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As of today Unicorns and the hybrid IS have a lot in common while the BMW 335d exists as of today and will soon be available to us here in North America.
True.
BMW Diesel + Hybrid Toytoa/Lexus = Two New Redsidents in Dewey's Garage in the Year 2010.
By reading the press release I can sense that a hybrid IS is not going to happen. Looks like the future Lexus will be dedicated models to hybrid only like the Prius which means those will be designed from ground up to be a hybrid. However, without any further information the best we can do is guess about what kind of models those will be.
Since I'll be again looking for a small 4-door sedan (or hatchback) it'll be delighted to see one of those models to be a RWD IS-size and similar performance vehicle with 250+hp, 40 mpg and LI batteries. Looks like those hybrids will debut in 2009 Detroit autoshow as either the 2010 or 2011 models which fits perfectly into the timeframe of my next round of car shopping.
Awe, heck... you are still in hibernation up there. You'll wake up with a healthy appetite as Spring approaches.
edit: your 2010 garage sounds good, and very realistic.
TagMan
I'm impressed, and still bullish on VW's long-term outlook.
TagMan
Source: Autoblog
What does that mean to me: One can get into a M3 for only $15k more than a well-equipped (not loaded) 135i!!! :surprise: :surprise: :surprise:
With the M3 sedan at $55k and IS F at $56k, both the C63 AMG and new RS4 better be come out swinging...
I've always wondered if the prevalence of very high end cars in So. Fl and So. Cal was possible because of what I believe to be is the low percentage of second home ownership of residents of Miami and LA?
Thanks for asking. The Silverado was ordered in Blue Granite Metallic with the cashmere leather interior. I ordered it with the 5.3 V8 to get the Tow package and its accompanying coolers and locking rear end for "free". With the 5.3 you also get active fuel management and the engine shuts down to just four cylinders under light load. Other options include side curtain air bags and GM's Stabiltrak stabilty control because everyone not just Volvo owners need these, the cargo load management package ($95) for lobster pots and mountain bikes in the bed, and power driver's seat. Invoice, not MSRP, was about 31K. George Bush paid 12K of that.
It came standard with XM radio which I love. After the free intro period it is $12 per month and I have already re-upped. It is that good. How can I get XM for my home?
BTW, nice truck!
TagMan
The latest sign of trouble: Luxury-car sales fell 6.1% in 2007, despite strong sales for some newly redesigned big-sellers like BMW AG's 3 Series compact sedan. Hit hard were midsize and large sedans, which sell for $50,000 and up and normally generate huge profits for premium auto manufacturers. Sales of Mercedes-Benz's flagship S-Class sedan, which was overhauled only a year ago, tumbled 15.6% last year.
Audi AG, the luxury brand of Volkswagen AG, saw its sales rise 3.8% to 93,508 vehicles, but only because it added a new sport-utility vehicle called the Q7. Without it, the brand's sales fell 9%
James Selwa, president and CEO of Maserati North America Inc., said sales of his company's cars are continuing to rise, but noted they sell for over $100,000 and typically appeal to people who have more than $10 million in assets and are unlikely to feel much of a pinch in any economic downturn.
But he is now seeing signs of economic stress among people one rung down on the economic ladder -- a group he calls the "mass affluent." These are consumers who typically made money in the stock market's run-up in the 1990s, bought expensive homes, refinanced their mortgages and now are getting squeezed.
"They are feeling a lot less wealthy now," Mr. Selwa said.
Wall Street Journal
'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet
Firstly, the Nissan GT-R looks much better in real life than I could have ever imagined...
I expected that. The GT-R is stunning, but much more so in black than in silver.
The R8 is gorgeous, and is a car to lust for, if you are willing to wait a long time.
Dreaming.
The Jaguar section was jammed with people... surprising.
I don't think it's very surprising at all. The XF deserves the attention. I'm seriously considering it now. The supercharged version, of course.
The BMW 1-series was the 128i, but thankfully it was in the Sedona Red that I've been questioning lately. The color is on the order of metallic red paint primer... sort of a clay color red. I hated it.
LOL, I'm surprised, but happy to hear that's out of the way. Maybe it's just me, but I would recommend something other than silver. That car will look slick in black.
The Dodge Demon two-seater convertible is adorable. This car could do very well. Better than the Sky or Solstice, IMO.
Sadly, it will not: Dodge has decided to switch it to FWD and has rendered the car pointless in the process.
There was a Chrysler supercar called the ME Four-Twelve that was stunning...
That was at the Chicago show last year (???).
The VW BlueMotion, as they call it, is a diesel vehicle that will likely get the equivalent of over 60 mpg here in the US, when it finally arrives in '09!!
I assume you're talking about the Jetta diesel? That will be something else.
Oh, yes, the Bugatti Veyron... there was a "for sale" sign near it... not a factory sticker or anything... $1,750,000.00.
Oh, pfft, that's pocket change. :P
'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet
Anyway, that is extremely tempting. So, the M3 coupe looks beautiful, drives perfectly, has a comfortable everyday ride and costs less than a base RS4 or C63? Sounds good to me. Audi had better step their game up with the next RS4, or BMW will win me over!
'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet
You're absolutely right, and that's why.
Your Silverado sounds very classy, yet rugged. I built a GMC Sierra Denali, for kicks, and it is a really nice truck. Both of them.
'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet
Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept!
link title
BMW X6 Hybrid Concept!
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2009 Fisker Karma!
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Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept!
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Land Rover LRX Concept!
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Lincoln MKT Concept!
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2009 Audi TT-S!
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Every one of these cars is worth looking at... yes, even the Lincoln!
From AutoSpies.com... they have the best photo galleries.
'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet
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BMW x5 xdrive 35d 0 to 60 in 6.2 thats faster than the current x5 v8... :surprise:
TM
-moo
BTW, to clarify your post, the X5 diesel will go 0-60 in 7.2. It's the 3-series diesel that achieves it in 6.2. Still, very respectable numbers, IMO.
TagMan
Here's the link.
Fisker's Karma
Finally! We are starting to see cars to actually get excited about.
TagMan
Coming this fall!!
link title
TagMan
It'll be interesting to see if Lexus is getting its own version of this.
This raises a good point, however, that the lines between SUVs and crossovers have blurred so much recently, it's become difficult to distinguish some of them, without looking at the chassis/suspension components to determine what is the best definition.
A Lexus variant? Never underestimate TMC!
TagMan
DETROIT – After two years of slow sales, Daimler executives are reconsidering the look of the next R-class.
Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche admitted Sunday that the Mercedes' SUV/minivan crossover has failed to meet expectations.
" It has definitely not lived up to our original plans," Zetsche said in an interview. " We are in the early phase of thinking about the next concept. It might be a one-for-one successor to the R class or it could be different."
Zetsche said the crossover segment has not developed as well as Mercedes anticipated.
He said there will be a successor, but offered few details.
Mercedes-Benz initially planned annual production of 50,000 for the R class, with 25,000 vehicles slated for the US. The vehicle has never approached that volume.
The R class is built in Mercedes' US plant in Vance, Alabama, alongside the M and GL class premium SUVs.
In the US, Mercedes tried to increase sales by lowering the price by $5,000 and offering a three-seat second row, for a total of seven seats. Last year, R class sales in its main market, the US, fell 28 percent to 18,168 units.
Daimler sales boss Klaus Maier said the mistake was assuming the R class could attract a wide range of buyers.
" Our expectations were higher than the return," he said. " It was a lesson learned. There is a volume out there. Whatever we do in the future, it must be feasible."
TagMan
And as any recovering addict could tell you, admitting you have a problem is the first step on the long road to recovery.
Always listen to your intuition, folks! I knew I should've waited for the M3 sedan! I KNEW it! I could've saved an additional $11.5K over my 550i Sport!
Absolutely not! The crossover segment has developed beautifully! They are not really admitting their mistake here, because it was THEIR problem, not the segment's. The R-Class looks like a hearse, and it has sold accordingly.
'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet
I bought a Mazdaspeed3 to tide me over for a few months until the 135i hit the streets; now that I'm learning about the N54 fuel dilution problems as well as the lack of a true LSD, I'm looking at the M3 sedan as well. I want to take an extended test drive before I make the final call as it may still feel a bit too porky for my tastes. At least it still has three pedals...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Well there is supposed to be a Lexus crossover to slot above the RX, called the JX last time I checked. Information about it has been basically nill.
Briteness (Oh, Briteness, where are thou?) a year or so ago would post regularly about BWM's game of lease subsidization. He thought that their high residuals was a key component in a houses of cards that was eventually going to come crashing down.
Has anyone told the two MA MB dealers who each have huge new facilities in process about this?
And... if this turns out to be an average recession, then it will be over long before those leases are up anyway.
TagMan
Among new-car shoppers, safety (63 percent) is the most important consideration, followed by quality (58 percent)
Consumers consider friendliness to the environment (35 percent) to be more significant than styling (23 percent). Yeah, suuuurree they do.
The category “technology and innovation” (15 percent) scored as least important to car buyers.
Consumers overwhelmingly perceive Volvo as the leading safety brand. Its 77-percent score gives it a dominant lead over second-place Toyota’s 20 percent. But other automakers that are consistently on the cutting edge of safety technology—such as BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz—don’t even make it into the top five.
Consumers consider friendliness to the environment (35 percent) to be more significant than styling (23 percent). Yeah, suuuurree they do.
Exactly... doesn't seem quite right, does it? Well, once you factor in that the survey is only comprised of CR participants/subscribers, then you suddenly understand why it is quite distorted... as is quite obvious from the answers.
Consumers overwhelmingly perceive Volvo as the leading safety brand. Its 77-percent score gives it a dominant lead over second-place Toyota’s 20 percent. But other automakers that are consistently on the cutting edge of safety technology—such as BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz—don’t even make it into the top five.
Again, same problem with misperception. Harsh as this may sound, CR subscribers themselves should be the focus of a survey to determine just how distorted their views really are, as compared with the more mainstream reality.
To illustrate this point, consider that if the survey was taken using only the readers/subscribers of Car & Driver magazine, for example... the results would also be distorted, but in a much different perspective.
TagMan
It basically proves to me that most American buyers are ignorant. Audi is now a leader in safety, style, performance and luxury... but they don't know that. Acura gives you a good near-luxury car for your dollar... but they don't know that.
Even Toyota should be rated below Honda at this point.
:confuse:
'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet
CR readers don't completely represent American buyers any more than readers of Newsweek, BusinessWeek, or Motor Trend. They only represent their own slice of America, which therefore is their own limited and isolated perspective. That's why it looks "ignorant" to you... which means you are essentially correct, but narrowed down to the CR survey participants.
TagMan
OK. You are in the hazard suit and you've made your "claim".
Now all you have to do is PROVE it.
Additionally, keep in mind that the survey is comprised of subscribing "participants", which further limits and isolates the results to the pool of respondents only.
TagMan
Say what you will about CR, it is probably the most influential car rating mag out there.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Let's see you PROVE him wrong! :shades:
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
It's just a hunch that I think the majority of CR subscribers are from the middle-class, live in suburbs and single family house owner type of demography; that to me represents the average American auto buyers. Also, I am willing to bet that the percentage of Camry owners who subscribe to CR is high than the percentage of Porsche owners.
*Flamesuit still on*
Can't really argue about that. That might be the reason why the enthusiasts are so anti-CR.
Comments: Consumer Reports/JD Power Rankings
Oh, don't get me wrong. I have the 3 pedals in my 550i. But the M3 sedan's tidier dimensions are more to my liking. My 550i is still about 7" shorter than my 300M Special was, though.
TM
I agree with you that tax laws have a huge impact on many financial decisions. I do not know the actual number of company owners that would no longer drive those vehicles, but I would venture to guess that it is a significant number. The provision to rapidly depreciate and write-off a large percentage of the costs of specific vehicles certainly makes a big difference.
It's an interesting incentive.
edit: Poor dealer? Isn't that generally a contradiction of terms?
TagMan
No offense intended, I wasn't slamming your 5er. I was just referring to the ongoing trend of replacing true manuals with SMG/DSG/whatever- cars such as the M5/6, GT-R, and the EVO GSR.
But the M3 sedan's tidier dimensions are more to my liking.
Mine too. I wish it was even smaller and lighter.
My 550i is still about 7" shorter than my 300M Special was, though.
Check out my CarSpace page if you want to see a real tank- slushbox and all. It was still a lot of fun, though...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
At that price I could have saved over 16K had I waited for a M3 instead of getting my '08 550i... but I LOVE THIS CAR! And glad I didn't wait. It all comes down to why are you purchasing the car. If speed & sport is your primary focus, then a M3 is the perfect choice. I didn't buy my car for the AutoX, I like the lux hwy performance and handling a lot more. Personally I feel the 550i equiped with the Sport Pkg. and 6 MT is perfectly positioned... it has the handling and sport feel as well as the lux-class of the 5 series.