FIAT Returns to U.S. Again. Still. Soon. Maybe. Or Not.
By Robert FaragoJune 26, 2008 -
C'mon, let's face reality here. If you were a foreign automaker aspiring to sell your products in the U.S., there are a few facts that should stop you dead in your tracks. 1) North America is the world's most competitive automotive market. There's a reason The Big 2.8 are fighting for their survival and it's not because they're the only kids on the block 2) You couldn't imagine a worse time to be selling cars in the U.S. The new vehicle market is in chaos. And it's about to get worse. When Chrysler, Ford and/or GM files for C11, there will be a cataclysmic and unpredictable market upheaval. 3) If there's one car brand you don't want to bring to the U.S. it's FIAT. I know people who've never SEEN a FIAT, who weren't BORN when FIAT sold cars in the U.S., who know that the Italian brand is famous for rust, mechanical failure and parts unavailability. You'd be better off pulling a Lexus and creating an entirely new brand; that cane won't hunt. Now, The Detroit Free Press' Mark Phelan has a corner (stay in that corner and don't come out until you have a story!), in which he reports "Italy's Alfa Romeo and Fiat cars are on the verge of returning to the United States, Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne told the Automotive News Europe Congress." Yes, "The Fiat Group, which owns Alfa Romeo — and the Ferrari, Maserati, Fiat, Lancia and Abarth brands — plans to relaunch Alfa in America next year and may also sell the stylish Fiat 500 subcompact here." Oh, Alfa. That's alright then. Isn't it?
Posted in Future Vehicles | Sales | News Blog | 30 comments 
The New Ferrari California is Ugly
By Justin BerkowitzJune 25, 2008 -
How do I put this delicately? The new Ferrari California looks like a Chevrolet Corvette crossed with a BMW Z4 tuned by Brabus. The front end is the best angle, but it's still busier than Sunday morning at a college health clinic. The Fezza's side and back, however, are a goddamn mess. The gills, no doubt an homage to the properly stunning 1957 Ferrari 250 GT California, look completely out of place on this car. The bizarre lines on the side are overdone. The back end is a disaster. Quad stacked pipes? Black plastic trim? It's more TVR or Lorinser than Ferrari. Folding hardtop? On a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, sure. A Ferrari with a folding hardtop is like a nuclear-powered toaster. Can you imagine the embarrassment at Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Beverly Hills when that thing gets stuck in full vertical? While the engine sounds phenomenal, the interior probably smells like Adriana Lima's cleavage and it's sure to handle with all the visceral panache that we expect from Ferrari's legendary death cars, it's not enough to save the California from pastiche-land. Then again, with guaranteed waiting lists and eBay adjustments, the men from Maranello will, once again, put their customers hands in the air like they just don't care. But I do.
Posted in Future Vehicles | New Cars | News Blog | 32 comments
Volkswagen to Make it Simple Stupid!
By Justin BerkowitzJune 25, 2008 -
Parlare con CAR, VW design guru Walt de'Silva admits he isn't exactly thrilled about VeeDub's current design direction. Pensare? The Jetta looks like a Corolla and the Passat looks like a bar of soap. So VW’s styling will "return to simple design language that’s easy to understand - a clear hierarchy of grilles and rear-end treatment." Scribe Adam Towler says "Expect the next generation of VWs to have spiritually more in common with the late 1990s range of cars rather than the current set." For those of us that have long lamented the descent of VW into aspirations of ascent, this is fantastic news. The biggest question: where will this makeover leave the Volkswagen brand in the European market? When Ferdinand Piech decided to take VW into Mercedes territory, matching the Mercs models for model, Skoda and Seat filled VW's cheap and cheerful, honest and robust, everyday car remit. Maledetto! It sounds like someone has too many brands.
Posted in Branding | Design | Future Vehicles | Overseas | News Blog | 22 comments
“Euro Focus” To Be Built Stateside For 2011
By Edward NiedermeyerJune 23, 2008 -
Ford has announced that the current Euro-spec Focus arrive stateside in 2010 as a 2011 model. What's more, it'll be an American-made product, And for once, we don't mean Mexico. Automotive News [AN, sub] says the current Focus plant in Wayne, MI will likely build the new-to-us small car. If all goes according to plan (i.e. the SUV market never recovers and the United Auto Workers play ball), Ford's Louisville KY factory may also switch over to the new Focus (from Escape/Mariner production). All in, we're looking at an annual production capacity of 280k units. AN's confirmed sedan and five-door versions of the new Focus, with rumors circulating of possible C-Max MPV. With this machine, Ford returns to a "world car" strategy for its C1 platform; the 2010 US-spec model will be the same car sold in Europe, South America and Asia. This global product alignment will bring new features to the stateside Focus, like direct-injection engines and a six-speed gearbox. We'd like to think that a hot ST or RS version might also be sold stateside, but then we also daydream about Paganis.
Posted in Future Vehicles | News Blog | 35 comments
Ford “Pauses” Big V8 Development
By Justin BerkowitzJune 23, 2008 -
Automotive News [AN, sub] reports that Ford is limiting plans for the new line of big block V8 engines, codenamed "Boss" (after Hurricane Katrina made the name "Hurricane" politically unwise). The plan was: stick a 6.2-liter Boss engine in the F-Series pickup trucks. Truck delayed. Plan delayed. AN reckons the Mustang's future 5.0-liter V8 is still on the table; Mark Fields is on record saying they plan to make future V8 engines as fuel efficient as possible. The bad news: without a much-needed boost in horsepower, those few people willing to buy a large SUV or truck are going to pass. That said, the market for big trucks with big engines right is currently in apocalyptic mode. Hell, Ford's in apocalyptic mode. Pumping development cash into a bad-ass V8 makes no sense whatsoever. Ford needs every penny to get the European Focus and Fiesta into the U.S. market– without a Focus 1.0 style failure to launch (with decent quality). This is another sign that CEO Alan Mulally is serious about prioritizing resources– and the dire state of Ford's potential profits.
Posted in Future Vehicles | Fuel Economy | News Blog | 23 comments
Nissan and Infiniti to Get New Small RWD Coupes
By Justin BerkowitzJune 20, 2008 -
For Edmunds, the upshot of writing what RF calls "Pimpatorials" is that they get to break inside information (although who knows how long they've been sitting on the news). The Inside Line folks report today that Infiniti is planning a small rear wheel-drive (RWD) coupe. The brand extension will be an entry-level two-seater slotting under the Infiniti G37 coupe. The new car would likely pack a smaller engine (2.5-liter V6?). That said, yours truly thinks that'll go out the window once the G37 upgrades to an even more powerful version of the VQ block. But Edmunds says the two-seater hardtop will focus on luxury, not performance. Odds are pretty darn good that this baby coupe will be a close relative of the new Nissan RWD sport coupe (perhaps wearing the legendary Silvia name) about which many have speculated. Sounds like the Nissan model, with naturally aspirated and turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, will be far more interesting. But Infiniti's conquest of the luxury world must march forward, even if that means going toe-to-toe with other badly conceived luxury models (cough - 1-Series - cough).
Posted in Japan | Future Vehicles | News Blog | 15 comments
Alfa’s MiTo Officially Official
By Justin BerkowitzJune 20, 2008 -
Images and details of Alfa's compact MiTo are officially official, and so is the press kit. Thanks to this modern marketing marvel we can bring you a gallery of photos as well as some specs on the upcoming car, that's not upcoming to America until someone has an IPO for Swine Airlines. This car is meant to be a B-segment entry for Alfa, so in Europe that means it'll compete head on with the MINI, among others. At launch, only three engines are available (and they are stick shift only). A 1.4 liter 4-cylinder, which this writer drove in the Fiat Grande Punto and is a giddy little 78 hp engine. Alternatively, buyers can opt for a 16 valve turbocharged 1.4 liter engine with 155 hp. And if diesel is your schtick, a 1.6 liter 120 hp, 206 lb ft oil burner will be available also. The suspension and drivetrain are fairly sophisticated for a small car, and should help improve the handling for this little front wheel drive car. In an apparent ode to competitor SEAT, the MiTo's interior is not particularly exciting - nor is it original (compare the MiTo's interior to the SEAT Ibiza's). Still, hopes are high that this will be a more reliable and yet still fun new cheap Alfa, which is desperate for new small-car product. [Source: Alfa Romeo]
Posted in Future Vehicles | News Blog | 11 comments
VW up! Loses the Fun: Engine, Power Will Be Up Front
By Justin BerkowitzJune 20, 2008 -
The reason most people don't take concept cars too seriously is that manufacturers not only exaggerate styling, but often make major engineering changes to concept cars that kill the concept. To wit: Volkswagen's up! concept car this year (probably going to be using the Lupo namplate, just as the iroc concept car became the Scirocco), was a cleverly packaged rear engine, rear wheel drive city car. It was supposedly going to offer 2-3 cylinder engines, depending on the market. Today the German car pub Auto Zeitung has news that the up! production model will be significantly less interesting. In the name of costs, the rear engine gives way to a front engine. The rear wheel drive of course becomes front wheel drive. And the frugal 2 or 3 cylinder engines? Try small displacement straight 4s. So overnight, our Beetle (or smart) inspired city car has become just another car. That is the last thing Volkswagen needs to compete in the booming market for cars in developing countries.
Posted in Future Vehicles | News Blog | 10 comments
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Equinox: 30 Minute Refill
By Justin BerkowitzJune 19, 2008 -
While the mainstream media (with the help of some freelancing bloggers we could name) are happy touting alt fuel/laptop-powered concept cars and prototypes that will (supposedly) free us of our dependence on the sweet crude crack, the reality is often much less exciting. It's nearly impossible to find out the answer to the obvious follow-up questions about these vaporware or one-of-a-kind models. Infrastructure costs? Safety? Range? Recharge/refuelling time? Thanks to Reuters, we have a little real world information about GM's Equinox hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle, and it is drastically different from the manufacturer's press release specs. I'll pause while you recover from the shock… While Motor Trend pleasantly regurgitated GM's estimate of three to five minutes for refueling, Nichola Groom of Reuters observed that the fuel "only lasted about two days." She drove to one of four locations in Los Angeles where you can refuel the Equinox. "A GM engineer refueled for me, a process that took about 15 minutes for half a tank." For aspiring Fields Medal winners, that's 30 minutes to refuel a tank of gas. As the keys click away to comment that "You gotta start somewhere," remember that the first gen [1997 Japanese market] Prius took exactly as long to fill-up as any other car. What really rankles is that GM must know this, and intentionally or not, mislead the press/public. That's not how you build support for new technology, or enhance your credibility in this or any other field. In case you didn't know it.
Posted in Future Vehicles | News Blog | 37 comments
Guide to Audi’s R8
By Justin BerkowitzJune 18, 2008 -
Audi's nonstop testing of various R8 models, and announcement of all kinds of plans for different powerplants, has raised all manner of confusion and conflicting claims among normal, non-Rainmen. So we've put together a guide of exactly what Audi is doing with their Porsche-fighting sportscar. Keep in mind that while it is possible to list all the different versions, it's unlikely anyone can answer "why" without just saying "competitors offer choices." That they do, but keeping it simple might be nice. So now we bring you the straight dope. For now. Until Audi changes its plans. Again. Without further Audi-do:
Current R8 - 4.2 liter V8, 420 horsepower, 317 lb ft of torque. Similar to the engine in the much-loved RS4, but dry sump in the R8.
Other models in discussion:
- 5.2 liter V10, 500+? horsepower. The engine is believed to be derived from the Lamborghini Gallardo's V10. Previously they were testing a twin turbo version akin to what's in the Audi RS6, but the prototype twin-turbo V10 car caught fire and burned to dust last year.
-6.0 liter V12 TDI, 500 horsepower, 737 lb ft of torque. This diesel supercar was in the Audi R8 Le Mans concept car from the Geneva and Detroit auto shows. And Audi just a few weeks ago confirmed that the monster oil burner will not go into production.
-4.2 liter V8 TDI, 326 hp, 550 lb ft of torque. Unlike the V12, this diesel sports car IS going into production, according to Michael Dick of Audi.
Posted in Future Vehicles | New Cars | Diesel | News Blog | 5 comments
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