Archive for January, 2011
Reborn Chinese MG Considering U.S. Sales (Again)?
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
The rebirth of the MG brand in Chinese hands has hit no shortage of stumbling blocks over the last four years, but as sales heat up in China, talk of U.S. sales are surfacing. It’s not the first time such plans have arisen. Even before Shanghai Auto (SAIC) bought the brand along with Nanjing Automobile, there were plans to sell the TF roadster in…
Continue Reading
Chrysler’s UConnect Touch Video
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
In-car communication and entertainment systems are one of the many fads hitting the auto industry right now. They’re something of a mixed blessing, depending on the automaker and model: MyFord Touch is a casebook example of how you can make the simple complicated — nothing much in the 2011 Lincoln MKX could be easily accomplished. Chrysler takes a different approach in the 2011 Dodge Charger and in other vehicles, according to Cars.com editor Joe Bruzek. Chrysler’s UConnect system is intuitive and easy to use, and there are still real controls for commonly used features, like volume and temperature knobs. Find out why UConnect is the system Joe would want in his car.
2011|Dodge|Charger
Continue Reading
Video: Chevy Engineers Explain The 2011 Camaro Convertible
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
You’ve already read our take on the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible in our first drive review. Now you can see what GM’s engineers focused on to make a car they claim is just as capable as the coupe. No matter whether you think the drop-top Camaro is for blow-drying mullets or blowing the doors off competitors, you’ll find the info in the video…
Continue Reading
Spy Shots: 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Daytona 500 Pace Car
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
Daytona pace car duty is nothing new for the Chevy Camaro, and this year, it’ll pace the Indy 500, too. These shots of the pace car for the 2011 Daytona 500 show a pretty mean package that we’re sure more than a few Camaro owners would like to see on their own car. The key upgrades to the Daytona pace car include a large rear spoiler, lower-body…
Continue Reading
2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible First Drive
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
The Chevrolet Camaro is an American icon. The rebirth of this icon has given enthusiasts across America hope that Detroit hasn’t lost its way. Now they chopped the top off this American icon. We grabbed the keys to a black Camaro Convertible 2SS. With the wind flying through our hair, we blasted down the twisty roads next to the Mexican border…
Continue Reading
2012 Fiat 500: First Drive
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
The ramp-up to the Fiat 500 has been years in the making. Fiat released the car in Europe in 2007, and speculation of its arrival came months before the Italian automaker’s June 2009 acquisition of a then-moribund Chrysler. A U.S.-bound 500 became official in 2010, and Chrysler priced it by year’s end. Now, in early 2011, we’ve driven the car that hits showrooms next month.
It was worth the wait.
The 500 packs fresh styling, decent value and handling dynamics that come close to the venerable Mini Cooper’s.
Styled after the original rear-engine 1957 Cinquecento — “500” in Italian — the front-engine 500 bears the same beady headlights and parking lamps. Though not as affable as the Mini, the 500’s bubble-car profile and pencil-moustache expression promise distinction. That’s a considerable feat, considering the car’s small size will make it hard to see, period. Measuring just short of 140 inches long, the 500 is 7 inches short of a Cooper, though it’s a foot-plus longer than a Smart ForTwo or Scion’s forthcoming iQ, both legitimate minicars. The small footprint and a 30.6-foot turning circle (narrower than the Mini and just 1.8 feet wider than the ForTwo) should cement the Fiat’s urban credentials.
Though Fiat’s 1.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder makes a modest 101 horsepower, it moves the sub-2,500-pound hatchback easily enough. The 500 has adequate power from a standstill, and highway passing at 70 mph is workable, even with the five-speed manual in 5th gear. The optional six-speed automatic, meanwhile, serves up smooth upshifts that expose the unconventional automatics in the ForTwo and Ford Fiesta as clunky alternatives. Fiat’s automatic kicks down to lower gears fast enough, with a Sport mode that calls up downshifts somewhat sooner.
Interstate trips are manageable, but you won’t want to make a regular habit of them. Either suspension — the base setup in Pop and Lounge trims, or the sport-tuned suspension in the 500 Sport — settles into a firm rhythm on the highway, and the engine churns along at low rpm with a sort of agricultural coarseness. Highway road and wind noise are ever-present, and the optional moonroof’s mesh sunscreen offers zilch for noise abatement.
Driving fun is where the 500 excels. Find a sweeping corner, and the car’s nose admirably refuses to push wide. The 500 is as drift-happy as the Cooper, with steering that’s nearly as quick-witted. I only wish the car cornered flatter. Fiat marketing manager Stephane Cloutier said you sit a couple of inches higher in the 500 than in a Cooper, and it shows: Pitch the car hard into a corner, and even the Sport model leans noticeably.
The seats could use more lateral support for such maneuvers, and the backrests didn’t conform well to my back over my daylong stretch in the car. Cabin quality is decent, with appealing off-white paneling around major controls. (It can also come in a more conventional black.) The backseat and trunk area — the latter with a smallish 9.5 cubic feet — aren’t good for much more than groceries, and occasional hapless passengers.
We drove a European 500 last summer, and editor Mike Hanley suspected the car would have only niche potential. My inclination is that’s still the case. A $15,500 starting price notwithstanding, I’m skeptical all the shoppers trolling Honda, Toyota and Ford showrooms for a cheap set of wheels will rush headlong to a Fiat showroom. The car’s limited utility, so-so gas mileage (low 30s combined, Fiat reckons) and premium fuel recommendation will all hamstring its mainstream potential. But Fiat has built a legitimate Mini alternative for thousands less, and shoppers willing to trade absolute utility for creative styling and driving fun should give the car a try. For a brand looking to get back into a market it left 27 years ago, that could signal as good a start as any.
Stay tuned for a full review. For now, see the photos below.
Continue Reading
Ferrari Reveals F150 Race Car For 2011 F1 Series
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
Ferrari is the first major team to unveil its new race car for the 2011 Formula 1 series, which kicks off with the Bahrain GP this March. The latest race car, dubbed the Ferrari F150, was unveiled today at the automaker’s headquarters in Maranello, though it’s development is still ongoing and there will be some changes before the first…
Continue Reading
Volkswagen Looking To Bring Scirocco To U.S.
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
It’s no secret that Volkswagen’s new U.S. chief Jonathan Browning is a fan of the sporty Scirocco coupe. He’s openly admitted that he’d love to see the car here in the U.S., and now he’s given the strongest indication yet that the car may be coming here eventually. “We will be looking for opportunities” to…
Continue Reading
Video: Aston Martin Rapide ‘True Power’ Mini-Film Part 3
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
Aston Martin’s ‘True Power Should Be Shared’ mini-film series continues, with the third installment arriving today on our virtual doorstep. Like the first two clips, the acting isn’t too great but at least we get to see some beautiful driving shots of the car as well as hear the rev of its V-12 engine. Enjoy the clip below…
Continue Reading
2011 Chrysler 300: First Drive
Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by admin.
At a San Diego pier opposite the USS Midway Wednesday morning, Chrysler interior design chief Klaus Busse strutted in front of a 300C sedan. He motioned toward a warship steaming past the massive aircraft carrier, which is now a floating museum. “You see that battleship leaving?” Klaus asked the assembled journalists. “That’s the sign of ugly gray stuff leaving Chrysler — and no more coming back.”
I spent the next three hours driving the summary expression of Chrysler’s 16-vehicle product renaissance: the redesigned 300, a car Chrysler calls its “most anticipated reveal.” Busse is right; if the full-size sedan is any indicator of Chrysler’s future portfolio then the automaker’s battleship grays are as done as NFL quarterback Brett Favre.
The 300 won’t make waves like its predecessor did, but it’s impressive, particularly when you consider what the base model gets you.
Already a subject of controversy among our editors, the car’s new styling doesn’t depart much from before. The base car, which can be had for a tick under $28,000, looks far more upscale. Chrome bars along the bumpers effectively mask where the fog lights on uplevel models would go, and the car’s C-shaped LED daytime running lights are standard. The 300’s chromed taillights might be derivative … of a Rolls-Royce Ghost or a Bentley Mulsanne. I see this being a problem like Verizon sees a bajillion new iPhone users as problematic.
I never took much issue with the old 300’s 3.5-liter V-6, which moved the car capably enough. Saddled with another 236 pounds of metal to move, Chrysler’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 doesn’t offer a world of difference, despite its 292-horsepower rating. The 3.6-liter 300 moves out quickly enough, with stronger power as the tach needle moves to the right. I look forward to Chrysler’s eight-speed automatic transmission, which will grace the V-6 300 by year’s end to the rumored tune of 30 mpg highway. The current transmission — a carryover five-speed automatic — upshifts smoothly, but it comes up stingy on the downshifts, particularly on curvy roads.
Step up to the optional 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and the five-speed is no more responsive, but the engine erases much need for that. With prodigious low-end torque, the 363-hp Hemi propels the 300 as well as it always has — in 4th or 5th gear, no less. This is a proper flagship car.
Ride quality, which is something the last 300 excelled in, remains good with either drivetrain. The suspension soaks up bumps well, isolating the cabin in quiet comfort most of the time. Alas, it’s no match for the car’s rear-drive balance. The 300 feels less nose-heavy than much of its front-drive competition, but charge hard into a corner and the base car pitches off-balance with mushy steering that inspires little confidence getting you back on track.
Optional 20-inch wheels and a firmer Touring suspension improve on this, with flatter cornering and quicker steering to suit the car’s impressive dynamics. The 300 feels less like a sport sedan than, say, a Hyundai Genesis, but you’ll drive more confidently with the Touring setup. The trade-off comes in a firmer ride — it picks up more rhythm over bumpy pavement — and higher steering effort around parking lots, but I didn’t find either aspect objectionably bad.
Cabin materials are good, with padding all the way down to knee level and little of Busse’s battleship grays. Chrysler’s new 8.4-inch UConnect touch-screen is a worthy centerpiece. Standard on all 300s, it boasts a fast-paced interface with excellent graphics and minimal lag between submenus. Skip the optional Garmin navigation system, whose slow map scrolling and clumsy icons feel at odds with the rest of the system.
The rear seat has ample room, but it’s not stretch-out comfortable like a Toyota Avalon. Conversely, the 300’s 16.3-cubic-foot trunk trumps the Toyota’s undersized compartment, though it falls short of the Ford Taurus’ mammoth confines.
Overall visibility is better than before: Chrysler says the windows and windshield are 15% larger, and the windshield has been pulled back a few inches so you don’t have to lean forward to see a stoplight. Visibility (or lack thereof) won’t be a deal breaker, but Chrysler hasn’t exactly turned it into a strength. The roof still hunkers low; the beltline still rides high. The 300 is no longer quite a pillbox, but it hasn’t become a crow’s nest.
Stay tuned for a full review where we’ll dive deeper into all of these areas.
