on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Despite premium carmakers going downmarket, luxury auto sales stick at 10-11%

According to research conducted by global information company IHS Automotive, the leporine birthing of new models by luxury manufacturers over the past six years hasn't increased their market share in the US. Even as car sales reached 15.6 million units, IHS says what's happened instead is that luxury buyers are merely moving from one brand to another, moving from larger luxury vehicles into hot segments like compact luxury crossovers or leaving the market at the same rate as other buyers enter.
Whether broken out by makes or by segment, market share has rollercoastered inside a narrow band from 10.5 to 11.5 percent since "at least" 2008. Closer investigation reveals the shifting boundaries in the aspirational pond, with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Audi gaining territory as Lexus and Lincoln lost it, and Saab and Hummer were buried, dead, under it. One neat note is that Tesla has gone from a share of zip to .12 percent.
The subcompact and compact crossover segments show growth, with those little high-riders jumping from .3 percent to 1.16 percent of overall industry sales. Their rise, though, is concomitant with the decline of four other segments: compact and midsize cars and fullsize cars and SUVs. We think the next few years that will tell if the small-car expansion can overcome the large-car retraction, with a phalanx of smaller offerings like the CLA only recently hitting the market and others like the GLA, Macan and Q1 doing so in the near future.

NHTSA closes probe into 2011 Porsche 911 coolant leaks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it will end its investigation into rapid coolant loss in 24,635 Porsche 911s built between 2001 and 2011. The models affected included the standard 911, GT2, GT3 and Turbo, as well as their variants (GT2 RS, GT3 RS and Turbo S).
NHTSA was investigating for "rapid coolant loss caused by coolant pipe-fitting failure, allegedly resulting in vehicle disablement and/or loss of vehicle control due to reduced traction for the affected vehicle or following traffic," according to the regulators website. "Most of the leak complaints did not appear to involve complete separation of the fittings and many were detected when the vehicle was parked," said NHTSA's statement.
There were 63 complaints and 336 warranty claims, although the investigation was initiated after ten complaints from customers. There have been no reports of crashes or injuries attributed to rapid coolant loss.

Porsche 911 goes up in flames at New York Auto Show

It was a bad day for the 2016 DUB Show Tour after a Porsche 911 Turbo associated with the tour caught fire ahead of its 2016 New York Auto Show dates. And yes, the entire fiasco was caught on video. It's not clear how the fire started, but reports from the scene and video footage show smoke pouring off the 911. Worryingly, the fire seems to have been inside the Jacob Javits Convention Center, after New York's NBC affiliate reported smoke "spewing" throughout the sprawling facility. Workers can be heard shouting to get away from the burning 993 while at least one brave soul attacked the flaming sports car with a fire extinguisher. Despite the seriousness of the video, an aftershot – shown above – from the guy behind the video, Instagram user Zuumy, shows that there doesn't seem to be that much damage on the surface. The car just looks very, very dusty and dirty. According to WNBC, the New York Fire Department hasn't received any incident reports about the fire. And while it's part of the show, there's no reference to a 993 911 on the DUB Show Tour's Instagram or official page. Bummer, we know. You can check out the video of the blaze below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.