Fred Gerbaz, 84, on the job among field of competitors

There seems to be no break in the heavy traffic in and out of Glenwood Springs, on I-70 east to Vail and west to Grand Junction, and on Colo. 82 south to Aspen.

With new-car dealerships as an indication, a healthy percentage of the cars and trucks filling the streets make stops for sales and service.

No other small city of its size (9,600 population) in Colorado has so many new-car dealerships.

There are nine serving the community – Berthod GMC-Buick, Berthod Jeep/Chrysler/Dodge/Ram, Bighorn Toyota, Elk Mountain Motors Audi/Volkswagen, Glenwood Springs Ford, Glenwood Springs Subaru, High Country Honda, Land Rover Roaring Fork and Mountain Chevrolet.

In a drive over there a week or so ago, Jan and I found our way into one of the Berthod stores (Buick-GMC), and were delighted to spend some time with Fred Gerbaz. Fred, wife Edna and son Don own and operate the two Berthod dealerships.

Fred’s life is one of those “feel good” stories.

Just out of high school in 1947, Fred went to work for the Berthod family as they opened a Tucker dealership. He helped stock some parts, but the Tucker automobile never showed up. Only 51 Tucker cars were built in Chicago before the company folded.

Hudson soon supplanted the Tucker space in the showroom, then came Packard, Nash and even Kaiser-Frazer for a short while. The prize, though, was acquisition of Jeep a few years later. The rugged 4-by-4 was surely well-suited to the Glenwood mountain country. “It’s been the backbone of the company all

these years,” said Fred.Fred bought the business from the Berthods in 1971, then added the Buick, Pontiac and GMC franchises from General Motors.

At 84, Fred still shows up for work each day by 6:30 a.m. and often is there till 6:30 or 7 in the evening. “I still enjoy coming in every day,” he said, and smiles about it.

Fred, Edna and Don in August opened a new facility to house Chrysler, Dodge and Ram inventory, as well as Jeep, down the street from the Buick/GMC building.

Elsewhere, renovation is nearing completion on the Glenwood Springs Ford dealership, and we enjoyed visiting there with owners Jeff Carlson and Steve Nilsson. They also operate Glenwood Springs Subaru next door. “Our strengths are the Ford trucks and Subaru cars,” said Carlson, “what a great combination.” Carlson was Time Dealer of the Year award winner for Colorado in 2005.

Expected to open in two or three months is High Country Honda, awaiting completion of its new building. It sits beside another new facility which houses Mountain Chevrolet.

Another opening earlier this year was a structure rebuilt for Bighorn Toyota.

Bud Wells can be reached via e-mail at bwells@denverpost.com.

Bugatti announces limited 'Meo Costantini' edition of its Veyron hypercar

Unveiled Tuesday at the Dubai International motor show, the $2.83 million car is the third model in the company’s six-part “Les Légendes de Bugatti” series of specially modified Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse cars, dedicated to and inspired by the drivers that helped to establish the company as a top sportscar builder.

A close friend of founder Ettore Bugatti and double Targa Florio champion, Meo Costantini’s legendary status was achieved in the 1920s behind the wheel of a Type 35 Bugatti.

As such, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse that bears his name features several exterior styling cues designed to evoke memories of the Type 35. Its wings, doors and the corners of the front bumpers are rendered in hand-polished aluminum, and the remaining body panels sport a specially developed shade of “Bugatti dark Blue Sport” created to reference the classic blue sported not just by Bugatti, but by all French racing cars of the period.

Other unique touches include a silhouette of the Targa Florio race track — where Costantini made his name — on the underside of the car’s airbrake, which is only visible when the car rapidly decelerates. Costantini’s signature has also been laser-etched into the petrol and oil cap covers.

Inside, the entire cabin is finished in a cognac-tone brown leather with blue leather accents on the instrument panel, steering wheel and arm rests. Costantini’s signature also adorns the seat headrests while the door panels feature vintage racing scenes and car motifs, laser engraved into the leather trim.

Propelling this droptop homage to racing forward is the soon to be legendary W16, 8-liter twin-turbocharged engine, capable of delivering an incredible 1200 horsepower, a 0 to 62mph time of 2.6 seconds and a top speed, with the roof down of 253mph making it the fastest production roadster ever built.

Bugatti launched the Legends series in August with the Vitesse “Jean-Pierre Wimille” at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, and swiftly followed it with the “Jean Bugatti,” which made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. And, like the existing models in the series, production of the Meo Costantini will be strictly limited to three examples.

Jaguar's hardtop roadster heads to Los Angeles show

The company has confirmed that the hardtop version of its F-Type roadster will be officially revealed at the LA Auto Show on Nov. 19 and that the car will be the most performance-focused production car in the company’s history.

Despite one or two issues, notably its suspension set up and the fact that, if ordered with a spare wheel rather than a puncture repair kit, it offers absolutely no boot space, the F-Type has been met with excitement and desire by the motoring press and design-conscious petrolheads alike. However, with the coupe version, Jaguar is looking to raise the stakes once more.

Although it has only released a teaser image of what to expect, ahead of the big reveal, Jaguar’s head of design, Ian Callum, has promised that the car will be a production version of the C-X16, the all-aluminium concept coupe that wowed the crowds when it was revealed some 12 months ago.

“The excitement generated when we revealed the C-X16 concept was terrific; so to now be on the cusp of what I can assure you will be a drama-filled reveal event in Los Angeles for F-Type Coupe is a very significant moment. We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive reaction to F-Type Convertible, but for me the purity of creating a sports Coupe is a uniquely satisfying process — and I know that both visually and dynamically, F-Type Coupe raises the bar yet again,” said Callum.

The F-Type Coupe will go on sale worldwide in 2014 and although its full specifications list will not be revealed until the LA Auto Show, expect the range-topping model to have at least a 495PS supercharged V8 under the hood and, fingers crossed, some decent storage space.

Rolls-Royce planning convertible Wraith

A Drophead version of Rolls-Royce’s latest sports coupe, which delighted the crowds at the Geneva Motorshow, will go into production in 2015.

Speaking to Autocar, the luxury carmaker’s CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös confirmed the rumors and revealed that the hardtop Wraith, which has only been on sale for several months, was already drawing new customers to the brand. “We have already had customers who own Ferraris come to us and place orders. They are not replacing their Ferraris, but they now see an alternative option, where they can travel quickly and with the ultimate luxury. That is very promising.”

Unlike the existing models in the company’s growing line-up, the Wraith is focused as much on performance as it is on out-and-out luxury, and although Rolls-Royce established itself some 107 years ago as a performance car company, it is with comfort and exclusivity rather than seat-of-the-pants driving thrills that it has come to be associated with.

Therefore, the decision to build a GT car, and in doing so compete head to head with the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes CL, Aston Martin Rapide and even the Ferrari FF, could have been a high-risk strategy.

However, so far the signs are good. As well as attracting the Ferrari-owning fraternity to the Spirit of Ecstasy, the Wraith looks like it will also succeed in lowering the average age of Rolls-Royce’s client base. An issue Cadillac has been attempting to address over the past decade — and with a renewed focus on speed and reliability the US luxury brand is also attracting a younger demographic.

In terms of styling, Müller-Ötvös says that the convertible Wraith will take design cues from the larger Phantom Drophead but will retain the sporting characteristics of the existing hardtop — therefore it will boast a 6.6-liter V12 engine that should catapult the car from standstill to 100 km/h (62mph) in a little under 5 seconds but with a suspension and damping system that will eliminate all bumps and body roll.

Also adding to this sense of well-being is the ingenious satellite-aided transmission (SAT) feature which uses GPS data to understand the road conditions ahead, beyond the driver’s vision, so that it can automatically select the correct gear and alter the suspension settings.

Infiniti SUV has new name: QX56 becomes QX80

With the new name of QX80 for 2014, Infiniti’s largest sport utility vehicle packs some of the softest-feeling leather, shiniest burl wood and a host of other luxury items into a big, nicely crafted interior.

But this seven- or eight-passenger SUV, renamed from last year’s QX56 so it fits with Infiniti’s new, 2014 nomenclature, retains its predecessor’s styling, truck-based platform and even the 5.6-liter V-8 that helped create the name QX56 in the first place.

Confusing? Yes. Is it disappointing that there’s no 8-liter engine under the QX80 hood? Not necessarily.

The carryover, naturally aspirated V-8 is gasoline direct injection and generates a healthy 400 horsepower and 413 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm.

It propelled the 2-ton-plus QX80 test SUV quickly around other vehicles in traffic and onto highway merges. It also helps give the QX80 a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds, which rivals some full-size pickup trucks.

Better yet, the QX80 feels stout and sturdy and can be fitted with an array of the latest safety features — most of them optional, such as backup collision intervention that takes rearview cameras to the next technological step. Too bad, though, that neither the QX80 nor its predecessor QX56 has federal government crash-test results to compare with other full-size SUVs.

Still, the QX80 is a recommended buy of Consumer Reports, where reliability is listed as above average.

Starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $62,345 for a base, 2014 QX80 with rear-wheel drive and automatic transmission.

Starting retail price, including destination charge, for a base, 2014 QX80 with all-wheel drive is $65,445.

Competitors include other large, luxury SUVs that have seats for seven or eight, such as the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450 4Matic, which starts at $65,475 with 362-horsepower, bi-turbo V-8, automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. Note that while the QX80 has one powerplant, the Mercedes GL offers several, including a fuel-sipping diesel six-cylinder and a high-performance, 550-horsepower V-8.

Another competitor, the 2014 Cadillac Escalade, has a starting MSRP, including destination charge, of $68,965 with 403-horsepower V-8, automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. Cadillac also sells an Escalade Hybrid.

Styling on the 17.4-foot-long QX80 is polarizing. With a snoutish front end and rather flat roofline, the SUV was named one of Car and Driver magazine’s 10 Ugliest Cars For Today.

Infiniti engineers continue to refine the ride. For 2014, an optional Hydraulic Body Motion Control system for the suspension seeks to counteract the weight and mass swings that a big, heavy vehicle like the QX80 would have in cornering and sweeping curves. The system provided impressive improvements vis-à-vis the normal motions of a big SUV. It did not eliminate head toss and a tippy sensation now and then.

While road bumps overall were nicely managed, there was bounciness in the ride on some road surfaces and a weighty feel at the corners where the optional 22-inch wheels resided.

Views out front were excellent, and a rearview camera is standard. The optional backup collision intervention automatically stops the vehicle if an obstacle back there is detected.

Other newer safety features are available, such as blind spot warning that has intervention, which helps guide the QX80 back into its lane if it’s drifting into a vehicle at its side.

The QX80”²s big size and the lack of any exterior trim on the doors make it seem prone to dings and dents from neighboring car doors in parking lots.

But all riders in the test QX80 were impressed by the interior craftsmanship of this tall-riding SUV. The optional semi-aniline leather on the seats was soft to the touch, and softly gathered leather on the interior doors added unexpected luxury.

The light tan seat color was mimicked on the front of the dashboard and so was the seat stitching. But smartly, the top of the dashboard, where glare from sunlight can be a problem, was finished in a warm and dark brown, creating an easy-on-the-eyes atmosphere.

The QX80 interior is peacefully quiet, enough to make the optional Bose Cabin Surround a wonderful feature.

Shifts were mostly smooth from the seven-speed automatic transmission, though engine vibrations in first gear often came through the gas pedal to the driver’s foot.

Premium gasoline is recommended but not required in the QX80, and the tester averaged just 12.4 miles per gallon in mostly city driving. The federal government’s ratings are 14/20 mpg for city/highway travel.

Everyone climbs up to get into the QX80, and side running boards are standard. They could be a bit wider, however.

Front-row and second-row captain’s chairs look wide and are, so they can accommodate larger-size passengers and provide good support and comfort. It’s the third row, where people sit with knees up near their chins, and with 28.8 inches of legroom, that the QX80 shows its limitations.

In contrast, the third row in the Escalade offers 34.9 inches of legroom.

Infiniti does have power-recline seatbacks for this row, but this doesn’t improve legroom or the shortness of the third-row seat cushions.

It also can be tricky for less-than-nimble folks to get to the third row because they have to work their feet onto the exterior side running board, then to the slightly higher entry floor spot, then to the still-higher third-row floor.

The middle person in the QX80 back seat doesn’t have a head restraint.

And unlike today’s crossover SUVs, second-row seats do not have fore-and-aft seat tracks that could help improve third-row legroom.

Note: Buyers can get a second-row bench seat instead of captain’s chairs to accommodate an eighth person.

The era of the automated car is on the horizon

There is a vision of the future you may have heard about: Computer-controlled cars whizzing around the interstate at the speed limit, still bumper to bumper, in rush hour. The future may arrive so soon it will leave your head spinning. But before it does, there are a whole lot of issues to address.

The era of the automated car, something akin to having an onboard computer perform as your chauffeur, awaits its moment like a morning sun just below the horizon. There are prototypes on the streets, states that allow test models on the highway and projections that you will be surrounded by them — or inside one — in little more than a decade.

A pair of assessments last month — a comprehensive review of autonomous vehicles by the Washington-based Eno Center for Transportation, and an essay by Robert Poole of the Reason Foundation – provide a crystal-ball glimpse of the barriers and benefits ahead.

“I appreciate the potential of autonomous vehicles,” Poole wrote. “But I am amazed and appalled at some of the hype about likely benefits being spread by people who should know better.”

He goes on to question predictions of a dramatic drop in car ownership, reduced need for parking, the rapidity with which the new vehicles will win the hearts of American drivers, the cost to taxpayers of equipping highways with necessary electronics and the notion that drivers will be able to nap or play games during the commute to work.

The Eno Center study, co-authored by Daniel Fagnant and Kara M. Kockelman of the University of Texas, dissects the promises and potential pitfalls.

Autonomous vehicles, also known as AVs, already are on the road. Those test models will evolve into production cars by 2020 — Volvo, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen and Nissan are working on them — and be on the mass market a couple of years later. Nevada, California and Florida have taken fledgling steps toward regulating AVs.

The story of exactly how they work must wait for another day, but consider how much of the technology already is coming off the assembly lines. Each year, more cars are produced with sensors that detect lane changes, backup distances and measure the space between your car and the one just ahead.

If you’ve moved much beyond the Studebaker era, your car was built with a computer that keeps track of all that and a great deal more. Before you know it, home computers will be communicating directly with dashboard computers via short-range transmitters that use dedicated bandwidth to send and receive information 10 times per second about where the vehicles are and what they are doing.

That technology works — there was a test demonstration in Maryland this year — and only needs radio hookups and public policy decisions before it rolls.

Once cars and trucks begin a robust conversation about where they are and what they’re planning to do — along with chit-chat that draws in stuff like traffic lights, congestion reports and some road conditions — do they really need a human to boss them around?

Maybe not, but maybe so.

On the plus side, the Eno Center report points out, 40 percent of fatal crashes involved alcohol, and an AV can’t drive drunk. Overall, more than 32,000 people died in collisions in 2011, and AVs would reduce that number by a lot. A computer-linked systems of AVs could also reduce congestion and air pollution.

AVs would increase mobility for the disabled, elderly and young people (soccer moms might be replaced by soccer AVs). After dropping off passengers, cars could be sent to park themselves in more remote, less expensive places.

Consider, however, a minefield of caveats extrapolated from the Eno report.

Would you fly in an airplane without a pilot? Why not? The “pilots” of drones mounting attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere are sitting a half world away. Commercial planes can be flown the same way. Are you ready to take a back seat in your own car?

How much are you willing to pay for chauffeur-like luxury? There are all sorts of estimates, but it might add $25,000 to $50,000 to the sticker price in the early years of production. After a decade, the best guess is that might fall to an added $10,000. (There might be savings on insurance and fuel costs to help balance that out.)

Are you ready to trust a bunch of computers with your life? Is that a deer, an empty cardboard box, a child, a cyclist or a pedestrian that the sensor is warning your computer about? Should the computer decide what to do or should you?

Ethicist Patrick Lin says its a variation on a classic case study.

“On a narrow road, your robotic car detects and imminent head-on crash with a non-robotic vehicle,” Lin wrote. Is it “a school bus full of kids, or perhaps a carload of teenagers bent on playing ‘chicken’ with you, knowing that your car is programmed to avoid crashes?”

The computer decides to swerve to avoid the collision, hits a tree and you die.

“At least with the school bus, this is probably the right thing to do,” Lin said, “to sacrifice yourself to save 30 or so school children. The automated car was stuck in a no-win situation and chose the lesser evil. . . . It’s one thing when you, the driver, make a choice to sacrifice yourself, but it’s quite another for a machine to make that decision for you involuntarily.”

What will the jury decide? In a lot of situations, drivers are not held at fault if they make less than the best decision in a split second under duress. Will the legal system be just as forgiving of a computer that’s using an array of sensors and software to inform its decision?

What happens if this vast computer network that controls every vehicle on the road gets hacked? The evidence du jour seems to suggest that few computer systems in the world are immune from penetration. Could al-Qaida get into the network and instruct all vehicles to accelerate to 70 mph and swerve left?

Will computers in cars put an end to hanky-panky? Will all that data being pumped about your whereabouts from your car into somebody’s cloud be Nirvana for divorce lawyers? And those who follow a more moral path also have a right to know where the gathered information of their travels will be stored, who might have access to it and how it might be used.

The Eno Center report sums it up: “The proliferation of autonomous vehicles is far from guaranteed.”

2014 GMC Acadia crossover has lots of space, plenty of power

Some vehicles try to please everyone. This feature for that person, that feature for this person, etc., in an effort to gain large sales numbers.

Other vehicles serve a certain purpose and target group and don’t fluctuate to try to reach the masses. The 2014 GMC Acadia falls squarely in the second category — and is aimed at large families and folks who lug around a lot of gear. I recently tested a 2014 Acadia Denali and I’ll let you know about my experience and who might want to
pick one up.

LOOKS, INTERIOR

One glance at the 2014 Acadia and you know what it is, a large crossover SUV that is going to pack in a lot of folks and cargo.

Inside, there is plenty of room, and shockingly even good legroom in the back seat — a rarity even in large vehicles. The seat setup I had was 2 in front, 2 in the middle and 3 in back, so you can fit a total of 7 folks. You can also opt for a bench seat in the second row to make it an 8-seater. The second and third rows of seating are adjustable to make room for anything you might want to carry around in the back.

My test vehicle included the options of a sunroof and HID (high-intensity discharge) headlamps.

There is a power rear liftgate, and a trailer hitch if you plan to do some hauling, which is quite likely among the folks who will want to pick up one of these vehicles.

The steering wheel was wrapped in leather, with wood accents. Audio controls embedded on the wheel are easy to use and improve safety by keeping your hands on the wheel.

With the Denali trim level, you get a more luxury look and feel inside than you might find in the lower trim levels of the Acadia.

ENGINE, HP

The 2014 Acadia features a 3.6-liter V-6 engine, with numbers of 288 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque.

The ride was powerful but still somewhat nimble, and pretty quiet regardless of road conditions outside. Acceleration was impressive for
such a large vehicle, and the towing capacity (5,200 pounds) is another aspect that will keep people interested.

I had the all-wheel drive model, but all versions of the Acadia come in front-wheel drive options too, and you save a couple thousand if you go that route.

MPG

The biggest downside when you get a large and powerful ride is limited mpg. The official numbers on the Acadia I tested were 16 mpg in the city/23 on the highway, 18 combined.

The fuel tank is 22 gallons, so you’re talking a maximum range of about 350 miles in the city per tank, or more than 450 if you’re on the highway constantly. These numbers are pretty unspectacular, with some of the crossover competition stepping up in the mpg category in recent years.

TOUCHSCREEN, ETC.

The optional touchscreen in the 2014 Acadia is pretty easy to navigate, though not the absolute best in-car system I have seen. I do like the integration of Pandora Radio, which allows you to access the full app from your touchscreen and keep your hands off your phone while driving, a safer option.

The system in use is GM’s Intellilink system, which allows you to link your phone to the vehicle via Bluetooth.

OTHER TECH FEATURES

I was a big fan of the Head-up display on the Acadia — similar to one used in Cadillacs and other GM vehicles. This is a reflected image floating in space directly in your eye-path, and lets you look straight ahead and see the speedometer info reflected, rather than looking down and away from the road. This is a great safety improvement GM has included on its vehicles in recent year.

You get 6 months of OnStar with the Acadia, then you have to pay if you want to continue. USB ports are included on all trim levels, and can be used to charge
your electronic devices.

The rear-view camera was not the biggest I’ve seen, but was still a big help when backing out of a tight spot. I also had some helpful safety features on the test vehicle, including: Side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, rear child security door lock and the Stabilitrak stability control system with traction control. Not all of these are standard, though. With all of these in place, it’s pretty hard to find trouble on the roadways.

Curiously, the vehicle was not push-to-start, despite all of its other features.

MUSIC

Higher trim levels of the Acadia feature a premium Bose audio system, and on all versions you get three free months of Sirius satellite radio, then you must start to pay for the service (which I would recommend, as it best regular radio by leaps and bounds).

NAVIGATION

There is an optional navigation system, which also comes with rear-seat entertainment via a TV screen for the kids in the back that would be very helpful on long trips. This adds over $2K to your total, so you have to choose whether it’s worth it.

WARRANTY, SAFETY

The Acadia has a 5-year/100K powertrain warranty; and comes with 2 years/24K of scheduled maintenance. Also, GMC vehicles are regularly among top safety picks. The Acadia has a full complement of air bags, tire pressure monitoring system and a lot more keeping you safe.

PRICE

My test vehicle was the top-of-the-line Denali luxury trim level and started at $48,675. Once the navigation and rear-seat entertainment, tintcoat paint job and destination charge were added, the total was $52,335. If you’re on more of a budget, there are multiple trim levels available, and a base 2014 Acadia can be yours for roughly $35K. That big price spread, or course, means you’ll lose features and options as you go further down the trim levels, but the base Acadia still offers you the same strong motor you’ll get at the top level.

If you’re looking for similar style vehicle for a lower starting price, GM’s Chevy Traverse is one alternative to consider (coming in at just over $30K to start).

BOTTOM LINE

The 2014 GMC Acadia Denali is a big, bold machine that is capable of carrying a lot of people around and getting you and all your cargo there smoothly and in style. It is not something you’re going to pick up if you’re in the market for a grocery-getter or a high mpg vehicle. But if you’ve got a big brood and want something strong and safe to carry them around in, the 2014 GMC Acadia is defintely worth a test drive.