Forbes reports that Peugeot/Citroen is shifting their hybrid diesel strategy. The French automaker planned on developing a mass-market diesel hybrid in partnership with Continental, Bosch, Valeo and Thyssen-Krupp for a 2010 release. To meet its goal of developing a diesel hybrid with a price point of under €2k euros, the €471m project had relied on €100m in loans and subsidies from the French Agency for Industrial Innovation. Amidst competitive concerns raised by the public funding scheme and an eighteen month delay (surprise), P/C abandoned the project altogether– in favor of an in-house premium-line diesel hybrid. P/C says their diesel hybrid won't be available until 2011– which is a lot better than "eventually."

Are you in the market for an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, but find the fact that it's got less horsepower than a Chevy Corvette more than slightly annoying? Plump for the new N400 special edition Vantage, and voila! Power is upgraded to 400hp. Which is still less than a base Corvette (430). Oh well. What's with the N400 moniker you ask? It's named after the U.S. immigration form N-400. No, seriously, Wikidpedia reports that the N400 "is an event-related potential (ERP) component typically elicited by unexpected linguistic stimuli." Kidding again (I think). The name commemorates Aston Martin's entry into the Nurburgring 24-hour race. Anyway, the special edition Aston (as opposed to?) tops-out at a paltry 177mph. More encouragingly, the car features upgraded springs and Bilstein damper and a new rear anti-roll bar (the suspension upgrade is available as a $5k option on regular Vantages). Aston hopes to build 480 examples of the N400, split evenly between roadsters and coupe, all in obnoxious "Simpsons Family Orange." You too can have a piece of history for only $20k over the price of a regular V8 Vantage. I didn't think it was possible to make an Aston Martin look vulgar, but they've pulled it off.

Perhaps hoping to forestall the inevitable )read: Gunnar Heinrich's "Whither Maybach" editorial), the double-M luxury marque has announced a new Landaulet model.  It's aimed squarely at those of us rich enough to want a car that demonstrates the cavernous class divide between ourselves and our chauffeurs. Set to retail at a cool €900k, the Landaulet is based on the 612 horsepower Maybach 62S. It's Unique Selling Point (other than monumental depreciation): a retractable soft top that allows passengers to enjoy a pleasant breeze through their perfectly-coiffed hair. To ensure that the owners of expensive hairpieces need not suffer undue humiliation, Maybach has equipped its Landaulet with an automatic wind diffuser which deploys at about 45 mph. Is the Landaulet worth the nearly half-million premium over a standard 62S? Of course not… and Maybach is a little disappointed that you would even ask such a vulgar question.

[Pixamo gallery here].

So there's this big deal panel of "independent experts" from the National Research Council that advises the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) re: federal mpg standards. The last time the Council got together, they deemed diesel engines too dirty and hybrids as "too niche" for inclusion in their final report. Flash forward seven years and the Council finds that diesels could deliver 30 to 40 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over comparable gas engines. This time 'round, full-electric and fuel cell-powered vehicles didn't make the cut; "the committee does not expect commercialization of fuel cell vehicles or widespread marketing of all-electric vehicles before 2020." Although Congress insists that regulations must focus on gas engines– as these represent the vast majority of vehicles on the road– the inclusion of diesels in the new report may presage regulations allowing a new era of European-sourced high-efficiency oil burners in the U.S. Provided, that is, California doesn't trump the feds again and tighten their particulate standards, again…

Barak Obama visited a GM plant in Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton visited a GM plant in Maryland. John McCain visited a Ford plant in Michigan. But who loves ya, Chrysler? Apparently nobody. The candidates have studiously ignored MoPar's plants. With Mike Huckabee barely hanging in there, maybe he should target them (you know, birds of a feather and all that). But then that leaves the Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Nissan, BMW and Mercedes plants. They're full of American voters just like the UAW-owned plants. So why isn't anyone paying any attention to them? A word to the wise: if you're supposed to represent all the people, you need represent all the people. Just pandering to those voters represented by a union may get you some votes in the short run, but it'll be a bitch when all those grandiose promises you've made return to bite you in the ass. Just sayin'.

Honda's totally-redesigned Fit (Jazz to the rest of the world) is set to debut at the 2008 New York International Auto Show. "The current Fit has been a tremendous success for Honda," U.S. exec veep Dick Colliver boasts [via PRNewswire] "The all-new Honda Fit will reconfirm that small can in fact be big." Yes, well the old Civic did that and look how that thing porked-up. Anyway, Honda will also be showing (in the pregnancy sense of the word) a prototype Pilot that "emphasizes authentic SUV styling." NYIAS is going down at the Jacob Javits Convention Center from March 21st through the 30th (full schedule here). TTAC's Robert Farago and Justin Berkowtiz will be confronting the suits on your behalf, only earlier. 

Like man of The Big 2.8, Renault has worked the "everything to everyone" mantra for some time. French manufacturers generally do two– and only two— things well: small, cheap sporty cars and MPVs (Google "Renault Scenic"). In the past 15 years, their large car sales have been unimpressive, regardless of how bad (Peugeot 607) or good (Citroen C6) the models involved. Add BMW's 3-Series and Audi's A4 slicing into the midsize sedan market, and big ass sales of vehicles like the Ford Moneo and Renault Laguna, and Renault's mid-sizers are looking green around the gills. That's why Renault is trying to spice things up with the Laguna GT which has more powerful engines, a sport suspension and four-wheel steering. Buyers can opt for either a 180hp 2.0-liter diesel or a 20 hp 2.0- liter gas engine (I vote diesel). Cool as it sounds, it's a shrinking market segment. Like Ford, Peugeot and Opel, Renault's going to be left without a chair when the music stops.

The next BMW 6-series isn't expected to be larger than the E64, and it may even be a bit smaller.  If so, it won't be much smaller but it'll be enough to make room for the announced 4-door coupe (a production version of the CS Concept). Many design elements of this show car are expected to be also seen on future versions of large coupe, tweaked for a lighter and sportier appearance. The weight won't change much, so it would be nice to see the carbon fiber roof now used only on the M6 on the third 6-Series. I'd also like to see the inclined BMW grille of the '80s make a comeback. Here I tried a modern interpretation of the kidneys, inspired by those featured on the E24 and its close relatives. With less weight and without a Bangle-butt the design should be a success.

[For more Avarvarii photochopistry, click here]

First thing is first: We are talking about a 2008 Deutsch sled. Sure, everyone would love to pull a 1953 300 SL out of the ground, but that's not why we're here/ We're here to pick a current offering from our weisswurst eating good buddies that will best illustrate the 2008 state of the German automotive scene in 50 years time. Got it? Gut. If we were to travel back in time to… 2004, I'd be all about stuffing a Phaeton W12 into the earth. Chairman Piech's "Best Car in the World" was (to some) exactly that. More importantly though, it was a symbol of Germanic Automotive ascendancy. Volkswagen had just purchased Bentley and Lamborghini and was in the process of of reviving Bugatti. Daimler was DaimlerChrysler. Imagine how many times General Patton spun in his grave because Mercedes-Benz owned Jeep. Porsche was on top of the world launching both an SUV and the Carrera GT. Not to be out down, BMW had just released the best ever Rolls-Royce, the best ever Range Rover and (to some) the best ever Mini. And there stood the Phaeton, a monument to itself. But in the world of cars, years are in fact dog years. Four years is a long time ago. So, which one's it going to be? I vote for the RS4 Avant, because I'm certain our grandchildren will appreciate a perfect car. You?

Following its decision to spend $2b manufacturing seats on the Indian subcontinent, the Detroit Free Press reveals that Chrysler LLC is outsourcing $120m worth data crunching to India. The contract is headed for the Tata Group, whose portfolio includes Nano-maker and Jag/Landie suitor Tata Motors. Chrysler spinmeister David Elshoff said Tata will be working on dealers’ online vehicle ordering system and maintaining the company's dealer-brand websites. “The first phase of this evolution and our new partnerships will start this month and will continue throughout 2008,” Jan Bertsch, Chrysler chief information officer told his employees. “As the year progresses, we'll continue to evaluate additional opportunities… and will keep you apprised of the outcomes of our efforts." Not surprisingly, Tata’s CEO was slightly more upbeat. "The expertise and in-depth knowledge of the automotive industry and Chrysler's business, coupled with our ability to deliver certainty of results will provide sustained value to Chrysler." Does this move indicate Chrysler's desire to outsource car-building to Tata Motors? They should live so long…

According to Automotive News [sub], Saturn's looking for a “slight” increase in ’08 sales. Speaking at its dealers party like it's 1999 confab in the City by the Bay, execs predicted the uptick will come from the Aura, Opel Astra and the Outlook. Just in case those cars don't fly off the lots, Saturn execs will put “conquest incentive cash” on the Astra’s hood (for non-Saturn trade-ins). Maybe. In certain markets. Later this year, Saturn will launch the Two Mode hybrid Vue. Beyond that… Saturn suits told dealers that GM expects its growth over the next five years to come from its Rethink division, helped along by a shift away from trucks. John Pitre, the GM of Motor City Auto Center in Bakersfield, CA is stoked. He says his average Saturn transaction prices have gone from $17k in ’06, to $21.5k in ’07. "Our Saturn store remodel will be done in July, so that's a sign that we're very bullish on the brand." Meanwhile, the bears are waking-up out of hibernation.

It's a bit early to declare February the beginning of the long-anticipated new car sales face plant, what with President's Day sales and a couple of weeks to go, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the industry took a 16 percent dive so far this month. Zoom in on the main players and folks, these decade-low numbers [via J.D. Power] are downright scary. "General Motors Corp., riding momentum created by updated products and hefty incentives, recorded the only sales gain among major manufacturers last month. The latest numbers indicate GM ran into a roadblock during the first 17 days of the month, with dealers selling 31% fewer vehicles than in the first 18 days of February 2007… Chrysler LLC experienced a 27.5% decline despite a recent move to offer more free features on its cars and trucks." CNNMoney reports that "shares of automaker General Motors Corp. fell nearly 6%, making it one of the biggest losers on the Dow 30 Thursday afternoon, as investors were dismayed by weak economic data released earlier in the session." And that was BEFORE this information was released…

If you're a member of the TV rat pack or a crowd control officer with the Los Angeles police, we suggest you gear-up and head over to Conserv Fuel on San Vicente Blvd in Brentwood on February 26. For just two hours, from noon to 2pm, GM is subsidizing E85 to the tune of 85 cents per gallon (geddit?). GM's press release says they want to "help raise awareness about the first station in Los Angeles to offer E85 ethanol, and to encourage drivers of FlexFuel vehicles to use this cleaner, renewable fuel instead of gasoline." Of course it has nothing to do with the fact they just sank a bunch of bucks into an ethanol producer. Even with the decreased power and poorer mileage of E85, 85 cents per gallon makes it an attractive alternative (hence the incipient flared tempers). But how many of the bargain hunters will be back when it's back to to the station's normal $3 per gallon? That's when you'll see– well, could see if the media was bothered– what the average driver really thinks about E85.

After calling global warming "a crock of shit," GM Car Czar Bob Lutz is using his fastlane blog to defend the remark that launched a thousand blogs. Instead of an apology, Maximum Bob declares himself– and you– an irrelevance. "Never mind what I said, or the context in which I said it. My thoughts on what has or hasn’t been the cause of climate change have nothing to do with the decisions I make to advance the cause of General Motors. My opinions on the subject — like anyone’s — are immaterial. Really." Bob then tells the tree-huggers to stop picking on him. "Instead of simply assailing me for expressing what I think, they should be looking at the big picture. What they should be doing, in earnest, is forming opinions not about me but about GM, and what this company is doing that is — and will continue to be — hugely beneficial to the very causes they so enthusiastically claim to support." I think that's what psychologists call "disassociation." But the best bit is here: "General Motors is dedicated to the removal of cars and trucks from the environmental equation, period. And, believe it or don’t: So am I! It’s the right thing to do, for us, for you and, yes, for the planet. My goal is to take the automotive industry out of the debate entirely." I guess he missed the irony of "taking GM out" of the equation. 

Back in 2004, Chrysler thought it had a segment-busting winner with the Pacifica. Neither car, minivan, nor SUV, the luxurious large "crossover" was supposed to play a key role in Chrysler's planned move upscale. Buyers lined-up none deep for Chrysler's bloated station wagon. The automaker was forced to de-content, discount and discontinue the disastrous distraction. Stunned by the Pacfica-shaped sales sinkhole, it took Chrysler another five years to field another three-row crossover. The 2009 Dodge Journey is in many ways the anti-Pacifica. Will it be any more successful?