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Cylinder-Envy No More

My first car was a used 1981 Ford Mustang. It was a complete piece of garbage, but it was the best I could do with $900 worth of hard-earned busboy tips. It only had one side mirror, the power steering fluid had to be filled every two weeks and there was a nail in the dashboard. I would have removed that last bit of nonstandard hardware, but whenever the Brown Bomber didn’t want to turn over, touching the nail for luck seemed to work. But compared to my friends’ cars, mine at least looked the fastest. Looks don’t win at the stoplight, though, and my rust-colored ‘Stang featured the double whammy of a 109-horsepower 2.8-liter V6 and an automatic transmission.

To say that my Mustang’s powertrain was a disappointment could be the understatement of the century, but I wasn’t the only V6-powered Mustang owner suffering from horsepower humiliation. It would be another 30 years before Ford would offer a V6-powered Mustang with anything more than mule muscle, but that’s where we are today. The 2012 Mustang boasts a legit 305 horsepower, or more punch than the 4.6-liter V8 under the hood of the 2009 Mustang GT. I have no doubt that the 2012 Mustang is vastly superior to my 1981 shame machine, but does that 305 horsepower and a vastly improved rear-wheel-drive chassis make this Mustang one of America’s great performance bargains? Hit the jump to find out.

Continue reading 2012 Ford Mustang V6

2012 Ford Mustang V6

2013 Porsche Boxster, Detroit Show Editors’ Choice, Chrysler/Fiat looking for a third, Nissan NY debut, VW beats Toyota

Episode #265 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Zach and Chris Paukert this week. Topics include the 2013 Porsche Boxster, a discussion of the Editors’ Picks from the Detroit Auto Show, a possible third partner for Chrysler and Fiat, a mystery debut in New York for Nissan, and Volkswagen beating Toyota in sales for 2011. 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 #265:

• VW beats Toyota
• 2013 Porsche Boxster
• Big New York debut for Nissan?
• Marchionne looking for yet another partner?
• Editors’ Choice from Detroit

In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
2012 Cadillac SRX
2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Chris Paukert, Zach Bowman

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #265

Autoblog Podcast #265

Just when we were starting to think that there is nothing on television worth watching, we get our first look at Top Gear series 18. Beyond the jump is a 30 second teaser of the upcoming season, with a glimpse at more episodes filled with Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

The cars are there as well, including a very yellow Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series, NASCAR Top Gear style and some crazy man who jumps out of a plane with a powered wing attached to his back. Oh, and it seems Jezza attacks a trailer park in a Jaguar XJ. Interesting. Hit the jump to watch the action-packed promo for yourself.

Continue reading Top Gear teases series 18

Top Gear teases series 18

The Ultimate Passenger Vessel For Travel To Infinity And Beyond

Sometime before the end of this century, humans will travel to Mars. The longest manned journey ever attempted will take the explorers at least 34 million miles over the course of many months, at best. The vehicle necessary to support such an odyssey will need to be spacious, comfortable, technically advanced, incredibly safe and very powerful.

Before plotting the future spacecraft’s design, we suggest the engineers take a close look at the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG for ideas.

Of course, we don’t think the S63 is fit for interplanetary travel – micrometeorites and ultraviolet radiation would likely wreak havoc on its expensive and vogue matte finish Magno Platinum paint – but we do feel it is one of the most spacious and luxurious rocket ships that someone outside of a space agency can put in their personal hangar.

During our week with the AMG-tuned S-Class, its four wheels never left the surface of planet Earth, but we did load it up and make a long weekend trek to Palm Springs. How did this twin-turbocharged sedan handle the long outing and subsequent run into the mountains? Does it drive ponderously, or is the big Benz agile and athletic? Most importantly, what’s not to like with this two-and-one-half ton almighty giant?

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG [w/video]

2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG [w/video]

When Fiat pronounced that it was planning to sell 50,000 Fiat 500 models in 2011, we were more than a little skeptical. And now that 2011 is in the rear view mirror, it seems CEO Sergio Marchionne is ready to admit that the sales target was not very realistic.

CNN Money reports that the charismatic Fiat/Chrysler boss is now calling the 50,000 number “incredibly naive,” adding that the goal was to best Mini Cooper’s 2010 sales total of 45,644. Fiat only managed to sell 19,769 Cinquecento models for the year.

Given that Mini has been in the U.S. for a decade and the marque already has an established dealer body and marketing presence – as well as an entire range of products – critics have said that clear that Fiat’s 50,000-unit first-year goal was ambitious to a fault. Marchionne went on to add “we set ourselves up for a fall,” but the chief executive insists that the future of Fiat in the U.S. is still very strong.

Even though sales of the 500 came nowhere near 50,000 units, Marchionne says that the Mexico plant that builds the A-segment ride is still profitable. That’s because the plant also builds models for South America and China. Marchionne is reportedly hoping to sell between 25,000 and 30,000 copies of the 500 in the U.S. in 2012. While the 500 will likely be the only Fiat-branded model available in U.S. showrooms in 2012, the lineup is at least set to expand with models like the $22,000 high-performance 500 Abarth.

Marchionne admits 50,000-unit sales goal for Fiat 500 “incredibly naive”

The Detroit Free Press reports General Motors may be out to reorganize its marketing effort once again. According to the report, Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick noted at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show that the company is currently in the process of reviewing the agencies that handle media buying and Chevrolet advertising for the automaker around the world. Ewanick’s team is expected to make decisions about how to more effectively and efficiently use its marketing dollars in the next few weeks. That may translate into substantial reductions or changes. Right now, General Motors relies on around 100 advertising agencies worldwide.

The news comes in the wake of tepid response to the automaker’s “Chevy Runs Deep” campaign, which has been live since the fall of 2010. The review has already seen one agency, Big Fuel, escorted out the door. The New York agency was tasked with handling social media for all four GM U.S. brands, and Ewanick said coordinating the agency’s campaigns simply took too much time and effort.

The automaker’s marketing effort has been anything but stable in recent months. Chevrolet has had six marketing leaders since GM underwent restructuring, while GM as a whole has had five different leaders in the same period of time.

GM marketing changes to Run Deep?

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Only in this case, when we say “goose,” we mean Toyota, and when we say “gander,” we mean Lexus.

Take, for instance, the Japanese auto giant’s hybrid strategy. Leave aside hybrid drivetrains available in conventional models (like the Toyota Camry Hybrid or the Lexus GS 450h) and look directly at the stand-alone hybrid models like the Prius, which has grown from a single model into an entire range into an of itself. Now Lexus is reportedly preparing to follow suit.

Fortunately that won’t mean more vehicles like the HS, which is being discontinued, but more variants based on the CT 200h. In the coming years we could be looking at more body-styles based on the hybrid hatchback, though details remain scarce at this point.

The expansion of the CT family is only part of a larger product push for Lexus, which reportedly plans nine new or significantly updated models before the end of this year. The new GS sedan is to come first, followed by new versions of the ES, IS and LS, plus hybrid and F-Sport versions. A facelifted LX sport-ute just debuted at the Detroit Auto Show, and we could see the addition of a seven-seat crossover (to compete with the new Infiniti JX) and a new coupe to succeed the long-gone SC.

All in all it’s shaping up to be quite an ambitious campaign to propel Lexus back to the top of the luxury car market, a position reclaimed in recent years by the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Lexus pondering CT variants, seven-seat people mover

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed the Obama administration didn’t ask the government agency to delay announcing potential safety issues with the Chevrolet Volt. According to The Detroit News, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was briefed about Volt fires that occurred after two crash tests in September, three months after the first extended-range hybrid began smoldering. According to the report, the office of the president was then informed of the fires shortly thereafter, as well as being notified of NHTSA’s intent to investigate whether the results of the tests could be replicated.

The Detroit News quotes NHTSA administrator David Strickland as saying no one within the office of the president “requested or in any way suggested that NHTSA delay public release of information related to the Volt fire.”

That seems to be a fairly definitive answer to the three house Republicans who asked General Motors and the Obama administration whether the White House had called for any delay in publicly disclosing the Volt fires. A House panel plans to undertake a hearing on the Volt controversy later this month.

NHTSA says White House didn’t factor in Chevy Volt fire disclosure

The Mini faithful fondly remember the John Cooper Works GP (pictured above). Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006, the GP edition was the fastest version of the first-gen Mini hatchback. It packed 218 horsepower, 180 pound-feet of torque, a beefier suspension and – thanks to the removal of the back seats and air-conditioning – 88 fewer pounds to motivate. The result was a 6.5-second sprint to 60 and a 146-mph top speed. Only 444 examples were made available shortly before the second-gen Mini was introduced.

Now, word on the street is that Mini is preparing a new GP version. Few details are available at this point, but considering that the current JCW packs 208 hp from its 1.6-liter turbo four, we ought to be looking at 220 horses or more in the new GP. To make things simpler, in fact, Mini could be preparing to shoe-horn in the engine being developed for the JCW Countryman, which is expected to pack more power than the JCW hatchback in order to get its heftier curb weight moving.

Given that the previous GP edition was a two-seat affair, we can’t help but wonder if Mini will turn to the new Coupe for this GP. But for now, we’ll just have to sit tight and see what the Anglo-German automaker has in store for its most hard-core fanatics.

Mini working up new John Cooper Works GP edition

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Audi looks like it’s accidentally let slip the exterior design of its upcoming 2013 A3.The German automaker set about showing off the hatchback’s cabin with a static display at Las Vegas’ CES ahead of the vehicle’s expected unveiling at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The display gives the world a sense of what to expect from the luxury compact’s front seats, center console and dash, which features a stand-alone LCD display that rises out from above the instrument panel’s center air vents. Like other Audi displays, the screen features various vehicle menus, including two that show off the full exterior of the three-door model.

Judging from these two quick glimpses at the hatchback, the three-door will feature a new, more aggressive face. From the looks of things, buyers can expect to continue to find a large, signature Audi single-frame grille flanked by more purposeful headlights and sporty air intakes set low int he front fascia. Head over to Audiboost.com for a closer look at the vehicle inside and out. Don’t get too attached to what you see, however. Past reports have suggested the vehicle will only debut as a sedan here in the States.

Audi accidentally(?) previews 2013 A3 design at CES

What Are You Willing To Sacrifice For A Low Price?

The compact car market is white-hot. The new Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra have lifted the segment to new levels of refinement while at the same time improving fuel economy to 40 miles per gallon on the highway and beyond. Instead of turning their attention back to trucks and SUVs, manufacturers are going even smaller. Automakers have begun pouring vast resources into the smaller subcompact segment, and the result has been a wealth of all-new models. The Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Accent and Ford Fiesta are all-new or updated and vastly superior to prior subcompacts that still linger in our memories like an unpleasant aftertaste.

Nissan has put its subcompact under the knife, too, as the 2012 Versa features all-new sheetmetal, revised powertrains and a fresh interior. The previous Versa was known for being larger and less expensive than its competition, and its sales reflected that – it’s been the most popular model in its segment. But we’ve been curious to learn if this latest redesign may help or hurt the Versa’s standing, so we borrowed the keys to a top trim 2012 Nissan Versa SL Sedan for a week to find out.

Continue reading 2012 Nissan Versa Sedan [w/video]

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan [w/video]

Nissan has good news for anyone weeping about the fact that the 2013 Pathfinder has abandoned its body-on-frame ways. The company isn’t completely ditching legitimate SUVs for the crossover crowd. According to Car and Driver, the Nissan Xterra will continue to shun a unibody design for the conceivable future. The magazine spoke with engineers familiar with the development of the Xterra who said the vehicle will share its DNA with the Nissan Frontier for years to come.

That means buyers will still be able to enjoy the vehicle’s truckish charm and legitimate off-road chops. Those who want something a little softer or smaller can turn to the automaker’s Rogue, while the 2013 Pathfinder will now offer mall-goers a suitable alternative to the Ford Explorer. The times may be changing, but for now, the Xterra isn’t.

Nissan Xterra to continue as traditional SUV

Ich bein ein Mainstreamer

Volkswagen tried building cars in the U.S. once before, and it didn’t end well for the Rabbits assembled in Westmoreland, PA. “In Vietnam, ‘Westmoreland’ was a synonym for boundless optimisim in the face of raw facts. The same principle applies here,” said my friend Mike, explaining why his Rabbits at the time were imported from Das Vaterland. The real problem with American-made VWs wasn’t Pennsylvania or a self-deluding General, Mike continued, but “mushbucket suspensions, chintzy build quality, frou-frou styling compromises,” all resulting in a sub-par experience that’s got Volks-folks with long memories wondering if we’re doomed to repeat the past.

Volkswagen wants its new 2012 Passat to disprove that trope about repeating history, and the Passat has racked up awards like the Motor Trend Car of the Year and was a North American Car of the Year finalist, lending credence to VW’s efforts. We contemplated if the United States earning its own version of the Passat makes us elite or uncultured swine in the wake of our First Drive, and so we signed out a Passat SEL with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine to see what the Mainstream American Sedan Songbook sounds like when delivered with a German lilt.

Continue reading 2012 Volkswagen Passat 2.5L SEL Premium

2012 Volkswagen Passat 2.5L SEL Premium

There’s virtually no end to the list of automakers for which Pininfarina has designed over the years. But every once in a while, the stoic Italian studio works up a project just for itself. And this is one such occasion.

So what is the occasion, you ask? The 30th anniversary of the company’s Styling Centre, and the 10th anniversary of its Engineering Centre, which were founded in 1982 and 2002, respectively. The dual milestone is celebrated with the Cambiano concept car.

Named for the town in which Pininfarina is based, the Cambiano is an environmentally friendly sport sedan concept which the company will unveil at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March. That’s about all we have to go on at the moment, revealed on the studio’s Facebook page along with the teaser image above. Watch this space for more as the Swiss expo approaches.

Pininfarina previews Geneva-bound Cambiano concept

The North American International Auto Show episode

Episode #264 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Chris Paukert, and the prodigal Alex Nunez. The Detroit Auto Show just wrapped up, and we saw plenty there to fill up a podcast talking about. 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 #264:

• The North American International Auto Show

In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4
2011 Hyundai Elantra
2012 Buick Regal GS

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Chris Paukert, Alex Nunez

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #264

Autoblog Podcast #264

The last two days for us auto-obsessive types have been a blur of press conferences and vehicle debuts in what has been a typically hectic Detroit Auto Show. As the final day of the press preview comes to an end, though, we’ve been able to walk around the show floor and take a closer look at the various production and concept cars that have been unveiled.

That also means we have been able to get better photographs of some of our favorite vehicles of the show, like the Acura NSX and Lexus LF-LC concepts, Porsche’s new 911 Carrera Cabriolet, the V8-powered Bentley Continental GT, and Chevrolet’s intriguing Code 130R Concept. We have put them all into a desktop wallpaper gallery, and you can see them all in the high-res gallery above. We’ve even uploaded each of them in 1920×1275 for those of you with extra large computer monitors. Enjoy!

Top 25 Desktop Wallpapers from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

We’ve just returned from a Detroit Auto Show media roundtable with Klaus Draeger, member of the Board of BMW AG, Development, and he’s helped shed some light on both some near- and far-term developments for BMW in the States.

Draeger confirmed that BMW has absolutely no plans to expand the 1 Series lineup in the U.S. with a hatchback variant like the new generation F20 range sold in Europe. While Draeger says that the 1 Series has done a “wonderful job” for BMW, he notes that the model is positioned very differently in the U.S. and Europe. In the States, the 1 Series is a car for hardcore driving enthusiasts, but in Europe, with its fuller range of (primarily lower-power) engines and bodystyles, the 1 Series is positioned as more of a family car – an entry point to the brand (70 percent of European 1 Series buyers are new to BMW).

In the short-term, Draeger confirmed that the 740i six-cylinder model will receive the company’s xDrive all-wheel drive system before the end of the year. The system is currently available on the V8-powered 750i, but with the biggest market for the 7 Series being the New York tri-state area, not having the additional foul weather performance of xDrive in the I6 has left a vacuum in the model lineup.

In more general terms, Draeger says we can expect to see electric power steering and start/stop systems in all BMWs, and indeed, a number of models in the company’s portfolio already feature the fuel-saving technologies.

Also on the fuel-saving front, Draeger says that X5 diesel sales are going well in the States, accounting for roughly one-third of sales. Despite that, the X6 will not get a diesel variant, as the current model only has two or three years left in its life and it wouldn’t make sense to introduce one this late in life. However, he wouldn’t rule one out for the next-gen X6, nor was he willing to preclude a diesel’s inclusion in the new X3. The new generation 3 Series and current 5 Series are also likely candidates for oil burning motivation, but they won’t happen this calendar year.

When asked if BMW is happy with X6 sales, Draeger said “Yes. Absolutely.” As a followup question, Draeger was asked if it then made sense to do a similar variant on the X3, and he said “Yes. Yes.” Unfortunately, he wasn’t at liberty to elaborate.

Finally, BMW officially announced yesterday that its smallest crossover, the X1, will go on sale here soon (likely not before a mid-cycle refresh), but Draeger maintains that there is “no real synergy” to justify bringing production to the U.S.

BMW still has “no plans” for 1 Series hatch in States, X6-like X3 variant in the cards

Audi has been known for all-wheel drive and wagon rooflines for a lot longer than it has been making crossovers. Before cranking out the Q7, Q5 and Q3, the German automaker was making Avant Quattro wagons that carved up alpine mountain passes like nobody’s business. And then came the Allroad.

Bridging the gap between a wagon and an SUV, the Allroad versions of the A4 and A6 take a similar approach to the Subaru Outback and Volvo XC70, giving the wagon a rougher, go-anywhere image compared to the standard Avant estate. We used to get the Allroad in the North American market, but after a brief hiatus, the A4 Allroad is back.

We got a chance to drive the soft-roader just last month, but couldn’t resist the temptation to snap it again for the Ingolstadt aficionados among us as it made its official North American debut alongside the new A4 and S4 here at the Detroit Auto Show. Click the thumbnails above to check it out in high resolution.

Audi heralds the return of the A4 Allroad

In true Honda fashion, we’re once again presented with a “concept” car that’s only a set of wheels and a de-Bedazzling away from being production-ready. What you’re looking at here is the concept that previews the next-generation Accord that will be dropping later this year, ready to compete with a full slate of redesigned mid-size sedans.

Honda has once again taken a conservative approach to design, and while it’s certainly handsome (except for those gaudy air intakes that flank both sides of the front fascia), we can’t help but think that it already looks one or two generations old. (2009 Kia Optima, anyone?) We’ll have to wait until we see the car in its production spec before making final judgments, but with sexy new mid-size offerings like the 2013 Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, the Accord doesn’t look to be gunning for shoppers who want a whole lot of style with their substance.

Substance, though, it definitely has. The base engine is a new Earth Dreams 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder with direct injection, putting 181 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque to the ground via a continuously variable transmission. Honda will continue to offer a V6 in the Accord – a dying trend in this segment – measuring 3.5 liters, mated to either a manual or automatic transmission, both with six gears.

The Accord Hybrid will use an all-new two-motor plug-in hybrid system with three drive modes – all-electric, gasoline-electric and “direct-drive.”

What’s really interesting, though, is that the 2013 model marks the return of the Accord Hybrid – a vehicle that died after the 2007 model year. This time, however, the Accord will use an all-new two-motor plug-in hybrid system with three drive modes – all-electric, gasoline-electric and “direct-drive” – with a 6-kWh lithium-ion battery and a 120-kilowatt electric motor mated to a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline four-cylinder engine. Honda says that the Accord Plug-In will have a pure electric range of 10-15 miles with a top speed of 62 miles per hour, and that recharging the battery will take less than four hours with a 120-volt charger, or less than 1.5 hours with a 240-volt setup. Not bad, Honda.

Naturally, Honda will pack the 2013 Accord with all of its latest safety technologies, including lane departure warning, forward collision warning, blind-spot detection and a multi-angle rear-view camera. We expect to see the production car debut in the not-too-distant future (New York Auto Show, perhaps?) with the 2013 model officially hitting dealerships this fall. The Accord Plug-In will arrive a little later, in winter. Hungry for more details? Click past the jump to read Honda’s official press blast.

Continue reading 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept previews redesign, hybrid returning

2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept previews redesign, hybrid returning

Audi has confirmed at the Detroit Auto Show that its 2013 A8 will be available with a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 in the United States. Delivering 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque through all four wheels, the A8 3.0T will be sold in both both short- and long-wheelbase formats and it will be one of a growing crop of vehicles sold in North America with start/stop technology. The move follows confirmation that Audi will also market its flagship luxury sedan with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder TDI diesel engine.

Both powertrain combinations have already been offered in the A8 in other markets, and both engines have already been featured in other Audi models sold here, but these powerplants will be the first six-cylinder A8s sold in North America. Audi has not released official fuel economy estimates for these new powertrains.

Continue reading Audi confirms 3.0T powertrain for 2013 A8 in U.S.

Audi confirms 3.0T powertrain for 2013 A8 in U.S.