Archive | December, 2007

Family Hauler – 2008 Buick Enclave CXL AWD Review

By on December 17, 2007 in Reviews

The last in a series of family hauler reviews

By Chris Haak

12.17.2007

My quest to find a new family hauler with enough room four our growing family last led me to the local Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealer. Actually, before I had even test driven the Sienna or Odyssey, I stopped at the Saturn dealer to just check out second row legroom in the Outlook, as that was the critical dimension in which our Pathfinder was falling short. On paper, the Outlook’s second row didn’t seem to have much more legroom than the Pathfinder (36.9 inches versus 34.2 inches), but the Outlook’s second row seats could be adjusted forward or backward depending on needs. I wasn’t about to spend $35,000 to $40,000 for a new vehicle only to gain three inches of legroom, but I really wanted to give GM a chance to earn my business. The Saturn salesperson was very helpful and allowed me to try out our infant seat in a new Outlook, and it comfortably fit. Unfortunately for him and Saturn, Saturn doesn’t accept the GM Card and doesn’t generally discount under MSRP. I wasn’t about to consider an Outlook over the better-looking and better-equipped Enclave, which would also be less expensive.

The day after I drove the Sienna and Odyssey – and was disappointed by the Sienna’s steering feel and disappointed by the Odyssey’s lack of all wheel drive – my son and I drove to the Buick dealer to test drive a 2008 Enclave CXL AWD.

Exterior
The Enclave’s exterior is close to perfect, as long as it has the same 19 inch chrome wheels that are shown in all of the press photos. This particular one was Carbon Black Metallic with the $1,200 optional wheels. To my eyes, the Enclave is the best looking crossover or SUV on the road today. The Enclave is a very large vehicle, but the body’s graceful curves really do a great job of hiding its length. It has very tasteful chrome accents and standard HID headlights with blue lenses. The Enclave really has a great physical presence that puts any minivan’s shape to shame. Also, although the Enclave is almost identical in size and proportions to its platform mates, the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, to my eyes, the Enclave does a better job of disguising its considerable length, likely thanks to its Coke bottle-like curves.

Interior
The Enclave’s interior is a nice place to spend time. Although cloth seats are standard in the base Enclave, the CXL that I drove had leather seating surfaces. GM’s Lambda platform vehicles have taken some heat for second row legroom and seat comfort (dimensionally, the Enclave tops its competitors in only third row legroom, cargo capacity, and front shoulder room, but the numbers do bear out that second row legroom is short compared to others, and particular the CX-9, which tops it by nearly three inches.) Although I did not spend more than a few seconds in the second row seats, they are adjustable and can be moved rearward if necessary, which increases second row space, but naturally at the expense of third row space. Access to the third row is pretty convenient for a crossover, but not as easy as a minivan’s; the second row seats more or less fold themselves nearly vertically toward the rear of the first row seats, leaving a large opening for access to the third row. One problem that hasn’t been solved by any family-friendly vehicles, to my knowledge, is how to access the third row with two child seats installed in the second row seats. With captain’s chairs, it’s possible to squeeze between them, but not easy, and with the bench seat (actually an option that gives the buyer money back), one must able to climb over an unfolded seat to access the third row.

Although the interior looked gorgeous, there was some hard plastic on the top of the dash that I was not expecting in a vehicle of this caliber. Other than the hard top of the dash, there were some also a few obvious examples of cost cutting that were pretty noticeable, namely little details like the covers on the 12v power outlets.

On the Road
The first thing that struck me when I started the Enclave and dropped it into gear was the vault-like silence. The Enclave was the quietest car I can ever remember driving (I did drive a V12 S-class Mercedes with dual pane glass in the 1990s once, but that was too long ago). When attempting anything other than leisurely cruising, the engine felt a little overwhelmed by the Enclave’s weight, but it wasn’t awful. A V8 would be the perfect complement to this vehicle, but sadly, GM seems to be going in the opposite direction in terms of powertrain size and capability for this vehicle’s next generation.

GM clearly (and correctly, given the current environment) prioritized fuel economy over performance when calibrating the six speed automatic transmission, because it really seemed to want to upshift quickly and get into higher gears as soon as it could. Perhaps it was just an issue of the transmission being in some sort of learning mode and not yet aware of my driving habits. It did shift smoothly whether lumbering around town or attempting a full throttle merge onto an expressway.

Handling felt confident, especially considering the size and weight of the Enclave (over five thousand pounds when configured as an AWD CXL). It’s not a sports car, or even a midsize sedan, but the steering had good feel, and in a salesman-chaperoned test drive (with my two year old strapped into his car seat in the second row), I didn’t detect any noticeable body lean or handling issues.

Fuel Economy
The Enclave AWD is rated at 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway according to the newly-revised 2008 EPA ratings. The front wheel drive models enjoy better ratings, at 16 city and 24 highway. The Enclave’s fuel economy is competitive with models such as the smaller Lexus RX 350 (18/23 FWD; 17/22 AWD), Acura MDX (15/20 AWD), and Toyota Highlander (18/24 FWD; 17/23 AWD), and is far better than the 14/19 that a Chevrolet Suburban with the 5.3 liter V8 is rated.

Pricing
The Enclave CX front wheel drive starts at a very reasonable $32,990 including destination, but adding all wheel drive adds $2,000. Stepping up to the CXL model means a base price of about $35,000 for front wheel drive and $37,000 for all wheel drive. Desirable options include navigation ($2,600 with an upgraded stereo), rear seat DVD entertainment (another $1,100 with navigation and $1,600 without it), and a dual sunroof (the front section opens and the rear section is fixed with a movable sun shade) is about $1,300. Also, the chromed aluminum wheels featured in nearly every photo of the Enclave are nearly a must-have option in my opinion, and add another $1,200 to the MSRP. A fully loaded Enclave CXL AWD will top out around $46,000, and due to the newness and popularity of the model, coupled with GM’s decision to keep tight reins on supply, you can expect to pay close to MSRP for a new Enclave in the near term.

According to TrueDelta.com, the Enclave’s pricing is very close to the similar GMC Acadia’s when adjusting for equipment available on the Buick but not on the GMC, so to me, it’s nearly a no-brainer to choose the Buick over the GMC to get a quieter, more luxurious and better-looking package for around the same price.

GM did a great job with the Enclave. A few small tweaks, such as eliminating the small instances of cost cutting as well as a better integrated center stack (which supposedly is coming in the next two years – think of something more like the 2008 CTS has as far as audio and HVAC controls), and a little more power, and GM will not only have a first year hit on their hands, but a sustained success story as well.

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The Ascari Clan

By on December 17, 2007 in Features, Reviews

By Bruce McCulloch

12.17.2007

The British sports car? Err, yeah, what about it?

Well, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the world of the classic English sports car is in absolute shambles. And truthfully, it’s been on the descent for the last some three decades now. Putting aside the great impact of the Jaguars, Triumphs, the MGs and the Healeys through the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, it would appear that overall, the specialty-manufacture British sports car has never managed to get any lasting footing in the market. And in the last couple of years, small manufacturers such as TVR and Marcos have had to close their shops due to insufficient funding and high production costs.

And though this situation isn’t exclusive to English sports car manufacturers, it must be noted that it happens an awful lot in Britain. In most cases it would appear that by the time the car is actually put into production, the typical company itself has little to fall back on in the way of resources and therefore is not able to withstand even the smallest of financial storms.

Additionally, the fact that most English sports manufacturers have the reputation of producing cars that are notoriously unreliable certainly doesn’t help to paint a proper (and healthy) image.

But what if you wanted to have something both built and designed in Britannia, but without the common downfalls of shambling quality, infrequent reliability and terrible engineering? Well, in that case, there are a few exceptions. The first being a fantastic vehicle called the Invicta S1 As I happily noted in the article, this is one of the very few English sports cars which manages to “do it all” correctly and beautifully.

Though, as good as the Invicta may be, it’s most definitely not the absolute best of Britannia. Oh no, that prestigious award rightly belongs to a company established in Dorset, England in 1995. The company is called “Ascari”, and their vehicles are not only amongst the best supercars from the United Kingdom, but in the world.

And like many great marques before it, the company has a substantial amount of history behind its nameplate. Had you not already guessed, the name was in fact named in tribute after one of the greatest racing car drivers in the world, the great Spaniard, Alberto Ascari.

Prior to the company actual selling its first production vehicle on the market, Ascari had released a concept car called the “FGT” sometime in 1995. Powered by a Chevrolet Corvette 6.0 litre V8 and styled by Lee Noble (who is now both owner and sole designer of the “Noble” Automotive) it was clear that the company meant serious business.

And shortly thereafter, Dutch entrepreneur Klaas Zwart – now the sole owner of the company – took great notice of the vehicle and realized its possible potential in the racing scene. And as a result, he took the leap to help fund the company and not only ensure it’s entry into the “FGT” racing class, but ultimately, entrance into the British GT Championships. And it all paid off extremely well, when Zwart – behind the wheel of the FGT, now powered with a Ford V8 – managed to win an event at the Silverstone circuit in the vehicle’s debut season. Following that, the car continued to telegraph it’s greatness when in the British GT Championships of 1997, the vehicle finished a respectable fourth place at Donington Park.

Ascari Ecosse

So then it should be no surprise that after a couple of years of racing success, the company then decided it would look at producing the FGT racing car as a full fledged, road-legal sports car. This eventually lead to Ascari renaming the “FGT” the “Ecosse” and replacing the Chevrolet and Ford V8 engines for a series of BMW V8 power plants with tuning development from Hartge. Earlier Ecosse models had a 4.4 litre 8-cylinder with around 300bhp, while later models benefited from a slightly larger 4.7 lire V8 with around 400bhp; the latter of the two was running naught-to-sixty in 4.1 seconds and boasting a top speed somewhere in the region of “200” mph.

And if technology is what you were looking for, then the fact that the Ecosse production vehicle boasted an aluminium space frame chassis under its all fibre glass body should have made most any sports car techies very happy.

Yet despite all of this promise, only seventeen examples were known to exist; eight of the original seventeen are now said to have been destroyed through racing or as a result of crashes by their private owners.

This transitional period was the time frame in which the Dutch-born Klaas Zwart decided the he’d take up the Herculean task of actually purchasing the company. He did this, although not without some difficulty, and from thereon, Mr. Zwart’s mission was clear: build something not only completely new to the company’s image, but ultimately, something truly great. And after some testing with a concept called the “KZ1″ in early 2003, the company released its first production supercar some time in 2005.

The first and most notable aspect of the KZ1 is unquestionably the way it looks. While some feel it’s too introverted and even lacking in character, I couldn’t disagree more. The really interesting thing about the KZ1′s design is how cleanly executed it is, in fact. From it’s swooping headlamps (which are in fact borrowed from that of a garden-variety Peugeot) to it’s compact rear-end with it’s quad circular tail lamps and low-set spoiler, it looks more at home in the Porsche factory than at the Ferrari factory; definitely more Carrera GT than Enzo if you catch my drift. I think it’s just wondrous – not only compact and clean, but beautiful in all aspects of its design elements.



And there’s little doubt that its interior follows the same overall design theme as it’s exterior. Rather than being all flashy and flamboyant, the interior of the KZ1 is all about keeping things luxurious and simple, while undoubtedly showing a high degree of sporting intent. And unlike the vast amount of specialty sports car manufacturers – from Britain and elsewhere – the KZ1′s interior is not an awful parts bin with shabby quality and an ugly-duckling design. It’s clear that once into the interior, engineers and designers aimed at keeping it high-class in nearly all respects, while retaining a special degree of bespoke individuality. Sure, there are few notable and noticeable borrowed parts – such as the Audi TT air vents, the Vauxhall VX220 starter button and the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG tacho/speedo – but thankfully, it all looks integrated, and just as thankfully, none of which look cheap. Suffice to say, achieving such a high-quality interior with multiple bespoke parts is not an easy target. It certainly doesn’t help to keep the production costs down either, but for Mr. Zwaart, such expense was not an issue. He knew from the start that should he take this company under his belt, there would be no cutting corners.

And in that aspect alone, the Ascari is not your typical supercar. It’s not about being brash and over the top, it’s about traveling in a style which is understated but still radiates style.

Yet, despite its contrarian philosophy amongst the supercar clan, it’s engine is exactly what you’d expect from a true thoroughbred. Further improving upon their connection with BMW for their motors, Ascari was afforded the 5.0 litre 8-cylinder engine previously found in the BMW E39 M5 to power their supercar. It’s an engine that in even in standard-build features variable valve timing, 400bhp and needless to say, top-notch engineering. The version in the KZ1 isn’t completely standard though – this particular version of the engine has been beefed up for an extra 100bhp bringing the total tally to 500bhp, while the redline has increased from a meaty factory-spec 7k rpm to a screaming 8k rpm. All in all, you can be sure it makes for an entertaining drive, and with its snarling metallic howl, one that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of most any enthusiast.



And if performance is your breathless desire, then you need not to worry, the some 1400kg (fully loaded) KZ1 can sprint to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, clatter 100 in a little over 8.5 seconds and can easily breach the double-ton.

It all sounds marvellous, but of course, the real test of how good a car actually is translates unequivocally to how it drives on the road. Well, you needn’t worry there, either, because the overwhelming consensus (our editor in that number) is that it’s fantastic. The positive press from magazines never seems to differ. They all say the exact same thing – the car handles with premium precision; zero roll and pitch. The steering is quick, but not intensely so. EVO Magazine was quoted as saying: “there are hints of Esprit Sport 350 in its clean, crisp and tightly controlled roll and pitch, and as Lotus engineers were involved in the car’s development this shouldn’t come as a surprise”. Its AP-sourced brake calipers do their job so well in terms of fending off any wear and tear, and it’s suppleness through it’s finely tuned chassis makes for an confidence-inspiring drive. In fact, that’s where the KZ1′s character comes to light. Unlike the vast majority of supercars which have a tendency to bite back, the Ascari manages to always stay controlled and well-planted; rarely does it feel as if it’s going to spin out of control. It manages to bring the great goods without the touchy-feely attitude expected of most vehicles in this class. It is the opposite of temperamental, and in fact, is confidence-inspiring. It feels like it’s just not going to put a foot down wrong anywhere.

The overall result gives the car a feeling quite unlike anything else. And with the great confidence the car gives through its ability, it makes the car easier to control at the absolute limit – you don’t feel as if the car is conspiring to catch you out on every hard corner. And the track times it’s achieved thus far certainly help to back that point up. When EVO magazine tested the car on the Bedford Autodrome earlier last year, it had little trouble keeping up with the best of them. And when Top Gear got their mitts on the KZ1 last year, it ran a lap time on their circuit just a few tenths behind that of the 600bhp Porsche Carrera GT. Its compact size and power-to-weight tactility truly make it a threatening force on any track.

So then, it would appear that the KZ1 is all marvellous and it’s true, there are indeed very few categories where it does not succeed in being brilliant. But of course, no car is perfect and the Ascari’s biggest vice happens to be its staggering price tag. In the United Kingdom, the vehicle will set you back – thanks to its various bespoke parts, exclusivity and carbon fibre body – £235,000. Now, at first glance that’s not too bad considering a Pagani Zonda costs in excess of £400,000, but then reality sets in: the Pagani Zonda has an additional 100bhp to boot. That being said, the KZ1 is probably best compared against vehicles such as the Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo and Porsche 911 GT2. And after that, it doesn’t take long to see the real issue at hand; those three vehicles offer the same power (if not more) and don’t even breach £150K. And if you’re willing to pay a tad under £200k, which is still quite a bit less than the KZ1, then you can have Lamborghini’s flagship – the Murcielago LP640 – which boasts 640bhp (a full 140 more than the English Ascari). The KZ1 is not the pounds-to-performance value leader, that’s for certain.

Though, if you want extra power, and you have a generous trust fund, you can always go with the KZ1′s alter ego, named the “A10″.


In all intents and purposes, the A10 is essentially a KZ1 on a steady regimen of steroids. As is rather obvious, the vehicle is clearly based upon the KZ1, though is undoubtedly more shout-out-loud and head-turning in its looks. Whereas the KZ1 is calmly executed in its exterior styling, this super-exclusive version (just 50 are planned, with a price tag of £350,000) of the A10 is clearly aimed at clientele who wish they were really racing car drivers. With a low-set front end spoiler, a rather interesting pair of racing-like stripes, a fixed rear spoiler and an undertray more fitting on a race car than on a road car, it’s clear that this is a different type of Ascari.

And the interior certainly re-affirms that. Rather being about bespoke luxury, the interior of the A10 is is no way apologetic for lacking any creature comforts. It’s a race car equipped with a digital tachometer, an ugly steel steering wheel and patches of unfinished metals and carbon fibre around the cabin. So, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that this particular version is not only lighter than the standard item, but considerably more powerful. With a kerbweight of tad under 1300kg collectively working with 600bhp, Ascari claims the A10 will hit the sixty mph mark in a shade under 3.0 seconds.

Now I must admit, I had a slight bit of reservation about this car when I first heard about it. Naturally, I had assumed that when Ascari made the 10, that they’d lose much of engineering finesse that the KZ1 had showcased, but it turns out that I was quite wrong (and happily so)!

The initial press reactions to the car were that it is indeed more hardcore, brash and loud, but that the vehicle hasn’t lost any of its overall abilities. Despite the fact that it weighs as just about as much as a loaf of bread, and has a ride decisively more hardcore than the standard model, it still seems to offer the same driving ease. Suffice to say, it’s amazing that they’ve been able to do such a great blend of performance and driver-friendliness, and only further proves how much work has been put into their vehicles. Ridiculously expensive or not, they’re truly wonderful. And that’s all that matters to their lucky owners.

Oh, and did I mention that the A10 absolutely murdered every other car Top Gear has ever tested on their test track? (Koenigsegg’s and Zonda’s included). Just thought it might be important.

>>> http://www.ascari.net/

COPYRIGHT Autosavant.net – All Rights Reserved

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The Peugeot 403 – Columbo’s Car

By on December 17, 2007 in Features

By Alex Ricciuti

12.17.2007

I’ve been wanting to write this column for years but haven’t because of the inevitable consequence of being considered odd…or eccentric…or just plain crazy. But I’m going to write this anyway, all you avatars of hipness be damned.

Let it be stated it for the record: I love Columbo.

Before the audaciously boring litany of CSI’s; Las Vegas, Miami, NY, Poughkeepsie, before the current slate of idiot-savant detectives such as Monk or that guy who wiggles wildly on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (is there another kind of intent when committing crimes?), before Law & Order: Parking Lot Surveillance, there was a scruffy, Italian-American police lieutenant in a beat-up old French car named Columbo.

Columbo is a short, gruff (I already used the word scruffy), cigar-smoking, tattered trench coat wearing LAPD Homicide detective. He is the eternal underdog; seemingly dumb, unpolished and forgetful. In one episode he actually gets mistaken for a hobo when locating a witness at a homeless shelter and he’s often taken for a weirdo onlooker meandering around a crime scene. But Columbo possesses a Sisyphusian doggedness and a well-disguised meticulousness and he comes to bag his prey by sheer attrition. There’s always ‘one more thing’ to ask about.

Columbo was played by Peter Falk, who was not Italian at all, instead a mix of Eastern European. But as Columbo he aptly embodied the Italian saying that goes: “I’m not a fool. But I play the fool. Because in playing the fool, I make you the fool.”

And Columbo drove a Peugeot – a 1959/1960 Peugeot 403. And if I were in charge of marketing at the French car maker I’d definitely find a way to have an ad spot where Peter Falk finally gets a new 207 or 307 CC. My hunch has always been that Columbo drives a Peugeot in homage to the character of detective Alfred Fichet, the commissioner in Les Diaboliques, a French murder-thriller from 1955 directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. Fichet goes about unraveling the ingenious plot in that film in much the same unassuming/underhanded way as Columbo does, and I am one of those who believes the character of Columbo was inspired by that film. Although, the creators of the series have said Columbo is based on the Crime and Punishment character Porfiry Petrovich and G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown.

And there is quite a serendipitous tale to be told here. The novel upon which Les Diaboliques was based was picked up by Clouzot about 30 minutes before Alfred Hitchcock telephoned with his interest in buying the rights to the book. The novelists, Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, were so determined to write something else for Hitchcock that they subsequently wrote the novel D’entre les Morts, which Hitch made into Vertigo. Vertigo became a classic and a film many consider (this writer included) to be one of the best films ever made. Vertigo has gone on to have resonance in countless other films and TV series, including the work of other great directors like Martin Scorsese and David Lynch. In fact, a reference to Vertigo also appears in the very first Columbo film, Prescription: Murder, which was broadcast in early 1968. In that first Columbo series creators Richard Levinson and William Link featured a similar plot device with the killer enlisting his mistress pose as his wife in order to help him murder the latter. (Monk, a series about San Francisco sleuth Adrian Monk mourning his lost love just like Scottie does in Vertigo, also featured an episode, in obvious homage to that first Columbo, where a man boards a plane with his mistress posing as his wife whom he has just murdered. Believe me, six degrees of Vertigo never ends.)

The genius of the series was in the combination of its elements, what Hollywood would refer rotely to as the formula. It was the strength and uniqueness of the lead character up against a flamboyant or likeable killer and done in an inversion of the detective genre. Instead of being a whodunit, it was a ‘howcatchem’. The series would begin with extensive scenes showing the killer plotting, committing and covering up the crime. Columbo usually only appeared some 15 minutes or more into the film and the mystery became entirely about how Columbo would figure it out and how he would be able to prove it. The dynamic that held the viewer’s attention was always the game of cat and mouse played between the killer and Columbo. Each episode featured guest appearances by well-know actors as the villain, villains which were either sympathetic or fiendishly charming, and there were no supporting or recurring roles except that of Columbo. The Lieutenant always worked alone.

The first Columbo TV movie aired in February 1968 and featured Gene Barry as the ice-suave, murderous psychiatrist, Dr. Ray Fleming. But the show did not get picked up again until 1971 when it became a regular staple of NBC’s Mystery Movie series. There was another pilot film in April of 1971, featuring Lee Grant as the killer, which was so popular that the series began its regular run in September of that year. That so-called first episode, Murder by the Book, featured Jack Cassidy as the murderous ‘special guest star’ (remember that phrase?!) and was directed by a young Steven Spielberg. You can spot the influence of Psycho both in the score and in Spielberg’s camera work but the highlight has to be Cassidy. Jack Cassidy, father of 70s TV heartthrobs David and Shaun Cassidy, is simply delectable malice. Cassidy would go on to play a Columbo killer twice more before his untimely death in 1976 (falling asleep with a lit cigarette). Tragic and sad but the actor could do more with a cigarette in his hand on the small screen in 1971 than most 20-million dollar payday movie stars with 50 million in special effects behind them can do on the big screen today.

For me, there are two Columbo’s that I will always watch (along with the Cassidy ones) no matter how often they come on here in Switzerland (the French and Italian language Swiss channels seem to adore him) and both are from the 3rd season which aired in 1973-74. One is what I consider to be the best Columbo and the other is my utter sentimental favorite.

The former is entitled A Friend in Deed with Richard Kiley as our ingenious murderer. Kiley happens to be the Deputy Commissioner of the LAPD who takes the opportunity to pull a little Strangers on a Train bit with his neighbor to rid himself of his wife (‘Husband kills wife’ is a common Columbo plot but, in all fairness, the most common type of murder. A fact Hitchcock himself always loved to point out.) Kiley is one of those actors who could recite the phone book and still hold a spell on me. He had a commanding presence few actors are ever able to attain. You can tell he’s from a generation that had proper training and that worked as much theatrically as in the movies or TV. He was a song and dance man too and won two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a musical. Watching this episode recently, he reminded me so much of Frank Langella that you can consider Langella the contemporary version of Kiley. Langella is another great actor you’ve probably never heard of who can steal a whole movie with two brief scenes (see Good Night and Good Luck). You can also see him excell in the recent Starting Out in the Evening.

It’s pure delight watching Kiley go up against Columbo, a man he, at first, looks upon as a threat-less, disheveled underling but who gradually starts getting under his skin with his inquiry until Kiley realizes how much he’s underestimated the man in a shocking final moment. The duel taking place on screen seems to be as much between the actors themselves as the characters they are playing which only makes it doubly entertaining to watch; like the celestial confrontation in the coffee shop scene in Heat with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. The way Columbo tricks Kiley into incriminating himself is a classic of detective story endings. Kiley plants stolen jewels in a thief’s run-down, skid-row apartment to frame him as the killer and then gets a warrant to search the place where a team of police find them. Then Kiley stares down Columbo with a glacial look and informs him,”You just lost your badge, my friend,” whereupon Columbo retorts, “This isn’t his [the thief's] apartment. This is my apartment. I just signed the lease this morning. These are my clothes. That’s a picture of my brother-in-law.” Columbo had changed the address in the thief’s file on a copy only the Deputy Commissioner had seen. It was a set-up dressed with a bow-tie.

But my ever favorite Columbo episode has to be the one with Johnny Cash, also from 1974. Cash is a surprisingly good actor and we even get to hear him sing a few tunes too. We see him perform what is, to me, the absolute saddest song in the universe – Sunday Morning Coming Down. It’s one of those songs that gave country music it’s reputation for morbid sentiment. When Cash sings about his downtrodden, lonely, hungover self walking past a playground on his way to church wearing his ‘cleanest, dirty shirt’, it’s corny and moving at the same time. The song also includes the line, “And the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad so I had one more for desert,” which brings to mind a similar line from the Doors’ Roadhouse Blues (“I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer”) and I could never work out who poached it from whom. It was actually Chris Kristofferson who wrote Sunday Morning for Cash and both it and Roadhouse Blues came out in 1970. (Care for six degrees of beer-in-the-morning references?)

Anyway, Cash plays an ex-con and gospel singer more interesting in touching souls (the young, female kind) than saving them and he tosses himself out of his own airplane leaving his wife and his latest teenage love disciple to crash and die. Columbo really plays up the doofus detective angle in this one and Cash falls for it readily – his Southern pedigree never knowing what to make of this shabby, ethnic man from the big city. It’s worth watching just to hear Cash, with his Arkansas drawl, pronounce ‘Colum-beau’. Fun stuff.

Have I digressed? Yes, about that car.

The Peugeot 403 that Columbo drives is a 1959/1960 Grande Luxe Cabriolet (convertible). The car is quite a rarity and Peugeot only build about 500 of the two-door convertible version. In one episode Columbo actually states that there are only 3 in US and he was right, as there were only 2 in the country at the time. When the show was revived in 1989 for a second run producers actually had to borrow the original car which had been bought by collectors since there were no others around.

The 403 cabriolet was designed by Italian coach builder Pininfarina and had a 1.5 liter engine with 58 horsepower. The car featured such options as dual tone horns, an electric clock, padded dashboards and windshield washers (hey, those can be handy). But it did not come with a radio. Peugeot said at the time, “We don’t make radios.” And you could just imagine how that, with a French accent, sounds to an American.

There’s a web site dedicated to Columbo which even features a whole page on the 403. If you want to know more about the car you can follow that link and let me go to sleep! I really just wanted to write about Columbo.

And one more thing…I’m not nuts.

Alex Ricciuti is a freelance writer and automotive journalist based in Zurich, Switzerland. He writes frequently for Automotive News Europe. He also blogs on all things automotive at eurocarguy.blogspot.com.

COPYRIGHT Autosavant.net – All Rights Reserved

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Ford May Identify Preferred Bidder for Jaguar and Land Rover This Week

By on December 16, 2007 in News

Will it be the favourite or a dark horse?

By Brendan Moore

12.16.2007

Ford has gotten far enough along in the sales process concerning Jaguar and Land Rover that it may name their preferred bidder later this week, The Wall Street Journal is reporting.

That preferred bidder is expected by auto industry analysts to be Tata, the huge Indian conglomerate that owns Tata Motors and 95 additional companies in other industrial sectors for combined annual sales of approximately $20 billion. Ford is refusing comment on the possibility of the preferred bidder being announced this week, as well as who that preferred bidder might be.

The road to a package deal that would allow Ford to sell both the ailing Jaguar and the healthy Land Rover to a single buyer has been a tortured one so far, with Ford proceeding slowly, and as much as possible, quietly, towards their goal of jettisoning the two European luxury vehicle companies. Ford’s CEO, Alan Mulally, is intent on selling the two Ford units so that struggling Ford can then concentrate on its core brands.

The short list of bidders was reported to be down to three companies recently; Tata, Mahindra and Mahindra/Apollo Management LP and a private equity firm led by former Ford CEO, Jac Nasser, One Equity Partners, a unit of J.P. Morgan Chase. Additionally, Ford’s labor union has made known its preference for Tata in the bidding process just recently as well.

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Two Opposing Tudor Rods

By on December 15, 2007 in Features

By Mike Mello

12.15.2007

Everyone has various egos, moods and certain sides to their personalities. Having never met the drivers of the following 2 cars, I like to wonder about what kind of driver pilots each machine. Is the level of finish, the body style, the color, truly representative of the driver? Maybe, maybe not. It’s not a rule, but whether it’s a new luxury sedan, a resto project, or an econobox, I always wonder: Who’s driving?

The machines seen here are similar in body style but that’s where it ends. Is this first one a ’32 Ford Tudor sedan? I’m not completely sure but what’s certain is that the exposed, open header got my attention from across the field like a fresh arrival at my favorite salvage yard. (If I’m wrong on the make, model or year on these cars, please say so.)

Fenders up front, open wheels out back. The whole thing is kind of stealth, in an icy kind of way. What type of power plant is concealed by that clean-cut metal work? A straight six perhaps? Maybe it’s the baby Moons or the period headlights that complete the knightly look with just enough chrome.

This next sled is from another world, or at least from the other side of town, when compared to the silver bullet above. Is it evil? Is it a hodge-podge rat rod anti-gloss Tudor monster? I’m guessing Chevrolet on this one, based on the crease down the center of the hood; note the barn door hinges that connect the hood to the cowl.

The tow hook looks more like it came from crane than anything automotive and who could say what’s up with the aqua-colored plastic in the window, in the last photo? This was seen at a day of nostalgic racing at New Hampshire’s New England Dragway, so the plastic might have had something to do with inspections. What about those turbos and whole Cyclops arrangement? Definitely the car with the darkest character I’ve seen in a while.

Who could say which car is more fun to drive? Which one is fits your style? Is it about how much you think the car is worth? Is it about character? Performance? I think I’d go for the rattrap, mostly because of the overall stance and feel. Either way, they’re two great examples of just how different you can finish a car. Gotta love this form of freedom of expression.

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Toyota Expects Sales Increase in 2008

By on December 14, 2007 in News
Toyota is not worried about the auto market forecast for 2008

By Brendan Moore

12.14.2007

Everyone who’s anyone says 2008 is going be a down year for auto sales, but Toyota says their sales will be up. Sales of Toyotas in the U.S. in 2007 calendar year will end up at around 2.6 million vehicles, which is a more than 3% gain from 2006, and Toyota is forecasting another 3% gain in 2008. This is despite the fact that many auto industry analysts are saying that 2008 may be the worst year for auto sales since 1993.

Jim Lentz, president of Toyota’s United States unit, stated that Toyota has 16 new or refreshed products on tap for 2008. Lentz promised those products would be available for viewing at the Detroit Auto Show. Lentz also commented that Toyota has products now that cover 98% of the U.S. light vehicle market, which includes cars, SUVs and pickups. He noted that the only segment Toyota doesn’t cover in the U.S. is full-size vans.

Whatever turns the U.S. market takes, “I think we have a broad product line-up that will address whatever direction needs to be taken,” Lentz said.

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Senate Approves CAFE Measure

By on December 13, 2007 in News
The legislative version of dumb and dumber
By Brendan Moore

12.13.2007

The auto makers just want to wake up from this nightmare that is CAFE, but that’s not happening as the bad dream continues. The Senate has approved a trimmed-down energy bill that will raise fuel economy standards for the first time since 1975. The Senate voted 86-8 to raise fuel economy standards a full 40% to 35 mpg for cars and light trucks by 2020.

It’s hard to think of a worse way than CAFE for the government to reduce gasoline consumption, but that didn’t prevent senators from hailing the legislation and themselves for passing it.

Herewith:

This bill “will begin to reverse our addiction to oil. It’s a step to fight global warming,” proclaimed Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

“This is a home run,” said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.

The increased efficiency by 2020 will save 1.1 million barrels of oil of a day, equal to half the oil now imported from the Persian Gulf, save consumers $22 billion at the pump, and reduce annual greenhouse gases emissions by 200 million tons, said Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii., whose committee crafted the measure. “It demonstrates to the world that America is a leader in fighting global warming,” he said.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., a longtime protector of the auto industry that is so important to his home state, characterized the fuel economy measure as “ambitious but achievable.”

These measures, said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., “will eventually save more energy than all our previous energy efficiency measures combined.”

But the stupidity doesn’t stop there.

The energy legislation requires that ethanol use as a fuel for motor vehicles be increased at a quick rate to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022. About 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol are forecasted to be used as a gasoline additive this year, according to the Renewable Fuels Association, which represents ethanol producers, but most honest energy and automotive analysts are already stating that ethanol is not a good solution to the problem of using less oil.

It is expected that the bill will pass without much drama in the House and then President Bush will sign it into law.

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Ford Transit Connect on Hold for America

By on December 13, 2007 in News

By Brendan Moore

12.13.2007

A year ago Ford was talking bravely about bringing over more of their class-leading small cars to sell here in the States, but the dizzying descent of the dollar against the euro (and everything else) seems to have put paid to that idea.


And in the mix of the vehicles that we won’t be seeing here anytime soon is the Ford Transit Connect, a very tough little commercial van made in Ford’s plant in Turkey. The van is sold all through Europe and is powered by several variations of Ford’s 1.8 Duratorq TDCi common-rail turbo diesel engine.

From my perspective, I could see the van being quite popular with commercial customers (think of a smaller version of the diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van) here in the U.S., and I think you would get some fair amount of rippling out in the consumer market, particularly if a small gasoline engine were added to the engine lineup. I am not unique in this point of view; the people at Ford were apparently thinking along the same lines, since one of the Transit Connects was spotted several times earlier this year in California with manufacturer plates on it, perhaps for the purpose of testing or customer clinics.

But a few days ago I asked Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas, about the Transit Connect in the States, and his answer was that it would not happen anytime soon. Pressed for a timeline, he would not commit to the Transit Connect coming here soon, or for that matter, ever. One has to assume that the dollar’s devaluation has made the prospect of importing foreign-built vehicles somewhat ridiculous for Ford. It cannot make economic sense at this point. To his credit, Fields seemed very familiar with the Transit Connect and then turned the tables on me, asking me what I thought the market was for the van here in the States, and how that would break out between commercial and consumer buyers. I responded as above. Fields was very gracious and polite, but I got the feeling Ford doesn’t think there would be any consumer demand for the Transit Connect; that the vehicle would sink of swim solely on its commercial appeal.


But, I look at the success of the M-B Sprinter and the Toyota Scion here in the U.S. and then look at the Ford Transit Connect and I see the Transit Connect as a natural bridge between the extremes of those two market demographics.

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Mazda Furai Concept Sneak Peek

By on December 13, 2007 in News

An Endurance Racer for the Street?

By David Surace

12.13.2007


On Tuesday Mazda issued a press release to announce its showcase lineup for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this coming January. Included in the list was Mazda’s eye-catching Taiki concept from this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, plus the promise of a substantial (and much needed) mid-cycle enhancement for the RX-8.

The star attraction, however, for anyone who follows the American Le Mans Series here or the Le Mans Endurance Series overseas, is Mazda’s forthcoming Furai concept, a teaser shot of which was sent along with the press release on Tuesday.

The photograph reveals scarce information other than a closed-cockpit configuration, Mazda’s famous “stitch” livery, and a prominently featured Ethanol logo. Mazda apparently wanted a concept car that would back up its motorsports message—as it explained in its press release, “on any given weekend, there are more Mazda-powered cars road-raced than any other brand[.]”

They picked quite a package to do it, as well, underpinned by a Courage C65 chassis, which campaigned in the ALMS (most likely under LMP2 rules) two seasons ago, combined with a three-rotor racing engine which runs on British Petroleum-formulated 100% ethanol (E100) and produces a claimed 450hp. The word Furai (pronounced foo-RYE) apparently translates from the Japanese as “sound of the wind”, which is appropriate considering the seemingly race-ready aerodynamic bits (like the exposed wheel-pontoon louvers and the air-extractor just behind the cockpit) which have been artfully fused into the bodyshell by Mazda North America design director Franz von Holzhausen.

Said Mr. Holzhausen from the press release, “Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars. Historically, there has been a gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models–commonly called supercars–that emulate the real racers on the road. Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before.”

Judging by the information we have, with the Furai concept there may be no gap at all.

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Sci-Fi Civic a Runaway Success for Honda in Europe

By on December 12, 2007 in News
By Andy Bannister

12.12.2007

Honda’s factory at Swindon in the UK is just celebrating the milestone of a million Civics produced since it opened in 1994. Demand for the latest model – perhaps the bravest Honda styling effort ever – is running at a record high.

The visual contrast between the Civic sold in North America and the one in Europe couldn’t be greater, although they are the same basic car underneath. Europeans much prefer hatchbacks and the Honda’s success has been built on the futuristic-looks of its five-door, recently augmented by a stylish three-door.

Ironically, the best-loved and remembered Civic up to now has been the tiny 1973 original, which was one of the first Japanese cars to be taken seriously, providing a real rival for early small hatches like the Fiat 127 and Renault 5. It had a very real style of its own, and it is this ingredient which Honda seems to have finally rediscovered in Europe in its eighth generation.

Recent versions of the long-lived Civic nameplate were good, worthy cars which sold steadily across Europe but failed to make much of an impact on the roads, having bland and instantly-forgettable styling. So much so that the Civic became notoriously associated with older drivers, who loved the car’s dependability and high resale value.

The Civic wasn’t the first Honda to be built in the UK – that honour goes to a now-forgotten four-door saloon called the Ballade, built for the Japanese company by its then partner, Rover Group, which had its own version, the Rover 213. It took another decade for Honda to build its own plant, and the Swindon factory made just 6,652 Civics in its first year. In 2007 the annual capacity of 250,000 is split between the Civic and the CR-V sport utility.

The average age of a British Civic buyer back in 2005 was 58 but the launch of the latest generation has seen that plunge by more than a decade, such has been the successful reception of the new car’s styling. Futuristic, even “sci-fi” were the terms used to describe it at its launch, and two years on the market haven’t dimmed its freshness very much – in fact it was recently voted one of the most recognisable cars on British roads in a public poll.


At a time when increasingly stringent regulations mean many new cars seem to end up looking pretty similar, that is no mean achievement. The Honda makes that other British-built Japanese hatchback, the Corolla-succeeding Toyota Auris, look timid and uninspiring. Suddenly the Civic has become a major player, providing real competition in the heart of the family car market for the likes of Ford’s Focus, VW’s Golf and Renault’s equally daring-looking but much less stylish Megane.

The glassed-in front panel and swoopy rear are the Civic’s trademarks, with neat detailing like triangular themes to the front fog lights and repeated on the exhaust pipes. The five-door manages to look like a three-door thanks to concealed rear door handles.

The spilt rear window is also a visual success, even if it makes reversing a little tricky.


In its less familiar three-door form, the Civic is only sold as the sporty Type-S and the full-on Type-R. The latter has a 198bhp 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine which revs up to 7500rpm, deliver 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds and storms on to 146mph.

Better still, any boy racer driving it won’t feel like he’s borrowed it from his grandparents.

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