Auto Industry News: TA Series Races in the Rain, Hagerty Scoops Up Concours, Ford Balances a Full Plate, and Tesla Catches Shade from Consumer Reports

It’s been another stressful week for the auto industry, as supply chain hiccups continue to upend assembly lines around the world. Major auto companies are adjusting or halting production to cope – including Ford, who just pressed pause on its almighty cash cow, the F-150, and tacked more delays on its 2021 Bronco. On the EV side, Tesla catches shade from Consumer Reports regarding its in-cabin cameras, raising some very real questions on the issue of driver privacy. What data is being collected from your vehicle, and how it being used? More importantly, what can you do about it? We unpack some of those questions below.

But first, Round 2 of the Trans Am Series wrapped this weekend – and the talented drivers did not disappoint. Plus, classic car collectors face some happy news from Hagerty.

Atlanta SpeedTour Results

After an incredible season opener at Sebring, the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli delivered a second round of excitement this past weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Points leader and Sebring winner Chris Dyson hoped to grow his championship advantage with a TA class victory at the Atlanta SpeedTour, but ultimately it was veteran champion Boris Said in the new No. 2 WeaverRacingTechnique / SRI Dodge Challenger who was singing in the rain.

Seven-time champion Ernie Francis Jr. took the lead early, despite pouring rain and treacherous conditions. As the track began drying around the race’s midpoint, Said gradually cut into the lead. He caught Francis on lap 27, passing the 23-year-old star with just seven laps remaining to secure the victory and his 18th Trans Am win. Francis, who has now finished second in both 2021 races, still holds the lead in the championship.

Justin Marks overcame two off-track slides to take third, while David Pintaric placed fourth and “Plaid Man” Chris Dyson placed fifth.

TA2

TA2 racers finished out the weekend with equal enthusiasm. Amid a talent-packed field, Franklin Futrelle rose to the top after a thrilling late-race battle that resulted in his first TA2 victory. Futrelle led the opening 25 circuits in the 40-lap, 100-mile event in the No. 58 Innoviv/BH/IGOR/SecurTech Ford Mustang before Sam Mayer zipped by in the No. 8 M1-SLR/Fields Chevrolet Camaro.

The two men traded the advantage several times, with Futrelle eventually pulling away to win by a slim 1.875 seconds. Sebring champ Thomas Merrill enjoyed a good points day, holding third place for the entire race. Connor Mosack took a career-best fourth place, while defending TA2 champion Mike Skeen placed fifth.

The series next visits WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on April 30-May 2. In the meantime, Trans Am West opens its 2021 campaign at Sonoma Raceway on April 23-25.

Did you know….? In addition to new ownership, a multi-million-dollar renovation, and a curriculum update, the storied Bondurant High Performance Driving School just got a new name: Radford Racing School. Learn more here.

Hagerty Acquires Concours D’Elegance of America

Hagerty, a brand known for its insurance coverage of classic and modern collector cars, boats, and motorcycles, announced this week its acquisition of the prestigious Concours D’Elegance of America. The Concours, held annually outside Detroit, is one of the premier classic car shows in the world.

The acquisition marks a bright spot in Hagerty’s growing automotive portfolio, as the company works on rebranding itself as a leader in the classic car lifestyle. In 2019, Hagerty assumed operation of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in Connecticut. Last year, it scooped up the California Mille vintage sports car rally.

“We’re knitting together the car community in a way no one has ever done before,” Hagerty chief executive McKeel Hagerty said. “Outstanding events like the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance get people excited about cars, and that’s what it’s all about. That’s how we’re going to save driving and car culture for future generations.”

Hagerty’s plan is to work alongside the existing Concours of America operational team to raise the event’s profile, while continuing to support local charities and boost automotive education. The 42nd annual Concours d’Elegance of America is scheduled for July 23–25 at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth Township.

Full Plate for Ford

From stalled production to debut delays, the Blue Oval has its hands full this month. Good news balances the bad, however, with exciting upgrades on the docket for the 2022 Super Duty and a very cool new pursuit truck for Ford-loving law enforcement.

Bumpy Roads

First things first: Ford reported last week that it is halting production of its highly profitable F-150 due to the ongoing microchip shortage. While the production shutdown only lasted a few days, this was a big move. As America’s best-selling pickup for more than four decades, the F-150 translates to straight money for Ford.

According to Automotive News, a company spokeswoman declined to say how much volume would be lost, but prior forecasts from the automaker indicate that “the chip shortage could shave $1 billion to $2.5 billion off 2021 profits.”

Adding insult to injury, the 2021 Ford Bronco – already delayed until June – will now face further delays because of issues with roof supplier Webasto. In fact, some hardtop roof options won’t be delivered until 2022.

To make up for the inconvenience, Ford is giving away some free swag.

Those who opted for the molded-in-color roof (or who switch their order to that option), will receive the $495 optional sound-deadening headliner for free. Those reservation holders who already purchased the upgrade will see a $495 credit on their Bronco bill. And those buyers who are willing to wait rather than compromise, could receive up to $1,000 worth of “FordPass” Rewards points which can be cashed in for aftermarket accessories or maintenance services.

Inventory crunches are likely to get worse. In addition to a global shortage of semiconductors, the recent grounding of Taiwanese-owned mega-carrier Ever Given in the Suez Canal last week halted traffic through one of the world’s busiest waterways. While now freed, the stuck ship tied up delicate supply chains, compounding an already-tricky issue.

Silver Linings

On the bright side, Ford announced some cool upgrades to the Super Duty for 2022. Meant to make the model more “functional,” they include new screens and connectivity features as well as new appearance packages.

Inside, the F-250 gains a 12-inch center touchscreen with Sync 4 as standard equipment on the Lariat and above models. The split-screen improves multitasking, while 24×7 cloud connectivity and an improved voice recognition system help consumers “raise their game and get the job done,” said Todd Eckert, Ford Truck Group Marketing manager.

New Sport and Black Appearance packages refresh the exterior. The former adds body-color bumpers, side mirrors, and grille, as well as a chrome exhaust tip and black running boards. The latter darkens the XLT trim with 20-inch Ebony Black painted premium wheels, body-color front and rear bumpers, grille bars, 6-inch Ebony Black running boards, and blacked-out Oval emblems.

Ford also recently introduced its new 2021 F-150 Police Responder.

The purpose-built, pursuit-rated pickup truck locks down capability with an enhanced top speed of 120 mph and available Police Engine Idle. This lets an officer remove the key and securely exit the running truck without losing power to lights and sirens. The vehicle also features a new automatic four-wheel-drive mode with torque-on-demand transfer case to ease transitions between on- and off-road patrolling.

Power comes from a standard 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine producing 400 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque, paired to a 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. Calibrated to meet rigorous law enforcement use, it enables speeds significantly higher than a stock F-150.

“Officers never know where the job might take them, but the all-new F-150 Police Responder provides a pickup truck option engineered to get them there faster and with greater agility than ever before,” said Greg Ebel, Ford police vehicle brand manager.

Tesla’s In-Car Cameras Raise Privacy Concerns

Another day, another reason to worry about the privacy of your personal data being collected by huge corporations. This time, it is Tesla in the hot seat.

What did the trendiest EV maker do to deserve more scrutiny? Well, to put it simply, violate driver privacy. Allow Consumer Reports (CR) to explain, as the organization is the one to bring on the heat:

“Although the majority of [driver monitoring systems] —some with cameras pointed at the driver—are designed to protect the privacy of vehicle occupants, certain Tesla vehicles now record and transmit video footage of drivers and passengers from in-car cameras.” While the automaker claims the footage is for research purposes, CR points out “the use raises privacy concerns and also potentially undermines the safety benefits of driver monitoring, which is to use cameras and software to alert drivers when they’re not paying attention to the road.”

According to Tesla, drivers have the option to disable the cabin camera – a tiny recording device placed above the rearview mirror. However, when activated, it will record video clips of moments before a crash or automatic emergency braking (AEB) activation to help the automaker “develop future safety features and software enhancements.”

Kelly Funkhouser, CR’s program manager for vehicle interface testing, says this use suggests Tesla is employing the camera for its own benefit, rather than that of drivers. “We have already seen Tesla blaming the driver for not paying attention immediately after news reports of a crash while a driver is using Autopilot,” she says. “Now, Tesla can use video footage to prove that a driver is distracted rather than addressing the reasons why the driver wasn’t paying attention in the first place.”

So what?

If you’re wondering “What’s the big deal?” there are a few things you should consider.

First, “any time video is being recorded, it can be accessed later,” says John Davisson, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. So, while there might be some legal protections around that data, there is always the possibility that it could fall into the hands of insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, safety regulators, or more malicious actors, adds Davisson.

Something tells me they don’t mention that at the dealership when you’re signing the paperwork for a shiny new Tesla…

Second, plenty of other automakers – like Subaru, Ford, GM, and BMW – all use cameras inside their cars, but none of them are recording, saving, or transmitting your data. This is because they use a “closed-loop” system. “Instead of capturing video, these systems use infrared technology to identify a driver’s eye movements or head position,” explains CR. Then, the technology can issue a series of warnings to the driver to buck up and pay attention.

Tesla, by comparison, uses steering-wheel input to determine real-time driver engagement. The problem? This safety hurdle is very easy to trick. “Just because a driver’s hands are on the wheel doesn’t mean their attention is on the road,” says Funkhouser.

Third – and perhaps most importantly – is this technology sets a scary precedent. Right now, drivers don’t have true transparency regarding what data is collected from their vehicles, how it is used, and with whom the manufacturers share it. And believe us, everyone from insurance companies to savvy urban developers wants their hands on that data to better map out products, services, estimates, and ultimately, profits.

So what can you do about it?

According to the Auto Care Association, knowledge is power. Educating yourself, your colleagues, your family, and your friends on data issues is an important first step to securing your right to privacy. The non-profit trade organization’s Vehicle Data Toolkit is an extremely comprehensive resource for both consumers and industry professionals. Yourcaryourdata.org is another great source, and includes detailed information on how you can petition Congress to give vehicle owners access to and control of the data generated from their own vehicles.

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 deep-dive on the car-loving tech company, AutoMeter, as well as some new products it has in the pipeline.