William Maley

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 11, 2012 Automotive legend Caroll Shelby passed away last night at the age of 89 after a lengthy illness at the Baylor Hospital in Dallas, TX. Shelby's shadow extended nearly across automotive world. In the fifties, Shelby was a highly accomplished racer. He would win three U.S. sports-car championships, the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans, and set land speed records at Bonneville. However, a heart condition in 1960 would cause him to stop racing. But that didn't stop Shelby. During the sixties, Shelby would be known for building the Shelby Cobra and his partnership with Ford, building the Shelby GT350 and GT500 Mustangs. Racing would still be a big part of Shelby's work as Daytona Cobras and GT40s terrorized Ferrari, Porsche, and Jaguar on their own turf. In the eighties, Shelby would hook up with Chrysler to produce a number of specialty cars and trucks, including the Onmi GLH and GLHS. Beyond that Shelby grew his business into a "skunkworks," doing research and development for auto companies. In 2005, Shelby and Ford buried the hatchet from a disagreement in the seventies and would work together once again building high performance Mustangs. However it wasn't always good times for Shelby. He made some shaky business deals, held grudges, and would go to court over trademarks with Ford, AC Cars (Ironically) and Cobra replicar manufacturers Superformance International, Inc. and Factory Five, Inc. But the most inspirational and remarkable fact about Caroll Shelby's life was how hard he worked with his heart condition. That would land him with a heart transplant in 1990. Six years after the heart, he would get a kidney transplant from his son. In a statement released today by Shelby American, President Joe Conway said, “We are all deeply saddened, and feel a tremendous sense of loss for Carroll’s family, ourselves and the entire automotive industry. There has been no one like Carroll Shelby and never will be. However, we promised Carroll we would carry on, and he put the team, the products and the vision in place to do just that.” Source: Autoweek, Motor Trend, Motoramic View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 11, 2012 Spending the next few days here in the Cheers and Gears Detroit garage is the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco. This is Chevrolet's second hybrid sedan; the first being the last generation Malibu Hybrid sold from 2008-2009. The Malibu Eco comes equipped with GM's eAssist mild hybrid system. The system provides a 15 HP and 79 ft-lb of torque boost to the 2.4L four-cylinder engine's 182 HP and 171 lb-ft of torque. So how does it drive? It drives pretty nice. The eAssist setup provides enough low-end torque to get off the line. Once going, the 2.4L is more than adequate to get you around town. I have some more updates throughout the weekend dealing with fuel economy, driving, and Chevrolet's new MyLink infotainment system. In the meantime, send your questions in. View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 11, 2012 According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic deaths are at their lowest levels since 1949. NHTSA's preliminary numbers show an estimated 32,310 people died in traffic accidents last year, a 1.7% drop from 2010 where 32,885 people died. Deaths in traffic accidents has been decreasing by 26% since 2005. New England and the Great Lakes region saw the biggest decrease in car accident deaths in 2011, with the former down 7.2% and the latter down 3.3%. California, Arizona, and Hawaii saw a 3.3% increase. AAA says the decrease is due several factors, primarily being motorists drove 1.2% fewer miles last year and gas prices increased 6.7%. Vehicles are also being fitting with more standard safety equipment. Source: The Detroit News, Kicking Tires View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 10, 2012 We've been hearing about a new Infiniti compact car to take the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series, and Mercedes-Benz A-Class for the past year or so. What we didn't know was when the new compact would arrive, until today. Nissan announced a new deal with Magna Steyr to build the new compact in 2014. In a statement, Nissan said Manga Steyr has begun work with them on the production model. The new compact will utilize Mercedes' new MFA compact platform that underpins the new A-Class. Mercedes will also provide other bits for the new compact, including four and six-cylinder engines. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 10, 2012 Even though Honda hasn't showed off the production version of the new 2013 Accord, the order sheet has made a surprise appearance. The Temple of VTEC got their hands onto an order sheet for the 2013 Accord. Besides a new six-speed automatic for V6 models and a new CVT for the four-cylinder models, there are two new model designations. On the sheet, there is an Accord Sport and an Accord Touring models. The Sport sits between the LX and EX four-cylinder sedans, and the Touring sits as the top of line model. As to what they'll bring, no one is quite sure at the moment. Source: Temple of VTEC View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 10, 2012 Its been a few months since we last heard anything about the rumored Omega RWD platform that could be underpinning future Cadillac flagships. Our last report in September said a sedan and hard top are in the works and will be appearing sometime in 2015. A new report from Car and Driver says GM has a few Omega vehicles on the way, with the first one arriving sometime in 2015. Omega will take hold of the larger RWD vehicles ranging from a midsize luxury sedan (CTS, 5-Series, E-Class) up to length of 207 inches (about the same length of an Audi A8L). The first vehicle in question is the replacement for the still-need-be-launched Cadillac XTS. Car and Driver says the Omega-based replacement will arrive sometime in 2015. The vehicle will have GM's 3.6L DI V6 as a base, a twin-turbo version of the 3.6L, and V8 for an engine lineup. Also, a new eight-speed automatic and a new hybrid system are in the cards as well. Going further down the rabbit hole, the long-rumored “flagship” Cadillac could eventually be spawned from the Omega platform; whether it takes the form of the Sixteen concept from 2003 or the Ciel concept from last year remains to be seen. Source: Car and Driver Related: The Never Ending Story: More Rumors With The Cadillac Flagships Omega Likely To Be Approved For Cadillac Flagship, More Hybrids View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 9, 2012 Heather Peters, the owner of a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid who won her case against Honda in small claim courts in February, has had here case overturned. Superior Court Judge Dudley W. Gray II ruled in favor of Honda this week, saying the company complied with regulations one how automakers advertise fuel economy. Grey also wrote in his ruling that miles per gallon ratings are for comparing vehicles and don't account for factors that could effect mileage. "Despite these many variables, most of the owners of the subject vehicle achieve fuel economy very close to the EPA estimate," Gray wrote. "It's a sad day when regulations designed to protect consumers are used against them. I'm certain that the EPA and FTC never intended to shield Honda from liability for advertising claims that a court of law determined to be false." Peters said. Source: Associated Press, Motoramic Related: A Honda Owner Takes The Company To Court, Minus The Lawyers Honda Civic Hybrid Owner Wins Judgement Against Honda View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 9, 2012 Back in March, we reported on a comment said by Tetsuya Tada, the chief engineer of the Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S. "The GT 86 was designed from the outset that we can build it as a convertible," said Tada. Well it seems Toyota has given the green light for an FR-S convertible. Car and Driver reports the convertible will keep its back seat, however trunk space will suffer due to the folding roof mechanism. Mechanicals will remain the same: a 200 HP flat-four engine and the choice between a six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. Expect the convertible to get some structural reinforcements. The FR-S is expected to come out in late 2013 or sometime 2014 with a larger pricetag. Source: Car and Driver View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 8, 2012 More bad news for the Fisker Karma. A fire which engulfed a Fisker Karma and caused damage to house in Sugar Land, Texas is now be pointed at as the cause. Chief fire investigator for Fort Bend County, Texas, Robert Baker told Autoweek that he belives the Fisker Karma started the fire. “Yes, the Karma was the origin of the fire, but what exactly caused that we don't know at this time,” Barker said. Barker says the owner pulled into the garage with the Fisker and walked away. Three minutes later, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The vehicle reportedly wasn't plugged in at the time and the battery was intact. The fire is still undergoing an investigation, and an official report is expected sometime in the future. In a statement released by Fisker, the company says the cause of the fire “is not yet known and is being investigated.” The statement goes onto say that “multiple insurance investigators are involved, and we have not ruled out the possibility of fraud or malicious intent.” Fisker also said in the statement, "We are aware that fireworks were found in the garage in or around the vehicles. Also, an electrical panel located in the garage next to the vehicles is also being examined by the investigators as well as fire department officials." Fisker said they will not comment on the fire “until all the facts are established.” This fire comes less than two months after Fisker and battery firm, A123 Systems issued a recall for 640 Karmas due to a possible battery defect. The Karma involved in the fire was a post-recalled one. Source: Autoweek View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 8, 2012 Inside Line has learned from a couple of sources that the next generation Z4 will be a more dynamic sports car than previous generations of the two-seat roadster. BMW's goal is to make the next Z4 more agile and sportier to drive, but up to a point as to not upset current owners and fans. Design of the next Z4 will reflect this goal with the long front end losing a few inches. BMW will also utilize the current N20 turbocharged four-cylinder to help improve the weight distribution. Source: Inside Line View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 8, 2012 The war of heavy duty pickups has been raging on for many years with Ford, General Motors, and Ram one upping each other with more powerful engines and towing capabilities that could embarrass certain commercial trucks. Now, a new branch of this war is emerging; the luxury heavy-duty truck. Gone are the steel wheels, vinyl seats, rubber floormats, and grey dashboards seen on many a truck. In their place are large chrome wheels, leather seats with heating and cooling, carpeting, and different color dashboards trimmed with wood. Ford, GM, and Ram have thrown their competitors into the ring and are now battling for the king of luxury heavy-duty truck. So when a 2012 GMC Sierra Denali HD 2500 was dropped off for week, it was the perfect time to see if it can be the king or not. What has changed? Not much since General Motors updated its heavy-duty trucks back in the 2011 model year. The big news for the 2012 model year was GM upping the hauling and towing ratings for the heavy duty trucks. The stats are, Maximum towing capacity of 23,000 pounds Conventional-hitch trailering capacity of 18,000 pounds Maximum payload of 7,215 pounds Besides the rise in ratings, GMC has added a new exterior color and some new interior features for the Denali HD line. On to the exterior & interior So the exterior is pretty much the same as before? Yeah, the Denali HD hasn’t changed much since its last appearance in the C&G garage back in December 2010. The blunt front end still has the signature Denali chrome finishing on the upper and lower grilles. Around the side, the front fenders carry some sculpting and chrome bars adorn the doors. Add on the optional 20-inch chrome wheels and the new Steel Gray Metallic paint, and what you get is an understated luxury pickup, a trademark of the Denali line. What about the interior? The Sierra HD Denali’s interior is similar to any other loaded up GMC Sierra, albeit with more leather and “wood” trim. The dash looks and feels outdated with the materials clearly from the "old GM" era of cheap plastics. If the Sierra HD Denali cost $30,000, this would be ok. However, when the Denali HD is pushing $63,000, it falls into unacceptable. Also missing on this truck was the auto-up feature on the power windows. The only auto-thing on it was the auto-down feature on the driver’s side. It left me wondering why certain compact cars have this feature and not this truck. The optional navigation unit in Sierra HD Denali has been updated this year with new software that solves the problem of outdated software we had in our previous example. But interface issues remain; do I really need two whole rows of buttons to move around the NAV? However, all is not lost with Sierra HD Denali’s interior. The leather seats are very comfortable for both front and rear passengers. Front seat passengers will enjoy the heated and cooled seats for whatever season it is. Back seat passengers will like the amount of head and legroom. Next: Power, Verdict, and Specs What is the powertrain and how does it drive? All of GM’s heavy-duty pickups come standard with a 6.0L V8 producing 360 HP and 380 lb-ft of torque. However, this Sierra HD Denali was equipped with the shining star of GM’s powertrain lineup; the 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel V8. The 6.6L engine produces 397 HP and mind-numbing 765 lb-ft of torque. All of that power goes through a six-speed Allison transmission. Driving around with the Duramax and Allison combo was a sublime experience. Power was strong and linear as I left from a stop or while making a pass. The transmission provided buttery smooth shifts. Average fuel economy for the week stood at 14.5 MPG. On a 100 Mile highway trip, the Sierra Denali averaged 19 MPG, a surprise since the Sierra Denali HD tips the scales at 7,400 lbs. The ride of the Sierra Denali HD varies on the road condition. Smooth roads and Sierra Denali HD provided a comfortable ride. Head onto a rougher road and you can feel every bump. That’s due to good looking 20-inch chrome wheels and the upgraded suspension to handle the weight. Maneuverability isn’t the Denali HD’s strongest suit. The long length and wide turning circle make it pain in certain situations. Many a time was spent during the week backing up, steering the truck, and pulling into certain parking spots without trying to cause property damage. And the verdict? The Sierra Denali HD sits in a precarious spot in the luxury heavy-duty truck market. On one hand, the Denali HD doesn’t match what the Super Duty and Ram Heavy Duty trucks offer in luxuries. Examples include a better quality dash, a newer navigation system, and other little things that make you feel your spent your money well. Plus, maneuverability could be a little bit better. On the other hand, the Sierra Denali HD claws back with its superb optional Duramax and Allison Transmission powertrain package. Plus, the Denali has a trick up its a sleeve. Unlike the Ford and Ram’s current luxury trucks which scream, “Look at me, I’m driving a big honking luxury truck,” the Denali HD goes for the understated look. The Sierra Denali HD hits 75% of what luxury truck buyers want, it’s the last 25% the truck is missing, which could prove devastating when Ford and Ram launch their true competitors to the Denali HD later this year. Cheers: Duramax and Allison powertrain Understated luxury look Hauling and Towing Ratings Jeers: Interior doesn't match pricetag Poor maneuverability Ride Quality Disclaimer: General Motors provided the truck, insurance, and one tank of diesel. Year - 2012 Make - GMC Model - Sierra HD Trim - Denali 2500 Crew Cab Engine - 6.6L Duramax Turbo Diesel V8 Driveline - Four Wheel Drive, Six Speed Automatic Horsepower @ RPM - 397 @ 3000 Torque @ RPM - 765 @ 1600 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - N/A Curb Weight - 7456 lbs Location of Manufacture - Flint, Michigan Base Price - $48,785.00 As Tested Price - $62,914.00 (Includes $995.00 Destination Charge) View full article

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 8, 2012 Almost a year after the state of Nevada approved legislation to allow tests of self-driving vehicles on public roads, the state has issued its first license for a self-driving vehicle. The vehicle in question is Google's autonomous Toyota Prius, which has currently logged 140,000 miles and one accident. The accident was caused when a car driven by a person bumped into the back of Google's autonomous car. Google hopes with these tests to dramatically reduce or eliminate these types of incidents. The Prius will wear a red license plate, with an infinity sign on it next to the number 001. Source: BBC View full article