VT Commodore design head Mike Simcoe appointed Executive Director of GM's International Design Ops
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The designer of Holden's most successful Commodore model, Mike Simcoe, has been named Executive Director of General Motors International Operations (GMIO) Design, effective next year.
Moving from his previous position of Executive Director North American Exterior Design and Global Architecture Strategy for GM, 53-year-old Simcoe will step into the newly created role, which will focus on further developing GM's operations in Australia and South Korea.
Simcoe will return to Australia for the role, after six years with GM in North America.
"This role will allow me to oversee the growth in GMIO design in both Korea and Australia, and to bring with me many of the learnings from my time with GM in the US," explained Simcoe.
"And, of course, I'm extremely pleased to be returning home to Australia, and to once again be working from the world-class Holden design centre, where I began my GM career almost 30 years ago," he said.
Commencing with Holden as a designer in 1983, Simcoe had subsequent appointments as Senior Designer and Chief Designer before becoming Design Director in 2001.
Of note, Simcoe supervised the genesis of the highly successful VT series Commodore and WH Statesman/Caprice range. He also oversaw the subsequent VX and VY upgrades, as well as the still current VE Commodore. He is possibly best remembered in Australia for the behind-the-scenes work on the Commodore-based V2 Monaro.
In 2003, Simcoe became GM's Executive Director Asia Pacific Design, a regional design role that incorporated responsibility for Holden design.
Simcoe then moved to the US in 2004 for his current role as Executive Director North American Exterior Design and Global Architecture Strategy. In this role he is responsible for all North Amercian GM vehicles' exterior design.
During his tenure, Simcoe has led design development of a long list of GM products including the GMC Terrain, Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Equinox, as well as the Cadillac CTS range.
While his new role will have an Asia-Pacific focus, Simcoe will be based at Holden's Port Melbourne headquarters in Melbourne where he will report to Ed Welburn, the Vice President of Global Design.
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Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 3, 2012
Thứ Bảy, 24 tháng 3, 2012
CN's car companies of 2010
Finding firmer footing in 2010, which industry heavyweight will come out on top in the race for sales success... And who will win our respect?
Car companies of the year 2010
After last year's doom and gloom some light at the end of the tunnel has seen a turnaround in fortune for many industry stalwarts. Now with a brighter future ahead, members of the Cars games ales Network team take a look back at the year that was, and nominates a favourite.
Mike Sinclair - Editor in Chief
Volkswagen has had its ups and downs. Some owners lament reliability issues (especially Golf 5 and early Touaregs) and others suggest there's still work to be done on the ownership experience (see Mike McCarthy's comments in Disappointments), but the brand that somehow defies socio-economic pigeonholing is kicking goals Down Under.
Yes, the Korean brands are on the march but it's VW that has to be at the centre of the Toyota HQ dartboard. It won't happen in 2011 or even in the next five years, but further out it's far from inconceivable that 'das Auto' will eventually park more new cars in private buyers' driveways than brands that have become Australian staples such as Honda, Nissan and, perhaps, even Mazda.
Ken Gratton - News Editor
Volvo has achieved some spectacular success this year; not necessarily measured by sales alone, although the Swedish brand has begun to climb back up the sales charts in North America. Its success also lies in the way it has remained true to its design and marketing philosophy, in spite of the distractions that beset it during the year. Those would be distractions like being sold by Ford to Chinese company Geely, for example, or seeing market share in the American market flushed down the toilet as a result of the GFC.
From what insiders have told us, Volvo is looking forward to a close working relationship with Geely and sees a rosy future for the brand, both as a recipient of R&D funding from the Chinese and as an in-house consultant for Geely's own automotive products and global marketing. It's easy to assume that Volvo was just a passenger on the ride from Ford to Geely, but the prestige manufacturer's management have been working as hard as anyone behind the scenes to ensure the smooth transition that took place.
Melissa McCormick - Production Editor
Kia impressed this year for a number of models (Soul, Cerato, Sportage, Optima...) and reasons (inviting us to visit the state-of-the-art facilities in Namyang and drive the company's latest eco-cars, and meet pattern-perfect Peter Schreyer (pictured)). Before now I've nominated Kia-Hyundai, in recognition of South Korea's double-force but this year Kia showed-up its big sister with a better-styled, more interesting lineup.
Feann Torr - Staff Journalist
Ferrari gets the gong for my Car Company of the Year in 2010 for opening a theme park in the deserts of Abu Dhabi. I remember laughing when it was first announced a few years back, and now here we are, starting at a giant red starfish in the middle of the nowhere. Lambo, it's your move...
Matt Brogan - Staff Journalist
Kia on the whole has moved beyond merely scoring the participation award in our local market to becoming a contender in just about every sector it seeks to challenge. Looking back over the last 12 months and new models such as Sorento, Sportage and Cerato have all proven just how much power Kia has to impress. The continuous improvement of those same models yet another indicator of the brand's dedication to becoming more than a 'cheap and cheerful' car company. Next year, with models like Optima and Optima Hybrid on the way, the juggernaut seems likely to continue.
Joshua Dowling - Contributing Writer
I fear I may not be alone here (the editor-in-chief Mike Sinclair doesn't let us look over each other's shoulder when we write these) but, reluctantly, I must say Korean giant Hyundai-Kia made big ground in 2010. Quality, design and sales are all on the up. Combined, Hyundai-Kia overtook Toyota in Europe this year and has the Japanese maker in its sights for global dominance.
Interestingly, it's the one company Toyota fears most. So why did I insert the word 'reluctantly'. Well, because I don't want all this rapid success going too quickly to their heads. There are still significant areas of improvement to be worked on.
I think some journalists (and customers) make allowances for the step up in quality and design because they were expecting worse before they got to the showroom. For example, if you replaced the Hyundai or Kia badges with Honda, Mazda or Toyota badges, would the flimsy feel of the power window switches and some of the harder plastics still be deemed acceptable? And Hyundai and Kia still have some way to go to make the cars drive well compared to their contemporaries. Repeat: compared to their contemporaries (not compared to a BMW). See my 'Surprises of the year' listing tomorrow.
Michael Taylor - International Correspondent
Toss up between Volkswagen, Kia and Skoda. But VW's done so well with its main stuff that nobody punished them -- or even noticed -- that two branches, Bentley and Seat, each lost €200 million in the third quarter... So VW...
Gautam Sharma - International Correspondent
I'll go with two nominations here: Kia and Lotus. A brand that not that long ago gave us crappy offerings whose only USP was a puny pricetag, Kia has suddenly emerged as a serious contender.
Immaculately penned styling (thanks to Peter Schreyer) has been matched by high-quality interiors and driving dynamics far removed from Kias of old. Sales success has followed, and deservedly so. Kia's global sales topped the one-million unit mark during the first six months of 2010, representing a huge 34.1 per cent improvement on the first half of '09.
Lotus, on the other hand, has no similar stats to gloat over, but the audacity of its Paris motor show unveilings has to be admired. Despite being tucked away in a corner hall and allocated a late-in-the-day timeslot at the Paris show media day, Lotus attracted a bigger crowd than any other manufacturer as it whipped the covers off no less than five new concepts that it plans to put into production over the next five years. Not content with being an ultra-niche brand, Lotus has designs on kicking Porsche in the family jewels. Whether or not it succeeds will only become clear in time, but I doffs me cap to the company's newfound gumption and vision.
Jeremy Bass - Green Motoring Writer
Volkswagen Group. The Polo deserves the plaudits it's gathering. The Golf R is a fine example of engine downsizing to better effect than its predecessor. The Transporter is the best developed, most versatile light commercial platform on the local market. The Bentley Mulsanne's shaping up well as a Ghostbuster. And on it goes...
Volkswagen is the powerhouse behind so many marques that are performing well, critically and commercially: VW, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, Bentley (you have to be doing well to afford a loss leader like the Bugatti Veyron). Indeed it's now the powerhouse behind an actual powerhouse, thanks to a deal supplying Hamburg energy utility LichtBlick with Caddy engines modified to burn CNG for its clever domestic powerplant network.
Honourable mentions to sub-brand Audi for its progress through EV concepts, to BMW for the speed with which its EfficientDynamics technologies flowed down to entry level models, and to UK outfit Riversimple for the radicalism and altruism of its open-source policy.
Mike McCarthy - Contributing Writer
Remember when, just a few years back, mere mention of Tata was good only for a snigger from the western motoring media and industry at large. Well, India's giant is up and on its feet, and no-one's laughing now. Tata's successful launch in 2008/2009 of the very cheap, very small, and bravely creative ultra-mini Nano is India's ticket to mass transit. Regardless, the west is gratefully (if not altogether expectedly) impressed by Tata's outwardly seamless and healthy sustenance of adoptees Jaguar and Land Rover.
Of course this year's exciting new models and concepts from both Jaguar and Land Rover reflect directions instituted during Ford's ownership. But it's a perceived credit to Tata's good governance that the eminent British brands are looking better placed, better designed and better able than ever to take the challenge to rivals from Germany and Japan.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site.
Car companies of the year 2010
After last year's doom and gloom some light at the end of the tunnel has seen a turnaround in fortune for many industry stalwarts. Now with a brighter future ahead, members of the Cars games ales Network team take a look back at the year that was, and nominates a favourite.
Mike Sinclair - Editor in Chief
Volkswagen has had its ups and downs. Some owners lament reliability issues (especially Golf 5 and early Touaregs) and others suggest there's still work to be done on the ownership experience (see Mike McCarthy's comments in Disappointments), but the brand that somehow defies socio-economic pigeonholing is kicking goals Down Under.
Yes, the Korean brands are on the march but it's VW that has to be at the centre of the Toyota HQ dartboard. It won't happen in 2011 or even in the next five years, but further out it's far from inconceivable that 'das Auto' will eventually park more new cars in private buyers' driveways than brands that have become Australian staples such as Honda, Nissan and, perhaps, even Mazda.
Ken Gratton - News Editor
Volvo has achieved some spectacular success this year; not necessarily measured by sales alone, although the Swedish brand has begun to climb back up the sales charts in North America. Its success also lies in the way it has remained true to its design and marketing philosophy, in spite of the distractions that beset it during the year. Those would be distractions like being sold by Ford to Chinese company Geely, for example, or seeing market share in the American market flushed down the toilet as a result of the GFC.
From what insiders have told us, Volvo is looking forward to a close working relationship with Geely and sees a rosy future for the brand, both as a recipient of R&D funding from the Chinese and as an in-house consultant for Geely's own automotive products and global marketing. It's easy to assume that Volvo was just a passenger on the ride from Ford to Geely, but the prestige manufacturer's management have been working as hard as anyone behind the scenes to ensure the smooth transition that took place.
Melissa McCormick - Production Editor
Kia impressed this year for a number of models (Soul, Cerato, Sportage, Optima...) and reasons (inviting us to visit the state-of-the-art facilities in Namyang and drive the company's latest eco-cars, and meet pattern-perfect Peter Schreyer (pictured)). Before now I've nominated Kia-Hyundai, in recognition of South Korea's double-force but this year Kia showed-up its big sister with a better-styled, more interesting lineup.
Feann Torr - Staff Journalist
Ferrari gets the gong for my Car Company of the Year in 2010 for opening a theme park in the deserts of Abu Dhabi. I remember laughing when it was first announced a few years back, and now here we are, starting at a giant red starfish in the middle of the nowhere. Lambo, it's your move...
Matt Brogan - Staff Journalist
Kia on the whole has moved beyond merely scoring the participation award in our local market to becoming a contender in just about every sector it seeks to challenge. Looking back over the last 12 months and new models such as Sorento, Sportage and Cerato have all proven just how much power Kia has to impress. The continuous improvement of those same models yet another indicator of the brand's dedication to becoming more than a 'cheap and cheerful' car company. Next year, with models like Optima and Optima Hybrid on the way, the juggernaut seems likely to continue.
Joshua Dowling - Contributing Writer
I fear I may not be alone here (the editor-in-chief Mike Sinclair doesn't let us look over each other's shoulder when we write these) but, reluctantly, I must say Korean giant Hyundai-Kia made big ground in 2010. Quality, design and sales are all on the up. Combined, Hyundai-Kia overtook Toyota in Europe this year and has the Japanese maker in its sights for global dominance.
Interestingly, it's the one company Toyota fears most. So why did I insert the word 'reluctantly'. Well, because I don't want all this rapid success going too quickly to their heads. There are still significant areas of improvement to be worked on.
I think some journalists (and customers) make allowances for the step up in quality and design because they were expecting worse before they got to the showroom. For example, if you replaced the Hyundai or Kia badges with Honda, Mazda or Toyota badges, would the flimsy feel of the power window switches and some of the harder plastics still be deemed acceptable? And Hyundai and Kia still have some way to go to make the cars drive well compared to their contemporaries. Repeat: compared to their contemporaries (not compared to a BMW). See my 'Surprises of the year' listing tomorrow.
Michael Taylor - International Correspondent
Toss up between Volkswagen, Kia and Skoda. But VW's done so well with its main stuff that nobody punished them -- or even noticed -- that two branches, Bentley and Seat, each lost €200 million in the third quarter... So VW...
Gautam Sharma - International Correspondent
I'll go with two nominations here: Kia and Lotus. A brand that not that long ago gave us crappy offerings whose only USP was a puny pricetag, Kia has suddenly emerged as a serious contender.
Immaculately penned styling (thanks to Peter Schreyer) has been matched by high-quality interiors and driving dynamics far removed from Kias of old. Sales success has followed, and deservedly so. Kia's global sales topped the one-million unit mark during the first six months of 2010, representing a huge 34.1 per cent improvement on the first half of '09.
Lotus, on the other hand, has no similar stats to gloat over, but the audacity of its Paris motor show unveilings has to be admired. Despite being tucked away in a corner hall and allocated a late-in-the-day timeslot at the Paris show media day, Lotus attracted a bigger crowd than any other manufacturer as it whipped the covers off no less than five new concepts that it plans to put into production over the next five years. Not content with being an ultra-niche brand, Lotus has designs on kicking Porsche in the family jewels. Whether or not it succeeds will only become clear in time, but I doffs me cap to the company's newfound gumption and vision.
Jeremy Bass - Green Motoring Writer
Volkswagen Group. The Polo deserves the plaudits it's gathering. The Golf R is a fine example of engine downsizing to better effect than its predecessor. The Transporter is the best developed, most versatile light commercial platform on the local market. The Bentley Mulsanne's shaping up well as a Ghostbuster. And on it goes...
Volkswagen is the powerhouse behind so many marques that are performing well, critically and commercially: VW, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, Bentley (you have to be doing well to afford a loss leader like the Bugatti Veyron). Indeed it's now the powerhouse behind an actual powerhouse, thanks to a deal supplying Hamburg energy utility LichtBlick with Caddy engines modified to burn CNG for its clever domestic powerplant network.
Honourable mentions to sub-brand Audi for its progress through EV concepts, to BMW for the speed with which its EfficientDynamics technologies flowed down to entry level models, and to UK outfit Riversimple for the radicalism and altruism of its open-source policy.
Mike McCarthy - Contributing Writer
Remember when, just a few years back, mere mention of Tata was good only for a snigger from the western motoring media and industry at large. Well, India's giant is up and on its feet, and no-one's laughing now. Tata's successful launch in 2008/2009 of the very cheap, very small, and bravely creative ultra-mini Nano is India's ticket to mass transit. Regardless, the west is gratefully (if not altogether expectedly) impressed by Tata's outwardly seamless and healthy sustenance of adoptees Jaguar and Land Rover.
Of course this year's exciting new models and concepts from both Jaguar and Land Rover reflect directions instituted during Ford's ownership. But it's a perceived credit to Tata's good governance that the eminent British brands are looking better placed, better designed and better able than ever to take the challenge to rivals from Germany and Japan.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site.
Spoiler suits for Territory, Ranger
Ford's pioneering use of skin-tight lycra conceals skin-deep aesthetics
discount new cars » Get the best price on a new Ford
The 2011 Territory remains incognito, but the material used to confound spy photographers has been revealed. It's lycra.
The lightweight synthetic material is usually associated with cyclists' apparel, but Ford Australia also employs the stretchable fabric as a means of disguising the finer points of its new models in testing. Ford first began using the material for the FG Falcon during the car's development phase in 2007 and 2008.
Lycra isn't the only material used, but has found favour with the Ford development team locally because will fit different shapes and sizes of panels while providing easy access to external parts such as fuel filler caps, bonnet, doors and windows.
Other materials used to camouflage vehicles under test include vinyl, foam, fibreglass and vacuum-formed plastic. Ford often recycles these materials also, thus saving money from the development budget. The problem with disguising pre-production vehicles is that the camouflage inevitably draws more attention to the vehicle than might be the case if the car were to remain undisguised, a point made by the company's program coordinator, Damian Lavric.
"These days most people have a camera phone so we have to be extra careful when we use public roads with a prototype," Lavric said.
"It is a difficult job because we want to keep driving vehicles in real-world conditions but we don't want to inhibit key vehicle functions at the same time, like engine cooling.
"It's ironic because we want to disguise the vehicles and hide all the details, but all the stickers and camouflage draw the attention we are trying to avoid."
Both the new Territory and the T6 Ranger have been seen in 'bra and panties' undergoing local testing, but it's actually the Ranger that has posed the greater challenge for the Ford staff building the prototypes, despite being revealed to the public at the Australian International Motor Show in October. It's a totally new design, unlike the Territory and it will sell in 180 markets. So the camouflage must be durable enough to cope with Middle Eastern and Australian summers on the one hand, and European winters on the other.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
discount new cars » Get the best price on a new Ford
The 2011 Territory remains incognito, but the material used to confound spy photographers has been revealed. It's lycra.
The lightweight synthetic material is usually associated with cyclists' apparel, but Ford Australia also employs the stretchable fabric as a means of disguising the finer points of its new models in testing. Ford first began using the material for the FG Falcon during the car's development phase in 2007 and 2008.
Lycra isn't the only material used, but has found favour with the Ford development team locally because will fit different shapes and sizes of panels while providing easy access to external parts such as fuel filler caps, bonnet, doors and windows.
Other materials used to camouflage vehicles under test include vinyl, foam, fibreglass and vacuum-formed plastic. Ford often recycles these materials also, thus saving money from the development budget. The problem with disguising pre-production vehicles is that the camouflage inevitably draws more attention to the vehicle than might be the case if the car were to remain undisguised, a point made by the company's program coordinator, Damian Lavric.
"These days most people have a camera phone so we have to be extra careful when we use public roads with a prototype," Lavric said.
"It is a difficult job because we want to keep driving vehicles in real-world conditions but we don't want to inhibit key vehicle functions at the same time, like engine cooling.
"It's ironic because we want to disguise the vehicles and hide all the details, but all the stickers and camouflage draw the attention we are trying to avoid."
Both the new Territory and the T6 Ranger have been seen in 'bra and panties' undergoing local testing, but it's actually the Ranger that has posed the greater challenge for the Ford staff building the prototypes, despite being revealed to the public at the Australian International Motor Show in October. It's a totally new design, unlike the Territory and it will sell in 180 markets. So the camouflage must be durable enough to cope with Middle Eastern and Australian summers on the one hand, and European winters on the other.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
CN's surprises of 2010
Every so often we encounter a bolt from the blue. Here are our picks from 2010
Surprise of the year 2010
Be it a car that beat our expectations or a manufacturer that rocked our world, the list for this year's standout surprise has an electric overtone. Here's a list of Carsales Network staffer's jaw dropping moments of 2010.
Mike Sinclair - Editor in Chief
The disconnect between sister companies Kia and Hyundai in delivering on the tastes of Australian drivers was a surprise to me. It cost Hyundai some kudos but on the flip side earned Kia brownie points with many.
By way of explanation, here are two companies dealing with essentially the same hardware and both purporting to have local (ie: Aussie-focussed development resources) yet they can deliver new products at diametrically opposed ends of the acceptance spectrum.
In launching its i45 medium car, Hyundai claimed it had tuned the car to local tastes and yet delivered a woolly, underwhelming chassis package that, while not as bad as some suggested, was far from the pointy end of its class. It did a similar thing with its ix35 softroader -- though in that case the ride was too harsh.
Contrast Kia. Along comes its version of the ix35, the Sportage. Same hardware (though the Kia gets a newer all-wheel-drive system) but properly fettled suspension and steering. And guess what? It's a ripper -- arguably the best in its class by some measures.
Hyundai has since re-tuned the i45 and it's better, but I'm prepared to bet Kia's Optima (to be launched locally in Jan 2011) will be better again.
Ken Gratton - News Editor
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was the car that surprised me most during the year, for a couple of reasons. I had expected the little Mitsu to convert a few people to the EV cause after having driven it in Adelaide during 2009, but living with the car (an example of which has been leased from Mitsubishi by the Carsales Network) brings a fuller appreciation of the i-MiEV's virtues. It can keep up with traffic, it will accommodate two full-sized adults in the front and yet it can thread its way easily through tight and heavy traffic.
That's the good news. The bad news (relatively), was the touring range varies drastically depending on whether you're driving the car in rain or at night with lights, wipers and heater/demister working. Such variation can leave you worrying whether the i-MiEV will reach its destination -- something I can't recall for any car since my old Mk II Cortina with its dodgy fuel gauge.
And unlike petrol-engined cars, the i-MiEV probably won't coast the extra hundred metres or so if the battery charge is fully depleted. Even if it does, it has to be an extra hundred metres to the nearest 15-Amp outlet. Running the battery down to zilch is yet to happen (and hopefully won't), but if it does go flat and leave us stranded in 2011 it won't stack up as the 'surprise of the year'.
Kia, living up to its slogan (The Power to Surprise) has turned the tables on parent company Hyundai. Once -- the Sorento -- was perhaps a fluke, but with the Sportage outshining the ix35 and more new models in the works likely to confound i30 (Cerato hatch), i45 (Optima) and possibly i20 (new Rio), Kia has all the advantages Hyundai has to offer, with a more attractive global style and vehicle dynamics that have truly-ruly been developed for the Aussie market.
Hyundai has cut a swath through its competitors as it has fought its way up the sales charts; who would have thought that its strongest competition may yet be its junior partner?
Melissa McCormick - Production Editor
I was surprised -- more precisely amused -- by Lotus' announcement of a whole handful of new models ahead in Paris. Surprise of next year (and the ensuing years) will be if we actually see any of them...
Feann Torr - Staff Journalist
The car: Kia Sportage. Even though it looks a bit odd from some angles, the car has managed to almost single-handedly change Kia's image from one of a Korean joke, to a serious Asian car maker with products that inspire.
More generally, the maelstrom of negativity surrounding allegedly wonky accelerator pedals in Toyotas. Followed by the late arrival of Toyota Australia to the "recall" party, as it issued a statement concerning the Prius's dodgy brake pedal... Then, surprise! Turns out most of it was driver error. Woe betide the next car company that adds fluffy car mats to its vehicles...
Matt Brogan - Staff Journalist
For me the biggest surprise this year was the Jaguar XJ Diesel SWB. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record (the XJ already included in my Top Five list), the styling was among the elements of Jag's latest luxo-barge that had me weak at the knees.
Early renderings and indeed photos of the XJ simply didn't do the car justice, in my eyes at least. But landing the keys to the stylish saloon for just a couple of days was enough time to survey those intriguing lines and curves in their entirety and conclude that, when viewed as a whole, XJ is a stunning sculpture.
Pleasingly, the XJ wasn't just a pretty face. The 3.0-litre turbodiesel we had on test proving remarkably gutsy while also delivering very respectable fuel economy.
As surprises go, Ford's latest generation Fiesta has since its launch been quite a favourite among motoring circles, and consumers too it would seem. And although that revelation is hardly a bolt from the blue, what did surprise me this year was the consistency in quality maintained as Ford shifted production of the trendy little model from Europe to Thailand. A swarm of Aussie and international motoring journos, seemingly determined to pick holes in Ford's decision, fell flat after three days poking and prodding (and tackling some interesting driving experiences) of the newly sourced model range. Inside and out the fit and finish of the Asian built product is comparable in every way to its predecessor. A promising start to a future where even more models, for Australian consumption at least, will be Thai sourced.
Joshua Dowling - Contributing Writer
The car that surprised me most in 2010 was a surprise because of how disappointing it was. After big gains with every new Hyundai over the previous 18 months, the sleek new i45 sedan was a step backwards for the company. It looked sharp, and quality made another step for the better, but it drove poorly by any standards, let alone acceptable standards. The steering felt remote and the suspension way too floaty.
In an engineering marvel, the suspension crashed over bumps despite apparently being designed for comfort. The winding roads in the Brisbane hinterland used for the media launch highlighted the car's flaws brilliantly, but I started to feel something was wrong within the first 10 minutes of getting behind the wheel -- while still in city traffic. The Toyota Camry I drove to the launch drove waaaay better than the i45, and the Camry is not exactly the high water mark of the medium-car class.
The second surprise of the year was how quickly Hyundai reacted to the criticisms by expediting a fix for the suspension within six months. The rectified cars were due to arrive by Christmas. This should be commended, except...
The third surprise of the year was that local Hyundai representatives then tried to deny there was anything wrong with the i45's suspension -- the fix was a precautionary measure only as customers had not complained. Perhaps they didn't want to own up to it in case customers who bought early-build cars wanted an exchange or their money back.
Come on, Hyundai, the truth doesn't hurt that much does it? If you're going to become a mature automaker then be mature about your mistakes -- and own up to them!
Michael Taylor - International Correspondent
Last year, the Skoda Yeti and the Audi A3 Cabrio stood out as surprise packets. This year, nothing really. Maybe the Cayenne S...
More generally, Lotus firing six years worth of bullets at once at the Paris show. A zillion show cars, two IndyCars, two F1 teams, but no product good enough to decapitate the opposition right now and no cash flow for two years. I hope I'm wrong, but I really worry for Lotus's medium-term future...
Gautam Sharma - International Correspondent
Most surprising car: I've already waxed lyrical about Merc's SLS AMG and it's fair to say it's the car that surprised me the most in 2010. With AMG offerings in the past one knew to expect cracking straight-line performance and decent (for a sedan or touring coupe) dynamic capabilities, but the only one I would have even remotely contemplated owning was a C63.
No qualms at all with the SLS. It's a car I'd love to have in my garage. It demolishes the Merc mould of stodginess and is hopefully a precursor to other genuinely tasty products from the Stuttgart mob.
General surprise: Things looked pretty dire for America's 'Big Three' (GM, Ford, Chrysler) until as recently as 12 months ago, but the fact that all three have been restored to profitability so soon comes as one heck of an eye-opener. At the time of writing, GM was expecting to finish 2010 in the black for the first time in six years, having earned a $US2 billion profit in the third quarter alone. Ford was also well placed following a third-quarter profit of $1.7 billion. Chrysler posted a $US239 operating profit for the third quarter, and company boss Sergio Marchionne was forecasting a $700 million profit for the year.
Jeremy Bass - Green Motoring Writer
The car: Mitsubishi's i-MiEV. Like the Evo, a $60K-plus car with a sub-$25K interior. Unlike the Evo, that price is artificially high for the early adoption phase, in the same way the first PCs cost $25K and a television cost 500 quid in 1956. But -- like the Evo again -- there's a bit of a meaty surprise in the drivetrain. First-gen battery leaves a bit to be desired, but they'll only get better. It left me feeling quite confident that viable -- even pleasurable -- EVs aren't that far away.
General: BMW's petrol/diesel sales mix. In a market where diesel sales sit round 10 percent, It's taken surprisingly little time for the maker of some of the world's best petrol engines to see them overtaken by its oilers. That's much to do with the skew to SUV sales, of course. But it helps that BMW also makes a fair swag of the world's finest passenger car diesel engines, from the entry level 118d up.
Mike McCarthy - Contributing Writer
The cynic in me was beginning to think that it's not in the nature of battery cars to be more than four-wheeled electric appliances. Too typically, they somehow lack identity and imperative. Sure the Tesla radiates and demonstrates high-calibre sportiness, but can't shake its connotations as an electric Elise.
The much touted Nissan LEAF? I doubt I'm alone in regarding its electric-ness as secondary to its aesthetically-challenged appearance. Where, oh where is a presentable electricar that radiates originality?
Surprise! Behold, the singular shape of the i-MiEV Sport, looking remarkably fresh as it clears a haze of déjà vu. Funnily enough, the Sport got lost in the crowd (publicity-wise) when first aired in 2007. However, because electric cars' prospects have since grown hugely, the shown-again Sport now shines as a role-model solution to that lingering identity vacuum.
The Sport's eye-catching body shape is a triumph of contemporary retro-cool. Those sweepingly slick lines are straight out of 1930s art deco poster world and owe nothing to any existing model. And, far from being just a pretty face, the evocative little coupe sports many points of technical interest.
Like, the Sport's drivetrain is more highly developed than the iMiEV hatchback's thanks to E-4WD with two in-wheel motors up front and a third midship-mounted unit to propel the rear wheels.
In its own small way the i-MiEV Sport is a keynote marker for tomorrow's brave new electricar age. That's assuming beholders can see the future through the show car's woefully inappropriate appliance-white paintwork.
Meantime in the prevailing economic circumstance, it's an almighty surprise that indolently expensive and impossibly speedy supercars continue to flourish, or thrive indeed. Of course it'd be a deplorably sorry day if/when cars that excite the senses, stretch credibility and trample the boundaries of logic must undergo snip-snip vasectomy in the names of safety and sensibility.
And yet these unbridled lunges toward the horizon by ever more numerous, ever more extreme super-supercars drive home an anti-social message about egocentric big boys' little-weenie toys and humankind's collective inability to acknowledge reality, let alone grasp it.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Surprise of the year 2010
Be it a car that beat our expectations or a manufacturer that rocked our world, the list for this year's standout surprise has an electric overtone. Here's a list of Carsales Network staffer's jaw dropping moments of 2010.
Mike Sinclair - Editor in Chief
The disconnect between sister companies Kia and Hyundai in delivering on the tastes of Australian drivers was a surprise to me. It cost Hyundai some kudos but on the flip side earned Kia brownie points with many.
By way of explanation, here are two companies dealing with essentially the same hardware and both purporting to have local (ie: Aussie-focussed development resources) yet they can deliver new products at diametrically opposed ends of the acceptance spectrum.
In launching its i45 medium car, Hyundai claimed it had tuned the car to local tastes and yet delivered a woolly, underwhelming chassis package that, while not as bad as some suggested, was far from the pointy end of its class. It did a similar thing with its ix35 softroader -- though in that case the ride was too harsh.
Contrast Kia. Along comes its version of the ix35, the Sportage. Same hardware (though the Kia gets a newer all-wheel-drive system) but properly fettled suspension and steering. And guess what? It's a ripper -- arguably the best in its class by some measures.
Hyundai has since re-tuned the i45 and it's better, but I'm prepared to bet Kia's Optima (to be launched locally in Jan 2011) will be better again.
Ken Gratton - News Editor
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was the car that surprised me most during the year, for a couple of reasons. I had expected the little Mitsu to convert a few people to the EV cause after having driven it in Adelaide during 2009, but living with the car (an example of which has been leased from Mitsubishi by the Carsales Network) brings a fuller appreciation of the i-MiEV's virtues. It can keep up with traffic, it will accommodate two full-sized adults in the front and yet it can thread its way easily through tight and heavy traffic.
That's the good news. The bad news (relatively), was the touring range varies drastically depending on whether you're driving the car in rain or at night with lights, wipers and heater/demister working. Such variation can leave you worrying whether the i-MiEV will reach its destination -- something I can't recall for any car since my old Mk II Cortina with its dodgy fuel gauge.
And unlike petrol-engined cars, the i-MiEV probably won't coast the extra hundred metres or so if the battery charge is fully depleted. Even if it does, it has to be an extra hundred metres to the nearest 15-Amp outlet. Running the battery down to zilch is yet to happen (and hopefully won't), but if it does go flat and leave us stranded in 2011 it won't stack up as the 'surprise of the year'.
Kia, living up to its slogan (The Power to Surprise) has turned the tables on parent company Hyundai. Once -- the Sorento -- was perhaps a fluke, but with the Sportage outshining the ix35 and more new models in the works likely to confound i30 (Cerato hatch), i45 (Optima) and possibly i20 (new Rio), Kia has all the advantages Hyundai has to offer, with a more attractive global style and vehicle dynamics that have truly-ruly been developed for the Aussie market.
Hyundai has cut a swath through its competitors as it has fought its way up the sales charts; who would have thought that its strongest competition may yet be its junior partner?
Melissa McCormick - Production Editor
I was surprised -- more precisely amused -- by Lotus' announcement of a whole handful of new models ahead in Paris. Surprise of next year (and the ensuing years) will be if we actually see any of them...
Feann Torr - Staff Journalist
The car: Kia Sportage. Even though it looks a bit odd from some angles, the car has managed to almost single-handedly change Kia's image from one of a Korean joke, to a serious Asian car maker with products that inspire.
More generally, the maelstrom of negativity surrounding allegedly wonky accelerator pedals in Toyotas. Followed by the late arrival of Toyota Australia to the "recall" party, as it issued a statement concerning the Prius's dodgy brake pedal... Then, surprise! Turns out most of it was driver error. Woe betide the next car company that adds fluffy car mats to its vehicles...
Matt Brogan - Staff Journalist
For me the biggest surprise this year was the Jaguar XJ Diesel SWB. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record (the XJ already included in my Top Five list), the styling was among the elements of Jag's latest luxo-barge that had me weak at the knees.
Early renderings and indeed photos of the XJ simply didn't do the car justice, in my eyes at least. But landing the keys to the stylish saloon for just a couple of days was enough time to survey those intriguing lines and curves in their entirety and conclude that, when viewed as a whole, XJ is a stunning sculpture.
Pleasingly, the XJ wasn't just a pretty face. The 3.0-litre turbodiesel we had on test proving remarkably gutsy while also delivering very respectable fuel economy.
As surprises go, Ford's latest generation Fiesta has since its launch been quite a favourite among motoring circles, and consumers too it would seem. And although that revelation is hardly a bolt from the blue, what did surprise me this year was the consistency in quality maintained as Ford shifted production of the trendy little model from Europe to Thailand. A swarm of Aussie and international motoring journos, seemingly determined to pick holes in Ford's decision, fell flat after three days poking and prodding (and tackling some interesting driving experiences) of the newly sourced model range. Inside and out the fit and finish of the Asian built product is comparable in every way to its predecessor. A promising start to a future where even more models, for Australian consumption at least, will be Thai sourced.
Joshua Dowling - Contributing Writer
The car that surprised me most in 2010 was a surprise because of how disappointing it was. After big gains with every new Hyundai over the previous 18 months, the sleek new i45 sedan was a step backwards for the company. It looked sharp, and quality made another step for the better, but it drove poorly by any standards, let alone acceptable standards. The steering felt remote and the suspension way too floaty.
In an engineering marvel, the suspension crashed over bumps despite apparently being designed for comfort. The winding roads in the Brisbane hinterland used for the media launch highlighted the car's flaws brilliantly, but I started to feel something was wrong within the first 10 minutes of getting behind the wheel -- while still in city traffic. The Toyota Camry I drove to the launch drove waaaay better than the i45, and the Camry is not exactly the high water mark of the medium-car class.
The second surprise of the year was how quickly Hyundai reacted to the criticisms by expediting a fix for the suspension within six months. The rectified cars were due to arrive by Christmas. This should be commended, except...
The third surprise of the year was that local Hyundai representatives then tried to deny there was anything wrong with the i45's suspension -- the fix was a precautionary measure only as customers had not complained. Perhaps they didn't want to own up to it in case customers who bought early-build cars wanted an exchange or their money back.
Come on, Hyundai, the truth doesn't hurt that much does it? If you're going to become a mature automaker then be mature about your mistakes -- and own up to them!
Michael Taylor - International Correspondent
Last year, the Skoda Yeti and the Audi A3 Cabrio stood out as surprise packets. This year, nothing really. Maybe the Cayenne S...
More generally, Lotus firing six years worth of bullets at once at the Paris show. A zillion show cars, two IndyCars, two F1 teams, but no product good enough to decapitate the opposition right now and no cash flow for two years. I hope I'm wrong, but I really worry for Lotus's medium-term future...
Gautam Sharma - International Correspondent
Most surprising car: I've already waxed lyrical about Merc's SLS AMG and it's fair to say it's the car that surprised me the most in 2010. With AMG offerings in the past one knew to expect cracking straight-line performance and decent (for a sedan or touring coupe) dynamic capabilities, but the only one I would have even remotely contemplated owning was a C63.
No qualms at all with the SLS. It's a car I'd love to have in my garage. It demolishes the Merc mould of stodginess and is hopefully a precursor to other genuinely tasty products from the Stuttgart mob.
General surprise: Things looked pretty dire for America's 'Big Three' (GM, Ford, Chrysler) until as recently as 12 months ago, but the fact that all three have been restored to profitability so soon comes as one heck of an eye-opener. At the time of writing, GM was expecting to finish 2010 in the black for the first time in six years, having earned a $US2 billion profit in the third quarter alone. Ford was also well placed following a third-quarter profit of $1.7 billion. Chrysler posted a $US239 operating profit for the third quarter, and company boss Sergio Marchionne was forecasting a $700 million profit for the year.
Jeremy Bass - Green Motoring Writer
The car: Mitsubishi's i-MiEV. Like the Evo, a $60K-plus car with a sub-$25K interior. Unlike the Evo, that price is artificially high for the early adoption phase, in the same way the first PCs cost $25K and a television cost 500 quid in 1956. But -- like the Evo again -- there's a bit of a meaty surprise in the drivetrain. First-gen battery leaves a bit to be desired, but they'll only get better. It left me feeling quite confident that viable -- even pleasurable -- EVs aren't that far away.
General: BMW's petrol/diesel sales mix. In a market where diesel sales sit round 10 percent, It's taken surprisingly little time for the maker of some of the world's best petrol engines to see them overtaken by its oilers. That's much to do with the skew to SUV sales, of course. But it helps that BMW also makes a fair swag of the world's finest passenger car diesel engines, from the entry level 118d up.
Mike McCarthy - Contributing Writer
The cynic in me was beginning to think that it's not in the nature of battery cars to be more than four-wheeled electric appliances. Too typically, they somehow lack identity and imperative. Sure the Tesla radiates and demonstrates high-calibre sportiness, but can't shake its connotations as an electric Elise.
The much touted Nissan LEAF? I doubt I'm alone in regarding its electric-ness as secondary to its aesthetically-challenged appearance. Where, oh where is a presentable electricar that radiates originality?
Surprise! Behold, the singular shape of the i-MiEV Sport, looking remarkably fresh as it clears a haze of déjà vu. Funnily enough, the Sport got lost in the crowd (publicity-wise) when first aired in 2007. However, because electric cars' prospects have since grown hugely, the shown-again Sport now shines as a role-model solution to that lingering identity vacuum.
The Sport's eye-catching body shape is a triumph of contemporary retro-cool. Those sweepingly slick lines are straight out of 1930s art deco poster world and owe nothing to any existing model. And, far from being just a pretty face, the evocative little coupe sports many points of technical interest.
Like, the Sport's drivetrain is more highly developed than the iMiEV hatchback's thanks to E-4WD with two in-wheel motors up front and a third midship-mounted unit to propel the rear wheels.
In its own small way the i-MiEV Sport is a keynote marker for tomorrow's brave new electricar age. That's assuming beholders can see the future through the show car's woefully inappropriate appliance-white paintwork.
Meantime in the prevailing economic circumstance, it's an almighty surprise that indolently expensive and impossibly speedy supercars continue to flourish, or thrive indeed. Of course it'd be a deplorably sorry day if/when cars that excite the senses, stretch credibility and trample the boundaries of logic must undergo snip-snip vasectomy in the names of safety and sensibility.
And yet these unbridled lunges toward the horizon by ever more numerous, ever more extreme super-supercars drive home an anti-social message about egocentric big boys' little-weenie toys and humankind's collective inability to acknowledge reality, let alone grasp it.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Thứ Sáu, 23 tháng 3, 2012
Audi, Merc and BMW: Three kings?
Teutonic trio argues the toss over who actually rules the luxury-car arena
German luxo heavyweights Mercedes, BMW and Audi used the Detroit motor show to engage in some corporate grandstanding, with each of the three staking their claim for leadership of the premium segment.
Mercedes-Benz sales and marketing boss Joachim Schmidt opened fire by pointing to 15 per cent global sales growth last year (for a tally of 1,167,700 vehicles), and claiming that the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class were the class leaders (no pun intended) in their respective segments during 2010.
Schmidt said a 9.6 per cent market share last year made Merc the No1 premium brand in the world, although Audi and BMW would within the next two hours make their own claims for luxo leadership.
Merc stopped short of showcasing the new C-Class (with 2000 new parts the company claims it's more than a facelift) at the Detroit show, even though it was revealed to a large contingent of journos at a function the evening before.
Instead, the three-pointed star rolled out the battery-powered SLS AMG E-Cell and B-Class F-Cell, announcing that the former would be available for customers to order from 2013 onwards. Officials nevertheless remained tight-lipped on potential pricing for the 392kW/880Nm electric supercar.
Meanwhile, a contingent of three B-Class F-Cells shortly embarks on a 20,000-mile World Drive that takes in 14 countries including Australia (where it will pass through Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth) to promote the fuel-cell message, and put pressure on governments to at least start thinking about a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
Schmidt suggested Merc's sales impetus in 2011 would be maintained by the updated C-Class sedan/wagon, the new C-Class coupe, along with the launch of the second-gen CLS and third-gen SLK. Later in the year Mercedes will also reveal its third-generation ML SUV.
Over on the BMW stand, the company's sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson made his own bullish statements as the new 6 Series Convertible and 1 Series M made their world debuts.
Robertson said it was the BMW Group (not the brand, but the portfolio comprising BMW cars games and bikes, MINI and Rolls-Royce) that was in fact the leader of the premium segment, with over 1.46 million vehicles delivered worldwide in 2010.
Robertson highlighted the success of the current 7 Series, which notched up 65,000 global sales in 2010 (said to be a record for the model), while the Mini brand also earned a record 234,000 sales thanks partly to the introduction of the new Countryman.
Rolls-Royce similarly had a bumper year, earning 2700 sales (170 per cent growth on 2009), fuelled by the introduction of the Ghost. Tellingly, 80 per cent of Ghost buyers are said to be new to the brand, which obviously means they've been lured away from other ultra-luxo marques.
Audi was not going to be left out of the chest-beating contest, and company boss Rupert Stadler was upbeat as the new A6 sedan was unveiled, along with a hybrid variant of the E-Class/5 Series-rivalling sedan.
The lighter, more frugal A6 follows in the wake of a 12-model offensive in 2010 that enabled Audi to post its best-ever tally of 1,090,000 vehicle sales during the year. Stadler boldly predicted this figure would swell to 1.2 million sales in 2011, but said the aim was "qualitative growth with real substance".
Stadler added. "In the US we want to become what we already are in Western Europe and China -- the No1 premium manufacturer."
So there you have it: Audi, Mercedes and BMW all have at least some claim to be being top dog in the luxury-vehicle stoush. All you need to do is read the fine print…
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
German luxo heavyweights Mercedes, BMW and Audi used the Detroit motor show to engage in some corporate grandstanding, with each of the three staking their claim for leadership of the premium segment.
Mercedes-Benz sales and marketing boss Joachim Schmidt opened fire by pointing to 15 per cent global sales growth last year (for a tally of 1,167,700 vehicles), and claiming that the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class were the class leaders (no pun intended) in their respective segments during 2010.
Schmidt said a 9.6 per cent market share last year made Merc the No1 premium brand in the world, although Audi and BMW would within the next two hours make their own claims for luxo leadership.
Merc stopped short of showcasing the new C-Class (with 2000 new parts the company claims it's more than a facelift) at the Detroit show, even though it was revealed to a large contingent of journos at a function the evening before.
Instead, the three-pointed star rolled out the battery-powered SLS AMG E-Cell and B-Class F-Cell, announcing that the former would be available for customers to order from 2013 onwards. Officials nevertheless remained tight-lipped on potential pricing for the 392kW/880Nm electric supercar.
Meanwhile, a contingent of three B-Class F-Cells shortly embarks on a 20,000-mile World Drive that takes in 14 countries including Australia (where it will pass through Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth) to promote the fuel-cell message, and put pressure on governments to at least start thinking about a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
Schmidt suggested Merc's sales impetus in 2011 would be maintained by the updated C-Class sedan/wagon, the new C-Class coupe, along with the launch of the second-gen CLS and third-gen SLK. Later in the year Mercedes will also reveal its third-generation ML SUV.
Over on the BMW stand, the company's sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson made his own bullish statements as the new 6 Series Convertible and 1 Series M made their world debuts.
Robertson said it was the BMW Group (not the brand, but the portfolio comprising BMW cars games and bikes, MINI and Rolls-Royce) that was in fact the leader of the premium segment, with over 1.46 million vehicles delivered worldwide in 2010.
Robertson highlighted the success of the current 7 Series, which notched up 65,000 global sales in 2010 (said to be a record for the model), while the Mini brand also earned a record 234,000 sales thanks partly to the introduction of the new Countryman.
Rolls-Royce similarly had a bumper year, earning 2700 sales (170 per cent growth on 2009), fuelled by the introduction of the Ghost. Tellingly, 80 per cent of Ghost buyers are said to be new to the brand, which obviously means they've been lured away from other ultra-luxo marques.
Audi was not going to be left out of the chest-beating contest, and company boss Rupert Stadler was upbeat as the new A6 sedan was unveiled, along with a hybrid variant of the E-Class/5 Series-rivalling sedan.
The lighter, more frugal A6 follows in the wake of a 12-model offensive in 2010 that enabled Audi to post its best-ever tally of 1,090,000 vehicle sales during the year. Stadler boldly predicted this figure would swell to 1.2 million sales in 2011, but said the aim was "qualitative growth with real substance".
Stadler added. "In the US we want to become what we already are in Western Europe and China -- the No1 premium manufacturer."
So there you have it: Audi, Mercedes and BMW all have at least some claim to be being top dog in the luxury-vehicle stoush. All you need to do is read the fine print…
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
918 RSR signals race intent
Porsche's return to the Detroit motor show after four years goes off with a green bang
prestige new cars » Get the best price on a new Porsche
The much-anticipated unveiling of Porsche's Detroit motor show surprise revealed a follow-up on the 918 Spyder hybrid concept displayed at last year's Geneva show.
This time the mid-engine two-seater was presented in race-going guise and with the same hybrid technology as-used by the 911 GT3 Hybrid study.
The GT3 "race lab" car performed so well in competition last year, including a round of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship that Porsche naturally figured it was worthwhile to add the flywheel-based system to the 918.
Conveniently the reveal serves as homage to the number 22 Le Mans 917 race car from the early 70s. Better still, a return to the Circuit de Sarthe is inevitable, say Porsche people.
Porsche AG board member for research and development Wolfgang Durheimer told the Carsales Network that a member representing the ACO spoke to him at Detroit, soon after the car's unveiling with regard to the brand making another long-distance campaign at Le Mans.
Durheimer will take over the Bentley and Bugatti interests among the Volkswagen Group as of February, however motorsport is also part of his portfolio.
"We definitely want to be at Le Mans. It's the jewel in the crown of any racing effort."
And if Porsche returns to Le Mans it will be as a factory effort, says Durheimer.
"We are in discussion with the different rulemakers around the world to find a hybrid [race] category.
"We told everybody that the GT3 Hybrid was not a one-shot exercise... We think racing in the future needs to be brought a step forward and that there are a lot of opportunities to have very efficient, high performance race cars."
Potential homologation to race has not yet been determined, as Porsche wanted the 918 RSR to make its worldwide debut in Detroit. Speculation before the show suggested a race version of the 918 was likely, however.
The 918 RSR uses a direct injection V8, fitted mid-ship, and two electric motors; one at each wheel to contribute another 150kW to the V8's 420kW output (at 10,300rpm) and provide a torque vectoring function offering variable distribution to the front wheels.
In what would be the passenger seat lies a large accumulator used to store energy generated under braking. The driver can access the energy for a power boost of 8 seconds for extra performance for overtaking and out of corners.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
prestige new cars » Get the best price on a new Porsche
The much-anticipated unveiling of Porsche's Detroit motor show surprise revealed a follow-up on the 918 Spyder hybrid concept displayed at last year's Geneva show.
This time the mid-engine two-seater was presented in race-going guise and with the same hybrid technology as-used by the 911 GT3 Hybrid study.
The GT3 "race lab" car performed so well in competition last year, including a round of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship that Porsche naturally figured it was worthwhile to add the flywheel-based system to the 918.
Conveniently the reveal serves as homage to the number 22 Le Mans 917 race car from the early 70s. Better still, a return to the Circuit de Sarthe is inevitable, say Porsche people.
Porsche AG board member for research and development Wolfgang Durheimer told the Carsales Network that a member representing the ACO spoke to him at Detroit, soon after the car's unveiling with regard to the brand making another long-distance campaign at Le Mans.
Durheimer will take over the Bentley and Bugatti interests among the Volkswagen Group as of February, however motorsport is also part of his portfolio.
"We definitely want to be at Le Mans. It's the jewel in the crown of any racing effort."
And if Porsche returns to Le Mans it will be as a factory effort, says Durheimer.
"We are in discussion with the different rulemakers around the world to find a hybrid [race] category.
"We told everybody that the GT3 Hybrid was not a one-shot exercise... We think racing in the future needs to be brought a step forward and that there are a lot of opportunities to have very efficient, high performance race cars."
Potential homologation to race has not yet been determined, as Porsche wanted the 918 RSR to make its worldwide debut in Detroit. Speculation before the show suggested a race version of the 918 was likely, however.
The 918 RSR uses a direct injection V8, fitted mid-ship, and two electric motors; one at each wheel to contribute another 150kW to the V8's 420kW output (at 10,300rpm) and provide a torque vectoring function offering variable distribution to the front wheels.
In what would be the passenger seat lies a large accumulator used to store energy generated under braking. The driver can access the energy for a power boost of 8 seconds for extra performance for overtaking and out of corners.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
Volkswagen previews new Passat in Detroit
Bigger, better US-spec Passat unveiled, including sporty VR6 version from August
discount new cars » Get the best price on a new Volkswagen
Volkswagen has revealed its latest Passat at the Detroit motor show this week, a car it says has been specifically developed for the US market.
Bigger, more comfortable and with even more up-to-the-minute technology, new Passat will be built at the firm's Chattanooga plant in Tennessee ahead of a market launch this August.
Available with a range of petrol and diesel engines, the new Passat line-up will also comprise a sporty DSG-equipped VR6 version promising 0-100km/h times of just 6.5 seconds.
The US-spec Passat will be available in three grades: S, SE and SEL with a comprehensive standard equipment list promised, even on the entry-level model. Priced from USD$20,000 Passat includes the usual list of in-cabin electrics, insulating glass, analogue clock and CD tuner with media player connectivity and voice-activated Bluetooth telephony.
Safety equipment is equally wide-ranging with stability control, tyre pressure monitoring, anti-lock brakes and six airbags among the long list of inclusions.
Measuring 4868mm in length the 1835mm wide Passat rides on a 2803mm wheelbase to provide greater interior space, most noticeably in the rear seat.
Since going on sale in the US in 1987 Volkswagen has sold 700,000 Passats, making it one of the brand's best selling models. VW says the new model should further that trend with more than a million examples expected to be produced over the next seven years.
Volkswagen has previously stated that the US-spec Passat will not be made available in right-hand drive and therefore will not make it to Australia. But who knows what the future might hold?
Worldwide more than 15 million Passats have been sold.
Further specification details and complete pricing will be announced for the US market in March.
2012 US-spec Volkswagen Passat line-up:
- 125TSI (125kW) five-cylinder petrol (7.58L/100km highway cycle)
- 103TDI (103kW) four-cylinder turbodiesel (5.47L/100km highway cycle)
- VR6 (206kW) six-cylinder petrol (8.40L/100km highway cycle)
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
discount new cars » Get the best price on a new Volkswagen
Volkswagen has revealed its latest Passat at the Detroit motor show this week, a car it says has been specifically developed for the US market.
Bigger, more comfortable and with even more up-to-the-minute technology, new Passat will be built at the firm's Chattanooga plant in Tennessee ahead of a market launch this August.
Available with a range of petrol and diesel engines, the new Passat line-up will also comprise a sporty DSG-equipped VR6 version promising 0-100km/h times of just 6.5 seconds.
The US-spec Passat will be available in three grades: S, SE and SEL with a comprehensive standard equipment list promised, even on the entry-level model. Priced from USD$20,000 Passat includes the usual list of in-cabin electrics, insulating glass, analogue clock and CD tuner with media player connectivity and voice-activated Bluetooth telephony.
Safety equipment is equally wide-ranging with stability control, tyre pressure monitoring, anti-lock brakes and six airbags among the long list of inclusions.
Measuring 4868mm in length the 1835mm wide Passat rides on a 2803mm wheelbase to provide greater interior space, most noticeably in the rear seat.
Since going on sale in the US in 1987 Volkswagen has sold 700,000 Passats, making it one of the brand's best selling models. VW says the new model should further that trend with more than a million examples expected to be produced over the next seven years.
Volkswagen has previously stated that the US-spec Passat will not be made available in right-hand drive and therefore will not make it to Australia. But who knows what the future might hold?
Worldwide more than 15 million Passats have been sold.
Further specification details and complete pricing will be announced for the US market in March.
2012 US-spec Volkswagen Passat line-up:
- 125TSI (125kW) five-cylinder petrol (7.58L/100km highway cycle)
- 103TDI (103kW) four-cylinder turbodiesel (5.47L/100km highway cycle)
- VR6 (206kW) six-cylinder petrol (8.40L/100km highway cycle)
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site
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