A major complaint about the current BMW M5 was that it traded its walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick cachet for muscle-bound advertisement of its steroidal abilities. The New York Times‘ reportage on the European tradition of badge deletion concludes that Americans simply don’t appreciate a good Q-ship the way they do on the continent. And the thesis is probably correct. When was the last time you saw a BMW that didn’t advertise its cubic centimeter displacement (or something like it) on its rear trunklid? Probably not since the last time you saw an out-of-place “M” or “AMG” badge on an obviously downmarket model. Fine, so the American super-sedan buyer wants some badge for their buck. It’s understandable. All I ask for is the option of making an M5 look indistinguishable from a grandfatherly 528. And BMW’s decision to downsize the M5 from a V10 to a turbocharged V8 makes the next M5 the perfect opportunity to do so. As the muted engine note in this video reveals, if nothing else, the option still exists.
Honda is showing a new, near-production version of its forthcoming CR-Z hybrid sports coupe at the Tokyo Auto Show. According to this video, Honda is calling its design language “Advanced Sensual Bullet.” You feeling it? If not, research is already underway on modifications to make the neo-CRX look more like the ur-CRX. And styling aside, the contrast between the CR-Z (1.5-liter I-4 with IMA mild hybrid, FWD and a six-speed manual) and the Toyobaru FT-86 (2.0 boxer four, RWD and a six-speed manual) should make for some interesting road tests and endless internet debates. In 2011. Or perhaps even 2012. Still, these are encouraging signs for those of us who might have been tempted to declare the age of the entry-enthusiast car at an end.
Audi’s US market product plans have been spilled to Automotive News [sub], and there are a few surprises in the mix. The e-tron all-electric R8 has reportedly been given a green light for production within two to three years. Staying with Audi’s EV plans, there’s word that the Europe-only A2 could be brought back as an EV for the US market. Though the all-aluminum A2 ceased production in 2005, the AN report is unclear whether a possible A2 EV for the US would be based on a new version of this blogger’s favorite city car. An A3 sedan has reportedly been approved for the US as well, although rumors that the forthcoming A1 could be coming stateside as well have been squashed over currency concerns. A restyled A8 is planned for 2010, and an A6 refresh is scheduled for 2011. Meanwhile, the A7 (shown as the Sportback concept) will go into production in Europe, although it doesn’t seem likely to arrive in the US. A Q3 crossover is planned for 2011, but not until a hybrid version of the Q5 debuts. Audi has dropped FWD TT models from its lineup, and is considering selling an A4 with the Q7’s 3.0 twin-turbo diesel V6.
The FT-86 concept, based on an RWD variant of the Subaru Impreza chassis, has been revealed at the Tokyo Auto Show. And behold, the Toyobaru coupe of internet legend appears to be in near-production trim. With a 2.0 boxer four, a six-speed manual and a forecast base price of under $30k, the FT-86 hopes to live up to the promise of its AE86 reference point. If nothing else, it signals the possible end of a long winter for Toyota’s enthusiast lineup, which effectively went into hibernation when the MR-2 Spyder was canned in 2007. But don’t get too excited. The FT-86 production model won’t go on sale in Japan until “late 2011,” so it’s anyone’s guess when it will become available in the States.
It’s been a long time since anyone has taken on the many makers of Lotus 7-based sportscars. These kitcar cottage industries have made many updates to their drivetrains over the years, perking up Colin Chapman’s classic design with engines from ranging from Ford Duratecs to Suzuki Hayabusa mills to handbuilt V8s. But these have been incremental changes, keeping the look and underpinnings of the original unchanged. What has yet to be attempted is a fresh-sheet, 21st Century re-imagining of the classic form. Until the krauts behind Roding came along, anyway. Auto Motor und Sport shows off renderings of their all-new lightweight roadster, developed with help from Munich Technical University and set to debut as a production car in 2011. Though it looks 7-like, it’s actually a mid-engine design, which is how we imagine Herr Chapman would create his own all-new 7 (witness the Elise). The engine itself is a 400 hp turbocharged five-pot (of Audi extraction?), which gives the Roding Roadster a power-to-weight ratio of about 6.5 pounds per horsepower, or about the same as an F430. So 2,400 pounds isn’t quite in the same featherweight class as the 7, but the Roding looks like quite the compelling interpretation of a classic roadster.
AutoBild reports that Audi will be dropping Lamborghini-sourced V10s from its R8, RS6 and S8 models. AB blames the V10’s weight, thirst and complexity for the move, although one might guess brand strategy played a role in the decision as well. With over twice as many brands as GM, the Volkswagen Group has to work hard at not competing with itself, and keeping V10s in the Lamborghini camp seems like a good place to start. But Audi’s long-soldiering aluminum 4.2 V8, which has seen duty in everything from the R8 to the RS4, has also earned eight-cylinder engines a home in the Audi brand. And since that engine is used by independent supercar manufacturers from Spyker to Gumpert, there’s no shame in giving up a pair of cylinders. Besides, with the new S4 downsized to a supercharged V6, there’s room at the top of the range for an eight-pot. And guess what? There’s a new one in the works. AutoBild says an Audi-only 4.0 V8 is being developed which will make up to 550 hp and 515 lb·ft of twist in its highest state of tune. And even that won’t be the be-all and end-all of Audi performance: an R5 coupe is set to debut towards the end of 2011, powered by a 375 hp 2.5 liter turbo-five that harks back to the Ur-Quattro.
Retool this! Fisker will use the majority of its Advanced Technologies Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVML) loan towards developing its next generation of plug-in, range-extended hybrids, according to the company’s press release [via Yahoo]. Preliminarily dubbed Project NINA, Fisker’s next vehicle range will be “affordable and fuel-efficient” vehicles with a similar drivetrain to its Karma sibling. Unfortunately, Fisker’s idea of affordable is $39,999 “after tax credit.” Sound familiar? Some portion of the AVTML money will go towards wrapping up Karma development, but it’s clear that Project NINA is the new priority. “Inspired by the ship belonging to explorer Christopher Columbus,” Fisker’s release intones, Project NINA “is symbolic of the automobile industry’s transition from old world to new.” Which is oddly appropriate. If it weren’t for state funding, that voyage would never have taken place either. [Thanks for the tips!]
Porsche’s current Boxster goes bye-bye in 2012, and to keep things moving Zuffenhausen appears to be bringing at least two special editions to market. First up, Auto Motor und Sport‘s Erlkönig spies have caught a Boxster-based Speedster mule testing in Germany. Speedsters are an integral component of Porsche’s rich heritage, first as a 356 variant, and later as limited edition 911s. This latest version should hit the streets in 2010 with a 303 hp version of the 3.4 liter Boxster flat six, a shortened windscreen and other Speedster visual cues (like the weird camouflaged humpback shown here) . But the real news comes from car Magazine, which claims to have caught sight of a Boxster R.
3,319 lb·ft of torque from four electric motors, and the best 0-60 time Audi came up with for its E-Tron concept was 4.8 seconds? Thanks but, uh, we’re not idiots.
Or is that pointlessly endearing? First off, they’re MINIs with trunks. Figure that out. Our first reaction to news of the Coupe and Roadster was to observe that the only thing the MINI brand needed was cars with a little less room. But, as MINI’s press release points out, the brand-defying decklids do have a point. Specifically, “[giving] the car a notchback look clearly distinguishing the MINI Roadster Concept from the MINI Convertible.” Too bad three-box MINIs aren’t MINIs. They’re RILEY ELFs. Ultimately though, brand confusion shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Not because nobody’s mentioned the Riley Elf in decades, but because the concept has a “buddy radar” display which alerts drivers to the presence of other MINIs. Which was a great way of addressing the second least common complaint among MINI drivers: anonymity.
BMW’s Norbert Reithofer scored some brownie points in Old Blighty by “confirming” that “the MINI Coupe concept car and another new MINI model [SPOILER ALERT: it’s a roadster] will both be built at Oxford.” Jolly good and all that, but Ze Germans just laid off 850 Oxford employees in February. So, are the Coupe and Roadster being fast-tracked for production? “We can’t put a number on it yet,” says Reithofer. “It will be years before we begin production. It takes time to scale up.” But why let that ruin some good hype?
Volkswagen’s BlueSport is still in concept form, but that didn’t stop Autobild from taking it out and comparing it to Mazda’s Miata, the industry standard for affordable fun. “Not bad, truly not bad,” is how the BlueSport’s creator Marco Fabiano describes the Miata, his concept’s intended prey. Which means the BlueSport will have to be “damn good, truly damn good” to break Mazda’s 20-year stranglehold on the entry-roadster market. At least VW is clear on that much going into the project.
As Mahindra inches closer to a US market launch, we’re hearing that the Indian firm is looking for US production capacity to avoid an import penalty. Automotive News [sub] reports that Mahindra’s pickup will go on sale “in phases” starting in early 2010, while the Scorpio SUV (shown here) will roll out about a year later. As for US production, Mahindra’s Executivev VP For International Operations Previn Shah says that he’s “exploring various options,” but that purchasing an existing factory makes the most sense. Do we smell a white knight for NUMMI?
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