The News Wheel
No Comments

Car News In the Rearview: Jeeps from China and Ford GTs

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page

Welcome to In the Rearview, where if you missed any of the week’s top car news, you are in luck, because here it is once again!

First up this week, it seems that Chinese companies are sniffing around Fiat Chrysler’s doors, as rumors are making the rounds that FCA may be bought up by an automaker from the world’s biggest car market. This is also bringing some hand-wringing that Jeep, always the archetypal American car, could take a sales hit from being owned by a Chinese company, but I doubt it. I mean, nobody cares that it’s owned by Italians right now, right?

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

Speaking of FCA, it seems to be the center of much speculation this week, as more rumors have surfaced that the company might spin off Alfa Romeo and Maserati like it did Ferrari, but I doubt this would happen anytime soon, first because this isn’t the first time I have heard this rumor, and second because FCA just dropped some serious dough to reintroduce Alfa Romeo to the US, and announced that Maserati would shortly start changing direction to make some electric sports cars.

Ford GT '67 Heritage Edition

Then, speaking of things I, as a lowly car writer, won’t ever get to drive, Ford has introduced yet another Ford GT Heritage Edition to celebrate its Le Mans victories in the 1960s, though this time it’s the 67 version, rather than the 66. So, I guess, upgrade?

Ford Patent Application for Removable Steering Wheel

From there, we stick with Ford, as the brand seems to be gearing up to make its self-driving cars to the level of “And don’t touch it” by patenting a system that could replace a removable steering wheel and pedals with an airbag-equipped module.

Toyota Cloaking Device Patent

However, Toyota had Ford beat in cool patents this week, because it submitted one where the brand proposed using cloaking device technology to make your super-thick and vision-blocking car pillars disappear.

Who is the grandma Buick commercial

Changing gears, though, we solved one of the great mysteries of our time this past week, by answering the question, “Who was that Grandma from the Buick Envision commercial? Was it Diane Keaton? I’m pretty sure it was Diane Keaton.” According to our writer, it isn’t but I and a small, dedicated band of Keaton Envision truthers believe.

Mitsubishi Motors Eclipse Cross: First Contact

Finally, if you just emerged from your underground bunker, you might be surprised to hear that there was a solar eclipse this week, where there moon’s shadow swept across the mainland United States, and there was no way that Mitsubishi, with its newest crossover, the Eclipse Cross, wasn’t going to jump on that prime opportunity. It had a marketing event, with “social media influencers” from 10 countries watching the Eclipse over the Eclipse, while the Eclipse recorded the Eclipse on its backup camera. The livestream is on the automaker’s YouTube channel, but don’t let the Eclipse distract you from the Eclipse!