AD #3127 – New BMW 2 Series Coupe; Porsche Reveals Unlikely Concept; New DBX Helps Aston’s Sales Soar

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

BIDEN PLANS TO RESTORE OBAMA’S FUEL ECONOMY RULES
The Biden Administration is planning to restore fuel economy rules enacted during the Obama Administration. According to the Associated Press, starting in 2023 passenger vehicles will have to meet standards set in 2019 by California and several automakers including Ford, Honda, BMW, Volkswagen and Volvo. Under that deal, automakers must increase MPGs and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 3.7% per year. In 2025, the Obama era standards would go into effect, which pushes the requirement to 5% per year. And it could go up to 7% after 2026. While Trump was in office, he rolled the target back to just a 1.5% fuel economy improvement per year. The EPA and Department of Transportation are expected to announce the proposal next week.

NEW DBX HELPS ASTON MARTIN’S SALES SOAR
SUVs are really helping to boost sales for brands traditionally known for sports and performance cars. Recently, Lamborghini set a sales record in the first half of the year. It sold nearly 4,600 vehicles and more than half were the Urus SUV. And now Aston Martin says its first half sales were up more than 220% compared to last year, thanks to its new DBX SUV. The company sold 2,900 vehicles and more than half were the DBX. That’s an impressive increase but remember sales crashed last year due to pandemic lockdowns, so that’s why it’s so large.

RIVIAN TO INVEST $5 BILLION IN NEW PLANT
Last week, reports surfaced that EV startup Rivian is looking for a location to open a second plant in the U.S. And now Reuters reports that the company will invest $5 billion in the new facility, which will also make battery cells. While Rivian hasn’t announced the location yet, construction is expected to kick off later this year with production starting in the second quarter of 2023. However, that timeline could be pushed back due to the pandemic.

NISSAN FRONTIER UPDATES
Nissan completely redesigned the Frontier pickup truck, and it’s about time. The last redesign was 17 years ago. And while we can’t reveal our driving impressions or the pricing yet, here are the basics.

It’s powered by a 3.8 liter V6 with 93% of the parts having been redesigned. It makes 310 horsepower and 281 pound feet of torque. All that power is fed through a 9-speed automatic. It will carry a 1,610-pound payload and can tow 6,720 pounds. The two-wheel-drive version delivers 20 miles to the gallon while the four-by-four gets 19 MPGs.

Much of the engineering work went into making this body-on-frame truck ride smoother and quieter. Hydraulic cab mounts reduce NVH 80%. Acoustic front side glass and more sound deadening reduced engine noise by 5 decibels, road noise by 3 and wind noise by 2.5 decibels. Two bed sizes are available, 5 feet and 6.

It’s a rugged looking truck, square and angular, with high body shoulders. Wide radius lines in the sheet metal make everything look thicker and stronger. And from the rocker panels on up, the style lines are designed to make you follow them upwards to make the truck have a lifted look.

We’ll have more to say about our driving impressions in a couple of weeks. But here’s a hint. We think Nissan just went to the head of the class.

NEW BMW 2 SERIES COUPE TO DEBUT IN MUNICH
Speaking of new vehicles, the new BMW 2 Series Coupe will make its debut at the Munich auto show in September. It’s quite a bit longer and wider than the outgoing model as well as slightly lower. Paired with an aggressive style draped over a classic 3-box layout, this is one sporty-looking car. That is further highlighted by a range of turbocharged engines. The base 4-cylinder produces 184 horsepower, but there’s also a 2.0L version for the U.S. that makes 255 horsepower. In Europe, a diesel 4-cylinder is available that produces 190 horsepower, while the top choice for all markets is a 382 horsepower 3.0L in-line 6-cylinder. All engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or all-wheel drive. A completely new chassis setup, some of which was originally designed for the new 4 Series, also enhances that sporty feeling. The interior of the new 2 Series looks like most modern BMWs with nicely sized digital display screens and the latest iDrive system, but there’s also a little extra flair in the door panels and around the door handles. Pricing in the U.S. starts a little over $37,000, including destination charges, and goes up about $50-grand. U.S. launch starts in November, while it arrives in Europe early next year. 

PORSCHE REVEALS UNLIKELY CONCEPT VEHICLE
But that’s the present. Let’s look into the future. And for Porsche that could involve a vehicle you’d never expect from the sporting brand, a van-like people mover. It recently revealed a number of concepts that had never really been seen before, one of which was a van. Wanting to build on that, Porsche designers thought about how they could apply distinct Porsche flair to something that is far removed from its classic offerings. This is what it came up with. An automated vehicle with a centrally located driver’s seat that gives the driver a very cockpit-like feeling but also the ability to swivel and face other passengers when in self-driving mode. Designers also talk about how the user experience and making the vehicle feel like it has a soul, like K.I.T.T. from the old Knight Rider TV show, will be important ways to connect with customers. But a Porsche van? Who would have thought?

Hey, be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours tomorrow afternoon. Our guest is Sujit Jain, the president of powertrain operations at Bosch North America. While the industry is heading towards electrification, Bosch believes two out of every three cars sold in the U.S. in 2030 will still have a piston engine. And Sujit says there’s still room to improve the fuel efficiency and emissions of ICEs. So join us tomorrow for some of the best insider discussions in the automotive industry.

FORD OPENS NEW BATTERY R&D CENTER
Traditional automakers are realizing they need to start making their own battery cells if they’re going to be able to power all of their future products and Ford just took a step closer to that. It announced its new global battery center, called Ford Ion Park, will be located in Romulus, Michigan. $100 million will be invested in an existing 270,000 square foot facility that will employ up to 200 engineers. They’ll be tasked with researching and developing battery and battery cell technology with an eye on future battery manufacturing. As part of its $30 billion investment in EVs through 2025, Ford says the new lab will help it speed up its development process and make better batteries.

LANCIA STRATOS ZERO CONCEPT
The Lancia Stratos Zero concept created a sensation when it was introduced by Bertone at the Turin auto show in 1970. Everyone wanted to know, “how do you get in that car?” It was impossibly small, only 33 inches tall, about 84 centimeters. And it wasn’t really meant to be driven. It was designed to make people look at it, which it succeeded wildly in doing. But it also set the stage for the wedge look which became a major design theme during that decade. It was on exhibit at the Concours d’Elegance at St. John’s this past weekend. P.S.: the hinged windshield opens up so someone can squeeze inside.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and have a great day.