ON THE TABLE - AUGUST 13, 2014

Consumer Reports. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The holier-than-thou consumer-oriented publication has canonized the Tesla Model S from the outset, anointing it with such praise that all sense of propriety - and rationality - was completely lost somewhere along the way. Consumer Reports ranked the Model S best among all cars on the market in its annual survey of vehicles on U.S. roads last fall. And just over a year ago - in May 2013 - the magazine of automotive pomposity rated the Tesla sedan a 99 out of a possible 100 points, the best rating it has ever awarded an automobile. Now, they're back tracking like a bunch of third-rate lawyers while changing their tune, admitting that the Tesla Model S has had "more than its share of problems." Really? After setting the mainstream media afire and dumping on every other auto manufacturer in the process, the magazine is now singing a different tune? What a bunch of unmitigated bullshit. You can read the laundry list of problems they encountered with their Tesla Model S on their website if you feel like it, but suffice to say that if an "old" American auto manufacturer racked up those kinds of problems the magazine would have crucified it with such glee that it would become a national punching bag for everything wrong about American cars overnight. The real problem in all of this is that the auto manufactures place far too much weight on anything CR says, because the publication has - despite their steadfast insistence otherwise - their own set of biases and predictable proclivities as deep-seated as any other auto publication out there. The manufacturers need to stop giving CR a free pass, because they don't deserve it in the least. As for the casual consumers who believe automobiles are no different from refrigerators, overestimating their ability to discern the bullshit from the good stuff is not a value-added activity. - PMD

(Cadillac/newspressUSA)
Cadillac has taken the wraps off of its 2015 Escalade. Highlights include 4G LTE connectivity with a WiFi hotspot capable of connecting up to seven devices and inductive wireless device charging, a new 8-speed automatic transmission and a Surround View camera system to help increase visibility. Pushing its "private jet for the road" premise, the top-of-the-line Cadillac Escalade Platinum - which is coming at the end of the year -  has hand-crafted luxury additions and upgrades including the use of premium materials within the Escalade’s cut and sewn interior (above). First- and second-row seats are wrapped in Nappa semi-aniline leather, while the dashboard, upper door panels and center console are clad in hand-stitched and hand-wrapped leather. Customers can choose between two distinct interior environments, each paired with sueded microfiber headliner trim and unique exotic wood accents. Plus a bunch of other stuff comes standard on the Platinum too. Escalade Platinum models have 22-inch wheels, chrome accents, Platinum exterior badging, and a unique grille mesh design. The Escalade’s starting price in the U.S. is $73,965, including destination. The 2015 Escalade Platinum is priced from $90,270, including $995 in destination.

(Images courtesy of Jaguar/newspressUSA)
Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations has unveiled its continuation Lightweight E-Type. The hand-built machine is created by skilled Jaguar craftsmen in a new Jaguar Heritage workshop at Browns Lane in England. The new workshop is now open to offer service and restoration of classic Jaguar models.

The new Lightweight E-Type will be produced by Jaguar Heritage, which operates within the Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations division.

Six customer Lightweight E-Type vehicles will be built, each will be assigned one of the remaining chassis numbers originally allocated in 1963 to the intended 18-car "Special GT E-Type" project, of which just 12 were built.

The specification includes an aluminum body shell, doors, trunk lid, hardtop and hood, and is made to original standards.

The cars will be sold as period competition vehicles and all will be suitable for FIA homologation for historic motorsport purposes.

The classic six-cylinder XK engine features an aluminum block, "wide angle" aluminum cylinder head and dry sump lubrication.

Only twelve of the original Lightweight E-Type vehicles were built, all but one leaving the Jaguar Browns Lane competition department in 1963 (the last car was delivered in 1964). A prototype Lightweight E-Type - "Car Zero'"- has been completed and will be revealed on August 14th at the opening reception of the Pebble Beach automotive weekend, the world's most prestigious classic car event.

(Dodge/newspressUSA)
Dodge is going all-in with the 2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT. The 707 horsepower sedan delivers an NHRA-certified quarter mile elapsed time of 11.0 seconds on street tires, 0 - 100 - 0 in under 13 seconds and a top speed of 204 miles per hour, according to the manufacturer, making "the world’s only four-door muscle car" the quickest, fastest and most powerful sedan ever built. To help deliver that kind of performance, the Charger Hellcat SRT features a segment-first three mode TorqueFlite heavy-duty eight-speed automatic transmission capable of delivering fuel-efficient street driving and maximum performance track driving with 160 millisecond shifts with rev-matching, the largest brakes ever offered in a Chrysler Group vehicle – 15.4-inch Brembo two-piece rotors with six-piston calipers - 20 x 9.5-inch wide forged aluminum wheels with Pirelli P Zero performance tires and an adaptive damping three-mode suspension. The new SRT Performance Pages allow drivers to tailor the driving experience by controlling horsepower, transmission shift speeds, paddle shifters, traction and suspension. Two key fobs – one black and one red - are part of the package. The red fob unlocks all 707 horsepower. Yee-Ha!

(Dodge/newspressUSA)
New interior design elements include an SRT three-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel, 7-inch reconfigurable digital gauge cluster, 8.4-inch touchscreen, Nappa leather and Alcantara suede seating, premium materials and a choice of four new trim and color combinations. Other Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat features include the available Uconnect Access system, Uconnect Access Services with roadside assistance, theft-alarm notification, voice texting, new 3-D navigation and the ability to turn the Charger into a Wi-Fi hotspot.

(Dodge/newspressUSA)
Dodge and SRT designers tweaked nearly every body panel with functional performance cues, including heat extractors in the hood, unique front and rear fascias, and LED lighting in both front and rear. The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat will be built at the Brampton (Ont.) Assembly plant. Production is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2015.

(Images courtesy of Toyota)
Toyota has revealed a second interior styling and exterior color for an upscale interpretation of its FT-1 sports car concept. Developed by Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, California, the concept vehicle’s graphite exterior paint and light, saddle-colored leather went on display for the first time at the Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival gala held on California’s Monterey Peninsula Wednesday evening. “From the start of the FT-1 project, we wanted the driver to have a feeling of flow while at the wheel – to be able to focus on the road and nothing else,” said Sellene Lee, the Calty creative designer who proposed both color concepts. “In the color studio we help create the atmosphere of the vehicle, and our aim was to ensure everything supported the driver through efficient choices."

"The saddle leather maintains that same ‘in the zone’ driving intention, while bringing in a more premium feeling. From color and trim standpoint in the FT-1, there was a laser-like focus on staying true to function,” said Wendy Lee, studio chief designer at Calty. “This project was very special, as the FT-1 stands apart in its performance-driven, authentic purpose.” Sellene Lee moved away from the typical stitching or piping edge treatment found in many vehicle interiors. The painted red edges on the welded leather and painted brown edges on the second FT-1 were inspired by high-end leather bags she found in an upscale department store. When drivers sit in FT-1, they can feel the difference in materials, textures and color choices that resulted from the team’s work.

Two new versions of the FT-1 will be available in September for download virtually inside Gran Turismo 6 (GT6), the latest iteration of the best-selling racing franchise exclusively on PlayStation®3. Like the red FT-1 introduced in January, the graphite FT-1 concept roars onto the Gran Turismo 6 racetrack as a downloadable vehicle for a limited time. Additionally, in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Gran Turismo series, Calty has also designed an ultra high-performance race version of the FT-1 that inside the game is called the FT-1 “Vision GT.” This high-powered version interprets what a full-race FT-1 might do on the track. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuXFyCHp59w