Automotive News

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, Cadillac, Saab

Just days after we got word that Saab is working on a new crossover with Cadillac, what appears to be a development mule has turned up. The mule carries the bodywork of a Trailblazer from the firewall back and a Saab 9-7x at the front. Closer inspection of the photos reveals details that this machine is not a GMT360.

The front wheel wells have been cut to accommodate a slightly shorter wheelbase. The lower rear view shows an independent suspension at the back. The new CUVs will apparently use a combination of Epsilon II (Vectra) and Theta (Saturn Vue) hardware. We should have a better idea of what the new Saab will look like in January at the Detroit Auto Show, where it’s expected to be shown in concept form.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., By the Numbers

Due to the dollar’s dip, one American greenback is worth the equivalent Canadian Loonie. At least, it’s worth the same at the exchange window. However, it is not worth anywhere near the same amount at Canadian car dealerships, and at least one Canadian wants to know why.

Even though the two currencies are at parity, the difference in the prices of various cars ranges from $7,000 to $10,000. An Audi A4 Quattro with the turbo 2.0-liter is $32,000 in the US, but it’ll set you back more than $40,000 in Canada. A $25,095 Taurus here will run you $33,399 in Canada. The discrepancy when it comes to Volvo is highest, with a 38-percent markup that equates to an $11,000 premium if you buy in Canada.

With those kinds of numbers, it’s no surprise that Canadians are going south of the border to find a set of wheels. The blogger, Clever Shark, has written to automakers to find out why the land of the maple leaf has to pay so much, but he’s not holding his breath for answers.

[Source: Clever Shark]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Honda

Click image for high-res shots

The original Honda Gold Wing was a standard-style motorcycle. Honda has pretty much abandoned the high-output naked bike market lately with their 919 attempting and failing to hold the fort. Might Honda be looking to capture back a piece of that market? Take a look at the EV06 concept bike that Honda is set to show off next month in Tokyo. We love the looks of this bike, and think that the six -cylinder 1800-plus-cc engine looks way better in this naked bike application then it ever did in the Rune. While the similar engine in the Honda Gold Wing allows for adequate performance, in a smaller and lighter bike such as this it would truly be awe-inspiring. The fact that this bike is being shown in the first place should not be surprising considering that Suzuki has already announced its super-powerful Hayabusa-inspired B King, which comes with the former’s 1340 cc four-cylinder engine, along with rumors that Kawasaki is considering offering a naked bike using the engine from the ZX-14. Honda does not have a large capacity four-pot engine to convert for naked bike use, but as this bike shows, it does have a monstrous and torque-rich six-cylinder just begging for duty in the same category. Honda should follow Aprilia’s lead and not detune the engine or “tune it for torque”. While some of the four-cylinder engines from Japan Inc. tend to be a bit “peaky”, with this horizontally-opposed six, torque should not be a problem.

Honda — please offer this bike for sale in the U.S.! Make sure to keep the styling intact, including the snarling headlight and very well integrated radiator. Touches like the single-sided swingarm, USD fork and dual front disks would be nice too. Follow Suzuki’s lead and keep the styling mildly controversial and you’ve got a winner on your hands.

[Source: Wired’s Autopia]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Mercedes Benz, Lifestyle

If Michael Man were to do a film about spy photographers (of the automotive variety) from a script written by Mamet or Soderbergh, this would be it. Called The Illusive and brought to you by the folks at Mercedes, it’s about spy photographer trying to get shots of Merc’s wares and the Merc “agent” who’s thwarting him. It’s sultry, it’s European, and there’s an SLR Roadster in there, an inexplicably angry French waiter, as well as a few goats.

The film is part of Mercedes’ branding efforts, in an attempt to draw a younger — dare we say it — slicker, crowd. It’s a fun watch, and only about a dozen minutes long. Based on what we’ve heard of spy photography, though, it’s not a documentary. We imagine that the folks at KGP, Priddy, Doane and co. wish they retired every evening to swank French restaurants for Chateaubriand and chianti

[Source: Floaded via Motor Authority]

 

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Filed under: Hatchbacks, Honda

Click on the photo for a higher-res gallery of the new Honda Fit

We showed you the first official photos of the new upcoming 2009 Honda Fit the other day, and now the first driving impression of the little Honda is online. Inside Line’s Japanese correspondent got an early driving impression of the car that will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in a few weeks. The more steeply raked windshieldclearly visible in the photos has had its base moved ahead by 4.7 inches to give a roomier feel to the interior.

The quality of the interior materials has evidently been improved and most of the extra two inches of wheelbase has gone straight into rear seat legroom. The combination of the new iVTEC 1.5L engine and five speed manual apparently gives the runabout brisk performance, but we’ll judge for ourselves when it gets stateside. Honda hasn’t made any official pronouncements yet, but since the current 2008 model is now available, we probably won’t see the new version before next summer. As for engines, we’ll probably only get the larger one unless gas prices shoot up some more. In that case, Honda could offer the 1.3L to US drivers. As for equipment, with the US dollar continuing to sink, Honda probably still hasn’t made a definitive decision about whether to offer the imported Fit with less content at a lower price or follow the MINI and go for more of a premium small car with the RS version.

[Source: Inside Line]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Euro, Green, Marketing/Advertising

We see it every day on TVs here in the states; commercials complete with warnings about side effects that range from impotence, vomiting, or uncontrollable bowel movements. And that’s just for curing toenail fungus. The European Union is noodling the idea of using warnings in car commercials, with the aim of arming consumers with the knowledge of how the vehicle impacts the environment. While requiring automakers to include CO2 and fuel use impact in their advertising seems like a decent idea, the rest of the EU proposal would never fly here in the US. The proposal also calls for limiting all vehicle speed limits to 101 MPH, with the rationale that it makes no sense that automakers increased power by 28% since 1994 even though no country raised their speed limits. Blame it on the Autobahn — it’s hard to raise the limit above “no speed limit.”

The proposal, which will be debated by the European Parliament in October, also recommends banning all advertising that promotes high speed driving capabilities, which makes zero sense if the EU bans driving over 101 MPH anyway.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

 

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