TTAC News Round-up: There's Something in the Water in Flint, Quebec Company Still Trading on Tesla's Name, and Our Cadillac CT6 Invite Got Lost in the Mail

Mark Stevenson
by Mark Stevenson

Flint, Michigan’s water system is in dire straits thanks to a bad decision made by emergency managers. Now lead that’s seeping into drinking water is poisoning thousands of children in the city.

That, Dubuc Motors really wants you to think they are related to Tesla, Jeep might be going commando, Porsche will continue to beat others over the head with a stick, and reviews for the Cadillac CT6 have hit the interwebs … after the break!

Flint’s water system is a disaster, literally

Whatever water it was that made Carrie Underwood stronger, we’re guessing she didn’t get that water from Flint, Michigan. The former auto manufacturing hub is undergoing an epic crisis that could leave thousands of children with lead poisoning thanks to the city’s corroded water system.

According to The Economist, a bad decision in April 2014, made under the watch of emergency manager Darnell Earley, saw Flint’s water source switched from the relatively innocuous Lake Huron to the highly corrosive Flint River. That corrosive water ate through the lining of Flint’s water pipes and began to expose lead tubes. Said lead was then delivered to the taps of residents’ homes.

A state of emergency was declared by Michigan governor Rick Snyder on January 5. The federal government later did the same on January 16.

Yet, the most damning thing about it all was why it happened in the first place. The corrosiveness of the water could have been remedied by a treatment that was deemed too expensive. Its cost: $100 per day. In contrast, Earley was paid $180,000 a year as Flint’s emergency manager.

Thanks to that targeted cost cutting, some 9,000 children under the age of six are now at risk for lead poisoning, which can later cause “aggressive behavior, learning disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder, hearing loss, anaemia, kidney damage and lower IQ,” reported The Economist.

“I am sorry, and I will fix it,” Governor Rick Snyder said during his state-of-the-state address on January 19. “You deserve better.”

Thanks to Earley’s fantastic work in managing Flint, Synder has appointed Earley as emergency manager of Detroit’s public schools.

No shit.

[Image: “ Michigan National Guard” ( CC BY 2.0) by The National Guard]

This amount of ugly comes with a $25 million price tag

Dubuc Motors is really, really keen on getting you to invest in their now years-long Tomahawk project and they only need $25 million to make it happen. Don’t let that money burn a hole in your pocket. You know you want this.

I covered the Dubuc Motors Tomahawk in late 2014. It was vaporware then with some incredible claims: all-electric, all-wheel-drive supercar; made in North America (Quebec to be precise); and it proclaimed to be Tesla’s cousin.

Now it’s getting even worse. From a Dubuc Motors press release:

Already boasting accolades and recognition internationally, Dubuc Motors has arrived to “complete the Tesla line” and the electric vehicle market.

At least they aren’t still claiming to build a taxi and SUV off the same platform as they were before. I’m sure an all-electric supercar owner really wants their pride and joy to be related to a vehicle people puke in on the way home from a Saturday night kegger.

More Willys than Willys

The Wrangler may be heading back into areas of conflict driven by American servicemen and women by way of Hendrick Dynamics and BAE Systems.

The Hendrick Dynamics Commando, based on the Jeep Wrangler, is designed to be an “ultralight ground mobility vehicle” to support the Global Response Force, reports Allpar. GRF will extend an official request for proposals for such a vehicle later this year.

Sign us up for a civilian version of … oh, wait.

Manual 911s — forever

Porsche isn’t going to be a sheep in the sportscar herd and follow the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari and others into dual-clutch oblivion. Speaking with Porsche engineering boss Erhard Mössle, Car & Driver reports the manual 911 is here to stay.

From C&D:

“It’s a unique selling proposition for Porsche to have a manual in the 911 range, and I think we will fight for that as long as possible,” he told us. “Even if it’s only 10 percent of the market, it’s important for some customers and for some markets, especially the U.S., to have that kind of gearbox.”

Good.

The reviews are in, and the Cadillac CT6 is …

… Good? Bad? We have no idea.

However, other websites have the details on Cadillac’s XTS replacement.

Here’s one from our corporate overlords at AutoGuide (where I nabbed this image). Here’s another one from AutoBlog. And Jalopnik. And Car & Driver. And Motor Trend. And Automobile. And Ward’s Auto. And Cars.com. And Motor Authority. And the Freep. And the NY Daily News. And Consumer Reports. And TFLCar (you know, they’re the same high-brow journalists that did this). And SlashGear. And DigitalTrends.

[Top image: By U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons]

Mark Stevenson
Mark Stevenson

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  • Redapple Redapple on Jan 27, 2016

    Base 4 in an Equinox is borderline loud and ruff and under powered. I wont do that again. 30,000,000 mexicans do the work american wont do AT THE WAGE RATE CURRENTLY OFFERED (DUE TO 30,000,000 MEXICANS DILUTING THE POOL OF WORKERS AND DRIVING DOWN wages TO less than NATURAL LEVELS) This displaces our lowest level native born. Puts them on the dole. Mexicans send the surplus earnings back to mamma san back in the old country. These points cause massive destruction to the living wage rate standards and tax rates of the native born. Period. Fact.

  • Kmars2009 Kmars2009 on Jan 27, 2016

    The XTS will be sold along side the CT6 until 2018. That is what MSN is reporting. Honestly, who cares about Cadillac? The new Lincoln Continental is far better looking. Even the MKZ with it's new nose looks better than any Cadillac. And don't get me started on those names. Finally, Lincoln has come to IT's senses, and is returning back to real names. After Continental will come Aviator.

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