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Weekly Recap: GM plans massive new paint shop at Chevy Corvette factory

General Motors is laying out some serious green to maintain the Chevy Corvette's expansive color palette. The automaker is breaking ground on a new paint shop this summer that's part of a $439-million investment to upgrade the 34-year-old Bowling Green, KY, factory that builds the Stingray. The massive new structure will total 450,000 square feet, nearly half the size of the current 1-million square-foot facility. Construction is expected to take two years and won't impact Corvette production. The upgrades include new robots that save paint and create a better finish, longer, more efficient ovens to bake in the finish, and LED lighting. There's also a dry scrubbing booth technology with a limestone handling system that eliminates waste. GM has invested $135 million in the factory in last four years for the changeover to build the C7 and to relocate its Performance Build Center to Bowling Green. The improvements continue to modernize the Kentucky factory, which has become a tourist attraction in its own right, as more than 56,000 enthusiasts visited it last year. The upgrades are part of a $5.4-billion investment GM confirmed in April that will remake its US footprint in the next three years. The Bowling Green expansion underscores GM's continued commitment to the Corvette, which sold nearly 38,000 copies around the world last year, an eight-year high. "With this major technology investment, we can continue to exceed the expectations of sports car buyers for years to come," North American manufacturing manager Arvin Jones said in a statement. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Takata recall hits 34 million vehicles The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded the Takata airbag recall to an almost unthinkable 34 million vehicles on Tuesday. The recall is part of an agreement reached by the two sides where Takata admitted some of its airbag inflators have a defect, and the deal compels the company to comply with all future regulatory actions and investigations. Takata's airbag inflators were produced with "a propellant that can degrade over time" and lead to ruptures, NHTSA said. Six deaths have been attributed to the flaw worldwide. Investigations conducted by Takata, automakers, and others have not determined the exact cause of the inflator problem, but NHTSA said moisture appears to alter the propellant's chemical structure. It then ignites too rapidly, creates too much pressure that ruptures the inflator, and blasts shards of metal at passengers.

2017 Mazda CX-9 packs turbo power, fresh style

After nearly a decade of sales, Mazda finally introduces the second-generation CX-9 crossover. It delivers a comprehensive interior and exterior overhaul, blessing the CX-9 with a powerful, efficient Skyactiv powertrain, and instilling even more of the sporting character that makes Mazdas so darn charming. Like every other vehicle in Mazda's catalog, the CX-9 now wears the handsome, suave stylings of the company's Kodo design language. We think it looks great, but feel free to disagree in Comments. The second-generation CX-9 is the perfect example of Mazda's growing interior design prowess. As is so often the case, it's not so much the style but the choice of materials that stands out. Nappa leather can be paired with real Japanese rosewood and aluminum accents to craft a cabin that feels far more expensive than what you might expect from Mazda. The quality is impressive, even on the pre-pre-production prototypes we tested (drive impressions coming soon). The other headline, aside from the gorgeous interior, is the powertrain. The heart and soul of the operation is a new 2.5-liter, turbocharged Skyactiv engine. Although it only produces a modest 250 horsepower, that figure is complemented by a whopping 310 pound-feet of torque. Importantly, torque is easy to access in the lower part of the rev range, with peak twist coming in at just 2,000 rpm. It drops off rather suddenly north of 4,000 rpm, but as Mazda tells it, most consumers rarely venture above that figure. Mazda expects the CX-9's core market to be perfectly happy with the robust low-end output. A six-speed automatic is responsible for doling out that grunt, and is meant to play nicely with the same i-Activ predictive all-wheel-drive system found in the CX-5 (although the two cars don't share any AWD components). Using 22 different sensors, the system measures road conditions 200 times every second and will even send up to half the engine's power to the rear axle. The entire car, meanwhile, rides on the same Skyactiv architecture as the CX-5 and Mazda6, meaning a multi-link rear suspension has been paired with MacPherson struts up front. Eighteen-inch wheels will be standard, although 20s will also be on offer. You can expect to hear much more on just what the new CX-9 is like to drive next week. Until then, enjoy the official images from Mazda, and keep an eye open for live shots from the LA debut, headed your way soon.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata RF's trick roof will cost you at least $2,555 extra

Now that loyal customers have been given the opportunity to preorder the Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Launch Edition, Mazda has finally announced pricing for the regular 2017 MX-5 RF lineup. The vehicle, with its gorgeous power retractable hardtop, will come in two trims – the MX-5 RF Club and Grand Touring when the vehicle goes on sale early next year. The MX-5 RF Club with the manual transmission is priced at $32,390, including $835 destination, which represents an additional $2,955 over a six-speed manual MX-5 Club with a soft top. An automatic is a $730 option for both RF and soft top Club models. The range-topping MX-5 RF Grand Touring trim will start at $33,455 with a six-speed manual transmission, which is $1,170 less than the Launch Edition's price tag of $34,685 and $2,555 more than a soft-top model. Opting for the automatic transmission on the Grand Touring trim bumps the price tag up to $34,660. The MX-5 RF models are similarly equipped to the soft-top models. The Club models benefit from cloth seats with red stitching, a limited-slip differential (when equipped with a manual transmission), suspension from Bilstein, and an optional Brembo brake and BBS wheel package for an extra $3,400. The more luxurious Grand Touring models get adaptive headlights, heated leather seats, and lane departure warning. The MX-5 RF models, just like the regular soft-top models, don't have many options. Hands-free keyless entry is a $130 option, while premium paint options, which includes Machine Gray Metallic (the same color on the Launch Edition) and Soul Red Metallic both cost $300. Crystal White Pearl Mica is only available on Grand Touring models and will cost an additional $200. Unlike the Launch Edition that was limited to only 1,000 units, there's no production limit on the regular MX-5 RF. Mazda will being delivering the MX-5 RF Launch Edition in February of 2017, with the standard MX-5 RF models following shortly after. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF View 15 Photos News Source: MazdaImage Credit: Mazda Mazda Convertible Lightweight Vehicles Performance pricing mazda mx-5 rf