DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 19, 2021 – Today in celebration of the Woodward Dream Cruise, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is taking a page out of its Mustang history book with the introduction of the new Mustang Ice White Edition Appearance Package for both Mustang coupe and Mustang Mach-E. This marks the first time in 28 years Ford is offering a white-on-white Mustang and the first time ever for the coupe.
“Mustang has always had the power to attract attention on the road, but the new Mustang Ice White Edition could – just like the original ’93 Triple White Fox body feature Mustang – become one of the hot collectibles of future generations,” said Jim Owens, Mustang brand marketing manager. “We are proud to continue a longstanding Mustang tradition of continuously offering fresh, new styling options for customers to empower them to make their Mustang an extension of who they are.”
The package is the first to be offered to both Mustang Mach-E and Mustang coupe customers.
Ice White Edition Mustang Mach-E
The 2021 Car and Driver EV of the Year, North American SUV of the Year and one of the hottest all-electric SUVs on the market will exclusively offer the new Mustang Ice White Edition Appearance Package on Mustang Mach-E Premium models.
Star White Metallic Tri-Coat paint includes unique Star White mirror caps and wheel lip moldings to ice-out the exterior. Front and center on the grille is an Oxford White pony badge, which also appears between the tri-bar taillamps. The package adds unique 19-inch machined-face aluminum wheels with Oxford White-painted pockets.
Light Space Gray sets the cabin stage, appearing on the seats, center console and door-panel armrests. A Bright Silver hex-patterned instrument panel plus an Oxford White pony badge on the steering wheel add chill to the interior environment.
Orders for the 2022 Mustang Mach-E Ice White Edition open in the fall. The vehicle will be in showrooms early next year.
Ice White Edition Mustang Coupe
Reminiscent of the 1993 Triple White Fox body feature Mustang, the 2022 Mustang coupe Ice White Edition gives customers the option to add even more head-turning style to the world’s best-selling sports car1. Ford made just 1,500 Triple White Fox body feature Mustangs – all convertibles.
Available on Mustang EcoBoost® and GT Premium fastback models, the Mustang Ice White Edition comes lacquered exclusively in Oxford White and features unique iced-out taillamps, plus heritage-inspired 19×9-inch wheels in matching Oxford White with machine-surfaced pockets. Just like on the Ice White Edition Mustang Mach-E, the Ice White Mustang coupe comes with Oxford White pony badges and fender badging.
The black and white interior features Oxford White leather seat inserts front and rear, plus Oxford White leather door panels. An aluminum appliqué on the dash and white accent stitching on the center console, door panels, shifter boot, headrests and more add to the cool cabin environment.
Ice White Edition Appearance Package-equipped Mustang EcoBoost and Mustang GT Premium coupes arrive at dealers in early 2022.
Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) delivered the first limited-edition Phenom 300E aircraft—part of the Duet collaboration with Porsche (OTC: POAHY) – to an undisclosed customer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The aircraft was delivered at Embraer’s state-of-the-art Global Customer Center in Melbourne, Florida.
Duet marks the first-ever true collaboration between leading aviation and automotive manufacturers, pairing the fastest and longest-ranged single-pilot certified jet with the gold standard in production sports cars, the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Embraer and Porsche, both known for world-class engineering, performance, and design, worked in tandem to create a seamless experience from ground to air using matching design elements that are only available in this pairing. Only ten of this limited-edition pairing will ever be produced.
As the world’s fastest and longest-ranged single-pilot business jet, the Phenom 300 series transformed the light jet category. With its unparalleled technology, comfort, and performance, the Phenom 300E sets the highest standard of excellence through best-in-class cabin altitude, high mission flexibility, low operating costs and the best residual value in the industry. The 911 is the heart of the Porsche product portfolio and has one of the longest and most celebrated traditions in the automotive industry. The 911 Turbo S represents the pinnacle of the 911 models and delivers exceptional performance combined with a high degree of everyday usability.
Duet brings the Phenom 300E and the 911 Turbo S into perfect harmony as design inspiration for the aircraft mirrors that of the car, and vice versa. Starting with seats, the sew style on the Phenom 300E seats were patterned after that of the 911 Turbo S. Both vehicles’ seats also feature red pull straps, a Speed Blue accent stitch, and carbon fiber shrouds. The flight deck seats were also redesigned to match the seats of the car. On the exterior, both aircraft and car share a matching paint pallet and scheme, complete with a custom two-tone paint finish and hand-painted pinstripes in Brilliant Chrome and Speed Blue, creating a fluid aesthetic throughout both performance machines.
Fifteen public buses in Vancouver, Canada, will be fitted with BAE Systems’ (London: BA.L) all-electric propulsion system, allowing them to run free of emissions. The fleet is the first in North America to benefit from the next-generation Series-EV zero emission technology.
Series-EV eliminates the need for traditional combustion engines through the use of electric motors, controls, and batteries, creating a clean and efficient mode of transportation. The latest version of BAE Systems’ technology uses fewer, lighter, and more compact components. Its light weight, reduced number of connections, and use of advanced materials make it easy to install and extremely efficient, enabling the buses to travel longer distances on a single charge.
“The deployment of clean transportation in our cities is critical to reach a zero emission future,” said Steve Trichka, vice president and general manager of Power & Propulsion Solutions at BAE Systems. “Our Series-EV system will help Vancouver take a major step towards full electrification of its bus fleet, and will help to improve air quality throughout the city.”
BAE Systems’ Series-EV system builds on more than 25 years of innovation and proven technology that powers buses around the world. The company’s all-electric systems are on buses in service throughout Europe, including cities such as London and Paris.
BAE Systems has more than 13,000 propulsion systems in service on transit buses around the globe. Each year those systems contribute to a cleaner world by saving more than 28 million gallons of fuel and eliminating 313,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year across the globe – the equivalent of taking 54,000 cars off the road or planting four million trees.
BAE Systems develops and services its technology at its facilities in Endicott, New York, and Rochester, UK.
Britta Seeger, Mitglied des Vorstandes der Daimler AG, verantwortlich für Mercedes-Benz Cars Vertrieb & Marketing // Britta Seeger, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales & Marketing
Stephan Sturm will resign from the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG (XETRA: LHA.DE), which will go into effect after the Annual General Meeting on May 4, 2021. The Chairman of the Executive Board of Fresenius has been a member of the Lufthansa Supervisory Board since April 2015 and has chaired the Audit Committee since January 2018.
The Supervisory Board Nomination Committee has proposed that Britta Seeger fill the vacancy. The 51-year-old business economist has been a member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG (XETRA: DAI.DE) since 2017 and is responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales. The Bonn-born manager will be nominated for election at the Annual General Meeting on May 4.
The responsibility as Chairman of the Audit Committee, which is currently held by Stephan Sturm, will be transferred to Harald Krüger at the Annual General Meeting, according to the will of the Supervisory Board.
At a meeting today, the Supervisory Board also decided to extend Detlef Kayser’s (55) contract ahead of schedule for three more years until December 31, 2024.
Dr. Detlef Kayser has been a member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since January 1, 2019. As “Chief Operations Officer” he is responsible for the operational processes and fleet and infrastructure management of the Lufthansa Group along with the Group-wide “ReNew” restructuring program.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak is launching a limited-time fare sale for travelers to skip I-95 and travel nonstop from the Northeast to Florida onboard the Amtrak Auto Train. Tickets are available for purchase between March 2 – March 12 for travel to Sanford, Fla., in Coach for as low as $9 or in a private room for as low as $109 each way, plus the cost of your vehicle.
Customers traveling in Coach will enjoy wide, reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seat and a big picture window to enjoy the view. Prior to arrival, a complimentary continental breakfast is served.
A Roomette features comfortable seating, newly-upgraded bedding, pillows, towels and linens, and a dedicated attendant. An upgrade to a Bedroom offers a trip with twice the space as a Roomette as well as other added amenities. Customers in private rooms can enjoy a complimentary dinner and continental breakfast onboard.
These limited-time one-way fares are as low as:
Limited Time Fares*
One traveler
Two travelers^
Coach
$9
$18
Roomette
$109
$159
Bedroom
$249
$299
*Plus the cost of your vehicle ^Double occupancy required for Roomettes and Bedrooms.
The offer is valid for sale March 2 – March 12, 2021 for southbound travel from Lorton, Va., to Sanford, Fla. Travel dates are March 15 – June 30, 2021.Blackout dates are April 2 and April 5, 2021. This offer is available on Amtrak.com and the Amtrak app. Other terms and conditions apply. To learn more, visit:
The Amtrak Auto Train offers daily, non-stop service between Lorton, Va. (near Washington, D.C.), and Sanford, Fla. (near Orlando). Customers can skip I-95 and travel with their vehicles, including cars, vans, SUVs, motorcycles and even small boats or jet-skis. This is the only such service in the U.S. and eliminates nearly 900 miles of driving between the Northeast and all points in Florida.
From Reuters News by By Bhargav Acharya and Aakriti Bhalla…
BENGALURU, India, February 14 (Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) will set up an electric-car manufacturing unit in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, according to a government document seen by Reuters on Saturday.
“The U.S. firm Tesla will be opening an electric car manufacturing unit in Karnataka,” the state government said in a brief statement.
The statement was part of a broader document outlining the highlights of India’s budget to its people in the local language of Kannada.
On Monday morning, February 8th 2021, Tesla disclosed in a SEC filing that it had invested $1.5 Billion in Bitcoin, the most commonly known form of cryptocurrency. The company also noted that it is planning to accept bitcoin as a form of payment for its cars, though it did note that there could be some regulatory uncertainty involved with the payments. Following news of the investment, bitcoin prices jumped about 7% to more than $40,000 per coin.
Tesla’s filing shows that earlier this year it amended its investment policy to provide more flexibility to maximize and diversify assets and returns on cash that was not required to maintain adequate operating liquidity. The statement showed that it would have the option of putting its cash in certain alternative reserve assets, including digital assets, gold bullion, gold exchange-traded funds, and other assets as specified moving forward.
I guess we will have to stay tuned to find out what more the future may hold for Elon Musk. Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) certainly has become anything but your average stock over the last couple of years!
The Lexus LC 500 needs no formal introduction. It greets all encounters with a growl from its powerful 471-horsepower naturally aspirated V8 engine. Its artfully chiseled lines and refined curvature marry luxury and performance in a way that only Lexus can. The new 2021 LC 500 Inspiration Series takes the grand-touring coupe to the next level with an aviation-inspired design that will land in dealerships later this winter.
Inspiration Takes Flight
The new LC 500 Inspiration Series, the fifth on the LC platform, takes cue from a partnership between air race pilot Yoshihide Muroya and Lexus engineers. The Lexus team worked on ways to create efficiencies for Muroya’s aircraft for everything from the grip design of the control column to maximizing aerodynamics efficiencies using testing data learned on Lexus automobiles. The partnership ultimately assisted Muroya on his path to winning the 2017 Red Bull Air Race World Championships.
With some of the same engineers who built the Lexus LFA supercar on board, Lexus took a unique approach to the aerodynamic efficiencies of Muroya’s airplane by turning a preconceived concept on its head – literally. They found that taking an airplane wing and flipping it upside down created vortices that improved maneuverability and efficiency at the wingtips. After the team was able to prove their theory on Muroya’s aircraft through testing and competition success, the Lexus team then aimed to employ that knowledge onto the LC by creating an automotive wing prototype built from aluminum. The team knew the final version, which would span nearly six feet in width, would need to be light, durable and warp resistant. Carbon-fiber, the same material employed on Muroya’s aircraft, seemed like the appropriate material. Yet creating a carbon-fiber wing that large, much of which would be done by hand, would be a great challenge – but it’s one the engineers took head-on.
In the end, the engineering team created an exquisite carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) spoiler that meets the demanding production quality expected of Lexus vehicles. The wing serves as the defining attribute of the new LC Inspiration Series, following the trailing edge arc of the trunk and uniquely defined with two downturned winglets on either end. The winglets, of course, are fully functional and create a vertical vortex that helps smooth out the turbulence generated from airflow along the car’s flanks.
Limited Engagement
The 2021 LC 500 Inspiration Series certainly has an interesting backstory, but its aerial inspiration is only part of the narrative. With only 100 units available, the latest Inspiration Series is a limited edition of the highest order.
Standing apart from the standard LC 500, a magnificent vehicle in its own right, the 2021 Inspiration Series is accented with a combination of features not found on any other LC package. The limited-edition vehicle is offered in one exterior color, the superbly dark Obsidian, which is paired with bold and beautiful 21-inch black forged-alloy wheels that fill out the wheel wells. An eye-catching carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) roof is standard, and it proves to be the perfect complement to the carbon-fiber rear air wing spoiler.
The LC 500 Inspiration Series also gains some additional enhancements in driving performance thanks to the Torsen limited slip differential. The high-capacity torque-sensing limited-slip rear differential efficiently distributes engine power to the rear axle, helping to optimize traction, handling and control in a variety of conditions. The standard Yamaha rear performance rod with damper, an available option on other LC models, provides added rigidity to the suspension package.
Stepping inside, the serialized badge on the center console immediately identifies the limited nature of the vehicle and its sequence of the 100 produced. The cabin is adorned with black Alcantara-trimmed sport seats that feature elegant Saddle Tan accents and seat belts. The steering wheel and shift lever are also accented in black Alcantara trim. A carbon-fiber scuff plate accents the door, and once inside driver and passengers can bask in the sound of the standard Mark Levinson 13-speaker 915-watt Reference Surround Sound Audio system.
The LC Inspiration Series also comes standard with a large color Head-Up Display (HUD) that projects a range of information onto the bottom of the windshield glass. Relevant information can be displayed to the driver without taking their focus from the road such as: road speed, gear, engine speed; turn-by-turn directions; Dynamic Radar Cruise Control status; Pre-Collision System; Lane Keep Assist/Lane Departure Alert; master warning indicator; information icons; clearance sonar.
Standard on the Inspiration Series is the SmartAccess Card Key, which operates all of the same SmartAccess systems as a key fob without the manual button operation. Users can simply place the Card Key on their person and use the SmartAccess system to unlock/lock the doors by grasping the outside door handle and start the vehicle once inside. Each SmartAccess Card Key also comes equipped with a backup mechanical key to unlock the doors in the event the battery is depleted.
Key Evolutions for 2021
The LC 500 Inspiration Series benefits from the same updates to the standard LC 500 for 2021. Lexus engineers were able to trim 22 pounds of unsprung weight from the vehicle, which is highlighted by the use of aluminum lower suspension arms, lighter suspension stabilizers with a hollow design and revised diameter, new high-strength coil spring material, and lighter 21-inch rear wheels.
With unsprung weight reduced, the LC’s suspension was refined to provide a smoother, softer stroke for an enhanced connection to the road. This was accomplished with adjustments to the electronic absorber controls of the front suspension to increase the length of the stroke. Engineers then optimized the bound stopper rigidity to help create a smoother overall suspension stroke. Rear stabilizer rigidity was enhanced to aid front turn-in ability to provide more linear steering input.
Vehicle control at mid- to high-speed ranges are enhanced thanks to the 2021 LC’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system gaining Active Cornering Assist (ACA). This system helps with cornering by providing brake control to the inner wheels based on G-force and lateral acceleration demands during spirited driving.
High Performance
Upon startup, thundering through the variable Active Exhaust, the 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 issues a full-throated engine note as a call to driving enthusiasts. The LC 500 has an output of 471 hp and 398 lb.-ft. of peak torque. The LC is also capable of delivering a 0-to-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and has an EPA estimated 25 mpg rating on the highway.
Other key enhancements for the 2021 model were made to the 10-speed automatic Direct-Shift transmission on the V8-powered LC 500, as the shift logic was updated to help provide improvement for daily driving in what engineers refer to as the “active zone,” or the area where most drivers find themselves at in the 50-70% throttle range. The Direct-Shift transmission allows engine RPM to expand in this range to accentuate the feeling of acceleration before shifting into the next gear.
Lexus Enform for Safety and Convenience
Lexus Enform Safety Connect comes with a three-year trial with access to Lexus Enform response centers 24/7/365. With Lexus Enform Service Connect, complimentary for the first 10 years, the vehicle can send alerts for specific factory recommended maintenance, simultaneously alerting a preferred Lexus dealer. The Lexus App can be used to set push-reminders and alerts for maintenance and service issues. The Lexus Enform Remote (three-year trial subscription included) mobile app lets you lock and unlock doors, start the engine and climate controls, check the fuel level, and more all through your smartphone, smartwatch or Amazon Alexa–enabled devices at home.
Advanced Safety Features and Driver Support
Lexus Safety System+ comes standard on the 2021 LC 500. Lexus Safety System+ features Lane Departure Alert with Lane Keep Assist. Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection is standard and includes features such as Frontal Collision Warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Pedestrian Detection. All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is also included, as is Intelligent High Beam that will default to high-beam mode when the road ahead is clear but will temporarily switch to low beams when headlamps or taillamps are detected.
Intuitive Parking Assist comes standard on the LC Inspiration Series. It uses sonar sensors in the front and rear bumpers to detect obstacles in the vehicle’s path during low-speed maneuvering. The system gives an audible alert and the Multi-Information Display (MID) shows the position and distance to the obstacle. Blind Spot Monitor is standard equipment, as is a windshield de-icer.
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) reported December 2020 sales of 249,601 vehicles, an increase of 20.4 percent on a volume basis and up 7.5 percent on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis compared to December 2019.
For calendar year 2020, TMNA reported sales of 2,112,941 vehicles, a decrease of 11.3 percent on a volume and a decrease of 11.9 percent on a DSR basis.
Toyota division posted December sales of 211,378 vehicles, up 22.9 percent on a volume basis and up 9.7 percent on a DSR basis. For the year, Toyota reported sales of 1,837,900 vehicles, down 11.9 percent on a volume basis and down 12.4 percent on a DSR basis.
Lexus division posted December sales of 38,223 vehicles, up 8.2 percent on a volume basis and down 3.4 percent on a DSR basis. For the year, Lexus reported sales of 275,041 vehicles, down 7.7 percent on a volume basis and down 8.3 percent on a DSR basis.
December 2020 and Year-End Highlights
TMNA:
Number one manufacturer of alternative vehicles sales – hybrids, electrified vehicles, fuel cells – for 21 consecutive years
December hybrid sales totaled 50,649 vehicles, an increase of 82.8 percent
2020 hybrid sales totaled 337,036 vehicles, an increase of 22.7 percent
