William Maley

With the rising demand for luxury pickups, manufacturers are going all in offering appointments you would find in luxury sedans and SUVs. Case in point is the new Limited trim for Ford's F-Series Super Duty, which made its debut today at the Texas State Fair. Ford says the Limited is positioned for high-end customers, “from boat captains to captains of industry.” The Limited begins with a custom Camelback two-tone leather upholstery, stitched leather-wrapped steering wheel, stitching for armrests and instrument panel, a suede headliner, hand-finished dark ash trim, and the truck's VIN number laser etched in the center console. Outside, there is a new chrome grille, LED headlights, and a chrome piece on the tailgate. Standard equipment includes a 360-degree camera system, panoramic moonroof, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. Did we mention that it can tow up to 30,000 lbs? All of this luxury does come at a price. The F-250 Limited begins at $80,835; F-350 Limited starts at $82,010; and F-450 Limited kicks off at $87,100 - prices include a $1,295 destination charge. Source: Ford Press Release is on Page 2 NEW BENCHMARK OF SUCCESS: NEW FORD F-SERIES SUPER DUTY LIMITED SETS BAR FOR LUXURY, TECHNOLOGY Ford again establishes new top-end for trucks with the new Super Duty Limited, specially tailored for high-end heavy-duty truck customers – from boat captains to captains of industry Custom touches – inside and out – come standard on Limited, along with Super Duty capability and smart tech Ford continues offering a heavy-duty pickup truck for every customer – from work-ready F-250 XL starting at $32,890 to top-of-the-line F-450 Limited starting at $87,100 DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2017 – Ford – America’s truck leader – today pulls off the wraps of a new F-Series Super Duty Limited that sets new luxury standards for high-end heavy-duty truckers. With pricing at $87,100, the F-450 Limited delivers technology and comfort previously reserved only in premium flagship sedans, and it’s capable enough to tow more than 30,000 lbs. – about the weight of a stealthy Air Force F-35 fighter plane. “The Super Duty lineup is a win for all of our customers, from successful ranchers to contractors to RV owners,” said Todd Eckert, Ford Truck group marketing manager. “Super Duty Limited is the most luxurious and advanced heavy-duty pickup truck ever created by Ford for accomplished buyers, with appetites for the high life and hard-earned dollars to match.” Starting MSRPs (including $1,295 destination; taxes and fees not included) are: F-250 Super Duty Limited 4x4 - $80,835 F-350 Super Duty Limited 4x4 - $82,010 F-450 Super Duty Limited 4x4 - $87,100 Customers who check every option box can top one out for as much as $94,455. What’s the point? “There are heavy-duty truck customers who need Super Duty-level capability and want true luxury,” Eckert said. “We created this new truck to answer the call for even more premium choices in the Super Duty range as we see more and more truck customers trending to more premium models.” More than 50 percent of the Super Duty lineup’s retail sales this year are high-end models – including Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum series. Limited goes even further. “Imagine opening the door to your humidor and sinking into your favorite leather lounge chair – that’s the sensation new Super Duty Limited inspires,” said Ford design manager Aileen Barraza. Custom Camelback two-tone leather seats, premium stitched leather-wrapped steering wheel, armrests and instrument panel, Miko® suede headliner, hand-finished dark ash wood trim, special badging set the interior apart. Outside, a special twin-bar satin grille with chrome accents, quad-beam LED lights and satin-finished tailgate applique are Limited’s unique calling cards. Each Limited also has a dedicated serial number laser-etched on the center console armrest. Most Super Duty tech ever Beyond the hand-crafting, Super Duty Limited comes standard with advanced and innovative features to get the job done on ranches, in marinas and everywhere in between. This includes: Class-exclusive high-definition 360-degree camera with Trailer Reverse Guidance Class-exclusive SYNC® 3 Class-exclusive BLIS® with trailer coverage Class-exclusive adaptive cruise control Class-exclusive adaptive steering Lane-keeping alert Forward collision warning with brake support Class-exclusive flat rear load floor with fold-up locking storage Class-exclusive quad-beam LED headlamps Full panoramic moonroof with retractable shade Heated and ventilated front seats, plus heated rear seats Leather-trimmed, heated steering wheel Is Ford backing away from heavy-duty truck buyers with fewer greenbacks? No way! Ford has a heavy-duty pickup truck for every customer – from work-ready F-250 XL starting at $32,890 to top-of-the-line F-450 Limited starting at $87,100. Super Duty Limited crew cab arrives this winter with Ford’s 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel V8 across F-250, F-350 and F-450 single- or dual-rear-wheel configurations. View full article

That's when the Tesla salesperson walks over to you and asks "Are you interested in buying a new Model 3?"

As Model 3s begin to arrive at Tesla dealerships, we are beginning to get some answers to some of the key questions we have. Chief among those questions deal with how the Model 3's touchscreen works. Thanks to some videos that have made their way onto the internet, we have some answers and major concerns. We know that the screen would control many functions of the vehicle, but didn't know the extent. Thanks to the video we now know that most functions are controlled through the screen. Want to change the fan speed? You need to use the touchscreen. Open the trunk? Need to use the touchscreen. If it begins raining and you need to turn on the wipers, you need to use the touchscreen. Is it just us or is this becoming a distraction disaster? We also learned that Model 3s at the moment doesn't come with either FM Radio or Bluetooth streaming. The lack of the former will likely not make most annoyed, but the latter will. If you want to listen to music at the moment, you need to use a third-party streaming service over the car's 4G internet connection. Tesla has said that an OTA update that will bring FM and Bluetooth streaming is planned, and believed to be coming soon. Source: Autoblog View full article

Autocar is reporting that Land Rover is developing a new line of vehicles that will be focused more on-road capability and use electric powertrains. The models will still feature some sort of some off-road capability. Called Road Rover, the first model is being developed in parallel with the next-generation Jaguar XJ. Both models are expected to share the same architecture which will be made out of aluminum and have the capability of either being fitted with internal-combustion engines and electric powertrains. The model could debut as early as 2019 at the LA Auto Show. Road Rover has some history for Land Rover. Back in 1950's, the name was used for an experimental model that bridged the gap between Rover and Land Rover. Source: Autocar View full article

It seems everyone is getting into the car business, whether that is through autonomous technologies or electric vehicles. The latest entrant may surprise a number. Yesterday, Dyson (yes, the vacuum cleaner maker) announced that it was working on an electric vehicle. Rumors about this have been swirling for a few years. Last year, the documents from the UK government revealed a £16 million ($22.54 million) grant was awarded to the company for the research and development on batteries, which added more fuel to the fire. In the announcement, founder James Dyson revealed that company has been working on this project for more than two years. 400 people are working on the project and is looking to hire more people. It may seem crazy for a vacuum cleaner maker to go into the electric car business. But Dyson highlights their experience in developing batteries and electric motors for their hair dryers and cordless vacuums. This, in theory, should help them get their electric car project off the ground. The plan is to have the EV on sale by 2020. We'll believe it when we see it. Source: Dyson, Auto Express View full article

I'm assuming it is applicable to new cars, similar to the ban taking place in Great Britain.