News

The way The Boston Globe and most other media outlets reported Officer Sean Collier’s death, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus policeman didn’t even see it coming. As he sat in his cruiser, the men suspected of the Boston Marathon bombings crept up to him, and Officer Collier was shot and killed.

Police officer spend a lot of time sitting in their cruiser waiting, watching and filling out reports. So what’s to keep an assailant from sneaking up on an officer distracted by other tasks? Now, there’s new technology available that could help protect them from being taken unawares.

Ford has announced plans to launch a new luxury brand called Vignale.

More of a sub-brand of the mothership, the name will denote the highest trim level for the company’s vehicles sold in Europe.

The Ford Mondeo Vignale Concept will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week featuring signature styling cues that include upgraded chrome trim, unique wheels and quilted leather upholstery that calls to mind that found in upscale brands like Bentley.

Chrysler is using one of its SRT Viper GTS-R racing cars as a rolling billboard to promote “Rush,” the coming motorsport film from director Ron Howard.

The No. 91 will be competing in the GT class of the American Le Mans Series race in Baltimore this weekend. It will carry prominent graphics of the movie’s title on its roof, hood and front fenders during the ALMS sports-car race. The Viper will also take parade laps ahead of the pace car during other races.

Buffalo, N.Y. (Manufacturing.net) — At General Motors’ Tonawanda Engine Plant in Buffalo, N.Y., a $400 million investment in advanced manufacturing techniques will allow the company to produce 1,000 Gen 5 Small Block engines daily — a 4.3L V-6, 5.3L V-8 and two variants of a 6.2L V-8. The new engines will power nine GM models by 2015, starting with the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, plus the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

Production began at the Tonawanda plant began in 1938, with an emphasis on high-performance engines for vintage Chevrolet muscle cars and Corvettes. It is also the birthplace of the Small Block engine, which went into production in 1955. This year, the plant will build its 71 millionth engine, which currently includes the Ecotec 2.0L Turbo and 2.5L engines that power the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu and the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

General Motors Co. said Wednesday it has started production on the fifth generation of small-block engines — including the 6.2-liter V-8 LT1 that powers the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray — at its Tonawanda Engine Plant in Buffalo, N.Y. The new work has more than doubled employment at the factory since 2009.

GM announced in April 2010 it would invest $400 million in the plant to build the new engines. The funding brought advanced manufacturing tools to the plant to build four small-block variants on the same assembly line. The Detroit-based automaker said the plant by 2015 will produce small-block engines for nine GM models.

Cheap credit, consumer confidence and new offerings caused retail car buyers to flock to dealer showrooms in August, boosting auto sales to their strongest month in more than six years.

Automakers beat expectations and sold 1.5 million cars and light trucks last month, a 17 percent increase from the same period a year ago, according to Autodata Corp. That translates into a seasonally adjusted annualized selling rate of 16.09 million cars and trucks, the first month the sales rate was above 16 million since October 2007.

The stock market rose on Wednesday as investors were encouraged by a surge in auto sales in August and other signs of strength in the economy.

Shares of General Motors, Ford Motor and Toyota Motor rose after the auto industry reported its best month in six years.

Car dealers had a very good August. That may signal the U.S. economy is finally getting dealt a better hand.

General Motors, GM +4.77% Ford Motor, F +3.37% Toyota Motor 7203.TO +0.32% and Chrysler Group on Wednesday all reported a strong increase in light-vehicle sales last month, to an annualized 16.1 million cars, according to Autodata, the strongest since October 2007. Industry watcher WardsAuto had expected 15.7 million, while Kelley Blue Book was looking for 15.6 million, suggesting that a late-month lift pushed sales higher.

Fueled by better products, low-interest loans, cheap leases and intense Labor Day shopping, Detroit car companies beat analysts estimates and reported numerous sales records for brands and models in August.

"The news is even more positive than the overall numbers imply, as individual car buyers, not fleet sales, are behind the surge," says Edmunds.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs. And sales incentives of all kinds were down 3% from from July to $2,374, Edmunds.com estimates, though were up 3% from last August.