Before I credit our last winner, I need to repeat some basic CC Clue rules: some folks come to the Clue long after others have already guessed, and possibly identified the car. In order not to spoil it for them, here’s what we’ve previously agreed on: place your guesses, but don’t crow about being absolutely sure of it, and don’t post supporting evidence (links). And if others agree with a certain guess, it’s ok to just say “+1” or “I agree”, but let’s leave it at that. That will let everyone have a shot at it without feeling demoralized ahead of time. And I always recognize our winner the next time around.

Speaking of which, Jimal nailed the Ami Break on the second guess. And though I usually refrain from any hints, let’s just say we’ll give French cars a break for now.

The front end is new, but contrary to some assumptions, the next generation Civic is clearly not an all-new car. CAR Middle East Online caught one in desert testing, and has a full portfolio of shots awaiting your perusal and judgment. So click the link, and come back and tell us what you think. I though so.

CAR Middle East Online

Popular Mechanics has just published the results of the first extended test of the Volt, covering 900 miles. The results are spectacularly unimpressive: Three different drivers drove the Volt on three successive days, starting with a full charge. The EV ranges were 31, 35 and 33 miles, for an average of 33 miles. Normal driving styles were employed. That’s well below GM’s endlessly proclaimed 40+ mile range, but not exactly terrible. We’ll save that word for the fuel economy numbers: (Read More…)

10-10-10 marks the tenth anniversary of the first Prius sold in the US.  A total of 5800 of the pioneering hybrids were sold in that first year. North American sales peaked with 183.8k in 2007, and then drooped, and are pacing to 141k units in 2010.

Note how Japan’s Prius sales have boomed, surpassing NA, as a result of government incentives. What does the future hold for NA Prius sales in the next ten years?

No, that’s not a Google Street View Prius being piloted down the 101. The roof-top device is Lidar, part of the sensors that allow it to drive by itself.  Perhaps out of a desire to solve a problem they helped create (texting, mobile web use, etc.), Google has come ever closer to  perfecting autonomous cars. NY Times reports that Google has a fleet of seven cars plying the highways and streets of California, with paid “sitters” behind the wheel to confirm that everything is ok, as well as to conform with CA law.The cars have driven up to 1,000 miles without any human intervention, even down twisting Lombard Street, and have racked up 140k total driver-less miles. The only incident so far was someone rear ending one of the Priuses at a red light. All we need now is for judges to mandate them for lousy drivers. (Read More…)

Having survived my first immersion, it’s clearer than ever to me why TTAC doesn’t “do” auto shows in the usual manner. The relentless PR pressure and hype is tedious. And in some cases, it borders on the absurd or desperate, like the Isuzu pole dancers. True, without her rubbing her oversize derriere to the booming beat on the pole installed in the back of a pickup, it’s doubtful that Isuzu would have had any attention whatsoever. Like the Honda and Mitsubishi stands, for instance, which were deserted. But there were pockets of interest, genuine and contrived. (Read More…)

In the eighties, the European auto makers were quaking in their boots at the prospect of a “Japanische Welle” (Japanese wave). Having seen the huge damage the Japanese brands inflicted on Detroit during the seventies and early eighties, they braced themselves for a similar onslaught. It never quite happened. Now they’re wondering if the Koreans are going to succeed where the Japanese fell short. There are plenty of indications to suggest they will. In Germany, probably the most auto-chauvinistic of all the  European countries, the Golf-class Hyundai i30 (above) is currently the number one selling import car, not counting VW’s captive import brand Skoda. Toyota and Honda’s European market share is down, and Hyundai’s is up, and growing quickly. Is the Hyundai Welle unstoppable? (Read More…)

I return from Paris fulfilled. This was a family trip, with a focus on culture, museums, food and window shopping; not cars. But in our walking haunts of Paris’ most colorful neighborhoods, I found exactly what I needed to keep CC going on its regular schedule: two classic little French cars, and one truck, to continue the trucks-on-Saturday tradition. And not just any old truck, but the most iconic French truck ever. The Citroen H Van’s distinctive appearance and corrugated panels exude everything that is the French approach to automotive solutions: technically innovative, eccentric yet practical, visually delightful (some may take exception), and with a timeless appeal. And I have my younger son to thank for finding it. (Read More…)

I know some of you dear readers think I’m overly infatuated with tiny underpowered foreign toy cars. And you’re right! But that’s not why you’re rubbing your eyes looking at this visually challenging Ami 8; it’s the only other French vintage car I’ve found parked on the streets we roam on foot. But…I’m thrilled with my fate; the Ami was very high on my list of cars I was hoping to find (after a Peugeot 404), even if its not the earlier and more bizarre Ami 6. Now that would have really made an expensive trip to Paris worthwhile. And get this: the Ami looks pretty tame compared to the car that Citroen planned to build in its place. Get your sunglasses ready: (Read More…)

Well, the R4 clue kept you all going for a while. I knew it was very similar to the R5, but not quite the same. Stingray could have nailed it, but self-doubt reared its ugly head. Our winner is Portnoy, from Germany, and a recent addition to the TTAC family. Willkommen!

Well, some of you complained about our wasting bandwidth on such a weak-chested effete little tin box like the R4. So let’s do something more manly; a rugged and macho vehicle thoroughly capable of hauling a family and towing a caravan with its sturdy Euro-style hitch.

OK, I know there are a lot of American car lovers all over Europe, and finding a Mustang and Corvette is not that big a deal. But seeing American cars out of context never fails to make an impression on me, as it did when I was a kid in Austria: they just look out of place here. This early Corvette looked like it was a 12/10 version, fighting to make progress through a sea of little hatchbacks. I could see the driver sawing at the big wheel, and the burble of the V8 would makes this a ’55. A handsome beast among the natives, and a refreshing change. Unlike the other one:

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Despite being in sensual Paris, no one is going to accuse me of shameless sexual exploitation by posting this ugly little R4, or the woman behind it. I was late on the draw, and just missed a gaggle of cute girls who just walked behind it thirty seconds earlier. Why do they all have to smoke, though? Back to the subject at hand: I know many Americans may barely know know of the R4’s existence, and would be quite happy to go their graves without being enlightened to its Gallic charms. But it does represents one of the most important milestone in the development of the modern car: this lowly little box created and defined the whole genre of the compact hatchback. And it has a few other significant honors in its resumé. So put your anti Frenchy-car bias aside for a few minutes, and I promise to make it quick. And I have a bit of sexiness for the end. (Read More…)

Vacation or not, the CC show goes on. Autojunkie nailed the 442; congratulations. Now nail this one; but not too quickly, please.

I first used this gem of a picture about a year ago. It certainly captures the essence of the man better than any other. I somehow stumbled upon it in an obscure site, and since then, it’s made the rounds on the web. But the story behind the picture was left to speculation, beyond knowing that it happened on an Opel test track. I helped a German site (oldtimer-markt.de) find the source of the photo, and in exchange, I got the story, from Florian Schwaab of oldtimer-markt, who wrote the following: (Read More…)

I may eventually get around to writing up my epistle from the Paris Auto Show, but then it was incidental to our (first) vacation to the City of Lights. It’s a bit challenging to think of staying inside writing in the midst of this endlessly stimulating, charming and superbly beautiful city. We rented a 6th floor apartment (no elevator) in one of the most colorful old neighborhoods on the Left Bank, St. Germain de Pres. Many of the streets, like ours, is closed to cars. And when there are cars, they’re inevitably small. Suddenly, the Smart seems brilliant. It’s not uncommon to see five or more of them on any given block. And all of them have dings and tears on the their “fender” corners, thanks to the “parking by feel”. They should just put bumper-car bumpers on them all. BTW, that’s a Ligier micro-car in front of the Smart. (Read More…)