MCG Executive Briefing for February 13, 2017

Spark Racing Technology, winner of the FIA contract to supply chassis for the Formula E Championship, has unveiled a striking new design for the series. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.

 

 

Today’s headlines:

+   Former Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech has refused to testify to German lawmakers investigating the government’s possible role in the VW emissions scandal. More at Reuters.

+   At the Chicago Auto Show, Ford unveiled the all-new 2018 Expedition SUV, which employs aluminum construction technology introduced on the F150 pickup. More at Carscoops. 

+   Daimler AG has confirmed that truck chief Wolfgang Bernhard, a top manager once regarded as a successor to CEO Dieter Zetsche, will leave the company. More at Automotive News Europe.

+   The United Auto Workers and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk sparred over working conditions at the carmaker’s plant as the union contemplates an organizing drive. More at USA Today. 

+   Spark Racing Technology, winner of the FIA contract to supply the next generation of spec chassis for the Formula E Championship, has unveiled a radical new design for the series. More at Racer. 

+   Ford reports it will invest $1 billion over five years into the recently formed artificial intelligence company Argo AI to develop the brains for Ford’s self-driving cars. More at The Detroit News. 

+   Spy photographers have captured images of the Lamborghini Urus crossover, which is scheduled to begin production in April, on the highway wearing camouflage wrap. More at Autoblog. 

+   To mark the 80th anniversary of Chrysler’s Mopar brand, Dodge has introduced a 2017 Mopar Challenger in a limited edition of 160 cars with special paint and features. More at MLive.

+   Top sellers at the Bonhams 2017 Retromobile auction included a 1935 Aston Martin Ulster at $2.14 million and a 1957 Bentley S1 Continental at $1.14 million. More at Sports Car Digest. 

+   Keanu Reeves will star in a new movie called Rally Car, playing a self-centered NASCAR driver who reboots his career by competing in a cross-country rally in China. More at Fox Sports. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from February 10 here.

Photo by Spark Racing Technology. 

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