Author Archives: Michael Harley

Volkswagen tops Strategic Vision Total Value Index

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2013 Volkswagen CC front three-quarter view

Strategic Vision has announced its 2011 Total Value Index (TVI) awards, and Volkswagen of America has earned its position at the top of the podium. Hyundai Motor America placed second, with Ford Motor Corporation taking third place overall. According to Strategic Vision, its Total Value award is calculated based on explicit owner statements on hundreds of (weighted) attributes with regards to immediate and expected (long-term) economic factors such as warranty, technical innovation, standard equipment, fuel economy, and so on. The company says that the current economic crisis, rising fuel costs and affordability concerns make its TVI very relevant to today’s consumers.

“An important ‘time marker’ in this year’s study is that for the first time in over ten years, American manufacturers lead the number of Total Value winners, with eleven segment leaders. This is an important milestone toward the ‘domestic comeback,’” says Chris Chaney, the company’s vice president and head of automotive research. He also notes that consumers find perceived value in alternative fueled vehicles, pointing out that the Chevrolet Volt, Honda Civic Hybrid, Nissan Leaf and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid all led their respective segments.

The Total Value Awards have been presented by Strategic Vision annually since 1995. The 2011 TVI was calculated from 68,088 buyers (of the 325,000 total who responded during 2011) who purchased models during September 2010 to June 2011. The Volkswagen CC (an updated 2013 model of which is shown above) earned the Total Value award in its Large Car segment.

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Volkswagen tops Strategic Vision Total Value Index originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automakers’ sales goals add up to optimistic forecast

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Automotive industry analysts are projecting sales of over 14.4 million units this year, a lofty figure we originally reported late last year. Unfortunately, it seems that those paid visionaries may be an overly optimistic bunch as the actual sales figures – calculated by outside experts – are expected to be significantly lower.

American Honda expects sales growth of 25 percent over last year, while Nissan is estimating an 18-percent growth. Toyota Motor Sales, Chrysler Group and General Motors are all aiming for a 15-percent bump. All of those numbers exceed outside calculations, which say industry growth will be at about eight percent in 2012.

Industry experts at J.D. Power and Associates say many automakers have been simply too aggressive with forecasts. “There are painful decisions to be made,” the company said. “Companies need to maintain discipline with realistic forecasts. The recovery is taking longer than expected. Getting too aggressive can lead to bad practices like pushing inventory.” In layman’s terms, production plans are based on sales goals (factories are tasked with producing enough cars to keep the showrooms stocked). If volume estimates are too high, hundreds of thousands of new cars could be sitting unsold at dealerships later this year, leading to an industry-wide incentives war.

In defense of the automakers, the optimism isn’t completely unfounded. Natural disasters rocked the Japanese manufacturers last year, and they expect to use 2012 to reclaim much of their market. In addition, nearly every automaker is introducing new products in high-volume segments. Nevertheless, J.D. Power projects a 13.8 million market in 2012, followed by 15.4 million in 2013 and 16.2 million in 2014.

Automakers’ sales goals add up to optimistic forecast originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1954 Mercury XM 800 Concept is retro-cool in execution, detail and design

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1954 Mercury XM 800 Concept

The true jewels of most auto shows are often hidden, requiring a bit more legwork to find. During our third pass of the Chicago Auto Show, we stumbled upon a display from the Classic Car Club of America. Tucked away in a corner behind low aluminum railing, we found a stunning full-size two-door hardtop: the 1954 Mercury XM 800 Concept.

When it was first introduced at the 1954 Detroit Auto Show, the XM 800 made quite an impact. Mechanically speaking, it was fitted with a 312 cubic inch engine rated at 270 horsepower. A Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, sending power to the rear wheels, was standard. Its design was noted for an expansive greenhouse offering passengers an almost 360-degree outside view. Benson Ford, running the Lincoln-Mercury Division at the time, pushed for the XM-800′s basic design to be added to the Mercury lineup. The plan to move forward was only extinguished because the automaker switched gears to work on Edsel.

The fiberglass XM 800 traveled extensively in 1954 and 1955, making appearances at most major car shows and special exhibitions (including the Chicago Auto Show). It even had a featured role in Hollywood, appearing in the 20th Century Fox production Woman’s World. In the late 1950s, the concept car was gifted to the University of Michigan’s Automotive Engineering Lab to be used for training and design inspiration. Ten years later, the Mercury ended up in storage outside a barn on a farm in central Michigan. Thankfully, the deteriorating concept car caught the eye of an enthusiast who purchased it and began a 20-year frame off, nut-and-bolt restoration.

Today, the 1954 Mercury XM 800 is considered to be one of the most significant concept cars ever produced. It recently sold at the RM Auction for $429,000. Check out the press release for its interesting history and our gallery for some beautiful design.

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1954 Mercury XM 800 Concept is retro-cool in execution, detail and design originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motor Press Guild honors Senna documentary and Brock Yates, among others

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The Motor Press Guild (MPG), the largest automotive media association in North America, held its 17th annual Dean Batchelor Award banquet at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles this week. The association’s awards honored those with outstanding automotive contributions in the areas of writing, audio/visual, photography and lifetime achievement.

Dean Batchelor Award: Senna, by Asif Kapadia and Manish Pandey.

Best Book: Elva, The Cars, The People, The History by Janos Wimpffen

Best Article: “Questor Grand Prix” by Tom Stahler

Best Photography: “Everybody’s a Photographer” by Reinhard Klein

Lifetime Achievement Award: Brock Yates was honored for his many contributions to both the automotive and entertainment industries. Not only was Mr. Yates the longtime executive editor of Car and Driver, but he reported for television motorsports, wrote numerous books, was the screenwriter for Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and The Cannonball Run (1981) and he founded the famed coast-to-coast Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (better known as the Cannonball Run), along with its eventual offshoot, One Lap of America.

Pictured is Brock Yates and his wife Pamela, with Laura Burstein, president of the Motor Press Guild. The full press release is below.

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Motor Press Guild honors Senna documentary and Brock Yates, among others originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rennsport Reunion IV: Porsche porn in the car corral

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Porsche car corral at Rennsport Reunion IV

Autoblog has been walking the paddock of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca taking in Rennsport Reunion IV for the past two days… but that’s just a small part of the action. Today, we took a long stroll through the various Porsche corrals where the privately owned cars park during the event. While we’re suckers for race machinery, some of the automaker’s street cars are equally spectacular, even in standard trim.

Take a look through our massive gallery of cars, including those from members of the Porsche Club of America (PCA) and Porsche Owners Club (POC). Both organizations are loaded with very enthusiastic owners who take meticulous care of their mid- and rear-engined sports cars. Look carefully and you’ll spot everything from early cars all the way to the latest 997 GT3 RS 4.0 – even a rare RUF Turbo (on a 993 platform).

Our personal favorites include the 930, GT2 RS, RS Ducktails and the early 911-based RUF Turbo Targa. How about you?

Rennsport Reunion IV: Porsche porn in the car corral originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rennsport Reunion IV: Significant Porsche 911 race cars on display

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Rennsport Reunion IV at Laguna Seca is 5,825 miles from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, but that didn’t stop the automaker from shipping some of its most prized possessions all the way to California to show thousands of its loyal enthusiasts. Tucked safely in a permanent garage at the track, with special lighting and placards to help tell the story, we found more than a dozen historically significant Porsche models displayed chronologically from 1964 to present day.

While each is worthy of an hour walk-around by itself, we really liked the 1973 Porsche 911 RSR in Martini livery, the 1998 Porsche 911 GT1 98 LM that won Le Mans outright in 1998, the 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup that was driven by Jeff Zwart up Pikes Peak in 2010 (and set the 2WD Time Attack class record) and the new Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0, which is still covered with the rubber marks from its last ALMS race at this circuit.

Special thanks to Autoblog’s esteemed photographer, Drew Phillips, who set his alarm early to be able to capture each of the cars before the crowds enveloped them. Enjoy.

Rennsport Reunion IV: Significant Porsche 911 race cars on display originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rennsport Reunion IV: 1978 Porsche 935 “Moby Dick”

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1978 Porsche 935 Moby Dick

The year was 1978, and Norbert Singer was tasked with building the ultimate Group 5 Porsche 935. His sole objective was to deliver a win at Le Mans. Singer went immediately to work and pushed the FIA’s rules to deliver a lower, wider and more aerodynamic 935 than anyone expected. With a white body and a characteristic long swooping tail, it was dubbed “Moby Dick,” after Herman Melville’s great white whale.

But don’t get the impression that Moby Dick was just an aero kit on a 935, as there were other, less visible changes to the race car.

The turbocharged flat six was bumped up to displace 3.2 liters and fitted with water-cooled heads. When it was time to race, the four-valve engine developed 750 horsepower. Since the Le Mans circuit runs clockwise, the driver’s seat was moved to the right to optimize weight distribution. On the Mulsanne Straight, it could hit a blistering 235 mph.

Moby Dick qualified third at Le Mans in 1978, behind two Group 6 prototypes (Renault Alpine and a Porsche 936). While it was the fastest on the straights, it finished in eighth place after an oil leak became an issue. It ran in two more races that year before Porsche retired it to the museum. Three clones were eventually built, and they raced well into the 1980s.

Rennsport Reunion IV: 1978 Porsche 935 “Moby Dick” originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Used cars commanding record prices, sometimes cheaper to buy new

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Just a couple years after U.S. auto sales plunged to their lowest levels in decades, dealers are finding an industry-wide shortage of used vehicles. This lack of used inventory has driven up the price of scarce pre-owned vehicles on lots, sending more and more consumers into aggressively priced new vehicles. One economist says as many as 500,000 people who intend on purchasing used will instead take delivery on new vehicles by mid-2012.

This phenomenon wasn’t completely unexpected. When production and sales slumped, many realized the steady supply of returned leased and fleet vehicles – which traditionally deliver late-model low-mileage inventory – would slow to a trickle down the road. The used vehicles are often reconditioned by dealers for sale with extended warranties, but special financing and automaker incentive packages usually don’t apply. Parked next to new vehicles, with aggressive pricing and low interest rates, consumers are finding only a marginal jump in price (if any) will put the aroma of a freshly minted vehicle in their driveway.

The news is good for automakers such as BMW (new car sales up 13 percent), GM and Ford (both expecting a 10 percent boost). However, most Japanese automakers are still reeling after production losses earlier this year which won’t allow them to stock lots and take full advantage of the unique situation. Industry experts, who are able to trend new and used vehicle sales, predict the used car market will remain strong for at least the next year or two.

Used cars commanding record prices, sometimes cheaper to buy new originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Book Review: Porsche, A History of Excellence by Randy Leffingwell

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Porsche, A History of Excellence

Porsche: A History of Excellence – Click above for image gallery from the publication

Randy Leffingwell is a Porsche enthusiast – serving as primary reason why this book isn’t just another regurgitated account following the history of one of the world’s most celebrated marques. Porsche: A History of Excellence is a comprehensive look at the automaker’s past, from 1938 to near present day, told within the confines of a 348-page coffee table book.

Researched with the tenacity of someone who truly appreciates and understands the brand, Leffingwell did much of his investigation in Germany, working side-by-side with Dieter Landenberger (director of Porsche archives) for this fully authorized book. The author conducted more than 60 interviews to answer questions such as: Why did Porsche feel it necessary to go into the SUV market? Did some of Porsche’s 917 racing program funding come from Volkswagen Marketing? What were the design and engineering challenges to creating “two cars with one face,” both the Boxster and the 996, at the same time?

Porsche, A History of ExcellenceThe book is loaded with beautiful and interesting imagery – the color pictures occupy more space than text on most of the pages. According to Leffingwell, about half the images in the book came from Porsche’s own archives, which have been published in this book for the first time. The balance was shot by the author himself, a noted world-class photographer, in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Italy.

While it is an interesting chronological read, with plenty of eye candy to hold the reader’s attention, we did note that the book abruptly ends its history lesson at the year 2008. Sadly, there is no mention of current technology like the “Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe” (PDK), direct-injection or the Porsche 918 Spyder (even though an image of the supercar oddly emblazons the cover). Nevertheless, it’s not a deal breaker as the balance of the content more than makes up for the minor shortcoming.

Before you rush out to put a copy on your family room table, we need to warn you that the book isn’t completely new – explaining the date cutoff. Leffingwell reveals that most of the copy was first published as Porsche 60 Years, a six-pound hardcover, in August of 2008. While that book received excellent reviews, it went out of print after just one run (new copies of the original text, if you can find them, are selling for over $150.00). Thanks to the popularity of a German language edition, the publisher chose to re-release this updated and revised version called Porsche: A History of Excellence. Printed as a three-pound soft-cover, the book carries a list price of $30.00 (it is $21.90 right now on Amazon). That’s a literary bargain if you’re a fan of European sports cars.

Book Review: Porsche, A History of Excellence by Randy Leffingwell originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bimmerfest 2011 invades the Rose Bowl

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BMW M1Bimmerfest 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Started more than a decade ago as a small get-together for enthusiasts at a Santa Barbara BMW retailer, Bimmerfest celebrated its eleventh anniversary at a much larger venue this weekend: the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The largest BMW gathering in North America draws participants from all over the country thanks to a very active online membership in its Bimmerfest forums. As has traditionally been the case, most attendees meet up early in the morning to caravan hours to the Southern California event.

Despite unseasonably gloomy weather, there were more than 3,000 BMW vehicles on display. BMW North American brought its big rig with several cars including the new 2011 1 Series M Coupe. There was an excellent showing of E31 8 Series models, including an 850CSi (powered by a S70B56 5.6-liter V12 with a six-speed manual gearbox). We spotted plenty of E30 M3 models, several Z3 Coupe variants and an E23 745i (the gray market sedan features a turbocharged inline-six). The Nitto Tire both held the GSR Autosport Z4R, competing in the 2011 Formula Drift series with a 600-plus horsepower turbocharged S54 engine. Other notable BMWs in attendance included a race-bred M1, several sinister X6 M SAVs, and a spectacular 1972 E9 3.0 CSi Coupe – this year, we’ll call that one our show favorite.

There is good news for BMW owners on the East Coast. The event organizers have announced a second North American event, to be held in early August in Aberdeen, Maryland. BMW owners, start polishing your cars now.

Bimmerfest 2011 invades the Rose Bowl originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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