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Now back to the question of cars and styling. Why, please tell, does GM insist of trying to replicate other makes of cars while injecting them with old tired themes and cost cutting end product overall feel. Seems like the first attempt of building the better VW did not go all that well, though the last years of the Corvair were indeed better product. A Cavalier is not a Civic or a Corolla beater, yet they do it all again with the Cobalt. What's the point? Maybe a fine slightly larger car, like a RWD Nova, with some American car style would be a hit, but not a one on one, here we go again, let's try and make a Japan car effort is under way.
I don't think they will build a BMW killer car any time soon. But, why not make a car less expensive, 75% as good as the Bimmer, economical to maintain, RWD, great looking, as in something fresh rather than Japan or Euro in looks? An inline 6 would be nice, but the 3.6 V6 would suffice.
Loren
Good post Loren :shades:
Rocky
1) Is the current 300 Chrysler better, as good, or worse in style than the 300M?
2) Is the 2005 Mustang styled better than the 2004?
3) Did you like the style of the last years of the Corvair?
4) Do you think alphabet names on Cadillacs changed the image of the car any, as in more hip, or European? Seems silly, as well as, strange in a way to change traditional naming on these cars.
5) What's a Matador ? O.K. at least American had a sense of humor on the way down.
:shades: Loren
Better looking, less functional style, better design.
2) Is the 2005 Mustang styled better than the 2004?
Oh yeah.... :P
3) Did you like the style of the last years of the Corvair?
Yes for the time, but don't bring that car back, please.
4) Do you think alphabet names on Cadillacs changed the image of the car any, as in more hip, or European? Seems silly, as well as, strange in a way to change traditional naming on these cars.
I hate the alpha-names on Cadillacs, because, unlike Mercedes, BMW or Volvo - they mean absolutely NOTHING! No engine designation, or class designation that one can figure out - they're just letters.
5) What's a Matador ? O.K. at least American had a sense of humor on the way down.
Too bad nobody knew what's a Matador - except me, I had one.
Detroit News staff reports
UAW leaders at Delphi Corp. plants have been summoned to a meeting in Detroit on Wednesday for an update on bailout talks between the company, union and General Motors Corp., signaling the three sides may be nearing an agreement after months of negotiations.
GM and Delphi are closing in on the outline of a pact with senior United Auto Workers leaders to entice thousands of GM and Delphi workers to retire early, and allow Delphi to dramatically downsize its hourly workforce.
While several key details are yet to be completed, the agreement would include buyouts to encourage older workers to retire from GM or Delphi, and payments to Delphi workers whose wages and benefits will be cut.
GM is expected to finance nearly the entire price tag of the bailout.
As part of its own downsizing, GM is eager to offer buyouts to entice up to about 20,000 factory workers to retire, creating openings for Delphi workers who have recall rights at the automaker under the auto parts maker's 1999 separation agreement, according to people familiar with the negotiations
Under another option, remaining Delphi workers would receive lower wages and reduced benefits in exchange for a one-time "buydown" payment, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
"We are going to get the full puzzle next week," said Skip Dziedzic, president of UAW Local 1866, which represents workers at a Delphi electronics plant in Oak Creek, Wis. "Either we are close or we are going to have to go back to our membership and tell them to prepare for a strike."
A final agreement is not pending.
Under one option, Delphi workers could be given one-time payments, from $25,000 to $50,000 per person, if they accept lower pay and reduced benefits, the Journal reported.
A similar deal was used when DaimlerChrysler AG sold an Indiana plant to Metaldyne Corp. in 2004.
Delphi has 24,000 UAW workers but is proposing drastic cuts in factory wages and benefits as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. Without an agreement, it has threatened to seek court protection to void all labor contracts, setting the stage for a possible strike by the UAW. A strike at Delphi almost certainly would cripple GM's North American operations.
Under an existing agreement between Delphi and the UAW, new Delphi hires are paid permanently lower wages that mirror prevailing compensation. However, the company has been unable to hire a sufficient number of workers at the lower pay scale to take full advantage of the deal.
"They have been bringing the local presidents periodically for updates," said Art Reyes, vice president of UAW Local 651 in Flint, where Delphi assembles electronics parts. "The expectation is that they will provide an update and hopefully tell us something about the situation."
Date posted: 03-09-2006
DETROIT — Motor City automakers are revving up to revive a slate of golden oldies, from the Ford Fairlane to a "faithful re-creation of the '67 Chevy Impala," according to a story in the March 13 issue of Newsweek magazine.
Author Keith Naughton predicts that "more sequels will soon be spinning out of Detroit," including a rear-wheel-drive family car based on the Mustang that is due by the end of the decade. Newsweek says Ford "is believed to have green-lighted the Fairlane van, a modern interpretation of the '50s-era wood-paneled wagon." General Motors is said to be at work on a Stingray convertible based on the Pontiac Solstice.
What this means to you: Pretty good idea. Pretty short amount of time to pull it off before they go belly up.
I'm glad the Edmunds staff has great confidence in the
Big 3 :surprise:
Rocky
I'd say it's as good. I like them both, but in their own way. The main things I prefer about the 300, such as the Hemi, RWD, more legroom (measurements say otherwise, but I swear I fit in it better), etc have nothing to do with style. Nor do the things I don't like about the 300, like the cheaper, more plasticky interior, worse space efficiency (can't really help that with RWD though) etc. Stylewise, I think the 300M had a sleek, muscular but understated look about it. The new 300 is more like Chrysler took a 1989 Diplomat and tried to modernize it and bling it up.
2) Is the 2005 Mustang styled better than the 2004?
I'd say the 2005 is WAY better. Although I did like the '99-04 style. Never really cared for any of the other Fox-based Mustangs, though.
3) Did you like the style of the last years of the Corvair?
Yes, the '65-69 Corvair was VERY sexy, no matter what the body style. While I agree with nvbanker about not bringing back the Corvair itself and all of its problems, that style itself could serve as some inspiration.
4) Do you think alphabet names on Cadillacs changed the image of the car any, as in more hip, or European? Seems silly, as well as, strange in a way to change traditional naming on these cars.
I never liked alphabet names, so I wish they would have stuck with more traditional ones. Also, IMO, some of the letters Cadillac throws together are either clumsy or not flattering. For instance, CTS reminds me of my old waiter days at Denny's. We abbreviated Chicken Fried Steak (a smashed hamburger covered with fried chicken batter and deep fried) as CFS. And anyone with a lisp is not going to have fun with SLS, STS, SRX, etc (baby-talk, baby-talk, its-a-wonder-you-can-walk :P )
Plus, Cadillac is throwing too many letters together, and seemingly at random. Mercedes usually just uses one letter followed by numbers denoting the engine size. For instance, a C350 is the C-class with a 3.5. When they go for more letters, it's usually for a special, expensive, low-volume model, such as the CLK55 (although shouldn't that be "CLK54"?) Lexus uses two letters, like ES, GS, LS, RX, and IS.
Once you go to three letters, you might as well just start using real words again, as nobody's saving any syllables when they talk about these cars. It's easier to say "Deville" than "DTS" or "Seville" than "SLS". Or "Cimmaron" rather than CTS. Okay, so maybe that last one wasn't a good example. :shades:
5) What's a Matador ? O.K. at least American had a sense of humor on the way down.
Actually, Dodge had a Matador way back in 1960.. It was a one-year only model, and only sold about 28,000 units. That year Dodge divided their lineup into the Dart series, which was a smaller, Plymouth-sized car that matched the full-sized Plymouths model-for-model. What had been the traditional-sized Dodge was reduced to just two models, Matador and Polara. There's a Matador/Polara next to a Dart in the top picture at this 1960 Dodge site The Dart wasn't that much smaller, looked similar, was a lot less expensive, and proved a smash hit. The next year, 1961, the Matador was dropped and the Polara was left as the only "big" Dodge.
As for the later Matadors, it was an AMC midsize that replaced the Rebel. I think the name "Rebel" was considered too violent for the changing climate of the 70's, so "Matador" was much more fitting for the times. :shades:
Rocky
Rocky
Oh yuck. That is a nasty-looking car.
Rocky
Rocky
Better. The high beltline is bad for visibility, but the car is much more coherent than the 300M, which was a round swoopy thing with a square tail.
2) Is the 2005 Mustang styled better than the 2004?
Yeah, but I strongly dislike the retro theme. I like the 94-98 Mustangs better than anything before or after.
3) Did you like the style of the last years of the Corvair?
Oh yes. Billy Mitchell and whoever nailed the styling on that one, then proceeded to reuse it in inferior form on everything else for the rest of the decade. The slope-back profile on the coupe makes the trunk look too long; the formal roofline on the sedan makes for much better balance between the front and rear decks.
4) Do you think alphabet names on Cadillacs changed the image of the car any, as in more hip, or European? Seems silly, as well as, strange in a way to change traditional naming on these cars.
Yes. "Sedan Deville Concours d'Elegance" may be classy, but it's also very much faux-snooty in a wine and cheese way. The renaming was necessary to establish a break between the old lux-o-barge Caddy and the new fine-line-performance Caddy.
In contrast the 1965 Impala just had a cleaner, more "pure" look to it. I think one reason I also like the '65-66 better is that the headlights are spaced further out than on the '66-67, giving it better proportioning, IMO.
All big GM cars started getting fat in '67, and to be fair Ford and Chrysler made their '67 big 'uns chunkier looking, too. I thought the 1967 Pontiacs came off very well, though. They just seemed so much cleaner and less cluttered than the other offerings of that time, almost futuristic. That might be one reason why I've been infatuated with them ever since I was a little kid. And ultimately ran across one for sale (while going to, of all things, a Mopar show!) and bought it!
Rocky
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I can't believe people use to buy cars like that. :confuse:
Rocky
Heck, I drove to work this morning in a car like that! Well, okay, it was a '76 LeMans, but it's not THAT fundamentally different!
Personally, I like the 1965 Pontiacs better than the 1966, because I think the forward thrust of the headlights makes them look sportier and more aggressive.
Rocky
Rocky
Styling is so personal!!
Rocky
At first I thought that it was just a section of grille that got busted out, which is easy to do, and some previous owner just put whatever parts he could find in. But then at the Carlisle PA GM Nationals this past summer, I found out that the '76 LeMans shared the same header panel with the '77 LeMans/Grand LeMans, but for some reason the '76 Grand LeMans header panel was a bit different! Leave it to GM to come up with something like that! :confuse: So for it to have '77 grille inserts, the whole header panel had to be swapped out. If I wanted to make the car look original again, I'd have to swap the header panel, and I'm really not THAT concerned about it. The header panel really isn't that different, but where the grille inserts attach is different.
FWIW, here's how a 1976 Grand LeMans front end should look.
I actually prefer the look of the 1976 Non-Grand LeMans, so I bought a set of these grille inserts at Carlisle. But now I'm having second thoughts about putting them in. Maybe that's a sign that I need to go find another LeMans to add to my fleet, so I can use them? :shades:
Rocky
Caddy Ranch http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/TXAMAcadillac.html
not bad lookin'
Rocky
http://www.centripedus.com/afa/page8.html
Rocky
Rocky
hp = torque(lb-ft)XRPMs/5252 = 450x8000/5252 = 685 hp. To actually get 750 hp at 8000 RPMs, nearly 500 lb-ft of torque is needed, 50 more than the peak torque of 450 lb-ft that the Cien's V12 claimed to actually have. If one assumes that the torque is down to 425 lb-ft at 9000 RPM's, then horsepower is still less than 730.
For a show car engine it is a simple matter to bolt a couple of turbo-chargers onto the engine. Making such a setup a production item is a completely different matter. As far as I know, GM does not sell a turbo version of the 3.6. There is a simple turbo version of the 2.8, which has a different bore and stroke. I would expect a twin-turbo V6 to have a smaller bore than the 3.6 for added strength, thus limiting the displacement to perhaps 3.2 liters.
Rocky
Loren
Rocky
I very much doubt it. I will be flatly stunned if GM manages to keep the curb weight of a Kappa-based Stingray below 3000 pounds. The Elise runs about 1700 pounds. I suspect the Stingray will be the true successor to the orignal Camaro, rather than the formal Camaro revival which will in all likelihood end up being larger and heavier than the CTS, or a second-gen Chevelle.
So do you feel the same about the FOMOCO vehicles?
IMO J Mays just rehashed his VW/Audi designs; must've just parked a Passat and Jetta in the studio and told the designers to replace the VW badges with Ford, Mercury or Lincolns badges.
GM and Ford seem to be in a copy-cat rehash zone and can't get out. And know with Lincoln joining the alphabet soup game renaming their vehicles, it's going to get confusing.
Malibu SS of 68-69 stand-out retro beauty? I don't know about that one. Granted it does look better than the 67 - 70 Impalas, but the ones b4 that were pretty nice looking; well, with maybe the exception of the 58 - 60 models. At certain angles, colors or depending how accessory-laden they are, they can look funky.
I saw with my own eyes via video GM taking the Velite Roadster for an expiermental drive a while back. I without a doubt would buy a Buick Velite Roadster. I'd have to have one guys. :shades: I'd be like a drug user that needed a fix.
(The Lucerne's promo commercial music) when I pick it up. "Oh god please inspire GM to build it...please"
Guys I can only wish right ?
Neways GM needs to continue using Turbochargers on their smaller engines. I'd also love for the DOHC and VVT to continue across the board for engines.
Rocky
More InfoGMC Yukon Central More First Drives Related LinksFull Test: 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe LT Tools E-mail This Page To a Friend Vehicle Tested:
2007 GMC Yukon Denali 4dr SUV AWD (6.2L 8cyl 6A)
Price It!!
First Impressions:
A very impressive redesign gives buyers a new sense of style, control and even efficiency from a full-size sport-ute.
Active Fuel Management V8 provides 22 mpg on highway
Optional electronically adaptive shocks
Available 380-hp 6.2-liter V8 on Denali
Removable third-row backseats
Edmunds.com Pricing MSRP & invoice pricing
Free dealer price quotes
Current incentives
The full-size sport-ute gets its groove back
By Mike Hudson Email
Date posted: 03-09-2006
Gaps kill.
If the Yankees have a gap at second base, they're going to lose games. If a bridge has gaps in its span, it's gonna fall down. No matter how great something is, gaps will eventually destroy it if left unfilled.
Sport-utilities are no different. Over the past few years, the SUV's gaps have become painfully obvious. Nowadays, the lumbering sport-ute segment is plagued by worries about high oil prices and bad gas mileage. And it's stymied by uncomfortable handling in tight corners.
With this in mind, the folks at GMC set about filling the SUV gap when developing the 2007 GMC Yukon and its upscale cousin, the Yukon Denali. The revised Yukons attack the most famous weaknesses of the segment by aiming to give drivers of full-size SUVs the comfort, performance and efficiency they need to fill the gaps in their desire.
Not a slug
We sampled the 2007 Yukon and Yukon Denali on country roads in rural Georgia, navigating past the ponds, barbecue joints and town squares with surprising amounts of elegance and grace.
Far from the lumbering slug feeling you get from the typical full-size SUV, the new Yukon offers plenty of refined power, a tight 39-foot turning radius and stunningly accurate handling at higher speeds.
Our initial drive led us to believe the new suspension is the star of the show, with electronically adjusting shocks and a stiffer frame providing an impressive amount of control and confidence in the 5,200-plus-pound vehicle as it cruised the two-lane highways of the region. Essentially, the optional electronic-damper system stiffens and loosens the suspension, depending on the vehicle's load and speed, enhancing the ability of the coil-over-shock front and five-link rear system to handle the loads created by a large vehicle at speed. GM created a new fully boxed frame to increase stiffness and improve the ride. And the new Yukon's stance has been widened and lengthened, giving it a lower center of gravity, which improves handling greatly. Body roll on normal highway turns is a thing of the past. Add to this mix a superb rack-and-pinion steering system with comparatively impressive feedback, and this truck even offers a somewhat sporty feeling around town.
Under the hood, GMC offers a 320-horsepower 5.3-liter Vortec V8 as standard on the Yukon. Thanks to a GM system called Active Fuel Management, the engine shuts off four cylinders at cruising speed, pushing fuel efficiency up to 16 in the city and 22 on the highway with the rear-wheel-drive system. The four-wheel-drive Yukon gets ratings of 15 and 21, although we didn't take the system off-road so we can't really judge its performance. The engine provides plenty of acceleration for everyday city and highway driving. There's enough in there for passing, but not quite enough to punch out a sports car.
This engine also comes in an ethanol-compatible version which comes standard on four-wheel-drive versions, allowing the driver to use E85 fuel to reduce emissions. If ethanol isn't available, it'll gladly run on regular gasoline. On the low end, a standard gasoline 4.8-liter V8 is also available with 290 hp, and while we didn't sample it, we doubt that the down-powered V8 is enough for this size of vehicle. For now, the 5.3 liter comes standard on all Yukons, while the 4.8 liter will become standard later in the model year.
In the Yukon Denali, drivers get a 6.2-liter 380-hp V8 with substantially more power, but substantially worse gas mileage as well because it is not equipped with the Active Fuel Management system. This engine offers a noticeable step up from the 5.3-liter, especially in terms of passing. Regular Yukons come with a four-speed electronic automatic transmission with overdrive and a tow mode. The Denali comes with an impressive six-speed automatic with overdrive and tow mode; performance is also enviably quiet and efficient.
Braking was generally impressive and quiet, an improvement over the previous generation. As it turns out, there's a new brake system for all Yukons, with larger four-wheel discs, 50-percent stiffer calipers and next-generation four-channel ABS.
A world-class interior
The interior of the previous-generation Yukon left us feeling empty, with its cheap interior materials and generally unattractive design taking away any sense of refinement for the occupants. And with a price tag well over $30,000, we expected more.
This time around, GM focused like a laser beam on the interior, adding upscale design across the board. The result is a cabin that fits the personality of the SUV without appearing too posh for a practical vehicle.
Colors are warm and trendy, with matched tones across the dash, floor and seats. Radio and temperature controls are packaged more logically, eliminating gaps between pieces, and design concepts carry over between components. The instrument panel and other trim pieces feature new softer, low-gloss materials. And LED backlighting for the instruments provides a sophisticated appearance, complemented by brushed-metal-like accents around the gauges and vents.
All Yukons and Yukon Denalis come with a leather-wrapped steering wheel complete with cruise and audio controls. The Denali comes with wood inserts on the wheel and wood-like accents across the dash.
For 2007, GMC redesigned the Yukon seats, with a slimmer design, a greater range of recline angle and stiffer foam providing comfort on long drives, with easy adjustment and access to cupholders and controls. The rear seats are impressively firm, but slightly cramped considering the size of the vehicle. Third-row seats are fairly easy to remove, thanks to new tracks placed on the floor, but only if you're capable of lifting something like a 40-pound suitcase. Cloth upholstery is standard on base Yukons, with leather as an option. The Denali offers leather as standard.
What a drag
If you were to drop the stats of the new GMC Yukon into the lap of an auto engineer and ask, "What's cool about this?" he'd likely jump to an oft passed-by stat: drag coefficient. It might seem trivial at first, but the Yukon's class-leading 0.36 coefficient of drag is actually quite profound.
A host of problems with SUVs
To improve the new-generation Yukons, GM increased the slant of the windshield, lowered the vehicle and tightened up all those little gaps between components on the front end. As a result, the new Yukon and Yukon Denali have almost as little drag as some cars. (The current design of the Honda Accord has been measured at 0.3, with its predecessor at 0.33. The VW Beetle has been measured at 0.38. The Hummer H2 has been measured at 0.57.) The Yukon's lower drag translates into savings at the pump as a result.
A job well done
Pricing for the base 2007 GMC Yukon begins at $34,690. The 2007 Yukon Denali will be offered with an MSRP of $47,990. The Denali offers a more advanced climate system, an auxiliary transmission oil cooler, more cupholders, adjustable pedals, leather, rain-sensing wipers, parking assist, remote starter, premium Bose speakers and wood accented steering wheel standard.
Given this extraordinarily wide gap in price, our first thought was that it might make more sense to simply cherry-pick what options you like on a regular Yukon rather than just paying for the loaded Denali, given the similar interiors and exteriors. Buying a Denali also keeps you from saving money with the Active Fuel Management engine as well, as the 6.2-liter V8 doesn't have that feature.
GM is making a case that you don't need to apologize or pay dearly for driving a substantial vehicle. The GMC Yukon and Yukon Denali offer hope for the segment's future by improving ride comfort and handling, increasing efficiency and refining a potentially atrocious vehicle into a potentially beautiful one.
So with that out of the way, how about those Yankees?
Edmunds got some good photo's too...
What this really means for you:
GM finally makes the best Full Size Sport Utility's money can buy.
Rocky
Sure looks promising.
Rocky
MINNEAPOLIS — General Motors wants to give ethanol-fueled vehicles, including its own FlexFuel vehicles, a boost, so it is teaming with VeraSun Energy to put ethanol pumps in place immediately in the Twin Cities.
The move is part of promotions timed to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Auto Show that opens this weekend.
Four ethanol pumps in the Twin Cities are now dispensing VeraSun E85, a blend of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent gasoline, the companies say, and there will be 10 more operating by summer. GM says it has nine E85-capable models already on the market and will be producing more than 400,000 vehicles that can use the fuel in 2006.
What this means to you: It's another chapter in GM's "Live Green Go Yellow" ethanol-promotion campaign.
What this means to me:
GM's joint venture with gas stations might prove to be a money maker. They might beable to get first dibs on this market and shake there money maker
Rocky
P.S.
I hope GM keeps buying into the fuel industry so oil company's can't keep playing price wars and harming them and their consumers. GM might just beable to get back at Big Oil for a change
Now that would be sweeeet ! :shades:
Date posted: 03-10-2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Keep a cool head about you — good advice your driver's ed instructor probably gave. Now the U.S. Department of Energy is saying a cool rear end is what will help cut energy use, and it's suggesting the use of ventilated seats like those available on the Cadillac STS right now.
ComfortCool seats are made by W.E.T. Automotive Systems of Germany. They feature built-in fans to pull away warm air and moisture through perforations in the leather seats. The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory says 522 million gallons of gasoline could be saved each year if every passenger vehicle on U.S. roads had this type of seat.
The New York Times points out that on the Cadillac STS, the cool seat is only available as part of luxury option packages that reduce fuel-efficiency overall.
What this means to you: If the government is counting on people to stop using the A/C to reduce oil consumption it should get a new plan, this one isn't going to work.
What this means to me:i>
The Buick Lucerne, has front cooled seats also. So when you drive a new Buick Lucerne, STS-Lux/Package) your saving the enviroment.
Actually alot of cars and SUV's got em' except Honda/Acura is still yet to get em' :confuse:
On GM models the Caddy STS,
DTS-(It also has massage
Saab 9-5, Buick Lucerne, GMC Yukon Denali, and I think the Caddy SRX might have em' (ventilated seats) I'll have to check.
Rocky
Supplier's advanced electrical, climate control and controlled suspension systems at heart of 599 GTB
Release Date: March 1, 2006
MARANELLO, Italy -- Delphi Corp. is supplying key systems to Ferrari's newest luxury vehicle, the 599 GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta), the Italian automaker's replacement to the 575 Maranello.
The new 2007 model, Ferrari's most powerful V-12 engine production car of all time, was officially unveiled this week at the Geneva Motor Show. Delphi is supplying the complete climate control system and MagneRide controlled suspension technology, as well as the electrical/electronic (E/E) system including electrical centers, to this stylish luxury touring model.
"A high-performance vehicle demands the latest technology," said Volker Barth, president, Delphi Europe. "Delphi is proud to be supplying Ferrari with some of our most innovative products. Our goal is to help enhance the driving experience for Ferrari drivers. They want a ride-and-handling performance without compromise, and they want to be surrounded in a comfortable environment in the cockpit. Our technologies help contribute toward these characteristics."
Delphi has been supplying climate control technology to Ferrari since 1992, and is responsible for the climate control systems on all of Ferrari's current model programs.
To meet the challenging comfort demands of this luxury sports car, Delphi engineers worked closely with Ferrari to co-design the 599's climate control system. Production of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) module for the 599 began in February 2006.
Delphi has made significant improvements for the new 599 dual-zone climate control system. It is managed by an electronic control unit and receives and processes data on external and internal temperature through newly enhanced software and a solar load sensor. Noteworthy system components include a carbon anti-pollution and anti-particle filter and a compact variable displacement compressor (7CVC) modified to meet the car's high performance needs.
"Once again, Ferrari has put its confidence in Delphi and our Molinella, Italy, facility for their latest vehicle launch," said Steven Kiefer, managing director, Delphi Thermal & Interior, Europe and South America. "Ferrari represents the highest standard in the sports car segment in terms of performance, quality, sophistication and prestige. Delphi is proud of our long-standing relationship with Ferrari, and we share their passion and commitment to excellence Ferrari owners have come to expect."
Delphi's long-running relationship with Ferrari also extends to its E/E distribution systems support, which also dates back to the early 1990s. "For many years Ferrari has collaborated with Delphi in developing and co-designing the most robust E/E systems and components, and similar to the previous programs on which we've worked together, the technology for the 599 meets the customer's very high performance and quality demands," said Stefaan Vandevelde, managing director of European operations for Delphi Packard Electric. He noted that the 599 marked the introduction of CAD CATIA design system usage between Delphi and Ferrari. "This allowed us the use of 3D virtual layout and brought advanced technical advantages and greater cost effectiveness, with the evaluation of different options best optimized for the vehicle's architecture before the availability of the prototypes."
Delphi's approach to the new 599 GTB's E/E architecture resulted in several unique design characteristics. For example, the electrical centers designed and produced by Delphi have been positioned in the cockpit, due to the lack of available space under the hood, taken up completely by Ferrari's powerful 12-cylinder, 6.0L engine. Additionally, a new system was employed in the door-to-body electric connection to manage the side airbag function.
As announced during the Ferrari press conference at Geneva Motor Show, on Tuesday, February 28, 2006, the new Ferrari 599 includes Delphi's revolutionary MagneRide Controlled Suspension System, which captures the "gran turismo" feeling of Ferrari's legendary vehicles.
Using patented shock absorbers filled with a proprietary controllable fluid, the system offers increased damping tuning capability and speed of response over valve-based controlled suspension systems.
This means better transient handling  both for turn-in and yaw stability --and superior road isolation that will result in increased driver comfort. Drivers will also experience a more precise steering feel and control of the vehicle even at top speeds.
For more information about Delphi Corporation (OTC: DPHIQ), visit Delphi's media room at www.delphi.com.
http://delphi.com/