Thursday, March 26, 2015

Top 10 Cars from 2015 That Could Become Future Collectibles


 When it comes to assessing future automotive classics, experts usually focus on used cars that are well over 10 years old, but what about brand new models? Here’s where Hagerty steps in, with its annual list of vehicles that stand out as likely being collectible within the next 25 years. To qualify for the “Hagerty Hot List”, a car has to be made during the 2015 model year and have an MSRP of under $100,000, with Hagerty’s collector experts giving a special preference to newly released vehicles over ones that appeared in previous lists - whenever possible. The only model that reappears in this year’s Top 10 is the Alfa Romeo 4C. Obviously, this list is for cars sold in the US market. “We hear a lot of chatter about how cars made today are boring,” said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty. “The cars that made this list prove there are still cars to be excited about. They are true drivers’ cars that are definitely enjoyable now, but each one that made the list has that special something that will make it a collectible in the years to come.”

 Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition
$69,685

“ Alfa Romeo returns to America after a twenty year absence with a junior supercar that boasts an impressive 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds, and a carbon fiber chassis. It oozes Italianness from every single carbon fiber making it perhaps the hottest car on a very hot Hot List.”
 BMW M4 Convertible
$73,450

“The M3 and M5 have been the go-to cars for BMW Motorsports junkies since the late 1980s. The M4 offers those fans the silky torque of a twin turbo, inline-six engine, but, perhaps more importantly, it’s the only M-car, other than the pricey M6, that can be had as a convertible.”

 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
$75,000

“The ultimate road course ready Camaro. Boasting a weight loss of 300 pounds and the LS7 V8 with 505 horsepower and 481 pound feet of torque, Chevrolet let the engineers out to play and they created a monster. Anyone who isn’t aware that we’re living in a new golden age of automotive performance has been clogging up the left lane for too long.”

 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
$78,995

“Bang for your buck is an understatement for the supercharged Z06, which may well be the all-time performance for the dollar champion. The Corvette has now entered supercar territory at a fraction of the price of the competition from Germany and Italy. “
Dodge Challenger Hellcat
$58,295

“It feels like the 1960s again. The Cold War is back and so are the muscle car horsepower wars and Dodge just exercised the nuclear option with this beast. Limited production and 707 horsepower means that the Hellcat earns its moniker. Clearly the Challenger Hellcat is here to turn fuel into noise and rubber into dust and little else. “ 

 Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack
$37,125

“Although the 50th anniversary edition will be produced in far less numbers, we at Hagerty think the GT performance package is the true driver’s car. Ford had a tough job following up the 2005-14 Mustang but they’ve done it very well (better perhaps than in 1967 when the Mustang was re-designed for the first time). Here’s to another fifty years.”
 Mazda MX-5 Miata 25th Anniv.
$33,000

“The popularity of Japanese collector cars is on the rise and the Miata has established itself as the quintessential modern roadster. With this special edition also the last of its generation, it is already sealed as a collectible with only 100 models making the trip to North America.”
 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop 
$24,950

 “New for 2015, the 2 door hardtop John Cooper Works MINI is the most powerful MINI ever produced. The performance specs are impressive, but what will have collectors drooling in the future is the attention paid to the MINI’s design concept.”

Subaru WRX STI Launch Edition 
$38,190

“With a stiffer body, advanced suspension and a turbocharged Boxer four cylinder the STI is quite literally a factory built rally car that you can drive off the showroom floor. The smile inducing acceleration is simply intoxicating, and the very limited release Launch Edition will be loved by collectors and rally fans for years to come.”
Volkswagen Golf R
$36,595

“4Motion” all-wheel drive, 292 horsepower, 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph make the all new VW Golf the most powerful VW hatchback to date. With a 2.0L turbocharged inline 4 this VW is bound to excite collectors now and in the future. It’s the Golf that GTI fan boys and girls have been begging VW to build.”

Monday, March 23, 2015

2016 Chevy Malibu Will Come With Teen Driver Monitoring System


So the next generation of Chevrolet Malibu, which is due to debut at the New York Auto Show, in April, will feature a teen driver monitoring system. This will allow parents to set various parameters and keep track of their kids’ driving habits.

Since the new Malibu will come equipped with the latest pieces of active safety tech, it will be able to provide detailed information: how many times the autonomous braking intervened, or was about to and even the number of stability control interventions.

The car can also be set to automatically mute the radio until seatbelts are fastened and provide a visual and audible warning when exceeding a certain speed.

It’s been deemed necessary to have such a system because statistics say teen drivers are three times more likely to die in a car crash than those in their 20s. Chevrolet hopes that with this system in place, parents will be able to more accurately gauge their children’s safety level and their driving skill – it promises to offer more peace of mind.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Apple CarPlay To Be On 40 New Cars This Year From 'Every Major Automaker'

If you're shopping for a new car this year, you're about to have plenty of choice if Apple CarPlay is on your must-have list of features.

At Apple's big event Monday, CEO Tim Cook said the CarPlay infotainment system would be available on 40 models from "every major" automaker by the end of the year. So far, this includes the 2016 Volvo XC90 and various models from VW, Audi, Hyundai, Honda and even Ferrari.

A notable omission is Toyota, which said last month it has reportedly not committed to supporting either CarPlay or Google's Android Auto. Both are systems that present smartphone-like interfaces onto the central screen in cars to make it easier to control functions your phone would, like navigation, search, calls and messaging.

Cook's statements come roughly a year after the system was first announced and the first automakers started partnering up with Apple. There are already aftermarket systems form Alpine and Pioneer, for example, that come with CarPlay. Expect to hear of more automakers backing either CarPlay or Android Auto or both in the near future.