AD #2542 – BMW & Daimler to Develop AV Tech., Ford Offers 5.0L Supercharger Kit, Lamborghini Chops Top on Huracan

This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.

BMW & DAIMLER TO DEVELOP AV TECH
BMW and Daimler continue to strengthen their partnership. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop autonomous technology. The focus will first be on next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, autonomous driving on the highway and autonomous parking. They hope to have those technologies market ready by the middle of 2020.

APPLE TRIMS STAFF FOR SELF-DRIVING PROGRAM
And speaking of autonomy, Apple said it’s laying off 190 employees working on its self-driving car program. While the tech company has acknowledged it’s working on autonomous technology, it’s still a mystery if it wants to make the whole vehicle or just the sensors and software. But Apple is stepping up its testing. The company said it logged 80,000 miles of autonomous driving in California last year, up from 1,000 in 2017. But that’s way behind companies like Waymo, which logged 1.2 million miles in 2018.

HYUNDAI TO SPEND BILLIONS ON NEW TECH
As we keep saying, the auto industry is going through one of, if not, the biggest transformation it’s ever faced. And to help keep pace with that change, carmakers need to invest boatloads of money. That’s why Hyundai just announced that it’s going to spend around $40 billion over the next five years on R&D and new technologies. The company is aiming to have 44 electrified models on the market by 2025 with projected sales of 1.67 million units. And next year it will introduce a new model built on a dedicated EV platform. In addition to new EV models, the investment will go towards mobility, autonomous and connected car technology.

FORD OFFERS 5.0L SUPERCHARGER KIT
In late 2017 we reported that Ford would offer a supercharger kit for the 5.0L versions of the Mustang GT and F-150 and now that kit is available. It comes with the supercharger, new fuel rails, injectors, intercooler and larger throttle body. All that will set you back $7,700, but will boost the Mustang’s horsepower to 700. If you want the 3-year/36,000 mile warranty on the parts it will have to be installed by a Ford dealer or ASE-certified tech. The kit is also 50 state compliant.

And speaking of Ford, we’ll be getting a history lesson about the automaker on Autoline After Hours this afternoon. That’s because our special guest is Bob Krempke, a historian of the company. That’s this today at 3PM eastern time at Autoline.tv

HOW MAHINDRA PARTNERSHIP HELPS FORD
Ford’s collaboration with Volkswagen has been dominating headlines for the past couple of months. But it also recently formed a partnership with Mahindra that isn’t getting the same attention. Jim Farley, Ford’s President of Global Markets, told us on Autoline This Week, why that partnership with Mahindra has been very helpful for Ford. But first a shout out to our sponsors.

(Clip from ATW #2305 can only be viewed in the video version of today’s show.)

That discussion is available to watch right now on our website or you can find it on our YouTube channel.

MERCEDES REFRESHES THE GLC
Mercedes is back in the news again today with the refreshed GLC. While there are changes to the exterior styling, you might have to squint really hard to spot them. The biggest changes are under the hood and more advanced technology. It features a new turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that makes 255-horsepower, which is 14 more than before. And although it hasn’t released fuel economy figures yet, Mercedes says it will have “significantly lower fuel consumption.” The current model get 22 MPG in the city and 27 MPG on the highway. The interior features the automaker’s MBUX infotainment system, which displays on a 10.25-inch screen. There’s also an optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver. The new GLC will go on sale in the U.S. late this year.

LAMBORGHINI CHOPS THE TOP ON THE HURACAN
Lamborghini took the wraps off the new Huracan EVO Spyder. The soft-top convertible joins the coupe as the second model in the lineup. It’s powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2L V10 that cranks out 640 horses and is mated to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. The setup helps it scream from 0 to 100 kilometers an hour in just 3.1 seconds and hit a top speed of 325 km/h or about 200 MPH. Lambo will start delivering the Huracan EVO Spyder to customers this spring but as you can imagine, it ain’t cheap. It will set you back $287,000 and some change.

But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching and we’ll see you again tomorrow.