Kill It With Fire

Audi Reveals Next Generation A3 Interior and the A3 Itself

2012-01-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

While Detroit is the center of the automotive universe in early January, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is becoming more and more important to the auto industry as cars become rolling multimedia platforms. Therefore it makes sense that Audi would show off the latest iteration of its MMI infotainment system in Las Vegas. However, Audi went far beyond just showing screencaps from the new MMI system and decided to show the entire dashboard from the next generation A3. Like other new Audis the A3 will feature a pop-up navigation display and a touchpad for writing commands, a neat touch is that the touchpad is now on top of the MMI rotary knob. Apparently showing the interior of the A3 was not enough as one of the photos of the navigation screen shows a rendered image of the A3 3 door in its entirety. Keep in mind though this time around the US will only get the sedan version. Nevertheless here is a preview of how the next A3 will look like in other parts of the world.

2011 Sales Recap

2012-01-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

Total car and light truck sales as a whole went up about 10% in 2011 compared to 2010, an increase of over a million extra sales compared to last year bringing the grand total to just shy of 12.8 million. While the industry posted higher sales on average, 2011 will certainly be remembered for the lost market share of traditional powerhouses Toyota and Honda along with their respective luxury divisions. Natural disasters in Japan and Thailand reduced inventory for both Honda and Toyota and thus hurting sales, but ever stronger competition played a role as well. In the end Lexus was the biggest loser as it sales shrunk by 13.4% while Honda and Acura saw loses of around 6%. Both manufacturers should easily top 2011 sales in 2012 but new products for both manufacturers will be vital to improve upon 2010 sales level. At the other end of the spectrum Jeep posted incredible sales improvements over the entire year on its way to a 44% improvement. Kia and Hyundai continued to gain market share with improvements of 36 and 20 per cent while Volkswagen posted a 26.3 per cent improvement thanks to its "Americanized" Jetta and Passat models.

2011 also marked the first full year of mainstream electric transportation available for sale as the all electric Nissan LEAF found 9,674 customers while the range extending Chevrolet Volt enticed 7,671 buyers. While the Volt sold less for the year it has been outselling the LEAF the last few months winning December 1,529 versus 954 for the LEAF. We'll see how far electric vehicles will increase their market share in 2012 with new arrivals such as the Ford Focus.

Taking advantage of retreating Lexus sales throughout the year Mercedes and BMW are both withholding their official sales figures in a bit of election style "too close to call" race for the number one luxury spot. Don't expect things to be Iowa close but stay tuned for updated results tomorrow once Mercedes and BMW both officially announce their figures.

November Sales Recap: Chrysler Coming Back

2011-12-01T17:28:00.001-08:00

Overall auto industry sales were up once again in November, this time to the tune of 14% compared to a year ago. At the top was Chrysler benefiting greatly with the Chrysler 200 outselling its predecessor the Sebring by a significant margin, 456% to be exact. All in all Chrysler managed a 92% increase in sales. Chrysler group's Jeep and Dodge brands did well as well with improvements of 50 and 43% respectively. Coming in first in the luxury category with a surprise 47.2% improvement was Mercedes, the newly updated C class sedan and coupe along with the new M class propelled the brand to the number one spot in luxury sales for the month. Sales of the new Passat helped Volkswagen post an over 40% sales increase as well. Like in most other months of this year Honda along with its luxury division Acura saw its sales fall once again. On the other hand Toyota and Lexus were able to turn the tide and post a sales increase for the month.

Audi Looks To Fix Styling Faults

2011-11-28T22:49:00.000-08:00

It’s hard for anyone to admit to their own faults. It is especially hard if you are one of the biggest luxury automobile manufacturers on the planet constantly setting styling trends and breaking sales records monthly. Nevertheless, much like a championship team looking to get even better in the off season Audi has acknowledged some of the criticism regarding its styling.While Audi is certainly not the only brand that uses styling to create a strong brand identity it agrees that some might view its models as same sausage-different length. In the future Audi plans to create more separation between one A model and the next. The brand also promises an even more significant differentiation between its sedans, SUVs and sports cars.

Why People Say and Do Two Completely Different Things and How This Impacts CAFE

2011-11-14T19:31:00.001-08:00

Ina recent Consumer Reports survey, a whopping 93% of responders said that theywould like to see higher fuel economy standards. In fact, 80% support CAFE'splan for a 55 mile per gallon average across all vehicles by 2025. In order toachieve CAFE's goals of 55mpg, 56% of those surveyed say they will consider a hybrid or an electric vehicle fortheir next purchase. Even better, 80% said that they would pay more for a fuelefficient vehicle that would save them money in the long run. Such resultspaint a very rosy picture for the automotive industry as it appears that thepublic is certainly willing to adopt and pay for new technology to raise theirMPG. Unfortunately, in reality the picture is completely different. Accordingto the latest data available only a scant percentage of car buyers actually dobuy hybrids, in fact hybrid market share of all cars sold in October was less than 2%. This means that only 4% of those considering a hybrid actually buy a oneand everyone else was just pretending. Even accounting for the fact that notevery model is available as a hybrid it is hard to explain the enormous discrepancy.Besides, wouldn't someone wanting to buy a hybrid make the sacrifice and buy aCamry hybrid versus an Accord? The fact of the matter is that talk is cheap andwhen real money comes into play people are reluctant to pony up the dough to get a hybrid. While buying a hybrid or an electric versus aconventional internal combustion requires actual monetary and vehicularcommitments, answering a phone poll does not. In regards to CAFE,politicians and everyone else must remain skeptical regarding surveys ofpeople's hopes about fuel economy and should instead take a good look atreality.

56% of people say they are considering hybrids for their next purchase

Yet Ford sold over 2.5 times more F series in October than all hybrids combined.

October 2011 Sales Recap

2011-11-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

Featuring best monthly sales since February, October was another month showing that the auto industry in America is in recovery mode. Leading the pack was Volkswagen with a tremendous 39.6% increase in sales thanks to its new American built Passat. October Passat sales were the best of any month since 2005. Posting a surprise improvement was Mazda with a 37.4% improvement over last October. Doing well again was Chrysler with a 28% improvement while Dodge had a 23.2% improvement, just ahead of Hyundai at 22.8%. Leading the luxury category was Bentley with a 35% improvement, albeit that's only 42 extra sales. Aside from Bentley Audi and Mercedes-Benz had great months as well with improvement of 25.8 and 23.4% respectively. On the other side of the spectrum Honda and Toyota and their respective luxury divisions continued their sale slides while all GM brands save Chevrolet saw their sales drop compared to a year ago.

October marked only the second time in its existence that the Chevy Volt (1,108) outsold the Nissan LEAF (849).

2011's Most Improved Awards

2011-10-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

As seen in previous posts Kill It With Fire likes to reward improvement, so with that in mind lets reward some of 2011's most improved vehicles with some virtual awards. Keep in mid that this is not a list of 2011's best cars but rather a list of a few cars that have made great strides compared to their previous generation.

Most Improved Sales: Volkswagen Jetta

Even though the Jetta has been Volkswagen's best selling model for many years running its overall sales were just a fraction compared to its better known mainstream competition. In fact the Jetta often struggled to find true competition as it was too upscale to compete with most compacts but wasn't much of a premium product either (see Buick Verano). For the sixth generation Volkswagen created downmarket variants of the Jetta and priced them closer inline with the competition. The result has been a sales improvement of 70% on the year. While many have chided VW for taking a "step back" with the Jetta, the public has certainly rewarded VW. The cheaper base price has helped sales, the Jetta's new crisper styling has likely helped as well.

New Jetta sales are up 70%

Most Improved Design: Hyundai Accent (5 door)

Hyundai has been making some noise over the past few years with greatly improved products with better engines, interiors and styling. The Sonata and the Elantra are perhaps the most well known examples of Hyundai's new styling direction. However while these two models have certainly elevated Huyndai's design game, the new five door Accent is actually Hyundai's best design to to date. The hatchback Accent features excellent styling, rarely seen in the compact category, without the over-styled elements seen in the Sonata and Elantra. The new Accent simply blows the old one out of the water style-wise, even the not as good looking sedan is miles ahead of the previous generation.

The Accent went from this shapeless figure

To this stylish design

Most Improved Technology Update: Chrysler 300 8 speed Automatic

The second generation Chrysler 300 debuted to generally good automotive praise as it represented a good update on its groundbreaking design, new more powerful V6 and a significantly more luxurious interior. Perhaps the biggest complaint was the 5 speed automatic gearbox that was holding back the 300 when compared to competition with their 6 speed gearboxes. Enter the new 8 speed automatic that adds 4 additional mpg on the highway (31) and improves acceleration as well that makes the 300 a significantly more competitive product.

New 8 speed auto with new shifter

DOHC vs. Pushrod vs. Diesel: Which Engine Technology Has Improved the Most

2011-10-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

In a world with multiple competing engine technologies there are likewise multiple different metrics to statistically judge which engine technology is the best. Horsepower per liter, torque per liter, horsepower per pound of engine weight, brake specific fuel consumption, and other metrics are often brought up in discussions about various engine technologies. For now we will disregard most of those metrics and instead look to see which engine technologies have improved the most over the past decade by comparing the hp/liter and torque/liter of three different generations of DOHC, pushrod and diesel engines. Looking over the data* it is easy to see that turbo diesels have made the most significant leap in horsepower and torque output since the 2000 model year. While pushrod and DOHC engines improved engine output by approximately 10% with every new generation, diesel engines on average improved their horsepower output by 16% with very new generation. The discrepancy in torque improvement turned out to be even more visible as the gasoline engine only improved their torque output by 4-5% while diesels averaged 17%. While the numbers certainly stand out, the reasoning behind them makes sense as non high RPM naturally aspirated gasoline engines are experiencing diminishing returns on improvement as it becomes harder and harder for manufacturers to extract additional horsepower from the same displacement. On the other hand it wasn't long ago that passenger diesels delivered about half the horsepower per liter compared to gasoline competition. With new diesel technology this is no longer the case with several diesel engines delivering the same horsepower per liter (and significantly more torque) as their gasoline competition. A good example is the Audi A6 that features a 310 horsepower gasoline supercharged 3 liter V6 and a 313 horsepower 3 liter twin-turbo diesel V6.

*DOHC category (Audi V8, BMW I6, Porsche H6), pushrod category (Chevy 5.3 smallblock, Corvette smallblock, Chrysler pushrod engines) Diesel category (I4, V6 and V8 TDI engines)

September 2011 Sales Recap

2011-10-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Despite an uncertain economic outlook, September 2011 auto sales were about 10% better than a year ago and September turned out to be one of the best month of the year so far. As in previous months roughly two-thirds of the brands posted better sales than a year ago while Toyota and Honda continued to see their sales slide. Leading the pack was Maserati with an exceptional 46.3 percent improvement. In the mainstream category Chrysler and its truck division Ram posted improvements of 42 and 36% respectively. Powered by the debut of its much talked about American built Passat, Volkswagen was able to increase its sales by over 35% as well. Backing up its promise of great dealership availability Nissan posted a 28.2% sales increase, on the other hand its luxury division Infiniti only managed to better last year's results by 2.1%. Doing well in the luxury category Audi and BMW both posted 19.% sales improvements while Lexus continued to struggle with an 11.5% drop. Take a look at the chart below to see how all of your favorite automakers did in September.

As in previous months Nissan's LEAF outsold Chevy's Volt 1,031 to 723. While GM narrowed the gap in September the Nissan still enjoys a commendable 7,199 to 3,895 yearly sales lead which is easily confirmed on the street with the LEAF being a more common occurrence on the road than the Volt.

Old Concept Cars That Still Look Great Today

2011-06-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

A life of a concept car has only two distinct possibilities, it could spawn a production version that resembles it or it can go the company museum and never make it to the dealership. Here is a pair of concept cars from the past that generated a lot of buzz back in their day for their excellent styling. While a lot of concept cars look tremendous when they debut these two famous concept cars still look great enough to make a 2013 model year production version for the streets.

Ford GT90

Unveiled at the 1995 North American International Auto Show the GT90 was the 1990s update on the classic Le Mans winning Ford GT40 of the late 1960s. Backing up its extreme supercar styling was a 720 horsepower twin-turbo V12. While the GT90 never made it into production its "Edge" styling with sharp triangular shapes influenced Ford design in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the last pre-retro Mustang and first generation Focus are good examples. It wasn't until 2005 and the Ford GT that a true Ford supercar was born. While the closest anyone got to driving the GT90 was Need For Speed II, its design still looks great today and with few modern touches and updates would make an excellent halo car for Ford even today.

Click on the photo to see the GT90 from all angles.

Volkswagen Microbus

Once again the North American International Auto Show was the place for the Microbus concept debut in 2001. Featuring styling twenty times more adventurous and exciting than any minivan before it was immediately a crowd favorite. Unlike Ford with the GT90, Volkswagen was actually considering making the retro inspired Microbus into a production version. Unfortunately Volkswagen scrapped the project in 2005 and instead started selling a rebadged Dodge Caravan as the Routan in the states. Fortunately it looks like Volkswagen might be regretting its decision as it showed a 7/10th version of an updated Microbus concept called the Bulli in Geneva this year. While the Bulli might make it to production as a Kia Soul size competitor it wouldn't be nearly as cool as a real full size Microbus. With the Routan experiencing only mild sales maybe the Microbus has a chance as a second generation Routan. One can only hope. Click the image below to see more.

Audi Wins 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans

2011-06-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

In one of the closest and most competitive 24 Hours of Le Mans in recent history Audi won the 79th edition of the famous twice around the clock French endurance classic by only a mere 13.854 seconds after 355 laps of hard racing. The number 2 Audi R18 TDI driven by Andre Loterrer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer finished only seconds ahead of the number 9 Peugeot 908. Rounding out the podium was the number 8 Peugeot 908 that finished two laps behind. While the race ended with an Audi victory things looked bleak for Audi after two of its three brand new R18s were destroyed in horrific-looking accidents. Fortunately neither Allan McNish nor Mike Rockenfeller were seriously injured in their accidents. Contrary to the past few years when the Audi R15 and R10 were slower than their Peugeot competition the R18 proved to be just a bit quicker than the new 908. In the P2 category the Nissan Zytek of Greaves Motorsports took class honors with 326 laps completed. Corvette Racing number 73 ZR1 won the GTE Pro category ahead of the AF Corse Ferrari 458 and the BMW M3 GT while the number 50 Labre Competition ZR1 took top honors in GTE AM category.

Looking back at the race this one will be remembered for its incredible fight between Audi and Peugeot and the two heavy R18 impacts. With less than an hour of the race completed Audi had lost its most experienced team with 13 combined Le Mans victories. Things would get worse for the team as the defending champions would be out of the race early in the night. The Audi team must be commended for staying together after the hard impacts and persevering against the three Peugeots that were almost willing to trade one of their cars for the remaining Audi. In the end the little extra pace that Audi had over the pace along with the ability to run their drivers and tires for longer at a time allowed Audi to win even with a few extra stops for fuel .

In P2 the Greaves Motorsport team won by a comfortable margin in their Zytek Nissa that appeared to be the powerplant of choice in P2.Of note was the second place finish of the "Playstation Driver" Lucas Ordonez driving for the Singatech team, time to hit the couch and start racing. As always the competition in GT category was exciting if perhaps not as close as before. The #74 Corvette benefited from the first safety car period to get a significant lead on the class only to crash out later. It was the #73 Corvette that was eventually able to hunt down and pass the Af Corse 458 Italia that was suffering mechanical issues. Coming third in class was the #56 BMW M3 GT, BMW must be somewhat dissapointed by not being able to match their qualifying pace. Of note was the lack of a 911 on the podium in perhaps the last Le Mans for the 997. The Labre Competition team took first and second in GT AM. However, the biggest story in the class was the Robertson Racing Ford GT-Doran team of husband and wife Dave and Andrea Robertson (and pro driver David Murry )that won the race on their wedding anniversary. While this is a great story, not everyone feels that amateur drivers belong at such a fiercely competitive race such as Le Mans. Make your own decision on this one.

Le Mans 2011 was one of the best of all time thanks to Audi and Peugeot pushing each other to the limit and then some. Take a look at the final results here and relive the race through our hourly updates here.

The victorious number 2 Audi team of Andre Loterrer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer.

2011 24 Hours of Le Mans

2011-06-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

First Hourly Update
The Audis were slightly quicker on the track than the Peugeots and were able to save some time while refueling from the looks of it as they were running 1-2-3 about 15 seconds ahead of the nearest Peugeot after the first stop. Nearly at the one hour mark the #3 Audi of McNish was involved in a serious accident bringing out the safety car. Retiring early was the #009 Aston. Corvette is first and second leading the GT category after a timely pre safety car pit stop.

Second Update

After over an hour of safety car period to fix the safety barrier we are back to green racing with the number 2 Audi leading four Peugeots and the number 1 Audi in fifth after a nose change. The Oreca Nissan leads P2 while the #74 Corvette leads GT after separating from other GTs because of the multiple safety cars.

Third Update

With four hours and 57 laps complete the number 2 Audi leads the three factory Peugeots. P2 and GTE Pro leaders remain unchanged while the #60 Aston Martin leads in GTE Am.

With five hours gone by, the action on the track has calmed somewhat as the number 7 Peugeot is leading the number 2 Audi by 15 seconds but the two cars are running on different pit strategies.

A quarter of the way through the race the competitors are doing a good job getting through the traffic and battling the dirty race track. Current leaders in the classes are Audi, Oreca, BMW and the Labre Corvette.

Seven Hour Update

The number 2 Audi has been able to increase its lead over the chasing Peugeot to make a pit stop and still come out ahead. Corvette is first and second in GT Pro. The track is getting darker now.

Eight Hour Update

Nearly eight hours into the race the #1 Audi had contact with a GT Ferrari and crashed heavily into a barrier at extremely high speed, Mike Rockenfeller got out of the car on his own.

Nine Hour Update

We should be going to green racing soon after nearly an hour and a half delay, Rocky is said to be ok but is undergoing checks. Just heard a McNish interview and he is also ok after his earlier accident as well.

Ten hour update

After nearly 2.5 hours of safety car period we are back to actual racing with the #2 Audi at the front of the field as the sole Audi remaining. Mike Rockenfeller has called his parents and appears to have escaped his accident with minimal injuries. The emotions for the Audi team and its drivers are hard to imagine.

After the restart Audi leads by over two minutes while Oreca is first in P2 and Corvette leads the AF Corse Ferrari in GT Pro.

One Hour Left to Halfway

Almost halfway done with the race and the #2 Audi continues to lead by around two minutes. The #41 Zytek Nisan has captured the P2 lead while the Corvette team continues to lead the Ferrari in Gt Pro.

12 Hours to Go
Audi continues to lead over Peugeot by almost two minutes while the Zytek Nissan and Corvette lead their classes receptively.

Almost Sunrise
Night time racing continues at Le Mans with all of the teams fighting fatigue and waiting for the sun to rise once again. Audi continues to lead (but it looks like the number #2 is taking things slightly slower now) as the leaders remain the same from the last update.

Sunrise
As the sun has risen over Le Mans, the Peugeot has caught up to Audi and is only 2 seconds behind the leading Audi.

8 Hours Left
With eight hours left to go Peugeot is first and second but the third place Audi is only 35 seconds back after its pit stop. Greaves Motorsport has a two lap lead in P2 while Corvette continues to lead Ferrari in Gt Pro.

With a little over 7 hours left in the race the GT leading Corvette lost control and hit a Porsche and then both hit the wall. Safety car is out once again after another big impact and debris on track. Before the safety cars numerous cars were posting their quickest times of the race thanks to better track conditions.

7 Hours Left
The number 2 Audi is less than a second behind the #9 Peugeot and we have a battle on the track after almost 18 hours of racing, brilliant.

6 Hours Left
Audi has passed for the overall lead and now has a lead of about 15 seconds over the Peugeots.

5 Hours Left
The number 2 Audi leads by about 30 seconds over the 9 Peugeot, the number 7 Peugeot has front end damage and is being fixed in the pits. Looks like it's a two horse race for the overall win. Zytek Nissan leads by two laps in P2 while the Af Corse has a lap lead over the #73 Corvette. The Labre competition Corvette leads in GT AM.

4 Hours Left
Audi leads by almost a minute but the Peugeot of Anthony Davidson is trying to slow it down and not get lapped again. The Treluyer piloted Audi is on its fifth sting. Greaves Motorsports continues to lead in P2 by four laps now. Top two GT Pro cars are now on the same lap making things more interesting in GT. There are reports of small showers on some parts of the race track with a chance for rain in the near future. Just another element to make the race even more challenging for the drivers.

3 Hours to Go
Andre Lotterer leads in his number 2 Audi by over a minute as he continues to be blocked by the other Peugeots as he laps them. Corvette has taken over the lead in GTE Pro. It appears the rain never picked up and has not forced any team to use anything but slicks yet.

2 Hours To Go
The rain has picked up now with some teams running intermediates. The Audi has a minute lead at the front while Corvette has caught up and passed the Ferrari for GT lead. The #16 Pescarolo running fifth has crashed and is out of the race. Tire choice will be become interesting very soon, very much like in the Audi documentary, "Truth in 24"

1.5 Hours Left
With and hour and thirty minutes left Audi continues to lead by over a minute but is continually blocked by every lapped Peugeot it approaches. The race track is drying out and lap times are now falling.

55 Minutes Left
The race leading Audi has pitted for fuel but will need a splash and go to finish up the race. It looks like the #9 Peugeot will need a pit stop as well. We are in for an extremely close finish to the 2011 edition of 24 Hours of Le Mans.

25 Minutes Left
Audi has a 10 second lead after both contenders are fueled and ready to go. It might be starting to rain harder now.

Audi Sweeps Front Row in Le Mans Qualifying

2011-06-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

For a race in which pole position means practically nothing Thursday's qualifying sessions brought a great show for the fans. The #2 Audi R18 piloted by Benoît Tréluyer set the quickest time of 3 minutes and 25.738 seconds around the 8.469 mile long Circuit de la Sarthe. The #1 Audi of Romain Dumas was only 0.061 of a second behind to secure an all Audi front row. The quickest Peugeot was the #9 which was just 0.272 of a second behind pole position. In fact in one of the closest qualifying rounds in recent years the top six competitors were all separated by under six tenth of a second. This year the brand new Audi R18 and the equally brand new Peugeot 908 are running as close together as the two rivals ever have setting up an extremely competitive race tomorrow. With the ACO mandated slow refilling for the diesel cars fuel economy will likely play an important role along with running a clean race with no driver errors or mechanical problems.

First in the P2 category was the #26 Signatech Nissan with a time of 3 minutes and 41.458 seconds while the #55 BMW Motorsport M3 GT took the top spot in the GT Pro category with a time of 3:57.592. The #61 AF Corse F430 was the quickest in the GTE AM category with a time of 4:01.282.

The 79th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans starts at 3 PM local time or 9 AM Easter/6 AM Pacific. Stay tuned here for an hourly blog updates. Catch the race on Speed and on the Speed online stream here. Listen to the entire race with Radio Le Mans and stay up to date with live timing and scoring. Follow the race for the lead even closer with special access directly from Audi
and Peugeot.

May 2011 Sales Recap

2011-06-01T17:16:00.000-07:00

May 2011 delivered a mixed bag for the auto industry with some brands continuing their exceptional sales pace while others experienced heavy loses. Overall combined sales by all automakers fell nearly four percent compared to last year because of limited supply, higher gas prices and lower discounts. May was the first time this year the auto industry could not improve upon last year's sales. Japanese manufacturers carried the burden with the most significant supply limitation and thus experienced the largest drops in May with Toyota seeing a 32% drop and Lexus falling nearly 45%. Honda and Acura also saw sales drops of over 20% while Subaru and Infiniti posted double digit declines as well. Continued higher gas prices saw domestic manufacturers post modest gains for the month, powered by exceptional Jeep sales the Chrysler group did outsell Toyota to regain the number three sales rank in the country. Continuing their surging sales Hyundai and Kia combined to outsell Honda and Nissan thanks to improvements of 20.7 and 53.4% over the past year. Doing well also were luxury automakers with Bentley, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW and Audi experiencing significant sales improvements. Take a look at the chart below to see how all of the brands did in May.

A couple of days ago a Nissan Leaf commercial mocking the Chevy Volt debuted on You Tube, while the commercial probably had little effect on Leaf sales just yet (set to run on TV starting June 10) the Leaf did fine on its own posting its best sales yet of 1,142. While the Leaf is still selling relatively low numbers overall (lower than the Porsche Cayenne) it nearly doubled its April sales while Chevy sold only 481 Volts, slightly fewer than in April. All in all Chevy has sold 2,184 Volts in 2011 to Nissan's 2,167 Leafs.

Audi Engine Downsizing and New EPA Fuel Economy Ratings

2011-05-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Engine downsizing has been an industry buzzword for the past few years. The idea behind downsizing is to replace a large naturally aspirated engine with a smaller turbocharged or supercharged engine. At first this concept only applied to mainstream cars but has recently appeared on luxury brands as well. Even Mercedes AMG models are replacing their 6.3 liter naturally aspirated V8s with slightly smaller 5.5 liter twin-turbo V8s. Audi has gone one further with its all new 2012 A6 as the previous V6 model has been replaced with a four cylinder turbo and the V8 option has been dropped in favor of a supercharged V6. These downsized engines have delivered for Audi. Paired with a CVT transmission the A6 2.0T delivers 25 city and 33 highway for 28 combined, numbers rarely seen in the luxury category. The quattro 3.0 TFSI does quite well as well rated at 19 city and 28 highway.

Here are some other notable new ratings. City/highway (combined)

Aston Martin Rapide: 13/19 (15)
Audi A8 W12: 14/21 (16)
Lamborghini Aventador Coupe: 11/17 (13)
Lamborghini Avenador Roadster: 11/17 (13)
Lexus LFA: 11/16 (12)
Volkswagen Passat TDI: 31/43 (35)

Endurance Racing Explained

2011-05-25T02:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice video of Allan McNish explaining some of the physical and teamwork aspects of racing that are hard to understand when watching racing on TV. This certainly sheds some light on the effort reqired to compete at the top levels of motorsport such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Take a look below.

New Volkswagen Passat Analysis

2011-05-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of online chatter about the new "Americanized" Volkswagen Passat over the past few days. Built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the designed for America (also sold in China) Passat is larger in all dimensions than the latest European Passat which itself is just a facelifted version of the 2006-2010 Passat. As with the latest Jetta that also underwent an "Americanization" process, Volkswagen and car fans in general are disappointed with VW abandoning the standard Passat and creating a new version for America. Feeling betrayed Volkswagen owners and fans in particular are the most vocal and feel that the new Passat lacks the features (styling, interior, engine, etc) that make Volkswagens German. While the omission of the 2.0T engine could be described as a step back the media consensus is that the Passat still has a nice interior and sharp handling for a family sedan. While the American Passat doesn't have the greatest styling the same could be said about the refreshed European Passat as well. Overall the new Passat appears to be a solid competitor in the midsize category while playing a different role than the previous Passats. With that in mind let's take a look at why Volkswagen has created a new Passat for America.

While the previous Passat was a near premium sedan (in Germany it's main competitor is the Opel Insignia which is sold in the US as the Buick Regal) with near midsize dimensions it struggled to gain solid sales traction. Stuck trying to compete with mainstream competition (Camry, Accord, Altima, Malibu, Fusion) the Passat's higher price tag had it doomed from the start. Unable to follow the success of the previous generation, the 06-10 Passat saw its sales nosedive over the years as Volkswagen decided to wind down the model and replace it with something more appropriate for the market. In order for VW to meet its ambitious goal of 800,000 yearly sales in the US by 2018 a major presence is required in the midsize segment that is the best selling car category in America. The latest Passat addresses the biggest shortcomings of the last Passat (smaller size and higher price than the competition) in order to increase yearly Passat sales to over 100,000 a year. While the new Passat is a departure from the previous ones, it is a necessary one for VW to become consistently profitable in the United States.

The last generation Passat (introduced in 2005) never broke 50,000 yearly sales as it was too expensive and small against its mainstream competition. Essentially the Passat's problems boiled down to the fact that Volkswagen was unable to convince consumers to pay the extra 5-8,000 for a more premium yet smaller product.

Volkswagen saw its sales drop after 2001 because of an aging lineup and a poor quality reputation.While Volkswagen hopes for 800,000 sales by 2018 a more reasonable goal of 500,000 is possible in that frame with its new American centered lineup. A crossover vehicle would be the next step for Volkswagen to achieve the half-million mark in America.

2012 Audi A6 Avant

2011-05-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

Having unveiled its fourth generation A6 sedan last year it was only a matter of time until Audi would show the Avant version. Unveiled in Berlin today the A6 Avant follows the sedan with a striking LED headlight design and the latest six point Audi shield grille upfront. Past the A pillar the designs diverge for obvious reasons as the Avant features a fast sloping roof line not commonly seen on wagons. The new A6 Avant is a large wagon measuring 194 inches in length and riding on a 114.5 inch wheelbase. With aluminum comprising around 20% of the A6 body Audi was able to drop as much as 150 pounds compared to the previous generation. The lighter curb weight is certainly one of the reasons for the 18% reduction in fuel economy when compared to the last A6 Avant. Powering the Avant are four diesel engines and two gasoline. Most of the engines carry over from the sedan except the new two stage twin-turbo V6 3.0 TDI that delivers a staggering 313 horsepower. Audi claims that the twin-turbo TDI will propel the Avant to 60 in only 5.4 seconds. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the latest A6 Avant will be sold in America. Nevertheless, take a look at over 70 photos of the new Avant below.

Best Green Car Designs

2011-05-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years the number of green cars on sale has increased dramatically with new hybrids, mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars available for sale. While styling still remains form follows function the automakers are finally starting to spice up their green designs with additional details and styling elements. With that in mind let's take a look at the best hybrid/electric designs out for sale today. To keep out mainstream sedans we will only be looking at vehicles that are available only as hybrids, no Camry/Fusion/Altima hybrids here.

Sixth: Honda Insight

The car that invented "hybrid" hatchback styling (the first Prius was a sedan) is back but looks stale in comparison to its competition. Having grown in size compared to the original Insight the second generation model looks like a dead ringer for the second generation Prius. While both derive their shape from the aerodynamic kammback styling the newest Insight lacks the sharper styling of the newest Prius.

Fifth: Nissan Leaf

Using a more conventional hatchback/wagon shape than its Japanese competitors the Leaf looks more like a regular car. Nevertheless the big headlights upfront and swoopy design lines throughout give the Leaf distinct styling. Overall the design is interesting and lets people identify the Leaf as an electric car but it's also an electric car that does not look particularly great.

Fourth: Lexus HS 250h

If Toyota kept its second and third generation Prii as sedans the end result would have likely been very similar to the HS. Looking like a mix between the Japan only Toyota Allion and the Europe only Toyota Avensis the HS is by far the most ordinary looking pure hybrid available for sale in America. While the overall shape is fairly clean it lacks the overall design impact one would expect from a luxury oriented brand like Lexus.

Third: Lexus CT 200h

The first hatchback Lexus is clearly designed with Europe in mind as the Audi A3, BMW 1 series and the upcoming Mercedes A-class competitor would look more at home in Europe. Nevertheless the smallest Lexus hybrid has a nice design that does a good job combining an aggressive front end with curvy lines elsewhere.

Second: Toyota Prius

While the second generation Prius achieved instant recognizability as a hybrid and was the first (and essentially only) hybrid to achieve significant sales it is the third generation Prius that finally brought some styling to the table. The Prius gained sharp creases with the third generation and overall looks significantly better than the second generation blob.

First: Chevrolet Volt

Using a fairly conventional sedan styling the Volt looks like a smaller yet better designed Lexus HS250. Overall clean styling already puts the Volt ahead most of its competition but unique elements like the faux grille that looks real, sharp headlights and taillights give the Volt a unique design. The Volt takes first place by having the best combination of goods looks while still looking different enough to stand as an alternatively powered vehicle.

Vote on a Ford GT Sucessor

2011-05-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

The original Ford GT40 was a four time Le Mans winning race car in the late 1960s and still stands as one of the most iconic Le Mans racers of all time. Naturally when Ford decided to build a super car in the twenty first century they went with a reborn GT40. Built in 2005 and 2006 the Ford GT arrived on the scene with a tremendous amount of hype from the general public and the automotive press, fortunately for Ford the GT was able to live up to the hype with its outstanding performance. As it's been over five years since the last GT rolled of the assembly line it appears that Ford is once again looking at producing a supercar* to compete with the world's best. Take a look at these three sketches and head on over to Road & Track to vote for you favorite. My vote goes to the silver Ford GT by Radovan Varicak.

*Road&Track thinks that Ford may build a GT successor in the next few years, but this is certainly not guaranteed. However a good positive public reaction should help so go ahead and vote!

Pickup Sales Fall in April

2011-05-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

About a month ago pickup sales were at their highest point in recent memory even with gas passing four dollars a gallon in some places. As expected the trend did not last long and every brand save Toyota saw sales of their full size pickups fall compared to last month. Spurred by high demand for its V6 engines Ford's F-150 led all with 45,435 sales in April, while this was an improvement over a year ago it could not match the previous month's sales. In second place the Chevy Silverado posted its second worst month of the year and was fractionally worse compared to a year ago. Much like the Sierra the Dodge Ram struggled when compared to March but was able to improve upon 2010 sales by around four thousand units. The biggest surprise of the month was certainly the Toyota Tundra that continued to improve its sales for the fourth month this year as it closed its gap to the GMC Sierra. Click the chart below to see pickup sales over the course of this year.

Looking at Luxury Brands Selling Prices

2011-05-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

There is always a lot of talk about which luxury brand is the best, which luxury brand sells the most, and which brands even deserve to be called luxury altogether. To clear up some of these questions let's take a look at the average selling prices of the biggest eleven brands that claim to sell luxury cars in the United States. While the manufacturers do not release their average transaction prices in the way that they do with overall sales figures here is our best attempt to see who gets the most for their cars on average. At the top is Mercedes-Benz with an average asking price of around 55,000 per vehicle. Mercedes has by far the most models available for sale in the 75,000+ range. Second is BMW which is able to average a little over 50,000 per every vehicle sold. BMW falls behind Mercedes by offering fewer models over 100,000. Up third is Cadillac that benefits greatly by moving a significant amount of its pricey Escalades every month. Following Cadillac is Audi that sells its models for comparable prices as Mercedes and BMW but moves fewer A6 models compared to the competition. Up next is Infiniti that charges around 45,000 on average followed closely by Lexus that loses ground because of a significant amount of ES sales. Lincoln is able to average a little over 40,000 thanks to Town Car and Navigator sales. Right around the 40,000 dollar cutoff Acura suffers by not having a true flagship sedan or having a coupe or convertible version of the TSX. Opening up the premium category Volvo lacks serious firepower without a V8 in its lineup. Second to last Buick is a great example of selling vehicles at a premium but not luxury prices. Bringing up the rear is Chrysler with a majority of its sales comprised by the 200 and the Town&Country minivan.

*The data represented below is an attempt to find out the average selling prices of the luxury brands based on their product mix. The figures are averaged based on sales, thus a brand selling more flagship sedans versus entry level models has a higher average price than a brand selling mostly entry level models. Because of lack of sales figures BMW's M lineup and Mercedes's AMG models were not factored in, thus those brands likely have slightly higher transaction prices than indicated here.

April 2011 Sales Recap

2011-05-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

Car sales continued to surge in April with the industry up 18% overall with many brands once again posting some of their best sales ever and other brands regaining their former glory. Pacing the industry was the surprising Mitsubishi brand that more than doubled its sales thanks to its two Outlander crossovers. On the other side of the spectrum Porsche also showed an incredible 82% sales growth thanks to excellent sales of its Cayenne SUV. The new Grand Cherokee also powered Jeep sales on route to a 65% improvement. Among the largest automakers Chevrolet and Ford both posted sales increases of around 25% percent with both automakers experiencing stronger car sales than truck sales. Of note was the Chevy Cruze breaking past the 25,000 sales figure for the first time. Kia and Hyundai continued their blistering sales pace with improvements of 56.7 and 40% respectively. Japanese mainstream automakers on the other hand saw more subdued sales increases with Nissan registering a 12.2 increase, Honda a 10% improvement while Toyota only managed a a 2 percent improvement. Dwindling inventories are likely to play an even greater role in the coming months for the Japanese automakers.

April was the first month that saw the Nissan Leaf outsell the Chevrolet Volt 573 to 493. With about twice as many Volts on the streets currently it will be interesting to see how this plays out the rest of the year. Also it will be interesting to see how the mix between cars, crossovers and pickups continues throughout the year. Currently pickups and SUVs are losing market share but are not facing declining sales when compared to last year just yet. Stay tuned to see if the trend continues.

Bottom Line: First Quarter Profits and Revenues

2011-04-29T16:34:00.001-07:00

Like any other for profit businesses in the world auto companies are here to make money. With that in mind lets take a look at the automotive earnings released this past week. All of the brands releasing earnings this week showed positive profits and all but Honda had increased their profits from a year ago. Ford led all brands with a 2.55 billion first quarter profit thanks to its best first quarter since 1998. Percentage wise, Kia was at the top of the leader board as it increased its earnings by 91% while fellow South Korean Hyundai increased earnings 46.5%. Also doing well was Volkswagen which posted its best first quarter ever while Daimler AG nearly doubled its first quarter profit compared to last year. Effected by the March natural disasters at home Honda lost about half of its profit compared to last year. Click on the charts below to see the brands ranked by profits and revenues.

5/4/11 Update: More earnings have been released, BMW posted a 1.8 billion dollars profit, Chrysler posted a modest profit of 116 millions which is small compared to other automakers but is the first profit for the current Chrysler group (since 2009). General Motors is rumored to post a 1.74 billion profit when it reports tomorrow.

5/5 Update: General Motors reportd two billion dollars of adjusted earnings before taxes on 36.2 billion dollars of revenue. If you include GM's sale of its Delphi stake and a few other one time occurances its total first quarter net profit was 3.2 billion.

Plymouth Prowler Retrospective: Could Have Used a V8

2011-04-25T20:19:00.001-07:00

There are some things in life that go so well together that they are famous for being together; peanut butter and jelly, mac & cheese, burgers and fries and so on. Hot Rods and V8s go together just as well, ever seen a Hot rod without one? As a modern take on the Hot rod the Plymouth (and later Chrysler) Prowler certainly had the styling to look like one, but lacked the horsepower and the requisite V8 to truly be one. For these and other reasons some saw the Prowler as a disappointment, Time magazine even rated it as one of its 50 worst cars of all time. With that in mind let's take a look at the Prowler's legacy and see what this unique vehicle was all about. We'll compare the Prowler to its contemporary competition in areas of styling, performance and value to see if it really deserves to be called one of the worst of all time.

Design

Certainly the Prowler looked and still looks like nothing else on the road today. If you disagree, ask yourself when was the last time you saw Formula 1 style wheel and suspension combination? The Chip Foose inspired Prowler draws attention with classic Hot rod proportion, wider and higher at the rear than at the front. Looking sleek and wide the Prowler looked great with its 17 inch wheels upfront and 20 inch wheels at the rear at a time when no one else was even thinking of 20 inch wheels. The 20 inch wheels were not the only mechanical element ahead of its time; aluminum construction gave the Prowler a relatively light curb weight of around 2,800 pounds. Upfront inboard mounted shocks handled suspension duty. The Prowler also used a rear mounted transmission as seen on the Corvette. The 4 speed automatic transmission was connected to a 3.5 liter V6 upfront. Overall the Prowler certainly looked like a performance Hot Rod and had some trick technology to boot.

Powertrain

Before we begin this section it's important to consider that it's been over a decade now since the Prowler stopped production so the horsepower numbers of that time period will look tame all across the board. Chrysler's decision to adapt its LH sedan powertain components (of 300M/Dodge Intrepid fame) has certainly been questioned by many critics. The Prowler first used 3.5 liter V6 with 214 horsepower which was updated for the 1999 model year to 253 horsepower and 255 pound feet of torque. At the time the Chrysler V6 was around 30 horsepower more powerful than any other mainstream V6 from Acura, Lexus or even BMW's inline six in the 5 series. At the time the most powerful Porsche Boxster had a 250 horsepower 3.2 liter flat six while the non M BMW Z3 topped out at 230 horsepower. On the domestic front the C5 Chevrolet Corvette produced 345 horsepower from its then new LS1 V8. Chrysler on the other hand did not have a powerful V8 option to consider. Its most powerful V8 at the time, the 5.9 Magnum, produced 250 horsepower (torque was greater @ 345 lb-ft), essentially ruling it out as a performance improvement over the V6. The LS1 challenging Hemi would not go on sale until after the Prowler ceased production. Based on the lack of a powerful V8 available at the time Chrysler's decision to use a "parts bin" sedan V6 was reasonable and financially sound, but hindsight would indicate that something like a V8 version of the Viper V10 would have made the Prowler a true modern day hot rod.

Performance

While the Prowler lacked a V8 soundtrack (the V6 was quite loud though) and was limited by a four speed automatic gearbox its acceleration performance was not too bad for its day but slightly slower than its competitors. The Prowler accelerated to 60 in 6 seconds flat or about the same as the regular Boxster but around half a second slower than the BMW Z3. More expensive competition like the Corvette, BMW M Roadster, Mercedes SLK 320AMG all featured more power and were about a second and a half quicker to 60. Despite its light weight the Prowler was not known for great handling being more of a cruiser than a sports car.

Value

By using "parts bin" components for the powertrain and the interior Chrysler was able to keep Prowler's price to a competative level between 40-45,000 dollars throughout its life cycle. Closest convertible competition such as the Corvette convertible, BMW Z3 Mercedes SLK320 and the Porsche Boxster were priced in a similar price range, between 38-45,000. While the Prowler enjoyed a competitive sticker price dealer markup of 10,000 or more was abundant during the first few model years indicating the public's interest in the Prowler.

The final tally of 11,702 Prowlers produced tells much about it as a vehicle. Featuring styling that turned heads like nothing else except a few Italian exotics it was not for everyone. A V8 would have made it that much more desirable but it's certainly can not qualify as one of the 50 worst cars of all time under any circumstances. Click on the photo below to view more of the Prowler.

Mercedes-Benz Prices 2012 SLK and CLS

2011-04-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Mercedes-Benz announced pricing today for its redesigned 2012 SLK roadster and the 2012 CLS coupe line. The SLK350 will start at 55,675 while the CLS model line begins at 72,175 for the CLS550 and rises to 95,775 for the CLS63 AMG, including destination charges. Both the SLK and the CLS feature complete redesigns and new powertrains. The SLK350 features a new 302 horsepower direct-injected 3.5 liter V6 while the CLS lineup will be powered entirely by direct-injected biturbo V8 engines. The CLS550 uses a 402 horsepower 4.6 liter V8, the AMG version ups the ante with a 518 horsepower 5.5 liter V8. Both models also feature new styling with the SLK ditching its SLR inspired front styling of the previous generation in favor for one inspired by the SLS. The CLS features a more significant styling departure from the trend-setting design of the last CLS. The four door coupe now has bolder front end styling along with more pronounced design elements as seen on the current E-class.

New York Auto Show Wrap Up

2011-04-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

While many believed that the New York Auto Show would end up being overshadowed by the Shanghai Auto Show occurring during the same week, New York did quite well for itself with many production debuts and concepts. While the overall trend was towards 40 mpg compacts and subcompacts the show also delivered on the performance side with several 400+ horsepower debuts. Subaru, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Honda and Kia unveiled new sedans while Jaguar and Ford showed face lifted versions of the XF and the Taurus. On the concept side Scion showed its own version of Toyota's FT-86 concept while Mercedes previewed its next A-class with a shiny concept. Let's take a look at the highlights from the 2011 New York Auto Show:

Best In Show: Volkswagen Beetle

The best in show competition came down to the Beetle, Scion FR-S concept and the Chrysler 300C SRT8. The Volkswagen wins for its excellent job of following up a retro design with one that is even more retro inspired yet still manages to look newer than the model it replaced, not an easy task. Volkswagen would do quite well for itself if the Beetle creates the same brand excitement as the previous New Beetle.

Best Concept: Scion FR-S Concept

Featuring a multitude of sharp creases and pronounced styling elements the FR-S concept looks the part as a modern interpretation of a compact coupe. Featuring a more than expected styling departure from the Toyota FT-86 concept leads to questions if both versions will make it to the states. Also interesting will be to see how the FR-S and the current TC mesh in the Scion lineup. Nevertheless if Scion can keep the concept styling into production the other questions may not matter much.

Best Performance Debut: Chrysler 300C SRT8

Looking exceptionally well in white with contrasting black painted grille and wheels the the high performance SRT8 finally makes the new 300C look great. The 465 horsepower Hemi V8 provides the performance necessary to back up the great styling.

Most Significant Production Debut: Chevrolet Malibu

The Malibu is vital for Chevy to continue improving its car sales at home and expanding oversees. Facing tough competition in the important mid size segment Chevy unveiled an interesting design that aims to blend a curvy front end with a sharper Camaro inspired rear. Perhaps Chevy's desire to expand Malibu sales abroad played a role in the design process. Time will tell if the Malibu finally captures the mid size category after the last generation was so close to the top, but not exactly there.

Best Paint Job: Mercedes Benz SLS AMG

Mercedes Benz takes the category with the SLS AMG in the traditional Gulf color combo that always looks spectacular. The A-class concept takes second place with a nice silver color that meshes well with its metal grille.

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Design Analysis

2011-04-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

As the most anticipated New York Auto Show debut in our opinion, the VW Beetle had a lot of hype to live up to. After seeing the initial photos of the 21st century Beetle it appears that VW has lived up to the expectations by revealing a fresh take on its classic. The original air cooled Beetle sold over 22.5 million copies worldwide making it perhaps the most recognizable vehicle in the world. Following this type of success and such recognizable styling is no easy task. The 19998 New Beetle certainly used the original Beetle as a styling basis but featured a more angular design theme. The 2012 Beetle (the New moniker is now gone) actually returns closer to the original Beetle in styling. It now has a flatter roofline (but is only half an inch shorter overall) and new styling elements throughout. Upfront the changes are fairly small as the hood features sharper lines and the circular headlights receive LED daytime lights. A shorter windshield leads to an A pillar than can now actually be distinguished from the roof. The styling changes are most visible from the side as the windows get shorter and door lines are no longer completely linear. A nice touch is the 3-D effect right below the window line. The Beetle gained six inches in length that allowed the designers to give it a proper coupe shape, one that looks very much like a compact Porsche would. At the rear, the tail lights no longer mirror the headlights and rather follow a more rectangular shape, the turbo model features a spoiler. Inside, the Beetle receives a significantly more modern looking interior with modern necessities such as a navigation screen. Gone is the plastic flower vase of the New Beetle that generated so much conversation in the past. A nice touch is the twin glove box that pays homage to the original rear engined Beetle interior. In America, the Beetle will use the proven 170 horsepower 2.5 liter five cylinder as the base engine along with the efficient 2.0 TDI and the 200 2.0T horsepower turbo as options. A convertible version should debut next year after the coupe goes on sale this September. Further down the line is a 250+ horsepower R version that will give the Beetle additional performance credentials. Take a look at the gallery below to see the 21st century Beetle for yourself.

Audi Q3 Design Analysis

2011-04-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

While the Q3 is not confirmed be sold in America this doesn't mean that we can't analyze the design of Audi's smallest SUV. Looking a little more SUVish than the 2009 Shanghai auto show Cross Coupe Concept the 2012 Q3 to be unveiled at this year's Shanghai show stays true to the concept for the most part. The Tiguan based Q3 is Audi's latest interpretation of its Q lineup. Upfront the Q3 features the updated Audi shield grill with six distinct segments. The headlights use a thin wraparound LED element for the daytime running lights. Overall the Q3 profile is quite similar to the Q5 albeit with crisper lines and straighter design elements consistent with the new A6 and A7. A crisp A5esque character line runs the length of the Q3 just below the side windows. The doors on the Q3 are more concave on the bottom which gives the crossover more pronounced fenders compared to the Q5. Likewise the C pillar features a much straighter line than the more curved Q5 shape. Out back the tail lights follow the Q5 shape but stick out from the tailgate on the bottom much like on the A6. Perhaps somewhat disappointing the interior does not look as great as some of Audi's previous efforts, although the Q3's lower price point probably plays a role as well. Of note is the new four spoke steering wheel along with the pop up navigation.

The Q3 is an excellent addition to the Audi lineup but appears to not be North American bound at this point in time. Audi USA may make a business case for it if it decides to only bring the A3 sedan and not the A3 Sportback with the next generation.

Click on the photo to see more of the Q3

Lexus LF-Gh Concept Design Analysis

2011-04-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Lexus LF-Gh made the list as one of the most anticipated New York Auto Show debuts a short time ago. At that point the decision to place the Lexus on the list was purely done because the GS is a significant vehicle in the industry and not because Lexus is known for creating the most exciting concepts. However, the LF-Gh might be the concept that changes that notion. Lexus claims that LF-Gh is a preview of design features that will eventually find themselves on production models. The concept is meant to show how a Lexus premium grand touring sedan will look like. The general profile of the concept should give a hint at what the production GS will look like, but the water cooler talk will certainly center around the massive grille at the front. The giant grille upfront is Lexus's interpretation of the Audi shield and the Mitsubishi grille taken to the extreme. It's tough to see the grille surviving production without losing the uppermost kink or being divided in half. The LED headlights ditch the four light nature of the previous two GS generation and are heavily inspired by the ones on the current LS flagship hybrid. The side profile dithces the sweptback roofline of the current GS for the more formal proportions of the current LS. Perhaps one of the weakest elements of the concept is the long rear overhang which indicates that the concept does show the true GS dimensions. The C pillar features a squiggly cutout as seen on the current IS. The rear trunk is one of the most tame elements of the design, aside from the bottommost extension the tail lights are almost production ready. Overall the LF-Gh concept is a lot more exciting than previously imagined but will also likely see some significant revisions before making production as the next generation GS.

Click on the image to view more LF-Gh concept photos

Best SUV Designs On Sale Today

2011-04-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

SUVs aren't particularly well known to be automotive design icons like coupes and sedans. Whether you blame it on the size or the need for functionality it's tough to see an SUV being remembered for its design along the lines of a classic E type Jaguar. Nevertheless this isn't to say that there aren't any well designed SUVs on sale today. As in any category to be the best requires you to stand out from the competition. In no particular order here are the best designed SUVs on sale today based on their visual impact, design cohesiveness and ability to convey their off-road capabilities.

Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade owns much of its sales success to its outstanding design. The large grille and chiseled traditional SUV styling give the Escalade a commanding presence that buyers want in this segment.

Dodge Durango

As the recent Dodge commercial points out the Durango did a lot during its two year absence, it transitioned from a pickup frame underpinnings to a Grand Cheeroke shared unibody platform. The Durango also returned with significant styling improvements and is now the best looking large crossover on the market today. A large grille upfront combined with sharp lines give the Durango presence while the rest of the design features softer lines yet still blends in surprisingly well.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Durango platformmate also makes the list as the latest generation combines traditional Jeep elements in a fresh new package. Looking more compact and tidier than before the latest Grand Cherokee still looks like a Jeep yet has exciting styling elements such as the character line in the doors, prominent wheel arches and chrome pieces throughout.

Lexus LX 570

The Lexus LX 570 features and incredibly clean design devoid of unnecessary elements that would mar its exterior. The grille, head and tail lights, and side creases result in a classy and elegant SUV fitting its price range.

Volkswagen Touareg

The second generation Touareg features sharper styling than its predecessor. Chiseled grille and headlights are a significant departure from the last model and give the Touareg a better first impression. Concave door design results in a 911 like Coke bottle shape that puts the sport in Sport Utility.

Honorable Mention: BMW X5, Range Rover

Subaru Shows Profile Of Its Next Impreza

2011-04-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

While the next generation Impreza didn't quite make our New York Auto Show top five list, Subaru nevertheless will be debuting the next Impreza in New York. When the previous generation Impreza was unveiled at the 2007 New York Auto Show the initial reaction was far from positive with the majority of the complaints centering around the sedan version. This time around Subaru has decided to give the Impreza a miniaturized Legacy design featuring more prominent wheel arches and a Hofmeister kink style C-pillar. From the teaser image it also appears that the Impreza will use Legacy inspired tail and headlights. Overall the new Impreza features a much better design than the squished look of the outgoing model. Though better overall it does gain an awkward A-pillar window reminiscent, but not nearly as bad, as the one on the Suzuki SX4. Subaru is promising that the Impreza will be the most fuel efficient all wheel drive car in America and will deliver 36 mpg on the highway. Subaru will likely introduce its new 2 liter boxer four to achieve that figure. Stay tuned for the New York Auto Show in two weeks to see the next Impreza from all sides and angles and a final verdict on its new styling.

Pickup Sales Undeterred By Rising Gas Prices

2011-04-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Even with gas prices rising across America pickup sales appear to be immune for the time being. Since the first of the year gas prices have increased over 20% amid rising crude oil prices due to instability in the Middle East. Nevertheless, over the past three months pickup sales have been gradually increasing. Take a look below to see the first quarter sales trend for the sixth full size pickups available on the market today. Aside from the GMC Sierra all of the pickups have increased their sales successively every month in the quarter. Ford and Dodge have done particularly well increasing their sales by 49 and 79 percent respectively. At this point in time it appears that pent up demand and improving credit availability are more powerful motivators in the market than higher prices at the pump. Only time will tell if pickup sales take a dive with gas already over four dollars in some parts of the country and rising elsewhere.

Chart Source

March 2011 Sales Overview

2011-04-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

While the overall sales pace slowed down slightly in March compared to February (13.1 million SAAR vs. 13.4 in February) numerous brands posted their strongest sales ever. Hyundai, Nissan and Kia all reported best monthly sales in history while Audi, Mercedes, and Porsche reported best March sales in recent history. Subaru recorded its second best month ever, powered by newly released models the Chrysler group saw best sales in three years while Volkswagen reported best sales in 7 years on a near two-fold increase in Jetta sales. March was also a special month for Ford (up 28.2%) as it outsold General Motors for the first time since February 2010. Among major manufacturers only Toyota posted a sales decline (-6.6) while its luxury division Lexus was nearly flat. On the luxury front Porsche, Land Rover, Audi, Infiniti, and BMW had double digit sales growth.

In the electric mobility front increased availability resulted in a sharp surge of Volt and Leaf sales. The Chevrolet Volt posted sales of 608 units while Nissan sold 298 Leafs.

For the time being it appears that neither high gas prices nor plant closures in Japan have affected US sales, stay tuned next month to see if the current trend continues.

Most Anticipated New York Auto Show Debuts

2011-03-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

With the New York Auto Show quickly approaching let's take a look at some of the most anticipated debuts from New York.

Number 5: Porsche Panamera S. As if the Panamera didn't already have enough horsepower to shame many supercars in a drag race Porsche has decided to give its five door hatch 50 additional horsepower.

Number 4: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Mercedes finally puts its great-sounding 6.3 liter AMG V8 in a coupe to challenge the BMW M3, Audi RS5 and Cadillac CTS-V. The C63 AMG coupe would place higher but we have already seen how the coupe will look thus losing some excitement.

Number 3: Lexus LF-Gh. This hybrid concept should do a good job of previewing the next generation of the GS sedan that is certainly due for an update. In a hotly contested segment Lexus will need a great design to stand out and hopefully we see one in New York.

Number 2: Jeep Grand Cheeroke SRT8. The latest Grand Cheeroke has been well received by both the press and the public alike. The 470 horsepower 6.4 liter Hemi V8 will transform the offroader into a 911 chasing beast.

Number 1: Volkswagen Beetle. The actual third generation Beetle might not make it to the auto show floor but Volkswagen will introduce the latest Beetle in NYC the day before the New York auto show in a similar fashion to the Katy Perry concert Jetta introduction of last summer. The Beetle tops the list because it has the potential to drum up interest in Volkswagen much in the same way the original New Beetle did over a decade ago.

Commercial Review: Corvette's Just To Be Fair

2011-03-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I gave high ratings to the last Corvette commercial that I saw, but this new one has a serious stretching the truth problem. First let's start with the positives, the commercial features the Corvette which was a competitive product for Chevy even when the rest of its car division was not. Second it features Corvette's involvement in ALMS racing which has some of the most exciting production based racing in the world. However, the main argument of the commercial is that Corvette had to "dial back" the ZR1's power output to race in ALMS. While it is true that the production Corvette ZR1 makes more power than the GT racing version there is also a little fact that gets in the way, rules. The governing body that runs the 24 Hours of Le Mans and creates ALMS rules does an excellent job of equalizing different types of engines to create competitive racing. The rules specify that a supercharged engine can at most have a displacement of 4 liters. Thus the GT Corvette cannot use a "dialed back" version of the ZR1 engine and in fact it uses a modified Z06 engine (take a look at a truthful Corvette Racing video about the GT engine below) The upcoming C7 Corvette is said to use the next generation of the legendary smallblock with 5.5 liters of displacement as its base engine with a power output of around 430-450 horsepower. Mathematically, Corvette would likely need to "add power to go racing" instead of "dialing it back by about 168 horsepower". The discrepancy between the claim in the commercial and reality is particularly shameful because the ZR1 does perfectly fine on its own without the need to stretch the truth as the production ZR1 is quicker around a track than the production versions of BMWs, Porsches and Ferraris that the GT Corvette competes against on the track.

Peugeot Wins 2011 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

2011-03-19T19:39:00.001-07:00

Billed as the most open Sebring in years the 2011 edition certainly did not disappoint. An old car won the race, a gasoline powered entry finished second and the fastest car of the race only managed a third place finish. The privateer Oreca Matmut team running the Peugeot 908 HDI FAP won the 59th edition of America's top endurance race Saturday. Using a rule restricted version of the first generation 908 Oreca was not as quick as the brand new factory 908 but Nicolas Lapierre, Loic Duval, and Olivier Panis ran a clean race to take victory. In second place the brand new gasoline Highcroft Racing Honda piloted by David Brabham, Marino Franchitti, and Simon Pagenaud proved that the new ACO rules are fair by running competitive times compared to the diesels. In third the new Peugeot 908 driven by Frank Montagny, Stephane Sarrazin, and Pedro Lamy were only able to manage a third place finish even with the fastest race car on the track. A few minor track and pit stop mistakes were enough to neutralize the factory Peugeot. Along with the factory Peugeots Audi Sport Team Joest was the co-favorite to win the race, but on-track incidents relegated Audi to a fourth and fifth overall in a disappointing race. Two consecutive flat tires caused the number 1 Audi to lose numerous laps early in the race. A little later the number 2 Audi suffered damage when it was hit by the number 7 Peugeot causing both cars lengthy repairs.

In the tightly contested GT category the BMW Motorsport team of Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, and Andy Priaulx took victory along with tenths place overall. As usual in the past few years the GT division had close racing until the last few hours with numerous cars taking the lead with excellent passing. Throughout most of the race the top five in GT were separated by less than five seconds. The 55 BMW and 03 Corvette rounded out the GT podium.

In P2 the Lola Honda of Scott Tucker, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Luis Diaz took the honors. The Genoa Racing team of Jens Petersen, Dane Cameron and Michael Guasch won the Le Mans Prototype category along with ninth place overall. Black Swan Racing team of Tim Pappas, Damien Faulkner, and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen were victorious in the 911 GT3 Cup.

Below is the Sebring top ten . Also check out our hourly update post for detailed Sebring obvservations.

1. (5) Nicolas Lapierre, France; Loic Duval; Olivier Panis, France; Peugeot 908 HDI FAP (1, LMP1), 332.
2. (7) David Brabham, Maidenhead; Marino Franchitti, Edinburgh, Scotland; Simon Pagenaud, Montmorrillon; HPD ARX-01e (2, LMP1), 332.
3. (1) Franck Montagny, Grandvaux; Stephane Sarrazin, Ales; Pedro Lamy, Lisbon; Peugeot 908 (3, LMP1), 332.
4. (4) Allan McNish, Monte Carlo; Dindo Capello, Canelli; Tom Kristensen, Monte Carlo; Audi R15+ TDI (4, LMP1), 327.
5. (2) Mike Rockenfeller, Monte Carlo; Timo Bernhard, Dittweiler; Romain Dumas, Ales; Audi R15+ TDI (5, LMP1), 326.
6. (10) Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire; Jay Cochran, Palm Beach, FL; Lola B09 86/Mazda (6, LMP1), 324.
7. (8) Neel Jani; Jeroen Bleekemolen, Monte Carlo, ; Nicolas Prost; Lola B10/60 Coupe (7, LMP1), 320.
8. (3) Alexander Wurz, Monte Carlo; Marc Gene, Barcelona; Anthony Davidson, Brackley, Northamptonshire; Peugeot 908 (8, LMP1), 315.
9. (12) Michael Guasch, Pleasant Hill, CA; Jens Petersen, Dusseldorf; Dane Cameron, Sonoma, CA; Oreca FLM09 (1, LMPC), 312.
10. (25) Dirk Mueller, Monte Carlo; Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA; Andy Priaulx; BMW M3 GT (1, GT), 312.

See the rest of the finishers here along with race details.

Sebring Live Updates

2011-03-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

You can watch the race on ESPN3 or at the ALMS website. Follow the race order with timing and scoring here.

At the start:

Peugeot leads while Audi takes second and third but by the next lap Peugeot is back to first and second. In GT Oliver Gavin takes the lead while BMW is fighting the Ferrari of Bruni for second. Bruni takes back the lead 10 minutes later. The BMW of Dirk Mueller loses its tire after contact with the Level 5 Honda. First caution comes when the Lamborghini is stranded on the grass with a broken wheel. Jamie Melo takes the GT lead shortly after the restart. At first hour The number 1 Audi loses many laps two to cut left rear tires. Hour and a half into the race McNish takes a 45 second after a pit stop. A second caution comes for a LMC car stranded on the track and wipes out McNish's lead.

Hour Three
A third caution comes out two hours into the race with the Patrick Long bouncing into the Corvette of Jan Magnussen spinning both cars, however the Ferrari of Johannes van Overbeek took the worst with a strong hit into the tire wall after contact with the Corvette. At the top of the field The number 2 Audi of Tom Kristensen is close behind chasing the number 8 Peugeot of Sarrazin. In P2 Luis Diaz had taken over the lead in his Lola Honda over the Nissan Oreca of Lucas Ordonez for some laps before having to pit. Kristensen took the overall lead shortly after the Peugeot pit stop but pitted himself shortly at the 9 hour mark.

Hour Four
BMW is first and second in GT with Ferrari of Mika Salo third. The fourth caution of the race comes out on lap 99 of the race after a Porsche caught fire. The caution has bunched up the front of the field with the Peugeot only 10 seconds ahead of the Audi. However the green racing was short lived with an another caution for the AJR Porsche stuck on the straight.

Hour Five
After the restart the number 7 Peugeot hit the number 2 Audi and should be getting a penalty if it gets back out after repairs. The race for the overall win is essentially over now. With that said, Simon Pagenaud has overtaken the number 8 Peugeot for the overall lead with an excellent and most importantly clean pass when Peugoet was slowed down by some traffic. Only moments later a sixth yellow came out after a car in the tire wall.

Hour Six
The Honda Performance Development P1 has lost the overall lead after the latest restart but has been able to remain second with Marino Franchitti a few seconds ahead of last year's 908 driven by Oliver Panis. Meanwhile Jamie Melo in the new 458 Italia us first in GT with the next four in GT less than five seconds behind.

Half Way Through The Race

Six hours after the race began there is another full course yellow. Thanks to all of the caution periods there is close racing for the lead and GT. Soon after the restart the Oreca 908 HDI Fap takes over second place overall. After the restart the racing is extremely competitive in GT as demonstrated by Toni Vilander's excellent clean pass on Tommy Milner for third in GT. A little later Pierre Kafer was able to take advantage of a slight mistake by Dirk Mueller to take the GT lead.

Hour Eight

With five hours left 'till the checkered flag the race is once again under yellow for the time being. After the restart the Oreca Peugeot leads with the David Brabham piloted Honda 6 seconds back and the factory Peugeot 10 seconds back. Pierre Kafer continues to lead GT with the BMWs 4 and 8 seconds back.

Hour Nine

Another caution and another restart gave Loic Duval and Oreca an opportunity to overtake the Brabam's HPD effort with a little more than 4 hours remaining.

Hour Ten

Things seemed to have slowed down for a bit as the race approached three hours left. A pit-stop had the leader change its front bodywork to fix broken louvers. Immediately after the pit-sop Pedro Lamy spun the previously race leading 908. The spin and the long pit stop have put the factory 908 in third. Andy Priaulx continues to lead GT and has opened up a 25 second lead over Giancarlo Fisichella in the F430.

Two Hours To Go

With two hours left and the circuit completely dark Sebring is not in its homestretch. Nicolas Lapierre leads with Simon Pagenaud seconds and Pedro Lamy chasing after his spin. BMW continues to place first in second in GT. The P2 category has found its competitors visiting the pit-lane frequently, Ryan Hunter-Reay leads overall in his Lola-Honda but is only 29th overall.

One Hour To Go

With a little under an hour left in the race Pagenaud leads the race having just inherited the lead when the Oreca 908 pitted. Loic Duval in the Oreca is 17 seconds behind Pagenaud and the new factory 908 is 39 seconds behind the leader. All three competitors for first place will likely need at least another pit-stop. Pagenaud and Montagny can significantly improve their odds of winning if they can stay out about 10 more minutes and guarantee only one final pit-stop. We are in for a great last 50 minutes!

The final pit stops are over and Duval leads in his Oreca 908 HDI FAP with Pagenaud's Honda 34 seconds behind, the factory 908 is third 58 seconds behind. It's now up to the drivers in the last 30 minutes!

2011 Sebring Preview

2011-03-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

With the first official practice sessions over it's time to preview the upcoming 59th running of Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. This year's edition of one of the most grueling races in the world is filled with exciting new changes.This year Sebring is not only the opening round of the American Le Mans Series, it also serves as the opening round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, an international series centered around the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the top of the 56 car field significant changes make P1 racing as open as it has been in years. New regulations have resulted in brand new machines from Peugeot, Aston Martin, and Audi. Unfortunately only Peugeot has its new race car, the 908, at Sebring. Audi is racing an updated version of last year's Le Mans winner which they are calling the R15++. Joining the P1 ranks this year is the Honda Performance Development effort. Peugeot and Audi have traded posting fastest times in the first few sessions with Honda and Aston Martin closely behind. New rules for 2011 have slowed down the diesel competitors creating close competition at the top. With the ACO closely watching all lap times and ready to slow down cars that are too quick it we might not see the true pace of some of the front runners until the green flag drops.

Regulation changes have resulted in a significantly larger gap between P1 and P2 categories, nevertheless the Nissan powered Oreca has enjoyed a sizable advantage in early testing over the Honda powered Lola.

The GT field this year looks to be as close as ever with Ferrari (represented by the new 458 Italia and the old 430), Porsche, Covette and BMW posting very similar times through the early sessions. As in P1 a true favorite might not emerge until the race begins.

This year Sebring will be streamed live in its entirety on ESPN3 and the ALMS website. Live coverage begins Friday for qualifying at 2:55PM (EST) with the race coverage starting at 10:115 AM Eastern time on Saturday.

Automotive Power Rankings Geneva Motorshow Edition

2011-03-12T18:46:00.001-08:00

For those of you that follow sports you know that power rankings is all about the teams that are at the top of the game. With that in mind let's take a look at the first installment of Kill It With Fire power rankings. In this edition we'll rank the brands solely based on their performance at the Geneva Motorshow and ignore for a moment their sales, recalls and comparison tests results. These rankings are based on the impact, style, and "wow" factor of both production and concept debuts in Geneva. In other words the winners are the ones that made the most noise in Geneva.

1	Lamborghini	Lamborghini takes first place with its show stopping Aventador LP-700-4. 700 horsepower from a brand new V12 and incredible styling make Lamborghini the undisputed Geneva winner.
2	Volkswagen and Audi	The Golf convertible and Tiguan debuts weren't the greatest but the Bulli, A3 and Guigaro styled concept gave VW and Audi a great Geneva portfolio.
3	Koenigsegg	The Agera looks poised to be a legitimate Veyron challenger, the available ski box is an interesting touch.
4	Ferrari	The FF is Ferrari's first hatchback, patented all wheel system with two gearboxes is intriguing.
5	Alfa Romeo	The 4C's lightweight and great styling would be a great launch product when Alfa comes to the states.
6	Saab	The PhoeniX Concept features great styling and proves that Saab is looking ahead.
7	Nissan and Infiniti	The Nissan Esflow and the Infiniti Etherea feature adventurous styling perfect for an autoshow. On the production front the Micra features the return of the Miller cycle engine.
8	Morgan	The Threewheeler is a great blast from the past.
9	Toyota	Toyota is taking its time developing its new coupe but the second generation FT-86 looks great.
10	Renault	The Captur and R-Space continue Renault's great concept car lineage.
11	Bertone	The vintage styled X-Type looked intriguing but isn't likely to see production from Jaguar.
11	Aston Martin	The Virage looks great like all other Aston Martins before
12	Jaguar	The XKR-S celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the E-Type
13	Rolls-Royce	The 102-EX is a Phantom with batteries under the hood and electric motors in place of the fuel tank.
14	Maserati	The Grancabrio gains a Sport version that adds additional performance to the standard great looks
15	Mazda	Mazda will get its styling mojo back if it can translate the Minagi CUV concept to reality with minimal changes.
16	Mercedes-Benz	The C-Class coupe features a classy if somewhat traditional coupe design.
17	BMW	The ConnectedDrive concept is the high-tech take on the roadster
18	De Tomaso	Will De Tomaso make a comeback with the Deauville? Only time will tell.
19	Ford	Neither the Ranger nor the B-Max will be coming to the states.
20	Hyundai	The i40 continues Hyundai's expressive styling momentum. It is essentially a Sonata Wagon that's not cleared for US sales yet.
21	Chevrolet	GM is clearly saving its best for domestic auto shows as the Cruze hatchback is little to get excited about.
22	Kia	The Rio and Picante look good for compacts but aren't terribly exciting.
23	Lancia	The Ypsilon loses out to its corporate cousin the Fiat 500 in styling and the rebadged Chryslers look exactly like rebadged Chryslers.
24	Skoda	The Skoda Design Concept is too subtle for a concept.

February 2011 Sales Recap

2011-03-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

With gas prices surging upwards the conventional thinking would have car sales falling, yet the complete opposite was true in February. As a whole the auto industry recorded a 27% improvement over February of 2010 and posted a 13.4 million sales pace for the year. The best performing brands all posted unheard of improvements of over 70% compared to last year. Fueled by an almost doubling of pickup sales the Ram sub-brand posted an 81% increase in sales. As a whole Dodge was up 22%. February was an exceptionally strong month for General Motors. Its luxury oriented Buick brand was up 73% while Cadillac up by 70%. Chevrolet was up 43% to lead the biggest sellers with Toyota right behind with a 41.8% improvement. Toyota's luxury division Lexus did not fair as well only managing a 0.2% improvement. Of the remaining mainstream brands only Lincoln and Chrysler posted declines for the month. It will be interesting to see how the sales trend progresses over the next few months and if the rising fuel prices take a toll on sales.

As before Kill With Fire will continue to monitor sales of electric vehicles, Chevrolet sold 281 Volts and Nissan delivered 67 Leafs to customers.

A3 Sedan Concept

2011-03-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Audi released some sketches of its Geneva A3 "nothcback" concept but now it's time to take a look at the actual concept along with a few additional specs. Audi says that the 408 horsepower 2.5 liter turbo 5 cylinder will propel the A3 to 60 in only 4.1 seconds or about as quick as the current TT-RS. A low weight of only 3,395 pounds helps achieve the acceleration figure as well as contributing to a 26 combined mpg rating on the European fuel economy tests. Using our propriety estimation techniques we guesstimate that such an A3 would achieve around 18/28 mpg on the EPA test. Take a look at the photos of the concept below.

Volkswagen Microbus Concept Reborn as Bulli

2011-02-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

Volkswagen has reprised its well-liked 2001 Detroit Microbus concept in the form of the 2011 Geneva Bulli concept. During its 10 year autoshow absence the original concept has shrunk considerably to 156 inches in length or about 10 inches shorter than the Golf. It also gains a 113 horsepower electric motor and a 40 kilowatt-hour battery pack that's good for 186 miles before needing a charge. The Bulli, which is what the original Volkswagen Bus was meant to be called, stays true to its 2001 version style-wise for the most part but features sharper lines and creases. Inside the Bulli features a minimalistic interior that uses an iPad instead of a traditional console. While Volkswagen missed a great opportunity by not producing the Microbus concept it has a chance to redeem itself by greenlighting the Bulli into production.

Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

2011-02-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

Another day and yet another Geneva debut, this time its the official debut of the Lamborghini Aventador. Featuring a brand new 700 horsepower V12 engine coupled with a 7 speed quick shift transmission, carbon fiber monocoque and pushrod suspension front and rear the Aventador promises tremendous performance. And it delivers with a 0-60 time of only 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph while reducing fuel consumption by about 20% compared to the Murcielago. While the incredibly high performance was a given the pressing question was always going to be the Aventador's styling. Considered by many to be the definition of supercar styling Lamborghini had a reputation to uphold. The Aventador does not dissapoint with a blend of Gallardo, Reventon and Estoque concept elements. The Estoque's influence is most visible in the rear taillight design. As with the Murcielago air scoops and vents play a prominent role in exterior styling. Inside the Aventador uses a TFT-LCD display in place of a traditional speedometer and tachmoeter, a separate 7 inch display is used for navigation and multimedia through a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) system. The interior design is dominated by a prominent central console and is clean and luxurious.

Like previous Lamborghinis the Aventador is named after a fighting bull, a particularly famous one that won the "Trofeo de la Pena La Madronera" for its courage in 1993. Click on the image below to see the Aventador in its full glory.

Specifications

Horsepower: 700 hp @ 8,250 RPM

Torque: 509 lb-ft @ 5,500 RPM

0-62: 2.9 seconds

Top Speed: 217 mph

Engine Weight: 518 lbs

Gearbox: 7 speed ISR with 50 millisecond shift times

Length/Width/Height: 188.19/88.98/44.72 inches

Wheelbase: 106.29 inches

Dry Weight: 3,472 pounds

Price: 379,700 US dollars

Geneva Motorshow Concepts

2011-02-27T17:20:00.000-08:00

We've taken a look at some of the upcoming Geneva production debuts and now it's time to look at some of the most exciting concepts at the show. Since you have already seen the sketches of the A3 Sedan Concept let's move on to two of Geneva's most anticiapted concepts: the Subaru and Toyota rearwheel drive coupe twins. Both Subaru and Toyota will show close-to-production concepts of their coupes. While Subaru and Toyota will show nearly prodcution looking concepts others will be more adventorous in style and reason. The BMW ConnectedDrive concept is a modern take on the classic roadster meant to showcase the upcoming possibilites of auto tech. Another concept to watch for is the Bertone B99. It's the Italian design house take on the much talked about upcoming 3-series/A4/C class size Jaguar. Infiniti will be presenting its Etherea conecpt which gives the Genevav audience a preview of how an upcoming compact Infiniti might look like. Nissan will also present an electric sports car featuring a mix of 370Z and GT-R styling cues and the Leaf's battery pack. And Geneva Motorshow would not be the Geneva Motorshow withous a Rinspeed concept. This year the Rinspee Bamboo is an electric powered retro-styled summer beach cruiser.

Click on the photo to start the Concept Gallery.

Geneva Preview Show

2011-02-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

With the Geneva Motor Show only a week away the floodgates have opened and many manufacturers have released images of the cars that they will debut in Geneva. Without a doubt the most highly anticipated Geneva debut is the upcoming Lamborghini LP-700 Aventador. Lamborghini has slowly but surely revealed its upcoming hypercar by showing the engine, suspension, and its carbon fiber monocoque. While Lamborghini has done an excellent job drumming up excitement over the Aventador without revealing too much, a certain European magazine has revealed a glimpse of the real deal. The Aventador will not be the only high powered Geneva debut as Jaguar has unveiled its most extreme version of its XK to date, the 550 horsepower XKR-S. The S adds an additional 40 horsepower and 41 lb-ft of torque to the XKR along with more aggressive styling. Fellow British based Aston Martin will also be revealing its newest model, the Virage, at Geneva as well. The 490 horsepower Virage slots between the DB9 and the DBS performance and style-wise while incorporating the latest chassis improvements to the Aston aluminum platform. There will also be a convertible version called the Virage Volante. Maserati has a high-performance convertible ready for Geneva as well, the GranTurismo Convertible Sport. It features 11 extra horsepower and 15 additional lb-ft of torque along with sportier transmission and suspension tunings and unique styling elements. On the other side of the performance envelop Volkswagen will be showing its Europe-only Golf convertible featuring a soft top roof that needs only 9 seconds to go down.

Click on the photo to launch the gallery and see photos of all upcoming Geneva debuts and stay tuned for more news throughout the week.

Audi A3 Sedan Concept Sketches

2011-02-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

Audi pulled a quick one on the unsuspecting masses by revealing sketches of its Geneva bound A3 sedan concept on a Sunday. The A3 sedan will preview the styling of the upcoming A3 model range that as the concept indicates will be joined by a sedan for the first time. The next generation A3 will also be the first Audi to use the upcoming MQB modular platform. Powering the concept is a 408 horsepower 2.5 TFSI engine last seen in the fall on the quattro concept. A 340 horsepower version powers the current generation RS3 and TT-RS thus this concept is a good indication that the RS3 will continue into the next generation. The A3 sedan concept measures 174.8 inches in length thus splitting the difference in size between the current A3 Sportback and the A4. The sedan bodystyle will be paramount in the A3 picking up its sales in the USA. Take a look at the sketches below.

Lamborghini LP700-4 Video

2011-02-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

Here is the best video of the upcoming Murcielago replacement to date. Featuring footage inside and out the video gives brief glimpses of the interior and of course gives a good representation of the new Lamborghini V12's glorious sound. Check out the Geneva bound Aventador driving around a snowy countryside below.

Future Audi S6 and S8 Engines Revealed

2011-02-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

Audi just recently unveiled its brand new A6 and the A8 has only been on sale for a few months, but the brand is soon to augment its lineup up with high performance S models. Long rumored to receive a turbocharged V8 to replace the naturally aspirated V10 of the previous generation we can now confirm the horsepower output of the S versions. The S6 and S8 will both feature a 4.0 TFSI engine, the S6 will have 408 horsepower while the S8 will have 518 horsepower. It's likely that the S6 (and S7) will use a single turbocharger while the S8 will rely on a twin-turbo setup to deliver the extra 110 horsepower. The S6 will use a 7 speed dual-clutch gearbox while the S8 will have an 8 speed auto. The regular A8 will also use the 4.0T, delivering 420 horsepower in that application. The S6 and S8 are set to go to production towards the end of 2011 so expect a public debut soon. In related news the new A6 will also receive the long expected twin-turbo 3.0TDI engine with 313 horsepower in August.

The last generation S6 and S8 also shared a common engine, the 5.2 liter V10, but with a much more similar state of tune. The S6 V10 made 435 horsepower while the S8 made 450. This time it appears that the S6 will be repositioned in the same manner as Audi has done with the S4 previously. The S6 will become the sole V8 option (until the RS6) in the A6 lineup much like the S4 is the only V6 option for the A4. And for those concerned with the horsepower drop from the V10 I suspect that the new S6 will easily outperform its predecessor much like the latest supercharged V6 S4 had done compared to the old V8 powered S4.

Chicago Day One Recap

2011-02-10T01:22:00.001-08:00

Day one at the Chicago autoshow is over and the emerging trend is high horsepower V8s. Going against the grain of the past few autoshow seasons Chevrolet, Dodge and Hyundai dominated day one with their new performance offerings. Chevy introduced the ZL1 version of the Camaro with a supercharged 550 horsepower/550 lb-ft of torque LSA V8. The highest performing Camaro of all time also receives the expected agressive exterior enhancements along with a beefed-up drivetrain, magnetic ride suspension, and bigger brakes. An all black interior and a dual mode exhaust are also exclusive ZL1 features. The ZL1 is set to bring the challange to the Mustang GT500 in about a years time.


	2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
	Learn about the Camaro ZL1 Performance Car \| Follow on Twitter \| Facebook

Not to be outdone Dodge also unveiled the SRT8 version of its new Charger. Looking a little like a four-door GT-R the latest SRT8 features more unique styling compared to the first generation SRT8. The biggest change aside from the 465 horsepower/465 lb-ft of torque 6.4 liter Hemi V8 is the large blacked-out Evoesque grille upfront. The SRT8 also receives unique 20 inch wheels, Brembo brakes, a larger rear spoiler, and heavily bolstered seats. Dodge predicts high 4 second 0-60 time along with a 1/4 mile time in the high 12 second range when the Charger goes on sale this fall.

Rounding out the day was a yet another V8 powered sedan, the Hyundai Genesis R-Spec. The Genesis R is the first application of Hyundai's new 5 liter direct injected V8. The 429 horsepower/376 lb-ft V8 will be paired up with a new 8 speed automatic in the 2012 Genesis which also receives new Audiesque LED daytime running lights, updated tailights and restyled fascias. Hyundai also promises to up the sport factor on the R-Spec with bigger stabilizer bars and brakes, and recalibrated steering.

Best Commercials of Superbowl XLV

2011-02-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

Amongst the usual Bud Light and Doritos commercials, Superbowl XLV brought us a heavy dose of automotive commercials not seen in the past few years. The automotive commercials much like the rest of the ads were all over the place ranging from good to not so good to very much not good. So without a further ado here are the five best automotive commercials of Superbowl XLV.

Number 5: Chevrolet Silverado HD
In this ad the Chevrolet Silverado HD is the hero as it saves the day numerous times while demonstrating its heavy-duty capabilities.

Number 4: Chevrolet Camaro
This was the best of the many Chevrolet advertisements during the game. In this ad a couple of guys are in charge of making an ad for the Camaro, they end up with the Camaro being driven by several beautiful women with the last one being a teacher.

Number 3: Kia Optima
It's not every day that something actually lives up to its hype when the word Epic is envolved, but in this case the Kia Epic Ride commercial does quite well.

Number 2: Chrysler 200
In the second Eminem commercial of the night Chrysler does an excellent job of using Detroit imagery (and 8 Mile soundtrack) to portray Motown as a place that can build luxury auotmobiles. Perhaps they should have used the 300C though.

Numer 1: Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen scores a win in the automotive category, and perhaps overall, with its pint-sized Darth Vader and plenty of "aww" factor.

January 2011 Sales At a Glance

2011-02-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

January was another good month for the auto industry as a whole with all but four brands turning in increased sales. The month also brought a few pleasant surprises with Mitsubishi, Smart, and Suzuki all improving on last year's sales. Cadillac led all brands with a 49.1% improvement over last January with Jaguar right behind at 48%. The Jeep brand (up 47%) is doing exceptionally well with its new Grand Cherokee and is quickly catching up to Dodge in overall sales. Also doing well for the month was the previously mentioned Mitsubishi that posted its best monthly sales since 2009. Not to be outdone Subaru and Audi posted record January sales. On the flip side the biggest surprise of the month was the large drop suffered by Lexus (17.1%) which forced Lexus to give up its luxury crown to Mercedes. Of note was the continued slow rollout of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Volt selling 321 and 87 units respectively. While Obama is promising a million plug-in vehicles on the road by 2015, at this point in time you are more likely to see an Italian exotic on the road. Expect the sales of the Volt and Leaf to increase as they go on sale nationwide later in the year.

Ferrari FF

2011-01-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

Company press releases often throw around the world "revolutionary" as if they are indeed planning a revolution, but instead they are usually just hyping up their latest econobox which is just as boxy and economic as all the others. In the case of the Ferrari FF (Ferrari Four) the use of the word is actually justified as the 612 Scaglietti replacement is a significant departure from everything the brand has done before. Ferrari's new four seater is its first four wheel drive hatchback, perhaps the first modern vehicle actually deserving of the much overused term shooting-brake. In any case the FF is probably one of the largest hatches in the world at 193 inches, this gives the Ferrari four seater 16 cubic feet of luggage capacity. In what is probably a first for Ferrari the rear seats fold to give you 28 cubic feet of carrying capacity making the FF the first Ferrari approved for Costco run duty. Four wheel drive is another new technology to the Ferrari brand. Ferrari claims that its patented 4RM four wheel drive system weighs only half of a typical all wheel drive system. Powering the FF is a 651 horsepower direct injected 6.3 liter V12. Interestingly enough that is the same power output as the Ferrari Enzo with an additional 19 lb-ft of torque, an excellent example of technological progress. The addition of direct injection and a start-stop system (a first for a production Ferrari as well) gives the FF a 33% bump in fuel economy when compared to its predecessor, a two wheel drive car that had 120 fewer horsepower. The performance of the FF will undoubtedly be superb, however the biggest water cooler talk about the FF will be its styling. Reminiscent of the cult status Z3 " the Clown Shoe" Coupe in its profile the styling will be a hot topic for some time. Mostly because it is just too unusual to see a 300,000 dollar+ hatchback. Whatever your opinion of the styling it is refreshing and laudable to see a company pushing the boundaries of design when they could have easily followed their traditional formula and still sell every example that they made. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if people are willing to buy a 209 mph hatchback or if they will go for something more conventional like the Lamborghini Estoque sedan.

2011 NAIAS Day One

2011-01-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

The 2011 NAIAS has started and it's time to consider the three best concepts of day one. In typical Honda fashion the Honda Civic and Civic coupe concepts are thinly veiled versions of the upcoming production models. The sedan Civic is particularly well executed and shows a sleeker version of the current sedan. With minimal changes to production the Civic looks poised to capture the styling lead in the compact segment with a great balance between clean and adventurous styling.The coupe concept doesn't look bad either but is not as well executed as the sedan.

Ford scores a nomination for its Vertrek concept which previews the next generation Ford Escape that is set to take a major departure from its current boxiness. The Vertrek gives a good indication of the Kuga inspired direction that the Escape will take, aside from the pillarless window design it should be a fair representation of the popular crossover. Ford promises improved aerodynamics with this new design. The compact CUV segment is experiencing tremendous growth and styling is likely to play a great role in this trendy segment.

Rounding out day one is the Kia KV7 concept. Its clean take on the minivan concept deserves recognition. From some angles it resembles the crowd pleasing Volkswagen Microbus concept of yesteryear, the last "cool" minivan.

2010 Sales In Review

2011-01-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

December 2010 proved to be a very good month for the auto industry with most brands posting significant increases in sales over last December. In fact, Mini and Mercedes-Benz posted best December sales in their company history. 2010 as a year on the whole also proved to be much better for the auto industry compared to the past few years. All brands save Toyota and Suzuki were able to improve their sales compared to 2009. Even the recently discontinued Mercury brand was able to improve by a percentage point to close out its existence. General Motor's premium divisions led all brands with Buick improving by 51.9% and Cadillac with 34.7% respectively. Hyundai and Ford bested all of the other mainstream competition with 24 and 21% improvements. The 21% sales improvement allowed Ford to outsell Chevrolet and Toyota for the year. Hyundai, Kia and Audi all had banner years selling more than every before. Take a look at the chart below to see how everyone did in 2010 compared to 2009.

December also marked the start of sales of the all electric Nissan Leaf and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt. Electric mobility is of to a slow start with the Volt winning the first battle with 326 sales compared to only 19 Leafs for Nissan.

Best Looking Modern Engine Bays

2010-12-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

With the ever growing trend of manufacturers adding more and more plastic into the engine compartment it's become significantly rarer to find modern vehicles with visually appealing engine bays. However, there are always exceptions to all trends and there are new vehicles out there with great looking engines and engine bays. Without further ado here are the best looking modern engine bays.

Ferrari 599 V12

Audi RS4 V8

Chrysler SRT8 V8

Bugatti Veyron W16

Ford Mustang 5.0 V8

Ferrari 458 Italia V8

Mercedes Benz 6.3 AMG V8

2012 BMW 650i Convertible Design Analysis

2010-12-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

At the past LA Autoshow BMW released photos of its third generation 6 series convertible. The latest six series stays true to its Paris concept, changing little in the process of going to production. BMW did throw a curve ball by first releasing photos of the convertible ahead of the coupe. The latest six series certainly makes amends many of the styling transgressions of the last generation, especially in the trunk and headlights area. One journalist described the trunk of the last three series as if someone backed in to a guard rail and dented the trunk. The new six series fixes these shortcomings with a sharp taillight and trunk area. The front of the six series is follows the same general design as the latest seven series, yet integrates well with the rest of the convertible design. Overall the latest sixth series features a significantly cleaner design that does wonders for BMW's top of the line convertible. The torquey turbocharged V8 engine and crisp styling makes the latest six series convertible a serious contender in the grand touring category. Take a look at the photos of the 2012 six series convertible below.

2012 Audi A6 Design Analysis

2010-12-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Audi unveiled its seventh generation A6 sedan this past week and now it's time to analyze its design. Unsurprisingly, the A6 follows a similar design pattern as the A8 and to a certain degree A4 and A7. It also keeps design elements from the previous generation A6 as well. As a brand Audi has prioritized a single cohesive design language between its models over the past few years. This is perhaps the biggest downfall for the new A6 as it lacks some of the excitement associated with new model reveals. Aside from lacking the surprise factor, the A6 nevertheless has a strong and clean design. The all LED headlights look extremely sharp and are better integrated than those of the latest A8. The A1 inspired taillights however look to take a step back from the ones on the current generation A6. The A7 inspired interior does not disappoint and keeps Audi's interior reputation intact. Overall, the A6 features a design that can be considered on the conservative side with a mix of clean lines that like many other new designs is likely to look better in person than in pictures. Nevertheless, here are some (63 to be exact) photos of the new A6 along with two videos to help you form your own opinion.

Volt Gets Its EPA Sticker Also

2010-11-24T19:42:00.001-08:00

Hot on the heels of the EPA announcement that the Nissan Leaf will get 99 MPGe, the Chevrolet Volt received its own EPA sticker today. Unlike the all electric Leaf, the Volt is a plug in hybrid and thus has three distinct fuel economy figures. On a full battery charge the Volt will travel about 35 miles while getting 93 MPGe, or only slightly worse than the Leaf. After the initial battery charge runs out the Volt consumes gasoline like a regular car. The EPA rates the Volt at 35 city and 40 highway when running purely on gasoline, these numbers place it slightly above compact cars fuel economy wise. Overall, the EPA predicts that through a mix of electric and gasoline driving the Volt on average will achieve 60 MPG combined, this places the Volt 10 MPG ahead of the Prius. Of course this estimate depends on the amount of driving done with the gas engine running. A long highway drive with no opportunity to recharge will push the MPG down towards 40, while short trips around town will have the Volt's average over 60. While the Volt didn't live up to Chevy's 230 mpg hype claim, its electric efficiency is only slightly behind the lighter Leaf's and respectable in gas only mode.

With both the Leaf and the Volt ready to go on sale this December the electric vehicle battle is on and it's up to the consumer to see which vehicle they prefer. Looking solely at the EPA ratings, the Volt gives up little efficiency while providing a significant range advantage.

LA Autoshow Favorites

2010-11-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

With the LA Autoshow behind us it's time to take a look at the best production and concept cars from the show. The list of production models making their debut was significant. Chrysler and Dodge unveiled significantly updated versions of their mid-size sedans and minivans along with the new Durango and Charger. Nissan unveiled its new Quest minivan along with the first convertible crossover in the Murano CrossCabriolet. The Buick LaCrosse with E Assists is interesting as well as it promises high fuel economy from a mild hybrid system. Nevertheless, the CLS 63 AMG takes the best production debut category with its matte paint, huge power, and bold styling. The original CLS is widely known as a styling icon, and it appears that the second generation CLS, at least in the AMG form, does not disappoint.

Mercedes Benz CLS63, click to enlarge

On the concept side, he Subaru Impreza Concept and the Nissan Ellure take the honors as best concepts. Both concepts aim to give the public a preview of how their future production sedans will look like. The Impreza concept gives a good preview of how the next Impreza sedan should look like minus the typical show car elements. While Nissan says that the Ellure concept is not a preview of any specific model in its lineup, don't be surprised to see some of its styling elements in the next Sentra and Altima.

Subaru Impreza Concept

Nissan Ellure Concept

EPA Gives the LEAF 99 MPG

2010-11-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

With the Nissan LEAF set to go on sale this upcoming December, the EPA has finally given the car its official fuel economy sticker. Officially the LEAF will have a city rating of 106 MPGe, 92 MPGe highway and 99 combined. Naturally because the LEAF is powered solely by electricity it doesn't use any gasoline, but the EPA is calculating its "fuel economy" ratings on energy consumption. Thus the LEAF consumes electrical energy at a rate equivalent to a gasoline powered car achieving 99 miles per gallon combined. The EPA also estimates that on a full charge the LEAF should be good for about 73 miles of travel. Needless to say these ratings put the LEAF ahead of any other mass produced car to date.

Unrelated But Awesome

2010-11-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

Here are the two pieces of automotive news from the past couple of days that are completely unrelated but nevertheless very interesting. First is the first official photo of the upcoming Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. Even though Nissan had confirmed its existence a while ago not many believed that Nissan would actually take the top of its well known crossover. The CrossCabriolet represents a new vehicle segment being formed in front of our eyes, which makes it an exciting debut at the upcoming Los Angeles autoshow. As far as the design of the crossover convertible, the transition looks good so far, but we have to wait for top-up pictures before assigning a final verdict.

The second exciting piece of news is Lamborghini's reveal of its brand new 700 horsepower V12 engine. The 6.5 liter V12 features a new design and is said to be lighter than the previous V12s which all shared a common heritage dating back to 1964. Along with the new V12 Lamborghini also revealed a new automated manual gearbox that promises extremely fast shifting times. The V12 and gearbox combo will go inside the Murcielago replacement in early 2011. The latest rumor indicates that it will be called the Aventador. The Aventador and its new V12 are especially exciting because they represent what could be one of the last pure supercars.

Cylinder Displacement By Brand

2010-11-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

The common automotive saying says that there is no replacement for displacement, but there is no such saying about the best way to achieve more displacement. A company may choose to increase the number of cylinders or they can just build an engine with larger displacement per each cylinder. Having a smaller cylinder usually allows for an engine that can achieve higher RPM, but having more cylinders also increases complexity and weight. After sorting through some data, Kill With Fire has come up with this chart that ranks all of the manufacturer brands by their average cylinder size.

Click on the chart to enlarge it.

Warren Buffett on BYD, Unions and Detroit

2010-10-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Kill It With Fire recently had an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a Q&A session with Warren Buffet. Among the numerous questions answered by Mr. Buffett were a few about the auto industry. As an aside, Mr. Buffett is an excellent public speaker ready to share many funny stories from his life. Mr. Buffett was also extremely generous with his time as he took individual pictures with every attendee. Back on the automotive front, first was a question about Buffett's recent vote of confidence in BYD amid rumors that he might sell his share. Famous for not investing in companies and industries that he does not understand personally, Buffett nevertheless believes that BYD will succeed. Buffett’s reasons behind his optimism about BYD are not based on the company’s battery expertise but are rather much simpler and fundamental. He sees BYD succeeding because it has an excellent management team lead by its CEO Wang Chuan-Fu. Buffett was initially impressed by Chuan-Fu’s ability to turn BYD into a major player in the auto market in under a decade. He was further impressed by Chuan-Fu’s character during the lengthy purchasing process when Chuan-Fu honored the original contract instead of looking for a loophole to void the deal even though his company’s value had gone up fivefold.

Buffett also touched upon the future of Detroit. He likened its demise to that of New England textile mills that lost out to union free Southern states. Buffett eventually sees the area shifting its lost jobs towards other industries, but does not see Detroit returning to its former glory years.

And for those wondering, the world’s third richest man’s daily driver is a gold Cadillac DTS.

New Volkswagen Jetta Commercial Review

2010-10-16T22:51:00.001-07:00

All car commercials have the same purpose, to sell cars. However there are three distinct methods of accomplishing this that manufacturers use most often; the "you should buy our car because of its amazing specs and features", the "you should buy our car because its got a huge discount" and the third category that tells you a funny or interesting story that is only slightly related to the vehicle featured. The latest Volkswagen Jetta commercial called "Moonlighting" certainly fits into the third category as it shows a guy moonlighting at odd jobs to save up for his own new Jetta. The jobs that he goes through suck, but in the end it turns out that the Jetta's new low price of 15,995 allows him to buy not one but two Jettas. Overall the commercial does a good job of using light humor to introduce the new Jetta and its lower price. Its minute long format helps to create a storyline without the need to rush through the scenes thus making the ending that much better. View the commercial in its entirety below.

Best of the Paris Motorshow

2010-10-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

The biannual Paris Motorshow is always filled with lots of interesting concept and important production debutes, and this year was no different with many exciting and wild concepts taking stage. To make sense of all of the excitement here are the best concept, best Lotus concept, most significant production debut, most outrageous concept and least likely to make it to production technology.

Best Concept

Certainly the toughest category with lots of amazing concepts to pick from including the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, Audi Quattro Concept, and Jaguar C-X75. However the honor of best concept goes to the Renault Dezir Concept and its Hot Wheels inspired design.

Best Lotus Concept

Lotus deserves and gets its own category for its prodigious output of five concept cars. While all of the sports car concepts featured a very similar design the Elan concept had the crispest and most appealing design with the Espirit concept coming in a close second.

Most Significant Production Debut

This year continued the trend of manufacturers releasing production car debut photos and specifications in advance of the show and thus taking some of the excitement out of the production category. One of the most anticipated production debuts before the show was the Land Rover Evoque. After the dust settled and all of the production cars made their debuts the Evoque was still tops in the category. Featuring fresh modern styling the Evoque brings a new direction for the brand necessary to survive in the future.

Most Outrageous Concept

The Paris motorshow is always good for a few wacky concepts and this year was no different with a handful of four wheeled creations masquerading as cars. However, the Citroen Lacoste Concept takes the win with this collaboration with the famed French clothes brand. Citroen even says they have hopes of making this concept go to production, but it's unknown if they are actually serious.

Least Likely To Make It To Production Technology

A decade or even as recent as a few years ago electric cars were often labeled as pure auto show fantasy land, but with the prospect of actual mainstream battery powered vehicles going on sale this is no longer the case. Thus to make a big splash automakers need to create concepts that use even more innovative and further out technology than battery power. The best example this year was the Jaguar C-X75 concept that featured electric motors at every corner and a pair of micro-turbines for range extension. Jaguar promises exceptional performance and fuel economy that sounds too good to be true, as we can only hope that someday we will finally get our long promised jet powered cars.

September 2010 Sales

2010-10-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

September of 2009 was a poor month for automakers as the industry tried to recover from cash for clunkers, thus it was no surprise that September 2010 sales would be significantly higher than a year ago. In fact all but five brands improved their sales upon a year ago and almost all of those brands saw double digit growth. Chrysler paced everyone with a 92% improvement while other domestic brands showed strong sales improvements as well. Luxury brands were led by Infiniti's 25% sales improvement. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the month was the fact that Lexus' 5.5% drop in sales joining the likes of Volvo, Suzuki and Smart.

The Cars That Shrunk While Growing

2010-09-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

One of the most common complaints about new model redesigns from enthusiasts centers around the fact that every new generation inevitably comes with a a larger footprint. For enthusiasts a bigger new generation of their favorite vehicle usually means more weight which serves as a detriment to performance and handling. A larger vehicle can also suffer from bloated styling compared to its more compact predecessor. However this is not always the case as some models have been able to improve their styling with a more buttoned-down look after a redesign that actually increased the vehicle's size. Here are a couple of the latest vehicles that were able to achieve the feat.

Second Generation Porsche Cayenne

The latest Cayenne is an excellent example of a vehicle that grew a couple of inches in every dimension yet appears to be smaller than its predecessor.

Third Generation Toyota Prius

Using the same basic aerodynamic shape of its predecessor the third generation Prius has a much more hunkered down design. Using plenty of sharp creases allowed Toyota to improve every aspect of the second generation Prius's styling while erasing its bloated look in the process.

EcoBoost V6 F-150 To Tow More than Competitor V8s

2010-09-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Ford says that its 2011 F-150 equipped with the twin-turbo 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 will tow up to 11,300 pounds, giving it more towing capacity than even the V8 powered competition. Payload capacity likewise tops the competition with 3,060 pounds. Even though the EcoBoost V6 outshines the competition it is still only the second strongest engine in the 2011 F-150 lineup with 365 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. The top dog engine will be the 6.2 liter V8 that first debuted on the Raptor, it produces 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque. Also available on the 2011 F-150 is the Mustang sourced 5 liter V8 making 360 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque in this application, rounding out the engine lineup is a 3.7 liter V6 with 302 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. Ford is promising the 2011 F-150s to deliver 20% better fuel economy than the 2010 versions. It will be interesting to find out how the different engines compare in fuel economy once the ratings become official.

The EcoBoost appears to be a very enticing proposition on paper, but only time will tell if pickup buyers will take a gamble on a high tech engine format previously not seen in their domain.

Elite Concept a Game Changer for Lotus

2010-09-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

Also debuting at the Paris Motorshow is the Lotus Elite concept that signals a new direction for the brand. Take a look at the Group Lotus website to see for yourself the importance of this upcoming concept to the brand. A few months back Lotus declared itself to be a premium performance and GT brand in the future competing with the likes of Porsche and Ferrari. At the time, the announcement didn't make much sense as the current lineup of Elise, Exige and Evora certainly focuses on light weight rather than grand touring capabilities. The Elite makes a huge leap into the grand touring arena as it distances itself from the weight eschewing philosophies of company founder Colin Chapman and instead brings a heavy dose of power, refinement, luxury and even an optional hybrid system. Powered by a 5 liter V8 (likely of Lexus IS-F origin) Lotus claims an output of 620 horsepower, but it's unclear if this includes additional horsepower from the optional electric motor. Lotus promises excellent fuel economy and C02 emissions from the nearly 3,650 pound Elite when equipped with the hybrid system. While the prospect of a powerful Lotus is intriguing you will have to wait until 2014 to experience it for yourself.

Lamborghini Jota Teaser Shows a V10?

2010-09-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Lamborghini has been slowly releasing teaser images of its upcoming Murcielago replacement, rumored to be called the Jota. The latest one is particularly intriguing because it shows what looks to be a V10 engine. This goes against the notion that the Murcielago replacement would continue to use the venerable V12 in an updated form with upwards of 700 horsepower. The current Lamborghini Gallardo V10 is good for 560 horsepower in its most potent form. Certainly the flagship Lamborghini would need more power, it's possible that the V10 would gain a pair of turbochargers to produce additional horsepower. While Lamborghini is missing from the new products list on the Paris Motor Show website, the Murcielago replacement is supposed to makeits public debut in Paris in early October. Regardless of whether the Jota is powered by a V12 or a V10 expect trademark Lamborghini styling and performance to be present.

Updated Bentley Continental GT

2010-09-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here are the first photos of what Bentley calls the New Continental GT. The New CGT gets a heavy infusion of Mulsanne styling in many key areas. The headlights gain LED functionality, rear fenders and decklid are sculpted a la the Mulsanne while a bigger grille and bumper finish out the exterior upgrades. Inside the GT receives significant upgrades as well with a new dash, bigger information display and reworked controls. The W12 twin-turbo engine is also updated with 15 additional horsepower, it now puts out 567 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The GT also recieves an improved and quicker shifting gearbox. The extra horsepower coupled with the improved gearbox and less weight (66 pounds) drops the 0-60 sprint by two-tenths of a second. The updated engine also gives the GT an extra MPG city and highway on the EPA test. Perhaps the biggest and most surpsiging piece of news about the updated Continental is the future availability of a 4 liter turbo V8. Expect the Audi derived V8 to produce at least 400 horsepower when it debutes in about a year. Bentley is promising C02 reductions of 40% with the V8 compared to the W12. If this turns out to be true, this would result in some very respectable fuel economy figures with a possiblity of up to 25 mpg highway. If you like to read the fine print for all of the details click here. If you are lazy, then don't click anywhere you already read enough. Instead look at some photos below.

2011 Dodge Durango

2010-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

After a series of teaser images Dodge has finally unveiled its full size SUV Dodge Durango. For a while it was rumored that Dodge would can the Durango name and the SUV pictured here would actually be called the Magnum, a name previously used on the wagon version of the Charger. While the rumor never materialized the new Durango looks much like an SUV version of the Magnum than an evolution of the previous Durango. The wide front grille and overall proportions give the new Durango a hunkered down look missing in the segment. Aside from a somewhat dissapointing liftgate area, the Durango easily trumps its competition in the styling arena. Given its sporty design one can only hope that Dodge makes an SRT version with the 450 or so horspower strong 6.4 liter Hemi. While that's a fantasy for now, the Durango will without a doubt feature the new 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 and the latest version of the 5.7 liter Hemi V8. Unlike some of its competition the Durango also brings some decent towing capacity, 6,200 pounds with the V6 and 7,400 with the Hemi. If you like, you can read a few more words about the Durango here.

A Year After Cash For Clunkers: August 2010 Sales

2010-09-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

The automakers happily used the government's Cash for Clunkers program last August to stat pad their sales figures. It’s no surprise then that without government incentives only a baker's dozen brands were able to improve upon last year's sales, a commendable feat for those brands. Once again Cadillac and Buick delivered incredible sales increases for GM of 83.1 and 66 percent. On the strength of its newly launched Cayenne and Panamera models Porsche sales grew by 33%. The vast majority of the brands posting sales increases do business in the luxury sector, and thus did not benefit much from the C4C program last year. The Chrysler group was one of the best performing mainstream brands posting a modest improvement overall. On the other hand Nissan, Honda, and Toyota were unable to come close to clunker driven sales of a year ago, dropping 31, 33 and 36% respectively.

Click on the Christmas colored chart to make it huge.

EPA Goes Back To School With New Fuel Economy Ratings

2010-08-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

The EPA in conjunction with the Department of Transportation today showed two variations of upcoming fuel economy stickers. The stickers will be changing to accomodate electric and plug in vehicles. One of the options shown includes a school grading style system for the vehicle's overall "greeness", from A+ to D. You can't Fail according to the government. The other proposed labeling system looks a lot more like the current window stickers. The updated labels also show the fuel economy/energy consumption of electric vehicles and plugins in gallon equivalents. For example one of the EPA labels shows an electric vehicle getting 98 mpg equivalent. This means that this vehicle will travel 98 miles on the same amount of energy contained in one gallon of gas. The labels also split up plugin vehicles like the upcoming Chevy Volt into their elecric modes and gas. One label shows a proposed plug in vehicle achieving 65 mpg equivalent on electricity and getting 38 mpg on gasoline once the battery is drained and the gas engine kicks in.

While a letter grading system is perhaps unnecessary and makes for silly looking window sticker, the EPA did the right thing by utilizing the miles per gallon equivalents for the electric and plugin vehicles. This eliminates the unrealistic ratings for plugin hybrids promised by some eariler. This system also allows the consumer to compare the overall efficiency of an electric vehicle or a plugin hybrid to vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines.

You can let your voice be heard and tell the EPA which label it should use here.

Mid Cycle Facelifts

2010-08-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

Most brands often find themselves in a position where their product has been out for a few years and is starting to look stale, but the next generation is still in the design phase. Enter the mid-cycle facelift, an opportunity for the brand to make a few changes in styling to create some excitement for a product facing newer competition. With this in mind let's take a look at five of the best mid-cycle facelifts of recent times.

Ford Fusion

Ford did an excellent job updating the Fusion, significant changes to the grill and headlights at the front and rear tail lights easily improved the Fusion's styling. New engines rounded out this very comprehensive facelift.

Saab 9-3

Another excellent and comprehensive refresh gave the 9-3 a significantly fresher design while unfortunately doing little to improve sales.

Audi A4

When the last generation A4 debuted it was a competitive car but had an overall design that was only so-so. Enter the Fusion like makeover that completely transformed the A4, giving it much fresher look.

Honda Accord

Honda didn't make too many changes on the last generation's facelift. However, new taillights made a huge difference in style. The same can't be said about the updated taillights of the 2011 Accord.

Volkswagen Passat

Volkswagen did a good job of improving the last generation Passat. The changes were significant enough to give the facelifted Passat the B5.5 designation versus the B5 of the "original".

Lancia Stratos Shows Europeans Can Do Retro Too

2010-08-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

The Internet has been a buzz over a possible rebirth of the Lancia Stratos. A few grainy spy shots of a retro inspired Lancia Stratos surfaced a coupe of days ago, but now it looks like the car pictured here will actually be bilt. The original Lancia Stratos was a rally car for the road last seen in the 1970s. The rumor is that it will be reborn as a limitied edition Ferrari V8 powered super car in the near future to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Check out more photos of the retro styled Lancia here.

Ford Mustang Boss 302

2010-08-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ford has recently shown its latest Mustang special edition, the 2012 Boss 302 channels its inner 1969 namesake for exra performance. Power from the 5.0 V8 is up to 440 (from 412) and torque now stands at 380 lb-ft. Ford claims substantial changes to all aspects of the Mustang, suspension, brakes, and stylilng. Read the full upgrades here.

July 2010 Sales

2010-08-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

July sales were generally positive for the automakers as two-thirds of the brands showed improvement. General Motor's Cadillac and Buick led everyone and were the only brands to more than double their sales from last July. Chevrolet, Ford, and Nissan reported sales increases while Honda and Toyota reported small sales drops. On the luxury front Acura and Infiniti had strong rebound months with sales improvement of 50 and 38 percent respectively. Cash for Clunkers played a small part last July but August will be a real challenge for the automakers to improve upon last year's clunker driven sales.

click on the graphic to magically increase it in size

Updated Veyron Hits Top Gear Track

2010-07-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

The even faster Bugatti Veyron SS is quicker also. The Stig takes the black/orange Veyron around the Top Gear track and not surprisingly goes quicker than the regular Veyron. How quick? Watch to find out how the 1,200 horsepower Veyron stacks up against other hypercars. And if you can, watch the entire episode as it's one of best in some time.

Ford Explorer Reborn As A Crossover

2010-07-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

The exremely-well-selling-back-in-its-day Ford Explorer returns as a crossover fit for modern times, according to Ford. It will feature a 3.5 liter 290 horsepower V6 engine and a two liter turbocharged Ecoboost four cylinder with 237 horsepower but only 5 lb-ft less torque than the V6. Ford promises fuel economy to be on par with a V6 powered Camry for the "premium" priced Ecoboost option. Time will tell how many buyers will pay some additional money for extra fuel economy while giving up performance to the standard engine. Read the Ford press release here.

Audi A7 Unveiled

2010-07-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some first high quality photos of the new Audi A7. The A7 is a five door hatch that is bigger than the current A6 but smaller than the A8, just like the name implies. At launch it is available with three V6 engines. The US will get the 300 horsepower 3.0T paired with an 8 speed auto. Read the press release for all the facts here.

Car and Driver: Audi RS5 vs. BMW M3 vs. Cadillac CTS-V

2010-07-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

Car and Driver ventured out to the German Autobahn and the 'Ring to test the three hottest sport coupes out today. The Car and Driver test team burned up 2,000 dollars of fuel testing the coupe's 178 mph top speed. Car and Driver loved the RS5's gearbox, the Cadillac's power and M3's steering and the general performance level of all three was outstanding with 0 to 60 arriving in around 4 second flat and the "slowest" ran a 12.5 second 1/4 mile. Here are the ratings:

Third. Audi RS5. Car and Driver appreciated the RS5's 7 speed S-Tronic gearbox and 450 horsepower V8 but its 4,000 pound curb weight along with steering modes that never achieve satisfaction put it in third.

Second. Cadillac CTS-V. Car and Driver found the CTS-V the most stable on the Autobahn and the supercharged V8 most powerful, yet a little too quiet. C/D also liked the Cadillac's steering and brakes but was disappointed by its interior and Recaro seats.

First. BMW M3. The lightest in test (3,600 pounds) M3 with the competition package had the best handling in the test. C/D also liked the M3's V8 soundtrack. The M3 was the shiftiest at high speed on the Autobahn.

2011 Audi A8 V8 Offers Better Fuel Economy Than BMW and Mercedes Hybrids

2010-07-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Audi A8 with the 372 horsepower V8 engine will offer exceptional fuel economy of 17 city and 27 highway. These ratings place the A8 far ahead of its BMW and Mercedes V8 powered competition. Surprisingly, the A8 with its conventional V8 engine and 8 speed gearbox also tops its German rivals' hybrid efforts fuel economy wise. The BMW 7 series ActiveHybrid trails the A8 by 1 mpg on the highway and the Mercedes S400 hybrid comes up 2 mpg short.

Audi A8: 17/21/27

BMW ActiveHybrid: 17/20/26
MB S400 Hybrid: 19/21/25
Lexus LS 600hL: 20/21/22
Mercedes S550: 15/18/23
BMW 750i: 15/17/22
BMW 740i: 17/20/25

2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Delivers 28 MPG

2010-07-21T18:10:00.000-07:00

Set to go on sale later this year the Volkswagen V6 TDI diesel engine equipped with the 8 speed automatic gearbox will not only produce 406 lb-ft of torque but also 28 mpg on the highway. The EPA rates the V6 TDI Touareg at 19 city and 28 highway, figures more easily associated with midsize sedans rather than SUVs with 7,700 pounds of towing capacity. Volkswagen credits the 460 pounds weight decrease for the improvement in fuel economy.

Definition of a Supercar

2010-07-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

Supercars are meant to be fast, expensive and good looking, but there is no official definition that exists that automatically qualifies or disqualifies a vehicle from supercar status. Based on the fact that supercars are first and foremost performance machines the definition has to be performance based. Therefore, a modern day performance vehicle looking to join the supercar club should at least be able to pass the 1/4 mile with a trap speed of greater than 120 mph. This high level of performance sets the bar high even for modern performance vehicles and eliminates the base Corvettes, 911s and even the Ferrari California.

Battle of the Supercar Commercials

2010-07-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

Strictly speaking supercars don't need commercials to sell. So what is the point of having a supercar commercial? Brand awareness is the answer. A supercar commercial allows a brand to create a connection between the badass supercar in the commercial and the rest of the company's product. Case in point the two latest commercials from Chevrolet and Lexus. Both feature the company's quickest, fastest and most expensive product. The Corvette ZR1 and LF-A.

Chevrolet

Lexus

So which commercial is better? I prefer the ZR1 commercial because it shows how the ZR1 is like a rocketship, while the Lexus strives for perfection in an aspect that has little to do with performance. Still, both commercials feature real supercars and are miles ahead of the typical 0% financing or reliability rating boasting commercials that fill the airways much too often.

New Volkswagen New Beetle Coming in 2011

2010-07-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

The original Volkswagen Beetle set all records for longetivity with its 65 year production run. Its spiritual sucessor, the New Beetle, while unable to top the Beetle's long production cycle has itself been on sale for a dozen years, an incredibly long production cycle in current times. Aside from a mild refresh in 2006 the New Beetle is one of the oldest cars on sale today. However, this will all change as Volkswagen has confirmed that the next generation of the New Beetle will go on sale in 2011 ready to battle with other retro inspired cars such as the Mini and the Fiat 500. The question is, will the new New Beetle capture the public's attention like the original didin 1998?

VW slipped the reveal date in a press release about improvement in its Mexican plant.

"Under Strategy 2018, it is planned to invest up to US$1 billion in Mexico over the next three years. Some of these funds will be spent on constructing new production plant for the Beetle successor. The new version of the style icon will be launched in 2011 and will safeguard a total of 2,000 jobs in Puebla."

Little is known about the second generation New Beetle and no spy cars have been spotted yet. However, it appears that contrary to earlier reports of the New Beetle retruning to its rear engine and rear drive roots, the next New Beetle will remain a front engined front wheel drive as the current one. Of course, the styling will be the critical point in its sucess. Expect an edgier version of the current New Beetle.

The new New Beetle might look a little like this.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP-550 Balboni vs. Ferrari 458 Italia Drag Race

2010-07-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

Two of the finest sports cars of the world face off in a drag race.

Jetta Coupe Inching Towards Production

2010-07-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen has only recently unveiled the next generation of its best selling Jetta sedan but it's already looking ahead and has filed patents for a coupe version. As reported earlier, this generation of the Jetta would likely be available in a coupe alongside the sedan and wagon versions previously on sale. In fact, Volkswagen chose to foreshadow the sedan with the NCC concept at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year. The patent drawings which can be found on Carscoop reveal a coupe that is faithful to the original concept car. Expect to see the Jetta coupe go on sale as a 2012 model at the earliest.

June 2010 Sales

2010-07-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Overall the month of June proved to be kind for the auto industry with all but a handful of brands improving upon last year's sales. Porsche led everyone by more than doubling their sales on the strength of the new Panamera and Cayenne. Dodge and Buick brands also posted impressive improvements of over 50%. Cadillac led the luxury brands with a 39% increase. Many brands had sales improvements of over 10%, but Nissan, Toyota, Honda and Lexus bucked the trend and all had lesser improvements.

New BMW 5 series no match for A6 in C/D Comparo

2010-06-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Car and Driver rounded up three premier sport sedans for its August issue. The brand new BMW 535i was joined by an equally new Infiniti M37 and the Audi A6 3.0T that won the previous Car and Driver comparison in this category. Unfortunately for BMW, its latest 5 series finished in last place because it had the lowest rated steering in the hills. The electric power steering was so disappointing that the other redeeming qualities weren't enough to place the 5 series any higher. The Infiniti M37 placed second because of its unlinear brakes and somewhat unusual nature of its 4 wheel steering. Otherwise Car and Driver appreciated the Infiniti's exterior and interior styling. The A6 won on its strength of communicative steering, comfortable ride and torquey supercharged engine.

All three sport sedans had similar acceleration with 0-60 arving in around five and a half seconds with 14 second quarter miles and 100 mph trap speeds. The Audi and BMW both had 10% better fuel economy than the naturally aspirated Infiniti.

Is it time for BMW to go back to the drawing board with its electric steering given that the brand new 5 series finished last, and its closest rival won with a vehicle that's soon to be replaced?

What Mercury's Demise Means

2010-06-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

The wait is over, Ford announced today that Mercury production will halt in the fourth quarter of this year. Of course, Ford has its glass half-full saying that shutting down Mercury is only an opportunity to improve as a company. The first few paragraphs make it clear.

"Ford Motor Company will expand and enhance its Lincoln brand lineup with seven all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles in the next four years as part of an aggressive growth plan focused on standout product design, class-leading technology and new powertrains – all aimed at competing with Cadillac and Lexus in North America.

Ford also will end production of Mercury vehicles in the fourth quarter of this year to fully devote its financial, product development, production and marketing, sales and service resources toward further growing its core Ford brand while enhancing the Lincoln brand."

Nevertheless, the demise of Mercury does show that today's automotive consumer demands more than ever before. As a brand Mercury cars were slightly fancied up and rebadged versions of everyday mainstream Fords. This no longer works, see General Motors for further evidence.

This is not to say that consumer's aren't willing to pay more for a premium version of mainstream cars. In fact, Ford's focus on the Lincoln brand shows that quality "badge engineering" is the future. The Lincoln lineup is completely based on Ford products, yet they look different inside and out. Even Lincoln's closest competition in Cadillac and Lexus (according to Ford) features a lineup that relies heavily on modified platforms of mainstream cars.

In this sense Ford's emphasis on significantly increased emphasis on the Lincoln brand will be paramount. Ford is going to have to prove to the public that there is a significant difference between a Ford and a Lincoln for the brand to survive and not follow Mercury's fate. Based on the quality products coming out of Ford for the past year, it looks like Lincoln is poised to regain some of its former glory in the coming years.

The MKX is an appealing product, but is it too similar to its Ford counterpart to be considered luxury?

Citroen Creates a Better Concept Car than BMW?

2010-05-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

While some car companies use the auto show circuit to reveal thinly disguised versions of upcoming production cars, others use their concept cars to push styling boundaries and imagination. The Citroen Metropolis concept follows the latter line of thought. The Metropolis concept exists solely to present Citroen design and brand to the world and get people excited about Citroen products. In this regard the Metropolis does not disappoint. It features the outrageous styling and unrealistic proportions that make concept cars truly worthy of the name.

The Citroen Metropolis is a fine example of an excellent concept car, but it certainly has competition from the recently revealed BMW Gran Coupe concept. While both are certainly visually appealing, the Metropolis Concept edges ahead solely based on the fact that there will be no disappointment when its production version comes out. There won't be one. On the other hand, if there is a production version of the BMW Gran Coupe it wouldn't be as graceful and handsome as the concept.

The Gran Coupe is one of the best looking BMWs in a long time, but the concept version only sets expectations too high for a potential production version.

Audi R8 GT

2010-05-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Audi has revealed its highest performance version of its R8 supercar to date, the R8 GT. Limited to only 333 units the R8 GT ups the performance level by subtracting 220 pounds of weight and bringing the horsepower total of the V10 engine up to 560. Together this allows the R8 GT accelerate to 62 mph from standstill in only 3.6* seconds and achieve a top speed of 199 mph. Audi says that it achieved the weight reduction by substituting many of the body and interior bits with carbon fiber versions. The R8 GT also features more aggressive styling to set it apart from the other R8s with its fixed rear spoiler, bigger exhausts, front and rear bumpers, and its trademark side blades in black.While not announced initially, it is expected that a portion of the 333 R8 GTs produced will come to the US in the near future.

*Remember that the 3.6 second acceleration time quoted by Audi does not include rollout that American magazine tests use. The regular R8 V10 with S-Tronic has achieved a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds in American testing, expect the R8 GT to be quicker still.