William Maley

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 29, 2013 The Rolls-Royce Wraith was a show stopper when it was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March. But Rolls-Royce isn't done yet with the Wraith. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös told Auto Express that a convertible version is coming. “The design certainly lends itself to a drophead coupe, and I think that will be the next variant.” Müller-Ötvös emphasized that a convertible Wraith could take “some time”, so don't expect it to arrive within the next year or two. Müller-Ötvös also addressed the rumor of a SUV from Rolls-Royce. “We have no plans to produce an SUV, definitely not, the next thing is drophead Wraith but bespoke orders are the priority,” he said. Source: Auto Express 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

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 29, 2013 Oh to be a fly on the wall during this meeting. Automotive News reports that at a at a national dealer meeting in Las Vegas last month, General Motors introduced the new ATS Coupe and 2015 Escalade. As we reported last week, Cadillac has begun to work on the ATS Coupe. Dealers who were at the meeting say coupe is expected to reach showrooms next spring. Dealers also said that executives hope the new coupe will help bring in a younger crowd. Cadillac is keeping quiet on the powertrain lineup, but Automotive News guesses that ATS Coupe will have the same powertrain lineup as the ATS Sedan. As for the 2015 Escalade, dealers say the exterior design is evolutionary Inside sees some dramatic changes as wood and aluminum trim are placed throughout and the third-row will be electronically controlled. 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

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 26, 2013 Chevrolet has announced the pricing for the new 2014 Corvette Stingray and Corvette Stingray Convertible today. The 2014 Corvette Stingray will sticker at a base price of $52,990*, while the 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible will start at $57,990* (Prices include a $995 destination charge). Compared to the 2013 Corvette prices, the 2014 Corvette Stingray prices are a modest increase of $1,400 for the coupe and $2,395 for the convertible. Standard equipment includes eight-way power seats, configurable driver and infotainment screens, Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system,, nine-speaker Bose audio system, Bluetooth, keyless access with push-button start, and power tilt/telescopic steering wheel. Corvette Stingray Convertibles get aelectric top that can be lowered using the key fob as standard equipment. If you're wondering how much you can spend on a Corvette Stingray, Chevrolet uses the 2014 red Corvette Stingray shown at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show as an example. As equipped, 2014 red Corvette Stingray costs $73,360 with these options listed below, 3LT interior package, with leather-wrapped interior ($8,005) Z51 Performance Package ($2,800) Competition sports seats ($2,495) Exposed-carbon-fiber roof panel ($1,995) Magnetic Ride Control with Performance Traction Management ($1,795) Dual-mode exhaust system ($1,195) Carbon fiber interior trim ($995) Sueded, microfiber-wrapped upper interior trim ($995) Red-painted calipers ($595) Black-painted wheels ($495) The 2014 Corvette Stingray arrives at dealers later this summer. Source: Chevrolet William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 2014 Corvette Stingray Starts at $51,995 DETROIT –The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe will have a suggested starting retail price of $51,995, and the Corvette Stingray Convertible will start at $56,995. Both prices include a $995 destination fee, but exclude tax, title, and license. "The 2014 Corvette Stingray perfectly embodies Chevrolet's mission to deliver more than expected for our customers," said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet marketing. "The Corvette Stingray delivers a combination of performance, design and technology that very few manufacturers can match, and none can even come close for $52,000." Standard features on the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray include: -Seating with lightweight magnesium frames for exceptional support, and 8-way power adjustment -Five-position Drive Mode Selector that tailors up to 12 vehicle attributes -New seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching -6.2L LT1 V-8 engine with direct injection, Active Fuel Management, continuously variable valve timing and an advanced combustion system -Carbon fiber hood on all models, and a carbon fiber removable roof panel on coupes -Aluminum frame that is 99 pounds lighter (40 kg) and 57 percent stiffer than previous model's structure -Advanced high-intensity discharge (HID) and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting -Dual, eight-inch configurable driver/infotainment screens, with next-generation Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system and rear vision camera -Bose 9-speaker audio system with SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth connectivity, USB and SD card and auxiliary input jack -Keyless access with push-button start -Power tilt/telescope steering wheel -An all-new, fully electronic top on the convertibles, that can be lowered remotely using the key fob As shown at the North American International Auto Show, the Stingray coupe fitted with the major available options would be $73,360, including: -3LT interior package, with leather-wrapped interior ($8,005) -Z51 Performance Package ($2,800) -Competition sports seats ($2,495) -Exposed-carbon-fiber roof panel ($1,995) -Magnetic Ride Control with Performance Traction Management ($1,795) -Dual-mode exhaust system ($1,195) -Carbon fiber interior trim ($995) -Sueded, microfiber wrapped upper interior trim ($995) -Red-painted calipers ($995) -Black-painted wheels ($495) The 3LT interior package includes: Bose, 10-speaker surround-sound audio system; SiriusXM radio with one-year subscription and HD radio receiver; color head-up display; memory package; navigation system; heated and ventilated seats with power lumbar and bolster adjustment; premium Napa leather seating surfaces; and leather-wrapped dash and instrument panel, console and door panels. The Z51 Performance Package includes: high-performance gear ratios; transmission-cooling system; larger 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels and tires; larger, slotted rotors and brake-cooling ducts; Performance Traction Management; electronic limited-slip differential and differential cooling system; unique chassis tuning; and available Magnetic Ride Control active-handling system with Performance Traction management. Equipped with the Z51 package, the Corvette Stingray is capable of accelerating from 0 – 60 mph in under four seconds, and more than 1 g in cornering. View full article

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 25, 2013 Bentley looks to be to joining the four-door coupe market sometime in the future. "I definitely wouldn't say no to the idea. With the new Flying Spur, we have a model that supports the Mulsanne, and a coupe with four-doors could sit below that," said Bentley CEO Wolfgang Schreiber to Auto Express. But don't expect this new vehicle to arrive anytime soon. Schreiber says getting the SUV is still the top priority. "It's not any time soon, that's for sure, but maybe in the longer term. At the moment our focus is very much on an SUV, because we know the market is there." If Bentley goes ahead with the four-door sedan, this could help bolster the brand's ambitious goal of selling 15,000 vehicles by 2018. Source: Auto Express 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

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 25, 2013 The compact front-wheel drive coupe class has been on the decline in recent years. Once a bright light in the automotive world with a number of manufacturers competing, the class has shrunk down to just four models; the Honda Civic Coupe, Scion tC, Hyundai Elantra Coupe, and Kia Forte Koup. The oldest one of this group, the Forte Koup, has fallen to the wayside since the other three have either been refreshed or are a new model. But does being the oldest model in this group mean that you shouldn’t take a look at it? I recently found out as I spent a week with a 2013 Kia Forte Koup SX. Doing my first walk around the Koup when it first arrived, my inner monologue chimed in with “wait, is this a Honda Civic Coupe doppelganger?” Looking at the front and side profile, the Forte Koup does seem to pull some liberties from the Civic coupe in the overall design. Thankfully, Kia did make some changes to make it not seem like a carbon copy of a Civic coupe. The front has the now familiar Kia grille all blacked-out and a unique bumper treatment. The side profile features a set of muscular lines and a set of sharp seventeen-inch wheels. Inside, the Forte Koup doesn’t have the same styling exuberance as the exterior. It's pretty much the same interior you’ll find in the Forte sedan and five-door model. It's not the nicest interior, but most of the interior bits are screwed in very well (aside from one door panel that rattled slightly when I was playing certain types of music) and the layout is very utilitarian. Space is very much at a premium thanks to short roof height. Up front, the limited headroom space is eaten up by the optional sunroof. I had to adjust the drivers seat in such a way that my head wasn’t touching the roof, which meant I wasn’t in the most comfortable position during my time. Combine that with a seat that I found to be very uncomfortable, and I would come out feeling very sore from a drive. The backseat should only be reserved for small kids thanks to the tight head and legroom. However, the Forte Koup does fight back with an abundance of equipment. My tester came with such amenities such as heated leather seats, navigation, Bluetooth, automatic climate control, hands-free calling, alloy pedals, and a proximity key. Kia still knows how to do the value argument very well. Under the hood for the Forte Koup SX is a 2.4L DOHC four-cylinder engine producing 173 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque. At low rpms, the 2.4L pulls surprisingly well, making it plenty quick for those who drive in the drive in the city or suburbs. Moving higher in the rpm range, the engine begins to run out of steam. This is very noticeable when entering a freeway or deciding to throw the Koup around. Transmissions for the Forte Koup are a six-speed manual or an automatic with paddle shifters. My car came equipped with the automatic and found it to be a perfect companion. The paddle shifters are a great addition since they can operated when the transmission is in Drive or manual mode. My only complaint with the paddle shifter are the placement the paddles. Mounting them on the steering wheel is horrible place since the paddles are always moving around. Putting them on the steering column would be a better idea. Fuel economy for the Forte Koup SX stands at 23 City/31 Highway/26 Combined when equipped with six-speed automatic. My average for the evaluation stood at 26 MPG. Highway driving saw the number climb to 30.2 MPG. The Forte Koup’s ride is decidedly mixed. On one hand, the Forte’s suspension tuning and heavy-weighted steering make it a pleasure to drive around corners. On the other hand, the Forte Koup’s suspension needs to go to finishing school. I found the ride to be unbearable when driving on the rutted Michigan roads as the suspension has no give at all. The steering also needs some refinement as its too heavy in daily use. At the end of my time with Forte Koup SX, I was left conflicted. The Koup has a lot going for and against it. It's a great value and has some snazzy looks, but the ride and steering are a mixed bag. The big problem is the current Forte Koup isn’t a standout anymore like it used to be. Honda and Scion have introduced new versions of their compact coupes, the Civic and tC respectively. There is also the Hyundai Elantra coupe in play which brings some very startling looks and impressive fuel economy to the class. It's better to wait for the new Forte Koup, due out sometime later this year, than to get the current one. Disclaimer: Kia provided the vehicle, insurance, and one tank of gasoline. Year - 2013 Make – Kia Model – Forte Koup Trim – SX Engine – 2.4L Inline-Four Driveline – Front-Wheel Drive, Six-Speed Automatic Horsepower @ RPM – 173 @ 6,000 RPM Torque @ RPM – 168 @ 4,000 RPM Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 23/31/26 Curb Weight – 2,891 lbs Location of Manufacture – Hwaseong, Gyeonggi; South Korea Base Price - $19,800.00 As Tested Price - $24,520.00* (Includes $775.00 destination charge) (Note: This Forte Koup didn't come with a window sticker, so I'm guessing the as tested price here) Options: SX Technology Package - $1,800 Leather Package - $1,000 Sunroof - $795 Rear Spoiler - $395 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