ON THE TABLE

March 31, 2010

 BMW. Publisher's Note: The German purveyors of "Joy" are taking great pains (at least here in the U.S.) to clarify that the "Joy" advertising campaign is a mere diversionary blip on the radar screen and that they haven't walked away from "The Ultimate Driving Machine." Uh, sorry, that doesn't wash. As a matter of fact it smacks of first degree Bush League Bullshit to me. BMW has spent millions on this "blip" of a campaign, and I mean millions. They even have it plastered all over their actual "Ultimate Driving Machines," the Rahal Letterman ALMS GT BMW M3s, which is the "ultimate" insult. Memo to BMW management both here and in Germany: You're blowing it, and no amount of back pedaling at this juncture is going to mask the fact that you're screwing things up royally for one of the great automotive brands. Oh, and by the way, when are you going to try to start spinning the fact that the 5 series GT isn't an unmitigated disaster? Will that be a "momentary blip" explanation too? Or will you finally just admit that you fucked it up Big Time? What a mess. - PMD

 Nissan. The new Juke isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's nice to see a manufacturer take a risk, even if it is on the funky side...

BMW. The new 5 Series is very good in person, and it will immediately relegate the old one to where it belonged all along: in the dust bin.

Mini. The auto show shtick for Mini is getting oh so tired. They're trying too hard and it's getting old. Someone come up with a new idea, please. Not Good.

Acura. From the "You Have To Be Kidding" File. The ZDX crossover is functionally a two-seater, because you have to be a contortionist to get in and out of the back seat. And the price? Way over $50,000. It's a giant origami bowl of Not Good.

Toyota. From the "Just Shoot Me" File. Woman's voiceover at the Toyota display saying, "The thought of driving a minivan used to make me cry myself to sleep...until I got a new Toyota Sienna minivan!" Oh no she didn't just say that. Really? Ugh.

The "Flat" Finish Trend. Okay, we get it. Flat matte charcoal/carbon gray - as displayed on the Lexus SL and a Mercedes-Benz SL - is supposed to be cool and the next big thing (even though it has been around for years). Uh, no thanks. It just looks unfinished and like they ran out of ideas. We hope this "trend" goes away, and soon.

Life As We Know It. In an interview with Dave Shepardson of The Detroit News, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that the U.S. Transportation Department will launch two major investigations - one by the National Academy of Sciences and the other with the help of the NASA - to discover whether vehicle electronics or electromagnetic interference are to blame for unintended vehicle acceleration incidents. The investigation will cover all manufacturers. Hmmm, first it was sun spots disrupting automakers' brains when it came to marketing, then it was cosmic rays making our cars go crazy, now the NASA is getting involved. Something tells us this is going nowhere good.

Li Shufu. The Geely chairman just keeps talking. Li told reporters today in Beijing that besides spending an additional $900 million to crank-up Volvo (for a total of $2.7 billion). Li also suggested that Geely would not seek to impose its own corporate culture on Volvo, preferring to find ways to let the Swedish company exploit its strengths, according to the Associated Press. "Geely is Geely; Volvo is Volvo. Geely will not produce Volvo, and Volvo will not produce Geely," Li said. He also went on to compare Geely's and Volvo's relationship to two brothers, not to a father and son. Alrighty then!

Toyota. The Japanese automaker says it's going to listen better to its U.S. executives and customers in order to ensure bullet-proof quality. Oh, we get it. Before the shit hit the fan it was all about the money. Now, it's about group hugs and shiny happy people, right?

Nissan. From the "Carlos's Big Bet" File comes word that the Nissan Leaf electric car will go for a base price of $32,780 in the U.S. (minus the $7,500 federal tax credit, the price will be $25,280). Carlos Ghosn has gone on record saying that 10 percent of the world's auto market will be made up of electric vehicles by 2020, which tops all industry forecasts. You can definitely say that Carlos is "all in." We'll see how it all shakes out, but if you're just aching to turn over a new Leaf, the company will begin taking orders on April 20.

Cadillac. The luxury automaker unveils the 2011 CTS-V Sport Wagon with 556HP at the New York Auto Show. All of those college professors who are tired of their Volvo wagons will have to get something.

(Cadillac)
The 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon.

Chrysler. Finally admitting that this whole momentum thing isn't looking so good, the Auburn Hills bunch is planning to move up the freshened Chrysler 300 from early first quarter 2011 to the end of this year. Wow.

(Photos courtesy of Ford)
Now this is the Ford Focus we want to see over here. The new limited-edition Focus RS model - called the RS500 - is being launched as the ultimate high-performance Ford and will provide the definitive driving experience for serious performance car enthusiasts. The new Focus RS500 features a 350 PS 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine, which generates 15 percent more power than the standard Focus RS. Preliminary performance figures given for the Focus RS500 are 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds, with a top speed similar to the 263 km/h in the standard RS. The hot rod RS500 Focus - complete with unique matt black "foil" paint finish with matching alloy wheels - will make its global debut at the 2010 Leipzig Motor Show in Germany on April 9 and gets its moniker from its strictly-limited production run of 500 individually-numbered vehicles, all of which will be offered for customers to purchase.

 

Publisher's Note: My "quick take" this week wraps up our month-long Audi-fest. Over the past two weeks I've driven an Ibis White/Tuscan brown 2010 Audi S5 quattro Coupe (Nav package: $2,500, Stainless Steel texture inlays: $750, Gas Guzzler tax: $1,300, Destination: $825 for a total of $57,775) and an Ice Silver/Black 2010 Audi S4 quattro Sedan (Metallic paint: $475, Nav: $2,500, Genuine silk nappa leather seats: $1,000, Bang & Olufsen premium sound: $850, Carbon atlas interior inlays: $500, Destination: $825 for a total of $53,450). To be fair, the S5 Coupe arrived immediately after the sensational R8, so I was immediately underwhelmed. The design is certainly handsome enough, but it seemed heavy and bulky compared to the R8, and the 6-speed manual seemed out of place for such a big car. As the week progressed, however, the S5 grew on me. Like the latest Audi products, the S5 proved to be confident, composed and screwed together nicely, the fit and finish being simply impeccable. But slogging around suburban traffic doesn't do the big Audi coupe justice, and you forget how good the car really is until you get it out on the open road, where it truly shines. There it settles in and comes into its own - like all great German road machines do - and it gobbles up the pavement with abandon. In the end, the S5 was very satisfying and excellent in all respects, but I will reiterate that the manual gearbox is ill-suited for this car, and I would strongly recommend - if you're considering one - to drive both before you plunk down your cash. The S4 on the other hand was simply outstanding right out of the gate. The 3.0-liter, direct-injected, supercharged DOHC V6 delivers 333HP and combined with the superb 7-speed dual clutch "S-tronic" gearbox is one of the most seductive drivetrains I've ever experienced. Put your foot in the S4 often - you will, trust me - and you can forget about the 18 (city) and 28 (hwy) EPA fuel-economy rating, because it's just notgonnahappen.com. Instead just revel in that great-sounding engine with the thrust and growl of a healthy V8 and the seamless right now shifts from that dual clutch automatic and know you're enjoying one of the best sport sedans in the world. My recommendation to enthusiasts? If you can't swing the R8 but you want a high-performance Audi, the S4 has your name written all over it. Wow, it has been a good month car-wise. And after turns in the A3, the R8, the S5 and the S4 my impression and analysis of Audi haven't changed. As a matter of fact, it has grown stronger. Audi is simply building the best mass-produced automobiles in the world right now, bar none. - PMD

(Rolls-Royce Motor Cars)
The new Rolls-Royce Ghost has received the prestigious “red dot: best of the best” award for the very highest level of design. The red dot award was first awarded in 1955 and recognizes outstanding design work in a wide range of categories including not only automobiles, architecture, household and home electronics but also fashion, life science and medicine. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé also won a red dot award for outstanding design quality in 2008.

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Publisher's Note: Check-out John McElroy's daily news show covering everything about the auto biz by clicking on the graphic below. Good stuff guaranteed. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" hosted by Autoline Detroit's John McElroy, with Peter De Lorenzo and friends this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

 

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