1963 Buick Skylark Convertible V8 Manual on 2040-cars

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Buick Electra E4 and E4 GS Ultium-based EVs introduced in China

China leads the way with Buick's revival, this month seeing the Trishield brand introduce another Ultium-based EV in two flavors for the Asian market. First comes the Electra E4, the crossover-coupe version of the Electra E5 that emerged from hiding in March. We know the formula — a little lower, a little shorter, a littler wider than the traditional sibling, with a steeper slope in the roof and a much faster backlight. The E4 wears a different front fascia design and touts subtle shifts like a single DRL instead of the dual DRLs on the E5. It goes a bit further with dual spoilers out back, a design trend found on decadent crossovers like the Aston Martin DBX and Genesis GV70 Coupe Concept.  The E4 is touch larger than our Buick Envision, the Chinese Electra about 7 inches longer, an inch wider, and 2.4 inches lower than the Envision, on a wheelbase 4 inches longer. The interiors hew to the design shown in the E5, with a bit more flash added. The same EYEMAX 30-inch, 6K curved screen forms the heart of the Buick Virtual Cockpit. The carmaker says front passengers get 39.9 inches of headroom in the E4, and there is "customer-pleasing headroom and knee space for second-row passengers," everyone bathed in light from the 12.9-square-foot low-radiation panoramic roof. It has 28 bins and cubbies for storage and 15.6 cubic feet of cargo room.  Underneath the skin, the entry-level powertrain has a 65-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery powering a motor on the front axle making 241 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. Based on China's test cycle, range is estimated at up to 329 miles. For now, the Electra E4 is only available with front-wheel drive.   Then there's the E4 GS, the first EV to merit Buick's Gran Sport designation. It's distinguished from the regular E4 with tweaks like a black diamond grille, black mirror caps, Night Bronze accents outside and in, 20-inch wheels hiding six-piston Brembo brakes on the front rotors, and illuminated sills. The GS starts with the same FWD drivetrain as the plain E4, but adds an AWD trim as well that's powered by a larger 79.7-kWh battery and makes 283 hp and 343 lb-ft. The front-driver can hit 62 miles per hour in 7.6 seconds. The AWD model cuts that sprint time to 6.2 seconds and increases range to an estimated 385 miles. Top speed for both drivetrains is 112 miles per hour.

GM slashes prices in China as sales falter

Buying a vehicle from General Motors' stable of brands might be a lot cheaper in the near future – at least for customers in China. The effort comes as GM hopes to keep sales there growing, and the decision alludes to yet another sign that the Asian country no longer has the booming auto market of past years. GM and its Chinese joint venture partner SAIC are slashing prices by as much as the equivalent to $8,700 on 40 models from Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac, according to The Detroit News. Across all of automaker's nameplates, the overall sales dipped in China in April by 0.4 percent to 258,484 vehicles. Among the drops, Buick was down 8.5 percent, and Chevy shrunk 5.6 percent. Caddy's numbers increased 4.6 percent for the month, though. Buick remains a popular brand in the minds of Chinese consumers, but according to The Detroit News domestic automakers there are starting to eat into the dominance of foreign companies in the market. The country remains important for GM, though. Late last year, it outlined a future strategy that included China as a major pillar, including a $14 billion investment to build five new factories and boost sales. News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Alexander F. Yuan / AP Photo Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM Car Buying Car Dealers saic

U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2018 rise slightly to 17.27 million [UPDATE]

DETROIT — Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. rose slightly in 2018, defying predictions and highlighting a strong economy. Automakers reported an increase of 0.3 percent over a year ago to 17.27 million vehicles. The increase came despite rising interest rates, a volatile stock market, and rising car and truck prices that pushed some buyers out of the new-vehicle market. Industry analysts and automakers said strong economic fundamentals pushed up sales and should keep them near historic highs in 2019. "Economic conditions in the U.S. are favorable and should continue to be supportive of vehicle sales at or around their current run rate," Ford Chief Economist Emily Kolinski Morris said after the company and other automakers announced their sales numbers Thursday. That auto sales remain near the 2016 record of 17.55 million is a testimonial to the strength of the economy, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. The job market, he said, has created new employment, and wage growth has accelerated. "That's fundamental to selling anything," he said. "If there are lots of jobs and people are getting bigger paychecks, they will buy more." The unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, a 49-year low. The economy is thought to have grown close to 3 percent last year, its best performance in more than a decade. Consumers, the main driver of the economy, are spending freely. The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate four times in 2018 but is only expected to raise it twice this year. Auto sales also were helped by low gasoline prices and rising home values, Zandi said. It all means that people are likely to keep buying new vehicles this year even as they grow more expensive. The Edmunds.com auto-pricing site estimates that the average new vehicle price hit a record $35,957 in December, about 2 percent higher than the previous year. It will be harder for automakers to keep the sales pace above 17 million because they have been enticing buyers for several years now with low-interest financing and other incentives, Zandi said. He predicts more deals in the coming year as job growth slows and credit tightens for higher-risk buyers. Edmunds, which provides content, including automotive tips and reviews, for distribution by The Associated Press, predicts that sales will drop this year to 16.9 million.