#NewsBlog

Porsche has apparently been working on a six-stroke engine and even filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) along with the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. The motor is said to offer enhanced efficiency and power, along with cleaner combustion. However, it’s fairly common for the industry to promise the moon after announcing the revival of odd-ball technologies from the past or some totally novel powertrain.

Despite numerous vehicle subscription services having gone under in recent years, the industry does not seem ready to throw in the towel. In fact, they’re actually appears to be a swelling sense of optimism that the scheme may make a comeback. With the present economic situation making it more difficult for average people to buy new vehicles, some expect vehicle subscriptions to become increasingly popular as cash-strapped drivers become more desperate to replace what’s in the driveway.

We return to Eldorado coverage with the “all-new” claim applied to the Eldorado of 1963. It was misleading, as the luxury convertible embarked on a new generation while the rest of the lineup was considered a refresh. The Cadillac marketing people justified their grandiose claims because in addition to a visual rework, the Eldorado changed its manufacturing location. It moved upmarket (shedding the two-year DeVille association) and joined the exclusive Fleetwood assembly line with the Sixty Special and Seventy-Five models. And part of its new upper-crust lifestyle meant a reduction in chrome trappings in addition to its refreshed corporate appearance.

Dealer allocations for the ID.Buzz will reportedly hinge on how many ID.4 models retailers have been able to move. While there will be more going into VW’s through process than that, the volume of EVs dealers have sold will apparently be playing a very large role in terms of how many electrified vans will be made available for showrooms this fall.

After a decades-long absence, Can-Am motorcycles have returned to market. But rather than attempting to revive the Rotax-powered 2-stroke dirt bikes it was known for in the 1970s, the brand has opted to launch a pair of Rotax-powered e-bikes offering more versatility. The Can-Am Pulse is a nimble urban commuter, whereas the Origin is designed to handle basically any terrain you throw beneath its wheels.

The Chrysler Voyager is returning to the retail market for the 2025 model year as the value variant of the Pacifica. While it lacks the looks and some of the features of its more luxurious sibling, it’s priced $2,500 lower and seems to be arriving at a point where shoppers might be more willing to re-engage with minivans due to their relative affordability. If you have a family and can only afford one new automobile, having something as versatile as a van might not be the worst idea.

After several years of swelling vehicle prices and tragically lean inventories, the market has reached a point where dealer lots are getting full and consumers are becoming disinclined to go into quite so much debt in order to purchase a new automobile. But does this mean you should head out to the showroom to purchase that new model you’ve been considering, or will there be even better deals to be had in the future?

The United Automobile Workers(UAW) is presently beefing with Stellantis leadership and has yet to let up. On Monday, the union filed federal unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board over claims that the automaker has refused to provide information regarding product commitments outlined in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement. The UAW is concerned that Stellantis will attempt to move Dodge Durango production out of the United States — which it says would also be a violation of the aforementioned union agreement.

General Motors is reportedly in talks to purchase electric vehicle batteries from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) with the twist being that the cells would technically be assembled inside the United States as part of an operation funded and overseen by the Japanese multinational TDK Corporation.

After what feels like an eternity, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is finally getting its new mail trucks. While they’re certainly not going to be the prettiest vehicles on the road, they’ll prevent offices from having to source whatever vehicles they can get their hands on while surviving examples of the Grumman Long Life Vehicle (LLV) continue to serve well beyond the point everyone assumed it would have to.

As we covered in our last installment, the Cadillac Eldorado was “all-new” for 1963 as GM repositioned its flailing flagship convertible. While the rest of the lineup existed as a refresh of the 1961-1962 generation, Eldorado was set apart. Not that it looked different to the rest of the model range, as it received the same visual updates. Eldorado was considered new, special, because of its change in construction: It ascended the ranks in 1963 to the Fleetwood assembly line. And there were a few new details under the skin to draw in the consumer.

On Tuesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that Volkswagen would need to recall 98,806 all-electric crossovers over an issue with the doors. The matter is effectively an expansion of a 2023 recall impacting the 2021-2022 VW ID.4. The recall now encompasses vehicles from the 2023 and 2024 model year.

A trio of insurance companies are suing a New York dealership and the American Honda Motor Company after over a million dollars in property damages were paid to a local homeowners association and the owners of a vehicle that caught fire while parked in their garage. Insurers are claiming that the fire was the result of botched maintenance and negligent vehicle design and are looking to recoup payments.

In 1961 Cadillac lowered the status of the Eldorado for its fifth generation, after the fourth-gen received lackluster sales. Eldorado transitioned from a pair of body styles (coupe and convertible) sitting atop the company’s standard car range to a weird cousin within the DeVille line, offered only as the convertible Biarritz. Customers saw little to no reason to spend 16 percent more for an Eldorado Biarritz than they would for the nearly identical Sixty-Two convertible, and sales remained poor at 1,450 per year in 1961 and 1962. Eldorado needed a change, a clean break.

A recent Cox Automotive poll has shown that U.S. dealers are becoming less optimistic about the upcoming sales period. Top reasons included the economy, high interest rates, and an uncertain political climate. That said, it probably doesn’t take an in-depth study to realize there’s something off about today’s product mix and financing options when the most common question I receive from friends about automobiles pertains to why they all seem to cost so much these days. But it's nice to have the extra data.