Contrary to what I may have said about the 2010 Detroit Auto Show being somewhat dismal, that does not mean 2010 will be a sub-par year. There are still plenty of great cars coming outthis year! For instance, after touring Cobo Hall, there are two particular autos that I am very interested in and I am eager to get behind the wheel. As a matter in fact, these may be the two out of four cars I sat in at the show.
Nothing else got my blood pumping.
And after driving just about everything you can imagine, I must admit, it takes a lot to muster up some excitement these days.
2010 Detroit Auto Show Photo Gallery
The first vehicle is the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG "Gullwing." Yes, I am a sucker for the Gullwing doors. Although I have never attempted, something tells me I could never fit into the classic 1950s Gullwing -- being 6'8 -- so, this is as close as I will ever get.
Additionally, the SLS is the first Benz to be produced at AMG from the ground up; this means it will be jam packed with the most up to date technology and advancements from the AMG division. Featuring a 6.3 liter V8 churning out 563-horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque it is the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in production. Uh, awesome?! Why wouldn't you want to drive this?
Although getting in it is a bit goofy -- duck under the door, step over the HUGE door sill and twist into the seat -- once you are in, it is like a glove. The seats wrap around you and once you close the door, the essentials are surrounding you like a cockpit should.
And, the best part, I fit!
Moving along...
2010 Detroit Auto Show Photo Gallery
My second pick, without a doubt, has to be the Lotus Evora. By far one of the coolest designs to emerge in 2009, the Evora channels some cues from the Lancia Stratos and has one of the most gorgeous interiors known to man. It's exterior is akin to pornography and the interior is a hip-looking, posh lounge.
Aside from looking damn good, it has a mid-engine layout that will be equipped with a V6 pushing out 276-horsepower and 252 lb-ft of torque. Not to mention it is a Lotus, so that means two things will be prominent. 1) It is lightweight, coming in just under 3,000 pounds. 2) If it is a proper Lotus, it will handle like it is on rails.
After the Elise/Exige made its way stateside and revived the brand, after the cult classic Esprit, this car is theoretically the daily driver with a bit more room and sophistication. But, after getting a look at it in the flesh, it appears to be more of a two plus none.
Regardless, I am optimistic about giving this car a thorough work out.
What are some NEW cars that YOU want to drive in 2010? Voice your opinion here on AutoSpies...
If you couldn't find a modified Prius to your likings at the grounds of this year's edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan, chances are that you never will. We lost count of how many customized Prius' made their way to the Makuhari Messe exhibition center, but Toyota alone displayed three different concept versions of its popular hybrid model.
Making its debut alongside the Prius G Sports and TOM's Prius studies was the Prius Custom Plus Concept (CCP) prepared by Toyota's in-house customizing and accessories division.
The prototype model looks thoroughly worked over thanks to the wide body kit that further accentuates the Prius hybrid's wedgy shape.
Together with the new nose job that boasts massive Lamborghini-styled air-vents, the Prius CPC gets custom-made fenders, beefy side skirts, new rear bumper with an integrated diffuser and side spoilers, and a large rear wing made out of carbon fiber.
Carbon fiber is also the material of choice for the new hood, roof, the cameras on the doors that replace the exterior mirrors and the rear panel on the trunk door.
The uniquely styled 18-inch alloy wheels that are shod on 215/40 R18 Goodyear tires sum up the exterior modifications.
The Fast and Furious / Racing theme is continued inside with the addition of gauges on top of the dashboard and just above the new steering wheel that's wrapped in Alcantara.
The same material is also used to trim the new Recaro bucket seats and most parts of the cabin.
Despite the go-fast looks, the only performance mods on the Prius CCP concerns the high-performance brake system and the sports suspension that lowers the car's ride height by 10mm up front and 15mm at the rear.
Photos by Phil Alex with the help of friends Mike and Aaron
There are now so many Car of the Year awards given out that the whole idea of one vehicle being honored above all others has lost its impact. But when the giver of said award is Playboy Magazine, well, the honor means a little more. Why? Because Playboy doesn't pick a winner based on such tangible criteria as horsepower, miles per gallon or MSRP. They don't care so much about the fastest, greenest or most significant car in its segment. They care about cool. Which car is going to get you to that VIP event and make all eyes turn towards you on arrival? For 2010, Playboy says that car is the Porsche Panamera.
We can absolutely understand where Playboy is coming from here. You just have to imagine yourself as Hugh Hefner: Porsches are both cool and fast, but a Porsche that can accommodate me, my smoking jacket and three bunnies is worthy of a place in the Playboy Mansion garage and perhaps an X-rated car wash in the driveway.
Playboy gave out eight other awards in such categories as Best Horsepower Value (Nissan 370Z), Best Mean and Green (Ford Fusion Hybrid) and Best Reborn Beauty (Ford Taurus SHO) among others. You can check them all out in the press release after the jump, and while we're not sure how many automakers will place their new Playboy awards front and center in the corporate trophy case, we're sure behind close doors they're... well, let's not talk about what they're doing behind closed doors.
If the Impreza WRX isn't tough enough for you, Subaru may just have the answer. The Japanese firm has announced the WRX 'R205'- boosted to produce 312bhp thanks to a re-mapped ECU and a new exhaust and turbo.
Elsewhere, the newcomer is fitted with newly tuned suspension and a stiffer chassis that should answer criticism of the WRX's shifting weight balance. Larger, more powerful brakes have also been added.
Outside, the R205 is set apart by new front and rear spoilers and exclusively designed 18-inch alloy wheels.
Unfortunately, the limited run of 400 models can only be ordered through Japanese dealerships.
Click above to watch the 9ff TR 1000 reach 391.7 km/h at the Papenburg test track after the jump
There aren't too many places you can cruise at over 200 mph in relative safety, but the Papenburg test track is one of them. The high speed oval located in Northern Germany is a pavement playground for supercars in search of straight line speed, and various manufacturers and tuners regularly use the track to see just how fast their projects can go.
Take, for instance, 9ff. The Porsche super-tuner previously used Papenburg to reach v-max in its GT9 supercar, and they recently brought out a modified 911 Turbo dubbed the TR 1000 for a high speed romp. While not quite as fast as the GT9 (409 km/h), the TR 1000 still reached an impressive 391.7 km/h -- just over 243 mph. Fortunately the cameras were rolling, giving us an opportunity to see just how quickly a 1000 horsepower Porsche can triple the legal speed limit. You can watch it for yourself after the jump.
Skeptics will say, “Here we go, again,” as General Motors Co. taps its German subsidiary Adam Opel GmbH for product to rebuild one of its brand’s showrooms in the U.S.
Clearly, it didn’t work for Saturn or Cadillac a decade earlier. But with the new-for-’11 Buick Regal, GM finally may have found the right home and, more importantly, the right strategy for injecting some Germanic soul into its American cars.
The new sports sedan arrives stateside in second-quarter 2010 after highly successful launches late last year in China and in Germany as the Opel Insignia.
The Insignia is drawing rave reviews on its home turf, where it ranks as the best-selling sedan in its class and since last November has racked up more than 30 awards, including European Car of the Year.
In China, the locally built Regal launched in December and has sold some 64,000 units. Young Chinese particularly are captivated by the Regal, keeping the average age of its buyers around 35 years – astonishingly low for Buick.
GM shows the U.S.-bound Regal to the public at the Los Angeles auto show this week after unwrapping the car earlier to journalists in Detroit and to Buick enthusiasts in L.A.
But before the Regal hits the full show circuit and ahead of formal testing next year, GM offered a handful of media several hours behind the wheel and, for comparison, its sister the Insignia. The Regal’s principle target in the U.S. is the Acura TSX.
Waterfall grille one of few Buick cues on new Regal.
Photo Gallery
Driving pre-production Regals along rural roadways outside of Detroit here makes it easier to understand why GM backed out of a deal to sell a majority stake in Opel to Canadian parts maker and contract vehicle-assembler Magna International Inc. In short, Opel makes a fine car.
The U.S.-spec Regal leverages the same Epsilon II platform, which also underpins the new-for-’11 Buick LaCrosse that launched in North America in September, but with subtle mechanical and design differences between its Chinese and German iterations.
For example, the engine is federalized to meet U.S. regulations, as are items such as the mirror glass and the guts of the headlights. But little differs in styling between the Insignia and Regal. Aside from the Buick grille and 3-shield badges, sheet metal is exactly the same.
In fact, Buick’s signature port holes will not get stamped into the Regal’s hood until production begins in North America in 2011. GM also installs an insert to the front bumper to fill the elongated European license plate basin until U.S. production begins.
The Regal’s design proves more striking out on the roadway with some morning rain splattered along its haunches than in GM’s advanced design studio, where Ward’s first glimpsed the car a few weeks ago.
Standard motivation comes via GM’s new 2.4L 4 cyl. engine with gasoline direct-injection technology, making 182 hp and 172 lb.-ft. (233 Nm) of torque. GM pegs its fuel economy at 20-30 mpg (11.8-7.8 L/100 km) city/highway on regular gasoline.
’11 Buick Regal
Vehicle type
front-engine, 2WD 5-passenger sedan
Engine
2.0L turbocharged 4 cyl. w/gasoline direct injection
Power (SAE net)
(SAE net) 220 hp @ 5,300 rpm
Torque
258 lb. ft. (349 Nm) @ 2,000 rpm
Compression ratio
9.2:1
Transmission
6-speed automatic w/manual mode
Wheelbase
107.8 ins. (273.8 cm)
Overall length
190.2 ins. (483.1 cm)
Overall width
73.1 ins. (185.7 cm)
Overall height
54.4 ins. (138.2 cm)
Curb weight
3,314 lbs. (1,503 kg)
Base price
N/A
Fuel economy
18-29 mpg (13-8 L/100 km)
Competition
Acura TSX
Pros
Cons
Lively 4-cyl. turbo
Best motor a late arrival
European styling
Short on Buick styling
Yes! A U.S.-spec Opel
Uh-oh! A U.S.-spec Opel
However, we test drove models with the optional 2.0L turbocharged GDI 4-cyl., which does not arrive until the third quarter of next year.
Our verdict is overwhelmingly positive. Making 220 hp and 258 lb.-ft. (349 Nm) of torque, the 2.0L mill is the kind of engine that will turn Buick skeptics into believers faster than three shots of Jagermeister.
Responsive and well-behaved, the car slings its 3,600-lb. (1,633-kg) weight through the corners and over pitches in the roadway with enthusiasm.
Yes, the suspension in the Buick is dialed down from the drum-tight setup of the Insignia. But this is not your granddad’s floaty-boaty Buick; the well-sprung suspension works together with a quick, precise steering system like no other vehicle to wear the three shields.
And one test model even included a 6-speed manual transmission. GM declines to offer a timetable for the Regal’s manual transmission. But if the gearbox makes it to the U.S., it will be the first since a 5-speed manual on the ’89 Buick Skyhawk.
Another first: no volume V-6 engine for this Buick.
Both transmissions match up well. The 6-speed automatic seems content to sit in the logical gear and not hunt for something higher, while the manual shifts quickly with a hint of the “click-click” ease of its European competitors.
GM estimates fuel economy with the 2.0L at 18-29 mpg (13-8 L/100 km) city/highway. Premium fuel is recommended but not required.
Base pricing is expected to slot just below the new LaCrosse that starts at roughly $28,000, which makes the Regal slightly less expensive than its Acura TSX rival.
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Regal Called Next Step in Buick’s Revival
GM also provides drive time here in an Insignia OPC model to demonstrate the possibilities for the Regal. The vehicle is outfitted with a 325-hp 2.8L V-6 engine, high-performance tires blacked out in NASCAR fashion, racing seats and a super-tight suspension.
It’s hardly surprising the Regal is such an impressive car, given that it is an exact duplicate of the smash-hit Insignia. In fact, not watering down the Buick to fit U.S. tastes easily ranks as its greatest attribute.
But it will take more products of the Regal’s ilk to erase Buick’s longstanding reputation for pillowy-riding large sedans with sloppy steering.
So it should hardly be surprising GM will go back to Germany for another small Buick sedan, this one based on the redesigned Delta compact car architecture shouldering the recently launched Opel Astra.
Have we seen this approach before? Sure, but this time it’s hard to argue with the results.
Car sales in Western Europe grew by 29.2% year-on-year in November according to data released by JD Power Automotive Forecasting, but the firm cautioned on the market outlook for 2010.
JD Power warned that the strong-looking November result needs to be seen in the context of weak sales last year and the continuing distortions to the market caused by government scrappage incentives.
JD Power analyst Pete Kelly told just-auto that the the seasonally adjusted annualised rate of sales (SAAR) for November 2009 stood at 14.8m units - a more 'normal' market level - but that he viewed it as 'brief reprieve' rather than marking an end to depressed market levels.
Car sales in Germany were up by 19.7% year-on-year in the month of November and a whopping 25.4% in the year to date.
"The scrapping incentive in Germany is no longer on offer and so we expect German sales to drop off relatively sharply over coming months," Kelly said.
JD Power said that the end to government support schemes will result in the West European car market declining by around 10% in 2010 to 12.15m units.
JD Power also noted that the French car market was 'decidedly strong' in November, with the selling rate climbing to 2.8m units with French car buyers thinking they had to register their cars by year-end to take advantage of a scrappage scheme there. However, the scheme has been amended so that, as long as an order comes in by the end of 2009, it will benefit. JD Power says this will mean that the French market will start off 2010 relatively strongly as related registrations spill over into 2010.
The Spanish car market also posted a strong month in November (SAAR over 1.1m units) while the UK car market gain of 57.6% reflected a scrappage effect (plus some buyers avoiding a January VAT increase) and exceptionally weak sales last year.
