Auto Industry News: SVRA Hits Sebring, Chevy EUV Makes Debut, Vehicle Dependability Soars, & Subaru Goes “Wild”
The auto industry continues to chug along with some semblance of normality, despite a worsening chip shortage. Manufacturing hiccups notwithstanding, J.D. Power reports vehicle dependability is at an all-time high. Additionally, disrupted supply chains haven’t stopped several brands from pushing exciting debuts.
Chevy expanded its electric vehicle lineup with the Valentine’s Day unveiling of the new Bolt EUV. And, Subaru is making moves, as well. The Japanese automaker announced a new rough-and-tumble “Wilderness” trim for its Outback, Forester, and Crosstrek models. As for enthusiasts, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association kicked off its 2021 season this past weekend with an exciting blend of past and present.
All that and more in this week’s auto news!
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SVRA Sebring Speedtour
With SVRA’s traditional season opener postponed to November, the Sebring Speedtour kicked off 2021 festivities this past weekend. Sebring is continually one of the most popular stops on the racing schedule, thanks to the former U.S. Air Force base’s notoriously bumpy 17-turn, 3.74-mile circuit. (We’re sure the sweet Florida sunshine doesn’t hurt, either.)
The Plaid Man
While historic racing always has a big presence on the docket, the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli headlined the event. And this year, all eyes were on Ernie Francis Jr.
The young South Floridan claimed his seventh Trans Am national championship last season, and returned to secure his fifth TA class title. Off to a strong start, the defending champ broke the track record for the second year in a row on Saturday and led nearly all of Sunday’s race in his No. 98 Future Star/Breathless Racing Ford Mustang. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hold off the sheer determination of Chris Dyson, who passed Francis Jr. in the last lap to complete a last-to-first victory.
“We didn’t have much of a choice after yesterday’s qualifying other than to change the tires and start from the back,” explained Dyson, who sacrificed his second-row grid position for fresh Pirellis. “I was hoping for a yellow, but it never came, so I just had to drive my head off.”
Dyson did exactly that – sending his No. 20 Plaid Ford Mustang across the finish line a mere 0.659-seconds before Francis Jr., capturing his seventh-career TA victory. Adam Andretti finished third in his ECC Motorsports prepared Challenger, decked out in ‘Petty blue’ tribute livery for his brother John Andretti. Tomy Drissi captured fourth, with Justin Marks and former champ Amy Ruman taking fifth and sixth place, respectively.
TA2 Thriller
The TA2 season-opening race also delivered a last-to-first charge for victory.
Thomas Merrill took the lead from 2018 champ Rafa Matos on the final lap in the final corner, securing the win in his No. 81 HP Tuners/Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang. Defending champ Mike Skeen took third place, with Michael Self, Franklin Futrelle, and Doug Peterson rounding out fourth, fifth, and sixth.
“I was pretty fired up after my early spin, but this car is so easy to drive it made me look good all the way up through the field,” quipped Merrill. “Halfway through I stopped being angry and just started enjoying Trans Am racing!”
Round 2 for TA/TA2 contenders will be the Atlanta Speed Tour, March 26-28 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
This year’s SVRA schedule has grown considerably, boasting 17 SpeedTour race weekends – a record number in SVRA’s 42-year history. Celebrating past and present, these events welcome classic, contemporary, vintage and exotic vehicles.
Alongside historic motorsport’s recent boom is a surge in the classic car market. MECUM’s wildly successful Kissimmee auction last month proved enthusiasts are still eager to get their hands on a piece of classic car culture. This weekend’s Lakeland Winter Collector Car Auction, hosted by Carlisle Events, reinforced the popularity of one particular fan favorite… The top three sellers were Corvettes!
Subaru To Launch Off-Road “Wilderness” Sub-Brand
Subaru has long been a vehicle for the adventurous, even if its friendly wagon-esque vibes have kept it from ever being truly rugged. However, Subie fans remain undeterred by the lack of 4WD and a body-on-frame construction. For years, they have been outfitting their Outbacks and Foresters (and now plucky Crosstreks) with lifted suspensions, chunkier tires, body armor, and rooftop tents.
What the aftermarket has been offering for decades, the automaker finally seems keen to capitalize on. Subaru is reportedly planning a new sub-brand, dubbed “Wilderness,” that offers point-of-sale upgrades attractive to off-road and overland enthusiasts alike.
Motortrend reports a Subaru dealers meeting in Wisconsin confirmed the name last week. Additionally, the publication notes a series of Canadian patents that indicate while U.S. customers may see Wilderness Outback and Forester models, our northern neighbors may gain an outdoorsy new Crosstrek as well.
We don’t know the nitty-gritty details of these trims yet, but we can sketch out a rough draft, thanks to spy shots leaked a few months ago. Boosted Outback and Forester test vehicles spotted in the wild, indicate both models will receive lifted suspensions, underbody armoring, skidplates, fresh wheels with all-terrain tires, additional body cladding, and an expanded selection of terrain modes on Subaru’s standard X-Mode system. We also expect to see a full line of lifestyle accessories, from racks and tents to Wilderness-branded storage gear.
Pricing and availability remain a mystery, though “Spring 2021” seems to be the general consensus on release.
Speaking of mild off-road upgrades, Ford revealed five new ‘accessory bundles’ for the Bronco Sport. The packages feature biking, camping, kayaking and cargo equipment. Learn more here.
2022 Bolt EUV Debuts With Tesla-Fighting Price Tag
Chevy’s new electric crossover, the Bolt EUV, debuted on Valentine’s Day — and we gotta say… Nottt baddd.
While the “electric utility vehicle” shares a platform and powertrain with the smaller Chevy Bolt, it wears an exterior that is noticeably more rugged (and exciting) than its little stablemate. Other features worth highlighting include a respectable 250 miles of driving range per charge and available suite of self-driving tech. Most noteworthy though? That $33,995 price tag.
It’s been well-established that the biggest barrier to entry for EV consumers is cost. Chevy’s aggressive pricing indicates the automaker is taking its recent pledge to a clean, green future seriously.
Them’s Fightin’ Numbers
You may have noticed the Bolt EUV’s starting price is several thousands less than its Tesla Model 3 and Y direct competitors. Sure, the electric grocery getter may lack the style and cachet of a Tesla, but as Jalopnik points out, price points are a major motivator, and the specs of the Bolt EUV become more attractive in a “world devoid of the $35k Teslas we thought would fill our highways.”
Besides — as we’ll get to later — Tesla’s vehicles may look great and offer fun tech, but mechanical reliability leaves something to be desired. If an established legacy brand like Chevy can swoop in with an economical and solidly-built contender, Musk might be tweeting a different tune in the coming months.
In fact, the trendy EV badge may already be feeling the heat. According to Reuters, Tesla issued a price cut on Model 3 and Y base models of $1,000 and $2,000 respectively. We still won’t see a sub-$35k model, but the Model 3 comes closer, ringing in at around $36,990. (The Model Y drops to $39,990.)
While Reuters claims the price drop is simply to move units, we think Tesla is hoping to recapture some wandering consumer eyes and, more importantly, wallets. This is actually the second price dip Tesla committed to recently, and the 2022 Bolt is only the first of the legacy automakers’ push into mainstream EVs. If Tesla feels the need to overcorrect this hard with just one challenger, maybe its spot as the predominant EV of the future might not be as set as it seems to be…
The new Mitsubishi Outlander had its buzzy Amazon debut last week as well, revealing a significantly overhauled interior and a distinctive new face. Check it out, here.
J.D. Power Finds Vehicle Dependability at All-Time High
More bad news for Tesla comes wrapped in great news for consumers.
Let’s start with the positive.
J.D. Power reports that vehicle dependability is at an all-time high, with the overall level of problems cited by owners declining 10% from a year ago. Better yet, all eight problem categories improved, led by Exterior and Driving Experience. While ACEN (audio/communication/entertainment/navigation) continues to be the weakest link for automakers, it too showed marginal improvement over last year.
“Today’s three-year-old vehicles are of higher quality and more dependable than in previous years,” said Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power. “Most owners aren’t experiencing their vehicles breaking down or falling apart but, for many, vehicle technology continues to function poorly or inconsistently.”
According to the study, the top five most dependable auto brands are Lexus, Porsche, Kia, Toyota, and Buick. Overall, Korean and Japanese brands performed very well. In fact, owners of Asian brand vehicles experience the fewest problems compared with domestic and European brands. Kia, in particular, saw considerable improvement with a reduction of 35PP100 from last year — or 35 problems per 100 vehicles.
Now, for the not-so-good news.
Where there are winners, there must be losers and the bottom five in dependability are as follows: Chrysler, Tesla, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, and Land Rover. Despite Land Rover owners reporting more problems per vehicle than any other auto brand, it is Tesla’s dismal performance that seems to be capturing headlines.
The EV brand came in 30 of 33 in terms of reliability, with a score of 176PP100 (or 176 problems per 100 vehicles). This was Tesla’s first time being profiled in J.D. Power’s vehicle dependability study. However, it is worth noting that the ranking is unofficial. Unlike other manufacturers, Tesla doesn’t grant J.D. Power permission to survey owners in 15 states where it is required (California being one of them). Tesla’s score was instead calculated based on a robust sample of surveys from owners in the other 35 states.
As CNBC notes, while Tesla landed quite low on the dependability survey, it unofficially topped J.D. Power’s 2020 APEAL survey. That report rates vehicle brands by owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicles. So, like Land Rover, it appears some consumers are simply happy to spend good money for their troubles.
The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Be sure to check back Wednesday for a product deep-dive on Valvoline’s celebrated High Mileage Motor Oil. We sit down with a company tech manager to get you first-hand information on this specially-formulated oil line, as well as some insight on when it might be time for your ride to join the High Mile Club.
