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According to research by Edmunds.com, the $19,711 average transaction price of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra is besting that of its chief rivals, the Toyota Corolla by $1,500 and the new Honda Civic by $500. The great big cherry on top of that sundae for Hyundai? Elantra sales were up more than 40 percent last year.

The sales success of the Elantra wasn’t much of a surprise even before the car went on sale, the transaction-price story is an eye-opener. We don’t have a breakdown on model mix, but a base Elantra with a six-speed manual is $17,220 and the Limited is $21,320 (both prices include $725 destination). The Elantra’s small-money options, like an iPod connector, match those of the competition, and even its three upmarket packages, two for the GLS and one for the Limited, contain features mostly available on the Corolla or Civic.

Point being, the Elantra doesn’t have a single killer app to explain its position. But all of its touches – one extra gear on the manual, two extra on the automatic, its newness and its design, its competitive gas mileage and its rearview camera that can’t be had on the competition, for instance, appear to be the cause. There’s also the fact that dealers don’t have to put much (if anything) on the hood since the factory still can’t make enough of them to satisfy demand.

Nor is this only a tale of the Elantra; the Sonata has narrowed its average transaction price to within $900 of both Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. And according to Hyundai CEO John Krafcik, we aren’t anywhere near the end of the company’s aspirations: “We’re in the middle of a very long journey.” Indeed, even new Elantra itself hasn’t reached top speed yet – a new Coupe and five-door GT are on the way to round out the family for 2013.

Customers paying more for Hyundai Elantra than Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla

Porsche Macan, Fisker finances, DOT guidelines

Episode #270 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, and Autoblog Executive Editor Chris Paukert. Topics include the announcement of the Porsche Macan, the state of Fisker’s finances, the DOT proposal for distracted driving guidelines, and in-dash smartphone integration tech. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #270:

• Porsche Macan
• Fisker on the ropes?
• DOT proposes distracted-driving guidelines
• Could smartphone integration be the solution for the DOT?

In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Subaru Legacy 3.6R
2012 Honda Civic CNG
2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
2012 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Chris Paukert

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com

Review the show in iTunes

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #270

Autoblog Podcast #270

It’s What’s Inside That Counts

Long before we saw the Hyundai Genesis Coupe in the flesh, word of the vehicle’s arrival flittered around the web with tantalizing persistence. Few rumors manage to get the enthusiast world licking its chops quite as well as one with a potent V6 in the nose of a rear-wheel-drive two-door. Editors began salivating at the thought of a performance coupe renaissance, complete with all of the associated front-page comparos, while forums lit up with threads detailing hypothetical grudge matches between the would-be Korean prize fighter and hardware from the Nissan 370Z to the then-upcoming Chevrolet Camaro V6. Hyundai had clearly rustled up some snakes.

Then the Genesis Coupe debuted, and while ingredients like available Brembo brakes and a limited-slip rear differential pointed to the possibility of a genuine contender, it’s fair to say the coupe never really became a top-flight prospect for many enthusiasts. A vague gearbox and similarly detached brakes sapped precision from the platform, consigning it to a mid-pack finish in our three-way Battle of the Sixes comparison test back in 2010.

None of this is news to Hyundai. The company began planning ways to sharpen its first genuine sports car nearly as soon as the vehicle debuted at the 2008 New York Auto Show. For 2013, the two-door receives a dose of the automaker’s patented love-it-or-hate-it styling as well as a host of mechanical improvements tucked behind the polarizing aesthetics. Are the changes enough to give the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe the fangs it needs to thrive in the cutthroat performance coupe world?

Continue reading 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe [w/video]

2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe [w/video]

The first example of a given model to roll of the production line is called “Job One,” and the Infiniti is celebrating just that for its 2013 JX: A seven-seater crossover in Emerald Green – mated with its 265-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 from Decherd, TN – has rolled off the production line. Infiniti expects numerous JXs behind it to be the second most popular model in the company’s lineup, bested only by the G sedan, coupe and convertible range.

The $41,400 (including $950 destination) three-row crossover and its liberal suite of configurations and technologies goes on sale in March, but you can register your interest or play with the configurator right now. There’s also a press release after the jump with more details.

Continue reading 2013 Infiniti JX production underway

2013 Infiniti JX production underway

Introduced five years ago, we wouldn’t go so far as to say the Maserati GranTurismo is old, but it is getting up there. The Modenese automaker is said to be planning a replacement once the pair of new Quattroportes are ready, but for now, the aggressively curvaceous coupe is to soldier on. And so to tide it over, Maserati is releasing the tempting new version you see here.

Called the GranTurismo Sport, the newest addition to the family replaces the GranTurismo S, slotting in between the base GranTurismo and the more hardcore GranTurismo MC.

The biggest upgrade is found under the engine, where the 4.7-liter V8 has been boosted from 434 horsepower to 460 – sixteen more horses than found in the MC and GranCabrio Sport, which we’d expect to be upgraded in due course, as well.

A revised fascia also follows the lead of the more aggressive MC, with larger air apertures on either side of the front grille, complemented by LED headlamps with darkened taillights to match. Meanwhile, the interior has also been retrofitted with new seats front and rear and a new steering wheel.

The GranTurismo Sport will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in just a couple of weeks from now, but in the meantime you can check out the pair of high-resolution images below and the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Maserati releases new GranTurismo Sport ahead of Geneva debut

Maserati releases new GranTurismo Sport ahead of Geneva debut

If you’ve ever had occasion to see a Radical in person – or for that matter, in photos – you likely couldn’t avoid thinking it looked like a miniature version of a Le Mans Prototype. The ground-hugging ride height, the aerodynamically-optimized bodywork, the open cockpit… but wait a second, don’t most LMPs these days have closed cockpits? Why yes, yes they do.

The Audi R18, the Toyota TS030, even the aborted Peugeot 908 all have fixed roofs and windshields. So if Radical really is going to follow the form of the front-running endurance prototypes, it’s going to need a closed canopy, too. And that, according to the latest reports, is exactly what it is developing.

Called the RXC Coupe, the new Radical appears to still be in the design phase, but is tipped to arrive in time for 2014. The body is expected to be wider than the existing open models, with a completely new aerodynamic shape. Both race and road versions are reportedly in the cards, with a V8 powering a seven-speed sequential transmission in the former good for around 650 horsepower.

All that and roadworthiness, too, stands to make the Radical RXC Coupe one very serious performance machine, whether on the street or on the track. And we’re looking forward to seeing how it shapes up. Follow the jump and skip ahead to around the 4:30 mark in the video to see footage of the 3D model from all angles.

Continue reading Radical working on all-new RXC Coupe [w/video]

Radical working on all-new RXC Coupe [w/video]

Inside Line is reporting that Ferrari has promised to show the replacement for the 599 GTB Fiorano at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Currently dubbed the 620 GT, the new coupe will be powered by a more powerful version of Ferrari’s 6.3-liter V12 and have a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, according to the report. The last time we heard rumors to this effect, power output was pegged at more than 700 horsepower.

No doubt the new model will help boost Ferrari sales even further. The company reported record sales last year, some 7,195 cars, according to the report – a 9.5 percent increase from 2010. Revenue was up over 17 percent, to nearly three billion dollars, while Ferrari turned a $210 million profit.

Ferrari rings in record profits, promises 599 successor for Geneva

The Huet Brothers original HB Special, released three years ago, was based on the aging mechanicals of a Triumph TR6. The new HB Coupe should have stronger bones: it starts its life as a BMW 1 Series Coupe.

Buyers can opt for the daily-driver model announced a couple of weeks ago, or one of the two more hardcore iterations shown here. The HB Coupe RR modifies the BMW underpinnings with a full carbon monocoque, gives it a more spartan interior, and offers a buffet of engine options, including a 220-horsepower diesel four, a 3.0-liter inline six with 306 hp, or the full M-spec 330 hp six for a 0-60 run in 5.3, 4.0 or 3.8 seconds, respectively.

Not shabby, but for the truly performance-obsessed there’s also a track-ready Race model. Tino and Paul Huet are taking orders, but in order to complete development and begin construction, they’re generating capital by selling their line of wristwatches.

Continue reading Huet Brothers announce Coupe RR and Race models

Huet Brothers announce Coupe RR and Race models

There’s little question that Caterham is on the rise. The British automaker may still be known primarily for building continuation models of the classic Lotus Seven, but under the new ownership of AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes, it is expanding in a big way.

The company teamed up with Lola for the SP/300.R, one of the only vehicles Caterham has ever made that was not based on the Seven. Caterham now also has its own F1 team, and has promoted the team’s technical director Mike Gascoyne – a longtime F1 engineer and chassis designer – as chief technical officer for the entire group, overseeing the road car division, the advanced composites operation, the new R&D center and the motorsport division.

That’s not all, though. Caterham has been rumored to be working on a new model line – to be developed and built in-house completely separate from the Seven and SP/300.R – details of which are just beginning to emerge. Although Caterham has reportedly considered going mid-engine with its new model, it is likely to stick with the traditional front-engine, rear-drive setup, with a monocoque chassis built around an F1-style tub, but likely not made of carbon fiber.

Caterham is reportedly intent on keeping both price and weight to a minimum, but the new model is being designed with more creature comforts than its existing stablemates. Both coupe and convertible versions are envisioned from the outset, and while powertrain is still being negotiated with potential suppliers, a supercharged version could be in the cards as well. Discussions are repprtedly also underway with various design studios, but one thing’s for sure: this one won’t be designed by Colin Chapman.

Continue reading Caterham working up all-new sportscar

Caterham working up all-new sportscar

BMW has announced a whole slew of products it intends to showcase at the rapidly approaching Geneva Motor Show, with the biggest reveal being the first public showing of the five-passenger 6 Series Gran Coupe.

But that’s just the tip of the Bavarian iceberg. Another highly anticipated machine, the BMW M6 Coupe, will make its world debut in Geneva before going on sale in the U.S. in the late summer as a 2013 model. The M6 Convertible, which is a big seller for BMW in the States, will debut in April at the 2012 New York Auto Show and will go on sale shortly thereafter.

Also on hand will be the BMW M550d xDrive, M550d xDrive Touring, X5 M50d and X6 M50d. Together, these four diesel-powered machines launch BMW’s line of M Performance automobiles (not to be confused with M-badged models like the M3 and M5). Sadly, these oil-burners are not headed Stateside.

Naturally, the brand new 2012 BMW 3 Series will be on display, with Europeans getting their first look at some of the new diesel engine offerings. Those of us in the U.S. will be more interested in the 3 Series with the M Sport Package that will go on sale in August and the 3 Series ActiveHybrid that will hit the market in September.

Geneva showgoers will get to see the refreshed 2013 BMW X6 ahead of its entrance into the U.S. market in the spring, plus the electrified i3 and plug-in hybrid i8. And finally, BMW will unveil a new line of M Performance Parts and official accessories for the new 3 Series. On the M Performance front, those new additions will include blacked-out kidney grilles, exhaust systems, carbon fiber front splitters and M-branded steering wheels.

We know that’s a lot to digest, so we won’t mind at all if you want to click past the break for the complete press release. But first, be sure to check out the high-res image gallery of M Performance Parts above.

Continue reading BMW to unveil 6 Series Gran Coupe, M Performance Parts at Geneva

BMW to unveil 6 Series Gran Coupe, M Performance Parts at Geneva

Don’t call it the Cajun anymore. Porsche has officially announced the company’s upcoming small sport utility vehicle will be called the Macan. As with the vehicle’s larger brother, the Cayenne, the Porsche Macan will blend the seemingly incongruous worlds of tall-riding off roaders and low-slung sports cars with performance to match.

The Macan is the latest effort in Porsche’s plan to expand its portfolio by 2018. While true purists may once again cry foul at the notion of another non-sports car with the Porsche shield on the hood, something tells us this Porsche will meet with far less skepticism this time around. The Cayenne and the Panamera have proven Porsche can successfully expand into segments beyond sports coupes without sacrificing its core principles. The Macan is likely to toe that line as well.

From what we’ve seen, the Macan will arrive on the same chassis as the Audi Q5, though with suspension, brake and engine tweaks suitable to the Porsche range. Rumors have also hinted toward both hybrid and three-door iterations as well.

The automotive world has been mistakenly calling the upcoming baby Porsche the Cajun for more than a year after Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn mentioned the name in an interview. Click past the jump for the full press release on the Macan name, as well as a quick introductory video.

Continue reading Porsche gives Macan name to new small sport utility [w/video]

Porsche gives Macan name to new small sport utility [w/video]

Items like the thick, cross-stiched leather, touchscreen navigation and a Bowers & Wilkins stereo hide just how wild the Jaguar XKR-S is. Without them you’d be overcome by the scent of a feral carnivore with blood on its breath, which is what the hottest coupe in Jaguar’s portfolio really is. Yet Jaguar is thinking about removing the XKR-S’ urbane coverings and producing a street-legal track version that would drop weight and lap times, according to a report in Car and Driver.

Jaguar isn’t yet saying if such a model would add to the established production run of 300, or be included in that original allotment. It’s speculated that track-day equipment like a fire-suppression system and different gauges could appear, but an included roll-cage is a bigger question mark.

As Jaguar figures out where it needs to apply its resources to hone its brand perception and up its sales, perhaps a top-end customer racer to challenge the best from Porsche and Aston and Audi is just what it needs.

Jaguar considering track-focused XKR-S

The Red Badge Of Courage

When it comes to high-end automobiles, there exists a surprisingly large group of well-heeled buyers seemingly only too happy to plunk down the vast sums required to buy the most expensive model in a given range. To these shoppers, a loftier price connotes that they are buying the best of the best, all but guaranteeing that they’ll never suffer the indignity of being shown up at the valet stand. And while the notion that what is best is what’s the most expensive is often correct, that isn’t always the case.

Take this splashy Dragon Red Bentley Continental GT V8, for example. On the surface, this new model is just a cut-price coupe with four fewer cylinders and less horsepower, but make no mistake – this is the Thinking Man’s Continental, not the Miser’s.

Of course, word that the British automaker’s latest should cost around 10 percent less than its 12-cylinder counterpart is unlikely to arch any impeccably manicured brows – we’re going to go ahead and assume that the price differential won’t really be of consequence to anyone with the wherewithal to shop for a Bentley. As a result, it will likely take a bit of individuality and pluck to show up at this season’s Keeping Up With The Jones’ Charity Ball in a GT V8.

Continue reading 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8

2013 Bentley Continental GT V8

We’ve gotten word from our man on location driving the new 2012 Hyundai Azera that the Korean automaker’s fully redesigned full-size front-wheel-drive sedan will start at $32,000, not including $875 in destination charges, when it goes on sale this spring. The only option available will be a $4,000 Tech package. We’re not certain yet what all will be included in the Tech package since items like touch-screen navigation and a back-up camera will be standard equipment on the 2012 Azera, but we’re looking into it.

Hyundai is asking an awful lot more for its new Azera compared to the one it replaces, which carried a base MSRP of just $25,495. We’ll have our First Drive report on the 2012 Hyundai Azera ready soon to let you know if the price jump is justified.

We likewise have pricing information to report for the refreshed 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, which will start at $24,250, again not including $875 in destination charges. That’s for the four-cylinder 2.0t model with a manual transmission, while the upper bound on pricing is represented by the 3.8-liter V6-powered Track model with the new eight-speed automatic transmission that costs $34,250.

Lastly, while rumors had resurfaced again that Hyundai was considering creating a luxury sub-brand called Genesis that would sell both the sedan and coupe along with the larger Equus, Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik has told Autoblog, “There is no plan to create Genesis sub brand.” He did, however, indicate that the next-generation Genesis sedan should have all-wheel drive as an option.

2012 Hyundai Azera priced from $32,000 and Gen Coupe from $24,250*

Hyundai has been hitting on all cylinders of late, adding the Elantra Coupe and Hatchback, the Veloster Turbo and the upcoming Azera. That’s a lot of new metal for one calendar year, and it appears the Korean automaker is just getting warmed up.

Fox News reports that Hyundai USA CEO John Krafcik hinted to a new entry into the six- and seven-passenger crossover segment. The affable exec pointed out that Hyundai needed to do a better job of attracting families to the brand, adding “it’s probably fair to say we need more presence in the six and seven passenger crossover segment where we have the Veracruz now.”

Hyundai is also expected to unveil a new Santa Fe at the New York Auto Show, so the automaker’s CUV offerings are definitely looking up. As we reported back way back in June of 2010, we expect Hyundai to eventually offer a long-wheelbase three-row version of the new Santa Fe to replace the slow-selling Veracruz, though the automaker has yet to confirm this development.

But while Krafcik hints that some new CUV metal is coming, fans of the Italic H shouldn’t hold their breath in anticipation of a pickup truck. Krafcik reportedly told Fox News that the automaker could build a truck if it wanted to, but the brand will instead focus on more efficient vehicles.

CEO Krafcik says to expect more family vehicles from Hyundai, not trucks

You’ve soaked in the details. You’ve seen the pictures. You may even have set one as the wallpaper on your desktop or smartphone. But the new BMW M6 isn’t the ultimate ogling machine. It’s the ultimate driving machine. So the best we can advise is that you go out and drive one. But short of that, you’ll want at least to see it in motion.

Fortunately, BMW has released a pair of clips showing the new coupe and cabrio doing what they do best in a setting that, to our eyes, looks like it must be in the Persian Gulf. Follow the jump to check them out, and try not to mind the soundtrack that’s dubbed dramatic music over what we all really want to hear: the engine note.

Continue reading Check out the new BMW M6 duo in action

Check out the new BMW M6 duo in action

For an automaker whose lineup is made up of more crossovers than anything else, Infiniti sure does seem to like doing two-door show cars. The 2006 Coupe Concept showed the way forward for the G37 coupe, the 2009 Essence concept showcased a new design direction, the Etherea concept of 2011 may have been a five-door hatch but tried its damnedest to look like a coupe, and now the Japanese luxury marque is preparing to roll in to Geneva with a new sports car concept altogether.

Dubbed Emerg-e, the concept car has so far only been teased with a handful of close-up detail shots tinted such a deep purple we were half expecting them to break out into a rendition of “Smoke on the Water” – which was, come to think of it, set just across the lake from where the concept is set to be unveiled just a few weeks from now. But we digress. The point is that a series of what appear to be patent renderings have leaked their way online to give us a much better idea of what to expect.

So what should we expect? Well, based on the renderings, the show car is looking rather curvaceous. In some cases, we’d say, a little too much so, with a face that makes us think of a fat man trying to fit into a small bathing suit, and that’s never a good image (so, um… sorry about that). We’ll reserve final judgement for when we see it up close and personal next month.

Are you the Infiniti Emerg-e concept?

Judging by the recent spate of i8 spy shots, BMW is cranking away on the plug-in supercar to make sure its primped and ready for its on-sale date in 2014.

However, one thing appears to be missing: the glass panel that extends down past the coupe’s belt line. That same design element – which BMW billed as feature for urban driving – probably won’t make it to the i8’s little EV brother, the i3, either.

But one element that appears to be making the leap from concept to production is the i8’s butterfly doors. We’ve seen them on both the original concept and the follow-up from last year, not to mention its cameo in the last Mission Impossible installment. Now we have photographic proof that the i8’s doors will flip up and out, similar to the Ferrari Enzo and past McLarens (both the F1 and SLR). And since the doors appear to open just passed the roof, BMW won’t have to resort to the same explosive charges Mercedes-Benz has to employ on the SLS AMG.

2014 BMW i8 caught with its doors open

What’s the new M6 made of? Just like the last generation, it takes all the best bits from the M5 and distills them into two door form. And this time, the convertible comes first.

At its heart, the M6 Coupe and Cabriolet are all about the engine, and as expected both models use the same twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 (ironically codenamed S63) to output 560 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which peaks between 1,500 and 5,750 rpm. Those figures should sound familiar, as they’re almost exact duplicates of the M5’s specs (the sedan makes an additional two lb-ft of torque), including the 7,200 rpm rev limiter and Valvetronic system.

Mated to the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox as the M5, BMW claims the M6 Coupe will run from a rest to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds, with the cabrio taking an additional tenth of a second to hit the same mark. According to our sources, a six-speed manual option is under consideration, but it won’t be available at launch. And again, just like the M5, fuel consumption has been reduced by 30 percent while power has increased by around 10 percent.

Also included is BMW’s Active M Differential, an electronically controlled multi-plate limited slip diff that works in conjunction with the DSC and the new Dynamic Damper Controls that electro-hydraulically tweak damping force on-the-fly depending on the settings and the situation.

Inside the subtly blistered wheel arches are massive 16.1-inch carbon ceramic rotors in front, gripped by six piston blue calipers, with equally impressive 15.6-inch rotors out back held by a single-piston caliper. The standard wheels are M-specific 19-inch alloys with 265/40 R19 ultra-high performance summer tires in front and 295/35 R19 rubber in the rear, with 20-inch lightweight hoops available as an option.

BMW isn’t citing exact curb weights for either the coupe or cabrio yet, but assures us that they’re notably less than the previous E63/E64, and the double-bubble carbon fiber roof on the coupe is a visual testament to that.

Sales of the convertible will start this June, with the coupe arriving later this summer as a 2013 model. And we hear we’ll get to see the drop top in person at the New York Auto Show, with the coupe debuting in Geneva. Hit the jump for all the tech-laden details.

Continue reading BMW debuts 560-hp twin-turbo M6, manual option under consideration

BMW debuts 560-hp twin-turbo M6, manual option under consideration

Hyundai Canada had its own ad for the Super Bowl, and instead of a cheetah they went for a more elusive beast: Sasquatch. Created to push the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, the “Country Drive” spot highlights a couple who are amazed at what they find on a drive through the woods. From the Sasquatch’s perspective, the feeling’s mutual.

The Canadians didn’t stop there: they made nine “Sasquatch on Set” clips to show what it’s like working with yeti. Strangely, he never takes an interest in the Genesis Coupe when he’s not working, but you can check out all the spots after the jump.

Continue reading Hyundai’s Canadian Super Bowl ads are full of yeti

Hyundai’s Canadian Super Bowl ads are full of yeti