August 27, 2010

BMW's North American Marketing Chief Jack Pitney Dead at 47
Automotive News reports that Jack Pitney, head of marketing for BMW of North America, was killed in an accident Thursday while vacationing on his farm. His death, at age 47, came six days before he was scheduled to become vice president for BMW's eastern region, the automaker's largest U.S. sales zone. Police said Pitney was trying to remove a tree stump with a tractor when the tractor flipped over backward and landed on him, according to a report in the Daily Freeman of Kingston, N.Y. Pitney joined BMW in 1995 as head of corporate communications. His big break came when he was part of a small team of executives who persuaded a wary BMW management team to import the Mini to North America. He led the Mini brand as its first U.S. chief from 2001 to 2005. "He was very influential in getting the Mini brand launched in this country," recalls Russell Stover, general manager of BMW of Nashville and Mini of Nashville. "He had the right personality for it - funny and fun in spirit, but also very serious about getting it done right." Stover also said Pitney, as marketing vice president for BMW, "brought calm and stability" in the brand's response to the recession. "We didn't panic, and I think we should be thankful Jack was in there" during that time. Click here for more on the passing of BMW's North American marketing chief, Jack Pitney.

CR-Z Hybrid: Room for Two
Americans have had a love affair with themselves for years. We collect Facebook friends like skeeball reward tickets and then Tweet to our sycophant followers that "baby manatees are like veal of the sea." Our own ability to see ourselves not as we are but as we want to be will be the downfall of the 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid, a terrific little car that will hardly get noticed. Click here for a photo gallery. It's a two-door hatchback; Americans want sedans. It has a manual version; Americans prefer right-foot driving only. It's a hybrid without super high mileage figures; Americans hear the word hybrid and think they will only have to fill up once a month. It does not have a back seat: Oh no! Sadly, the missing space for Facebook friends means fewer people will hop into the driver's seat. But they should: The CR-Z is fun to drive. Scott Burgess at The Detroit News says that his manual transmission model felt quick and solid on the road. Its wide-wheel base (65.8 inches) gives it a great starting point. The 122-horsepower engine certainly isn't Herculean but it provides some pep. The CR-Z moves along quite nicely and its light body (2,637 pounds) adds to its agility. Click here for an interactive feature on the CR-Z important stats. To read Burgess' entire review on what Americans will miss if they choose to ignore the CR-Z, click here.

Mercedes-Benz to Produce 500 E-Cell A-Class Electric Cars
The New York Times reports that Mercedes-Benz, as part of its collaboration with Tesla Motors, will produce 500 battery-powered "E-Cell" versions of its small A-Class, introducing the car at the Paris auto show in October. According to Shirin Emeera, a Daimler spokeswoman, details of the electric car will be announced on Sept. 15. She said the car would be produced at the Mercedes Rastatt plant, near Stuttgart, Germany, where the A-Class (which is not sold in the United States) is produced. Delivery of the cars will begin early next year. Tesla's components, which include the battery pack and controller, will be shipped there to be integrated into the car. Click here for a photo of a prototype. Emeera said the E-Cell would have a range of 124 miles and produce 214 pound-feet of torque. JB Straubel, Tesla's chief technical officer, said the car had an approximately 40 kilowatt-hour battery pack, with roughly 4,000 individual cells. He said the performance of the Mercedes E.V. was "equivalent to or slightly faster than the gas versions of the A-Class." The New York Times' Jim Motavalli, who took a ride in the E-Cell prototype in California, reports that the car handles and accelerates very well. According to Tesla's Straubel, integrating the battery pack into the A-Class design gives it a lower center of gravity, which aids in the tall car's cornering ability. Click here for more on Mercedes' plans to produce E-Cell versions of its A-Class electric car.

Toyota Recalls 1.1 Million Corollas, Matrixes
Toyota recalled 1.13 million Corolla sedans and Matrix hatchbacks this week because their engines may stall. According to the Detroit Free Press, the recall covers vehicles from the 2005-2008 model years sold in North America. Three accidents and one minor injury have been reported, though Toyota said a link to the engine issue has not been confirmed. The automaker said vehicles with 1ZZ-FE engines may contain a defective engine control module, the computer that regulates the performance of the engine. In some cases, a crack may develop on the module's circuit board, which could prevent the engine from starting, harsh shifting or an engine stall. Toyota said it will replace the engine control modules on the recalled vehicles at no charge. It will begin mailing notifications to customers with affected Corollas and Matrixes starting in mid-September. Steve St. Angelo, Toyota chief quality officer for North America, said, "This recall is an example of our commitment to standing by our products and being responsive to our customers. Our goal is to help ensure that Toyota drivers are completely confident in the safety and reliability of their vehicles." Click here for Toyota's statement and news release on its Corolla and Matrix recall. To read coverage at the Detroit Free Press, click here.

Porsche Celebrates 60 Years in America
It took only two years after the first 356 sports car left Dr. Ferdinand Porsche's small garage in Gmund, Austria, for the independent sports car maker to arrive in New York City. The year was 1950. Since then, the U.S. has evolved into one of the brand's most important markets by accumulating the lion's share of annual worldwide sales (although China is gaining fast). To celebrate this strong marriage of automaker and market, contests like the My Porsche Classic Search and My Porsche Passion, social events, drives, and a display at Stuttgart's Porsche Museum have been organized throughout the year for owners and fans. Motor Trend Classic reports that thanks in large part to Porsche Cars North America, it has collected some little-known facts about Porsche's American history over the last 60 years. Click here for a photo gallery commemorating the brand's years in the U.S. From the first Porsche dealership - at 430 Park Avenue in New York City and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright - to a listing of celebrities - including James Dean and Steve McQueen - who have owned a Porsche, Motor Trend's compilation of facts will impress you and make you chuckle. Click here to read through the list.

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