BMW International has posted a film, photo montage and downloadable soundtrack for its new 7-Series sedan. Yes, it's "The Dawn of a New Era." In watching the film and slideshow with its urbane classical soundtrack, I find myself crying. Whether it's tears of joy at this new marvelous vehicle or sadness at the human race, I cannot say. It might just be embarrassment that I care at all. Nevertheless, BMW calls the new 7er "A completely new interpretation on style, luxury, and driving dynamics." I suppose that when discussing a range-topping sedan, they might as well use-range topping ridiculous claims. Most importantly, from the films, it looks like the 7-Series looks far better in motion than it did in most of the still photos released last week (putting it in the context of lavish landscapes and palatial homes doesn't hurt either). Your thoughts?
Posts By: Justin Berkowitz
Fiat makes some really wonderful small cars. But as always, it's more fun to do it with someone else! And so Fiat likes to take lovers, much like the Italian Prime Minister does (e.g. former topless model/current Minister for Equal Opportunities Mara Carfagna, Ministers of Parliament Gabriella Giammanco, Micaela Biancofiore and Nunzia De Girolamo and Venezuelan Model Aida Yespica). Consider: The Fiat Panda and 500 share a platform with the upcoming Ford Ka. Fiat partnered with PSA Peugeot-Citroen for the (these are real names) Fiorino, Bipper, and Nemo small vans. In Europe, Fiat sells the car us North Americans know as the Suzuki SX4 as the Fiat Sedici. And Fiat has been rumored to be talking to Tata about accessing Jaguar's RWD platforms for future models. And now, BMW! Automotive News reports that Fiat is looking to hook-up with BMW for future platform engineering and powerplants. In particular, BMW and Fiat may co-develop the next gen Fiat 500 and MINI. Considering the 500 is reported to be not the most phenomenal car to drive, this would be good news for the Italians. For its part, BMW realizes the importance of collaboration. The current MINI Cooper's 1.6-liter mill was co-developed with PSA Peugeot-Citroen, which also makes a home in a number of small French car-things. And BMW has declared that future BMW branded 4-cylinder engines will be shared with PSA. So how long is it, really, before there are just two car platforms in the world: one RWD, one FWD, with 30 different badges?
Citroen has unveiled its new C3 Picasso, which is Citroen-code for mini-minivan version of their regular B-segment car, the Citroen C3. What is a mini-minivan version? The not-all-that-secret secret is that before Scion gave us the xB and other high-roofed five-passenger vehicles, the Europeans were all over that business. They call 'em MPVs (Multi-Passenger Vehicles, en anglais) on that side of the pond. The term can describe anything from an eight-passenger Chrysler Grand Voyager to a top hat-friendly version of a B-segment car (Fit, Yaris, MINI). The C3 Picasso fits into that last category, where it will compete with the likes of the Opel Meriva, Renault Modus, and Honda Jazz. Citroen is saying it'll install 90 and 110hp diesels, as well as gas engines good for 95 and 120hp. All will tote around what is pretty much guaranteed to be an extremely flexible interior of folding, flopping seats. Let's just hope that sinking European sales don't make this the Picasso's blue period.
Last night's banner headline over at the gadget blog Engadget read "2010 Prius revealed, sneakers still a major design influence." But no, it wasn't revealed and no, that's not the Prius. (Props to Engadget for being snarky, at the least.) This was a great case of how misinformation spreads like a gasoline-fueled fire in the ol blogosphere. Here's how it went down: Car and Driver put up a story with some not remarkably new details and a CGI of the next generation Prius just to illustrate. Of course, they didn't actually say it was a photoshop or "artist's rendering." TG Daily picked up the story from Car and Driver, along with the picture. Then Engadget – one of the largest gadget and tech blogs on the 'nets – ran with the story from TG Daily. Eventually a reader alerted Engadget that they were holding onto a not-so-hot photochop. The site added a disclaimer at the bottom of their post "Update: Our bad, looks like the image above is apparently just Car and Driver's illustration of what they think it COULD look like. Thanks, Dave." Dave? Dave's not here. Anyway, that's cool. But why is the headline still saying "revealed?" And for whatever it's worth, Vince Burlapp already posted the same CGI – as well as a back view – on Saturday.
Since its introduction in 2005, the Bugatti Veyron hasn't made a dime for corporate parent Volkswagen. The original development costs were so high that even with a million dollar price tag, the Veyron sales weren't enough to put the project into the black. According to an interview with Bugatti CEO Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen in the Netherlands' AutoTelegraaf, Bug will turn a profit in those most magical of years, 2010. That's when they'll finally sell enough of the quad-turbo meisterwerk to pay for the program. As for another model, who needs another model? But seriously, a replacement for the Veyron will supposedly arrive in 2011 or 2012– soon enough that collectors may take the claim seriously, but far enough away that VW can change their plans completely if needs be. But since Bugatti can only sell so many Veyrons, and there are only so many Fifth Avenue designers to stamp their logo on a "version" of the car, it seems reasonable that they'd have to do something else. But what? A targa– sorry, removable panel roof? A four-door sedan? A 2000 horsepower coupe? When your modus operandi is "ridiculous," it's hard to follow that up as being "even more ridiculous." And don't forget, Volkswagen also has Bentley and Lamborghini in the wheelhouse. Decisions, decisions. I know! What about killing the brand?
I'm shopping for a car for Mrs. Berkowitz (my mother; my wife, Scarlett Johansson-Berkowitz drives my GTI). I dared to "request a quote" on manufacturers' websites from specific dealers. I was fully expecting them to, as you might say in French, "give me a f'ing quote." To that end, in the online form, I listed the precise cars from their inventory that I wanted, plus the lease terms. Alas, this kind of optimism will get me nothing but an inbox full of nonsense. The approach they take, of course, is to give as little information as possible and tell me to come to the dealership. Regarding a Cadillac CTS: "This vehicle can be leased from $349.00 to $700.00 approximately; depending on packaging and structure of lease. Purchase prices range roughly from $33,330 to $50,000." Uh yeah, I know that, in part because I requested lease estimates for specific cars (which I identified with VIN numbers). Another dealership suggested "We ask that you visit our showroom where you always receive the "BEST PRICE." I encourage you to call me directly so I can set up an appointment with one of our Sales Managers." Your sales managers don't shower and give me the creeps; that's why I'm requesting a quote online. We talk about how product drives the automotive sales industry, and to a large extent it does. But so does the ability to purchase that product. If I was a dealer and someone wanted to buy a car via telegraph, I'd be brushing up on my Morse code.
While the 4th is an American day of celebration, it's a day of national shame, disgust, and disappointment for our British friends across the Atlantic (Jeremy Clarkson, in particular, is said to be spending the day sobbing and eating some kind of pie with meat, rather than apples). To help combat their dreadful feelings, BMW of UK has put out a press release on the just revealed new uberlux 7-Series sedan. Not surprisingly, it will holster the new twin-turbo V8 engine (badged 750i in The Land of Hope and Glory). The 740i name returns, denoting the sublime 3.0-liter twin turbo six from the 335i, making 326hp– as much power as the last gen 745i V8. The force-fed six will rocket the 740i to 60 in six seconds. Naturally, the "Biggest Losers of 1777" will get a straight-six diesel 7, stumping-up 245 hp and returning some 32 mpg. BMW UK estimates the six-pot oil burner will account for 85 percent of 7-Series UK sales. With a 0 – 60mph time of 7.2 seconds, why not? So, is BMW ready to bring a six cylinder 7-Series to America? Uh, no. But ours (like theirs) will come with enough gizmos to make an S-Class nervous: optional four-wheel steering (!), side view cameras, variable damping suspension, night vision, and something called "post warranty heart attack." On sale in the UK in November; anticipate a similar date for us Yankees.
Without much fanfare, BMW has debuted its redesigned 7-Series sedan. A supposed riff on the svelte CS Concept, the new 7 is certainly less chunky than its 2002 – 2008 predecessor. While the outgoing generation (that's E65 or E66 to BMW folks) broke the styling mold, the 2009 model is no ground-breaker. To these jaundiced eyes, it looks a lot like the current gen Lexus LS with a BMW front-end grafted on. The letter-box pipes are a particularly shameless cop from the El Finesse folk. As far as mills are concerned, it's a safe bet that the X6's twin-turbocharged V8 will nestle under-hood. BMW will no doubt bless 7-loving Euro-folk with the 335i and 535's twin-turbo inline six and a particulate of diesels. The 7's interior is all-new. While the cabin's a step up from the last gen, again, it's nowhere near as rad as it forebearer. That said, the new version adds BMW's gimmicky space shuttle (RTFM) gear lever and MMI's the iDrive (if you know what that means, get a life). The new 7-Series sedan will, of course, handle impeccably, cost a bomb and intimidate the bourgeoisie. Mission accomplished?
AutoExpress reports that Ford has prepped a not-so-mean but oh-so-green Fiesta ECOnetic for the British Motor Show. While not officially confirmed for production, odds are it will eventually hit (love tap?) the streets of The Land of Hope and Glory. The ECOnetic Fiesta will have a 1.6-liter turbodiesel powerplant with all of 89hp, as well as loads of aerodynamic mods. Equally important, the UK-market Fiesta will have low enough CO2 emissions to evade London's congestion charge. ECOnetic trim recently debuted on a European Ford Focus, with a claimed 55mpg. As Edward Neidermeyer reported, in real-life testing, the Focus ECOnetic that number dropped to some 37 mpg. If we saw a proportionate drop for the ECOnetic Fiesta, that would mean about 44 real world miles per gallon. That's still very impressive. The new model Fiesta isn't on sale yet, although it is coming to the US with gasoline engines about 12 – 18 months from now. [All numbers are US miles per gallon]
As the first reviews of the new Hyundai rear wheel-drive Genesis luxury sedan hits the nets and mags, let's check the "value proposition." The 280-horse V6 version stickers for $33k. Your thirty large buys you an Aisin six speed auto (you didn't expect a stick shift in a Lexus-fighter, did you?), six airbags, alphabet soup safety equipment, heated power leather seats (ahem, BMW), auto headlights,and automatic dual climate control. The V6 delivers 18/27 mpgs, which is a pretty impressive number when compared to front wheel-drive cars like the 19/26 V6 Altima. Some $38k puts the 375hp V8 in your driveway. Fuel economy is only marginally worse at 17/25. If you're willing to part with a paltry seven ponies, the 4.6-liter V8 runs on regular (87 octane) gas. And, of course, the V8 comes with more toys: uprated leather, a wood steering wheel and so on. With this kind of Acura "everything standard" pricing, these cars go from good deal to outright bargain. A comparably equipped CTS stickers at well over $40k. On the other hand, a Cadillac's a Cadillac. This is a Hyundai. Which is beating the snot out of Cadillac in the U.S. sales charts. Accent sales jumped 70 percent in June. Elantra and Sonatas are up. Even the luxury-oriented Azera is holding steady. (Hyundai's SUV and minivan sales evaporated along with everyone else's.) As for the Genesis, time will tell.
After various boring "teaser photos" (does McDonald's release teaser shots of its new chicken sandwiches?), Kia has revealed its new C-segment sedan. The Forte ("strong" or "loud") will replace the decent but long-incisored Spectra sedan in the U.S., as well as the Spectra's evil twin brother, the hatchback Cerato (available in other markets). The Forte was designed by Peter Schreyer, the same fella that penned the New Beetle and iconic first generation Audi TT. Although the Forte doesn't live up to his Audi meisterstuck— some parts are a little derivative, including the Lexus IS inspired front, side, and back– it's a sharp looking car. Kia has confirmed a coupe version based on the Koup concept from the NY Auto Show. Kia is also considering a hot version with a turbocharged four-banger. But torque steer would be dish of the day if the concept car's 290 horses made it to production. The big question about the new Forte: what kind of mileage and power we can expect from the 1.6 and 2.0-liter engines? Will the US will even get the 1.6? That, and whether the obligatory-for-Europe hatchback will come to America to replace the Spectra5. Looks cool though, I'll give 'em that.
Talk about the right place at the right time. Toyota's Yaris three-door hatchnack– excuse me, three-door liftback— and four-door sedan have been taking numbers and kicking names in the American new car market. Well, duh. First, Yari are fuel-efficient wee beasties (34/40 or fight). Second, despite a whole bunch of piggish SUVs, Toyota is still the small-car manufacturer of the moment. And third, they are cheap ($11,350 and up). So it makes sense that ToMoCo would bring the five-door Yaris– already on sale in Canada and most of the rest of the world– to the US. Americans certainly seem to have warmed-up to hatchbacks. As the basic Yaris is already America-compliant in terms of crash testing and emissions, it's a no brainer. If only the D2.8 were so smart. Lucky? Prescient? Well-prepared? Your choice.
CAR Magazine is reporting that VW's 2002 concept car– the 1 Liter Car– is headed into production in [The Year of Our Overload] 2010. The name comes from the fact the VW uses 1 liter of gas per 100 kilometers (a standard European fuel economy format). Ferdinand Piech was seen cruising around in this puppy during his final days (or what we thought were his final days) at VW's helm. The crazy car, which looks more like a rolling fighter jet canopy, is mostly carbon fiber. It weighs an estimated 660 lbs. CAR figures it will have a two-cylinder diesel engine. The 1 Liter Car would likely be assembled in VW's prototype shop– limiting production to 1000 units per year. The price is not yet determined, but reckon somewhere between 20k and 30k Euros. With such a small production run, this sounds more like a glamour and "we can do it" car (reverse halo?) from VW, rather than a true plan to save the world. And it'll still probably breakdown in my driveway.
Volkswagen is amongst the first of the manufacturers sending out its SOS June sales numbers. Despite the numbers and the claim that they're enjoying the "best sales month since August 2006," the picture at VW is grim. if not for the new Tiguan, they'd be cratering with the best (worst?) of them. VeeDub's compact SUV-crossover-thingy sold 1044 units in June. Can the Golf-on-stilts keep-up the big Mo for the rest of the year? Equally worrying, has the Tiguan cannibalized sales of the Jetta and Rabbit, which were both down from last month? That's what should send Volkswagen of America boss Adrian Hallmark running for the Immodium. While a 1500 unit hit doesn't sound a lot, the percentages– Jetta down 11.3%, Rabbit down 18.9%– are straight-up scary. The explanation: unimpressive gas mileage from standard five-cylinder engines. Hello? Volkswagen has fleets of cars in Europe (under three different nameplates) that are all fuel efficient, fun to drive, and don't feel cheap. And none of them was designed or prepared for sale in the United States. A VW lineup including the Fox, Polo, Skoda Fabia or Roomster would be kicking ass in today's gas conscious U.S. market. The new U.S. diesel Jetta is great, but pricey (both to buy and run). Screwing itself, VW is.
Like many organizations in these gas-conscious times, Kelley Blue Book (KBB) and the LA Times (LAT) are fascinated by the negative effects of high gas prices on consumer spending. So KBB did a study and the LAT reported it. The two giants in intellectual research found that, in short, $4 to $5 gas has forced people to spend less money on other shit [paraphrasing]. For example, people aren't going to the movies as much, now that they are spending more on gas. [Do you know what a movie theater looks like? Click over to the LA Times, and you can not only read "less money on movies" but see a picture of a real line at a real American movie theater.] Other things people aren't buying as much of: expensive coffee, vacations, clothing, restaurants, carwashes, DVDs and high-quality marijuana. OK, I added that last one. But how do we know that the rising costs of other consumables– most notably food– don't account for the cutbacks?
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