Golf will go on sale next spring for European markets. North America has to wait until the fall to get theirs. However, North America and Europe will get their hands on next GTI at the same time when its launched next Fall. Also, Volkswagen is considering whether to send the next generation GTD over to the states. If you don't know what GTD is, take a regular GTI and drop a diesel engine into it. Source: Car & Driver 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 25, 2012 For the of weeks, has been teasing us with showing off the new that will be shown at the Paris Motor Show in September.But a Russian site called AutoWP has released a high-resolution image of the new 6 onto the web. The new 6 looks to be a carbon copy of the Takeri concept, right down to the grill. This will be Mazda's second vehicle that will use the Kodo design language, the first being the CX-5 crossover. Engines will include 2.0L Skyactiv inline four-cylinder engine and a 2.2L Skyactiv-D engine, both going through six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. The new 6 will make its official debut at the Paris Motor Show in September. Source: AutoWP via CarScoop Update: Earlier this morning, Mazda let loose some official pictures of the new 6 and announced the new 6 will premiere at the Moscow Auto Show next month. You might be scratching your head and wondering why Mazda picked Moscow as the place to launch the new 6. The reason is due to Russia emerging as a automotive market. For the Russian market Mazda6, that will be a equipped with a SKYACTIV-G 2.0L gas engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Mazda will still show the new 6 at the Paris Motor Show in September, likely announcing what each market will get when the 6 is launched. 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 ALL-NEW 2014 MAZDA6 TO MAKE WORLD DEBUT AT MOSCOW AUTO SHOW Redesigned Model to Receive Full Suite of SKYACTIV Technologies, KODO Design Theme IRVINE, Calif. (July 24, 2012) – The highly-anticipated all-new 2014 Mazda6 will make its global debut during press preview days at next month's Moscow International Automobile Salon. The redesigned vehicle will be the second Mazda to be fully incorporated with SKYACTIV® TECHNOLOGY, the brand's proprietary engineering focus on developing fuel-efficient, performance-oriented vehicles as a result of lightweight and redesigned engine, transmission, chassis and body structures. On display in Moscow will be a Russian-specification sedan featuring a SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine mated to a SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle also will feature "i-ELOOP," the world's first capacitor-based regenerative braking system. In real-world driving conditions, which involve frequent acceleration and braking, i-ELOOP, a name derived from "Intelligent Energy Loop," will improve fuel economy by up to 10 percent. More information on the all-new 2014 Mazda6 sedan will be announced during a press conference on Wednesday, August 29. The complete lineup of 2014 Mazda6 vehicles will make their global debut in late September at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Markets and specific models will be announced at a later date. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through more than 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com. Product B-roll may be ordered online by visiting The News Market at www.thenewsmarket.com/mazda. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 24, 2012 Today, Lincoln announced pricing for the 2013 MKZ. The MKZ starts at $35,925 (excluding $875 in destination fees), which nets you a 2.0L EcoBoost four-cylinder producing 240 HP and 270 lb-ft of torque, push-button shift, LED headlights, a 10.1-inch LCD instrument panel, an 8-inch touch screen display in the center stack, remote start, and Active Noise Control. For the same base price, you can order a MKZ Hybrid which replaces the 2.0L EcoBoost for an 2.0L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder and a 70-kilowatt electric motor, for a combined 188 HP. Fuel economy is rated at 41 MPG City and 36 MPG Highway. Wanting a bit more power, you can step up to a 3.7L V6 which gets you 300 HP and 277 lb-ft of torque which will cost you $37,155. The 2.0L EcoBoost and 3.7L V6 come with option of AWD. Four trim lines will be offered on the MKZ: Premiere, Select, Reserve, and Preferred. Premiere is the starting point, with the Select adding on a rear-view camera, wood steering wheel, rear parking sensors, HD Radio, and more. Reserve installs voice-recognition navigation, blind-spot detection with cross-traffic alert, a power decklid, cooled seats, and a power tilt/telescopting steering wheel. Finally, we get to the Preferred which adds 19-inch polished/painted wheels, premium floor mats, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, a 110-volt powerpoint (included on MKZ Hybrid), and a THX II certified audio system. The MKZ goes on sale later this fall. 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 All-New Lincoln MKZ Offers More Standard Features, Lower Price Than New Lexus ES 350 MKZ Hybrid, available at same price as base gasoline-powered model, projected to remain America’s most fuel-efficient premium midsize sedan • The all-new Lincoln MKZ midsize premium sedan, representing the style and substance of the future of Lincoln, delivers more features and lower starting price than the new Lexus ES 350; dealer order banks now open • Standard equipment includes 2.0-liter EcoBoost® engine, SYNC® with MyLincoln Touch™ driver connect technology, Lincoln Drive Control, unique push-button shift, remote start, LED headlamps and taillamps, and 60/40 split rear seat; class-exclusive retractable panoramic roof makes production debut • No price premium for new MKZ Hybrid DEARBORN, Mich., July 24, 2012 – The all-new Lincoln MKZ premium midsize sedan comes standard with more content and a lower starting price than the new Lexus ES 350. “The new MKZ and MKZ Hybrid are proof of our commitment to reinvent the Lincoln brand for a new generation of Lincoln customers,” said Jim Farley, group vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service. “There’s a large group of thoughtful individuals who take great pride in planning and following their own unique paths, and the MKZ is the first of a number of all-new vehicles designed with this same attitude to be a compelling choice for these independent-minded consumers.” The 2013 Lincoln MKZ includes several segment-firsts, plus features such as all-wheel drive that buyers cannot have on a new Lexus ES 350, whose starting price is $175 more than the new Lincoln MKZ’s. MKZ’s key standard features include: • Lincoln Drive Control, which orchestrates the performance of the Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) adjustable suspension, electric power-assisted steering (EPAS), engine, transmission, Active Noise Control, traction control and stability control systems • 2.0-liter EcoBoost® engine, projected to produce 240 horsepower and fuel economy of 22 mpg city, 33 mpg highway (front-wheel drive) • Push-button shift, a unique execution that replaces the traditional mechanical transmission shift lever with a contemporary five-button interface and dramatically opens up the center console of the car • SYNC® with MyLincoln Touch™ driver connect technology • LED headlamps (segment-first) and taillamps • Intelligent Access with push-button start The 2013 Lincoln MKZ boasts 10 class-exclusive features, seven of which are standard: push-button shift, LED headlamps, 10.1-inch LCD instrument cluster, Active Noise Control, 8-inch touch screen, remote start and Easy Fuel® capless fuel filler. Available features are the retractable panoramic roof, inflatable rear seat belts and multicontour front seats with Active Motion®. Base price for all of this is $35,925, excluding $875 delivery and destination charge. Plus, customers still can choose the MKZ Hybrid – projected to remain America’s most fuel-efficient premium midsize sedan – for the same price, unlike other luxury competitors. Dealer order banks are now open, and customers can configure their own virtual MKZ at http://www.lincoln.com/cars/mkz/2013. 2013 MKZ Hybrid best price in class and improved performance Lincoln became the first automaker to offer luxury customers a premium hybrid vehicle with a suggested retail price matching its conventional gas sibling, starting with the MKZ Hybrid in 2010. This model has been a key component to bringing new customers into Lincoln showrooms, with 72 percent of hybrid buyers being new to the brand last year alone. Lincoln MKZ Hybrid customers receive the same key feature as Lincoln MKZ gas customers in their respective equipment groups. That means, for example, customers opting for the Hybrid Premiere Package receive SYNC with MyLincoln Touch with 8-inch touch screen, leather-trimmed heated front seats, class-exclusive LED headlamps and Lincoln Drive Control. Other competitors charge a premium for their hybrid models. The 2013 Lexus ES 300h, for example, is priced at $38,850, representing a $2,750 premium over the 2013 Lexus ES 350 and nearly $3,000 ($2,925) more than the 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. Exclusive to the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is SmartGauge® with EcoGuide. This instrument cluster coaches drivers to become more fuel efficient, creating visual rewards in the form of the growth of virtual flowers on the system’s right-most screen for the driver’s efforts to operate the car in a fuel-efficient manner on a long-term, day-to-day basis. Lincoln’s white flowers, inspired by apple blossoms, remain permanently unless lifetime fuel economy is reset. On the all-new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, new lithium-ion batteries save weight and generate more power than the previous nickel-metal-hydride batteries. An all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gas engine retains performance with more efficiency than the previous 2.5-liter unit, and the 70-kilowatt electric traction motor alone can power the car up to 62 mph. The electric traction motor during launch allows for a smaller gasoline engine and significantly reduces fuel consumption. In addition, when it is used as a generator, it helps recover the vehicle energy during deceleration or braking to recharge the battery pack. Projected total system power is 188 horsepower. Four levels of choice available The 2013 Lincoln MKZ will be available in four executions: Premiere, Select, Reserve and Preferred. The Select package includes the Premiere package plus: • Rear view camera • Wood steering wheel • Ambient lighting • Rear park sensors • HD Radio™ technology, which provides better audio quality, improved reception performance and more choices • Accent lighting in headlamps • Auto-dimming driver’s side mirror The Reserve package includes the Select package plus: • Navigation System with voice recognition • Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with cross-traffic alert. BLIS alerts when a vehicle enters a blind spot; cross-traffic alert warns of traffic approaching from the sides, such as leaving a parking space in reverse • Power decklid • Cooled seats • Power tilt and telescoping steering wheel The Preferred package includes the Reserve package plus: • 19-inch polished wheels with painted pockets • Premium floor mats • Heated steering wheel • Heated rear seats • 110-volt powerpoint (standard on MKZ Hybrid) • THX® II Certified Audio System Thoughtful and intuitive technology Meaningful technology applied in an intuitive manner is a key component of this new Lincoln. Consider, for instance, the MKZ’s retractable panoramic roof. This visually and technically stunning feature becomes a Lincoln signature, offering a 15.2-square-foot glass panel and one of the largest rooftop openings available on any modern sedan. Click here to learn more about this available roof, which is priced at $2,995. For audio enthusiasts, MKZ offers the available Lincoln-exclusive THX II Certified Audio System. It features 700 watts, 14 channels and 14 speakers. THX audio engineers spent more than 200 hours custom-tuning the THX-certified equipment to deliver home-theater surround sound, creating one of the industry’s most powerful audio systems. To aid drivers, the new Lincoln MKZ offers a Lane Keeping System, a suite of advanced driving aids that helps drivers avoid drifting from their lane due to distraction or fatigue. Consisting of Lane Keeping Aid, Lane Keeping Alert and Driver Assist, the Lane Keeping System utilizes a mono-vision camera integrated into the rearview mirror to read the lane markers ahead. The Lane Keeping System is available as part of the Technology Package, which also includes adaptive cruise control, active park assist, auto high beams and rain-sensing wipers. For a more complete description of the Lane Keeping System, click here. The new MKZ is the only sedan in its class to offer inflatable outboard rear seat belts. Rear-seat passengers – often children or mature passengers – can be more vulnerable to head, chest and neck injuries. These inflatable second-row, outboard seat belts spread impact forces across more than five times the area of conventional belts, reducing pressure on the chest while helping to control head and neck motion and helping reduce the risk of injuries. Emphasizing performance and efficiency, the optional 3.7-liter V6 engine produces a projected 300 horsepower, an increase of 37 horsepower over the previous MKZ V6, while improving fuel economy approximately 5 percent to an estimated 18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway (all-wheel drive). “The all-new Lincoln MKZ represents a new day for Lincoln and we consider it a worthy new calling card for a reinvented brand,” said Farley. ”Along with a reinvented customer experience of delightful personal service, we are confident Lincoln will be on the leading edge of attracting a new class of premium buyers who delight in discovering new and better ways of rewarding and distinguishing themselves from the norm.” The 2013 Lincoln MKZ will be in dealerships in late fall. For a full press kit on the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, click here. Information on the all-new MKZ also can be found by downloading the Experience Lincoln app available now for free in the App Store and Google Play. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 24, 2012 Cadillac has big ambitions for the European market, readying the ATS, CTS, and SRX to do battle. One car that was planning to stay was the XTS. Now, a new report from German auto news site, Auto-News.de, says the XTS could be the basis for a new Opel flagship. An odd pairing at first, bankruptcy documents from Saab reveal GM was hard at work on a new on a new flagship for Swedish brand named the 9-8, which was expected to use bits of the Cadillac XTS. However, when GM sold Saab and the events following thereafter left the 9-8's design hanging in the balance. Opel has apparently said that's ours with the 9-8 and is now reworking it into an Opel. The report says the vehicle will likely wear the Omega nameplate, a name that has adorned Opel's flagships from 1986-2003. Drivetrain will be FWD with the option of AWD. Power will either come from a 3.6L V6 or the 2.8L turbocharged V6 used in the Opel Insignia. A range of diesels are also expected. Source: Auto-News.de 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 24, 2012 Remember the sketch of the next Kia Forte that was shown last December? Well, Kia has officially shown their sketches of the next Forte. In the sketches, the next Forte takes many of the styling cues seen on the Optima and Sportage, albeit a bit more rounded. Also, the Forte adopts a set of teardrop headlights and a revised C-Pillar. Kia says the the Forte will go on sale later this year in South Korea as the K3. Other markets will follow there after, where it will be known as the Cerato. The U.S. will get the Forte sometime early next year, as a 2014 model. 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 Dynamic new look for Kia's popular Cerato (Forte) - Completely redesigned compact sedan will be longer, lower and wider - New model to be called 'K3' in the Korean market (SEOUL) July 23, 2012 – Kia Motors will introduce the next generation Cerato compact sedan later this year in its home market of Korea under a new name – 'K3' (domestic market only). Also known as Forte in some countries, the Cerato was Kia's global best-seller in 2011 with more than 445,000 units delivered. While creating the latest model Kia's designers and engineers focused on giving the all-new Cerato futuristic and dynamic styling, with a more spacious cabin. After going on sale in Korea, the all-new Cerato sedan will appear at Kia dealerships in many overseas markets during the first quarter of 2013, to be followed by five-door hatchback and two-door coupe variants. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 24, 2012 Automotive News reports that General Motors has given the green light to the Cadillac Flagship. The new flagship is expected to begin production sometime in 2015. Design of the new Cadillac flagship will be influenced by the Ciel concept shown at last year's Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The flagship will be based on the long-rumored Omega RWD platform. There will be the option of AWD as well. Power for the new flagship will include the 3.6L V6 and a range of V8 engines. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) 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 23, 2012 If you have been dreaming about seeing the new Viper at your local Chrysler dealer, you'll probably be disappointed by this news. Automotive News had a chance to speak with SRT CEO Ralph Gilles. Gilles said that one out of every five Chrysler dealers will be selling the Viper. "We're going to open it up to any dealer who can put the money forward and the training, but it's going to be pretty difficult to hit all of those things. You've got to have the training, the facilities, and some history of selling Vipers and SRTs in general," said Gilles. The reason for the limited number of dealers selling the Viper is to offer the best service and experience for current and new Viper owners. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) 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