ON THE TABLE - JUNE 18, 2014

Editor-in-Chief's Note: There are now officially two GMs. No, I'm not talking about the "old" discarded GM from the bankruptcy and the reborn company, I'm talking about the management superstructure led by Mary Barra and her team, who are head down in the endless ignition recall controversy, and the rest of the company trying to keep the whole enterprise going. CEO Mary Barra appears in Washington today to get her prearranged flogging at the hands of the mewling members of Congress, who can't pass up this golden opportunity to get some quality TV time so that they can grandstand and pontificate for the cameras - with pithy quotes prepared by hordes of young, eager-to-please staffers - to their hearts' content while Ms. Barra says over and over again, "I will not rest" until the company's internal cultural problems are permanently fixed and GM builds the safest vehicles in the world, bar none. Meanwhile and ironically enough, right now GM is building the best vehicles in its history, and Mark Reuss, GM's True Believer in Chief, has had a lot to do with that. Mark leads the team of True Believers who are focusing on the real business of the company, which is to design, engineer and build the best vehicles they can possibly bring to market, but his attention has been diverted by the recall mess to say the least, as Ms. Barra piles on more stuff for him to worry about. So in the interim Reuss has to rely on his team to keep the ball moving down the field. Where this merry-go-round will stop no one really knows, but mess is the proper word for it. If GM's True Believers can persevere through all of this and stay focused, the company will be pointed in the right direction when the company finally emerges from this terrible situation. If not, watch out. - PMD

(Images courtesy of Nissan)
Nissan has revealed the NISSAN CONCEPT 2020 Vision Gran Turismo, a vision of what a high-performance Nissan could look like in the future. It was created through close collaboration with the creators of Gran Turismo®, Polyphony Digital Inc., the legendary PlayStation® driving franchise. The NISSAN CONCEPT 2020 Vision Gran Turismo was a dream project for a team of young designers at Nissan Design Europe, in London, England, who were given free rein to create their idea of a "blue sky" supercar for their own Gran Turismo fantasy garage. Automotive enthusiasts will be able to download the new machine in Gran Turismo®6 in July, just as they did with the NISSAN GT-R and Skylines from earlier episodes of the historic franchise.

(Images courtesy of Bentley)
Bentley has just announced the arrival of the new Continental GT3-R. Inspired by the new Continental GT3 race car, the Continental GT3-R "is a highly exclusive and unique interpretation of performance-focused luxury," according to the automaker. It will be hand-built in Crewe and finished in Bentley’s Motorsport division and will be limited to just 300 examples. Bentley engineers have developed a tweaked version of the company’s race-proven, high performance 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 for this new two-seater GT, developing 580 PS (572 bhp / 426 kW) and 700 Nm of torque. Together with a 100 kg weight reduction and shorter gearing, the Continental GT3-R is the fastest-accelerating Bentley ever, capable of reaching 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.6 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.8 secs). The exterior of the hottest Bentley has a new front splitter and a new fixed rear wing, both finished in carbon fiber. Inspired by the Continental GT3 racer, the bonnet incorporates two vents to improve the cooling capacity of the powertrain system for repeated accelerations. All the cars will be finished in Glacier White paint with two-tone green graphics that trace the two power lines on the side profile of the car – one leading backwards from the front wheel, the other on the Continental GT’s iconic rear haunch. The headlamp bezels, matrix grille, window surrounds and bumper strips are all finished in gloss black. The Continental GT3-R comes with all-new lightweight 21” wheels, machine-forged from high-strength alloy and finished in gloss black.

Typical of the Bentley motif, the Continental GT3-R has a unique two-seat cabin handcrafted from carbon fiber, Alcantara® and the finest leather. The bespoke sporting seats are finished in Beluga black leather with diamond-quilted Alcantara® and have additional side support through deeper bolsters, including newly designed foam layers for comfort. This material is also hand-trimmed to the steering wheel and gear shifter, while the center console and fascia panels are handcrafted in carbon fiber. The sculpted door casings are also made of carbon fiber and include diamond-quilted Alcantara® inner panels. In place of the rear seats is a new uniquely trimmed rear cabin, complete with a carbon fiber surround and yes, also finished in leather and Alcantara®. Contrasting the Beluga leather and motorsport-inspired materials is a vivid accent green, used as a hide colour on the seats, instrument panel and door panels and in contrast stitching throughout the seats and diamond-quilted areas. GT3-R badging adorns the centre console, passenger-side fascia panel and sill treadplates, while the seats receive GT3-R stitching to the headrests in contrast-green thread.

The Continental GT3-R is designed to provide aggressive dynamics while retaining a level of refinement for everyday use. Air springs and dampers use a development of the sports-tuned setup from the Continental V8 S, while lightweight forged 21” wheels and high-grip Pirelli tires deploy the torque-vectored power output of the engine. A sport-tuned Electronic Stability Control program is included as well, and Bentley says that the suspension package "offers a Continental with a new level of handling dynamics and turn-in agility, while both the chassis and powertrain respond immediately to throttle inputs." The highest performance Bentley features a Carbon Silicon Carbide (CSiC) braking system, including 420 mm front discs with 8-piston calipers finished in eye-catching green paint, and 356 mm rear discs. Purchase of the Bentley Continental GT3-R includes free standard servicing for four years (at the 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 mile marks). Deliveries are to start late in 2014. How much? They aren't saying yet but suffice to say, it will be s-t-e-e-p.

Editor-in-Chief's's Note: For our "Quick Take" this week we're in a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ 4WD. Every time I get in one of these massive SUVs I marvel at the engineering involved. To get this much mass to feel like an Impala with a foot of ground clearance is an amazing feat. It's also why so many people out there in the real world opt for these rigs for everyday driving, even though they only use the space and capability sporadically. And though the Tahoe is not my cup of automotive tea specifically, I respect the thorough and detailed engineering that runs through it. And there's no disputing the fact that it drives amazingly well in terms of steering, braking and ride and handling feel, despite its heft. I couldn't imagine a better tow vehicle for your vintage racer - except for maybe the even bigger Suburban - than a Tahoe. As we say around here at AE, "drive what you like and like what you drive." The freedom of choice is one of the reasons we live here, and if a vehicle the size of the Tahoe suits your needs, then by all means go for it. But $69,000? Uh, wow.  - PMD

2015 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ 4WD: $69,130 ($62,000 Base Price; Crystal Red Metallic, $495; Cocoa/Mahogany interior, $295; 5.3-liter V8 with Active Fuel Management, variable valve timing and direct fuel-injection (E85 capable) with 355HP and 383 lbs-ft of torque; Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission; Electric power steering and four-wheel antilock disc brakes with Duralife rotors; StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation technology; Magnetic Ride Control suspension package; Fully automatic locking rear differential; 3.08 rear axle ratio; Front and read park assist; Single speed transfer case; Trailering equipment; High intensity discharge headlamps with lamp control; Front fog lamps; Rain sensing windshield wipers; Power heated outside mirrors, adjustable, with turn signal; Luggage rack side rails; Passive entry system including remote keyless entry; 20" polished aluminum wheels; 17" steel spare wheel; Power rear liftgate with programmable height setting; Leather appointed front bucket seats; Memory settings for driver seat, pedals, steering column and side mirrors; Power seat adjuster, driver and front passenger; Heated and cooled seats, driver and front passenger; 2nd row bucket seats with power release; Heated 2nd row seats; 3rd row 60/40 split-bench seats with power fold flat; Keyless start and remote vehicle start; Heated steering wheel, etc.; Sun, Entertainment, Destination package - Power sunroof, Chevrolet MYLINK audio system with 8" diagonal color touch screen and navigation, Rear seat entertainment, additional nine months XM Radio - $3255.00; Adaptive cruise control, $1,695; Max trailering package - Rear axle, 3.42 ratio, Trailer brake controller, 2-speed transfer case - $500; Theft deterrent system including self-powered horn, vehicle inclination sensor, interior vehicle movement sensor, $395; Destination charge, $995)

Adherence to Brand Image: Chevrolet SUVs have enjoyed a great run in this market for a long, long time. The Suburban and Tahoe still deliver what buyers in the segment look for and despite all of the hand-wringing going on within GM right now over the rush redesign of its Chevy pickups, the Tahoe is a solid, winning piece. And even though it is indeed pricey, it nails Chevy's brand image perfectly. - PMD

Letter from L.A.

By Tom Pease

Beverly Hills.  Every Father’s Day for the past 21 years, the blocks of Rodeo Drive between Wilshire and “little” Santa Monica are closed to vehicular traffic for the Rodeo Drive Concours, a display of the most amazing collection of vehicles you'll ever see. This year’s theme was “100 Years of Horsepower,” this being the Centennial of the incorporation of Beverly Hills as a city separate from Los Angeles. It would take me about a year to actually list all of the vehicles on display, which range from a 1908 Wells Fargo horse-drawn wagon all the way up to the 2015 Mustang, with everything in between. Highlights included a 1914 Rolls Silver Ghost limousine, the 1928 Ahrens-Fox GN-80-4 that was used back in the day by the Beverly Hills Fire Department, a 1930 Isotta-Fraschini 8A Flying Star, a 1935 Bugatti type 575C, a 1949 Maserati (the honored marque this year, also celebrating its 100^th birthday) A6/1500, a 1957 Dual-Ghia, a 1963 Ferrari 250GT Lusso, a 1971 Lamborghini Espada, as well as new cars from Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini and others. One of the more interesting exhibits was staffed by the group Beverly Hills Heritage (full disclosure: I volunteer for the group so I might be a bit biased), chronicling the history of the short-lived Beverly Hills Speedway. In operation only four years, it was built in 1919 on 275 acres in the Southwest section of Beverly Hills, land that’s now home to the Beverly Wilshire and Peninsula hotels, Saks, Barney’s and Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills High as well as multi-million dollar homes. The 1.25 mile track with its high-banked turns allowed racers to go faster than Indianapolis. Speed records were shattered there and racer Gaston Chevrolet lost his life there on lap 146 of a 200 lap race, yet due to the points he accumulated still won. Unfortunately for the operators, by 1924 the northern half of Beverly Hills was seeing heavy development and it was decided that the land under it was far more valuable than the track. The property was sold at $10,000 per acre and the track was moved to Culver City. By 1928 the Beverly Wilshire would be completed. I have way too many photos to try to foist them off on this site, but here are a few of them. You can see the rest on my personal blog pansysrants.blogspot.com.

If you happen to be in the L.A. area next Father’s Day, you’d be nuts not to come and see this free event, which Frommer’s selected as one of its 300 Unmissable Events.