penske

Roger Penske, Founder and Chairman of Penske Corporation, was recently inducted into The Automotive Hall of Fame along with automaker Elwood Haynes, former Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, and industrialist Ratan N. Tata.

“To me, it’s a real honor (to be inducted),” Mr. Penske told Mike Brudenell from The Detroit Free Press. … “But, most of all, it’s about the people who have supported me — my family, my business partners and all my employees. I think that is the most important thing.”

Mr. Penske was inducted for his accomplishments in building a leading international transportation services organization that includes: Penske Automotive Group, Penske Truck Leasing, Penske Logistics, and Team Penske, one of the most successful automotive sports teams in history.

Story Credits:
Video: The Automotive Hall of Fame | Article: Penske Truck Leasing | Quote: Detroit Free Press

For more information, please visit: http://www.penskeautomotive.com.

Hiring our Heroes is a grass roots initiative to help connect veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses with meaningful employment.

To date…nearly 300,000 heroes have found work.

Penske Automotive Group, Inc. has completed the acquisition of Freightliner medium and heavy-duty commercial truck dealerships operating in the Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee markets. These dealerships represent the full line of Freightliner commercial truck products under the brand names Freightliner, Western Star, Sprinter and Freightliner Custom Chassis. The dealerships also offer a full range of used trucks and service/parts/body shop departments to meet the needs of their customers.

Penske Automotive Group Chairman Roger S. Penske said, “We are pleased to expand our commercial truck dealership footprint into these new markets as we build scale within the highly-fragmented commercial truck dealership industry. The Chattanooga and Knoxville dealerships offer a strong legacy of providing outstanding new and used sales and service to local customers in addition to servicing fleet and owner-operators along the busy Interstate 24, 40 and 75 corridors providing us with an outstanding opportunity for future organic growth.”

Commenting on the transaction, Freightliner of Knoxville and Chattanooga President Patrick T. Carroll said, “We are excited to join the growing family of commercial truck dealerships in Penske Automotive Group. For more than 20 years, we have built our business with a focus on having industry leading facilities, hiring the best human capital and fostering outstanding relationships with our customers. As a result of sharing a common business philosophy with Penske, we look forward to continuing these traditions while expanding our ability to serve customers provided by the size and scope of Penske Automotive Group.”

The company estimates these dealerships will generate approximately $200 million in annualized revenue.

[Source: PenskeAutomotive.com]

Penske Automotive Group, Inc. announced today the acquisition of a Land Rover dealership in Darien, Connecticut. The company estimates the dealership will generate approximately $50 million of revenue annually.

Penske Automotive Group President Robert H. Kurnick, Jr., said, “We are pleased to add the Land Rover brand to our existing automotive dealership operations in Connecticut. For almost 30 years, this dealership has been serving customers in Darien, Greenwich, Westport and Stamford with a dedication to customer service. This brand complements our existing presence with Audi, BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche in the Connecticut market and connects our business from Fairfield, through Darien and into Greenwich, allowing us to continue scaling our operations.”

[Source: PenskeAutomotive.com]

The Penske Automotive Group social team was on hand in New York City as Mercedes-Benz unveiled its latest AMG model.

The new S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe made its world premiere at the 2014 New York International Auto Show and is set to hit your nearest Penske Mercedes-Benz dealership showroom in the fall.

The Breathtaking S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe is equal parts presence and performance thanks to a sleek, athletic design and a power-packed drivetrain. With AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive standard; the S63 Coupe boasts an AMG 5.5-liter V8 Biturbo engine, with an output of 577 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. This engine, assembled by hand at the AMG engine shop in Affalterbach, allows the vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 3.9 seconds.

The S63 Coupe will also come standard with the advanced AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sport transmission, which allows drivers to select from one of three modes that best fits their driving style: “C” (Controlled Efficiency), “S” (Sport) and “M” (Manual). Also customizable are the sounds made by the vehicle. Thanks to the AMG sport exhaust system the automatic exhaust flaps in both rear silencers adjust to each driving mode to emit the most fitting engine sound.

The S63 AMG Coupe 4MATIC features the full air-suspension system AIRMATIC with the adaptive damping system ADS PLUS. Specific front axle kinematics – including higher camber, a larger anti-roll bar and a stiffer subframe carrier on the rear axle – have been developed exclusively for the S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe. These measures enhance the vehicle’s agility for performance driving.

Inside the cabin, you’ll find uniquely sporty, luxurious accommodations that set the AMG apart from other models. The distinct interior features include the AMG sport seats with power adjustment, memory function and seat heating/ventilation; AMG design Nappa leather with piping together; AMG badges on all four seat backrests; and an embossed AMG emblem on the armrest of the front center console. There is also a new three-spoke AMG sport steering wheel and an AMG logo in the lower metal insert.

Additionally, the high-resolution TFT color AMG instrument cluster features two animated round dials for speed and RPM. The new, standard touchpad allows for seamless operation of the radio, telephone and navigation system.

Stay tuned to Penske Social for more photos, video and information about the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

BMW took advantage of its time in the Big Apple, bringing along six vehicles that have never been seen in the U.S. Penske Automotive Group was at the 2014 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) to witness the German automaker showcase two vehicles that made their world debut and four others making their North American debut.

Arguably the most anticipated debut for the automaker was that of the BMW M4 Convertible, which combines the performance and body styling of the BMW M4 Coupe and BMW M3 Sedan with a retractable roof. Powering the BMW M4 Convertible is a 425-horsepower 3.0-liter M TwinPower Turbo inline six-cylinder engine, which propels the debuting vehicle 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The M4 Convertible will arrive at Penske BMW dealership showrooms this summer.

Also making its world debut in New York was the all-new BMW X4 Sports Activity Coupe. This all-new model will begin production soon exclusively at BMW’s production facility in Spartanburg, S.C. The new X4 will come with a choice of two TwinPower Turbo engines: BMW’s award-winning 240-horsepower 2.0-liter four cylinder on the X4 xDrive28i and a 300-horsepower 3.0-liter inline six on the top-of-line X4 xDrive35i. Both models include an eight-speed Steptronic sport automatic transmission with shift paddles and xDrive, BMW’s intelligent all-wheel drive system, standard.

Making their North American debuts were the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, the 2015 ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe, the Concept X5 eDrive and the X3 Sports Activity Vehicle. All four vehicles are set to arrive at Penske BMW dealerships later this year.

The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe brings the sporty character of the 4 Series Coupe with the functionality provided by four doors. It arrives in early summer with two engine choices: the award-winning 240-horsepower TwinPower Turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder and the 300-horsepower TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline six.

The 2015 BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe delivers 0 to 60 mph in only 3.7 seconds thanks to a 540-horsepower, 4.4-liter ALPINA Bi-Turbo V8. This powerhouse also features an eight-speed Sports Automatic Transmission with ALPINA SWITCH-TRONIC and BMW’s xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system. The ALPINA B6 Gran Coupe will go on sale in the next couple of months.

The BMW Concept X5 eDrive features the combination of a BMW TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder combustion engine and a 95-horsepower electric motor, which provides performance and an impressive average fuel efficiency of approximately 62 mpg. Different drive modes can also be selected, such as the full-electric mode, with a maximum possible range of 19 miles at speeds up to 75 mph. The vehicle’s high-voltage battery can be charged quickly and conveniently using the BMW home charging station, but it can also be charged using any standard household power outlet or public charging station.

The 2015 BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle is the third generation for the model, featuring interior and exterior revisions and the availability of BMW Advanced Diesel power. The release of the new X3, which is set to hit showrooms in the next couple of months, will also mark the debut of the rear-wheel drive BMW X3 sDrive28i model an entry point into the X3. The new xDrive28d will feature BMW’s 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo diesel four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower, while the X3 xDrive28i features BMW 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine, producing 240 horsepower.

 

Stay tuned to Penske Social for more photos, video and information about these new BMW models.

[Source: BMW USA]

Audi recently premiered two new model variants at the 2014 New York International Auto Show.

The Audi A3 TDI Sportback, an enthusiast favorite, and the exclusive RS 7 dynamic edition, which showcases the German automaker’s personalization program, were on display at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from April 18-27, 2014. The Penske Automotive Group social team was also there to capture the event as the public laid eyes on the two new model variants for the first time.

The decision to bring the Audi A3 TDI Sportback clean diesel to the U.S. market came thanks to the support of many car enthusiasts. The fuel-efficient compact hatchback will arrive in the U.S. in summer 2015 for the 2016 model year and join Audi’s push to expand the compact luxury segment and its TDI models.

The A3 TDI Sportback will be powered by a 150-horsepower 2.0 TDI clean diesel engine mated to the standard six-speed S tronic transmission. The TDI Sportback will feature the advanced technology of the recently launched A3 and is a variant of A3 family that is being introduced over the next 18 months: the Audi A3 Sedan, Audi A3 Cabriolet, A3 TDI Clean Diesel Sedan, the high-performance S3 Sedan and the A3 Sportback e-tron gasoline electric hybrid (PHEV). It will also join the five 2014 TDI models available, including the A6, A7, A8 L, Q5 and Q7.

The Audi exclusive RS 7 dynamic edition will arrive at dealerships in early summer. In addition to the 560-horsepower engine found in the RS 7, the dynamic edition will include elements of an exclusive customization program: tornado red brake calipers with the RS 7 logo, 21-inch gloss black wheels, a carbon fiber splitter, diffuser, and a carbon fiber engine cover.

The interior of the RS 7 dynamic edition will feature black valcona leather seats with the RS-specific honeycomb stitch in crimson red that is also on the dashboard, gear shifter boot, center and door armrests, and along the center console. The safety belts match the crimson red accents, which are combined with the carbon fiber inlays.

Under the hood of the five-door coupe, the 560-horsepower comes from a twin-turbo 4.0-liter turbo fuel stratified injection (TFSI) V8 engine that allows the RS 7 to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. The vehicle’s cylinder-on-demand technology allows the RS 7 to deactivate four cylinders at low engine speeds to improve fuel economy by 15 percent.

Stay tuned to PenskeSocial.com for more photos, video and information about the Audi A3 TDI Sportback and the RS 7 dynamic edition.

[Source: Audi of America]

Snow, sleet, ice and slush make the roads a mess during the winter months. When a winter drive is necessary, here are some tips to stay safe.

Prepare Your Car
There are several ways to prepare a vehicle for winter driving. Installing snow tires provides a car with extra traction on messy roads. Snow tires have deep treads that can grab snow and slush and provide a vehicle with greater stability. Putting chains on standard tires can work as well.

In addition to specialized tires, windshield washer fluid designed for winter precipitation can help improve visibility while driving. Winter washer fluid can break through the slush and ice that builds up on a windshield, allowing drivers to see the road ahead.

Slow Down
Knowing how to drive in inclement conditions is another key to staying safe on winter roads. Icy conditions mean that a car likely needs more time to come to a stop. Slamming on the brakes on an ice-covered road will make a car skid. In bumper-to-bumper traffic, leaving extra space between vehicles provides the car with the additional room it needs to come to a complete stop. Driving more slowly allows drivers the chance to brake gently, which decreases the risk of skidding out on slick roads.

Know How to Adjust
If a skid occurs, it is important to know how to handle it. In a rear skid, which is often called “fish tailing,” a driver should take his foot off the accelerator and steer in the direction of the rear skid. If the car starts to skid the other direction, turn the wheel gently to match the move. If the vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS), apply steady pressure to slow the vehicles. With standard breaks, pump the breaks to slow the car.

In a front-end skid, a driver should remove her foot from the accelerator and switch the car into neutral. Let the car skid; the car will achieve traction, at which time a driver can steer. Put the car in drive and proceed slowly.