By George Straton
Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a day at a media event outside Chicago where I was able to play the automotive version of musical chairs. Over six grueling hours, I and a few dozen other media members were able to get some seat time in 30 or so newer automotive models. The following is the result of the time spent with several new-for-model year 2011 offerings which we think will have some sort of impact in the marketplace.
By George Straton
Lately auto manufacturers have become veritable Baskin Robbins outlets when it comes to product variety. Consider this past decade’s trend towards increased utility, which came at the expense of personal sporty cars. In 2004, Mercedes-Benz served up a new flavor, the “four door luxury coupe,” in the form of the CLS. Trying to capitalize in this niche, luxury stalwarts including Audi and BMW have followed suit. Volkswagen, partly in its quest to increase global sales, offers up a variation of the flavor – the affordable four-door premium coupe – which it calls the Comfort Coupe or “CC.” Here at Autosavant, we recently spent a week in a 2010 entry-level CC Sport to see how well Volkswagen addresses the four-dour coupe issue.
Costing just $600 more than the functional-yet-conservative Passat from which it is derived, the CC is about high style. The nose is more aggressive than anything else Volkswagen manufactures, except for the not-for-North-America Scirocco sports coupe. The beltline is quite high where it joins the sloping roof line. Frameless door windows allow more glass to brighten the cabin. While not as low-slung as the Mercedes CLS, observers claimed the CC looked longer than other cars in the segment, including the Passat. (The Passat is actually longer by a hair.)
By George Straton
Autosavant recently attended the first of what national parking facility operator InterPark claims is the dawn of a new era in vehicle parking facilities. That era is the development of a charging infrastructure for the plug in electric vehicle.
Hints coming from Nissan are that the Chicago market, where the event was held, isn’t likely to receive its first allocation of the Leaf, the first plug-in electric vehicle to be “mass” produced for the U.S. market, until the end of 2012.
By George Straton
The ancestor to this 2010 Nissan 370Z, the company’s1969 Fairlady 240Z (then branded in the U.S. as a Datsun), launched more than four decades ago, still holds a soft spot in the hearts of Nissan devotees. These enthusiasts wanted a sixth-generation Z car which was closer in spirit and form to the original 240Z, rather than what they got from the previous 350Z. Many Z car fans claimed the 350Z car was all about go and not enough about show, lacking the true refinement and style that permits entry into the non-exotic two-seat sports car pantheon. Autosavant recently had the opportunity to spend a week with the 2010 370Z to evaluate whether the current-generation 370Z finally answers the devotees’ prayers.
When the L-shaped headlamps and tail-lamps first appeared on the new Maxima sedan in late 2008, many wondered what Nissan was thinking. With the 370Z, those tapered-back eyes provide a visual effect of elongating the hood. The tapered rear blinkers along with an integrated rear spoiler make the rump seem far less squat and rotund than it should. Even “Godzilla,” the Nissan GT-R, donates an exterior styling cue in the form of the sculpted valley which runs the length of the center of the roof. Combined with a “shark’s grimace” air intake as well as a more cohesive integrated rear spoiler, the net styling effect is definitely more 240Z than its predecessor was.
By George Straton
Indeed May 21, 2010 was a historic day for the future of the electric vehicle (EV) in North America when it was announced that Tesla Motors would use a portion of the briefly shuttered Toyota Fremont California Final Assembly Plant and receive $50 million in capital from Toyota. That makes Toyota a co-investor with the not-insubstantial Daimler in the niche sports EV company. Rumors of Tesla’s demise stemming from the divorce of the Elon Musk from his wife obviously aren’t scaring away real investors with real money.
The Fremont assembly plant was most recently and famously known by the name of New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI), a joint venture launched by GM and Toyota in 1982. Once GM axed its Pontiac Division in 2009, and the Corolla-based Pontiac Vibe ceased production, the joint venture ended. By 1980 GM was responsible for building 50% of all cars sold in North America. Roger Smith, mocked by Director Michael Moore in the film “Roger and Me” was the General’s controversial CEO. Yet Smith had foresight. He realized that new government safety and emissions regulations, rising domestic labor costs and advances being made by the Japanese in automation and quality control could spell the end of the General’s domination of new vehicle market share.
By George Straton
Nissan has announced a base price of $32,780 for its 2011 LEAF plug-in EV. With available tax credits of $7500, assuming the buyer owes more than $7500 in annual income tax, that drops the price to a rather palatable price of $25,280. State income tax credits, which vary, can further lower the final realized price. Nissan expects monthly leasing plans to start at $349, less any available income tax incentives.
The Leaf SV model – taking its trim line name from the Nissan Maxima – will include an advanced navigation system and Internet/smart phone connectivity to the vehicle, which enables pre-heat/pre-cool and charging control and LED headlamps, in addition to Bluetooth, Intelligent Key functionality. Safety amenities feature six airbags, VDC, and traction control. The SL trim level at $940 will notably add a solar panel spoiler reduce battery draw for the pre-heat/ pre-cool system.
By George Straton
02.15.2010
Feb. 10, 2010 was a day of many firsts. My first day at any auto show as a member of the media on a media day. My first visit to the Chicago Auto Show, the granddaddy of them all in North America, in 20 years. (The last time I had been there, the exhibition was in the old McCormick Place East on Lake Michigan). And it seemed a continuation of a new trend towards downsizing in terms of exhibit presence, size, content, and staffing.
Gone are the days when concept cars truly appeared of a design and substance 20 years before its time. That role has been left to the biennial Global Shows at Geneva and Tokyo.
According to media veterans the manufacturer addresses and displays simply lacked the “to the brim” media attendance of yore.
By George Straton
12.31.2009
Those who shop Neiman Marcus, the Dallas based high end retailer, are certain to be familiar with their “Last Call” end-of-year sales event where Sunkist bright orange Giorgio Armani sports jackets can be garnered at stupendous markdowns. That is, if you fancy a Sunkist orange sports jacket.
Well, GM seems to be resorting to a similar event to clear the inventory of unsold new Pontiacs and Saturns that found no takers during this past August’s government-subsidized Cash Allowance Rebate “Cash for Clunkers” event.
In a cash-to-dealer incentive program announced yesterday dealers will be eligible for $7,000 from GM for each vehicle sold to rental-vehicle or servic-evehicle fleets. The effect of this is that the vehicles will then be classified as used cars (because the dealer would be considered the vehicle’s first owner), and dealers will then be able to sell them at even steeper discounts to prospective customers. The deal also will have the likely effect of boosting GM’s December sales results at least somewhat. Continue Reading →
By George Straton
12.20.2009
Spyker Cars: “Nulla tenaci invia est via”
Saab: Going, Going …. Still here?
That first motto is Latin for “For the tenacious, no road is impassable,” and is used by Spyker Cars. The second is just a suggestion for what Saab’s motto might be.
Perhaps both are fitting, as some 48 hours after GM European President Nick Reilly announced failure of the General and Spyker Cars N.V. to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement for sale of its Saab Division, there comes a last ditch offer from Spyker on a Sunday. Spyker’s CEO, Victor Muller, announced that points of impasse which developed during the due diligence phase of the previous contract negotiations have been addresed in his mind. Notably, the condition for approval of a $500 million short term loan from the European Union’s Equity Investment Bank prior to December 31, 2009 has been lifted. GM has until Monday’s end of business to accept. Continue Reading →
By George Straton
12.11.2009
Perhaps the Fab Four were a bit off when they heralded “money can’t buy me love.”
Because it seems that $45 million USD and the ubiquitous “oohs” and “aahs” which accompany the Blue and White Propeller, mixed in with some political fears of failure are precisely what finalized acceptance of BMWs bid to supply the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games with 4000 courtesy vehicles.
You know; the transport for athletes, IOC officials and volunteers. Does BMW seriously expect the investment required by them to become a Tier One “corporate sponsor” will pay off the way it does for another Tier One, McDonald’s? After all McDonald’s serves “Billions and Billions” each year while BMW serves barely over one million. Perhaps BMW’s numbers can swell if it licenses technology and gets another line out of it such as that of the composite-bodied planned Mega City Car. Continue Reading →
Please subscribe to our RSS feed, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel. If you like what we do and would like to support Autosavant, please consider visiting our sponsors. If you need to buy anything on Amazon, clicking on our banner first helps keep Autosavant running. Thanks!
Long Term Test: F-150 FX4 Ecoboost Update 2
What Happened To The 1957 Plymouth Belvedere Buried in Tulsa? Updated 2/24/2012
Vote for Me Chrysler’s Blogger Faceoff!
Long Term, The Price of Gasoline Will Keep Rising
Complaints About the Names of Cars
McLaren Announces Limited Production 50 12C Roadster and 12C Spider Variants
Lamborghini Celebrates 50 Years With a Triple Celebration
Review: 2013 Volvo S60 T5 AWD
Toyota Reclaims Most Valuable Car Brand Title From BMW
BMW Reveals Facelifted 2014 5 Series Lineup
Troy: I predict Buick drops the Regal in a few years. Th...
Troy: My device started going off at totally random abou...
Stan C: I am convinced that people think these devices mon...
Lewis: I'm glad to see that Audi is continuing the tradi...
kenny budden: ok,ok, ford is the best, chev is the best,whatever...
