Thursday, April 5, 2012
2012 New York International Auto Show Press Conference Remarks
04/04/2012 - NEW YORKMike Accavitti
Hey everyone... it's great to see all of you.
Thanks for joining us today.
2012 has already been quite a year for Acura, and today we're taking another major step forward in the continued revitalization of the Acura brand.
In a moment, the president and CEO of American Honda, Mr. Tetsuo Iwamura, will take the stage for the world debut of our all-new Acura flagship vehicle -- the fourth new Acura model that we have introduced since the start of this year.
We kicked things off in January with the introduction of three new concept models.
The second-generation RDX...the all-new gateway to the brand, the ILX sedan...and, of course, the ultimate expression of Acura performance, efficiency, and technological sophistication, the next-generation Acura NSX supercar.
As for an update, we launched production of the RDX last month at our East Liberty, Ohio plant,
And the new ILX and ILX Hybrid begin rolling off the assembly line at our Greensburg, Indiana plant in just three weeks.
Both of these plants, incidentally, are at the top of the quality rankings, having earned Silver and Platinum awards, respectively, in the 2011 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study.
And development for the next-generation NSX is now in full swing, led by our R and D centers in the United States, with planning underway to build it in Ohio as well.
We also leveraged the excitement surrounding the NSX with Acura's first-ever Super Bowl ad, which saw two fellow car nuts named Leno and Seinfeld jockeying to be the first NSX owner. The ad continues to generate an incredible amount of buzz for the brand and our products.
And another special Acura supercar will take a star turn next month in the blockbuster film "The Avengers."
Before we unveiled the NSX Concept in Detroit, a number of you speculated that the car spotted right here in Central Park in the company of Iron Man Tony Stark was actually the new NSX.
Well, not exactly, but pretty darn close. The appearance of an Acura model in 'The Avengers' -- even one that won't be on sale, further leverages Acura's ongoing association with the Marvel superhero franchise, which has seen Acura vehicles in both the second 'Iron Man' installment and in last year's Captain America and 'Thor.'
Acura's role in this incredibly successful film series gives us the opportunity to engage our customers in an entertaining way. And we're leveraging this relationship across all media platforms and throughout the Acura product lineup.
As one example, here's a special look at a new commercial for the 2013 RDX that plays to Acura's comic-book-hero status.
So, we're trying to have a little fun. But we all know that distinctive marketing is tough to sustain without distinctive products.
That is why it was so important that we design products around our core values, with a focus on creating a human-centered synergy between a vehicle and its driver. We are now creating the right products for luxury customers in each segment of the market.
Based upon on our own unique values, we are focused on timeless and beautiful design intended to evoke an emotional connection where consumers desire to be seen in an Acura.
We will provide value for money on a luxury scale, and we will again defy conventional wisdom by creating luxury vehicles that provide the ideal balance of performance and fuel economy that is right for each product.
This means a driving experience that is dynamic and emotional -- that provides the driver a feeling of connection to the product, to the road, and to the world from the very moment they enter the vehicle.
The all-new Acura flagship is the next expression of our focus on "human-centered synergy," and here to deliver it to you, it is my pleasure to introduce the President and CEO of American
Honda, Mr. Tetsuo Iwamura.
******************************
Tetsuo Iwamura
Thank you, Mike, and thank you everyone for joining us this afternoon.
As we set out to create this new Acura luxury sedan, our goal and our challenge was to create new value with a luxury sedan that is right for these times.
On the high seas, the flagship is a fast, agile and technologically advanced craft that carries the fleet commander and provides leadership and clear direction for the rest of the fleet.
And that is precisely the role of the new Acura flagship sedan.
We have created a true luxury sedan based on our own Acura DNA.
This means achieving a high level of performance through engineering efficiency to fulfill our direction of human-centered synergy.
To symbolize this new mission, we have re-christened Acura's top sedan the Acura RLX.
And it will get more than a new name.
We're giving the RLX a host of new technologies befitting its status as the flagship of the Acura brand.
Inside and out, on the open road or city streets, the sophisticated and elegant Acura RLX will offer a level of connectivity, comfort and performance demanded by today's luxury buyers.
But before I get into details, let's take a first look at the world debut of the all-new Acura RLX Concept.
This all-new RLX Concept is a true flagship that delivers on the smart values of the Acura brand -- offering both first-class comfort and superior value, incredible connectivity and intuitive control. And above all else, high fuel efficiency and an exhilarating driving experience.
We believe that people should be at the center of automobile design.
Based on this, the Acura RLX interior concept is a "gracious host" with a spacious and comfortable cabin typically associated with a much larger luxury sedan.
This was made possible by our packaging technologies, which is one of our distinctive strengths.
And consistent with the Acura brand promise that time is a luxury, the new RLX will feature the next generation of the AcuraLink telematics system.
This system provides superior connectivity through an on-demand touch screen with access to infotainment, security assistance, concierge support and much more.
But, it is the outstanding driving experience that will define this new Acura flagship sedan.
To achieve it, we are equipping the RLX with the Acura Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system that is based on the system we introduced in Detroit on the NSX Concept.
This new Sport Hybrid system is designed to perform "at the will of the driver" to maximize their ability and optimize the joy of driving.
This will be a signature technology for Acura, and it will debut in the marketplace with the RLX sedan.
The Sport Hybrid system joins forces with an all-new direct-injected V-6 engine to generate more than 370-horspower.
This will give RLX V8-like acceleration with 4-cylinder fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon city/highway/combined.
In addition to the Sport Hybrid version you see here today, we also want to offer Acura customers outstanding handling and value in a 2-wheel-drive RLX.
The key to this model will be another new Acura technology that will debut on RLX that we call Precision All Wheel Steer.
The system will offer an unprecedented level of handling and control for a front-wheel-drive car.
At the same time, it will provide the all-weather performance, outstanding fuel economy and value for money associated with front-drive packaging.
Both RLX models reflect Acura's core brand values of advanced performance achieved through engineering efficiency.
This includes a very light and rigid platform, using high-strength steel and lightweight aluminum. And in addition to achieving outstanding collision safety, RLX will offer an extensive array of active safety and visibility technologies.
This Acura RLX Concept gives you a very strong indication of the direction for the production RLX that will go on sale at the beginning of next year.
While we are not ready to talk pricing, as you can see, it will deliver on the Acura brand promise of offering incredible value on a luxury scale.
And this is not the announcement for a new commercial, but I envision another fight between Seinfeld and Leno -- except this time, I get to decide who will be the first customer.
Again, thank you for coming. Now, I welcome you to the stage for a closer look at the new Acura RLX Concept.
Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2012-new-york-international-auto-show-press-conference-remarks
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Audi R8 e-tron is in a small series
According to reports, it is due in November, a small series of R8 e-tron type of Audi. It is not clear yet whether the electric car can only be leased or offered for sale. New details on the electric R8 first shadow cast on a really interesting vehicle ...
Audi built in such way, according to the new e-tron fiberglass coil springs for the first time in the R8. Next year they will also come in different models of the Middle and Upper Class. This is already getesten diligently. The difference from normal steel springs shown in the fiberglass springs with a lower weight. Because instead of just 2.66 kilos 1.53 kilos this one, saving about 40 percent. The positive attributes, however will still remain, says Audi developer Joachim Schmitt.
The lithium-ion batteries weigh a whopping 550 kilos. The fact remains that the electronically powered Audi R8 e-tron as a whole only on an empty weight of 1,695 kilograms,. Lightweight design is very trendy, even at Audi. Two electric motors drive the R8 e-tron, and bring him in 4.8 seconds from 0 - 100 km / h In favor of a longer range is 200 km / h Closing.
Image: Audi
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
'Transplant' auto factories in USA turn 30 this year
By James R. Healey, USA TODAYWhen Honda Motor in 1980 announced its then-radical decision to build cars in the U.S., the industry collectively said, "What?"
Volkswagen, alone among foreign car companies, was trying limited U.S. production, assembling Rabbit compacts at a Pennsylvania factory, and struggling to get it right.
While auto buyers now take for granted that many European- or Asian-brand vehicles are made in the heart of the U.S., 30 years ago, it was a stunning notion.
STORY: Auto exports from U.S. on the upswing
In fact, that "transplant" factory, which built its first Accord in November 1982, burst a dam. Within a few years, Japan's major automakers all were here cranking out new vehicles.
At the New York International Auto Show, opening to the public Friday, Honda will display new versions of the Accord, and Nissan will unveil a redesigned Altima — both made in the U.S. and among its best-selling cars. Toyota will show a successor for Avalon, its U.S.-made big sedan based on the U.S.-made Camry.
"Once (Honda) had the trial by fire and came through, clearly, it emboldened others. It was the opening of the floodgates," Voorhorst says. Foreign companies "saw that you could come here and not have to have a Volkswagen-esque experience."
In the three decades since, Japanese carmakers have opened more assembly and parts factories here, joined by Europeans and South Koreans.
The industrial immigrants haven't been welcomed by all.
A decade ago, about 51% of vehicle and parts manufacturing jobs were clustered in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, traditional turf of the Detroit Three. Workers were mostly represented by the United Auto Workers.
Now, there are fewer than half as many total automaking jobs as a decade ago, and Michigan, Ohio and Indiana have just 44% of those left, according to data from the Center for Automotive Research. Many of the jobs now are in foreign-owned, non-union transplant facilities, mainly in the South.
About the time Honda opened its pioneering plant, General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler Group accounted for three-quarters of new vehicles sold in the U.S. That's about 47% now.
Foreign automakers with U.S. factories, in comparison, have about 48% of all new vehicle sales here, according to industry tracker Autodata.
While the foreign-brand sales include both imported and U.S.-built vehicles, the robust market share has encouraged the companies to build cars here.
Today, 10 foreign-based car companies operate 16 big assembly plants in the U.S. and others in Canada and Mexico, building for North America and for export. They also now make engines, transmissions and other key components in the U.S.
Despite that now-proven success, it would have been easy to bet against Honda 30 years ago:
•VW's converted Chrysler factory at Westmoreland County, Pa., was stumbling toward failure. It closed in 1988.
•U.S. buyers' love affair with import brands hadn't bloomed.
•Whether U.S. workers could build foreign-designed cars to the same quality standards and could work for foreign bosses still were question marks. "There was suspicion about the quality of the American workforce" and its ability to perform under Japanese management techniques, recalls David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Michigan.
Once the American-made Accords arrived at dealerships, for example, some shoppers looked at vehicle identification numbers, insisting on a VIN beginning with the "J" that meant the car was made in Japan.
"In those early days, some people wanted Japan-built Accords, but that lasted about two seconds," says Kurt Antonius, recently retired after 28 years running Honda's U.S. public relations office. He was at GM when Honda opened its plant.
He believes that bias against Ohio Accords was undercut when auto magazines "bought both and did comparisons. They were identical."
Cole says Honda's move into U.S. production also broke Japanese automakers' insular tendencies — which he says was more significant overall than building cars here.
"Historically, the Japanese tend to be very inward-thinking. Coming here was a huge, huge step. It was a cultural chasm of immense dimension," Cole says. Honda "broke that barrier."
Next up, Nissan
In June 1983, less than a year after Honda began making Accords at Marysville, Nissan Motor opened a factory in Smyrna, Tenn. That plant now can build more than half-a-million vehicles a year and makes Altima sedans, Frontier pickups and Pathfinder SUVs.
In 1986, Toyota Motor began production at Georgetown, Ky., where it builds Camry and Avalon sedans. It can make 500,000 vehicles a year.
Toyota, Nissan and Honda have built more U.S. plants since then. Japan's Subaru and Mitsubishi have joined them. German luxury brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz also now have U.S. factories. South Korea's Hyundai and Kia have U.S. plants.
And now, again, so does VW.
Despite corporate anguish and embarrassment about the Westmoreland failure, last year, it opened a plant at Chattanooga, Tenn., that makes its redesigned Passat.
"The decision in the Volkswagen Group to build a factory in the U.S. was difficult, due to what happened at Westmoreland," said Christian Klingler, member of the VW Group board in charge of worldwide sales.
He and VW Group global CEO Martin Winterkorn discussed Westmoreland and Chattanooga during a visit to Detroit earlier this year. Klingler said it took years to get over the fear that U.S. workers "wouldn't be able to hold quality." Winterkorn said VW's mistake was trying to build an Americanized car at Westmoreland when "the American customer wanted a German" car.
Though Honda is a big player in the U.S., it's a relative pipsqueak globally compared with Toyota and Nissan.
What's the motivation?
Why, then, did Honda have the guts to build a U.S. factory?
There was then, as now, a big currency exchange risk in dollar-denominated markets. That threatened all foreign automakers. "It became clear that the only way you could isolate from the problem was to build where you sell," Cole notes.
But Honda moved first, he says, because it was scrappier, evolving from a motorcycle and small-engine maker into a full-fledged car company over the objections of its home government. It also had a toe in the water, building motorcycles in Marysville since 1979.
Says Cole, who's spent a career digging into what motivates Japanese and other carmakers: "Honda sees itself as the dirty-fingernail motorcycle-mechanic kind of operation, more entrepreneurial than the others."
Source;
NY Preview: SRT releases final teaser of new Viper
Below is a rendering of the Next Gen Viper....
By Mark KleisChrysler’s SRT division has released its fourth and final teaser of its 2013 Viper, giving us our first look at the car’s overall shape. The 2013 SRT Viper will debut in just a few days at the NY auto show.
This latest teaser isn’t in high-resolution, but gives us a basic idea of what to expect when SRT finally pulls the sheet on the new Viper this week. From what we can see in the photo, the Viper will come with a far more sculpted body than the last version of the car.
Set to become the first vehicle marketed under the SRT banner, the 2013 Viper has been a long time coming. Its Dodge Viper predecessor has been out of production since mid-2010, but a fifth-generation snake will bring the nameplate back sans “Dodge” for the first time in its history.
Our illustration is based on information culled from a number of sources, one of which is rather unusual, to say the least. While information gleaned from insiders, including those few members of the public who have been allowed to see the car, and photos of cleverly disguised test mules form the basis of much of the illustration’s details, a leaked image of a Hot Wheels 1/64-scale toy car helped put the finishing touches on our rendering.
That Hot Wheels model made its way online last week when it was posted on a Viper forum.
We expect the Viper’s proportions to remain mostly unchanged, but its rear end is more aggressive and angular than the one seen on the last generation. As predicted by spy shots and previous reports, the car features a high-sculpted hood fitted with two big air vents.
Those vents will be needed as the SRT Viper is expected to arrive with an 8.7-liter V10 engine that will send over 600 horsepower to the rear wheels. Early rumors suggested the car would share some of its architecture with the voluptuous, if slightly un-engaging Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, but SRT chief Ralph Gilles has been quick to dispel those rumors by stating that “The new Viper is not based on anything else.”
As previously reported, Chrysler is reopening its Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit to build the Viper. The automaker has offered jobs to all 150 workers it once employed at the facility, which it uses exclusively to hand-build Vipers.
“The next generation Viper will make its return to the product lineup in late 2012 as a 2013 model,” said SRT Brand & Motorsports President/CEO Ralph Gilles in a statement released to the media. “We’re extremely excited that our ultimate American sports car will continue to live on and be produced exclusively here in the Motor City.”
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