Posted by Peter on
February 26, 2010
2010 Chicago Auto Show: Fisker On The Stand, Not In The Streets
Have you ever seen a Fisker on the streets? Sure you have, you’ve seen an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Aston Martin DB9, or maybe even a BMW Z8. Or maybe you’ve even seen all three, like I have. But I can guarantee that you haven’t seen this eponymous (and electric) car of Henrik Fisker’s on the streets. That’s because it’s not for sale yet. Still, Fisker Automotive has been tantalizing those of us interested in stylish electric cars for some time now, and I’m not saying that I fall into such a category, I’m just speaking in generalities. With an on sale date expected to be in the third quarter of this year, we may not have to wait much longer for the Fisker Karma sedan. Although the convertible and crossover models that American Vice President Joe Biden famously leaked are still an indeterminate ways away.
So how is Fisker ramping up excitement for their new products? With a splashy booth at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, of course!
Posted by Peter on
February 24, 2010
Video: HTC Pléthore LC-750 – The Canadian McLaren F1
With the centrally-mounted driving position, this is the first supercar since Gordon Murray’s McLaren F1 to utilize this style. I emphasize supercar because Gordon Murray’s T.25 city car will employ a similar set-up. This driving position only adds to the mystique of the first truly Canadian car of any type since the ill-fated Bricklin SV-1. That, and the fact that this is a full-on supercar with a GM small block providing the power and a body as wide and seductive as an open stretch of unrestricted Autobahn.
And don’t worry about the weak economy crushing this car’s potential, rumour has it that 8 of them have already been sold to eager European buyers. The Pléthore will also be in Geneva next week for their 80th International Motor Show.
[GTspirit via Facebook]
Posted by Peter on
February 23, 2010
What Do Hyundai and Volkswagen Have That Toyota Doesn’t? Quality!
Based on what you see above, you’ll agree that this new 2011 Hyundai Sonata (no, that isn’t the Passat CC) has more inspired and engaging styling than the benchmark Toyota Camry. But what you can’t tell from the pictures is how the car feels. So let me tell you that it feels solid and well screwed together. Like, no joke. In fact, I’ll go as far to say that the new Sonata is better than the Camry, and for that matter all the other midsize sedans. I had an inkling that this statement might be true, but the Korean company’s presence at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show cemented it for me.
It was there that I saw the 2011 Sonata in the metal and had the opportunity to explore the car a bit. This car was so surprisingly adequate that I needed to compare it to Toyota, the reigning champion of North American sales. And adequacy. But I’ll get to that in a second because there were also the 2010 Tuscon, the Genesis brothers, and the Genesis Coupe drift car that some dude named Rhys Millen uses to extract smoke out of rubber. And all of these cars had a big impact on me. I know it has been said before that Toyota’s quality is slipping, but it wasn’t clear to me how badly the Koreans are now beating the Japanese titan, and therefore everyone else. But it isn’t just Hyundai that is sneaking up on the Big Two of GM and Toyota, it’s Volkswagen too. It has been well-publisized that Volkswagen plans to be the world’s largest automaker by 2018, but based on what I saw at the CAS, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were the Koreans first. Either way, both brands are on the rise.
More proof and less rhetoric are below.
Posted by Janaki on
February 22, 2010
Video: USF1’s Remaining Options
SpeedTV has just reported on their recent conversation with the FIA’s Nick Craw regarding that organisation’s recent talks with the beleaguered USF1. While it is unlikely that they have, in fact, been wasting time making space-age toasters, it’s equally clear that they’re not going to be ready to race at Bahrain in a few weeks time. With that in mind, what does USF1 intend to do? Official word is relayed in this video. To be honest, the first two options seem rather unlikely, at best.
Posted by Peter on
February 21, 2010
Lexus LFA in 360˚ Splendour and Vivid Detail
The 2010 Chicago Auto Show has just wrapped up but our belated (but bespoke) coverage will continue to seep into these pages over the coming days. To start things off, here is a video of the venerable Lexus LFA that we took. While you’ve undoubtedly seen pictures of the LFA, or even video reviews, you haven’t seen it up close and personal. Until now.
The 360˚ video and 16-image gallery of the LFA are below. I think you’ll enjoy the fine details of Japanese engineering. A lot. Also, the matte gray that this LFA is painted is infinitely cooler than the white we keep seeing.
Posted by Jonathan on
February 19, 2010
Man-Cave Flaunting For Poseurs
I have beige garage doors. They match my beige house. The whole place is beige. I live in a small townhouse community, and the first bylaw probably has something to do with beige. Beige, the anti-color. Beige, how I love your anonymity. What I really want is to show my neighbors the secret Formula 1 car next to my wine cellar and my swimming pool that hide behind my beige garage doors.
Posted by Janaki on
February 17, 2010
2010 Chicago Auto Show: 2011 Ford Fiesta
Sporty Euro subcompact fans all over North America, rejoice. Ford the all-seeing, all-benevolent has heard your pleas, and it has deemed you worthy. The Fiesta is coming, and it’s not being dumbed down.
More and a gallery after the jump.
Posted by Janaki on
February 16, 2010
2010 Chicago Auto Show: 2011 Suzuki Kizashi
This probably wasn’t the image you were expecting to see. Neither was I, which is exactly why it was so cool. Don’t worry, Suzuki brought along a Kizashi that auto show visitors could actually play in. The rotisserie was a really nice touch, though—especially seeing the undercarriage of the car, sans road grime and in very nice lighting. Oh, and also not on a creeper. But I digress.
More and a gallery after the jump.
Posted by Peter on
February 14, 2010
Tangential Treatise #3: The 2011 Audi A1 Has Nothing On The 1999 Audi A2
Twelve years is a long time for people, but for cars it’s a coon’s age. In other words, it’s about two car-lifetimes. Just for some perspective, 12 years ago, there was no Google, no Facebook, YouTube, iPod, nor iPhone. The .com bubble had peaked but most people didn’t know it yet and many were buying basement-fulls of Spam and mobile generators in preparation of the impending Y2K crisis. In the automotive world, 12 years ago, “hybrid” wasn’t in our vocabulary, the Diablo was littering magazine covers, the Ferrari 360 Modena was just peeking its nose out of the Maranellan womb, the McLaren F1 had stopped production despite building only a third of the 300 projected cars, and Audi released a premium compact car built largely of aluminum. Now of all those cars I just mentioned, I want to focus on that last one. This aluminum-framed and bodied car was designed by Luc Donckerwolke and it was called the A2, slotting beneath the A3 in the Audi range. Which Luc Donckerwolke? Ah, that would be the Belgian one who also picked up a pen and paper for Lamborghini. The Luc I’m talking about designed the aforementioned Diablo, the Murcielago, and the Gallardo. So while the A2 might seem like a plain-Jane runabout or even a dilution of four-ringed brand equity, in reality, it was anything but. Unfortunately, the market couldn’t get past the steep price tag directly resulting from all that innovative (and expensive) aluminum. As a result, sales were weak. Which is odd because even at, say, CDN$35,000, the Audi A2 was a tenth the cost of Donckerwolke’s other works of art – and that made it a bargain.
Now, 12 years after launching the Audi A2, the company that lit the unintended acceleration torch that Toyota now carries is launching another premium compact for the European market: the Audi A1. The A1 could make it to our frosty shores if there were enough interest, but really, you don’t want one. If you can wait until 2014, I think I can convince you that what you really want is a then-to-be-15-year-old Audi A2. What makes me so bullish and sanguine? It’s all in the details.
Posted by Janaki on
February 12, 2010
2010 Chicago Auto Show: Kia Ray Concept
While opinions on the design of Kia’s Ray concept will no doubt be mixed, you have got to give Kia points. Who else brings Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba and a guy dressed to a giant sock monkey to an auto show? 
Video and photo gallery after the jump.
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