All-New A4 Arrives Stateside Fall 2008
Despite the European introduction in September 2007 at the Frankfurt motor show and sales in some markets by the end of the year, U.S. buyers won't get to choose the latest A4 until about a year later (click for the European Audi A4 microsite). We can't wait that long to share the first details with you, of course!

The new A4 takes the latest family look, introduced with the TT and A5, and does it well from headlights to small decklid spoiler. Whether xenon or halogen headlights are ordered, the shape of the headlight and the daytime running lights accents the car's design in a new way. The wing running below the main light and supported by the line of daytime running lights adds character and design, instead of a complex "jewel-look" housing. It carries a fast rear roofline, though Audi promises good headroom for all passengers and easier ingress/egress thanks to wider-opening rear doors. The new A4 is about six inches longer than the current car, though it does not look so. Only about an inch wider, the new A4's proportions hide the larger size. Even in person, it does not look much bigger than today's sedan.

Audi's 2009 A4 moves to a new layout, once called transmission forward. The transmission now sits basically next to the engine. Benefits include more space for better interior packaging and better driving dynamics, due to the car's overall weight balance being closer to the optimal 50:50. The car also gets away with a shorter front overhang, even allowing for pedestrian and crash safety standards.

A4 Grows to be More Competitive
The size of the new A4 is almost that of the A6, shy an inch or two in each dimension, but close enough for us to conclude that the next generation A6 will be a substantially bigger car. German cars always seem to be a half size too small for the class in which they compete. With the increase in size for the A4, Audi brings their high volume mid-size car almost up to the package it requires.

Continue reading "2009 Audi A4: Frankfurt Motor Show Introduction"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Sonoma, California: Audi’s long awaited R8 has landed here in the States. This past week, VehicleVoice had the chance to review and drive the vehicle at Audi’s New Performance School at Infineon Raceway.

Purpose built to showcase new Audis to the press and host driving events for owners, the new facility at Infineon has the unmistakable Audi presence, with the proper applications of glass, steel, asphalt and, of course, aluminum. Both track and autocross courses were made available to the press for the day.

Continue reading "Audi R8 - VehicleVoice Drives Audi’s Super Car"

Posted by Dan Hall at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Concepts at Frankfurt and Tokyo Foreshadow Suzuki's Mid-Size Intentions.
The Kizashi at the 2007 Frankfurt show and the Kizashi 2 a month later at the Tokyo motor show, according to Suzuki, "illustrate Suzuki's progress toward developing a D-segment entry." For American buyers, those are cars similar in size to the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Hyundai Azera. Suzuki's GM-Daewoo-supplied Verona tried to compete here, but was not a particularly good example of a family sedan, expensive for the Suzuki franchise, and it was dropped from the range after a short sales run in the USA.

Among the interesting elements of these two international concept cars is that both carry a wagon bodystyle; Suzuki is due to show a third development next year in the United States and it would be a good bet that that car is a sedan and closer to what the production vehicle will be. Suzuki is well aware of the need for the production car to at least include a sedan, having indicated that they are planning a new flagship sedan, despite theses wagon concepts. In the States, four-door sedans dominate car segments. Few wagons survive for long in the cutthroat U.S. mid-size market, and those that do sell a fraction of their sedan counterparts. Wagons fare much better in international markets, where buyers did not take SUVs to heart quite as deeply as Americans. Simply, in the USA, SUVs killed the idea of a conventional station wagon.

The Kizashi 2 in Tokyo takes more aggressive, nearly SUV cues, compared with the sleek Kizashi, but it is still a wagon. Suzuki is looking for a D-segment entry that focuses on status and signals the maturity of the brand.

Continue reading "Suzuki Kizashi and Kizashi 2: A Brand Looking to Grow"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 12:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Nissan pulled the cover off the long-awaited GT-R at the Tokyo motor show. This 473HP (480PS), all-wheel-drive coupe promises to be a monster on the road for those willing to part with its mid-$70,000 price next summer. The transmission is a BorgWarner six-speed dual-clutch setup, and if it's as good as Audi's you might not even miss the old days of clutch-pedal shifting.

Pricing in Japan starts the equivalent of about $67,500, where it is offered in three trim levels; these trim levels are primarily organized around features, as the GT-R offers only one powertrain setup. In the States, Nissan's most expensive product is likely to start in the mid-$70,000 range. For perspective, the 2008 Corvette Z06 (505HP) has an MSRP of $71,000 and the 2008 Mustang Shelby GT500 Cobra an MSRP of nearly $43,000. Neither of those offer AWD and the Vette only has seats for two, but the GT-R's interior and fit/finish needs to be outstanding to help support the price point they are looking for. Being the legend it is, it won't be a difficult sell its first year. Beyond that, buyers need to see what they're getting for $75,000, and 473HP and all-wheel drive might not be enough for this to be considered a strong value.

Continue reading "2009 Nissan GT-R: The Wraps Come Off Nissan's Supercar"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Sun and Sky for 1-Series, Too
Back in July, we brought you the first official photos and details on BMW's new baby, the 1-Series. And as if you weren't looking forward to it enough already, a convertible version has been confirmed. The convertible will arrive in spring 2008 in 128i form first, with the 230HP 3.0L I6. The convertible will also be available with the 300HP version of that I6, just not until later in 2008. Though these photos are of a 125i Euro-spec version, the convertible looks promising.

Instead of a retractable hard top, the less expensive and smaller 1-Series gets a softtop, which BMW says drops in a mere 22 seconds. Even better, the 1-Series will be available with BMW's convertible-specific climate control system (which factors exterior temperature and sunlight in deciding fan speed) and the Sun Reflective Technology that helps keeps seating cooler. (We had the chance to experience a 3-Series convertible with the feature followed by a week in the Z4 without the feature; the difference was impressive.) iDrive and navigation will be available on the 1-Series, but not a power wind deflector.

Personal Note

All in all, 2008 is shaping up to be a good year to buy a BMW. For me, the hot spots are the M3 sedan and 135i coupe; actually, that coupe is probably the vehicle I'm looking forward to most next year. It's small and light, should be nimble and relatively fuel efficient. I like small cars, and this one on paper seems perfectly sized for our two-person household. But the M3 sedan has its own draw. I can go for the practicality of the four-door over the two-door in the larger M3 package, and the extra 120HP over the 135i should deliver a rush all its own.

Posted by George Peterson at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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2002 Reincarnated, M3 Brings Back a Four-Door
September and October brought plenty of BMW news, all leading up to a hot spring/summer 2008 for BMW dealers. The X6 Concept and X6 ActiveHybrid Concepts shown at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, previewing a vehicle due by the end of next year, and the show was the backdrop for the formal introduction of both the M3 coupe and the new 1-Series coupe. Also in Frankfurt, a 1-Series convertible was confirmed, with initial photos released shortly afterward. If that wasn't enough, the M3 sedan returns with a worldwide introduction at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Just to keep you interested, here are the first photos of the M3 sedan. See a following story for photos of the new 1-Series convertible.

Continue reading "BMW M3 Sedan Returns to BMW Lineup"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Stunning Coupe Finds Enhancements for 2008
Bentley was among the notable brands bucking the green trend at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show with the 600HP Bentley Continental GT Speed, based on the 552HP Continental GT and also serving as our introduction to minor changes to the GT for the 2008 model year. In these days of extreme environmental concern, the extra power comes with steady improvements to both fuel economy and emissions. Five years on from its September 2002 Paris introduction, the Continental GT is still breathtaking. The 2008MY updates are mostly under this near-flawless metal skin.

The updated range gets a new top model, for those preferring an even more spirited drive than the GT very capably offers, in the Continental GT Speed. The GT Speed, so named in homage to special Bentleys developed in the 1920s, takes tweaks to the shared 6.0L twin-turbo W12 engine to deliver 600HP to create Bentley's first 200-plus-mph production car. The GT Speed's 600HP may be the most inspiring result of this year's engine modifications, but several apply to both models. The engine, whether GT or GT Speed, gets a new crankcase design, more efficient catalyst and exhaust systems, lighter-weight single chain drive camshaft, and a new engine management system and faster response cam sensor. The GT Speed also takes lighter-weight con rods, new pistons with anodized compression ring grooves, and a recalibrated version of the new engine management system.

Continue reading "2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed: Refinements Bring 600HP"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Jag's New XF Revives a Commitment to Style and Grace
Jaguar previewed the replacement for their aging S-Type with the C-XF concept at the January 2007 Detroit auto show (click for our story). When the production XF photos were first released in August, contributor George Peterson was quick to praise the new look (click here). After that, the XF had a formal introduction at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show, and we had a chance to get a little closer and look at what Jag is really offering as an S-Type replacement. Depending on market, the order books for the XF opened this month, though the first deliveries won't be until March 2008. And no launch is complete without a dedicated website, check out www.jaguarxf.com for Jag's take.

Jaguar needs the XF to re-establish the brand's style and luxury credentials in the middle of the lineup. The new XK and XJ haven't lost that touch, though the V8 engines that give the smaller XF a competitive powertrain in its class leave the larger, more expensive entries slightly behind their competition. And, as Peterson pointed out in his design review, the XJ and XK look too much like recent generations. The out-going S-Type did not age gracefully and, while its style hearkened back to Jaguars of old, the S-Type looked old too quickly in its relatively long lifespan. Further, the lower priced Jaguar X-Type has not done Jaguar any image favors. The all-new XF needs to rekindle the passion of Jaguar and at first blush looks equal to its task.

With carryover engines, development of the XF focused on styling, creature comforts, and incorporates many driving aids and electronic helpers from the XK. The XF also debuts features like the JaguarSense proximity sensor and JaguarDrive Select gear selector. The XF will be the entrylevel U.S. Jag about the end of the decade, and it has the luxury feature updates it needs, including improved quality of interior materials. The debate will continue on styling, but powertrain and features boxes are all checked, and suspension elements and tricks suggest the driving dynamics will be strong as well.

Continue reading "2009 Jaguar XF: Replacing the S-Type"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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At the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, BMW Introduced The "First" Sports Activity Coupe
Technically, BMW is right. This is the world's first Sports Activity Coupe. But that seems a matter of degrees, as Infiniti's FX is really the world's first SUV Coupe (and that was introduced back in 2003). The difference between an SAV and an SUV is in the mind of BMW, not the mind of the consumer.

Claims to world's first aside, two X6 Concepts, one with an undefined but implied large conventional powerplant and another with BMW's also largely undefined two- mode hybrid powertrain, were shown at the 2007 Frankfurt show in September. The X6 Concept and X6 Concept ActiveHybrid preview a vehicle we'll see on the roads in 2008, built alongside the X5 at the company's Spartanburg plant. Both gathered strong interest at the show, though the real test will be seeing the X6 on the autobahn, freeways, and suburban and city roads next to everything from the most sedate family sedan to the largest SUV to the smallest sports car. Will its striking roofline be enough to draw attention and appreciative looks or just look out of place? Though given graceful and dynamic surfacing, below the beltline the X6 looks every bit the SUV it is.

The X6 and X6 ActiveHybrid Concepts show what to expect from the exterior, though the interior and powertrain and mechanicals details are yet under wraps. We expect conventional X6 powerplants to be pulled from the X5, and the ActiveHybrid Concept confirms BMW's intent to offer the jointly developed two-mode hybrid system (after the fragmenting of DaimlerChrysler, this is a four-way venture between GM, Daimler, The Chrysler Group, and BMW). BMW will use their own engines with the two-mode hybrid system, as do the other partners, and may call the system ActiveHybrid in production.

Continue reading "BMW Concept X6 and X6 ActiveHybrid: BMW X DNA Defined"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 09:20 AM | Permalink

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The Brushed Aluminium Behemoth

Continue reading "VehicleVoice#75 - The Oldest Mercedes Still on the Road?"

Posted by Cameron at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Aston Martin's history is of gorgeous design wedded to a racing engineer's heart. These cars take your breath away, on the stand or on the road, even being crashed in James Bond films. Should I happen to find my life situation seeing the overwhelming change that would be needed to afford supporting a more than $300,000 DBS, would I? Maybe. As fantastic as these vehicles are, somehow they often get left off my what-if daydreams. They're so beautiful, so expensive, and a sufficiently rare sight on my Midwestern roads that they can slip by. And there are so many terrific options these days it is only more and more difficult to choose. It truly is a wonderful time to dream, and in Frankfurt I was reminded to expand those dreams.

As time came to replace the Vanquish, Aston looked to the VH platform under the DB9 and V8 Vantage coupe and roadster with its bonded, pressed, extruded, and cast aluminum components. After providing a sneak peak of the DBS first in one of the most amazing crash scenes ever filmed in Casino Royale and again at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California (where Aston was this year's featured marque), the car's first auto show outing was at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show in September. The DBS is being built at Gaydon, near Warwickshire, alongside its DB9 and V8 Vantage siblings, rather than the Newport Pagnell facility where the Vanquish had been built. It will be available during the first several months of 2008.

Continue reading "2009 Aston Martin DBS: Automotive Inspiration"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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