Another Pointless Car Comparison

Here we go again.

Remember when GM compared a Chevy Cruze to a previous generation Hyundai Elantra as if it was some sort of accomplishment that their new product was better than someone else’s old product? Remember when Audi did the exact same thing with their new A8 and the aging S-Class? Remember when Hennesey compared their heavily modded CTS-V to a non-modded preivous generation Porsche 911 and a non-modded Nissan GT-R?  Well apparently the apples to oranges comparisons in the auto industry isn’t going to stop any time soon as GM decided to to pit the Cadillac Escalade against… wait for it… the Mercedes-Benz C300.

GM decided to ‘prove a new standard’ by showcasing that their full-size SUV could beat the Benz in a drag race. And that’s it.

Now, again, here’s my problem with these sorts of comparisons. If you’re the type of person who wants or feels as if you need a full-size SUV then the C-class isn’t going to be found anywhere on your shopping list. So what’s the point? And vice versa, it’s not as if any C-class shoppers are going to spring for a full-size SUV just because GM proved it to be  faster in a straight line. By the way, GM conveniently left out the part when both vehicles  approached a bend in the track, didn’t they? I guess they didn’t want anyone to see the C300 absolutely slaughter the Escalade in the handling department.

And on top of it all, GM really didn’t play fair by choosing the 228 horsepower V6 trim level of the C-class against the 403 horsepower V8 of the Escalade. Why not see how the Escalade does against the 457 horsepower C-63 AMG then? Or better yet, to make it even more fair how by pitting it against the Escalades actual competition like, say, the Mercedes-Benz GL?

Honestly these kinds of nonsensical comparisons do nothing more than proof that you, as an auto company, are willing to stoop to new lows just to sell product when really, the product should be selling itself.

Click the video above to see one of the most ridiculous drag races of the year.

[Youtube]

Editorial: Stop Being Such A Tease

I’ve recevied a few emails lately from people asking me why I’m not reporting on the latest slew of teaser pics released by automakers of their upcoming models. Well, the answer is simple: I think it’s stupid.

Admittedly, when a teaser does get released I do naively take a look. I then get an overwhelming urge to smash my head against the monitor when I finally see the picture. It’s usually the most useless picture and is never ever worth my time to look at it in the in end. Auto makers love showing head lights, tail lights, grille shots, exhaust shots, wing mirror shots - you name it. Anything except, apparently, the entire car. It’s gotten to the point where one teaser just won’t do. Toyota  has been doing it with their new Camry and Infiniti now has six teaser pics of their new JX crossover out. Ford was probably the worst when the new Mustang was being revealed as they released teaser pics for about a decade.

But when automakers tease new models, it makes it way less interesting when the full model is revealed. The hype is gone. In fact, it becomes even more of a non-story than the teaser pics themselves. Usually you can piece together what a car is going to look like if you’ve got six or more teaser pics to examine.

Besides, what other industry operates in such a manner? Does Apple release a pic of just  the power button of the new iPhone? Does Pepsi show just the bottle cap of their newly designed bottle? Do music artists preview one quarter of their new album cover? No, because it makes about as much sense as planking.

If you’re reading this, then it is assumed that you are an auto enthusiast to some measure which means you at least have some sort of appreciation for cars. Think of how irritating it would be if the industry of another of your interests acted in such a manner. If you are also an avid art lover, how would you react if you saw your favourite artist’s new creation in five pieces before seeing the whole thing? That essentially ruins the experience, does it not? And let’s face it, most cars are works of art in their own respect. They deserve to be treated as such.

So to all automakers – stop it. If the car isn’t ready to be shown in it’s full guise, then I will happily wait until it is.

Oh No! 2012 Cadillac CTS to Lose Manual Transmission Option?

Damn it!

Looks like Car & Driver’s Save the Manuals campaign isn’t having too much of an affect on automakers as there is now word that Cadillac is considering dropping the third pedal for the 2012 model year of the CTS V6. GM hasn’t specified why dropping the manual is being seriously considered but it’s likely due to slow sales. Apparently people like having a car that drives them, which I don’t understand. If you’re the driver, you should drive the car not the other way around. The way to do that is to have a proper manual transmission.

That said, it’s not like the manual tranny in the CTS is really all that great. In fact, it sucks. Badly. In my review of the 2010 CTS, I wrote:

“…my tester didn’t have was a manual gearbox from this decade. The CTS is the first Cadillac to offer a manual transmission option since the  Cimarron, and they either took it directly from a 1988 Cimarron or they just plain don’t know how to make a proper manual. The throws are about as long as a football field and it’s very clunky from shift to shift. On top of that, it’s awkwardly placed. It’s raised too high, the stick is too long and you actually have to bend your wrist back to a 90 degree angle for shifts to 2nd, 4th, or 6th gear because the centre arm rest gets in the way.”

I then went on to suggest that a perspective buyer might be better off opting for the automatic. But back then, I had no idea that Cadillac was seriously thinking of axing the manual transmission option. In light of this news, I rescind my remarks! Despite how bad it is, I still maintain better control and more enjoyability can be had over the boring, gutless 4-speed automatic. I also suggested that the problem with the manual transmission could be easily fixed if they fitted the short throw manual from the CTS-V.

Speaking of, the manual transmission will thankfully stick around for all CTS-V models for 2012.

But yeah, let’s hope GM reverses this decision. All you need to do is make a better manual and you’ll get more sales, GM. Which you are clearly capable of as evidenced in the CTS-V. No need to scrap the manual all together, just use that gearbox (or at least elements of it if cost is an issue) to make it better. Seriously, take my advice on this one, GM.

[Inside Line]

Porsche Pushing Daily Driver Capabilities

Porsche has just released a new commercial designed to crush stereotypes of sports cars being fairly useless for daily driving duties.

Firstly, I will admit, if any super car company could make an argument for making daily drivers it’s definitely Porsche. However, in looking at this commercial there are a few things that should be pointed out:

• Porsche claims the 911 is like a snowmobile. Not so much. An all-wheel drive version may be able to make its way through snow, but that really depends on how much snow is on the ground. The 911 has a fairly low ride height after all and in most parts of Canada it’s not uncommon to see 40 cms+ of snow. And if we’re talking a rear wheel drive version, you’ll have tons of fun doing donuts, but getting decent traction will be quite challenging if you’re not used to rear wheel drive in the snow. To be fair, Porsche did state that proper winter tires are needed and they’re right.
• Then they liken the Cayman to a pick-up truck. A man puts, what looks like pillows but are surely bags of soil, into the trunk of a Cayman. Um, that doesn’t really make the Cayman a pick-up truck. I’m pretty sure any vehicle is capable of carrying a few bags of soil. I’d like to see a Cayman take on a tow or pay load that F-150′s take on on a daily basis before I believe that one.
• The next claim is that the 911 makes a great getaway car and I don’t think anyone would argue that one. My only gripe is that they don’t actually show the 911 getting away from anything. Plus, unless you’re a criminal, no normal person would need to “get away” from anyone/anything on a daily basis.
• Then they claim a 911 is also like a school bus. Since those rear seats are only useful for children (no adult would be comfortable back there) I’ll let that one pass too, though I will say that they conveniently cut away when the kids were actually getting in the back seats. Probably because that would’ve taken 10 takes. It’s no minivan after all.

What did you think of Porsche’s new marketing strategy?

[Porsche]

Ultimate Blogger: Vote for Me!

There’s now a month left to vote for me as the Ultimate BMW Blogger!

If you haven’t yet heard, I’ve entered a contest to be the Ultimate blogger courtesy of Endras BMW where they are as obsessed with performance as I am! And since blogging and BMW’s could be considered my number one passion, I’m such a natural fit for the job!

Perks include a $65K salary, free condo in downtown Toronto for a year and attendance to all auto shows and everything BMW. There are a lot of great entries, but the amount of people who clearly just want this job for the perks is ridiculous. The perks are a good thing to have, but even if they weren’t available, I’d still apply for this job just and do it just as passionately. Hell, some of the entrants don’t even have their own website or blog every day like I do! As nice as all those perks are, I’m not entering for those reasons. I’m entering because this is my dream job and I’d be damn good at it. I’m passionate about cars and performance.

Alright, getting a free BMW is also a reason why.

But with only a month left, I need those votes! So please vote for me and often! You can vote more than once every 24 hours.

To vote, click here: http://endrasbmw.com/ultimateblogger/kharrison

Thank you all so much!

Also, check out Endras BMW’s website: http://www.endrasbmw.com/

Vote For Me As the Ultimate BMW Blogger!

Alright if you know me personally, or if you visit my site often enough, you know that I am a huge BMW fan. Hell, just look at the tags right next to this post and you’ll see that BMW is clearly the brand that I write most about. I love their cars (although I honestly do try to remain impartial when writing – it’s what a good automotive journalist does after all).

The good great folks at Endras BMW are currently searching for their ultimate blogger which basically entails what the name suggests. They want someone to blog about everything BMW in a factual but entertaining way, to give the latest updates and basically to interact with BMW fanatics alike. In order to find that person, they are holding a contest wherein members of the public vote for who they want to be the ‘ultimate blogger’.

Now, I don’t usually enter contests like these because I honestly can’t be bothered considering the chances, but I can’t pass this up. This truthfully would be a dream come true for me. It would honestly be my dream job. And as such, I can’t just sit around with my typical cynicism. So I made an entry.

Those of you who frequent my blog know that I try my best to give up to date, factual information about cars in an entertaining and humourous manner, and you know I would do no less if I were to get this job.

Additional perks include travel to auto shows around the world, a condo in downtown Toronto and, crucially, a new BMW to drive.

So here’s the part where I ask you to vote for me. I would be ever so grateful and you can feel good knowing you helped someone attain their ultimate deam! EH?

Vote for my entry here: http://endrasbmw.com/ultimateblogger/kharrison

Thank you so much in advance!

Do Automakers Think We’re Stupid?

Can someone explain to me why so many automakers are now investing time and money into comparisons that don’t make any sense?

First Chevrolet did it when they compared their new Cruze to a previous generation Hyundai Elantra, then Audi did it when they compared their new A8 to a Mercedes-Benz S-class that is a 6 year old design and now Hennessey has done it.

They basically took a stock CTS-V wagon (which can hold its own as it is) and gave it 650 horsepower. They then brought it to a drag strip to take on a Porsche 911 Turbo.

You can watch the video, but I’ll save you the trouble and just tell you that the hotted up Caddy wagon won. Shocker.

But here’s my problem with this comparison. Hennessey compared apples to oranges. The Porsche 911 that they used, according to them, had a tiptronic transmission. That, combined with the lack of LED tail lights, means they compared it to a previous generation 911 turbo.

What is the sense in doing that? Is it really all that cool to brag that your product is better than a product from a different era? That’s like me bragging that I could easily beat up a 10 year old. I mean, it’s true, but why would I ever do that? It just doesn’t make any sense. And on top of that, of course a tuned car would likely beat a stock car in a drag race. We’re talking close to a 200 horsepower difference between the two!

To all automakers: STOP DOING THESE STUPID COMPARISONS. By doing so you give the impression that you think we all somehow have the IQ of George W. Bush. And it really makes me want to not buy your product. If you’re going to do comparisons with your rivals, at least make them somewhat believable and fair.

[Youtube]

Chrylser 200 Convertible Photographer Rants About Leaked Images, Attacks Car Blogs

Webb Bland is the man who was hired by Chrysler to photograph the new 200 Convertible. Bland did an excellent job (ironic considering his last name), but he is fuming because the pictures leaked ahead of the official Debut.

Bland took to his Facebook page to let loose on pretty much everyone. He blamed Chrysler for letting the photos leak so easily, specifically the “lone, misguided idiot” responsible.

But Bland also took aim at car blogs who have already posted the photos and “cropped the photos awkwardly without any back story”.

Oh hell no! Now it’s personal!

Here’s the thing, Mr. Bland. While I understand that you take your work very seriously and that you put lots of effort into your work,  you’ve obviously never dealt with the automotive industry before. Leaked pictures ahead of an official debut are as normal and as frequent as Charlie Sheen doing coke. For you to take some sort of egotistical and self centered stand, suggesting  you’re the only person this has ever happened to, is both immature and uninformed. This isn’t the art world and this isn’t the photography world. Leaked photos happen in the car world all the time.

Secondly, while I grant you the photos are well done and beautifully shot, no car enthusiast cares about the “back story” of them. All we care about is the car itself. You could have photographed the 200 Convertible amid a pile of vomit and we still only would’ve cared about the car. We don’t even notice the background 90% of the time.

Thirdly, and again, your lack of knowledge of the car world is apparent here, no one actually cares about the Chrysler 200 Convertible. We’ve already seen the 200 sedan and we can deduce from it what the convertible will look like. There are no real surprises here in terms of design. You’re lucky car blogs were even bothered to post the pictures at all. I certainly wasn’t. But the upcoming Chrysler 200 convertible is about as exciting as a prostate exam. Until Chrysler actually goes and redesigns it completely, it will still be as useless to the typical car enthusiast as the current Sebring is. To be blunt, your pictures really aren’t that important to us. The 200 convertible is the same as your last name which is also ironically hilarious.

And lastly, you got paid, didn’t you? And you got credit for the images didn’t you? Regardless of them being leaked ahead of time, Chrysler fulfilled their part of the deal. Just because it didn’t happen on your terms doesn’t mean the whole thing is ruined. And since it was their product that got leaked they should really be the ones pissed off about it, not you.

To attack car blogs for posting the leaked pics is kind of like biting the hand that feeds you. You need us to actually post your work, otherwise no one gets to see it, so I’d think twice before attacking us car bloggers next time. Just sayin’.

Click here to read Bland’s rant.

[Autoblog]

Car Driven’s 2011 Car of the Year Is…

The Cadillac CTS-V Coupe!

It was a very tough decision picking Car Driven’s first Car of the Year (COTY) winner, but the CTS-V Coupe had quite a lot of things going for it that propelled it above the other nominees.

First things first, the styling. Love it or hate it, it’s definitely eye catching. And in this vehicle segment you don’t want something that will fly under most people’s radar, you need a car that looks the part. Cadillac has managed to keep its “art & science” styling direction fresh with this bold new design.  Those sharp angular LED tail lights are classic Cadillac all while exuding Cadillac’s apparent new direction in creating performance cars. An aggressive front facia up front alone with a completely unique side profile and those huge twin exhausts in the center really complete the look. Cadillac obviously means business.

This is also evident by the choice of power train. Cadillac uses a 556 horsepower V8 which helps it get from 0-100 in just 3.9 seconds. Combine it with rear wheel drive, a sport tuned suspension and, crucially, a six speed manual option and you’ve got yourself one hell of a delicious performance recipe. To help out with additional performance, the CTS-V Coupe gets larger intakes than the CTS-V sedan and it gets standard brembo brakes.

And the best part is, you get all that for just over $70K. What tremendous value! Cadillac has come an extremely long way from the cars they used to make.

The end result is being featured on the front page next to benchmarks such as the BMW M3, the Audi RS5 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Not bad company to be in at all. In fact, to be mentioned among those names in the car business? Praise doesn’t get much higher than that.

Congratulations to Cadillac for winning Car Driven’s COTY!

Bucking the Trend: Canadians Prefer Mustang to Camaro

For the first time in 25 years, the Chevrolet Camaro will outsell the Ford Mustang in the States this year. Ford has even conceded that its stallion will end up in the number 2 spot. In a bit of an odd trend, however, us Canadians apparently prefer the Mustang to the Camaro.

According to the New York Times, the Mustang’s sales is currently sitting at 4,935 units compared to the Camaro’s 3,974 sales.

This is especially odd since the Camaro is home grown, it’s built in Oshawa while the Mustang is built in Michigan.

Ford says it’s because the Mustang is “an icon” and many Canadians consider it to be their “dream car” (I must be in the minority if that’s the case). But really, the Camaro is fairly iconic as well.

GM says it’s because there is a lack of incentives on the Camaro and the convertible model is very limited at the moment.

Whatever the reason, it’s good to hear that Canadians aren’t so wrapped up in buying a product simply because it was made in our own backyard. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for supporting our workers and stimulating our economy, but the fact of the matter is, a car is the second biggest purchase someone will ever make. The decision on what to buy better go to the best car, and not simply because of where it was made.

I’m not suggesting that the Mustang is the better vehicle, however. I’m just saying that I’m glad Canadians are buying with their hearts and not what political figures tell them to do with their hard earned cash.

In any event, congrats to the Mustang. I think a test of both these vehicles are in order, wouldn’t you agree? I’ll get on it. I promise.

[New York Times photo credit: Autoblog]

Car Driven’s 2011 Car of the Year Nominees Are…

For the first time ever, Car Driven will be announcing its Car of the Year (COTY). Mostly because this is the first year for this blog, but also because unfortunately I don’t have the means to test every new vehicle myself this year. But that never stopped me from making my own pics for AJAC’s COTY awards last year, so why not?

So with much thought and deliberation I’ve narrowed down the nominees to five cars overall. Every new 2011 vehicle, no matter what the segment, is considered. However to keep things simple, I’ve opted to not separate them by categories this year. That means the new Honda Odyssey was technically considered alongside the Ferrari 458 Italia. Since both are obviously very different vehicles made for very different purposes, I decided to choose all nominees based on how well each vehicle is suited for Canadians. That means everything from performance, price, quality, safety, fit & finish were considered. However to keep it fair, each of those criterion are relative to the vehicle segment. So for example the Ferrari 458 Italia is compared against other supercars. And the Honda Odyssey against other minivans. The vehicle that presents a clear, absolute best case for itself wins.

I’ll probably do categories next year, but for now we’ll go with this. And I’m working a lot harder to try to test all the new vehicles for next year to make a more informed decision, press vehicles are pretty hard to get your hands on (in the meantime, check out all the vehicles I’ve tested so far). And to keep it simple, I’ve narrowed it down to 5 vehicles.

Find out what they are after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

GM CEO Calls Toyota Prius ‘Geek-Mobile’, Wouldn’t Be ‘Caught Dead In One’

David Akinson, CEO of GM, is apparently following in the footsteps of his predecesor Bob Lutz by making controversial off the cuff remarks.

His latest came at a public appearance at the Economic Club of Washington where commented on this thoughts of the Toyota Prius. Here’s what he said:

“We commonly refer to the geek-mobile as the Prius. And I wouldn’t be caught dead in one”.

Shots fired.

I would never own a Toyota Prius either but I’m not ignorant enough to say things like that about it. You can’t deny that the Prius is a phenomenal technicalogical breakthrough in fuel efficiency. You can’t deny that it’s currently the most fuel efficient car available in the world. Maybe you should wait to see how well the Chevy Volt does before opening your mouth.

But maybe Akinson is just being truthful. In which case, I’ll offer him another thruth:

I wouldn’t be caught dead in 95% of GM products.

[Autoblog Green]

Rush Limbaugh Gets Owned By Motor Trend

Motor Trend recently announced the Chevrolet Volt as its Car of the Year winner for 2011 and it apparently has generated lots of controversy.

Not least of which is from the king of controversy himself, extreme right wing asshole radio host, Rush Limbaugh. Recently on air, Rush said this of Motor Trend’s decision to crown the Volt Car of the Year:

I don’t know if words can express the amount of rage I have towards this man. He is so ignorant and unaware of anything that it makes my blood boil. One of my gripes is when people form an opinion on cars (or anything) without knowing anything about the subject. Limbaugh is a classic case of willful ignorance towards the automobile industry.

Hey Rush, the Car of the Year IS NOT BASED ON HOW MANY CAR’S ARE SOLD. It doesn’t matter if GM hasn’t sold any yet, it’s an evaluation of the car itself.

Also, how the HELL can you criticize a car that you’ve never driven or even seen before? The people at Motor Trend are professional automotive journalists – they’ve driven hundreds, maybe even thousands, of cars. They know the ins and outs of what makes a good car way more than you do. You criticizing an automotive magazine’s choice for Car of the Year is like you criticizing… well, anything. Because as far as I can tell, you have no expertise in any subject.

Believe me, I could go on, but Motor Trend has done a pretty good job in defending themselves in a rebuttal to Racist Rush.

Read it here.

[Motor Trend]

GM’s Been Lying About Chevy Volt For Years?

GM’s supposed savior, the Chevrolet Volt, is very nearly ready to hit the production lines and dealer lots – as early as next month in the States in fact. But a new revelation has Volt enthusiasts and auto journalists alike fuming.

Since the announcement of the Volt about three year’s ago, GM marketed it as a full on electric vehicle that had a gasoline engine meant to be used as a range extender. In other words, the gas engine did not power the wheels at all, it just generated power for the electric motor in the event it ran out of juice before you were able to plug it in. GM was asked time and time again whether the gas engine powered the wheels at all, and while GM didn’t outright say no, the typical non-answers and PR language for years made it seem like indeed it was just a range extender.

Well, now comes official word that the GM’s gas engine does in fact power the rear wheels. A lot of people feel quite miffed. Why? Well as mentioned, this was supposed to be GM’s halo car – a car that used a unique technology that no one had attempted in any production vehicle for the main purpose of ultimate efficiency. One of the main downsides of electric vehicles (EV’s) after all, is “range anxiety”. Meaning the driver always has a fear of running out of juice before they are able to make it back home or to a charging station. GM made it seems like it came up with a solution to that problem by having the gasoline engine act as a generator of sorts. Since that is no longer true, the Volt is not, by definition, a full electric vehicle anymore. It is a plug-in hybrid. Those interested in the Volt and those reporting on it, understandably, feel led on or lied to even. Chevy’s response is that they couldn’t reveal information about the Volt’s power train for patent publishing reasons, but now that they have it, they revealed the true nature of the power train.

My personal point of view is not quite as animated as other car blogs. Apparently Inside Line feels lied to, frustrated and have strong feelings of disbelief while Jalopnik went and photoshopped the Volt to look like the devil. However, as a fellow car enthusiast and automotive journalist, I must agree, this really is quite the disappointment. It’s not because it’s wrong for the Volt to be a plug-in hybrid, it’s because it has been force fed to us as a full on EV for years. It’s almost like having a friend who brags about working at the White House, but then you find out he’s just the janitor. Not a lie per se, but definitely misleading.

I have defended the Chevy Volt in the past against fools like Rush Limbaugh, but I’ve also been quite critical as well. This new revelation has me feeling a bit let down. I wanted the Chevy Volt to succeed and I wanted it to offer a breakthrough in power train technology. Turns out it’s just using technology that Toyota, Volvo, and Honda have been working on for years. It’s not so much the fact that the Volt isn’t a full on EV with a range extender, it’s the fact that it has apparently come to light that no one is working on such a feat when we thought GM was the whole time. Quite the let down GM. Here’s hoping the Volt will still save you as much as you think it will.

[General Motors]

American Cars Are Apparently Appealing

You know you’re a car nut when the first thing you notice about a celebrity sighting is the car they’re driving and not the celebrity themselves.

Case in point, this particular photo caught my eye. The driver is David Beckham known for having a ridiculous $250 million contract to play soccer in the US and also for having a wife that used to be part of the biggest girl groups of all time (aka Victoria Beckham).

Anyway, I don’t really care about David or his kid, but I do care about what he drives and that apparently is a Jeep Wrangler. Isn’t that a bit odd? You have $250 million to your name and you choose a Wrangler? I’m not knocking the Wrangler, it’s actually a capable vehicle and one of the VERY few American vehicles I like. I just don’t understant why anyone with oodles of money would want one.

But apparently American cars are appealing to people who aren’t American. Richard Hammond has an unusual fascination with muscle cars afterall (which Jeremy Clarkson endlessly makes fun of him for..and rightfully so) and Richard Brand apparently is quite fond of American cars as well. Wait, I see a trend here. They’re all British!

Actually this isn’t the first filthy rich person to buy a Wrangler. Jay-Z actually has one as well. No doubt it’s just one of many vehicles he owns. I suspect it’s the same deal with fancy soccer pants boy too.

I just realized that this post was kind of pointless but I already wrote it, so whatever.

[X17Online.com]