GM announces onboard AT&T 4G LTE in select 2015 models

By Nick Jaynes February 25, 2013

Chevy MyLink

General Motors has been making big pushes to modernize its vehicles with impressive levels of technology – most of which are oriented toward infotainment. The $15,000 Chevrolet Spark with MyLink is an excellent example. Traditionally having been behind the times, GM’s new-found tech savvy attitude is still a bit hard to swallow but we like the move it’s making toward vehicle connectiv.

GM and AT&T announced this morning that the two companies are combining forces for 2014 to provide “most 2015 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models available in 2014 in the United States” with 4G LTE embedded mobile broadband, according to a GM press release.

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General Motors will join the likes of Audi and Kia in offering onboard Wi-Fi.

Delightfully, the GM set up will not require users to own a smartphone in order to make use of the hotspot feature. This comes in stark contrast to the MyLink system in the Spark, which does require a smartphone app to run navigation and other features.

We’re glad to see high-speed Internet make its way GM cars. This integral next step in connectivity opens up the door for a lot of formerly unattainable new technologies, including advanced owner-to-car communication. We can only assume that GM’s connectivity strategy will open the door for many new cloud-based apps.

The Audi system, like that found in the 2013 Allroad, allows for connection of up to eight devices. GM has not identified how many paired devices its AT&T-powered system will allow for.

We reached out to a GM representative to find out if this new feature would be standard or if it would be an optional upgrade, however, we have have yet to receive any confirmation one way or the other.We presume that it will be an optional extra and will also require a monthly AT&T contract. Most likely, however, GM will cover that monthly bill for at least the first few years.

GM says it is currently working with other mobile companies to provide similar services in other markets. If you’re not an AT&T fan in the US – and you still want a GM – it looks like you’re stuck for now.

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Cars

Ferrari’s all-new California T is a stunning topless, turbocharged Italian supercar

ferrari unveils new california t first turbocharged since f40 140010 car

What you see above is the all-new 2015 Ferrari California T. And it’s significant for a whole host of reasons. Not only is the new model far better looking than its predecessor (the best-selling Ferrari of all-time), it’s also Ferrari’s first forced-induction model since the F40.
The California T is motivated by a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 that makes 552 horsepower and 557 pound-feet of torque. These numbers are quite significant, too. Power is up 62 horses and torque is up 49 percent over the current California. All that power – when routed through the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission – is good for a 0 to 62 mph sprint in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph.
This isn’t grandpa’s California anymore. The steering ratio is up 50 percent and – thanks to beefier brakes – a slamming stop from 62 mph is accomplished in 111.5 feet. This sort of stopping force is enough to cause you to see through time, albeit for a split second.
The interior is a bit more refined than the last model, too. It features a 6.5-inch touch screen, which will offer Apple Carplay. Notably, Ferrari will be one of the first global automakers to offer the new Apple-based infotainment system.
Also on that dash you’ll see a Turbo Response gauge, which is a bit easier for your trophy wife to comprehend than a turbo boost meter. Also, when you take her out for a top-down shopping spree, the new hardtop folding roof allows for more trunk space than ever before.
Don’t balk at a turbo’d California. Ferrari claims the new turbos allow for a 15-percent increase in efficiency, which equates to a 29.6 mpg rating on the European drive cycle.
Although the official debut of the California T doesn’t happen until the Geneva Motor Show next month, Buyers will be able to place their turbocharged orders starting in March.

Cars

Audi’s RS 4 Avant Nogaro commemorates 20 years of RS (and you can’t have one)

audi rs 4 avant nogaro to debut at 2014 geneva motor show feature

Twenty years ago, Audi launched the RS 2 Avant wagon, the first in what is today a wide range of RS performance models designed to take on the best from BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG.
To commemorate the anniversary, Audi will produce a special edition of the RS 2 Avant's spiritual successor: The Audi RS 4 Nogaro, which is set to debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in March - and should do its ancestor proud.
Like the RS 2, the commemorative RS 4 will only be available in Nogaro Blue, a special color originally meant to reference Frank Biela's two victories on the Nogaro circuit in the 1993 French Touring Car Championship.
While the two wagons may share the same paint color, a lot has changed over the past 20 years.
The RS 2 Avant had a 2.2-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine, which produced 315 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque. Assembled at Porsche's Rossle-Zau plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany, it could do 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds, and had a top speed of 163 mph.
Today's RS 4 Avant has a naturally-aspirated 4.2-liter V8, good for 459 hp and 317 lb-ft. It will do 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 174 mph.
Besides its historic blue paint, the RS 4 Nogaro gets gloss-black trim for the grille, window slots, and exhaust tips. There's also matte-black trim on the roof rails.
The black-and-blue theme continues on the inside, with an interior decorated with black Valcona leather and blue Alcantara. Carbon inlays with a special blue thread finish off the upgrades.
Since the regular RS 4 Avant isn't sold in the United States, the Nogaro won't be either. That means it will probably become just as rare and desirable to U.S. enthusiasts as the original RS 2 Avant.

Cars

Despite a glimmer of hope, GM’s Australian arm, Holden, will end production in 2017

gm to end holden production in 2017 2013 vf commodore ss

Although it looked like the Australian government would rally to save Holden and its domestically-produced cars, General Motors will shut down production in 2017.
Holden will stop producing cars in Australia and instead import models shared with other GM brands, News.com.au reports.
Currently, even cars that aren't unique to the Australian market - such as the re-badged Cruze compact sedan - are produced there, an economically unfavorable situation for GM because of higher production costs and a strong Australian dollar.
Holden has been the second bestselling brand in Australia (behind Toyota) for about 10 years, but is on track to post its lowest sales numbers in 20 years, and has been overtaken by Mazda, Hyundai, and Nissan.
Holden follows the lead of rival Ford, which announced earlier this year that it will end Australian production in 2016. Toyota may also stop producing cars there.
The death of the Aussie-made GM car will leave a big hole in many enthusiasts' hearts.
Australia is essentially the last bastion of the muscle car; as in the United States, the classic Australian car is big, rear-wheel drive and has a V8 under the hood. Cars like the current Holden VF Commodore are still surprisingly mainstream in Oz.
Over the years, GM has tried to capitalize on this by importing various Holdens to the U.S. The Monaro became the 2004 Pontiac GTO, the VE Commodore became the 2008 Pontiac G8, and different versions of the VF Commodore is currently sold as the Chevrolet SS sports sedan and Caprice PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle) cop car.
The Holden shutdown timeline coincides with the end of the current Commodore's model cycle, and it's unlikely GM will continue to build such a car anywhere but Australia. The trend among GM and other automakers is to homogenize vehicle lines, offering the same cars in different global markets. There just isn't any room in that strategy for a car like the Commodore, or the fantastic car-truck Ute.
So, along with Holden's Australian-made cars, the automotive world will lose a little bit of variety in 2017 ... and a lot of rear-drive V8 dynamism.
Thanks to Mark Beare for the tip!