After a dreadful Brazilian F1 race with atrocious weather, Palmer crashed out & Magnussen finished in P14 from a p18 start.

Kevin started the race from P18 with a new set of Pirelli’s full wet tyres. He stopped on lap 7 for a new set of intermediate tyres, fitted new wets during the first red flag on lap 20, used wets during the second red flag on lap 28 and pitted on lap 41 for a new set of intermediate tyres.

Jolyon started the race in P16 on new wet tyres. He stopped on lap 9 for a new set of intermediate tyres and on lap 17 for a new set of wet tyres.

Kevin Magnussen, #20, R.S.16-04: Started P18, finished P14

“The conditions today were definitely testing, especially turn 12 which isn’t actually a corner in the dry but became a real corner in the wet! 

There was clear aquaplaning there, and even if there hadn’t been, it was still on the limit. I do wish we could have driven more today though. 

Of course you should have red flags to clear a crash and safety should always be the priority, but after that, I feel we were too careful with driving in the wet. At the end of the day, it’s up to us drivers to slow down enough to get around it. 

We just need to drive to the conditions and not go over the limit, which is exactly what we do in the dry.”

Jolyon Palmer, #30, R.S.16-05: Started P16, DNF

“The conditions this afternoon were very difficult and unfortunately we had to retire following contact with Kvyat. 

I had some more grip at that point on full wet tyres and I was faster than cars in front on intermediates. I wanted to make up some places. In the end the visibility was so bad that I couldn’t even see past my steering wheel. 

I didn’t see where the corner went, I knew that there was the pitwall and pitlane somewhere; I just couldn’t see anything. Kvyat in front of me was slower and I hit him. 

Around the lap, the visibility wasn’t too bad and there were some places where you aquaplaned but coming up the hill you had no traction and couldn’t see if you were behind anyone else. 

You had to guess where you were going, there was water on track and rivers of water running across. It was really tricky.”

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

“It was a tough afternoon for the team and a tricky race in wet weather conditions for everyone. The biggest issue we encountered was the performance of our car with the full wet tyres. 

We weren’t able to perform over long stints with these sets of tyres and had to switch to intermediate tyres whenever it was possible but in the end it wasn’t enough for us to get into the points with Kevin. 

Unfortunately Jolyon sustained front suspension damage when he hit Kvyat and we had to retire him. We are now looking forward to the ultimate race of the season in Abu Dhabi where I hope we can have a race in better conditions.”

Renault F1 is starting to perform better as the end of the season nears its climax, but it looks like Palmer is on his way out.

• Renault Sport Formula One Team’s Kevin Magnussen made a late charge to take P11 on track and thus finished just shy of the points in today’s United States Grand Prix. Kevin started from P18 on a planned one-stop strategy but as the race played out this was adapted to a two and finally a three-stop.
• Post-race Kevin was given a five-second penalty, meaning he was placed twelfth in the final classification.
• Jolyon Palmer finished in P13 using a two-stop strategy.

Kevin started the race from P18 with new set of Pirelli’s soft compound tyres. He stopped on lap 13 for another new set of soft tyres, switched to new medium compound tyres on lap 27 and then new super soft tyres on lap 43.

Jolyon started the race in P15 on new soft tyres. He stopped on lap 15 for a new set of soft compound tyres and on lap 26 for a final set of new medium tyres.

Kevin Magnussen, #20, R.S.16-04: Started P18, finished P11, P12 after penalty:

“We started with the plan for a one-stop strategy but we quickly realised that it wasn’t the best option so we swapped to a two and finally a three-stop strategy. It was tougher on tyre wear than we predicted but that did mean I was able to have some fun at the end of the race on the super soft tyres – it was the most fun I’ve had in the car all season being able to push hard to the chequered flag. It was a pretty decent race considering our qualifying position. The penalty is frustrating, but that’s racing sometimes.”

Jolyon Palmer, #30, R.S.16-05: Started P15, finished P13:

“I had a slow start and unfortunately lost a few places that allowed Kevin to pass me, which then meant I was on his gearbox for a good two-thirds of the race. We were really struggling to follow other cars and although I was quicker, I couldn’t get close enough to pass which was so frustrating. I could have tried to lunge but that’s not a clever thing to do between team-mates. In the end, I overheated my tyres trying to overtake and fell back a little bit.”

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal:

“I’m in two minds about today’s Grand Prix. I’m happy we were able to adapt our strategy well as the race evolved, however at times our race pace was not as consistent as we’d like. In our first stint we didn’t seem to make progress yet at times we did see both cars deliver very good lap times considering their respective tyre conditions. We will be very vigilant in our post-race analysis to understand where we can better maximise our opportunities in the future. We finished just shy of the points today, but in the points is where we want to be.”

USA - Ford and The Dallas Cowboys combine again to offer 400 special edition F-150 Models.

• Limited run of 400 Dallas Cowboys edition Ford F-150 trucks feature iconic Cowboys star logo on exterior badging and door sills, with logo embossed in cargo box bed mat as well
• Ford has been Official Vehicle of the Dallas Cowboys for more than two decades
• Launch of Dallas Cowboys edition Ford F-150 celebrates opening of the Ford Center at The Star – a state-of-the-art training facility and 12,000-seat indoor stadium in Frisco, Texas

Four hundred Dallas Cowboys edition Ford F-150s are ready to take to the gridiron – a touchdown for Ford and the Dallas Cowboys, and the ultimate ride for Texas football fans. 

“It has been 22 years since Ford and the Dallas Cowboys offered a Cowboys edition F-150,” says Greg Wood, Ford Dallas regional sales manager. 

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the opening of the Ford Center at The Star and the beginning of a new Cowboys season than to offer fans of both F-150 and the Dallas Cowboys the opportunity to purchase one of these incredible trucks.”

Texas is the nation’s largest truck market and Ford F-Series is the best-selling truck in Texas. Ford has a longstanding relationship with the state – from working with the Dallas Cowboys for more than two decades to its longstanding ties with King Ranch, a Texas institution.

The foundation of this limited-edition truck starts with a Built Ford Tough F-150 XLT with Chrome Package (the No. 1 volume seller in Texas) painted in legendary Cowboys helmet silver. In addition to the standard features of the F-150 XLT series, unique content for the Cowboys edition truck includes:

• Exclusive Cowboys edition star badging on front doors and tailgate
• Blue-white-blue rocker panel striping paying tribute to team’s over-the-top helmet stripe
• 20-inch chrome wheels with unique Cowboys star center caps
• Molded heavy-duty cargo bed mat with iconic Cowboys star logo
• Laser-etched chrome foot plates featuring legendary Cowboys word mark for front doors
• Cowboys edition logo stitched in front and rear floor mats
• “1 of 400” Cowboys edition interior badge autographed by Jerry Jones – owner, president and general manager for the Dallas Cowboys

“Everyone in our organization is excited about the new Dallas Cowboys edition F-150,” says Jones. “Ford F-150 and the Dallas Cowboys are known worldwide for their rich heritages and long winning traditions. Our Cowboys fans are among the most passionate in all of sports. We are proud to partner with Ford and Texas Ford dealers to bring this Cowboys edition F-150 to our incredible fans. I think you will agree it is the ultimate truck for the ultimate Cowboys fan.”

The launch of this limited-edition F-150 also marks the opening of the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art training facility, The Star will serve as corporate headquarters for America’s team, featuring practice fields and a multipurpose indoor stadium for Cowboys players as well as athletes in the Frisco Independent School District.

The Dallas Cowboys edition F-150 is on sale now at select Texas Ford dealers.

USA - McLaren automotive celebrates the opening of FOUR new dealerships in North America.

• McLaren continues to expand its retailer network with the announcement of four new locations in North America, bringing total number of global retailers to 80
• New locations in Bergen County NJ, Boston MA, Houston TX, and Palm Beach FL brings the North American McLaren retailer network to 22
• Retailers to offer sales and servicing of the full range of McLaren models, including the critically-acclaimed 570S Coupe

McLaren Automotive continues to strengthen its retail footprint with the opening of four new locations in the US. The appointment of McLaren retailers in Bergen County NJ, Boston MA, Houston TX and Palm Beach FL is an important step in the development of the brand and follows the introduction of the new Sports Series model range, which just arrived in showrooms a few weeks ago.

The four new retailers now offer sales and aftersales facilities for all McLaren models, and they will soon complete their new state-of-the-art retail facilities featuring the latest McLaren visual identity. These locations will provide the ultimate in retail experience coupled with market-leading customer service and personal approach.

Tony Joseph, President of McLaren Automotive North America commented, ‘It is with great pleasure that we welcome these new locations to our retailer network. Each joins us with a wealth of experience in their local markets, and we look forward to having them support the brand during this period of considerable sales growth.’

Retail network growth has been largely driven by the arrival of the 2016 570S Coupe, which starts at $184,900, and customer delivery of the first cars began in December. The new showrooms will also offer models from the Super Series range, which consists of the groundbreaking McLaren 650S in Coupe and Spider derivatives, and the newly-announced 675LT Spider.

New retailer location details are as follows:

McLaren Bergen County

995 Route 17 South

Ramsey, NJ 07446

Temporary location during construction:

670 Route 17 North

Paramus, NJ 07652

Phone: 201.576.1600

McLaren Boston

22 Pond Street

Norwell, MA 02061

Phone: 781.347.3950

McLaren Houston

16210 North Freeway

Houston, TX 77090

Phone: 844.663.0534

McLaren Palm Beach

915 South Dixie Highway

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Phone:855.MY.MCLAREN

Toyota production within the USA has topped Two million for the very first time, and not the last either.

2015 marked record production for Toyota with 2,035,028 vehicles and 1,933,702 engines produced in North America. Key drivers for increased production include low fuel prices, a healthier economy and strong customer demand for Corolla, Camry, RAV4 and Tacoma.

“Our products are a direct reflection of our team members’ dedication and talent,” said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America.  “Each vehicle that rolls off the line is an example of our commitment to safety, quality, value and above all our relentless focus to exceed customers’ expectations.”  

2015 production location milestones:

• Kentucky: produced the first “U.S. built” Lexus. A $360 million investment, the introduction of the ES 350 generated 750 new jobs;
• Texas: began production of the all-new Tacoma in San Antonio;
• Indiana: produced its 4 millionth vehicle;
• Alabama: boosted V6 engine production and built its 4 millionth engine;
• Mississippi: rolled off its 500,000^th Corolla;
• Mexico: Toyota’s full assembly plant in Baja California began a three crew/three shift operation to meet increased demand of the all-new Tacoma. In addition, Mazda began production of Scion iA and Yaris in Salamanca, Guanajuato.

2016 marks:

• Anniversaries for Ontario (Cambridge facility turns 30); Kentucky (30), Indiana (20); West Virginia (20), Alabama (15) and Mississippi (5);
• The groundbreaking of Toyota’s 15^th state of the art manufacturing facility in Apaseo el Grande, Guanajuato which is scheduled to begin Corolla production in 2019. 

Toyota produces 14 models in North America including: Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, RAV4, Scion iA, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, Tundra, Lexus RX 350, Lexus ES 350, Venza and Yaris; and directly employs nearly 40,000 in the region.

  

Toyota North American Vehicle Production
Manufacturing Site	Model	2014	2015
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK)	Avalon	56,975	56,928
	Avalon Hybrid	15,302	12,159
	Camry	312,909	332,588
	Camry Hybrid	40,519	32,811
	Venza	40,006	19,094
	ES 350	-	4,088
	Total	465,711	457,668
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. (TMMI)	Highlander	177,253	192,905
	Highlander Hybrid	5,224	5,422
	Sequoia	23,130	22,842
	Sienna	143,915	154,478
	Total	349,522	375,647
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, Inc. (TMMMS)	Corolla	189,314	190,514
	Total	189,314	190,514
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. (TMMTX)	Tacoma	105,796	110,911
	Tundra	130,872	121,999
	Total	236,668	232,910
Subaru Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA)	Camry	93,476	79,843
	Total	93,476	79,843
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc. (TMMC)	Corolla	242,465	252,362
	Matrix	4,913	-
	RX 350	95,455	87,974
	RX 450 Hybrid	8,793	8,076
	RAV4	226,783	242,311
	RAV4 Hybrid	1,002	-
	Total	579,411	590,723
Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California (TMMBC)	Tacoma	71,399	82,328
	Total	71,399	82,328
Mazda Motor Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (MMVO)	Scion iA / Toyota Yaris	-	25,395
	Total	-	25,395
Total North American Vehicle Production	Grand Total	1,985,501	2,035,028

Toyota’s North American Vehicle Production – five year history:

Year	Vehicle Production	YOY Change
2015	2,035,028	2%
2014	1,985,501	7%
2013	1,857,695	5%
2012	1,776,243	41%
2011	1,255,635	(14%)

                                    

Toyota North American Engine Production
Manufacturing Site	Engine	2015
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK)	4-cylinder*	401,149
	V6	207,745
	Total	608,894
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV)**	4-cylinder	442,967
	V6	250,211
	Total	693,178
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, Inc.  (TMMAL)	4-cylinder	277,530
	V6	209,078
	V8	145,022
	Total	631,630
Total 2014 North American Engine Production	Grand Total	1,933,702

*Includes hybrid engine production

**TMMWV’s total 6 speed automatic transmission production for 2015 was 732,164

In addition to the above mentioned plants, Toyota subsidiary Bodine Aluminum, Inc., in Tennessee and Missouri, casts aluminum parts such as cylinder heads, engine brackets and engine blocks.  TABC, Inc. in Long Beach, California, produces stamped/welded parts and steering columns.  Canadian Autoparts Toyota Inc. (CAPTIN) in Delta, British Columbia, produces aluminum wheels.