Saab announces plan to head back into Canada with 2011 models

2011 Saab 9-5 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Saab is continuing to claw its way back from the automotive grave. The company just announced that it will once again return to the land of maple syrup and Mounties in 2011. The svelte Swedish machines will be distributed by International Fleet Sales, and both Saab North America and IFS say that so far, around 20 dealers have raised their hands to sell the cars.



Our neighbors to the north will be able to sink their teeth into a total of five models once the new dealerships get off the ground, including all of the multiple flavors of the 9-3. If all goes well, the 9-3X crossover will also touch down on Canadian soil, along with the all-new 2011 9-5.

Saab expects to be doing business in Canada by fall of this year, so if you're north of the border and hankering for a slice of Saab-Spyker goodness, you don't have long to wait. Hit the jump for the press release.
source by autoblog.com saab

Read Full story

Pics Aplenty: Honda releases boatload of new CR-Z shots... in Europe

2011 Euro-Spec Honda CR-Z – Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda has officially flooded the interwebs with a wave of photos of the Euro-spec CR-Z Hybrid. Surprisingly enough, our cousins across The Pond will be able to get their hatchback hybrid as a 2+2 like their JDM counterparts, meaning the car will have two small back seats just for children, briefcases or other cargo. When not in use, the rear thrones fold down to make room for your most recent Ikea purchase.



Other than those rear seats, the car doesn't appear to differ significantly from the version we'll see Stateside. Power still comes from a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a small electric motor with around 122 horses combined and 124 lb-ft of torque.

The European CR-Z will also feature the same three-mode efficiency system we're likely to see in our version. Drivers will be able to choose between Sport, Normal and Economy modes, all accessible via the push of a button. Each will offer different levels of electric motor assist and will also monkey around with the electric power-steering to provide a different driving feel depending on the mode. Hit the jump for the full press release, and wade through the massive gallery of high-res images below.
[Source: Honda]

Read Full story

Deep Dive: Getting intimate with the 2010 Honda CR-Z's powertrain

When the 2011 Honda CR-Z hits the streets this Fall, it will feature the latest iteration of the company's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) mild hybrid system. The basic concept of IMA hasn't changed since the original Insight debuted in 1999, but it has been refined to improve performance and efficiency while reducing overall cost.



There's a wide spectrum of hybrids in the market, ranging from low-end, belted-alternator-starter (BAS) mild hybrids to the full-blown power-split strong hybrids at the top. The latter category includes systems from Toyota, Ford and General Motors (two-mode), while Honda's IMA provides a healthy boost in overall efficiency compared to a conventional powertrain, but falls well short of the best power-splits. Read on to learn more about the IMA system and how it's implemented in the CR-Z.
 Architecture

The basic architecture of IMA consists of a compact electric motor sandwiched between the internal combustion engine and transmission. A nickel metal hydride battery pack is used for storing the energy captured through regenerative braking. The final component is the power electronics module that incorporates the inverter, battery management system and motor control.

When the first generation Insight launched in 1999, it was only available with a manual gearbox until a continuously variable transmission (CVT) was added in 2001. The manual was discontinued around 2003 and all subsequent Insight and Civic hybrids were only available with the CVT. The short-lived Accord Hybrid used a conventional step-ratio five-speed automatic. The introduction of the CR-Z marks the return of a manual transmission, this time with six forward ratios, with a CVT as an option.

Motor

The motor is integrated into a 61 millimeter wide case that's bolted directly to the output face of the engine. From the beginning, IMA has used a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor which is both compact and efficient. The stator is fixed to the internal perimeter of the case while the rotor is bolted to the output face of the crankshaft. The clutch for the manual transmission or the input plate for the CVT are bolted to the output side of the rotor.



The electric current in the adjacent coils of the stator is flowing in opposite directions, creating reverse magnetic fields. The motor control causes the current direction (and thus the field) to switch back and forth, which causes the rotor to move in response. The switching rate controls the motor speed and as the rotor spins, it applies drive torque to the transmission providing an electrical boost.

Since the motor is hard-coupled to the engine, there is no mechanism to shut-off and de-couple the engine and drive on electric power alone the way strong hybrids like those from Toyota and Ford. Starting several years ago with the Civic Hybrid, Honda added the ability to shut off fuel flow and close the valves with the VTEC variable valve timing system when cruising at low speeds. This allows the car to motor along on just electricity. However, the hard-coupling means that the crankshaft is still turning and the pistons are pumping. The result is more drag than you would find in a strong hybrid. Because of the sportier nature of the CR-Z, the VTEC system has been used to increase power rather than boost efficiency, so it can't motor along on electrons alone.

At 13 horsepower and 58 pound-feet of torque, the motor (which is shared with the Insight) is adequate for providing a noticeable boost in performance, but not really sufficient to propel the CR-Z on its own for any significant time or distance. However, the beauty of an electric motor is that it typically produces maximum torque at zero speed and stays at that peak before dropping off, making it ideal for boosting off-the-line performance without sacrificing fuel consumption.



Engine

While Honda's inline-four cylinder engines are highly regarded for smooth and efficient operation, low-end torque has rarely been considered a strong suit. This is certainly true of the 1.5-liter unit in the CR-Z with its 113 hp and 107 lb-ft peak torque, especially since that peak occurs at a fairly lofty 4,800 rpm. At 1,000 rpm, the engine is producing barely 80 lb-ft. The addition of IMA has allowed powertrain engineers to fatten up the bottom end of the net torque curve so that it produces 128 lb-ft of torque between 1,000 and 1,750 rpm on the six-speed manual-equipped model. On the flip side, the CR-Z with the CVT is limited to 123 lb-ft of torque. Regardless of the transmission choice, total combined peak power of the engine and motor is 122 hp at 6,000 rpm.

In addition to providing a torque boost during acceleration, the IMA motor is also used to start the engine when you twist the ignition as well as re-starting it after an idle-stop. Generally, any time the car comes to a stop, the engine will shut-off to conserve fuel and cut emissions. However, if the battery state of charge is too low or the electrical demands are too high (when driving with the headlights on or with the air-conditioning turned up) the engine won't be shut off. On the manual transmission CR-Z, the engine is only halted if the car is stopped and the transmission is in neutral. When the clutch pedal is pressed or the brake released, the engine automatically re-starts.

Regenerative Braking

Like other hybrid systems, applying a drive torque to the rotor turns the motor into a generator. During deceleration, the motor is used to recharge the battery and slow the vehicle, negating the need for the brakes to be used as much. The low cost nature of IMA hybrids means that Honda doesn't incorporated fancy brake-by-wire systems to blend friction and regenerative braking. Instead, the regenerative braking is overlaid on the friction brakes and then gently ramped out at low speeds. Compared to the Civic Hybrid, which exhibits a distinct loss of deceleration at about seven mph as the regenerative braking is switched off, the Insight and CR-Z have a much more gradual phase out making the transition almost imperceptible.



Battery

The key to any hybrid, whether it's a mild or strong system, is the energy storage system. Like every other system on the road, the CR-Z uses an electrochemical battery; in this case, a nickel metal hydride unit. The 100.8 volt unit consists of 84 "D-sized" cells arranged in seven modules of 12 cells each. It has a total capacity of 580 watt-hours, a bit less than half the size of most strong hybrids. Like the motor, the guts of the battery pack in the CR-Z are basically carried over from the Insight. The most notable change for the battery is the air cooling system which has been upgraded to improve its efficiency. The cell temperatures are closely monitored and controlled closer to the optimum operating temperature.

Batteries have a limited temperature range where they can provide optimal performance both for charge and discharge. The new cooling system is better able to manage the battery, especially at higher ambient temperatures which improves the ability to recapture and release energy when it's hot. Tighter control of the temperature also improves the durability of the battery pack.



Sport and Econ modes

In keeping with the CR-Z's mission of being a sporty hybrid, Honda has also added a driver selectable sport mode in addition to the Normal and Econ modes found in the new Insight. The Econ mode filters the driver commands and slows down the throttle response to smooth out acceleration and improve efficiency. The new Sport mode does the opposite, cajoling the CR-Z to life. Both the manual and CVT versions receive reduced steering assist and increased throttle response in Sport mode, while the CVT chooses a lower gear ratio range for higher engine speeds and more available power. With the manual transmission, the system monitors the accelerator pedal position and if the driver applies the gas beyond a certain rate, the IMA will provide full motor power immediately rather than ramping it up.

Given the limited hardware capability of the IMA system, Honda has managed to do quite a bit with it. While Toyota arguably created the first performance-oriented hybrid systems with the Lexus GS450h and LS600h, Honda is the first to create a dedicated platform and body that is overtly sporty. The CR-Z is by no means a speed demon, as you've read in our driving impressions, but it certainly feels much stronger than the Insight.

Fans of the original CRX of the late-80s may complain that the hybrid CR-Z can't match the 51 mpg combined rating of the old HF. However, it's also important to remember that the way fuel economy sticker values are computed has changed several times in the last 25 years. The EPA estimates that under the current procedures the CRX HF would have been rated at 43 mpg. The CVT version of the CR-Z is rated at 37 mpg combined which is lower than the CRX but the new car is considerably larger and heavier. The CRX would never meet current emissions or crash safety standards and it's also considerably slower than the modern car. In almost every way, the CR-Z is a much better car. But is it really a better drive? Find out here.
source by autoblogge

Read Full story

Volkswagen New Beetle still number one with the ladies

Volkswagen New Beetle – Click above for high-res image gallery

Men, take note: According to a new survey from research firm TrueCar, the Volkswagen New Beetle is (still) the ultimate car for women. Apparently, its combination of cute-as-a-button looks and affordable pricing make the reborn Bug a total hit with the fairer sex.



This data was determined not by some silly woman-on-the-street clipboard survey, but rather by looking at the registrations of more than 13 million vehicles over the past two years. We could have saved them quite a bit of work if they wanted to know that the New Beetle was a chick car, but whatever. There was some other interesting info gleaned from the research, including the revelation that 64% of all cars are registered by men despite the fact that there are more women (at 51% of the population, just a tad) than men in America.

Rounding out the top five vehicles that scored well with the mono-chromosomed gender were the Nissan Rogue, Hyundai Tucson, (saw this one coming) Volkswagen Eos and Volvo S40.
source by autoblog.com

Read Full story

First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg lightens up while getting serious

2011 Volkswagen Touareg – Click above for high-res image gallery

The outgoing Volkswagen Touareg range has always lived on the wrong side of the tracks in America. It was a big, expensive Volkswagen. Notice that we can't just say it was a big, expensive vehicle, because those adjectives are almost as much the norm as anything else – we must qualify those descriptors with the word "Volkswagen." And we can't help but think that's part of the reason this go-almost-anywhere SUV never really made a splash anywhere in the U.S. except in puddles.



The new 2011 Touareg is roomier, more powerful, more efficient and lighter. Much lighter. That's how we like our VWs. And now it comes in hybrid form. We spent a few hours in one to see what a Touareg reset looks like. Our first impressions: So good, this is what the first Touareg should have been like. Follow the jump for the story.
 Car buying is a little different in Europe than it is in America. Consumers take home an order sheet and lovingly choose each option, then submit it to a dealer and wait for weeks for their car to be built. In America, we show up at a dealer lot and expect to get the ride we want right now.

This is one of the reasons that the current Touareg endured a stiff sales climate. With something like 170 build combinations, potential buyers had lottery-like chances of finding the one they wanted on any given day. Play around with the configurator on the VW site and you'll see that even wheel choices will change your interior option selections.

Of course, there has also been the matter of price. Touaregs aren't cheap – again, "for Volkswagens." A 2010 Touareg V6 FSI starts at $40,850, the V6 TDI diesel at $44,350. Add the technology package to the cheaper model to get DVD navigation and you are at $46,850. From there, $50,000 is just a whisper away. VW said buyers were cross shopping the GMC Acadia, and it maxes out at about $47,000 if you throw everything possible at the top-of-the-line SLT2, a vehicle that may be less capable off-road, but it's also significantly larger than the Touareg and seats eight. The Acura MDX is priced similarly to the VW, is a seven-seater and gets about the same miles per gallon... but it has a bit more aspirational clout.



And, of course, there was also the size and the avoirdupois. It isn't small, especially for a dedicated five-seater, and while the Touareg's 4XMOTION air suspension setup could get you just about anywhere – as an eye-opening trip to Moab showed us a couple of years ago – you paid for it in heft and a heavy tiller. As you might have reasonably surmised, folks also shopping Acadias and MDXs aren't usually trying to conquer Hell's Revenge – they wanted to get to the cabin or the after-school sports practice or grandma's house in one piece and a little bit of style. And they don't want to scratch their Galapagos paint while doing it.

When it comes to the raw truths presented by numbers, while 500,000 Touareg and Touareg2 models were sold worldwide, Americans didn't make a good showing as part of that total.

In true Men in Black style, though, you can wipe those memories clean. The old Touareg is gone, and the new one is nothing like it. No, really, nothing. When we asked what was new, we were told "Everything." When we asked for clarification, just to make sure we understood, David Sweet, the general manager for marketing in the U.S., said "It's an entirely new vehicle." Silently, we were sure he added, "What part of the word 'everything' didn't you understand?"

Along with that, the new Touareg's attitude changes more than the vehicle, at least as far as the U.S. is concerned. We don't get most of the high-tech features in this new SUV. A sample of blacked out menu options includes:

• Dynamic Light Assist: camera-based continuous main beam headlight "sees" oncoming traffic and selectively dims and adjusts the direction of each main beam headlight to prevent other drivers, oncoming and in the same direction, from suffering glare. U.S. regulations don't allow the technology.
• Side Assist: a blind-spot warning system that also detects the closing speed of cars approaching you. Not coming because it's expensive and was developed for higher, Autobahn-like closing speeds, not American highways.
• Lane Assist: takes note of the lane you're in, and if you begin to stray sends a mild vibration through the steering wheel. Deemed not cost-effective for American buyers.
• Start/stop on the non-hybrid Touaregs: the tech doesn't count toward the EPA cycle, so VW didn't think it fair to charge for something that has no benefit they could point to on paper.
• Cross Traffic view camera: lets the driver see 90 degrees to the left and right at points located at the very front and rear of the Touareg – i.e. "around the corner." Felt to be more suited to pulling out into narrow European lanes than American driving situations.
• 334-horsepower, 599 pound-feet V8 TDI that replaces the V10 TDI. We get the V6 FSI, V6 TDI and Hybrid.
• 4XMotion: the full-fat four-wheel-drive system with air suspension has been replaced by VW's Torsen limited-slip differential called 4Motion which is lighter and less expensive. It also can't take you as many places as the 4XMotion, but VW realized no one in the U.S. was using their Touaregs as Unimogs.
• Automatic Cruise Control: the same kind of system filtering its way through all kinds of luxury cars, this version works even in stop-and-go traffic. Again, cost is the problem.

So what's left? A lighter, nicer, curvier and comparatively less expensive SUV that, frankly, is what the Touareg should have been the first time around.

We know we've discussed the size thing, so we'll admit right now that the new Touareg is larger. It gets about an inch-and-a-half longer and a half-inch wider, with the front track increased just a hair and the rear track growing by about half an inch as well. It sits a half-inch lower, the lowest SUV in the class other than its sister, the new Porsche Cayenne.



The additional size outside and the 1.5-inch longer wheelbase translates into more roominess inside, with anywhere from 1.75 inches to 2.7 inches more elbow, shoulder and knee room. There is more room for cargo as well, something the previous Touareg didn't exactly lack.

Volkswagen has pulled off this enlargement the right way, though. The new Touareg is about 400 pounds lighter than the last, due to the use of aluminum and high-strength steel, tailored blanks and lighter sound insulation. And yes, that includes the Hybrid. Serious weight loss came from the 4Motion Torsion limited-slip diff setup replacing the 4XMotion air suspension and center and rear differentials. In a case of VW designing a vehicle to be used the way people actually drive it, the hardcore 4XMotion can be ordered as part of a Terrain Tech package, but the 4Motion system alone is left to handle the speed bumps and gravel access roads the average Touareg will find its greatest challenge.

Making sure you'll never be left out in the cold, though, the 4MOTION system has electronic differential locks at all four wheels, 31 degrees of climbing angle and an off-road driving program that tunes the ABS, EDS and ASR for off-road duty, activates Hill Descent Assist and adjusts the automatic gearshift points.



Should you need more – and should you not live in American, as VW has clarified that we won't get it – the Terrain Tech package uses a familiar rotary switch to set the system to one of five levels: on-road; off-road, which adds automatic control of the mechanical locks; low, which adds reduced gearing, higher shift points and no automatic upshift in manual mode; a fourth mode that locks the center diff; and a fifth mode that locks the rear diff.

The curb weight of the European Touareg V6 FSI is 4,477 pounds, quite a drop from the portly 5,086 pounds of the outgoing U.S. model. Ours has a bit more standard equipment and so has a higher base curb weight, but the loss is clearly there and dramatic. The Euro V6 TDI is 4,618 pounds, and the Hybrid is 4,928 pounds.

In the looks department, we feel that this new Touareg is also hugely superior to the outgoing model. We enjoyed the previous Touareg even as we had no problem admitting it appeared to have been squeezed out of a tube. This Touareg has replaced mere brawn with curves and shoulders and scallops, so even though it's bigger, it looks smaller, sleeker and vastly more sporty. The body-colored panels and shaped, integrated exhaust tips only add to the complete picture.

We do think the facial treatment could have been given a special detail or two – something more prominent than the headlights and U-shaped line of LEDs, that is – instead of having an enlarged version of the New Corporate VW front. But that's just us. Ultimately, no matter how you take it in, the new Touareg looks like one would expect a VW SUV to look.



Perhaps the designers saved those curves no longer needed up front for the interior. It is convex and concave all over and truly nicer, with cross-stitching accenting the new hills and valleys. The redesigned front seats are comfy going the distance, the transmission tunnel has been reshaped to provide more legroom and the center console moved forward to provide more support. Ensconced on the new back bench with the front seats placed where we had plenty of room, there remained more than two inches between our legs and the front seats. The back bench also slides six inches fore-and-aft and reclines a few degrees.

The 6.5-inch touchscreen DVD system, which will be standard in the U.S., is easy to navigate and has a 3-D view with major landmarks built in. A 60-GB hard drive has 18 GB set aside for you to download your media. It works in conjunction with the seven-inch, 15:9 aspect ratio multifunction display in the dash, between the gauges. Color and brightness for both screens was excellent in every light condition we encountered.



In fact, the new Touareg is replete with premium touches like an electronic parking brake, an electronic engine oil level display that replaces the dipstick, a start-stop button on the keyless entry model and a key that can be turned right or left to start the car on all models, an electronic tailgate that can be programmed to open to a preset height (to avoid scraping in low-hanging garages), ambiance lighting in the footwells and doors, four Area View cameras that provide a 360-degree view around the car, a panorama sunroof, park distance control (PDC), and the aforementioned bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights.

Yet the full story isn't all "more" with this car, "less" and "fewer" play parts as well and not just concerning weight. There will be fewer option choices. On the V6 FSI and TDI there are three build choices. Base includes bi-xenon and LED driving lights, 18-inch wheels, DVD navigation and rearview camera, and 12-way power driver and passenger seats. The next level adds Vienna Leather, memory seats, the panoramic sunroof, wood trim and 19-inch wheels. The top of the peak model throws in the 12-speaker, 620-watt Dynaudio system; PDC; Smart Key; heated rear seats and steering wheel and 20-inch wheels. The Hybrid will be available only in that top trim level, albeit riding on 19-inch wheels wearing all-season low-resistance tires. Throw in the Terrain and Tow packages, and Volkswagen has reduced build options from more than 170 to about 20.

The first of those options, and the one that will surely be the least expensive when VW announces pricing, is the V6 FSI. More efficient than the current Touareg2 V6 FSI, the direct-injection lump will have 275 horsepower and 265 pound-feet. The one above that will be the BlueMotion V6 TDI, a common-rail turbodiesel with 236 hp and 405 pound-feet that comes on from 2,000 rpm. They both do the 0-to-62-mph run in 7.8 seconds.



In Europe, those engines will get Stop-Start, but we won't. We will, however, get the eight-speed automatic transmission that is now standard throughout the range. The gearbox, which shifts faster than the current six-speeder and has a 20-percent larger spread, uses the top two gears as long-distance fuel-consumption-reducing ratios. At 80 mph the tach rests at just 2,200 rpm. Volkswagen hasn't released EPA cycle numbers yet, but you can expect something better than the 14 city/20 highway miles per gallon of the VR6 FSI and 18/25 of the current V6 TDI models.

It is the Hybrid that gets the marquee space, though. It mates a supercharged, direct-injection V6 TSI with 333 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque to a Hybrid Module powered by a nickel metal-hydride battery pack in what would be the spare wheel recess under the cargo area. The 288-volt battery pack with 240 individual cells has a peak output of 38 kW. It can propel the Touareg on electric power alone for about a 1.5 miles at speeds up to 32 mph. Stomp on the gas from a standstill and you get to 62 in 6.5 seconds because the combined power numbers jump to 375 hp and 428 lb.-ft.

The heart of the parallel hybrid system is the 121-pound, 15-inch wide circular Hybrid Module, which has a 47-hp electric motor and a disengagement clutch. Essentially what it does is act to engage or disengage the ICE and electric motor from each other or the drivetrain. As in every other hybrid, you can have just the V6 in use or just electricity or both, but by being able to disengage the electric motor completely, VW has kept the Touareg's off-road and towing performance. The 7,500-pound towing capacity – more than a GMC Sierra Hybrid and the same for all versions of the Touareg – wouldn't be possible if you couldn't set the electric motor entirely aside.



Speaking of which, that is what also enables the Touareg to "sail." When the engine isn't needed to help move the vehicle, it is disengaged from the transmission. When you are coasting down a hill, for instance, the disengagement clutch in the Hybrid Module unhooks the V6, the engine is shut off and the tachometer falls to zero. You notice you coast a lot further as well because there's no engine torque to drag on the driveline. This "sailing" can be done up to 100 mph.

How do they go? Don't let the 7.8-second time and the gap between the traditional and Hybrid version throw you off – none of them are slow and even the base engine, the V6 FSI, delivers fine motoring pleasure. Sure, it doesn't bolt from the line like the Hybrid, but on the move, its pickup, aided by the quick-shifting and additional cogs of the eight-speed automatic, never let a driver down. The diesel is a bit more peppy, but it is the Hybrid that gets moving most quickly when you sound the klaxon.

With the loss of the air suspension – which is tied to the 4XMotion and so won't be on any Touareg without the Terrain Tech package – road feel returns to the level of a middle-premium SUV. Cornering isn't table flat, potholes knock a bit louder, and bad roads make a bit more fuss, but it is all still premium. The engineers have done a good job letting you feel the loss of that 500 pounds, though – the cargo-ship stolidity of the current model is gone, replaced by a more capable, more nimble vehicle that offers more of everything all around. The new Touareg will show itself well when cross-shopped with VW's target competition.



The Hybrid's features like stop-start and coasting were superb. As you brake to stop for a light, the engine shuts down and you roll to a stop on electric power. All systems are maintained, so power steering, brake boosting and the like remain on call. When you take your foot off the brake to pull away, you can roll away on electric power alone if you don't ask for a lot of gumption. If you need to get going right now, peak electric power comes in to move the car the first meter while the ICE comes on, silently, and spools up to take over on-the-go. It exhibits all the refinement you could eve want in such a system, on top of which you can do the off-road thing and pull an enormous trailer.

If Volkswagen prices the Touareg right when it hits the market later this year – and the officials in attendance gave every indication that pricing is a tied-for-first priority – then they won't need to worry about selling just 500,000 of these new Touaregs over its product life cycle. Provided VW can right the Touareg's troubled reliability legacy with this new model, we expect more Yankees will show up for this party and wouldn't even be surprised if enough showed up to request an American-sized slice of the sales pie.
source by autoblog

Read Full story

GM temporarily restarts Saturn Outlook

Saturn Outlook – Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though both the Saturn and Hummer brands are being phased out, General Motors has reportedly revived production of both the Outlook crossover and H3 SUV to meet consumer demands.




Last month, GM assembled 1,037 Outlooks at its Lansing, Michigan facility, which is where the crossover's Lamda platform stablemates (Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia) are built. A spokesperson for GM states that production was reinstated to utilize the rest of the Saturn-specific material at the facility, and that the automaker will continue to assemble the Outlook for a few more weeks.

Hummer, on the other hand, will produce 849 H3 and H3Ts to fulfill an order placed by a fleet company. GM's Shreveport, Louisiana plant will commence production of these vehicles on April 12, and the automaker says that this order will be completed no later than May 13. After that, the Shreveport plant will continue to only produce the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, though the fate of those vehicles is rather shaky, as well.

Read Full story

Sheikh, Rattle and Rolls: Another special Phantom for Abu Dhabi

Rolls-Royce Phantom Yas Eagle edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

If there's anywhere in the world where they know how to gild a lily, it's the Persian Gulf. The oil-rich emirates there seem to have an endless appetite for items of, shall we say... questionable taste. And Rolls-Royce seems to have no qualms about milking the region's appetite for all it's worth.




Along with the gold-dipped Drophead Coupe and the series of special editions exclusively for the Gulf, Rolls-Royce has crafted another special Phantom for the land where oil flows like water. Called the Yas Eagle, this special was actually released a few months ago to coincide with the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but details have only made their way onto the Intertubes now.

The package can be ordered on any of the three bodystyles in the Phantom range: sedan, coupe and DHC convertible. It consists of a two-tone white and cobalt blue paint scheme (think the original Viper GTS coupe, sans attitude), an interior done up in blue and red leather (with matching top for the Drophead Coupe), special blue-stained ash veneers, white instrument dials, blue carpets, a checkerboard stripe running down the waistline and across the fascia, an illuminated hood ornament and oh, so much more. Have a look for yourself in the gallery below.
[Source: Automotive Design Corner] autoblog.com

Read Full story

2010 Nissan Sentra SE-R is a tall order

2010 Nissan Sentra SE-R – Click above for high-res image galleries

The Nissan Sentra has long been the bridesmaid of America's C-segment. Few consider it to be best-in-class, yet it would be a stretch to call Nissan's second-smallest sedan the category's cellar dweller. In the past, the Sentra hasn't been the fastest, it hasn't been the prettiest and it certainly hasn't offered the best interior, but the affordable sedan has quietly continued to sell well enough to keep Nissan in the picture.

Unlike some of its more popular competitors, the Sentra is offered exclusively as a sedan, while other automakers offer coupes or hatchbacks. Nissan makes up for this deficiency in part by offering six different variants of the Sentra, ranging from a base 2.0 model to the 200-horsepower SE-R Spec V. We had the chance to spend a week in the mildly refreshed 2010 SE-R model that slots in just below the Spec V, and with 177 horsepower on tap and quite a few high-end options, we wanted to find out if this upper-middle child could hold its own in what has fast become one of the most interesting and competitive segments in the market.


All Sentra models receive updates for 2010, with tweaks to their headlights and taillights, a new front fascia and grille and a lower MSRP. More specifically, all SE-R models also received attractive 17-inch wheels, a standard 4.3-inch color display with USB connectivity and updated instrument panel accents. The biggest news is two-fold: The SE-R's price tag drops by $1,080 versus the 2009 model and Nissan has introduced a new low cost navigation system on the 2010 model.
One glance at the 2010 Nissan Sentra SE-R, and we were immediately taken aback by its surprising size – particularly its height and length. This "compact" sedan is actually one of the largest entries in its class. It's the widest vehicle at 70.5 inches, besting competitors like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, and it's within a half inch of the Mazda3 in length. The Sentra is so broad-of-beam that it's within two-tenths of an inch of Nissan's own midsize Altima, and the "smaller" sedan is more than a full inch taller. Our SE-R tester is also the second heaviest vehicle among its competitors, tipping the scales at a rotund 3,115 pounds. That's even heavier than the all-wheel drive Subaru Impreza and second in tonnage only to the portly Volkswagen Jetta. Even the Altima comes in only 65 pounds heavier.


We were surprised at how close the Sentra was to the Altima in many dimensions, and shopping for a sedan in a Nissan showroom gets even more complicated when considering the Sentra's downmarket sibling, the Versa. The so-called B-segment Versa is a big boy in-and-of-itself, just three inches shorter and slightly narrower than the Sentra, while coming in (amazingly) one inch taller. Naturally, this causes us to wonder how many Sentra sales are lost to the Versa. Sure the Versa has 55 fewer ponies in 1.8 SL trim, but it's also over 500 pounds lighter, available in both sedan and hatch configurations, and starts at $4,000 fewer bucks to boot.
The Sentra's overly generous height and long wheelbase conspire to create some odd proportions, and to our eyes, the resulting design looks awkward and narrow – there's just no getting around the very tall, incredibly bulbous greenhouse. On the bright side, our SE-R tester did have some nice-looking features that differentiate it from its less sporty siblings. For starters, the SE-R's new 17-inch wheels help give the Sentra's profile some added visual pop. Also added are bodyside moldings and a restrained rear wing that lends the slightest amount of sporting pretense.



Nissan has added more SE-R cues inside the cabin, where a pair of leather buckets await front seat occupants. The thrones are incredibly comfortable and well-bolstered, giving the Sentra a more upscale feel. Unfortunately, that initial impression of quality quickly departed upon closer inspection of the rather bland dashboard laden with low quality, hard-to-the-touch plastics. If the SE-R didn't come with twin pod meters displaying oil pressure and lateral acceleration(!), along with Nissan's new low-cost navigation system, the interior would have looked like a barren landscape of automotive-grade Tupperware.

But while the Sentra's interior is nothing to look at (or touch, for that matter), the layout and functionality of buttons and knobs are well executed. There's something to be said for a vehicle that's incredibly easy to operate from Day One, and the Sentra's large knobs and steering wheel controls are as intuitive as they come. While it's true that the Sentra's overstuffed dimensions make for a pretty bland-looking sedan, once you get behind the wheel, those extra inches work to your advantage.



Nissan's new $400 system was designed for lower cost, high volume vehicles like the Sentra, and while it's not as sophisticated as other systems we've sampled, it's also about a quarter of the price. Despite the discount, it still comes complete with a 4.3-inch, touch-sensitive LCD screen and the ability to interface with iPods and MP3 players while also working with Bluetooth-equipped phones to deliver hands-free calling.

Like the rest of the Sentra interior, we found the system to be intuitive and easy-to-use, offering all of the gas station and restaurant-finding capabilities we've come to expect. Unfortunately, our pre-production tester apparently had a glitch that inhibited its route guidance abilities, but Nissan assures us that the system will work as-advertised once it reaches mass-production. We'll reserve judgment until we can test another example.

As much as we'd like the Sentra's interior quality to improve, all would be forgiven if the SE-R lived up to its sporting ancestry. After all, we adored the original B13 SE-R of the early Nineties, and the $4,000 premium over the base Sentra means that this model ought to live up to once-formidable badge. Dolling out 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque from its 2.5-liter four-cylinder, the SE-R had enough power to push 3,115 pounds of sedan, but it never managed to set our blood to boil – or really get it much above room temperature. Redline comes at a pedestrian 6,000 RPM, with maximum torque available at 2,800 RPM. The 2.5-liter mill delivers smooth acceleration (we'd estimate 0-60 at between 7.5 and 8 seconds) that's a bit better than what you'd expect in a C-Segment sedan, but it doesn't sound or feel race-inspired and the SE-R's XTronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) dashes any hopes of enthusiastic driving.


The CVT – essentially a gearless transmission – keeps the engine in the optimal RPM range at all times in order to improve performance and efficiency. But unlike other CVT-equipped vehicles, we found ourselves using the paddle shifters to provide six forward shifting points and avoid the feeling of the shiftless transmission for performance purposes. It worked, but just barely. To compound matters, the CVT didn't appear to do much to improve fuel economy either – we only managed a marginal 23 miles-per-gallon during moderate to heavy driving with a 60/40 highway/city mix.
But the story got a bit better when it came to ride and handling. The sport-tuned suspension offered a bit of an edge, without punishing the SE-R's occupants on imperfect roads. And while the speed variable electronic steering has a nice heft to it, the tiller lacks some feedback for our tastes. When tackling turns at higher velocities, we noticed more than a little body roll – not surprising given the Sentra's high ride height – but for a vehicle billed as a sporting runabout, there was more lean than we expected. Coupled with the aforementioned vague steering, the SE-R doesn't exactly offer a recipe for confident backroad carving. Beyond sport-tuned spring rates, the only other major hardware update for the SE-R is up-sized 17-inch wheels mated to P225/45VR17 Continental ContiProContact tires that aid in keeping this up-level Sentra connected with the road.



We did experience a few bouts of torque steer when accelerating hard from a stop, and in each instance the SE-R pulled to the right on dry pavement – again, not confidence-inspiring. Braking was solid thanks to standard four-wheel disc brakes (11.7 inches up front and 11.5 inches in the rear), but you may want to step up to the Spec V model with its larger 12.6-inch front rotors to keep braking distances and rotor temps in check if you're into canyon runs or track days.
After a few days behind the wheel of the Nissan Sentra SE-R, we found ourselves somewhere between uninterested and nearly satisfied. Not the sort of emotions that attract us to a new car. The Sentra scored points for comfort, ease-of-use and general spaciousness, and we commend Nissan for offering an inexpensive in-dash navigation option. But does a cheap navi and WYSIWYG functionality enough to justify a $22,000 price tag for this Sentra SE-R? Not really. The Sentra's interior materials are just too cheap and the SE-R's performance too pedestrian to justify its higher price tag (let alone its once-storied SE-R badge). From where we sit, Nissan either needs to get serious about the Sentra or its compact sedan will never end up at that altar; unless it's in charge of fluffing the bride's dress.

Read Full story

Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe

Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

We were lucky enough to ride in the concept car two years ago, when the now Phantom Coupe was called the 101EX. Our words that day were "You have to build this car." And we've been waiting ever since the end of that sentence for this day to come. It was evident even as a concept that no other coupé -- with two syllables, please -- promised such a return to Jazz Age glamor, when a gentleman motored from Antibbes to Monaco in a Hooper bodied Phantom II to visit that Polish countess he'd had his eye on. So, when Rolls-Royce called with the invite to Goodwood to drive the new Phantom Coupe from England to Crozet, in the South of France, it would be our chance to see if the promise was delivered. Follow the jump to find out.



The Phantom Coupe is a large car. This is not surprising -- it's a Rolls-Royce, and it's based on the Phantom, which is an even larger car. But parked among other Coupes and Phantoms, it didn't seem so big -- not even when we had to stand on tip-toe to sit in the seat. But at one point, when we pulled into a gas station in France, we lined up for a spot between a Golf cabrio and a Renault, and all of a sudden it felt like we were trying to park the Death Star. Incredibly, even once we had slotted in, there was plenty of room to open the massive suicide doors and retrieve the French chocolate we'd been craving.

The sleight-of-car is due to the magic Rolls-Royce has in making its vehicles drive a lot smaller than they are. The Phantom Coupe has the same dimensions as the Drophead Coupe, at 18.5 feet long and 6.5 feet wide, but a half an inch lower due to the hardtop. For comparison, we drove the Phantom EWB right after getting out of the Coupe. The EWB is ten inches longer than a regular Phantom, which is itself ten inches longer than the Phantom Coupe, and there was practically no difference. You look in the rearview mirror and you can see that the guy in back is a lot further back... but the cars feel the same size. In the Coupe, at no point do you think you're driving a car that is 17 inches longer than a BMW 760Li. Speaking of length, though, that back seat isn't anywhere near as spacious at the one in the BMW, but there's room for an adult to be comfy long enough to get wherever you'll be going, which is probably from your penthouse to the club, or the yacht, or the Michelin three-star restaurant...

Since it sheds the convertible top, the Coupe also benefits from a gas tank and trunk that are both 25-percent larger than its droptop sibling. Filled up, the fuel gauge said we could go about 635 kilometers on the 100-liter (26.4 gallons), and we were told that you can fit four bags of clubs in the 395-liter boot.

Underneath, the car features the 6.75-liter V12 that well heeled customers have not stopped loving. Chassis-wise, it's the stiffest Rolls-Royce in the lineup, and utilizes different spring rates, stiffer dampers, a thicker rear anti-roll bar, and steering tuned for more response. The car also sports a 49:51 weight ratio. With all that, its 453-HP and 532 lb-ft pulls 5,798 pounds of car from 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, on to a governed 155-MPH top speed. Imagine being able to sit on the back of a white rhino and hit the gas, you'll get the feeling.

Inside, the car is pure Rolls-Royce: an uncluttered, leather-stuffed, organ-stop- and violin-key-ornamented suite. There isn't really much going on, but it's almost all there. Some of it is hidden, like the seat controls under the center armrest, which is a minor issue, and the media screen controller, which is a good thing. The dash is little more than a speedo in the center, a gas gauge to the right, and a Power Reserve meter to the left, which we guarantee you will never have cause to look at, unless you're drag racing Astons up Mont Ventoux.
But let's get to the pièce de resistance inside the car: the starlight headliner. Sadly, the northern latitudes of our locations meant daylight came so early and stayed so late we were never in the car at night. The darkest it got while we were actually driving the car was during the Chunnel ride from Dover to Calais. We turned on the headliner in our boxcar, and frankly, it wasn't that impressive. It made us go "Ah, neat... lights..." On the last night, however, Paul Farraiolo, president of Rolls-Royce NA, swiped some keys so we could experience the headliner in the dead of the Alpine darkness. And then it made us go "Ah. I see. Lights!"

There are 1,600 fiber optic lights placed in the headliner, each one created by one woman -- by hand. It comes with what was called a "rheostat," but what laymen would call a "dimmer switch." At its lowest setting the headliner is twinkle, twinkle little star. At its highest setting, there's a lot of light. It's soft light, not like the klieg lights in some other luxury cars, and probably bright enough to read the paper by. It really will be good for more than a few oohs and ahhhhs. It was a tad odd to be sitting in the driver's seat at 2 am and have the car lit up like the dining room. Rest assured, though, that that Argentine model you're taking to dinner next week is going to love it.

We asked a Rolls-Royce honcho on the first day, when we'd drive from the factory in Goodwood to the Champagne region in France, what he really wanted us to get from the car. They wanted us to see how easy the Phantom Coupe is to drive over long distances. With six hundred kilometers ahead of us, we'd have plenty of time to find out if he was right.

Well, he was. In fact, he was almost too right. The car is so easy to drive, so comfortably over long distances, so uncluttered in presentation, and asking nothing in return, that, dare we say it, at one point... cruising effortlessly at speeds you don't want to know about down the French autoroute... the car... ceased to feel special. That's right. It felt so much like driving our living room that we began to feel as special as we do in our living room... and although we like our living room... it just doesn't make me feel all kingly.

How can we say this? Let us count the ways: the car doesn't register anything but the mightiest of bumps, lumps, and holes; the steering is just-right responsive for a big luxury tourer, requiring neither laser focus to keep things straight, nor being so lax that you need to turn the wheel before you actually want to turn the wheels; the only thing there is to play with are the climate control knobs, which, not being digital, could involve a bit of finessing to get the temperature you want; and the last thing: when the windows are up, the outside world ceases to exist.

The windows on the car are two slabs of glass that sandwich a thick slice of glazing material. Journos at another publication wrote that they noticed the windshield wiper motor noise. And we noticed it too, as well as the furious amounts of wind gliding around the massive front end and A-pillars. But all wiper motors make noise, and all vehicles feature some sound effects from wind. The reason you notice them so much in the Coupe is that there is nothing else to hear. The car is so well insulated, and the windows are so thick, that there's no road noise, you don't hear cars and trucks next to you. It's you, the wind noise around the A-pillar, and... the crickets. That's it. So when you roll down the windows, the volume inside the car jumps a noticeable number of decibels, and you remember, "Oh yeah, there's, like, stuff out there." Yeah. It's called the Earth.

It was day two in the car that returned the feeling of privilege to us. We had another 600 kilometers, but this time it would be over back lanes and B-roads. And it was then that we discovered the "S" button on the steering wheel, also called "The Roundabout Button." It doesn't do much: it changes the gearbox programming, dropping you down a gear immediately, and then kicks down gears faster, holds gears longer, and increases accelerator pedal response. But it has a much larger affect on the car than those changes would imply. Come to twisties, and the car jumps out of corners and bolts for the next one. Imagine that white rhino mentioned earlier, after doing 0-60 in 5.6 seconds in its basic guise, then put on a pair of gold Nikes like the kind Michael Johnson wore in the 1996 Olympics, and gave you a look like "Let's get it on!" It's hard to believe, even while doing it. If anything -- or rather, if there are any other Coupe buyers who drive like us -- we can imagine a few of them ending up in walls and ditches. The car hurtles out of turns and down straights, but there is still the issue of 6,000 pounds needing to enter and get around the next turn, and you could end up having so much fun that you forget about a silly little thing called physics. By the end of that day, all was rosy in the world again, and we felt as just special as we thought we should.

There are things I could complain about, like the BMW 7-Series key and the finicky iPod integration. But I won't. People buying this car simply don't care. Issues like that are on the list entitled "Things Phantom Coupe Buyers Don't Give One &%$#@! About," and just after gas prices and insurance premiums, they are numbers "Whatever" and "Did you say something?"

What you need to know is this: the car is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. All promise has been fulfilled, and it has all the grace, presence, manners, and gawk factor that you would expect from any Rolls-Royce. What's more, when you decide to give it the Big-Brown-down-the-back-straight treatment, the car goes. It's big and drives small. It's massive and goes fast. It's luxurious and uncomplicated. It looks great and will get you looks -- and crowds -- all day. And remember, get a model close to that starlight headliner and it's a done deal. The only catch is that you'll need $400,000 before taxes, options, models, and Polish countesses. But honestly, is that too much to pay for a leather-lined ticket to the promised land? As far as we're concerned, no. In fact, we'll still take two, thank you.

One last note: Rolls-Royce had a few words to say about the RR4, the first being "Don't call it a baby Rolls-Royce. It will be noticeably larger than a 7-Series, and it will be more expensive than any Bentley." When Tom Purves, CEO of Rolls-Royce, was asked "Even the Arnage?" his answer was "Any Bentley." So there.
source by autoblog.com

Read Full story