Tag: Global

News / Market Sales Auto sales forecast to drop 22.0 percent, with risk for further deterioration Impacts to global auto demand in the wake of COVID-19 have rapidly progressed to severity levels higher than the 2008-2009 recession, and significant uncertainty around prospects for a meaningful recovery remain. Global light vehicle sales in 2020 are now forecast to drop to 69.6 million units, 22.0 percent lower than in 2019, with risks to the forecast still skewed to the downside. "The pandemic remains a clear and present danger to the autos sector, with months of uncertainty expected to cloud hopes for global recovery prospects," "The expected cycle of decline, stabilization and recovery for autos varies by market, reflecting variations in containment strategies and policy responsiveness," said Colin Couchman, executive director, global autos demand forecasting at IHS Markit. In recent weeks, Mainland China is seeing green shoots of recovery, while much of the rest of the world remains in lockdown. The IHS Markit forecast for Greater China sales in 2020 sees volume at 21.4 million units, a drop of 15 percent from 2019 levels. Though government incentives could help underpin a more orderly recovery profile, these are not [...]

News / Auto Makers

BMW has updated its logo for the first time in 23 years, but the automaker is stopping short of making the change on its vehicles, it said in a statement.

The update, which began rolling out this week, is for "online and offline communication purposes," the brand said, positioning its new look as "better-suited to the digital age."

The biggest change is that the thick outer ring in the circular logo went from a solid black to transparent. So whatever color the logo is set against will appear in that portion. The design was also made simpler and flatter, a change from the slightly rounded look of the old logo, which made it look more three-dimensional.

The automaker follows other brands, such as Volkswagen, that have gone to a flatter look for digital media reasons.

"BMW is b [...]

Auto Recalls

News / Global News Joe Carbonara is honoring the late, great NBA legend Kobe Bryant with a stylized Lamborghini Huracan. Carbonara’s Huracan, the “Kobe24Lambo” has been painted in purple and gold, the same colors sported by the Lakers, the team Kobe Bryant played for during his entire NBA career. Unfortunately, Bryant was tragically killed in late January in a helicopter accident, along with his young daughter and several other passengers. The Huracan has since been nicknamed the Kobe24Lambo. Besides purple and gold, the Huracan also has Bryant’s jersey number (24) painted on, as well as the Lakers script. More touchingly, the names of everyone killed in the accident have also been included in the paint job. Kobe Bryant’s tragic death has rocked the sports and celebrity world. Bryant was an icon like few others and was undoubtedly one of the most skilled and competitive players to ever play in the NBA. He will go down in history as one of the best to every play the game. The paint job is not without criticism. Some bel [...]

Auto News

AUTO REVIEW Ferrari 488 Pista Spider The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider represents the natural development of the defining design of the coupé version. The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider is the 50th drop-top model from the Prancing Horse and a premiere in the US was a natural choice given that, ever since the 1950s, North American clients have always been keen connoisseurs of high-performance convertibles. The new car sets a new benchmark for Ferrari for spider performance with an unprecedented weight-power ratio of 1.92 kg/cv. A result made possible by the adoption of the most powerful Ferrari V8 engine ever, which was recently named Best Engine in the world for the third consecutive year at the 2018 International Engine of the Year Awards. The 3902cc twin-turbo V8 unleashes 720 cv and combines that power with increasing torque at all engine speeds for continuous and unending acceleration all the way to the red line. The unique engine sound is now even more riveting thanks to the open-top configuration. DETAILS   Lighter & more powerful   Evolution from WEC involvemen [...]

News / Global News London's transport regulator has refused to renew Uber's operating license in the UK capital, according to The Verge. Transport for London (TfL), which had been extending Uber's provisional licence in recent months, said it has identified a pattern of failures by the ride-hailing company that places passengers at risk. A TfL spokesperson said, "Despite addressing some of these issues, TfL does not have confidence that similar issues will not reoccur in the future, which has led it to conclude that the company is not fit and proper at this time." One of the identified issues is that the Uber's system allows unauthorised drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts, enabling them to pick up passengers as if they were the original drivers with whom the trip was booked. According to the TfL spokesperson, around 14,000 trips have witnessed this failure with some of the journeys taking place with unlicensed drivers, one of whom had previously had their licence revoked. According to The Verge report, Uber plans to appeal against the decision. Uber's regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood, said, "TfL's decision not to renew Uber's licence in London is extraordinary [...]