In the wake of the Chevy Beat news that started pounding the wires before the 4th of July weekend, the Wall Street Journal reached out to Bob Lutz for some commentary on the topic. Lutz, in an email to the Journal, said, "We always thought we'd do it at some point, but now it obviously enjoys a much higher priority." Based on what the Journal says, this loosely translates to "the 2012 timeframe." Unfortunately for GM, this is a car that its U.S. operation needs approximately yesterday. It would behoove the brain trust in the RenCen to stop debating this and simply end all the speculation by formally announcing a U.S. Beat and attaching a timetable, already (as in, now). We think that the car's appearance as an Autobot in next summer's Transformers follow-up will help create enough public interest for that GM will be forced to make some sort declaration if they haven't by then already (TF2 opens on June 26, 2009).
As we've suggested, GM would probably do itself a big favor by greenlighting production versions of all three Triplet concepts, sending the Trax (also featured in TF2) and Groove to showrooms, too. The argument that Americans aren't into small cars/econocars/hatchbacks is quickly losing water, as automaker sales numbers would attest. There's a reason the Civic now outsells the F-150 and that the Hyundai Accent saw a 70% jump last month. Toyota isn't adding the 5-door Yaris to the U.S. lineup on a whim, either. Market forces, in the form of elevated fuel prices, are altering the landscape, and people are a lot more willing to look at (and buy) something smaller and more economical. It's just reality. The longer General Motors deliberates, the longer it's going to get beaten by competitors who have product ready to go right now. Don't wait for for the popcorn-chompers to play focus group and beg for these cars next summer. Grow a set and make the announcement now. Who would've thought that Michael Bay has a better vision of the future than the General itself? In his, GM's cool, stylish minicars will be on the streets next summer. We know that's not possible in real life, but GM needs embrace the fact that a market now exists in the United States for the Beat (and its siblings) and make the obvious call.
Big-bucks enthusiasts annoyed that they're not the only ones at the club with a Veyron can now ensure that they arrive in total exclusivity. That's because the one-off Maybach Exelero, commissioned by Fulda to act as a high-profile demonstrator for its tire line of the same name, is now for sale. The Exelero isn't some delicate flower of a show car. Based on the Maybach 57 and powered by a 700-horsepower version of that car's turbocharged V12, the Exelero reached 218 mph at Nardo. In many ways, Exelero represents what Maybach could have and should have been -- a place where daring styling and incredible performance could merge with extreme luxury to compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Instead, while the marque's sedans clearly get the luxury part of the equation right, in terms of styling, they basically work in anonymity, looking like peculiar old S-Class sedans. There's nothing anonymous about the Exelero, though, and for €5,000,000 (around $7.8 million USD), you can drive the sybaritic supercar that Daimler should have given Maybach all along.
The new BMW 7 Series has undergone a makeover, with less polarizing looks and a healthy dose of Concept CS all around. It has only been a couple days since we got our first official eyeful of the new Bavarian top dog, and now we've got video of the 750i and 730d. Hit the jump to seeand hear the oil and petrol powered Bimmers as they tackle the twisties and pose for the cameras. There is no soundtrack, no fancy graphics, just the redone 7 Series. Enjoy!
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High oil prices have snuffed out Volkswagen's plans to build a European-market pickup truck. The vast and versatile loading area of a pickup, while a selling point in the US, is seen by VW as a sales liability on Euro soil. The vehicle's sales potential didn't stand up to analysis by the automaker, which cited oil prices as the culprit for shifting market desires. The Volkswagen Robust is still underway, with the program ramping up to churn 90,000 pickups out of VW's Pacheco, Argentina plant starting in 2009. It looks like Europe will still be graced with funky working vehicles that take the place of our pickups.
Dino fans rejoice, the rumormill is churning out plenty of grist about a V6 power unit in the offing for some future Ferraris. The California is already getting a V8, so Prancing Horse fans wishing for a "Dino II" will remain unfulfilled, but new approaches to high performance are key to keeping Ferrari at the zenith of autodom, lest it fall down the nostalgia hole that's seen Jaguar nearly suffocate on its own pillowy upholstery. The case for a V6 would be partly the banal issues of emissions and consumption, and a six might also offer weight and packaging advantages, though the rumors of a turbocharged mill add plumbing, weight, and complexity back into the mix. Additionally, anyone who's ever given the boot to a turbocharged engine can attest that forced induction's ability to make small engines flex big muscles, it can also lead to big-league fuel swilling, poking holes in the idea that a turbo V6 might save a lot of fuel over the direct-injected V8. Like any automaker, Ferrari is certainly looking at all sorts of "what if" ideas that will never reach production to find the right solution for the myriad technical challenges facing any automaker, let alone an exotic manufacturer. One thing's certain: a turbo V6 with Ferrari emblazoned along the cam covers would shriek with a proper Italian accent, and you have to respect any company that violently spits on the ground when the terms "SUV" or "Four-Door" are whispered.
It's hard not to follow a story like the veritable fleet of new supercars set to follow the controversial Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The supercar came out of the partnership between Benz and McLaren in Formula One, but while the racing cars have been highly competitive, the SLR has been less so. As a result, Mercedes and McLaren are going their own separate ways for the next generation of high-performance exotica.
Mercedes, with in-house rodders AMG and its racing spin-off, HWA, is preparing two new models to succeed the SLR: the SL65 AMG Black Series (which has been spied many times over) and the SLC (which we've seen disguised in Dodge Viper bodywork). McLaren, meanwhile, is anticipated to produce the new P11 mid-engined supercar on its own, without Mercedes input. The dissolution of the car-producing enterprise between the two powerhouses is not expected to affect their joint grand prix racing program.
The last iteration of the SLR – following the original coupe, the Roadster and the 722 – will be a limited-production lightweight speedster, on which we recently reported. Despite all its available variants, Mercedes has sold fewer than 1600 examples of the SLR to date.
As the self-appointed family car reviewer for Autoblog, I have some opinions on the topic. If money were no object, my nomination for the ultimate family car would be split between the Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the BMW 5 Series wagon. But the R-Class entry price is $42k, and the Bimmer's is close to $50k -- not exactly family-friendly.
Forbes Magazine, however, is a bit more realistic in its quest for the perfect family car, and considers price a deciding factor, like the majority of families. I agree with its Compact Car pick. The 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit is a good deal for your $16k entry price (though Forbes says $19k). On paper, its 15 cu. ft. of cargo space doesn't sound like much, but in reality, it's bigger than it sounds. The Rabbit also averages about 25 mpg, and these days, that's a big deal.
Still, there are some Forbes picks I just don't agree with. For example, the mag selects the Saab 9-3 Sport Combi as best wagon. Really? I admit I've never driven one, but I'm just wondering where the new Jetta Sportwagen placed. (I just stepped out of reviewing one for a week.) Forbes cites the Saab's maximum 72.3 cu. ft of cargo space as a big factor. But it only bests the VeeDub's by 5.4 cu. ft. And while the VW gives up 110 horses to the Saab's 280, but the VW gets, on average, 24 mpg to the Saab's 18. Oh, and the Saab requires premium fuel. I guess the question is this: Do you want to drag race your wagon or save money? My family will take the cash, please.
Then there's the Best Crossover category, where Forbes crowns the Ford Edge. This time, oddly enough, it decides to give the Edge an edge and lowball the entry level price at $25,735. Add some fairly common options, and you get pretty close to the upper range of $32k pretty quick. That, combined with an average fuel economy rating of 20 mpg, puts it out of the running in my household.
So, what else did I agree with? The Toyota Sienna isn't the best-looking vehicle on the road, but it's Forbes pick for the Best Minivan title. Even with an average of 22.5 mpg and a base price of $25k, I'd be fine putting my clan in it. I can't really come up with a better nomination for best convertible for family than Forbes' choice of the 2008 MINI Cooper. Sure, the kids are gonna be cramped, and they'll only be able to bring on vacation one change of clothes, but Daddy will sure be happy. Plus, its EPA-rated 26 mpg combined (with the stick) is not shabby.
