ON THE TABLE - APRIL 10, 2013

 Steve Cannon. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA tells Joe White in The Wall Street Journal that the company plans on offering its customers a less expensive way to get a taste of the AMG brand by way of a AMG sport appearance package, a slightly sportier ride and a slight increase in engine performance. All for less than $4,000.  And thus, the dumbing down of AMG begins. AMG Lite will do more to negate the specialness of AMG - and faster - than anything I can think of. What's next, Steve? AMG tape stripes and a sporty rear spoiler? C'mon, Man! - PMD 

Fisker. Henrik's rolling note to self will be no longer as Fisker Automotive is preparing to file Chapter 11 this week, according to a Reuters story. It was fun while it lasted. Sort of.

EcoMotors. The suburban Detroit company developing an opposed piston-opposed cylinder engine has just signed a $200 million deal to build the engines in China, according to Automotive News. Too bad an American company couldn't see fit to make that kind of a commitment to one of our favorite new technologies.

The Great Sergio. The Exalted One now says Fiat has enough cash to buy the rest of Chrysler Group LLC, according to a Bloomberg report. "If we ever reach a deal with VEBA to buy the remaining stake, we have enough cash for it," Marchionne said Tuesday at the company's annual shareholder's meeting in Turin.  Whew, we can all breathe easier now.

(Images courtesy of Ford)
Ford has unveiled the 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition, which adds unique new touches over and above Raptor’s existing Luxury Package, including a Ruby Red Metallic exterior color and box-side graphics.

Interior upgrades include Brick Red seat bolsters with black inserts and cloth honeycomb highlights, console top finish panel, and center stack and door panel appliqué accents.

SVT Raptor is available exclusively with a 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 411 horsepower and 434 lb.-ft. of torque, an electronic six-speed automatic transmission with tow/haul mode and SelectShift Automatic® functionality. The 4WD system features electronic shift-on-the-fly capability for the transfer case. The front axle features a Torsen® differential with 4.10 to 1 gearing. The rear axle is also 4.10 to 1, with an electronic-locking differential. Raptor Special Edition is also available in Tuxedo Black Metallic. The 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition goes on sale this fall.

(Images courtesy of BMW Group)
Think the crossover "thing" in the market is going away soon? Think again. BMW is selling more of their crossovers and "SAVs" than anything else. The BMW Concept X4 is a signal of what's next in-market for BMW. "It takes no more than a first glance to see how smoothly the qualities of a BMW X model can blend with the genes of a BMW Coupe," says BMW. Uh, that's highly debatable but it is better looking than the 5GT or the 3GT, we'll give them that. The second Sports Activity Coupe in the brand's model range will be built at BMW Plant Spartanburg in the USA, the "competence center" for BMW X models which also produces the BMW X5, BMW X6 and BMW X3. With a body length of 4,648 mm, a width of 1,915 mm and a height of 1,622 mm, its exterior dimensions "signal sporting elegance and powerful robustness," according to the boffins at BMW PR. Well, if you squint real hard, maybe. The X4 Concept has a wheelbase measuring 2,810 mm and it is equipped with 21 inch light alloy wheels. The production version of the BMW X4 will debut in the U.S. market as early as 2014.

Editor's Note: Like old car brochures and print ads? Then this website is for you. In an era of digital everything and with the printed word rapidly fading from view, this site takes you back to an era when car brochures - and print ads - were hugely important to this business. They fueled passion and desire, and fortified dreams. Great stuff abounds here, including outstanding work for the Corvette and the terrific 60s Pontiac ads done by D'Arcy McManus during that division's glory days. There are also more than a few examples of PMD's early ad work on behalf of Pontiac, including the memorable "Soul Survivor" print ad for the 1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am Turbo. - WG

Editor's Note: Large. Luxury. I'm in. I was really looking forward to this week's "Quick Take" - the 2013 Cadillac XTS AWD Platinum Collection. I like my luxury big and well, luxurious, and the XTS didn't disappoint. "The most technologically advanced production car in the brand’s history," according to Cadillac, the XTS replaces both the DTS and STS in the lineup. It shares the design cues of both the CTS and ATS, and presents itself as clean and contemporary. It is elegant without being flashy, and in the case of the XTS Platinum Collection, particularly distinctive - with its unique grille and 20-inch polished aluminum wheels. I did not experience love at first sight, however, because of its dreaded Crystal Red Tintcoat exterior. I think that color should be jettisoned from the Cadillac palette ASAP. It really cheapens the whole XTS experience. (It probably didn't help that last week's 'Quick Take' vehicle - the Buick Verano Turbo - was also Crystal Red Tintcoat, and although you can get it on the Buick for $325, it'll cost you $995 on the Caddy! That's wrong, too, but I digress.) Once inside, surrounded by "Jet Black with Wheat Accents," I forgot about the unfortunate shade of sheet metal surrounding me and set about enjoying big luxury. For as sleek and tasteful as the XTS is on the outside, it's the interior that really shines. Elegant and refined and at the same time sleek and sophisticated, the XTS interior looks and feels really good. The full-leather seats are comfortable and supportive (the backseat is especially expansive), and the surfaces are particularly appealing. This is understated luxury but luxury nonetheless. Not as sterile as Audi and not as opulent as Mercedes but definitely a contender in that somewhat intangible 'luxury feel' department. I loved the Ultraview Sunroof (the same approximate size as a 48-inch flat-panel television, says Cadillac) and can imagine enjoying it on a nice fall day. I was also quite taken with the gigantic trunk (I like to haul stuff), although I think it should have a push-button close - the convenience of that feature cannot be overstated. I'm also not totally sold on CUE (Cadillac User Experience), which is the new system for managing your information/entertainment/climate control needs. Its centerpiece is a tablet-like touchscreen that responds to fingertip touch and swiping. Cadillac contends that this lets you safely manage vehicle systems while you are driving - I found it downright distracting. For me it required more time than I'd like with my eyes off the road (even with the sensory feedback you still have to be sure you're on the button you want). It is definitely cool and all (and to be fair, there are zillions of steering wheel controls for many of the functions), but I think I would prefer good old-fashioned knobs - or at least a combination (go ahead, call me square). That said, the XTS feels great on the highway - solid and safe (if a bit heavy). And during our short drive to Ann Arbor I decided that this big Cadillac would be a great road trip vehicle. The XTS is available in four trim levels (or collections, as Cadillac calls them) - Standard, Luxury, Premium and Platinum - with MSRPs starting at $44,075 and going up to $60,385 for our top-of-the-line Platinum Collection. Overall, I liked the XTS a lot. Was I wowed? No, but then I think my luxury bar is a fairly high one. I am definitely impressed - particularly with the interior. I just want to see more and more from Cadillac. Even more dramatic design (the CTS Coupe exemplifies this) and even more elegance and opulence. In other words, I want the XTS to be the Cadillac of luxury cars. -WG

Editor-in-Chief's Note: I second WordGirl's emotion about the color of this car because it was completely out of character and a major league turn-off, and it should be purged from the XTS color palette immediately. The XTS is not sporty - it's a nicely executed large sedan but I wouldn't call it sporty - so the color is wildly inappropriate. And the reason this color thing matters to us is because it's symbolic of deeper issues, as in a lack of fundamental judgment somewhere. Not Good. Other than that I was impressed with the XTS, as in very. The exterior design is cohesive and nicely rendered and it flaunts the Cadillac street "look" impeccably. It drives well too. I have heard some complaints about the power output, but for typical 3/10ths urban driving, it's fine. Besides, more power is coming to the XTS, and soon. The big news for me, however, is the interior. It's time to retire the recent industry adage that "Audi sets the contemporary standard for modern automotive interior design" and move on. There are plenty of outstanding interiors available these days (the Porsche Panamera for one) and this new XTS is right up there. (I'm not talking about CUE because I'm tired of these manufacturers talking about their driver interface systems as the greatest thing since sliced bread. In my book if it's tolerable to operate - the XTS is - that's good enough for me. Any more than that and it's a distraction.) The XTS interior is simply elegant with a use of color, materials and textures that is very impressive. It's a first-rate cabin in every respect. Well, except for one thing. When you open the door on the XTS Platinum Edition the word "platinum" lights up on the interior edge of the rocker panel and it's about as cheesy as it gets. Shockingly so, even. I could see the word "Cadillac" lighting up, maybe. And that's a big maybe. But "platinum" - ? Ugh. As a matter of fact, I think Cadillac marketers should purge the word "platinum" from their vocabulary altogether. It's not rich. It's not classy. It's a beer, for fuck sake. Ah well, set aside the aforementioned annoyances and make no mistake, the Cadillac XTS is an impressive piece of work. It's much more in line with consumer perceptions of what a big Cadillac should be in the way it looks and in the way it drives. Let's hope that the even bigger Cadillac coming in 2015 will take this direction even further. - PMD

2013 Cadillac XTS AWD Platinum Collection: $64,695 ($60,385 Base Price; Crystal Red Tintcoat, $995; Jet Black Interior with Light Wheat Accents; 3.6-liter, SIDI DOHC Variable Valve Timing V6 with 304HP and 264 lbs-ft of torque; 6-speed automatic; all-wheel drive; variable effort rack and pinion power steering; 20" polished aluminum wheels with chrome inserts; Cadillac User Experience (CUE) with navigation; Driver Assist Package, $2,395; Destination Charge, $920)

Adherence to Brand Image: "A concept car you could actually own. That was our concept." So says a current print ad for the XTS. Also present is Cadillac's famed tagline "The Standard of the World." Is the XTS true to the current direction of the Cadillac lineup? Yes. Is it enough? Probably not. It is very, very good, but it is definitely not a "concept" car - at least not in the knock-your-socks-off sense of the word. Nor is it the standard of the world. A true contender with the world's best? Without question. But I worry about ads like this because "over-promise, under-deliver" is not a place Cadillac can afford to go to right now. Or ever, for that matter. It has taken Cadillac more than a decade to get to this point, and they have some superb offerings. The XTS just doesn't elicit enough superlatives. And I guess that's what I want to see from Cadillac. - WG