2008 - Ford F-250 on 2040-cars

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Report: GM struggling to market turbo technology

In the automotive realm, marketing can sometimes prove just as important as the actual product. Take, for instance, Ford's well regarded EcoBoost technology, which couples turbocharging with direct injection to produce more horsepower and reduce fuel consumption. Would it surprise you to hear that General Motors has had similar technology on the market for over three years?
It's true. GM's first turbocharged, direct injected powerplants hit the market for the 2007 model. The 2.0-liter Ecotec mills put down an impressive 260 horsepower and a matching 260 pound-feet of torque, and they were lauded by the press in the engine bays of the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Chevrolet Cobalt SS and Chevrolet HHR SS. But few people outside a core group of enthusiasts actually remember this fact.
Says Uwe Grebe, executive director of GM's global advanced engineering, "We didn't have a badge and say, 'This is the most important thing we will put on all our brochures.'" Ford, however, did just that, and it's EcoBoost engines are right at the tips of all our tongues when we discuss today's most advanced powerplants. So, how does The General fix its mistake?

FCA to pay buyers $1,700 to swap out of scandal-mired VWs

FCA is trying to gain some sales from arch-rival VW in the competitive European market by offering potential buyers in Italy up to $1,700 to swap into an FCA group car. While the promotion isn't specifically targeted at TDI owners affected by the emissions scandal, it is clearly intended to turn dissatisfaction with VW's defeat device cheat into additional sales, Bloomberg reports. The 500-1,500 euro incentive (roughly $560-1,700, depending on vehicle) stacks on top of any other rebates or deals applicable, and applies if a buyer brings in any of Volkswagen Group's cars – including Audi, Skoda, and SEAT, among (many) others. As Bloomberg notes, it's normal for automakers to offer "conquest" deals – giving a buyer cash for trading in a competitor's vehicle. Those deals aren't usually limited to one company's products, however; FCA's program looks specifically to take advantage of VW's legal and public relations nightmare. FCA isn't the only automaker trying this trick in Italy. Automotive News Europe also reported that Ford is offering approximately $840 in incentives across its entire range to owners of VW vehicles seeking to trade in for a Ford. No word of yet as to whether these incentives will spread beyond Italy or to other automakers.Related Video:

Dealers price gouging Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition by up to $20k [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Sheehy Ford's Cory Belcher got back to us, confirming that the price premium was related to the limited nature of the 50th Anniversary Mustang and that the figure listed was based on what other dealers were charging, while adding that the dealership was "very flexible" on the final price of the special edition car. So while there remains a hefty markup, it's possible that consumers could get out the door without spending quite so much over MSRP. It's no secret that dealers take some – let's call them "liberties" – with the prices on vehicles that are very new, highly in demand or available in very limited numbers. As we've explained before, they're well within their rights to charge so-called market value adjustments. We don't usually see these adjustments on mainstream vehicles, though. Then again, you could argue that the 2015 Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition is not necessarily a mainstream vehicle. It starts at $46,170, which isn't peanuts, but it's still a Mustang. There's still a large portion of the buying public that could put one in their driveway, if they so chose. Then again, maybe they can't. That's because dealers are (still) issuing massive premiums on top of MSRP for the limited-edition model. It's happening at Sheehy Ford Gaithersburg, where a salesperson named Lou confirmed to Autoblog that the dealership is charging around $20,000 over MSRP on not one, but two Anniversary Editions. He explained that Sheehy isn't alone in the upcharge: "We like to see what other dealers are asking for," he told us, in reference to the limited edition 'Stang. We have a message in for the dealership's general manager for deeper info, too, and will update this post when/if we hear back. We corroborated Lou's story, though, with another Maryland area dealer, Century Ford, who confirmed that the $46,995 listed on the dealer's website for its Wimbledon White Anniversary car was incorrect, and the actual price was "around $64,000." He echoed Lou's reasoning for the upcharge, while adding that dealers are likely only going to see one or two examples, of the 1,964 produced. Perhaps the most worrying part of this entire affair is the sense of deceit that accompanies it. Neither of the dealers we spoke to copped to the market value adjustments on their website. We had to call and ask specifically about the cars in question to get the actual price.