http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1513
Ferrari is to idle factory production and cut jobs in a bid to match a downturn caused by fewer engine orders from its sister company Maserati. Maserati received about 4,500 engines from Ferrari in 2009, a far cry from the 9,000 delivered in 2008.
It is reported that factory workers staged a four-hour walk-out because Ferrari plans on eliminating 120 office positions and 150 factory jobs in exchange for the last payment of a 2009 bonus which was due this past April. A total of around 3,000 people are on the company payroll.
"Ferrari has proposed to pay the bonuses if we accept the job cuts," Giordano Fiorani, a union official representing workers said. "We are ready to discuss layoffs and reorganization, as there is a real cut in production, but we don't understand their rigidity."
Fiorani told Bloomberg that Ferrari plans to lay off about 600 workers for a week, beginning next Monday. Ferrari spokesperson Stefano Lai confirmed that plans were afoot to lower the headcount but did not mention any figures.
In addition, Fiorani claimed that 2010 production targets were being slashed from 20,000 to 11,000 units, a claim refuted by Lai. Ferrari had never planned on producing 20,000 cars this year and will maintain production at about 6,000 vehicles, similar to last year's output, Lai said. Moreover, some jobs would be outsourced and some employees would be offered early retirement.
Ferrari sold 6,294 cars in 2009 while its first-quarter trading profit slid 28% to €39 million (US$49.5 million).
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Audi 8-speed to replace 6-speed automatic
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Audi will widely use an eight-speed automatic transmission produced by ZF, instead of a six-speed unit on cars sold in the United States, according to AutoWeek. The periodical cites the new 2011 dealer order guide when it says that roughly 70 percent of vehicles sold in the U.S. will feature the transmission.
Amongst these are the 2.0-liter turbocharged versions of the Audi A4 four-door and Avant, A5 coupe and cabrio, and the Q5. All versions of the Q7, along with the A8 and A8L will also be sold with the ZF eight-speed.
Meanwhile, all A6 and S6 units, as well as the front-wheel-drive A4 and A5, the S5 coupe, and the 3.2-liter Q5 will be available with either the six-speed automatic or the CVT. Cars sold with the dual-clutch automated manual gearbox will not be changed under the new plan. Likewise, the R8 V8 and V10 will be sold with either the six-speed manual or the R-Tronic gearbox.
The 2011 model year versions of these cars should hit the market this fall. Audi could make an official announcement later this summer.
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Brabus SL 65 AMG Black Series Pumps 588kW
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A long-time BRABUS customer had their Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series tuned BRABUS-style. While all components used are available to other customers, this particular car, called the T65 RS, is a one-off.
Performance equipment includes two special exhaust manifolds with integrated turbine housings, two high-performance turbochargers, four intercoolers housed under the carbon fibre scoop and a special BRABUS stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system. The engine's electronics received some reprogramming.
As a result maximum power is now 588kW achieved at 5,500rpm. Peak torque is an astounding 1,420Nm available at 2,100rpm, but is electronically limited to 1,100Nm. BRABUS says the 1,795kg T65 RS will run from 0 - 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds, reaching 200km/h in 9.8 seconds. A top speed of over 330km/h is possible but this was electronically limited to 320km/h.
The custom interior boasts a special soft, breathable black leather and Alcantara combination, power comfort seats, precision-sewn red seams on some elements and stainless steel scuff plates with an illuminated logo.
We said earlier that the components are all there to buy, but no prices were attached. Contact your nearest BRABUS dealer or the official company website for more details.
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Seat brand enters Last Chance Saloon with 5yr plan
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Seat, Volkswagen's beleaguered Spanish brand, has unveiled a five-year plan which will attempt to return the brand to profitability.
While details are limited, the plan calls for better utilization of the Martorell factory, near Barcelona, which is currently running at 60% capacity (according to Seat's projections, the plant needs to run at 90% capacity to be profitable). To remedy this situation, the plant will likely build the 2011 Audi Q3 crossover.
Seat's CEO, James Muir, stated the five-year plan "...is the last attempt for the brand. It wouldn't make sense to think anything else." He added, "I cannot solely rely on cost reduction to make Seat profitable. It'll be an uphill battle, but I believe it is possible."
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GM & Chrysler set for More Government Loans
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1517
Chrysler Group LLC and General Motors Co. are seeking a combined $23 billion in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy for renovating factories. If approved, the loans would come from a $25 billion fund set up in 2008, and would carry a lower rate of interest than loans already provided by the U.S. Government.
GM's request of $14.4 billion and Chrysler's application for $8.55 billion have passed the several hurdles required by the loan programme. The purpose of the loans is to spur development of fuel efficient vehicles that use at least 25% less fuel than similar sized models, and companies must prove that the loans will be used to that end.
"It's a really a process of making sure that each of the projects that they have are in fact competitive," Energy Dept. adviser Matt Rogers reportedly said. "Now that we have clear financial statements, we're actually working quite aggressively with them and expect to get some results there shortly,"
Thus far, $9 billion has been handed out from the programme. Over 100 different companies have applied for a combined total of $42.7 billion. Amongst those companies are Ford Motor Co., which took $5.9 billion after initially requesting $11 billion. Nissan, Fisker and Tesla have each received their share, respectively taking $1.6 billion, $529 million, and $465 million. The loans were handed out on a 25-year payback plan
Financing may be used either to build or renew factories, or directly for the production of parts and vehicles.
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BMW Working on FWD entry level model
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1518
BMW is set to launch a new batch of FWD (front-wheel drive) hatchbacks in the next few years. Of those, one will be an entry-level BMW-badged vehicle, positioned beneath the 1-Series, scheduled to debut in 2013.
The new model is expected to compete against the likes of the Audi A2 and the Mercedes A-Class. It will have a body-style similar to those models - a high roof 5-door, 5-seat hatchback with a transversely mounted engine and gearbox to provide for a shorter bonnet and more cabin space. BMW will also offer a sportier variant, a different model altogether, to rival the A1. Autocar reports that BMW will also be offering the 1-Series as a front-wheel drive while still retaining the rear-wheel drive variant.
The Bavarian automaker will be launching the next generation MINI in 2014 which will share its front-wheel drive architecture with those new BMW models. We have previously reported on BMW's plans to make up to 1 million front-wheel drive vehicles - badged as both MINIs and BMWs - by 2015.
BMW is not worried about its entry-level model cannibalizing its MINI sales.
"Both brands possess a clear and individual image. Our research shows BMW and Mini appeal to different buyers," said a BMW source in the Autocar story. BMW points to the success of VW and Audi in sharing platforms but distinguishing the brands as an example.
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Mercedes Automated Driving Technology
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1519
Not to be outdone by Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz is also pushing forward with their autonomous vehicle projects. The company is developing automated driving systems to help create better driver assist mechanisms for their production cars.
“With future driver assistance systems, we will be able to address even more complex traffic situations and therefore ease the dangers of further accident hot spots – like intersections,” said Daimler engineering executive Prof. Bharat Balasubramanian. “Our new automated driving test methods help us to fulfil the extremely high quality and operational safety demands placed on our safety systems more efficiently.”
Further, by automating certain high risk maneuvers, the car company can test vehicles to extreme limits without the risk of injuring test drivers and engineers. Daimler says the precision of these automatic systems gives engineers better control over their experiments.
“In order to continue to set trends in the field of safety in future, our test procedures must be able to keep pace with the wealth of ideas generated by our engineers. With automated driving, we feel we are well equipped for the development of the next generation of assistance systems," Balasubramanian said.
The company uses pre-programmed robots to handle acceleration, braking and steering, while an on-board computer acts as an autopilot to guarantee the accuracy of the robotic steering. Mercedes says each of their vehicles may be outfitted with this system for testing purposes.
This makes us wonder when we will get our own autopilot option on our cars.
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Switzer Performance Porsche 911 GT2 hits 679kW
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1520
Switzer Performance already has a new, pumped up version of the Porsche 911 GT2.
The details are intriguing to say the least, it gets dialed up significantly to 679 kW - a full 214kW more than the recently revealed GT2 RS. That number is not a coincidence. After all, it is an iteration of the Porsche 911.
The Switzer GT2 R911S starts with the Ohio-based tuner's P800 GT2 package and then works onward from there. With the use of Switzer's in-house massive intercoolers and a vague reference to racing fuel, Switzer says there are now 911 ponies on tap for their R911S.
For the suspension the tuner adds "Switzer-specific titanium inverted-front-strut and a remote-reservoir suspension engineered by the track experts at JRZ." The R911S will also feature "hand-selected spring and damping rates."
A R911S Carbon edition will also be available with a set of carbon fiber parts that lighten the car and drop its center of gravity.
Switzer's prices for the car are, in fact, lower than Porsche's own MSRP for the 456kW 911 GT2 RS.
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