Lamborghini Pulls Into Sight of Ferrari With $11 Billion Value

For decades, Lamborghini has been known for brash supercars that combine brute power and daring design, like the classic Miura or the edgy Countach. Now the Italian company’s successful push into more comfortable sport utility vehicles has helped boost its valuation to $11 billion, making it a viable initial public offering candidate for owner Volkswagen AG, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analysts.

California deal interrupts White House emissions rollback effort

Rancor in the White House over the move by four automakers to strike a side deal with California over emissions and fuel-economy rules looks likely to further delay President Trump's plans to roll back the Obama-era standards.

That's the conclusion of a report Tuesday in The New York Times, which cited four people familiar with the talks. After BMW, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen signed an agreement with California to continue selling cars in the state that would exceed new, more lax standards proposed by the Trump administration, the White House summoned executives from General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, and Toyota to pressure them to support the President's rollback proposal, the Times reported.

Even amid that effort, Mercedes-Benz laid plans to join the California side deal, two people familiar with the company's plans told the Times. An unnamed sixth automaker was also planning to join the deal, the Times reported.

Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board—the state's top clean air regulator who manages the California program—told the Times, “Many companies have told us—more than one or two—that they would sign up to the agreement as soon as they felt free to do so.”

President Donald Trump (Photo courtesy Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)

The agreement would allow automakers more flexibility in time frames than existing joint standards do.

Continuing to sell more efficient cars in the face of lower standards could allow automakers to accumulate federal emissions credits that would make it easier for them to meet any future standards and in some cases avoid potential fines for failing to meet the standards.

It's all—almost—enough to get a tough Commander in Chief to throw in the towel. In one meeting, according to three inside sources cited in the report, President Trump even proposed scrapping his own plan, which would leave the Obama administration's steadily increasing fuel-economy standards in place.

Rolling back those fuel-economy increases—and revoking California's long-standing right to set its own standards which other states can also follow—has been a signature part of Trump's efforts to roll back emissions regulations aimed at limiting climate change.

Last August, the administration introduced the Safe Affordable Fuel-Efficient vehicles rule, which would cap planned increases in fuel-economy and emissions standards at 2020 levels through 2026—well after any second term for this President would expire.

Mary Nichols, chief, California Air Resources Board

The previous standards were expected to require all new cars sold by 2025 to average more than 50 mpg—a number that would require significant sales of electric cars to be sold nationwide. (Even those standards, however, were less strict than the latest standards going into effect in Europe.) The increases were negotiated with California, in conjunction with all three Detroit automakers, the EPA and NHTSA.

The agreement was worked out in more than 1,200 pages of scientific analysis that the Trump administration is still working to rebut in sufficient scientific and technical analysis required to implement a new rule change.

In the midst of this turmoil, three senior political officials working on the proposal have resigned, and one career official with years of experience in the issue was transferred to another department, leaving a 29-year-old former aide to Vice President Pence, with little experience in the issue, in charge of working out the new rule.

The rollback—and particularly efforts to rescind California's right to set standards that help the state mitigate its unique smog problems—have resulted in lawsuits against the federal government filed by at least 17 states. If the Trump proposal passes, those lawsuits are likely to linger in courts for years, creating even less unity and more uncertainty for automakers.

Last spring, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told Reuters that he expected the new rule to be finalized sometime after Labor Day. Now that timeframe is looking likely to roll back even farther on one of President Trump's signature efforts.

Fusion fantasies are revived: FiatChrysler and Renault boost auto stocks

REUTERS / AFP FiatChrysler, Renault: The topic of possible merger is not yet buried, investors speculate on a new attempt of the merger Reinfected fusion fantasies around Fiat Chrysler and Renault Investors have lured in auto stocks on Wednesday. The European car index grew fastest with 1.7 percent among the industry barometers. The German car… Continue reading Fusion fantasies are revived: FiatChrysler and Renault boost auto stocks

Waymo: Building Cars is a “Distraction” From Self-Driving Tech – Futurism

Different Priorities When it comes to building and perfecting the self-driving car, some companies have elected to build a full vehicle from the ground up, like how Tesla is inching toward autonomous tech as it develops new car models. Others, Like Uber, are using other companies’ vehicles as hosts for their self-driving technology. Waymo, the… Continue reading Waymo: Building Cars is a “Distraction” From Self-Driving Tech – Futurism

Hyundai Mobis Accelerates Application of High Technology to Domestic Commercial Vehicles with Its Sensors!

SEOUL, South Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hyundai Mobis (KRX:012330) announced it will mass-produce its mid-range front-facing radars and camera sensors to domestic commercial vehicles starting September. This will be the first time that such advanced sensors are to be applied to commercial vehicles like trucks produced in Korea. These radars and camera sensors are based on the key… Continue reading Hyundai Mobis Accelerates Application of High Technology to Domestic Commercial Vehicles with Its Sensors!

MAKING HISTORY: THE ASTON MARTIN DB4 GT ZAGATO CONTINUATION PROGRAMME IS HANDCRAFTING EXCELLENCE

Around 4,500 hours of work go into each of the 19 DB4 GT Zagato Continuation sports cars being handmade at Aston Martin Works
Once-in-a-lifetime build programme ramps up as more than half of the cars are now in various stages of construction
Engineering car is testing dynamically and future owners are looking forward to deliveries starting in Q4 2019

12 August 2019, Newport Pagnell, UK: A never-to-be-repeated scene graces staff as they enter the impressive new Continuation build facilities at Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, with no fewer than ten DB4 GT Zagato Continuation models currently going through a painstaking build process there.
Production of the brand’s most valuable new car to date is now in full swing at Aston Martin’s globally renowned Heritage Division headquarters, and the combination of artisan handcraftsmanship and modern production facilities and logistics means multiple Continuation cars can be, for the first time, constructed alongside each other.
But this..

Ecurie Ecosse LM69 – Creating a Modern Racing Thoroughbred

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New Fiat 500 Electric To Be Followed By Several Plug-In Fiats

500 Electric and Panda Electric will be just two out of around five new plug-ins expected from Fiat in the next few years Fiat is reportedly gearing up for a broader electrification initiative with several electric/plug-in models in Europe. The Italian’s firm approach is combining small cars with an electric drive option. The starting point… Continue reading New Fiat 500 Electric To Be Followed By Several Plug-In Fiats

Aston Martin CEO: Valhalla, Vanquish, and Lapping the ‘Ring – Motor Trend

In the past few years, Aston Martin has launched or unveiled massively capable track weapons like the Valkyrie and Valhalla that create sporting credibility for the rest of the lineup—not to mention the Mercedes-AMG-powered Vantage and the manual transmission Vantage AMR. Much of the credit for this renaissance can be attributed to Andy Palmer taking… Continue reading Aston Martin CEO: Valhalla, Vanquish, and Lapping the ‘Ring – Motor Trend