Alcoa Automotive

Jaguar working on aluminum X-Type successor

In the automotive rumor mill, Carl-Peter Forster, Tata Motors chief executive, has acknowledged that the Jaguar needs a smaller, higher-volume vehicle.  It appears that such car is already under development. 

Reportedly, Jaguar is working on a new modular aluminum platform that would be shared between the new smaller car, the mid-sized XF and the next-generation XK.  This will result in a car that will actually look like a real Jaguar, not like the X-Type which was based off of the Ford Mondeo.

The new baby Jag bears a resemblance to the XF but with curvier rear haunches and XJ-style tail lamps. The power will come, most likely, from downsized and boosted four-cylinder gas and diesel engines, with the current 3.0-liter diesel V6 as a range-topper.  A hybrid could also enter the mix.

Once the new smaller Jaguar debuts, all of this will help Jaguar meet the new EU CO2 emissions limits.  This could happen as soon as soon as 2012.

Alcoa Wheels Launches CalcuLighterTM Version 2.0

Alcoa Wheels launched its innovative CalcuLighter™ Version 2.0 which is an easy to use online tool designed to provide detailed information that commercial vehicle fleet managers and owner-operators need when making wheel buying decisions to lower operating costs, improve productivity and reduce greenhouse gases.

CalcuLighter™ provides financial data with instant results to compare steel and aluminum wheel alternatives.  It calculates the fuel, payload, scrap value and wheel maintenance information with N.A.D.A. Official Commercial Truck Guide trade-in value and carbon emission data.  This is to compare the different investment results when selective alternatives.  Results can change as users, who input their fleet profile, instantaneously enter new information such as the number of tractors and trailers.  They can also print the results and file them for future reference of wheel purchases or ordering vehicles.

The launch of the upgrade to Version 2.0 also led to Alcoa Wheels announcing the new positioning statement, “Driving Your Bottom Line™”.  This reflects an on-going commitment to improve productivity and lower operating costs for fleet managers and owner-operators.

CalcuLighter™ by Alcoa Wheels is available at www.alcoawheels.com/calculighter.

 

The all-aluminum 182 horsepower engine in the 2011 Buick Regal comes to America

Manufactured in Russelsheim, Germany the 2011 Buick Regal comes to North America.  The mid-size, four door sedan has an all-aluminum engine that is rated at 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque.  The Regal has standard six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

There are two models: the standard CXL, fitted with a normally-aspirated 2.4-liter DOHC inline-four, and the CXL Turbo, which features a turbocharged version of the same engine rated at 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.  The Regal has StabiliTrak electronic stability control and power steering.

Some suspension features have been tweaked, such as the rear sway bar being slightly thinned and the shock settings altered while some of the bushings changed and the tires were replaced with all-season rubber.  The standard wheels are 20-inch aluminum wrapped in 235/50R18 tires, while 19-inch alloys fitted with 245/40R19 tires are optional. The doors were stripped of Opel badging, inside and out, and were replaced with traditional Buick waterfall grille.  Inside the leather, faux and metal take over the inside of the vehicle with the dashboard having dark and light colors and the door handles with a bright finish.

The 2001 Buck Regal starts at $26,245.