Archive for November, 2011
Volkswagen Passat Alltrack: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
SUVs and crossovers may be appealing to U.S. buyers, but in other parts of the world the sedan and station wagon (or shooting brake, or estate car) reign supreme. Volkswagen already has two SUVs in its lineup (the Touareg and the Tiguan), and it makes wagon versions of both the Passat and the Jetta; still, the German automaker felt there was a…
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Review: 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
Back in the day, the Jeep Wrangler was only for serious off-roaders. Posers might visit, but assaulted by the SUV’s sluggish acceleration, clumsy handling, rough noisy ride, and spartan hose-out interior they weren’t likely to stay long (or return after leaving). But Chrysler has worked steadily to eliminate these downsides and render the Wrangler fit …
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Cars.com Family Reviews the 2011 Infiniti G37x
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
With its sinewy looks and 3.7-liter V-6 engine, the 2011 Infiniti G37x coupe isn’t the typical mom- or dad-mobile. It can work as a family car, but you’ll need lots of patience when loading the kids in and out of the backseat.
2011 Infiniti G37x Review
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2011 Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
Nissan’s tuning arm, Nismo, has already built a full-on race car version of the Nissan Leaf, and has even used it to run demonstration laps prior to the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was only a matter of time before Nismo turned its attention to the road going version of the Leaf, and Nissan has chosen the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show for the reveal…
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Full-size Trucks Are Making Big Profits
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
Some of the most profitable vehicles made over the past 20 years of production (from 1990 to 2011) were pickup trucks, with a few pricey European sedans and ubiquitous entry-level nameplates filling out the top 12, according to a recent study by London-based Bernstein Research.
To many this isn't big news, or really anything outside the boundaries of common sense, especially when you consider the criteria. Max Warburton, the study's lead researcher, identified three key characteristics to calculate the top “cash cows” over the past 20 years. As you might expect given their longevity and popularity, the top three spots are full-size pickup trucks.
First, Warburton considered how competitive a vehicle's pricing; second, he factored in sales volume; and third, he considered the vehicle's lifecycle. In order of overall profits, Ford's F-Series came in first, GM's full-size pickups second and the Dodge Ram (and the last two years of Ram Truck) was third. Over the past 20 years, Ford, GM, and Dodge have pulled down more than $110 billion in pretax profits with these full-size players.
Some in the media argue that the attention these automakers have given to their fullsize pickup trucks have made the companies slow to invest in new technologies or to explore better, more advanced and efficient powertrains. We suspect what those critics are really saying is that those companies aren't making more sports cars or cleaner full-size family sedans. (You'd be surprised how many truck bigots there are in the media, or maybe you wouldn't.)
We would argue the exact opposite. Without these vehicles that provide large and predictable amounts of capital, Ford, GM, and Chrysler would not be able to fund future-tech research and development projects, put together advanced concepts, or assign designers and engineers to explore new technologies.
It may sound simple on paper — just keep making the current truck better — but producing a product that buyers want year after year, decade after decade, is a momumental challenge that offers very few success stories. Certainly these three pickup trucks rate among the biggest success stories in the industry but to stay there they'll have to continue pushing the bar forward and higher.
It's worth noting, as well, according to this data, Ford is making a 14-percent profit on total revenues, Dodge 10-percent, and GM 7.5-percent. This information bodes well for those of us who want to see the Detroit Three (and all pickup makers) continue to invest in full-size pickups.
The top 12 vehicles, according to Bernstein Research are below.
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2011 Mazda Takeri Concept Live Photos: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
Take a good look at the stunning Mazda Takeri Concept that debuted today at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show as it’s essentially a preview of the next-generation Mazda6 due next spring. Easily one of the best looking vehicles on show in Tokyo, the Takeri features the latest evolution of Mazda’s ‘Kodo-Soul of Motion’ design language and…
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Subaru BRZ GT300 Race Car: 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
When it comes to the “most beloved motorsport by country,” the U.S. has NASCAR, Germany has DTM and Japan has the Super GT series. Consisting of the GT500 (under 500 horsepower) and GT300 (under 300 horsepower) classes, the series pits an incredibly diverse array of makes and models against one another on road courses throughout Japan…
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INDYCAR Implements Top-Level Changes
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
The news began squirting about the internet on Tuesday afternoon–Brian Barnhart has been removed from INDYCAR Race Control and Terry Angstadt is leaving the commercial division he’s led since 2007. Just before noon EST on Wednesday, the IZOD IndyCar Series finally confirmed changes that will take effect on 1 January 2012. Barnhart, unfortunately…
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Germany’s Anderson Tunes The Ferrari 599
Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by admin.
For some, with bank accounts exponentially larger than our own, Ferrari’s superb 599 grand touring coupe simply doesn’t offer enough performance or exclusivity. If you fit into this category, Germany’s Anderson tuning may have just the tuned Ferrari 599 you’ve been waiting for. A new exhaust and revised ECU tuning bump the…
