Another Lotus blossom.

What do you think of it? Sexy? Boring? Whatever the case may be, it is the first new Lotus in 13 years.

Bueller? Bueller?

Anyone here remember Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?

That movie featured many memorable items. The first that comes to my mind, however, is the famous scene in which a Ferrari 250 GT California goes flying backwards through the window of Cameron’s dad’s garage. Of course, it was no real 250 GT; the car featured in the movie was actually a Ford Mustang with a special body kit. However, the 250 GT California is a real Ferrari, and perhaps one of the most well known (and best looking) Ferraris ever made.

Of course, Ferrari never likes to let a good car go by the wayside (think Superamerica), and so they have revamped their famous 60’s roadster and embodied its essence in something fully modern: the new 2009 Ferrari California. With that name, I like it already.

BMW to take on Audi’s R8?

Unless you’ve been under a rock (or perhaps not interested in high-end cars), you’ve surely heard of Audi’s amazing R8 supercar. It’s got it all: style, performance and grace, and deals with all of them in a fresh new way that other companies (even Ferrari, in fact) may have difficulty matching. The R8 is both a performance car and a technophile’s dream, and it makes no bones about it.

BMW, on the other hand, have been busy uglying up their cars for the past few years. Certainly, performance is still good, and reliability is said to have been improved, but a quick look at a new M3 or M5, and one realizes that the dream is over. These cars are so ugly that all desire for speed or performance is ripped from one’s body at the very sight of the curvy little headlamps.

The question has been posed: can a company now busy with ruining previously good cars release a car that is good enough to take on Audi’s new juggernaut? If a new BMW concept is any indication… maybe.

What continent is it from?

Take a careful look at the above automobile, and then answer me this: where is it from?

It’s got the curves of a new Mercedes or a BMW. It’s got the proportions of an Audi. That side signal: quintessentially European, right? Wrong.

This car is not from where you’d expect.

OnStar soon able to control your car.

File this one under “egregious privacy violation blatantly overlooked by the mainstream media.”

In 2009, General Motors will start implementing a new feature on some of their new models featuring the OnStar system: the ability for the vehicle to stop itself at the request of law enforcement.

Anyone starting to feel Big Brother staring at them through the speedometer?

Top Gear power slides into American homes.

Popular British telly program “Top Gear” is finally being shown on BBC America, after two years of petitions from American fans.

The show, which features British celebrities Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, features regular auto reviews, celebrity interviews, and various stunts that are both humorous and entertaining.

BMW 135i: Redemption for Bavaria?

BMW fans will note that, as of late, their beloved Automobilen have been plagued by a tremendous problem: they’re hideous. Gone are the dashing good looks of the sleek M3 and the luxurious-yet-powerful 7-series. Those good looks have been replaced by a Honda Civic-esque 3-series and a new 7-series that’s… well… there’s really no description. It makes the ugly duckling feel like Gisele Bündchen.

That being said, BMW have also had a few problems in the technology department. Their iDrive feature is constantly ravaged by reviewers saying it is cumbersome and unnecessary. Despite flawed reviews, however, BMW is still the world’s best selling luxury brand.

A few years ago, the 1-series was laughable. It was nothing but a tiny hatchback, a reminder of why everyone who wants something speedy and economical ends up buying a VW Golf GTI.

But now, the 1-series has become something completely different: a coupé. Not only that, but it’s super-light body is powered by the same engine powering the 335i: BMW’s famous inline-6 with twin turbochargers. And that may be a very good combination.

The GTi loses its crown… to a GTi.

Alright, so it’s really nothing more than a technical exercise on the part of Volkswagen AG (and really primarily an engine-swap at that), but this must be the downright COOLEST concept car ever made, albeit with a bit of an explaination.

Take the old Ferrari vs. Porsche argument: Ferrari lovers say “they perform better,” or “they’re prettier.” Porsche lovers say “they perform better,” or “it’s not so flashy that you couldn’t use it everyday.”

I’ve found that I rather agree with the latter. Apart from obvious technicalities (like not being able to traverse speed bumps), the only real reason that you wouldn’t want to drive your Ferrari to work everyday is the exposure. Think about it. You couldn’t stop at a red light without drawing attention to yourself. You’d feel like people were watching you all the time. And they would be.

In the Porsche, however, you’d get the occasional gawk from a fellow enthusiast, but for the most part you’d be left alone. May as well be driving a Ford Pinto. And yet, if you happen to come across a Ferrari waiting at a light and pull up next to him, you can happily return his “vrooms” with your own. And then smoke him when it turns green.

The point is, really REALLY cool cars aren’t flashy like a Lambo Countach, but instead seem dull, drab, or boxy on the outside, and have a hidden force growing inside them. BMW may have done it best with the M3 and M5 of yesteryear, two cars which looked like standard 3- or 5-series on the outside. But when you put the pedal to the floor, you end up taking your head off from G-forces. And the heads of the drivers of the cars next to you. Absolute wild animals in the packages of well-behaved, domesticated automobiles.

There is nothing cooler than that. It’s the same reason EVERYONE likes seeing police cars belting down the street after someone at high speed.

I once was next to an Audi A4 at a red light. No biggie. It’s a Jetta in a prettier package.

Light turns green: “VVRRROOOOM!” and off it goes, like a bat out of hell. Oops. That was an S4. There’s nothing more impressive than cars that don’t need flash to make a statement of performance.

But back to the point: Volkswagen. The new concept? Another Golf, in fact, a GTi. Highly inconspicuous.

Remember that W12 Super-car that VW made a few years back? It had a 6 litre W12 engine with twin turbo-chargers. It produced 641bhp. Incredible machine. And it’s back, sort of. Here it is:

Yes, I know. It’s a Golf. But it, too, has 641bhp, as it shares the same HUGE W12 engine that the old Super-car concept had. The difference? The Golf body and chassis are far, far lighter than the Super-car, which means this one goes from 0-60 in a mere 3.7 seconds. Wow.

The next time I’m sitting at a light next to an inconspicuous little Golf, I’m rolling down my windows- just in case it happens to be an escaped GTi W12 Concept, and decides to belt out some beautiful noise.

[posted with ecto]

BMW 0, Merc 1.

Anyone following Auto news will know that Bayerischen Motor Werke (otherwise known as BMW) have just unveiled their new M3. I, a follower of said Auto news, was hopeful that they would not bring their new… how shall I say… curvy body style to the M3, which, until recently, was the last vestige of the old body style.

Well, now the cat (or car) is out of the bag, and… well…

Häslich. That means ugly. In German.

Unfortunately, the new body style has also infested the M3. Sure, it’s got a lot of nifty computer stuff, like the “m” button for engine management and the infamous iDrive system for steering assistance. And, admittedly, I do like how the gauges are set up on the dash. Two gauges per opening, like so:

It sports a V8 producing 420bhp at 8300 rpm, which is a change from the ever-popular BM Straight-Six that owners have come to adore. And listen to that figure: 8300 rpm. Sounds a bit high for a V8, doesn’t it? Well, it is, amazingly, only 4 litres, which means 105 hp per litre. By comparison, my little Volkswagen Bora has 2 litres of space to work with, and produces a very modest 115bhp at 4000 rpm. Just under 60 hp per litre there.

The top speed, as with all german cars, is chipped to 155mph. 0–60? 4.8 seconds. Which prompts me to bring something up.

It seems like forever that BMW and Mercedes have been going at it. Ever since the early 1900’s when Dixi Motor Carriages and Daimler were racing each-other (BMW later purchased Dixi, and Gottlieb Daimler ended up naming his cars Mercedes after the daughter of a wealthy diplomat, but the rivalry continued). One would think, therefore, that the M3 would be up to the challenge of an equivalent Mercedes.

Enter the 2008 CLK 63 AMG Black Series. In white, ironically enough.

Now here’s a car that hasn’t lost its appealing body style. Moreover, the CLK has more raw torque at 5000 rpm (465 lb-ft) than the M3 (295 lb-ft). That translates to a 6.3 litre V8 producing 507bhp at 6800 rpm. More appealing numbers, too, then, to go with the body.

Sure, you probably don’t get those neat gauges, but what you do get is tuning by AMG, Mercedes’ elite performance division. And that means 0-60 in 4.4 seconds.

That’s right: the heavier, throatier, cheaper Mercedes comes out .4 seconds faster than its new rival M3.

Sorry, BMW. You’re losing.

(Photos courtesy of Serious Wheels)

[posted with ecto]

The Future of Ford Motors.

Ford Motor Corporation has been in the spotlight lately regarding it’s future. The main question: does it have one?

In fact, it seems Ford has now resorted to selling off one of its luxury brands in order to make sure that it does have a future. Time will tell if Land Rover, another Ford-owned company, will suffer the same fate.

Still, Ford claims to be constantly innovating and improving upon the basic design of the automobile. A slight quip: I don’t think that they’ve ever done that, but that’s my opinion. Ford, it appears, is the only company making its trucks bigger instead of smaller. Evidently they think that innovation is taking up more space.

That’s not to say that everything is all bad. Take this little beauty for example, the 2006 Ford Reflex Concept:

From cars.com:

“Looks like: A scaled-down Aston Martin Vanquish Defining characteristics: Diesel/electric hybrid powertrain, solar panels, inflatable rear seat belts, pulverized shoe-rubber insulation Ridiculous characteristics: Reverse swing-wing doors Chance of being mass-produced:Unclear, though Ford says it’s committed to ‘offer bold, American designs regardless of vehicle size.’”

What’s more, it has a feature dubbed ‘baby cam’, which gives the driver a constant view of the back seat of the car without having to turn his head away from the road.

“Smaller than the Nissan 350Z, the Reflex’s front fascia features Ford’s new three-bar grille, which in this application is made of aluminum and has a matte finish. Taking a cue from high-end, exotic sports cars, the Reflex has swing-wing doors that are hinged in back. Polished-alloy wheels measure 20 inches in diameter, and the roof of the car is fitted with solar-powered fans that circulate air when the car is parked.”

With all these “innovations”, one would think that Ford’s sales would be picking up, or, at least, its stock price. However, aside from sales of the new Mustang, the outlook is grim.

From ameinfo.com:

“In Ford’s meetings with its regional dealers, company officials reiterated that there will be no easing up on the effort to gain market share, whatever the short-term consequences for the operating margins of the dealers and the manufacturer. According to industry sources, Ford intends to attain a 3,000-5,000 unit gain annually in each of the next three years, which should push its overall tally to 45,000 vehicles. And within the decade, Ford expects to be able to take on General Motors for the title of biggest regional seller of American cars.”

Strong words.

“’The next two years will be crucial for Ford. It will be in this period that consumers will see the full benefits of our expanded offering,’ says one regional company official. ‘Ford is now set for the future like never before [...]‘”

More power to them, I suppose.

I suppose I could say that this is one of the many reasons to prefer foreign cars. But then again, I would drive a Mondeo (a European Ford model), and this isn’t a quip.

[posted with ecto]