By Andy Bannister

11.30.2009

Volkswagen has triumphed in this year’s European Car of the Year contest, narrowly beating Toyota’s iQ for the top spot in a ballot featuring a jury of 59 motoring journalists from across the continent.

The Polo secured 347 points versus 337 for the baby Toyota. Both were miles ahead of the third place Opel/Vauxhall Astra, with 221. An impressive 25 jurors scored top marks for the Polo, against 20 for the iQ.

VW Group’s other entrant, the Skoda Yeti, came 4th with 158 points, just three ahead of the Mercedes E-class.

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By Kevin Gordon

11.30.2009

As the Los Angeles auto show approaches later this week, news continues to trickle out regarding upcoming 2010 and 2011 models. Late last night, Ford announced details on the 2011 Mustang. There have been rumors about a revised engine and transmission lineup for the 2011 Mustang over the past few months, and now we have some concrete details about the little sister Mustang, the “can’t get no respect” V6 version. In good news for pony car enthusiasts, the 2011 Mustang will receive a new 305 horsepower 280 ft.-lb 3.7 liter all-aluminum V6. In addition to a horsepower rating that is bumping up against the current V8′s rating, the V6 will also receive new 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

This news can only bode well for what Ford plans for the V8 GT-spec Mustang. The current rumor is that the 400+HP 5.0 liter Coyote V8 will find its way under the hood. Next week, a 2010 Mustang GT Convertible will be finding its way to the Autosavant offices. Stay tuned for our impression of the current 4.6 liter V8 in a chassis that should soon come alive with more power. Jump past the break for all the details and the press release from Ford.
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Beijing Auto seems particularly interested, but issues loom

By Brendan Moore

11.30.2009

Everyone is writing Saab’s obituary, but news of its death may be premature.

People familiar with the situation on the ground in Sweden and Detroit say that Beijing Auto, Merbanco Inc. and Renco Group Inc. all have been making inquiries about putting in a bid for Saab since the news that Koenigsegg Group AB was deep-sixing the deal.

Beijing Auto (Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company) is making public statements that show considerable interest in Saab, with Beijing Auto president Wang Dazong telling reporters in China to “stay tuned” when he was asked whether the company would be bidding for Saab, and then commenting that Beijing Auto was prepared to “move fast” on Saab’s acquisition.

Beijing Auto was going to be Koenigsegg’s partner in the previous, and now failed, Saab acquisition scheme, and was also the Chinese auto company that previously desired to buy Opel, but was not among the finalists when GM made up the short list of preferred bidders for Opel. The deal, by the way, that GM then reneged on just a short time ago.

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Strong lineup of contenders could make for a close contest

By Andy Bannister

11.27.2009

The countdown to the unveiling of the Pan-European Car of the Year for 2010 is almost over, with seven finalists vying for the coveted title, the winner of which will be announced on Monday.

As ever, the line-up is a mixed bag, with two very mainstream products (the new VW Polo and the Opel/Vauxhall Astra), one prestige car (the Mercedes E-class), two dramatically different takes on the mid-size crossover (Peugeot’s 3008 and Skoda’s Yeti), a small MPV (the Citroën C3 Picasso) and a clever little Japanese city car (Toyota’s iQ).

What didn’t make the shortlist? There were originally 33 eligible contenders, most of which were jettisoned at an earlier voting stage. These included the new Ford Ka (basically a rebodied Fiat 500), the latest Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, Porsche’s Panamera, plus some important Korean products including the Kia Soul and Chevrolet Cruze.

In last year’s competition the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia (the soon-to-be Buick Regal) narrowly beat off the hotly-tipped Ford Fiesta by the smalllest of margins (one solitary point!) to grab the title, which is voted on by 59 judges representing motoring publications across Europe.

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By Chris Haak

11.26.2009

Perhaps you’re a longtime reader of Autosavant; perhaps this is the first time you’ve visited our site.  Perhaps you came here following an article linked on Twitter.  Now, there’s a new way to interact with the Autosavant staff; you can become a fan of Autosavant on Facebook.

Becoming a fan of Autosavant on Facebook will allow you to keep tabs on what we’ve been writing about recently without having to check your feed reader or check the site for updates; Autosavant news and articles will just appear on your Facebook news feed.

We thought it might be helpful to recap the different ways that you might want to keep up with what we’re up to.

Facebook
To become a fan of Autosavant on Facebook, go to facebook.com/autosavant.

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By Chris Haak

11.25.2009

Toyota’s once-stellar reputation has been taking it on the chin in recent months.  The company that never closed a factory in the US is finding itself closing the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California because GM pulled out of the joint venture that had been building Pontiac Vibes, Toyota Tacomas, and Toyota Corollas.  Consumer Reports no longer automatically recommends new Toyota models because its quality reputation has been damaged.  And most recently, the unintended acceleration debacle has really sullied the company’s reputation – the one that took decades of near-flawless execution to create.

Toyota and the NHTSA suspect that the combination of unanchored floor mats and the design of accelerator pedals in certain vehicles could potentially cause the accelerator pedal to stick to the floor, causing rapid acceleration that can’t easily be controlled.  What’s more, the pushbutton start feature in many of the affected models does not shut down the engine on the road until the button has been depressed for a few seconds.  Folks panicking as their Camry careens down the road aren’t likely to have the presence of mind to remember to hold it for three seconds to kill the motor. Continue Reading

By Andy Bannister

11.25.2009

Shanghai Automotive Industries Corporation (SAIC) has this week unveiled its new MG6, set to be the cornerstone of the Chinese attempt to resurrect MG as a global car brand.

Needless to say, it’s not a two-seater sports car to replace the antique MG TF roadster, which has been spluttering fitfully off production lines in the company’s factory at Longbridge, England, over the summer.

Dear me, no. It’s actually a Chinese-built five-door hatchback with a vague fusion of recent Japanese-Korean-Malaysian design cues, although it is claimed to have been styled in Britain.

Still, the new model, unveiled at this week’s Guangzhou motor show, does mark the first all-new MG design for aeons. It is pencilled in for possible production in England as well as China by late 2010, since SAIC’s optimistic plans for a full relaunch of the near-dead marque are still very much alive.

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By Kevin Miller

11.25.2009

Twenty years ago the world was a different place. GM was the world’s largest automaker, the Berlin Wall had just fallen, and Subaru was known for making angular, offbeat small cars available with four-wheel drive and boxer engines. Subaru broke their mold, however, when they introduced their new Legacy in 1989; it was their first car that was large enough and well-enough equipped to compete in the mainstream family sedan segment.

Fast forward to 2009. Subaru showed the new fifth-generation 2010 Legacy in a chrome finish at the Detroit auto show, and they showed a very original 1990 Legacy right along side it. The original Legacy sedan has a place close to my heart, as my identical twin brother owned one in the late 1990s, in which he and I crossed the northern US from Seattle to New Jersey between Christmas and New Year one snowy winter, which cemented in my mind just how capable and robust the Legacy is. With the side-by-side comparison, it was easy to see how far Subaru has come with the Legacy over the course of twenty years in terms of comfort, safety, and appearance.

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By Chris Haak

11.24.2009

More bad news for a castoff GM brand. First Penske couldn’t find a supplier of rebadged vehicles after Renault’s board gave him the cold shoulder, which had the effect of killing Saturn immediately. Now, word has just come out that Koenigsegg has pulled out of the deal to buy Saab from GM. GM released a statement saying that the company will address the next step it will take regarding Saab next week.

“We’re obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase,” said GM President and CEO, Fritz Henderson. “Many have worked tirelessly over the past several months to create a sustainable plan for the future of Saab by selling the brand.”

And now, unless there is some white knight waiting in the wings (which there does not appear to be), Saab has not just an unsustainable future, but literally no future. GM’s board is scheduled to meet next Tuesday, December 1, and Saab’s future will likely be discussed during the meeting. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

11.24.2009

Few new cars have spawned as many preliminary concept cars, spy photos, rumors, and even buff-book test drives of camoflaged mules than the Lexus LFA have.  And now Toyota is trying to take a bite out of the supercar speculation market with an interesting approach.

Rather than outright selling the 150 LFAs destined for the US to customers, Toyota is “leasing” them for two years for US sales only.  The company will retain the car’s title for its first two years as the buyer makes payments on the $375,000 sports car in an amount and pace agreed upon by both parties.  After two years, assuming the car is paid off (and I doubt that most buyers of $375,000 cars are taking out installment loans), the buyer receives the title.

Elsewhere in the world for the other 350 cars, this arrangement does not exist, and buyers receive the car’s title immediately upon payment.  Presumably, that’s because there isn’t such an obnoxious speculation market that would otherwise buy the cars and flip them to eBay, which would have the effect of de-valuing the brand that Lexus has worked very hard to establish.  And Lexus has worked particularly hard on the LFA, as you’ll see below in a small refresher:

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