Ford’s F-150 pickup was all-new for the 2015 model year, but that hasn’t stopped the company from introducing a slew of new options for the 2016 edition.
Buyers will be able to choose from two new special-edition appearance packages, available for the XLT and Lariat trims levels. Dark-themed exterior upgrades include 20-inch dark-painted wheels with red lettering, black running boards, smoked headlamps and body graphics, among other tweaks.

The special-edition interiors have been outfitted with Alcantara seat inserts, red contrast stitching, red bolsters and red accents on the steering wheel, gear selector and instrument panel.

The 2016 F-150 also receives Ford’s latest infotainment technology, known as Sync 3. The system is claimed to offer improved voice recognition, faster performance and a simplified graphical interface.

The company has already detailed its Pro Trailer Backup Assist technology, which makes its debut for 2016. Drivers can watch a rearview monitor in the center console and intuitively guide the steering via a control knob, allowing inexperienced haulers to launch a boat or back into a driveway without struggling.

Ford has not yet announced an arrival date or pricing details for the 2016 F-150.

Lotus has detailed North American launch plans for its new range-topping coupe, the Evora 400.
The British automaker is centralizing its operations in Michigan to support further growth on the continent, relocating its Lotus Cars USA operations from Georgia to the current Lotus Engineering campus in Ann Arbor.

The company has also expanded its dealer network to include 47 outlets, adding two dealers in California (West Covina and Thermal), one in Arizona (Scottsdale) and another in Alberta (Calgary).

“North America, as the largest sports car market in the world, is important for Lotus, both for model sales and for our engineering consultancy business,” said Lotus chief Jean-Marc Gales. “By having both of our USA organisations located in Michigan, we shall be within the heartland of the USA automotive sector, where the headquarters of some of the most important, influential and significant automotive manufacturers and suppliers are based.”

Introduced early this year in Geneva, the Evora 400 improves upon the basic Evora coupe with a revamped 3.5-liter supercharged V6 engine that produces 400 horsepower and 302 lb-ft of torque. The lightweight sports car promises to reach 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, eventually topping out at 186 mph.

US buyers will be able to pick up an Evora 400 this December, with pricing set at $89,900.

Live images by Ronan Glon.

As promised, Alfa Romeo has pulled the veil from its stylish Giulia sedan.
Confirming last-minute leaks, the resurrected Giulia brings a distinctive design that emphasizes ‘taut’ and compact proportions, very short overhangs, a long hood and muscular haunches.

The sedan introduces an all-new rear-wheel-drive architecture, with engine and other hefty components arranged between the axles for a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Its wheelbase is also said to be the longest in its segment, promising maximum stability and comfort, while all-wheel-drive will be available for certain trim levels.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ‘Skunkworks’ engineers developed a new double-wishbone system for the front suspension, along with a semi-virtual steering axis that is said to maintain a constant caster trail in corners. Electronically-actuated adaptive dampers further refine the handling experience.

The Giulia introduces a new double-clutch torque-vectoring system that manages power delivery to each wheel without interference from the stability-control system. The sedan also will be among FCA’s first vehicles with a new Integrated Brake System that combines stability control with a traditional servo brake for quick response and “record-breaking stopping distances.”

Full details surrounding powertrain options remain unclear, though the company is not shy about details of the Quadrifoglio edition. The range-topper integrates a “Ferrari-inspired” turbocharged V6 with 510 horsepower, providing more than 75 extra ponies compared to the rival BMW M3. Extensive use of carbon fiber keeps weight down to less than 6.6 pounds per hp, or less than 3,400 pounds overall, presumably for the Euro-spec package.

FCA claims the Giulia Quadrifoglio can reach 62 mph from a standstill in just 3.9 seconds, slightly faster than the M3. The package also features an active aero splitter to improve downforce and cornering grip at high speeds.

Additional details, including global launch plans and pricing, are expected to be announced in the near future.

A low-resolution spy shot taken in Italy has given us the best look yet at the upcoming 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia.
Aimed right at the BMW 3 Series, the Giulia is the long-overdue successor to the 159 that was given the axe in 2011. The picture reveals the Giulia gets sharp horizontal tail lamps that are reminiscent of the ones found on the Maserati Ghibli, a trunk-mounted spoiler crafted out of carbon fiber, a BMW-like shark fin antenna and four exhaust pipes. The model pictured is undoubtedly a high-performance version.

The spy shot also confirms the sedan will be called Giulia in Europe, a heritage-laced moniker used from the 1950s to the 1970s. However, in the United States the sedan might be called Milano, a compact V6-powered rear-wheel drive sedan sold on our shores from 1987 to 1989.

Under the skin, the Giulia will ride on a brand new rear-wheel drive platform that’s set to underpin a long list of upcoming Alfa models including a 5 Series-sized sedan and at least two crossovers. In the U.S., entry-level models will come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine while more upscale trims will benefit from a turbocharged V6 designed with input from sister company Ferrari.

Buyers will be able to choose from a six-speed manual transmission and an automatic gearbox, and all-wheel drive will be available at an extra cost on select models. A M3-fighting high-performance Giulia with a twin-turbocharged 520-horsepower V6 could round out the lineup later in the production run.

Stay tuned, the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia will make its official debut later today at a private event held in Milan, Italy, Alfa’s home town. The sedan will greet the general public for the first time next September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it will go on sale before the end of the 2016 model year.

Ford is promoting its new ‘split-view’ camera technology that can help drivers see around corners.
Using real-time video feeds from one-megapixel wide-angle cameras, placed on the front and rear bumpers, the system provides a glimpse of obstacles approaching from the sides.

The camera views are presented on a tri-panel display, helping drivers quickly distinguish obstacles coming from straight on or from either flank. The system is claimed to offer a full 180-degree view, accessible via the touch of a button, while the lens is kept clean thanks to a telescopic jet washer.

The technology is already available on the Edge and the Explorer, though the Explorer Limited is currently the only model to offer both front and rear split-view cameras. It will arrive on the all-new S-Max and Galaxy in Europe this year, before spreading to nearly every Ford SUV by 2020.

The company has also highlighted its most advanced camera technology yet, making its debut on the next Super Duty pickups. The trucks will be outfitted with no less than seven cameras, adding a forward-looking camera on the rearview mirror to help with automatic high-beams and lane-keep assist. Another camera provides a center sight line on the rear bumper to help attach a trailer.

Ford introduced rear-view cameras with the 2007 Expedition, and now offers a backup camera in every car, SUV and light truck available in North America. The basic safety technology comes standard in the Focus, Fusion, Explorer, Escape, Edge and Mustang.

Tesla Motors is celebrating a significant milestone for its Model S fleet, which has collectively surpassed one billion miles globally.
The achievement was announced three years after the first production units were picked up by customers at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California. At that time, the company had lost nearly $1 billion while it sold the Roadster sports car.

The company points out that its billion-mile run represents over 4,000 trips to the moon, or 40,000 laps around the planet. The EVs are claimed to have saved more than a half million tons of CO2 emissions, compared to traditional gasoline vehicles.

The milestone was reached with a global distribution of just under 75,000 sedans, representing an average of more than 13,000 miles driven per unit.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after Hyundai’s US Tucson Fuel Cell fleet reached a half million miles. The hydrogen-powered crossover had been on the market for a year, finding just 70 buyers in California.

Tesla will now be using the milestone for a promotional campaign titled “The Next Billion Miles Tour,” showing off the Model S to potential buyers in North America, Europe and Asia.

BMW recently introduced the sixth-generation 7-Series sedan, but without detailing any expected range-topper. A fresh report suggests a high-performance model will be added to the lineup.
The initial announcement placed the 750i xDrive atop the family, powered by a 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 with 445 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. When combined with the redesigned lightweight chassis, the output figures are good for a zero-to-60 mph sprint in just 4.3 seconds.

The company is said to be hinting at an M Performance variant with even more power, according to a Car and Driver report. Specific details surrounding the package remain unclear, though a mild hybrid powertrain is mentioned as a distinct possibility.

The 760 is also expected to return with its twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 powerplant, while several diesel engines are said to be on the way. Alpina is also expected to modify the platform for a new B7, with a twin-turbo V8 tweaked to produce around 600 ponies.

Additional details could be revealed by September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, while US deliveries of the entry-level and midrange packages are expected early next year.

The US Transportation Department Inspector General’s office and a Senate panel have issued scathing critiques focused on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s handling of the ignition-switch recall and other defects.
The DoT Inspector General has released the results of its investigation into why the NHTSA failed to identify the ignition-switch problems as the defect continued to resurface over the course of more than a decade.

“In the GM case, [The NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation] considered a proposal to investigate air bag non-deployments in the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion in November 2007 but did not document why it decided not to investigate,” the report notes.

NHTSA leadership directed the ODI to gather more information about fatal accidents related to airbag non-deployment, however the screener responsible for monitoring the issue left the agency in 2008. The Defects Assessment Division chief did not reassign the responsibility, and other agency officials did not revive the inquiry after additional evidence surfaced in later years.

NHTSA and DoT leaders have called for more resources to hire additional investigators, however Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri argues that “blatant incompetent mismanagement” is actually to blame, according to quotes from a Commerce Committee hearing published by The Detroit News.

“I am not about to give you more money until I see meaningful reform,” she told NHTSA officials.

The agency, now under the leadership of administrator Mark Rosekind, claims to be in the early stages of implementing some of the changes recommended by the Inspector General. The revisions are expected to be complete by the end of the week.