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2009 Audi RS6 Coming To America, Relevant Eddie Murphey/Arsenio Hall Quotes Too Numerous To Include

The V10, twin-turbo, 2009 Audi RS6 is confirmed as U.S. bound and upon it’s arrival, will be challenging the Mercedes-Benz AMG and BMW M-series to a steel caged/no holds barred/money in the bank match [another dark secret of mine, I watch WWE Smackdown...make fun of me for it, I dare you]. Sporting Audi’s new exterior styling but still largely a sleeper, Audi claims the RS6 roars from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds, but I’m holding out to see what kind of results real-world applications yield.

Despite it’s all-wheel drivetrain, the RS6’s revised Torsen center differential sends 40% of power to the front wheels and 60% to the rear, providing for all the white-knuckle acceleration and virgin-tight cornering of a RWD sports car.Peaking at 580-hp at 6,250 rpm with a tire-shredding 479 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm, it seems almost criminal that Audi would electronically limit the car to 155mph, but they do. Offering a small consolation, Audi has tentatively planned to offer a boost option with the RS6 [in addition to the already twin turbo-charged engines] that is expected to raise the speed allotment, but only to 174mph. With track-worthy specs like a power to weight ratio of 7.5lbs per hp and a 4,991 cc engine, I’m a little puzzled over why Audi would put a cap on the speedometer like that, but given Audi’s rich history as a German speed demon, I’m willing to trust they know exactly what they’re doing.

Pricing has yet to be announced but official press releases indicate that Audi is using the BMW 7-series as a point of reference for pricing, yet still intends to flex its muscles on the track next to the likes of super machines like the BMW M5. Bottom line, the final price tag will probably wind up being somewhere in the neighborhood of $90k - not so expensive that it alienates the “working” upper class, but not so attainable as to make you think that you with your middle income job and quaint PTA meetings could ever afford one.

[Photo Source: EGMCarTech]

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Exec Doubtful of 2011 Cadillac’s Success, Says Americans Don’t Want Another Small Car - Makes Him A OK In Our Book

2009 Cadillac BLS sedan

Despite sales that have been lackluster at best, there are rumors that the European Cadillac BLS might make an American debut in 2010 as a 2011 model. Currently, Cadillac as affirmed speculations that they will begin producing a 4-cylinder car for the North American market in 2010, but the finer details are still under heavy debate. The primary source of contention surrounding the mystery small car: whether or not to offer an optional V-6 upgrade. Part of Cadillac’s design team believes future government fuel economy regulations and the growing small car trend mean that Cadillac must break tradition, even if only slightly, in order to stay relevant as a competitor in the market. To them, this means it’s 4-cyl small, or nothing. Cadillac’s general manager Jim Taylor isn’t quite as sold on the idea. According to Automotive News, Taylor said, “There is a big debate as to whether it is four only. I think that is a bridge too far.” Taylor’s reluctance stems from the anticipated resistance from U.S. buyers. Even if the U.S.-bound BLS is fitted with a turbocharger for its 4-cylinder engine, Taylor isn’t certain buyers will be receptive of such bland performance. “[Americans] still want power,” Taylor reasoned, “We still have big open roads. People do not want to stop enjoying driving.”

2009 Cadillac BLS wagon

So if we here in American wind up staring down the grill of a modified BLS, exactly how much performance will we be sacrificing? According to specs, the 2009 BLS isn’t quite as uninspiring as Taylor makes it out to be. Drawing very heavily from the Saab 9-3, the 2009 BLS is offered in Europe as either a sedan or a wagon with 3 engine options: a 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 2.8L V6, or 1.9L diesel. The interior is stock Cadillac luxury - leather, DVD, nav - and the price is typical Caddy too, starting around £21,500 [about $40,000]. Bottom line: We advise Taylor to offer the V-6, he seems to have a pretty good grasp on exactly how much change we Americans will tolerate before we put our collective foot down.

[Source: Automotive News]

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2012: The End of the Automotive World?

toyota_usa_america

The Mayans predicted the world would come to an end in 2012.

Maybe they were right, as this news from analyst Grant Thornton LLP could signal the end of times:

Foreign automakers will build more cars on U.S. soil than the Detroit 3… by 2012.

Epic, isn’t it?

The analysts predict by 2012 the Detroit 3 (I’ve retired my use of the “Big 3″ term) will produce 7.5 million vehicles, compared to an estimated 8 million produced domestically by the likes of BMW, Volkswagen, Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai. Most of those 8 million “foreign” cars will be built with non-union U.S. labor, which is enough reason for me to buy my “American” Toyota and be proud of it.

More good news: U.S. automakers should return to profitability by 2012, even if they reduce production by 35 percent from 2008 numbers. The bad news is for the suppliers, who will have to adapt to these changes in order to survive. I think many won’t.

The whole landscape of what “Made in the USA” means is changing. Does this mean the world is ending? Hardly.

More like a whole new one is beginning.

Are you bothered by the news that foreign automakers will, by 2012, build more vehicles in the U.S. than the Detroit 3?

-tgriffith

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Shanghai Steps Out

First, it’s clear that Auto Shanghai 2009 (closing today) was a huge hit. Attended by up to 90,000 people a day, with a record 1,500 carmakers from around the world displaying cars in the space of 30 football fields, Shanghai was larger than life.

Big luxo cars were again prominent, but so were a multitude of small ones - for example, Chery’s IQ, the Panda Cross, and lots more. Edmunds gives a good rundown of these here, and there are more good pix here. Plenty of oddball cars too, like the Rolls Phantom clone Geely GE, shown below, and the electric Nissan NUVU concept.

The Chinese takeover of the world car market hasn’t happened, of course, but the trend has been clear for a while now. They haven’t got the cash but they’ve got the numbers.

Car sales in China hit a monthly record of over 1 million [units] in March, exceeding the U.S. for the third month in a row. 70 percent of the cars sold in China were affordable models that are 1.6 liters or below. This as most car buyers are paying much attention to their spending habits.

So, the boosters in China are more than happy, particularly about the lowered car purchase taxes (from 10 to 5 percent) that have produced some of the demand. We cheer them on, even in their fractured English:

In any case, a least rousing to observe a present of self-confidence, or a least can observe that the circumstances of Chinese enterprises is not horrid, as fineness, the burden of multiple, just hold back and see!

Regarding the Chinese market, the U.S. will have a lot of catching up to do. How do you think our carmakers can accomplish that?

—jgoods

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Will this new concept help Aston Martin redeem itself?

one77_01_sized

The day before Aston Martin revealed their highly criticized Lagonda concept at the Geneva Auto Show, they showed the chassis of their upcoming One-77 concept.

Maybe the Lagonda was just a diversion; a way for Aston Martin to throw our collective attention one direction only to backhand us by revealing something amazing later.

aston-martin-one-77-a-villa-deste_2lo That’s the theory I’m sticking with because new images of the One-77 were taken this week as the remarkable car was unveiled at Italy’s exclusive Lake Como. (In case you’re wondering, the One-77 gets its name because only 77 will be built, by hand, at a cost of $1.4 million each.)

Though very few people had positive things to say about the Lagonda’s design, I’m guessing they’ll sing a different tune about the One-77. Aston Martin has taken some very bold styling moves on the car, including heavily-chiseled sides, over-sized headlights and front air ducts that might look more at home on a fighter jet. jet-fighter1

When you’re buying the second-most expensive car in the world, though (the Bugatti Veyron barely holds that title still), you don’t want styling that any schmuck in a Jaguar can get.

Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez said of the car:

Quite simply, it had to be the ultimate expression of Aston Martin. As you can now see, we have achieved that goal in magnificent style.

Adding to that magnificent style are 700 ponies unleashed by a 7.3-liter V12 that’ll reach the 60-mph mark in just over 3 seconds.

But when a car costs over $1 million, I’d expect nothing less.

Does Aston Martin’s new One-77 look better to you than the Lagonda? What do you think of its aggressive styling cues?

-tgriffith

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Rinspeed: More Cutting-Edge Madness

At Geneva next week, we will see revealed a transformative vision of future automotive adaptability. We will see revealed a sports car that quickly changes into a “sports van” for three people. We will see (drum roll, please) . . . the iChange. You can also see a really boring video here.

Like its predecessor, the submersible sQuba, the iChange makes waves. A handsome low-slung beauty (but with rear fender skirts!), the car is powered by lithium-ion batteries driving an electric motor the company claims will propel it to 137 mph and get it from 0 to 60 mph in just over 4 seconds.

An iPhone controls “the most important vehicle functions.” Imagine driving this thing at 200 km/h while fiddling with your iPhone, giving new meaning to the phrase “brain-free, hands-free driving.” There’s a special Harman/Kardon sound system that uses less energy, a dual heating system (electric for short distances, ethanol powered for longer ones), special wool for the interior, solar panels for the roof, and on and on. The car aims to be both mean and green.

Says Rinspeed founder and resident change agent Frank Rinderknect, “If we want to maintain our individual mobility in the future we have to rethink the car in its entirety, without taboos. Most of all, we have to take its ecological aspects into consideration.”

Who knows how far Frank’s crazy ideas will go? We think he had a particularly good one for the E2 concept, a Fiat 500 that will switch from 60 to 160 hp. More on that later this week.

If we have to “rethink the car in its entirety,” where would you start? How far would you go?

—jgoods

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Cars on Death Row

It’s been said that people don’t choose their cars… the cars choose their people.

To an extent, I agree, because cars have an incredible power to make us want them. Even if a new car is nowhere on your radar screen, you could see one in a parking lot or get sucked into a slick TV ad only to find yourself rationalizing why you need it.

I know it’s happened to me, and I am 100% positive it’ll happen again (probably soon, now that I’ve decided to keep my current car at least 3 more years!).

Be careful though, because some cars might catch your heart only to disappear by the time you’re ready to buy. Here are some cars on the chopping block, not likely to survive until the next model year:

Honda S2000

2009 will be the final year for the highly praised roadster from Honda. If you’re looking for a reason why this once popular car is heading for the history books, look no further than December 2008 sales numbers: 72 of them were sold.

2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser

I’ve been ready to see this one go since the novelty of its design wore off in 2001. Some people, though, still like it… so if you’ve been yearning for a new PT Cruiser, your window of opportunity is closing fast.

Saturn Sky

It was easy to fall in love with this affordable and sexy roadster. Now, though, the entire Saturn line could be headed to the gallows. Want a Saturn? Better act quick!

Hummer H3

My thoughts are simple on this one: The H3 should’ve never even been produced. Maybe instead of just stopping production, GM should collect all that are still on the road and destroy them to eliminate all evidence they ever existed.

Lexus SC

When the SC exits the Lexus stable, the company will be left without a convertible. Lexus isn’t really known, though, for powerful roadsters, so removing the SC keeps Lexus focused on what they do best: posh cruisers in the form of sedans and SUVs.

Cadillac XLR

Cadillac only sold 1,250 XLRs last year, so its demise shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Caddy is replacing the $87,000 XLR with a CTS coupe that’ll be priced closer to $40K. Killing the XLR actually appears to make some sense!

Mercedes CLK Mercedes is debuting their new E-class, which will mean the end of the popular (at least in America) CLK.

What cars would you put on the chopping block?

-tgriffith

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Is a Hyundai better than a BMW?

Let’s say we’re shopping together for a new car.

Money’s definitely an issue, but we’ve been thinking about a rear-wheel-drive V8 sedan and have always wondered what it would be like to own some BMW- or Lexus-like luxury.

We definitely like plenty of horsepower, but we also like space to haul our family and friends in comfort. We want precise steering and a responsive ride that’s not too “floaty.”

Like many car buyers, we’d like a certain amount of prestige. We want our neighbors to utter a long, drawn-out “Woooow” when they see our car, rather than a simple “Hmmm.”

We’re considering:

BMW 550i

Lexus GS460

m45

hyundai-genesis-1

Yup, the little carmaker from Korea is getting a shot next to the big-time luxury players. The fact that the the Genesis this week was named North American Car of the Year in Detroit also provided some motivation to check it out.

Let’s compare, shall we?

Engine:

BMW: 4.8-liter, 360-hp V8
Lexus: 4.6-liter, 342-hp V8
Infiniti: 4.5-liter, 325-hp V8
Hyundai: 4.6-liter, 375-hp V8

Fuel economy:

BMW: 15/22 mpg
Lexus: 17/24 mpg
Infiniti: 16/21 mpg
Hyundai: 17/25 mpg

Rear legroom:

BMW: 36 inches
Lexus: 36.4 inches
Infiniti: 37.3 inches
Hyundai: 38.6 inches

Powertrain Warranty:

BMW: 4 years/50,000 miles
Lexus: 6 years/70,000 miles
Infiniti: 6 years/70,000 miles
Hyundai: 10 years/100,000 miles

Inside these cars is a pretty level playing field of world-class interiors. All vehicles come with sunroofs, up-level audio systems, and enough leather to justify PETA protests. In short, each of these cars is everything you’d expect a $50,000-60,000 car should be.

But let’s look a little closer at price:

BMW 550i: $60,000
Lexus GS460: $53,320
Infiniti M45: $52,150
Hyundai Genesis: $37,250

We’d have to consider maintenance costs, too, as tuning up a German car will nearly always cost more and take longer than an Asian one.

On paper, the Hyundai is the clear winner with the most horsepower, the best fuel economy, the most rear legroom, a competitive interior, and a much lower up-front and long-term price.

There’s one thing, though, that can’t be summarized or compared on paper: emotion.

Regardless of what all these numbers tell us, at the end of the day, we could end up with a Hyundai in our garage. Is it worth an extra $16,000 to see a Lexus there instead? Or an extra $23,000 to have the BMW logo on our steering wheel versus Hyundai’s slanted H?

It all comes down to what price we’ll pay to have the prestige of an established luxury brand.

With that in mind, tell us which car you’d want to buy: the BMW 550i, the Lexus GS460, the Infiniti M45, or the Hyundai Genesis. Let us know in the comment section!

-tgriffith

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