Volkswagen US Sales Tumble, Down 4.7 Percent in 2015

Volkswagen US Sales Tumble, Down 4.7 Percent in 2015
BMW’s Future Interiors will be a Sci-Fi Dream
Jaguar F-Type British Design Edition Celebrates it Roots
Faraday Future FFZERO1: 5 Things You Need to Know About this Lunatic Electric Supercar
You Can Now Lease a McLaren for $2,200 a Month
Ford Challenging Developers to Create Drone-to-Vehicle Communications System

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Volkswagen closed off the year on a bad note with its December sales dropping by over 9 percent.

The German automaker reported a total of 30,956 units sold in December 2015, a drop of 9.11 percent compared to 2014's figure of 34,058 units. For the year, Volkswagen sales dropped 4.78 percent from 366,970 units sold to 349,440.

Golf sales were down nearly 50 percent in December from 2,379 units to 1,191 units, though the sporty GTI model actually saw a 32.4-percent increase from 1,789 units to 2,369, which means that GTI sales nearly doubled regular Golf sales. For the year however, the Golf family saw an increase of 93.9 percent with a total of 65,308 units sold compared to last year's figure of 33,675.

It wasn't all bad news for Volkswagen in December, with the Tiguan turning in its best month of sales on record. The German automaker moved a total of 4,900 Tiguans resulting in a 131.6-percent increase compared to December 2014's deliveries of 2,116 units.

The transition to the new Passat also dampened Volkswagen's sales with the model dropping 56.4 percent to 3,596 units sold. For the year, Passat sales are down 19.1 percent.

"We are very pleased with the strong Golf family results and record-setting performance of the Tiguan in 2015," said Mark McNabb, chief operating officer, Volkswagen of America. "As we look towards 2016, we are committed to rebuilding trust in the brand and would like to thank our customers and dealers for their continued patience and loyalty."

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BMW’s Future Interiors will be a Sci-Fi Dream

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BMW rolled out two different i8 concepts along with an i3 and more to show off its latest technology at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show.

The star of these concepts is the BMW i Vision Future Interaction concept, which is an i8 with an interior packed full of futuristic technology. High-resolution vehicle displays including a 21-inch screen are found throughout the interior, which are controlled using gestures, touch-sensitive surfaces and voice controls. BMW says that the content on each screen will match the situation the vehicle is in, while other key info is shown on a head-up display.

This i8 concept has three drive modes that have a range of autonomy, from the highly autonomous auto mode to pure drive, in which the driver is in full control.

There is also the BMW i8 Mirrorless concept which, as the name implies, ditches its mirrors for cameras which feed their footage to a display which replaces the interior rear-view mirror. Besides showing you live footage, the screen will feature superimposed trajectory lines along with yellow warning icons to show imminent hazards.

BMW also revealed its new Open Mobility Cloud, which allows the brand's cars, in this case an i3, hook up to a smart home and with personal devices. This will allow all of your devices to share information with your vehicle, including your calendar, mobility options, energy status of the home and charge status of the i3.

This i3 is also fit with gesture control parking, which means the car will recognize certain gestures and can drive into and out of a parking space fully autonomously. For security, bumper detect will know if the car is being tampered with and can send a live video feed to your device.

For those interested in BMW's on two wheels, the brand showed off new laser light in the K1600 GTL that have a range of 600 meters. The brand also showed a motorcycle helmet with a built-in head-up display.

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Jaguar F-Type British Design Edition Celebrates it Roots

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Jaguar has revealed the F-Type British Design Edition, featuring some new accessories and equipment.

Available on the 380-horsepower V6 version of the car, the British Design Edition can be had in four different colors, each a nod to the Union Jack. Those are caldera red, glacier white, ultra blue and ultimate black. Coupe or convertible body styles can be had with the package, along with your choice of six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.

The sport design package comes standard with the special edition and brings along a front splitter, body-coloured side sill extensions and a rear venturi. A fixed spoiler is available on coupe models. For wheels, the car uses exclusive 20-inch satin grey units while British Design Edition badging found on the center wheel caps as well as the front grille and rear end complete the unique looks.

SEE ALSO: Jaguar to Race in Formula E

Inside, the British special gets black leather throughout with a choice of red, ivory or blue stitching, while the headrests are embossed with British Design Edition logos. Carbon fiber trim, also stamped with the British Design Edition emblem is used in this car in the place of where aluminum normally would be. An upgraded sound system is also included in the car.

The Jaguar F-Type British Design Edition will be available starting in spring of 2016.

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Faraday Future FFZERO1: 5 Things You Need to Know About this Lunatic Electric Supercar

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A crazy-looking electric supercar concept called the Faraday Future FFZERO1 was revealed at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show and people are going bonkers over it.

The mysterious startup company is making all sorts of seemingly far-fetched claims and is promising to change to the way we think about mobility. Here's what you need to know.

1. Faraday Future 101

The company behind this new car is called Faraday Future. Just 18 months old, it's a new automaker, but it's backed by some serious friends. Supported by a Chinese billionaire and with help from Nevada state officials, Faraday Future will begin making cars right here in the U.S.

The company is short-sighted, but in a good way; it plans to have cars on the road as soon as 2017. Even in the company's infancy, it is being called a "Tesla-killer."

2. This Concept Isn't For Sale

The Faraday Future FFZERO1 sure looks cool, but be warned, this isn't what the company is actually working on. So no, we're not all going to be zooming around in self-driving, 1,000-hp sci-fi supercars. There's still no word on the driving range, what kind of batteries it uses, or how long it would take to charge this vehicle. There are basically no hard facts about this car.

ALSO SEE: Mysterious Car Company Out-Teslas Tesla with 1,000 Horsepower Electric Vehicle

Instead, the concepts and technology used in the FFZERO1 are expected to trickle down to more realistic production cars in the near future. Its self-driving technology, steering wheel with a smartphone input, interior design and stand out exterior will all likely hit a production vehicle in some form or another.

So even though this concept supercar might be fanciful, the technology could be realistic and will be used in higher volume road-going cars that could actually compete with Tesla (because Tesla doesn't make a ridiculous 1,000-hp supercar).

3. It's All Electric

One thing is for sure, though: the FFZERO1 and all cars released by Faraday Future will be pure electric vehicles. In the FFZERO1 concept, each wheel is powered by a single motor, giving the vehicle a total output of 1,000 hp. That power supposedly helps the race car hit 60 mph in under three seconds and achieve a 200 mph top speed.

But what's really cool about the FFZERO1 isn't its motors, but its battery setup. Described as a string battery, they were likened to a set of Christmas lights. If one battery dies or malfunctions, the rest of them still work. Just the one battery in the string would need to be replaced, making the car more affordable to repair.

4. Variable Platform Architecture (VPA) is the Key Acronym

Another important production element that the FFZERO1 is showcasing is its underpinnings. The Variable Platform Architecture (VPA), is so versatile that it can be the base of this crazy concept and also underpin whatever production car Faraday Future is cooking up. Head of design Richard Kim suggested the VPA could underpin practically anything, including a pickup or crossover.

5. Modular Everything

This versatile architecture and flexible battery system will mean that Faraday Future will be able to scale up or scale down its vehicles quickly and easily. Bigger cars will be able to fit more batteries and get more range. Smaller cars can use fewer motors, allowing for front or rear-wheel drive. SUVs can sport all-wheel drive if needed. This fluidity will help the company pump out relevant cars quickly, which is its plan for quick domination in the EV market. The company believes its new platform will disrupt the market much like the iPhone did for smartphones.

Time will tell if things pan out for Faraday Future or if these plans are all dubious, but the company is moving quickly with little time for doubt. The company will break ground on its U.S. manufacturing facility soon and is expecting to employ 4,500 people.

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You Can Now Lease a McLaren for $2,200 a Month

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Looking for the most affordable way to get into McLaren ownership? Your answer is right here.

Thanks to a deal with Ally Financial, you can now lease or finance a 650S or a 570S, with the latter starting from $2,200 a month on lease. McLaren and Ally worked out the financing and leasing deal over several months to make sure prices are competitive and because leases will be important for sales of the 570S.

"We are thrilled to announce the addition of leasing to our purchasing options, and fulfill what has been a regular request from our customers and dealers since we first set up U.S. operations in 2011. Ally Financial has been a wonderful partner to develop this bespoke program with, and we are excited to launch it today," said Anthony Joseph, President of McLaren North America. "The availability of leasing comes at a critical time for McLaren as we begin to deliver the 570S Coupe, which enters a segment where lease availability is critical to car sales."

McLaren reminds customers that a lease transfers the risk of depreciation off the customer, while its also convienent as the customer can walk away from the car at the end of their lease term.

"We are pleased to be launching this program with McLaren and supporting one of the world's premiere luxury brands," said Tim Russi, President of Auto Finance at Ally Financial. "We look forward to establishing and building strong relationships with McLaren's network of U.S. dealerships and providing long term value."

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Ford Challenging Developers to Create Drone-to-Vehicle Communications System

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Ford is putting a challenge out to developers, looking for someone to design a drone-to-vehicle communications network.

In partnership with the world's leading drone maker DJI, Ford is inviting all to take part in the DJI developer challenge, which is searching for the technology to deploy and fly a drone straight from the cab of an F-150. The winner of the contest will receive $100,000.

Ford says that the goal with the contest is to help the United Nations inspect emergency zones that are inaccessible to vehicles. The idea is that first responders will be able to pull up and deploy a drone right from their truck using the touchscreen, to get a better view of the surrounding areas. The drone would also be able to create a map of survivors along with close-up photos of each. Eventually, the drone will be able to return to the truck, even if it has moved.

"At Ford, we are driving innovation in every part of our business to help make people's lives better," said Ken Washington, Ford vice president, Research and Advanced Engineering. "Working with DJI and the United Nations, there is an opportunity to make a big difference with vehicles and drones working together for a common good."

Though this contest is looking for a specific application of this technology, Ford suggests that it may also be useful in agriculture, forestry, construction, bridge inspection, search and rescue, and other work places in which vehicles are limited by the terrain.

Anyone interested in applying to the challenge can click here.

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Car Reviews

Tuesday, 5 January 2016