Motor Authority reports that a new, smaller Bavarian SUV has been caught running the 'Ring. And they're doing so with a straight face (BMW, not the Australian bloggers). Based on the 1-Series (not our favorite Bimmer), the X1 will be smaller than the X3. Uglier too, which is quite an impressive feat. The X1 will borrow design cues from the sleek CS Concept, including the big flat nostrils, headlights and an "aggressive bumper" (whatever that may mean). The X1 will not only be more expensive than the 1-Series (gulp), it will share many parts with the upcoming MINI Cooper SUV in order to reduce costs. You can also order your X1 with a 145 hp 1.8-liter four-banga or a 3.0-liter diesel, though probably not here. Look for your daughter's best friend to be driving an X1 xDrive35i to the prom in 2009.

MINI's forthcoming Crossman cute ute is set to debut later this year at the Paris Auto Show. Spy images and details are already making the rounds on the autoblogosphere. Channel Four tells us that the Crossman is based on the next-generation generation of MINI platforms, which will accommodate larger variants like the Crossman. As a result, the MINI Ute is larger, rides about 80mm higher than a standard MINI and stretches over 12 feet long. The Crossman will offer BMW X-Drive AWD, although front wheel drive will most likely be the base configuration. An optional Efficient Dynamics start-stop system should help keep fuel efficiency reasonable. The Crossman will be closely related to BMW's forthcoming X1 baby ute (cannibalism much?). Both vehicles will be built in Austria by Magna Steyr. With a planned annual production of 80k units, there should be plenty of Crossmen available for those urban sophisticates who are willing to pay considerably more for a MINI that looks like it could handle a forest service road. The Crossman will be available stateside some time in… 2010.

Old fogies like me remember when BMW's GM-sourced automatic transmissions caused sturm und drang. Brand dilution! How can we Germans rely on a foreign competitor [at least in theory] for a key technology? So much for that. So why all the hubbub when BMW reveals they'll share engines with another carmaker? At last weekend's annual shareholder meeting, CEO Norbert Reithofer caused an uproar by announcing that the next-generation 1-Series will have a four-banger developed with PSA (Peugeot/Citroën). Reality check: BMW's MINI started life with a Brazilian-built Chrysler-designed Tritec engine. The MINI One D used a Toyota-built diesel engine. From November 2006, the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S models have been powered by a 1.6 litre engine co-developed by BMW and PSA Peugeot-Citroën. But propeller-heads don't want a Bimmer-badged car to mix genes with the French. The Financial Times Deutschland calls the move a "taboo breaker," while shareholders bemoan the brand's move from "class to mass." Ever the beancounter, Reithofer prefers to focus on saving money: "A car's engine is responsible for 25% of the car's total manufacturing cost." So that's alright, then.

Saying that TTAC readers have opinions about cars is like stating that water is wet. We'll therefore make the assumption that your friends, families and loved ones know what you think about cars. Assuming that, we will also bet that you get hit up for car advice more often than not. Us too. But do those who ask listen? A year ago my own sister was in the market for a new car; her '01 Sentra was just about dead. Her next car had to be good on gas and reliable while not looking dorktastic. I recommended the Mazda3, Subaru Impreza and MINI Cooper. She drove them all and reported back. They were "too sporty." She then bought a two-door Honda Civic. And loves it. On the other end of the spectrum, a friend of mine had a pair of Datsun 280Zs that were done playing parts car for each other. He wanted something reliable, fun to drive and cheap. I told him to try a Honda Fit. He not only bought it, he's decided to trade his current Fit for the 2009 model as soon as they hit our shores. That's 50/50, not too bad. Do I have to talk about my brother-in-law's RAV4? I do? Man… Anyhow, you?

In India, Suzuki has over 50 percent of the market share. You might have heard this factoid on Wednesday's podcast, you might have read it during our coverage of the NYC auto show. I've said it for a third time because it really is quite amazing. Part of their sales success is down to Suzuki's extremely well developed small car lineup, anchored by the Swift, which is not on sale in America because Suzuki hates freedom. And import costs, currency fluctuations and low profit margins. (We do have a Swift-related car however, the fun-to-drive SX4 crossover). Back to India, where Maruti Suzuki is taking names and kicking behinds. They've just unveiled a sedan version of the normally attractive Swift hatchback, and it might just be the most awkward car of the year. There are other uglies out there like the Mercedes ML and the MINI Cooper Clubman John Cooper Works. But this might just take the cake for bizarre mass market car [outside of China]. Oh, and as if it wasn't weird enough, they're calling it the "Dzire" and marketing it as "The Heart Car." In sum, ew.

Since 1936, Oscar Mayer's hot dog-shaped vehicle has been keeping the company's weiners in the automotive limelight. (We're talking MECHANICALLY SEPARATED TURKEY, PORK, MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, FLAVOR, SODIUM LACTATE, CORN SYRUP, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, DEXTROSE, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE (MADE FROM SUGAR), SODIUM NITRITE on wheels.) And during that time, the Wienermobile has always ridden on an American chassis. As The New York Times reports, the previous gen was no exception, sitting on a Chevy W-4 series truck platform. No more. As you can see here, the new Weinermobile is a based on the German-owned, British-built MINI Cooper (S no less). It's a change that didn't escape the attention of NYT scribe Robert Peele. "I asked [spinmeister] Big Dog Bill if the smaller vehicle was a signal that Oscar Mayer was adjusting to concern over gas prices and fuel efficiency. Was this an attempt at a greener Wienermobile? The answer was slightly disappointing. While the Mini Wiener will indeed be more fuel efficient, he said, its true raison d’être was to celebrate Oscar Mayer’s 125th anniversary." (Way to press the point, Mr. Peele.) Too bad the Weinermobile doesn't sit on an old Subaru platform. Then they could could take it international as a Bratwurstmobile. [thanks to starlightmica for the link]

This season the blokes over at BMW have blessed us with two relatively diMINuative product announcements. First, they showed us the MINI Clubman. It's antithetical to the MINI brand, it's ugly, it's impractical, the micro suicide door is only on one side, the barn doors obscure vision and it's ugly. You should hate the Clubman as if it had slept with your ex-girlfriend. And she liked it. As if that wasn't too much, this week MINI previewed the John Cooper Works (JCW) performance packages that will officially be unveiled at Geneva. Though hideously overpriced, the JCW pack gets 'er done, We're talking a horsepower boost (to 207hp), upgraded suspension, a new performance exhaust and some crass alloys. But the JCW's real coup: how it transforms the already ugly Clubman into the ugliest car currently on sale in the United States. MINI says the Clubman is a more practical MINI; with the JCW package it really is da bomb [paraphrasing]. I reckon it's so vile that it may, in ten years, have all the reverse appeal of the Pontiac Aztek.

[Pixamo gallery of the Gorgonesque Clubman here.] 

The New York Times lists the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's 12 greenest vehicles sold in the U.S. Not surprisingly, it's dominated by foreign brands. In fact, the TTAC Ten Worst nominee Ford Focus is the only American nameplate on the list. The Honda Civic GX, which runs on compressed natural gas, sits in the top of the greenest tree. Only four hybrids sent out an aroma of undefined love: Prius, Civic Hybrid, Altima Hybrid and Camry Hybrid. Rounding out the list: smart fortwo, Yaris, Corolla, MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper Clubman, Civic and Fit. Imports also dominated the six "most environmentally damaging vehicles." Four of these were were oil burners: Touareg V-10 TDI (the worst of the worst), Mercedes GL 320 CDI, Grand Cherokee diesel and Mercedes R320 CDI. The Bugatti Veyron and Lambo Murciélago round out the dirty half-dozen. Neither GM's "Green Car of the Year" (Yukon Hybrid) nor the treehugger's four-wheeled enemy #1 (Hummer H2) showed-up at either extreme.

Until GM’s stylish EV-1 came along, electric vehicles (EVs) looked like they were made in shop class. Back then, very few people actually thought about owning an EV. Though many electric dreams have been literally crushed, green-thinking and/or peak oil-aware drivers now look to EVs as the natural successor to traditional fossil-fuel sucking and CO2 spewing motorcars. But are they worthy?

With standard nickel metal hydride batteries, no. Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) demonstrate the best use– and limitations– of the technology. NEVs such as GEM and ZENN are fully functional, ready right now vehicles. But most of us would hesitate to (as in never) shell out $10K – $15K for a vehicle with a range of 30 to 35 miles and a speed of 25 to 30 mph– especially when we could get a Yaris or Fit for the same money.

The EV’s immediate and long-term future [still] depends on developing powerful, reliable and safe batteries. At the moment EV hopes reside in lithium-ion batteries, which are twice as powerful by weight as nickel-metal-hydride batteries.

Li-ion cells work great in our mobile phones and iPods. But automotive batteries must transfer much larger amounts of energy than a notebook battery. Safety, both real and perceived, is a huge problem. Fire can result from a ruptured separator: the electrically insulating porous polymer membranes that stop electrons (but let ions pass) between anode and cathode.

Automakers need high performance separators that allow greater ion flow and thus more power with safety membranes that close pores when overheated, thus stopping fire. Production is complicated; the Tesla Motor’s Li-Ion cooling system is a complex work-around with inherent risks and limitations, both practical and financial. Meanwhile, Evonik, Celgard, Asahi Kasei and even ExxonMobil are working on multilayer separators to make lithium-ion car batteries safe enough for soccer moms.

Even if they don't burst into flame, lithium-ion batteries are expensive. Their capacity often degrades in the first year. They don’t work well in cold temperatures. And they sometimes fail altogether after three years. Yet many EV startups confidently offer lithium-based electric vehicle conversions.

Hybrid Technologies lists a range of electric vehicle conversions. The Smart ForTwo becomes the $43.5K LiV Dash; the MINI Cooper becomes the $57.5K LiV Flash; the Chrysler PT Cruiser becomes the $55K LiV Surge; and most recently, the Toyota Yaris becomes the $39.5K LiV Wise. Hybrid Technologies claim 100 mile ranges, 70 to 80 mph speeds and at least 1500 charges.

Lion EV offers the $30K Ford Ranger EV, a $35.5K Ford Escape EV and a $37.5K Ford Escape Hybrid PHEV. They claim a base range of 120 miles for the Escape EV and 200 miles for the Ranger EV.

For serious EV shoppers, their manufacturers’ greatest weakness: you can pretty much forget about kicking the tires and taking your prospective purchase for a quiet spin. Hybrid Tech is looking for distributors other than the catalog at Sam's Club. LionEV claims their dealerships are home-based with no lots to visit. "How can I arrange a tour of your manufacturing plant?" asks the LionEV FAQ. "You can't," is the answer.

Prices for these unseen, untouched vehicles are expressed in general terms– many options cannot be specified before ordering. And ordering online requires paying an upfront deposit weeks, months and even years ahead of delivery.

Lion and Hybrid are two of the rare companies that actually let you order four-wheel electric vehicles with some expectation of delivery. The Tango looks great next to George Clooney, but it requires a $10K deposit and a two to three year wait (while Commuter Cars lines up investors). Phoenix and Think maintain Flash-y websites that promise breakthroughs, but never seem to have anything for sale (in the U.S., anyway). And then there’s Tesla’s Roadster. Or, as is the case, not.

Assuming that EV makers get their acts together and create lithium-ion batteries (or some better storage medium) that are powerful enough to offer the range and recharge times consumers demand, and safe enough to withstand America’s litigious society, the question remains: are EVs a suitable solution to our desire for personal mobility?

On the positive side, nearly everyone has electrical power in their homes and businesses. No question: there’s a lot of unused nighttime generating capacity. EVs run clean, run quiet (too quiet, according to advocates for the hearing challenged).

On the negative side, electrical energy has to come from somewhere, and that source is usually CO2-emitting, fossil-fuel-fired plants and/or the ever-controversial nuclear power plants.  Except for the tiny contribution by wind and solar, and the modest contribution by hydroelectric, electricity is not clean power. Nor is electric power any more guaranteed to stay less expensive than oil and natural gas.

In short, EVs have a long way to go before they can go a long way towards transforming America’s transportation system.

With the Fiat 500 Abarth and 500 Abarth SS set to debut at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, e-Fiatisti have been eagerly awaiting the inevitable internet sneak peek leak of the scorpion-branded Toppolinos. Andiamo! Autospies.com brings us this official (if photochopped) image of the "small but wicked" Abarth. With its 1.4-liter turbo four making 135 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, Fiat's mighty midget is only stage one in Abarth's twisted scheme to make Europe's Car Of The Year speziato. Stage two? The 500 Abarth SS, which Auto Motor und Sport reckons could stump-up 180hp. If so, that's a full eight horsepower more than the Euro-pocket rocket standard bearer, the MINI Cooper S. Which is, methinks, the point. In any case, it remains to be seen if the Abarth's TTC (Torque Transfer Control) kills front wheel-drive helm squirm and/or makes the Italian [toy] stallion a better steer than its Germano-British competition. TTAC central command has charged our man Schwoerer with that particular piece of investigative journalism. Bastardo. [TTAC welcomes Edward Niedermeyer, son of contributor Paul Niedermeyer.]

[Pixamo slide show of new Fiat 500 Abarth here.]

“We wanted the MKT to be the Lear Jet of the road.” That’s how Ford's director of design for the Americas describes Lincoln’s concept car to the Pittsburg Post-Gazette. Brit-born Peter Horbury says Lincoln is on the mend. “As of now, we have had 14 consecutive months of sales growth at Lincoln. So once we established that the Lincoln brand was alive and kicking, we put together this Lincoln design vision for the future.” Yada X3. Things get more interesting when Horbury talks small. “The Verve is intended to very much indicate around the world where small cars from Ford are heading.” As to the resurgent popularity of small cars in the U.S., Horbury doesn’t see the price of gas or environmental concerns as the primary sales driver. “What changed things for small cars in this country was the popularity of the Mini Cooper. You can spend an awful lot of money optioning out a Mini. But more people want a car like that these days.” Then the capitalization-challenged reporter (MINI) Don Hammonds asks the question on our minds… lately: “What about Jill?” “Mercury will remain a Ford with extras, a new front end and new tail end, and different materials used inside and out. That approach seems to work very well.” Sure, just like anorexia suits the Olsen twins. 

GM Global Product Maven Maximum Bob Lutz claims that satisfying new U.S. federal fuel economy regulations will cost the consumer an additional $6k per car, on average. That seems a bit of a strange statement, as there are already plenty of cars capable of besting the freshly-minted mandate. From Japan to Jerusalem, from Mumbai to Milan, the world is filled, and filling, with suitably fuel efficient passenger cars. The real question is whether or not America is ready– make that “willing”– to buy the same sort of frugal machines that the rest of the world has been driving for years. Take the Fiat Grande Punto. Please.

The North American International Auto Show is winding down to it's inevitable conclusion, as journalists and auto execs alike stumble into Detroit's winter gloom, wondering what the New Year will bring, knowing that it won't bring half the weird-ass shit they just saw inside the Cobo convention center. As TTAC celebrates the conclusion of this PR bragfest in the only way we know how (watching Top Gear's Hamster almost kill himself in a jet-powered car on BBC America), we invite you to have a look at the pictures Mr. Montgomery snapped that didn't make it into blog posts. We'll have more show-related news tomorrow. But for now, a big thank you from me to Sajeev Mehta, William C. Montgomery and Frank Williams for keeping it real. You should be proud. Never in the course of the internet have so few done so much for so few. Or something like that.

Our [non Dodge] intrepid reporters at the North American International Auto Show– Mssrs. Montgomery and Mehta– are calling it a day. It's been a historic moment for The Truth About Cars; Frank and I are proud of our electronic collaboration. We didn't offer the breadth of coverage that other, better equipped and more experienced members of the media swarm have produced. And our technology could use a bit of an upgrade. But it's been a Hell of a start, well in keeping with TTAC's tone and no-holds-barred traditions. Tomorrow is the big day, when our warmed-up journalists mobilize their mojo, and TTAC's MIA big gun commentators return to their cubicles, loaded for bear. I certainly hope you'll join us for the festivities. Meanwhile, if you want to see today's scalps, click on the links below. Thanks for being there.

2009 Honda Pilot

BMW ActiveHybrid

BMW Advanced Diesel

BMW Hydrogen7

BMW M3

BMW M6

BMW X6

Ford

Ford Explorer America Concept

Ford F-150

Ford Flex

Ford Mustang

Ford Verve Concept

Honda Accord

Lexus

Lexus LF-A Roadster

Lexus LX570

Mazda

MINI Clubman

MINI Cooper

MINI Cooper S

Nissan GT-R

smart fortwo

Subaru Forester

Toyota Corolla XRS

When BMW launched MINI stateside, its U.S. ad agency's unconventional approach (heavy on internet-based viral marketing) did wonders for the brand. Now that the new German-built, Jeremy Clarkson-reviled MINI Clubman is set to cross the pond, the automaker's "brand advocacy partner" Butler, Shine, Stern, & Partners (a.k.a. BSSP) has devised some, uh, "unique" cross-branded swag. Brandweek reports that the Sausalito-based agency has hooked-up with Visionaire, a NY publisher of themed, multimedia magazines to create the the $250 “Mini Clubman Vinyl Killer" edition. The package includes five picture-disc 12-inch records and a portable record player with a small Clubman replica for a cartridge. No really. There's also the MINI Clubman Onitsuka Tiger. The bespoke running shoe sports the MINI logo on the heel, and comes in color schemes to match those available for the Clubman (including black/silver and cream/British green). As you might expect, Brandweek analyzes MINI's most recent marketing plans with something approaching a Zen koan: "There is a place for Mini to work on selling to more hipster-oriented consumers, and it lies somewhere between Scion and Mini." So now you know.