Chevrolet recently announced ­­­­it is resuming the exclusive Engine Build Experience for Corvette Z06 customers – the only program of its kind for supercar customers. Starting in March, Corvette Z06 customers will be able to assemble the 650-hp supercharged LT4 engine for their cars at the new Performance Build Center inside the Bowling Green Assembly Plant.

“Chevrolet recognizes the passion customers have for Corvette and the Engine Build Experience offers them a truly unique opportunity for hands-on involvement in the creation of the heart of their new car,” said Harlan Charles, Corvette product manager. “It’s a chance to bond with their [vehicle].”

The Engine Build Experience is selected with order code PBC and is offered on all Z06 trim levels. The $5,000 package includes a full day with a Performance Build Center engine assembly technician who instructs and oversees the build, a personalized engine plaque identifying the owner/builder and the date of the engine build, and professional photography of the experience.

After the order is submitted, personnel from the National Corvette Museum will handle concierge services for the customer, following up on the scheduled build date and handling logistics on the day of the build. The customer is responsible for travel costs to Bowling Green and lodging. Upon completion, the engine moves to the vehicle assembly area of the plant, where it will be installed with the scheduled assembly of the customer’s Z06.

“It’s important for customers to understand their engine won’t be installed the day after they build it,” said Charles. “It will flow into the scheduling process for vehicle assembly, which depends on a number of logistical variables.”

Customers can catch their Corvette being assembled through a special tour organized by the National Corvette Museum. They can also opt for Museum Delivery (order code R8C), which personalizes the buying experience with delivery at the National Corvette Museum, located across the road from the Bowling Green Assembly Plant. The assembly line tour and Museum Delivery are available for Corvette Stingray and Z06 customers.

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Ford continues as America’s best-selling vehicle brand for the fifth consecutive year and the F-Series remains the best-selling vehicle for the 33rd straight year (as well as best-selling truck for the 38th year in row as 2014 U.S. sales results are tallied).

Ford Motor Company’s U.S. sales totaled 2,480,942 vehicles in 2014, flat versus a year ago, primarily due to the all-new F-150 changeover and a planned 15 percent reduction in daily rental sales. Sales totaled 220,671 vehicles in December, up 1 percent from a year ago and the company’s best December sales since 2005.

“Fusion and Escape posted record years, and our newest products, including Mustang and Transit and Lincolns, are attracting strong customer demand,” said John Felice, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “Demand for the all-new F-150 also is very high, and it now is the fastest-turning vehicle in Ford showrooms, averaging just five days on dealer lots in December.”

F-Series sales were 74,355 vehicles in December and 753,851 vehicles for all of 2014. Escape sales increased 5 percent in December versus a year ago, totaling 25,603 vehicles, for its best-ever December performance with record full-year sales of 306,212 vehicles. Fusion also achieved record performance for the year, with sales of 306,860 cars.

Explorer sales totaled 16,632 vehicles in December, up 6 percent from a year ago, making 2014 Explorer’s best sales performance since 2005, with 189,339 utilities sold.

Sales of the all-new Mustang continue climbing, with December sales of 9,511 vehicles, a 66 percent increase from a year ago. With sales increases coming in all regions of the country, Mustang posted its best December sales since 2006. Lincoln sales of 9,690 vehicles were up 21 percent versus last December for the brand’s best December results since 2009. For the full year, Lincoln sales were up 16 percent, with 94,474 vehicles sold, making it Lincoln’s best year since 2008. MKC reached its best monthly sales since launch, with 2,310 sold. Navigator sales increased 90 percent in December, with 1,792 utilities sold.

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The Jeep brand recorded sales of more than 1 million units across the globe in 2014, setting a new all-time record for the third consecutive year.  Sales of 1,017,019 Jeep vehicles bettered the brand’s 2013 record of 731,565 by 39 percent.

“While achieving 1 million vehicle sales in 2014 was certainly a milestone, 2015 will be a transformational year in the globalization of the brand, as we begin local manufacturing in Brazil and return to local manufacturing in China after an absence of nearly a decade,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO of Jeep Brand.  “We will strive,” he added, “to continue our sales momentum in 2015 with a full lineup of capable and efficient SUVs, including the all-new 2015 Jeep Renegade, as it arrives in showrooms in markets around the world.”

In addition to its 39 percent global increase, Jeep sales rose 41 percent in the U.S. in 2014, with a record 692,348 total sales. Jeep vehicle sales were led globally and in the U.S. by Grand Cherokee (279,567 global; 183,786 U.S.), Cherokee (236,289 global; 178,508 U.S.), Wrangler (234,579 global; 175,328 U.S.), Compass (134,629 global; 61,264 U.S.), and Patriot (122,387 global; 93,462 U.S.).

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GM Ventures is optimistic that its 2012 equity investment in Silicon Valley-based startup Tula Technology, Inc. will result in a revolutionary new fuel economy technology that could be deployed in future gasoline engine-powered General Motors’ vehicles.

Tula’s Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) technology integrates advanced digital signal processing with sophisticated powertrain controls to create a software-based approach to variable displacement engines. The result makes the most of vehicle fuel economy across a wide range of driving conditions.

Instead of relying on fixed cylinder deactivation or switching between fixed patterns like current multi-cylinder engines, Tula’s DSF technology continuously makes dynamic firing decisions on an individual cylinder basis to deliver the required engine torque for all vehicle speeds and loads while avoiding vibration.

Independent testing commissioned by Tula shows that the application of DSF technology can improve fuel efficiency in a multi-cylinder engine (4/6/8 cylinders) by as much as 15 percent when compared to a vehicle equipped with an engine that does not have cylinder deactivation.

“This technology holds the potential to improve fuel economy on select GM vehicles without degrading power capability when it’s required,” said Jon Lauckner, GM chief technology officer, vice president of Global R&D and president of GM Ventures. “This joint effort combines software expertise from Silicon Valley with powertrain expertise from General Motors.”

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Mecum Auctions presented MidAmerica’s 24th annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction Jan. 8-10, 2015 at South Point Casino and Exhibit Hall in Las Vegas. This is the most anticipated antique motorcycle auction of the year; the three-day event is open to all and drew participants from all 50 states and around the world. This year they had a record 750 antique and collector motorcycles cross the auction block, spanning a full century of production from 1903 to 2003.

The auction featured no less than 10 private collections from some of the hobby’s well-known enthusiasts. Among them, an assemblage of 40 motorcycles from The Shane Van Pelt Collection, as well as a great selection from the personal collection of Don Andress, owner and operator of the Las Vegas Harley-Davidson dealership. The David Silver Spares Collection and The Buddy Stubbs Collection also crossed the auction block.

Other main-attraction consignments included a 1966 Harley-Davidson CRTT (Lot S77), documented as having been ridden by National Champion Racer Mert Lawwill. The bike is the first CR Sprint Harley-Davidson received from Italy in 1966 and one of only six Harley-Davidson factory team CRTT bikes built. Another auction headliner, from The Gary Davis Collection, was the actual stunt bike used in the 1990 Marvel Comics Captain America movie (Lot S124), ridden by Gary Davis himself.

For the antique motorcycle collectors, there was a 1911 Harley-Davidson Model 7A (Lot S115) in original, unrestored condition. You may be able to watch a re-broadcast on NBC Sports Network. The auction is open to buyers, sellers and spectators with general admission tickets available at the gate for $20 per person, per day or $50 for a three-day pass. To consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder for this and all Mecum auctions, visit www.mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050.

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