SoftBank Vision Fund To Invest Over 2 Billion In GM Cruise

The SoftBank Vision Fund will invest $2.25 billion in GM Cruise Holdings LLC, a move aimed at strengthening the company’s plans to commercialize and scale autonomous vehicle technology. General Motors will also invest $1.1 billion in GM Cruise upon closing of the SoftBank Vision Fund transaction.

“Our Cruise and GM teams together have made tremendous progress over the last two years,” explained GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Teaming up with SoftBank adds an additional strong partner as we pursue our vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.”

Increased Flexibility

The SoftBank Vision Fund’s first tranche of $900 million will come at the closing of the transaction. The second installment of $1.35 billion (with regulatory approval) will be completed by the Vision Fund when the Cruise AV vehicles are ready for commercial deployment. The SoftBank Vision Fund will then own a near 20 percent equity stake in GM Cruise. Officials say the relationship will allow increased flexibility with respect to capital allocation.

“We’re excited to be joining forces with a tech leader who shares our belief that AV technology will change the world,” said GM President Dan Ammann. “We look forward to partnering with SoftBank as we work toward deploying this technology safely and in massive scale.”

“GM has made significant progress toward realizing the dream of completely automated driving to dramatically reduce fatalities, emissions, and congestion,” added Michael Ronen, Managing Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers. “The GM Cruise approach of a fully integrated hardware and software stack gives it a unique competitive advantage.”

General Motors President Dan Ammann (left) and GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra (right) give SoftBank Investment Advisers Managing Partner Michael Ronen a closer look at the Cruise AV on Wednesday, May 30th, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Steve Fecht for General Motors.

The GM and SoftBank Vision Fund investments are expected to provide the necessary capital to reach commercialization at scale, beginning already next year. Earlier this year, GM filed a Safety Petition with the Department of Transportation for its fourth-generation self-driving Cruise AV. The petition says the Cruise AV would be the first production-ready vehicle to operate safely with no driver, steering wheel, pedals, or manual controls.

“We are very impressed by the advances made by the Cruise and GM teams, and are thrilled to help them lead a historic transformation of the automobile industry,” Ronen said.

The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.

Photos & Source: General Motors.

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2019 Acura RDX Hits Dealerships: A Brief Walk Around

The 2019 Acura RDX, which debuted at the New York International Auto Show earlier this year, has landed on the showfloor. This new RDX is the product of an extensive overhaul, being designed and built under Acura’s Precision Crafted Performance mantra. The 2019 RDX features a VTEC Turbo engine, 10-speed transmission, and an available torque vectoring all-wheel drive system.

The A-Spec variant is there for those who want a bit more flash and flare.

Design & Technology

The 2019 RDX is the first to fully encompass Acura’s new exterior and interior design language – diehard fans may remember the Acura Precision Concept and Acura Precision Cockpit – it is, in essence, a combining of those two elements. Acura opted for a more athletic stance, achieved by the longer wheelbase, shortened front overhang, and overall wider track. The brand’s signature diamond pentagon grille is seen as are the NSX-inspired front air curtains.

Authentic brushed aluminum, stainless steel, and Olive Ash wood accents grace the inside to compliment the sport seats and panoramic moonroof. Opt for the Technology Package and the Advance Package and receive a literal boatload of amenities: 16-way power adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, a 10.5-inch full-color heads-up display, birds-eye view camera, and a 16-channel, 710-watt premium audio system among others.

On-board 4GLTE Wi-Fi enables a variety of cloud-based services like emergency roadside assistance, remote locking/unlocking, stolen vehicle tracking, and geofencing. Acura’s True Touchpad Interface combines conventional touchscreen and remote-based approaches from its perch atop the center console.

Photo: Honda North America.

Power & Performance

Every cake has icing and the 2019 Acura RDX is no exception. The icing here is the direct-injected and turbocharged engine under the hood. The 2.0-liter, 16-valve powerplant with its patented DOHC VTEC valvetrain creates 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque. It’s mated to the segment’s only 10-speed automatic transmission and delivers a whopping 40 percent more low-end torque than the outgoing V6.

Where the RDX cake really gets sweet is with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, an available torque vectoring system often written as “SH-AWD.” It’s not the most creative name but we give Acura props for being blunt. SH-AWD does exactly what it says: makes the handling superb.

This next-generation SH-AWD system ups rear-wheel torque capacity 40 percent over the prior model. Now, up to 70 percent of the available torque can be distributed to the rear wheels, and up to 100 percent of that torque can be distributed to either the right-rear or left-rear wheel. This will give drivers a feeling of stability, security, and control.

Available drive modes include Snow, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+, each one changing up the overall dynamics of the vehicle to suit differing road conditions. The drive modes utilize the Drive-by-Wire throttle, transmission, electric power steering, traction and sound control, and if equipped, the SH-AWD system accordingly.

Photo: Honda North America.

Pricing & Manufacturing

The 2019 Acura RDX is available now with a starting MSRP of $38,295. The new RDX was designed at the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, California, developed in Raymond, Ohio, and is manufactured in East Liberty, Ohio.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.

2019 Acura RDX Gallery

Photos & Source: Honda North America.

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2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 8: Letters

Tony Borroz opens up what has been dubbed “The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook” for an unedited look at The Greatest Spectacle In Racing. This new series will span the days leading up to and after the 102nd Indianapolis 500. The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook is an unfiltered look and what makes the Indy 500 so alluring in the first place. 

The prologue can be found here.

Part 2: “Hey Hinchcliffe, Wanna Race? Then Go Faster!” here.

Part 3: “Carb Day” here.

Part 4: “By This Time Tomorrow” here.

Part 5: “On The Fly – Before The Green Flag” here.

Part 6: “On The Fly – Everything That Matters” here.

Part 7: “A Modest Proposal: The EV 500” here.

One of the things about being a car guy, and I’m sure this comes as no surprise, is that you become the de facto font of all car knowledge at the office, the bar-b-que or wherever. Once this year’s Indy 500 was over, I got a few emails from an old friend of mine, Blaine. We were in punk bands together and have worked off and on in the intervening years on video games and museum designs and a bunch of fun stuff. Blaine’s a great guy, but not what one would call a gearhead. Here’s what he asked:

“TB what was one of the most surprising things about this race, and what was one of the best things?”

Well, it was kind of unsurprising if you gave it some thought.

Hot & Heavy

The known parameters going in were this: completely new aero package that had never been run at these sustained speeds before AND had never been run in traffic. There weren’t many rookies, so that’s a blessing, but really, everyone was very pragmatic for the first 2/3 of the race. On top of the new aero questions, it was also hot as blazes – high 80s – so everything was going to be loose. And that follows through to most of the accidents.

Most people went out by themselves, usually in turns Two or Four; the back end would step out, the better drivers might have half-caught it, but eventually the whole thing let go and spun into one or more walls.

And one of the best things was actually two things.

The first was Alexander Rossi passing two and three-wide on the outside. That was impressive.

And the other was seeing Will Power win the thing. He seemed so relieved. I know this was his 10th try, and in retrospect, I can see it was weighing on him, like an incomplete mark on his school records.

Will Power upon winning the 102nd Indianapolis 500. Photo: Karl Zemlin.

Maybe It’s Time We Shake Up The Monaco Grand Prix?

“TB what do you think about this article? The comments of course are pretty funny, but in the serious world what do you think?”

Okay, here is an immutable fact: Monaco is a terrible place to have a car race. I don’t just mean currently, I mean it has always been a terrible venue to go racing.

That’s what makes it work, the complete batshit craziness of it all.

When he got out of his car after practicing for the first time, then-rookie Nelson Piquet was asked, “Well, what’s it like?”

“What’s it like? It’s like flying a helicopter around your goddamned living room, that’s what it’s like!”

But I get their point . . . did you know they used to race the same car at Indy that they raced on tracks like high school running tracks (1/4 mile crushed clay)? They don’t do that anymore, do they? No, they don’t, and with good reason.

What should they do at Monaco? You got me.

Indy 500 Car Leaves Pits On Fire But Extinguishes It With Speed

One more from Blaine: “The guy on the right with the fuel line is awfully casual about BEING ON FUCKING FIRE!”

Oh yeah, Zach Veach.

He could be a real problem, and I mean a problem of prodigy-esque proportions.

He’s 23-years-old, stands less than 5 foot 4, weighs around 140, and looks like a child:

Zach Veach, Twitter.

Boy Wonder

He is preternaturally fast, has tons of mechanical sympathy, and is as cool under pressure as Neil Armstrong. I am not fucking kidding.

If I was racing against him, I’d be worried.

One of these days I want to go to The 500 with someone who knows absolutely nothing about it. Somehow it makes me notice things I’d otherwise take for granted.

Part 9, which is forthcoming, will conclude the 2018 Indy 500 Notebook. 

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

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Gold standard: A Monster 1200 R with 24K Gold Accents

The Ducati Monster 1200 R is a brutal machine—and I mean that in the best way possible. With 152 hp and 125 Nm at the ready, backed up by Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes, it’s a damn near perfect hooligan machine.

Visually, it’s also surprisingly true to Miguel Galluzzi‘s original M900, even though the line is 25 years old this year. And just like the original Monster, it responds well to mild tweaking. A little Rizoma here, a little Termignoni there, and hey presto, you’ve got a really special machine on your hands.

But what happens when you leave it in the hands of a young, motivated and innovative crew of custom builders? If the crew in question is Munich’s Diamond Atelier, good things happen.

They’ve thrown a tasteful selection of trick bits at this 2017-model Monster, mixed in a few one-off touches that push it over the edge, and wrapped the frame in gold. A brave move.

The commission came from an existing Diamond Atelier customer in Frankfurt. He’d given the guys free rein on a previous build, and was so chuffed that he was willing to do it again.

“There was basically no brief,” Diamond’s Tom Konecny tells us. “Only a wish to make a great bike even better. That’s what we tried to achieve.”

There’s a lot on the 1200 R that looks exceptionally good out the box. So Diamond kept the iconic Monster tank, and parts like the front fender and headlight. But the entire tail section went in the bin, pronto.

In its place is a custom-made tailpiece, designed using CAD software before being 3D printed. A hand-stitched cowhide leather seat sits on top of it, and the whole arrangement is perched on a custom-built subframe.

Of course, reworking the rear end meant a whole lot of wiring components suddenly had nowhere to go, so Diamond had to relocate them. “But that was actually quite easy, compared to other bikes we’ve dealt with,” says Tom.

At the pointy end of the Ducati, Diamond have fitted a custom top triple clamp, along with a set of CNC’d clip-ons from Gilles Tooling. They’ve trimmed the headlight cover to accommodate them, and sunk in a set of Motogadget turn signals.

Out back, a set of discreet LEDs doubles up as turn signals and taillights. They’re supplemented by Rizoma goodies, namely the CNC-machined clutch and brake reservoirs, rear license plate holder and engine covers.

The rearsets are from Ducabike, the levers are Ducati Performance parts, and the exhaust can is a Remus slip-on.

The rework has given the Monster an even more aggressive and compact stance than before. But it’s the paint scheme that really sets it off. Diamond have cleverly redone select bits in olive green, then added not only gold leaf striping—but also a layer of 24K gold to the frame.

“One of our employees—Korbinian—is a trainee gilder who was practicing his art before joining the Diamond team,” Tom tells us. “And since a little bling-bling never hurt anyone, we were happy to test his skills on the Monster frame.”

Tom mentions that the Monster 1200 R is pretty rare in Germany, which should make this gem even more rare. And the Diamond boys plan to keep it that way. When we heard the tailpiece was 3D printed, we automatically assumed they were planning a limited production run of Monsters (like they’ve done with their Mark 2 series).

“No, this is a classic ‘DA#’ build,” Tom replies, “so it’ll stay absolutely unique, with no similar bikes planned. We are happy to take commissions on similar Ducatis though, as we have a ton of ideas which popped into our heads while we were building this.”

If we had a 1200 R in the Bike EXIF garage right now, it would already be in a crate and en route to Germany.

Diamond Atelier | Instagram | Facebook | Photos by Lukas Magerl

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Final 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Assembled

The last 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon has rolled off the line at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. The powerful muscle car is headed for an upfit center where the final stages of production will commence, which includes a hand-painted and exclusive Viper Red exterior color, the addition of 18-inch special drag radial tires, and a one-of-a-kind VIN number instrument panel.

This final Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and the last 2017 Dodge Viper will be auctioned as a pair as part of The Ultimate Last Chance program, with all proceeds benefiting the United Way.

The last 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. Photo: FCA US LLC.

Powerful Pair

The winning bidder at the June 20th-23rd Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction, held at the Mohegan Sun Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut, will own a combined 1,485 horsepower: the 840 horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and the 645 horsepower Dodge Viper with an 8.4-liter V10. Viper production concluded at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit last summer, although rumors are swirling about the Viper’s return.

The last production 2017 Dodge Viper is styled in homage to the first-generation Viper RT/10. The car (VIN ending in 731948) features exterior carbon fiber accents, black Alcantara leather seats, and a special authenticity kit.

While the Viper had a 25-year run, production of the Challenger SRT Demon was limited to just one year and 3,300 units.

The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.

Photos & Source: FCA US LLC.

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