The Auto Blog .ru

Scott Burgess, former auto critic for The Detroit News, has joined the AOL Autos / Autoblog team. He is a veteran automotive journalist with six years in Detroit covering the auto industry and a Michigan native. Each month he’ll dig deeper into the industry’s sales figures and file this By The Numbers special report.

Now that I’ve figured out how to open my email, what in fact my email address is, and where the office is, I’ve been able to catch my breath and go through the February sales figures.

Lots of people were excited over the February sales numbers, which were the highest since 2009, declaring the end of tough times and announcing only big profits ahead.

Then again, that may not be exactly true. Yes, it was a 15-million-a-year sales pace, outperforming everyone’s expectations with sales jumping 15.7 percent compared to the same month last year. But people are waiting to buy cars like never before. The average age of a vehicle on the road is over 10 years old, a trend growing for nearly 20 years, according to a Polk research firm study. Polk says that people are just hanging onto vehicles longer because they’re worried about the economy. To think about how different times were 10.8 years ago – Ford Motor Co. had just (re)introduced the all new Fabulous Thunderbird, which, someone is holding onto right now.

So the depression/recession party may not be over, but times are still good. Here are the things I learned by examining the February sales figures.

1. LOTS OF PEOPLE WANT CARS

This February, cars outsold trucks 53.3 to 46.7 percent.

Throughout the industry, car sales jumped 23.9 percent compared to February last year. (Truck sales rose 7.6 percent.)

There are lots of reasons for the jump, though my gut says that people buying new vehicles are also listening to the fear mongering concerning climbing gas prices. Don’t expect either trend to end any time soon.

A more important trend might be that in February 2011, trucks outsold cars 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. This February, cars outsold trucks 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent.

However, the big difference between 2008 and 2012, the last time gas prices skyrocketed, are that Detroit’s carmakers have a solid collection of little cars ranging from the Ford Fiesta and Focus to the Chevy Cruze and soon-to-be released Dodge Dart. More on the Chevy Sonic later. The key for Detroit is to see if people associate fuel efficient vehicles with those brands. When times get tough, people tend to go with the brands they assume are the most efficient, even when they’re not.

Continue reading Digging Deeper: February 2012 sales figures

Digging Deeper: February 2012 sales figures

Guess we called this one from the outset. Looking like a Mulsanne that just ate a Continental Flying Spur for breakfast and a GT for lunch, the Bentley EXP 9 F concept was the biggest disappointment – and we mean that literally – of the Geneva Motor Show. Apparently, Bentley must have agreed with our headline, because it’s working on a new design for it’s first production SUV, according to Britain’s What Car? magazine.

According to the report, Bentley officials have admitted that the design was “heavy handed” and have promised to tone it down, as the SUV heads toward a likely 2015 on-sale date. Potential changes include “slightly smaller” headlights, and “more traditional SUV proportions,” according to the magazine’s source.

We hope Bentley goes a bit further and just starts from scratch, dumping the sedan-ified SUV look entirely. If Bentley is bound and determined to sell an SUV, it should come up with something distinctive for the brand that doesn’t just ape the classic look of its car line.

That Didn’t Take Long: Bentley SUV redesign already in the works

While we’re a little obsessed with cars here at Autoblog, our sister publication Translogic has a good habit of dispensing with terrestrial transportation entirely from time to time. This is one of those weeks, where the video crew has traveled to Switzerland – not to Geneva, but to Bex – to interview the Jetman, Yves Rossy.

Rossy is the first human to fly by means of a jet-powered wing. The Swiss pilot developed the wing over five years ago, and has since flown over the Alps, crossed the English Channel, and last year flew across the Grand Canyon.

Translogic has some great aerial footage of the Jetman, who proves to be a pretty funny interview as well. See the video below to view all of it, in full HD.

Continue reading Translogic visits Switzerland to interview Jetman

Translogic visits Switzerland to interview Jetman

Ford has announced pricing for the refreshed 2013 Taurus SHO, and buyers can look forward to paying a little more for the big performance sedan. Inside Line reports the price has inched up to $39,995 including destination, or $1,045 more than the 2012 model.

As before, that kind of cash will buy you a turbocharged, direct-injection Ecoboost 3.5-liter V6 good for 365 horsepower as well as a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. If that isn’t enough to raise your eyebrows, Ford is continuing to offer the SHO performance package, complete with a more robust cooling system, more serious brake hardware and flashy 20-inch wheels.

Of course, that package also throws in a traction control system with a true ‘off’ mode. Yes, we’re grinning from ear to ear. Unfortunately, the performance package has also climbed a bit compared to last year. The pieces will set you back $1,995, or about a grand more than in 2012.

2013 Ford Taurus SHO gets $1,045 price increase

The Mini Countryman equipped with the John Cooper Works package is the latest diminutive to be loaded into the brand’s eccentric ad machine. As if a 211-horsepower, all-wheel-drive crossover on 18-inch alloys from a brand called “Mini” weren’t novel enough, we’re admonished to “Expect the unexpected” as the most powerful vehicle it makes is flicked through the desert and the snow.

And that will explain the man on the roof. Well, kinda. See below for the video.

Continue reading Mini Countryman JCW blazes a trail over desert and snowy hinterlands

Mini Countryman JCW blazes a trail over desert and snowy hinterlands

It looks as if work is officially underway on the next Maserati Quattroporte. Our spy photo friends managed to click the first few images of a pre-production prototype stretching its legs on public streets. The four-door is covered in enough cladding to successfully obscure any hint of new body work, but from what we’re told, there’s a whole new chassis under there. The rear-wheel-drive architecture is built to accommodate all-wheel drive as well. Where, perchance, would Maserati secure the engineering to put power to all four corners? If the whispers we hear are true, the tech could be lifted from none other than the Ferrari FF.

Speaking of Ferrari, the next-generation Quattroporte will likely continue to get its thrust from the same beefy Italian V8 found in the current generation, though adjustments for either power or fuel consumption would be a smart guess. We’ve even heard hints of a hybrid drivetrain in development. Stay tuned. With prototypes on the road, it’s only a matter of time before we spot one with a little more metal showing.

First prototype of 2013 Maserati Quattroporte caught

Goodyear is getting closer to the next generation “tire” that could be used on wheeled rovers for space exploration. We highlight the word tire because those on the original lunar rover were made of piano wire with treads made of titanium cleats – no rubber, no air. A few years ago NASA began work on a new tire, the project another co-development with Goodyear, which made the originals.

The modern version is called the Spring Tire, so-called for the 800 load-bearing springs that make up its bulk, mounted to a six-spoke metal hub. The springs can conform to the varying terrain of other planets and satellites without transferring undue shock to the vehicle, and a malfunction is likely to damage only a few of them, leaving the tire operable.

See below for more info from Goodyear on the tire, and check it out in the gallery of high-res photos. When it’s time for another group of astronauts to go “ridin’ dirty,” this is likely how they’ll do it.

Continue reading Goodyear develops new ‘Spring Tire’ for space exploration

Goodyear develops new ‘Spring Tire’ for space exploration

Every form of motorsport requires a certain level of integration between man and machine. Drivers need to be able to quickly and accurately interpret what’s going on with their vehicle and react accordingly, but superbike racing pushes that requirement to new bounds. Overshoot a corner, get too close to a competitor or simply get too greedy and riders can find themselves personally acquainted with the track surface.

Taro Russel recently took the time to attempt to capture the kind of partnership that grows between rider and bike in a new promo for superbike racing. Set to some solid Killers tunes, sketches of bone, muscle and organ grow before our very eyes. The ad is properly innovative, and the clips lifted from various races all but ensure an uptick in pulse by the time the screen goes black. Too cool. The video can be seen below so you can check it out for yourself.

Continue reading British Eurosport superbike teaser gets under our skin

British Eurosport superbike teaser gets under our skin

We had a feeling this was coming, but the cat’s now officially out of the bag: The Mazda CX-7 is being discontinued in the United States.

The recently launched 2013 CX-5 will effectively replace the CX-7 (as well as the Ford-sourced Tribute), meaning there won’t really be a void in Mazda’s product lineup. “CX-5 has a clearer competitive set, unlike CX-7, which was in the middle of two segments,” explains Mazda product communications specialist Beverly Braga.

Dimensionally, the CX-5 is slightly smaller than the CX-7, but actually boasts more cargo capacity and overall interior volume. With the rear seats folded, the CX-5 can hold up to 65.4 cubic feet of cargo (compared to 58.6 cubic feet in the CX-7) and has a total of 103.8 cubic feet of overall passenger space (101.7 in CX-7).

What’s more, the CX-5’s nifty new 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder engine offers substantially better fuel economy than the base 2.5-liter four of the CX-7. And while we’ll certainly miss the potency of the optional 2.3-liter turbo four of the CX-7 – a version of the mill used in the Mazdaspeed3 – we can easily do without its fuel economy ratings of 18/24 miles per gallon city/highway (or 17/21 when paired with all-wheel drive – ouch!).

This may be the end of the road for the CX-7 in the U.S., but Mazda says that sales of the crossover will still continue in other markets. The CX-7 will officially be phased out at the end of the 2012 model year.

Mazda CX-7 leaving the U.S. market after 2012

For sure, the Audi R8 is a striking machine, and even after five years on the market it continues to look sexy in all of its forms. Audi has pushed out several variants as well, including the V10-packing R8 GT 5.2 FSI, the topless Spyder and track-focused R8 GT.

To commemorate five years of the R8, Audi put together a short video, if only to remind us how the range-topping Audi looks even better in motion. And just to keep us thinking about its supercar, Audi finished the video with a sneak peak of the new R8, which bows later this year.

When Audi says “new,” it really means freshened, though, with rumors of a bump in power and a few design tweaks. The bigger changes may not arrive until 2015, when the R8 is rumored to receive a more thorough makeover. See below for the video.

Continue reading Audi teases “new” R8 while celebrating 5 years of current car

Audi teases “new” R8 while celebrating 5 years of current car

We don’t typically lose control of our faculties at the sight of the latest supercar. In most cases, the vehicles are slightly different shades of the same theme: high horsepower, low slung, two seats and a super-exclusive price tag to match.

While the Lamborghini Aventador J certainly fulfills all of those criteria, the roofless wonder also boasts the sort of brash ostentatiousness that’s been missing from the upper echelon of automotive engineering recently. The roadster design is so perfectly over the top, we can’t help but love it. Lamborghini has crafted a quick montage depicting the vehicle’s development, from lowly CAD design to the untold multitude of parts and pieces that go into assembling the final product.

This clip is too brief to satiate our manufacturing geekery, but it’s better than nothing. Look below to check out the video for yourself. It may be the closest any of us actually get to glimpsing the 700-horsepower behemoth.

Continue reading Lamborghini takes us through the development of the Aventador J

Lamborghini takes us through the development of the Aventador J

Life In The Commuter Lane

Form follows function, so it’s easy to find one element of a vehicle that explains everything you need to know about it.

Look at the widened haunches of a 911 and you know there’s serious hardware in the Porsche’s rump. Check the elongated bed of an F-150 and its obvious the Ford should be roaming free on the ranch. Look at a Smart ForTwo… Actually, don’t. It’s for your own good.

So when I opened the door to the 2012 Toyota Prius V, a single feature stood out: the cupholder. Encircled in a chrome ring and mounted dead-center in the massive armrest, this lone receptacle was the defining feature of the interior. As it should be. The Prius is the commensurate commuter and the V variant’s raised roof and enlarged hatch make it even more practical for Mommy and Daddy carpool duty. At least in theory.

Continue reading 2012 Toyota Prius V

2012 Toyota Prius V

If ever a car made us think of mullets, Cragars, racing suits and Natty Light, this is it. And we don’t mean that in a bad way. The COPO Camaro concept that Chevrolet showed off at SEMA last year is officially becoming a production reality for everyone; however, only 69 people will be able to own it. In celebration of the 69 COPO Camaro ZL1s built in 1969, Chevrolet is building just that many of its modern drag-strip-only racer.

Two engine choices have been mentioned previously: a 427-cubic-inch V8 for AA Stock racing and a 327-cubic-inch V8 with a 4.0-liter supercharger for A Stock racing. Now, a third engine choice has been added: another 327-cubic-inch engine but with a 2.9-liter supercharger for B Stock. If you want all three engines Chevy will install one and provide the other two, all with matching numbers. Shifting is handled with a Powerglide automatic, and color schemes include Metallic White, Semi-Gloss Black, Inferno Orange Metallic and Chevy Racing Blue.

The price of entry is $89,000. How can you be one of the lucky? Chevrolet isn’t saying. An “independent third party” chose the initial buyers, but it isn’t clear how many slots are left or how they’ll be distributed. Follow the jump for a press release with more info.

Continue reading Chevy will build 69 COPO Camaro drag racers

Chevy will build 69 COPO Camaro drag racers

Ford has officially served up the details on the upcoming 2013 F-Series Super Duty. Buyers will be able to snap up the latest work rig with in a new Platinum trim level that throws in niceties like SYNC, MyFord Touch, navigation and a rear-view camera as standard equipment. Power telescoping mirrors are also part of the package.

Unfortunately, the Platinum trim will only be available in Super Duty Crew Cab configuration. Even so, the cabin is swaddled in high-quality wood grain trim and premium leather seating. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is also heated for those really frosty mornings.

Outside, a smattering of chrome trim work sets the 2013 F-Series Super Duty Platinum apart from the rest of the trucks on the job site. Chrome door handles, mirror caps and running boards all add a bit of splash, as do the sizable 20-inch wheels that are newly designed for 2013.

Ford says the MyFord Touch at work in the new Super Duty is truck specific with features like a massive eight-inch touch screen display which has been optimized to function even when users are wearing thick work gloves. See below for the full press release as well as a brief video.

Continue reading Ford unveils 2013 F-Series Super Duty, now with Platinum [w/video]

Ford unveils 2013 F-Series Super Duty, now with Platinum [w/video]

Maserati plans on moving its ferocious exhaust note into other market segments, which we know so far include an SUV perhaps called the Cinqueporte (nee Kubang) and a sport sedan to slot under the larger, next-generation Quattroporte. Internally it is said that the new sport sedan is called “Maseratina,” but an Italian publication has discovered a recent Maserati trademark for the name “Levante.”

The Levante, if that is its name, is aimed at the thick end of the mid-level executive sedan market, meaning the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class, and could be equipped with a diesel engine. By the way, Levante has a few meanings, the one probably meant here is “rising,” as in what the sun does. But it’s also British slang for “leave secretly or hurriedly to avoid paying debts,” which is a humorous coincidence in light of recent events in Italy.

Maserati trademarks Levante name for new small sedan

Believe it or not, Hartmann isn’t all about high-performance vehicles. The company just showed off its latest take on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. The SP5 Conference boasts an interior inspired by the trappings of Air Force One and features front seats that can swivel 180 degrees to face rear passengers. You know, for conferencing and the like.

A small table can be folded into place and boasts swivel function of its own. Beyond the rear, forward-facing seats, a kitchenette with cabinet space, a Nespresso coffee machine and a handful of 12-volt outlets for other appliances. Ambient lighting spread throughout the cabin helps set the mood indoors, and extensive insulation work keeps the interior cozy even when the weather isn’t.

Of course, The SP5 Conference couldn’t wear the Hamann name without a few exterior flourishes thrown into the mix. The van is equipped with a complete body kit, including a new front fascia, side sills and rear valance. Massive 20 inch wheels are part of the exterior treatment as well.

Hartmann channels Air Force One with new Sprinter-based SP5 Conference van

A range of safety groups are calling for judicial review of federal rules for truck drivers’ hours of service. According to a lawsuit filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen, the Truck Safety Coalition and two truck drivers, the new rule doesn’t protect the public from tired truckers. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently ruled drivers could only work 70 hours within a seven-day period, down from a previous limit of 82. Truckers must also take a break of at least 30 minutes after an eight-hour shift.

That’s a step in the right direction, but drivers are still allowed to travel up to 11 hours in one day. Those who reach their hourly limit in a week may then restart the clock by taking a 34-hour break, but that may only be done once within a seven-day period.

The concerned parties want a judicial review of the rule to eliminate the 34-hour restart provision and cut consecutive drive hours to 10, saying that truck crash fatalities increased by nine percent in 2010.

Safety groups file lawsuit against new U.S. trucking standards

Italy is dealing with a financial crisis that placed it just behind Greece on the list of dangers to the stability of the euro, and with €1.9 trillion in public debt the country hasn’t hesitated to turn over its couch pillows searching for every contribution. It started a couple of years ago with the Guardia di Finanza targeting superyacht owners, and it has continued with the financial police going after supercar owners.

In December 2011, the police noted the license plates of roughly 150 Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other high-dollar cars at the Cortina d’Ampezzo ski resort and gave the registration info to the tax office. The tax office checked on the declared incomes, and in nearly 60 cases found owners that claimed to be making less than €40,000 per year – this in a country where the base price of a BMW M3 is €70,700. In an especially bad case, one business owner owned a Mercedes-Benz but had no tax records and a wife on public assistance.

The focus on owners of expensive cars has since spread to other hotspots for the rich like Rome, Milan, Portofino and Florence, and owners have responded by selling their cars at massive discounts. There have been reports of owners so worried about getting stopped by the police that they won’t even drive them to the dealer to be traded in, but want the dealer to come pick them up. Entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe and South America are taking advantage of the clearance sales.

Tax cheats are estimated to cost Italy €120 billion per year, and the new efforts along with huge new taxes are expected to reap more than €160 billion annually.

Financial police targeting European supercar owners due to Euro crisis?

Former and current Toyota driver Neal Bates started his rally career over 20 years ago. While that seems like a long time to have been racing, even back then a 1980 Toyota Celica was pretty old school. Mr. Bates and his friends at Toyota set out to prove that the old Celica is still cool by giving the RA40 dirt runner a full restore ahead of its ARC debut in Melbourne.

Bates, Coral Taylor and the 32-year-old Celica took first in the opening round of the 2012 Australian Rally Championship, and if you watch the video below, you’ll see why. Bates put the beefed-up Celica through its paces, and it looks like he hasn’t lost a step.

Continue reading Watch a restored 1980 Toyota Celica rally car put through its paces by Neal Bates

Watch a restored 1980 Toyota Celica rally car put through its paces by Neal Bates

We may not have found much to like about the redesigned 2012 Nissan Versa sedan when we test drove it, but here’s something in its favor: A Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

While the old Nissan subcompact never made it to the top of the IIHS rankings, the new sedan earned its award by scoring “good” ratings in front, side, rollover, and rear tests and coming equipped with standard stability control, according to the IIHS. The 2011 and earlier Versas only scored “acceptable” in side impact and roof strength tests.

Keep in mind that the Top Safety Pick only applies to the new sedan, as a redesigned version of the hatchback has not yet launched. The 2012 Versa hatchback is the same design that’s been on sale since the 2007 model year.

See below for a video of the IIHS side impact test on the Versa sedan.

Continue reading Nissan Versa named IIHS Top Safety Pick [w/video]

Nissan Versa named IIHS Top Safety Pick [w/video]