No? Never? Well, technically this isn’t a Buick, but an Opel Astra GTC OPC (at least according to Auto Motor und Sport). And given that Buick is holding off on bringing serious power to its Regal GS (at least until a coupe comes out of Germany), it’s fairly unlikely that they would bring a 290 HP, limited-slip, six-speed hot hatch to the Buick brand any time soon. Or is it? The line for “Mr Euro”-style self-delusion forms here…
Within weeks of becoming Editor-in-Chief here at TTAC (and through a truly unexpected twist of fate), I was given the opportunity to interview Jaguar’s head of Design, Ian Callum on the occasion of my first-ever visit to Detroit. True to our industry-centric mission, I was in town for Chrysler’s Five Year Business Plan, and to be perfectly honest, I struggled with the challenge of interviewing a chief designer, especially one who had recently rejuvenated the aesthetics of such a storied brand.
As I was fumbling through our breakfast interview, we were joined by a GM executive who happened to live at the hotel where Mr Callum was staying, and when I got the most unexpected answer of the interview, it’s safe to say this exec jumped as high out of his seat as I did. I had asked Callum what his favorite new car was, and to my complete surprise he answered “Chevrolet Stingray Concept.” That answer actually played a surprisingly important role in my subsequent career, as it earned Mr Callum and myself an invitation to GM’s Heritage Center (once we had scraped the GM exec’s jaw off the floor), where we spent three hours wandering around and taking in the best of GM’s glorious past.
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DeTomaso’s re-launch landed with a thud when it debuted its “Deauville” CUV monstrosity. But it’s possible that the “D’oh-ville” (as it will henceforth be known here at TTAC) was simply the amuse-bouche (French speakers will be able to offer a more apt variation) before the real meal. Just as the D’oh-ville was first seen in a very specifically-staged video, a mid-engined sportscar has been spotted leaving DeTomaso’s headquarters while being “spied” from the exact same angle. So expect something a little more heritage compliant from the brand that created the Vallelunga, Mangusta and Pantera.
Are you ready to crank some Korean crunk (see video above) and cruise the town in a long, rear-drive, V8-powered… Kia? Get ready, as Kia Motors Australia COO Tony Barolow tells drive.com.au that
We have an interest in all new models under development. A rear-wheel-drive premium sedan could be seen as a logical step from the Optima to the next level of Kia development. It is far too early at this stage to be any more precise about the car but we will definitely maintain a watching brief.
The Hyundai Genesis platform-mate has been photographed in camouflage (click here for more Korean crunk-free images), and the rumormill has it debuting in Frankfurt this fall, or possibly the NAIAS next January. In any case, get ready for a Schreyer-styled, “proper” Kia flagship to come down the line at some point in the near future.
Zagato’s 100 year birthday present to Alfa Romeo, the TZ3 Corsa, was originally designed around the Alfa 8C’s running gear. So when Sergio Marchionne started showing dealers a new Viper prototype that “resembled the 8C,” I suggested that the TZ3 Corsa’s long-nosed, kammback profile made it a good role model for a future Italian-influenced Viper. And now, as if to explore that very possibility, Zagato has come out with a street-going TZ3 Stradale which drops the 8C underpinnings for a Viper ACR chassis and V10. Is this a look at the high-performance future of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance?
Recently, our man in Brazil has been confessing his love for Citroen’s “anti-retro” DS series, sparking a debate over what qualifies as “retro” and what qualifies as “anti-retro.” Here, to help draw the distinction are two separate interpretations of an iconic vehicle. On the left is Geely’s EnglonSC7-RV concept, which gives a tackily Chinese take on the classic British taxi. On the right is VW’s Up! London Taxi concept, which takes the same inspiration and packages it in a far more sleek, modern style. As a result, the Englon looks like a doughy, anglophile PT Cruiser, while the VW looks sharp, crisp and yet classic. When it comes to interpreting modern classics, its seems that capturing the spirit of a car is more important than faithfully recreating its cues.
Mazda has joined the party at the 40 MPG beach, rolling out its new SkyActive engine technology in order to give its Mazda3 refresh a 40 MPG EPA highway rating (with autobox, 39 MPG with manual). Power is up as well with the new engines, generating 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 148 lb-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm. But possibly the biggest Mazda news: as part of its goal to become “the Japanese Alfa Romeo,” Mazda’s stylists have toned down the 3’s goofy grin, giving it a slightly more grave countenance. Again, by addressing the 3’s traditional weaknesses, namely weak fuel economy and overwrought styling, Mazda has helped make the NYIAS a banner year for well-executed mid-cycle refreshes.
What lies beneath the vaguely Alfa-Romeo-like styling of the FAW Besturn B30? Here’s a hint: it’s the car that China refuses to let die. Still don’t know? Well, believe it or not, there’s a Mk. II Jetta under that sharply-creased sheetmetal, as China’s car industry seeks new ways to keep flogging the same 30-year-old German iron. Because, if it ain’t broke…
A few summers ago, a run-in with a then-new Jaguar XF led me to criticize the Jag’s lack of what the Germans call “Überholprestige,” or, “the ability of a car to intimidate drivers into moving out of your way.” Granted, it’s not the most important consideration for most car buyers, but if you’re dropping upwards of $40k for a luxury sedan, you want its front end to leave some kind of impression. After all, who cares what badge you’ve bought, if the car can’t be recognized as an expensive speed freak in the rear-view mirror of the Avalon that’s hogging the left lane? Well, it seems Jaguar agreed that the front-end of its XF lacked a certain gravitas, and they’ve given the old girl a ferocious looking nip-tuck. Sure, its new scowl looks distinctly BMW-esque and all LED running lights invite inevitable Audi comparisons, but it’s also got the grace and ferocity of the brand’s eponymous predator. In short, the new fascia really ties the design together, and makes the XF a more broadly-appealing and visually impactful competitor. Well done, Jaguar.
Like the Subaru Impreza, Kia’s Soul is a car that I’ve nursed a soft spot for ever since it became the first car I ever reviewed for TTAC. When friends approach me asking for advice about practical, flexible low-cost cars, the Soul is often one of my first suggestions, and nobody has ever regretted at least test-driving one. The Soul earned further brownie points from me during the Detroit Auto Show a few months back, when our rental Soul carted us through a nasty snowstorm with aplomb. So, like the Impreza, I was a little bit nervous when Kia announced they would be updating the Soul at the New York Auto Show.
We’ve been wondering whether Nissan would be bringing both a sedan version of its new Versa (sold abroad as the Nissan Sunny) and a hatchback version (sold abroad as the Tiida) to the US market, and now we know: The “Sunny” sedan will be sold here as the Versa sedan starting this summer as a 2012 model, while a hatchback version (possibly different than the Chinese version we’ve seen) is still a good year out.
Pricing will remain on the low end, with abase MSRP of $10,990, though interior volume is down slightly, from 94.7/17.8 (passenger/luggage) to 90/14.8 and its platform is 150 lbs lighter than its predecessor. The new 1.6 engine makes 109 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 107 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, returning 37/33 MPG with CVT, 27/36 with manual. And here’s the strange part: though Nissan refers to the Versa as a “compact,” a new Sentra is still planned for sometime in the next 18 months. Between a new Micra, the Versa sedan and hatches and a new Sentra to boot (not to mention the compact Leaf EV), Nissan seems to be going all-in on small cars.
The joint Subaru-Toyota “FT-86” has been hyped for some time now as a modern-day AE86, a car with which Akio Toyoda hopes to recapture the “splendid flavor” of driving excitement that has been missing from Toyotas for some time. An affordable halo, in other words, which reconnects Toyota to the youthful enthusiasm of young men in search of rear-drive antics. And since it’s facing an aging demographic, that’s not a bad idea for the Toyota brand. Unfortunately, the latest look at the Toyobaru’s evolving styling is being shown in New York as a Scion, the brand that exists to prove that the Toyota brand can’t be youthful and exciting (and which just got a new sports coupe).
I’ve been on the record as a Scion-basher for some time, so I won’t beat a dead horse here… but if the FT-86 is supposed to be a halo for Toyota, it can’t just be shuffled off to the Scion ghetto. The car will probably sell regardless of the badge it ends up wearing, but the Toyota brand needs this enthusiasm investment, and Scion just needs to die.
Especially since the Legacy/Outback started ballooning and the Forester got a dealer-demanded homogenization, the Impreza has been my personal favorite Subaru (my significant other owns an ’08 wagon). It may not win any fuel economy contests in its size class, but the weight of its AWD system and grunty 2.5 liter engine make it a solid baby grand tourer compared to its front-drive competitors. But with gas prices now climbing steadily towards “freak-out” levels and competitors lounging on the 40MPG beach, a consistent 26 MPG no longer cuts the mustard. And so the new Impreza will lose its 2.5 liter engine in favor of a 2.0 unit which, along with some weight loss and a CVT will power the new Impreza to a 27/36 MPG EPA rating (25/33 with the manual transmission). Far be it from us to complain about less weight and more fuel economy, but it feels like the Impreza may be giving up some of its niche appeal in search of mainstream acceptance… not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Hyundai has received a lot of attention recently for improvements in its product lineup, but as TTAC has proved, it’s actually the brand’s non-product innovations that can be most closely tied to its recent success. Hyundai’s biggest sales growth in the US market has come on the heels of its 100k mile warranty and its Assurance buy-back program, rather than the introduction of any new car. And so, although Hyundai has revealed its new Accent (which we already showed you), the big Hyundai news coming out of New York is the brand’s latest Assurance feat: a trade-in value guarantee. The program rolls out in May, and Hyundai USA CEO John Krafcik tells the DetN that
Depreciation is a big unknown. It’s like giving one of the big benefits of leasing, but you’re still owning the car. We’re already one of the highest brands in loyalty, and we think this will help.
It certainly can’t hurt.
Ford fans, rejoice! The Blue Oval Brand has been promising to do more to differentiate its “all go, no SHO” 365 HP Taurus SHO since the fall of 2009 (shortly after it debuted). After all, why drop nearly $40 large on a Ford if nobody realizes that it’s the high-po Ecoboosted version? Sure enough, Ford has updated the regular Taurus for the 2013 model-year, and its gone and visually differentiated the SHO while it was at it. But though the SHO now looks different from the standard car, can you actually tell which is which? (Hint: it’s the Kia-looking one) It’s one thing to simply differentiate the SHO… but does a mesh grille and some black trim justify the SHO’s high price or represent its potent power? Q-ships are cool, but they don’t have a great sales record.
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