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Scrapple, Your Guide To The “meh”-Worthy News! This Week: Hindsight Is 20/20, Isn’t It, Cadillac?


Scrapple, Your Guide To The “meh”-Worthy News! This Week: Hindsight Is 20/20, Isn’t It, Cadillac?

Racing is going on EVERYWHERE! Pick a track, drive to it, and enjoy the sights and sounds of machines getting pushed to the limit. Or you can look up a road trip…Chad’s out on Cars and Cones as I type, and there’s plenty more going on in the future. Watch, get involved, get behind the wheel…just get out there and enjoy it! Meanwhile, start your day off right with some of the best tidbits from the news stream that were worth roasting a slight bit before delivering to you. Enjoy!

1. GHEDOUTTAHEAH!

Starting June 27th, 2018, all of the roads that go through Central Park in New York from 72nd Street on will be pedestrian travel paths only…automobiles are verboten excepting Parks Department vehicles and emergency services. Park-goers, environmentalists and urban re-thinkers celebrate. Cab drivers have words for mayor Bill deBlasio, and I’m sure they’ll have more than just a Bronx cheer lined up and waiting should he be within earshot.

2. “More fun and approachable!”

Volkswagen is coming to terms with the fact that right now they have a bit of an image issue. It might have something to do with a bunch of rabid fanboys in GTIs, or maybe there’s a bit of the old hippie mystique that smells of stale…um, shrubbery…or it might have to do with the fact that they have pretty much screwed over the concept of the diesel engine for just about everyone. What do you do to fix those kinds of problems? Change the logo! Reportedly, the company believes that they have been “too German” and that must be scaring off buyers. We don’t think that’s such a good idea…last time they tried to re-work their image, we got the creepy-ass “Unpimp Ze Auto” guy flashing VW gang signs at the TV.

3. Mustang News!The Mustang’s birthday was celebrated in the proper manner (tire frying), by the rivals over at Chevrolet, and with some teasers for what’s coming up next. The replacement for the S550 car is expected to debut early next decade, will sport a plug-in hybrid version (confirmed by Ford for 2019), and is toying with an all-wheel-drive variant. Meanwhile, the upcoming Shelby GT500 is still on track, aiming for a spot between Hellcat and Demon.

4. Cadillac boat-rocking
While we are on the subject of brand identity issues, let’s look at Cadillac for a moment. Things have been interesting over there this week: for starters, GM shoved Johan de Nysschen out of the door in favor of Steve Carlisle, the former president and managing director of GM Canada. Why this happened could be pinned down to one of two things: a lack of SUVs and a very impatient parent company who knows that they are missing out on the breadbox boom, and/or possibly some seething anger that involves the prototypes that stole hearts and opened wallets in vain attempts that never saw the light of day. Cars like the Ciel, El Miraj (pictured) and Escala proved that Cadillac could still make a jaw-dropping halo model that didn’t have the ability to haul a giant flat-screen and three screaming brats with you wherever you went.

5. Duck and cover from this one…

Global Rallycross is done for 2018. Let’s just say that it’s a very messy situation, the courts are involved, people claim that GRC hasn’t paid some bills, and that at least one manufacturer is being sued by the GRC folks because they bailed out before the fertilizer really hit the fan. Read up on all of the details by Clicking Here.


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