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Hot sales have Detroit automakers shortening summer shutdowns

Back in May, there was speculation that the Detroit Three automakers would maintain or perhaps even extend their traditional summer shutdowns, mostly due to a bitingly cold winter that saw below-freezing temperatures infiltrate the southernmost reaches of the US, putting a chill on auto sales. Now, though, the numbers are in, and thanks to some promising sales figures, it looks like some domestic line workers are going to be working clear through July, in some cases.
According to Automotive News, Ford has slashed its traditional two-week hiatus for factory workers in half at four of its plants, while both Chrysler and General Motors will keep factories running nonstop (two plants in Chrysler's case and a third of GM's factories).
This is, as we said, thanks to some positive numbers. Chief among those is the Seasonal Adjusted Annual Rate, which was at an eight-year high of 17 million units. Individual figures were less promising. GM, embroiled in its recall scandal, still saw a one-percent increase while Ford dropped six percent in year-over-year sales. Chrysler was the big winner, though, with a nine-percent jump in June.

Ford Shelby GT350R sets 7:32.19 Nurburgring lap time

It was over a year ago that the Chevy Camaro Z/28 clocked a Nurburgring lap time of 7 minutes and 37.47 seconds, propelling itself up the leader boards as the fastest American muscle car to lap the infamous Nordschleife. But now word has it that another piece of Detroit iron has clocked an even faster time. According to Evo, the new Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang has lapped the Green Hell in a blitzkrieg 7:32.19. That's more than five seconds faster than the Z/28, and propels the GT350R into proper supercar territory: incrementally quicker than the Ferrari 458 Italia and in league with lap times posted by the Nissan GT-R (though not the fastest Godzilla has clocked over the years). With output quoted at "more than 500 horsepower and more than 400 lb-ft of torque," and no 0-60, quarter-mile or top end figures revealed to date, this marks the first genuine measure of performance we've seen for the track-focused pony car - though the numbers have yet to be officially confirmed. The GT350R packs a 5.2-liter V8 unburdened by 130 pounds of excess weight – helped along by carbon-fiber wheels coated in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber. Related Video:

Ford starts GoDrive carsharing service in London

Automaker-supported carsharing services like BMW's DriveNow and Daimler's Car2Go are already well established in many cities around the world. Ford is no stranger to this business, either, with collaborations with companies like ZipCar in the US and Flinkster in Germany. Now, The Blue Oval is taking a new step by establishing its own dedicated offering in London called GoDrive. The operation is actually the expansion of an earlier 100-person pilot program and allows the automaker to test out ideas on a small scale. GoDrive is now growing to support 2,000 people in London, and they can share 50 vehicles that are scattered around 20 locations in the city. The fleet is split between Focus Electric models and Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoosts. One of the major selling points for the service is that users can take one-way trips through the city and have a guaranteed parking spot at their destination. Like any high-tech service today, much of the user interface for GoDrive works through a smartphone app that allows users to book cars and pay for trips. The driving is covered under an all-inclusive, pay-by-the-minute model, which includes London's congestion charge, and the first five minutes are free. To entice new users, the company is currently offering a free membership and 20 pounds ($31) in credit to sign up. GoDrive's small size also lets it gather and adjust to customer feedback quickly. For example, users reportedly enjoy getting to try out a vehicle with the latest infotainment and safety features. The company is already working on different pricing plans and parking options for the future, as well. The video below shows a little more the service in action. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. FORD BRINGS DYNAMIC CAR-SHARING EXPERIMENT TO LONDON; FIRST SERVICE TO OFFER ONE-WAY TRIPS WITH GUARANTEED PARKING Ford will offer Londoners flexible, practical, and affordable GoDrive car-sharing service; invites 2,000 members to register free for service that offers 50 cars across 20 locations GoDrive is unique in offering one-way trips with guaranteed parking. Pay-as-you-go approach with pay-per-minute pricing covers all fees. Drivers book and access cars via smartphone app Zero-emission Focus Electric makes up half of the GoDrive fleet; fuel-efficient Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost available.