JENS MEINERS проверил, почему же так популярна и любима в Европе А6.
Audi провела к 2012 году редизайн линейки А6, вернув туда версию "универсал". Которая отличается нехилой вместимостью, но, вместе с тем, отличной динамикой за счет 250 л.с. Конечно, без дизеля с турбонаддувом эти силы не почувствуешь:). Но выглядит A6 Avant по-семейному, в отличие от Q5, а посему в Европе будет очень популярна.
One giant leap for Dodge leaves one small step for Fiatkind. (Actually, three small steps.)
When Fiat swept to Chrysler’s rescue, many—including us—were simultaneously relieved and concerned. We were happy that a major automaker would live on, but worried that the savior ended up being an Italian automaker well known for many of the same issues (poor perceived quality, cost-cutting engineering) that got the Pentastar in trouble in the first place. Regardless of those reservations, there’s no denying the succulent first fruits of the tie-up. For the 2011 model year, nearly every model in the Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep families received a remarkably effective interior renovation. The Dodge Charger and its Chrysler 300 sibling benefitted from a more robust rework, including thorough chassis and powertrain updates and new exterior styling.
Keep Reading: 2011 Dodge Charger V6 – Short Take Road Test
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On Monday we presented this week’s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. The tall, trucklike shifter helped several of you recognize the car, a 2001 Ford Escape XLS. The first commenter to correctly identify this first-generation Escape was Zachary Young. He’ll receive a Save the Manuals button and sticker as a reward.
The Escape pictured here is from our December 2001 issue. The base, front-wheel-drive model got up to 60 mph in 11 seconds, which isn’t bad considering its anemic 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine made just 127 hp.
Mercedes-Benz asked its fans on Facebook to vote for which vehicular stunt they felt Benz’s latest commercial should feature, and the fans picked a drifting figure-eight. What, no R-class jumping through a flaming hoop while pulling off a triple-axel? Not very imaginative, these Merc fans. Still, Mercedes answered the fans’ call and produced the video below, in which a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG coupe executes its maneuvers around two stationary C63 sedans. Enjoy.
Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
Maserati is coming back strong. Company sources confirm that a lot of new product will hit dealers beginning in late 2012. The procession starts with the sixth-generation Quattroporte, which will be followed by an SUV derived from the Jeep Grand Cherokee—and built in the U.S. (just like the Chrysler TC by Maserati). A more compact sedan is also in the works. If it manages to hide any Chrysler roots, the concept of a compact, powerful, and super-luxurious Maserati sedan is quite appealing. Less appealing is the idea of a diesel engine, but diesels for the SUV and the compact sedan can’t be ruled out entirely.
We will get treated to more insights into the company’s strategy before the new Maseratis are launched. Expect some more info out in October. Before that, at the Frankfurt auto show, the Italians will show two variations of the GranTurismo convertible styled by Fendi. Yep, a convertible styled by a handbag maker. Ahem. Would you really care to be seen in one of those?
A Designers Moves Up at VW
Luc Donckerwolke, chief designer of VW’s Spanish subsidiary SEAT, will be leading the Volkswagen Group’s Advanced Design from August 1st, reporting directly to VW chief designer Walter de’ Silva. The 46-year-old designer previously worked on various Audi and Škoda models before joining Lamborghini in 1998, where he became chief designer in 2003. The Murciélago’s exterior is entirely his proposal. In 2005, Donckerwolke moved to the struggling SEAT brand, where he created a new, dynamic, and angular styling language.
Donckerwolke will need to coordinate the future design themes of all of the VW Group’s brands, a formidable task for the hard-core car enthusiast, whose own collection consists of a Lamborghini Miura, a Lamborghini Espada, and a Fiat 850 Coupé.
Audi A6 Models for the U.S.
An Audi source has confirmed to me that the A6 Avant station wagon won’t come to the U.S., but an A6 sedan with the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel will. Expect a “clean diesel” with 225 to 250 hp, such as on the Q7; in the long run, however, there is hope for Europe’s twin-turbocharged 3.0 TDI. This 313-hp powerhouse is an awesome engine and takes the A6 into sports-car territory.
Another Diesel Hybrid
One reason Europeans don’t quite get hybrids is the fact that nonhybridized diesels typically get even better mileage than gasoline hybrids, without the cost penalty and complexity of the electrification. If you do a hybrid, go all the way, says Peugeot: the French company has announced a second diesel hybrid after the 3008 Hybrid4 compact MPV. The 508 RXH is based on the 508 station wagon; it is powered by a 200-hp diesel-electric powertrain that drives all four wheels. The hybrid module is supplied by Bosch. The RXH is the most expensive and most versatile of the 508s. Fuel economy in the European combined cycle will be close to 60 mpg, says Peugeot. By the way, Volvo plans to offer a diesel hybrid as well. Don’t count on it coming to the U.S., even though gasoline hybrids would pale by comparison.
For 2012, Cadillac has raised the SRX’s base price to $36,060, while also attempting to rectify the SRX’s powerplant shortcomings by specifying a 308-hp, 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6 as the model’s sole engine.
The SRX launched in 2010 with two disappointing six-cylinder engines: a 265-hp 3.0-liter and an optional, Saab-sourced 300-hp turbocharged 2.8-liter. The 2011 SRX started at $35,490, but we think the extra $570 commanded by the 2012 model is likely worth it given the much-needed refinement we expect the 3.6 to deliver. There’s also this: The price of entry for a 300-plus-hp SRX has plummeted by $14,730 from the $50,790 needed for the discontinued turbo model. Side bonus: “3.6 for 36″ is a handy mnemonic.
Granted, the additional $15K didn’t just buy the turbocharged V-6; the turbo model also brought higher levels of equipment. Speaking of equipment, the 2012 SRX now comes standard with Bluetooth and a color LCD driver information screen. The 2012 Cadillac SRX should go on sale in August, and we expect to gather driving impressions of the 3.6-liter model sometime soon.
Seven SLS AMG GT3s will start the 24 Hours of Spa on July 30th. But only one will be done up to resemble the Röte Sau (“Red Sow”), the 6.8-liter 300SEL that put a small operation from Burgstall an der Murr on the map back in 1971. Later on, the company responsible for the car moved to Affalterbach, built a lunatic sedan called the Hammer out of an unsuspecting E-class, and were eventually absorbed as Mercedes-Benz’s performance arm.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Röte Sau’s class-winning finish at Spa (which also was second overall), Black Falcon Racing is entering a tribute-liveried Gullwing driven by Thomas Jäger, Stéphane Lémeret, and Kenneth Heyer. The latter pilot is the son of Hans Heyer, who, along with Clemens Schickentanz, piloted that 300SEL, which basically amounted to a Teutonic Winston Grand National car 40 years ago. Although there was a substantial difference between the AMG-prepared Benz and Richard Petty’s Road Runner of the era: The Mercedes competed with most of its interior intact. It also retained a version of the road car’s air suspension. Take that, Bill France!
All those years on, the overall appearance of the Neue Sau more resembles a Gullwing run through a PlayStation than a 6.3 that’s been sent off to Holman-Moody. Still, the red paint is there, and the car wears the number 35 on the side. It’s a stretch to say—as Daimler PR does—that the retro scheme “almost gives the two AMG racing cars the appearance of twins,” but we applaud the homage nonetheless. After all, one fronts upon the Sau at one’s own peril.
Luxury trucks can be quite lovely, if you have the means and the need. And premium speedboats, well, those are even better. But what about combining the two? Infiniti has just announced a one-off project that will answer that very question by the start of next year’s boating season. So far, the company has only confirmed a few details, but the final product—a boat powered by a 400-hp, 5.6-liter QX56 V-8—seems promising. Infiniti further promises more QX and brand hallmarks will find their way into the boat, including semi-aniline leather, a Bose stereo system, XM weather-report functionality, and an analog clock.
Infiniti has made the project a group effort, recruiting students from Nashville State Community College and the Tennessee Technical Center-Nashville to extract the engine, remove parts that can’t be repurposed like the power steering pump, and prepare it for marine duty. The rest of the donor QX will be left behind for further tinkering by students. (Can we suggest a fender-vent delete?) The 5.6-liter engine is built down the road from Infiniti’s headquarters in Decherd, Tennessee, and engineers from that facility have joined the team to help solve any issues that may arise.
Further information is being saved for later updates, but the company did release a sketch of a QX lugging a boat shape, with the pair rendered in matching “Dark Currant” paint. (The trailer also has wheels that match the QX’s.) The boat’s shape and fin detail at the rear seem to suggest a vintage Chris-Craft, but the fact that it’s painted and not exposed wood suggests one slightly on the newer side, maybe something from the 1960s or ’70s. You can follow the project on Infiniti’s Twitter and Facebook pages, but we’ll be sure to report any important updates here. And, yes, we’re already arranging to strap our testing equipment to the boat once it’s ready to float. Make sure that thing has a 12-volt outlet for our VBox, okay guys?
Chevrolet pulled the sheets off of its 2013 Malibu sedan at this past April’s New York auto show, but it wasn’t until yesterday that we were able to examine the car’s insides. Chevrolet had previously supplied a few press shots of the interior, and the production-intent version is largely the same, with the placement of a few buttons being the only significant change. Our first impressions of the final interior design and materials are positive.
Relative to the current-gen Malibu (one was on hand at the press event), the shapes and forms flow together more cohesively and it’s a little more geometric in design. The window sills and upper portions of the doors and dashboard are crafted from nicely grained soft-touch material, while the padded armrests and styled door inserts come in stitched leather or cloth—the final coverings weren’t on hand for our judgment, however. As for spaciousness, the 2013 Malibu’s rear-seat legroom does seem to have taken a hit relative to the current model’s as a result of the 2013 ‘Bu’s 4.5-inch reduction in wheelbase, but it’s still fairly roomy.
The fake wood lining the armrests, center stack, and steering wheel is rendered in what Chevy calls a “more modern” pattern, eschewing traditional wood graining and burling, but it really just looks like faux zebra hide slathered in several coats of shellac. It’s the only major misstep, and is standard on LT and LTZ trims; only the base LS is spared. A Chevy representative acknowledged that the design team would have preferred a low-gloss finish, but customer feedback indicated Malibu buyers liked shiny better. Too bad.
Moving beyond the chintzy “wood,” the Malibu’s interior features classy, blue ambient lighting and sparingly applied chromed plastic. The plastics are all nicely finished, and panel gaps are tight and consistent—bearing in mind that these were specially prepped prototypes—and the switchgear moved with well-damped precision. The Chevrolet MyLink touch screen had sharp graphics and a quick-reacting interface, and a brief demo showed that it appears to be much more straightforward than Ford’s fussy MyFord Touch system.
Chevrolet laid out what to expect from the three trim levels at launch, and even the base LS interior is rather attractive, despite being available only in basic black. The LT and LTZ trims will offer three interior color schemes paired with the simulated wood; the LT offers the choice of leather upholstery or cloth seats with vinyl bolsters, while the LTZ is leather only. If you order a Malibu LT or LTZ with what Chevy calls a “fashion” color scheme, your leather seats get snazzy contrasting piping like the car in our photos. The 2013 Malibu will go on sale early next year, by which point we should be able to report whether we like driving the car as much as we did sitting in it.
Topping off Maserati’s topless lineup with the delightful Sport.
It was a peaceful and elegant scene, the bright sunlight glinting off the top-down Maserati GranTurismo convertibles parked on the Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia in Trieste. Passersby admired the gorgeous cars, one of Pininfarina’s masterpieces. Then a legion of uprated 4.7-liter V-8s ignited with a snarl, and peace and elegance were the last things on our mind.
Keep Reading: 2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport – First Drive Review
