Which Would You Rather?

Okay, so you’ve got a stupid amount of cash to spend on your next ride, but there are a few caveats. 1) It needs to be able to carry a bunch of stuff 2) It needs to be able to seat at least four people 3) It needs to be incredibly fast and 4) It needs to be able to handle like it’s on rails in the bends. What does that leave you?

Well, Motor Trend is convinced it has that list narrowed down to the Porsche Panamera Turbo, the BMW X6 M and the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. All very impressive vehicles, yet all very different from one another and all are not necessarily competitors with each other. All the more reason to see how they compare!

Obviously they ended up loving them all but for different reasons. They did choose one in the end, but I won’t spoil that for you. Click the video above to see who came out on top.

I must say, if I had to choose, this would be a very tough choice. The Cadillac’s manual transmission, low price and decent looks for a wagon are all great selling points. BMW’s unreal ability to make a 5,100 pound SUV perform as if it’s a car is mind boggling. Porsche’s ability to make the fastest production 4-door/hatchback and make it rival actual supercars on the track is also incredibly impressive. Especially considering how big it is!

Which would you rather? Have your say in the comments section. Also check out a video of the trio in a drag race after the jump.

[Youtube]

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The Ultimate Driving Machine Is Back!

After a experimenting for about a year with a new slogan and marketing campaign, BMW has apparently decided that “Joy is BMW” isn’t quite resonating with the people as much as its more famous “The Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan. In fact, I’d wager that slogan is one of the more famous slogans for any brand – including outside the car world. It may even be akin to Nike’s “Just do it” or MacDonald’s “I’m loving it”. I would also wager most people (car nuts or otherwise) would be able to identify “the ultimate driving machine” as BMW’s slogan.

Earlier in the year BMW hired a new marketing team and this is the newest commercial that they have come up with for the 5-series. While the slogan doesn’t appear in print at the end of the ad as it once did in the past, it is mentioned at the end by the narrator.

The ad also manages to highlight what we all have come to expect from BMW (performance) but also molds it quite well with BMW’s new commitment fo efficiency. Basically the ad wants to convey that you don’t need to give up driving pleasure in order to save gas and the environment.

Think it worked? What do you think of BMW’s new marketing direction?

[Youtube]

Forbes Releases Top 10 Worst Vehicles on the Road

Forbes, the people obsessed with making top 10 lists about, well everything, has just released its list of the worst vehicles on the road. How do you make such a list without accusations of being biased or opinionated? Well with the way Forbes did it, they essentially compiled six studies done by Consumer Reports on the most reliable, best and worst safety, best and worst fuel efficiency, best and worst value, and highest cost of ownership. They then compiled a top 10 list made up of seven American makes, two European makes and one Japanese make.

The Cadillac Escalade embarrassingly took the top score for least value, highest cost of ownership and worst safety scores. I’ll throw in that the Escalade is probably the easiest to steal for good measure.

The Chrysler Town & Country took worst reliability and faired pretty badly for cost of ownership. The Jeep Wrangler and Liberty scored for poor reliability and fuel economy while the Dodge Nitro and Dakota shared in those honours failures as well.

Along with the Escalade, GM took some hits with the Aveo, Colorado and Tahoe Hybrid making the list. All got marks for worst reliability, high cost of ownership and worst safety results.

The two Euros to make the list were both from Mercedes-Benz. The S-class made the list for high cost of ownership and low fuel efficiency scores while the Smart Fortwo was dinged for poor reliability and value.

The lone Japanese vehicle on the list was the Nissan Titan for poor fuel efficiency, reliability and cost of ownership.

With the exception of the three imports which are low volume sellers, people still seem to not get that the above mentioned domestics don’t excel in much. Yet they still sell in large numbers. Are there just that many stupid people out there? But before anyone starts on an anti-domestic vehicle tirade, it should be noted that not a single vehicle from Ford made the list.

[Forbes]

No Lancias Coming to Canada?

With the Fiat 500 officially on sale on our shores, it’s just the first of Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne’s plan of an Italian invasion. We will see many more Fiats, the return of Alfa Romeo, and even some Lancias. Or will we?

According to reports, the idea to bring the Lancia Ypsilon (pictured above) and the Lancia Delta has been shelved. The latter was even shown off at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show badged as a Chrysler. So, what gives? Well, apparently the launch of the Ypsilon was too close for comfort to the launch of the Fiat 500. There was a fear of the Ypsilon stealing the 500′s time to shine in the spotlight and cannibalizing 500 sales.

I can buy that, but why not just stagger the launches? Why cancel the plans all together?

Plans to sell the Chrysler 200, 200 convertible, 300 and Town & Country are apparently still on, however. They will be badged as Lancias.

So, not the greatest news, but I guess we should thank our lucky stars that we’re getting any Italian cars in the first place.

[Italiaspeed]

Say Hello to the New Baby Jeep

No, Jeep didn’t drastically change its design language, that’s actually a spy shot of the upcoming Fiat Qubo which isn’t sold in North America. So why is it relevant to us Canucks? Well, the Qubo has been confirmed to come to North America – not as a Fiat though, as a Jeep in 2013.

This new Qubo was spotted cold weather testing in Sweden which means it should be able to withstand Canadian winters as well. The updated Qubo will get a 1.3 litre and a 1.4 litre engine with a 1.6 litre diesel available as well. It’s expected that these Italian engines will carry over to the baby Jeep. In Europe the Qubo is front wheel drive, but expect all-wheel drive to be the order of the day for our version. It is wearing a Jeep badge, afterall. As a result, there won’t be too much part sharing between the Qubo and the jr. Jeep but they will still share certain componants such as the chasis, so expect to see some Fiat parts taken from the parts bin.

And don’t worry all you Jeep purists, this new Jeep will get round headlights and a verticle grille. Jeep CEO Mike Manly has assured everyone that the design of the Jeep will be very much like his last name. Let’s just hope they take care of that rolling over problem that the current Qubo and Citreon Nemo have going on.

[Autoblog]

Oh Hi: 2012 Chrysler 300S

Before you go rolling your eyes at the thought of another Chrysler product that is seemingly aimed at chrome-loving douchebags or Mafia wannabes, read the following sentence:

“No chrome . . . no wood . . . matte carbon fiber finishes . . . unique black or Radar Red leather . . . our biggest wheels, and world’s first integration of Beats by Dr. Dre audio technology – the best standard audio system period.”

That was Olivier Francois, president and CEO of the Chrysler brand describing the new 300S. Sounds pretty good so far, doesn’t it? Apparently Chrysler had been in negotiations with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine for months trying to get a deal to get the Doc’s audio technology standard in the 300S. If you’ve ever experienced Beats by Dr. Dre, you should very much appreciate that Chrysler went through all that effort because they’re definitely worth it.

Also, the 300S isn’t just all show. You get your choice of a either a 292 horsepower V6 or the 363 horsepower Hemi V8. A performance suspension, steering mounted paddle shifters and bigger ventilated disc brakes are all standard.

Helping to set itself apart from the regular 300 and the 300 SRT-8, the 300S will get a body coloured front facia, black bezel head lights, and 20 inch wheels. The horizontal grille blades will get painted in black chrome. So yeah, I guess Chrysler can’t quite quench its chrome addiction even when they try. At least it’s black chrome though. Whatever that is.

Anyway, the 300S will slot itself as the mid-level trim in the 300 range. I must admit, this is the closest Chrysler has come to making a credible and tasteful performance sedan. Keep it up, Chrysler!

[Top Speed]

Acura NSX Successor Still In the Works

The re-introduction of the iconic NSX from Acura has been going back and fourth between a green light for production and rumours dropping the idea altogether for some time now. The latest rumour was that Honda had decided to ditch the idea of an NSX successor because it was too demanding to develop cost-wise. Well that may not be true according to the latest rumour.

Honda Motor Company president Takanobu Ito recently hinted that the idea to revive the NSX isn’t quite off the table yet. In fact, he confirmed that Honda is still working on a successor. ito said that Honda wants to make a car that’s exhilarating to drive, but also environmentally friendly. This would suggest that the NSX successor will likely get a hybrid power train, or even perhaps a diesel unit. This also means that the hopes of Honda putting a rumoured V10 in the engine bay is extremely unlikely. Beggers can’t be choosers, I guess.

 Honda didn’t give any hints as to when this NSX successor will see the light of day, but Ito did mention that they are “working very hard on it”.

The NSX was always one of my fave sports cars when I was growing up, so the idea of a successor is pretty exciting for me!

[Auto Week]

BMW Details New Family of Engines

It has already been confirmed that the Z4 will be the first North American BMW to get their new 4-cylinder engine, but it certainly won’t be the last. BMW plans to put 6-cylinder, 4-cylinder and yes, even 3-cylinder engines in various models and trim levels. The purpose of the downsizing? Fuel efficiency, as always. BMW’s new efficientdynamics engines are expected to increase efficiency without sacrificing power. In fact there are power gains as BMW’s Theodor Melcher points out:

“(Downsizing) has nothing to do with the spirit of renunciation that many drivers associate with those engines. You can do things with a three now that you needed a six for in the past.”

With that said, the new engines will need a little help from high-pressure direct fuel-injection and turbochargers to make them capable of the power that we all expect from a BMW. Displacement will be between 400c and 500c.

The 3-cylinders will range in size of 1.2 litres to 1.5 litres. 4-cylinders will be in the 1.6 to 2.0 litre range, while the 6-cylinders will range from 2.4 litres to that lovely 3.0 litre that we all know and love. BMW hopes to get 50 to 70 horsepower per cylinder which means the 3.0 litre six could get as much as 400 horsepower. BMW is still sticking around with diesels which are also expected to be in the 3, 4 and 6 cylinder range. Their horsepower output per cylinder will be between 30 and 65. Both diesel and gas engines will get around 75 pound feet of torque per cylinder.

Don’t think the 3-cylinders will be limited to just Minis, however. Melcher didn’t deny the possibility of the 3′s making their way into rear wheel drive BMW’s. Okay, so the 1-series and the 3-series maybe, but apparently the 5 and 7-series could see the 3 cylinder in their engine bays as well. Now that’s just crazy talk.

But what about their amazing V8 and V12 engines? Will they get the axe?

“They will always be a part of BMW,” says Melcher, so don’t worry. In fact, demand for a V12 would probably be low which would essentially mean that BMW could hand build the engine a la Nissan GT-R. And as Nissan has proved, hand built engines are not a bad thing.

Expect to see the first of the new engines (the 4-cylinder which will make 240 horses and 230 pound feet of torque) in the Z4 by the end of this year. In the meantime you can check out the (somewhat cheesy) video above which details how BMW makes and installs the engines in its cars.

[Car and Driver]

Mercedes-Benz Re-Introduces Its M5 Killer

Mmm, gotta love those big German performance sedans!

At the New York Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz decided to let the 2012 AMG version of the E-Class out of the bag. The new E63 AMG will now get a more economical 5.5 litre V8 capable of making 518 horsepower. That number goes up to an exceptional 550 horsepower if you check off the AMG sport package on the options list. Which you really should, because if you do, your E63 AMG will be able to get from 0-100 in an impressive 4.3 seconds. The E63 AMG with out the AMG sport package still manages an impressive 4.4 seconds. A seven speed automatic is standard and was developed by AMG themselves. The Speedshit MCT transmission allows for very quick, smooth shifts.

But if you’re the type that feels quite guilty as you keep opening your wallet to feed your AMG, don’t worry because this new version is supposedly 22% more efficient. And if you’re the type that feels quite guilty knowing you’re probably killing Mother Nature every time you drive your AMG, the E63 AMG helps her out with spray guided direct injection, stop/start technology and eco friendly power steering which basically only draws power (and thus fuel ) when the steering wheel is being turned. It’s no Prius, but it’s good to know Mercedes thinks of little things like these.

Speaking of the steering wheel, it is an all new sport steering wheel with alluminum paddle shifters. Alcantra can be found of the wheel if you opt for the AMG sport package.

So, do you think this is enough to lure  loyalists from the newly redesigned BMW M5? Which would you rather? Sound off in the comments section.

[Mercedes-Benz]

Oh Hi: 2012 Hyundai Accent

Hyundai has just released pics and information on the cheapest member of its lineup.

This new Accent is going to start a little over 12 grand in the United States. There’s no Canadian pricing out yet, but with Nissan coming it with some seriously aggressive pricing of its new Versa, Hyundai might be well advised to try to keep that cheap-value crown.

The new Accent gets a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder engine capable of making 138 horsepower through either a 6-speed manual or automatic. Fuel efficiency is the Accent’s strong selling point and it doesn’t disappoint with a 7.8 l/100 kms city rating and 5.8 highway.

The Accent also packs in added value with standard safety features including six airbags and standard VSM, ESC, TCS, ABS, BA and EBD. It also has ABC’s 123′s and D-O double G’s. Just joking. But seriously, in the press release it just has a bunch of acronyms. If you’re not into cars, you probably don’t even know what all those letters mean. I don’t even know what they all mean. But they will apparently keep you safe, so I guess that’s all that matters.

Expect the 2012 Accent on lots very soon.

[Hyundai]

Oh Hi: 2012 Fiat 500c

Canadians are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Fiat 500 on our shores. In fact, some dealerships already have a few models in. Do yourself a favour and book a test drive. For a complete list of all the Fiat dealerships in Canada click here.

Anyway, the 500 will come to Canada in several flavours including a high performance Abarth version, an all-electric version and possibly a 4 door version. Also available will be a convertible version known as the 500c which is the next model to follow the regular 500. Fiat decided to let us in on some more details.

The 500c will get the same 1.4 litre 4 cylinder which produces 101 horsepower and 98 pound feet of torque mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. Those low power numbers are adequate considering the little 500′s size and weight, but they also help to translate into 6.1 l/100 kms combined fuel efficiency. The 500c adds open air, fun & efficient driving.

The 500c will use a power soft top that apparently can be opened at speeds up to 100 km/h. A reason why it’s able to do this is, as you can see from the picture, it’s not a traditional convertible. The windows, roof frame and side pillars stay stationary while the roof is the only thing that opens. This allows for open air driving without too much windiness.

The 500c can technically seat four, but in real life that would be a tight squeeze. Especially if you plan on carrying any extra cargo items because the 500c only offers 5.4 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up. That number grows to 23.4 with the seats down.

Expect the next 500 model to bow next year, and expect it to be the very exciting Abarth version!

[Chrysler]

Volvo S60 R-Design is Now All Show & All Go

When Volvo redesigned the S60, many purists were hoping that the ‘R’ versions would carry over as well. The previous generation S60 R generated a decent 300 horsepower and 300 pound feet of torque which made for quite the sleeper and very shocked and confused faces of most people when they realized they were beat from the lights by a Volvo.

However, Volvo didn’t carry over the S60 R for the new generation. Volvo said the new S60 T6 already made 300 horses and 320 horsepower so an R version wasn’t needed. With most of us scratching our heads wondering why 300 horsepower is apparently the cut off for Volvo, they tried to appease us by offering the “R-Design” which essentially gave the S60 the cosmetic appearance of the old S60 R, and tightened everything up to increase handling abilities. But still, there was no bump in power. Until now.

It seems Volvo is finally listening and is giving the S60 more go with its show. The S60 R-Design will now make 325 horsepower and a sizable 354 pound feet of torque. This now positions the S60 R as a credible contender against the 333 horsepower Audi S4 and the 320 horsepower BMW 335is.

Now, the only missing piece of the puzzle is to give this car a proper manual transmission. Get to it, Volvo!

[Volvo]

Oh Hi: 2012 Nissan Versa

Nissan shown up to the New York Auto Show with a much needed refresh of the Nissan Versa.

The biggest story with the new Versa is the bump in fuel economy. The Versa is 150 lighter and uses a 1.6 litre DOHC 4 cylinder engine using Pure Drive technology – which is essentially a badge that Nissan will only put on its models that acheive 140 g/CO2 or better. Nissan has been doing this in Europe since 2008 and the North American Versa will be the first to wear the badge on this side of the pond. All this helps the Versa achieve the very marketable “green” status, especially with fuel efficiency ratings of 7.1 l/100 kms. That’s not Toyota Prius numbers by any means but considering this car will start at $10,300 in the States, that’s a sizable deal when figuring the initial cost to gas savings ratio.

With that price point, the Versa’s immediate competition will likely be the Hyundai Accent. The Accent is offered in both hatchback and sedan form. Nissan only showcased the sedan at the auto show, and has yet to confirm the hatch. However, with Canadians’ love affair with small fuel efficient hatchbacks, it’s a good bet that a hatch will find its way over at some point.

No Canadian pricing has been released yet.

[Nissan]

Oh Hi: 2012 Subaru Impreza

After seeing spy shots of the front end of the next generation Impreza, there are no surprises on that front, but there sure are with the rest of the car.

The rest of the design elements can only be described as bold. In typical Subaru fashion, I’m willing to bet this new design will be just as polarizing as Imprezas before it. What should be pleasing to everyone, however, are the Legacy-esque headlights. Every headlight design of the Impreza since the ”bug-eyed” look from 2002 has generated sharp criticism. But with sharp creases and bulges everywhere, it’s clear that Subaru wants this Impreza to stand out. In fact, there seems to be lots of bulging a la WRX and STi going on here, which begs the question, just how radical are those designs going to be?

This new Impreza is 110 pounds lighter than its predecessor. This helps translate into better fuel efficiency, also helped out by the new, more efficient 4-cylinder boxer engine mated to a 5-speed manual or a CVT. If you want a six speed, you’ll have to go for the STi. It’s the only Impreza to ever get a 6-speed. The 2.0 litre engine produces 148 horsepower and 145 pound feet of torque. Believe it or not, that’s actually less powerful than the engine in the current generation. 22 horses and 25 pound feet of torque less to be precise. But there is no penalty in acceleration as this new Impreza gets from 0-100 in 9.8 seconds which is actually 0.3 seconds faster than the current Impreza. The obvious gain in doing this is for fuel efficiency. The new Impreza gets 8.7 l/100 kms and 6.5 highway.

Of course, all-wheel drive is standard.

Hit the jump to see more pics and pics of the sedan.

What do you think of the new Impreza? Is it a love it or hate it design?

[Subaru]

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FAIL: Mercedes-Benz Concept A Breaks Down Before Reveal

Well that’s pretty embarrassing.

The folks over at Mercedes-Benz were pretty excited to officially reveal the Concept A (also known as the A-Class concept) to the media at the Shanghai Auto Show yesterday. The only problem was, the Concept A got a serious case of stage fright as it refused to start right before it was due to roll out on stage.

After a few seconds of awkwardness, it became painfully clear to the Mercedes-Benz execs that the only way to get it onto the stage was for them to push. And boy, did that ever make for a hilarious picture.

Four executives in designer suits forced to do manual labour for the first time in probably decades? Priceless.

Not having your concept completely ready for a big reveal and perpetuating stereotypes surrounding quality issues of your brand? Fail. It happens, I suppose.

Stay tooned for more details on the Concept A!

[CDNlive]