on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and a Final Four of automakers | Autoblog Podcast #723

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. We start out with news on the Lotus Eletre and Ferrari Purosangue. These two high-end crossovers are followed by discussions about the new inline-six engines from Stellantis and an overabundance of Hummer EV orders. Next we try something we've never tried before: ranking automaker blue bloods. We took inspiration from the current NCAA tournament, which features Duke, North Carolina, Villanova and Kansas — very much traditional blue-blood basketball programs — to name our Final Four automakers. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our picks and what your definition of a blue blood car brand is. We wrap up with a discussion about the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk that Jeremy's been driving all week. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #723 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Lotus Eletre Ferrari Purosangue Stellantis inline-six Hummer EV orders Cars we're driving Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Podcasts Ferrari Hummer Jeep Lotus Crossover SUV Electric Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance

Ferrari F12 TdF debuts at Finali Mondiali event at Mugello

It's been almost a month since Ferrari revealed the new F12 TdF. But outside of a select cadre of customers, nobody has gotten to see it until this weekend at the Mugello circuit in Italy. The TdF is the more extreme version of the F12 Berlinetta – similar to how the 599 GTO was an upgraded 599 GTB Fiorano, or the 458 Speciale an upgraded 458 Italia. It benefits from a more potent version of the Berlinetta's 6.3-liter V12 producing 769 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque. It also features a rear-wheel steering system, 87 percent more downforce, and 240 pounds less weight to motivate. The result is a 0-62 time of 2.9 seconds, a top speed of over 211 miles per hour, and a Fiorano lap time of 1:21. A trio of TdFs hit the track this weekend at Mugello – one of several circuits owned by Ferrari in Italy – located in the Tuscan countryside and frequent venue for motorcycle and DTM races. It also played host this weekend to the Finali Mondiali – the company's year-end racing spectacle where the winners of the various Ferrari Challenge series duke it out for top honors, where private owners (as part of the Corse Clienti program) are invited to drive their racing and XX track machinery, and where Ferrari often unveils something new. In addition to the F12 TdF's debut, this year saw the presentation of the 488 GTE and GT3 racers as well. Both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were on hand to show off what the TdF could do in front of the cheering crowds. With only 799 examples to be built (and all of them rumored to have already been sold), this may present the closest opportunity you'll get to see the new F12 TdF up close.

Marchionne wants Maserati to be FCA's new Ferrari

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is gearing up to spin Ferrari, its most profitable brand, off into another company, and float its stock on the open market. That means it's going to need another profit-driver to generate income for the rest of the group. And according to its chief executive Sergio Marchionne, that mantle will soon be picked up by Maserati. FCA is betting big on Maserati, which has long stood as a niche marque with a limited array of models and low sales numbers. In addition to the recently introduced Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans – now crucially offered with diesels and all-wheel drive – Maserati is preparing to roll out the Levante crossover that promises to do for the Modenese marque what the Cayenne did for Porsche. Due in part to the success of its first crossover, Porsche turned itself from a niche sports car manufacturer into an immensely profitable automaker that was (nearly) capable of buying out the entire Volkswagen Group. Maserati's resurgence is part of a two-pronged assault FCA is plotting against its German rivals. Maserati will be charged with taking on the higher end of the Mercedes, BMW, and Audi ranges (from the E-Class, 5 Series and A6 upwards). Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo will go after the lower end of the luxury spectrum with the new Giulia (aimed at the C-Class, 3 Series and A4) and other models to follow. FCA aims to turn Maserati and Alfa Romeo (along with Jeep) into global brands, broadening the narrow geographical appeal they have held until now. In order to generate enough profit to support the rest of the group as Ferrari has, Maserati will need to find a way to increase its profit margins. Bloomberg reports that Ferraris command a 13-percent profit margin, and while the ten percent that Maseratis list for is still triple that of the FCA average, slow sales are forcing some dealers to offer deep incentives that cut significantly into that margin. Related Video: