Variance

Spy Shots: 2008 Scion xB Posted Feb 14th 2006 12:00PM by John Neff Filed under: Spy Photos, Minivans/MPVs Toyota is set to replace its “youth-oriented” Scion xB for the 2008 model year and TCC has a spy shot up of the replacement model’s development mule. From the looks of it the next xB will be larger than the current model, especially in length. While we can’t glean any details about the design from this mule, we’re expecting the new xB to incorporate styling cues from the Toyota bB already on sale in Japan. Link w/photo: http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/14/spy-shots-2008-scion-xb/

Posted in the wrong section. Can someone fix?

A new OSV Member status calls for a sig and avatar worthy of an OSV Member.

The tC is considered too fat and not agile enough to be a true Celica replacement (even with the optional supercharger).

Dealers want Subaru models under $20,000 Automotive News / February 13, 2006 - 6:00 am After years of asking, Subaru dealers got an SUV, the B9 Tribeca. Initial sales of the vehicle, which hit dealerships in May, were slow, says Kirk Schneider, chairman of the Subaru National Dealer Advisory Board. But by December, sales approached Subaru's monthly target of 3,000 vehicles, he says. Subaru reacted quickly to the market and some resistance to the B9 Tribeca's pricing with an incentive, and sales increased, Schneider says. The Legacy and Outback both have been restyled and dealers are benefiting from the more contemporary look. But dealers still want cars under $20,000 to bring in buyers, he says. Schneider was interviewed in early January by Staff Reporter Diana T. Kurylko. What is Subaru's hot product? All of our products are hot at the right price. The new 2006 Impreza is … in demand. They just redesigned it, and the design changes are nice. It has a little more power, and it appeals to a younger set. It's affordable. How has the new B9 Tribeca SUV been received in the marketplace? It started out slower than we wanted it to in the introduction. We sold 2,730 in December - that's approaching where they want to be. It's a very good product. The styling has a tendency to polarize people a little. Was it priced too high? Yes, it was a bit high to begin with. Certain models were priced high. There is a $1,000 incentive on the seven-passenger model. Subaru has never been known for huge incentives, but that has helped. What new products do dealers want? We would love to see a hybrid - preferably a hybrid Outback or of a car that we have. How likely is that? They are working on it, and we hope to see to it in the future. That's the kind of car that the Subaru clientele is looking for. Did the Outback and Forester benefit from higher gasoline prices and consumers shunning bigger SUVs? Speaking from my store, we didn't lose any sales from the high prices. We gained some favor and gained some people trading out of big cars. What new products are on the way? We will have a redesigned Impreza and a redesigned Legacy in the future. The hybrid is being worked on. How is the Legacy sedan doing? When they redesigned it (2004), they made it a much-improved car. Subaru has really worked hard on their product design and engineering, and they have given us the best cars we have ever had. Is the strategy to move a little upscale working? That's a hard question. When you talk about premium, to quote Fuji Heavy Industries or our president, Kunio Ishigami, the public has to decide what is premium. It's been a bit of a challenge. How did GM's employee incentives affect your sales? Subaru did not match those programs. That hurt the market as a whole. It takes away any credibility that pricing has. We would have people call and ask about employee pricing - for Subaru that's $400 off, not $10,000. What is the top priority of the dealer council in 2006? Dealer profitability is always the top priority that we strive for. If you have a stronger dealer body that's profitable and happy and attitudes are good, that will communicate through into sales. Does Subaru listen to its dealer council? They do. I think it's not as good as it's been in the past. Subaru has some strong goals for unit sales, and they are working toward those - 2005 was a tougher year for the Subaru dealer body. You have to get that balance for what the dealers want and what the factory wants. What has been your biggest disappointment as dealer council chairman? This year it was probably the introduction of the Subaru diagnostic system. It's the new technology for diagnosing cars in your service department. It's a terrific tool, but the dealer council was not in the loop. It is a significant investment for dealers to make - about $10,000 or $11,000. There were some things we felt could have been improved in the way the product was designed. It's all Internet-based, but when you get involved with firewalls, initial fees - we could have made it a better and smoother transition for dealers. What is the No. 1 thing the factory can do to help dealers? Probably, the biggest key is to try to keep a balance on inventory supply and demand. As they grow, Subaru has to invest advertising dollars based on their objectives. You need to invest more to get to the objective. What are the dealer council's top concerns? No. 1. Maintaining dealer new car profitability - it's lower than we want it. We need to have more dealerships profitable in their new-car departments because not all are. No. 2. We need to increase sales through stepped-up advertising and marketing in order to meet Subaru's higher goals. No. 3. We want to see a continued effort to shorten product cycles so that we always have new products coming to market. How is the factory responding to those concerns? The factory is always doing what they can. They need to sell more cars, too, and they need to do it through the dealer body. We as dealers feel it's the factory's responsibility to establish the brand's image and competitive pricing in the marketplace. What is Subaru's pricing strategy? Subaru is trying to be the best car in their class. To do that, they have made significant improvements in safety and convenience features, which moves their pricing a little upscale. It's a great value, but it is hard at times for dealers to compete. We don't have much in the way of base models in our product line. That would be something we would be looking for - more of an entry level. What kind of price? If we could have a Legacy under $20,000 or an Outback under $20,000, that would help. Are your dealers making money on new-car sales? Not all of them. That's an area where we could make improvements. How does your brand handle local marketing? Are dealers satisfied that it is fair and effective? Subaru is going to release a new advertising program for dealers that could be a real home run. They have taken a view that dealers know how to retail better than maybe the factory does and will allow you to be in more control of your local marketing, which could be very beneficial for us. It should be released by February. Does Subaru advertising work? Does the dealer council have a real voice in it? Our brand advertising does work. They show their ideas, and we can comment on it and have input. We are a smaller manufacturer, and the ad dollars aren't there like some of the bigger brands. Link: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...efsect=2006NADA

New BMW M3 Sedan Spy Photos by Hans G. Lehmann The powerful M-version of BMW’s 3-series is scheduled for launch next year only. The 3-series M will be available as coupe, convertible and four door. For the first time power will come from a V8 power plant, derived from the M5 and M6. It is a 4.0 litre engine delivering 415 HP, transmission is a seven speed SMG gearbox. A traditional six-speed manual transmission will be offered as an option. The photos are showing a prototype of the sedan in current cold weather testing. It has still some disguise at front and rear end, the rear skirt in particular hiding the four exhaust pipes. Link w/photos: http://www.worldcarfans.com/spyphotos.cfm/...edan-spy-photos --- Nice to see BMW remembering the family sports car buyer.

Even if the front end isn't a camoed production one, anything in this class should be better-looking than the homely X3.

Sometimes I wish it was always night.

That's what they wanted us to think...

Surgical

Silicone

Well, my dad has a 200? Sierra SL 2WD that he uses as a work truck. I believe it has the 4.3L V6. I can tell you it gets the job done, if that helps any. It's not particularly a blast to drive but then I'm not accustomed to driving large trucks.

Ashlee Simpson

Nissan Terranaut Further on our previous news story, Nissan Europe has issued the following press release: The 2006 Geneva Motor Show plays host to two completely different show cars from Nissan… but they share one common theme: accessibility. Whether it’s negotiating the crowded city or exploring the wild, Nissan’s cars of the future promise to SHIFT_access. At first glance, Nissan’s two show cars for Geneva couldn’t be more dissimilar. One is a diminutive yet innovative electric city car, the other a substantial four-wheel drive explorer. Yet the city-orientated Pivo and the go-anywhere Terranaut are linked by far more than the Nissan badges on their noses. To the team of designers and planners who conceived it, both the metropolis and the most remote, unconquered areas of the globe are "fields for human adventures". Although produced for two diametrically opposed habitats and physically at either extreme of car design boundaries, Pivo and Terranaut share some key elements: both, for example, have three seats and both feature rotating spherical ‘pods’ as a central part of their respective overall designs. But, above all, both have been created to enhance mankind’s relationship with the world. Terranaut shows how cars of the future could interact with the world in which we live. As imposing as Pivo is small, Terranaut is a manned, mobile science laboratory – earth’s equivalent of a lunar rover. "The Terranaut will protect its occupants from the extremes of the world’s environments and, on the other hand, allow you to be part of it." François Bancon, General Manager, Motor-Show, Exploratory & Advanced Product Planning, Nissan Motor Limited. Measuring 4,965mm from stem to stern, the advanced four-wheel drive explorer stands 2,150mm tall and is 2,100mm wide. These impressive external dimensions provide Terranaut with the interior space needed to house its laboratory equipment and scientist. A creation of London-based Nissan Design Europe, the overriding theme behind the concept is one of function. Project leader Felipe Roo Clefas, Assistant Chief Designer, NDE, says: "Terranaut has been designed for observation and communication in all four corners of the world." Terranaut is very much a statement about how the 4x4 can help us discover more about our world. Capable of being driven deep into the Outback, to the middle of the desert or to the frozen wastes of the tundra, Terranaut is an observation and communications centre as well as being a mobile science lab. Satellite information systems allow data access and transfer all over the planet. Built to house three operators – a pilot, co-pilot and lab technician/scientist – Terranaut has enough refrigerated storage space to house food, water and other provisions for stays of upwards of a week out in the field. Lightweight tents, sleeping bags built for extreme conditions and simple cooking facilities are carried in storage compartments in the doors. The overall exterior design conforms to the expectations of a rugged 4x4, with short overhangs front and rear and the ample ground clearance needed to traverse inhospitable terrain. Terranaut has the traditional face of a Nissan 4x4, with its bold ‘balanced angle strut’ grille flanked on either side by horizontal headlamps. The difference lies in the detail… To accommodate the laboratory area within the cabin, the co-pilot’s side of the car has just one door, while the other side has a pair of swing doors and no central B-pillar. By hinging the doors at the front and rear respectively, ingress and egress is made easy: an important consideration when the occupants are likely to be wearing many layers of protective clothing. With both doors open, virtually the entire side of the car becomes an entrance to the cabin while a step built in to the substantial sill folds down to ease access still further. There’s no conventional door at the back of Terranaut, either. Instead, centrally placed in the rear is an integrated air lock drawer into which the pilot or co-pilot outside the vehicle can place samples for clinical analysis by the scientist left inside the cabin. As well as providing excellent visibility out of the vehicle, the deep rear window also houses external displays and touch screens for data access by those outside the vehicle. Excellent all-round visibility is also afforded by the deep side and front windows, while much of the roof area above the two front seats is glazed, too. All the glass is highly reflective thus maintaining a controlled atmosphere within the cabin by reflecting external light sources, whether it be from the sun or glare from snow and ice. Huge wheels are covered by tyres specially constructed for Terranaut by Goodyear. Puncture proof, they function as conventional road tyres when the vehicle is being driven on metalled roads but, by changing air pressure, transform themselves into chunky off-road tyres. The exterior of Terranaut is dominated, however, by a glass dome over the rear portion of the roof and which marks the uppermost element of Terranaut’s science laboratory. As well as providing a window on the world for the occupants inside, the sphere doubles as an escape hatch should the ground beneath the vehicle give way for any reason. Other features to be found on the roof are a circular housing for satellite positioning, transmitting and scanning equipment and a telescopic arm onto which a day/night view camera can be mounted. When fully extended this can transmit 360-degree ‘helicopter view’ images from around Terranaut to the vehicle itself and to expedition headquarters at all hours of the night and day. Inside the vehicle, the spherical science laboratory dominates the entire cabin area behind the two front seats. A single revolving seat with an integrated computer keyboard is situated beneath the glass roof dome and gives the scientist complete 360-degree access to the various workstations found in Terranaut. The laboratory also incorporates a hemispherical display in front of the revolving seat which acts as a computer screen and data display panel – created in collaboration with Elumens – and onto which can also be relayed images transmitted from the cameras attached to the vehicle. Images and data can be downloaded to both computer storage systems and to an on-board high definition printer. Although designed as a mobile laboratory, NDE’s project team of six designers has ensured the vehicle provides a welcoming habitat for the three-man Terranaut team. While functional materials have been used extensively inside the cabin – the totally flat floor, for example, has an easy-to-clean rubberised covering – all surfaces with which the occupants are likely to come into contact feature soft-touch materials. Touch pads used to open the doors electrically are covered with a tactile silicon finish while the seats, which all feature air vents in the base and backrests feature ‘breathing’ fabrics. Colours chosen mix practical laboratory greys with warm beige and brown shades to bring a human touch to what is essentially a scientific environment. Reflecting the sorts of samples that might be brought into the laboratory for analysis, the design team have adopted the hexagon – the geometric shape of one of the seven crystal systems – as a styling feature. The light clusters, front and rear, are all hexagonal while the jewel-like lights themselves appear to be actual gemstones. Raised hexagonal sections on the flooring provide extra grip inside the cabin, while even the two sides of the dashboard and the centre console between pilot and co-pilot adopt the six-sided theme. We would like to thank the following supplier companies: Seiren, Vimo, Textile Bounding, Alveo, Trêves, Guilford, Technicoat and BASF. Link: http://www.globalautoindex.com/news.plt?no=1376

Will Smith

Well, this is an editorial. :AH-HA_wink: I'm aware the market dosen't consist of purely "truck guys" but I believe the majority of truck buyers buy them with the intent to do actual work from time to time (and I wasn't referring to commercial work in particular). Nissan and Toyota most certainly are aiming for some of the commercial market, though. Every Titan commercial showcases the truck's hauling and towing ability as well as its ulitarian accessories and I can remember the Tundra's commercials set in construction zones very clearly. That may not be the core market to them but they certainly aren't ignoring it. Well, when you put it like that, I can't say I disagree. However, I still think the current Tundra is slightly lacking in comparison to its competition. That may be but the question is how will it compare to future competition (with GM being the immediate concern)?

Upon seeing the MAZDASPEED3, I do believe I'd have that over the Caliber SRT-4.

FBI

You guys know the expression "More car than driver", right? Apply that here. Poor MR2.

Mister Clean

I see the current Tundra as a "Strike 2" as far as it not being taken seriously as a full-size by many truck guys. Compared to it's domestic competitiors, it is smaller and slightly less capable in most aspects. I will give it that it does have good payload and standard towing numbers but I just have a feeling Toyota could've tried harder than they did with the first Tundra. The new Tundra will likely be a solid entry but I'm still confident GM isn't going the take it lightly and will equally impress with the new Silverado and Sierra.

I haven't bought any new music lately but the last album I bought was The Strokes' First Impressions of Earth album.

All I have to say is...

IL Exclusive: 2007 Cadillac SRX to Get First Sport Model Date posted: 02-13-2006 DETROIT — Inside Line has learned that Cadillac is in the process of sprucing up its SRX lineup, adding a first-ever sport model that may hit showrooms as early as this fall. A Cadillac insider said the 2007 SRX sport model will be top-heavy on "appearance items," including 20-inch wheels and tires, a color-matched grille, and a list of new colors. An on-sale date and pricing have not yet been determined on the SRX sport model. The entire SRX lineup will get revamped with a new interior that is being described as "a pretty thorough change." The SRX — which competes with such vehicles as the Acura MDX, the Lexus RX 330, and the Volkswagen Touareg — has been criticized in the past for having an interior that is too plasticky and not quite up to snuff in terms of its luxury competitors. GM recently lowered the price on the SRX by about $3,000 as part of an overall value-pricing strategy. What this means to you: The SRX gets an extreme makeover, inside and out, in time for the upcoming model year. Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109297

It's easy being green By Rex Roy Date posted: 02-13-2006 Kermit will tell you, it isn't easy being green. But automotively speaking, that's about to change. Turn the key in the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line hybrid and it drives like a well-sorted, peppy crossover. That's exactly the point. GM Powertrain engineers weren't trying to save the world with technology that takes a postgraduate engineering degree to appreciate or operate. People like Steve Tarnowsky, the assistant chief engineer of GM Hybrid Systems, simply wanted to build a hybrid that made sense to buy and drive. Balancing technology and value "We think we've hit a real balance between technology, fuel economy and price," said Tarnowsky. The Vue Green Line promises to deliver a 20-percent improvement in fuel economy over a standard Vue with a four-cylinder engine. Additionally, the Green Line shaves about 1 second from the 0-to-60-mph time. This added performance and economy can be yours for about $23,000, easily making the Green Line the least expensive hybrid SUV on the market. From the outside, looking at the Green Line is like looking at any other Vue. Only the Hybrid badge on the fender identifies this tree-hugger special. Inside, the story is similar. Close inspection of the instruments reveals a charge gauge that indicates when power is being added to or sucked from the onboard battery pack. Once under way, a telltale light illuminates "ECO" (for economy) when you're driving in a frugal manner — beating the EPA's fuel-economy figures. For those who pay attention to the tachometer, it has a position below zero rpm. Interesting, eh? The needle points there when the gasoline engine is not running in situations such as being stopped at a traffic light. A different kind of hybrid In contrast to the "I'm not shouting to the world I'm a hybrid" exterior, the engine bay immediately indicates that this is no standard Vue. First clue? The enormous trim panel with the large Hybrid badge. This panel covers the hybrid-specific controllers needed to make the Green Line so green. Left of the panel, you'll see a specially tuned 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder and a nondescript mass of additional hardware. And while you can't see it from above, there's also a modified Hydra-matic four-speed automatic transmission underneath. The star of this engineering show is the motor-generator. Hung off the side of the engine in plain view, the unit looks like an oversized alternator. It not only performs the function of an alternator, but has the ability to deliver torque back to the gasoline engine. Like most other hybrids, the gasoline engine shuts down when the Vue is at rest. Electric power for the power steering, climate control and other accessories is driven by a modest battery pack. As the driver's foot releases the brake pedal, the motor-generator spins the engine's crankshaft up to speed in order to assist the gasoline engine with a smooth launch from a stop. The motor is also capable of providing additional torque when maximum acceleration is called for. No-excuses performance The package produces 170 horsepower and 164 pound-feet of torque, with another 115 lb-ft of torque from the electric motor. Official EPA fuel economy numbers aren't in yet, but GM estimates 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, with a combined figure of 29 mpg. Although that's a solid 20-percent gain over the standard Vue's 25 mpg, it's well below the fuel mileage of the Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner hybrids (36 city/31 highway). Driving the Green Line is an exercise in the normal. Most drivers won't notice anything unusual until they've stopped at a red light. In most situations, the engine completely stops…as in turns off. The feeling is not one of an engine stall — the engine just smoothly shuts down. Of course, all the interior features remain operational, such as the climate control, radio, etc. Lifting off the brake engages the electric motor-generator and smoothly restarts the gasoline engine so you're under way again with no fuss or muss. Unlike other current hybrids, however, the Green Line does not run any distance on pure electric power; the motor-generator is a hybrid "helper." The net result is that saving fuel has never been more painless. A new Vue of the market The Green Line is the fourth Vue model. The standard Vue is powered by a 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder and is front-wheel drive. Vues with a V6 engine come in FWD and AWD configurations. The sporty Vue Red Line tops the range. The Green Line is FWD only. As an additional point of interest, the Vue experienced a major freshening for 2005, and rolls into 2006 as a compact crossover worthy of consideration. The market will determine whether GM has a hit when the Green Line goes on sale later this year. It's priced thousands below the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the popular Ford Escape Hybrid, while coming close to matching the fuel economy of their more complex single-mode hybrid systems. With few exceptions, being an automotive greenie has meant driving vehicles that were slower, more expensive and quirkier than the norm. GM is helping to change that with the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line. And as time goes on, it will keep getting easier to be green. The Green Line's powertrain will appear in the Chevrolet Malibu for 2007. Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...icleId=109253#2