Detroit Electric Opens First Showroom

Detroit Electric Opens First Showroom
BMW Denies Reports of Apple Collaboration
Nissan Altima Recalled for Hood Latch Issue
Should I Buy A Car With A Rebuilt Engine?
Jaguar Land Rover SVO Might Offer Stand-Alone Models

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Detroit Electric has opened its first showroom.

The revived brand has opened up a flagship store adjacent to its plant in Leamington Spa, England and will allow shoppers to check out the SP:01 up close and personal, as well as customizing their ideal version through large touchscreen displays in the store. Earlier this year, the company announced that the SP:01 will head to South Korea first before expanding to other regions of Asia and Europe.

Despite having its main offices in downtown Detroit, the automaker hasn't announced any potential showrooms in the U.S. yet but is hopeful that it can manufacture future models in the country. The SP:01 is a Lotus-based electric sports car similar to the original Tesla Roadster. It features a 285-hp electric motor paired to a manual transmission and is capable of a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds and a driving range of approximately 180 miles.

"Siting this first flagship facility alongside our dedicated production plant in England makes perfect sense," said Detroit Electric CEO Albert Lam. "Prospective customers, distributors and dealers will be able to check out how we manufacture, present and sell our vehicles—all in one visit."

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BMW Denies Reports of Apple Collaboration

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BMW is denying that its working on a car with Apple.

The automaker has released a statement addressing a report from German publication Auto Motor und Sport that said the company is in intensive discussions with Apple to develop an i3 battery-powered city car. The company said, "We are in regular talks with companies from the IT and telecommunications sector, including Apple, concerning topics like connected vehicles. Developing or building a car is not a topic of these discussions."

SEE ALSO: Apple iCar Rumors Resurface

Tech-giant Apple refused to comment on rumor or speculation but the German magazine claims that Apple could be developing cars that will be sold at Apple stores while serviced at BMW dealerships. Auto Motor und Sport also reported in its latest issue that BMW and Apple have been discussing whether the automaker would allow Apple to to develop an operating system for the i3. Recently Apple iCar rumors have resurfaced, claiming that the company is hiring engineers and is working on a self-driving electric car.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Nissan Altima Recalled for Hood Latch Issue

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Nissan is expanding a recall to 625,000 more vehicles.

The 2013-2015 Nissan Altima is now being called back for a faulty hood latch. If the primary hood latch is not secured properly, the secondary hood latch may not hold the hood down while the vehicle is in motion.

This is not the first time Nissan has recalled vehicles for hood latch issues. Last month, Nissan called back the 2013-2014 Pathfinder, the 2014 Pathfinder Hybrid, 2013 Infiniti JX35, 2014 QX60 and the 2014 QX60 Hybrid for the same issue.

A plan to remedy the issue has not been devised by Nissan yet.

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Should I Buy A Car With A Rebuilt Engine?

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You may have come across an car listing that says the vehicle in question has a rebuilt engine, but what does that mean?

An engine can wear to the point of being unable to perform adequately. At that stage, it must be taken apart and then put back together with new parts to replace the worn components. Tell tale signs of an engine that needs to be rebuilt include high oil consumption and white smoke coming from the tail pipe.

Rebuilding an engine is a detailed process that includes the cleaning and assessment of the short block, replacement of the piston rings, bearings or other components in addition to reconditioning of the cylinders in order to make sure the engine is in top shape.

Where was it rebuilt?

Troy Snyder is the chief operating officer of NADA Guides, a publication that follows the transaction prices of used cars. The folks at NADA Guides offer good insight into the value of used cars. "A rebuilt engine can be as good as the OEM one," Snyder said. "Sometimes a rebuilt engine can maintain the original engine warranty."

If you're looking at a car with a rebuilt engine, he said that you should look at where the service was performed. "Certain organizations (like a dealership) are trusted to handle such a job," she said. "If you go down to your regular mechanics shop there's more risk involved."

Even so, Snyder said vehicles with rebuilt engines aren't necessarily something you should avoid. "I wouldn't put a rebuilt engine in the same realm as a salvage title," he said. A salvage title could have many underlying problems like flood damage or a serious accident history, while a car with a rebuilt engine has just one concern: the motor.

So what should you do if the car you're looking to buy has a rebuilt engine? "Every single used vehicle should have a pre-purchase inspection, especially when it comes to a rebuilt engine" he said. "You may be a car expert, but you should have a mechanic who has no interest in the transaction spend some time to go through the car bumper-to-bumper. He may find something that isn't glaringly obvious that can pop up in a few thousand miles."

Correcting Defects

Snyder also said a rebuilt engine isn't necessarily a sign of abuse or overuse. He once owned a car that needed an engine rebuild after 20,000 miles. The service took place under warranty by the automaker and the engine is still covered under the original guarantee.

"Most of the reported rebuilds for cars with fewer than 120,000 miles are for high oil consumption," said TrueDelta owner and creator Michael Karesh. TrueDelta shares the real-life reliability history of vehicles, reported by actual owners of the car. Karesh has a lot of data to sift through and sees whether a certain car is problematic when it comes to repairs and service. Reports also detail how old or worn a car is when problems arise and even how much to expect when it comes to a repair.

The data at TrueDelta also shows that engine rebuilds are highly unusual at an early stage of ownership.

"I don't see why anyone would be more concerned about these than the same model without a rebuilt engine" Karesh said. "Buyers should possibly be less concerned, as the new rings should prevent the problem [of high oil consumption]."

Context is one of the most important aspects in deciding whether you should buy a vehicle with a rebuilt engine or not. Consider how old or worn the car is and where the rebuild took place. If it happened after 120,000 miles or more, a rebuilt engine shouldn't necessarily be surprising. A vehicle with fewer miles may still be covered under its factory warranty even if it has a rebuilt engine. Above all, be sure to get a pre-purchase inspection before buying any used car and get the details behind why the engine rebuild was performed.

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Jaguar Land Rover SVO Might Offer Stand-Alone Models

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Jaguar Land Rover's SVO performance tuning arm is thinking about offering standalone models.

SVO boss John Edwards told Bloomberg that the branch is considering offering its own vehicles to win customers who might otherwise buy a high-performance product from BMW or Audi. He also said the company hasn't made a judgement call about developing products like that.

Last year SVO tuned special versions of both the Jaguar F-Type and Range Rover Sport. The F-Type Project 7 costs $165,000 in the U.S. and makes 575 hp with a massaged version of the brand's 5.0-liter supercharged V8. It is capable of running from 0-60 MPH in .38 seconds with a top speed of 186 MPH. Apart from increased horsepower, the F-Type Project 7 also has a revised suspension and bespoke body styling.

Despite that, it is still a re-imagined version of the same car that is available in Jaguar showrooms. AMG, for example, developed the SLS and the upcoming GT sports cars for Mercedes.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Car Reviews

Saturday, 7 March 2015