BMW just loves molding its sedans into funny shapes, and so in the future, we will likely see more derivatives of BMW’s 3- and 5-series platforms. In fact BMW announced that future vehicle will include a new mid-sized SUV (yes, BMW calls it a SAV - Sport Activity Vehicle - but we’re not playing that game.) It will be called X4 and is set to be revealed sometime next year.
Based off the 3-Series, the X4 will be to the X3 like what the X6 is to the X5. It will borrow styling themes introduced on the X6, meaning it will be a tall, five-door fastback. Like its other X-Series siblings (except the X1), all-wheel drive will likely be the only drivetrain available. Also like the other BMW SUVs, it should be produced at the Spartanburg, South Carolina plant.
Even in uncertain fuel pricing times, BMW seems to be banking its future on SUVs. The X1 will go on sale in Europe next year and in USA in 2010. A redesigned X3 is scheduled for 2010 and a diesel version of the X5, with the complicated name X5 xDrive35d debuts this year. The X6 will get a freshening in 2012.
General Motors has had a very bad week. It announced at the beginning of the week that it was looking to get $500 million by mortgaging its swanky Renaissance Center headquarters in Detroit to help raise it’s cash. But that’s now a small concern compared to its new problem. Yesterday’s stock firesale on Wall Street sent GM’s share tumbling to $4.76, which is a 31 percent loss in one day. The stock is now at its lowest price since 1950.
All of this sent credit rater Standard & Poor’s to say on Thursday it could cut both GM and Ford’s credit ratings deeper into junk. It said that both automakers had enough liquidity through 2008, "but the accelerating deteriorating industry fundamentals will be a serious challenge to liquidity during 2009."
But the battle is not over. General Motors sees a tough road but won’t go to the extreme of filing for bankruptcy. "Clearly we face unprecedented challenges related to uncertainty in the financial markets globally and weakening economic fundamentals in many key markets," GM said. "But bankruptcy protection is not an option GM is considering. Bankruptcy would not be in the interests of our employees, stockholders, suppliers or customers."
Just remember the infamous saying: “As goes GM, so goes the country.” So let’s all keep fighting.
The Mazda MX-5 is the Japanese interpretation of the British roadster: small, light, nimble and reliable (Japan added the last one.) Most of these characteristics contribute to decent fuel economy (20 mpg city/27 mpg highway), but the Japanese are overachievers and want more from the little MX-5. So now, the next generation due in 2012 will likely carry a hybrid or diesel version. "I would say the chance of a diesel or hybrid engine [for MX-5] is more than 50 per cent," Mazda MX-5 program manager Takao Kijima.
How can this be? The best part about the MX-5 is that it offers a fun drive with the top down (even if others can see you driving it.) Nothing would kill that more that the substantial extra weight of hybrid system, or the smell of an oil burner.
Kijima knows these concerns too, so he’s already come up with a very Lotus-like answer for the hybrid’s weight: add lightness. He says the new MX-5 will be ten percent lighter than the current generation and will be a similar weight to the first generation. Kijima says that there was a push from markets like the U.S. to make the car bigger and heavier, but he’s resisting (wise choice).
As for the sent of the diesel, just blame it on the dog riding shotgun.
So the 2012 MX-5 now has a real challenge ahead of it. It has to stay small, light and nimble, while seeking fuel economy, sustainability and "more balls".
CGS is preparing a customized 2009 Ford Flex for the SEMA Show. The car was designed by Sean Smith of SS Designs and will be named "ReFlex."
This new crossover SUV will feature custom paint by DuPont Refinishes with paint preparation by 3M, 22" one-off Bonspeed wheels, Pirelli Tires, Custom leather from Roadwire, door solenoids by SPAL, suede interior of Keyston Bros., and a custom sound system by Kicker featuring a Clarion navigation head unit.
As illustrated in the rendering, ReFlex will feature a one-off body kit, Sean Smith and the design team at CGS will clay up the body kit until it looks just the way they envisioned it. The CGS team is also designing and building hand made chrome moldings to separate the two tone paint scheme.
The 2008 SEMA Show is coming and the manufacturers begin to tease about what will show up. The latest manufacturer that announced its presence at the show is AC Schnitzer in cooperation with their partner for North America, the Claus Ettensberger Corporation (CEC). The German tuning house will be its latest creations like the newly designed X6 Falcon and the new BMW X5.
BMW previewed at the Paris Auto Show the future X1 with the Concept version of the SUV. The concept is a four-wheel drive model and that makes sense because all current BMW SUVs are four-wheel drive only. But now BMW announced that the production X1, set to be revealed in 2010, will be offered in both four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive configurations.
The decision has been made because the company believes that weight savings and efficiency gains will persuade buyers to accept a rear-drive only version of the X1. The company is expected to offer the rear-drive X1 with four-cylinder 2.0-liter gas and diesel engines.
To differentiate it from the four-wheel drive X1, BMW is planning to introduce a new ‘sDrive’ badge. This will lead to a complicated naming structure, with model names like the BMW X1 18isDrive.
Larger-engined versions of the X1 will have four-wheel drive as standard, and will wear the same xDrive badge as the X5 and X6.
Audi has been getting a little aggressive with its advertising for the new A4. First it went directly for Mercedes in a national advertising campaign, and now it continues while it takes aim at BMW and Lexus as well in a new "Meet the Beckers" web series.
Enjoy the first episode. Maybe you can pick up on what Audi’s trying to say (unfortunately for Audi, in real life, idiots drive its cars too.)
Have you ever seen your kids bored in your long family trips? Well, today we have the solution: Carcade, a concept for an in-car videogame designed for the passengers, which actually captures the landscape and uses it as a videogame environment. For example trees and houses on your window will be recognized by the incorporated camera connected to a laptop, and then it will enter your game. Also, when the car accelerates, the game will become more difficult (that’s got to be safe.)
The bad news is that for the moment the game is only a concept. But who knows, maybe in the future you will be able to play you’re own live version of Midnight Club!
The Australian International Motor Show that is going on now through next week is sometimes overlooked because its smaller and only a week after the Paris show. But real car fans won’t miss it because they know the Aussies are all about power. Local creations such Ford’s FPV 5th Anniversary Falcon GT and HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) GTS are not to be missed.
At the show is a special edition of the GTS to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first Australian Gran Turismo Sportivo (GTS). The majority of this package on this $80,170 (Australia) car is just little add-ons like stripes, 40th anniversary commemorative logos everywhere and special red or white paint. The reason it doesn’t get any performance upgrades is because the GTS need none. It already has the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 from the Corvette.
If you who feel like the the lucky Aussies get all the sleeper sedans, then you haven’t been paying enough attention. Pontiac will release the G8 GXP for 2009. It’s built Holden’s facility in Australia and stuffed with the same V8 making 415 hp.
Scion planned no less than six new custom concept design cars planned for the SEMA show. Scion is well known for letting its cars be blank canvases for customizers and is no doubt that the special projects prepared for SEMA will be innovative and original. The company will show a trio of xB and also a trio of tC, developed with designers like Blaine Fontana, Kenton Parker and Jeff Soto.
Scion sent the three tCs to different customizers for the 2008 Scion Tuner Challenge, one them being inspired on Bonneville speed trial cars. The winner of the competition will also be announced during SEMA. However, among these six projects, Scion has prepared for SEMA also with other custom models such as an xD with the top chopped.
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