Variance

Very cool. From what I can see, it looks like it's going to be pretty nice inside.

A road test of the new Camry Hybrid??!! Oh, boy!

The new CTS is apparently premiering at the NYIAS.

We venture into the future to speculate on Acura's V10 supercar By Ed Hellwig Date posted: 03-23-2006 It only had 270 horsepower and the interior of a Prelude, yet the 1991 Acura NSX was still an exotic. To keep weight down, aluminum was used for the body, chassis and suspension. Instead of more traditional V8 or V12 power, the NSX used a mid-mounted 3.0-liter V6. What it lacked in displacement, it made up for with variable valve timing and titanium connecting rods, the first ever in a production car. Then there was the $65,000 price tag, cheap for its class but expensive for an Acura. The brand was only five years old at the time and its only other model was the $30K Legend sedan. No one expected a car like the NSX from a brand like Acura, and that was the whole point. It was obvious the company exhausted its resources on the car, as little changed over its 15-year life span. The engine got a little more power, a Targa model was added, and a facelift gave it a new look in 2003. By then, Acura had become a full-fledged luxury brand so enthusiasts fully expected a new NSX. In 2005, production of the NSX officially ended with no word from Acura on a replacement. Earlier this year, Acura finally fessed up and admitted it's working on an all-new NSX. Other than confirming it will have V10 power, Acura announced few additional details. So we decided to do a little digging, consulting our contacts in Japan and a well-connected designer in Europe. With their help, we were able to put together this exclusive video slide show on the next-generation NSX. It may not be exact, but until the car debuts in a couple of years it's as close as you're going to get. Images and animation: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Featu...rticleId=109733

1st Place: Mini Cooper Convertible Vehicle Tested: 2006 MINI Cooper 2dr Convertible (1.6L 4cyl 5M) MSRP of Test Vehicle: $23,490 What Works: Pegs the fun meter, ingenious top operation, great shifter, smooth engine, top-notch steering, fold-down rear seat. What Needs Work: Some more horsepower would be nice, rear visibility is atrocious. Bottom Line: The King of Cute 2nd Place: VW New Beetle Convertible 2.5 Vehicle Tested: 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle 2.5 2dr Convertible (2.5L 5cyl 5M) MSRP of Test Vehicle: $25,940 Price It!! What Works: Super cute, well built, strong performance, high content for the money, tight chassis, standard stability control, supremely comfortable seats. What Needs Work: Poor visibility top up or down, no fold-down rear seat, tiny tachometer, not very engaging to drive. Bottom Line: The best boulevard cruiser for $25,000. Full article: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...89/pageId=69245

Mazda and BMW Promise Hydrogen Cars by 2008 Date posted: 03-24-2006 DETROIT — Mazda has delivered the first two hydrogen-powered RX-8s to corporate customers in Japan, while BMW has confirmed plans to bring a hydrogen-powered 7 Series to market within two years. Mazda showed a hydrogen-powered rotary engine in the RX-8 last fall at the Tokyo Motor Show, and the company, in fact, has been working on such engines for nearly 20 years. The two recent test cars were leased to Idemitsu Kosan in Tokyo and Iwatani International in Osaka, both participants in the government-sanctioned Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration Project. The cars feature dual-fuel delivery systems that allow the driver to select either hydrogen or gasoline by flipping a switch. BMW executives previously had disclosed plans to develop a hydrogen version of the 7 Series. The company has been testing experimental models for the past year. In a report carried this week by Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Germany, a BMW spokesman confirmed that a hydrogen 7 Series will be in production in the next two years and that it will be able to run on both hydrogen and gasoline "because the hydrogen infrastructure is still poor." BMW intends to build fewer than 1,000 units, the report said. What this means to you: The hydrogen economy moves a step closer to reality. Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109748

Patent Panic: China Stymies Honda in Battle To Control Rights to CR-V Design Date posted: 03-24-2006 SHANGHAI — Honda has received a blow in its vigorous legal battle against Chinese car manufacturers that it alleges have copied its CR-V: China's State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) has canceled the Japanese automaker's patent for the SUV. Back in October 2003, Honda filed a suit against Shijiazhuang Shuanghuan Automobile, claiming the Chinese company's Shuanghuan Rabo SR-V looked too much like its own CR-V. A similar suit was launched a year later against Hebei Xinkai and 11 other Chinese car manufacturers. Honda has been manufacturing its CR-V at a joint-venture plant in the Wuhan region since April 2004. Honda claims that China's SIPO had previously granted a 10-year patent protection agreement covering the second-generation CR-V, which it says started in 2002. SIPO's rationale for canceling that patent is that the new model is too similar to the first generation. Earlier this year, General Motors came to an agreement with Chery on the famous Chevrolet Spark copyright case, while a less publicized case has recently been launched by French PSA Peugeot-Citroën against Shanghai-Maple. What this means to you: The war over inexpensive Chinese knockoffs has probably only begun. Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109753

Toyota: xD (obviously for Scion) DCX: S320 (return of a diesel-powered S-Class in the States?) CLS550 Ambiente (concept?) Assyst (apparently some kind of an assist component) Freedom Drive II (the name of a 4X4 transmission -- likely Jeep; changing name of "Quadra-Drive"?)

Poking around the USPTO web site again today and ran across some new recently filed trademarks: -More from Lincoln: MKV and MKSW -Ford: GTX1 Both filed this month.

Well, no one's claiming the Impala's is the Holy Grail of automotive interiors. No one's calling the Camry's interior crap, they're just pointing out some flaws they think it has.

Spy Shots: ’08 Cadillac STS A slimmer face for a sleek Euro beater. by KGP Photography (2006-03-23) The Cadillac STS has a facelift in the works, likely for the 2008 model year. The big four-door gets a new, Escalade-inspired grille treatment, with a more detailed chrome treatment and a subdued mesh grille. The STS's new face looks much lighter and more expressive than the current model's - a subtle but effective update. New taillights ditch the full red lenses, in favor of styled LED lamps that complement the STS's chiseled lines. The clear lenses have only a sliver of red reflector at the inside edges, but separate vertical LED strips glow red (braking) or orange (turn signals) in a truly eye-catching display. It appears that two additional reflective red strips have been added between the tailpipes, but it's unclear whether this is a final production application, or merely a safety add-on for testing purposes. We expect similar updates to be applied to the CTS and SRX models, to tighten up Cadillac's revamped family look. Photos at link: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Enthusiast...178.A10177.html

There's a good reason for this. As it turns out, Hyundai (and Kia) has made it known that they plan on increasing sales to fleets.

Wasn't "V-Plus" (or "V+") being considered or rumored at one time?

Edmunds: Spy photos: 2007 Suzuki XL-7

Google to the rescue: http://www.satelliteinsight.com/satellite-internet.html http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question606.htm

IL Exclusive: Cadillac Eyes Super Vs and Tuner Vs à la Saleen, Brabus Date posted: 03-23-2006 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cadillac is stepping up its performance game, with plans for ultratuner versions of the CTS-V, STS-V and XLR-V, as well as the possibility of a new "Super V" lineup. Cadillac product director John Howell told Inside Line the company is already feeling out the market for such products. No timetable has been set for when the beefed-up models would go into production, but Howell confirmed what has been widely rumored for some time — that Cadillac does not want to be left in the dust by such competitors as Mercedes-Benz or even its domestic rival Ford. "We are considering tuner versions of the Vs and working with an outside company, like Mercedes does with Brabus or Ford does with Saleen," Howell told IL at the launch of the 2007 Cadillac Escalade and the XLR-V and STS-V here on Tuesday. "We need to look at it. We don't want to be left out." Cadillac has not chosen a tuning house yet, but Howell said he would be inclined to select a "more European-oriented" company. "We don't want too much of a muscle-car image," he said. "Brabus is a possibility. McLaren is a possibility, as well as Alpina, Lorinser and Dinan. We want more refinement oriented, as opposed to racing oriented. "Hot interiors would need to be a big part of it," Howell said. "And we could probably go to 20s [20-inch wheels and tires]." Howell said, "Super Vs are under consideration, too. These would be models with some increase in power. They would take the bar higher in terms of handling and wheel and tire size." He would not specify what kind of engine would go into the Super V lineup, but noted that the GM brand has "played with 12 cylinders in its show cars." What this means to you: Cadillac wants to play with the really big boys, in terms of power and sophistication. Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109736

Detroit 2011: Feds May Overhaul Fuel Standards for Big SUVs Date posted: 03-23-2006 WASHINGTON, D.C. — General Motors is expected to be hit the hardest by a Bush administration plan to subject the biggest vans and sport-utility vehicles to fuel economy standards by 2011 for the first time, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Journal says the administration plans to exempt pickup trucks, which constitute the vast majority of vehicles over 8,500 pounds. The largest SUVs, vans and trucks — those weighing between 8,500 and 10,000 pounds — have been exempt from fuel economy rules since they were set in the 1970s. GM products such as the Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL and Hummer H2 would be hit hardest by any new rules. The administration estimates that requiring these vehicles to improve their mileage would save a half-billion gallons of fuel in 2011 and would cost manufacturers $900 to $2,800 per vehicle. The new rules could force automakers to use lighter materials and use advanced-tech systems to save fuel. What this means to you: It probably means fewer big boys out tooling around on the road by 2011. Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109739

Just a small blurb from WCF stating that Mallett is starting working on their first V8-powered Sky. It's going to be a mini-Corvette in looks and performance now. World Car Fans: Mallett Cars Takes Possession of 2006 Saturn Sky

Is that high-speed over dial-up stuff any good?

Well, I guess I'm going to play devil's advocate and say that the new Camry looks ok. The LE grille is terribly cheap-looking but the SE and Hybrid (shown below) grilles aren't too bad. The SE body trim is a nice touch but it could stand to look more integrated and less slapped on. Overall, the new interior is leaps and bounds better than the snooze-fest of yore. The Hybrid interior is quite nice with the electroluminescent guages: If I were to buy a Camry, I'd buy a Hybrid just because it's the best looking overall in and out. The SE would be second because I don't like the cheapo white-faced guages and would only want it in black to hide the lines of the non-integrated body kit.

UAW/GM Janesville Assembly Plant Produces 500,000th E85 FlexFuel Vehicle Local plant aids GM's efforts to help address U.S. energy concerns JANESVILLE, Wisc. – The General Motors Janesville Assembly plant achieved a milestone of producing more than 500,000 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, full-size sport utility vehicles, with E85 FlexFuel-capable engines. The Janesville employees were recognized in a ceremony at the plant which included Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle. Since 2002, the UAW Local 95 /GM Janesville Assembly workforce has been assembling SUVs with the 5.3L V8 engine that has the capability of using either gasoline, E85 ethanol (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline), or a combination of both. The plant’s production is part of the fleet of 1.5 million E85 FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs) GM currently has on the road and plays an important role in the corporation’s commitment to addressing energy concerns and the consumption of petroleum. “I commend the UAW/GM workforce and General Motors’ contributions to and support of alternative fuel sources. Ethanol is clean, renewable, and reduces energy use,” said Governor Doyle. “It helps Wisconsin farmers, and it helps energy security by reducing the demand for petroleum.” Ethanol is a high octane, domestically-produced renewable fuel. In the United States, ethanol is typically produced from corn and other grain products, and in the future may be produced from other biomass resources such as agricultural and forestry wastes or specially grown energy crops. “We have made a significant investment in E85 ethanol by using the technology on one of our most popular engines,” said Gary Malkus, plant manager, GM Janesville Assembly. “With the launch of the all-new Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, we’re anticipating that the E85-capable 5.3L FlexFuel engine will make up as much as 70 percent of our production volume.” GM is the leader in FFV production and sales. GM currently has nine models available that are E85 ethanol capable, and plans to add more than 400,000 E85 ethanol-capable vehicles to the fleet in 2006. To aid consumer awareness, in mid-2006 GM’s FFVs will be equipped with a yellow gas cap. GM will also be contacting owners of pre-2006 flexible-fuel trucks to remind them of their option to use E85 ethanol fuel or gasoline. The plant concluded the event by announcing the donation of an E85 ethanol-capable 2007 Chevy Tahoe to The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin, and an elementary school art competition in which students in the Janesville School District will create artistic interpretations of the theme “Working Together to Protect Precious Places.” The winning images will then be magnified and superimposed across the entire body of the Chevy Tahoe that will help The Nature Conservancy in their rugged conservation work. GM Janesville Assembly built nearly 160,000 vehicles in the 2005 calendar year. The assembly plant currently builds the all-new Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, GMC Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali and the Isuzu/GM low cab forward commercial truck. Link: http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=2&docid=24412

Here's what the majority of 2007 Camrys will look like. The pictures of LE trim aren't shown on Toyota's website. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyota-Camr...sspagenameZWDVW

That's one of the things I noticed when I posted this. It looked less substantial than their other reviews.

Scion Announces Pricing For tC Release Series 2.0 To Be Displayed At The 2006 New York International Auto Show 03/22/2006 Torrance, CA March 20, 2006 -Torrance, CA - Scion, of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., announced today that the second limited-production Scion for 2006, the tC Release Series 2.0 (tC R.S. 2.0), hits dealer showrooms beginning in mid-April. The 2006 tC Release Series 2.0 will come in a brilliant Blue Blitz Mica. This limited edition tC features a stainless steel mesh upper and lower front grille and 17-inch alloy wheels that come with a satin metallic finish. The tC's only factory option, front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags, is standard equipment on the R.S. 2.0. Inside, the tC's front and rear seats are trimmed with black Alcantara®, a suede-like material that provides passengers better friction grip and is more commonly found in luxury or performance vehicles and on aftermarket racing seats. The tC R.S. 2.0 comes standard with a Pioneer Premium AM/FM/CD audio system with iPod connectivity and color-changing LED display. A Pioneer six-inch subwoofer with 35-watt maximum power complements the upgraded head unit and is tuned specifically for the tC. This compact subwoofer is mounted in the under-floor storage area, keeping it out of sight and leaving the cargo floor clear. This tC also is equipped with XM Satellite Radio and comes with a paid three-month subscription, wherever XM service is available. An individually numbered brushed stainless steel badge completes the uniqueness of this vehicle. Only 2,600 units of the tC Release Series 2.0 will be built. The tC Release Series 2.0 model will carry a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,960 over the base price of the tC. The base MSRP for the tC starts at $16,300. A 2006 tC Release Series 2.0 will be on display in the Scion booth at the New York International Auto Show. Link: http://pressroom.toyota.com/Releases/View?...YT2006032041132

The current Aveo.