2014 Ford F150 Lariat on 2040-cars

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China's auto sales continue to drop

The days of unending growth of carmakers in China look to be over, and some analysts are even forecasting a net drop in volume this year, The Detroit News reports. After falling numbers in June and July, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers tallied total sales, including trucks and buses, in August to 1.7 million, down 3 percent from 2014. There were some tiny specs of good news in China, but there's no turnaround in sight. Total vehicle sales from January to August are actually still up but only 2.6 percent. Like the rest of the world, SUVs are booming with numbers up 45.6 percent from the previous year. Honda managed a very impressive 50.7 percent gain on the strength of the CR-V and Vezel (the HR-V here), according to The Detroit News. Also, the country's domestic automakers, which generally offer less expensive products, posted a 2.5 percent growth in sales. The news continues to look bad for Detroit's automakers, though. Volume from General Motors dropped 4.8 percent in August, and Ford fell 3 percent in August. Both of them have invested significant amounts there in the past years. The vehicle industry in China grew last year, but there was burgeoning evidence of weakness. At the end of 2014, dealers there pushed back against huge inventories pushed by automakers. Even before the big drops began in June, GM saw the writing on the wall and started cutting prices. BMW responded to the slump by cutting back production to deal with the changing demand. News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Mark Schiefelbein / AP Photo BMW Ford GM Honda Car Buying

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #310 LIVE!

We record Autoblog Podcast #310 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #310
Buick GN and GNX will return

Ford GT heading back to Le Mans [w/video]

Ford is set to return to endurance sports car racing, and return in a big way. Announced this morning at Le Mans, the Blue Oval will be entering a version of the new Ford GT in endurance racing series on both sides of the Atlantic. The highly accomplished Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team will field the Ford GT next season in the LM GTE Pro class in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and in the United SportsCar Championship, culminating in a four-car entry at next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. That will mark the 50th anniversary of Ford's landmark victory at Le Mans in 1966. The pivotal, dominant one-two-three finish lead to a further three back-to-back wins with the legendary GT40 - the historic progenitor of the new GT revealed in Detroit earlier this year. Ford isn't saying much about the technical specs underpinning the new competition-spec GT developed with Multimatic, but it's expected to follow closely along the lines of the road-going supercar we've already seen. That includes the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 developed in conjunction with Roush Yates and which has already proven a winner in Daytona Prototypes. We also know that the crazy diffuser you see here will be part of 2016's regulations. Look for the new Ford GT racer to mark its debut in January in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. In the meantime, you can scope it out in the high-resolution image gallery above, the video below and the press release at bottom. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Ford Returning to Le Mans in 2016 with All-New Ford GT, Marking 50th Anniversary of 1966 Victory - Ford returns to Le Mans in 2016 with the all-new Ford GT supercar to compete in LM GTE Pro class, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Ford's 1966 overall victory - All-new Ford factory program to compete in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with a two-team, four-car effort – operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates - Ford GT is company's showcase for aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fibre construction, along with new twin-turbocharged Ford EcoBoost V6 – most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever LE MANS, France, June 12, 2015 – Ford announced today it is returning to one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world with its new Ford GT race car, based on the all-new ultra-high-performance supercar that goes on sale next year.